Chapter 215

 

* * *

 

At the cautious question, Melody gently shook her head.

“I’ve been asking Loretta. If there’s anywhere she wants to go.”

“I see, so the answer is not yet.”

“Yes.”

Melody gulped nervously. She wondered if Claude would ask her to stay in the capital with him.

“Well, if you’re not opposed to it…”

He carefully trailed off. Melody placed her hand near her suddenly pounding heart.

“It would be fine to go to the duchy with Ronny.”

“What?”

Surprised by the suggestion that was so different from what she had expected, Melody blurted out a response.

“Ah, if you’re worried about the elders and staff there, don’t be. They wouldn’t have the nerve to bother Higgins’ only daughter.”

Melody continued to stare wide-eyed, and Claude seemed to have completely misunderstood the meaning of that expression.

Based on how he kept speaking to reassure her.

“Above all, Ronny will be there. He won’t leave anyone who’s rude to you alone.”

“…I.”

Melody tried to say, “I thought you would ask me to stay in the capital with you,” but gave up.

She was afraid that if she said that and heard the answer, “I didn’t think about that,” their relationship would head towards the worst.

In the end, Melody slowly nodded her head.

“I… understand.”

She bowed like a servant accepting an order.

“No, it’s not a demand. Just, just one of the options…”

Soon Claude offered an excuse in a flustered manner.

“No! That was a demand!”

At the sharp point made from inside the room, he quickly shut his mouth.

Loretta, who had woken up at some point, sat up in bed and shouted again.

“Melody won’t go to the duchy. Because we’ve been invited on a wonderful summer vacation.”

“Summer vacation?”

Claude glanced at Melody’s expression as he asked. But she also shook her head gently, not knowing anything.

Loretta pulled out a fancy-looking card from among the piled up mail and bouquets in one corner of the room.

Both Melody and Claude found the design of the card strangely familiar.

“That, that’s.”

“Loretta, don’t tell me.”

While they looked shocked, Loretta smiled very happily and held out the card as if to show off.

On it was written in a familiar handwriting:

 

[How about spending the summer in the relatively fresh Kristonson? It will be much better than the capital.

Moreover, in a few weeks, we are preparing for the summer festival, so you can enjoy the sights while holding a large pinwheel.]

 

The Briggs Company had sent an invitation for Loretta this year.

“Melody will spend a brilliant summer festival with me in Kristonson.”

Loretta raised her chin slightly and gave a confident smile.

“You two can’t go that far alone without another guardian.”

“Why would there be no guardian?”

Loretta found another card from the bundle.

“August also said he wants to go to the summer festival. It was always his wish to enjoy the festival with his father.”

“Why is His Highness August writing letters to you?!”

When Claude asked with a pale face, Loretta shrugged as if it was no big deal.

“It’s almost the only joy of living in seclusion. Besides, we’re giving each other the help we need.”

“Help?”

“I can’t tell you, brother. It’s our great secret.”

Loretta put her index finger to her lips, smiled brightly, and then ran towards Claude.

“Anyway, Melody will spend the most romantic summer in Kristonson.”

Loretta raised herself on tiptoe to the point of being precarious and shouted at Claude.

“There’s absolutely no room for you in that romantic summer, brother!”

 

* * *

 

Melody thought the strict Duke might oppose Loretta’s trip.

But when he heard the story, the Duke just patted Loretta’s head, saying, “It’s a good idea to spend the summer in a cool place.”

From the next day, the Duke’s family members began moving to the residences they each chose.

In the mansion that was becoming quieter day by day, it was already time for Melody and Loretta to go to Kristonson.

While the servants loaded luggage onto the luxury carriage from the Briggs Company that had arrived, Loretta exchanged a light greeting with Claude.

“Have a safe trip, Loretta.”

Claude kissed the back of Loretta’s hand with a constantly anxious face.

“Prince Samuel will warn you, but don’t carelessly cross the bridge. Okay?”

He seemed full of worry that Loretta would see bad adults in the pleasure-filled district.

But Loretta shook her head, saying she was sick of it.

“Brother, you’re already saying that for the tenth time.”

“Really? I’ll have to say it three more times to meet my goal.”

At the joke he made, Loretta quickly escaped from his hand and got into the carriage.

Claude watched her back until the end, then soon faced Melody.

“…Have a safe trip, Miss Melody.”

It looked like a purely formal greeting to anyone’s eyes. He probably couldn’t find anything else to say.

“I will.”

When Melody answered briefly, Loretta, who had settled into the carriage, soon poked her head out the window.

“It’s unfair, brother.”

“Unfair?”

“Why don’t you kiss Melody’s hand? You did it to me.”

“That’s…”

He tried to explain something but hesitated, then soon held out his hand to Melody.

“You don’t have to force yourself.”

“Of course not.”

Melody had no choice but to give him her hand. She couldn’t keep Loretta waiting any longer.

Soon he bowed his waist and lightly brushed his lips over the back of her hand.

“Have a safe trip.”

At that moment, Melody came to a realization.

Last fall, Melody had received his kisses a few times.

Not only on her wrist or the back of her hand, but their lips had also touched when they parted.

Each time, Melody felt a very special sensation.

Hot things that could be called longing or desire. Even in the moments of brief touches, that passion never felt lacking.

‘But now…’

She felt nothing.

Just like when other gentlemen greeted her, he was just kissing her out of habitual etiquette.

‘……’

He let go of her hand and stepped back, and Melody turned her body and got into the carriage.

Until the carriage departed, she didn’t look out the window once.

 

* * *

 

Claude vacantly watched the carriage carrying Loretta and Melody move farther away from the front door.

Soon his body lost all strength and he almost fell over sideways, but he didn’t bother to regain his balance.

His face soon touched a firm wall.

“…I’m not a mobile wall, Young Master.”

No, it wasn’t a wall, but his escort knight Isaiah.

“Sorry, I let my guard down.”

Claude sighed with his face buried in his shoulder.

“I pray Miss Melody didn’t notice my heartbeat.”

“…Wouldn’t it be better to hope she heard it?”

“I can’t have such a brazen expectation.”

He sighed deeply again, still leaning on Isaiah.

Just kissing the back of that soft hand and trying not to show any emotion was exhausting enough.

“You know, you two are frustratingly alike sometimes.”

“Don’t try to sweet-talk me.”

“No, but it’s true. Is there a reason to be so hung up on that old promise?”

“…That wasn’t an ordinary promise.”

Claude finally raised his head and righted his posture. His face was slightly flushed.

“It was a promise Miss Melody made while risking everything.”

What she wanted were two things.

Protect Loretta.

Don’t look for Melody.

“I couldn’t properly fulfill either one.”

“It couldn’t be helped.”

“That’s exactly my pathetic point.”

Isaiah doubted his ears for a moment. Claude Baldwin, who bragged as naturally as breathing, calling himself ‘pathetic’.

“So… is that why you’ve been so conscious of Melody lately?”

Claude weakly nodded.

“I wondered if it was okay for someone unqualified to speak greedy words…”

Isaiah thought his conclusion was a bit odd, but just vaguely nodded.

After all, people deeply in love usually become a bit of a foolish idiot.