Scarlet Rose

Mr. Eric had business to attend to, so I felt better and took my leave.I still have a lot of things to do today. I have to pack and mail all the things I want to take away back to the UK, and then visit the good neighbors one by one to inform them that I will not come back in the future.What I didn't expect was that several neighbors invited me to dinner.I am very grateful to them, and they also helped a lot during my parents' funeral.A mother-in-law looked at me for a long time and said: "Little Roman, this may be the last time we see each other. Oh, I know you will say you will come back to see me-but I am also an old guy, I don't know if I can wait." I got you, so let me see you again..." I had a sore nose.

The next day, I invited some former friends and classmates, and we had a good drink at the club we frequented.At this time, there would be conflicts between France and Germany from time to time, and everyone would say a few things if they had nothing to do, but after all, it would not affect the life here, so we were still drinking without worry.At this time, none of us knew that in less than a year, even this club would become history.

I originally wanted to meet the buyer who wanted to buy my house, but Mr. Dio told me that someone was willing to pay a higher price for the house and gave some compensation to the previous buyer.I'm a bit surprised, it's an old house and I don't think the buyer should have paid so much for it.I asked Monsieur Dio if I could meet the mysterious buyer.When I saw it, I couldn't describe my feeling in surprise—"Mr. Eric!"

He smiled at me and said, "Hello, Roman. Your house is better than I thought. Are you fully recovered?"

"I'm fine now, thanks for your concern. I didn't expect you to be buying the house... I mean, why would you do it? For me?" I was a little bit incoherent.

"Because I may come to France often in the future, and I also hope to have a fixed residence. I like your house very much, it feels like home." Mr. Eric said, "I think you will be happy in this way, don't you? do you mind?"

I looked at the worry and chagrin in his beautiful eyes, and felt guilty immediately: "I don't mind, I'm sorry for misunderstood you... Thank you very much... I really don't want to be here, I hope it has a Good host. I'm really, really happy."

"That's good. You can continue to live here when you come to France. You don't have to be so unfamiliar with me. I'm not your elder." Mr. Eric said, rubbing his thumb on my face A handful - I actually shed tears unknowingly.When I realized it, I covered my face in shame.Mr. Eric didn't say anything to comfort me, just patted my head lightly.

Not long after I returned to England, it was late autumn, and the humid air was sucked into my lungs, and my entire respiratory tract trembled.At the end of November, Eric invited the Earl's family to go hunting on his estate.I naturally followed suit.To be honest, I have only read about the hunting of nobles in books, but I have never thought that I can experience it myself.Unlike the Smedley family's castle, Eric's family's castle is built on a hill, and it is generally white. It has a different romantic feeling at the foot of the hill.

Besides us, there were Eric's cousins, Claire and Lucy's family whom we had met in London earlier.The evening of our first arrival, Eric hosted a small dinner party.I know this is specially prepared for me, in order for me and Carlisle to get to know each other, because everyone else knows each other except me.Claire and Lucy, I pretended to be meeting for the first time, greeted each other politely, and shook hands.After dinner, Claire rushed to dance with me, but she couldn't stand up from laughing during the dance, and I had to hold her to keep her from falling.Of course I knew what she was laughing at, but I just shook my head helplessly.Afterwards I did a dance with all the ladies present.

When I was resting, Claire came over and said softly, "Roman, my sister seems to like you."

I glanced at Lucy in surprise. She happened to be looking at me. Seeing me looking over, she immediately looked away in a panic.

"Claire, Roman." Mr. Eric came over and clinked glasses with me with a smile, "Are you dating?" His eyes were deep, with his back to the light, and there seemed to be something I didn't understand.

"No, we just met, didn't we!" Claire said deliberately in an exaggerated tone, "I don't like boys younger than me. But Lucy has a crush on little Roman."

"Really?" Mr. Eric seemed nonchalant, but kept staring at me: "What about Roman, do you like Lucy?"

"I don't hate it." I answered carefully, "But speaking of liking... I just met, didn't I? I'm not that casual." Whether Mr. Eric likes Claire or Lucy, why does he look at me with such dangerous eyes? ?I was a little distressed, his eyes made me uncomfortable.

"You are still young, but you have to be cautious when you are in love." Mr. Eric said.

"Pfft." Claire on the side couldn't help laughing, "Hey, Eric, why do you look like an old man? And speaking of it, you are too cautious, and you don't have a girlfriend yet."

"It's you who should be worried. Your parents should be in a hurry to marry you off." Eric said mercilessly.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the status of women is really sad." Claire pursed her mouth and drank the wine in the glass.

I didn't play very late that night, because I had to hunt the next day and needed a full rest.

I'm not good at riding horses, so Eric didn't invite me to follow them, but asked me to take care of some young ladies.Dozens of hounds are eager to try, just waiting for the chain to loosen and rush out.The gentlemen gave me detailed instructions before we started hunting.

