Chapter 16
Alfonso went to Laveruze as planned and then came straight to Alois together with Sophia.
There were no major problems with the schedule.
If there was a problem at all, it was that even after coming all the way to Alois, he still couldn’t find Charlotte.
‘If I’ve searched this thoroughly and she still isn’t here, then it can’t just be bad timing.’
Charlotte was clearly avoiding him.
By the time Alfonso entered the banquet hall, a commotion had already broken out, so it probably hadn’t been difficult for her to slip away.
As the situation unfolded like this, even Alfonso began to feel somewhat irritated.
‘I know she dislikes me, but is it really necessary to avoid me this much?’
She wouldn’t even consider having a single conversation with him and only kept running away.
Because of that, the marriage talks on his side had already run into trouble four times.
He had roughly understood what was going on from Serge’s report earlier that day.
‘She said she’s only moving according to her family’s orders, and that Charlotte Noha herself doesn’t want to marry.’
He didn’t know what method she had used, but she had apparently managed to prevent news of his proposal from reaching the family head, while she herself continued to evade him here and there.
Whether it was Noha or Alfonso, she seemed to want one of them to give up and drop out.
‘The reason she avoids marriage so much must be because of the person she said she loves.’
Alfonso told Ludvik to continue searching the banquet hall while he himself went further inside.
If he was lucky, perhaps he might run into Charlotte hiding in the lounge.
His footsteps on the carpeted corridor were confident and unrestrained.
But Alfonso’s heart felt strangely blocked and suffocating.
The reason was simple.
Sophia’s words kept circling in his mind.
— “Lord Alois has been telling people everywhere that things are going well between him and Charlotte Noha. I heard he might even confess at the Alois family banquet.”
— “More importantly, there are rumors that the Noha family has been putting a lot of effort into Alois. Maybe the two families are seriously discussing a marriage alliance.”
And along with those words came the image of Charlotte’s face when she had spoken about the person she loved.
‘If the person Charlotte Noha loves is the heir of Alois…’
Then perhaps searching for her right now might only interfere with her.
Maybe it would have been better to simply follow Sophia’s advice and give up on marrying into the Noha family.
‘What a headache.’
Honestly, things had been easier when he was on the battlefield.
Back then, as the commander-in-chief, the only thing he had to worry about was keeping as many of his soldiers alive as possible.
But once he shed the title of commander-in-chief and returned as Duke Eduard, countless complicated interests awaited him.
Things he had to protect.
Things that had to be sacrificed.
And moments where he simply lived out of habit.
— “Alfonso. You’re the only one I can rely on. Just give me ten years. Every time you bring back news of victory, imperial authority will grow stronger.”
— “Now that you’ve returned from the battlefield, Your Grace should live however you wish. Sometimes it feels as though you don’t have any rights at all.”
Imperial authority had grown stronger.
Yet Eduard himself had become weaker.
And since Alfonso was the head of the family, that responsibility belonged to him.
Leaving the battlefield didn’t mean he had the right to lay down his burdens.
‘If I marry… and resolve the family’s problems, perhaps then I’ll earn the right to put down those burdens.’
At this point he could hardly tell whether what he felt was fatigue or frustration.
Unconsciously, Alfonso adjusted his cufflinks and straightened his tie.
Before he knew it, he had reached a dead end.
‘I’ve checked the entire west corridor. Maybe I should have gone to the east side instead.’
Just as Alfonso was about to turn around—
“—Noha, you filthy bitch!”
A loud shout echoed from somewhere, followed by a dull, heavy impact.
* * *
‘Today really isn’t a very lucky day.’
Charlotte thought this while touching her cheek.
Then again, perhaps she should still consider herself lucky.
After all, the worst-case scenario—running into Alfonso—hadn’t happened.
Charlotte often thought that luck was not much different from the contents of a waiter’s pocket.
If a pleasant guest was present, you could break a plate and still not have to empty your pockets.
But if a guest was in a foul mood, you might end up apologizing and paying out of your pocket even if you had done nothing wrong.
Luck was much the same.
If you felt good, even if someone stepped on your skirt, you could say you were lucky because you didn’t fall and get seriously hurt.
But if you felt bad, even if a jewel fell right in front of you, you would complain about the flaw on its surface.
