Chapter 152

 

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“It seems okay.”

He kept changing the angle of her foot and ankle while asking the same question repeatedly.

“How about this?”

“It’s fine.”

Despite her continuous reassurances that she was alright, he still did not seem convinced, his expression worried.

After carefully examining one ankle, he shifted positions to kneel in front of her other foot.

“Let me take it off first.”

Melody nodded at his suggestion of removing her  shoe.

This time too, he maintained an equally meticulous examination process on the other foot, being fair.

“Your ankle really doesn’t hurt at all?”

“I already said it doesn’t.”

“Well, that’s a relief then… Oh, here’s some swelling.”

Lifting his head slightly, Ronny furrowed his brow towards Melody’s leg area.

In truth, Melody was wearing a modest dress that fell down to her ankles. But the thin fabric had ridden up when she turned to sit properly earlier, revealing her reddened shins beneath the white lace.

“That must really hurt.”

Ronny gripped the end of the lace, his brow deeply creased in concern.

When he gently touched the swollen area with his fingertips, Melody let out a pained sound.

“This will probably bruise. Should I get some medicine?”

But Melody shook her head.

“It’s okay, it will go down over time.”

“Still, this is really…”

He leaned his face closer to her injury, seeming apologetic and unsure what to do.

“…You know, Ronny.”

Observing his behavior, Melody called out to him carefully.

“It would probably be better to apply some medicine after all?”

He kept his gaze fixed on Melody’s leg as he asked, and she shook her head again.

“No, that’s not it. Your posture doesn’t seem very proper.”

“Huh?”

Finally, Ronny lifted his head at her pointed remark.

He must not have realized until then, too focused on examining her injury.

His hand was gripping the hem of Melody’s dress, naturally having pushed it up to around her knees to get a closer look at the bruise.

Of course, Melody understood he had only lifted her dress to check her injury more carefully.

But it was not exactly a proper posture for an adult man and woman, leaving room for misunderstanding.

Ronny alternated between glancing at his hand and at Melody for a moment. His movements seemed unnaturally stiff, like a malfunctioning clock.

“Huh.”

Suddenly realizing how precarious his conduct was, Ronny immediately shook his head vehemently.

“That, that wasn’t what I meant at all!”

Of course, being close friends with Ronny, Melody could not resist teasing him a bit over this opportunity.

“Was it not?”

Though she only meant it jokingly, the flustered Ronny did not seem to take it that way.

The moment she asked, his face turned beet red.

“I…I mean, I wasn’t harboring any ill intentions by doing this.”

His hand gripping her dress hem trembled as he mentioned “ill intentions.”

“Huh.”

Belatedly, he let go of Melody’s dress and quickly turned his head away.

Even the back of his neck visible above his shirt collar had turned bright red. It was almost pitiful enough to make the teaser feel apologetic instead.

“I know.”

So Melody lightly patted his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

“Ronny would never harbor ill intentions towards me.”

Even with her reassuring words, he only hung his head lower in seeming self-reproach.

It appeared he felt he had wronged her somehow, so Melody decided to comfort him further.

“We used to show each other our legs all the time when we were kids, remember? We just wore shorts that went down to our knees back then.”

“That and this…are the same thing?”

He weakly refuted while shaking his head, but Melody just shrugged nonchalantly.

In any case, he seemed calmer than before, which was a relief.

“Heh heh.”

“Don’t laugh. I feel utterly mortified.”

He settled on the step three below where Melody was seated, drooping his head between his knees in seeming embarrassment.

“Ronny.”

Melody lightly tapped his hunched back, making him lift his head slightly.

“…What?”

The weak response soon came.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

Ronny turned to her in surprise. What was there to thank him for when all his recent actions had been blunders?

“The truth is…”

Melody clasped her hands over her knees.

“Mr. Middleton and I had an unpleasant history before.”

“…Oh.”

Ronny gave a small nod, his expression unreadable as Melody continued.

“You wouldn’t know since I never told you or my parents about it. Can you keep this a secret?”

“Yeah.”

He replied somewhat sullenly, as if feeling odd about the matter.

“And that’s why I’m thanking you, Ronny. I was honestly quite relieved.”

“You…were?”

“Yes. The nerve of him to insult the Baldwin Duchy right in front of me!”

