Who are you…?”
I stepped forward cautiously.
I didn’t know who the boy was, but it was clear he was one of the guests in our house.
Tani clung tightly to the hem of my dress, hiding behind me.
The boy only smiled faintly at the sight, then held out Tosuni.
I quickly took the doll back into my arms. He opened his mouth slowly, as if to speak—
“I am…”
“Hello! I’m Julia. Julia Ward!”
Julia came running from behind, practically cutting him off.
My cheeks twitched.
“Do you want to play with me? There are some boys over there.”
“…Pft.”
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
It was the first time I’d ever seen Julia chase after someone so eagerly. And the boy—he looked at least three years older than us.
He’s about ten, maybe. He wouldn’t waste his time with kids who still have runny noses.
That’s probably why he ignored Tani, too.
But my laughter soon faltered.
The boy’s gaze had turned to me. His eyes locked with mine, steady and unreadable.
“Why are you—”
Before I could finish, he looked away, as if I’d never mattered.
Then, in a calm, soft tone, he answered Julia.
“Thank you for the offer. But I’d rather read my book quietly.”
“Ah…”
Julia’s cheeks flushed red.
Only then did I notice the thick tome he carried in one arm. It was far too heavy and complicated-looking for a child his age.
What kind of ten-year-old reads something like that?
Suddenly, a deep, adult voice sounded from behind him.
“Oh my, no matter how urgent your greetings, it’s poor manners to run ahead of your uncle.”
A tall man approached, stepping past the boy’s shoulder.
My eyes widened.
“Your Excellency, the Marquis!”
I hurriedly took Tani’s hand and Tosuni’s paw, guiding her toward him.
The Marquis Persis greeted us with his usual kind smile.
“You’ve grown so much, Edelweiss. And happy birthday, Titania.”
“Marquis, I missed you!”
He was one of my parents’ closest friends, the highest-ranking guest here today. The adults admired him for his generosity—though he had no children of his own, he never looked down on others.
“I missed you as well. By the way… have you greeted my nephew yet?”
“Your nephew?”
I turned. At some point, the boy had stepped to his side.
The Marquis rested a hand on his shoulder.
“This is my distant cousin’s child, Jaran. Jaran, meet Edelweiss and Titania, the young ladies of Viscount Knightley’s house.”
“…Hi.”
“Ah… it’s nice to meet you,” I replied awkwardly, shaking his hand.
Behind me, I could almost feel Julia’s furious glare stabbing into the back of my head.
“Alright, that’s enough,” the Marquis said cheerfully, patting the boy’s shoulder. “Take care of the children, but play quietly.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Then I’ll see you all later.”
With that, the Marquis strode off without hesitation.
“Um…”
Julia, who had been watching him go, hurried forward again, trying to capture Jaran’s attention.
But he only gave her a polite, distant smile.
“I’m sorry. Please keep it a secret that I followed my uncle here. Don’t tell the maids either.”
“W–what? Huh?”
Before she could respond, he moved past her.
Not only Julia, but even Tani and I stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard.
“Aahh… I really wanted to play with him…” Julia sighed dramatically, her eyes still glued to Jaran as if bewitched.
For a moment she looked utterly forlorn. Then her expression hardened.
“Fine. I’ll just follow him.”
“What? Julia! You had plans today!”
“It doesn’t matter. You two just stick to what we agreed on!”
Plans?
I frowned, wondering what she meant.
Julia glanced toward the maids who stood some distance away, then suddenly let out a piercing scream.
“Ahhhh! My bracelet! My bracelet is gone!”
“Miss Julia?”
The maids rushed over in alarm.
Julia clutched her wrist, eyes wide with fake tears.
“My bracelet! It was a gift from my father! I must have lost it before I came to the garden!”
“We’ll help you look right away!”
“But the mansion is so big—you’ll never find it alone! Both of you go search! I’ll come with you!”
“T-that’s…”
The maids hesitated, glancing toward me.
I gave a stiff nod. Better to let them go. If Julia didn’t get her way, she would only make others suffer.
In an instant, she whisked the maids off, casting me one last smug, victorious smile before disappearing.
Just what were you planning, Julia…?
The uneasy thought barely formed when—
“Hey, crybaby and crybaby’s sister. Where do you think you’re going?”
