After Lilia returned Home, it was already deep into the night.
But she still wanted to talk with Father.
Father had known Charlotte before, and she wanted to know more about him.
There were just too many things about this man that piqued her curiosity.
However, after searching all over the mansion, Lilia couldn’t find Father anywhere.
In the end, a Butler told her that Ryan was at today’s Test Field.
Lilia headed there and once again saw that shocking scene created by Charlotte.
Even with the protection of the Military Magic Barrier, a terrifyingly huge pit had opened up in the ground.
The earth was cracked everywhere, not a single intact spot remained.
Ryan was standing on the Audience Stand, gazing blankly at the scene before him.
“Father….”
Lilia called softly, and Ryan turned around.
“You’ve already sent him back?”
“Mhm…. The Karen Family’s way of treating guests—I’ve always kept it in mind.”
After saying this, Lilia stood by Ryan’s side, watching the scene with him.
Ryan’s tone was full of admiration. “Lilia, maybe you were right. I misjudged him. That boy is a true genius, through and through.”
Lilia was very happy that Father could recognize the home tutor she had chosen.
“Such extraordinary talent and spectacle. No matter how many times I see it, I feel I could never defeat him…..”
For the first time in his life, Ryan had felt the threat of death while facing Charlotte.
“Father, what level is Charlotte at, really?”
“Ah… Lilia, you probably don’t have a clear idea. To put it simply, at eighteen, he’s already reached the peak most people couldn’t hope to touch in a lifetime.”
That was why Ryan was still here in the middle of the night—he’d felt it. The gap between his talent and Charlotte’s was an unbridgeable chasm, so exaggerated it was despairing.
“You’re called a genius only because you were born in an era without me.”
Charlotte’s words echoed in Ryan’s mind again. Yes, Charlotte wasn’t arrogant at all. It was simply a statement of fact, straightforward and unadorned.
“Your Mother was right before. Having Charlotte as your teacher might be even better than a top instructor at Kalishi Academy.”
Even if Ryan was unwilling to admit it, this fact was right in front of him.
Lilia was a bit confused. “Mother?”
This time Ryan didn’t hide anything. “In the past, your Mother always planned for your future. She said, if you were going to study magic, Charlotte might be your best teacher.”
“Mother met Charlotte before too?”
“Mhm.” Ryan nodded. “When she was alive, she even sent some gifts to the Mistmoon Family.”
Lilia asked curiously, “Is this fate, then? How did Mother view Charlotte?”
Ryan recalled the past.
“Back then… your Mother liked Charlotte very much. She always said he gave off a feeling of warmth. Maybe the Elf race and the Mistmoon Family share some secret connection, but your Mother never told me about it.”
“Speaking of which, Charlotte has a pair of emerald green eyes. Your Mother said those eyes felt especially warm to her, and it seems Elves have an inexplicable fondness for green.”
Father always avoided talking too much about Mother with Lilia, but she wanted to know everything about her Mother, Cecilia Karen.
That was also why she wanted to go to Kalishi Academy. Mother had taught at Kalishi Academy before.
The Dean was her Mother’s friend, and there were many traces of her Mother in that school.
She still wanted to ask more about Charlotte. “Father, when I went to his house today, I met his fiancée.”
“What? Disillusioned with him already?” Ryan, hearing this, suddenly perked up.
Next would surely be Lilia listing all of Charlotte’s shortcomings—having a fiancée yet confessing to her.
“No. For an excellent man, it would be odd if he didn’t have a fiancée.”
Ryan turned away, looking utterly shocked. “Shouldn’t you be scolding him by now?”
Lilia replied calmly, “Old man, didn’t you have a Marriage Contract when you were young?”
Ryan did, in his youth, have a Marriage Contract.
But in the end, it fell through, because at nineteen, Ryan was already fighting at the front lines and couldn’t come back to get married.
That Noble Lady didn’t want to become a widow, so she broke off the engagement early.
Lilia continued, “I feel like Charlotte doesn’t seem very happy, especially in front of his fiancée. I could feel his nervousness—it wasn’t the same gentle and relaxed air he has around me. Are things not good between him and his fiancée?”
