CL Chapter 6

When the late Duke of Carthenon brought Leo Carthenon to the Rosa Castle, it was shortly after his only heir, Viktor Carthenon, had killed a servant simply for dirtying his shoes by kicking him to death.

 

The meaning was clear. The Duke intended to upend the succession by introducing a competitor.

 

Whether Leo Carthenon was truly the Duke’s biological son wasn’t a particularly important question.

 

The Duke officially recognized Leo Carthenon as his son, and the only thing that mattered was that now the Duke had two heirs.

 

“I hear the second young master is quite clever.”

 

“I also heard his character is upright, unlike some others.”  

 

“I’ve already made up my mind.”

 

Some of the Duke’s vassals, who had grown weary of Viktor Carthenon’s excessive indulgence, were ready to take action.

 

However, vassals who were tied to Viktor’s side argued that the purity of his bloodline was at stake, and they became ferocious, like a pack of wolves, insisting that Leo, the bastard, had to be driven out.

 

“Ha, bastard? What other son could there be when Viktor is here?”

 

“Do you not see? His mother is unknown. He’s clearly of low birth.”

 

“We must cut him off before he grows any stronger. We cannot allow this to continue.”

 

The late Duke, who had started the fire, did not intervene decisively, nor did he keep his distance. He calmly watched as the struggle spread.

 

Then, after many years, he publicly declared that Leo Carthenon would be the heir to the family.

 

Not long after that, the Duke collapsed. It was unexpected, as the Duke had been a strong man, not old enough to succumb to illness so suddenly.

 

Suspicion naturally turned toward one place. However, no evidence was found, and Viktor Carthenon, tearfully declaring his innocence, swore he would never harm his father, having lost his own mother at a young age.

 

Though his tears seemed untrustworthy for someone who had committed monstrous acts, with no clear proof, there was little to be done.

 

From that moment, the competition for the title of heir became a battle of extremes.

 

With the loss of his greatest shield, his father, Leo Carthenon’s life was now in constant danger.

 

Every night, he stayed awake, fearing his throat might be slit by morning.

 

Every sip of water was taken with suspicion, fearing it might be poisoned.

 

At that time, when death loomed at any moment, his fiancée, Charlotte de Ignator, did something unexpected… She watched the situation turn against him quietly and then sent him an official notice of their broken engagement.

 

Leo, who had always remained composed, staggered for the first time.

 

Braving the risk of an assassin following him, he sought out Charlotte and clung to her desperately.

 

“I… didn’t I tell you I would become the Duke of Carthenon? Please don’t do this. Don’t leave me. I’ll be of use to you, Princess. I will help you become the ruler of Ignator. So please… please don’t abandon me. Charlotte, please.”

 

Still, Leo Carthenon was abandoned. Charlotte let him go.

 

“Don’t do this, Leo.” 

 

“Charlotte…?”

 

“It’s pathetic.”

 

“…….”

 

“If you love me, don’t drag me into your miserable life. Don’t ask me to walk into hell with you. I don’t want to sink. If anyone’s going to fall, it’ll be you alone, Leo.”

 

 

⋆｡°✩ ★ ✩°｡⋆

 

 

‘If anyone’s going to fall, it’ll be you alone.’

 

Leo never imagined that the harsh words he had received would come back to him like this.

 

The breath he had trapped in his chest felt as heavy as iron. His limit was near, and just as his moist breath was about to slip through his fingers, it came.

 

“Judging by how you rushed all the way here to be the blind man’s wife, I suppose life in the villa isn’t as enjoyable as it seemed, huh?”

 

A cold mockery cut off his unworthy plea.

 

“……”

 

Charlotte, her eyes red from holding back her emotions, stared at Leo.

 

She knew she deserved to be scorned. She had done enough to earn it.

 

What bothered her, however, was why he kept weaving self-deprecating remarks into his words.

 

No one, not even Leo himself, could belittle Leo in front of Charlotte.

 

“……I came here because I’m going to be Leo Carteon’s wife.”

 

Charlotte bit her lips repeatedly before speaking in a voice devoid of tears.

 

Still, words are always open to interpretation.

 

“I know the Princess has no better choice than me.”

 

Her attempts to defend herself only led to her being vilified. To some, she was merely an opportunist who, in order to escape the palace, had no choice but to choose Leo Carthenon.

