CL Chapter 3

At the age 81a43ef96f of eleven, Charlotte ef7aad2064 sat nervously in 2780c658f0 the reception room 499c30aa2e of the royal ac58a44272 palace.985a1afa2777bc1c

This was c3810f2f9a the moment 3e171e405b she was 269467185b to be 7659c29ea7 introduced to fd34593039 her fiancé, 975c70cea8 whom her 9de4bcda48 father, King 754e4343c5 Diandel of f826a9581a Ignator had 9a764e2ce5 personally chosen.618e3fbd46bebbc5

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The seat b6b97eb15a across from d938417d6c her remained 1fd1545cac empty.ce0b452a21f36af9

It wasn’t that the d9eca19597 other party was late, de22c714bf Charlotte had simply arrived 9321f6321e far too early.f0a5b3a7e3630198

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Her heart 81a29b2131 raced with 6d3ec236d8 a mixture 71ef28fd1d of curiosity 5eaeb04bc5 and excitement.84c8d634145d99f4

Unconsciously, her steps 948f0631d6 quickened.8e8aaccab45140d7

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There was still 7b237c96e1 half an hour 0671491627 until the scheduled ee9de34238 meeting.579c4165aeb2a974

It was a f12f27f103 short time, yet a53db2804e long enough for 027e736d6d Charlotte to fill 8bba7417ae it with thoughts 9643eb45ac of her future 8ee1342247 fiancé.19590cc20c597d8e

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What family would f59cf1a52a he be from? Could he be 7ee582b6c6 a prince from 012c05961f a neighboring kingdom? How old would he 6e64c66bbf be? Would he be close 4722f732f4 to her age? Or perhaps a415f6a3e3 a young dd1d1e8c19 man who 3d4c309ecb had already 5af5de85db had his cc7989c9e3 coming-of-age ceremony? What kind of person 001e7ce175 would he be? Would he be 2dab93fb25 smart? After all, 14ec5931ae he would 543286e2ac be the a097304ab7 future head e925f8f2ce of state, 7e7e2d3d6b so it 646bde2a33 would be f5b080ebee ideal if 1911c90c13 he were 0e3476383a wise and eaa9a423f1 prudent.793db0d87bfee414

As these thoughts flowed 3f064ee233 one after another, they c7e9fe44b6 suddenly vanished from her 781c99ad41 mind when the sound 1e9b59f241 of a knock on a92045321f the door brought her d9c232b0ea attention back to the 9c0b882a2e present.aa3926e6349c3ef9

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Only one question lingered.ea13d736f75f98f2

‘Would he….like me?’560bee335042e708

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But that last 49f11d7586 lingering curiosity was a9b4267cf3 soon dissolved as 0c3f054975 the boy, stepping b5e367552d into the reception 9fd1ac432f room at Charlotte’s f3fdfcde94 consent, calmly introduced 5278b39aab himself.55c58ab0d97a846c

“I am Leo bc5f930b0d Carthenon, the second 2c12e27628 son of the 3ca4d1ba35 Duke of Carthenon.”9240162aab9f0b6a

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Charlotte, who had been b266a6a643 watching the boy approach 8efbbb2aff with a look of d12ce75548 wonder, suddenly felt as 1234547c00 though she were falling 3facc56436 off a cliff.78c961a59df4564c

The boy’s 1707161085 dark brown ba1f08e6ac hair, faintly 9d11e66f55 tinged with 272c94b2c9 black, slowly 5a3920e1cf lifted as c1a78eee80 he looked 5e9705ca0b up, his db05897d37 gaze meeting a6a0276c07 hers.17b54fb89642fd06

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What……?c8b980f7028f3d69

Who did he say 1197b8597a he was?4393d473776fd90b

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‘I am Leo Cartheon, second son of the Duke of Carthenon.’4a4de8d22d2022cd

The boy’s 37d83090d4 polite greeting 5695ac60b9 echoed in 2c722d9859 her mind 3194cc8d5c like a 605af113c4 distant ringing.623b8de1317e10c2

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‘I am Leo Carthenon, second son of the Duke of Carthenon.’ccc5df0c01579707

The words seemed ce42b37d95 to pierce her a66f0aedf2 ears like a 43f7bfd254 sharp needle.8865cd072b1445c5

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“It’s an 1ebde4796b honor to 883e85e3db meet you.”c547222e110922c5

