Chapter 175

 

* * *

 

“Yes, I have something to tell you about specifying the location.”

“Hmm.”

The Duke’s brow narrowed slightly.

“As I told you when I was young, I came here for Loretta.”

“Yes, I remember.”

Melody lowered her gaze for a moment and stroked the hair of the small child leaning against her.

The child who was always like sunshine, pouring out infinite affection.

The benefactor who brought warmth to Melody’s life, which had always been cold.

“So, if possible, with my own hands.”

“…”

“I thought I wanted to protect her with my own hands. I wanted to do anything…”

“I know.”

When the Duke answered, Melody hung her head.

“But I also know there’s nothing I can do from here on.”

From now on, more caution was needed in every action. As it was a situation that could be misunderstood as rebellion.

“That’s not your fault.”

“But it’s distressing. If I were a bit more of an excellent person…”

“Melody.”

At the Duke’s reproachful call, she immediately apologized.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t say this after receiving your grace. But I can’t help but desire it. Because it’s about Loretta.”

Melody looked at Loretta with eyes full of regret, then barely lifted her gaze.

“Your Grace, allow me to dare…speak.”

“You have the right. More than anyone.”

With his permission, Melody bowed her head even deeper.

If Loretta hadn’t been on her lap, she might have even knelt on the spot.

“Please take good care of contacting Prince Samuel and ensuring August’s safety.”

Having finished her request, Melody carefully checked the Duke’s expression.

Although he had permitted it, she wondered if he might be displeased…

“Come to think of it, you started all of this. Melody Higgins.”

The Duke stood up from his seat and approached right in front of Melody.

“I should thank you for entrusting me with the ending. It must mean you have some degree of trust in me.”

He soon held out both hands.

“Now hand her over. I’m worried you must be tired after working so hard until now. I’ll carry her.”

That…must have been about Loretta who had fallen asleep on top of her.

But somehow, Melody felt he was sending consolation for all her long efforts until now.

“You did well. Until now.”

He easily scooped up Loretta in his arms.

As her posture changed, Loretta mumbled a little in her sleep, but soon leaned her head against his chest and fell into a comfortable sleep.

“And Loretta is…”

The Duke blankly gazed at the child asleep in his arms.

“…No matter what happens, I won’t let her experience such hell.”

Melody nodded along with him.

“Yes, such a thing won’t happen. Absolutely not.”

“Thank you, then I’ll have Higgins escort you to your room.”

“Even if you don’t order it, he’ll probably do that. Because Father is a kind person.”

“Indeed.”

The two of them left the room on good terms while having a friendly conversation. Soon, a faint light illuminated the dark corridor. Their softly whispering conversation continued only briefly.

A serene night visited the ducal residence.

 

* * *

 

When the Duke arrived at the child’s room carrying Loretta, the maid in charge approached.

“You may leave now. I’ll do it myself.”

At his command, the maid immediately bowed and withdrew.

The Duke slowly patted Loretta’s back and waited for her breathing to calm down before carefully placing her on the bed.

“…Melody?”

Loretta whispered as if she had briefly woken up. In the same tone as when she was very young.

“Melody was by your side the whole time and just returned to her room.”

The Duke covered Loretta up to her neck with a thin blanket. Beautifully without a single crease.

“Sleep. It’s late.”

Despite his gentle suggestion, Loretta’s eyes gradually woke from sleep and became clearer.

The child slowly turned her head, looked up at the Duke blankly, and smiled brightly.

“Welcome back.”

“Yes.”

“Would you be upset if I said it feels like I haven’t seen you in a long time, Father?”

“No, it’s actually true.”

Loretta reached her arm out of the bed and grasped the Duke’s hand.

He willingly gave his hand as his daughter wished.

The child quietly leaned her forehead on the back of the Duke’s hand.

‘…The scent of ink.’

It was a fragrance she had liked since childhood, calling it “Daddy’s scent.”

“I missed you. Very much.”

“I missed you too. I’m sorry, I haven’t had much free time lately… No, that’s an excuse too.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Ronny said…”

Loretta lifted her face from the back of his hand and tugged on his arm a little more.

Despite the very feeble strength, the Duke was led to sit by the bed.

“Father is doing very excellent work. So that I can be proud of you anywhere.”

“That’s true, but in fact, nothing is more important than staying by my family’s side.”

Loretta seemed pleased by the Duke’s words. She held his hand tightly and let out a small laugh.

After laughing for a while, Loretta stopped and carefully opened her mouth.

“You know.”

From long experience, the Duke knew the child was trying to convey something very important.

“Melody is…also very busy, right?”

