“I… should at least remember that much. Wouldn’t it be stranger if I couldn’t?”

Ahem. Dorothea cleared her throat and replied curtly, then quickly turned her head toward Raymond.

“If I had known you would be attending the party, I would have asked you to go with me.”

“Had you done so, I would have refused. I only attended because I heard Lady Prairie would be here.”

Raymond spoke sharply.

Charlotte looked up at him in surprise.

But he only seemed indifferent. Even Dorothea continued smiling as if nothing had happened.

“So you took the trouble to come because you were worried Lady Prairie might attend alone. How considerate of you. I already knew you were a very kind person, but I didn’t know you were someone capable of such meticulous kindness.”

Raymond raised one brow.

She knew I was kind?

No matter how he thought about it, he had never treated her kindly.

Especially not Dorothea.

Meanwhile, Charlotte nodded.

Mm. Raymond did have a subtly self-willed side, but even taking that into account, he was a warm and kind person.

“You needn’t worry about the young lady from now on. If I remain by her side, she will form other connections as well, and then you will surely have less to worry about. Ah, now that we’re on the subject, I would like to introduce Lady Prairie to my friends. They are very good friends.”

Dorothea clasped Charlotte’s hand tightly.

While Charlotte’s flustered eyes wandered helplessly, unsure what to do, Dorothea leaned her upper body toward her in a rather overwhelming way.

“I’m sure they will be exactly to Lady Prairie’s liking as well. It will only take a moment, so what do you think?”

Since Dorothea was urging her this much, Charlotte found it difficult to refuse and answered,

“……If Mr. Bayen would be considerate enough to allow it.”

“If it is only for a moment, I do not mind.”

As soon as Raymond answered, Dorothea tugged Charlotte away by the hand.

Hmph. Did you think I would keep letting you stay together?

Apparently, Raymond felt a sense of kinship with Charlotte because she, too, was from another region. That was likely why he found himself looking after her more.

If Charlotte became acquainted with people here, Raymond would have fewer reasons to concern himself with her.

And they would have even fewer chances to meet.

“Lady Prairie, these are my friends.”

Charlotte greeted Dorothea’s friends, who smiled at her warmly.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Charlotte of the Prairie viscountcy. At the moment, I am staying with the Spencer family.”

“Oh my, it’s truly lovely to meet you. I’m Haley of the Melvers barony. Please feel free to call me Haley.”

“I’m Emma of the Selpert barony. You may call me Emma comfortably as well.”

Calling them by their given names?

Was that not something only close friends could do?

Charlotte asked cautiously.

“May I truly call you that?”

“Of course! Please, you must call me by my name!”

“Then please call me Charlotte as well.”

Charlotte spoke with a shy smile. Emma and Haley blushed and giggled.

“To tell you the truth, we’ve wanted to greet you since earlier.”

“Seeing you up close makes it even clearer. Mr. Bayen does care about appearances. Well, with a face like Mr. Bayen’s, it would be stranger if he didn’t.”

“Anyway, now I feel completely relieved. I’m sure not only I, but the other young ladies have accepted it too. Dorothea, you think so too, don’t you?”

Charlotte broke out in a cold sweat.

It seemed she had caused another pointless misunderstanding.

Just as Charlotte was about to say that was not the case, Dorothea spoke through clenched teeth.

“Girls. Isn’t it a little improper to make someone stand in front of you and talk only about Mr. Bayen?”

Gasp!

Haley and Emma’s faces instantly stiffened.

“Oh my, how rude of me. I only wanted to compliment you.”

“Goodness. You were so pretty that I misspoke without thinking. Please forgive me, won’t you?”

“It’s all right. I’m only embarrassed because you seem to think far too highly of me.”

Charlotte was about to continue by denying any relationship between herself and Raymond.

But perhaps Haley and Emma were moved, because their eyes sparkled as they spoke over one another.

“How can you be so angelically kind?”

“Miss Charlotte, this is your first time in Glasko, isn’t it? Have you been to the Romans Cliff?”

“No……”

“That place is not well known unless you are from this region. The scenery is truly beautiful…… Ah! Sunnyrow Lake! You absolutely must visit around this time of year. People say Glasko is all about the sea, but I think Sunnyrow Lake is much more……”

The two of them eagerly poured out Glasko’s beauty to Charlotte, along with information it would be good for her to know.

Thanks to that, Charlotte never managed to properly explain herself.

“And, if you would not mind, would you attend our tea party later? It is not anything grand. It is only a gathering where we drink tea and chat.”

