Hidden Track 3 – Happily Ever After

“Look at this. It’s a drawing by the Montague kid!”

She couldn’t hide her excitement as she thrust the paper in front of William’s eyes. The drawing, sketched with jagged lines, was hard to praise as well-drawn, but it was clear that it depicted a man and a woman, a couple. It was probably a depiction of Romeo and Rosaline.

It seemed like just yesterday when he could barely flip things over, and now he had grabbed something to draw with, which was astonishing. With those tiny hands! William nodded with a gentle smile.

“Babies really do grow quickly. How much more will he have grown by the next time we meet?”

At William’s words, she imagined the child a little more grown than now. It was an adorable sight. William wrapped his arms around her from behind as she bounced on her feet, unable to stay still. She leaned into him, letting him support her.

“When the Montague head was so furious, I never imagined such peaceful days would come.”

“It was quite a big deal for a while. One day, his son returned with a bride, having lost all his memories, so it was only natural.”

After returning home from the wedding, Romeo declared that he had taken Rosaline as his bride. She couldn’t even begin to fathom the bewilderment of the Montague head. When her father, under the mistaken belief that his daughter had been abandoned, also began to express his anger, she was worried that the reconciliation they had barely achieved would break, making it difficult to sleep for a while.

“Well, all that anger disappeared after Rosaline became pregnant. He completely fell for his grandson. It’s understandable, given how adorable he is.”

After she and William got married, her father’s anger subsided as well. This was because William was undeniably devoted to her. She placed her hand over William’s, which was wrapped around her.

Now, her father seemed to suspect that she and Romeo had staged a play to reconcile the two families. Well, if only Romeo was replaced with William, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

“When should we visit again?”

“If there’s any change in the child, Romeo will rush over immediately. That’s just how he is.”

William replied with a smile to her slightly impatient question. In fact, what was truly surprising was how the Montague couple and they had become close enough to visit each other’s homes.

Even though she had somewhat expected an uproar after Romeo and Rosaline’s wedding, she hadn’t anticipated this. She believed that once everything was resolved, Romeo would live his life as before, and she would live hers.

But Rosaline came to them. Only the three of them remembered what had happened on their wedding day. William and she couldn’t turn away from Rosaline, who was confused about whether it was reality or fantasy.

As they gradually got along with Rosaline, they also encountered Romeo, and at some point, it didn’t matter that the original story was already broken, so they started getting along with him too. It was something she couldn’t have imagined five years ago.

Leaning into William’s embrace and feeling the gentle breeze, she murmured.

“It’s truly peaceful.”

* * *

Peace is indeed unpredictable. She thought again as she looked at William’s urgent expression.

“The Masterpiece is gone?”

William nodded with a pale face. Her head throbbed.

“By Masterpiece, you mean 「Juliet and William,」 right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

She asked again just in case, but William confirmed it.

“Do you remember when you last saw it?”

“I was writing it until before the Montague couple came yesterday.”

She remembered clearly up to that point as well. She had been watching William write at the table in the garden.

“Did you check the garden?”

“Yes. I thought I had left it on the garden table, so that’s the first place I checked.”

She groaned softly. William had a good memory. The last place he left the notebook was definitely the garden. Being a light notebook, it might have blown away in the wind and fallen somewhere. As long as it was within the Shakespeare estate, there shouldn’t be a big problem. But…

“The fact that the last place it was left was the garden is concerning.”

William nodded. Recently, his completed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” had been a huge hit, and William’s reputation was at its peak.

“If someone took it, it’s a big deal.”

It wouldn’t be surprising if someone who coveted his unpublished work stole the playwright’s notebook. No, if someone passing by found the notebook left in the garden, even someone without greed might have taken it without thinking.

“The Masterpiece is the content of the writing, not the notebook itself, so I don’t think there will be a big problem. But since it’s about the Masterpiece, we can’t be sure of anything.”

William said with an unusually stern face. He and she were probably worried about the same thing. Someone writing something in the notebook and that becoming reality. They had painfully experienced what that was like five years ago. Her thoughts raced to the worst-case scenario.

“I’ll definitely find it again. Don’t worry too much.”

William held her hands tightly. The warmth helped her regain her composure. She almost got sucked back into five years ago. She smiled at him, conveying that it was okay to be reassured. His stiff face relaxed. She was no longer the person who had to fret alone back then.