Melody clenched her small fist firmly as she spoke, prompting an involuntary smile from Ronny.

Not only was she glad over his actions, but he appreciated her cherishing the ducal honor as well, even though it was natural for a Higgins.

“I’m glad if that made you happy.”

“No, ‘happy’ is too small a word. ‘Immensely satisfied’ would be better.”

The continued praise made Ronny’s shoulders unconsciously straighten proudly.

Now that he considered it, he had done quite the admirable thing by punishing someone who displeased Melody, had he not?

“From now on, let me know if anyone bothers you again.”

“Really…I can tell you?”

Of course, Ronny nodded firmly. If there was anyone troubling Melody, he wished to intervene and help without hesitation.

“Thank you. Then I’ll let you know.”

“Oh, wait a moment.”

Ronny paused, seeming to notice something.

“…?”

He took off his shoes and neatly placed them in front of Melody’s feet.

It seemed improper to him for her to be sitting on the stairs barefoot.

“Put them on.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

He shrugged casually before pushing his shoes closer to her again.

Melody pondered briefly before slipping her feet into his oversized dress shoes one by one.

The shoes still retained some warmth and were so large that her toes did not even reach the ends, the uppers towering far above her feet as well.

“…They’re huge.”

Her amazed murmur made Ronny chuckle lightly.

“You’re just small.”

“I don’t remember the size difference being this big before though.”

“It’s always been this much of a difference?”

“I see…”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Ronny shifted down a few steps below Melody’s feet, just like when examining her ankle earlier.

As Melody lifted her head from staring at the oversized shoes, their eyes met at the same level.

“So tell me, who else has been bothering you?”

His question made the corners of Melody’s eyes crinkle slightly, though it seemed more from amusement than worry this time.

Why was she smiling so prettily while talking about being bullied? Just as Ronny wondered that…

“Ronny.”

She gave a decisive answer.

“Huh?”

“Ronny Baldwin, my friend. You don’t know him?”

“……”

“He bullies me terribly.”

Ordinarily, Ronny would have immediately protested “When did I ever?!”

But today, feeling guilty over wronging Melody, he could not bring himself to be so brazenly defensive.

Instead, he sullenly asked with a resigned expression,

“How…does he bully you?”

“For starters, he runs away whenever he sees me. I chased after him and ended up falling down these stairs.”

That was undoubtedly his fault, so he hung his head deeply in apology.

“…I was in the wrong, dear Miss Higgins.”

“Dear? Is that what you call someone who doesn’t even open their door no matter how much you knock?”

“Huh.”

That too was true, making Ronny’s head droop even lower.

“When you’re the one always waltzing into my room without knocking at all.”

“That too was very wrong of me, dear Miss Higgins.”

“So.”

Melody gazed at him sternly with narrowed eyes.

“Why exactly did Ronny grab that man by the collar?”

“…Well.”

He bit his lip contemplatively.

Just recalling the vile things that bastard had spouted about Melody at the party made his blood boil again. Belittling her efforts and calling her vile names.

“You won’t tell me?”

“……”

“Or could it be…that person was also rude to Ronny?”

“What?!”

“If not, that’s a relief.”

“Ha, you’re worrying about me now? Did you think I’d get so enraged over some trivial insult from the heir to a minor earldom?!”

If it seemed Ronny had been gritting his teeth over a personal slight from someone of such low status, that would be a misunderstanding.

Such inferiority complex-driven remarks could never truly wound him.

But when it came to matters involving Melody, it was a different story altogether.

…Though he did not understand why, it simply was.

“That bastard said something about you… How dare he.”

Ronny clenched his lingering fury into tight fists.

He still considered it sheer luck that Isaiah had accompanied him to that soiree.

Otherwise, who knows if Stewart’s reckless words might have been spread around unchecked by someone.

And then that shameless Stewart Middleton had the nerve to not only send a marriage proposal here, but to come visiting Melody in person with flowers as well.

It was only natural for Ronny’s vision to turn red in that moment.

By the time he regained his senses, he had already rushed over to attack.

Ronny did not regret his actions in the slightest.

“Um…”

As he scowled with barely restrained anger, Melody carefully spoke up with a contemplative expression.

“There was that time before when you and Isaiah beat up the heir to a minor earldom. Could it be…”

“…?!”