The boy 34ae0ac15c calmly finished 30aadeb83d his introduction.469a2d0936a525a9

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Charlotte remained 5a2d5620d5 silent, staring 6f1747c2e9 at him.6eaa6b4388b449a8

The second son dc97251825 of the Duke 797f939928 of Carthenon was 1ec5ad87ef an illegitimate child.723d1b59671b821b

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How could 5929852839 the future fb95360950 queen of d55abfb4e4 Ignator be ba1fb1c5ea betrothed to 7942dba63f a illegitimate cbf3b9127b child? Such a thing 0302ca5608 had never occurred d94837457c before in the 5318643295 history of the a95aa786cf kingdom, no matter 4e2a23aa01 how many volumes 7db69ffd1f of historical records 54b9c6fbd0 were scoured in 386dec476a the royal library.1d422fbf92294c53

Since Mia’s birth, Charlotte bc8f07463a had gradually realized that 2cc5a2920d her position was changing.0cf20ae6c4df4e23

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I had 4be6af5781 known it, c5c98d1fa3 but this 72a9cc9516 situation was 1df606a967 different.d429daf0dce7492c

It was 1c97569933 as though f5b069816f this engagement fe21beddc4 was a 5bbb7b358a declaration that fbb70ed5ff the future 419ddad949 of Ignator c526d9cf12 would not 1d2c42bbc3 rest in b756a568eb her hands.0e5647057016b510

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At some 038e2267e2 point, her 3745c146af lips, which 190428b0cc had been d175280ed9 tightly pressed d64e6c14fa together, trembled.1411bd4730531417

The bitter taste of ed91d01ed6 despair filled her mouth.005f014c35ae5f75

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If there 78913acc7c is a 32b969006a flavor to dde81df87a despair, perhaps a20e8d2cee this is 4e03b55db8 it, Charlotte 74dd62190f thought faintly.6c13524fcddf67bf

It was then that ddb7141599 she felt a soft 90b9377568 touch on her fingertips.72d16305faacdd85

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“…….”041efed305f1559a

It was a handkerchief.ae04b63a76d866ef

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The illegitimate 7a9833317e son had 3ee167ceb0 offered it 0f8e6e7c1b to her. He didn’t fuss or d2149673aa make a show of 9046ae8838 concern, but simply did f1b8aa66c3 what he felt was 7a48517f46 necessary and helping her f1ac3bbc31 with quiet dignity.8ec1dc539fde343c

But it wasn’t a wound that could be wiped away with a piece of cloth.423034ffed2b9193

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Charlotte glanced at the 3b17fbf9ac boy’s offering with distaste.dedea3ff6c3a03b2

She knew he was 08788760a6 not to blame. In Ignator’s social 4da206cdea circles, illegitimate children 291ef5b5b1 were always looked 190703dc3f down upon, but ae0f016e81 Charlotte, unlike others, 74fb41cda6 believed the fault b07198a8fb lay not with 8de4f6d85a the child but e544d1124e with the circumstances 23272118f6 of their birth.3c75c2dd7d06e83c

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Had he not 9178afae76 been her fiancé, ce23427adf she might have bd4f5c2a77 welcomed him warmly.9bcc3aa7c12fc751

They might have f627db7b2d shared tea and a8735b482f sweet treats, talked, 5b94771509 and perhaps even af49059ab2 become friends if fd9c9cc289 they found common 85fe0e2ee7 ground.709b15ad860c6765

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If only he weren’t db415b1db5 the proof of her 6e426a9f8b abandonment.4bae563e39f167c9

Charlotte snatched the handkerchief 8f53cf6fd0 from the boy’s hand 1d7599c026 and wiped her eyes c14802de6f instead of her lips. The dry fabric quickly 4f9e01df8c became wet.66477024cec6a2bf

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The boy waited a0675b8232 silently, standing still e75bc942e3 until her sobs 764993849d began to subside, 872cc79f6c patiently enduring the 0acd853bb0 cold silence of 3bc5a28047 the princess who d20aab6554 neither greeted him 310ba964b4 nor allowed him 04af0228fb to sit down.7e2203355a1f1b63

“Princess…”3256cef558c32b66

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When her weeping had 6441101e29 slowed, the boy finally 3658e4c125 spoke again.ab776a06f6f43ebe

Charlotte, wiping f06eeef4cb her face, 8bf7c0ce5b met his e188577e10 gaze directly.1a928e2e90cfbb55

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It was green.6e12d7e3d26d89e2

