A Lifelong Melody with You

My name is Mia Scott. When I was seven, I was taken in by Mr. Mason Lynn of the Lynn Manor. It has now been fifteen years. Throughout these fifteen years, I have washed clothes, brewed tea, and tended the Study without ever once growing lax. In spring, I first warm the well water to ward off the chill before beginning to wash the clothes. In summer, I carefully regulate the charcoal's flame to brew the tea with utmost attention. In autumn, I dust the bookshelves and smooth the bookmarks with care. In winter, I warm the brazier ahead of time, placing it beside his writing desk. All who dwell in the manor say I am sensible. But only I know that it is fear that drives me. I feared that if I did not do well, I would lose this only place to call home. This afternoon, sunlight filtered through the window lattice, scattering delicate patches of light. Mason Lynn's personal attendant came to summon me to the Front Hall. I set down the garment I was mending, brushed the loose threads from my skirt, and hurried toward the Front Hall. Passing through the corridor, I saw the peonies blooming in full splendor beneath the eaves. Clusters of pink blossoms pressed tightly together, like the pampered young ladies of the Capital. In the Front Hall, Mason Lynn stood by the window. Between his fingers, he held an ivory fan. The ink-wash landscape painted on the fan was a gift from Hanna Lopez last year. In days past, he often liked to gently flutter this fan. But today, he held the fan motionless, his brow tightly furrowed, as if burdened by some troubling thought. "Mia, you have come." Hearing footsteps, he turned around. His voice was softer than usual, touched by a faint, scarcely noticeable hesitation. I stood with my hands at my sides, bowing my head slightly. I said, "Mr., please speak. Whatever I am able to do, I will not decline." For fifteen years, he has been my master and my sole support. I had never once considered refusing him. He was silent for a moment. His gaze fell upon me, then quickly shifted away, as if he were gathering great resolve. After a long while, he finally spoke. He said, "Ms. Hanna Lopez of the Lopez Family—you know her. I have wished to marry her for many years." A faint tremor stirred in my heart. My fingertips instinctively clenched the sleeve. Hanna's name within Lynn Manor was like a slender thorn. Each time it was mentioned, my chest constricted. She was famed in the Capital for her talents—skilled in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and her beauty was remarkable. Mason Lynn was deeply infatuated with her, a fact that everyone in the household noticed. Last year on her birthday, he spent half a month's salary to buy her a Jade Hairpin. Last month, upon learning she loved the Osmanthus Cake from the southern district, he had someone buy it for her every day. When the Osmanthus Cake had cooled, he would even lose his temper. "But the Lopez Family will not relent." He stepped forward two paces and stopped before me, his eyes filled with urgency. He said, "Mr. Lopez insists I must be promoted to Third-rank Official within three months; otherwise, he will not agree to this marriage." I looked up at him, my eyes full of doubt. He is to be promoted and intends to marry Hanna Lopez; what does that have to do with me? He avoided my gaze, turning instead to the peonies beyond the window, his voice softening. He said, "Lord Lewis, Ryan Lewis—you must have heard of him. He wields real power, and his words carry great weight at the Imperial Court. With his support, my promotion to Third-rank Official could become a reality." I nodded. Ryan Lewis is known throughout the Capital. Though young, he occupies a high office and is renowned for his integrity. Yet he is cold by nature and rarely partakes in social affairs. "Lord Lewis delights in the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—especially favoring women who understand the qin." At last, he looked at me again, his eyes filled with a complexity I could not fathom. He said, "Mia, you play the qin so exquisitely, and your appearance—so remarkable..." He left the rest unsaid, but I understood all the same. I clenched my sleeve tighter, the fabric wrinkling into a stubborn knot. My fingertips were icy cold, as if I held a shard of ice within. My voice trembled and faded, almost inaudible even to myself. I said, "You mean, You wish me to draw close to Lord Lewis?" He suddenly lifted his gaze. The hesitation in his eyes diminished, replaced by a trace of earnest entreaty. He said, "Mia, I beg you. When I marry Hanna, I swear I will not treat you unjustly hereafter."I will find you a good family, so that you may marry with dignity; I would never allow you to suffer injustice. At that moment, the memory from when I was seven years old suddenly surged into my mind. That day, a flood ravaged my hometown. The murky floodwaters swept away houses and carried away the figures of my father and mother. I clung to a broken beam, drifting in the water for what felt like an eternity, until I was finally rescued at an Abandoned Temple. The Abandoned Temple was cold and dark; I crouched trembling in a corner. Holding the last sweet potato my parents had given me, now long cold. Just when I thought I was about to starve, Mason Lynn walked in. He wore a clean brocade robe and held a warm steamed bun, which he placed before me. His voice was gentle as he said, "Don't be afraid. Come back to the manor with me. I will protect you from now on." At that moment, warmth filled his eyes and brows, like the winter sun. I thought that was my salvation. But now I know the so-called "protection" was always conditional. "Mr., did you adopt me all those years ago just for today?" My voice trembled, tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself not to let them fall. I was afraid he would see, afraid he would think I was naive. He turned his face away, his tone abruptly growing harsh. He said, "I have supported you for fifteen years, never letting you go hungry or suffer the cold. Now I ask for this small favor, and you refuse?" I looked at his familiar profile and suddenly felt a profound estrangement. Before, when he looked at me, there was always a gentle smile in his eyes. But now, in his eyes, there was only an obsession with Hanna Lopez, and a pressing urgency directed at me. "I understand." In the end, I still nodded. Fifteen years of raising me felt like a heavy stone pressing down on my heart. Perhaps this was always my debt to repay. Hearing my answer, his brow relaxed slightly, and his tone softened. He said, "Mia, rest assured, I will not forget your kindness." I said nothing further, bowed my head, and slowly withdrew from the Front Hall. As I walked back to my small courtyard, the Peony under the eaves was still in bloom. Yet I felt the color on those petals seemed stained with tears—dazzling and piercing.