Chapter 165

 

* * *

 

Melody turned to the butler in slight surprise.

The phrasing that the ducal household had come to escort her bothered her a little.

Normally in such cases, it would be more common to say “The carriage from the Higgins Barony has arrived.”

“That…”

Just as Melody was about to ask the butler about his intention.

Beyond the wide open music room door, following the guide of a servant, Claude Baldwin could be seen approaching.

Melody narrowed her eyes and gazed at him intently.

Even though he was simply crossing the hallway, he was proving the fact that he was the most elegant man in this land to an excessive degree.

It seemed Melody wasn’t the only one who thought that way. Soon, the gazes of everyone present turned towards him.

Even under the eyes of so many people, he showed no signs of shrinking back or being flustered at all.

Rather, as if it was natural, he gave a light nod of greeting to everyone.

And finally approaching in front of Melody, he extended his hand.

“Sorry, I was late, wasn’t I?”

At those sudden words, Melody blankly looked up at him while remaining seated, even forgetting that she should stand up.

“…Yes?”

“Judging by your expression, I must have interrupted your enjoyable time, Miss Melody. Am I right? I’m sorry.”

He also asked for understanding from those around.

“I apologize for disturbing your rare, wonderful exchange, but would it be alright if I take Miss Melody with me?”

At his question, everyone present nodded their heads.

“Of course! We’re already grateful that she came to this sudden invitation.”

“Next time, I’d like to invite her in a more formal manner, would that be okay, Miss Higgins?”

To the last thing Miss Hatfield requested, Melody nodded.

“Of course. I was happy to make new friends too.”

As she answered that way, Claude’s hand approached a bit closer.

Glancing up at him again, he was smiling as if to say “I know everything.”

It seemed he had noticed that Melody wanted to leave this place.

How did he know? She hadn’t even told him that she was coming here.

No, more than that, recently they had barely properly faced each other and conversed.

Since Melody had been unilaterally…avoiding him.

“Miss Melody?”

Only now did Melody realize that she had kept him standing by her side for too long.

At this rate, wouldn’t their master-servant relationship seem meaningless?

“I’m sorry.”

Melody quickly offered her hand to him. As she stood up from her seat following the guiding force, he answered in a small voice “It’s alright.”

The two asked for understanding from those around once more and left the music room side by side.

 

* * *

 

Returning to the carriage that had been waiting at the entrance, the first thing Melody asked Claude was how he knew.

How he knew she wanted to leave, that is.

“When I asked the coachman, he said you had earnestly requested him to come back in an hour. I thought you didn’t wish to stay long.”

He closed the carriage door and sat across from her, shrugging his shoulders.

“Was I perhaps mistaken?”

Melody quickly shook her head.

“No, your thinking is correct. I was just feeling suffocated.”

Melody carefully added words so he wouldn’t misunderstand the other nobles.

“Of course, they treated me very kindly. Except for the excessive interest, they seemed like very good people.”

“Showing excessive interest is a virtue of the capital nobles. They compete to draw each other’s attention in any setting. They were all trying their best to make Miss Melody the protagonist.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t aspire to the protagonist role.”

“I know.”

He started the carriage and looked at Melody again.

“That’s why I came.”

“I sincerely thank you for the rescue.”

When he laughed saying “It’s my pleasure,” Melody suddenly realized she was conversing with him normally like before.

Until now, she had been too embarrassed to even meet his eyes.

“So what kind of words did they use to trouble Miss Melody?”

At his question in a light voice, she shook her head.

“Don’t even mention it. It’s all because of that previous marriage proposal.”

“The marriage proposal from the Middleton family?”

“That’s right! Apparently there’s a rumor going around that I received an incredibly romantic proposal?”

“…Don’t tell me, was it really like that?”

“No way!”

Melody strongly denied it while clenching both fists.

“Stew is spreading false rumors. I absolutely won’t let him off!”

“…Stew?”

“It’s a nickname for Stewart Middleton. Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now.”

Even at the question Claude asked with a shocked face, Melody continued her story without minding it.

“Actually, the only thing Stew and I talked about was stopping gambling with stakes altogether! Of course, he forgot about that conversation in just a day! How could he do that?!”

