The Villainess Is Shy In Receiving Affection

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 25

“Alright then, let my little sister wear her hat.”

He put the hat that Melody had brought on Loretta’s head, and even straightened her hair.

“Tank you,” Loretta said to Melody, then repeated to Claude who put the hat on, “Tank you.”

“Well. I think I’m missing something important.”

Important words? What’s that? Loretta slightly clapped her hands as Melody looked at her curiously, then softly smiled and spoke again.

“Tank you, Brother.”

“There you go.”

“You know, Broder Ronnie heyts me. He closed da dor to me.”

“That’s okay, because that means he likes you very much.”

“He layks me?”

Loretta’s wide-eyed appearance as she asked him questions must have been a direct blow to his heart. The tip of his lips slightly twitched as evidence of that.

“That’s right, so you can freely call him.”

“Hmm, and anoder ting.”

Loretta now turned around and looked at Melody.

“Loretta has bin weyting for Melody to come.”

“Um, why?”

“Hmm.. you know,” the little girl suddenly blushed and twisted her whole body as if she was embarrassed by something. “Because Loretta has sam concewns.”

“Concerns?!”

Melody was startled and quickly grabbed her hand. That’s probably because she had never felt this little girl had problems with anything before.

“Did something happen?”

The little girl quickly shook her head when she asked her again.

“Yu know, Melody and Loretta layk each oder, right?”

Melody didn’t know why she was suddenly asking that, but she nodded her head as it was the truth.

“That’s right, I really like Miss Loretta.”

“So,” Loretta took a step closer to Melody and blinked her cute eyes, “Loretta wants Melody to be pawt of dis familee!”

“ …Yes?” Melody doubted her ears.

“Oh my, Loretta is seying dat I want to marry Melody!” Loretta exclaimed as she emphasized the word ‘marry’.

What on earth were you worrying all this time, and from whom did you get information that you arrived at that conclusion so happily? Melody was so surprised by her unexpected words that she was speechless. Can I say that I knew about this? Or should I just say we can’t?

A scene flashed through Melody’s confused head.

Was it around the ending of the original novel?

When Loretta grew up and told Claude, ‘I am in love with the male lead, and I am even thinking of getting married’, she read about Claude’s description of staring at the male lead with the scariest eyes ever. Of course, the original Loretta in the original novel didn’t know that, but Melody felt unsettled when she remembered that scene.

‘No way…….’

But she tried to think of some hope.

The original story was based on a real marriage, and this was only proof that Loretta is still young and she just liked Melody a lot. So he could only glare like a beast at Melody like this.

‘He.. won’t, right? There should be nothing.’

Melody slowly raised her head in prayer. As her gaze passed Loretta’s small shoulders, she saw his neatly ironed clothes. She mustered more courage and looked up at him.

“……!”

Hic! There stood the White Devil. He had a bright smile on his face, but his eyes were clearly the devil’s!

‘I’m doomed.’

That word naturally came to her mind. She was really doomed. Loretta took a step closer to Melody, not knowing the kind of expression her older brother wore behind her.

“Loretta wil be a big money bag.” Loretta tiptoed and drew a large circle with both hands. “I am going to be a big money bag to meyk Melody happy!”

Melody’s frozen with fear heart melted away at Loretta’s cute confession made while jumping up and down. At this point, she could slightly understand the original male lead’s heart.

No matter how much Claude stared at her like this, she didn’t give up her feelings for Loretta. Melody thought at first that he was great, but the truth was fairly easy to understand, looking at it now. With Claude’s eyes, he cannot kill or hurt anyone. It was just making her feel uneasy.

Besides, that uneasiness quickly disappeared with Loretta cutely confessing her love. Melody followed Loretta drawing circles and drew a very, very large circle. Melody was fortunately taller so she could draw a bigger circle.

“I-I will make you happier! This much!”

“I really layk Melody!”

Loretta approached her with arms wide open, and Melody quickly embraced her. So cute; I really like you. Where did you learn such wonderful words that will make me happy? Moreover, Melody really felt good to receive such a precious declaration.