The hunting dog waited for the restraint around the neck to be loosened, and ran out impatiently, barking, and a timid bird flew up from the tree at once.Several gentlemen rode out following the hounds.It was just me and the four young ladies—Alice, Carlin, Claire and Lucy.The Countess and Claire's mother were not involved.

We trotted the horses into the woods.

This forest is on the back of the castle. Because it is on the mountain, the overall terrain slopes downward.The trees have lived for hundreds of years, but now they have lost all their leaves and their branches are bare.There was a thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground, and the horseshoes rustled on it.

"If it's colder, it will be beautiful here when it snows." Jialin said with a smile.

"Let's go to the stream." Alice suggested enthusiastically.

The creek she was talking about was a water source in the woods, where the chances of seeing animals were higher.Moreover, the water in the creek is very clear, and it makes a nice gurgling sound when it flows.

We were soon at the creek, and the water moved at its own pace.On the shore, in the corners where the sun cannot shine, there is still a thin layer of hoarfrost.There seemed to be commotion not far away.

"Papa must have caught the prey!" Clare exclaimed excitedly, "Go and see!" She pulled the rein, and the horse started to trot.A few of us followed suit.

As they got closer, the sounds of horseshoes and dogs barking became clearer.Dozens of hounds surrounded a white fox with beautiful fur, but they just surrounded it and did not rush to bite it.The fox's eyes rolled around, looking at the hunting dogs gradually narrowing the encirclement, us rushing over to watch the excitement, and Mr. Eric and the others coming from another direction.

"What a beautiful white fox!" Several girls kept admiring.

"This fox is still young, let it go." Mr. Eric said, coming towards us and handing me a fat rabbit.

"This rabbit?" Jialin's eyes widened.

"I caught it just now," said Mr. Eric. "I thought you would like it, so I kept it."

"It's so cute!" The girl's eyes were all on the rabbit in my hand.

This white rabbit is very fat, and it doesn't fit very well in my hand. It twists and turns from side to side, trying to escape.It was a little difficult for me to hold the rein of the horse with one hand and hold the rabbit with the other. Seeing my predicament, Mr. Eric laughed softly.

"Let's go to the cottage and see the rabbits!" said Alice.Mr. Eric and the others continued hunting after letting go of the fox, and we rode to the hut.

The hunting of the British nobles is actually just an activity, and the purpose is not to catch what kind of prey, they just enjoy the fun of chasing.

The hut is a log cabin in the forest, which is used for people to rest while hunting.Several servants and cooks from the manor were preparing in the hut. They had cleaned the hut a few days ago, and now they put out some snacks.Seeing us coming, he naturally took our horses and took them to drink water, prepared water for us to wash our hands, and poured black tea.

A few girls took the rabbit to watch after drinking tea, while I ate my snacks slowly.I used to try horseback riding only occasionally when I went to the equestrian club in France, and now I feel a little sore in my thighs when I relax.The girls don't look tired at all.Could it be that I am not as good as the girls?I thought with a wry smile.

"I'm going to call this rabbit Roman." Claire pinched the rabbit's tail and said.

"Hey, I'm still here myself." I protested.

"Don't you think this rabbit is very similar to you?" Claire said, Alice looked at me and then at the rabbit, and burst out laughing.

I glanced at the rabbit in disgust, what did it look like?

"Just now your eyes were exactly the same!" Claire said.

Lucy held the Rabbit and sat it on her lap, cuddling it with one arm and smoothing out its unruffled fur with the other.

"Let's go find something to eat for Roman!" Jialin said.

"Hey, you..." Before I could say anything, everyone except Lucy ran outside.

I waved my hands helplessly at Lucy.

"It does look like it," said Lucy.

I had no choice but to go out and stop them from finding food for the rabbit—it was already fat enough.

After a while, the hunting men also came to rest.We all ate some sandwiches to fill our stomachs.

"Brother, you can find another rabbit to accompany 'Roman' in the afternoon." Jialin said to Eric.

"Roman?" Eric gave me a strange look.

"Ah, we named this bunny Roman. Cute isn't it?" Claire explained.

"It's cute." Eric looked at me and smiled. "I'll keep an eye out."

I shrugged helplessly, intending to respond in silence.

It's a pity that I didn't see the rabbit again in the afternoon, but I hunted two beautiful adult foxes—it's a pity that I can't keep them with the rabbits.

Back at the manor at night, Jialin found a bamboo basket and spread several layers of old clothes on it to serve as a rabbit's nest.The rabbit had put away its fear, nestled its fat body comfortably in its new home, and gnawed on the vegetable leaves unceremoniously, frankly not like a rabbit.I poked the rabbit's back with my finger again and again. At the beginning, every time I poked it, the rabbit would stiffen suddenly and shake its ears.After a few times, the rabbit didn't care about my behavior anymore, and gnawed on the vegetable leaves by itself.So fat, how is it like me?