You and I are from Different Worlds

Chapter 15 – Let’s talk for a moment.

 

 

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

 

Edric said in a cold voice. Mellie nodded.

 

“Yeah… … .”

 

He approached Mellie. This time, he didn’t sit on the bed. He didn’t sit on the stool either.

 

He avoided the two places he often sat and sat on a stool without a backrest.

 

Then, he turned the stool toward Mellie so that it wouldn’t be seen by anyone.

 

“Mellie.”

 

Edric called her in a commanding voice.

 

“Tell me the truth.”

 

“… … .”

 

 

“Why was he here?”

 

Mellie couldn’t help but be happy.

 

‘You didn’t believe me after all. You didn’t think of me as a reckless woman.’

 

But even so, the answer was no different.

 

‘He stole the diary I wrote with all my heart, thinking of you. I tried to get it back, and that’s when it happened.’

 

… … She couldn’t say that. That was a shame similar to being branded a profligate woman. At least that’s what Mellie thought.

 

“It’s just as I said.”

 

“… … .”

 

“I was feeling suffocated and was walking down the hallway when I met him. We talked for a bit and then I ended up taking him into my room, and then… … .”

 

“Mellie.”

 

Edric cut her off in a voice that had become even colder.

 

 

“I’ve haven’t seen you for a day or two.”

 

His cold gaze stole the heat of the sunlight penetrating the lattice windows.

 

“I’m guessing that you were wrong from the start.”

 

“… … .”

 

“He must have seen you loitering at the window, not the hallway. And he must have felt curious and come up to see you. That bastard, who is unnecessarily loyal to his emotions, could easily do that. If I’m wrong about anything up to this point, tell me so.”

 

Mellie was speechless at his all-too-accurate guess.

 

While she was licking her lips with a puzzled expression, Edric crossed his legs and placed his interlocked hands on them.

 

It was the posture he took when he was really digging into something.

 

“Do you have any weakness against him?”

 

Mellie’s right thumbnail dug deep into her other palm. She tried to answer calmly.

 

 

“That… … How could that be?”

 

“… … .”

 

“He was just wandering around the house on his own and you guys ran into each other by chance. And you talked for a bit…”

 

“What?”

 

Edric asked.

 

“What did you two talk about? Tell me, Mellie.”

 

“… … .”

 

How stupid was I?

 

Mellie was extremely resentful of herself for not expecting to be asked such a question.

 

“That… … Just… … .”

 

This was not someone she could brush off with vague, everyday stories. She needed a more concrete reason.

 

“Actually, it was because of you.”

 

 

A plausible reason miraculously popped into Mellie’s head.

 

“To persuade him to sort things out with Rosaline.”

 

“… … .”

 

“Marriage should at least start with trust. That’s why I dragged him into the room. That’s not something to talk about in the hallway.”

 

That was certainly the case. So it wasn’t a complete lie.

 

Mellie could see Edric’s sharp gaze slowly dulling.

 

He must have thought it was somewhat understandable.

 

Mellie was relieved. And she wanted to clear up another misunderstanding while she was at it. She pointed to the pew.

 

“And what I was doing with that guy over there was… …”

 

“You don’t have to talk about that.”

 

Edric cut Mellie off without even looking at the pew.

 

“No, I want to talk.”

 

 

Mellie was uncharacteristically stubborn.

 

She wanted to make sure she was clear when the opportunity arose.

 

“That… . It wasn’t what you think. It was all a coincidence. I got up to say goodbye and I twisted my ankle… .”

 

She considered telling about Francis that he had been acting mischievously because he didn’t like her advice, but she thought it would be better not to.

 

Because if Edric were to question him, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t hold a grudge and reveal the diary story.

 

“So I fell on top of him without realizing it. I tried to get up right away, but it didn’t work, so Mr Adele tried to help me up by wrapping his arms around my waist… … .”

 

“Mellie.”

 

His voice, which had become hushed and cold, cut off Mellie’s feeble excuses in an instant.

 

“I don’t want to hear the details.”

 

He was resting his fingertips on his temples, as if he was feeling uncomfortable.

 

Then his already sharp eyes looked even sharper.

 

“I understand what you’re trying to say. I’ll believe you.”

 

“… … .”

 

“But Mellie. I wish you wouldn’t do something like this again. Even if you had something to brag about, you should have done it outside. It’s very wrong to bring someone into the residence without permission. I can’t believe how someone with discernment like you could act like that.”

 

Before being a friend, Edric was the head of the dukedom. Therefore, he had the right to reprimand anyone in the family for anything that could cause trouble.

 

Mellie swallowed her resentment and humbly accepted the bitter reprimand.

