Chapter 119

 

* * *

 

“I hope I can do well and pass until the end.”

If that happens, everyone Melody likes will be happy together. Above all…

“I’ll be happy.”

Because it would mean she had accomplished something great.

Thinking about a positive future, she found herself smiling more and more.

“I must not let my guard down just yet!”

Melody quickly consoled herself, trying to regain her composure.

Soon, the officials said, “We’ll see you tomorrow morning,” and left the conference room. The maids started to guide the candidates to their assigned archives.

Melody quickly grabbed her bag and followed a maid.

Passing through the corridors and stepping outside, she saw several small buildings spaced evenly apart. They all looked the same and had no signs in front of them.

It seemed like a person visiting for the first time could easily get lost since there were no landmarks.

This was probably done intentionally to make it difficult for anyone other than the staff to find a specific archive, preventing unauthorized access.

Melody closed the gap between her and the maid a bit more.

It would be a big problem if she got lost while gawking around.

The maid stopped in front of one of the archives, which seemed to be the place assigned to Melody.

“Then.”

She bowed slightly and handed over a large key.

“Please take good care until tomorrow morning.”

“Am I allowed to take this key?”

“Yes. You should return it to the official who comes tomorrow morning. And until then, you are strictly forbidden from going far from the archive.”

Melody had heard that she would be in charge of an archive, but she hadn’t thought she would be given a key as well.

The archive contained the history of the country, its very essence.

Melody bowed slightly and extended her hands respectfully.

“It’s an honor.”

The heavy key made a jingling sound as it was handed over to Melody.

The cold touch of the key somehow gave her goosebumps.

After the maid left, Melody stood in front of the firmly closed door and nodded slightly, saying, “Okay.”

She inserted the key and turned it, unlocking the door without much difficulty. However, it took quite a bit of effort to pull the large door open.

Struggling, she finally opened it enough to enter.

A chill wind, uncharacteristic of summer, blew through the gap.

Somewhere dry…

Since it felt similar to the sensation she had experienced in Jeremiah’s room, Melody thought this was the work of magic.

And soon, she could smell the dense fragrance of books. The unique scent emanating from paper filled with time.

Melody loved this smell very much, so she slightly lifted her nose to deeply inhale it into her heart.

‘I shouldn’t leave the door open for too long.’

Melody quickly entered and firmly closed the door, making sure not to forget to lock it completely.

‘This seems like it could be fun.’

She also had a good feeling about it.

She turned around and looked at the numerous bookshelves lined up side by side, feeling a ticklish sensation in her heart.

And her nose felt ticklish too.

“…?”

Why does my nose feel ticklish? she wondered. Just then,

“Achoo!”

She sneezed loudly.

Feeling a runny nose, she blew her nose into a handkerchief and looked around again.

‘This place is…’

Melody finally realized one important fact.

“…It’s covered in dust!”

After complaining, another big sneeze followed.

It was because the magical wind carrying dust leisurely passed by her side.

 

* * *

 

In reality, the archive wasn’t very dirty. It was just that dust accumulated quickly because there were many books.

Fortunately, cleaning supplies were prepared, so Melody started cleaning right away.

First, she climbed up a large bookshelf one by one on a ladder, wiping off the dust from each section.

It wasn’t too difficult since it seemed it hadn’t been long since the last cleaning, with only a little white dust coming off.

However,

‘There are too many bookshelves.’

Melody sighed lightly as she dragged the heavy ladder around.

Now she understood why this test was until tomorrow.

It seemed like a kind of consideration, giving ample time because there was a lot to clean.

While she was busily working, she heard a knock from outside the archive.

Could it be the officials coming for an inspection? Melody quickly climbed down from the ladder and struggled to open the door again.

There was no one outside. Instead, a neatly prepared meal was placed on a trolley.

Looking up after a long time…

There was a red sunset descending in the sky.

‘It’s already evening.’

I haven’t done anything but clean.

I didn’t even properly check what books are in this archive.

Melody brought the trolley inside and then firmly locked the door again.

She cleaned her hands and face with the warm wet towel provided, and picked up a sandwich filled with ham and vegetables.

‘Maybe I’ll eat while looking around.’

Walking around with food wasn’t really suitable for a lady from a noble family. But since there was no one here, it should be fine, right?

Moreover, observing the archive a bit more could be advantageous for the exam.

Melody held the sandwich in both hands and slowly walked between the bookshelves.

Crumbs might fall on the floor, but since she would clean the floor later anyway, she wasn’t particularly worried.

