Chapter 203

 

* * *

 

It was a whisper so small that it was actually almost just the movement of her lips.

Anyone else probably wouldn’t have been able to understand it at all.

But he was Claude Baldwin.

His senses were persistently focused only on her, so he could clearly hear and understand that fragile sigh-like speech.

Even the emotions contained within it.

For a moment, he was gripped by the urge to stop this terrible farce of a play altogether.

Just then, through the blanket they were holding together, he faintly felt the contours of her beloved fingers.

He wanted to grab them.

Toss aside this stifling blanket, intertwine their fingers right now, and pull her close until their wrists touched…

‘…But on what grounds?’

Nothing had changed now.

Although Claude had sensed something from the Magic Tower Master, he hadn’t been able to gauge what it was or what impact it could have.

If it was revealed in this situation that Claude had found Melody’s whereabouts, it would only make Melody anxious.

He tried his best to answer in a light tone as he finished folding the blanket.

“I hear that kind of thing… sometimes, that I have a common face.”

“That’s not what I meant. That you resemble someone else or…”

She stopped talking for a moment while trying to give an excuse, and eventually let out a small sigh.

“Someone working at the temple shouldn’t lie. I’m sorry, I did see you that way a little.”

“See, I told you I have a common face.”

When he brought a new blanket and made that remark, Melody shook her head.

“It’s not because of your appearance.”

“It’s not?”

“It’s hard to explain.”

The blanket spread out wide with a whoosh. They started folding the blanket again at the promised pace.

“The way you blink your eyes, your gait… Even the way you use your hands when explaining is similar.”

“Oh, that’s quite specific.”

Claude was quite surprised.

He didn’t know she remembered that much about him in such detail.

“But after all, what’s most similar is your voice.”

“Ahem!”

At the unexpected observation, Claude inadvertently coughed.

Come to think of it, even if his appearance changed with the illusion magic, his voice didn’t change.

“Of course… there are plenty of people in this world with similar voices. It’s not something to be particularly surprised about, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He smiled as if it was no big deal. Only then did Melody seem somewhat relieved.

“I’m sorry, for arbitrarily…”

“It’s alright, you can do whatever you want with me.”

“That’s what I mean, that way of speaking and tone…!”

As she slightly raised her voice, Claude lifted the blanket to completely cover his face and asked.

“Is it exactly the same as that person?”

It was a rather mischievous prank, so he thought Melody would scold him.

But when there was no response for a few seconds, he slowly lowered the blanket.

“…”

He thought Melody would be making a sulky face at him, but she was just blankly staring at him with eyes brimming with tears.

“I…!”

The startled Claude hurriedly tried to apologize.

“Everyone’s up early. Wow, Mr. Clyde! You’re helping out in the morning too?!”

…But everything was ruined by the sudden appearance of Wiley Neal.

Melody let go of the blanket and ran out of the dining room, and Claude couldn’t bring himself to follow her.

Neal took Melody’s place and folded the blankets with Claude, eagerly asking what had happened between them.

But Claude only gave a vague answer of “Nothing.”

 

* * *

 

Melody, who had run to her room, slammed the door shut and wildly shook her confused head on the bed.

Actually, she had been this confused since she first met that person.

How could there be someone so similar?

Moreover, his voice was surprisingly identical.

To the point where she shuddered several times at his faintly heard voice.

Furthermore, just a moment ago, when he spoke with his face completely covered, really…

‘I really thought it was the young master.’

Even though she clearly knew he was someone else.

‘Besides, there’s no way the young master would… come looking for me.’

Melody knew Claude Baldwin better than anyone else.

He never breaks a promise he has once nodded his head to.

By now, he must surely be working hard for Loretta rather than searching for Melody’s whereabouts.

‘So that person is…’

Melody spoke aloud the all-too-obvious fact, as if to inform herself.

“He’s not the young master.”

“Absolutely not.”

In the first place, isn’t it excessively rude to be reminded of someone else through another person?

Both to Clyde and to Claude.

‘Really, even their names are similar…!’

Melody tapped the bed with her fist and resented them for no reason.

Is there a need for there to be two such arrogant men in this world?

After grumbling alone on the bed for a while.

Melody gradually started to regret her actions.

No matter how much she missed Claude to the point of dreaming about him every night, she shouldn’t have acted like she did a moment ago.

Looking at the benefactor who distributed medicine to the village as if resenting him.

