John didn't say anything until he fell for the second time during the two-person three-legged exercise.
But when they fell again the third time, he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Emily, just because you're good at running doesn't mean you'll win. In fact, it seems like the better runners are, the more likely they are to fall."
The two of them kept falling together as Emily kept trying to get ahead of John, unable to keep up with his pace.
“I’m sorry, John.”
Emily helped John up with a sullen expression.
“Even if you run slowly, it’s important not to fall.”
No matter how much John liked Emily, his smile would disappear after the third fall.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Emily clenched her fists, steeling herself once more. She couldn't allow the last-place finish to stain her reputation.
“I think it would be best to put our arms around each other’s shoulders to get in sync.”
John nodded immediately as if he had been waiting for those words.
“That’s right. Then it’ll be easier to match the stride.”
“Put your hand around my waist.”
“Yes, I can’t help it since I’m still short.”
John spoke coquettishly, and without Emily's knowledge, he glanced out the second-floor window and smiled with a satisfied smile. Killian, who had been watching them from the second-floor window, frowned when his eyes met John's.
How much time had passed? Now that they were more or less in sync and no longer falling, the training was finally over.
“Oh my god, John!”
Emily, startled, knelt down in front of John.
"Your knee is bleeding! Why didn't you say it hurt?"
Blood from his knees from repeated falls was slowly seeping into his pants and staining them.
John opened his mouth hesitantly.
“If I say I’m hurt, I won’t be able to spend more time with Emily.”
At those words, Emily could no longer say anything to John.
“If you get hurt, I will take care of you without leaving, so please tell me right away from now on.”
"All right."
Emily rolled up John's trousers, took a handkerchief out of her pocket, and wiped the blood away.
“It seems like the bleeding has stopped to some extent, so let’s go back to the room and disinfect.”
“Thank you. Can I have the handkerchief?”
“Yeah, I have a lot.”
When John looked up at the second-floor window again, the window curtains were roughly shut with a bang.
'I heard it's really fun to tease my uncle?'
John held back his laughter and went up to the room, holding Emily's hand.
This is how the handkerchief that Killian stole came to be.
When Killian returned to the mansion after finishing his work at headquarters, John was waiting for him in the dark hallway.
“Why are you standing there?”
“I’ve been waiting, Uncle.”
John, who had been in the darkness, quietly stepped forward toward Killian. His movements were unusual for a child.
“What a surprise, waiting for me.”
“Yeah, I wanted to go to sleep early too, but who’s the reason?”
'Tch, already caught.'
In fact, Killian didn't intend to steal the handkerchief from the beginning.
He found that John had left a handkerchief in the study, and when he realized that it was Emily's, he unconsciously put it in his arms.
“What do you have to say?”
“Please give me back my handkerchief.”
Killian pretended not to know and pulled away.
“I don’t know what you mean by handkerchief.”
Killian kept his handkerchief in a drawer at headquarters, under lock and key. Whenever something important came up, taking it with him brought him peace of mind, like a talisman.
John puffed out his cheeks at Killian's impudence.
“Aha, so that’s how it is? I understand.”
“If you do something useless, you’ll get in trouble.”
Killian said in a commanding voice.
"Ha!"
John glared at Killian one last time before returning to his room.
After John entered the room, a small sigh escaped Killian's lips.
“Sigh, what on earth am I doing?”
Even in his own thoughts, Killian was being too childish towards the child.
Meanwhile, John, who had returned to his room after breaking up with Killian, collapsed onto the bed, grumbling.
Even though teasing his uncle was fun, John liked being affectionate towards Emily.
So, the handkerchief that Emily first gave him was in itself a precious object to John.
“My uncle definitely stole the handkerchief.”
John spent the night wondering how to trouble Killian.
The next day, John, who was sitting on the sofa in the first-floor hall with his eyes wide open, saw Chili going up to the second floor holding a letter.
“Chili!”
“Huh?”
Chili looked around with an uncomfortable look in her eyes, but no one in sight could come to her rescue.
“What’s going on?”
In the end, she had no choice but to accept John's words.
“Is that a letter addressed to Emily?”
“Yeah, but?”
“I’ll take that to Emily.”
Chili shook her head without a moment's hesitation.
"No."
"Why?"
“If I lose it, I’ll have to take responsibility.”
“Do I look like a fool to lose something like that?”
“It’s not that, but I don’t think you’re the kind of person who would help me for no reason.”
