Chapter 2:
Lect’s Request and Melody’s Answer
“NOW, WOULD SOMEONE CARE TO ELUCIDATE?”
Ryan’s composed voice returned peace to the foyer. Two men and one woman sat shamefully before him: Hubert, Schue, and Luciana. Melody, Micah, and Lect observed from a safe distance.
“Lord Hubert,” said the old butler, “you said you stepped out of the office for a short break, so I went to look for you, and what do I find? Genuinely asking. I haven’t the foggiest clue.”
“I was, er…”
“Schue,” Ryan went on, “did I not send you to polish our lord’s boots? Ah, but silly me, you must have finished if you’re enjoying yourself here in the foyer.”
“I have not, Master Ryan,” the valet whimpered.
“You haven’t. And yet I find you napping.”
“Not on purpose! I was passed out! Lady Luciana did it!”
“H-how dare you pass the blame onto me!” the young lady spat.
“My lady.” Ryan’s eyes narrowed.
Luciana eep’d. “Y-yes?”
A chill swept through the room at the rage simmering under the surface of Ryan’s placid voice.
“I thought the academy might polish up some of your…rougher traits. It pains me, my lady, to see that you’ve returned home more rambunctious than ever.”
“R-rough traits?”
“Melody, convene with Lullia on a curriculum. Our good lady requires a refresher in matters of refinement. A thorough refresher.”
“Ryan!”
“As you wish,” the maid replied.
“Melody!”
Her lady’s pleading eyes did not deter Melody from her path. She has been more violent than usual lately. It must be the harisen I gave her.
Several acts in particular came to mind, primarily committed against Schue every time he made a pass at her. Melody had designed the Holy Harisen to strike without causing physical harm, but that seemed merely to enable Luciana’s baser instincts.
I wouldn’t dream of confiscating a birthday gift from her, which leaves only one option: remind her what it means to be a true lady, and make sure she never forgets!
“You’re in good hands, my lady,” Melody assured her. “By summer’s end, you’ll be back in proper form. Don’t worry. You’ve done it all before.”
“Please, no!” Luciana sobbed. “Anything but that! Please!”
It all came rushing back. The nightmares. Cruel flashes of her very first lessons in the capital. Melody was not gentle with herself and thus was not gentle with others. This Luciana knew firsthand, and to see Melody smiling to herself settled a deep, familiar fear in her gut. She wailed, but no one would listen. The others did not understand the horror of her sentence.
His lecture complete, Ryan turned his attention to Lect. “I apologize for the trouble our house has caused you, good sir.”
“I-it’s all right, really,” the knight said. “The blame’s partly mine for arriving unannounced.”
“See, Ryan?!” The giant Hubert pouted. “The boy troubled us first!”
“Right, yeah!” Schue hollered in agreement. “It’s all the pretty boy’s faul—”
“My lord. Schue. Need you further correction?” the butler said.
The boys jolted, apologized, and immediately fell silent.
Ryan heaved a sigh. “Lord Hubert, what exactly has our guest done to cause you such offense? This is so unlike you.”
Hubert waffled over his words. “It, er, well, he…” His eyes darted from the knight to Melody.
Ryan understood at once and sighed again. “Melody, escort Sir Froude to the parlor, would you?”
“Now, Master Ryan?” she asked.
“Yes. Regardless of his intentions, a guest is a guest, and we must receive him as such. You agree it’s only proper etiquette, yes, my lord?”
“W-well,” Hubert said.
“Yes, my lord?”
Under threat of Ryan’s sharp gaze, Hubert’s spirit withered. “Show him to the parlor.”
Ryan turned back to Lect and bowed. “House Rudleberg welcomes you, Sir Lectias Froude. I hope our meager hospitality is to your satisfaction.”
“Um, thanks,” the knight muttered.
“Tea?”
“Oh, thank you.”
Melody and Lect sat facing one another in the parlor, but they were not alone.
“So, what business do you have with Melody?” Luciana had planted herself squarely next to her maid and refused to budge.
“You’ll be joining us?” Lect asked tentatively.
“Is that improper too? If you ask me, what’s improper is an unmarried man and woman meeting in private, no matter their status. Am I wrong?”
“Well, no.”
“Your concern is much appreciated, my lady,” said Melody.
“I’ll always be there for you,” Luciana assured. “As a lady should. See? I know how to be a lady. Really, why waste time with all those lessons? Let’s be rid of those.”
“I’m not sure I see how that’s related.”
“O-oh.”
“You’ll do great, my lady. Don’t worry!”
“I-I’ll knock them all out in no time. Just you wait and see!”
“I know you will.”
The lady and her maid smiled at each other. A kind of love was in the air, just not the kind Lect had in mind.
“May I speak yet?” the knight requested.
That brought Melody back to reality. “Oh, of course. You came to see me. For what exactly?”
“I, er, wanted to…”
“To?” the girls echoed.
Silence.
More silence.
And yet more silence.
Five minutes of pure, uninterrupted silence.
“Get on with it!” Luciana snapped. Her patience was to be applauded, really, given her nature.
“I-I apologize! Right, well, um…”
“Is it bad news?” Melody asked.
“No. No, nothing like that.” Lect took a deep breath to steel himself. As he exhaled, the hesitation left his eyes. “Melody, would you…go to the Summer Ball with me?”
She and her lady blinked in bemusement, the weight of realization crashing down on them. Lect couldn’t blame them for their shock. It was an audacious ask after he’d lured Melody out to the Spring Ball without her consent. He’d promised that would be the last such occasion, and now here he was, having traveled across the realm to beseech her yet again. Lect thought he understood very well why they would react the way they did. Very well indeed.
“We forgot!” the girls blurted.
Lect thought wrong.
They “forgot”? Forgot what? he wondered. I’d braced myself for a tongue-lashing from Lady Luciana. Not this.
“Oh, good lord, what have I done?!” the lady lamented. “How could something like that slip my mind?!”
“I share the blame, my lady. It slipped mine as well,” Melody said. “Let’s be thankful we remembered before returning to the capital.”
“B-but what do I even do about it?! I still don’t know!”
“Don’t panic, my lady! You’ve still time to consider!”
“R-right. Yeah. There’s still time.” Luciana breathed slowly and deliberately, collecting herself. When she’d settled the pieces in her mind, the glare returned. “So. What’s this about the Summer Ball?”
“I-I’m sorry?” Lect stuttered.
“Where did this come from?” Melody asked. “I thought you said we were done after the Spring Ball.”
“Yes, well, His Lordship, Count Leginbarth, has ordered me to attend again. With a partner.”
“And that’s to be Melody,” Luciana said. “Again.”
The knight nodded. “As reluctant as I am to admit it, she’s the only one I can ask.”
“But wait, are partners necessary at the Summer Ball?” Melody asked.
“No,” Luciana said. “Only the Spring Ball strictly requires partners, as it’s many noblemen and women’s formal introductions into high society.”
“I thought so. In that case, I presume I have the option of refusing, don’t I?” Melody wore a concerned, confused expression.
Lect smiled, somehow communicating both reassurance and weariness. “Of course, if that’s your decision. I’m sure my lord will have words with me, but that’s the only danger I’ll have to brave.”
That and the women, if I attend alone, he added silently. But that burden isn’t Melody’s.
He went on, “May I ask what gives you pause? Is it being among high society as a commoner?”
“Partly, yes,” Melody replied. “My lady ought to shine at a ball, and it’s my job to ensure she does so brilliantly. I don’t want to divide my attention.”
“You mentioned something about still having time,” Lect said. “Did you mean until the ball? Lady Luciana, is it troubling you?”