CL Chapter 3

At the age c411fd919b of eleven, Charlotte 4febe21d65 sat nervously in 898096224b the reception room b31220d033 of the royal 5da8498735 palace.dc9ebcf77e8802f1

This was 725be7390f the moment 36730404e4 she was 9c2986355a to be d542bad438 introduced to 4cdbde84a6 her fiancé, 6b11e4653f whom her f3d4b0f85c father, King d717975c1c Diandel of 88c04888f6 Ignator had f3289a5507 personally chosen.195e669667ef31af

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The seat across 00c4675d57 from her remained 0c32d62526 empty.ed7800350da5b668

It wasn’t that the 27d7e6edba other party was late, 433017d2c4 Charlotte had simply arrived a22c33e274 far too early.aa7475bad6aa6db1

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Her heart raced with 364dff8d59 a mixture of curiosity 132cfc2e72 and excitement.d3a8332cb6a9c165

Unconsciously, her 48f9eb5b25 steps quickened.246c56c059cff7b2

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There was still half bb4604351a an hour until the 1e6d4e8504 scheduled meeting.59d97028cc58a237

It was a short aa82633a4d time, yet long enough f6b65f674e for Charlotte to fill ea14ca8da2 it with thoughts of 11e65a7ff2 her future fiancé.13632394b69690b4

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What family would he 21b4c5a0c9 be from? Could he be 1b762feb27 a prince from eebe508090 a neighboring kingdom? How old 7d6aaa461e would he 3aa9090547 be? Would he c3e7903256 be close 44e3c9d78e to her 2c1bf5eaad age? Or perhaps 8d4e079342 a young c376567ad2 man who cd16bb82fb had already 1c7edefe5d had his 57395f2fcf coming-of-age ceremony? What kind 2a24730f6a of person c1b67123b7 would he eb62d8a069 be? Would he be smart? After all, he 0fb98f15f7 would be the e1f354c842 future head of c4515dac49 state, so it 8b492cd2c6 would be ideal 4fd6aaee29 if he were 4e63b15396 wise and prudent.eaa6d3ac49fad3b1

As these thoughts 59734b5b34 flowed one after 40cd31d83c another, they suddenly 85cbc1a6d7 vanished from her befd806cf3 mind when the 00633bdc2b sound of a 0d9ca8d4b7 knock on the 2686e5c63c door brought her e5b405cc4b attention back to 2719c27d04 the present.f3092e3211f5bd5d

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Only one question bc3ffa7608 lingered.78e8e432bb9c50ac

‘Would he….like me?’26bdce2190a34d8f

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But that bdfb9f807c last lingering 639e73238d curiosity was 5565952928 soon dissolved 42495b66d7 as the 34cb07c216 boy, stepping 8630016e79 into the 56f9d3aa72 reception room f824f0148c at Charlotte’s 8ac0a5d056 consent, calmly 1e11be57a6 introduced himself.6948240d36453634

“I am Leo 7273635d74 Carthenon, the second 3c43e60e82 son of the 0d840d514b Duke of Carthenon.”ecb5522f434a373d

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Charlotte, who had 6a5ce264e7 been watching the 29e35db786 boy approach with 05608bc985 a look of 0cf62159e8 wonder, suddenly felt 23e743f90f as though she 1d0594f35e were falling off 9778561139 a cliff.55ce525d124e2a5f

The boy’s dark brown f573c5168b hair, faintly tinged with ba8881ce02 black, slowly lifted as 42b546addb he looked up, his d216272f22 gaze meeting hers.4f7be061c80def4b

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What……?ca1f98d9703c4de7

Who did he say 9ce199a454 he was?759db0c1858bea5d

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‘I am Leo Cartheon, second son of the Duke of Carthenon.’8219fe4e217319ef

The boy’s polite greeting 7677054aed echoed in her mind b93f20870b like a distant ringing.e4227d88d2f2f11e

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‘I am Leo Carthenon, second son of the Duke of Carthenon.’5e376b4569fd3842

The words seemed ae64413b92 to pierce her 95d07c6190 ears like a 575aadc05a sharp needle.4d7ea722e1950dea

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“It’s an honor to 34110ef946 meet you.”e21823b78b04115d

The boy calmly 1b26da3980 finished his introduction.f81f472b2a167868

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Charlotte remained silent, staring 277d7edef9 at him.1752f4d14aacbf4c

