What’s happening here?

  In the study room, Roel had just woken up after a two-hour snooze. He stared at the blanket wrapped around him before turning to look at the auburn-haired girl seated beside him. The girl also turned over to look at him at the same moment, and their eyes met.

  “Is this…… yours?”


  “Yes.”


  “.…… Thank you. My condition isn’t so good today, so I ended up falling asleep.”


  “.……”


  Roel raised the blanket slightly as he thanked Charlotte. The latter nodded her head slightly without saying a word. Sensing that the mood was off, Roel took a closer look at her and noticed that the girl seemed to be angry.

  Charlotte had a composed look on her face, and she hadn’t voiced any criticisms at all, but there was a slight change in the air she gave off. She usually felt noble and inviolable, but at this moment, he could sense a sharp, stern feeling coming from her.

  This was not the first time Roel was experiencing this change in the air, and he had even researched it before. The conclusion he arrived at was that it was a phenomenon produced when a transcendent’s mood influenced their mana fluctuations, which in turn affected the atmosphere.

  However, this was no time to be geeking out. Roel first placed the blanket he was draped in lightly to the side before thinking back to see if he had done something wrong.

  Is she angry because I slacked off a little? Surely not.

  Roel refuted the thought with a shake of his head. Putting aside the fact that it was extremely inefficient to browse through the records in an exhausted state, even if he did slack off, Charlotte would probably just voice her disapproval.

  Charlotte was truly an exemplary noblewoman through and through. Having squabbled with her for ten days now, Roel realized that her vocabulary for criticisms was severely limited, presumably due to her lack of knowledge of vulgar terms. Her criticisms were often limited to ‘greedy’, ‘shameless’, ‘childish’, and such relatively polite and inoffensive terms.

  Roel, on the other hand, had encountered all sorts of colorful language on the internet in his previous life, so whenever Charlotte started spouting out her criticisms with a face reddened in frustration, he could only think of it as cute.

  Besides, Charlotte was someone who had no lack of money. Someone like her wouldn’t get angry just because he slacked off a little. It was just like Bill Gates bending over to pick up a penny off the street—that was impossible!

  So, what could the problem here be?

  Roel secretly glanced at Charlotte, but she was still keeping her silence. Sensing that the atmosphere wasn’t really right to speak, he decided to dive back into his work. As a result, the uncomfortable tension lingered in the air for two whole minutes before the auburn-haired girl finally took the initiative to speak.

  “How did you end up falling asleep today?”


  “Ah, my condition just hasn’t been too good today.”


  “Not in a good condition today? What about the previous days then?”


  “The previous days? I was fine, I guess.”


  “Is that so?”


  Charlotte replied with a smile, but her face looked oddly livid. Her eyes continued staring intently at Roel as she continued her interrogation.

  “Were you drinking some sort of medicine previously?”


  “Hm? I was. The medicine helps me to……”


  “Hand it over to me tomorrow.”


  “What?”


  “I said, hand it over to me tomorrow. I’ll manage it. You aren’t allowed to drink it anymore.”


  Looking at the stern-faced Charlotte, Roel finally understood why she was so angry. But soon, he became confused once more.

  Is she…… worried about me? But why?

  Roel couldn’t understand why Charlotte was suddenly so worried about him drinking Red Bull, though he could tell that she had mistaken his energy drink for some sort of dangerous chemical.

  “Actually, that medicine I’m drinking is perfectly fine. It doesn’t have much of a side effect at all……”


  “That still won’t do. Most medicines without side effects tend to be addictive, and that’s even more dangerous.”


  Charlotte glanced at the mountain of books before them and warned sternly.

  “There are still a lot of records for us to look through, and we can afford to take our time here. If you continue to consume medicine to sustain your energy, I’ll have no choice but to write a letter to Marquess Carter about this.”


  “Wait wait wait! Fine fine, alright, I’ll hand it to you tomorrow!!”


  Hearing that Charlotte was actually going to be a tattle-tale and rat to his father, Roel quickly raised his hands and surrendered. Ever since the matter concerning the ‘perfect pair serums’, Carter had strictly forbidden Roel from drinking any medicine. If she were to really send a letter over, it was very possible for Carter to apply for a break right away, just so he could rush back to Ascart Fiefdom to give him a piece of his mind.

  Fine fine, I shan’t drink it anymore. Happy?

  Both Roel and Charlotte sighed in surprising unison, though the former was out of helplessness and the latter was out of relief. After this short incident, the two of them continued browsing through the records once more.

  However, just as the reinvigorated Roel was going to start on his third book, Charlotte suddenly placed a bookmark in the book she was reading and slammed it shut. Then, she rose to her feet.