“…”

“It’s awful, right? Right? And yet he’s going around acting all high and mighty, saying he proposed to me in a romantic way. It’s too much! Everyone is curious about what I heard, but I need to have something to say!”

Melody vented her frustration with all her might. It felt good to let out the suffocating feeling in her chest by talking like this.

…But Claude’s reaction seemed somewhat strange.

He kept moving his pupils here and there as if thinking about something.

Was there perhaps something odd in her story?

“…Young Master?”

He frowned for a moment, but soon shook his head with a smile.

“It’s alright. I was just a bit surprised.”

“Surprised?”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Miss Melody call someone else so…familiarly.”

Is that so?

Melody briefly thought about how she had been addressing the people around her.

There were some slight differences, but there wasn’t really anyone she called by a nickname.

“Now that you mention it, you’re right. I just realized it for the first time.”

“Don’t tell me he’s also calling Miss Melody casually without permission? Like…how Sir Mullern does.”

At the question that sounded somewhat timid unlike his usual self, Melody shook her head saying “No way.”

“Isaiah is probably the only one who calls me informally like that. And likely will continue to do so in the future too.”

“Hmm.”

He turned his head for a moment, resting his chin on the arm leaning against the window frame.

The road mustn’t have been good, as the carriage began to shake with a jolt. Thus, when the briefly suspended wheel fell to the ground with a thud.

“…Good for you.”

His blurry mumble reached Melody’s ears.

But she couldn’t quite give an answer.

She wasn’t confident if she heard it properly due to the loud noise, and even if she did, wouldn’t it be strange to respond to his muttering?

Melody just lowered her head and looked down at her hands placed on her knees.

‘Come to think of it.’

She just realized it now, but they were currently riding in the small carriage Melody mainly used.

‘This carriage must be cramped for the young master.’

Though he never particularly compared heights with others, he was about a head taller than other average adult men.

To the point where Loretta once said “When I don’t know where you are, I just need to look for big brother’s sparkling hair!”

Melody’s concern was not wrong, as their knees were nearly touching.

Moreover, Claude seemed to be sitting with his back stuck close to the chair’s backrest, trying his best not to make Melody uncomfortable.

‘He looks quite uncomfortable, what should I do.’

Melody thought about slightly moving her legs to the other side. So he could stretch his legs comfortably.

But she couldn’t bring herself to do that, as it felt like ignoring his efforts to not show any discomfort.

As the pondering became a bit long, and she fiddled with her voluminous dress fabric.

The trailing end of the lace she had been fiddling with lightly brushed against near his knees.

The pattern of the white lace resting against the dark suit looked especially vivid.

Melody wanted to quickly pull back her dress fabric, but couldn’t move recklessly with Claude still staring out the window without any movement.

She was worried it would be embarrassing if he turned his gaze and asked what was going on. Getting all flustered over just the lace touching…

Melody, contemplating what to do, decided to avert her gaze from the lace touching his clothing.

Convincing herself this was nothing.

Raising her head, his side profile still looking out the window came into view.

Judging by his indifferent expression, he seemed to be deep in thought about something.

Perhaps he was thinking about the matter regarding Prince Samuel.

He was more sincere than anyone else about that matter.

Then suddenly, something sparkling on his ear caught her eye. It was a small green earring.

‘Pretty.’

Melody was certain the ducal artisans would become extremely busy seeing its appearance.

Because anyone who saw his side profile would want to have the same thing.

‘But no one will look as good in it as the young master, so they may end up frustrated.’

In the first place, the reason even that simple earring looked pretty was because the line extending from Claude’s ear to his neck was long and beautiful.

‘…It’s almost unfair.’

Even on a day like today with many clouds and little sunlight, the area around him somehow looked like it was surrounded by light.

It was probably due to his bright blond hair. No, perhaps it was his sky blue eyes.

Those extremely noble colors made anyone admire him.

Thanks to that, there were also people who envied Melody.

Because Claude Baldwin had always shown himself attentively taking care of her wherever they went.

Sometimes enough to make Melody’s heart flutter.

However, as a Higgins, she wasn’t actually supposed to let such things make her heart race. She recalled the words she had heard a little while ago.

“It’s only natural for them to cherish and care for their hands especially.”

The reason her mood felt strange at those obvious words was probably because….

‘….Is it because I harbor a slightly… different feeling?’