 

“That’s…”

 

No, it wasn’t that.

 

Her words, which she had only just managed to voice, slowly faded. It wasn’t the disappointment of being ignored that made her stop. It was the realization that no matter what she said, she would never earn Leo’s trust.

 

That was their relationship. There was no understanding, no trust, no empathy. All the connections that could bind them had been broken.

 

“It’s alright. I don’t think the Princess is such a bad choice either.”

 

His words, which might have seemed sweet, were nothing more than a continuation of the mockery.

 

The hand he extended, likely meant to offer comfort, was undoubtedly a trap.

 

Not a bad choice? The disgrace of Ignator?

 

Charlotte answered herself. Surely, that could never be true, could it?

 

With that thought, she took a step toward Leo, a man far too valuable to be wasted as a mere companion to the Princess.

 

She placed her hand, apologetically, on his calloused hand, the one that had gripped swords for so long.

 

No sooner had she done so than his grasp tightened mercilessly, trapping her hand.

 

“Ah…!”

 

The weak cry that escaped her mouth was followed by a kiss.

 

Leo’s lips pressed down on her hand, where his fingers had just grasped her tightly.

 

Charlotte’s pale blue eyes wavered in shock. She had never imagined such contact when they would meet again.

 

Her head was clouded with confusion.

 

A single question swirled in her mind, but she never had the chance to voice it.

 

Why…

 

Before she could ask, Leo spoke.

 

“I’ll take this as a proposal.”

 

The reason for his sudden kiss was now clear.

 

Leo brushed Charlotte’s hand off as if shaking off dust. Her hand fell, limp and without resistance.

 

Charlotte looked down at the warmth that still lingered on her hand, before turning her gaze back to Leo.

 

His expression, cold and straight, sealed the confusion and chaos she felt in a single moment.

 

Under the silver hair, her ears turned red.

 

Charlotte absently fixed her hair, which she had adjusted countless times before, as if the empty motion could restore some sense of order.

 

In the midst of her meaningless actions, Leo’s voice continued.

 

“Spend my money.”

 

Her confusion remained, yet she asked no questions.

 

“Buy jewelry every day, change your dresses, and wear new shoes.”

 

She remained silent, listening.

 

“If you wish to indulge in luxury, feel free to do so.”

 

Eventually, Leo would reveal the conclusion he had already set in his mind.

 

“There is one condition.”

 

Charlotte listened quietly, simply nodding in agreement.

 

“You must bear my child as soon as possible.”

 

Whatever his decision was, that was his condition.

 

 

 

⋆｡°✩ ★ ✩°｡⋆

 

 

 

When Charlotte exited the Lord’s office, the butler, Ferndal, was waiting for her as if nothing had changed.

 

As originally planned, he guided Charlotte to the temporary quarters where she would stay until the wedding.

 

Ferndel led the way while Charlotte followed.

 

Amidst their quiet walk, Charlotte’s mind was caught on the words Leo had just said.

 

“At least two healthy children, you must bear.”

 

“You must be proactive in raising them. I will do the same.”

 

“You may be a terrible wife, but as a mother, you must be flawless. There can be no shortcomings. That is the price for you to enjoy my wealth.”

 

Whether or not she fully understood the insult hidden in his words, Charlotte remained focused on the fact that Leo needed children.

 

It made sense. A new heir was necessary to replace the current head of the family, who was failing to fulfill his role.

 

It wasn’t odd for him to demand this from the woman who would be his wife. In exchange, she would live in luxury and comfort, making it a rather profitable deal for Charlotte.

 

However, if Leo’s green eyes remained intact, bearing his child would never have been her responsibility….

 

The thought alone made Charlotte slow her steps.

 

Her empty stomach twisted painfully, a strange sensation that had never been there before.

 

As she followed Ferndel’s back, Charlotte stopped and hunched over in pain.

 

“Princess!”

 

Ferndal, who had been moving ahead, quickly turned around and ran to Charlotte’s side.

 

“Are you alright, Princess?”

 

He shouted loudly.

 

“Someone, hurry and fetch the doctor!”

 

When no one answered, he barked orders again.

 

To Charlotte, everything felt distant, as if it were happening in another world. It felt almost like a dream.

 

A terrible nightmare.