Chapter 19

After Erhen left, Charlotte spent some time chatting with a group of young ladies who admired her.  

Though Charlotte herself was unaware, Viscountess Lintz, the owner of Café Blumen and a successful entrepreneur, was a role model for women in Rohadin, where female participation in business was still uncommon.  

In the social circles of Degenhof Province, where Heringen City was located, interest in Charlotte was even more intense. Her rare attendance at a banquet had caused a sensation.  

Greta was one of the young ladies in this crowd.  

As the heir to the Earl of Boimler, she had been waiting for an opportunity to speak with Charlotte. However, Charlotte’s dramatic performance of falling to catch Dostern had made Greta hesitant to approach, fearing it might wound Charlotte’s pride.  

Yet, when Charlotte, unbothered by being alone, sipped her wine and their eyes met, Greta no longer hesitated. She quickly approached Charlotte and greeted her.  

“I have a business proposal.”  

“Oh my, I’d be delighted. But I don’t think this is a light topic to discuss here.”  

Charlotte smiled warmly at Greta’s overly eager suggestion. Realizing her mistake, Greta exclaimed, “Ah!” and followed Charlotte’s laughter.  

The amicable atmosphere created by Charlotte and Greta soon drew other young ladies closer.  

Of course, the young ladies weren’t drawn solely by business reasons.  

Charlotte, who had become a style icon for the young ladies, also captivated the fashion world of Degenhof with her outfits and accessories.  

“Viscountess, where do you get your dresses? Every time I visit Blumen, I’m in awe of your attire.”  

“Please tell me too!”  

“Oh, aren’t these earrings from the Black Label at the Pierzen Shop?”  

And so it began.  

In an instant, Charlotte found herself surrounded by many young ladies. Amid the shower of compliments and admiring gazes, Charlotte thought to herself,

This is another kind of war of flowers.

***

The reason Charlotte came out to the terrace was to take a short break. However, someone was already there.  

The man greeted her.  

“Nice to meet you. I am Moritz of the Marquis of Münster family.”  

Charlotte had entered, assuming the terrace was empty since the curtains weren’t drawn. 

Why was he here?  

Unaware of Charlotte’s thoughts, the man smiled brightly and struck up a conversation.  

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Charlotte Lintz.”  

Charlotte gave a light curtsy. Moritz straightened his posture and responded politely.  

“It’s truly an honor to meet the renowned Viscountess.”  

Moritz approached Charlotte with a smile, clearly intending to continue the conversation.  

This is a disaster. 

Charlotte had come out to rest and gather her thoughts, but instead, she found herself becoming someone’s conversation partner again. 

Wasn’t stepping out to the terrace supposed to be an unspoken agreement for a moment of rest?  

She had hoped to ease her swollen legs, but now she would have to engage in yet another conversation.  

Suppressing her frustration, Charlotte forced herself to continue the exchange.  

“I’ve heard so much about you from my father. The Rothschild family is truly remarkable.”  

“You flatter me.”  

“I believe Sonne’s growth story should be remembered in Rohadin’s history.”  

It was a string of meaningless pleasantries.  

How is Erhen doing? Did he catch the person? Was the operative sent to this party the only one?  

She had so many questions.  

But the man before her, Moritz, seemed far more curious about her and kept asking questions.  

Charlotte answered his inquiries reflexively, barely paying attention, when suddenly—  

“Charlotte.”  

The terrace door swung open, and Erhen entered.  

Unable to hide her joy, Charlotte called out to him in a raised voice.  

“Your Grace!”  

Unlike her, Erhen had to control his expression to avoid revealing how urgently he had rushed to find her.  

Worried about Charlotte being alone and fearing something might happen in his absence, he had hurried back to the banquet hall as soon as the earlier matter was resolved.  

But here she was, leisurely chatting with another man.  

“I’ve been looking for you.”  

“I came out to rest. I was… a bit tired.”  

Charlotte answered cautiously, trying to gloss over the situation.  

No, leisurely chatting wasn’t quite right. Knowing Charlotte’s personality, she had likely come out to rest but couldn’t reject the unwelcome attention.  

Erhen’s gaze, briefly subdued, turned to Moritz.  

“And who is this?”  

“Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I’m Moritz Münster.”  

“The son of Marquis Münster, I presume.”  

This was the problem with Charlotte’s beautiful appearance.  