“Let’s check the garden table again first.”

She released his hands and took his arm. William nodded and moved. His body, which moved a step ahead of hers, firmly supported her. They reached their destination so quickly that it felt a bit disappointing.

“Seeing it like this, it’s really close to the wall.”

The wall of the Shakespeare residence wasn’t very high. The table where she and William often had tea was only about ten steps away from the wall. If a notebook was left on the table, it seemed like anyone could spot it if they looked in from outside with intention.

“Should we have been more security-conscious?”

The low wall and the table near the wall were William’s preferences. He used to prefer writing inside his study, but at some point, he started to enjoy working while feeling the presence of people.

Perhaps due to this influence, recent works like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” felt much more lively and vibrant than his previous writings. So she didn’t want to blame him for this incident.

“It’s not a security issue. A normal person wouldn’t touch someone else’s belongings, no matter how easy they are to take. Besides, no matter how low the wall is, this is still within the Shakespeare residence grounds. No judge could rule it as your fault. Not even if that judge is you.”

She held William’s hand tightly. After a moment’s hesitation, his hand firmly grasped hers.

“Thank you, Juliet.”

That was enough. He was no longer looking at past mistakes but was looking ahead.

“We can’t conclude that someone took it yet. Let’s search the garden first.”

William began to move quickly. She followed him. Neither of them thought of letting go of the hand they were holding.

They searched the garden until dusk, but there was no trace of the notebook. They even searched the interior of the residence thoroughly, just in case, but it was in vain. At this point, it seemed right to assume it wasn’t on the premises.

But William would never take the Masterpiece outside. Recently, it had become almost like a diary, not something to show others, and neither she nor he had completely let their guard down about the Masterpiece.

“Could it really have been stolen?”

She murmured, her voice thin and trembling. She was anxious. She feared the days of being chased by the Masterpiece might return.

“Just in case, I’ll search around the house as well.”

She hurriedly moved, as if possessed. When she was almost running, William urgently grabbed her hand.

“Let’s go together, Juliet.”

His hand was warm, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of being chased by something. She and William stepped out of the residence gate.

She needed to stay calm. They circled the perimeter of the residence, looking for clues. She wasn’t sure if she truly wanted to find something. If the notebook had left the house, it meant someone other than William had touched it.

“Juliet, that is…”

William trailed off as he discovered something. She turned her gaze in the direction he was pointing. There lay a familiar object. A black quill pen with a single feather attached, without any special decoration. It was William’s. He always kept that quill pen between the pages of the Masterpiece.

“This confirms that someone took ‘Juliet and William.'”

She tried to speak nonchalantly, but her voice trembled uncontrollably. William wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“It’ll be okay.”

“It might not be.”

The sharp response slipped out before she realized it. Rationally, she knew it would be fine. The Masterpiece was William’s writing, not the notebook itself. But the thought of “what if” tormented her. William comforted her without showing any displeasure.

“It will definitely be okay.”

“How can you be so sure? We might have to struggle to survive again! And this time, it’s not even you. I can’t bear having my life depend on someone I don’t even know!”

The words came out before she could stop them. This situation wasn’t William’s fault. She unconsciously bit the soft flesh inside her mouth. If she stayed like this, she felt she would say something worse.

“I’m sorry. I think I’m being emotional right now. I’ll go for a walk alone for a bit. Please go in first.”

Before he could respond, she hurried away. She felt so foolish for trembling with anxiety alone. She sank to the ground after circling the residence wall halfway. She hated herself for cowardly pouring her anxiety onto someone who loved her. She felt like crying loudly.

She buried her face in her knees. She needed to calm her racing heart. As she took a deep breath, a warm presence settled on her head.

“William.”

She looked up at his face. His gentle smile filled her view.

“Juliet. I’m not just saying this to reassure you. It will truly be okay.”

William comforted her once more. She swallowed the sharp words that had risen to her throat. She had just resolved to reflect, and she didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

William gently stroked her forehead. She must have frowned without realizing it. From her forehead, to the tip of her nose, cheeks, and behind her ears, he slowly caressed her face. She felt the tension gradually release from where his touch landed. He silently gazed into her eyes before speaking again.

