Chapter 141

 

* * *

 

Wendel delivered the letter and flowers announcing their arrival, then withdrew. Claude got up with a sullen expression and opened the letter he had received. Inside was a message of gratitude. Although they wished to visit and greet them in person if possible, it said they were sending a letter instead since the child’s condition was still poor.

“What does it say?”

When Melody asked, instead of answering, he simply handed her the letter. She quickly checked the contents and let out a worried sigh.

“It seems August still hasn’t recovered.”

“I suppose not.”

He recalled the child’s chillingly cold body. Having been drenched in all that rain, it was likely he had caught a terrible cold.

“Um, but why was August there in the first place? Was he being bullied by someone?”

At Melody’s question, Claude opened his eyes wide as he looked at her.

“…Didn’t you see?”

“See what?”

Even at the moment when he was nearly unconscious, the boy had been clutching Melody’s  shoe tightly.

He must have slipped out from his home after they parted and spent the whole time searching for it, perhaps hoping he might find it tangled among the riverside rocks and plants.

“Hmm.”

Claude started to explain the boy’s circumstances but stopped himself partway.

That achievement belonged entirely to August, so it was only right that he deliver the story himself.

“You’ll find out soon enough, Cinderella.”

“What in the world was it?”

“Anyway, it wasn’t because of bullying, so don’t worry.”

“Well…if that’s the case, then that’s a relief.”

She gave a small nod, then scrutinized the letter again, hoping to find some trace of Prince Samuel.

However, the letter was written by the child’s nanny, and there was nothing else beyond expressing gratitude.

“Umm.”

“Why are you making such a disappointed face again?”

“Well…in the end, we still didn’t meet Prince Samuel.”

Of course, she knew it was fortunate they had made this connection with August. But she couldn’t help feeling a lingering sense of regret.

“It’s alright.”

Soon, he responded as if to console her.

“We met him.”

“…Huh?”

Surprised, she repeated her question, but Claude only shrugged his shoulders.

“When? How?”

“Yesterday, by the river.”

“Prince Samuel was there? Really?”

“I thought Miss Melody had recognized and brought him, but it seems you didn’t realize it.”

“Not at all…”

While she had brought some villagers along, she hadn’t had the presence of mind to study them closely.

“Young master, how did you know? Was there something different about him after all? Like his graceful demeanor, perhaps…”

Claude had once said that since he was a former prince, Prince Samuel would have elegance ingrained into his very bones, showing through even his smallest gestures and mannerisms.

Though Melody had no recollection of encountering someone like that.

“It wasn’t about graceful demeanors or anything.”

“Then what?”

“No matter how devoted to etiquette someone is, that atmosphere wouldn’t emanate from them when a child they love is in danger.”

When Claude had emerged from the river yesterday, he checked the faces of those who extended their hands to take the child, one by one.

They all had urgent expressions, but one man in particular stood out to him.

With a look mixed with relief and anxiety, the man’s legs had even trembled as he approached Claude.

“It was unmistakably the face of a child’s father.”

“…Ah.”

Only now did Melody realize how foolish her question had been. Graceful demeanors, indeed.

It would have been impossible to maintain such dignity in a situation like yesterday’s.

“Not to mention, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the Tower Master. It was unmistakable.”

“Well, they do say the royal bloodline runs thick.”

August too was blessed with striking beauty reminiscent of the previous empress.

“It’s not just royalty whose blood runs thick. I bear quite a resemblance to my father, at least in my eyes.”

He crossed his arms, recalling the expression Prince Samuel had worn yesterday.

Though only a fleeting moment, the way he had looked at Claude contained more than just ‘gratitude.’

“By now, Prince Samuel has likely realized who I am to some extent.”

Checking the Briggs company would readily reveal Claude’s identity to anyone.

After all, he had made no secret of visiting Kristonson.

“Is it…okay for the young master’s identity to be exposed?”

At Melody’s concerned question, he nodded.

“Of course it’s fine. I didn’t deliberately try to hide it.”

It was quite convenient to have a debt owed when dealing with someone you wanted something from.

In his future dealings with Prince Samuel, Claude would easily gain the upper hand.

“It won’t be long before they reach out to us first.”

Through a secure method Prince Samuel could trust.

The ducal family would simply need to respond accordingly.

Of course, Prince Samuel had the choice of pretending not to know about yesterday’s events.

But Claude didn’t think he would do that.

He would likely feel uneasy about how much the Baldwin ducal family, closely tied to the Emperor, might have discovered.

More than anything, August had Melody’s  shoe.

The boy would surely want to return the  shoe he had struggled to find to its owner. And Prince Samuel would be unable to ignore the earnest plea of the son he loved so dearly.

