Charlotte woke up, opening his tired eyes and staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.
He realized he was lying in a guest room.
“Marquis Charlotte, you’re finally awake….”
A clear female voice rang out; Charlotte immediately recognized it as Lilia’s.
He sat up, apologetically saying, “Sorry, Princess Lilia, I made a fool of myself in front of you.”
At this moment, seeing Charlotte’s drowsy face, Lilia’s cheeks flushed and her elven ears twitched.
“No… please, Marquis Charlotte, don’t call me Princess Lilia anymore, just call me Lilia.”
Charlotte realized his clothes were a bit disheveled, so he straightened his undershirt. “The proper respect should still be observed.”
Hearing Charlotte’s persistence, Lilia didn’t argue further.
“By the way, how is Duke Ryan? He’s not hurt, is he?”
“Of course not. But as for you, Charlotte… Marquis Charlotte, are you alright?”
Her expression was full of concern. After all, it was her father’s fault first—using his seniority to bully the younger generation.
If word got out, the Karen Family’s reputation would probably be completely ruined.
Charlotte said gently, “Princess Lilia, do I look like someone in trouble? Just think of it as me showing off in front of the Duke and exhausting my magic power from overdoing it. I’m completely recovered now, so there’s no need to worry.”
Charlotte’s serious tone made Lilia laugh, and as she covered her mouth to stifle her giggle, she didn’t notice his gaze settle on her necklace.
“Now, Charlotte, can I finally call you… Teacher…?” Lilia asked, testing the waters.
“So that means I’ve finally passed Duke Ryan’s test? I was worried the Duke would still think I wasn’t qualified.”
Lilia’s cheeks reddened, recalling Charlotte’s graceful presence in battle just now. He was exactly the kind of magus she had always dreamed of—elegant, precise, as if he were dancing.
Charlotte truly seemed like a Great Magus straight out of a novel, standing proudly above the world.
If everyone had witnessed that duel, many people would surely become his fans.
“Before you cast your final magic, Father had already acknowledged you. But, well, he still misunderstands you a bit… How about you go explain to him yourself?”
Charlotte hesitated, “I doubt he’d believe me even if I tried to explain….”
Lilia could only offer a helpless smile. “Sorry, Charlotte, let me apologize on behalf of my father. He didn’t mean any harm, he just cares about me too much….”
“I can understand. If I had a daughter like Princess Lilia in the future, I’d probably act just like Duke Ryan.” Charlotte bowed slightly as he spoke.
Lilia nodded. “Charlotte, I’m so glad you can understand. I thought for sure you’d dislike my father….”
Charlotte really wasn’t in a position to complain. From Duke Ryan’s point of view, after all, he was like a pig trying to root up his precious cabbage.
“That’s not the case at all. Please, Princess Lilia, don’t worry. Duke Ryan is a great guardian of the realm, it’s hard not to respect him.”
Charlotte’s words weren’t wrong—Duke Ryan’s status in the Kalishi Empire was important, and he had achieved remarkable military merits in the past.
Lilia smiled and picked up a letter sealed with the Karen Family’s wax from the desk.
“Marquis Charlotte, my father just isn’t good at expressing himself, but today, he acknowledged your abilities. This is an Appointment Letter. After the Emperor’s Banquet, we’ll be returning to the Karen Territory. Please do come visit us in Karen Territory then.”
Charlotte accepted the letter and thanked her.
Now, Charlotte was extremely restrained and carried himself with true nobility.
He was nothing like the slightly improper Charlotte from that night—perhaps he really had just been drunk that time.
Lilia kept trying to convince herself, but deep down she couldn’t help but feel a faint regret—maybe being liked by Charlotte wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Lilia shed her Noble Lady persona, and asked in a cute tone, “Then, can I call you Teacher now?”
“Of course you can, Princess Lilia. When it’s just the two of us, you don’t need to act like a noble lady—I understand what you’re thinking.”
“Teacher, you really do know me well.”
Lilia happily called him Teacher; she’d been looking forward to this moment for a long time.
She believed she would get along very well with this gentle man.
Lilia then took Charlotte for a stroll around the manor a few more times.
By now, night had fallen, and Charlotte was planning to go home.
Lilia tried to keep him, saying, “Teacher, won’t you stay for dinner?”
