After hearing Louise's simple yet somewhat loaded explanation, the atmosphere at the dinner table grew slightly awkward.
The Queen and King exchanged glances, the same sense of helplessness visible on both their faces. Meanwhile, Mycroft and Russell exchanged meaningful smiles but said nothing.
Charlotte looked at Louise's face, filled with anxiety and pleading, and felt at a complete loss for what to do.
"Your Highness," Mycroft finally spoke, breaking the silence and drawing Louise's attention away from Charlotte. "Please rest assured," he said in a reassuring tone. "Our top priority is to ensure everyone's safety and restore the dignity befitting the royal family.
As for Mr. Moriarty, while we have no intention of overlooking his contributions to London, we cannot ignore his offenses against the royal family either. Therefore, we will handle this in the most appropriate manner."
It was a typical, vague official response. Louise, who had lived in Buckingham Palace for many years, naturally sensed the formal tone and pouted in dissatisfaction. However, seeing her mother's all-knowing expression, she ultimately said nothing. She simply lowered her head and poked at the dessert on her plate with her fork.
After finishing the preparations for tomorrow night, dinner came to an end. The Queen, King, and Louise left first, while Mycroft and the others remained for final adjustments.
"Basically, it's as we discussed at dinner," Charlotte said, looking at the Buckingham Palace defense map in her hands. "Mycroft and I will be responsible for the East Wing, and the other person will handle the West Wing."
There were two towers there, offering a view over nearly half of Buckingham Palace, but they were only wide enough for one person to sit on each side.
"So, should I stand guard outside the princess's bedroom door?"
"Outside the bedroom door? No, no, that's not it." Mycroft shook his head. "You have to be inside and keep watch."
"Is that appropriate?" Russell raised one eyebrow.
"In this situation, concepts like 'appropriate' or 'inappropriate' don't exist. What matters is whether it's useful," Mycroft said.
"There is a special summoning bell in the princess's room. If Moriarty appears, ring it immediately. Charlotte and I will then bring people from the east and west respectively."
"But—" Mycroft suddenly paused and stared intently into Russell's eyes. "Remember, we only get one chance. The moment the button is pressed, Buckingham Palace will fall into the most chaotic state in its history."
"So, before pressing the button, I must confirm that the person is really Moriarty himself?"
"That's correct." Mycroft nodded in agreement.
"I see."
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, young man." Mycroft lightly patted Russell's shoulder. "Moriarty is not an assassin. He won't harm you or the princess. As long as we can prevent him from approaching the princess, our victory is assured. Even if we fail, no one will blame us. So relax, and ignore any doubts you may have."
"Tonight, you must follow one principle: the presumption of innocence."
"Do not ring the bell until you have met Moriarty."
"Understood. I get what you're saying."
"Very good." Mycroft withdrew his hand with satisfaction. "Then, get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow will be a long night.
By the way, we've already applied for your leave from school, Mr. Watson, so don't worry."
"Understood… Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome." He smiled, gave a few final instructions, then turned and left the banquet hall. Only Russell and Charlotte remained.
Now, where to next?
Russell asked, "Shall we go back to our rooms and sleep?"
"We came all the way to Buckingham Palace, and you just want to sleep?" Charlotte glanced at him sideways. "Needless to say, tonight might be the last chance we have to move around freely inside Buckingham Palace."
"The biggest problem is that even if I wanted to leave here, I wouldn't know the way…" Russell trailed off and looked at Charlotte. "Would you like to go for a walk together?"
Upon hearing this, Charlotte's hand, which had been flipping through the defense map, paused slightly. She looked up, fixing her gray-blue eyes on Russell as if deep in thought.
Finally, she silently folded the map in her hands, took a step forward, and tucked it into Russell's chest pocket. Only a small corner peeked out.
"Let's go."
With that, she walked toward the door. Russell glanced down at the blueprint in his pocket and quickly followed.
Instead of strolling through the luxurious halls of Buckingham Palace, the two headed down a long corridor toward the royal gardens at the back of the palace. Under the night sky, the garden was far quieter than during the day.
Moonlight poured down like mercury, casting a faint silver outline over the meticulously trimmed hedges and flowerbeds. The air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and the fragrance of various exotic flowers.
The two walked side by side along a path paved with white pebbles. The wind gently rustled the treetops, producing a faint "shhh" sound. In this tranquil scene, that was the only sound to be heard.
From the beginning, Charlotte said nothing. She simply walked quietly, occasionally letting her gaze drift over the flowers that glowed with a unique beauty under the moonlight.
"You seem to have a special fondness for gardens," Russell said, hands in his pockets as he turned toward the girl beside him.
"We are merely observing," Charlotte replied, averting her gaze while maintaining her calm tone. "All the plants here are rare varieties collected from around the world and carefully cultivated by top gardeners. The layout, tree species, pruning methods… every detail has been meticulously crafted, reflecting the royal family's sense of aesthetics."
"Speak like a human being."
"It feels too artificial. It's unpleasant to look at," Charlotte said succinctly, getting straight to the point.
"Is this fake?" Russell crouched down and gently touched one of the roses.
"Wildflowers bloom in the alleys of Baker Street. They need no gardeners or maintenance, yet they bloom beautifully even through gaps in bricks and tiles."
She knelt beside Russell and touched the rose with her fingertips. "I prefer things that grow naturally over precious varieties cultivated in greenhouses.
After all, no matter how beautiful a bird is, once it's placed in a cage, it's nothing more than a bird in a cage."
Charlotte stood up again and continued walking, unaware that her companion had been momentarily distracted.
Russell paused for a moment. His gaze fell on Charlotte's black evening dress.
The fitted silhouette accentuated the girl's slender yet strong figure, while the skirt swayed gently with her movements, resembling a black rose blooming in the dark night.
Charlotte frowned. After walking a short distance, she noticed no one was beside her and turned around.
"What's wrong?" she said, looking at Russell. "Do you like these flowers that much?"
"No." Russell stood up and caught up with her. "It's just that this is the first time I've seen you dressed like this."
"This is the first time I've worn a dress like this… Honestly, I didn't want to, but the maids wouldn't allow it."
Charlotte looked down at the thin dress she was wearing with a slightly awkward expression.
"Is it ugly?"
"No, it's very beautiful," Russell replied frankly and directly. "Much nicer than your nightgown."
Charlotte fell silent for a moment, then finally let out a low, meaningless snort through her nose. It might have been his imagination, but under the moonlight, a very faint, almost imperceptible blush seemed to color the girl's earlobes.
"Your aesthetic sense is barely acceptable."
…
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