Chapter 8

“Even a newborn chick will have thicker legs than you.”

Though she thought it wasn’t like that, Melody didn’t want to offend her so she didn’t argue with her about it.

“What is your name?”

“It’s Melody, Ma’am”

She frowned even though she answered politely. Did I do something wrong? Melody’s worries deepened.

“What is a silly little lamb like you even saying? Just call me Grandma instead of trying to imitate an adult.”

Call her grandma? But it is a word that is only used to call someone in a very friendly and affectionate way. The scary Madam, no, the old woman clicked her tongue as she watched Melody fiddling with her fingers.

“Follow me if you understand, Melty.”

Oh.. her name suddenly became something else.

Anyway, it seemed like they were going inside the mansion so as soon as she was called, she picked up her things beside her. Then the old woman looked back, shouting at her.

“Are you planning to get those things with your chick-like arms?!”

Then she yelled that with that stature of hers, that Melody won’t be able to enter the mansion until tomorrow at that pace. (T/N: meaning, she’s too slow)

“Then this luggage...”

As Melody dragged her words, the old woman approached her while shouting again. She then raised her one arm high. Melody naturally turned her head to the side and closed her eyes.

Now she gets it, the reason why this grandmother feels so familiar. She resembles her mother, which to people like them, yelling doesn’t matter, and the way she used to touch her because she couldn’t control her anger.

As the old woman got closer, Melody bit her lip ready for the pain. However, unexpectedly nothing happened, but her hands became lighter instead. My luggage became lighter..?

Melody opened her eyes widely and looked in front of her in a situation where it was completely different from what she had prepared for. The old woman was carrying Melody’s burden with her both hands and moving forward, stomping her feet.

“Having to do all this because there is a dirty little lamb with a lot of luggage. Did you pack this much luggage to break this old woman’s arms?”

To be honest, she thought that the luggage wasn’t too heavy for her, but.. she still couldn’t complain to the person who already brought all of it inside.

Melody followed the old woman with staggering steps and said, ‘Thank you for carrying my luggage. ‘. The old woman only replied with a ‘Hmph’.

* * * * *

The place Melody arrived in was a small bathroom on the first floor. Here, ‘small’ means that it was a small place within the mansion. Therefore, she was surprised by the bathroom that was larger than the living room in her old house.

“Don’t stare there like a dirty lamb and take off that filthy piece of clothing quickly! Don’t tell me, you are waiting for someone to serve you?”

As she said that, she poured salt-like things into the large bathtub.

Melody took off her clothes and then looked at the old woman again. Now, she didn’t know where she would bathe. There was no way that the big and luxurious bathtub was for her.

“Do you want to be a dirty and cold lamb? I’ll throw you away if you don’t quickly get into the water right now!”

Melody jumped into the aromatic water at the terrifying threat. It was a little.. hot, but she couldn’t even say it to the old woman.

“You’re not a real lamb but why aren’t you saying it’s hot when it’s hot?”

But it seems that Melody’s face showed that it was too hot so the old woman quickly poured some cold water in. It became a very comfortable temperature. Melody was very tired from traveling in a wagon for a long time, but her exhaustion seems to be washed away.

“Stay still in there for the next 15 minutes, do you understand?”

The old woman brought an hourglass adorned with gold and turned it upside down.

“If you get out of the water before all this sand goes down, I’ll whip your butt a hundred times!”

As she threatened her, Melody quickly reassured the old woman.

“I feel so good, I think I could stay for more than 15 minutes.”

“Oh my, where is this request coming from?”

Grandma grunted, got a basket from somewhere, and spilled the contents into the bathtub.

They’re all like toys that float on the water, and Melody has never had a toy like this in all of her life. All the toys were in the shape of animals, including a lamb and a chick. Plus, surprisingly, there were sloths too. It was very cute.

“You’ll be in the tub for over 15 minutes and you’re even threatening me to bring you toys! That’s very demanding. How’s the water temperature?”

“It’s a little cold but it’s alright.”

“What the hell, something demanding came to this mansion. What’s wrong with your taste in water?”

The old woman complained again, this time, pouring a little more hot water. It felt warm as if she was melting again. Melody smiled bashfully at her and said, ‘Thank you, it feels great’.

“It’s a very natural thing to say from a dirty little lamb. Bring that filthy head over here.”

The old woman also washed Melody’s thick hair and washed her body.

“Aigoo, look at this black water. Doesn’t this disgusting smell stink?”

“I can only smell the soap. It smells so good.”

“Are you demanding for me to put some perfumed-hair oil on you now? You’re such a nuisance!”

“I didn’t mean it that way. I’ve never seen perfume before.”

“So you’re a tacky person.”

