Chapter 220

 

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“It would be nice if I could be the first one to bless Melody when the first firework goes off.”

Loretta mumbled regretfully while lying in bed.

“I’m sad that I’m not an adult.”

“Then…”

Melody lay by her side and gently closed her eyes.

“Shall I also put off watching the fireworks until Loretta becomes an adult, and we can go see them together later?”

“Does that mean you won’t go to the promise tonight?”

“Yes. Somehow it feels nice to just sleep with Loretta like this.”

That wasn’t simply to comfort her.

Somehow it felt like she could have a sweet dream if she stayed like this.

“No, I won’t allow that, Melody.”

“But just a moment ago, you said you wanted to bless me first, Loretta.”

Loretta smiled mischievously and wriggled her body to give a short kiss on Melody’s forehead.

“Actually, I’ll always bless Melody first even without fireworks. I won’t let anyone take that away.”

Loretta, who had removed her lips from her forehead, comfortably rested her head on the pillow again.

“So go with peace of mind. Just don’t forget to tell me everything that happened.”

“Somehow… Loretta feels generous.”

“This is a secret, but actually children have more generosity than adults.”

Her slightly boastful look was so cute that Melody couldn’t resist kissing her forehead three times in a row.

“Eek, it tickles, Melody!”

“Since I have narrow generosity, I’ll take all of Loretta’s blessings from first to third!”

Even at the words expressing great greed, Loretta hugged Melody tightly and replied.

“Those were Melody’s possessions from the beginning.”

That’s right, they’re mine. Melody also gently embraced Loretta, saying that.

“Hehe.”

Loretta somehow wanted to stick her tongue out slightly at Melody’s Records Keeper. As if to say, “Are you jealous?” Just like how she had been so jealous of the Records Keeper before that she didn’t know what to do.

 

* * *

 

Melody stayed by Loretta’s side until she fell completely asleep.

No, actually, Melody didn’t want to move from this comfortable spot.

Her body was melting into the bed, and her eyelids were getting heavy very quickly.

“Ah…!”

Then she opened her eyes with a startled scream. Covering her mouth that had unintentionally made a loud noise, she looked down at her arms and Loretta was mumbling with her lips, fast asleep.

“I almost… fell deeply asleep.”

Melody carefully untangled Loretta’s body that was curled around her own and quietly slipped out of her room.

She asked a maid to check the time, and fortunately it wasn’t past the promised time, but she would have to hurry a bit.

In the carriage going to the meeting place, Melody fidgeted with the hem of the dark-colored robe she had draped over her dress.

The departure was already late, and it was getting even later due to the carriages filling the road.

At first she urged the coachman to hurry, but now she knew it wasn’t of much use.

What was the point of rushing when there were other carriages lined up in front and behind?

Melody checked the time. The promised hour was approaching more and more urgently.

‘What should I do?’

Looking out the window, there were quite a few people giving up on the carriage and walking to the city.

Even though things had turned out this way, none of them were frowning or expressing dissatisfaction.

They seemed to be enjoying being with their loved ones in any way.

“I’m sorry, Miss. At this rate, it seems we’ll hear the fireworks from inside the carriage.”

At the coachman’s apologetic words, Melody shook her head.

“I’m sorry for being late… Then turn the carriage around and go back now.”

“Go back?! What about your promise?”

“I’m also planning to walk among the people.”

“You can’t do that. You’re going to walk on the pitch-black night road alone, Miss?!”

Melody laughed and pointed to the road where people were lining up.

“It’s not pitch-black at all. Absolutely not.”

The coachman was at a loss for words.

People were carrying lamps one by one, so the road leading to the city was shining as brightly as daylight.

“I’ll follow the light of the people. Don’t worry.”

“I understand. But you must be very careful.”

“I will.”

“I’ll follow you to the city like this. At least when you return, you’ll be able to reach the carriage waiting area. It will be very difficult to catch a rental carriage on a day like today.”

“Thank you for thinking of me.”

Melody got out of the carriage, firmly holding the robe pulled deep over her head.

As she mixed into the crowd, voices of anticipation for the last night could be heard from everywhere.

Soon, a merchant rushed out to the outskirts and opened a stall. Thanks to that, people could immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere even before arriving in the city.

Melody also bought a mask.

It was one with cat ear decorations on both sides, and she liked that it could cover more than half of her face.

With this robe and now this mask, perhaps Hatfield and Carver wouldn’t recognize Melody.

‘That might be fun.’

Melody quickened her pace a bit.

