The Villainess Is Shy In Receiving Affection

“L, last time,” however, he couldn’t get the words out while looking at Melody, so he only looked at his toes, “I told you.”

“Told me? About what?”

Ronnie’s head sank even deeper. At first glance, his exposed ears were so red that they looked purple.

“That you’re a crook… and to go back to your house….”

“Ah.”

Melody remembered the first time she and Ronnie met.

「You crook! Go back to your house! Are you trying to eat and sleep at my house?! 」

He was angry and yelled at Melody.

“Many people already came to the mansion and lied, so I thought you would also….”

Ronnie seemed to be trying to make excuses, but he soon shook his head and shut his mouth – because he didn’t mean to say that.

Mustering up his courage, Ronnie raised his head. When their eyes met, the words he had long held back burst out.

“I, I’m sorry! I was wrong!”

Contrary to his harsh words of apology, the boy’s eyes were filled with faint tears. His face was also the reddest Melody had seen it. Blushing deeply– that means that he was being very sincere.

Melody was speechless at his unexpected apology. Ronnie on the other side raised his sleeve and wiped his eyes.

‘Was the Young Master still keeping that memory in his heart?’

In fact, Melody wasn’t hurt by what happened that day and she didn’t even mind it. That’s why this kind of serious apology was somewhat embarrassing. She didn’t even know how to react.

“Were you, were you that upset?”

After seeing Melody not saying anything, Ronnie studied her expression more closely and asked carefully.

“No, I was not.”

Melody quickly shook her head to reassure him but it backfired instead.

“Do not be ridiculous! There’s no way you wouldn’t mind hearing something like that!”

“Really.”

Of course, this time too, Ronnie didn’t seem to believe Melody’s words.

“I, I, I don’t think you are a crook anymore. It’s true.”

“I know.”

Melody burst into laughter. Ronnie was unaware that all of his emotions were quite obvious due to his facial expressions and actions.

“And… uh.”

Ronnie pursed his lips and murmured after a while.

“You don’t have to go back to your house. Though it looks like you’re already doing just that.”

“Does that mean it’s alright for me to stay in this mansion?”

Melody’s question was answered with a roar.

“There’s nothing I can do! Father already gave you permission!”

“Ah….”

“No. That’s not necessarily the case.”

He was restless as he regretted yelling.

“You have nowhere to go.”

“That’s true, though.”

“I don’t want to be alone again.”

Ronnie’s mutters sounded somewhat lonely.

Thinking of it, he was the only child in the mansion until Loretta came. In that kind of situation, Ronnie might have been thinking of a hopeful idea like ‘I might have a younger sibling’ everyday that someone claimed to have brought his younger sister back. Though it always ended in disappointment as the only people who came were frauds.

Melody now fully understands why he is a character who falls in love so quickly. His loneliness must have been deep.

“Even though we’re together now, hyung is usually in the academy, also….”

“Young Master Jeremiah has never returned to the mansion ever since he went to the Magic Tower.”

The third child, Jeremiah who had the potential to become a great wizard, lived in the Magic Tower from his childhood to the present.

Of course, Melody remembered this fact from reading the original story….

‘What?’

Sure enough, she lifted her head when she felt something strange. Ronnie was staring at Melody with surprised eyes.

“How did you know about Jeremiah?!”

“Y, yes?!”

Melody, you idiot! She desperately thought of excuses as she scolded herself.

“About… that.”

But nothing plausible came to mind. Making up excuses is simple, but handling the aftermath may be difficult if he were to find out that she was lying.

“I am asking you. Aren’t you going to answer?”

He took one step closer to Melody, staring at her troubled face.

‘What do I do?’

Standing right in front of her, she somehow felt a bit frightened by Ronnie.

“…”

The quiet confrontation continued. Then, at one point, Ronnie clapped his hands and said, ‘Ah!’ as if he realized something.

“Was it hyung?!”

“… What?”

What do you mean? Melody only blinked. But Ronnie was wearing an expression that seemed to say he had ‘hit the bullseye’.

“I knew he would. If it wasn’t my kind hyung, who would ever tell you about Jeremiah?”

“N, no.”

It’s not. Absolutely not him. Claude wasn’t kind nor did he tell her about Jeremiah.