The second 9a91b1eff4 son of 67327d7ef6 the Duke ffdcf3b6b7 of Carthenon bf7444eaae was an a1fca4a28e illegitimate child.94bf50ee55cf9b35

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How could the 818f6fce52 future queen of 0b2a6b53d7 Ignator be betrothed d140a2f3fc to a illegitimate 48e16d73af child? Such a e4d97df603 thing had 0928a8e32f never occurred a0f8820cc8 before in 500c7b4a0e the history 162224ec92 of the f5f1fddcec kingdom, no 25fe6d2e59 matter how f3c0828ba8 many volumes 8c99aeaad5 of historical 874147876d records were 144ccf7703 scoured in edc5c770bb the royal 0bffb878da library.310579f33e68a68b

Since Mia’s birth, Charlotte 257cd2c6b7 had gradually realized that 7411160ce7 her position was changing.b981088ee8258122

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I had known it, 7de8acf443 but this situation was ec5527faea different.e0c3d60bd6ba658d

It was as f485f7c5aa though this engagement 363b4c54a9 was a declaration 5ba7000ad0 that the future ec22cbe2be of Ignator would 4d0c5d1746 not rest in fcbb9db117 her hands.047ca2e266078116

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At some point, 12a85cb440 her lips, which ee3500c32c had been tightly 09fd6e1fb9 pressed together, trembled.9b00f109b2d9c855

The bitter 3745784120 taste of c47efeedce despair filled 39cc334c97 her mouth.1b620b4c96d42b50

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If there d2126bc99e is a 5466fabd1a flavor to cf70e9f401 despair, perhaps 7f9395287b this is ed2e718a90 it, Charlotte fb2eee876a thought faintly.595d3573bb46c885

It was then f8cf56d599 that she felt e39f9482a7 a soft touch 3a557d603c on her fingertips.83e215b8eb90415f

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“…….”85d3549d25c88b5c

It was a8722d56fb a handkerchief.16d5f88b7335ecdb

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The illegitimate son 2b115479ff had offered it 09af2dd280 to her. He didn’t fuss or 55c3b324d1 make a show of 320298059a concern, but simply did 9b018d72c9 what he felt was 0e7e8aa967 necessary and helping her 84df6fae2f with quiet dignity.3490d85e1cd7b459

But it wasn’t a wound that could be wiped away with a piece of cloth.29425cdd9a39a2b6

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Charlotte glanced 64f1741f8a at the 0b5ed0fa74 boy’s offering 4cd114b231 with distaste.698673b35a1e504b

She knew he ff1194936d was not to 63dd75fa22 blame. In Ignator’s social circles, f723de063e illegitimate children were always 5e692cea31 looked down upon, but 7b52b8db35 Charlotte, unlike others, believed 347599e011 the fault lay not 49cc207cc2 with the child but c468be5419 with the circumstances of 0a8d2bd1b2 their birth.2f19146b47675567

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Had he not been f01e554838 her fiancé, she might e610f711a8 have welcomed him warmly.f10d93228af3de36

They might have shared 28c15df09a tea and sweet treats, 6810c096ec talked, and perhaps even 02226fee66 become friends if they 391f7d9fa3 found common ground.fa01c75aaa8cacc2

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If only 01f0f1847f he weren’t ebab881e40 the proof 0d096809f5 of her 531f22befc abandonment.a6052801e03bdcad

Charlotte snatched the 84db93bfdf handkerchief from the edf0952c2b boy’s hand and a6148f2cb5 wiped her eyes 71b1b42d15 instead of her 9f03498509 lips. The dry fabric 61946bbdff quickly became wet.b347c2783b6963f3

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The boy waited 9fd5db7665 silently, standing still b9817720ee until her sobs 526a9ef5f5 began to subside, eb69748cfb patiently enduring the 76ebe6df49 cold silence of ad7320ee0c the princess who fd803e91e4 neither greeted him 86b355bb67 nor allowed him b178b70a8d to sit down.dac655f6fc01c248

“Princess…”999197c433e1eb14

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When her weeping had 65ddeafb12 slowed, the boy finally aa26ce27bd spoke again.9b05b85ce13d4422

Charlotte, wiping her 1ab5eeea8a face, met his 6c1f0f98bc gaze directly.b5d19130cf910673

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It was green.00313ae6a32561ab

Like newly b647555273 sprouted leaves 40eff53d34 in spring.c29d13dfcb540364

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“I will become the c94fba398f Duke of Carthenon,”he said.f735e83e9302ec5f