Fortunately, it didn’t take too long to reach the city. But the problem occurred after arriving.

In the outskirts, the crowd was moving in the same direction, so she didn’t feel any discomfort, but the situation changed in the city square.

As people were going in different directions, they bumped into each other, and there were also those who stood in place enjoying the festival, making the square even more complicated.

With merchants starting to join in selling goods while moving, it was very difficult for Melody to take even one step forward.

That wasn’t the only problem.

Due to the people filling the surroundings, the geography of the city that she was somewhat familiar with didn’t come into view at all.

Thanks to that, Melody had to raise her tiptoes several times to reconfirm where this place was.

As more time passed, people’s cheers started to get louder. It seemed news had arrived that firework preparations were completed on the city wall.

‘What should I do, I can’t be late.’

Melody repeated “I’m sorry” over and over again as she squeezed through the crowd.

Fortunately, the area near the wish bridge, the promised place, wasn’t as crowded as the square. Melody raised her head high and looked up at the bridge.

She saw Hatfield, Carver, and the nobles who accompanied them, all wearing masks.

When Hatfield’s gaze turned below the bridge, Melody quickly raised one hand and waved.

“Miss Hatfield! Sir Carver!”

She called out to let them know she had arrived safely, but it seemed it didn’t reach their ears. Hatfield’s head turned back towards the city wall.

‘If I don’t hurry…’

Melody tried to advance towards them again while catching her slightly rough breath.

But as her gaze met a blond man standing alone a few steps away from the group, she stopped walking again.

Actually, the fact that their eyes met might have been Melody’s imagination. The other person was wearing a mask, so not only his pupils but even his face couldn’t be seen properly.

…Melody even had the thought that the masked man might be ‘that person’.

‘It can’t be…’

Melody lowered her gaze in confusion.

At that moment, she bumped into a passerby walking behind her, and her body swayed briefly. The passerby seemed to be in a great hurry and ran on without properly apologizing.

Melody fixed her crooked mask and raised her head again.

She saw the man she had made eye contact with a moment ago being surprised and trying to approach her.

Seeing that, Melody arbitrarily became convinced of the man’s identity.

“No… don’t. Young Master.”

A whisper flowed from her lips.

It was a small sound that wouldn’t reach far, but he really stopped in place.

“…You always do as you please.”

He seemed to want to become kind in his own way again today. Considering how he diligently followed her words not to approach.

How much more did he have to twist Melody around to be satisfied?

He didn’t even reply to that letter, and came all the way here without notice.

Melody didn’t like him who always acted as he pleased, nor herself who secretly harbored expectations for it.

Feeling a bit heated, she climbed the steep bridge with quick steps. Her heartbeat started to get faster and faster. She soon began to pant for breath.

But Melody never stopped walking.

When there was about five steps of distance left, he reached out his hand.

Melody didn’t take his hand.

Even if her breathing was so heavy that she couldn’t close her lips, she arrived in front of him with her own strength alone.

Sir Carver and Hatfield were talking right nearby, but none of it reached Melody’s ears right now.

“…Young Master.”

When she called out cautiously, he slowly lowered the hand he had stretched out towards Melody and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

Melody asked back in a blunt voice that was unfamiliar even to herself.

“For not keeping the promise. That… was something you had asked for with everything on the line.”

As she had already thought, Claude seemed to have been keeping that promise in his heart all along.

The usual Melody would have answered such an apology with “It’s not your fault, Young Master.” She actually thought so too.

But now, for some reason… she couldn’t answer kindly.

“And?”

“I’m also sorry for not properly talking to you in the capital. Including about the Records Keeper.”

“…”

Perhaps because Melody had no particular answer, he bent his waist to lower his gaze a little.

“I mean it.”

“…Is that all?”

“Well… there is more.”

As he couldn’t properly continue his words, Melody raised her head high while tightly grasping the hem of her robe.

“You didn’t reply to me!”

He seemed to not have expected that topic to come up, and his lips parted.

“…I waited.”

Melody mumbled softly as she turned her head.

“I’m sorry for the late reply.”

At the cautiously returning answer, Melody shouted again in anger.

“It’s not late, you didn’t reply at all!”

If the letter Melody had sent him was a normal greeting, she might not have sulked this much.

“How much… I risked embarrassment!”

“I know.”

“Liar!”

“Then, won’t you look at me?”

Even at the words seeking her gaze, Melody still bit her lip with her head turned away.

“Look at me. Please?”

He found the back of Melody’s hand and gently covered it.

“…I came to reply, didn’t I?”