Maylily - Chapter 101

The dinner that began in the early evening had reached its final stretch. After taking a big bite of the sponge cake topped with cream and orange marmalade, Maylily’s eyes landed on Michele’s dessert plate, which was still barely touched.

“Why aren’t you eating, Michele? It’s sweet and tangy and really good….”

“I don’t like sweet-and-sour things. If it suits your taste, have more.”

When Michele smiled faintly and slid the plate toward her, Maylily tilted her head.

“Then why did you order it?”

“Well. I forgot I don’t like it.”

“Then do you want to order something else? Dinner’s on me tonight, so order whatever you want. You know it’s not like we come here often.”

Unaware that Michele had already paid the bill before the dessert arrived, Maylily spoke proudly. Michele let out a short laugh at the sight and lightly swirled the glass filled with amber-colored dessert wine.

“I’m fine with this.”

Then he quietly watched Maylily chew on her sponge cake. He felt satisfied, knowing that his favorite dessert pleased her palate.

Between the soft lights illuminating the table by the window overlooking the moonlit night sea, the melody of string instruments drifted through the air. Though it fell far short of the high-end restaurants of a major city, the restaurant, steeped in the romance of a small port town, counted wealthy visitors from out of town as its main clientele.

Bringing Maylily to a place so far beyond their means was at Carlo and Giovanna’s urging.

[Why don’t you give Maylily a change of scenery, Michele?]

[Come to think of it, we’ve been so busy with the inn that we haven’t really shown her around at all. We only went out for a few walks nearby.]

They seemed unable to completely give up on their hope of welcoming Maylily as true family. How far should he go to meet that hope? Michele still wasn’t sure.

Could he accept a woman who carried another man in her heart, and that man’s child in her belly? And would that woman accept him?

After leisurely looking over the paintings adorning the brass-colored silk wallpaper, Michele spoke with a serious expression when Maylily was almost finished with her cake.

“Your guess was right, Maylily.”

“My… guess?”

Maylily blinked and looked at Michele as she set her fork down on the plate.

“Right after you left, the Count of Everscourt’s secretary came to see me. He asked if I knew anything about your whereabouts.”

Ah…. Maylily let out a small sigh, and her face darkened at once, as if she had received bad news. Watching that change, Michele continued.

“Don’t worry. Pretending not to know is my specialty. He didn’t seem to suspect any particular connection between you and me, either.”

“That’s a relief. Really, it’s a relief.”

Murmuring as if to herself, Maylily’s chest rose and fell visibly. It was as though she lost her composure at the mere mention of the Count of Everscourt.

The smile that lingered on Michele’s lips throughout dinner faded.

“And then, a few days later, the article about the count’s broken engagement came out. He probably decided on it long before that.”

At the word “broken engagement,” Maylily’s heart dropped. Her mind was suddenly filled with the memory of the last night she spent with the Count of Everscourt, the certainty in his eyes and voice resurfacing without warning.

“I’ll be right back. Wait for me.”

No way, did that mean that….

Maylily shook her head hard, forcefully brushing away the thoughts that tried to stretch outward. Whatever that farewell had meant, and whatever reason lay behind the count’s broken engagement, they were no longer things that concerned her.

To calm her wildly racing heart, Maylily let out a long breath, and her lips slowly curved into a faint smile.

“Thank you for letting me know, Michele.”

“That man still seems to be looking for you.”

“….”

“If you want, I can help you return to Riverton.”

“No.”

Maylily answered in a firm voice, as if steadying the turbulence that rose within her.

“I’m not going to cling to a relationship that’s already over. Right now, I only want to think about what comes next. About how I should live my life, and how I’m going to raise this baby. Just finding the answers to those questions already feels difficult enough.”

Finishing her words with a slightly distant look, Maylily gently placed her hand over her belly. As if lending her strength, the baby inside gave a small wriggle.

It wasn’t a child she wanted. Maybe that was why she still didn’t really understand things like maternal love.

