Guided by the maid, the two walked down the corridor and arrived at the door of Louise's bedroom.
"From here on," Charlotte stopped in front of the door, turned around, and gave Russell her final instructions. "Your duty begins now. Don't forget what I told you."
"Understood."
Russell nodded.
Charlotte said nothing more. She simply stared at him for a moment, then turned and walked away, disappearing around the corner of the corridor in an instant.
The maid opened the door for Russell.
"Mr. Watson, please."
Russell took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Inside the bedroom, Louise was sitting in front of the vanity table while a maid combed her long, smooth blonde hair.
Today she wore a light blue dress adorned with white lace at the hem. She looked fresh and charming, like a hyacinth just beginning to bloom.
They seemed dressed up and waiting for someone to arrive.
"Good morning, Your Highness."
Russell walked a little behind her and bowed lightly.
"Good morning, Mr. Watson."
Louise saw Russell's reflection in the mirror and broke into a bright smile.
Once the maid finished arranging the princess's hair, she bowed and left the room, leaving only the two of them.
"Where is Miss Holmes?"
Louise stood up and asked curiously.
"She and Mr. Mycroft have more important tasks to handle." Russell explained, "So today, I'm the only one by your side."
"I see."
Louise nodded thoughtfully and twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
"By the way, Mr. Watson."
Suddenly, the girl seemed to think of something. She stood up from the chair and walked toward Russell.
"Hm?"
Russell looked at her curiously. "What is it?"
"What do you think of my outfit?"
Louise spun around anxiously.
"I mean… from a man's perspective, how does it look?"
Russell was slightly surprised by the question, but he quickly showed a meaningful smile.
"I think Mr. Moriarty will definitely like it."
Upon hearing this answer, the girl's cheeks instantly flushed red.
"Ah… um… I didn't mean it like that… just…"
Louise tried to explain in a stammer, but when she met Russell's smiling eyes, she swallowed her words and could only lower her head in slight embarrassment.
Russell did not tease her about it. Instead, he shifted his gaze toward the window and changed the subject.
"Your Highness, the sun is shining brightly today. Would you like to go for a walk?"
"Is that okay?"
Louise's eyes sparkled instantly as she looked outside the window.
"I thought I'd be stuck in my room all day."
"My job is to ensure your safety, not to restrict your freedom." Russell said calmly. "Of course, we can't go too far, and we must stay within sight of others."
"What if someone reports me?"
"Then we'll just say it was my idea." Russell smiled lightly. "Besides, I don't think Moriarty will show up at this time."
"I… think so too!"
Louise nodded vigorously.
"Wait a moment. I'll find a shawl."
She turned around, opened the closet, and began searching for a shawl suitable for going out.
Russell watched the girl busily moving in front of the closet with an amused expression, then quietly shifted his gaze to the rosewood storage cabinet beside her. It was about half a person's height, elegantly designed with intricate rose carvings, looking more like a work of art than mere storage furniture.
Most importantly, the lock was unlocked.
Before Louise could find her favorite shawl, Russell slowly approached the cabinet.
Then he took the music box out of his trench coat pocket.
He gently opened the cabinet door, placed the music box firmly in the emptiest spot, and quietly closed the door.
His enhanced stealth ability and skillful hand movements displayed their full potential at this moment.
The entire process was smooth and seamless, taking less than three seconds.
By the time he returned to his original position and casually put his hands in his pockets in a relaxed pose, Louise had finally made her choice.
She had picked an orange-yellow shawl that perfectly matched her light blue dress.
"So, Mr. Watson, does this look good?"
The girl's face glowed with a bright smile, her beautiful amber eyes full of expectation.
"Of course," Russell praised generously. "You look like the brightest sunflower in the garden."
"Really?"
After receiving the compliment, Louise's smile grew even brighter.
"Come on, Mr. Watson! Let's go to the garden!"
Like a little bird eager to fly out of its cage, she eagerly grabbed Russell's sleeve and dashed toward the door.
"Your Highness, please slow down a little," Russell said with slight exasperation as she pulled him along. "Be careful not to trip."
The two exited the bedroom one after another.
The guards at the door saw them come out and instinctively started to follow, but Russell's glance stopped them.
"We're just taking a walk in the garden. We won't leave your line of sight."
Russell said.
The guard hesitated for a moment but recalled Mycroft's previous instructions and finally nodded, returning to his post.
Security in the royal gardens was even stricter than the night before.
At nearly every intersection and corner stood at least two fully armed royal guards.
Their sharp eyes scanned every inch like hawks, missing no suspicious movement.
Louise seemed completely unaffected by the tense atmosphere. Or perhaps she had already grown accustomed to this constant surveillance.
She enthusiastically led Russell through the garden, introducing various flowers.
Russell listened patiently and always offered the most appropriate compliments.
They continued their walk from the garden to the gallery, where they unexpectedly ran into Charlotte.
"Hello, Miss Holmes."
Louise waved at Charlotte as a greeting.
Charlotte looked surprised at first but quickly nodded and smiled back at Louise.
"What are you doing here?"
She asked gently and calmly, though Russell detected a hint of coldness in her voice.
"Her Highness felt a bit stuffy in her room, so I took her out for a walk."
Before Louise could speak, Russell answered, taking responsibility.
Charlotte glanced at him but said nothing, only letting out a faint "Hmm."
"Are you on patrol too, Miss Holmes?"
Louise asked with great interest.
"Just taking a look around."
Charlotte shifted her gaze and returned to her usual calm tone.
"So… did you find anything?"
Louise's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Unfortunately, nothing so far."
Charlotte shook her head. "We might need to check other places."
"Can I come with you?" Louise asked hurriedly. "I mean, Mr. Watson and I can join you."
Hearing this, Charlotte frowned. She wanted to refuse but didn't know how to phrase it.
As a result, she could only direct her attention to Russell.
You know what you should do.
Seeing this, Russell frowned, then suddenly realized what was happening.
"I understand what you mean."
"Your Highness, Miss Charlotte says she has no objections."
"?"
…
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