The Villainess Is Shy In Receiving Affection

Chapter 35

***

Melody gazed at Isaiah, who was kneeling before Claude. A moment from the past, almost magical, came to her mind.

It was when she had to part with the kind doctor in her hometown. She had wished Melody happiness and made a single request.

“And if you meet my son in the capital, don’t forget to smack him on the back of his head. He’s a bad boy for not contacting his mother.”

“Hehe, I will.”

How could she have almost forgotten such an important promise in her excitement?

Melody quickly looked around. Conveniently, she spotted a thick catalog that someone had rolled up and left lying around.

As she gripped the rolled catalog, it felt just right in her hand.

Melody approached Isaiah from behind.

Truth be told, she hadn’t been listening to a word Isaiah was saying to Claude.

After all, when had Isaiah ever said anything proper? He was someone who spoke through his actions, not words.

Melody took a deep breath, then swung the catalog at the back of Isaiah’s head.

***

“No, I’m expressing my gratitude for taking care of Mel, even if it was brief. It seemed proper to offer my thanks.”

Claude looked incredulously at the boy who dared to offer ‘thanks’ for a decision made by the Duke.

On what authority?

“Well.”

Claude intended to make it clear that Isaiah’s gratitude was not needed.

He really meant to say it.

But the moment he saw Melody behind Isaiah, her eyes gleaming devilishly as she swung the catalog, he was struck speechless.

It was an exaggerated full swing, one that seemed to surpass even human limits.

Whack!

The sound of the catalog striking echoed pleasantly through the drawing room.

It was a sure sign of a direct hit.

Claude was a bit frightened of Melody. To think she could smack someone like that with just a catalog.

Meanwhile, Melody felt a sense of pride.

She raised her head slightly, thinking of the doctor back in her hometown.

If only the refreshing sound that echoed off Isaiah’s head could reach all the way to her hometown.

“Ouch!”

Isaiah clutched his head in agony, then turned around and yelled at Melody.

“Why did you hit me!”

His expression of indignation made Melody feel slightly taken aback.

She placed her hands on her hips and looked sternly at him.

“Isaiah. Did you write to the doctor?”

“Are you crazy? How could I write a letter!”

“Why not! Write one right now!”

Isaiah was about to retort with ‘I don’t want to!’ but then he quietly closed his mouth when he saw the catalog in Melody’s hand.

Melody, armed with the catalog, was intimidating. The fact that he couldn’t retaliate against her only added to his fear.

As his arrogance subsided a bit, Melody explained the situation in a softer tone.

“The doctor was so frustrated, she asked me to smack you on the back of your head if I met you. That’s why I had to hit you.”

“So you just smacked me out of nowhere?”

“I had no choice. I made a promise with the doctor.”

Despite her words, Melody felt a bit guilty about hitting him. She crouched down in front of Isaiah, who had slumped onto the floor.

“Did it hurt a lot?”

“I’m not sure, but one thing is clear, my brain has definitely gotten worse.”

“Don’t worry. Even if it gets worse, it won’t make much of a difference.”

Isaiah murmured dejectedly, his ears drooping like a dog’s.

“…It really did hurt, you know.”

Melody felt a slight prick of conscience. Still, she resolved not to say sorry, knowing the doctor was anxiously awaiting news from Isaiah every day.

But since she was a bit concerned about the pain she caused, she gently rubbed the spot she had (precisely, vehemently) smacked earlier.

“That’s why you have to write a letter today, okay?”

With these soothing words,

“But, you see.”

He blinked his sad eyes slowly, still appearing troubled.

“Mel, you know I left home to become a knight, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“But if I write in the letter that I’m still just a squire, won’t mother be disappointed?”

Why…?

Melody asked with only her lips. She couldn’t understand what part of that would be disappointing.

Becoming a squire meant he was steadily climbing towards his dream of becoming a knight. Surely, the doctor would be relieved to hear this news.

But Isaiah scratched his head, his cheeks turning a peculiar shade of red, and he averted his gaze, looking terribly embarrassed.

“So, you see, my mother probably thinks I’ve become a member of the Royal Knights by now!”

Melody was too shocked to respond.

It was unexpected for Isaiah to think his mother would assume he’s already part of the Royal Knights!

Even the villagers, who might not know much about the capital, understood that a position with ‘Royal’ in its title was incredibly significant.

Nobody would believe that sixteen-year-old Isaiah had secured such a position.

In fact, few believed he’d even safely landed a spot on the path to becoming a ‘knight’.

