Chapter 47

***

The Higgins family has historically served as the butlers for the Baldwin Ducal House, bearing the duty of recording the events that transpire within the Baldwin mansion. Thus, one corner of the butler’s office was filled with the records of the ducal house’s history. These meticulous and magnificent records, without missing a single day, were also a source of pride for the Higgins family. Little did they think that the young master of the Baldwin house would someday use these records for a wager.

“Listen carefully.”

Despite Melody’s objections, Ronny explained the plan to Isaiah, drawing a map of the mansion.

“Pretend to be asleep, and when it’s late at night, sneak out of bed and make your way here. The bookshelf with the records is located on this side.”

Isaiah nodded in agreement.

“Only bring the records from June. If I take this year’s June records, then you’ll follow with last year’s June records.”

“And after that, will the young master bring the records from the June of the year before?”

“That’s right. We’ll take turns, and the one who gets caught loses. Are you confident?”

“What about the lock?”

“It’s unlocked. But be careful, there’s a small bell on the door that you must not ring.”

“It might be better to enter through the window, then.”

“There are knights guarding the outside, so there’s a higher risk of getting caught. Well, if you get caught, I win, so that would be great for me.”

The boys giggled and laughed together, seemingly enjoying their little scheme.

‘It seems like they actually quite like each other.’

Of course, Melody wouldn’t dare say that out loud. It would surely ruin the mood.

***

Ronny waited for nightfall, holding his breath. He was unnecessarily tense even in his own room.

Tick-tock. The clock moved. It was now the agreed-upon time.

Ronny carefully rose from his bed. He was to be the first to sneak out the records and bring them to Isaiah’s room.

Ronny had once played this game of secretly taking the ducal records when he was younger, with Claude.

“Remember, it’s the June records. We take turns bringing the records from June, Ronny. Just two rounds, and we’re done.”

At that time, Claude was the first to bring the records. Then, when it was Ronny’s turn to go…

He had burst into tears in the dark corridor, scared. Of course, he was immediately caught by the adults and failed to take the records.

Thankfully, it was just dismissed as ‘children’s play’.

Ronny actually wanted to redeem himself from that past humiliation through this competition. He was no longer a little kid afraid of the dark.

He put on noiseless  shoes and cautiously opened the door.

The second-floor corridor where he stayed was deserted and quiet. Only the wall-mounted lamps illuminated his path.

‘Good.’

Ronny stepped out. With nothing to fear, he briskly crossed the corridor.

He had worried that someone might be at the bottom of the stairs, but luckily, after a servant wrapped in a blanket passed by, there was no one else.

Ronny quickly descended the stairs and hid in a corner of the hallway.

After a quiet breath, he immediately opened the door to Higgins’ office. A small bell rang softly, but it was too faint to alert or wake anyone.

Ronny quickly took the most recent June record from the bookshelf and hid it in his clothes. It bulged a bit, but it wasn’t too awkward.

Now, all he had to do was take this to Isaiah’s room, and the first round would be successfully completed.

‘If only I had done this when I was younger.’

“What’s so scary that you’d cry your eyes out?” Ronny, feeling a surge of pride over how much he had grown, cautiously opened the door.

‘No one should be in the hallway since it’s so quiet, right?’

Ronny peeked his head through the narrow gap of the door.

‘Good. There’s no one…’

“Master.”

Just then, a whispering voice called out to him from the seemingly empty hallway.

“Huh?!”

Startled, Ronny couldn’t help but let out a loud noise, forgetting that he was supposed to maintain silence. His face looked as if he had seen a ghost.

But soon, he realized it was Melody, and his face contorted visibly.

“Are you trying to make me lose?!”

He reproached her in a voice quiet enough not to be heard. Fortunately, a glance around confirmed that no one else was approaching.

“I had something to discuss with the young master.”

“If it’s something like that, tomorrow…”

Before he could finish, the sound of the servant who had gone out with the blanket returning to the entrance was heard.

Seeing Ronny’s ‘what now!’ expression, Melody quickly pulled him into her room across the way.

The two pressed their ears against the door, focusing on the sounds coming from outside.

