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Chapter : 21
Mysticism always came with the annoying aftereffect of curiosity. But even that didn’t bother her too much—after all, fame wasn’t entirely bad.
Everyone had been murmuring today about how beautiful the mysterious partner of Rakal was.
Quite a few people even lingered nearby, trying to learn the name of the suddenly appeared young lady.
They would be absolutely shocked when they later discovered Rakal’s mysterious partner was none other than “foolish Charlotte.”
They would be stunned by Charlotte Abel’s new side.
“Are you angry?”
“Pardon?”
“You look like you want to mess with me, Charlotte.”
“Of course not. I’m just excited about something.”
“Something to look forward to?”
“I think something surprising is going to happen soon.”
Charlotte answered with a smug smile, beaming brightly.
By the time they left for the Chester Marquis estate, the awkward atmosphere between them had disappeared. The distance between them had narrowed considerably, almost like friends—as Rakal had said.
It wasn’t bad. No—it was good.
After coming into “Your Majesty, Please Let Me Go,” she had ended up with Rakal, the only seemingly normal person, as a friend.
“Will you come again tomorrow like today?”
“Probably. Why do you ask?”
“I think I might have plans during the day.”
“…A man?”
“Yes.”
Of course. It was Lyla—so naturally, it was a man.
“I see. So that ‘surprising event’ was tomorrow’s meeting.”
Rakal’s previously bright expression slightly stiffened.
It seemed he had misunderstood that she was meeting a real man.
Should she explain that her appointment was with Lyla?
Saying “man” and then correcting it to “penguin” felt… complicated.
Charlotte remembered how Rakal had teased her earlier.
She suddenly felt like teasing him back.
“Still, don’t worry. I’ll finish getting ready in time and wait for you when you come to pick me up.”
Charlotte smiled sweetly.
Rakal, unable to remain stern any longer, softened his tone.
“Understood. See you tomorrow, Charlotte.”
“Yes. You too, Rakal—take care, Rakal.”
Rakal loosened his cravat as he strode arrogantly into the Staratua mansion. Servants and knights bowed deeply to show respect.
The grand interior displayed the majesty of a ducal residence.
As he walked through the hall like a sleeping dragon awakening, a dangerous aura swirled in his gaze.
A man?
A man, of all things?
Charlotte Abel had never even left the mansion before.
Was this a man she had known from the Abel Count’s estate?
No—could it be that lunatic Pierce?
Impossible. Charlotte and Pierce had been at each other’s throats over the tenant contract.
As proof of their hostility, the protection jewel embedded in the Owner’s Seal on his shoulder vibrated sharply.
Charlotte had been furious at Pierce.
Those two were like cat and dog—meeting outside was unthinkable.
Rakal narrowed his eyes.
Then who was she meeting?
As he walked across the marble floor like a cold wind, the butler followed respectfully behind him.
“Thirty minutes ago, a message from His Majesty arrived.”
Rakal sneered.
Typical of the emperor—always anxious about Rakal’s marriage. He must be probing, curious about which young lady he had taken to the Chester Marquis estate today.
“Skip the obvious.”
“The report you requested arrived an hour ago. I placed it on the study desk.”
A report on Charlotte Abel.
No matter what man she was meeting tomorrow, at least her connections would be thoroughly documented.
His inexplicable irritation subsided slightly, and Rakal nodded.
Halfway up the stairs, he scanned the people in the hall.
“Where is Talus?”
“The off-duty knights are gambling over drinks in the annex tonight.”
Rakal gave a cold order to the butler.
“Tell Talus the mad, sharp general has returned.”
Charlotte, who had bathed after returning from the ball and immediately fallen asleep, woke up well past morning.
But aching all over, she hugged her pillow and groaned weakly.
“Ugh… I haven’t danced in so long, my whole body feels like it’s sore all over.”
“Lady, are you sick?”
Lyla was sitting at the edge of the bed, looking up at her worriedly.
Charlotte flinched.
“Lyla, when did you come in?”
“Just now.”
“Do you not know how to knock?”
“The door was open.”
Lyla pointed with her small wing-like hands at the slightly open door.