“Eh? Daughter, since when did you like to gossip about these things?”
Ryan felt Lilia had been acting very strange recently—she talked much more, was livelier than before, and was interested in the outside world.
But all of this seemed to have started with Charlotte, which annoyed him greatly.
After thinking for a moment, Ryan decided to share the rumors he’d heard.
“Well… He really hasn’t seen his fiancée in ages. This time, Miss Vis came to the Empire Capital, probably to settle accounts with him. After all, Charlotte clearly has a fiancée, yet he proposed to you. That’s disgraceful for the Weiss Family.”
“I imagine the Weiss Family has had enough of his antics… If I were the Weiss Family head, I would have had his fiancée remarry by now. Staying with Charlotte would only bring her grief.”
Ryan put himself in the Weiss Family’s shoes.
If the person betrothed to Lilia was always out flirting with other Noble Ladies, he would have cancelled the Marriage Contract and come to demand an explanation long ago.
“I see….” Lilia murmured.
No wonder Charlotte seemed nervous when he saw Floleen.
But Lilia didn’t think being Charlotte’s fiancée was a miserable thing. She could tell Floleen really liked Charlotte.
The look Floleen gave her was clearly a declaration of ownership, like a child in a hurry to chase others away from her precious, secret treasure.
“Does Charlotte like Elves a lot?” Lilia asked again.
“Hm? You’ve reminded me—his fiancée is indeed an Elf.” Suddenly Ryan understood. “So, that boy really does only like Elves?”
Ryan looked at Lilia’s pointed ears—no wonder Charlotte took a fancy to Lilia. So that was it.
“All right, it’s very late. Go and rest.”
Ryan had a Servant escort Lilia away.
After receiving Ryan’s affirmation, Lilia was actually quite happy. At least now she was sure—Charlotte truly seemed to like Elves, and she herself was a beautiful Elf.
Just as she was about to head back to her bedroom, a Servant came running over.
“Miss, today Marquis Charlotte’s Cloak was left in the Guest Room. He didn’t take it with him. Where should I put it?”
Lilia thought for a moment. “Oh…”
She took the Black Cloak from the Servant’s hands. “I’ll give it to him myself later. You go rest for now.”
“Okay!” The Servant looked at Lilia with a touched expression.
It had to be said, Lilia really did treat the Butlers much better than most Nobles.
Driven by a strange impulse, Lilia carried the damaged Cloak from the Battle back to her bedroom.
Just as she was about to hang it in her Wardrobe, a peculiar interest arose within her.
Lilia draped the Cloak over her own shoulders. Instantly, the image of Charlotte casting magic in this cloak surfaced in her mind.
Lilia stood before the Full-length Mirror, mimicking Charlotte’s tone: “Heh~ I’ll show you why they call me a genius.”
As soon as she finished, her cheeks burned terribly.
She suddenly lowered her head, spun around, and flung herself onto her bed, curling up under the covers, rolling back and forth—Heavens, what was I just doing!
Clearly, when Charlotte said those words he was so charming she couldn’t look away, but when she tried it herself, she just wanted to crawl into a hole from embarrassment.
She used the Black Cloak to cover the lower half of her face. That little act just now made her feel a bit awkward.
But the Cloak carried Charlotte’s scent. Before long, she felt calm again.
She buried her face in the Cloak. “Mmm… Anyway, this Cloak is already ruined. No need to give it back… Marquis Charlotte won’t miss a single Cloak….”
The next second, she jumped up as if scalded, hurriedly hung the Cloak back in the Wardrobe, and with a “click” closed the cabinet door.
Practically stumbling, she fled back to her bed.
As soon as she dove under the covers, her pointed ears filled with white mist, and even the back of her neck flushed hot.
Tonight, she’d done so many things she normally wouldn’t dare, said things she’d never dared to say….
Now, all the unnatural feelings were finally flooding out.
Ah… I’m the daughter of a Duke… I’m supposed to be a dignified Miss….
Tonight, Lilia probably wouldn’t get any sleep.