Charlotte's expression froze on her face.
She stared hard at Russell, and Russell merely returned an innocent smile.
"Wonderful, thank you, Miss Holmes."
Louise, standing between the two of them, let out a cheer.
"We absolutely won't be any trouble to you."
She looked at the princess before her, glittering like a little sun, and then glanced at the fellow beside her. In the end, she only drew a deep breath.
"I still have other matters to attend to this afternoon," she said in a tone she tried to keep from sounding too curt, "so I may not be able to accompany you the whole time."
"That's all right!" Louise shook her head, not minding in the least. "Then we'll just follow you for a little while, just a little while—is that all right?"
She pressed her palms together over her chest, those lovely amber eyes shining with light, like some small animal.
Charlotte felt her temples beginning to throb faintly.
Children were such a bother.
She was absolutely never having one of her own.
Absolutely.
"Fine."
"Yay!"
Having received permission, the smile on Louise's face grew all the more radiant.
The girl couldn't help giving a little hop, her skirt fluttering with the motion.
Watching her in this delighted state, Charlotte pinched the bridge of her nose helplessly, then cast her gaze toward Russell.
Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she bent down, her tone softening.
"Oh, by the way, Your Highness—this is my first time at Buckingham Palace, and I'm not yet very familiar with the layout. So if you wouldn't mind, might I ask you to show me the way?"
"Of course! Where are we going now?" Louise nodded vigorously.
"To the tower in the West Wing."
"The West Wing tower—I know where that is, follow me!"
Louise volunteered herself and ran to the very front of the group, turning back to wave at the two of them.
"It's just up ahead, Miss Holmes, and Mr. Watson."
"Coming." Russell answered, then strode off after her.
Charlotte followed close behind as well, walking shoulder to shoulder with Russell while keeping a certain distance from Louise.
"I require a reasonable explanation, Russell Watson."
Watching Louise up ahead, she lowered her voice and spoke to the Russell at her side.
"Have you forgotten what I told you yesterday?"
[Malice Points from Charlotte Holmes, +30]
"Don't be so serious." Russell smiled, raising a hand at the same time to block an elbow strike from Charlotte.
"We can't very well let Her Highness stew in her room all day. She'd go stir-crazy."
"You seem to have forgotten what real business brought us to Buckingham Palace. Do I need to remind you? We aren't here to babysit."
"My assignment doesn't seem all that different from babysitting." Russell shrugged, the very picture of an incorrigible rogue.
"In any case, I've already brought her out. Or you can tell her yourself—tell her to go back and stay in her bedroom."
Charlotte fell silent.
She looked at that bounding little figure up ahead, like a small bird, and then at this fellow beside her with his innocent face, as if nothing at all had happened.
"I'll remember this." After a long moment, she finally forced the words out through her teeth. "This account—we'll settle it once we're back."
And so the three of them, in this peculiar formation, made their way to the foot of the tower.
The tower was very tall, its spiraling staircase climbing almost to the very limit of sight.
"I've never been up there before." Louise stood at the foot of the stairs, gazing up at the opening at the very top.
"Then today you can broaden your horizons."
Russell stepped forward with a smile, leading Louise as they began to climb.
Charlotte drew a deep breath, pressing down those superfluous emotions for the moment, and followed after.
Reaching the top of the tower, a sweeping view unfurled before the three of them in an instant.
The whole of Buckingham Palace, indeed the greater part of London, lay before their eyes.
"Wow..." Louise leaned over the railing and let out a heartfelt gasp of wonder.
"This is the first time I've ever seen London from this angle."
Russell and Charlotte stepped over beside her, following her gaze.
In the distance, the River Thames wound through the city like a ribbon of silver, while the outlines of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben loomed faintly in the thin mist.
The streets teemed with carriages and passersby, brimming with the vivid, earthly bustle of the human world.
"It really is quite something." Russell nodded, giving his sincere appraisal.
"This is one of the highest points in all of Buckingham Palace," Charlotte explained, standing to one side.
"It's also one of the surveillance points Mycroft chose. From here, you can look down upon every path by which an intrusion might come."
