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Chapter 522: Do You Miss Me?

Alicia Ascart was the foster daughter of the neighboring Ascart Marquess, as well as the newest Ringbearer of Saint Freya Academy.

Charlotte had been at loggerheads with Alicia ever since their first meeting, but she didn’t think that Alicia posed a threat to her. This was thanks to a single piece of paper—the engagement contract between the ancestors of the Sorofyas and the Ascarts.

By assuming the identity of Roel’s fiancée, she was able to thoroughly suppress Alicia, forcing the latter to back down again and again, even forcing her out of her home.

Unfortunately, Nora’s subsequent counterattack had voided her right to enforce the engagement contract, effectively nullifying it. That allowed Alicia to regain some momentum in the battle.

However, the engagement contract was far from the only leverage Charlotte had in her hands. As the official representative of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy to the Ascart Fiefdom, the power she wielded in her hands might even be greater than Alicia’s. The Sorofyas were, by a huge margin, the number one investor in the Ascart Fiefdom.

Furthermore, she had also been diligently working on her public image by holding events such as distributing candies on the streets over the New Year. These nifty tricks allowed her to build up considerable prestige and respect amongst the common populace as well.

With the leverage she had in her hands, Charlotte was confident that Alicia wouldn’t become an obstacle in her way… but she was being too optimistic.

Looking at the beautiful woman with silver hair and crimson eyes standing before her, Charlotte’s emerald eyes sharply narrowed. She knew right away that her plan of attending the ancestral ritual together with Roel had been foiled.

Did the news somehow slip out? No, that’s impossible. We only came to a decision several days ago. I am also certain that darling didn’t send a letter out regarding that matter. On top of that, there have been no reports about Alicia’s arrival… Is it just a coincidence?

Charlotte clenched her jaw in frustration as she wondered if she had depleted her luck with Roel in the earlier chain of events.

“Alicia? Why is she here?” Roel asked in surprise.

“…Darling, did you contact the Ascart House?”

“I didn’t. I didn’t want to worry Alicia, so I didn’t write over.”

“…”

Charlotte quietly heaved a sigh before looking ahead once more with a conflicted expression. As the convoy halted in front of the city gates, it was time for the fated reunion.

…

Overall, the situation in front of the city gates was calm.

The reunion was made formal by the presence of quite a few Rosaian officials, so the crowd subconsciously reined themselves in. The guards of the Diamond Rivière held their positions while Roel and Charlotte alighted from their carriage in a dignified manner and walked toward the welcoming party. The maids trailed a respectful distance behind them.

First was the reunion between Bruce and Charlotte.

Bruce cast aside his noble front and revealed tears of joy and relief when he finally confirmed that his daughter was indeed safe and sound. It was rare for him, as the top leader of Rosa, to allow his true emotions to show. Under his influence, Charlotte found herself tearing up.

A heartened smile crept onto Roel’s face.

He had interacted with Bruce several times before, and the latter had always struck him to be a dignified noble who remained calm and rational regardless of the situation, an impression that was somewhat similar to Carter.

Yet, Bruce actually left his position despite all of the opposition he faced from others, choosing to prioritize his responsibilities as a father over those of a ruling noble. That spoke volumes about how much he treasured his daughter.

As a matter of fact, Bruce had been constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown while Charlotte was languishing from the curses. A careless mistake he had made in his younger years had caused him to be exposed to Flooding Death’s curses, and now his daughter was paying the price for his folly. There was probably no worse nightmare for a father.

It was a huge relief that the nightmare hadn’t come to be.

Naturally, Bruce wouldn’t forget about the benefactor who had obstinately fought against all odds to overturn fate.

“Roel, I am deeply grateful to you as a father for bringing my daughter safely back home.”

“Uncle Bruce, it’s only right for me to do so. Charlotte is my fiancée,” Roel replied with a smile.

Bruce’s pupils inconspicuously widened when he heard those words. His eyes casually fell onto his daughter, and the latter’s face slightly reddened under his gaze.

He knew that the two of them had always been on intimate terms, but it was only to the extent of lovers. Yet, after the ordeal the two of them had been put through, there was a subtle change in the atmosphere between them.

While Bruce was lacking in relationship experience, having only been together with Charlotte’s mother, through his keen eyes and fatherly instincts, he was still able to accurately perceive the nature of the change…

… and he was thrilled about it!

Even if not for Roel’s current accomplishments and future potential, Bruce would have still wanted the engagement to go through. Years of observation had told him that Roel was likely to be the only one whom Charlotte would have eyes for in her entire life.

Loyalty was both a virtue and a curse.

Those who entrusted their loyalty to the wrong person were condemned to a tragic outcome. Should Roel refuse to reciprocate Charlotte’s feelings, she would be damned to live a lonesome life.

Just like how Carter was desperate to expand his family tree, the same could be said for Bruce. Charlotte was the only member of the Sorofya House to have inherited the Primordial Bloodline, so many people in the clan were hoping for her to further her lineage.

Grandpa Ugin was also one of those people. His eyes were practically glowing as he looked at the two youngsters, almost as if he could already see a small child running up to him. It was fortunate that they were in a public place, so neither Bruce nor Ugin could raise the subject.

Roel traded some pleasantries with them before moving on to greet his family members.

“Lord Brother!” Alicia called out concernedly.

The relief on her face was visible when she saw that Roel was in a good condition. She didn’t ask too many questions about the situation, but a simple exchange of gazes was enough for them to communicate their feelings.

