Chapter 52
***
“…Yes.”
As the girl nodded again, the distant call of “Miss Loretta!” by Melody could be heard.
Judging by the voice, it was clear she was flustered, unable to find Loretta as easily as usual.
“Then let me know how it turned out later, I have to go back now as my tutor is about to arrive.”
Ronny whispered, keeping his voice down lest Melody overhear and hurried back towards the mansion.
On his way, he bumped into Melody, who was looking around near the entrance. She looked desperate and sought his help.
“Sir, have you seen Miss Loretta by any chance?”
Ronny had to stifle a laugh.
If he gave away the secret now, it would ruin the trust his adorable sister had placed in him.
“No, I haven’t seen her.”
“That’s strange.”
Melody’s comment made him flinch, worried he’d been caught.
“What’s strange about it?”
Ronny raised his voice and quickly turned away.
“I’m not so idle as to meddle in your hide and seek game.”
He sharply retorted and hurried back to his room.
Melody watched his retreating figure and wondered,
‘How did he know we were playing hide and seek?’
Dark clouds of suspicion began to gather over Melody’s head.
* * *
Loretta clutched the jacket wrapped around her shoulders with her small hands, feeling a bit scared.
It was quite peculiar. Loretta actually liked carriages.
Unlike the vast mansion, the carriage was a small space where she could be close to her favorite people like Melody, her father, or her brothers.
And of course, it always meant they were on their way to some delightful destination through fascinating landscapes.
So,
“It’s not scary…”
Loretta concluded after some serious consideration and cautiously peeked outside the window.
It was deserted.
Where could Melody be? It seemed like she heard her voice in the garden just before.
She hoped she would be found soon.
“No, wait.”
Loretta startled herself with her own thoughts. She shouldn’t hope for Melody to find her. She had just managed to hide with her brother’s help.
“Melody will be so surprised.”
Loretta was sure Melody would be astonished to find out how perfectly she had managed to hide.
“She might even hug me, saying ‘Great job.'”
The thought of Melody’s warm embrace brought a slight smile to Loretta’s small lips.
‘Melody… I like her so much.’
The thought of being praised by Melody made Loretta feel invincible, as if nothing in this world could scare her anymore.
That’s when it happened.
Something tapped the carriage with a ‘thump.’
Loretta’s head shot up.
“Melody!”
Despite her intention to hide well, her face showed joy and a bright smile.
“…?”
But there was no one outside the window.
Strange. It definitely felt like someone had tapped the carriage.
As she tilted her head with her finger on her lips, another ‘thump’ sound came, this time from the roof of the carriage.
Loretta’s face turned pale with shock. Her eyes were drawn to the wooden roof of the carriage.
The grain patterns on the wood started to swirl, looking like a massive whirlwind.
It was frightening to look at, but Loretta somehow couldn’t take her eyes off it, as if her whole body had frozen.
“No matter how scared you are, you must bear it and wait crouched down below the window. Remember, patience is a virtue of the capital’s nobility.”
Ronny’s stern words came to her mind at that moment.
“I must bear it even if I’m scared…”
Loretta repeated her brother’s words in a small voice, as if to counter the ominous whirlwind on the ceiling.
Was it her courage that made a difference? She felt the strong wind gradually subside.
Loretta gathered strength in her legs, stood up straight, and faced the ceiling with an even stronger gaze.
Thump.
But the sound that came again made her jump in fright.
What was that sound?
Curious, she looked outside for a moment, and through the cloudy glass, she saw traces of elongated water droplets.
When she realized that these were signs of ‘rain,’
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The carriage roof began to sound like it was about to collapse under the heavy downpour.
“…!”
Loretta turned her gaze back to the roof. The wind that had almost died down was now swirling chaotically again, coming closer and closer.
Loretta stepped back a few paces.
But she only ended up bumping into the carriage seat and collapsing.
Despite the strong impact, she didn’t feel any pain. Loretta sat on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling of the carriage.
Tears started to stream from her slightly parted lips.
