Chapter 17

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Chapter 17

Melody immediately smiled and let Loretta, who was behind her, enter first. After that, she bowed in front of the door and said her greetings.

“Thank you. Then, good night Duke.”

“…?”

The Duke alternately looked between Melody and Loretta, who was standing beside him holding a pillow. Did you think that only Loretta needs protection?

“Whewe you goin Melody?”

“I should sleep in my room. Loretta… No, Miss Loretta should be with the Duke, alright?”

“What about Melody?”

“Hmm, I’m fine.”

Melody shook her head, but the Duke wasn’t too keen to agree with it. First of all, it was clear that Loretta would be awkward, and also for another reason.

「But isn’t the situation different with the other girls?」

「She was a slave trader’s daughter. The blood of that filthy, vulgar criminal must not set foot in this holy mansion!」

Because the elders had more hostile feelings towards Melody than towards Loretta. But the child says she wanted to go back to her own room, and he couldn’t hold her back and say, ‘I will also protect you’.

“No!”

The Duke hesitated, but the brave Loretta who treats him as a money pouch exclaimed firmly.

“Melody crwies widout Loretta. You cwied last time.”

Besides, it comes with some plausible logic.

“So, stay wid me Melody.”

As Loretta suddenly reached out her hand, it became difficult for Melody to refuse.

“Melody… don’t wan?”

“No, it’s not like that, but…”

Melody gently raised her head and looked into the Duke’s eyes. She thought she would make him feel uncomfortable, but he nodded in agreement with Loretta. Loretta quickly grabbed Melody’s hand and brought her inside the room.

Thanks to the Duke’s kindness by opening the door for her, Melody was able to stay with the Duke and Loretta. She wouldn’t dare open this door and enter without the Duke’s permission. Loretta gave a thumbs up towards the Duke. He didn’t know where she learned that gesture, but he also gave a thumbs up to Loretta in return.

‘There was something…’

The Duke felt a sense of camaraderie that felt like a relationship that had blossomed on the battlefield. He remembered what Melody had once said in the carriage.

「You slightly resembled each other.」

「The Duke and Loretta.」

It seems that those words weren’t wrong seeing that they have something in common that easily connects them. It was unknown how Melody recognized the similarities between the Duke and Loretta when they met for the first time.

“Duk, Duk.”

Loretta grabbed his clothes again and pulled him. When he bent down and asked why, a big smile appeared on the child’s face. It was interesting to see her face up close.

“Can I get on the big bed?”

Loretta asked, pointing to the Duke’s bed, and he nodded willingly.

“You can go up as much as you like.”

It seems that the generous word ‘all you want’ made Loretta excited. The child dragged a hesitating Melodyby the arm and jumped into the bed. His bed, which had always been quiet and neatly arranged, suddenly became noisy. The two children rolled like stones on the thick duvets, giving them the appearance of real ’lambs’. He guessed that was why Mrs. Higgins called them sheep.

But Loretta let out a long yawn after a few minutes. It was already too late so she was feeling very sleepy.

“Sleep, tomorrow will be busy because you have to go to the temple.”

As the Duke sat on the sofa and said so, Loretta patted the seat next to her with her palm and answered.

“This is Duk’s place.”

“A Duke never sleeps with other people.”

“Wil yu sleep alon if yu become the Duk?”

“That’s right.”

“No wondew Loretta sleeps wid Melody even thouh I’m already big….”

The Duke chuckled at Loretta’s concern. Somehow, the Duke guessed that Loretta thought she was going to take his place as the Duke.

‘I seemed to believe that child’s truth.’

That she is the Duke’s daughter, without a single doubt. Was it because of the child’s naivety, or was it the result of an insight he didn’t have? Either way was good. Her refreshing personality is a great help in brightening the atmosphere of the Duke’s Family……

‘I thought hastily.’

He stepped on the brakes of his thoughts that were going astray. His thoughts were becoming delusional as if the child had already been confirmed as his real daughter.

“Excuse me, Duke.”

After a moment of silence, Melody spoke in a quiet voice. It seems that Loretta was already asleep.

“Thank you for listening to my stubbornness.”

The child sitting on the bed bowed again. He didn’t understand why a child who hadn’t shown the slightest bit of stubbornness would say such a thing.

“Also, thank you for your ribbon gift.”

Melody was fiddling with her hair, which had a ribbon on it from a while ago.

