Charlotte’s mind was suddenly thrown into chaos, a magic array woven from starlight instantly wrapping around his consciousness……..
“Marquis Charlotte, is everything you said true?”
Just moments ago, in a lavishly decorated banquet hall and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a youth named Charlotte had confessed his feelings to the elf maiden standing before him.
She was stunningly beautiful, her silver hair streaked with pink highlights, wearing an ornate evening gown, dazzling white over-knee stockings gracing her legs, sapphire blue eyes, a delicate complexion, and flawless features matched with a figure that was the envy of any woman.
But her most recognizable trait was still those pointed elven ears.
Lilia found it hard to believe. Though she’d heard of this young marquis when she was little, it was only after meeting him just a few days ago that he’d now confessed his love to her.
“I’m telling the truth, marry me, Lilia Karen. I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life, I promise.”
Charlotte repeated himself as if bewitched, and instead of lowering his voice, it rang even clearer under the gaze of the crowd.
For a moment, the entire hall fell silent, then came a quiet ripple of laughter.
“Hey, did I hear that right? That infamous marquis is actually hitting on Duke Ryan’s daughter?”
“Hahaha, this is going to be a good show!”
The murmurs among the crowd gradually grew louder.
Charlotte kept his gaze fixed on the sparkling necklace resting atop Lilia’s D-cup chest, its crystals shining like stars—though to outsiders, his eyes certainly didn’t look very proper.
Lilia suddenly noticed Charlotte’s somewhat presumptuous stare.
She bashfully covered her chest, blushing as she said, “Sorry, Marquis Charlotte, I think we can keep being friends, but maybe we should get to know each other better before talking about this sort of thing, okay?”
Though her cheeks were flushed, she remained sensible.
Over the past few days, Charlotte’s gentle restraint had left a good impression, but she wasn’t the type to accept such a thing so easily—she was the daughter of a duke, after all, and saying yes without hesitation would hardly seem reserved.
Charlotte’s face remained calm and unfazed, as if reciting lines from a script: “Looks like I’ve been cruelly rejected by Miss Lilia….”
“Marquis Charlotte! Please, just stop saying such nonsense!” Lilia clenched her hands, face red with embarrassment, clearly shaken by Charlotte’s words.
The entire hall fell into a chaotic uproar, until the crowd parted to make way for a tall figure with a dark expression.
“Marquis Charlotte has had too much to drink. Someone, please escort him out.”
“Father….” Lilia recognized the man who had arrived. It was her father.
Two servants stepped out from the crowd.
Looking at Charlotte, who still stood ramrod straight, they were at a loss and could only say, “Marquis Charlotte, please, this way…..”
Charlotte finally snapped back to his senses.
What had just come over him?
A flash of confusion flickered across his face, but he quickly composed himself.
With a helpless sigh and not wanting to make things difficult for the servants, Charlotte didn’t argue and simply followed them out of the banquet hall.
“How embarrassing.”
“That kid even tried to cozy up to Miss Lilia? What bad luck.”
“I bet tomorrow this’ll be the top headline in the Empire Capital, hahahaha.”
“To think he’d go after the Blue Rose Duke’s daughter! Doesn’t he know how much the duke dotes on her?”
After Charlotte left, Duke Ryan also let out a sigh. Looking at the noisy crowd, he knew his daughter’s birthday banquet would not end smoothly tonight.
“Please, everyone, let’s forget Marquis Charlotte’s drunken ramblings just now. The banquet will continue.”
Duke Ryan still showed some consideration for the youngest marquis in Kalishi Empire’s history.
Still, he was troubled. What had gotten into that boy tonight, to do such a thing in public? Was he provoking him?
Turning to Lilia, Duke Ryan said, “Alright, my dear, you weren’t frightened, were you?”
“Not really… When I first arrived at the Empire Capital, I’d often run into Marquis Charlotte while out and about. He’s actually quite nice. I was just a bit surprised that he’d say something like that today….”
Truth be told, Lilia did feel a bit moved by Charlotte.
After all, she was a young woman, and it was her first confession.
What’s more, Charlotte was a refined noble, handsome as well—it was natural to have some fondness for him.
She didn’t mind too much, but being confessed to in front of everyone did make her a little shy.
“You should go and rest for now… The banquet is nearly over anyway.”
Duke Ryan let Lilia retire to rest while he remained behind to deal with the mess Charlotte had made of the banquet.
Tomorrow’s headlines in the Empire Capital would no doubt be: 《Shocking! The Youngest Marquis in Empire History Publicly Confesses to the Blue Rose Duke’s Daughter》
……
Charlotte, having been shown the door, showed no sign of disappointment—if anything, he was always rather expressionless.
No matter how fierce the storm, it was hard to read his face.
All he could think about was why he’d just done something so out of line.
He strolled through the streets of the Empire Capital beneath the starlit sky.
A bright magic array appeared beneath his feet, and wisps of mist slowly rose from it.
The next instant, he vanished from the street.
He hadn’t teleported elsewhere—rather, a thick fog had wrapped around his body, hiding him from view.
[First-tier Mist God’s Magic: Veil of Mist Concealment]
Effect: Hides the user within thick mist, erasing their presence from others’ eyes.
On the base of his left finger, a Star Ring gleamed.
In a flash, a breathtakingly beautiful girl with pale blue hair appeared at his side.
Her long, light blue hair flowed like a tranquil stream, a few lazy strands draping her forehead.
Pink eyes sparkled with flecks of starlight.
She wore a layered white dress trimmed with ruffles that shimmered as it fluttered in the breeze, lively and ethereal.
The scene should have been a vision of an elegant maiden appearing, but she spoiled it herself—floating in the air, she slowly sat on Charlotte’s shoulder, laughing so hard she shook, her smooth calves kicking gleefully: “Hahahaha! You actually, you actually really did it! I can’t, I can’t, let me catch my breath!”
Charlotte pinched Aifel’s calf hard. “What’s so funny…..”
“Are you mad now? Hahaha…. I just can’t believe you, Charlotte, would—pfft! No, I can’t—hahahaha…..”
It took a while for Aifel to finally recover.
“I mean, Charlotte, you usually play the scoundrel, but not like that! Was your brain fried today, to come up with such a nasty move?”
Charlotte sounded a bit sulky, his voice flat but full of discontent: “Mind your own business. I told you, I will get that thing.”
Aifel floated up from Charlotte’s shoulder and spun around him, saying,
“Hey hey hey, don’t be mad. I just thought it was hilarious—usually you’re so serious, and yet there you were, saying those words while staring at her chest! I wasn’t doubting you, my dear Master, forgive me, I won’t laugh at you again.”
Charlotte picked up his pace.
Aifel didn’t push it any further, and after speaking, turned back into a wisp of starlight and slipped into the Star Ring on Charlotte’s finger.
Charlotte was the one she had chosen as her Master, so of course she trusted him.
After all, he already had plenty of impressive titles: Youngest Third-tier Mage in history, Youngest Marquis in History, Genius of the Empire—and after tonight, perhaps another would be added, Duke Ryan’s Arch-nemesis.
Everyone knew how Duke Ryan doted on his daughter, and yet Charlotte had gone and courted her.
But to be honest, Charlotte himself was not at all certain, because there wasn’t much time left for him to obtain that Divine Artifact…….
In order to become stronger, and to protect his family, he had to get that Divine Artifact.