“So in that sense, we achieved our purpose for this trip. It happened in a very different way than we expected, but still.”

Melody slowly nodded.

“Yes, we can report to the Duke when we get back that…Oh.”

Melody had been about to say, ‘He’ll be delighted to hear we found August,’ but she stopped herself.

She had only just remembered a crucial fact.

Without her parents’ permission, she had left the mansion and arbitrarily joined Claude on this trip.

Of course, this was because she had been swayed by his nonsensical claim that ‘Baldwins and Higgins must always be together.’

But it was also true that she had packed her own luggage and boarded the carriage of her own volition, so she couldn’t simply blame it all on him.

“…I’m going to be scolded.”

“Yes, you’ll be scolded.”

“Severely! Aren’t you scared at all, young master? How can you be so calm?!”

“Well, of course the Higgins couple is quite frightening to me too.”

He briefly rubbed his chin before smiling.

“But our arrival won’t be for over a week, so we can think about that later. For now, let’s consider what  shoes we’ll buy on the return trip. It’s sure to be enjoyable.”

“……”

“Categorized by type, material and color.”

At least stop at categorizing them by color.

Melody wanted to say that, but she was so exasperated that her mouth wouldn’t move.

 

* * *

 

…No, that wasn’t it.

It wasn’t that Melody’s mouth wouldn’t move out of exasperation.

It was a signal sent from her future self.

Exactly three days later,

After departing from Kristonson and arriving at one of the Briggs company branches,

Melody encountered a pair of fateful Mary Jane  shoes there.

They were so adorable, it would be no exaggeration to say they were designed for Loretta, because of Loretta.

Choosing just one color from among them would have been inhumane.

For each color showcased Loretta’s unique charms!

After exchanging a glance, Claude and Melody simultaneously cried out in one voice:

“We’ll take every single color from here to there!”

The Briggs company, grateful for their generous purchase, included a complimentary pair of ‘shoes that only the truly wise can see.’

Highly satisfied, Claude and Melody became even more enthusiastic about shopping for their return trip.

 

* * *

 

Melody felt she could understand how Claude had become addicted to shopping.

Shopping was a good thing.

Even though she faced a future of being summoned by her mother and beaten until her back was torn open, whenever she saw dazzling, wonderful products before her eyes, a sense of peace would fill her heart.

Of course, excessive spending was still distressing, but Claude eased Melody’s mind with words like these:

“Since you came this far because of my stubbornness, Melody, it’s only natural that I take full responsibility for the expenses.”

It seemed Claude wanted to properly compensate Melody for leading her astray with his absurd claims through this ‘shopping on the return trip.’

Whenever Melody’s gaze fell on something she liked even a little, he would enthusiastically encourage, “Let’s buy it.”

By the time they arrived back in the capital, they had completed an order list as long as twice Melody’s height.

Having acquired so many wonderful things, Melody felt she could endure any scolding from her mother.

…Of course, it was all an illusion.

“…Why did I think that?”

Melody muttered those words as she stood before the entrance of the ducal mansion.

On this dark night when even the moon hid behind the clouds, she made a sullen expression in the deserted entryway where not a single servant could be seen.

Only now did reality sink in for her.

That shopping trip, which had seemed so grand, now felt utterly insignificant.

No matter how enjoyable it had been, it could do nothing to change the gloomy future awaiting her.

Moreover, she suddenly realized that the shopping list would hardly serve as a beacon of light while being scolded by her mother.

“Don’t be too afraid.”

After sending the company’s carriage away, Claude approached to console her.

“But you didn’t send any advance notice of our arrival either, young master. That’s because you’re afraid of being scolded too, right?”

Melody’s words struck a chord, leaving Claude with only an awkward smile.

“Mrs. Higgins frightens me as well.”

“We’ll be scolded all night, won’t we? That’s what you think?”

“I suppose so. We may even be scolded until tomorrow evening.”

However, they couldn’t simply stand outside the entrance forever.

By now, news of the company’s carriage arriving in the courtyard must have reached inside the mansion. Someone would be hurrying this way to greet them.

“Shall we go in?”

Claude grasped the door handle as he said those words.

But the question of whether he could actually pull that handle was another matter entirely, leaving him frozen stiff for several seconds.

“Young master?”

At Melody’s call, he let out a long sigh before extending one arm towards her.

“We’re sure to encounter something frightening once we go inside, Melody. Could you give me an embrace of encouragement?”

Met with his earnest plea, Melody gave him a chilly stare.

She couldn’t believe he had the leisure to spout such nonsense even in this situation.