As if to drown out her crying, the sound of the rain grew louder. Instinctively, the child twisted her hands tightly over her ears.
With the sound slightly muffled, Loretta’s breathing began to quicken.
It was as if she was drowning in a downpour.
Though not a single drop of rain penetrated the sturdy carriage.
Thump, thud!
And so, when the rain seemed to occupy more than half of the air,
Loretta collapsed completely on the carriage floor, reaching out her hand into the void as if searching for something warm in her fading senses.
* * *
‘I wonder if she’s been found?’
Ronny couldn’t stop smirking even during his history lesson.
The desperate look on Melody’s face while searching for Loretta earlier was quite amusing.
It was a striking sight, seeing Melody, who was always so composed, looking so lost and frantic.
He was sure that Melody wouldn’t find Loretta.
Moreover, with the rain pouring down like this, there’s no way she would think of going outside the mansion.
After this game is over, Loretta will quietly come to him and talk about ‘the secret between brother and Loretta,’ telling him how much of a reliable family member he is.
Thinking about it made his heart feel heavy. In truth, Ronny hadn’t been much help to any member of his family until now.
Helping the father was Claude’s responsibility, and Ronny had thought his duty was to look after his younger brother Jeremiah…
But the child, who had been the darling of the Tower of Mages since a young age, never really needed his brother’s help.
And they hadn’t even met in recent years.
So, Ronny was overjoyed that for the first time, he had someone he could wholly take care of.
‘I should continue to help Loretta with her hide and seek.’
He planned to teach her academics and swordsmanship as she grew older. There were so many things he wanted to do with Loretta.
“Master Baldwin.”
It was then that the formidable history professor called his name.
“Uh, yes?”
He was startled and looked up. He realized that he hadn’t been listening to the professor’s explanation at all because he had been thinking about Loretta.
“Should I take it that you’re not focusing because the content of this lesson is so utterly obvious that anyone could know it?”
The professor’s piercing gaze made Ronny unable to respond, and he just shook his head.
No way.
History was a subject where, no matter how much you study, there’s still an endless amount to learn. It required not just memorization but understanding.
“I’m glad you’re so confident. It just so happens it’s time for the seasonal exams.”
“Exams!”
The word ‘exam’ seemed the heaviest in the world, and Ronny’s shoulders shuddered.
After the exams, the professor would report the results to the Duke.
The Duke didn’t scold Ronny just for any low exam scores. However, he was strict if Ronny got something wrong that he should have known.
“Well, I…”
He barely opened his mouth, thinking he must somehow postpone the exam.
But the professor had already written ‘Exam’ in big letters on his thick schedule.
It was right around then that the rain started to fall even harder.
It seemed to reflect his mood… When suddenly, without a knock, his door burst open.
Such an intrusion had never happened during a lesson, so Ronny was startled and looked towards the door.
“…?!”
Melody stood there, soaked from the rain.
Several maids stood restlessly behind her, holding towels. They were worried about Melody’s disheveled state and that they had allowed someone to interrupt the lesson without permission.
His lessons were so respected that even the Duke would not interrupt.
Don’t you see I’m in the middle of a lesson?
Ronny was about to snap at Melody.
But when he noticed her almost tearful eyes and frantic breathing, he was at a loss for words.
A formless anxiety rose in his heart.
He stood up abruptly.
The thought of excusing himself to the professor for leaving the class didn’t even cross his mind.
His mind was filled with thoughts of Loretta…
He brushed everything aside and ran out, strongly grabbing Melody’s wrist on the way. She obediently followed him, and they both ran down the hallway.
Several servants also began to run behind them with umbrellas and towels, and the mansion quickly became noisy.
“You mustn’t run outside without an umbrella, Master!”
Soon, Butler Higgins on the second floor also rushed out, realizing something was happening and quickly descending the stairs.
Even Ronny had to pause at his resolute shout.
“Master!”
However, Melody, standing by his side, pulled at his arm, urging him to hurry.
“Quickly… The rain, it’s about the rain!”
