After his marriage to Charlotte fell apart, Charles regretted it until he was sick of regretting it.

[Charles. I’ve truly loved you ever since I was young. Meeting you again like this feels like a dream. Won’t you let me stay by your side, even just a little? I won’t ask for anything great. I’ll truly think of it as nothing more than a momentary dream……]

He regretted the moment he had desired that innocent, beautiful face that had said she wanted him.

D*mn it. If only he had not drunk that day, he never would have done something so foolish.

Every time he closed his eyes, Charlotte’s face from the wedding day came to mind—so beautiful beyond the veil.

He could have lived forever with someone so lovely.

At one point, the regret that continued to torment him had become so painful that he tried to compose himself.

Fiona is lovely too. Charlotte never really made me feel as though she loved me, but Fiona loves me so much. Her circumstances are better than Charlotte’s too. It isn’t only an unfortunate thing, is it? So let’s get myself together and become a good husband and the father of this child.

He comforted himself like that, over and over again, but as Fiona continued to disappoint him, he could not help thinking of Charlotte.

No, even if Fiona had not disappointed him, he would have thought of Charlotte.

How many years had they spent together?

Besides, Charlotte was wise and kind. She was someone with whom he could dream of the future without lacking anything.

No matter who stood beside him, he would have compared them to her.

Charles missed Charlotte.

If Charlotte had been living her everyday life as usual, he might have happened to run into her on the street. But Charlotte did not come out of the mansion.

It was all because of him.

Charles felt a deep sense of guilt and, at the same time, just a little satisfaction.

Because it felt as though Charlotte was suffering from their separation too.

But she’s at the Earlister ducal house?

Charles slammed the glass of liquor down on the table.

The golden liquid inside the glass sloshed and splashed in every direction.

The one who invited Charlotte must be the duke……

Since the previous duke had passed away, there was no one else.

Until now, Charles had believed that the Earlister ducal house’s special interest in Charlotte had been the previous duke’s interest.

He had thought that once the man died, the connection between the two families would fade away as well.

So why was that young duke looking after Charlotte so carefully?

It’s unpleasant.

Charles ground his teeth and slowly steadied his breathing.

Enough.

Surely someone of Duke Earlister’s standing would not harbor ulterior motives toward Charlotte. To begin with, the two of them had probably never even seen each other’s faces. This invitation was likely nothing more than honoring the previous duke’s wishes.

But under Duke Earlister, there must be many nobles. Among them, there would surely be unmarried men.

There was no way the sly men of a big city would leave a pretty, innocent girl like Charlotte alone.

And if, in the meantime, she happened to fall for some bastard……

D*mn it! When on earth is she coming back?

After muttering a brief curse, Charles brought the glass to his lips, then lowered it again.

……Should I send a letter to the Earlister ducal house?

Until now, every letter he had sent Charlotte had surely been handled entirely by Marge. But the servants of the Earlister ducal house would not open letters addressed to Charlotte.

That did not mean he could write his name plainly on the envelope. Charlotte might see his name and refuse to check it.

I have to send it under another name……

The important thing was whether Charlotte would open the envelope.

As long as she opened it, she would certainly read the letter to the very end.

Charles pushed the glass of liquor aside and hurriedly opened the drawer.

* * *

Charlotte had braced herself.

The moment she entered the party hall, dozens of eyes would surely fix on her and Raymond.

But actually experiencing it made goosebumps rise all over her skin.

And yet the man receiving all that attention looked not only calm, but almost indifferent.

Just then, a middle-aged couple with bright smiles approached the two of them.

Raymond lowered his head and whispered softly to Charlotte,

“Those are Count and Countess Noves.”

At the voice tickling her ear, Charlotte nearly jumped in place without meaning to.

“Well, well! What a rare person to meet!”

Count Noves said with an affable smile.

“Thank you for inviting me, Count Noves. And you as well, Countess.”

“Hehe. I’ll be able to hold my head high in front of people for a while, won’t I? Someone who never attends any parties has gladly attended ours, after all.”

The countess, who had been smiling behind her hand, turned her gaze to Charlotte.

“Wait. I believe this is my first time meeting this young lady.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Charlotte of the Prairie viscountcy.”

“Wait. If it’s the Prairie viscountcy……”

The countess’s face grew serious. Then she exchanged a glance with the count, whose expression had also turned serious.

Wh-what is it? Could it be……

Just as Charlotte swallowed dryly, the countess smiled brightly.

“You are a relative of the Spencer family, aren’t you? I remember hearing about you before. But since when have you been in Glasko? Had I known, I would have sent you a separate invitation!”

Just as Charlotte let out a small sigh of relief, Raymond said,

“I hear she came to Glasko around the same time I did.”

“Oh, is that so? But how did you know that, Mr. Bayen?”

“I was introduced to her by Madam Elena Spencer. She said the young lady had never properly looked around Glasko either, so we have been touring Glasko together lately.”

“Oh-ho……”

Count Noves let out a small sound of admiration with a puzzled expression.

So this was the young lady to whom a man who had ignored countless ladies throwing themselves at him had allowed a place by his side.

There was something unusual about this.

If they become deeply involved, the Spencer family will have seized a stroke of fortune.

How much benefit would there be in having a man of such wealth as a relative?

They had already been close with the Spencer family to begin with, but it seemed they would have to become even closer from now on.

And with this young lady as well.

Ah, come to think of it……

“By any chance, Lady Prairie, have you met our third son?”

“Yes. Whenever I met Young Lord Noves, I always enjoyed myself.”

Raymond’s brow twitched.

But no one noticed.

“Oh, is that so! That’s a relief. I was worried because our son is something of an eccentric.”

“The young lord is a very kind person. There were more than a few times when I marveled at how considerate and thoughtful he was.”

“Is that so……”

Countess Noves smiled in deep emotion.

Even if he would not inherit the title, a noble was still a noble. Yet he was working as a tutor for a commoner family.

Among the nobility, there were probably more people who disapproved of Ferris’s actions. But Charlotte seemed different from those nobles.

“If I had known you would be attending, my lady, I would not have left the children to Ferris. What a shame.”

“By children, you mean……”

“Ah, the eldest’s children. Our grandchildren. They are especially attached to Ferris, so we told him to watch them today.”

Ferris disliked parties and the like, so he had actually accepted the request gladly.

“I see. That’s a shame.”

At Charlotte’s dispirited voice, Raymond’s face, which had been wearing a satisfied smile, stiffened completely.

“Oh dear, we have kept you for too long. Let us speak again another time.”

“Hehe. It was truly lovely to meet you today. Then, you two, I hope you have a pleasant time.”

Count and Countess Noves left, and Charlotte murmured softly.

“I wondered why Mr. Ferris had such a good personality, but it seems he takes after his parents.”

“……”

Raymond’s lips twitched.

He wanted to snap, What part of Ferris has a good personality? but Count and Countess Noves’s faces came to mind, so he could not say it.

“Oh my, oh my, who do we have here!”

Dorothea, the quickest among those who had been wanting to speak to Raymond and Charlotte for some time now, pushed through the crowd and approached them.

“Mr. Bayen! I never thought I would meet you here.”

Her cheeks flushed as she smiled brightly. Then she turned to Charlotte with an icy smile and said,

“You too, Lady Prairie.”

Her attitude made it painfully clear that while she had not expected to meet either of them here, the reasons were entirely different.

Raymond’s brow furrowed on its own.

To discriminate so openly.

It was childish and unpleasant.

Yet Charlotte, the very person who had received that blatant discrimination, smiled brightly.

“You remembered my name, Lady Jiab. I’m very happy.”

Dorothea flinched.