Russell's Adam's apple bobbed.
He opened his mouth to speak, but his usually quick tongue felt tangled, and for a long moment he couldn't utter a single word.
"Hello… beautiful lady."
He finally found his voice and spoke with a respectful tone, as though addressing a stranger.
Mary paused slightly upon hearing this. Her blue eyes turned toward him, filled with curiosity, as if wondering what kind of trouble this man was plotting now.
"I'm looking for a girl named Mary Morstan. Have you seen her?"
Russell asked with a smile, answering her earlier teasing remark.
A flicker of surprise crossed the girl's face for an instant before it melted into a smile.
Her gaze first passed over Russell and landed on the butler who had brought him in. She gave the man a wink.
The butler wisely withdrew from the room, closing the door behind him with both hands and leaving the stage to the couple.
"Mary Morstan isn't here."
Mary blinked and continued Russell's line. "She went out to take care of some business."
"That's truly a shame," Russell sighed and made to leave. "I'll come again another time."
"Hey, don't be in such a hurry to leave——"
The girl grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, lowering her voice. "Miss Morstan isn't here, but would it be all right if I kept you company instead?"
"Wouldn't that be somewhat inappropriate?"
Russell said.
"What's the problem?"
Mary leaned toward Russell, a mischievous light in her eyes.
"What's so great about Morstan? I have everything she has.
She has things I don't have either."
Her chin rested lightly on Russell's shoulder, her lips nearly brushing his earlobe.
Russell's Adam's apple bobbed again.
"All right, Mary, stop acting."
He sighed and decided to end the role-playing session. Otherwise, he had no idea how far they would go.
Hearing this, Mary smiled and released Russell's arm, stepping back slightly.
"You were the one who started acting first. Why can't you keep up?"
"I was wrong, okay?"
Russell sighed again and looked at her, only to suddenly realize he no longer knew where to look.
Should he look at her face? She was looking at him now. Whenever their eyes met, he was always struck by a sense of guilt, as though his underwear was showing through.
Mary's outfit was different from usual. The black shirt dress accentuated her slender figure, and the black stockings were barely hidden…
"Um…"
Russell gave a light cough and shifted his gaze to the decorations in the drawing room.
Since things had come to this, he might as well take a good look at the distant Morstan residence, family and all.
Mary, of course, didn't miss this. The corners of the girl's lips lifted slightly. She was clearly pleased.
She had spent a long time thinking about this outfit. From the moment she confirmed Russell was coming, she had been thinking about how to welcome him.
She had tried on clothes from her closet over and over again. Mel had nearly gone mad. When she finally chose this outfit, she had stood in front of the mirror for ten minutes, confirming that every detail was perfect.
Now, seeing Russell's expression, she felt that those ten minutes had been worth it.
She had actually wanted to grab that man's head and say, "Don't hide it. If you want to look, look properly."
But to maintain her dignity, Mary only gave a faint smile.
"Where is your father?"
Russell suddenly asked casually, as though changing the subject.
"He seems to have plans to meet a friend today, so he left early."
When her father's name came up, Mary's smile disappeared for an instant, but it quickly returned as though she had thought of something.
"He probably won't be back before dinner… so I'm in charge of the house today."
As she spoke, she took another step forward, took Russell's hand, and leaned in to sniff the scent at his collar.
"Hmm, no extra scent. Very good."
Mary nodded in satisfaction and naturally took his hand. Their fingers intertwined smoothly.
"Come on, I'll show you around the house."
As she spoke, she led Russell deeper into the drawing room.
Russell followed behind Mary and glanced at their intertwined hands.
"If we do something like this, won't your servants say anything?"
"Don't worry. They understand what they should and shouldn't say."
Mary said.
She took his hand and led him through a door beside the drawing room into a softly lit corridor.
This corridor was narrower than the previous one, but the walls were covered in light gold wallpaper, giving it a more private feel.
"This is the study," Mary stopped in front of a dark oak door and pushed it open, pointing inside.
Russell followed her gaze and saw a small study with a fireplace, a guest sofa, a desk, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on both sides, filled with books.
"Do you usually read articles here?"
Russell asked with interest.
"No, this is my father's study and also his atelier."
Mary shook her head. "He spends most of the day here. Sometimes he even sleeps here."
"Here? He sleeps in that chair?"
Russell raised one eyebrow. "That's a very down-to-earth way of thinking."
"Because it's small enough."
Mary said.
"The bedroom is too big, and he's alone. Compared to that, this small study feels more comfortable, and he's usually not disturbed here."
"Your father also seems to be someone who lacks a sense of security."
Russell muttered, "Since this is his workspace, let's not go in. Let's go somewhere else."
"Mm."
Mary nodded, then continued pulling him along.
They passed through the banquet hall and gallery, catching a glimpse of Arthur Morstan's collection room, but neither showed much interest.
"It seems there aren't many places left to see."
Mary said, "This house is big, but honestly… there's nothing particularly special about it."
"Hmm… your bedroom?"
Russell asked out of curiosity, then immediately realized he might have said something wrong.
Asking a woman to let him into her bedroom was somewhat rude.
"My bedroom?"
Mary repeated the words, her blue eyes blinking as she smiled with interest.
"You want to see it?"
"Um…"
Russell coughed, trying to cover up his earlier statement. "I just said it casually. I didn't mean anything by it. If it bothers you… you understand, right?"
"But I didn't say it bothers me."
Mary's voice came from beside him, carrying a faint smile.
"But…" she said slowly. "Do you really want to go?"
"Um…" Russell was momentarily at a loss for words.
"It's a joke."
