Charlotte - Chapter 6

The former Duke of Kartenon had brought Leo Kartenon to Rosa Castle, claiming him as his son, shortly after his only heir at the time, Victor Kartenon, had kicked a servant to death—for nothing more than dirtying his shoes.

The message was clear.

By introducing a competitor, the duke intended to disrupt the line of succession.

Whether Leo Kartenon was truly the duke’s biological son was not the critical question. What mattered was that the duke had officially registered him into the family, and now, there were two heirs to the house of Kartenon.

“I hear the second young master is quite brilliant.”

“They say he has a noble character, too. Unlike someone else.”

“I’ve already made my decision.”

Some of the vassals, exhausted by Victor Kartenon’s reckless excesses, began to shift their allegiances.

Meanwhile, those who were too deeply entangled with Victor refused to let go of their ties. Clinging to the idea of pure blood, they raged like a pack of wolves, determined to drive out the bastard at any cost.

“A bastard, really? When we already have young master Victor, why would we need another son?”

“Doesn’t the fact that his mother remains unknown say enough? He’s clearly of low birth.”

“We must cut this weed before it even dreams of taking root. We cannot allow this.”

The former Duke of Kartenon, who had lit the spark, neither directly stopped the escalating conflict nor watched passively—he simply observed in silence.

And after many long years, he finally declared Leo Kartenon the heir to the family.

Not long after, the duke collapsed.

He had always been a strong man. And though his age was advanced, it was not so great that a sudden illness would be unsurprising.

Naturally, suspicion fell on one person.

But no evidence was found, and Victor Kartenon wept as he protested his innocence, claiming that as someone who had already lost his mother as a child, he could never have harmed the only parent he had left.

For a man who behaved worse than a beast, his tears held no credibility. But without proof, there was nothing to be done.

From that day on, the struggle for succession turned into a battle to the death.

Having lost his greatest shield—his father—Leo Kartenon faced constant threats to his life.

Every night, he feared waking up to find his throat slit. Every meal, he wondered if the next sip of water would be poisoned.

Death loomed over him, unseen but ever-present, slowly eating away at his existence.

And in the midst of it all—

What had Charlotte de Ignator, his fiancée, done?

She had watched in silence as the tides turned against him. And then, she had sent a letter to break their engagement.

For the first time, Leo Kartenon, who had always remained composed, staggered.

Ignoring the risk of assassins following him, he had come to her, clinging to her desperately.

“I… I told you I would become the Duke of Kartenon. Please, don’t do this. Don’t do this to me. I will become someone useful to you. I will help you take your place as the ruler of Ignator. So please… Please, don’t abandon me. Charlotte, please.”

And yet, he was abandoned.

Charlotte left him.

“You’re the one who needs to stop this, Leo.”

“Charlotte…?”

“You’re pathetic.”

“…….”

“If you love me, don’t drag me into your miserable life. Holding hands and walking into hell together? Don’t you think that’s an awfully selfish kind of love? I don’t want to sink with you. If you’re going to fall, do it alone, Leo.”

***

“If you’re going to fall, do it alone.”

She had once hurled those cruel words at Leo.

She never imagined they would return to her in such a tangible, brutal way.

The breath trapped within her hands felt as heavy as iron. She was nearing her limit, her trembling breath threatening to slip through the gaps between her fingers.

And then—

“Judging by the way you came running all the way to this distant land to become the wife of a blind man, I suppose life in the secluded palace wasn’t all that enjoyable?”

A cold sneer crushed the desperate plea she couldn’t bring herself to voice.

“…….”

Charlotte lifted her reddened eyes to look at Leo, struggling to suppress the unbearable.

She deserved his contempt. She had done enough to warrant it.

But why did he keep mixing self-deprecation into his words?

No one—no one—was allowed to belittle Leo Kartenon in front of her. Not even himself.

“I came here as the wife of Leo Kartenon.”

She bit her lips repeatedly before finally speaking, her voice carefully stripped of emotion.

But words were only ever as meaningful as the listener allowed them to be.

“I’m aware that you have no better options than me, Princess.”

Despite her effort, she was condemned nonetheless—painted as an opportunist who had chosen Leo Kartenon out of sheer necessity, merely to escape the secluded palace.

