<Episode 26>
In the backyard, the maidservants who arrived first were clustered in small groups. They squealed and whispered when they saw Melody, then quickly dispersed.
“Don’t be too upset about it,” one of them said. “After you rode in the carriage with the Duke a few days ago, people have been talking badly. They’re saying it’s ridiculous for a Duchess to come from commoner stock.”
“I see…” Melody replied faintly. She was too drained to care about gossip.
“Anna, you don’t dislike me, do you?” Melody asked.
“Why would I?” Anna answered with a smile. “I think you’re just gloomy from staying inside too long.”
“Yeah, sunlight really matters.”
“Definitely. Don’t stay in your room all the time.”
“Maybe I could even touch your arm—or… well, just that’s not the point.”
Melody jabbered on and curled her twitching fingertips into a fist.
“You wouldn’t actually touch it, right?” Anna teased.
“What? What do you mean?” Melody snapped.
Anna clamped a hand over her ear and pointed to the far corner of the garden. There stood a scruffy grey dog, chained up tightly.
“If you get close, it’ll bite,” Anna warned.
“It’s adorable! Why is there a puppy here?”
“When Sir Rohan returned from his outing yesterday, he brought it along.”
The dog was crouched low, burying its head between its legs, staring at passersby without moving. Melody took a step forward, but Anna stopped her.
“Hey, careful. It might be vicious enough to bite. Four people have already bled today. The knights call them ‘little goblins of Malakar’.”
“But they’re tiny and cute. Real goblins are dark and bumpy—and the size of you, Anna.”
“Ew. Even so, they’re disturbing.”
Anna stepped back, horrified. Melody watched the dog closely. Under its fur was a red scar.
“It has a wound on its neck.”
“Sir Rohan said it was abused—kept tied for a long time.”
The puppy snarled at the servant who tried to feed it. But when Rohan approached, the tail dropped, and it cowered by his feet.
“He recognises the one who saved it,” Anna said.
“Indeed.”
Rohan bent and scratched its head. The dog softened and leaned into his hand.
“It bit everyone else. But you—do you like Sir Rohan?”
“It seems to like people in general.”
Anna got closer, and the dog dashed behind Rohan again, barking defensively.
“Are you going to keep it here?”
Rohan shook his head.
“I have to go on another hunt soon, so I’ll find it a good home first.”
“But it’s already attached to you.”
“It trusts once; it’ll do so again. It’ll learn there are many good people. The first is the hardest.”
Anna nodded, while Melody sighed deeply. Maybe Deonis felt the same way; she was the first to care for him in a while.
Maybe her role was to help Deonis and Rihelin grow closer quickly.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Gusson appeared.
“Ah—there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere!”
“Yeah, your repair tool—it’s useful,” Melody said.
“I know that; didn’t I say so?”
Gusson brushed his mouth and pulled out a detailed design.
“I sketched the coffin tool.”
“It looks elegant and precise. The steward will love it.”
“I have someone skilled in fine craftsmanship, so it’ll look even better when finished.”
He cleared his throat before continuing:
“You mentioned—what was it you made in the kiln?”
Melody smiled. He had liked her repair tools.
“Something that makes temperature control easy. You can split the stages of the fire spell…”
“Enough talk. Can you make it this week?”
“Yes. And can you look at this too?”
He held up a bracelet-like device: a portable magic-power neutraliser.
“It needs to be strong enough to withstand a blade blow, soft and flexible against the skin, and durable.”
Gusson’s face screwed up.
“Would take me a thousand years. That metal doesn’t exist.”
Melody pulled out samples she’d gathered from monsters.
“This is the wing of a Nimpia demon—elemental feathers. Look: it’s a mithril alloy used in the temple. With demon traits, the metal can gain special properties.”
Gusson, grudgingly impressed, gathered the materials.
“Kid’s age?”
“Around fifteen.”
He sighed.
“Do you know what kids that age like?”
“I think they like magic tools, right?”
His expression dropped.
“She’s odd. A few days ago was her birthday—I made a small hand axe, but she didn’t even look.”
Anna gasped.
“A hand axe for a girl?”
“When she was little, she played with tools. But now? She won’t even glance at a blade.”
“Girls her age prefer pretty things. How about hairpins?”
“Who needs those? Some butterfly-shaped pin?”
“Can I choose one? Flower-shaped ones are popular now.”
“If you have time. Oh, and if you need any tools, let me know.”
Melody watched Gussan and Anna and spoke up.
“Could I gift her a magic tool?”
“Hmm. If you want.”
Melody returned to her workshop and began crafting a tool to curl and straighten hair—one for Anna too. It felt good to make something simple again.
“Anna, can you take this to Gussan? One’s for you,” she said.
“What is it?”
“A tool to style hair. Try it.”
She demonstrated, and Anna’s eyes lit up as her brown hair fell in soft waves.
“Oh my, I love it.”
“It was the most popular tool at my old workplace.”
“And it’s not hot to the touch. I used to burn my hair trying curling irons.”
“I’m glad. I’ll take it to Gussan.”
Anna paused at the door.
“Can I learn to make these?”
“Of course.”
Melody handed her the basics of magic-tool formulas. Anna flipped through a few pages, then quickly snapped it shut.
Ha, can I have the dog~