My Charlotte Hates Me

Chapter 49: A Kind Woman's Sham

In the end, Lady Kaya agreed to my study group session. Randall also wanted to join, so I decided to accept him for the moment. Prince Erik seemed as if he wanted to join as well, but I told him that he was a senior and that he should focus on his own studies more to deny him entry to our study group. I asked a few others if they would like to join, but they were put off by me mentioning Lady Kaya and said that they had other plans. In the end, only Grace and Jane whom I reconnected with decided to attend the study session with me and Lady Kaya.

I saw Randall walking around on his own and decided to pay him a little visit...with my foot.

I pushed my foot out and tripped the unsuspecting Randall. After he fell, I chuckled softly to myself as I came out from hiding.

"Falling over your own two feet where there is nothing to trip over. You have become quite clumsy, Sir Randall," I said with a smile.

"I fell on my own...I could have sworn...This is quite embarrassing," Randall said as he got up from the ground.

"...Sir Randall, you have become quite disappointing as of late," I said in a cold voice.

"Pardon?"

"Suddenly dropping out of the top twenty rankings, not even Arielle has ever once dropped out of the top fifteen students in her division...Did you develop poor studying habits, or maybe someone distracted you?" I asked.

"...No one has distracted me. It is just that I have been careless as of late," Randall said.

I had heard that Randall learns best cooped up in his room. His results go further down when he is teaching someone else. He is well aware of his own shortcomings, yet he continues to help Lady Kaya with her studies stay within the top fifty and average.

"...This won't do. The year is barely starting, and you are already showing difficulties. Things do not look good for you if you continue on like this. That is right...what will the Duke say?" I asked.

Randall's face quickly lost all color.

"...Are you going to report my grades to Duke Maddox, Lady Charlotte?" Randall asked.

"Why would I do that? I happen to like you [even though that's a complete lie]. If I were to tell the Duke about your sorry looking grades, not only you would be in trouble, right?" I asked.

Had Arielle not become Prince Erik's fiancée, she would have inherited the title. That is when Randall's parents saw a chance to make their son Duke and offered their son up for adoption, but even Duke Maddox is not so forgiving towards the failure of others even if they were distant relatives. If I were to make a sly comment about Randall's poor study habits, the Duke will have to reevaluate his successor.

"Lady Charlotte, what can I do to get you not to say anything to the Duke?" Randall asked.

"...Even if I did not say anything, His Highness Duke Maddox has ears everywhere. It would only be a matter of time before he catches word of your ineptitude," I said.

"Ah...what should I do then?" Randall asked.

If I help him now, he will surely consider this good will of mine and thank me later...

"All you have to do is focus on your own studies," I said.

"...I am usually the one who tutors Lady Kaya," Randall said reluctantly.

If you are having difficulty focusing on your own studies, you should not be teaching others in the first place.

"...I think it is in Lady Kaya's best interest that you do better in your own tests as well. Word is getting out that your results are failing because you are near Lady Kaya too often. The poor young lady is getting blamed for things out of her own hand," I said as I faked concern on my face.

"Who would start such rumors? Would Lady Arielle..."

I could not contain my expression and ended up glaring at him for a moment. Thankfully, he missed my expression because he kept lowering his head in shame over his own actions.

"Blaming others for your own faults is not very becoming behavior...Sir Randall should know of all people that she would not involve you in rumors that could go back and harm the Maddox Family. Also, she is still considered Duke Maddox's only daughter and your superior. Be careful of what comes out of your mouth if you do not want to be held accountable for your words," I said sternly.

"...I understand," Randall replied.

"If you are worried about Lady Kaya, I will help her study since she is a part of my study group. I have that responsibility since I was the one who invited her in the first place," I said with a bright smile.

Randall's face brightened up immediately when I said that.

"You would do that for me?" Randall asked with expectant eyes.

Who said that I was doing anything for you, ingrate?

"Just know that you owe me, but you have to do your part as well and achieve higher rank this time around...So, what will it be? Will you be joining our study session? Of course, it will be mellowed out and be brought to Lady Kaya's level of understanding after all," I said.

"...I must refrain," Randall said. "Good day then, Lady Charlotte."

"...What a pest," I said under my breath.

Even if he hated Arielle, he goes to far by always trying to make Arielle the villainess in his miserable tales. Does it hurt his pride that much to be ignored by Arielle?

I slowly made my way towards the library. There, I found a bookworm surrounded by a wall of books on both sides of where he was sitting.

"It is against the rules to have more that three books out at one time," I said.

"I remember where they all go. I will put them back before I leave," Garett answered.

"It does not change the fact that you are still hogging them," I said.

"A person whom almost always thinks of breaking the rules is lecturing me now?" Garett asked.

"I haven't broken any rules yet," I replied with a smile.

"What are you here for?" Garett asked as he closed his book.

"I am obviously here to threaten you," I answered.

"Threaten? Do you think that you can easily threaten me?" Garett asked.

"Of course I can. I know what easily irks you and gets under your skin," I said confidently.

"You really do have a nasty personality," Garett said as he picked up his books. "So, what do you want from me?"

"You do not want to hear the blackmail I have against you?" I asked.

"You sound too confident for it to not be effective after revealing it to me. I would rather hear your request and be done with it," Garett said indifferently. "Also, I would rather you not reveal sensitive information about me where anyone passing by could hear."

"What if I decide to use you more than once? Why don't you decide to listen to what I have to say afterwards?" I asked.

"...You are not that kind of person," Garett said.

I remembered back to my previous life when Arielle said those same exact words right before I tried to abandon others in my pursuit of saving Arielle. I have never once been able to like this person despite the many times where he has helped me. There is no changing the fact that I cannot stand this person who can understand Arielle and be like her more than anyone else in the world. In my mind, there is no one who can replace her.

"...You may regret having those certain expectations about me one day," I said.

.