“Hmm, all these books were written in the same year.”

It might have been a coincidence, but they were all records from the year Melody was born.

Even though it was just a small commonality, it instantly made Melody feel good.

Each bookshelf was essentially organized by region, and each section was arranged in chronological order.

‘They’ve organized it very meticulously.’

After all, all these records will be sealed for 100 years and passed down to future generations.

With such a volume, neatly organizing everything was essential.

After quickly finishing one side of the sandwich, Melody went back to the entrance. She was still hungry and thought she should eat the other half as well.

“Huh?”

But the sandwich she had definitely left on the plate was nowhere to be seen.

‘Did I make a mistake?’

No, even if she was hungry, Melody wouldn’t have miscounted her food.

Everyone from the Higgins family must consider their meals important and make sure to eat well, as per their rule.

‘Did the wind blow it away?’

It seemed unlikely that the gently blowing wind could do such a thing…

Still, just in case, Melody checked around the trolley.

Of course, nothing had fallen.

As if the magically clever wind felt wronged, it playfully tousled Melody’s hair as it passed by.

‘Could there be mice?’

No, that absolutely couldn’t be the case.

If there were mice in such a precious archive, it would be a disaster.

“Then what could it be?”

At that moment, Melody felt a chill run down her back.

Just then, the red sunset began to fall through the bars of the high windows, turning blood-red.

It was a beautiful sight, but perhaps because she was seized by a strange fear, it seemed frightening.

It felt as if… there was another presence in the bookshelves besides herself.

“Miss Melody, have you heard? They say there are a great many ghosts in the palace. The resentful spirits of loyal subjects and royals who died unjustly are said to linger.”

One rainy night.

The story Claude had told came to mind.

At the time, she had scoffed, saying, “That’s ridiculous,” but now, it seemed very credible.

Isn’t it clear from the history she had learned?

There have always been those who met untimely, unjust deaths.

Especially the year Melody was born, something tremendous had happened.

It was the spring day when her mother struggled to find a place to give birth, moving from house to house.

The Emperor’s half-brother, Prince Samuel, had gone down to his maternal family’s estate, the Earl of Grimes.

And when he arrived safely…

An incident occurred where Prince Samuel’s mother, the Dowager Empress, and the Earl of Grimes conspired to assassinate the Emperor.

Because of this, the earldom was stripped of all titles and honors, and those directly involved were executed on the spot.

If it had ended there, it might have been somewhat bearable.

Enraged at being betrayed by his most beloved brother, the Emperor slaughtered the entire household and all the servants in the palace who had been attending to Prince Samuel.

All these deaths unfolded before Prince Samuel’s eyes.

Seized with fear, Prince Samuel insisted until the end, “I knew nothing,” shedding tears, but the Emperor did not believe him.

Instead, unable to kill his brother whom he had cherished since childhood, he sent him to the barren lands of the North, “Kristonson.”

Prince Samuel was sentenced to live without any contact with others, except for a minimal retinue for his upkeep.

He would have no friends or neighbors, and even marriage would be forbidden for life.

Anyway, that summer, anyone found to have even the slightest connection to Prince Samuel was put to death.

“And here…”

The records of those horrific deaths must be full.

With that thought, the pleasant feeling Melody had from being born in that year vanished.

“…No, it’s okay.”

Melody clutched her pocket watch tightly, consoling herself not to be seized by deep fear.

And soon, she realized her father’s words were true.

That the old watch would be of great help to her.

Relying on it, her fear subsided, and a calm mind returned.

Melody gripped the rag she had been using to wipe the bookshelves moments ago.

She intended to continue cleaning, but then she remembered something important.

The sunset was falling, which meant that deep darkness would soon arrive.

‘Since I’m to stay here until tomorrow morning, there must be something to light up the place somewhere around here.’

Melody looked around for a moment. Then, she spotted a desk placed in the deepest part of the area beyond the bookshelves.

At a glance, seeing that there were writing tools, it seemed likely there would be tools to light a fire as well.

Melody walked towards it, still holding the rag.

Creak, creak.

With every step, an unpleasant noise came from the wooden floor.

Perhaps it had been there since she first entered, but it seemed Melody only now realized it.

She tried her best to ignore it, but…

Creeeak.

The continuing noise inevitably caught her attention.

Creak, creak, creak, creak.

Moreover, it seemed…

As if it were coming from a slightly distant place as well.

As though another presence was moving around in the archive.