Chapter 11

The boy had come, fully prepared to be scolded to death as he apologized, but instead of a reprimand, he was being cared for. He didn’t know what to do with himself. It felt as if he were dreaming, his mind in a daze.

Lucy gently stroked the boy’s small shoulders and said,

“You came all the way here to apologize—what a kind child you are.”

The boy’s face turned deathly pale before flushing bright red. He stammered,

“I-I’m not kind… I just… I just did something wrong, so…”

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected things to turn out this way. He had simply braced himself to be scolded until he cried, or at worst, to be slapped across the face. But being comforted so warmly, so gently—he had never even imagined such a thing, not even in his dreams.

“…I’m sorry for scolding you so harshly back then.”

He hadn’t even thought he would receive an apology in return. The boy lowered his head deeply at Charlotte’s words.

Lucy patted his back kindly.

“Receiving your apology like this makes us feel much better. Toby, you know… the puppy from before. We buried him in the garden. Would you like to go see him together?”

The boy hurriedly nodded.

Avoiding the gazes of others, the three of them made their way back to Toby’s grave. When Charlotte pointed to the spot where Toby was buried, the boy flinched. As he hesitated, Lucy plucked a small white flower from nearby and placed it in his hand.

“Here, place this in front.”

The boy did as she said. Lucy then whispered in a singsong voice,

“Can you say just one word of apology to Toby? Then he’ll forgive you.”

“…Do you really think so?”

“Of course. Toby was such a sweet little dog. I’m sure of it.”

“…And you, my lady?”

“Hm?”

“…Will you forgive me too, my lady?”

Lucy gently stroked the boy’s head.

“I already have.”

“So have I.”

Charlotte shrugged and gave the boy a light push on the back. Hesitantly, he stepped forward to Toby’s grave and placed the flower on top. Closing his eyes tightly, he spoke in a serious voice.

“…I’m sorry, Toby. I was wrong.”

Lucy whispered, “Thank you for apologizing,” and patted the boy’s shoulder.

The three of them sat by Toby’s grave, chatting quietly. Mostly, Lucy and Charlotte took turns reminiscing about how pretty and kind Toby had been, while the boy eagerly agreed. Occasionally, he shared bits of his own story—how he had no parents, wandered the streets, and managed to survive.

After hearing his circumstances, Lucy handed him her father’s business card. She told him she would speak to her father about finding him work as a messenger at the trading company and even wrote a small note on the back.

The boy nodded with an overwhelmed expression.

“…Thank you, my lady…”

He gazed at Lucy with eyes sparkling as if looking at an angel who had descended to earth. Never in his life had he felt this full of hope and happiness. He secretly touched the two pieces of chocolate hidden in his pocket. The rough texture of the wrapper reassured him—this was real, not a dream.

“Lucy!”

A sudden voice rang out, and Lucy jumped to her feet. Moments later, she was swept into an eager embrace by David, who had come running toward her in a clumsy manner. Her bright laughter filled the air.

“Ah, you annoying bastard. Clinging to people like that—disgusting.”

Charlotte, ever the loving friend, cursed affectionately at David. The boy, staring blankly at the scene of Charlotte and David hugging, hesitantly asked,

“Wh-Who is that…?”

“Hm? David?”

Charlotte scratched her cheek and answered casually,

“He’s our friend. And he’s dating Lucy.”

“Oh…”

“Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

“Ah, no! No, I mean… I should, um….”

For some reason, the boy’s face had gone pale. He shook his head violently.

“I should get going now.”

“All of a sudden? Why? David may be a jerk deep down, but he’s still our friend. He’s not going to chase you away or treat you badly.”

“N-No… Just, um, please tell Lady Lucy goodbye for me.”

Charlotte frowned, unable to understand the boy’s sudden change in behavior. But before she could say anything, he gave a quick bow and bolted toward the back gate. His small figure quickly disappeared into the distance.

“What’s going on?”

David approached with Lucy and asked Charlotte.

“Ugh, gross. Don’t talk to me.”

“Oh, come on. Can you not talk like that for once?”

“Screw you.”

