This was probably the most torturous pair of boots Mary had ever worn in her life.
When Russell grabbed her ankle and his fingertips unconsciously traced her calf, a tingling sensation spread from the sole of her foot throughout her entire body. The girl's body trembled slightly.
After Russell finished tying the shoelaces, he looked up and met her moist eyes.
"There's still one more."
He said.
"No, it's not necessary!"
Mary quickly shook her head and tried to pull her other foot back. "I can do it myself!"
"That won't do."
Russell grabbed Mary's other ankle and stopped her movement.
"What kind of situation is it where you put on one boot yourself and I put on the other?"
He spoke in a serious tone. "When you start something, you have to see it through to the end."
"…"
Mary wanted to say something, but Russell had already lowered his head and repeated the same action as before.
Mary sat on the table, looking down, and no longer tried to look at him.
She felt as though her cheeks were so hot that an egg could be fried on them.
Then, after an unknown amount of time, she felt as though the thing gripping her calf had disappeared.
"Why are you still sitting there?"
Russell's voice rang out again. "Aren't you coming down?"
Hearing this, the girl looked up at him with a resentful expression and jumped down from the table.
Without a word of thanks, she straightened her posture, immediately turned her back to him, and began walking forward with small steps.
From her silhouette, one could sense deep shame, indignation, and regret.
Russell followed behind her, staring at her vividly red ears, feeling particularly satisfied.
However, Mary turned around and glared at him.
"Don't follow me!"
She said angrily.
"Are you angry?"
Russell raised one eyebrow.
"What do you think?"
Mary puffed out her cheeks. "Pervert."
"You started it first."
Russell shrugged and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Alright, let's go."
But the girl still didn't seem convinced. She grabbed Russell's hand and placed it to the side.
"I told you not to follow me."
"Are you still angry? Will you feel better if I apologize?"
"I'm going to the girls' bathroom. Are you coming with me?"
Mary glared at him.
Russell paused for a moment, then gave an awkward laugh. "Please, go ahead."
Seeing this, Mary snorted and turned around to leave the classroom, leaving behind a somewhat flustered person.
Russell sat back down in the chair, but unconsciously replayed the sensation he had just felt over and over again.
Smooth, delicate, and warm… like the finest silk, or like lustrous jade.
He suddenly understood why some people had such strong obsessions with feet.
On the other side, inside the bathroom.
Mary turned on the faucet and washed her flushed cheeks with cold tap water.
In the mirror, the girl's cheeks were flushed red, and there were still faint traces of tears at the corners of her eyes. Her eyes, which should have been those of a hunter, were now filled with shame and indignation.
Just imagining that sensation made her body tremble slightly.
It was very strange...
A tingling numbness, like an electric current running from the soles of her feet and instantly spreading throughout her body, had assaulted her, making her feel as though all the strength had left her.
When Mary's thumb touched the sole of her foot, her cheeks grew even hotter.
That idiot… pervert.
She splashed cold water on her face again until the heat on her face subsided a little and the physiological throbbing in her body gradually calmed down. Only then did she finally turn off the faucet and fix her appearance in front of the mirror.
The girl in the mirror had regained her usual elegance and composure, except for the faint redness at the tips of her ears.
She took a deep breath to encourage herself, then turned away from the sink.
When she returned to the empty classroom, Russell was leaning against the window, looking at the scenery outside.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned around and looked toward the entrance.
"You're back?"
"Mm."
Mary answered, but her expression had returned to calm, showing no sign of anything unusual.
She walked to the chair next to Russell and sat down, but unlike before, she maintained a casual distance.
"Are you still angry?"
Russell looked at her and asked hesitantly.
Mary glanced at him but said nothing.
"Alright, alright, I was wrong."
Russell sighed and readily admitted his mistake. "I won't do that again next time."
Hearing this, Mary's lips curved into a faint smile, but she quickly suppressed it.
"Will there even be a next time?"
She hummed softly.
"A slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue."
Russell quickly waved his hand.
The girl looked away in satisfaction, but she didn't tease him like before.
The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The empty classroom was silent. From outside, only the occasional chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves swaying in the wind could be heard.
The two sat side by side by the window, neither of them speaking. However, there was no awkward atmosphere—only a faint, ambiguous silence drifting between them.
Mary tilted her head and looked out the window. Sunlight poured onto her profile, making her delicate features almost transparent. Her long silver hair swayed gently in the breeze.
At this moment, time seemed to flow slowly. Every second felt like stretched sugar threads—sweet, and destined to linger in the heart forever.
"Russell."
After an unknown amount of time, Mary suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
"Hm?"
Russell turned to face her.
The girl turned her face. Her blue eyes looked especially clear under the sunlight.
"I…"
She opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but swallowed the words.
"What's wrong?"
Russell asked.
Mary shook her head, then nodded.
She simply looked at him. In her eyes, which usually held a smile, there was now a complex mix of emotions.
"Do you remember?" she said gently. "I told you to wait a little longer, didn't I?"
Russell paused for a moment before nodding. "I remember."
"I won't make you wait too long."
Mary said, "One week… at most within a month. Within a month."
She paused for a moment, then began speaking in a pleading tone.
"So… please wait for me one more month… okay?"
Hearing this, Russell stared at those shining eyes for a while, as though deep in thought, and remained silent.
"I don't really understand what you mean by 'the real you,'" Russell finally said slowly.
"Because in my eyes, every single moment of you is real, without the slightest bit of falsehood."
Mary looked slightly surprised.
"But if you want me to wait…"
Russell continued with a smile. "I'll wait."
The girl kept her lips tightly closed and remained silent.
Why...
Why do I always end up saying unnecessary things?