So should today be considered lucky or unlucky?
Alfonso’s sudden appearance had led to an unexpected injury.
‘And then being confessed to by a braggart… and getting slapped for it.’
Charlotte looked straight ahead.
Rohan, his face flushed red with humiliation, was looking back and forth between Charlotte and his own hand, completely at a loss.
To be honest, he was quite panicked.
‘T-this isn’t what I meant to do…!’
When he had helped Charlotte to the lounge earlier—
Rohan had been absolutely certain.
‘As expected, Charlotte Noha must like me too.’
He believed she was trying to seduce him.
Ever since Charlotte appeared at the Alois family banquet, Rohan had been completely captivated by her.
Although he had only met her a handful of times, he had already begun dreaming about a rosy future with her.
Because of that, whenever he went to the social club, he would talk about Charlotte.
Especially about how special their relationship was.
“Lady Noha is incredibly kind to me—you’d be surprised if you saw it yourself. Every time she sees me, she blushes and lifts her fan. I’m not imagining it!”
“Tsk, tsk. Rohan, you really don’t seem to understand anything. Charlotte Noha is a viper. A viper! If that woman blushes, it’s a warning sign.”
“What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you heard what happened to the eldest son of the Dietrich family?”
“Lord Dietrich? Isn’t he the man who caused a suicide commotion, saying he would die if Lady Noha refused to meet him?”
“Yes, that’s right. But do you think Lord Dietrich did that for no reason?”
Rohan’s friend then told him a rather predictable story.
“They say that woman blushed and acted shy in front of Lord Dietrich, even going so far as to break the heel of her shoe while stepping out of a carriage. She asked him to support her—clearly trying to seduce him! But once Lord Dietrich confessed, she kicked him aside and openly went boating alone with another man. Imagine how betrayed he must have felt!”
“I… I didn’t know that…”
“Lord Dietrich graduated from the military academy and became an officer—an elite. Why would a man like him cause such a scene over just anyone? He was obviously tricked by that wicked woman from the Noha family.”
After leaving that warning, Rohan’s friend went on his way.
And the warning remained deeply in Rohan’s mind.
Though it wasn’t very helpful for someone as arrogant and boastful as he was.
‘I’m not like that idiot Lord Dietrich.’
Charlotte Noha must be sincere toward me.
He had already boasted at the social club that things were going well between them, telling everyone to just wait and see.
He had even resolved that today he would definitely confess his feelings.
‘Charlotte said she wanted to go inside first.’
If nothing had happened yet she said that, then surely she must have been trying to seduce him.
And now they had naturally ended up alone together!
‘This is my chance.’
Rohan hid his lecherous thoughts and approached Charlotte.
“Lady Noha, are you feeling better?”
“Other than twisting my ankle a little, I’m fine. It’s not serious. Could you call my maid? I appreciate you helping me, but I think I should return now.”
“Ahem, wouldn’t a gentleman’s escort be better than a maid’s assistance? I’ll accompany you.”
“No, I—”
“There’s no need to refuse. Instead…”
Rohan cleared his throat several times and lowered his voice in what he thought was a charming tone.
“In return… would you date me? With marriage in mind.”
“…I’m not sure what you mean. I’m leaving.”
“Haha, there’s no need to hide it between us. I already know that you like me, Lady Noha. Isn’t that why you brought me here?”
“What are you talking about? I said from the beginning that I would go alone. You were the one who insisted on helping.”
“Isn’t that what it means? I believed we were thinking the same thing—”
“That must be your misunderstanding. A one-sided one.”
Only then did Charlotte’s expression truly enter Rohan’s view.
Her brows slightly furrowed.
Her face openly displaying contempt.
The moment he saw that expression, the rosy fantasies he had been building in his head shattered instantly, and his friend’s voice echoed in his mind.
— “Lord Dietrich was a victim of that wicked woman’s seduction!”
— “Be careful, Rohan. Who knows what schemes Charlotte Noha might be plotting.”
After that, his memory became hazy.
He thought he might have grabbed her wrist in confusion.
Perhaps there had been a brief struggle when Charlotte told him to let go.
The only thing he clearly remembered was—
Smack!
With a loud, sharp sound, he came back to his senses.
And standing before him was Charlotte, her cheek flushed red.