Charlotte waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing away an annoying insect. David let out a deep sigh at her reaction, while Lucy chuckled. Looking around, Lucy suddenly asked Charlotte,

“Where did that kid go?”

“That kid? Who?”

“He left suddenly. Maybe he remembered something urgent?”

“Who are you even talking about?”

“He didn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t even catch his name… He must’ve really had something pressing.”

“Ugh, who was it? Are you two seriously not going to tell me?”

“Or maybe he ran away after seeing this guy. Avoiding him is the smartest choice, considering how unlucky it is to even look at his face.”

“HEY!!!”

David’s indignant shout echoed behind them as Charlotte and Lucy burst into laughter. Before long, David’s exasperated yet amused chuckle joined in. The warm sunlight filtered through the wide canopy of the beech trees, casting cool shadows. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, their soft whispers sounding almost like music.

It was an incredibly peaceful—and happy—day.

“So that boy’s name was Ison Lau.”

“Technically, just Ison. He made up the surname himself after being knighted.”

Lucy smiled as she continued,

“He started off just running errands, but Sir Lau saw talent in him. My father noticed too and decided to sponsor him. Sir Lau chose to stay by my side instead of joining the military as a way of repaying that kindness.”

Charlotte nodded. That made sense. If she were in his position, she wouldn’t have run off to the army either—that would’ve been plain ungrateful.

“…So that kid—no, Sir Lau—came with you when you got married?”

“Yes, my father told me to bring him along. My husband liked the idea too. It’s not every day you get the chance to employ a knight.”

“That makes sense… But…”

Charlotte nodded in agreement but suddenly frowned as a thought struck her.

“So does that mean Sir Lau didn’t recognize me? Or did he just not remember me at all? That’s kind of disappointing.”

“Huh? Uh… well… I don’t think so. It’s probably just that it would’ve been awkward for him to acknowledge you first. After all, you’re his employer’s friend.”

Or maybe he was just so smitten with you that he forgot all about me. Charlotte swallowed the words that nearly slipped off her tongue and laughed instead.

“But why didn’t you mention Sir Lau back then? You never said anything, so I assumed the boy never went to see your father.”

“I didn’t know at first either. It wasn’t until later that I realized he was working under my father.”

Honestly, her father could’ve at least informed her. If she hadn’t gone home during the holidays, she wouldn’t have known at all. Charlotte laughed at Lucy’s grumbling.

“Your father was always so reserved.”

“He’s really a mystery to me sometimes.”

“But he cared about you so much. I was always jealous. You should’ve seen him when he found out you were dating David—he absolutely bombarded me with questions. Whose son is he? What does he study? What’s his character like?”

Charlotte had expected Lucy to laugh as she recalled the memory. In the past, Lucy had been greatly amused by her father’s flustered reaction when he first learned about her relationship.

But instead, Lucy only gave a faint, bittersweet smile. That’s when Charlotte realized she had made a mistake.

“…Ah… Lucy, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay, Charlotte.”

Charlotte wished she could sew her own lips shut.

“…Really, it’s fine. It’s been years since David passed. I barely even remember anymore. It doesn’t bother me.”

Lucy waved her hand as if to reassure her.

“…If you say so.”

An awkward silence hung between them for a moment before Lucy hastily changed the subject.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Hmm…”

Charlotte hesitated for a moment before deciding to be honest.

“To be frank, I came with someone from the police department.”

“…The police?”

“Oh—don’t worry! They’re not suspecting you or anything. Not at all.”

Charlotte quickly reassured her when she saw Lucy’s expression tighten slightly.

“He came to ask Sir Lau some questions. He’s also doing some general inquiries around the area. I… I just came along because I wanted to see you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I was worried about you.”

Lucy smiled softly. Charlotte smiled back, taking the now-cold teacup from Lucy’s hand and placing it back on the trolley.

“But, Lucy…”

“Hm?”

“Have you heard anything from Sir Lau?”

Oh, how I hate myself. Charlotte awkwardly cleared her throat, but she had to ask. She needed something to report when she met with Superintendent Henry later.

Lucy hesitated for a moment before giving her a knowing, slightly crooked smile.

“…So you’re here to interrogate me, huh?”