Rosette and Lucas glanced at Duke Adrian at the same time.
Joseph was still locked up in the underground prison. Neither of them knew how to explain the situation to Melody.
“Melody.”
Duke Adrian knelt down on one knee to meet Melody at eye level. Even then, Melody didn’t seem reassured. She clenched her little hands tightly and glanced around nervously.
“First, would you be willing to tell me how you’ve been doing?”
Melody hesitated, but soon began to explain what had happened. According to her, it went like this:
Missing her brother terribly, Melody followed a man who told her he would take her to see him.
She ended up staying in a strange mansion, nearly in captivity, but she didn’t find it particularly uncomfortable. The people there were quite kind to her.
‘They were probably planning to send her to the Dallas family eventually.’
Melody had asked several times a day when she would see her brother, saying she missed him, but all they ever told her was to wait.
Then, today, she was brought to this place.
After finishing her story, Melody curled in on herself again.
“So, where is my brother? Where’s my brother now?”
“Joseph had to step out for a bit.”
Duke Adrian had no intention of letting Melody see Joseph until he had completed the investigation. Instead, he gently comforted the child and gestured to a maid.
“Take her to a room for now.”
“Yes, understood.”
As Duke Adrian left to continue the investigation, Rosette quickly followed after him.
“Father.”
Duke Adrian turned around, the sternness in his face softening.
“What is it?”
“What will you do with Joseph Osser? And what about Melody?”
Duke Adrian gave a slightly troubled smile.
“I still need to think about that. And honestly, Rose, this isn’t something you need to worry about. Like I said, this is a matter for adults now.”
“But it’s my business too.”
Rosette spoke clearly, in a tone uncharacteristically firm for her. Curious, Duke Adrian asked her more.
“Why do you say it’s your business?”
“I made a promise to Joseph Osser. I promised I would save his sister. He believed my words and helped me because of that.”
Duke Adrian muttered in a conflicted tone.
“But Rose, Joseph Osser… betrayed our house…”
He trailed off, unable to say the word betrayed, but Rosette finished it for him.
“I know. He was going to betray us. But in the end, he kept his word.”
“Kept his word? Where did you learn a phrase like that?”
“…I heard the knights saying it.”
“You’ve learned a difficult word.”
Duke Adrian smiled, fondly patting Rosette on the head. Rosette blushed a little and continued.
“Anyway, I don’t want Joseph Osser to be punished.”
Rosette harbored no doubts. Celine would never overlook Melody’s potential. If anything, the eccentric mage might clamor to take the girl as her pupil.
“Shall we go then?”
“Indeed.”
Rosette extended her hand toward Melody, who hovered uncertainly beside a maid in the distance. “You’re coming too.”
After hesitant glances, Melody scampered over. “Mmmkay.”
Clasping the smaller girl’s chilly fingers, Rosette marched boldly toward Celine’s laboratory.
“Lady Rose!”
The moment they entered, Celine swooped in and lifted Rosette clear off the floor. The girl kicked her legs in protest.
“I-I’m heavy!”
“Nonsense! Light as a feather! You still need more meat on those bones. Are you eating properly?”
“Of course!”
Rosette declared with pride. Three square meals daily – she could confidently say she out-ate even Lucas.
Satisfied, Celine set her down with a chuckle before crouching to examine Melody peeking from behind Rosette.
“Alright. But who might this pretty little lady be?”
Melody, who was clinging desperately to Rosette’s clothes, hesitated before answering.
“I’m Melody Osser.”
“Osser?”
A wrinkle formed on Céline’s otherwise graceful face. As the Adrian family’s exclusive mage, she was more familiar than anyone with the recent events that had shaken the estate over the past ten days.
She remembered clearly that the name of the boy at the center of everything was Joseph Osser.
*Then this must be the younger sister involved in all that.*
Having reached that conclusion, Céline glanced toward the Duke standing behind the children. Duke Adrian gave a subtle nod, signaling that everything was fine.
Reassured, Céline asked,
“So you’re Joseph Osser’s little sister?”
Melody’s eyes widened.
“You know my brother?”
“Of course.”
Céline’s eyes sparkled now with a different kind of curiosity.
“By the way, there’s a reason you brought this adorable little lady to me, isn’t there?”
