I wanted to reach out to tell Sophia it would be okay, but the truth was, I didn’t know if it would.
Her trust in Edward had always been strong, almost unshakable, but now cracks were beginning to show.
I could see it in the way her hand clenched at her side, the way her steps faltered just slightly.
It wasn’t just Edward carrying a secret anymore. We were all being dragged into it, and I feared Sophia would be the one hurt most.
Just last night, I consoled him about a hands-on boyfriend, and now he was here doing all the opposite to a trustworthy and honest better half.
I could see Sophia’s face growing tighter with every second. Her silence screamed louder than words. She didn’t understand, and neither did I, but for her, it was worse.
While I sank in worry, Emma’s world looked completely different. Her big doe eyes sparkled as she glanced around at the grand hallway we stepped into.
She wasn’t afraid of the guards or the polished marble floor stretching endlessly. Instead, she darted forward, almost bouncing on her feet.
"What’s that?" she asked the butler, pointing to the gold-framed portraits hanging on the walls.
He slowed his steps, turning his head slightly, and with surprising patience, answered, "The family that built this house, young lady."
Emma tilted her head, not satisfied. "But why are they all so serious? No one is smiling!"
The butler blinked, as though caught off guard, then gave a faint smile himself. "Because portraits are meant to show strength, not laughter."
She hummed as if that was the most interesting thing she had ever heard, then skipped toward Edward. "And why do you know him?" she asked, tugging at Edward’s sleeve.
"Why did you whisper like that?"
My heart jumped at her boldness, but Edward only chuckled, scooping her into his arms before she could run further ahead. "Curious little bird, aren’t you?" he said softly, but he didn’t answer her.
Emma grinned, completely unbothered, poking his cheek with her tiny finger. "You’re hiding something!" she declared.
The butler, walking just ahead, actually let out a quiet laugh, low and short, but real. "Sharp eyes. Very sharp," he murmured, as if Emma had spoken a truth the rest of us were too afraid to say.
I wanted to hush her, to pull her back, to stop her from stirring waters we couldn’t control, but watching the way the butler humored her, and how Edward’s stiff face softened only when she was in his arms, I held back.
Emma’s innocence had done something none of us could—it cracked through the mask, even if just a little.
As we walked further into the mansion, Emma’s curiosity began to grow like a storm.
She wriggled out of Edward’s arms for a moment, clutching her bunny tight, and ran over to one of the guards standing at attention near a large vase.
The man was tall, his black suit crisp, earpiece gleaming in the light, and his expression perfectly serious.
Emma tilted her head at him. "Hi! Are you a knight?" she asked earnestly, pointing at his holstered weapon.
The guard blinked, caught off guard, but stayed silent, his hand resting near his gun.
"I think you should have a sword," she continued, squinting up at him like she was trying to figure out if he was real. "Or maybe a shield? Do you fight dragons, too?"
The guard shifted slightly, unsure what to do. "Uh... no, miss," he said carefully, keeping his tone neutral.
Emma gasped, covering her mouth. "No dragons? But what do you do then? Do you... guard the king? Or maybe protect invisible castles?"
I felt my cheeks burn as I rushed toward her, "Emma, honey, don’t..."
Edward held up a hand, calm as ever, and the guard relaxed slightly, though his eyes stayed wary.
Emma ignored me completely and leaned closer to the man, whispering conspiratorially, "You can tell me secrets, you know. I won’t tell anyone." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
The guard’s lips twitched, barely holding back a smile. "I don’t think you’d understand, miss."
Emma’s eyes narrowed. "Try me! I know lots of secrets. Like... I know where the best puddles for jumping are. And where the sneaky squirrels hide their nuts. That’s a secret too!"
The guard’s eyes widened slightly, and he shifted awkwardly, not used to having a tiny human judge his life choices. "Well... I suppose squirrels... are good at hiding things, yes."
Emma nodded vigorously. "See! You get it. So... if I were a knight, I would hide my treasure too. Maybe that’s why you guard this place? Are you hiding treasure?"
I sighed so hard I felt like my lungs might collapse. Edward, however, only smiled faintly, and this time, even Sophia had a faint smile on her face seeing Emma’s bantering.
Emma didn’t stop. "And do you have a horse? Because knights always have horses, right? Oh! Or maybe you have a dragon? No dragons... hmm... maybe a unicorn? That’s what I would ride if I were a guard."
The guard swallowed, awkwardly glancing at Edward for backup, but Edward just shrugged as if to say, "Go with it."
"Unicorns are very polite," Emma continued, bouncing on her toes. "They don’t bite unless they are really grumpy. But if they bite, you have to be super careful and say sorry really fast. Did you ever say sorry to a unicorn?"
The man’s face was stiff, but I could see the corners of his mouth twitching. "No... I haven’t," he admitted quietly.
Emma tilted her head, inspecting him as if assessing his honesty. "Hmm... not brave enough yet. Maybe that’s why the mansion is so serious. You guys are still learning."
Edward chuckled softly from behind me. "Emma, give him a break. Some people don’t need to learn from unicorns," he said, keeping his tone gentle.
Emma turned to him, a pout forming. "But then how do they know how to be awesome? I learned everything from Mr. Bunny!"
The guard’s eyes flicked to her stuffed bunny, and he couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. Emma clapped her hands. "See? You agree! He’s very wise. You should listen to him too. Maybe he can teach you to jump puddles!"