Her kindness, extended equally to everyone, often led men to misunderstand.  

This was something Erhen wouldn’t have realized had he not been one of those men.  

He looked down at Moritz.  

His handsome face made him all the more displeasing.  

He didn’t even bother hiding his infatuation with Charlotte. Those overly interested eyes fixed on her irritated Erhen greatly.  

Meanwhile, Charlotte, seemingly unaware of Moritz’s gaze, kept smiling.  

Erhen spoke curtly, 

“I passed your father on the way here. He seemed to be looking for you.”  

“My father? For me?”  

“Do you take me for your father’s errand boy, young man?”  

Moritz straightened up as if startled.  

His slip of the tongue, born out of disappointment at having to part ways with Charlotte, had been a mistake.  

Under Erhen’s cold gaze, Moritz began to panic.  

He’s telling me to leave.

Wait, weren’t these two merely escort partners? I heard they were attending together as business associates.  

But Moritz instinctively realized: the Duke clearly had the eyes of a man.  

“N-No, of course not. My apologies, Your Grace!”  

Moritz quickly exited the terrace.  

Even as he left, he cast lingering, regretful glances at Charlotte.  

She returned his gaze with a polite nod and softly murmured, “Goodbye,” sending him off with a smile.  

Once Moritz was gone, Erhen’s gaze, which had been fixed on him, softened as it turned to Charlotte.  

“I didn’t realize it would take so long to find you. I’m sorry.”  

“There’s no need for you to apologize.”  

After all, she had been safe.  

***

At Erhen’s request, the carriage was quickly prepared.  

Leaving the Earl’s estate, it soon arrived at Charlotte’s home.  

Since they returned earlier than expected, Charlotte felt a bit regretful that she hadn’t fully enjoyed the party.  

She hadn’t even had enough wine to feel satisfied.  

As Erhen escorted her out of the carriage, Charlotte spoke.  

“I feel like I didn’t drink enough. Care to join me for a glass?”  

“Haven’t you had quite a bit already?”  

“What do you mean, quite a bit?”  

Charlotte pouted.  

To Erhen, who hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol, she already seemed pleasantly tipsy.  

But this wasn’t the Earl’s estate.  

This was Charlotte’s own home, surrounded by layers of security.  

So, Erhen nodded lightly.  

At his agreement, Charlotte smiled brightly and gestured.  

“Let’s drink in the garden.”  

Though it was still winter and too cold to drink outside, Charlotte fetched wine and glasses from the cellar while Erhen used his magic to fill the garden with small, glowing stars that radiated warmth.  

The garden was soon enveloped in a cozy atmosphere.  

Returning with the wine and glasses, Charlotte paused in awe at the starlit garden.  

“…It’s truly beautiful.”  

On a chilly winter night, the garden, illuminated by Erhen’s colorful starlight, surrounded a single elm tree.  

The white lights floating in the air resembled snowflakes, creating the illusion of a snowy Christmas in Heringen, where snow rarely fell.  

If there were Christmas here, it would surely be tonight.  

Despite the cold winter air filling her lungs, Charlotte’s heart felt warm.  

As she admired the sparkling scenery, she noticed Erhen approaching her.  

“This is quite the atmosphere. You know how to drink well. Is this magic too?”  

“And if it were, would you be angry?”

“I’m not someone with anger management issues, you know.”

Charlotte shot him a playful glare.  

Though he didn’t fully understand the exact meaning of her words, he could guess well enough. Feeling a quiet sense of relief, Erhen avoided meeting her gaze.

The two of them sat on a long bench in front of the zelkova tree. Charlotte poured wine into a glass and held it out to Erhen.

“How did it go with that person?”

Assuming that things must have been resolved well since Erhen had returned unharmed and nothing major had occurred at the banquet, Charlotte asked for confirmation.

Accepting the glass she offered, Erhen nodded in response to her question.

“I sent him to the Ducal Family. Earl Werner is there, so they’ll begin the investigation with Philip soon.”

A sigh of relief, tinged with exhaustion, escaped Charlotte’s lips.

Although she had anticipated progress based on the surrounding circumstances, hearing Erhen confirm it directly put her mind at ease.

Charlotte took a sip of her wine. The rich aroma of grapes lingered on her tongue.

Whether it was the alcohol or the breathtaking scenery before her, Charlotte’s heart began to feel light and warm.

Or perhaps, it might have been because of the man sitting beside her.