Grandma brought some bottles of perfumed oil and placed them near the bathtub. When Melody asked, ‘Can I touch it?’ she agreed. Melody found one she liked very much so the old woman applied the scent directly to her hair.

“Hmph, don’t you think you looked like a noble child like this?”

While grunting, the old woman finished washing Melody cleanly and beautifully; she also smelled good. Soon, all the sand in the hourglass went down.

In fact, Melody wanted to sit in the bathtub longer than 15 minutes. However, after being in the water for a long time, crook, crook, she got hungry.

“I can hear the little lamb’s stomach growling.”

Grandma giggled and pulled out a large, soft towel.

“Put strength on those ugly legs of yours. If you fall in this bathroom, you will be unlucky for three years, and an unlucky lamb isn’t needed in this mansion.”

Melody listened to the old woman because she didn’t want to be a nuisance in this mansion. She put strength in her legs and got out of the tub carefully. A warm towel soon warped around her body.

“Hold on to the towel. If you drop it and catch a cold, I will hang you upside down on the zelkova tree.”

“I will hold the towel tightly so I won’t bother grandma. Please don’t hang me on the tree.”

The old woman seemed to like her answer so she nodded and showed her a rare smile.

“Oh come on. I really hate a child who is a bother.”

With another towel, the grandmother meticulously wiped away the remaining moisture from Melody’s body.

After getting out of the bathroom, Melody saw a small room with a fireplace lit. It was a room where she could feel that someone was using it, and Melody thought that it was probably used by the old woman.

“Grandma, where is my luggage?”

“Why are you looking for that dirty bag?”

“I have to get dressed.”

“Are you going to make my troubles be in vain with those worn out lambskin clothes?! I could smell its stinky smell from them!”

The old woman picked up a small dress and new undergarments lying on the sofa and handed them over.

“Wear it. I can’t even let a disgraceful child stay naked.”

Though the cream-colored dresses were rather modest by the nobles’ standards, Melody thought they looked great, as if they would be worn by a princess. She stared at the glittering lace with ecstatic eyes for a long time.

“Don’t tell me, you’re staring at it because you don’t like it!”

Melody remembered the old woman’s attitude from earlier. It was obvious that the old woman would take this pretty dress and bring her another one if she stayed like this. She quickly grabbed the dress and hugged it so the old woman wouldn’t be able to take it away.

“I love this! Grandma’s eyes are amazing!”

“Heh, of course. Who do you think directs the servants of the Duke?”

She put a lot of pressure on her shoulders, squatted near the fireplace, and started murmuring again.

“Why is the fire so weak? Are they trying to make this elder catch a cold and die?”

Melody felt sorry that she thought her mother and his grandmother were similar for a moment. They were very different. It looks like their only similarity was that they both like to complain about things endlessly.

‘I think she’s a good person.’

Was it because she was really nervous even though she pretended she wasn’t? As soon as she let down her guard against the old woman, her mind went numb and she felt a little dizzy.

‘Oh..?’

Melody was devastated the moment she felt that her body was in a strange state, but she had already collapsed onto the carpeted floor. Melody used to feel the same sensations in the past as now.

That time when her mother was in the gambling house and didn’t return for several days, the young Melody didn’t have anything to eat and was curled up inside the blanket waiting for her mother. She tried to rummage through the kitchen a few times but there was nothing to eat.

That didn’t mean they didn’t have money, but she had to starve. Even then, she was also dizzy and had fainted.

And then again, something similar happened though Melody wasn’t in that kind of situation now. It was a memory that she wants to forget that it was hazy now, but a few blurry images lingered in her mind.

Ugh, I don’t want to remember it.

Melody shook her head and soon came to her senses slowly. She saw a ceiling full of colorful decorations as she slowly blinked her blurry eyes.

“...”

Melody stared at the ceiling blankly while half-asleep, then she suddenly remembered something important.

“Loretta!”

“Oh my, what a surprise!”

She then heard the old woman’s cry from near the bed, melody got up and turned to the old woman. The old woman was so surprised that she was clutching near her heart while glaring at Melody.

“Does this little thing return favors with revenge, huh? Do you want to surprise me and damage this old woman’s fragile heart?!”

“I’m sorry.”

“What more, you’re casually calling Miss Loretta’s name! The young lady will possibly be the Duke’s only daughter after checking at the temple!”

“I know. Even if they don’t confirm at the temple, Loretta, no, Miss Loretta is obviously the Duke’s daughter.”

“Heh, who would believe a little kid who can’t even take care of her own body?”

Grandma turned on the bed table light next to Melody. Soon, a bowl of piping hot soup was put on the side table. The smell was so delicious that Melody swallowed her saliva.