“That’s not—”

Not true.

Her barely opened lips slowly pressed shut again.

It wasn’t disappointment that he refused to believe her.

It was simply that she realized—no matter what she said, nothing would ever restore Leo’s trust in her.

That was the kind of relationship they had now.

A relationship without understanding, without trust, without empathy.

Every bridge that could have connected them had already crumbled.

“It’s fine. You’re not such a bad choice for me either.”

So his next words—though they sounded sweet at first—were undoubtedly just another form of mockery.

And that outstretched hand, as if inviting her to take it, was nothing more than a well-laid trap.

Not a bad choice? The disgrace of Ignator?

Impossible.

Answering her own silent question, Charlotte stepped forward.

Leo Kartenon was a man far too extraordinary to merely fill the empty space beside a hollow princess.

She placed her delicate hand atop his—a hand that bore the hardened calluses of countless years wielding a sword.

The moment she did, a ruthless grip tightened around her fingers without mercy.

“Ah…!”

A faint gasp escaped her lips.

Before she could resist, she was pulled forward—into a kiss.

Leo’s lips pressed firmly against the back of her captured hand.

Charlotte’s pale blue eyes wavered, stunned. She had never imagined that their reunion would involve such an intimate gesture. Her thoughts blurred into chaos, drowning in a single question.

Why…?

But before she could even voice that one simple word—

“Consider this my proposal.”

The reason for his abrupt kiss was revealed. As if dusting off something meaningless, Leo released her hand. The hand that had just felt his warmth fell limply to her side.

Charlotte stared down at her own fingers, still tingling from his touch, then slowly lifted her gaze back to him. His expressionless lips, drawn into a straight, impassive line, put an end to any fleeting confusion she had felt. Beneath her silver hair, the tips of her ears burned red.

Feeling strangely empty, Charlotte raised her hand—out of habit, out of distraction—and adjusted her hair, even though she had already tied and retied it at least five times inside the carriage.

A meaningless action that led to no real result.

And then—

“Spend my money.”

The sudden remark caught her off guard. But Charlotte did not question it.

“Buy jewels every day, replace your dresses, wear new shoes.”

She remained silent, merely listening.

“Indulge in as much luxury as you like.”

She knew. If she waited quietly, Leo would eventually lay out the conclusion he had already decided upon.

“But there is one condition.”

That was all Charlotte had to accept.

“You must bear my child as soon as possible.”

No matter what that decision was.

***

By the time Charlotte stepped out of the lord’s office, Steward Ferndel was waiting for her in the same composed manner as before.

As initially intended, he led her to the temporary quarters where she would stay until the wedding.

Ferndel walked ahead, and Charlotte followed in silence.

As they moved through the corridors, her mind replayed Leo’s words from just moments ago.

“At least two. You must give birth to at least two healthy children.”

“Be actively involved in their upbringing. I will be as well.”

“You may be an inadequate wife, but you must not be an inadequate mother. There cannot be even the slightest deficiency. That is the price you will pay for living off my wealth.”

Had she really heard those words clearly?

Or had she only fixated on one thing—that Leo needed an heir?

It was a natural necessity.

A new successor had to carry on the family line in place of the current head, who could no longer fulfill his role.

And for a future wife, such a demand was neither strange nor unreasonable.

He was even offering her a life of absolute luxury in return.

It was, by all accounts, an advantageous bargain for Charlotte.

And yet—

If Leo’s green eyes had been intact, then bearing his children would never have been her role to fulfill.

That thought alone…

Charlotte’s steps grew slower.

Her stomach, though empty of life, twisted in an unfamiliar, painful way.

She took a few more steps forward, staring blankly at Ferndel’s back.

But in the end, her body caved in, and she collapsed onto the floor.

“…P-Princess!”

Ferndel, who had continued walking ahead, only then noticed something was wrong.

He hurried to her side.

“Are you all right, Princess?”

His voice was frantic.

“You there! Go fetch a physician at once!”

Hearing no response from Charlotte, he immediately gave orders to someone nearby.

But everything—the voices, the rushing footsteps—felt distant.

As if it were all happening in another world.

Perhaps this was a dream.

A wretched nightmare she couldn’t wake from.