"You…"
She said softly, then reached out and wrapped her arms around Russell's waist, burying her face in his arms.
"You're always like this."
The girl's muffled voice came from deep within his chest. Then she hugged him even tighter.
Russell looked at Mary in his arms and smiled gently. He then placed his hand on her head and slowly stroked it.
"Ah, that's right. There was one more thing."
Suddenly, Mary raised her face and gave Russell a mischievous look.
"Hm?"
Russell raised one eyebrow. "What is it?"
"A woman's legs are sacred and must not be violated."
Mary said, "Whether intentional or not, it should be considered a serious crime."
"You're saying that now?"
Russell narrowed his eyes. "You were the one who provoked me first."
"But I did tell you to stop," the girl laughed. "The one who stubbornly insisted on doing things his own way and said 'when you start something, you have to see it through to the end' was you."
She fixed her gaze on Russell, as though she had once again taken on the role of the hunter, and tightened the arm she had wrapped around his waist to prevent her prey from escaping.
"Well then, Mr. Russell, I now have a weakness of yours in my grasp."
She laughed as though her scheme had succeeded.
"So," Russell looked at her and said. "What are you planning to do? Have Scotland Yard arrest me?"
"That depends on your sincerity."
Mary smiled. "You have to take responsibility."
"Then how do you plan to make me take responsibility?"
He asked.
"Hmm…"
Mary tilted her head as though seriously considering the question.
"Then let's start from today."
After thinking for a moment, the girl slowly… opened her mouth and extended her slender fingers. Her fingertips glowed a beautiful pink in the sunlight.
"First, from now on, make sure you rest properly. No more staying up late."
Russell paused for a moment, then laughed.
"What is this?"
"I'm serious."
Mary raised her face and looked straight at him with her blue eyes.
"You always care about others, but you rarely think about yourself. Yesterday you must have been really tired, yet you still ran around with me the whole time. After I left, you were probably worrying about this and that, and on top of that, you have to wake up early every morning to make breakfast for Charlotte."
She complained, then lightly poked Russell's chest with her finger.
"So first and foremost, get enough rest and don't stay up late. Especially don't stay up until dawn helping Charlotte with her cases.
If you have any objections about Charlotte, tell me directly."
"Alright."
Russell agreed and nodded.
"Second," Mary said, raising another finger to make a peace sign.
"From now on, you have to eat properly. You're not allowed to skip breakfast just because you're busy, and you're absolutely not allowed to just grab a piece of bread to fill your stomach."
"Wait a minute."
Russell cut her off. "You don't have to remind me of something like that. I've never skipped a meal before."
"Just because it doesn't exist now doesn't mean it won't exist in the future."
Mary said flatly. "I have to correct all your bad habits in advance."
Russell looked at her serious face and suddenly felt like laughing.
"What if I don't change it?"
Mary blinked and gave him a dangerous smile.
"Then I'll stay at Baker Street and watch over you every day."
"...Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Russell was silent for two seconds, then sighed.
"Understood. I agree to the second condition as well."
Mary nodded in satisfaction, then raised her ring finger.
Three slender white fingers lay side by side, glowing softly in the afternoon sunlight.
"There's a third one——"
Just as Mary was about to raise her third finger, Russell spoke first.
"Study hard?"
He asked hesitantly.
"After all, the most important things are getting enough rest first, eating properly second, and studying hard third, right?"
Hearing this, Mary paused for a moment before laughing quietly. Her smile carried a hint of helplessness, yet at the same time, it was somewhat indulgent, as though she were looking at a child who knew nothing about the world.
"No, that's not it."
She shook her head. "I don't care about your grades at all. Whether you listen properly in class, whether you understand the lesson content, or whether you fail your final exams—none of that has anything to do with me."
The girl smiled as she looked up at Russell. "Those things aren't important to me, and they have no meaning. Do you know what the Morstan family does?"
"...Business?"
Russell answered hesitantly.
"Yes, business."
Mary nodded. "Railways, mining, textiles, real estate… More than half of the factories in London have shares owned by the Morstan family. Even the library at Imperial College London is funded by donations from our family."
She spoke in a calm tone, as though stating something trivial.
"So…"
Mary leaned forward and stared straight at him with her blue eyes.
"Even if you never attend another class from now on, even if you fail every single subject, even if you get expelled from Imperial College——"
The corners of her lips curved into a proud arc.
"I can afford to support you."
Russell was momentarily at a loss for words.
"So my third request is very simple."
Mary's voice softened.
"I want you to watch over me properly."
She said.
"Whether I'm laughing, crying, angry, or jealous—watch me carefully.
Whether I'm wearing my uniform, formal clothes, casual clothes, or any other outfit—watch over me attentively.
Watch me as I walk toward you step by step.
Watch me as I gradually fill up your world.
Watch how I make it so that you can no longer leave me."
The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the two of them. After Mary finished speaking, she said nothing more.
She took a small step back and looked at him, as though waiting for a response.
"That's…"
Russell paused. "It doesn't seem that difficult."
"It was never a difficult thing to begin with."
Mary said this and leaned forward slightly. "Did you really think I would ask you for something difficult?"
"I thought I'd have to write you a letter every day reporting my actions and the people I met."
Russell said half-jokingly.
"Hm? That's a good suggestion."
The girl's eyes darted around.
"Should I change the way I do things? Not only write me a daily report letter, but also tell me what you did with Charlotte, what you talked about, what you ate, and then…"
"Stop, stop. I think that's enough."
Russell quickly stopped her.
Seeing this, the girl laughed. Her laughter was clear and beautiful, like wind chimes swaying in a breeze.
"Then it's settled."
She withdrew her fingers and instead took Russell's hand. Their fingers intertwined.
"If you can't do that, then you have to swallow a thousand needles!"
…