“I was happy with the green ribbon. It’s the Duke’s color, isn’t it?”

The Duke asked Melody how she knew in shock, because what she said was true.

“That’s because, most of the decorations in the drawing room were green, and the patterns left on the carriage and the Duke’s letters were also green.”

The color of the ribbon was a good way to effectively show others that the Duke was caring for the two children. He didn’t think she’d figure out his hidden intention so easily. She was only an eleven-year-old child after all.

“You have good observation skills.”

“Uh, that wasn’t it. I found out because I saw the same pattern stamped on the card that came with it.”

Melody bowed her head again.

“Thank you for being so kind to me.”

“It’s nothing much.”

The Duke put down the book he was holding for no reason, and looked at the little girl hidden beyond the darkness.

“You can just receive it without worry.”

For some reason, the Duke’s feelings were a bit complicated. It was weird. He just gave them gifts and she said thank you, but why did he feel so uncomfortable?

“That’s nothing.”

“I really liked it.”

“……”

“So I just wanted to thank you.”

‘I’m sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable,’ the child added in a small voice.

What else was she apologizing for? She is a lively child is what he heard from other people’s stories. Unfortunately, she was always saying sorry whenever she was in front of the Duke. Was he treating the child wrongly? The Duke pondered for a moment but he couldn’t find a proper answer, so he stood up.

“Sleep. This isn’t a time for kids to stay awake.”

“Yes.”

Melody went straight into the duvet. She spread out the children’s blankets neatly and turned off the bright lights. In complete darkness, she waited a moment for her eyes to adjust.

“Duke.”

Melody’s low voice called him from near the bed.

“What is it?”

The Duke gave a short answer, and the answer came back with a rustling sound.

“Good night.”

“I hope you have a good dream.”

After answering through the darkness, he went back to the sofa and stretched himself out. After meeting those bastards, he noticed that little by little he was changing. That was more evident when he looked back on his actions objectively. In addition, even the rumors he had heard said that he had changed.

…So, the Duke, he thought that he couldn’t give up on those two children no matter what the outcome was tomorrow – putting aside the complicated situations that would arise.

He looked at the round silhouettes of the two children through the darkness. Their small, cute and peaceful appearances made him slightly chuckle. Of course, he did a while ago.

「Is there such a pathetic person in this world who rejoices just from seeing his daughter’s sleeping face…」

He had completely forgotten that he had said that before.

The next morning.

When Loretta and Melody followed the Duke out of the room, they saw the elders with dismayed faces looking at the two girls. They must’ve been frantically looking for Loretta until late yesterday, weren’t they? Melody secretly giggled as she thought how many feet must’ve been anxiously looking for her (Loretta).

Of course, when an elder noticed that expression, she quickly erased her smile and pretended she knew nothing. After having been able to avoid experiencing such a depressing situation during the night, Loretta was able to go to the temple safely.

‘Thanks to me, at least one sweet potato in this novel has been removed.’

(T/N: Since the original story was so depressing for the character Loretta, Melody referred to as 고구마/고구마네, which was a term used by Koreans when something felt stuffy or there was an obstacle, similar to how you felt stuffy in your throat when you eat sweet potato without drinking water. In short, Melody was happy that she managed to remove one obstacle for Loretta. )

This made Melody feel proud. With this, they can prove that the Duke and Loretta were blood-related, and they will put a stamp on it.

Melody was reading a book in her room while happily waiting for Loretta to return. They will probably have a party all night long if they come back and share the good news.

Perhaps sooner or later, Claude, the first to study at the academy, and Jeremiah, the youngest who grew up at the Magic Tower, will probably come back to the Duke’s Residence in order to meet their hard-to-find youngest sibling. After that, Loretta’s world will become wider and wider. In the future Melody will help her to avoid any dangers while happily taking care of her – like yesterday.

Melody was smiling bashfully with her thoughts caught up in her happy imagination, until she heard a knock on her door. Is it Butler Higgins? Because he promised to inform her first thing when the results come out from the temple. Melody jumped up from her seat and quickly opened the door.

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“Have the results already come out?!”

As she hastily asked the question, there was even a bright smile on her face, but her smile was soon completely gone. Because the person who came wasn’t Butler Higgins. No, to be more precise,

“Yes, here are the results.”

Instead, it was a person who didn’t like Melody very much that came.

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