NOVEL NEXT Chapter 127
<Chapter 127>
Who is that man with golden hair and blue eyes, and why does he torment our sweet, lovable Theo so much?
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Carcel’s voice broke through Charlotte’s pensive expression. Concern was etched into his features as he looked at her.
Charlotte quickly masked her thoughts and shook her head.
“No, it’s nothing. I guess I’m just tired. Theo, aren’t you tired too?”
“Umm… yeah.”
Theo, who had spent the morning running around energetically, was now nodding off, his body heavy with drowsiness.
“I should put Theo to bed.”
Charlotte murmured awkwardly, but before she could move, Carcel gently grasped her arm, as if to stop her.
“Ca-Carcel?”
He looked down at her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. Then he spoke.
“I’ve decided to stay in the estate this spring instead of returning to the capital.”
“Why so suddenly?”
The original plan had been for the three of them to return to the capital when spring arrived.
“Given what happened recently, I think it’s safer to remain here in the estate for now.”
He hesitated before adding cautiously, “If it’s because you’ll miss Sir Lannia and Sir Jake, I can arrange for them to visit us during their leave.”
Even in this situation, he was thinking about her. His thoughtfulness was endearing, yet Charlotte felt both amused and touched by his concern. She shook her head with a small smile.
“No, it’s not that. I was just thinking about the Imperial Ball.”
In March, just as the social season began, the Imperial Palace held its New Year’s Ball.
The plan had been for Charlotte and Carcel to officially announce their engagement at the ball.
“If that’s the issue, we can host a ball here in the Heinst estate. I’m sure many will attend.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened, and she waved her hands vehemently. The idea of hosting a ball in the Heinst estate was overwhelming. Just imagining it made her feel faint.
“It’s fine. Even if we don’t make a public announcement, I’m already your fiancée, aren’t I?”
Carcel’s gaze fell to the engagement ring on her finger. He nodded.
“Yes, you are.”
Charlotte’s mind wandered to something Carcel wouldn’t have anticipated—the plot of the original story.
‘Carcel met Penelope at the Imperial Ball, didn’t he?’
She was confident that even if Carcel met Penelope, he wouldn’t fall for her. It was a confidence grounded in reality.
Carcel cared deeply for her now.
Even if the original plot somehow pushed him toward Penelope, Charlotte wasn’t worried. She was sure she could win him back.
‘Still, I was a little uneasy.’
But now, not attending the ball at all eliminated the possibility of them meeting. It felt like she had cut off that thread of fate entirely.
“Well then, I’ll take Theo to bed now.”
“All right.”
Charlotte, Carcel, and Theo each had their reasons for looking forward to staying in the estate.
Charlotte was relieved that Carcel wouldn’t meet Penelope. Carcel was happy to spend more time with Charlotte. And Theo was thrilled to stay close to his beloved garden and see the sea.
That was, until a few days later, when the Emperor’s decree arrived.
The Emperor’s lengthy decree could be summarized succinctly:
The Heinst family head, Carcel Heinst, and his fiancée, Charlotte Lannia, are hereby required to attend the upcoming New Year’s Ball at the Imperial Palace.
Upon reading the decree, both Charlotte and Carcel fell deep into thought.
Ignoring a royal decree would bring serious consequences, but the true mystery was why the Emperor had issued it in the first place.
They hadn’t formally announced their intention to skip the ball, so how had the Emperor known to send such a decree?
“I don’t recall anything like this ever happening before,” Carcel said, searching through his memories.
Even his earliest recollections didn’t include a time when the Emperor had sent such a decree, especially over something as trivial as attending a ball.
Royal decrees were rare, reserved for truly important matters. For the Emperor to send one just to summon them to a ball was unheard of. And yet, here they were.
Charlotte sat across from him, her expression equally serious as she combed through her memories of the original story.
Had there ever been such a decree in the story?
No, there hadn’t.
Even when Carcel had been consumed by grief over Theo’s death and seemed unlikely to attend, the Emperor had not issued any summons.
Why was it happening now?