"And the other one?" Louise asked curiously.
"The East Wing—the matching tower, symmetrical to this one." Charlotte pointed into the distance. "That's the area Mycroft is responsible for."
The three of them lingered atop the tower for a while, feeling the wind, taking in the view.
Louise seemed especially excited, chattering away without pause.
One moment she pointed at St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance, asking whether angels truly dwelled there; the next she pointed at the steamboats on the River Thames, asking whether they were bound for the fabled El Dorado.
For once, Charlotte showed no sign of impatience, patiently answering the princess's wildly imaginative questions.
Though the answers mostly sounded utterly down-to-earth and short on fun, Louise listened with relish all the same.
As for Russell, he merely kept dutiful watch to one side, chiming in with a word or two now and then.
"It's about time," Charlotte said, glancing at her pocket watch. "Her Highness should be getting back for lunch."
"Ah... so soon?" Louise was left wanting more.
"May I come out again this afternoon, Miss Holmes?" she asked, full of anticipation.
"That will depend on Mr. Watson." Charlotte lobbed the ball right back, shooting Russell a warning glance at the same time.
"Mr. Watson?" Louise turned her head, fixing Russell with those watery amber eyes.
"Ahem," Russell cleared his throat. "We'll talk about it this afternoon, Your Highness. Let's go eat first."
The three of them left the tower and returned to the dining hall.
Lunch was sumptuous as ever, but after finishing the meal, Louise, contrary to expectation, didn't clamor to keep wandering about Buckingham Palace.
"Mr. Watson, I'd like to take a little nap. Would you walk me back to my room?"
The girl tugged at the hem of Russell's clothes, rubbing her eyes as she spoke.
"Of course, Your Highness."
Russell nodded, and after bidding Charlotte farewell, escorted Louise back to her bedroom.
Once the door had closed, Louise took the shawl from her shoulders, then turned back and gave Russell an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Watson."
"Why are you apologizing?" Russell raised an eyebrow.
"Because... Miss Holmes is actually angry, isn't she?"
the girl said softly.
"It's all my fault for being so willful. Everyone's so busy today... it's just... I haven't seen Buckingham Palace this lively in such a long time."
Hearing this, Russell smiled with relief, then reached out and ruffled Louise's hair.
"Willfulness is a privilege that belongs to children alone, Your Highness."
he said.
"And besides, Charlotte isn't angry."
"Re... really?" Louise looked at Russell.
"Of course. I give you my word." Russell nodded.
"She only seems hard to get along with. In truth, she's far more reasonable than you'd imagine."
Listening to Russell's easy tone, the worry in Louise's heart eased a little at last.
"All right, Your Highness," Russell said, walking to the bedside and pulling back the covers for her.
"It's naptime now. You ought to rest.
Once you've recovered your spirits, you'll have the energy tonight to meet that mysterious guest, won't you?"
"Mm." Louise nodded obediently, lying down obediently on the bed and tucking the covers in nicely.
She really was a little tired; a whole morning of excitement and anticipation had nearly drained her of all her energy.
"So... Mr. Watson, what about you?" She poked her little head out from under the covers, asking curiously.
"I'll keep watch right here," Russell said, pointing to the soft sofa in the corner of the room.
"Don't worry, I won't leave."
"All right." Contented, Louise drew her head back under the covers and closed those lovely amber eyes.
Before long, only the sound of her even, steady breathing remained in the room.
Russell walked over to the sofa and sat down, picking up a book at random, ready to while away the long afternoon hours.
Yet, the moment he opened the pages, the System's settlement chime sounded in his mind without the slightest warning.
[Phase Two Mission (Return) complete.]
[The music box has been successfully returned, and you were not discovered by anyone during the operation. Rating: S+ (Soundless and Silent)]
[Reward Settlement: All Malice Points spent during the mission have been refunded (1000).
Malice Points from Buckingham Palace, Scotland Yard, and other regions, +2000.
Attribute Points +1]
[Final Mission now unlocked:
— The Perfect Curtain Call]
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