Usually, people speculated he’d use his lively nature to follow some merchant group or another.

And now he’s saying he can’t write because he’s not in the Royal Knights!

“Isaiah.”

“So, I can’t contact mother until I officially become a Royal Knight. She’d be disappointed if she saw me like this.”

Melody felt her hand twitching to swing the catalog again.

But she held back. The doctor had asked for ‘one smack’, not a thorough beating.

“Mother’s already disappointed! She said she couldn’t fall any lower, wondering how you could not contact her at all.”

“So I can’t let her know how I am now… Ah, that’s it! I’ll just write that I’ve become a knight!”

At his mention of sending a false letter, Melody, almost involuntarily, swung the catalog again.

Whack!

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

The thought of the doctor worrying, and him planning to lie, was too much. It was downright wrong.

“Ow.”

He rubbed the spot on his forehead where he’d been hit by the catalog and cautiously observed Melody’s mood.

“…You’re really mad, Mel.”

“Of course, I am!”

“Ugh, okay.”

He bowed his head deeply, signifying his submission to Melody.

“I have no choice. I’ll write the letter.”

“Make sure it’s honest, okay?”

“Yes.”

“And you have to write a lot.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Melody nodded in satisfaction, feeling she had perfectly resolved a problem she had to deal with since coming to the capital.

…Or so she thought.

But there was still one more issue.

“But Mel, how do you write a letter?”

“…What?”

Melody was at a loss for words.

Upon reflection, she realized she had never actually written a letter to convey news to someone.

After all, she only started using pen and ink freely after arriving at the Duke’s house.

“Just write about everything that’s been happening to you, Isaiah.”

“Uhm, so I write, ‘I have become a squire,’ then?”

“That’s too short!”

Melody counted the number of letters in the sentence he suggested and frowned in disapproval.

She hadn’t smacked her dear friend on the back of his head for such a short letter.

“Don’t you have more to write? Write it longer.”

“Well, even if I think hard… Hmm, how about, ‘I have become a fffabulous squiiiire.'”

That only added the word ‘fabulous’ and made the sentence grotesquely elongated.

The number of letters might increase, but that wasn’t really an improvement.

After much deliberation, Melody and Isaiah looked at Claude with faces that seemed to be desperately pleading for help.

He was the only one in the room who seemed likely to have experience writing letters.

Claude gave a slightly troubled smile as if to say, ‘Me, really?’

***

Several schedules got tangled up.

Firstly, while Melody and Isaiah were bickering over the letter, the working hours at the central prison office had ended.

Of course, there was still a buffer of about two weeks, and they could come back later… But Melody still felt bad for having troubled Claude, who had come with her from afar.

And the next day, Melody ended up troubling Claude again.

Isaiah, who was clueless about subtlety, had shamelessly arrived at the Duke’s house ‘to meet Mel’ first thing in the early morning!

Even when visiting a friend’s house, it was customary to avoid such early hours, let alone the Duke’s house, which even high-ranking nobles approached with caution.

“I thought you would be more familiar with the capital’s etiquette than I am.”

Melody chided him as soon as she arrived at the drawing room where he was waiting.

“Of course, I’ve perfected the capital’s etiquette. My master values the etiquette of knights greatly.”

He proudly responded while pouring an excessive amount of sugar into his tea, even lifting the entire sugar bowl!

Melody was a bit skeptical about what exactly Isaiah’s master had taught him.

“What kind of etiquette did you learn?”

“Of course, it’s something like this.”

He made a clinking sound stirring his teacup, then stood up and approached Melody, extending the hand he had been hiding behind his back.

In his hand, marked with numerous scars, was a soft and fluffy dandelion puff.

“Bringing a gift that the other person likes is considered proper etiquette,” he said.

He smiled broadly, expecting praise.

Indeed, Melody had always been fond of dandelion puffs. She liked how they swayed peculiarly when carried around.

She remembered how, back in her hometown, they would spend all day looking for big and beautiful dandelion puffs. Usually, it was Isaiah who joined her in this playful pursuit.

“Thank… you.”

Melody felt a bit embarrassed for having scolded Isaiah.

Instead of fretting over the capital’s etiquette, she should have been grateful that a friend had come to visit.

“Sorry for being grumpy when you came to visit.”

“That’s okay. Little Mel could do with a bit more practice in being grumpy.”

He ruffled Melody’s hair carelessly.

Though the maids had styled her hair beautifully in the morning, it was now a mess. But Melody didn’t mind; she was happy.