“The Emperor has no reason to be particularly interested in me,” Carcel mused.
“It is strange.”
As the head of the prestigious Heinst family, Carcel couldn’t easily ignore a royal decree. Yet they could fabricate a reasonable excuse to remain in the estate.
However, without understanding the Emperor’s motive, simply staying put felt risky.
After a moment of silence, both Carcel and Charlotte spoke at the same time.
“Could someone have predicted we wouldn’t attend?”
“Is there someone trying to ensure we show up?”
Their shared suspicion crystallized into a single theory.
Someone who knew their plans had influenced the Emperor to issue this decree. And the only people who knew their plans were those who understood the risks to Theo’s safety.
Which meant…
“The man with golden hair and blue eyes…”
Carcel murmured the words Charlotte had been about to say. His voice was the coldest and most menacing she had ever heard.
Though his anger wasn’t directed at her, Charlotte felt suffocated by the intensity. Her breath hitched as if an invisible hand were gripping her throat.
Carcel noticed and quickly stopped his killing intent. He grasped her hand tightly, his thumb gently stroking the back of it.
Only then did Charlotte manage to let out the breath she had been holding.
“I’m sorry,” Carcel said quietly.
“You don’t have to apologize. If I had your power, I might have reacted the same way.”
Her voice was still trembling, her body shivering from the lingering tension.
Carcel, remorseful, pressed a soft kiss to her hand.
“I promise you’ll never see that side of me again.”
With his lips still brushing her hand, he added, “I’ll keep that promise.”
Charlotte ran her fingers through his dark hair and replied, “You don’t have to hide from me. Show me everything—every part of you.”
“…”
“I’m the only one who can see that side of you, right?”
Carcel pulled back slightly, his gaze meeting hers.
“Do you think you won’t be afraid of me, no matter what?”
“Of course. Shall we make a pinky promise?”
She hooked her pinky around his.
“There, now we’ve promised.”
A faint smile graced Carcel’s lips.
“Yes, we have.”
Charlotte watched his smile with satisfaction before snapping herself back to focus.
“Anyway, we need to figure out what to do about this.”
“Yes.”
Though Carcel nodded, his gaze remained fixed on her. Feeling his intense stare, Charlotte covered his eyes with her free hand.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Aren’t conversations meant to be face-to-face?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Is there a problem?”
Your eyes. That’s the problem. I can’t concentrate when you look at me like that.
Swallowing her thoughts, Charlotte cleared her throat and pulled her hand away.
“Anyway, if this is that golden-haired man’s doing, we can’t just go to the capital without a plan.”
“Indeed.”
“But staying here isn’t ideal either. Who knows what he’s plotting?”
“Then I’ll go alone.”
“You absolutely will not!”
Charlotte’s voice came out louder than she intended.
Carcel couldn’t go alone. If his mana went out of control, the consequences could be disastrous.
Though she had crafted an enchanted engagement ring for him, it was only a temporary solution. She couldn’t let him face the unknown dangers of the capital alone.
“If you’re going, I’m going with you.”
“I can’t allow that.”
The two began a heated but respectful debate about whether to go together or separately, neither willing to back down.
“It’s getting late. Let’s continue this discussion tomorrow,” Carcel finally suggested.
“All right,” Charlotte agreed reluctantly as she stood to leave.
Back in her room, Charlotte’s thoughts swirled. Who was this golden-haired, blue-eyed man who seemed so intent on tormenting Theo and Carcel?
And why was he targeting Theo instead of Carcel directly?
‘It’s as if he wants Carcel to experience the pain of losing family.’
Such actions likely stemmed from someone who had lost their own family to Carcel.
But as far as Charlotte knew, Carcel had never taken anyone’s family from them. Even the barbarian subjugations had been imperial orders.
‘He’s cold on the outside but warm inside. He’d never do something so cruel.’
Her thoughts trailed off before a sudden realization struck her like a lightning bolt.
“Wait… there was someone, wasn’t there?”
People of Marquis Petrian who died by his hands more than 10 years ago.
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