A mocking voice rang out.
Jeremy swaggered toward us and yanked Tosuni straight from Tani’s arms.
“Ah! To… Tosuni!”
“What are you doing!” I shouted, reaching for it.
“Give it back! Please, give it back!”
But instead of returning the doll, Jeremy hurled it toward Ilan.
“Ilan, catch!”
“Got it!”
Ilan laughed as he caught the rabbit, then tied it cruelly to the shaft of a thick arrow.
Tani’s tears spilled instantly.
“Uhh… Uhhhhh…!”
“Tani!”
I gathered her trembling body in my arms, rage bubbling in my chest.
She already cried herself hoarse this morning…!
Ilan waved the bow tauntingly, the doll dangling from the arrow.
“Are you going to cry too? If you want it back—come get it!”
With a snap—
Thwip!
The arrow shot high, sailing toward the ancient tree.
It struck, and the rope tangled perfectly around a branch. Tosuni now dangled far above, swaying helplessly in the wind.
“Tosuni! Hwaaah!”
Tani screamed until she was gasping for air.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
“I’ll be the youngest to join the Knights for sure!”
The boys laughed among themselves, ignoring her sobs.
And something inside me snapped.
“That’s it! I’ve had enough!”
Thud!
“Wah!”
“Argh!”
A cry louder than all the rest rang through the garden.
“…Oh.”
Perched on a nearby tree, I saw the scene unfold clearly.
Edelweiss Knightley’s forehead had just slammed into Ilan Neneri’s nose.
Well. That’s more entertaining than I expected.
I had returned reluctantly, obeying my uncle’s order to stay with the children. Truthfully, I’d wanted to wander the mansion.
But this—this was worth watching.
Blood spurted down Ilan’s face as he shrieked belatedly. Edelweiss, startled, lifted her head from where she’d rammed him.
Two thin streams of crimson trickled freely down his nose.
“Khff—”
I nearly laughed aloud. I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle the sound.
I didn’t want to miss a single moment of this unpredictable chaos.
And with Julia gone—dragging all the maids away—this farce was bound to last a while.
“…Hmm.”
But unlike me, Edelweiss didn’t look satisfied at all. Her face was filled with alarm.
So it wasn’t on purpose, then.
My excitement cooled.
“Unnie… hic… Tosuni…”
Her little sister was sobbing desperately again.
“If she cries this hard, it’ll harm her health,” I murmured under my breath.
But it wasn’t my place to intervene. Not yet. The time wasn’t right.
So I leaned back against the trunk and opened my book again.
“You wretched brat!”
“Calm down, Ilan! We’re at the Knightley estate!”
“Let me go!”
“I said no! Julia warned us not to start a fight in front of the adults!”
Their squabbling drifted between the turning of my pages.
“Unnie… Tosuni… Tosuni…”
“Tani, breathe slowly. We’ll need an adult to get Tosuni back—”
I froze.
Titania was gasping so hard she looked ready to collapse.
…She can’t die. Not here. Not now, before we’ve even spoken.
I set my book aside and rose to my feet.
But what I saw made me pause.
Edelweiss was already beneath the great tree where Tosuni hung.
One by one, she tugged off her shoes, grabbed the rough bark, and began to climb.
She’s actually going up?
It was the tallest, oldest tree in the garden. Ten times her height at least.
And yet she climbed anyway.
“Incredible…” I muttered.
From the beginning, her expression was strained with pain. I thought for sure she’d give up quickly.
But she gritted her teeth and climbed higher, hands and feet scrabbling for purchase.
Then—
“Ahhh!”
A sharp cry tore from her lips as she slipped, dangling precariously.
I frowned.
Somehow, she caught herself again. But a sharp, metallic scent reached my nose.
Sure enough—blood streamed down her leg, staining the bark. The wound was deep.
And still she climbed.
“Knightley, you’re bleeding!”
“Shut up, don’t tell her that! She’ll look down and fall!”
The boys sounded panicked now.
But my eyes never left her.
At last she reached the branch, untangled the rope, and freed the doll. Her face was pale, all her strength spent.
There was no way she could climb down.
“…This wasn’t part of the plan.”
I closed my book with a sigh.
And finally stood up to intervene.
