Chapter 138

 

* * *

 

Of course, Melody could not deny his words. When she had spotted the drifting shoe, not only did she fail to think of Claude, but the option of simply buying a new one never even occurred to her.

“…That’s true.”

Melody whispered her admission in a small voice.

“I only thought I had to hurry and retrieve it.”

“But why?”

At his dissatisfied question, Melody fell silent for a moment.

Claude did not press further, merely applying the medicine to her wound. Once the stinging subsided, Melody took a deep breath before finally speaking up again about those times she rarely recalled anymore.

“My shoes too… were brought to me by Isaiah.”

For an instant, his hand stilled, as if startled by something.

“I don’t understand why children always bully other children in that way.”

Back then, as an outcast, Melody might have felt the need to say that she too had lost her other shoe.

In any case, standing around wearing only one shoe had been utterly miserable.

“…I wanted to imitate Isaiah a bit. He was always a great comfort to me as a child.”

Of course, Isaiah’s existence remained precious to her even now. But back then, it seemed he had been even more absolutely vital.

He was nearly the only person who would fight for her sake.

“I see…”

“But you’re also right. Now that my circumstances have changed, I should have considered the option of buying new shoes instead.”

“No.”

He immediately shook his head, having just scolded her for failing to think of that solution.

“…I was mistaken.”

Repeating the same words, he set down the medicine bottle.

It seemed the treatment was finished.

“Young master.”

After gauging his mood, Melody carefully spoke up.

“I didn’t bring up that story to evoke your pity. Of course, in your view, my childhood was…”

“Not pity, never that.”

He shook his head adamantly, insisting otherwise.

“Absolutely not.”

“But you did suddenly take my side, with a rather sad expression.”

“It was just…”

He trailed off before lowering his head, coincidentally letting his forehead rest against her ankle.

“…It was…”

His quiet words carried his breath all the way to the tips of Melody’s toes, making her feel ticklish.

“A bit… pathetic of me.”

He deeply bowed his head, letting more of his weight rest upon her slender ankle.

In the small stillness, the clear sound of a raindrop striking the glass window resonated loudly.

Melody’s gaze turned towards the world outside.

The azure sky was gradually being swallowed by inky blackness – dark rain clouds seemed to be rapidly gathering.

Though not long after, even the sun disappeared behind the clouds, dimming the surroundings into near-darkness, tinting everything in muted shades.

It was then that Claude suddenly whispered something.

Unfortunately, the intensifying rain drowned out his words from reaching Melody’s ears.

When she asked “Pardon?” he replied with a wry laugh,

“I just thought… I could have retrieved that shoe too…”

“But if I had waited for you young master, August’s shoe might have drifted even further away.”

He turned his head towards Melody, still resting his face near her ankle.

“That shoe is not what I wanted to find.”

Even if Melody lacked perception, she could hardly be oblivious to whom the ‘shoe’ he now referred to belonged.

He was speaking of her childhood self.

“Well, that’s… unavoidable, isn’t it?”

“I know.”

He slumped his body wearily, his lips lightly brushing against Melody’s leg.

“The version of you I got to meet was merely the one who came to own several pairs of shoes.”

His lips ticklishly grazing her skin felt unfamiliar yet not exactly unpleasant.

“If I had known you from an even earlier time… perhaps I could have been more helpful.”

For some reason, those words carried a tinge of regret.

It seemed he wished he could have shown kindness to the younger Melody he never met.

He did have a habit of spontaneously showing affection at times.

“…Still.”

Melody replied in a somewhat dreamy voice.

“I became so happy after gaining all those extra pairs of shoes.”

“Ah, then we’ll buy more.”

Startled by Claude’s immediate response, Melody exclaimed,

“Huh? What did you say?!”

Lifting his head, he flashed Melody a bright smile.

“Let’s buy more shoes.”

“Why all of a sudden? Why?!”

“You said so yourself, Melody. That you became happy after owning multiple pairs of shoes.”

“That was a metaphor! Meaning my circumstances improved compared to before…”

“Miss Melody’s circumstances can always improve further. And if shoes measure that, then we must buy more, no matter what.”

It was a complete sophistry.

