Charlotte - Chapter 34

The Blind Duke of Kartenon.

“That blindfold… Does Duke Kartenon truly wear it because he cannot see?”

“Ha, no wonder he didn’t attend the victory celebration.”

“I thought there was a mistake in the bride’s name, but now it all makes sense. His Majesty must have known beforehand and kept his distance.”

“Princess Mia is to be queen one day—she couldn’t possibly take a blind man as her consort.”

“I brought too extravagant a wedding gift. I had no idea he was in such a state.”

“I think I’ll take mine back. I’m not blind enough to invest in a future that no longer exists.”

From the moment Leo entered the wedding hall, he had been listening.

Perhaps people thought blindness meant deafness as well. Every whisper, every muttered remark carried easily to his sharpened ears, and they were anything but subtle.

“No matter what, surely His Majesty wouldn’t abandon a national hero.”

“I agree. If not for Duke Kartenon, it wouldn’t just be Cloman that fell—Ignator itself would have been doomed.”

“Regardless of what people say, Charlotte is still a princess. Today, Duke Kartenon becomes the king’s son-in-law. Applaud them. There’s no need to make rash decisions.”

Among the murmurs, there were a few voices in his defense.

“Rash? No, in matters like these, the sooner, the better. I won’t be attending the banquet. If you see them leaving, tell them I left early due to ill health.”

“Yes, please do the same for me. I’ve had a headache for a while now.”

But those few words were not enough to change the tide.

The murmurs predicting the downfall of House Kartenon only grew louder and more frequent.

His eardrums throbbed with exhaustion. He could no longer distinguish between voices that supported him and those that rejected him.

It all blurred into meaningless noise.

Until suddenly—there was silence.

The entire world seemed to hold its breath.

It was the moment Leo reached for Charlotte’s veil, fumbling slightly as he lifted it.

He had longed for silence. Yet now that he had it, a strange sense of unease curled in his chest.

The officiant’s voice rang out again, urging them to seal their vows with a kiss. Leo didn’t wait for the words to finish. He lowered his head.

But, the soft sensation of lips met his skin not at his mouth, but closer to his cheek.

From the perspective of the guests, it might have looked like a proper kiss. But in reality, their lips had barely brushed at the corners.

Leo had been moving forward steadily, guided by the warmth of her breath. Charlotte had deliberately evaded him.

Why?

Because she couldn’t bear to kiss him? Because this marriage meant nothing to her?

His teeth sank into his lip.

“…Sorry.”

Charlotte’s whisper was so faint he almost didn’t hear it as she pulled away.

Sorry? For what?

Leo found the answer before he could even voice the question.

“Who knows whose tongue has been inside that mouth.”

“Kissing her lips would be revolting.”

“Perhaps other things would be possible.”

The words he had once hurled at Charlotte came back to him, echoing like a cruel taunt.

He had tossed them aside carelessly, but they had not faded. They had lingered. They had rotted. And now, they stank.

A wave of nausea rippled through him.

In that moment, his arm moved on impulse—sliding around Charlotte’s waist, pulling her back toward him. Catching hold of her breath as it tried to escape.

“Leo…?”

She gasped his name in surprise. Guided by that sound, he pressed his lips against hers.

Another impulse.

And Leo knew, impulses always led to regret.

Just like the day he first met her. The day she looked at him with tear-filled eyes and he fell in love at first sight.

***

The servants of Rosa Castle could not hide their despondency. When the guests had swarmed in like a pack of dogs, making their lives miserable with endless demands, it had been one thing. But now, after the ceremony had concluded, not even half of the guests remained in the banquet hall.

Most of those who stayed were gossipmongers, desperate to uncover the story behind the fallen hero, the problematic princess, and the bizarre union between the two. With their eyes gleaming hungrily as they scanned the banquet hall for scraps of information, the servants of Rosa Castle had no desire to treat them as honored guests.

Despite the overwhelming crowd earlier, the banquet lost momentum before midnight and soon came to an end. As a result, much of the prepared food was left untouched. The following morning, it was distributed to the people of the domain, bringing the matter to a close. However, for the servants who truly served the Kartenon family with loyalty, it had been a deeply wounding day.

“…It would have been better if it were Princess Mia.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!”

The casual remark, tossed out by one of the disheartened servants, was more than enough to fuel resentment toward Charlotte.

Meanwhile, the very person who had become the subject of such scorn—Charlotte—was in a daze.

She couldn’t remember how the wedding had ended, how the banquet had progressed, or even how she had danced with Leo. It had been a long time since she had last danced, and with her foot having been pierced by glass, there was no way she had moved without pain. Perhaps it was a blessing that she had no recollection.

However, what troubled her most was that, despite forgetting everything else, one memory remained vividly lodged in her mind—her kiss with Leo.

She had naturally assumed it was a mistake. There was no reason for Leo to kiss her.

She had expected him to realize his blunder and pull away before committing the ultimate folly of pushing the bride away in front of everyone.

But then, the arm wrapped around her waist tightened. If she resisted even a little more, it felt like her bones might be crushed. That could only mean one thing—this kiss carried Leo’s intent.

Charlotte felt both pity and an odd sense of delight at the thought of Leo being bound to a woman like her. She hesitantly parted her lips, and in response, Leo deepened the kiss.

So this is what a kiss feels like.

Charlotte marveled at the sensation.

“Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll find you a partner who truly suits you.”

Mia, after breaking off Charlotte’s engagement with Leo, constantly sought her out, trying to match her with various men.

If Charlotte said she was fine, Mia would burst into tears, accusing her of still harboring feelings for Leo. At the same time, she never hesitated to deliver thinly veiled threats in her delicate voice.

“I’ll tell Father to help Victor Kartenon! And I’ll tell Leo that you were the one who asked for it! Let’s see how you enjoy being resented for the rest of your life!”

Charlotte had warned Mia that such actions could put Leo in danger, but Mia refused to listen. She merely pouted her lips stubbornly.

“I don’t care! I hate Leo anyway! Every time we meet, all he talks about is you! He might as well just drop dead!”

In the end, Charlotte, unable to withstand Mia’s persistence, relented. Only then did Mia finally smile, the same radiant expression that made the people of Ignator compare her to a wildflower.

But the men Mia forced Charlotte to meet were no better. Even if they merely had tea together, by the next day, rumors would spread that she had seduced them into spending the night with her.

One even went so far as to draw and sell a nude portrait of her, claiming it was proof that they had shared a bed.

A few days later, that very man was found in a slum’s rotten canal—his hands severed. The culprit was never found.

Considering the kind of scoundrel he was, there had likely been more than a few people besides Charlotte who wanted him dead.

Regardless of how the incident was resolved, Charlotte’s reputation plummeted. The men who approached her became even more brazen.

Even when someone forcibly kissed her, they showed no hesitation. There had been days when she seriously contemplated cutting out her own tongue.

For the first time, she was grateful she hadn’t gone through with it.

The memory of her kiss with Leo resurfaced, and her ears burned red. Unconsciously, she wrinkled the nightgown Mona had dressed her in.

Just then, the door creaked open. The other occupant of this bedroom—Leo—stepped inside. Charlotte, who had been holding her breath, gulped nervously.

At the small sound, Leo’s steps faltered. Unintentionally, she had revealed her presence.

And judging by his reaction, Leo seemed quite convinced that her presence here was entirely deliberate.