Chapter 189

* * *

After Melody left, quite a hostile atmosphere settled over the Baldwin mansion.

Especially when the Higgins couple and Claude encountered each other, the servants would quickly leave the vicinity.

For several days now, they had been at odds over the issue of finding Melody.

The couple insisted they would find Melody, while Claude threatened to stop them with all of the family’s influence.

“Young Master!”

Unable to hold back, Higgins raised his voice.

“She has only just become an adult. And you’re saying not to even check her whereabouts?!”

“……”

“Isn’t that too much? Truly excessive! Goodness, aren’t you worried about where she might be and what she’s doing in this cold weather?!”

Higgins pointed to the heavy rain that had been falling outside the window for days.

“My wife has already fainted and can’t get up from bed. And yet you want me to just sit still?”

Claude, who had been sitting at his desk flipping through documents, slowly lifted his gaze to look at Higgins, and after a long while, answered.

“…Yes.”

“Young Master!”

“Please, just stay still.”

Higgins glared at him sharply. It was too audacious of a gaze for a servant to direct at their master, but Claude did not point this out.

“Do you remember, Young Master?”

“……”

“I shared the Higgins family pie with you as well.”

At this, Claude’s eyes, which had been hardened, wavered for the first time.

“…I didn’t think you would give such an order.”

Higgins rubbed his face several times, then withdrew from Claude’s room.

Left alone in the room, Claude stared at the firmly closed door for a moment before slowly collapsing onto the desk.

“I, too… did not know I would give such an order.”

Not long after Higgins left, a small knocking sound was heard.

Recognizing the owner of that sound right away, Claude quickly straightened his posture and drew an elegant smile.

“Big brother.”

Soon the door opened slightly, and through that gap, Loretta spoke while carefully observing him.

“Sorry.”

He immediately approached Loretta and matched her eye level.

“Did you hear my conversation with Higgins?”

Loretta slightly nodded at his question.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping, but…”

“I know, our argument must have slipped through the narrow door gap and erupted.”

“Mm-hmm. That’s right.”

“I made you worry, I’m sorry. Shall I escort you to your room?”

Loretta stared blankly at her brother’s pale face with her hands clasped together.

His usual kind smile was there.

But even so, was it because Loretta’s heart felt it was somehow sad? Or because there was a nearly invisible gloom somewhere in Claude’s expression?

“Loretta?”

As she continued to gaze at him for a long time, Claude slightly tilted his head and started examining her complexion.

He seemed concerned that she might be hurt or depressed.

She pouted her lips slightly.

“Are you really okay, big brother?”

“Of course, I’m perfectly fine.”

“No, I don’t think so. So I want to hug you.”

Loretta immediately spread her arms and tightly embraced his neck.

“Oh, um. I’m alright…”

At his flustered answer, Loretta vigorously shook her head against his shoulder.

“No. Absolutely not. You’re as upset as I am.”

Claude couldn’t argue further against that stubborn response.

Moreover, Loretta’s words were correct, so he buried his head in his consoling little sister’s arms.

‘…I always thought of her as a child I had to take care of.’

But it seemed she had grown enough to realize his feelings first and even offer comfort.

“You know, big brother. Father said it’s okay to feel lonely.”

“Hmm?”

“He said you don’t have to try to only think positively. So, I…”

Loretta put a little more strength into her arms hugging him.

“I think it’s okay for big brother to whine and be gloomy if you’re lonely or sad.”

“…Thank you.”

Finally stepping back from him, Loretta asked again.

“Big brother, are you okay?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, biting his lip.

“…No.”

There were countless tremors mixed into the awkward sincerity he conveyed for the first time. He buried his head between Loretta’s golden locks of hair.

“I’m so lonely and gloomy without Miss Melody.”

The moment he uttered those words, his forcibly suppressed heart immediately flowed out through the narrow gap.

Things like regret, longing. And the urge to run out of the mansion.

This must be the emotion his father felt long ago. During the time when his mother left the mansion.

No, perhaps.

‘Even now…’

He barely managed to lift his head.

Although he respected his father, he didn’t want to live his whole life holding these feelings.

So he set his future course of action.

After completing the task Melody had asked of him, to somehow change the situation so she could return.

“Big brother, your expression changed.”

“Now that I’ve been honest, somehow I feel like I know where I need to struggle. Although it’s still a bit overwhelming.”

He stroked Loretta’s hair.

“It’s thanks to my smart little sister.”

“Mm, then. You must be grateful to me, right big brother?”

“Of course.”

“You know, in that case!”

Loretta quickly clasped her hands together and her eyes sparkled. As if she had something she wanted.

“Co-could it be that you don’t meet Jeremiah at the palace, big brother?”

“Jeremiah?”

“Yes, Father said he met with Jeremiah at least once every two weeks because of the mana stone meetings. Now that you’ve taken over Father’s work, maybe…”

“I don’t know why you’re curious about that, but there are no more of those meetings now.”

“What?!”

Loretta’s expression stiffened as if she had received a great shock.

“Was that so surprising?”

“Th-then I can’t… meet Jeremiah?”

“Probably not for the time being.”

Loretta drooped her shoulders, and Claude stroked the child’s hair again.

“I didn’t know you liked Jeremiah this much.”

“…That’s not it, I.”

She stopped talking midway and only mumbled her lips for a moment.

“Loretta?”

