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Chapter : 10
Perhaps due to her past experience of being transmigrated as a palace maid in a concubine’s quarters, Charlotte immediately thought of imperial primogeniture.
“If Duke Statuar is His Majesty the Emperor’s older brother, then why didn’t he become the Emperor?”
“I know! I know this too!”
Lila raised both hands excitedly, like a student eager to answer.
“It’s because the Empire’s first imperial prince was sickly!”
In the novel, there were only three or four lines describing the Emperor’s ascension.
The eldest prince had been extremely weak since birth, and there had been fierce struggles among the princes over succession.
Regardless of East or West, whenever the protagonist is a prince, there is always that classic “sickly older brother” trope.
“So he couldn’t become Crown Prince because he was ill.”
He looked like a world-class model—tall, broad-shouldered, and robust.
Charlotte couldn’t imagine the frail, sickly version of Raikal at all.
Lila waved her short flipper-like hands vigorously.
“No, no! That’s wrong! Duke Statuar couldn’t become Crown Prince because he went missing!”
“Hmm?”
“He suddenly disappeared without a trace, and then several years later, after His Majesty the current Emperor ascended the throne, he returned!”
Lila whispered, as if repeating what her late master had told her. Then she tilted her head.
“Duke Statuar seems like an amazing person.”
“Why?”
“Because he went missing but didn’t die and came back!”
Charlotte patted the penguin-like girl’s head as she spoke excitedly and innocently, then muttered,
“That’s not ‘amazing.’ That’s just a common trope.”
When someone is a threat to power, someone probably tried to get rid of him, but he was lucky enough to survive.
Or he wandered around fulfilling some kind of pre-death bucket list and obtained rare medicine.
Or he desperately sought out physicians, found a genius doctor among them, and recovered after long treatment.
If he even learned martial arts on top of that, it would be a full-on martial arts protagonist setup.
“Miss, what does ‘common trope’ mean?”
“It’s nothing. Just something I said to myself.”
Before Lila could ask further, Charlotte quickly changed the topic.
“So? What did Duke Statuar do after returning to the capital?”
“He just played around.”
“What?”
“The late mistress said Duke Statuar enjoyed himself alone very well.”
A man who enjoyed himself alone?
Then was the lawyer just a pastime for him?
Duke Raikal Statuar, who had seemed so gentlemanly, suddenly looked different to her.
The years of disappearance also felt suspicious.
Charlotte subtly glanced at Raikal, who was sipping tea.
A composed, leisurely posture.
A calm, effortless aura.
He had said this was his first time here… yet he didn’t seem awkward, almost as if he were familiar with the mansion.
Is this man really visiting this house for the first time?
Click.
Raikal set down his teacup.
“It seems you’ve adapted well to your new home.”
Charlotte quickly put on a noble lady’s smile.
“Yes. It hasn’t been uncomfortable. My grandmother prepared everything in advance.”
“Lady Countess Noe was a relaxed person in temperament, but meticulous in her work. As you likely know, Miss Charlotte.”
“Of course.”
Charlotte answered and sipped her tea.
As if I would know anything about her.
She had never even met the late Countess Noe.
Still, she did know she was extremely meticulous.
No—beyond meticulous. She was almost obsessively precise.
She had even arranged legal measures for this mansion in Charlotte’s favor ten years ago when writing the will.
Perhaps someone that meticulous had hidden the tenant contracts somewhere?
So no one could ever find them.
“Honestly, that level of thoroughness is causing me trouble now.”
“Trouble?”
Raikal tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely curious.
Charlotte set down her teacup with a serious expression.
“Do you happen to know where the mansion’s tenant contracts are?”
The moment she asked, she immediately regretted it.
It sounded too obvious—like she had invited him just to use him over a cup of tea.
Before Raikal could be offended, Charlotte quickly confessed like a guilty puppy.
“To be honest, inviting you for tea was just an excuse.”
Raikal smiled gently.
“It’s alright. I was the one who told you to call me whenever you needed help.”
“I’m still sorry if this feels unpleasant. Thank you for understanding.”
She had expected things to go smoothly, but she still felt grateful that he accepted it so easily.
“By the way, are you looking for the tenant contracts because of a tenant?”
