CL Chapter 11

Though she had thought it was over, Leo clung to Charlotte as if unleashing something he had long suppressed. By the time it truly ended, she had grown accustomed to the sensation of being embraced by him.

 

He was a steadfast man, who would never court another woman while marriage discussions with Mia were underway. That must be why he had pursued Charlotte with such relentless determination.

 

Having arrived at a conclusion she could reasonably accept, Charlotte absentmindedly gazed out the window.

 

The world outside was shrouded in darkness, the deep hue of the night suggesting that dusk had long since passed.

 

“It’s night.”

 

Her voice was small as she murmured, turning her gaze to Leo, who was hurriedly fastening his trousers.

 

It was late. He could stay a little longer. He could leave when the sun rose. It was too dark now. She feigned indifference, but there was meaning laced in her words.

 

Only belatedly did she realize that this was the last thing she should say to Leo, for whom every moment was night. Charlotte bit down on her raw, swollen tongue.

 

Leo, however, acted as if he had not heard her at all. He rose without any hesitation or farewell. Yet, just as he was about to step forward, he faltered. He didn’t take a single step.

 

Ah…

 

Blinking, Charlotte soon understood why he had stopped. She pulled down her dress, which had ridden up, and stood up from the sofa.

 

Bending her aching waist, she picked up the cane lying on the floor and carefully extended it toward Leo, ensuring it reached his hand.

 

“You should take better care of it.”

 

Her words were spoken in pure concern, an earnest wish that he would not hurt himself. There was no hidden implication this time.

 

But to the listener, it seemed tainted with ill intent. For an instant, a chill passed over Leo’s face. Though his eyes were veiled, the loathing directed at Charlotte was unmistakable.

 

There was no time to explain. Snatching the cane from Charlotte’s hand, Leo turned and strode out of the room without a moment’s hesitation.

 

Bang!

 

The door slammed shut as fiercely as it had been thrown open. Charlotte wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach.

 

“Ugh…”

 

A dull ache throbbed within her, as if something was pounding from inside her belly. What Leo had poured into her seeped out without resistance. It was an inexpressible expulsion.

 

Her limbs trembled with weakness. Even standing still felt unbearable her frail legs shook like brittle twigs, threatening to collapse beneath her.

 

Even so, rather than surrendering to exhaustion, Charlotte glanced around. Fortunately, she didn’t have to look far.

 

On the table beside the sofa, she spotted what she needed, a bottle of fine wine, prepared for guests.

 

Without hesitation, Charlotte reached for it. The wine had long since lost its ideal temperature, now merely lukewarm. She did not care. With a reckless motion, she shattered the slender neck of the bottle against the table’s edge.

 

Glass shards scattered across the floor. Red liquid splattered over them, leaving behind deep crimson stains. At a glance, it looked like a scene of violence.

 

“…Does this look more natural?”

 

Murmuring words no one else would ever comprehend, Charlotte turned the bottle upside down. She let the remaining wine spill onto the floor, its crimson tide pooling amidst the shards. The rest, she poured over the sofa, drenching the fabric completely.

 

After all, Charlotte d’Ignator had always been the royal family’s unruly troublemaker, unpredictable princess. No one would question why she had done such a thing.

 

“…..”

 

With that, the secret would remain forever buried.

 

No one needed to know that Charlotte’s first time had been taken. Only she would remember. Only she needed to occasionally treasure it.

 

Leo… didn’t need to know..

 

 

 

 

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

 

 

 

 

“Really? Is that true?”

 

The maid, Maria, who had been scrubbing the dusty window frame with a wet rag, turned around in shock.

 

“Did the princess really cause such a mess in the bedroom?”

 

Sophie, who had been standing there, shook her head vigorously, visibly disgusted.

 

“Oh, don’t even get me started.”

 

She was recounting the scene she had witnessed a few days ago while cleaning the room where Princess Charlotte was staying.

 

The floor and sofa were soaked with a red liquid. If it hadn’t been for the overpowering smell of wine, one might have mistaken it for a crime scene.

 

Sophie, along with the other maids who had been with her at the time, had been rendered speechless upon seeing the sight.

 

“I thought my back was going to break scrubbing that floor.”

 

“Oh my.”

 

“At least the floor got cleaned. But the sofa? The wine stain wouldn’t come out, so we had to throw it away.”

 

“That expensive thing?”

 

“Yes, that expensive thing.”

 

Sophie, encouraged by Maria’s reaction, became more active.

 

“It looks like the princess and the lord had a fight, and she must have wanted to take it out on us.”

 

“They fought?”

 

Sophie nodded vigorously. Maria furrowed her brow but leaned in, intrigued by the story.

 

“You heard that the princess fainted, right?”

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

“Well, she’s a princess, and she’s about to marry the lord. Imagine how shocked he must have been. He immediately ordered a meal to be brought to her. But when we showed up with it, he yelled that she didn’t need it and sent it right back.”

 

“My word.”

 

Princess Charlotte had thrown a wine bottle in a fit of rage, creating the chaotic scene, Sophie’s words explained the mess

 

“I see. So that’s what happened.”

 

Charlotte, amidst the wreckage, had stood by the balcony railing, staring out blankly, her face unreadable. There wasn’t a trace of anger on her small face.

 

But Sophie didn’t feel the need to dwell on those details, still caught up in the drama, eagerly chimed in again.

 

“Right? Doesn’t it seem that way?”

 

“Well, what else could it be? She must have taken out her frustration on us because she had no one else to do it to. You must have had a hard time trying to please her, Sophie.”

 

In reality, Sophie hadn’t had it particularly tough.

 

Since Princess Charlotte’s arrival at Rosa Castle, she had been surprisingly calm, likely due to her poor health.

 

She hardly ever sought the maids’ help, and when she did, it was usually to avoid them.

 

Charlotte handled everything on her own, from bathing to changing clothes, as if the presence of the maids was somehow distasteful to her.

 

Sophie had been assigned to her room, but there was little for her to do.

 

Charlotte hardly needed anything. Life had hardly changed from what it had been, and Sophie had found herself with more free time.

 

But since this wasn’t particularly interesting, Sophie pouted and grumbled.

 

“If this goes on, I think I’ll lose my mind. Just thinking about the princess being in that room makes my heart race. I can’t even breathe properly.”

 

“At least you’re lucky you’re just filling in temporarily, The girls assigned to the marital bedroom are already crying and carrying on… Ugh!”

 

As Maria patted Sophie, trying to comfort her, she suddenly froze, gasping for air and gripping the wet rag tightly in her hands.

 

Sophie turned, sensing what was happening, but couldn’t bring herself to look. She hunched her shoulders, trying to shrink and become invisible.

 

Click. Click. Click.

 

The sound of high heels, which had been inaudible until now, suddenly echoed in the air. With each step, the sound grew sharper, like the crack of a whip. As the footsteps drew closer, it felt as if something dreadful was approaching.

 

Sophie and Maria held their breath, both of them certain that if anything happened, it would be disastrous.

 

But the sound of the heels, like a predator closing in, gradually faded and eventually disappeared.

 

“Wh-what…what was that? Are we… are we still alive?”

 

Maria was the first to speak.

 

“I… I think so,”

 

Sophie stammered, barely able to respond as she trembled.