At those harsh words, John's eyes instantly turned red.
“Chili. I’m really hurt.”
“Hey, why are you crying?”
Chili hadn't dealt with John that often. If it had been Butler Alvin, or Cezanne, or Roxy, they would never have fallen for such tearful acting.
“I really want to be liked by Emily, so can you help me out a little?”
Even the rare "big sister" strategy from John was used. Chili, who had no immunity to children's tears and affection, easily fell for it.
“Hmm, okay then. You bring it to Madam.”
“Thank you, you are the only one I have.”
“But if there’s a problem, I’ll tell the butler your name first.”
"All right."
Before handing over the bundle of letters to John, Chili, who had been feeling uneasy, asked him once more earnestly.
“I’ll check to see if the letters were delivered.”
“Oh, I told you so.”
John took the bundle of letters from Chili's hand with a serious expression, as if he had never cried before. He brought the bundle into his room and carefully examined each envelope.
“Wiperga parties, youth gatherings, Royal Ascot events... all these useless letters.”
As John, unable to hide his disappointment, gathered the remaining letters to one side, a pink envelope fell out from among them.
“What is this?”
John was a perceptive child. The pink envelope, with its faint rose scent, looked like a love letter to anyone who saw it.
But the sender's name was very familiar to John.
“Yeah, this is it!”
The corners of John's mouth went up.
A few days later, someone came to the Marquis of Starr's residence.
Emily, unaware of anything, went out to the flower garden to decorate a vase. She gathered stems of various flowers, including lisianthus, anemones, dahlias, and didiscus.
After trying out different combinations and finally creating a shape she was satisfied with, a bright smile spread across Emily's face that she couldn't hide.
Crown Prince Lucius, who came to see Emily with a bouquet of flowers, dropped the flowers on the floor when he saw the scene.
In front of Emily's smile, everything she had prepared seemed shabby. Seeing Lucius staring blankly, butler Alvin clicked his tongue and went over to Emily to deliver the news.
“Madam, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”
“His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Emily's eyes widened in surprise. Looking back, she saw the Crown Prince, indeed, waving shyly in greeting.
“Didn’t you know? I heard came at the madam’s invitation...”
Emily shouted low enough that Lucius couldn't hear.
“How could I know and invite His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Yes? So you’re saying His Highness lied?”
Emily pressed her temples as if she had a headache.
“Since the guest has arrived, please bring out some tea.”
"All right."
Alvin also nodded with an uneasy expression.
Emily forced a smile and bowed to Lucius. Lucius, having accepted her greeting, slowly approached Emily. Seeing him up close, his face seemed remarkably familiar.
“Hmm, have we met somewhere before?”
She regretted it immediately after saying it. It felt like a very old-fashioned work slogan.
But Lucius smiled sweetly at Emily's words. He was overjoyed that she remembered him.
“We met at the banquet. On the steps toward the palace garden.”
At those words, Emily's face turned pale as if she remembered.
“Oh, I really didn’t know. That you would be His Highness the Crown Prince...”
At the time, she thought Lucius was just a handsome, but somewhat disjointed, pitiful young man.
“I was really rude.”
“No, rather, I was the one who felt sorry.”
They sat at a tea table in the garden greenhouse, chatting. Alvin quickly set up the tea table and walked very slowly out.
Alvin gave Emily a look before heading out the door.
"Should I just leave? Or should I just stand here like a backdrop?"
'Just go.'
Emily nodded slightly, signaling. Lucius watched her as if entranced.
Unlike when he saw her at the party, Emily wore her hair in a loose braid to one side and wore a light dress. Her fresh, almost makeup-free face glowed with a radiant whiteness, like an angel from a fairy tale.
Emily opened her mouth after confirming that Alvin had gone outside.
“Ahem, but Your Highness has accepted my invitation.”
Lucius, who came to his senses at Emily's voice, answered with a dazed face.
“Yes, you didn’t reply to my letter?”
“You wrote me a letter?”
Only when Emily reacted that it was her first time hearing this did Lucius realize something was wrong.
“I guess someone was playing a prank.”
“Hmm, that’s a strange joke. Could you tell me the contents of the letter Your Highness sent?”
Lucius blushed at those words.
He guessed it would be difficult to say this directly to the person involved, so he just kept the thought to himself.
"I had a crush on you at first sight, even though I had no idea who you were. I'd like to have a deeper conversation with you."