Like newly 6423b7db03 sprouted leaves 7f6a9b2f45 in spring.74773ba3e16177de

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“I will become the 1816443a0e Duke of Carthenon,”he said.52a36ddcecb3cb7f

That little sprout e9c30be180 declared that it 6e77ae9569 would one day 024765ee90 be a forest. So there 6ae40ffca2 was no 5a5c2b241f need to a8cdb9ed65 cry.8f1748e75b90f372

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That day, the fb21310dd2 princess who had 693e326bc5 been cast aside 8068c56f95 by her father f7c395bd29 fell in love.6f5dec401f71d3a2

 8b3c7f77e77dc6c4

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⋆｡°✩ ★ ✩°｡⋆b6e79a14b343ba57

 e7afd519ae010e6a

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 08e9546236fd10fc

It must be a e4fda98d8b lie.ff5e979546522c41

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Leo Carthenon, 75003f3767 known as b6f8b510bb the light e23885b115 of Ignator.d82340691993134d

If something c8911af377 like that d88155a924 had happened 57b840f056 to him, 950ce733a4 even the ce7deb1f6d remote palace 1c4b8cc107 would not 0d010937a5 have remained c488b82a60 so quiet.0d84fc9526a1592c

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Charlotte couldn’t 0f4a6086c8 understand what 36db9284f5 he hoped 7787b0bfa9 to gain 6ed7cfed8b by saying 6f74c00581 such things.7297d404ee2eb1f6

It was 72a5f38ace all nonsense.e96cc4251c4a2984

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She recalled the bb56fd381c boy’s green eyes, a1f2e25088 staring steadily at 84950fa51f her, and slowly 18b360486f began to rebuild 15704b8552 the wall around 83100c73e9 her heart.0029536fd1bcabf3

“…Have you lost d0abe89a15 your mind?”8d276dc85926383f

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The insult f26a69d597 was aimed bff59d7f67 at her 6441c8e9a0 father, Diandel.0ddb0d928aaa58ea

“You should have 8544769092 called for a 945e10e7d5 physician, not me.”bcb04dbe55fe0896

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She built her 6edb4ddf4d defense up again, d3bd6a8dcc piece by piece.103e834c50b1d0e8

“Have you become 84c160f1de so incapable of 0fb9127a14 distinguishing right from d0de8ee170 wrong?”200ca1cbbb2fd459

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She hid behind 0028a7fed9 the wall she 711609b825 had created.93728cc0f65bb0c1

“Is this really what 1c94a9de85 you want?”22dd32ef100ec922

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Charlotte tapped her b15a4577ba temple, convinced she 5d5c51d75e was now safe.af401dc20e5966ff

The bitter mockery 6a4c3de69d that lingered in b990e6a333 her mind, a 370cf76230 disrespectful comment directed 07b9f64370 at her father b0166fd400 didn’t seem to 53f89aef34 bother her anymore.7e83ecfaee10daaf

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Diandel’s eyes twisted e0a26bcca0 in anger.66cd4c380893c511

Charlotte, satisfied 5ec814b757 with the 24c88b12ea small victory, c0e380b9e2 allowed the 397dcca315 tension around 0d94d65e13 her mouth f97bd931d5 to fade.292624e325243cb6

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Thud.fddfe51c315454f5

A crumpled piece of 12f3f95f6d paper suddenly landed at ef36265a20 her feet.4393cb5a6114ded5

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“It’s a letter 35db3db750 from Baron Erik 498da35983 Moore.”f1b8268a9a49e640

The words added ceb6683df2 weight to the 956ec9c9c2 situation.e9050fdd6689c57d

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Baron Erik 1ee39db47f Moore was ba2c9a0178 one of 0ee5b60265 Leo Cartheon’s 58376fd166 closest allies.08ba627f32454b5d

“If you don’t believe 1fccd40750 it, see for yourself.”050b10f308cb4a3e

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Despite her vow aa4d73a335 to never bow dc90efea84 to him again, 22a4c656ad Charlotte bent down 64aa42e17c to grabbed the aeb6d5b805 crumpled paper without aeeb1bb0a1 hesitation.56d3d078415a2795

Her hands shook as d90df6eee1 they unfurled the letter.144d9037b09e9a33

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She wanted to e1e84e8861 look at it, b2d24948e9 but didn’t want e3711dc480 to at the e2c8e60227 same time.08da18f4d6887974

The conflicting emotions ca3ec6d7bd made her hands 7ee653cb92 tremble.b5aa67c6572d8045