Charlotte knew that Duke Ryan was deliberately avoiding him right now.
Men were prideful creatures, so it would be awkward for him to stay any longer.
Charlotte waved his hand. “It seems Duke Ryan doesn’t want to see me today, so I’ll take my leave.”
“All right…”
Lilia escorted Charlotte to the manor’s gate.
“There’s no need to see me off any further; I can walk the rest of the way myself.”
Charlotte turned to Lilia and said.
Lilia smiled. “That won’t do. In the Karen Family, our hospitality means seeing guests all the way home. Besides, I want to see where Teacher lives in the Empire Capital.”
Charlotte could only laugh. “Did Duke Ryan agree to this?”
“No need to worry about Father, Teacher. I’ve already told him. Besides, he was in the wrong today, so please don’t take it to heart.”
It looked like Duke Ryan’s opinion of him would only get worse from now on, and Lilia had become a leaky little cotton jacket.
Lilia and Charlotte got into the carriage together, accompanied by a team of maid guards.
It was said that every member of this Karen Family Maid Guard had the combat ability of a Knight from the imperial regular army.
On the way back, Lilia kept bombarding Charlotte with questions.
“Teacher, do you think I’ll ever be able to use magic as freely as you?”
Charlotte thought for a moment, then extended his hand. “That depends on Your Highness’s talent. Would you mind giving me your hand?”
Lilia hesitated for a second but still placed her hand into Charlotte’s palm.
A beautiful girl’s hand was truly soft and delicate. Charlotte couldn’t help but play with it for a moment.
Lilia’s face instantly flushed red. “Teacher…”
Lilia whispered a reminder, which finally brought Charlotte back to his senses.
“Sorry, Princess Lilia’s hand really is like a work of art…” Charlotte said softly.
But those words carved themselves deep into Lilia’s heart, making her even more embarrassed.
Now that there were only two people in the carriage, the atmosphere grew unmistakably intimate.
A light flashed at Charlotte’s fingertip, and a Magic Array appeared in his palm. He gently pressed the array onto Lilia’s hand.
“Wow… so beautiful…” It was the first time Lilia had observed a Magic Array so closely.
But after a few seconds, the halo in her hand shattered into fragments of light and dispersed into the air.
Charlotte watched the drifting points of light. “Princess Lilia, you have great talent. Given time, you might even surpass me.”
Lilia’s eyes were filled with longing. “Really?”
“Of course. I never lie.” Charlotte said solemnly.
Charlotte’s words were only half true.
Lilia’s talent for magic was quite good; she hadn’t studied magic but could still use her own magic power to maintain the Magic Array for a few seconds.
However, if she wanted to surpass him, it probably wouldn’t be possible in this lifetime.
Along the way, Lilia asked Charlotte all sorts of questions about magic, and he answered every one.
The atmosphere was very pleasant.
Charlotte had originally thought Lilia would be a difficult student, but now he saw that her comprehension was quite good.
This home tutor job might actually go very smoothly.
Eventually, the carriage slowed to a stop. Charlotte was about to bid Lilia farewell.
Taking advantage of the earlier ambiguous mood, Lilia asked one last question. “Teacher… were you really drunk that day?”
Charlotte didn’t turn around, only leaving Lilia with a view of his back. “Princess Lilia, whatever could you be referring to? Please just forget what happened that day.”
Charlotte’s face was calm, but his heart was in turmoil—it really had been an embarrassing incident….
Lilia looked troubled. “Is that so… I understand, Teacher.”
“Then, Princess Lilia, please return home. Thank you so much for escorting me back.”
“Mm… there’s still some time before I return to the Karen Territory. If Teacher remains in the Empire Capital, may I come visit you? We could begin our lessons early, perhaps?”
Charlotte thought for a moment, then turned around. “If I have time…”
Before he could finish, a clear female voice called out.
“Charlotte, you’re finally back! I’ve been waiting for you for so long….”
This startled Lilia.
Could even Charlotte’s maids speak to him in such a tone?
Lilia looked in the direction of the voice and saw a splendidly dressed noble lady with platinum-blonde hair—definitely not a maid.
The young lady stood tall and elegant, gazing at her. The moment their eyes met, Lilia felt uneasy.
Two voices rang out at once, questioning Charlotte in the middle.
“Charlotte, who is she?”
“Teacher, who is she?”