CL Chapter 7

Had I lost consciousness?

 

As Charlotte slowly lifted her eyelids, she vaguely grasped the situation.

 

Through her gradually clearing vision, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.

 

It seemed she had been moved to the temporary residence Ferndel had mentioned while she was unconscious.

 

Golden sunlight. Pure white clouds. A blue sky. A mischievous little angel flying in it.

 

Charlotte, following the ceiling mural with her gaze, which was unnervingly peaceful, tilted to the side, when she heard a deep voice nearby.

 

“Are you awake?”

 

It was Ferndel.

 

“You collapsed suddenly in the hallway. Do you remember?”

 

The unfamiliar face above her was slightly pale, looking quite surprised by the sudden fainting of the prospective duchess.

 

“The doctor said…”

 

Ferndel hesitated before continuing, his voice slow.

 

“He believes you are suffering from malnutrition.”

 

His cautious tone was understandable.

 

Malnutrition, It was an absurd diagnosis for someone of royal blood.

 

Such a condition had no place among the Nobility.

 

Royals were expected to be flawless, perfect in every aspect, with every need fulfilled.

 

“It seems your condition worsened during your journey to Rosa.”

 

Perhaps because of this, Ferndel hastily offered an explanation for Charlotte’s condition, as if it had been the cause all along.

 

In any case, it worked out well for Charlotte.

 

It meant she wouldn’t have to come up with excuses herself.

 

“The food here just didn’t suit my taste.”

 

She offered a vague response and attempted to sit up.

 

But the pain slicing through her abdomen made it clear that her body had yet to recover.

 

As her weakened frame wavered.

 

Ferndel, unable to bring himself to touch a princess, could only voice his concern.

 

“Wouldn’t it be better to lie down a little longer? The doctor recommended sufficient rest.”

 

Charlotte ignored him completely, placing her feet on the floor.

 

Ferndel’s eyes widened when he saw her pale, bloodless feet.

 

While he hurried to mask his reaction, Charlotte stood before him, fully upright.

 

“I plan to rest as much as I want—after you leave.”

 

Her words were strikingly deliberate, almost artificial. Ferndel wondered if she was dismissing him.

 

But before he could decide, her voice continued.

 

“If Rosa’s head chef is as skilled as they say, I should recover quickly. It’s not a big deal, is it?”

 

If he agreed, it would mean suggesting that it was no big deal that a princess had collapsed, which would give grounds for reproach.

 

But if he denied it, it would seem like he was dismissing both the doctor and the chef from the Carthenon family.

 

What did Rosa’s uninvited guest want?

 

Ferndel, caught between two unfavorable choices, pressed his lips together.

 

Fortunately, Charlotte did not wait long for an answer.

 

As if she had never expected one in the first place.

 

“So there’s no need for your master to know about this, right?”

 

But just as Ferndel had evaded one trap, another, far deeper, lay in wait.

 

His expression stiffened as he studied her face.

 

Did she truly mean that his master had no need to know, or was she criticizing why his master hadn’t even bothered to visit after she collapsed?

 

Ferndel once again stood at a crossroads.

 

“…..”

 

Considering Charlotte de Ignatour’s temperament, it was likely the latter.

 

As he steeled himself to apologize—

 

“Don’t tell me you’ve already confessed?”

 

Her brows knitted sharply as she pressed him for an answer.

 

Ferndel froze mid-sentence.

 

Because in that moment, an unfamiliar emotion clung to Charlotte’s striking features, one that did not suit her in the slightest.

 

A worry he could not quite understand.

 

 

 

──── ✧･ﾟ: ✩ :･ﾟ✧ ────

 

 

 

Ferndel closed the door with a troubled expression.

 

Now, Charlotte was isolated from the outside, but for some reason.

 

Ferndel felt as though he himself was trapped in a confined space, suffocating.

 

“….No, Your Highness.” 

 

As he walked down the hallway, Ferndel recalled the words he had spoken to Charlotte in his mind.

 

“The Lord doesn’t know anything yet.” 

 

Wrinkles began to form on his face as he flushed with embarrassment.

 

‘I haven’t reported it yet.’

 

A deep feeling of shame overwhelmed him.

 

Even if the person involved was merely a guest, not Charlotte, Leo, as the master of the castle, should have been informed.

 

It was Ferndel’s mistake for keeping it from him.

 

His pace quickened as he walked through the hallways, lost in his thoughts.

 

Ferndel quickened his pace, almost as if possessed.

 

Before he knew it, he found himself standing in front of Leo’s office.

 

“Butler?”

 

Just as he was about to knock, Ferndel encountered Mona Ilunier, the nanny who was bringing tea for Leo.

 

An awkward exchange of glances passed between them.

 

“She’s being quite difficult, isn’t she?”

 

Mona, sensing Ferndel’s poor state, placed the silver tray on the console table in the hallway and spoke.

 

It wasn’t that she was concerned about the tea cooling before Leo drank it, but she seemed overly curious about the news of Charlotte’s arrival at Rosa.

 

Unconsciously, Ferndel found himself pondering her words.

 

“Quite difficult…”

 

Ferndel had thought so too. That Charlotte would act difficult and turn Rosa Castle upside down according to her whims.

 

Not just Mona and Ferndel, but probably everyone in Rosa Castle thought the same. After all, she was that Charlotte d’Ignator.

 

But just before Ferndel left the room, the words he heard from Charlotte were nearly a mutter.

 

“Well done.”

 

He had been ready to dismiss it as mockery, but there was no sign of condemnation for his unilateral judgment.

 

Charlotte had waved her pale hand in the air, saying that it was fine for him to leave.

 

“It’s a little early, but should I bring you dinner?”

 

Ferndel’s concern about the doctor’s diagnosis regarding her poor health made him ask, but Charlotte replied curtly.

 

“It’s fine, just leave.”

 

That was it.

 

No further demands.

 

Her refusal was so straightforward that it felt unnervingly clean.

 

In the end, what remained between them was Ferndel’s rudeness.

 

“She’s so composed that it’s almost frightening.”

 

Ferndel sighed, acknowledging the truth in Mona’s words.

 

Mona, with a slight smirk, replied.

 

“She’s probably just pretending, trying to win the favor of the people here since she’s in an unfamiliar land.”

 

Her tone was confident. It was the same attitude she had held when the vassals had discussed their concerns about the marriage.

 

Unlike Ferndel, who had only heard of Charlotte from Rosa Castle, Mona had been in the royal capital and had seen Charlotte up close. She had witnessed both their meeting and their parting.

 

“She’s good at deceiving people, so you shouldn’t take her words at face value.”

 

Mona’s advice seemed reliable.

 

“…I don’t know.”

 

However, to his own surprise, Ferndel found himself saying something else.

 

“She probably didn’t do it to gain my favor. She’s too unwell to have the energy to be difficult.”

 

His words seemed to side with Charlotte, and Mona looked at him with eyes full of disbelief, as if seeing a traitor.

 

Ferndel had been the one who first expressed discomfort with this marriage, so Mona’s reaction was understandable.

 

Feeling awkward, Ferndel added a hurried explanation.

 

“The princess lost consciousness, and the doctor came by for a check-up. That’s what I meant.”

 

Only after saying this did Ferndel realize he had shared unnecessary details with Mona, who was about to meet Leo.

 

That realization became even more useless when a voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.

 

“Why is it that I’m only hearing this in this way, Ferndel?”

 

The voice was unexpected and calm, but it hit Ferndal and Mona like a thunderclap. 

 

Both turned toward the door with the same swift motion.

 

Leo was leaning against the partially open door of his office, looking at them with steady, piercing eyes.