Like Rosette, who still hadn’t fully learned to control her mana, Melody was also unconsciously releasing mana into the air.
She wasn’t on the same level as Rosette, who was a clear genius, but if trained properly, she had the potential to become a very capable mage.
“Yes. We’d like you to see if this child has a talent for magic.”
“No need to look too hard—she’s definitely talented.”
“Really?”
“Still, just in case, let’s give her a proper check. You said your name is Melody, right? May I hold your hand?”
Céline bent down and offered her hand gently. Melody, looking frightened, glanced at Rosette for reassurance.
“It’s okay. She’s a good sister,” Rosette said with confidence.
Only then did Melody take Céline’s hand.
A gentle light began to radiate from Céline’s hand and passed into Melody’s. Melody’s eyes widened in surprise. Céline smiled warmly and refocused her attention.
Soon, Melody’s whole body shimmered briefly with light before it faded. Céline exclaimed excitedly,
“She really is gifted!”
“And how gifted are we talking?”
Céline, clearly excited, replied,
“So much that I’d raise and teach her myself if I could!”
Realizing she had just offered to raise the sister of Joseph Osser, she quickly corrected herself.
“Not that there’s any need for that, of course.”
Duke Adrian looked between Rosette and Melody with an unreadable expression.
Melody hid her face behind Rosette’s back, while Rosette looked up at him with an earnest expression.
After a brief pause, the Duke made his decision.
“Let’s resolve the current situation first. Then we’ll think about it. If we decide to sponsor this child under the Adrian family, would you be willing to teach her?”
Céline asked in surprise,
“Sponsor her? But this child is…”
“Yes. Before all this happened, we were planning to sponsor her and send her to the Academy.”
“If that’s the case, I’d be more than happy to. Nurturing talented young mages is every magician’s dream. And she seems to be about the same age as the young lady—it would be good for them to take lessons together. Having a companion helps students learn better, after all.”
“Alright. Then I’ll contact you again when the time comes.”
“Understood.”
“Then, Rose, go to your room and rest for now. Melody, was it? You’ll be shown to a room as well—take some time to rest.”
“What about my brother?”
“You’ll see Joseph when he returns.”
“Okay.”
Duke Adrian watched the two little ones leave the laboratory before turning and heading back to the underground prison.
“What happened, my lord?”
Joseph, who had been anxiously waiting, rushed to the bars as he saw Duke Adrian emerging from the darkness.
“My sister—Melody—is she alright?”
“Yes. Melody is safe.”
The moment he heard those words, Joseph burst into tears he had been holding back. It was the cry of a child.
“Thank you… Thank you so much, my lord.”
“If you’re going to thank someone, save it for Rosette. If not for that child, things wouldn’t have gone this smoothly.”
“I’ll be sure to express my gratitude to the young lady as well.”
“Now, we need to decide what to do with you.”
The duke’s voice turned cold. Joseph wiped his tear-streaked face and braced himself with determination.
“I’ll accept whatever punishment you give me. If it’s death, I’ll face it.”
“……”
“But please, Melody has done nothing wrong. If you could just let her go safely, then I don’t care what happens to me. Melody… sniff… my Melody doesn’t deserve to suffer. It may sound selfish, but please, my lord, don’t punish her.”
Duke Adrian looked down at him with a blank expression.
“Joseph Osser. You clearly intended to betray the House of Adrian. Even if your sister was being held hostage, it doesn’t change the fact that you planned to betray me.”
“……”
“But it’s also true that you chose to save me in the end, knowing it might cost you your life and your sister’s. I’ve been debating which side of that to weigh more heavily.”
The duke gave a signal to a knight standing nearby. The knight entered the cell and removed the shackles from Joseph’s wrists and ankles.
Duke Adrian helped the bewildered Joseph to his feet.
“The House of Adrian does not forget a favor. I’ve decided to honor the fact that you ultimately chose Adrian.”
“……!”
“However, we will place you under surveillance for the time being. Melody will also remain under our care. Whether that becomes sponsorship—or a hostage—depends on your actions from here.”
“Then…”
“Yes. You may now go see Melody.”
As soon as those words left the duke’s mouth, Joseph, supported by the knight, left the underground prison.
Thank you