 

“I’m sorry… … . I won’t do it again.”

 

“Then rest.”

 

Edric uncrossed his legs and got up.

 

 

She still felt the cold wind as he turned around, but it wasn’t as scary as before, so she couldn’t even touch him.

 

Mellie followed Edric and grabbed his arm.

 

“Edric.”

 

Edric, who was about to put his hand on the doorknob, looked at the hand that was holding his arm and the owner of the hand in turn.

 

“Why?”

 

“That… …”

 

She flinched for a moment at the fierce gaze again, but Mellie gathered her courage and asked what she wanted to ask.

 

“Why did you come to my room earlier? Did you come after receiving the note I sent?”

 

Edric answered after a short pause.

 

“Yes.”

 

Mellie held her breath, waiting for his next answer. Edric

 

answered her with a voice as cold as the surface of a winter lake covered in ice.

 

“I came to tell you that I had already forgotten about it. To be honest… …”

 

“… …”

 

“You have to make some sense.”

 

Mellie felt bewildered by the ruthless and direct words.

 

They were thorny words that were so thin and sharp that they didn’t even hurt.

 

“Ah… … That’s right, that’s right. I thought that too. That was really… … ridiculous.”

 

Haha.

 

Mellie laughed. Somehow she felt like she had to laugh at this part, so she did so consciously.

 

But her body couldn’t lie.

 

The hand that was holding onto his arm lost its strength and sagged down.

 

 

Edric stared at the place where her hand had rested for a moment, then turned around and left without saying a word. Click-

 

.

 

When she heard the sound of the lock locking, reality finally came flooding back to her.

 

‘You have to make some sense.’

 

‘No. I don’t think you meant to criticize me.’

 

She tried to deny it, but it was of no use.

 

It was too blatant and ruthless. And Edric said it.

 

He attacked her with the same cruelty he had used to tell Mellie how much he despised the people he seemed to respect on the outside.

 

Mellie could not apply the same indifference to herself now.

 

She was being blamed. And… … she deserved it.

 

‘You don’t want me to become your legal family.’ She wanted to

 

turn back time. Then she would die before she could say those words.

 

“… … .”

 

Mellie put her hand on her chest.

 

The thorn that had been stabbing her deeply was finally starting to stimulate her sense of pain.

 

Mellie felt her vision becoming clouded.

 

It cleared up for a moment when the hot stream of water flowed down her cheeks, but it quickly became foggy again. There was no moment of clarity later.

 

It seemed like her tear ducts had broken down.

 

***

 

Edric, who was striding down the hallway carpet, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

 

His fierce gaze slowly lost its power.

 

His conscience told him to go back and apologize even now, since it was not too late.

 

 

He almost turned around.

 

But then a memory came to him and stopped him.

 

‘I fell on top of that man without realizing it. I tried to get up right away, but I couldn’t, so Mr Adele wrapped her arms around my waist to help me up… ‘

 

His fists, which he had been clenching lightly, grew stronger and stronger, and his tendons bulged out.

 

Even though Mellie didn’t say anything, he knew how Francis and her were tangled up.

 

His eyes weren’t something he wore for decoration.

 

Still, he was angry at Mellie for insisting on explaining it to him in such a kind and detailed way.

 

So, I unintentionally blurted out harsh words.

 

‘It has to make sense.’

 

To be honest, there was nothing that didn’t make sense. There were many cases where people who lived like that ended up being adopted.

 

 

And even if it didn’t make sense, I had the ability to make it make sense. If I had the will to do so.

 

Edric didn’t turn back and returned to his quarters.

 

It was hard to even calm down my confusion.

 

Come to think of it, it had been like this lately.

 

Just like a stream that leaks out somewhere else when you block one place, the moment I finally calmed down one confusion, another confusion would rush in and make me lose my senses.

 

When he realized that Mellie and that guy were hugging each other, the first thought that came to Edric’s mind was ‘Where did I put my gun? Oh, it’s in the cupboard in my office.’

 

At first, he thought that he had such a murderous intention because he believed that the guy was definitely going to do something bad to Mellie, who was like his sister.

 

But when he came to his senses and Mellie confirmed that it was a misunderstanding, and he still had those thoughts… … . After all, it seemed like the problem wasn’t Francis, but Edric himself.

 

It was because he didn’t see Mellie as family.

 

 

Edric sighed as he closed his eyes and felt the wind blowing through the open window.

 

“That’s ridiculous. Mellie.”

 

Mellie Enwood, who wasn’t pretty, didn’t have a nice background, and didn’t have any cozy corners. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it became and all he could do was laugh.