This was the depth of the bond they had built over a long period of time. It was neither intense nor passionate, but it was mellow and enduring.

The words they exchanged were typical of a simple reunion, reminiscent of an ordinary family. It was clear that Alicia was holding herself back from doing anything overboard to defend the Ascart House’s honor, and Roel understood and chose to cooperate with her.

.

After undergoing heartfelt reunions, Bruce led the crowd back into the city, where a grand celebration awaited them.

…

Both Charlotte’s return and Roel’s triumph over the Six Calamities were major events, which had a high tendency to go viral. They were bound to become the talk of the town, be it the significance of the events themselves or their implications.

This was the first known case where a human had defeated a member of the Six Calamities. This feat in itself was more than enough for Roel’s name to go down in history, but the context behind it was equally remarkable.

A young man bravely stood up against an ancient monster that humankind had deemed impossible to defeat in order to save his fiancée. How romantic was that? There was no better material for an epic love story!

As a result, Roel and Charlotte’s story swiftly spread through the common populace.

Joyous vibes rippled through Rosa City when the two heroes finally returned from their ordeal. Rosa prepared a grand welcoming banquet coupled with spectacular performances to soothe their taut nerves through songs and dances, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

In view of the fact that Charlotte hadn’t fully recovered, the banquet was set to conclude at midnight, but even before then, the auburn-haired woman’s attention was already wandering elsewhere.

It’s too peaceful.

Charlotte frowned in incomprehension as she stared at the silver-haired woman sitting alone by the window with a faint smile on her lips. She couldn’t understand what Alicia was up to, and that was making her feel uneasy.

Alicia hadn’t said a single word to her since their meeting at the city gates… and such behavior was extremely atypical for her considering the current circumstances.

Both Charlotte and Roel were the stars of today’s welcoming banquet, and they were attending in the capacity of an engaged couple too. It was not just one or two people who had approached them to offer them their blessings.

The usual Alicia would have long protested against such a situation by now, but she was being uncharacteristically cool about it. She hadn’t made a single attempt to confront Charlotte over it.

The calm before the storm. Her willingness to remain silent only means that she’s plotting something bigger, Charlotte thought.

Similarly, Roel was also perplexed by Alicia’s unusual behavior, which resulted in his attention constantly drifting in her direction for the latter half of the banquet.

Later, when the banquet concluded, Charlotte would be returning to the Hundred Birds Gallery, while Roel and Alicia made their way toward the Sorofya hotel reserved for guests. Such an arrangement was dissatisfying to Charlotte, but there was nothing she could do about it.

It mattered not how intimate they were or whether they had consummated their relationship. As long as they were unwedded, they would have to observe the formality of engaged lovers staying apart. Otherwise, any lapse in their decorum would be faulted on their upbringing.

It went without saying that such a restriction wasn’t imposed on Alicia, given that she was a member of the Ascart House herself.

If Charlotte was the one who was on top of things in the day, Alicia was the one who grasped control at night. After reining it all in with a smile for the entire day, Alicia was finally going to unsheathe her dagger.

“Darling, will you promise me one thing?”

“What is it?”

Feeling unnerved by the situation, Charlotte approached Roel near the end of the banquet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and softly whispered her request into his ears.

Roel blinked his eyes in confusion.

Charlotte discreetly gauged his response before sighing in self-reproach.

“Alicia has been quiet for an entire day now. It might be because she doesn’t approve of our relationship. I understand where she’s coming from. You received such severe injuries in order to save me…”

“…Haven’t I already told you? I am your fiancé. It’s my responsibility to protect you,” Roel reiterated his stance with a serious expression.

Charlotte felt a tinge of warmth in her heart as she nodded her head.

“Thank you, darling, but I’m afraid that Alicia wouldn’t concur with you. She might think that I’m exploiting you. She has always harbored many misgivings about me.”

“Well…”

“That’s why, darling… Could you refrain from meeting her tonight? I wish to pay Alicia a visit tomorrow to explain things.”

“Ah…”

Roel looked conflicted upon hearing Charlotte’s plan. However, his heart wavered when he noticed the unease in her eyes, and he eventually accepted her request with a nod.

It would be best for Charlotte to explain things to Alicia if there were any misunderstandings between them. Besides, it wasn’t difficult for him to fulfill Charlotte’s request—he could simply feign exhaustion and excuse himself from the banquet in advance.

It was with such thoughts in mind that he accepted Charlotte’s request.

The latter secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

Success! This should be enough to put off her first wave of attack, right?

Charlotte was glad that she could set up a defense line before their inevitable parting. It brought a ray of hope to the dark night that seemed beyond her control.

Not too far away, a silver-haired woman fiddled with her wine glass as she looked at them with a contemplative gleam in her crimson eyes.

When the banquet finally came to an end, Roel boarded the carriage early under the pretext of exhaustion and headed to the hotel alone. Looking at the brilliant streets outside the carriage windows, he thought about how he would have to turn down Alicia’s visit later on and sighed forlornly.

He could sense that Alicia was only holding herself in. Beneath her silent exterior, there were actually many things that she wanted to tell him. The truth was that it was the same for him too. After undergoing such a close battle, he yearned for his family members more than ever.

Such thoughts evoked a sigh from him as Alicia’s silhouette flashed across his mind.

Before he could snap out of his reminiscence, a euphonious voice suddenly echoed beside him.

“Are you missing me, Lord Brother?”