“I’ll make sure it’s okay. If the Masterpiece tries to change your life, I’ll write your story again. I’ll create a world for you where there’s nothing dangerous from start to finish. If it’s a story I wrote thinking of you, I can make it the greatest Masterpiece every time.”

He held her hand. His hand was warm, and she realized her hand had been cold. Warmth spread from where his hand touched hers.

“Trust me, Juliet.”

She released his hand and embraced him fully. He naturally embraced her back.

“I’m sorry, William.”

She whispered an apology into his chest. He held her tighter without saying a word.

“Shall we go back home?”

She nodded in response to his question. She wanted to be close to him. As much as possible, as tightly as possible.

* * *

“Lady Montague has come?”

As if the worry from yesterday was a lie, she barely opened her eyes at the sound of the maid knocking on the door. The sun was already high in the sky. To sleep in at a time like this. It seemed her nerves had become quite thick.

She turned her head slightly to look at William. The man who had played a significant role in thickening her nerves was lying beside her. He was also sound asleep. She silently gazed at his face for a moment. Waking up next to this man was something she couldn’t have imagined when they first met.

Suppressing the desire to gaze at him endlessly, she shook William’s shoulder.

“William, wake up. We have a guest.”

William slowly rose with a face that seemed half-asleep. His bare upper body was revealed from under the fallen blanket. She approached him, who still hadn’t fully woken up, and lightly kissed him.

“I’ll go out first. Come out quickly.”

When she arrived at the drawing room, Rosaline was waiting. After a brief greeting, she sat across from her. For some reason, Rosaline looked a bit awkward.

“Is something wrong? You don’t look well.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Shakespeare.”

Rosaline apologized abruptly. She had no idea what was going on. Just as she was about to ask, Rosaline pulled something from her pocket.

“This is!”

It was William’s notebook. To be precise, it was 「Juliet and William.」

“I’m really sorry. I only discovered today that the child brought the notebook home the day before yesterday. I was so surprised to find out it was Mr. Shakespeare’s playwright notebook. I hope it didn’t interfere with his work.”

Rosaline apologized again with a worried face. She couldn’t take her eyes off the notebook and replied a beat late.

“Don’t worry about his work. I know he’s working on something else right now.”

“Oh! What a relief. I was so worried.”

“Did you read it by any chance?”

Watching Rosaline’s relieved expression, she cautiously asked. While she felt uneasy about someone reading it since it documented their affairs, there was a more important reason. Rosaline had once been entangled with a Masterpiece. If she read the entire content, she might notice something.

“Of course not! I’m not bold enough to read William Shakespeare’s unpublished work. When I saw an unfamiliar notebook, I opened it, but as soon as I realized it was a script, I closed it immediately.”

Her firm answer reassured her. Rosaline wasn’t someone who would lie about such things.

“I wasn’t suspicious. I know you aren’t someone who would meddle with others’ things, Lady Montague.”

Rosaline nodded as if it were only natural.

“Then I’ll be going.”

“So soon?”

“I ran here as soon as I found the notebook. The child might be crying, thinking I’ve disappeared.”

She nodded. She couldn’t keep Rosaline when her child might be crying.

“Then take care on your way back.”

After Rosaline left, she slowly flipped through 「Juliet and William.」 Reading about her past with him after a long time felt a bit embarrassing and somehow touching. When she reached the last page William had written, she discovered content she hadn’t seen before.

“Juliet, what about the guest?”

At that moment, William opened the bedroom door and came out. She smiled and waved his notebook.

“Rosaline brought this. It seems the Montague kid took it.”

“That’s a relief.”

William smiled gently as usual. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“But the Montague kid scribbled on the Masterpiece.”

She showed William the page she had been looking at. She heard his low laughter in her ear. She looked at the drawing in the notebook once more. A blonde man and a brown-haired woman. And a child holding hands between them.

“If it’s a future like this, I wouldn’t mind it happening.”

William slowly moved to stand beside her. A gentle smile spread across his face as he looked at the jagged drawing.

“Juliet, come to think of it, there’s something I forgot.”

“What is it?”

Before she could finish her question, William’s hands cupped her cheeks. Then he kissed her deeply.

“The good morning kiss earlier wasn’t enough.”

His childish complaint after the long kiss made her burst into laughter. William laughed at her, and the laughter continued to grow longer.

<Juliet’s Survival> The End