“What understanding?”

Charlotte turned her head slowly to look at Charles. He met her cold, still blue eyes and spoke with a faint sigh.

“This place is a closed-off town, you know. Quiet, and it doesn’t take kindly to strangers. Nobody here is going to be particularly fond of Fiona.”

“And so you absolutely have to go around with her?”

“You know it helps to have me nearby.”

As if Charlotte didn’t know that. In this town, Viscount Roman was no different from a lord. He didn’t own the land of Sandem — it was simply that the Roman family held the most distinguished lineage of any noble house in the region, and so everyone deferred to him and kept a careful eye on his favor. In this country, and especially in an insular place like Sandem, rank mattered that much.

But even so……

“Charles.”

Charlotte called his name softly. Charles flinched.

“Do you know how I’ve been? Do you know who I met today, or what I did?”

A slow exhale escaped through Charles’s parted lips. Charlotte assumed he had nothing to say because he knew nothing — but in truth, Charles had known about his mother’s visit. He’d heard her grumbling that morning about having to make the tedious trip out here.

He had said nothing then, and he said nothing now, in front of Charlotte. He had no wish to put himself between the two of them.

Charles knew Charlotte was struggling. He knew that the same mother who was so warm and gentle with him treated Charlotte with cold indifference, and he knew that Charlotte needed comfort.

But lately, he was tired. Since the wedding, waking up every morning to the thought of his mother’s sighs of displeasure — all of them aimed at Charlotte — left him feeling hollow. His face had gone dark, and he said nothing, the dread of it pressing down on him — the reality that he would have to endure, day after day, watching Charlotte unable to say a word.

After the wedding, he would be trapped in that h*ll with no way out. And so he wanted to spend these precious few months — barely three left — for himself.

“The fact that you have nothing to say tells me you don’t know anything. You can be this indifferent to your own fiancée, yet you go out of your way for a friend you haven’t seen in ages?”

“……Charlotte. I’ll apologize for that. But if I heard that she was struggling to fit in and being left out — wouldn’t that sit uneasily with both of us?”

Charlotte let out a slow breath and pressed her fingers to her temple.

“Even so. Does it look good for someone on the eve of marriage to be seen going around with another woman? And Fiona touches you so casually on top of it——”

“Hm? Touches me? What do you mean…… Ah.”

Recalling how Fiona had leaned against him and given him a playful nudge earlier, Charles let out a laugh of disbelief.

“That’s nothing. Don’t tell me you’re actually jealous?”

“What?”

“Well — I mean, she is pretty.”

Even as a child, she’d been pretty — always smiling that pretty smile — and he’d liked her a little because of it. So when she left, he’d been rather sorry to see her go.

“But even so. What is there to be jealous of? Fiona came from abroad. Where she’s from, that kind of thing means nothing.”

Charles found Charlotte oddly endearing. To think she’d let something like this bother her. Charlotte, for her part, felt her face flush hot — as though she’d just revealed herself to be a small-minded person.

“Do I look like I’m jealous right now? I’m worried about what people will say about us.”

“You’re worrying over nothing. Fiona was only acting that way because it was just the two of us there. She won’t behave like that in front of others.”

……

Was Charlotte really worrying over nothing? Truthfully, she didn’t much enjoy this conversation either. Rather than welcoming a friend she hadn’t seen in ages, here she was saying things like this behind her back.

“Charlotte — it’s not as though she’ll be by my side the entire three months. And after the wedding, I truly won’t be able to look after her anymore. Shouldn’t we do this much now, so we don’t have regrets later?”

Charles rambled on, as though making excuses to her. He wanted to use Fiona however he could to carve out his own freedom.

“Hm? Charlotte.”

Charles pressed her gently.

Charlotte swallowed the unease still rising in her chest. Right. She had been worrying over nothing. Even if Fiona had once trailed after Charles everywhere as a child, so much time had passed — surely she wasn’t the same girl. And as he said, it wasn’t as though they would be inseparable for months on end……

Charlotte gave a slow nod.

“Thank you for understanding. I promise you won’t regret this choice later.”

Charles pulled her into his arms. Tucked against him, Charlotte quietly swallowed the discomfort she was trying so hard to ignore.

It’ll be fine……

Her head ached too much for her to want to think about any of it anymore.

* * *

Charlotte stood at the parlor window, her expression shadowed as she gazed out at the rain. Heavy drops pelted down over plump, promising buds.

In April, of all things.

The weather had been like this for days now. The wedding was the day after tomorrow — if it stayed this way, the guests would have a miserable time of it.

