Charlotte was unable to process what had happened before. All she knew were the words that kept ringing in her head, that she didn't even know that Louis grabbed her hand and led the way, making her eyes widen for a moment while her heart was still beating faster, coupled with such rosy cheeks she had and red ears that made her look shy for a moment.
In all the years of her life that she had existed in the household - it was the first time she felt she had no control over the matter in relation to her current situation and what she most wanted to despise was herself – getting shy and can't even say a word or push Louis away from her, and that's what makes her weak.
In her whole life - after what she went through - she became strong enough to refute all the people who gave her such pitying looks, these people who had ulterior motives and these people who were used to it to say good things to her in front but used to stab her in the back instead.
She was fed up with them and there — she seemed to be the one who contradicts everyone. She doesn't care if it messes up her household, because that's another reason she's doing it — to get the attention of her dad, who's been distracted by so much work
She did everything on her own and in the end she always gets what she wanted.
"Results are most important to me."
Those were the words that made her hold on to what she believed in. She doesn't even want to be pitied by all of those - she did it to be content on the show she's yet to achieve - she's earned the title of 'wickedness'
That's what she wanted to represent, and that's why she never wanted to change this point of view that the people of the Empire represent her.
Until one night - one person changed everything. Right now - Charlotte couldn't even believe she was being guided by a humble butler - when in fact she should be the one guiding him.
She is his master, she is his master - but the one who exaggerated wasn't her in the first place. It was at this point that she realized that she was already too late to do the things she normally does before Louis came into her life.
She never knew why, but every time she looked at her butler, she felt a sense of nostalgia she hadn't felt in a long time. So the next few days, when she was found in the park, she thought she'd never be able to let go of her new butler
There is a voice telling her in her head that Louis is something much more to her and that if she ever lets him go, she will regret it. That's why for the past few days - instead of the one bossing Louis around - she's been the one who's suddenly behaving in such a way that every servant gets behaved like that
".....and here we are"
With so much imagination on her mind, Charlotte couldn't even tell they were already at the household dining room. From that moment, Louis immediately released his grip on the lady's hand.
Yet with such actions by Louis - Charlotte felt as if her hand was bare to the cold around her, without the warmth she had felt before when Louis' hands were still holding hers.
Such a look was portrayed as if she had suddenly been sad, until her gaze landed on a very familiar figure of a person already seated at the dining table, looking in her direction with such a smile on the figure's face. Then Charlotte spoke to the figure and made the man laugh
"D-Dad?"
"Yes Charlotte, I'm here. I guess I'll have to have breakfast with you first and I was even notified by Louis earlier that you're not busy for the coming morning."
With such a gentle smile that the Duke had always portrayed with every people, Charlotte felt taken advantage of that she wasn't even upset by such actions anymore. Only until then did Louis answer the Duke and make the old man laugh with such sincerity
"The lady will visit her private tutor with me later, sir."
"Yes, Louis. Having seen your potential and tested you - as I said the day before - you will be their temporary tutor until they find the one who will replace them - Sir Oswald. Well, shall we start eating, Charlotte?"
Charlotte used to be silent just by looking at her father and her new butler talking to each other. While Louis respected the Duke - the Duke was just keeping their conversation as casual as possible and all because Louis was still a young man compared to Oliver who was a lot more than four times his senior
"Y-Yes."
Was her only answer in a voice so whispered that no one seemed to hear - but never escaping the Duke's strong senses, she smiled more at her
'I guess this is the first time I have to have breakfast with my daughter. I woke up early in the morning to have breakfast alone, knowing that it was my daily routine as I had to work on the other documents. However – it was the first time someone informed me about something like this, which led me to understand a misunderstanding that arose in the past, and I admit – that such a misunderstanding arose because of our lack of communication . For now though, I think my daughter took it all well - thanks to a young man I never hesitated to help that day - in return for taking care of my daughter.'
Before even taking the initiative to eat, the Duke smiled at Loius, who was just by her side. At this point, the Duke smiled at Louis in a manner similar to that portrayed by the young butler.
'One day - this young man will leave our household and return to your home. Anyway - I hope that by then he will be fine and out of this danger. That's exactly why I made such a deal with him - to keep him as safe as possible and to become one of my daughter's found friends, who is her own age. He just came at the right time and place - Louis Crest.'
Charlotte glanced at her father and what she saw - made her eyes widen because the moment she saw him - all she saw was him looking at Louis with a smile.
This made her feel like the two of them had struck a deal, which raised her eyebrows for a moment until her father spoke to her
"I wanted to say something before we eat Charlotte."
Her father paused before even continuing what he was saying, as his eyes were already serious about her daughter - who was doing the same
'She really is my daughter - and even though she had a bad image in the Empire - I couldn't even blame her. Still, I hope Louis will be able to correct that image and make Charlotte a better woman than anyone can imagine.'
The Duke first sighed before continuing his words, which made Charlotte swallow just as his lips began to part again
"I apologize for the misunderstandings that are causing us to drift apart - Charlotte. Since I thought you always wanted to eat alone - you didn't even bother to call me at breakfast. When I called you in the past - you never answered, so I assume you never want to eat with me as your father. But I didn't know the truth until the moment Louis spoke to me in the early morning."
Then the Duke looked at Louis and smiled at him, causing Charlotte's eyes to widen more than usual. Then wild thoughts swirled in her head that she couldn't control her posture – her hands trembled, her eyes darted back and forth until she heard a few words from her father, which then suddenly calmed her, as memories of happy times in the past flooded her mind.
As if she had missed such a scenario in the past only to wane again in the current time they were in. Such a nostalgic warmth that she had once felt in the past that she no longer expected to feel in the situation she is in now - had spilled over the moment she heard her father say the truth confessed
"I think I've been preoccupied with not being able to look for you in the past. I apologize for the misunderstandings I've caused in the past, and for the most part - Charlotte - it's not too late to change what's been done, so I wanted to be a father you can be proud of , this time and in the future. I hope by-------"
Fred wasn't able to finish what he was saying as a soft, sincere, gentle voice spoke that felt like it was about to shatter, and when Fred looked at Charlotte - water was already dripping from her eyes - she ran down your cheeks like a fountain from which you can endlessly shed tears
"N-No father, it should have been me. II should have been the one who should have apologized the most. I realize that you also carry the burden of the deaths of my mother and your wife, but I never realized that until this point. I stopped by and saw you crying alone in your office at this time------"
This time it was Charlotte's turn to be interrupted as Fred was already standing in front of her and hugging her. They cried and cried until they calmed down
"From this point on, Charlotte - no matter what others thought of you, as long as I'm here and as long as I know who you are - you will always be safe and sound. As a father, I will always protect those who are most important to me and you are a part of that because from the day you were born you have been an important part of my life - my daughter."