The servant passed by nearby, but evidently didn’t sense anything unusual and just continued on as usual.

“Phew…”

Ronny let out a sigh of relief, then immediately glared sharply at Melody.

“You’re on that guy’s side, aren’t you! You’re trying to interfere with me, right?!”

“I’m not on anyone’s side.”

Melody quickly waved her hand to deny it, but he didn’t seem to believe her.

“Don’t lie! Do you think that’ll make me lose?”

Ronny pulled out the book he had hidden inside his clothes and brandished it as if to show off.

“I’ve succeeded like this. If your friend fails this time, you’ll have no choice but to have tea alone with me, will you?!”

“…Alone? ‘Have tea’?”

Melody asked back, and Ronny, realizing his slip of the tongue, blushed furiously and quickly corrected himself.

“I meant you’ll have to serve tea! What kind of ridiculous misunderstanding is that?”

“It’s not really about that. I came out because I was worried.”

At the mention of worry, Ronny abruptly turned his head away. Clearly, Melody was worried that her childhood friend might lose.

‘…That wicked girl. She must have forgotten all the good things I’ve done for her.’

“Look here.”

Melody gently took the record Ronny had brought and placed it on a nearby table. Then she promptly grabbed his hand.

“…!”

Taken aback by his hand being suddenly grasped, Ronny was so startled that he couldn’t say anything and just blinked his eyes.

Relying on the dim light in the room, Melody scrutinized his left hand closely. The white bandage was coming loose, and blood was seeping through again.

“I knew this would happen. Master. You’ve been careless ever since you got treated.”

“It’s healed, I tell you!”

He hastily snatched his hand away, displaying his stubbornness.

“The wound has reopened because you were so rough with your hand that’s not fully healed yet. Come here.”

Melody gestured for Ronny to sit. Prepared in advance, the nearby table held fresh bandages and medicine.

“Did you come here for this?”

“What?”

“Are you asking me to wait because of my hand!”

“Well, there’s that, and I was curious, plus…”

Melody shrugged her shoulders as she unwrapped the bandage from his hand.

“I was worried too.”

“Worried? About your friend?”

“Of course. Isaiah is indebted to the Duke. And yet, to wager the mansion’s precious records…”

Melody sighed deeply as she applied the medicine to the reopened wound. Fortunately, the wound was almost healed, so it wasn’t painful.

“It feels like I might have to defend Isaiah if something happens.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Ronny raised his voice and then quickly paid attention to the corridor beyond the door.

It would be a serious issue if someone realized that Ronny, a member of the Ducal family, had entered Melody’s room late at night.

“That guy is my guest. So it’s my duty to defend him if something happens. Are you trying to take that role away from me?”

Melody chuckled.

“Why, why are you laughing?”

“It just seems like the young master actually likes Isaiah.”

“Hmph, I don’t like such an uncouth guy.”

After the medicine on the wound dried a bit, Melody neatly wrapped the bandage around it.

“Ask the adults to rewrap it tomorrow. Got it?”

“…Fine.”

He quickly withdrew his somewhat clumsily wrapped hand.

“So, what are you curious about?”

“What?”

“You said earlier. Not only are you worried, but you’re also curious.”

“Oh.”

Melody put away the basket of medicine and sat down.

“I was wondering if the young master had something to tell me.”

“…!”

His face turned red in surprise. According to the great rules set by the original work, such an expression meant ‘YES.’@@novelbin@@

“It’s rare for the young master and me to have a conversation alone.”

Whenever Ronny met Melody, Loretta was always there.

“I thought perhaps you had something urgent to say to me, since you’ve been asking for tea for several days.”

“There’s, there’s nothing like that!”

“…Well, if that’s not the case.”

“Ugh…”

Ronny clenched his clothes tightly, wrinkling them.

In truth, Melody was right.

He had something he wanted to say and had been looking for an opportunity. But somehow, things kept getting tangled up.

Ronny stole a glance at Melody sitting opposite him.

Her gaze was embarrassingly earnest. However, now it was just as he wished: alone with Melody, with no one else around. It meant he had the chance to convey the words he had been holding back.

“You know.”

He managed to start speaking, barely opening his mouth.