Even so, Maylily felt a strong sense of responsibility toward the child. A few weeks ago, when she first felt the baby move while bathing, the child that had previously existed only as a vague idea suddenly entered her heart as a clear, undeniable presence. That was when the change began.

She wanted to live happily with the child who would see the light of the world next spring. And in the happiness Maylily envisioned, that man wasn’t there.

“Then how about singing again?”

Michele, who had been quietly watching Maylily lost in thought, casually brought up the real point.

“As you know, raising a child will take a lot of money, so you should do what you’re best at. And even if you can’t stand on stage right away, it’d be good to stay prepared at all times.”

Something flickered briefly in Maylily’s pale blue eyes as she looked at Michele, but it soon faded. Michele had no intention of letting that light die out so easily.

“You said you haven’t sung even once since coming here.”

“…Yes.”

“Why? Are you thinking of giving up singing?”

“No. It’s not that, but….”

Maylily lowered her head, looking sullen like a child being scolded. After fidgeting with her fork for a moment, she said, “I need time to overcome my fear.”

“….”

“I’m scared there won’t be a stage that will accept an unwed mother like me. And even if I’m lucky enough to stand on stage again, I’m afraid people will condemn me as immoral. I know it’s something I have to overcome on my own, but…. Right now, I don’t have the confidence.”

Whenever she tried to sing, the same thoughts and fears always clung to her mind. Because of that, Maylily hadn’t been able to sing ever since she learned she was pregnant.

The thrill and emotion she felt standing on stage as a prima donna were still as vivid as if it were yesterday. The thought that such moments might never come again was unbearable. So instead, she chose to forget singing altogether.

“If that’s the issue, then start again here. Compared to Riverton, Cartia is a society that’s very tolerant of individual private lives. If you stand on stage, the audience will first pay attention to your singing. And if you captivate them with your outstanding skill, the fact that you’re an unwed mother won’t become an obstacle to your success.”

Michele spoke in a serious tone, yet calmly, as if her problem wasn’t something insurmountable.

“I may not be especially talented at singing myself, but I’ve got a good ear. There’s something special about your voice, Maylily. Don’t give that up just because of how the world looks at you.”

That attitude, unexpectedly, gave her courage. A problem that had tormented Maylily for months strangely shrank into something trivial after just a few of his words.

“If it’s uncomfortable to practice at the inn because of the guests, I’ll look into a suitable place for you. There should be somewhere at the village temple where the choir practices….”

Michele, who had been smoothly continuing the words he’d prepared for today, suddenly noticed Maylily’s fixed gaze.

So there really was a change of heart at last. It wasn’t intentional, but it was welcome. Michele leaned slightly forward, propped his chin on the table, and smiled.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I was just thinking how lucky I am that you’re by my side right now. You’re really a good person. Thank you, Michele.”

Contrary to Michele’s expectations, the eyes Maylily smiled back at him with were filled with nothing but pure trust, without a trace of ulterior feeling. As if there was no room between them for romantic affection to take root.

Seeing how deeply that disappointed him, it seemed he wanted to take responsibility for this woman and her child.

But if he revealed those feelings, Maylily would feel pressured and might even leave this place as well. He couldn’t corner a woman with nowhere to go like that.

Damn it, that “good person.”

Right. Why did he bother putting on such an ill-fitting act in the first place…. Because he couldn’t betray Maylily’s unshakable trust, he kept doing things that weren’t like him at all. And for the time being, it seemed those days would continue.

“I think I overcame my fear tonight, thanks to you. I’ll make sure I’m ready to stand on stage again at any time.”

After finishing the small piece of cake and setting her fork down, Maylily spoke with resolve.

“Good thinking. If you succeed, don’t forget it was thanks to today’s conversation.”

“Of course. I’ll remember this kindness for the rest of my life!”

As Maylily beamed, Michele couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as well. Yes, if it meant he could keep seeing that sunlight-like smile, then for now, nothing else really mattered.