“Yes. After moving in, I found a very wicked tenant.”
“Wow. I’m eating your food and being called wicked? Hearing that, you’re not exactly harmless either.”
Both Charlotte and Raikal turned toward the entrance at the same time.
Pierce was leaning casually against the doorframe.
So that’s why he had been so obedient about sandwiches and tea preparations.
He was planning to enter at the perfect moment after letting her relax.
Pierce strolled across the reception room and sat down between Charlotte and Raikal.
Forming a triangle around the round table.
It really looked like a three-person confrontation.
Pierce glanced at the teacups on the table.
“Where’s my tea?”
I am NOT giving you any! You’re an uninvited guest!
Charlotte screamed internally.
But her hand still reached for the teapot.
She was acting like a refined noble lady in front of Raikal.
Pour.
She handed him a cup of red, sweet tea with a polite smile.
Pierce blinked, accepted it, then leaned toward her and whispered,
“I thought you’d refuse completely. You’re trying to impress him, aren’t you?”
“Of course. The Duke is more handsome than you.”
“You’re not just rude—you’re blind too.”
“I’m not blind. I’m telling the truth.”
Even if you asked a passing dog, it would bark that Raikal was handsome.
“Duke Raikal Statuar,” Raikal interjected smoothly.
Charlotte flinched.
She had forgotten to introduce him because Pierce was irritating her.
She looked at Raikal apologetically.
For a brief moment, a cold hostility flashed in those silver eyes.
…Huh?
She blinked.
When she looked again, Raikal’s gaze was gentle and kind.
Did I imagine that?
Perhaps because the Duke had introduced himself first, Pierce also spoke lazily.
“Pierce. Mage.”
Both men fell silent after introducing themselves.
Then they stared at each other like a silent duel.
Charlotte’s eyes darted back and forth between them.
What is this atmosphere?
It felt like she had invited Raikal for tenant contract matters, but a jealous suitor had crashed a date.
Pierce spoke first, as if asserting dominance.
“Take your eyes off.”
Raikal placed his half-finished teacup down.
“I’ll remove my eyes if you kindly remove yourself from this seat.”
“Why?”
“I need to discuss something important with Miss Charlotte. Your presence makes her uncomfortable.”
“And if I refuse?”
Pierce smirked provocatively.
Raikal turned gently to Charlotte.
“Is there somewhere more suitable for conversation, Miss Charlotte?”
Ignoring him, Pierce’s eye twitched.
“Why move? Just talk here. It’s about me anyway. Saves time.”
“That is not possible.”
“Why not?”
“Do mages consult their enemies before attacking them and say, ‘I will attack you like this’?”
“Hey, that’s offensive. Are you saying I’m her enemy?”
“From the way Miss Charlotte finds you troublesome, you seem more like a problem than an enemy.”
A precise critical hit.
Pierce was momentarily speechless and glared.
Charlotte silently applauded.
Wow. He shut him down with a smile.
Even if he looks like he just plays around, he’s sharp.
As expected of a lawyer.
But the atmosphere grew heavier.
Pierce looked ready to teleport Raikal out of the mansion.
Raikal, however, remained smiling without flinching.
Charlotte stood up.
If this continued, a fight would break out.
“Pierce, stay here and drink tea. I’ll go discuss something with the Duke in the study.”
Just then—
Bang bang!
All three turned toward the magical door.
A furious voice echoed like debt collectors had arrived.
“Charlotte Able! Open this door right now!”
Charlotte sat on the marble staircase in the first-floor hall and smirked.
“Charlotte Able! Give me my husband back! He said he was coming to meet you and then disappeared!”
If someone heard that, it would sound like I seduced her husband.
“Sob! Give me back my brother! Return my poor brother!”
Another unfamiliar girl cried miserably.
If you cry like that, I look like some villain who lured her brother away.
“The Count demands an explanation immediately!”
“Miss Charlotte! The Count is extremely angry!”
Men accompanying them also shouted while banging on the door.
Ah… so this is what it is.
So that arrogant, pot-bellied Count didn’t send a simple messenger—but dragged in the messenger’s family and servants over a disappearance.
To outsiders, it probably looks like they genuinely care about me, Count Able.