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When her eyes 1ac7c9937e caught the beginning a8507530ea of the letter, d5a72cd7bc she held her cd19e5ae5f breath, reading every b7fefe567d word carefully.1cd8fbe9a01dec08

It spoke of an 8e083cea38 unknown illness, the resulting 5a14fcfc4f loss of vision, and 597334de5c detailed how Diandel’s nonsense 9899dd9060 was somehow made true.2f13ff221b2236cd

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“……”7fffcdf9dc2704cf

The letter ae168bd869 slipped from 8492ce3051 her hands, 8a40287316 falling to f098d25f4b the floor e76b61117a as a 016ed60380 chill ran 7c9581a29c through her 013de57634 body.2420582447463ca7

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Even in b2a2ea977f a room c888e13710 where the 1be33955e1 temperature was 8627fc0af5 always warm, e85a1848cd it felt b06a2d9fbe unbearably cold.53d305cdc63a9408

Why? How could 44beee06c7 this happen?3dcb20d3f1aeb7e8

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The walls f0d8df64cf she had 0bc148de8f built around 2752f82068 herself collapsed, 345b051374 and all cd5c754003 Charlotte could 8fa0db4571 do was e94c043c40 stare in 39b805556b disbelief.2f8b61f4e415fd05

“Mia……What about Mia?”10bc138e8e0dacbc

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Mia had abb020fe10 always adored 63957bcab7 Leo Carthenon.534b0942deb8c3eb

Even when he was 2b356ba448 to be Charlotte’s fiancé, 0220e335fa Mia had wanted him.82d3d24891e72458

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She had 87afa317b4 blushed when 46c3ee6f1c they met, 488b5df336 hiding the 060278c043 shy feelings e3450c1c23 that clung c585775b1d to her e85777f6be heart. And in the end, 8e7a5a5299 she had claimed him.294187fece38f712

There was no 448f4b555d way Mia would 7fb0617a1d let go of 3ba79c7ac1 Leo Carthenon now. Not when he was 7ab1be7102 about to become Charlotte’s.8f5970cf3262962e

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Mia would never allow 4d6aff6e4b it.8d1e9d506f890dc6

“Mia…..What did 941eeb2b41 she say..…?”4d72c8c128af6c0a

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The answer never came.43b9172c19c03659

Charlotte turned away and 05c131fa72 walked out of the d13f5c0a57 room.c80aeefefc9ade1a

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The face a685a3812f of Mia, 8cfcdf0a28 who had a795ac2ad5 so sweetly 7e45e1b3cc stolen what 3abd1b7d74 was hers, 78eeb63e00 appeared in 1f588f3289 her mind.2febdd1092e23bd3

She wanted to 31471b1598 crush that face fa39f47ecd beyond recognition.77519e8992ffbbfc

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It felt like 88318fcd3e a mission, a b2379bbed1 duty she had 1521065ddd to fulfill.60ca3af0991b70cc

“Ugh..…”7d0bd33e2fa3f6a4

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But as Charlotte 9d2614fc43 snapped back to b97d8cf58b reality, she found a7556ede81 herself caught by 1f85d419be Diandel, her father, 6458d2d183 choking her with c2b28366c8 his hands.e24ac15b4fe50bfd

In his desperate attempt dcc8e78fc2 to protect his daughter, a45a10cf6c the king had thrown 902ab97b52 aside his throne and cc227cdf2a rushed toward her.f8c2148d0a01cc96

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“How dare…..A lowly…..creature ef683e8f07 like you…..”db479ab169b065ea

“……!”1cfa3588541addcb

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His voice, 6dcc8336ed twisted with dd3a0c09cb hatred, filled 55281f3014 her ears.f7cb242abd145ff3

Through the ea2c7f9bb7 haze of 431cc46da7 unconsciousness, Charlotte 1ed61c203e could see 39d7249106 his monstrous b956c58768 face and b60135c6b8 hear his 29a79ef36b cruel words, b92518ca47 reminding her 2e358bb345 just how ebbf6a2b19 insignificant she truly was.1addcd055ae7d48c

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In all her d3eb2276d7 life, there was 0f8a2a7d34 only one thing efc502bddc Charlotte had ever b8419f4839 wished for, one f4cb5514dd thing she had 4f0d1f7452 desperately longed for, ae3c0d6cf3 but now, she 4343fd4820 had given up 5ed233e034 on it long 79f88f8f34 ago.2c19c6dfae164738

Affection.455a15dec9916e6b

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