  “Let’s end it here for the day and have a meal now.”


  “Hm? Isn’t there still half an hour before we get off work?”


  “.…… We’ll be taking a break for today.”


  Charlotte’s nonchalant reply made Roel’s eyebrows shoot up.

  What’s going on today? This lass feels incredibly weird today. Why did her attitude suddenly change by so much, not to mention, what’s this about a break?

  Despite the grumblings in his mind, Roel’s body was far more honest. He immediately closed his book and rose to his feet too. The two of them headed out of the study room together, but just as they were finally at the doorway, Charlotte suddenly tugged Roel’s sleeves.

  “I’ll treat you today.”


  “Ah?”


  Roel’s eyes widened in surprise. For a moment there, he couldn’t comprehend what Charlotte was saying.

  You’ll treat me? Huh? Is there a guest in the world who would treat the host at the host’s residence?

  Roel was utterly baffled, and Charlotte didn’t bother explaining either. She simply grabbed his hand by habit.

  “You just have to follow me.”


  With these words, she led Roel out of the manor……

  An hour later, Roel found himself staring at the glamorous beauty with auburn tresses before him in a daze.

  After leaving the manor’s study, Charlotte pulled him all the way outside and into her villa-like carriages. The moment he stepped into the carriage, he found himself completely awestruck by what he was seeing.

  The ceiling had delicate hanging lights adorned with carefully polished gemstones, and all sorts of renowned artworks were hanging on the walls. The furniture was all the handiwork of master craftsmen. It was incredibly extravagant yet classy at the same time.

  Roel felt as if he had entered a brand new world. Had he not just stepped inside a carriage moments ago, he would never have imagined that this was the interior of one.

  Even those limousines with a built-in bar would have to eat a humble pie before this. The interiors of the Diamond Rivière were almost equivalent to a luxury villa, and all the facilities that one could think of were present.

  “Here are your clothes.”


  While Roel was still struggling to come to terms with the Sorofyas’ extravagance, Charlotte stuffed a set of clothes into his arms. He blinked blankly as he opened up the clothes in his arms to take a look at them, only to realize that it was a formal suit.

  “This is……?”


  “Be honored. This is the first time I have personally designed clothes for an individual. Alright, you should hurry up and put it on!”


  Charlotte pushed Roel’s back as she gestured for a maid behind her to lead him toward the changing room. Then, she headed off to her own personal changing room to freshen up and change her clothes too.

  By the time the doors opened and the two of them met one another once more, they were already looking completely different from before.

  In his black formal suit, Roel looked much taller and refined. The dark color contrasted well with his golden eyes, making them stand out more than usual. Despite his young age, he gave off an inexplicable air of authority under the lighting. On top of that, the aura of the Crown Origin Attribute made him feel mysterious, piquing one’s curiosity.

  Charlotte, on the other hand, was wearing a red gown that cut off at the knees. It was quite a bold look by the standards of the Theocracy. It was designed with elaborate details, reminiscent of a blooming rose.

  The gown revealed Charlotte’s tender shoulders and gave a glimpse of her back, plus her legs, peeking out from under her gown, were adorned with a pair of black garters—giving her a touch of cheekiness beneath her formal appearance. The contrast between her fair skin and the black garters accentuated her beauty, taking Roel’s breath away for a moment.

  “How is it? You don’t like it?”


  “No…… I think it looks great.”


  “Hmph, looks like your taste isn’t too bad after all.”


  Charlotte twirled her finger around a ringlet of her hair as she shyly remarked. Then, she quickly added on, as if trying to explain herself.

  “These pieces are from the new formal attire I designed, but due to their bold looks, they eventually failed to make it into the Sorofyas’ spring collection.”


  “That’s truly a pity. These clothes look good.”


  Roel’s remark brought a smile to Charlotte’s lips. For some reason, at the moment that her smile surfaced, Roel’s heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.

  It was often said that clothes make the man, but clothes are actually pretty choosy too. This beautiful red gown, reminiscent of a blooming flower, in Roel’s earnest opinion, was something that only Charlotte could pull off without being overshadowed by it.

  She gave off the impression of a flower high in the mountains, something that compelled the admiration of others. She was noble and proud, but she wasn’t infallible. She had her frail side too, but that only made one cherish her even more. In terms of evoking the desire to protect, not even Nora and Alicia were a match for her.

  Such charm was lethal to men, and Roel was no exception. He averted his gaze, not daring to spare her a second glance, lest he be captured by her charms. He cleared his throat and quickly asked.

  “Charlotte, what are we going to do dressed up like this?”


  “Nothing much.”


  Charlotte’s eyes twinkled with a smile.

  “We’re just going to see some butterflies.”