My Charlotte Hates Me

Chapter 27: Rightful Place

I decided to spend my time playing with Eli the next day. We decided to have a picnic outside on a bright sunny afternoon.

"I wonder if Her Majesty and Captain Agile Fueler are alone together yet," I said quietly.

Just then, I saw Captain Agile Fueler kneeling in front of Arielle. Arielle seemed reluctant at first but decided to accept his confession after some more convincing. The two then shared a hug as if their feelings had finally connected with one another.

"Would you like more tea?" Stella asked as she had poured me another cup of tea with an understanding smile.

I accepted the tea with a smile on my face. I took a sip and noticed how salty it was.

"Was the tea always so salty before?" I asked.

"It is just plain chamomile tea," Stella answered.

I soon noticed a droplet fall into my tea.

"For such a beautifully sunny day, it sure likes to rain," I said.

"It sure does...In times like these, it makes me remember that tea is also good for soothing broken hearts," Stella said.

It was not long until my parents told me to come home. I had been away for two to three years with only minimal contact through my letters with my parents.

I suspected that they ordered me to come back to scold me for not returning home often. My parents often tried to dote on me as a child, but I found it rather embarrassing to be doted on as a grown woman in the inside. I instead spent my time catching up on books about politics and sciences.

I soon arrived at the gates of my family home covered in pink roses.

"Welcome back," Mother said as she greeted me at the front entrance.

"I am back, Mother," I said as I did a curtsy to honor her.

She quickly forgone formalities and brought me into a strong embrace into her large chest.

Looking back, I was probably a rather disgusting child. I was a child who spoke like an adult and corrected adults when finding fault in them, yet my parents never changed their attitude towards me no matter how many times I returned to the past and acted differently.

"Welcome back, my dear child," Mother said gently.

"Dear Mother..."

I feel guilty robbing my parents of what would have been a normal and lovely child had I not returned with all of these horrid memories.

I was soon led into the parlor to meet with my Father.

"Charlotte humbly gives her greetings to the Viscount," I said as I greeted my Father with a curtsy.

"Welcome back, Charlotte," Father said with a smile.

A maid soon came in to place a variety of sweets and poured some tea for us.

"...Is there anything that I need to attend to?" I asked.

"Yes, your engagement," Father answered.

I placed my tea cup down and placed my hands over my lap.

"I am currently busy working as a Court Lady. I do not have time to even have any thoughts of getting engaged," I said.

"You have reached marriageable age. Now, we are receiving over hundreds of letters everyday asking to meet you at least once," Father said.

"...Like meeting me once is enough to decide their eternal partner," I said quietly. "I am afraid that I will have to refrain from any meetings for now since I have been tasked with the young Prince's education."

"...In other words, you do not intend to ever look for a husband?" Father asked.

"...Are you ordering me to get married?" I asked.

"Is my daughter the type to only move on orders?" Father asked.

I exhaled slightly.

"...When you enter so closely to the center of the kingdom, you lose a bit of sense for yourself," I answered.

"I did not complain when you said that you wanted to be a Court Lady..."

"...I am a Noble first, yes?" I asked.

The duty of women to be married to continue the bloodline...

"Ever since you were young, I always felt as if you were suffering in silence. It is not that I think that you should marry to continue our bloodline. If you are by any chance lonely, I would like to help you find a partner who can support you as not a Viscount but as your Father," Father said.

"...I am sorry, Father. Truth be told, there is someone I have loved for several years now. Now, they are in loving relationship with someone else. I do not want to go out searching for a partner while my mind is still full of thoughts about that person," I said.

"I see...whenever you are ready, please tell me so that I can arrange a meeting with someone you may like," Father said.

"I will excuse myself then," I said as I got up to leave.

Thud!

On my way out, I had accidentally hit someone upon opening the door.

The man in question had held his forehead in his hands and groaned slightly. I noticed that he had long silver to white hair tied in a low ponytail.

I felt incredibly guilty to have hit an elder and tried to quickly apologize for my blunder.

"My apologies, Sir. I did not mean to hit you on the way out," I said as I tried to examine the extent of his wounds.

He looked up at me and grinned. The man was not an elder but a young man with large unfashionable circle lenses that covered nearly half of his face.

"...I am fine, Miss. There is no need to worry about me," he said.

Just as he said that, his head began splitting and squirting blood. I grabbed him as he was staggering on his feet.

"Doctor! I need a Doctor!" I yelled.

We quickly got the man to receive immediate treatment.

"It is a shallow wound," the man said while grinning gently.

"Let me apologize once more," I said as I lowered my head towards him. "I did not mean to hurt my Father's honored guest."

"I really am fine. You do not need to keep apologizing to me...Rather, I hope that you forget the embarrassing sight I made you witnessed earlier," he said.

For whatever reason, I felt unpleased with these turn of events.

"...Th-That will not do. I am a Nobleman's daughter. I had shown you rudeness in my own home. Please allow me to make it up to you," I begged.

"...It really is hard to refuse when such a lovely young lady is offering my time for me," he said.

"Pardon?" I said in surprise.

Did he just say lovely?

"Please allow me to take you out to have tea with me," he said.

"...Yes."

I was so surprised to have been asked out on a date that I accepted his offer before finding out his name.

.