Emily walks with Cassius and Thomas to the garden behind the mansion quite early, Rimi following behind at a slow pace. Today is the first time Emily comes along to help. On her head is a black hat with a thin veil pulled low, covering almost all of her face, leaving only her small chin and a bit of messy brown hair visible.
Her outfit is very simple, just a loose brown shirt and black shorts. Cassius is also wearing the same outfit. But standing next to each other, the difference is still very clear. Cassius has a neat, well-balanced figure, bright skin, and soft black hair falling lightly over his forehead. His face is delicate, his features well-defined, and his golden eyes always carry a certain brightness that is easy to look at. Even wearing the simplest clothes, he still stands out naturally.
Emily is the opposite, She knows that clearly, the atmosphere around her feels dull and gray. Her hands lightly tighten on the hem of her shirt, like a habit.
When they arrive, Thomas starts working, and Cassius quickly falls into a familiar rhythm. He takes on more tasks on his own, from watering, trimming, to carrying heavy pots. Emily only needs to do lighter tasks, holding tools, gathering flowers, or moving smaller things around.
At first, she tries to help more, but every time, Cassius casually does her part before she can say anything. In the end, she just quietly does her share.
After a while, Emily notices someone approaching.
She looks up, then pauses.
A girl appears from the stone path, a yellow umbrella resting lightly on her shoulder. The midday sunlight shines down, making her dress almost glow. The soft fabric falls smoothly, every fold neat, without a single wrinkle. The sleeves are finely tailored, fitting gently around her arms, small details reflecting light whenever she moves.
Her long blonde hair is tied neatly behind, with two strands framing her face. Her skin is fair, her brown eyes bright and clear, obviously well cared for. Everything about her, from her dress, her shoes, to the umbrella, is clean and perfect, as if she does not belong to this place.
Emily stands still for a moment, then unconsciously steps back, hiding behind Cassius.
Cassius looks up at the girl, then smiles lightly.
"You're here"
Eliana stops in front of him, her gaze sweeping over the work he is doing.
"I thought you would finish faster today."
"I thought so too" Cassius scratches his head "but some parts are harder than I expected"
Eliana looks down at the part he just worked on, leaning slightly forward.
"This part isn't cut evenly"
Cassius bends down as well, looking more carefully.
"Ah… you're right"
He adjusts it, a bit more carefully.
"Is this okay?"
Eliana watches for a moment, then nods lightly.
"Acceptable"
Cassius smiles, saying nothing more.
He then turns back toward Emily, as if remembering something.
"Ah, this is Emily"
Emily pauses slightly when her name is called
"As I told you before, she's my little sister, eight years old"
"She's a bit shy"
Eliana looks toward her, her gaze stopping at the veil.
"Shy enough to not talk at all?"
Emily stays silent for a moment, then answers very quietly.
"Don't like it"
Eliana raises an eyebrow slightly.
"I see"
She does not ask further, but her gaze lingers for another second before turning away.
After that, everything continues as usual.
Cassius works, Eliana stands nearby, occasionally saying a few things. Not always instructions, sometimes just simple questions.
"Where did you get to yesterday?"
"Over there, but I think I didn't do it right."
"Of course it wasn't right."
"Then I'll redo it today."
"Mm"
Eliana's voice still carries a slightly higher tone, but it is no longer as unpleasant as before. Cassius answers very naturally, not paying attention to those remarks at all.
Emily stands not far away, doing her part of the work. She hears most of their conversation, but does not join in. The two of them talk quite comfortably, without awkward pauses. She watches for a moment, then lowers her head again and continues cutting small branches.
When the work is nearly done, all three of them leave the spot.
Emily walks closer to Cassius, then takes his hand out of habit. Cassius glances down for a moment, then holds her hand back, very naturally. With his other hand, he carries a large bundle of flowers they have just gathered.
Eliana walks beside them, her gaze passing over their joined hands once, then looking away.
They continue walking, mostly Cassius and Eliana talking, while Emily listens in silence.
Until suddenly, her legs give out.
Everything happens so fast that she cannot react. Her body tilts forward, but she does not fall straight to the ground.
Cassius falls along with her, reaching out to support Emily.
"Emily, are you okay?"
His voice carries a hint of urgency.
Emily does not answer yet, her gaze already falling to the ground.
The flowers in Cassius's hand have fallen, scattered across the path.
And… her hat is there too.
She freezes.
She does not bend down immediately.
Instead, she looks up. At Eliana.
Their eyes meet.
Emily clearly sees the expression on her face.
Not curiosity.
Not surprise.
Discomfort.
A bit of disgust, very clear.
Her throat tightens.
She does not need to look to know how her face looks right now. The dark veins stand out under her skin, running from her neck up to her cheek. Her pale red eyes lack vitality. Her brown hair is slightly messy from before.
She lowers her head quickly, picking up the hat, her hands trembling slightly.
She says nothing.
Just puts it back on.
Then turns away.
And runs.
Her steps are unsteady, slightly staggering, as if she could trip again at any moment.
"Emily!"
