Chapter 37

***

Melody clapped her hands as she responded, certain that this was the answer Claude was hoping for. However, Melody didn’t have the chance to confirm whether her response was the ‘correct answer’ or the ‘perfect wrong answer’ in Claude’s eyes. While Loretta was busy scrutinizing each ink bottle on the table, choosing colors, she suddenly looked up and grabbed Melody’s arm.

“Melody, you’re writing a letter to Loretta?!”

As Melody nodded affirmatively, Loretta kicked her legs in the air joyfully.

“Loretta will write a letter to Melody saying she loves her!”

With enthusiasm, Loretta took the stationery Claude had laid out and placed it in front of herself. Then, with her wobbly handwriting, she wrote, ‘Loretta loves Melody so much!’@@novelbin@@

Melody was deeply moved as it was the first time she had seen Loretta write her name.

“Actually, I practiced writing Melody’s name because I wanted to write it for you.”

Loretta carefully folded the still-wet letter and handed it to Melody, unable to contain her urge to convey her loving feelings immediately.

“Melody, I love you so much!”

Loretta said this with a smile, looking like an angel, and Melody couldn’t help but hug the adorable child tightly.

Although the names and words written in the letter might have blurred and smudged, what did it matter? The clear intent of love it contained was what truly mattered.

Just a moment ago, Melody had learned from Claude about the ‘cultured way of writing letters,’ which emphasized that no letter was better than one that reveals true sincerity.

Therefore, Loretta’s letter was undoubtedly the best letter ever written.

While Melody was happily embracing Loretta, she suddenly felt an odd gaze upon her. Ah, she had forgotten. There was a pathological ‘sister-fool’ in their midst.

Despite feeling a tingling sensation on her back, Melody decided not to pay it any mind. It seems she had somewhat gotten used to Claude’s jealousy.

Let him be jealous if he wants to.

Soon after, Melody wrote her letter in front of Claude, as if to show him.

[I love Loretta the most in this world!]

Of course, this heartfelt letter was also folded before the ink had even dried and handed over to the recipient.

In the end, Claude didn’t receive a single letter.

***

Meanwhile, Isaiah had beautifully completed the letter he intended to send to the doctor. His plain but heartfelt letter was sure to melt the doctor’s worries.

Claude excused himself and returned to his room. He had to finish his work before the postal carriage arrived that afternoon.

Loretta, having promised to pick pine cones with Ronny, donned a large hat and headed to the garden.

Only Melody and Isaiah remained in the spacious drawing room.

“You got it, Isaiah?”

Melody looked straight at Isaiah, offering some crucial advice.

“From now on, you should write a letter like this at least once a week.”

“Once a week?!”

Isaiah looked at Melody in surprise, his face hoping she would revise it to maybe once every two weeks. But Melody was unyielding.

“Ah, alright.”

He mumbled and nodded his head. Only then did Melody wear a satisfied smile.

“But in return.”

Isaiah started another conversation while munching on the peanuts that Butler Higgins had brought.

“Mel, you have to make a promise too.”

“A promise?”

“Yes.”

He wiped his mouth, smeared with peanut crumbs, and turned to look earnestly at Melody, who was sitting next to him.

“Don’t meet her. Your lady mother.”

He spoke the words with force, his eyes intensely serious, signaling deep sincerity.

“Why are you suddenly asking for such a promise?”

“Because you’re too kindhearted, Mel!”

Melody shrugged her shoulders slightly, as if to say she wasn’t particularly that way.

But Isaiah didn’t agree with her.

“When we were young, you couldn’t even avenge those boys who bullied you.”

Back then, even when Isaiah brought over the boys who had bullied Melody and prepared a grand revenge, Melody neither joined in nor could she. She was the frustrating child who couldn’t indulge in mischief.

So, when Isaiah met Melody at the entrance of the prison yesterday, he was both glad and worried.

Worried that Melody might have come to meet her mother.

Luckily, it wasn’t that. She had come to refuse the last request of a death row inmate. Isaiah felt a bit relieved to hear that.

But still, knowing how kindhearted Melody was, he wanted to make sure she wouldn’t change her mind, hence the insistence on the promise.

“Think about what that lady did to you. It shouldn’t even be a question. You absolutely must not fulfill her last request.”

