<Chapter 87>
#9. Each One’s Role (11)
“In the old days? When?”
In response to the question that appeared on Calix’s face, Melty searched his memory for a moment.
“I can’t remember exactly when, but don’t you know, Calix-ssi?”
“This is the first time I’ve seen such a case. The people there described it as ‘the land has died.'”
If the land had simply rotted, it might have been easier to find a solution. Land suddenly rejecting water—this was a first. With a great deal of displeasure, Calix’s hand tapped the glass bottle again. Frowning at the dull sound coming from the glass bottle held in both hands, Melty tried to remember where he had heard such a story before.
“I think I saw it in a book.”
“A book? What book?”
“Um… I think I saw it in the library.”
Since learning about diseases through his first meeting with Johaim, Melty had practically lived in the Padrian library to organize medicinal herbs for matching symptoms. His densely packed notes contained only herbs for the diseases Johaim had mentioned, but to compile that information, he had to read quite a lot of books.
“In the library? Why would such a book be there?”
“…The Padrian library has things like that too.”
Melty made a sour face at Calix’s question and pointed to a certain spot. At the tip of his finger was a book with a bright pink cover that stood out even from a distance. Following the direction of his finger, Calix glanced at a book titled ‘Everything About My Lover, From Romance to Bedtime’ and answered with a smirk.
“So you did like that book?”
“Ugh! No! I just forgot to put it back!”
“It’s okay. You can keep it.”
“I don’t need it!”
Melty raised his voice, glaring at Calix who had returned to his mischievous ways, the earlier serious atmosphere completely gone. Huffing, Melty grabbed a cushion from the corner of the sofa and stood up abruptly. After placing the cushion on top of the book to hide it, he turned to face Calix.
“Anyway! Don’t change the subject!”
“Alright, I understand. So you saw a similar case in a book?”
“…I remember it being written like a diary or research report. I think it just said that something like this happened…”
Melty struggled to recall the content he had read, but it didn’t come to mind easily. Scratching his cheek and letting out a low sigh, Melty spoke again.
“Wouldn’t Braiante-ssi know?”
“…You’re right. If it’s in a book in the library, father would be more likely to know about it. Can you remember anything else about the book?”
Calix stretched his hand toward Melty. Staring blankly at the hand extended toward him, Melty trudged over and grabbed it. As soon as their hands connected, Melty was expertly guided to sit on Calix’s lap, where he had to spend a considerable time talking about the book.
***
“Welcome.”
At the gentle voice, Melty swallowed hard. Moving his stiff body to sit across from her, Melty forced a smile, raising the corners of his lips.
As soon as morning came, Calix and Melty had headed to the library. Naturally, their purpose was to find the book they had discussed yesterday. Of course, they also planned to learn about the herb called “Rika” that Calix had mentioned. While they were browsing through books, Calix was summoned by his father Braiante, and as if she had been waiting, Amelia proposed tea time with Melty.
“Thank you for inviting me. I should have visited you first, but you seemed busy, so I hesitated to arrange a meeting.”
Amelia gave a relaxed smile as she watched Melty carefully making excuses with his polite posture.
“It’s okay. These things happen. You’ve been busy in many ways, haven’t you? Calix seems to be busy too.”
With a smile full of refinement, Amelia picked up her teacup and moistened her throat. Glancing at her, Melty swallowed dryly as he looked at his own teacup in front of him. Her invitation for tea time was too perfectly timed to be a coincidence.
“…Do you perhaps have something you’d like to discuss with me?”
“Does it seem like I arranged this meeting because I have something to say to Melty-ssi?”
Melty hesitated at her question but quietly nodded. Seeing him frankly express his opinion in response to her counter-question, the smile on Amelia’s face deepened.
“Yes. Actually, I hadn’t planned to bring this up so suddenly, but since the situation has come to this, I’ll ask just a few things.”
There was something in her calm voice that made people tense. With his back straight, Melty waited for her next words. His hands, tightly clenched on his lap, quickly became damp with sweat. She looked at Melty with sharp eyes and spoke.
“Are you perhaps being blackmailed by our son?”
“…Pardon?”