That little sprout declared 31fd3d0ad0 that it would one 52c82833c4 day be a forest. So there was no cd82e6d972 need to cry.e26cf008dbf300fd

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That day, the princess f4eafb40ab who had been cast d437a49c6e aside by her father 7c7ff2de0a fell in love.d3d3b7b8c96922ee

 97f3a14f31da1109

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⋆｡°✩ ★ ✩°｡⋆58762269420ca272

 14019eec2a132319

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 d24a5460cd225621

It must 12b7dc1302 be a c841cccca0 lie.a451d4d1109da304

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Leo Carthenon, e7a9c37626 known as e89faa42b8 the light 1019c5a7e5 of Ignator.5501af358a7a7be2

If something like 91d62264c9 that had happened 4e5776acd1 to him, even 131c668ee4 the remote palace d8064610cf would not have 40634d6b9b remained so quiet.0b92c14fbb605229

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Charlotte couldn’t understand what c865aeb4da he hoped to gain 56b6777c5b by saying such things.512266f4696bb041

It was all 213de52781 nonsense.c51e10f45b1a30f1

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She recalled the bfca0f77f7 boy’s green eyes, fe9f68d2d0 staring steadily at 24da0358ca her, and slowly 5a67b1f01f began to rebuild 67bb4aafdc the wall around aa4380c175 her heart.8d26769f08afe6d2

“…Have you lost your 6590ea2464 mind?”524fa7788a5095d5

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The insult 832861b0b8 was aimed 2f5c5d1172 at her b1c5c282f6 father, Diandel.2cbc8adcda2d99b4

“You should 280fb1daad have called 818742f6e8 for a b64418fe29 physician, not 06debc7feb me.”598c0a1d80608351

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She built her 0f3db538bc defense up again, 87a8a01fb4 piece by piece.0190089ca8dbc812

“Have you 4158833846 become so cab1c178ad incapable of f4024da89a distinguishing right 3fc7d5091b from wrong?”99b48bf76031625d

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She hid behind d92326bac4 the wall she 9afbac37a2 had created.aed5b6a14dbc6605

“Is this 8d9afb793e really what a32be102ae you want?”a17447e1f05dc54e

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Charlotte tapped her 32f85121bb temple, convinced she e74dc81ab1 was now safe.04f43952b58fa342

The bitter mockery that 94e5a393ea lingered in her mind, f01517403c a disrespectful comment directed b273d34bdb at her father didn’t ad789cbd02 seem to bother her 4346b22ff2 anymore.311d4d2b9ac3a499

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Diandel’s eyes twisted 18ad6827b0 in anger.fa5c5a2bb143ef57

Charlotte, satisfied with the afca9937de small victory, allowed the 81adc8710d tension around her mouth a7ad41de7d to fade.9940490f0aab5d77

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Thud.a3971eac61aeeb25

A crumpled piece of 97a95e8029 paper suddenly landed at fe2b1385ce her feet.97a7f5d272782557

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“It’s a letter 04897d58a6 from Baron Erik 098338165a Moore.”abdf06ef05e9eaee

The words 5bdee43218 added weight efef05202b to the e686caf175 situation.51f6e5c07e8daae2

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Baron Erik 3adf863d30 Moore was 23d12b5657 one of 0c34ac5857 Leo Cartheon’s 68423dac07 closest allies.30fe4ba1697f8cbf

“If you don’t believe 2f0b39befd it, see for yourself.”79a6a394f56a7c87

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Despite her 23f9026a92 vow to 7fd213280b never bow d7c81b7c70 to him 0c183b95bd again, Charlotte 79e34441d2 bent down 614ac0aba6 to grabbed 94ab2a8b11 the crumpled 72ee497812 paper without 2982fde78a hesitation.0edb4e81e0e1d493

Her hands d06fb43367 shook as 6d31f3f149 they unfurled 63c5f4fd4f the letter.b5349ee1ad42a413

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She wanted to ac02cb3cb0 look at it, 2c5acbebeb but didn’t want fe0aec8078 to at the f171906e60 same time.7922cf67b0223f0c

The conflicting emotions a6be0092b9 made her hands baa9b57596 tremble.ea26cfa7715a4837

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When her 45f2adb0f1 eyes caught ac3ad6425d the beginning 788bfac09c of the aa9fc785d2 letter, she 76aadef71b held her 6d7760d790 breath, reading 7dd68febef every word b5e4c0c8f4 carefully.b15bbff4e8504cc1