Mary laughed. Her laughter was clear and beautiful, like wind chimes swaying in a breeze.
"Come on. My room might be much more interesting than those boring places."
As she spoke, she pulled Russell toward her room and eventually stopped in front of a white door.
This door was no different from the others—painted the same white with a gold doorknob. The only difference was a small, slightly worn wooden plaque hanging below the doorknob with a few words delicately engraved on it.
[Please knock]
Russell stared at the wooden plaque, momentarily stunned.
"This is?"
"I wrote this when I was little," Mary said, slightly embarrassed. "Back then, I thought my bedroom was a very important place, so I didn't want anyone coming in casually. That's why I wrote this sign and put it up."
She paused and turned to smile at him.
"Even after I grew up, the sign was never taken down. My father and the servants still knock on the door, so it's stayed up there all this time."
Russell looked at the wooden plaque, then at her.
"Should I knock?"
Mary tilted her head, as though seriously considering the question.
"Hmm…" she said slowly. "If it were someone else, I would definitely say yes, but…"
She paused, then suddenly stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear.
"You've been given special permission."
Warm breath brushed against his earlobe, sending a shiver down Russell's spine.
By the time he came back to his senses, Mary had already opened the door and was guiding him inside.
The room wasn't particularly different from the two times he had visited before. The Simmons bed, bookshelf, fireplace… The only difference was that this time he had entered through the front entrance.
"How is it?"
Mary asked.
"Hmm… it suits your style very well."
Russell thought for a moment before saying, "This is the first time I've been in a girl's room."
"First time? What about Charlotte?"
"Charlotte's room… has almost nothing to do with her gender."
Russell shrugged.
Hearing this, Mary couldn't help but laugh, though there was a belated, slightly bitter emotion hidden behind it.
She took a deep breath, set aside her complicated feelings, and guided Russell into her room despite knowing he had been there before.
"This is my desk," she said, pointing to the table by the window where several books and a delicate ink bottle were neatly arranged. "I usually write letters or read here."
Russell looked where she pointed and saw several books on the desk. One of them he recognized as Tagore's Stray Birds.
"You're still reading this?"
He asked casually.
"Mm." Mary nodded as she walked toward the desk. "I flip through it when I have time. There are some passages you never get tired of no matter how many times you read them."
As she spoke, she casually opened the book. The moment her gaze landed on a certain page, she froze in surprise.
On that page was a line lightly marked with pencil, as though the reader had specially marked it because they liked that part.
'Perhaps I dreamed that we were like strangers to each other.'
'When I woke up, we had become incredibly close.'
It was a line she had unconsciously erased the last time she saw it.
She hadn't thought Russell would come to see her.
The girl tried to close the book, but her hand trembled slightly. However, Russell's gaze was already fixed on that line.
Her fingers remained on the page, the tips slightly pale, as though she was hesitating between closing the book or leaving it open.
"This line…" Russell began in a calm voice. "It's well written."
"I… think so too."
Mary nodded, closed the book, and returned it to its original place.
"Let's look at other places. The afternoon tea should be ready by now."
As she spoke, she took Russell's hand and led him away from the desk.
"Where are we going?"
Russell asked with interest.
"Glass greenhouse."
Mary said, "That's my favorite place."
…
The glass greenhouse was located in the backyard of the mansion—an independent space made of glass and white iron framework.
Its location was excellent. Sunlight poured in almost unobstructed, making the entire greenhouse warm and bright.
Various flowers bloomed in profusion, competing to show off their beauty. A fresh floral fragrance filled the air.
In the center of the greenhouse was a small round table covered with a white tablecloth. A three-tiered pastry stand held freshly baked scones, delicate little sandwiches, and various cookies. Next to it was a steaming pot of Darjeeling tea, along with cream and jam for the tea.
When Mel saw the two of them enter, she stepped aside and gave a light bow.
"Miss, Mr. Watson."
"Is everything prepared?"
Mary asked.
"Yes, Miss."
"Understood." Mary nodded in satisfaction. "Then you can go downstairs now. I'll clean up the afternoon tea myself."
"Yes."
Mel nodded and quietly left. Only sunlight and the scent of flowers remained beside the two of them.
Mary took Russell's hand and stepped into this warm world enclosed by glass.
Sunlight poured in through the transparent roof, illuminating the entire greenhouse with bright yet soft light.
In the winter greenhouse, all kinds of flowers bloomed—roses, lilies, orchids, and flowers whose names he didn't know.
Red, white, pink, and purple layered upon each other like an oil painting with its palette overturned.
The air was filled with various floral scents, but the most prominent among them was the faint white-tea fragrance drifting from Mary.
Russell was somewhat captivated by the flowers overflowing in the room and couldn't help but look around.
"Did you take care of all of these?"
"Only a small part of them."
Mary released his hand and walked toward a cluster of blooming pink roses, gently stroking the petals.
"After all, I'm not a professional, so for delicate varieties, I still have to rely on the gardener."
As she spoke, she turned around and smiled at Russell.
"There aren't many flowers that bloom in winter. Most are grown in greenhouses. But when spring comes, this place will be even more beautiful."
Hearing this, Russell smiled and took a step forward.
"I've found a truly beautiful flower. Compared to it, all the other flowers look cheap."
Hearing this, Mary stood in front of the cluster of pink roses and turned around. Sunlight streaming through the glass roof cast flowing rings of light on her long, wavy silver hair.
"Where?"
Her gaze followed Russell's line of sight, as though searching for the flower.
But she quickly realized that his gaze was fixed on her and never wavered, showing no interest in the surrounding flowers.
"It's right here."
He said.
…