CL Chapter 8

Bang!

 

A thunderous sound, like something shattering with great force, echoed through the air.

 

After sending Ferndel away, Charlotte sat crumpled at the edge of the bed, lost in thoughts of Leo. Suddenly, a commotion outside the door caught her attention, and she turned her head.

 

Her eyes widened, The very person who had consumed her thoughts had barged into the room.

 

“Leo…?”

 

Charlotte leaped to her feet. Through the narrow crack of the closing door, she glimpsed Ferndel’s flustered face. 

 

She had praised him for a job well done, but it seemed he hadn’t lasted even a day before being caught.

 

As she tried to make sense of the situation, the door, which had been thrown open with force, slammed shut.

 

The room fell silent, with only the rhythmic tap of a cane against the floor breaking the stillness.

 

Tap. Tap. Tap.

 

The sharp, regular friction echoed, steady and unyielding. Between those beats, Leo moved with smooth, unwavering precision, as though following a well-rehearsed script.

 

It was a relief to witness. And yet, Charlotte couldn’t shake the sadness that something so trivial could bring her such joy.

 

Caught in this tangled mix of emotions, Charlotte watched Leo’s clean, precise movements, not daring to blink.

 

“Come sit here.”

 

It wasn’t until Leo stood before the sofa, which occupied the center of the room, that Charlotte snapped out of her thoughts.

 

“Quickly.”

 

His voice, commanding and urgent, left no room for hesitation.

 

“…Did you miss me, even for that brief moment?”

 

Charlotte muttered the words as if brushing off a trivial thought and walked toward the sofa. She sat in a position where Leo could look down at her directly.

 

“Dinner will be ready soon.”

 

As if sensing her presence, Leo spoke immediately.

 

“I’ve instructed them to prepare food that won’t upset your empty stomach. Eat well. I’ll call the doctor again. Make sure you’re examined in front of me. I need to know exactly how your condition is.”

 

Despite the roughness of the door slamming and his indifferent tone, his words were unexpectedly considerate.

 

Charlotte shook her head, pausing for a moment as she bit her lip before speaking.

 

“It’s just a little fatigue. You don’t need to worry. I know my body well. I’ll be fine after a little rest…..”

 

“Am I doing this because I’m worried about you, Princess?”

 

A sharp, almost derisive laugh fell over Charlotte.

 

The sound, void of warmth, was far colder and heavier than she’d expected, and Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to lift her head.

 

Worry.

 

Yes, it was too presumptuous to expect such feelings from Leo Carthenon toward Charlotte de Ignator.

 

Still, he had made sure she ate, and he had insisted on calling the doctor to check her personally. It was thoughtful, despite the inconvenience.

 

Charlotte, clutching the hem of her worn dress, wanted to ask him. If this isn’t a worry, then what is it?

 

“Did I not tell you that you need to bear a healthy child?”

 

As if hearing her unspoken question, Leo’s lips parted. His voice, devoid of any humor, was entirely cold.

 

“That body will provide the nourishment for my child. Don’t neglect it.”

 

“Ah…..”

 

It was a sufficient explanation to the question Charlotte hadn’t dared ask. She froze, unable to speak.

 

Her already pale skin grew even more ashen, and her pale hands twisted nervously at the fabric of her dress.

 

It was a meaningless gesture. It was simply that, like a distracted child, she found it impossible to remain still. Her restless hands continued searching for something to grasp.

 

“If you’re willing to give birth to four or five healthy children then that would be a different story.”

 

Many women don’t survive after that many births. Countless households lose their wives after just three children. It was easy to guess the hidden meaning of Leo’s words.

 

But did she resent Leo? Not really.

 

Leo was someone who had earned the right to speak to her this way. It was a right Charlotte had granted him long ago.

 

What embarrassed her was how she had dared to speak of worry in front of a man who cared nothing for his own well being.

 

Charlotte’s complexion had grown even paler. The blunt words that slipped from her lips were a result of this.

 

“You know that children don’t just fall from the sky, right?”

 

Leo tilted his head slightly, not understanding her meaning. His casual attitude seemed to encourage her to continue.

 

After a long moment of hesitation, Charlotte, hiding her uncertainty behind a facade of calm, added one more line.

 

“…Do you think you could kiss lips like mine, when I’m a woman who isn’t even worthy of your concern?”

 

“Ha ha.”

 

Only then did Leo seem to understand Charlotte’s words, and he let out a low, mocking laugh. It was deep, heavy, and made his head bow slightly.

 

“Kissing lips that might have been touched by someone else…”

 

His muttered words weren’t meant to be hidden, they rang out clearly. Charlotte, once again, began to tear at the fabric of her dress.

 

It wasn’t long before Leo reached out to her. His hand first brushed her shoulder, then slowly traveled up her neck, grazing her earlobe before finally resting on her cheek.

 

Each word he spoke was cold, but his large hand, in stark contrast, was warm,almost as if it had been heated by fire.

 

It didn’t make sense, given the warm spring air of Rosa, but Charlotte wondered, for a brief moment, if he might be coming down with a fever.

 

Leo’s fingers, which had been gently moving over her pale cheek, finally stopped on her lips, as though to say this was where they would stay.

 

The roughness of his hands, accustomed to the grip of a sword, traced the delicate skin of her lips, as though contemplating some unknown possibility.

 

Charlotte held her breath, fearing that even a single exhalation would make this surreal contact vanish into nothing.

 

To her surprise, Leo’s hand gently slipped past her lips, slowly entering her mouth. The strange tension made her toes curl.

 

Soon, his fingertips brushed against the wet softness inside her lips, sending a fiery warmth through her body. Everywhere his hand passed, heat bloomed, as though sparks had ignited from nothing.

 

Like a tyrant expanding his domain, Leo boldly continued to widen the space between them. The intrusion beyond her teeth was swift. Two firm fingers suddenly thrust deep into her mouth.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Before she could find a way to avoid it, her tongue tangled with Leo’s fingers. Charlotte, unsure of what to do, stood frozen, mouth agape.

 

Soon, Leo applied gentle pressure, pushing her tongue away from her skin. He began to rub along her sensitive mucous membranes, stirring her entire mouth as if it no longer belonged to her.

 

“Ugh, hhh!”

 

Unable to bear the strange sensation, Charlotte let out an awkward moan as his fingernails scraped sharply across the roof of her mouth.

 

“Ah…!”

 

Perhaps not wanting to hear that, Leo’s hand withdrew with no trace of hesitation.

 

Cough, cough!

 

Still trailing Leo’s retreating hand with the tip of her tongue, Charlotte lowered her head and coughed abruptly, having held her breath too long.

 

Her lungs, swollen from the lack of air, tightened with each cough. She repeated the process several times before finally managing to steady her breathing.

 

Clang!

 

Suddenly, the sharp metallic sound pierced her ears.

 

She turned, startled, and saw the cane that should have been in Leo’s hand now lying on the floor.

 

The vibrations it caused unsettled the air, shaking the previously calm atmosphere.

 

“I think rubbing your lips together might be uncomfortable, so that could be difficult.”

 

Leo’s voice rang clearly just after the cane stopped rattling.

 

“I think I can do other things.”

 

Charlotte didn’t fully understand what he meant. She lifted her head, which she had lowered, and stared at Leo in confusion.

 

As though waiting for that moment, Leo climbed onto the sofa, placing one knee on it, and swiftly undid the belt tightly fastened around his waist.

 

With that simple motion, Leo made it unmistakably clear what his intentions were.