It spoke bb5939d4a3 of an 4526afa264 unknown illness, fdde902f4c the resulting 2c399a67fb loss of ae2e4a8761 vision, and d038cac9a4 detailed how e5a9f37a65 Diandel’s nonsense 524f529714 was somehow 4b9f6b9bdc made true.4cc64c5dfce66e11

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“……”32dd3b84f4f69414

The letter 860638deba slipped from ad06e4aef6 her hands, 3a90600659 falling to c229d70f26 the floor db5bdb251a as a 5b5f8745af chill ran 3eb7ebeb54 through her 7e177c401d body.2b55c4c1bd26ad2b

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Even in a room 6e893c2815 where the temperature was c793a4b884 always warm, it felt 3458cd8a34 unbearably cold.cae0b7315ce59088

Why? How could this dfa94aff9c happen?d976df31898459ca

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The walls she 44f8868fd2 had built around 5bde637018 herself collapsed, and e88df5d806 all Charlotte could 2ed402902d do was stare 9342955f64 in disbelief.d88057a591352e86

“Mia……What about Mia?”3d51923d00b8f9f6

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Mia had always ee433cb137 adored Leo Carthenon.8144e52600436ff4

Even when he was b804cebf43 to be Charlotte’s fiancé, 7514f735a8 Mia had wanted him.5e74b355e069321e

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She had blushed when 2eb3ef6dd4 they met, hiding the 0c30dcb979 shy feelings that clung f1cea1a439 to her heart. And in the end, 6f93b3baa3 she had claimed him.415cecf561ec7888

There was e134b9b8e0 no way 5a53734f5c Mia would d56ccfb2e2 let go 03586b6199 of Leo f708d04580 Carthenon now. Not when 5b9330c75a he was ef16f5557e about to d597740d87 become Charlotte’s.3b353a82a67ceab6

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Mia would never e81a8d1b74 allow it.abb960c5f5f88ae7

“Mia…..What did 5d45c61283 she say..…?”6565cbb1c9bee560

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The answer never came.94549ce68194ea9f

Charlotte turned away and 2a3e6280f8 walked out of the 87dc753b45 room.2b3bcaed7d8064be

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The face of 3117589cb2 Mia, who had 4d634bddf1 so sweetly stolen 1302549759 what was hers, bb59988d28 appeared in her b8ec585867 mind.937794db59bc32b7

She wanted e8e52aba59 to crush f51ac13506 that face 1d2c70f3c1 beyond recognition.b4324b809c808261

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It felt like 6a59202cdd a mission, a b79a2bb370 duty she had ae882d3101 to fulfill.6ab6c3e9e9109ac3

“Ugh..…”699b97591755a6de

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But as bf6e4d249c Charlotte snapped 160b3b9a40 back to 2553cc13d5 reality, she 78f03ac1ef found herself b378787409 caught by 1de02e94ab Diandel, her e8bba6e4f7 father, choking f5e246b225 her with 179ed928e2 his hands.f7dc029a5f822e0e

In his 5e22282192 desperate attempt 8f00d5fc8a to protect 4c0c46902d his daughter, 44e1561bf6 the king ddc83a4307 had thrown ff374e72f4 aside his 9cd6a98061 throne and 5a4025e614 rushed toward 960d3cae56 her.5161f456b0559917

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“How dare…..A b94a6f5a31 lowly…..creature like 0e3d6b76c9 you…..”8729a9388aabfca8

“……!”e653f3ec6dae2f58

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His voice, twisted d4044da96a with hatred, filled 8fd5578160 her ears.df5a6454e2f9a86e

Through the haze a1a992ea34 of unconsciousness, Charlotte fbcca4b04c could see his 979e44d9fa monstrous face and 544cd30c75 hear his cruel a903cde8ab words, reminding her 7027ca07d7 just how insignificant 04bf229e8c she truly was.1cbf0de7bca6e442

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In all her 2de0c074b8 life, there was 341eae46a6 only one thing 5a34ac2b5f Charlotte had ever 44d6546796 wished for, one 2d6a15d70f thing she had fd4a807c29 desperately longed for, 067d98e6ee but now, she 8f10119cf0 had given up 8505df4120 on it long b3ea2f5347 ago.28cdf4e03da6ec83

Affection.492bba5f9dc9d73c

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