“Well…”

Melody whispered softly, ‘That’s what I was thinking anyway.’

Maybe her response seemed uncertain to him. Isaiah grabbed her shoulders to make her face him.

“Mel, you’ll promise, right?”

“…”

“Mel!”

He urged for an answer. But instead of the response he was expecting, Melody first voiced a surprising realization that had just occurred to her.

“Isaiah… you’ve changed.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Before, you used to tell me to stand up to the village kids myself. You said that’s the only way they’d stop bothering me.”

She had thought Isaiah would suggest the same thing now – to confront her imprisoned mother and show her the same lesson.

“The method of revenge is just different. The more you stay away, the more it will eat her up inside, right?”

“Is that it?”

“Yes. She’s probably crying and making a scene, calling your name.”

From his words, Melody realized something astonishing. It almost sounded like he had actually seen her mother!

Well, it made sense since he was under the knight guarding the prison, so he might have had access inside.

“Ah, uh. No, I didn’t mean I actually met your lady mother.”

Realizing his slip, Isaiah quickly removed his hands from Melody’s shoulders and awkwardly averted his gaze.

From Isaiah’s reaction, it was clear he had indeed met her mother.

And not just met, but seen her in a state of uproar, crying and calling for Melody.

“Anyway, don’t meet her. There’s nothing good that can come from it. Instead, I will write a letter to my mother every week.”

Melody nodded to his soothing words. She had no intention of meeting her mother even without Isaiah’s urging, having decided not to be hurt anymore.

“Alright.”

Pleased with her answer, Isaiah quickly turned back to Melody with a happy face.

“Really?!”

“I was going to do that anyway.”

Perhaps satisfied with her decisive response, Isaiah ruffled Melody’s hair roughly, just like he used to do a long time ago.

***

The Duke’s household decided to extend a kindness to Isaiah. They agreed to send his letter through the postal carriage departing from the Duke’s residence to his hometown. Letters sent from the Duke’s house were treated differently, marked with a special stamp and handled more promptly, ensuring faster delivery.

After leaving his letter, Isaiah departed, and a quiet afternoon returned to the Duke’s house.

Claude was still holed up in his room.

Ronny, having collected a bunch of pine cones, was showing off to Loretta by sprinkling water on them.

“When pine cones get wet, they close up like this.”

“Brother, you’re amazing!”

Loretta exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she held a pine cone that had closed up like an acorn.

The two children, with the help of the servants, divided the pine cones into cute baskets. These small pine cones would now be placed in various rooms, helping to moisten the dry air.

As Ronny and Loretta were busy with the pine cones, Melody tied ribbons around the baskets. Just as they finished, the sound of a carriage arriving in the Duke’s garden reached Melody’s ears.

“The postal carriage has arrived, Miss Melody!”

A servant informed her, and Melody quickly grabbed Isaiah’s letter and ran to the entrance.

At that moment, a messenger arrived with an urgent letter for the Duke. Melody was worried about sending the letter without the butler’s help, but her concerns disappeared upon meeting the kind postal worker. He checked the letter Melody handed over without any fuss and smiled, indicating everything was fine.

“Will it take long to arrive? The doctor is eagerly waiting for the letter.”

He kindly replied to her cautious question.

“No, it will be quick. It should definitely arrive within a week. Don’t worry.”

This was indeed good news, as Isaiah’s news would reach before the onset of the cold winter.

“That’s a relief.”

Just then, Claude also emerged from the mansion, carrying three large, thick envelopes. The postal worker skillfully received and checked the parcels.

“I’ll make sure they are delivered to the academy without fail.”

Assured by the postal worker’s reliable words, Claude rubbed his tired eyes and nodded.

“Please take care of it. I couldn’t even sleep because of it.”

“Most people sending mail to the academy feel the same. Don’t worry.”

After placing Claude’s envelopes in the carriage, the postal worker approached them again as if he remembered something.

“I’m asking just in case, but would you like this year’s birthday gifts for young master Claude delivered to the mansion?”

“No, I’ll soon be returning to the academy.”

“Then I’ll send them to the academy. This year, you might even fill up three carriages.”

Surprised by the postal worker’s comment, Melody asked.

“Is the young master’s birthday approaching soon?”