Roel didn’t choose to return to the Azure Manor to rest up after seeing Nora off. Instead, he headed to the Dancing Butterfly Museum to meet Charlotte, who had just ended her battle with Lilian.
“Darling? What brings you here?”
Roel’s arrival came as a surprise to Charlotte, but she was able to quickly understand the meaning behind his visit.
She was indeed in low spirits after losing to Lilian, but she visibly brightened up at Roel’s arrival. Ever since the commencement of the Challenger Cup, the two of them had hardly met each other because they were either busy training their faction members or making preparations for their own battle.
“Hmph. You came to visit me because you were worried that I would be in a bad mood?”
“Mmm. Rosa has a tense relationship with the Austine Empire, so I was worried that you might be burdened by it…”
“…”
Roel carefully chose his words while assessing Charlotte’s expression. He noticed a slight flicker in her eyes, and it made him heave a deep sigh.
As an offspring of the Sorofya House, Charlotte faced a lot of stress from a young age. Unlike the Ascarts, the Sorofyas were a huge clan. She was first in line for succession, but there were many others queuing behind her, waiting for her to slip up so that they could take her position.
Her retrieval of the Sofyas’ heritage did reinforce her position greatly, such that it would be hard for anyone to shake her standing now. Nevertheless, her defeat to Lilian, the princess of a perceived hostile nation, was likely to bring about some negative influence.
With such thoughts in mind, Roel looked at Charlotte and gently asked.
“Charlotte, has the Sorofyas been putting stress on you?”
“… It can’t be helped. The anti-Austine sentiment in Rosa remains strong even after all these years,” replied Charlotte with a bitter smile.
Roel’s face turned solemn upon hearing those words. He gave the matter some thought before nodding his head.
“… I understand. I’ll write a letter to Rosa’s military and have Grandpa Ugin handle this. Let’s see who dares to cause a fuss over this.”
“Ah? H-hold on! Darling, there’s no need to go to such an extent…”
Charlotte was astonished by Roel’s decision to intervene in the matter. She quickly tried to dissuade him from it, but it was to no avail. He knew Charlotte far too well to be swayed by her on this.
Due to her aptitude for business granted to her through her bloodline, Charlotte had to take charge of the Sorofyas’ businesses from a young age. She had to make decisions and handle problems all on her own, and this gave rise to her independent personality.
However, this also made her view relying on others as a sign of weakness. She would always try to resolve everything on her own so as to avoid troubling others, especially Roel.
She only wanted to show Roel her best sides, and she didn’t consider her vulnerability to be one of them. That was why she rarely asked anything from Roel. That was also why Roel had chosen to make the trip here and offer his help.
The Ascart Fiefdom was no longer the same as before. It had just signed a bunch of trading agreements and was well on its way to become a trading hub. Some merchants even speculated that it had the potential to become an economic powerhouse in the future.
On top of that, it was also forging closer ties with Rosa, having made several commercial and military agreements. The Ascart House was no longer just a neighbor to Rosa anymore; they were allies. Naturally, Rosa wouldn’t just shrug off the words of a close ally.
In fact, it was no exaggeration to claim that the influence Roel’s words wielded over Rosa was comparable to that of Nora’s.
“Darling, there’s no need to do that. I’ll ask for your help if things truly get dire…”
“Will you? Would you have even told me about this problem if I hadn't come here to ask about it?”
“…”
Charlotte was at a loss for words, not knowing how to answer Roel’s accusation.
Roel took a deep exhalation before he looked into her emerald eyes and spoke with a gentle tone.
“I know that the situation isn’t that severe. You’re younger than Lilian, and there’s a gap in your Origin Levels. However, this isn’t the main point here. What I want to do is to send out a clear message to the whole of Rosa.”
“A clear message?”
“Yes. I want to tell them that I’ll back you regardless of what happens.”
“!”
Charlotte’s eyes abruptly widened. She stared into Roel’s golden eyes and found herself met with an unwavering gaze that was filled with determination.
A second later, she lowered her head. There was a slight tinge of redness spreading across her cheeks. She began fanning her face, hoping to cool down her overheating brain.
Despite typically being the aggressive one in their relationship, she ironically found herself helplessly susceptible to Roel’s unintentional attacks. Her utter embarrassment left her unable to speak a word at all.
On the other hand, after innocently voicing out his thoughts, Roel turned his attention toward her physical condition.
“It was an intense battle back there. Did you sustain any injuries?”
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