“If you are all right with having me, I would be happy to attend.”

“Oh, how wonderful.”

Haley covered her lips and smiled happily.

Charlotte could not express it the same way she did, but inwardly, she was just as happy as Haley—no, perhaps even happier.

After all, this was the first time she had ever been invited to a gathering of women her own age.

“If there are any refreshments you like……”

“Woohoo. What a lovely night.”

Cutting off Haley’s words, a young man slipped into the conversation.

“What is it, Rogers? Can’t you see we’re talking?”

Emma and the other Glasko ladies narrowed their eyes and glared at him.

Regardless, Rogers gave Charlotte a sly smile.

“Today, I thought the night seemed especially bright, and now I know why! A star has fallen right here!”

“Pardon?”

“I am Rogers of the Giverny barony.”

Charlotte, still flustered, answered in a daze.

“I am Charlotte of the Prairie viscountcy.”

“My goodness, even your name is beautiful. I am truly a fortunate man to have met you tonight.”

Rogers slyly took hold of Charlotte’s fingertips.

It seemed as though his lips would touch the back of her hand at any moment.

Charlotte was horrified.

They had only just met, so what was this?

Charlotte wanted to pull her hand back at once, but she was worried it might seem rude. In Sandem, people did not greet each other this way unless they were acquainted, but here, even people meeting for the first time might lightly kiss the back of one’s hand……

Just then, someone caught Charlotte’s hand and pulled her back.

Thanks to that, Rogers, still half-bowed, ended up losing hold of Charlotte’s hand.

“Sorry, but.”

Charlotte turned her head and looked up at the man who, contrary to his words, did not look sorry at all.

Even after pulling Charlotte’s hand out of Rogers’s, Raymond still did not let go of her hand. Then he placed his other hand on Charlotte’s shoulder.

Thanks to that, Charlotte ended up trapped in his arms.

“I would like my partner back now.”

“Oh my, that’s true. We kept you with us far too long.”

“Then I hope you two have a pleasant time. Miss Charlotte, I’ll see you again.”

Charlotte could not even answer properly before Raymond led her away.

“Oh my, wasn’t that just like a prince rescuing a princess from a monster?”

Emma exclaimed, her hands pressed to her cheeks.

Dorothea and Rogers shouted at the same time.

“Who is the princess?”

“Who are you calling a monster?!”

Meanwhile, it was only after Raymond reached the terrace that he loosened his hold and released Charlotte’s hand.

Why did he bring me here?

Raymond’s displeased face was reflected in her startled blue eyes.

“Why did you stay still? You disliked it.”

“Pardon? Ah, just now?”

Charlotte spoke with an awkward expression.

“It may be a natural greeting for people here. I was worried that if I made a fuss over nothing, it would ruin the mood.”

“Even if that is true, you are not used to such greetings, my lady. In cases like this, it is only right to be considerate of the person who is unfamiliar with it.”

“Is that so?”

He placed a hand on the terrace railing and said in a low voice,

“I truly cannot take my eyes off you.”

Charlotte was startled for a moment, but soon assumed he had only used that common expression because he was so worried about her, and let out an empty laugh.

“Am I that unreliable?”

“It is not that I find you particularly unreliable. But I am worried.”

Even earlier, after sending Charlotte off, Raymond had watched her the entire time.

Since it was clear that Dorothea harbored ill will toward Charlotte, he had wondered whether she might torment Charlotte with some strange behavior. Fortunately, Charlotte and the other young ladies’ expressions had looked pleasant.

Only Dorothea’s expression had been strange, as if she had eaten spoiled fish.

So he had watched Charlotte in a good mood.

But then, out of nowhere, some strange fellow began prowling around Charlotte.

I’ll count just thirty seconds, then go bring her back.

Having decided that, Raymond began counting backward from thirty.

He had only counted down to ten when that monkey-like bastard actually pushed his way between the young ladies.

To hell with counting!

Raymond approached Charlotte at once.

When he got closer, the sight was even more outrageous.

If he had been even a little later, those repulsive lips would have touched this pretty hand.

Ah, my blood is boiling.

What was that bastard’s name? What family was he from, and what did he do?

Just as Raymond continued thinking thoughts that suited his frightening expression, Charlotte narrowed her eyes and asked,

“Is that not the same thing?”

“It is a different thing.”

“No matter how I think about it, it seems like the same thing.”

“No. It is different.”

The two of them were quietly bickering when gentle music began to flow from inside the banquet hall.