Yet before Melody could refute him, he had already summoned Wendel Benton to inform him, “Our return shopping will focus primarily on shoes.”

The delighted Wendel withdrew, promising to “prepare diligently across each region categorized by type and material!” His face beamed with the prospect of great sales.

After finalizing the arrangements with him, Claude nodded in full satisfaction.

He already seemed to eagerly anticipate encountering various shoes along their return journey.

By this point, Melody was beginning to worry about him a bit.

“You know, young master, addiction to spending is an extremely dangerous thing.”

“It’s alright. I’m only indulging in necessary purchases.”

“You consider buying shoes categorized by type and material a necessary purchase?!”

“Yes.”

He calmly responded as if explaining something obvious.

“Buying the same type and material would truly be an unnecessary purchase. But buying different shoes categorized by color is absolutely necessary.”

…Huh? Was that right?

His reasoning sounded plausible enough that Melody unthinkingly agreed with an “I suppose so” once again.

Of course, it was only 10 seconds later that she realized he had slyly snuck in the absurd addendum of “by color” and had to loudly protest, “No way!”

 

* * *

 

The rain continued pouring.

While waiting for the medicine on her soles to dry, Melody obediently sat on the sofa.

A maid soon brought over some warm tea. Forgetting the shoe shopping for now, Melody gazed out the window.

“Perhaps it’s…fortunate?”

She was referring to the rain starting after meeting August.

If she had failed to encounter him this morning, she would be returning to the mansion now with nothing to show for it.

“Miss Melody’s expression seems far from relieved, however.”

He responded while examining her feet, likely checking if the medicine had fully absorbed.

“Hmm.”

“He’s weighing on your mind, isn’t he?”

“To be honest, yes.”

Melody recalled August standing alone on the southern bridge.

Behind the solitary boy, children carrying pinwheels frolicked about. The yellow pinwheels were said to be gifts from parents on this day.

Nearby were also families holding hands firmly to avoid getting separated amidst the joyous occasion.

Only the boy stood alone in that festive space.

‘Of course, Prince Samuel must also love August…’

But given the need to conceal their relationship, it was inevitable that a strange loneliness would take root in the young boy’s heart.

Perhaps that was proof of it.

When Melody retrieved August’s shoe, despite his sincere concern for her wellbeing, his head whipped around at a man’s distant voice, hopeful it might be his father come to find him.

He had likely anticipated that repeatedly while making his wish on the southern bridge.

Melody could easily envision the child’s face lighting up with expectation, only to soon fall into disappointment, over and over again.

“…Of course, eventually August too will be able to happily enjoy the festival with Prince Samuel, creating the wonderful memories he can recount to Loretta.”

But that future did not negate the loneliness the eleven-year-old boy felt now.

At Claude’s query of whether she wished to help the current August, Melody both nodded and shook her head in response.

The thought that she should not involve herself further held her back.

“I know. For now, I must be satisfied with simply finding his existence and exchanging greetings.”

Rash action could lead to disastrous consequences.

“…In that sense, the rain is rather fortunate after all.”

Melody turned her gaze back outside, where heavy downpours still relentlessly poured, blurring the world.

“In this weather, August likely won’t be alone waiting for his father on the bridge.”

Perhaps he was nestled against his nanny’s lap, humming the same lullaby told to him since infancy – the very melody he would teach Loretta in the distant future.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, Claude made a puzzled sound, carefully observing something beyond the window.

Something seemed to have caught his eye.

Following his line of sight, Melody noticed an umbrella.

“Did someone return from going out…?”

But the umbrella’s erratic bobbing movements made her doubt that, considering the heavy downpour – who would urgently run about with just an umbrella in this weather?

“Let’s go out.”

Perhaps sensing something was amiss, he rose to his feet.

Melody followed, the medicine having fully absorbed so her feet no longer pained her.

The moment they reached the entrance hall, they found Wendel Benton there as well.

“Is something the matter?”

“Hmm, an old woman from the village seems to be searching for a child. But in weather like this, I can’t imagine what…”

“An old woman?”

“Yes.”

Claude and Melody exchanged glances, a shared realization naturally surfacing between them.