Charlotte remembered telling Lyla not to follow her yesterday because she was exhausted. She must have forgotten to properly close the door afterward.
Lyla asked again.
“Are you very sick?”
“Yeah… I am.”
“Shall I get you something to drink?”
“It’s fine. I’ll feel better if I just lie down a bit more.”
“Then shall I bring breakfast? The late master said the older and sicker you are, the more you should eat.”
“I’m not that old. I’m still a teenager.”
Unable to laugh or cry, Charlotte watched as Lyla turned away with a small tray.
“And Sir Pierce said you must eat breakfast. He said if you eat breakfast, you’ll jump right out of bed.”
P…Pierce?
Charlotte, who had been draped over the pillow like a sloth, suddenly opened her eyes wide and grabbed Lyla’s head.
Lyla flapped her tiny wings to keep from falling backward.
“Where is that Pierce right now?”
“Uuu… he’s not here.”
“Not here?”
Lyla pointed out the window.
“He went out.”
“When is he coming back?”
“I don’t know. He said he won’t be back for a few days.”
“What? Several days?”
“Lyla, when do you think Pierce will return?”
Overwhelmed by Charlotte’s pressure, Lyla shrank her shoulders.
“I don’t know. He only comes when he feels like it.”
“Aaaagh!”
Charlotte released Lyla and slammed her fists into the pillow.
She had intended to confront him about the electric torture from the Chester Marquis ball—but Pierce had already vanished.
She should have gone straight down to the basement yesterday to confront him.
But she had fallen asleep from exhaustion after dancing for the first time in a while.
She regretted not catching him and returning the same electric torture before he ran away.
Where was she supposed to vent this frustration now?
The warm wind from outside scattered her hair. Charlotte turned toward the window.
Summer morning sunlight, slightly hot already.
Perfect weather for going out.
The outing she had planned with Lyla yesterday suddenly sounded like a perfect idea.
“Lyla, get ready. We’re going out.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go outside.”
Lyla blinked her round eyes.
“You said you were sick.”
“I was, but it’s all gone now.”
“Can sickness just fly away?”
“Yeah. It just whooshes away.”
“Sickness is like Luke.”
Luke? Ah—the brown fluffy sparrow.
“Anyway, we’re going out today. Get ready.”
“What about the ball preparation tonight?”
“We’ll do it after we come back.”
“Is that really okay?”
Lyla’s expression seemed to say: Yesterday you spent all day preparing for the ball…
She knew. She knew it well. But she needed to vent the anger she couldn’t direct at that horrible Pierce, even a little.
“…I need some fresh air.”
If she stayed like this, she’d explode before even getting to the ball.
On the first day of the festival, the streets were already lively.
Flowers and colorful fabrics decorated every corner. Countless attractions and food stalls filled the roads, and under the intense sun, crowds kept growing.
Charlotte walked through the street lined with stalls, glancing sideways.
Lyla’s head moved left and right as if it was her first time seeing a festival.
The sparrow, Luke, sitting on top of Lyla’s penguin head, kept tapping her as if dizzy.
“Why are you looking around like it’s your first time seeing stalls?”
“I really am seeing so many for the first time. Huh? Lady, is that fish?”
Lyla pointed at grilled blue fish lined up on the grill and swallowed hard.
Now that she thought about it, they hadn’t been out of the mansion long, yet she was already hungry.
Charlotte had woken up late, and Lyla’s slow walking speed had also delayed them getting here.
Well, a penguin’s pace wasn’t exactly fast.
Charlotte almost asked, Should we buy that fish? but stopped herself.
“Sorry, Lyla. I don’t have any money.”
“It’s okay.”
She said that—but her shoulders drooped.
Seeing Lyla deflate made Charlotte remember the protection jewel Pierce had given her instead of three months’ rent.
It was unfair. She should have had a “free trial period” like home shopping protection items.
Then she could’ve returned it to Pierce and collected rent instead. With rent, she could have bought food today and even gotten things for Lyla.
Wait… now that she thought about it, they really had no money.
“Where do the kitchen supplies come from?”
“They’re delivered. The late master said he prepaid for 100 years.”
“100 years?”
Lyla nodded repeatedly.