Chapter 52
***
“…Yes.”
As the girl nodded again, the distant call of “Miss Loretta!” by Melody could be heard.
Judging by the voice, it was clear she was flustered, unable to find Loretta as easily as usual.
“Then let me know how it turned out later, I have to go back now as my tutor is about to arrive.”
Ronny whispered, keeping his voice down lest Melody overhear and hurried back towards the mansion.
On his way, he bumped into Melody, who was looking around near the entrance. She looked desperate and sought his help.
“Sir, have you seen Miss Loretta by any chance?”
Ronny had to stifle a laugh.
If he gave away the secret now, it would ruin the trust his adorable sister had placed in him.
“No, I haven’t seen her.”
“That’s strange.”
Melody’s comment made him flinch, worried he’d been caught.
“What’s strange about it?”
Ronny raised his voice and quickly turned away.
“I’m not so idle as to meddle in your hide and seek game.”
He sharply retorted and hurried back to his room.
Melody watched his retreating figure and wondered,
‘How did he know we were playing hide and seek?’
Dark clouds of suspicion began to gather over Melody’s head.
* * *
Loretta clutched the jacket wrapped around her shoulders with her small hands, feeling a bit scared.
It was quite peculiar. Loretta actually liked carriages.
Unlike the vast mansion, the carriage was a small space where she could be close to her favorite people like Melody, her father, or her brothers.
And of course, it always meant they were on their way to some delightful destination through fascinating landscapes.
So,
“It’s not scary…”
Loretta concluded after some serious consideration and cautiously peeked outside the window.
It was deserted.
Where could Melody be? It seemed like she heard her voice in the garden just before.
She hoped she would be found soon.
“No, wait.”
Loretta startled herself with her own thoughts. She shouldn’t hope for Melody to find her. She had just managed to hide with her brother’s help.
“Melody will be so surprised.”
Loretta was sure Melody would be astonished to find out how perfectly she had managed to hide.
“She might even hug me, saying ‘Great job.'”
The thought of Melody’s warm embrace brought a slight smile to Loretta’s small lips.
‘Melody… I like her so much.’
The thought of being praised by Melody made Loretta feel invincible, as if nothing in this world could scare her anymore.
That’s when it happened.
Something tapped the carriage with a ‘thump.’
Loretta’s head shot up.
“Melody!”
Despite her intention to hide well, her face showed joy and a bright smile.
“…?”
But there was no one outside the window.
Strange. It definitely felt like someone had tapped the carriage.
As she tilted her head with her finger on her lips, another ‘thump’ sound came, this time from the roof of the carriage.
Loretta’s face turned pale with shock. Her eyes were drawn to the wooden roof of the carriage.
The grain patterns on the wood started to swirl, looking like a massive whirlwind.
It was frightening to look at, but Loretta somehow couldn’t take her eyes off it, as if her whole body had frozen.
“No matter how scared you are, you must bear it and wait crouched down below the window. Remember, patience is a virtue of the capital’s nobility.”
Ronny’s stern words came to her mind at that moment.
“I must bear it even if I’m scared…”
Loretta repeated her brother’s words in a small voice, as if to counter the ominous whirlwind on the ceiling.
Was it her courage that made a difference? She felt the strong wind gradually subside.
Loretta gathered strength in her legs, stood up straight, and faced the ceiling with an even stronger gaze.
Thump.
But the sound that came again made her jump in fright.
What was that sound?
Curious, she looked outside for a moment, and through the cloudy glass, she saw traces of elongated water droplets.
When she realized that these were signs of ‘rain,’
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The carriage roof began to sound like it was about to collapse under the heavy downpour.
“…!”
Loretta turned her gaze back to the roof. The wind that had almost died down was now swirling chaotically again, coming closer and closer.
Loretta stepped back a few paces.
But she only ended up bumping into the carriage seat and collapsing.
Despite the strong impact, she didn’t feel any pain. Loretta sat on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling of the carriage.
Tears started to stream from her slightly parted lips.