‘What should I do for acting so foolishly.’

Clyde gave medicine to a village where he knew no one and readily stepped up to help with menial tasks.

‘I should… apologize.’

And if he plays a prank like he did a moment ago again, she should just laugh it off next time.

And say, ‘Hearing it again, it’s totally different.’

“…The young master is an idiot.”

And lastly, Melody didn’t forget to send words of resentment to the somehow detestable gentleman in the capital.

 

* * *

 

When Melody went to have breakfast, the blankets were already all neatly folded and Clyde was nowhere to be seen.

When she asked the housekeeper lady, she was told that he had gone to Mindy’s inn a little while ago, saying he was preparing to leave.

‘Even so, he’s leaving without even saying goodbye?!’

Melody ran out of the hut without even having breakfast.

Passing by the villagers who greeted her, she arrived in front of Mindy’s inn and saw Clyde tending to the saddle.

“Mr. Clyde!”

When Melody called out, he turned around with a startled look. She soon became out of breath from narrowing the remaining distance in one breath.

“Without even… saying goodbye…”

“Breathe slowly, I’m not running away.”

He moved his hands up and down slowly to calm Melody.

“But you left without a word.”

“No way.”

Clyde smiled and explained. He was planning to take the horse and go to the temple.

“…Then I misunderstood again.”

Melody clasped her hands together and bowed politely.

Reprimanding herself for why she kept making mistakes with this person.

“No, I’m the one who created the misunderstanding. I’m really sorry.”

“Ah, no. I’m more…”

As she tried to apologize again, she saw something yellow on the ground in her downward gaze.

“…?”

A flower… bouquet, if you could call it that? It was a simple one made by weaving flowers and grass that had bloomed in front of the inn.

“…This is.”

As Melody cautiously spoke while straightening her back, he held out another flower.

“If it’s alright, will you accept it?”

“Me?”

“Yes, Miss May.”

“Why… why?”

“Why, you ask.”

He had a face that seemed to say it was obvious.

“It’s your birthday today.”

Was it her birthday? Come to think of it, she hadn’t been able to properly check the calendar since the disease became prevalent.

She didn’t have the leisure to buy a new newspaper either.

“Judging by your face, it seems you had forgotten.”

“Yes… But how?”

“Someone told me.”

“Wh-who?”

“Well, I wonder if it was the talkative Wiley Neal.”

He answered vaguely and just laughed.

“Anyway, accept it.”

“Thank… you.”

“Happy birthday.”

Melody carefully held the small bouquet, worried it might get ruined.

‘Come to think of it, the young master before…’

Melody recalled the conversation she had in Jeremiah’s hut where he grew medicinal herbs.

“Since you like it, should I hang plant decorations for your next birthday, Miss Melody?”

“Yes, that sounds good. It’ll be even prettier if we mix flowers in too.”

“You mean yellow spring flowers, let’s prepare them together.”

Of course, even recalling the promise made that day… it was of no use now.

“I’m happy, truly thank you.”

“It’s nothing, really. And I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just… how should I say it.”

He fiddled with the horse’s reins for a moment, choosing his words.

“I thought if I did that, I could make you laugh. It was a complete miscalculation.”

“I apologize too.”

Melody took one step closer to him and raised her head high.

The angle of looking up at him felt strangely familiar, but she tried to shake off that feeling of déjà vu.

“I shouldn’t have resented Mr. Clyde…”

“Then, do you resent the person I resemble, Miss May?”

Melody shook her head at his question.

“I don’t resent anyone, it’s just…”

Melody looked at the yellow flowers in her hand and smiled bitterly.

“It’s just that my longing has deepened to an unbearable degree.”

“…Since I touched that painful spot, I should apologize all the same.”

“No. It’s a little different.”

Melody smiled naturally.

“It was a feeling I secretly harbored alone… Talking about it like this, I feel a bit relieved.”

“But you shouldn’t say such things to another man. That person will definitely be jealous.”

“How do you know that?”

“You said I resemble him, right? In behavior and such.”

When Melody nodded, he replied with a grin.

“If he thinks like me too, he’s probably a narrow-minded man who would be jealous of every single thing like this.”

“That’s too much, the young master is not narrow-minded at all…!”

Melody, who was unknowingly defending Claude, quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

“…”

“Heh, heheh.”

As Clyde started laughing at the sight, Melody turned her body away with flushed cheeks.