Fred, George, and Ron were delighted to have Hawk as their guide for exploring the manor while Scarlet was tied up with her work. They were aware that she was always busy at school, but they hadn’t expected to see Percy following Scarlet during her meetings, practically acting as her assistant. Visitors to the manor often assumed Percy was either her cousin or some relative eager to learn about her work.

He organized the documents Scarlet either signed or rejected, which William would later have distributed back to the appropriate senders. Some people came in to report directly to Scarlet, while others simply accept instructions from William. Eventually, Percy even accompanied Scarlet to meet her editor, who had arrived, brimming with excitement, to discuss her latest draft.

“Oh, Scarlet, what a brilliant choice, making another character the protagonist! The fight scenes were much more exciting, and the plot...” Mr. Wilson, a jolly, round man with short stature and a pair of round glasses, spent the first five minutes heaping praise on Scarlet’s latest work. After finally calming down, he got to the reason for his visit. “Now, we’ve had three reviewers go through your draft, and there are few areas we think could be improved.”

Scarlet flipped through the draft, now covered in colourful notations, as Mr. Wilson walked her through the feedback point by point. She nodded in agreement and assured him she would have the revised draft ready in two months, assuming all went well.

Mr Wilson chuckled. “No need to rush the revision. Take your time and enjoy your school days! How’s everything at school? Any daunting homework or scary teachers?”

“Nope, everything’s great.” Scarlet replied, closing the draft and looking at her editor. “Mr. Wilson, I’ve been thinking about ending the Akahime’s Diary series.”

He looked taken aback. “Why? The story’s going so well! We could explore more of the other characters...”

“But I want to build another world,” Scarlet said thoughtfully. “I feel like I’m at a creative bottleneck. Either I break through it, or I’ll just end up with a progressively weaker story that would hurt the reputation of Akahime’s Diary.”

Mr. Wilson nodded with understanding. “I see, the bottleneck that every writer encounters eventually. So, have you started planning your new world?”

“I’ve begun drafting some backgrounds and character ideas,” Scarlet explained, “I even had my classmates fill out my questionnaires to get a clearer perspective, but it’s going to take time.”

“I understand, don’t worry. No matter how long it takes, we’ll make sure to take care of your story, review it, and promote it properly,” Mr. Wilson assured her, before growing excited once again. “Speaking of promotions, your book was a hit in Japan and France! We’re preparing to translate it into more languages, so readers from all over the world will soon be about to enjoy it!”

Just as he was about to leave, Mr. Wilson suddenly remembered something. “Oh! I almost forgot. I have a huge bag in my car filled with letters from your readers – ones they sent to our office.

“You don’t have to reply to them all, but you could mention them if you have any interviews coming up,” Mr. Wilson said.

“An interview?” Scarlet raised an eyebrow.

“We’re thinking about arranging one for you in a newspaper. Not right now, buy maybe during your next school break,” Mr. Wilson said. “We’ll need to find the right media outlet and journalist, but only if you’re alright with it. Take your time to decide. Your readers are eager to learn more about you!”

“Alright, I’ll think about it.” Scarlet bid Mr. Wilson goodbye at the doorstep, and returned to her seat in the living room where she had been discussing everything with her editor. Percy, who had followed her, was tasked with sorting the letters into neat stack, binding them with elastic bands. Since underage couldn’t use magic outside Hogwarts, they had to do everything manually.

As Percy sorted the letters by size and stamp, he began to realise how much broader the world was than he had never thought of.

“New Zealand? Where’s that?” Percy asked, staring at one of the envelopes.

“Near Australia.” Scarlet replied.

“And Vietnam?”

“That’s in Southeast Asia, not too far from Japan.”

“Singapore?”

“A small country near Indonesia – kind of like Hong Kong in some ways.”

Most of the letters were written in English and came from England, Ireland, and America. A small portion came from other countries, as indicated by the various stamps, though Percy occasionally spotted characters he couldn’t recognise, which Scarlet explained were in Japanese.

Despite her explanations, Percy still couldn’t visualize the exact locations of these countries in his mind. His thoughts wandered to the film they’d watched last night, the microwave he had noticed in the kitchen, and the unfamiliar vocabulary he had seen in Scarlet’s schedule... Just as he was about to ask Scarlet about something, William entered the room with a frown.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Milady, I need your advice.”

Scarlet looked up at him, “What’s wrong?”

“There are three people standing outside the gate, insisting on meeting you.” William replied.

“Insisting on meeting me?” Scarlet echoed, confused.

“Well, to be precise, they’re begging to meet you,” William sighed. “I’ve already turned them away twice, but now that they’ve found out you’re home for Christmas, they’ve decided to come directly.”

“What kind of proposal did they bring to you?” Scarlet asked, intrigued.

“Something about germs that can consume plastics.”

“Bioscience?” Scarlet frowned. “But we’re focusing more on material science.”

“Exactly why I declined their offer,” William explained. “Now, would you like to meet them, or shall I send them away?”

Scarlet studied William for a moment before grinning. “Well, they must have done something to impress you; otherwise, you wouldn’t have bothered telling me about them, would you?”

William responded with a small smile.

Scarlet shrugged. “Alright, let them in.”

Soon after, three individuals, all in their twenties, entered the room, nervously clutching files and documents. They introduced themselves as master’s students from a university, currently working on a project to breed germs that could consume plastic. Percy didn’t understand much of the scientific jargon, but he knew it had something to do with Scarlet’s charity work – an area where she spent a lot of money with no guarantee of return.