As if to drown out her crying, the sound of the rain grew louder. Instinctively, the child twisted her hands tightly over her ears.
With the sound slightly muffled, Loretta’s breathing began to quicken.
It was as if she was drowning in a downpour.
Though not a single drop of rain penetrated the sturdy carriage.
Thump, thud!
And so, when the rain seemed to occupy more than half of the air,
Loretta collapsed completely on the carriage floor, reaching out her hand into the void as if searching for something warm in her fading senses.
* * *
‘I wonder if she’s been found?’
Ronny couldn’t stop smirking even during his history lesson.
The desperate look on Melody’s face while searching for Loretta earlier was quite amusing.
It was a striking sight, seeing Melody, who was always so composed, looking so lost and frantic.
He was sure that Melody wouldn’t find Loretta.
Moreover, with the rain pouring down like this, there’s no way she would think of going outside the mansion.
After this game is over, Loretta will quietly come to him and talk about ‘the secret between brother and Loretta,’ telling him how much of a reliable family member he is.
Thinking about it made his heart feel heavy. In truth, Ronny hadn’t been much help to any member of his family until now.
Helping the father was Claude’s responsibility, and Ronny had thought his duty was to look after his younger brother Jeremiah…
But the child, who had been the darling of the Tower of Mages since a young age, never really needed his brother’s help.
And they hadn’t even met in recent years.
So, Ronny was overjoyed that for the first time, he had someone he could wholly take care of.
‘I should continue to help Loretta with her hide and seek.’
He planned to teach her academics and swordsmanship as she grew older. There were so many things he wanted to do with Loretta.
“Master Baldwin.”
It was then that the formidable history professor called his name.
“Uh, yes?”
He was startled and looked up. He realized that he hadn’t been listening to the professor’s explanation at all because he had been thinking about Loretta.
“Should I take it that you’re not focusing because the content of this lesson is so utterly obvious that anyone could know it?”
The professor’s piercing gaze made Ronny unable to respond, and he just shook his head.
No way.
History was a subject where, no matter how much you study, there’s still an endless amount to learn. It required not just memorization but understanding.
“I’m glad you’re so confident. It just so happens it’s time for the seasonal exams.”
“Exams!”
The word ‘exam’ seemed the heaviest in the world, and Ronny’s shoulders shuddered.
After the exams, the professor would report the results to the Duke.
The Duke didn’t scold Ronny just for any low exam scores. However, he was strict if Ronny got something wrong that he should have known.
“Well, I…”
He barely opened his mouth, thinking he must somehow postpone the exam.
But the professor had already written ‘Exam’ in big letters on his thick schedule.
It was right around then that the rain started to fall even harder.
It seemed to reflect his mood… When suddenly, without a knock, his door burst open.
Such an intrusion had never happened during a lesson, so Ronny was startled and looked towards the door.
“…?!”
Melody stood there, soaked from the rain.
Several maids stood restlessly behind her, holding towels. They were worried about Melody’s disheveled state and that they had allowed someone to interrupt the lesson without permission.
His lessons were so respected that even the Duke would not interrupt.
Don’t you see I’m in the middle of a lesson?
Ronny was about to snap at Melody.
But when he noticed her almost tearful eyes and frantic breathing, he was at a loss for words.
A formless anxiety rose in his heart.
He stood up abruptly.
The thought of excusing himself to the professor for leaving the class didn’t even cross his mind.
His mind was filled with thoughts of Loretta…
He brushed everything aside and ran out, strongly grabbing Melody’s wrist on the way. She obediently followed him, and they both ran down the hallway.
Several servants also began to run behind them with umbrellas and towels, and the mansion quickly became noisy.
“You mustn’t run outside without an umbrella, Master!”
Soon, Butler Higgins on the second floor also rushed out, realizing something was happening and quickly descending the stairs.
Even Ronny had to pause at his resolute shout.
“Master!”
However, Melody, standing by his side, pulled at his arm, urging him to hurry.
“Quickly… The rain, it’s about the rain!”