Cassius calls out, dropping everything left in his hands, immediately chasing after her without hesitation.
Only Eliana remains standing there.
—
Cassius chases after her quickly along the narrow dirt path, branches brushing lightly against his sleeves but he does not pay attention, his eyes focused only on the small figure ahead running unsteadily; when he calls out loudly, Emily finally stops, not because she wants to, but as if she no longer has the strength to take another step.
"Emily!"
She stands there, her back facing him, her shoulders trembling slightly, her hand gripping the hem of her shirt tightly as if trying to keep herself from collapsing; when Cassius gets closer, he hears uneven breathing mixed with quiet choking sounds.
He does not speak immediately, just stands a short distance behind her, then slowly steps closer, lowering his voice.
"Emily…"
She does not turn around, but this time she speaks, her voice broken.
"You saw it, didn't you"
—
On the other side of the garden, Eliana stands still for a moment before turning toward Thomas, who is not far from where they were before, it is clear he has witnessed what just happened.
Eliana hesitates for a moment, then asks,
"What happened to her?"
Thomas does not answer immediately. He looks toward the two children in the distance, then speaks
"It's a symptom she's had since birth"
"Her mother said so"
"And also said there is no complete cure"
—
Emily still stands with her back turned, her voice growing softer, as if every word is heavy.
"I hate it… I hate this face, I even hate myself… always having to hide, always having to run away… people look at me the same way anyway."
She lowers her head, the thin veil trembling with her uneven breathing, her hand tightening more.
"I know… anyone who sees it will feel uncomfortable… I don't want to be like this… I don't want this."
Emily bites her lip, her voice starting to break.
"I look at you, then look at her… then look back at myself… I feel so terrible. You're always so pretty, but me…"
She does not finish the sentence, but her hand is clearly trembling.
—
Thomas continues, not dragging it out, while Eliana just listens, her hand gripping the umbrella tighter without realizing.
"When she was a little over three years old, those marks once spread across her whole body, not just her neck or face, and it came with pain. Pain so intense she couldn't stand, only lie there, her parents had to use pain medicine so Emily could endure it."
He pauses briefly, then continues, his voice lower.
"Sometimes she passed out, woke up, then passed out again, for many days. No one could help, they could only wait."
Eliana glances slightly.
"What happened after that."
"Fortunately, After that , it receded, and she lived like this."
Eliana says nothing more, her gaze shifting slightly
—
Emily stands still, her head lowered, as if she herself does not want to see who she is, at that moment Cassius steps forward and takes her hand.
"You're not terrible"
Emily shakes her head very lightly "I am"
Cassius doesn't let go. His hand stays where it is, steady, like he's afraid she might disappear if he loosens it even a little.
"No" he repeats, still calm, but firmer this time "You're still Emily. Nothing about that has changed."
She doesn't answer.
"You still talk to me the same way," he continues, slower, trying to find words that make sense to her "You still sit next to me when you read. You still get annoyed when I don't understand something. You're still… you"
Emily's fingers tighten again, but not as much as before.
Cassius glances at her, then looks down slightly, thinking.
"I know how I see you."
"And that hasn't changed. Not even a little."
Emily's breathing stutters, but she still doesn't turn around.
Cassius shifts his grip slightly, holding her hand a bit more securely.
"You said you don't want to be like this"
"But even if it doesn't change… you don't have to hide from me."
Another small pause.
"I'm still here"
Emily's shoulders tremble.
"And… you don't have to compare yourself to anyone else either. Not me, not her."
"I'm not staying next to you because you look a certain way" he says "I'm here because it's you"
That time, Emily's grip falters.
Cassius exhales softly, then adds, almost like a quiet promise,
"I've always cared about you. It's always been like that"
Emily freezes, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Cassius then hesitates, but still reaches out and gently pulls her closer, not forcing, just enough to let her lean if she wants.
"Hey… it's okay" he murmurs.
Emily turns around, burying her face into his shirt, not crying out loud, but gripping his clothes tightly, this time she does not try to hide it anymore, just stands there, leaning on him.
—
After a while, when Cassius and Emily return, Emily's steps are slower but steadier, her hand still holding Cassius's, this time a bit tighter as if she does not want to let go.
Eliana watches them approach, stays silent for a moment, then speaks, her voice no longer as sharp as before.
"Hey"
Emily pauses, but does not step back.
Eliana looks at her for a moment, then speaks directly, without going around it.
"Earlier, I overreacted a bit. I was just surprised, I wasn't thinking badly of you."
Emily does not answer immediately, but her hand tightens slightly before she nods very lightly.
"Mm"
Eliana stands for another moment, then changes the subject, as if to ease the atmosphere.
"I heard from Cassius that you read a lot"
Emily looks down slightly, then replies.
"Yeah, I do read"
"What do you usually read?"
"Anything with words"
Eliana nods
"There's a library in the mansion. If you want, you can go there to read, no one will stop you."
Emily lifts her head slightly this time, not completely avoiding it like before.
"Thank you"
Eliana then turns her face away as if it is nothing important.
Cassius stands between them, looking back and forth, then smiles lightly, not interrupting.