Though he hadn’t been expecting any particular question, considering everything, what came from her lips was beyond his imagination. All his tension seemed pointless now as Melty blinked with a dumbfounded expression, his body going slack.
Melty wondered if he might have misheard something, but seeing her waiting for his answer without any change in expression, he stammered a response.
“I-I’ve never been blackmailed.”
“You can be honest. I’ll make sure you don’t face any disadvantages.”
At Amelia’s words, spoken with her eyes curved into a gentle smile, Melty once again shook his head.
“Really, I haven’t!”
“Is that so? Then perhaps, have you made some kind of deal with our son?”
“A-a deal? What kind of deal?”
The conversation with her kept taking incomprehensible turns. Melty looked at Amelia with a face that showed he had no idea what was going on and blinked quietly.
“I’m asking if you agreed to receive some compensation or benefit from Calix. It’s not a difficult question, is it?”
“…Since I’m employed by Calix-ssi, I do receive a salary… but I don’t think that’s what you’re asking about… If you’re curious about something, I think it would be better if you could be a bit more clear.”
Her questions all shared the strange commonality. He couldn’t understand how she had formed such a misunderstanding, but based on her questions, it seemed she thought Calix was blackmailing him.
Unlike when he first entered, tense and flustered, Melty now spoke his mind with a more relaxed demeanor. Amelia slowly stroked the armrest of her chair with her hand.
“True. Speaking directly would lead to fewer misunderstandings. Good. Then I’ll ask straightforwardly, and I’d like you to answer honestly.”
“Yes. I’ll speak honestly about anything I can answer.”
Melty nodded emphatically and sat upright, waiting for her question. Examining his posture carefully, she cupped her chin and cheek slightly with her right hand and opened her mouth.
“I’m asking if you and my son becoming lovers happened because of a deal or because you were coerced.”
“What? I’ve never experienced anything like that.”
He had thought the direction of Amelia’s questions was somewhat strange. However, he never imagined she would be thinking such things. The surprise and confusion were plainly visible on Melty’s face. Scrutinizing his expression, Amelia looked at him with a surprised face of her own.
“Then are the two of you really in a relationship?”
Melty couldn’t help but hesitate at her question. It was a “temporary relationship” that Calix had pushed for, but they were definitely in a relationship. Moreover, considering the intimate skinship they had shared, it was unreasonable to even wrap it with the word “temporary” anymore.
Melty’s head nodded with difficulty. Though his behavior might have seemed suspicious, to Amelia’s eyes, Melty, who lowered his head and nodded after a long pause, just looked like a shy new bride. Amelia grasped his hands that were resting on his lap. Startled by the sudden warmth transmitted from her hands, Melty raised his head to look at her.
“Thank you.”
Following the bewildering questions, Melty was taken aback by the sudden expression of gratitude. Looking at him, Amelia whispered again with eyes brimming with emotion.
“Thank you so much.”
“Y-you don’t need to thank me like that! There’s no reason for me to receive such thanks!”
“Oh my.”
Amelia looked at Melty’s face continuously with a touched expression. As a result, Melty, who ended up meeting her intense gaze, avoided her eyes by lowering his head with an awkward smile. He hadn’t expected to encounter such joy from her when he had come prepared to endure any kind of scolding.
“That boy wouldn’t even let me meet you… I misunderstood, thinking perhaps it was fake. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. But… did Calix-ssi do something?”
The “that boy” she mentioned was undoubtedly Calix. Wanting to understand the situation a bit better, Melty carefully asked. At his question, the smile on her lips deepened further.
Initially, she had thought Calix had some scheme and was thoroughly preventing contact with Melty to avoid being exposed. But after actually talking with Melty, she realized that such behavior was really just Calix showing his possessiveness after falling in love.
“Though he’s my son, I thought there would never be romance in that boy’s life.”
Melty made a puzzled expression at her words. As he had felt at the reception hall during the exchange meeting, Calix was quite popular. Even when he had felt that Calix’s appearance wasn’t that exceptional, there were still many people who admired him. Fearing that asking “Why?” might seem too rude, Melty suppressed his curiosity.
“But Calix-ssi has no reason to tell such a lie.”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
Smiling softly, Amelia brought up a story that Melty didn’t know.