Scarlet flipped through their files casually. “You have five minutes to pitch your idea and convince me to invest.”

The three newcomers grew visibly more anxious but managed to present a flurry of pictures, graphs, and data, all the while casting nervous glances at Scarlet, who remained calm, occasionally nodding in response. It was an interesting sight – Scarlet, a small, underage girl, was composed and in control, while the three adult university students appeared eager yet flustered, far less assured than their youthful audience.

Five minutes passed, and despite their efforts, they hadn’t managed to sway her.

“I must admit, your idea makes sense, and it does align with my interest in environmental protection projects. However,” Scarlet said, closing the files and continued, her tone firm but polite, “I’m sure you’re aware I’m just an underage girl running a small company. Your project would require far more funding than I can provide. Even if it’s profitable, I simply can’t afford it.”

The three young men looking disheartened by her response, but their eyes lit up when she added, “My dad, the CEO of a medium-sized corporation, just so happens to be here. He’s heavily influenced by me and has already incorporated many eco-friendly practices into his production. He might be interested in your idea. But there’s one catch: his company is based in Asia, with his lab in Japan.”

She glanced at them, offering a look of encouragement. “You may have the opportunity to pitch your idea to him. I know you’ll want to discuss it among yourselves, so take five on the porch. William will take you to my dad’s study once you’ve made your decision.”

Exchanging excited glances, the trio grinned and thanked Scarlet before following William out.

By the time the guests had presented their idea, Percy had finished sorting through the letters. He frowned, lost in thought, until he felt a light touch on his hand. It was Scarlet, her expression concerned. “Percy, you seemed troubled. Is something bothering you?”

“Not exactly...It’s just...overwhelming,” Percy admitted. Noticing her confusion, he hesitated but then tried to explain. “I mean, I’ve just realised how vast this world really is. Before I met you, I never knew there was so much out there – so much knowledge I don’t understand...”

“That’s because this sort of knowledge isn’t necessary in the wizarding world,” Scarlet said gently, “If you’re planning to live a comfortable life there, what you learn at Hogwarts will be more than enough. My situation’s a bit different from yours, so in my opinion, you shouldn’t worry too much.”

“You don’t sound like someone who plans to stay deeply involved in the wizarding world,” Percy remarked, his curiosity piqued.

“You’re right,” Scarlet nodded, “I know that might come as a surprise, but as you can see, I have responsibilities. I have to think about the hundreds of people who depend on me for their livelihoods. Plus, my dad hasn’t married or father a blood related child yet. My presence and profile are essential for maintaining the corporation’s stability in the market. In Asian culture, having a reliable successor signals a bright future for the group. Since our corporation is family-run, this factor is incredibly important.”

“Wait,” Percy said, looking taken aback. “What do you mean your dad hasn’t married or father a blood related child?”

Scarlet blinked and tilted her head slightly, “Isn’t it obvious I’m not his real child? I mean, I look nothing like him. I’m adopted.”

“What?!” Percy looked absolutely floored. “How can that be? You’re...”

“Yep, adopted, and I’ve always known that,” Scarlet nodded casually, “I still keep in touch with the orphanage director, actually. I plan to visit them on Christmas Eve and bring the children some presents.”

“Visiting an orphanage?” Fred’s voice suddenly boomed from nearby.

George, looking intrigued, chimed in, “Can we come along?”

“Of course! I was about to invite you all,” Scarlet smiled. “I’ve got a list of gifts the director suggested; we should stick to it to avoid any squabbles over the presents. But why are you two so excited?”

At that moment, Ron burst in, grinning widely. “We ordered some fast food by phone! They’re delivering it soon!”

“Really?” Scarlet looked confused. “But we’re an hour drive from London...”

“Not from London – there's a restaurant near your manor,” Fred explained. “Hawk has a list of places nearby that the servants sometimes order from for snacks.”

George exclaimed, “It’s brilliant! People actually answered me through a Muggle device that runs on electricity and all that! No magic involved – amazing!”

“And the TV shows!” Ron added excitedly. “I never realised how much happens in other places.”

Scarlet glanced at the clock. “You’ve been watching the noon news?”

“Yeah,” Fred said “They showed videos of snow in other countries and how people celebrate Christmas. Never knew Christmas was so big in Japan.”

“I thought you were here to remind Percy and me about lunch?”

“Oh yeah, thanks for that! We almost forgot!” The twins laughed in unison. “Come on, let’s grab some lunch. Hawk is going to show us around the manor. Are you coming, or are you busy with something else?”

“I’m coming,” Scarlet nodded. “Need to check the farm and orchard, and decide what to do with the crops for next year...” She reached for the intercom and called a servant. “Hi, could one of you come and collect my stack of letters and put them in my room? Thanks, that’ll be great.”

The younger Weasleys cheered and raced toward the dining room, while Scarlet and Percy followed more slowly. With her schedule in hand, Scarlet crossed out a few items, signalling she’d completed them, and then turned to Percy. “Struggling to get thoughts in order, huh? Why not set it aside for now and enjoy the holiday? Observe things, and think about it before bed or after the holiday. You’ll find your answer eventually. No need to rush.”

Percy simply nodded, though his thought wandered to things Scarlet would never know.