But when they fell again the third time, he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Emily, just because you're good at running doesn't mean you'll win. In fact, it seems like the better runners are, the more likely they are to fall."
The two of them kept falling together as Emily kept trying to get ahead of John, unable to keep up with his pace.
“I’m sorry, John.”
Emily helped John up with a sullen expression.
“Even if you run slowly, it’s important not to fall.”
No matter how much John liked Emily, his smile would disappear after the third fall.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Emily clenched her fists, steeling herself once more. She couldn't allow the last-place finish to stain her reputation.
“I think it would be best to put our arms around each other’s shoulders to get in sync.”
John nodded immediately as if he had been waiting for those words.
“That’s right. Then it’ll be easier to match the stride.”
“Put your hand around my waist.”
“Yes, I can’t help it since I’m still short.”
John spoke coquettishly, and without Emily's knowledge, he glanced out the second-floor window and smiled with a satisfied smile. Killian, who had been watching them from the second-floor window, frowned when his eyes met John's.
How much time had passed? Now that they were more or less in sync and no longer falling, the training was finally over.
“Oh my god, John!”
Emily, startled, knelt down in front of John.
"Your knee is bleeding! Why didn't you say it hurt?"
Blood from his knees from repeated falls was slowly seeping into his pants and staining them.
John opened his mouth hesitantly.
“If I say I’m hurt, I won’t be able to spend more time with Emily.”
At those words, Emily could no longer say anything to John.
“If you get hurt, I will take care of you without leaving, so please tell me right away from now on.”
"All right."
Emily rolled up John's trousers, took a handkerchief out of her pocket, and wiped the blood away.
“It seems like the bleeding has stopped to some extent, so let’s go back to the room and disinfect.”
“Thank you. Can I have the handkerchief?”
“Yeah, I have a lot.”
When John looked up at the second-floor window again, the window curtains were roughly shut with a bang.
'I heard it's really fun to tease my uncle?'
John held back his laughter and went up to the room, holding Emily's hand.
***
This is how the handkerchief that Killian stole came to be.
When Killian returned to the mansion after finishing his work at headquarters, John was waiting for him in the dark hallway.
“Why are you standing there?”
“I’ve been waiting, Uncle.”
John, who had been in the darkness, quietly stepped forward toward Killian. His movements were unusual for a child.
“What a surprise, waiting for me.”
“Yeah, I wanted to go to sleep early too, but who’s the reason?”
'Tch, already caught.'
In fact, Killian didn't intend to steal the handkerchief from the beginning.
He found that John had left a handkerchief in the study, and when he realized that it was Emily's, he unconsciously put it in his arms.
“What do you have to say?”
“Please give me back my handkerchief.”
Killian pretended not to know and pulled away.
“I don’t know what you mean by handkerchief.”
Killian kept his handkerchief in a drawer at headquarters, under lock and key. Whenever something important came up, taking it with him brought him peace of mind, like a talisman.
John puffed out his cheeks at Killian's impudence.
“Aha, so that’s how it is? I understand.”
“If you do something useless, you’ll get in trouble.”
Killian said in a commanding voice.
"Ha!"
John glared at Killian one last time before returning to his room.
After John entered the room, a small sigh escaped Killian's lips.
“Sigh, what on earth am I doing?”
Even in his own thoughts, Killian was being too childish towards the child.
Meanwhile, John, who had returned to his room after breaking up with Killian, collapsed onto the bed, grumbling.
Even though teasing his uncle was fun, John liked being affectionate towards Emily.
So, the handkerchief that Emily first gave him was in itself a precious object to John.
“My uncle definitely stole the handkerchief.”
John spent the night wondering how to trouble Killian.
The next day, John, who was sitting on the sofa in the first-floor hall with his eyes wide open, saw Chili going up to the second floor holding a letter.
“Chili!”
“Huh?”
Chili looked around with an uncomfortable look in her eyes, but no one in sight could come to her rescue.
“What’s going on?”
In the end, she had no choice but to accept John's words.
“Is that a letter addressed to Emily?”
“Yeah, but?”
“I’ll take that to Emily.”
Chili shook her head without a moment's hesitation.
"No."
"Why?"
“If I lose it, I’ll have to take responsibility.”
“Do I look like a fool to lose something like that?”
“It’s not that, but I don’t think you’re the kind of person who would help me for no reason.”
At those harsh words, John's eyes instantly turned red.