Charlotte turned over the guest list in her mind. It was a short one. Peter, the merchant who had extended a helping hand more than a decade ago with an investment, and who had never stopped offering his support since. And Mrs. Spencer, the one relative she still exchanged letters with on occasion…… But neither of them would be able to come. Peter hadn’t returned to the country yet, and Mrs. Spencer lived all the way in Glasko — at the exact opposite end of the map from Sandem, a full day and a half away by train.

I did send one to House Earlister as well, but……

Charlotte’s father, Viscount Prairie, had served as an administrative officer under the Earlister ducal household. He had mentioned, more than once, that he used to bring Charlotte along on his visits to the estate……

I don’t remember it at all.

When she was badly injured as a small child, the trauma had left gaps in her memory — recollections from before the move to Sandem came to her only in fragments. Fortunately, her memories of her father and Maji had remained intact, so it hadn’t caused her much hardship. Her father had always said that the present was what mattered, and that there was no particular need to recover what was lost.

Ah, I really didn’t want to send that invitation……

To Charlotte, House Earlister was no different from strangers. Even if she somehow recovered her missing memories, that fact would not change. What did it amount to, really — a few chance encounters as a young child?

But she had sent the invitation because of Viscount Roman.

[They sent someone to your father’s funeral. How do you know they won’t send someone to this as well?]

Was the funeral of a long-serving employee the same as the wedding of a daughter who had done little more than glimpse the family’s faces a handful of times? Charlotte had wanted to argue the point — but she hadn’t wanted to create friction with the Viscount on the eve of her wedding. She hadn’t had the strength to weather the long, wounded reproach that would have followed if she hadn’t done as he wished.

At any rate, my side of the guest seats is going to be utterly empty, isn’t it?

Charlotte felt a little embarrassed, and a little stung — but what could she do? She had neglected to cultivate connections of her own……

But it wasn’t on purpose. It was because of the Viscountess that I couldn’t……

The thought surfaced unbidden, and Charlotte shook her head. Enough. What good was blaming anyone at this point?

What matters is what comes next. What comes next……

Charlotte was in the middle of heaving a long sigh when Maji came breezing in, beaming, with an enormous bouquet in her arms.

“My goodness. Where did that come from?”

“Who else — Charles sent it, of course.”

Charlotte stared, baffled.

“Again? What’s gotten into him lately?”

“I know, really. I can’t imagine why someone about to be married is being this romantic. Most men become less attentive, not more. Oh — I’ll go put these straight in a vase. They got absolutely soaked in the rain.”

“Mm……”

Maji went off humming to herself to find a vase. Left alone, Charlotte stretched her lips into a thin, flat line and let her eyes drift.

Romantic, he says……

If he were truly romantic, he’d come to see me in person.

Charles had been difficult to catch sight of lately. On the rare occasions she did see him, he seemed like a man sitting somewhere he didn’t belong — fidgeting and restless before making his excuses and leaving early.

It had struck Charlotte as strange, and worried her enough that she’d asked him once.

[Why are you always so busy these days? Is it because of Fiona?]

[Wh — what are you talking about?]

Charles had startled as though he’d been stepped on. His reaction startled Charlotte even more. She pressed a hand to her chest and said,

[I just meant — she asked you a favor, didn’t she? To accompany her to a party……]

[Oh, oh right. That…… I helped her out a few times at first, but I haven’t seen her face lately.]

[Why? Did something happen between the two of you?]

Could they have had a falling-out? Concern washed openly over Charlotte’s face. Charles glanced at her expression and looked quickly away, giving a small shrug.

[Oh, no. Turns out she’s been managing just fine on her own — no real need for me to help……]

[Is that so? That’s a relief.]

[Anyway, the reason I’ve been busy is Father. He’s been very intent on teaching me things lately. I suppose once I’m married, there’ll be plenty of occasions where I’ll need to represent the family, so it can’t be helped.]

[I see……. Still, it can’t be easy, being this stretched all the time.]

At Charlotte’s warmly worried words, the corners of Charles’s brows softened.

[Don’t worry too much about me — always look after yourself first. You know that, don’t you? That I truly treasure you.]

[……Why are you suddenly saying something so embarrassing?]

[There’s nothing embarrassing about it. This is how I truly feel.]

Whether it was to prove his sincerity, or simply because he felt guilty for leaving Charlotte so often on her own, Charles had taken to sending bouquets and gifts like this one. Charlotte would have preferred to see his face over any gift he could send.

……I just hope he isn’t wearing himself too thin.

Charlotte’s gaze drifted back to the window.

It’s as dark as the dead of night already. How can it be like this……