Chapter 119

Small, Kind, and Cute [Part 1]

After finishing the embroidery of 200 handkerchiefs without any incident (in peak condition), Emma met His Highness Edward and Arthur in Monster Science who were beside themselves with worry for her physical condition.

Especially the Prince, who earnestly worried about her at every opportunity. It made Emma feel apologetic.

Then, during lunch break, the noble sons who were concerned for Emma visited her in turns with sweets in hand, further multiplying her feelings of guilt.

Although Emma was still feeling remorseful, everyone was blessed by the smile of joy she couldn't hide at seeing the gradually growing pile of sweets in front of her.

"My, I'm sorry for making you worry, and most grateful that you took the trouble to visit. It might be too crude for a thank you gift, but here's a handkerchief I made in today's embroidery class. Please use it, if you like."

Emma took one piece from the many handkerchiefs and gave it to a noble son who had just gifted her some cookies.

"!!! I-I have never seen such splendid embroidery! Thank you very much! I will treasure it! I will make it an heirloom!"

He carefully received the handkerchief, which was decorated with flower embroideries on one side, with trembling hands. Chalk up yet another noble son who drifted away from Emma with a red face.

Even though I said it was something for him to use...

"Lady Emma, you look...... energetic, I see."

As they gathered in the courtyard after having lunch in the cafeteria, like they always did, Arthur called out to Emma, who was stuffing her cheeks with sweets.

George, William, and Joshua would arrive later due to various reasons. And so, it fell to Arthur to watch over Emma, his younger sister Marion, Francesca, and the twins, to keep undesirable people away.

"Yes, I really am fine, you know? Would you like some chocolate too, Arthur-sama? It has a mildly sweet and refreshing taste, so delicious!"

Emma swallowed the cookie in her mouth and recommended Arthur chocolate.

"......No, I'll pass, thank you. Just looking at it, I can taste the sweetness in my mouth. I can't afford to eat it."

Arthur was relieved to see Emma's big appetite, but just looking was enough to make him feel full. She looked cute as the sweets put her in a happy mood, but he had never seen a young lady who ate so much.

It's not that Arthur had a small appetite, but it was a real challenge, to only eat sweets.

♠♠♠

Arthur's POV

I thought about the handkerchief I got from Emma earlier, before Monster Science class started.

Usually, the handkerchief embroidery done by the academy's young ladies in class were only initials with a little decoration on one of the corners. However, the handkerchief I received from Emma was fully decorated with delicate embroidery on the entire surface.

It seems that recently, she had found herself liking motifs such as flowers, nuts, fruits, and leaves in addition to the cats and insects patterns. In fact, the handkerchief I got today was embroidered with lemons and ivies, arranged in a delicate balance. Although it was a unique design I had never seen before, I didn't dislike or see it as strange.

The bright green ivies weren't stitched in one color but were a combination of threads dyed in slightly different shades of green, which gave a three-dimensional feel, unlike ordinary paintings or embroideries. There were even water droplets embroidered on the lemons, and it looked so fresh that I sniffed it unconsciously.

This is already the work of a master craftsman.

At a level that should be framed and hanged.

I kept the fact that I almost cried when receiving the embroidery, which was made with that thin, injured arm of hers, a secret.

When I got mine, His Highness and Joshua also received theirs while trembling with joy. But George and William used it directly to wipe the sweat on their faces and were scolded by His Highness.

Not understanding why His Highness got angry, the brothers asked, 'Handkerchiefs are made to wipe sweat, right?' in puzzlement.

The bell indicating the start of the class just happened to ring then, so after Monster Science ended, the Prince launched into an earnest explanation of his feelings, which was why George and William arrived late to the cafeteria, while Joshua simply got caught up in it.

I was worried that Lady Emma would be sad after seeing them use her hand-stitched embroidery roughly. Instead, she gave another high-quality embroidered handkerchief to George and William while saying, 'Practical Skills for Hunters was tough, I know~'.

Just how many did she make...