Taken aback by Ronny’s stunned reaction, Melody went ahead and nodded, reaching her own arbitrary conclusion.

“He must have said something about me there. Am I right?”

“No, that’s not…”

“Was I wrong?”

Unable to refute her rapid questioning, Ronny forgot his original protest and simply shook his head instead.

“…You’re not wrong.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“Well…”

Ronny trailed off without finishing that thought, his lips remaining shut.

“If you had told me, I wouldn’t have acted so rudely towards you and Isaiah that day.”

Recalling her behavior from then, Melody sounded slightly apologetic, prompting Ronny to reassure her.

“You didn’t act rudely.”

“Or was I unpleasant at least?”

The slightly teasing smile as she said that looked rather adorable, so Ronny averted his gaze, feeling his face grow hot again.

“…You know, Ronny.”

After a brief pause, Melody spoke up again in a calmer tone.

“From now on, instead of shutting me out like that, please tell me these things too.”

“……”

“Above all, if you can tell Isaiah, then you really shouldn’t hide it from me, a Higgins.”

“I suppose…you’re right about that too.”

He let out a dejected laugh, and Melody smiled wryly in return.

“And thank you again for getting angry on behalf of the Higgins.”

Ronny shook his head replying “No need” as he carefully studied Melody’s expression.

He wondered if she might be upset upon learning that her prospective fiancé had been spouting insults about her at that party.

But fortunately, she did not seem the least bit bothered.

“…That’s a relief.”

“Hm? What is?”

“That my dear Miss Higgins does not seem distressed, that’s a relief.”

“There’s no reason for me to be gloomy.”

Melody shrugged before shaking Ronny’s oversized dress shoes making clunking sounds.

“I got new shoes after all. Aren’t they pretty?”

“Your friend who chose them has excellent taste.”

The two exchanged light-hearted banter before bursting into laughter together.

“Now that I think about it.”

Suddenly, Melody seemed to recall something and clapped her hands.

“Didn’t we used to get scolded for just sitting on the stairs playing like this when we were kids?”

“That’s right, because stairs are dangerous. Enough for a lady to fall and get hurt like this too.”

“Ow.”

Melody poked at her shins with a slight grimace, the swelling seeming a bit worse.

“Back then…when they warned us not to play on the stairs, I feel like Father said something.”

“Ah, that’s right! The thing Mr. Higgins used to say like a habit?”

“Yes, that one. That if we played on the stairs, ghosts would…”

As they tried recalling that distant childhood memory together, they simultaneously remembered the rest at the same moment.

“Cling to our shoulders!”

“Cling to our shoulders!”

After shouting it out in unison while looking at each other, they somehow ended up staring intently at each other’s shoulders as well.

“Ahaha.”

Melody laughed awkwardly while fiddling with her long hair.

“…We don’t believe that anymore though, right?”

Her tone carried a hint of lingering unease, prompting Ronny to confidently laugh it off.

“Of course not? They just made that up to stop us from playing on the stairs.”

“I suppose so.”

So the two paid no heed to the frightening admonitions from adults in their childhood.

Though they did end up unconsciously patting their shoulders before abruptly standing up from the stairs together.

But that was simply because continuing to sit around chatting on the stairs did not seem like a good idea.

This was a thoroughfare, not a seat after all.

“Oh, right, your shoes.”

Ronny placed Melody’s fallen high-heeled shoes in front of her again.

“Can you walk in them, or should I carry them for you?”

“I’m okay.”

He supported Melody’s arm as she changed back into her shoes, in case she lost her balance again.

“Thanks.”

Ronny also put his shoes back on that Melody had returned.

The lingering warmth felt rather odd.

“…Well, I should go back to my room then. I need to change too, and I have an unfinished painting.”

As Melody took the first step down while speaking, Ronny quickly followed alongside her.

“Want me to walk you to your room? Can you make it alone?”

Though he offered his arm, Melody lightly shook her head.

“I’ll be fine now.”

Still, she thanked him for the courtesy before descending the stairs alone.

“……”

Ronny remained on the stairs, looking down at his outstretched arm.

For some reason, he felt a tinge of regret.

He had wanted to continue talking with Melody some more, and also…

“…What a pointless thought.”

He muttered to himself before turning to head back up the stairs.