I should keep it forever. I should keep her, rub her, and cherish her always. With that thought in mind, Melody raised her head and happened to meet Claude’s eyes, who was standing behind the two of them.

He had a rather shocked face. Hmph, you should be. He was probably envious of Loretta’s affectionate actions toward Melody and was at loss of what to do. Melody felt a strange sense of victory and smiled confidently.

At the same time, Loretta lightly rubbed her head on Melody’s arms saying, ‘I layk Melody…’, that Melody’s smile was mixed with a deeper sincerity. Claude was watching the two of them in despair with a face that showed he was deeply shocked.

Even so, Melody thought that her first meeting with Claude wasn’t all that bad. Of course, she thought that her world fell apart when Loretta proposed (?), but he was a teenage boy with common sense.

Loretta’s proposal was just about ‘I want to keep playing with Melody’ and he should be fully aware that it was just her cute way of making a request. In other words, Loretta’s proposal clearly revealed the good relationship between Melody and Loretta. So, maybe, Claude may not have felt badly toward Melody by now.

‘Yeah, right. It will be fine! This isn’t a mental victory, but a sober analysis of the situation!’

The reason Melody achieved such a mental victory was simple. It was because she was standing right in front of Claude’s room.

‘I was just happy when I was given the task of preparing a cup of tea for the Eldest Young Master every day.’

Melody took a deep breath and carefully knocked on the door. Knock, knock. Her heart was pounding for nothing as she waited for several minutes for permission to enter. And finally, she felt a movement behind the door, and the doorknob soon began to slightly turn.

No way, is he going to open the door himself? Melody was deeply grateful for his kindness.

‘The other maids were right.’

Those were the words praising the Eldest Young Master as a great gentleman. If she could learn from his impeccable etiquette with her own two eyes, maybe Melody could be a bit more suitable for this mansion.

Melody painted a smile as friendly as possible on her face, even to live up for his consideration. The door was finally fully opened.

“Oh, Miss Melody.”

He quickly picked up the tea set she had placed on the tray himself. Thankfully.

“I heard about it. You want to learn the manners of the capital.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He told her that ‘That’s commendable’, and smiled. With his gentle smile, it also made Melody smile.

“Is that because you want to be by Loretta’s side?”

“Yes! Of course. There is no one more important to me than Miss Loretta! I will be by her side forever!”

Claude’s face grew colder and colder despite the passionate sincerity she had unintentionally uttered.

“Be by my younger sister’s side… forever.”

“……!”

Melody only realized now that he had fueled his jealousy to no avail. Of course, he induced it to some extent, but…

Melody first tried to give an excuse. At least she didn’t want to have a bad relationship with Loretta’s brother.

“That! So what I am saying is – ”

But before she could finish her words, Claude answered again with a friendly face, “Alright. Goodbye.”

And bang! the door was closed.

“Young… Master?”

Melody called for him in a low voice and gently knocked on the door. But no answer came from beyond the tightly closed door.

‘What is this situation …?’

Melody turned around with a blank face.

‘Come to think of it.’

When she first came to the Duke’s house, she was prepared to be hated by the people who loved Loretta. Her sweet life continued so long that she forgot…

‘I think he doesn’t like Loretta and me being close.’

Melody sighed and returned to the first floor.

The same time the next day. Melody did not give up and went to see Claude. Knock, knock. Upon knocking on the door, he picked up what was placed on the tray again. Melody quickly told him thoughtful words before he could close the door.

“P-people have told me that you would be a great example of good capital etiquette!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes!”

“Then you will have to live up to my expectations.”

Fortunately, Melody’s words seemed to work well with him. They conveyed the expectations of the mansion’s people to him. If this happened, he would have no choice but to let Melody into the room…….

“Goodbye, Miss Melody.”

Thud.

However this time, the door closed again.

“J-just a moment!”

Melody shouted in embarrassment, but the tightly closed door never opened again.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────