“Hmm?”

“Of course I know. Melody can’t always stay by my side like before.”

The Duke became a bit troubled.

If Melody had gone out without telling Loretta, it must have all been to find Prince Samuel.

“…Melody is an adult now. There must be many things I don’t know about.”

“Loretta.”

“She’ll get busy like you later, right? Brother Claude also got busier after becoming an adult.”

“You seem lonely.”

“No, I’m usually fine. I’m happy every day. It’s just, like this…”

Loretta hesitated for a moment, and the Duke willingly waited for that time.

“I think about it when I lie down to sleep. That I’m…the only child left behind. Alone.”

“Complex emotions always come before falling asleep.”

“…Do you feel that way too, Father?”

He pondered for a moment, then decided to just tell her the honest answer.

“There are times I think Beatrice left me alone in this world.”

“…Do you feel lonely?”

“Very.”

Loretta kissed the back of her father’s hand.

As if to share with him the kiss of the mother that remained somewhere in her memory.

“Thank you.”

“It’s in return.”

Loretta still looked distressed, but there was a small smile on the corners of her lips.

“I thought I shouldn’t feel lonely. I learned from books that I should think of the good side of everything.”

“My my.”

“You know, it’s okay for me to feel loneliness or disappointment, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then…I feel lonely.”

Soon a large hand stroked her entire face as if to cover it. As if soothing her emotions.

“I’m disappointed that a gap is forming between Melody and me.”

“I see.”

“A part of my heart feels empty. That’s probably Melody’s place. Do you feel this way too, Father?”

“There’s a place that neither shrinks nor expands. No other feeling will ever invade that place.”

“But…then you’ll be lonely forever, Father.”

“It’s much better than erasing that place.”

“That’s true, but. I want to hug you, Father.”

Loretta stretched out both arms towards him, and he willingly bent down to lean his forehead on the small child’s shoulder.

Slender hands patted his back.

“…Thank you.”

“I’m grateful too.”

The Duke stroked the child’s hair as if she were admirable, then sat up straight again.

The child let out a small yawn as if sleepiness was coming over her again.

It seemed even deep loneliness couldn’t overcome sleep.

“Shall we go to the imperial palace together tomorrow?”

“Can I go too?”

At the carefully returned question, the Duke ended up laughing a little.

Just a few years ago, Loretta used to follow him to the imperial palace without permission, causing him great trouble.

“Yes, it will be fun for lonely people to spend time together.”

“Let’s do that.”

“Then you should sleep soon. We’ll have to leave early in the morning.”

Loretta quickly closed her eyes tightly. Because she would be very disappointed if she overslept and couldn’t go with her father.

“Sweet dreams.”

The Duke waited for Loretta’s breathing to become a little deeper, then slowly got up from the bed.

He first closed the window where the cool summer night breeze was blowing in. He didn’t forget to draw the curtains either.

Finally, he poured water into the cup placed on the stool next to the bed. So that if Loretta woke up thirsty at dawn, she could drink it right away.

After that, he quietly slipped out of her room.

However, he was too careful to notice one fact.

Loretta’s room where all air movement had stopped.

The water cup the Duke had prepared on the stool was shaking slightly by itself.

Clink, clink.

The cup that had been shaking while making a few thin sounds soon stopped vibrating as if nothing had happened.

It was after that when the Duke, who had slipped into the hallway, looked back at Loretta’s room again.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Loretta followed the Duke to the imperial palace.

His office wasn’t much different from the one in the ducal residence.

First, there was a desk large enough in the center for Loretta to roll around on. Of course, Loretta had only imagined being able to roll, and had never actually rolled on it.

On the floor was a carpet with strange curved patterns, and in her childhood, Loretta had played a game of building blocks following these patterns.

At those times, other nobles who came to see the Duke had a hard time walking to avoid the blocks she had built.

But now she was an adolescent girl and didn’t enjoy such childish pranks.

She didn’t want to disturb her father or the nobles’ work either.

So Loretta sat elegantly on the soft  chair her father had brought her.

…And was dozing off.

Using a thick book as a pillow.

It seemed to be the effect of falling asleep while moving around last night, so the Duke didn’t bother to wake the child.

Loretta, who had been dozing off all morning, finally opened her eyes blinking around snack time. The surroundings were strangely quiet.

“…Father?!”

As she sat up and looked around the office, his figure was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did he go?”

At the words she muttered alone, an answer came from right next to her.

“His Grace the Duke went to a meeting.”

Loretta looked beside her in surprise.

Isaiah Mullern, who had been squatting on the carpet lining up blocks, grinned at her.