“Chili. I’m really hurt.”
“Hey, why are you crying?”
Chili hadn't dealt with John that often. If it had been Butler Alvin, or Cezanne, or Roxy, they would never have fallen for such tearful acting.
“I really want to be liked by Emily, so can you help me out a little?”
Even the rare "big sister" strategy from John was used. Chili, who had no immunity to children's tears and affection, easily fell for it.
“Hmm, okay then. You bring it to Madam.”
“Thank you, you are the only one I have.”
“But if there’s a problem, I’ll tell the butler your name first.”
"All right."
Before handing over the bundle of letters to John, Chili, who had been feeling uneasy, asked him once more earnestly.
“I’ll check to see if the letters were delivered.”
“Oh, I told you so.”
John took the bundle of letters from Chili's hand with a serious expression, as if he had never cried before. He brought the bundle into his room and carefully examined each envelope.
“Wiperga parties, youth gatherings, Royal Ascot events... all these useless letters.”
As John, unable to hide his disappointment, gathered the remaining letters to one side, a pink envelope fell out from among them.
“What is this?”
John was a perceptive child. The pink envelope, with its faint rose scent, looked like a love letter to anyone who saw it.
In the open-minded society of the 19th century, it was common for married people to receive love letters, so it wasn't a major flaw to be criticized.
“Yeah, this is it!”
The corners of John's mouth went up.
***
A few days later, someone came to the Marquis of Starr's residence.
Emily, unaware of anything, went out to the flower garden to decorate a vase. She gathered stems of various flowers, including lisianthus, anemones, dahlias, and didiscus.
After trying out different combinations and finally creating a shape she was satisfied with, a bright smile spread across Emily's face that she couldn't hide.
Crown Prince Lucius, who came to see Emily with a bouquet of flowers, dropped the flowers on the floor when he saw the scene.
In front of Emily's smile, everything she had prepared seemed shabby. Seeing Lucius staring blankly, butler Alvin clicked his tongue and went over to Emily to deliver the news.
“Madam, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”
“His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Emily's eyes widened in surprise. Looking back, she saw the Crown Prince, indeed, waving shyly in greeting.
“Didn’t you know? I heard came at the madam’s invitation...”
Emily shouted low enough that Lucius couldn't hear.
“How could I know and invite His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Yes? So you’re saying His Highness lied?”
Emily pressed her temples as if she had a headache.
“Since the guest has arrived, please bring out some tea.”
"All right."
Alvin also nodded with an uneasy expression.
Emily forced a smile and bowed to Lucius. Lucius, having accepted her greeting, slowly approached Emily. Seeing him up close, his face seemed remarkably familiar.
“Hmm, have we met somewhere before?”
She regretted it immediately after saying it. It felt like a very old-fashioned work slogan.
But Lucius smiled sweetly at Emily's words. He was overjoyed that she remembered him.
“We met at the banquet. On the steps toward the palace garden.”
At those words, Emily's face turned pale as if she remembered.
“Oh, I really didn’t know. That you would be His Highness the Crown Prince...”
At the time, she thought Lucius was just a handsome, but somewhat disjointed, pitiful young man.
“I was really rude.”
“No, rather, I was the one who felt sorry.”
They sat at a tea table in the garden greenhouse, chatting. Alvin quickly set up the tea table and walked very slowly out.
Alvin gave Emily a look before heading out the door.
"Should I just leave? Or should I just stand here like a backdrop?"
'Just go.'
Emily nodded slightly, signaling. Lucius watched her as if entranced.
Unlike when he saw her at the party, Emily wore her hair in a loose braid to one side and wore a light dress. Her fresh, almost makeup-free face glowed with a radiant whiteness, like an angel from a fairy tale.
Emily opened her mouth after confirming that Alvin had gone outside.
“Ahem, but Your Highness has accepted my invitation.”
Lucius, who came to his senses at Emily's voice, answered with a dazed face.
“Yes, you didn’t reply to my letter?”
“You wrote me a letter?”
Only when Emily reacted that it was her first time hearing this did Lucius realize something was wrong.
“I guess someone was playing a prank.”
“Hmm, that’s a strange joke. Could you tell me the contents of the letter Your Highness sent?”
Lucius blushed at those words.
He guessed it would be difficult to say this directly to the person involved, so he just kept the thought to himself.
"I had a crush on you at first sight, even though I had no idea who you were. I'd like to have a deeper conversation with you."
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