“Oh! It’s nothing, it’s fine.”@@novelbin@@

Claude stared intently at the child’s face that was smiling half-forcibly.

Why did it seem a bit similar to himself from a moment ago… Was it his imagination?

* * *

Two weeks later. Claude stood at the entrance of the ducal residence, listening to the sound of a carriage coming from beyond the darkness.

A carriage appeared on the frozen ground and finally stopped in front of the entrance.

“Father.”

Claude approached as soon as the carriage door opened.

“I made you wait until late.”

“No, it’s only proper.”

“Where’s Higgins?”

“He looked tired, so I told him to go in first. He asked me to convey his apologies to you.”

Claude briefly surveyed the surroundings.

The servants who had been at the entrance with him had gone inside after taking care of the luggage from the carriage.

The carriage that had carried the Duke also started moving towards the stable, so there was no one around them at the moment.

“Did it go well?”

Claude asked the question he was most curious about first, very cautiously.

After the Duke left for Kristonson, he had not received any contact and had been anxiously waiting.

“Yes.”

At that short answer, Claude’s expression brightened a bit.

Actually, he had been worried that Prince Samuel might not accept sending his son far away.

“Did he agree easily?”

“It would have been easy to say. His heart must have been quite bruised. And I don’t know how he found out, but…”

The Duke recalled the trembling figure of Prince Samuel in front of him.

He was still gripped by fear of his older brother, and even knew that August’s birth mother had been executed.

“Since he also thought he shouldn’t just stay still like this, it wasn’t very difficult to ask for his cooperation.”

“Doesn’t he find it strange not knowing our exact intentions?”

“He would have, but he has no other way.”

There would be no other noble who could help him except the Duke.

“I confirmed that the child and the nanny were safely settled in the mansion.”

“I will regularly check on that side. If I borrow the magic carriage Jeremiah uses, I can go back and forth quickly.”

“Yes. But be careful as the roads nearby are not good.”

The Duke slightly frowned.

“I had a hard time when the wheel got stuck in a nearby swamp. Thanks to that, I was delayed in an unexpected place.”

“Ah, you mean the outskirts of Belhold?”

Claude grinned as if he already knew.

“I’ve been there so many times it’s sickening, so now I’ve memorized the safe paths. Don’t worry.”

“Yes, and.”

The Duke gestured with his eyes behind Claude. It was where Melody usually stood.

“Ah…”

Realizing the intention of that gaze, Claude lowered his head for a moment.

“That… might be a long story, Father.”

At the story he stammered out, the Duke’s brow furrowed slightly as if he had a bad feeling.

* * *

The next morning, when Ronny ran out to the garden of the ducal residence, the whole world was dyed white with the snow that had fallen all night.

On a usual day, there would have been about three snowmen made by Loretta and Melody.

But now, there were only neatly piled up snow mounds that the servants had diligently cleared away on one side of the walking path.

Looking at that peaceful sight, Ronny felt annoyed for no reason.

“Damn it!”

He pulled his hood deeply over his head and hastened his steps.

“Young Master!”

Soon, Isaiah, who had run out from the mansion, grabbed his arm and pulled him.

“Let go!”

Ronny shouted, bulging his eyes.

“Damn it, you’re just like Father and big brother! Have you all gone crazy together? Are you in your right mind?!”

He had just had an argument in Claude’s room a moment ago. How could it be? Suddenly deciding not to look for Melody who left the mansion.

“Aren’t you worried about her?!”

“…Well.”

Isaiah slowly moved his lips after a long time.

“I’m so worried I feel like I’m going crazy too. To the point where I thought about leaving the mansion several times.”

“Then why are you just standing here! And you call yourself a knight?”

Ronny grabbed Isaiah’s collar and pulled it. Their gazes got a little closer.

“Let’s go look for her together. I… I really feel like I’m going to go crazy, please. Okay?”

“…Sorry. I can’t let you go, Young Master.”

“You said you were worried too! That you were going crazy! But why!”

“That’s true, but.”

Isaiah gazed at Ronny from a close distance. With an unwavering gaze.

“Mel asked me to keep the mansion safe.”

Melody left him a short letter with an apology, gratitude, and a request.

“So, you don’t care if she’s in danger or not?!”

“That’s absolutely not it.”

“Then why!”

“Mel wouldn’t put herself in danger. I believe in Mel.”

“……”

“So, just as Mel believes, I have to do my best as a knight of the ducal family.”

“Damn it.”

Actually, Ronny had received a letter not much different from Isaiah’s.

[The reason I can leave with peace of mind is because I believe in you, Young Master Ronny. You’re the one who takes care of the people in the mansion better than anyone.]

“…I really hate this.”

“Ronny.”

“I’ve never heard of a Higgins giving orders to a Baldwin! I’ll never forgive you, Melody Higgins!”

He shouted angrily and twisted his body to escape Isaiah’s grip.

“Wh-where are you going?! The eldest young master told you to stay put in the mansion!”

“Do I look like I can stay still right now?!”

Ronny paused for a moment and looked back with a very crumpled face.

“…Mrs. Higgins hasn’t had an appetite and hasn’t been able to eat properly for days.”

“Young Master.”

“Damn it, that’s why I have to at least buy something she likes and offer it to her! Ugh! I’m going crazy!”

He turned his body again and started walking away with quick steps.

With each step, he repeated the word “damn it” several times and pulled at his hair.