Melody wanted to deny, but Ronnie continued his rambling words as he liked.

“Jeremiah is really amazing. Did you know? He went to the Imperial Family last time on behalf of the Magic Tower’s Lord. Even though he’s still so young.”

“He’s… amazing.”

Melody quickly nodded her head with a dazed expression.

“Do you really think he’s great?”

But Ronnie doesn’t seem to be satisfied with Melody’s response.

“It only means that Jeremiah completely understands and acts on behalf of the Magic Tower’s Lord.”

Ronnie straightened his chest – with pride.

“Someday, Jeremiah might be the next Magic Tower’s Lord.”

“Ah ….”

“And if Jeremiah becomes a full-fledged wizard, he will be called ‘Wizard Valdwin.’”

Ronnie continued to brag about Jeremiah with a face that couldn’t hide his excitement.

“Do you know how great that is? The Valdwin name will be at the apex of the Magic Tower!”

“That… that’s great.”

Melody sincerely replied that way. It means that Ronnie was incredibly proud of his brother, whom he hadn’t seen in years.

“Of course. After all, Jeremiah Valdwin is my younger brother.”

He nodded his head with satisfaction and then asked Melody, “So, do you understand now?”

“… About what?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? I am saying it’s alright for you to stay here. What have you been listening to so far?”

“Ah, you’re right.”

“Though I actually feel comfortable being alone.”

Ronnie had a face that seemed to show his Neverending benevolence.

“There’s nothing I can do until you find a place to go. I’ll put up with it even though it’s uncomfortable.”

“A place to go?”

What? His words made Melody pause. I have to make a place to go? That was also something she had never thought of.

It was also something she couldn’t afford to think about since she had approached the Duke. Until now, she was only trying to get used to her current life inside the Ducal family.

‘Come to think of it.’

Ronnie was right. Melody will be an adult someday, and she can’t stay here until then.

‘I have to make… a place for me to go.’

“O, of course, even if you stay here…”

“Thank you, Young Master.”

“Uh…? About what?”

Melody shrugged her shoulders in response to his bewildered answer.

“For everything you said.”

When she replied with a smile, he stared at Melody’s face and jumped up from his seat.

“Young Master…?”

“I don’t have time to be here like this!! No matter how much you hold on to me, I will win my bet with him.”

He strode forward and grabbed the June record that Melody had put down a while ago. After that, he checked the hall and swung the door open. He obviously opened it after checking that no one was there.

“Heok!”

There was a gasp from behind the wide-open door. It was Isaiah.

(T/N: Just to make it clearer, the Duke had four children: Claude, Ronnie, Jeremiah (yet to make his appearance), and the youngest, Loretta.)

* * *

Isaiah went out of the guest room and looked inside the butler’s office when Ronnie didn’t arrive at their appointed time. Meanwhile, Melody opened the door right behind him and he let out a gasp without realizing it. His voice reverberated in the quiet hallway.

Ronnie thoughtfully pulled Isaiah inside Melody’s room and quickly closed the door. The two boys sat for a while leaning against the door, listening to the situation outside to see if someone had heard Isaiah’s voice and had come to investigate. Fortunately, no one was there.

“I thought I was caught…”

Ronnie sighed in relief but he soon glared at Isaiah and scolded him.

“I told you to wait until I arrived with the record. Why the hell are you wandering around? What if you got caught?”

“Did the Young Master get lost inside your own house? Why are you inside Mel’s room?”

That’s because he was dragged in here by Melody. But Ronnie was somehow too embarrassed to say that.

“I have no reason to answer all those things!”

“Uh… Young Master, did you cry?”

Isaiah looked at his slightly reddened eyes and asked with concern.

“Do not be ridiculous! Who is crying!” “

As he responded with an unusually jumpy response, Isaiah had the feeling that he was lying.

“Master, by any chance, did Mel…”

Isaiah looked at him suspiciously and began to question the time the two (Melody and Ronnie) had been together.

“What! Why! What is it?!”

“The catalog, right?”

“What are you talking about!?”

“If that’s the case, you need not be embarrassed to cry. I cried a little last time too. You have to run away when Mel rolls up the catalog. You might die if you did something wrong.”

Ronnie thought that his example was somewhat exaggerated. But less than a few seconds later, he soon came to trust his words.