My Charlotte Hates Me

Chapter 64: Vacation Plans

Arielle had decided to try being a Librarian for the rest of her summer vacation before giving her answer to the Duke. I had wanted to go support her in her life in another country, so I decided to ask for permission from my parents before leaving again.

"...You want to take more time off from social activities?" Father asked.

"...Just until the end of our vacation. I will resume once school is back in session," I said.

I doubt that my father will refuse anything I want to do. He has never once scolded me even when I called the 'Prince' trash to his face before. It is most likely because he is aware of the influence I have on this family as well as the social circles that he does not dare go against my wishes. It is also possible that he still has an ounce of familial love left for me despite my standoffishness towards my own family.

"I see...Enjoy your time away then," Father said.

"...Do you mind if I ask something, Viscount?" I asked.

"...What is it?" Father asked.

"...What is exactly happening in this country right now?" I asked.

My father decided to give me a written report about the current state of affairs. The contents shocked me quite a bit as it sounded much like a shoddy romance novel. The main character of this report was the woman Kaya Ouchi, the Baron's daughter that His Highness Prince Erik left Arielle for. She had also somehow seduced several men such as Dolton Grass, Channing Wells, Randall Maddox, and Gavin Lord. All of them used to be promising prominent figures but now are considered laughingstocks in the social circle for falling prey to the Prince's woman.

Many thought that she would be a woman of becoming character since she had 'beaten' Arielle, but her careless words and poor etiquette quickly allowed others an opening to openly insult her behavior and even sympathize more with Arielle's position. Despite Lady Kaya's ever growing notorious reputation, she continued her social activities and tried living in Arielle's shadows by trying things that Arielle had done in the past to improve her own image. However, it was as if her hands were the reverse of the Midas touch.

Everything she touched seemed to turn into charred dust rather than gold. Her charity food drives led in her name ended with over half of the donated food spoiled from inadequate preservation tactics and poor choice of food with short shelf lives. In the end, people stood in line for hours only to receive a few pieces of bread. Still, Lady Kaya continued being active in society without any major setbacks as if she had someone supporting her in the back.

Usually when Arielle gets things done, almost everything goes without a hitch as if she is blessed with the golden touch. Unfortunately, the same fortune does not accompany relationships with that are people close to her...

I saw some other documents pertaining to the Prince's sour relationship with His Majesty the King. The start of their silent treatment began around the time of the annulment of Arielle's and the Prince's engagement. Even if their engagement was just a political one, could His Majesty have gotten angry with the Prince for having thrown away a relationship that would have garnered him stabilizing power as His Majesty had also done in the past.

Just before His Majesty married the current Queen, he was in a relationship with Arielle's mother...

As soon as I read that, I had dropped the documents in my hands. I quickly picked up the documents from the ground after collecting myself.

Arielle is the daughter of His Majesty's former lover? There is no doubt that Arielle is the Duke's child, but could the reason the Queen tried to kill Arielle was because Arielle was His Majesty's former lover's daughter? The engagement between Arielle and the Prince was set up by His Majesty. The Queen had no say in the arrangement. This would have easily garnered the Queen's hate.

I just knew that the Queen wanted Arielle dead. For this life, I had met with His Majesty and discussed how the Queen saw Arielle unfavorably and had him chip away at her power and influence over the Royal Castle day by day. Still, she holds a considerable amount of power from her Marquis family and from her position as Queen. In such a situation where Arielle is hated by the Queen, is it not better for her to stay far away from the Prince as possible?

For some reason, Eli's face turned up in my mind and tears fell from my eyes again. I quickly rubbed them away with my hands as I thought back to my resolve with only Arielle's happiness in mind.

I decided to burn the documents in my fireplace after finishing reading them and made preparations to leave.

When I went to Arielle's home, I was escorted to her room instead of her parlor. She seemed too deep in thought about the letter in her hand that she did not notice me knocking on her door. I decided to come up from behind Arielle and tap her on her shoulder.

"Ch-Charlotte!" Arielle said in surprise as she dropped the papers in her hands.

I quickly caught the letter before it fell to the ground and handed it back to her.

"...The Food Drive?" I said questionably before handing it back to her.

"Yes, it seems that they want me to lead the next Food Drive. I wonder if something happened during the last one," Arielle said as she tilted her head.

They have some nerve to ask Arielle to head the next Food Drive even though she is no longer the Prince's fiancée...

I pulled the letter out of her hands and tossed it into the trash.

"It is no longer your responsibility, Elle," I said.

I have no loyalty towards what happens in this country after how they have treated Arielle...

"...I suppose that you are right. Even if it was no longer my responsibility, I still feel somewhat responsible for the things happening in this country. Maybe I have been that person's fiancée for too long," Arielle said with a melancholic smile.

"Arielle..."

Is she still feeling bad about her trash of an ex-fiancé leaving her?

"It will all be in the past one day anyways," Arielle said.

One day...it turns out that she is still sad about it.

"...You should get moving. You and I have our long days ahead of us," I said.

"You and I? Does that mean..."

"I am coming...with you obviously," I said standoffishly as I folded my arms together.

"That is great news!" Arielle said as she lunged at me and hugged me tightly. "We are going to spend more time together."

Before leaving, Arielle and I went to Grace's tea party along with Jane and a few other girls we had seen around school. It was supposed to be a fun gathering, until an unwanted guest showed up. Lady Kaya had come in to put a damper on everyone's mood.

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