"W-Wait, so you're saying you're the birthday party celebrant? Are you kidding me? A young man like you - behaving like an arrogant one is the birthday celebrant? The Duke's son?"
Charlotte blurted out, eyes still wide from the sudden realization. But she couldn't even bring herself to accept it. The duke was nice - but the son wasn't? She thought so for a moment.
Her eyebrows drew further together until she heard a chuckle. The kind of chuckle that can make anyone tremble, and that's what she's feeling right now. She only trembles because she hears an ice-cold giggle from Lucien
"So you won't believe me even if I said so, right? Well, it's just a good thing you were here. Let me show you then."
Without hesitation, Lucien took Charlotte's hand and led her into the darkroom. Although surprised as Charlotte had seemed, she could not move even an inch in the young man's grip. From there, she even furrowed her eyebrows at the slender figure on the man's back.
However, it took her a second to let her eyes roam, and there - she could visualize which room she was walking into. She only entered one of the rooms of the Duke's household. Without even thinking that it's not the bathroom
Now that her attention was distracted from the room, her sense of going to the bathroom had subsided for a while because of the young man who had grabbed her in the darkroom and inside
'It feels like I'm in a haunted house. So scary!'
Her mind had spun after surveying the room. Only when the young man stopped did Charlotte bang her head against the young man's back
"OUCH!"
However, she yelled that the young man never turned his head to the young lady. Instead, he kept looking ahead until Charlotte did the same
She knew then that the young man was telling the truth. Portrait of a family - the parents were seated, and the young man had the same facial features as the duke. Crimson eyes, dark hair and pale skin - define magnificence
With those facial features in the portrait, Charlotte's eyes widened. Until he looked at the young man's back. He was still in his position - he didn't move until he could look at the lady with a cold expression. Looking at the portrait made him feel like it was him
Charlotte also felt a little changed and that's when she saw him looking at the portrait
'Why didn't I know beforehand? They have the same properties! Goodness, Charlotte, what now?'
Her thoughts went far away from her current situation. But - with Lucien's sudden change - Charlotte felt like she couldn't move even an inch. While she broke through the sudden embarrassment between the two people - Charlotte decided to be confident - she turned on her rogue mode
'Since Louis and the others may not be able to see, why not act like a rogue in here? He's only there to see, right?'
Then with those thoughts - Charlotte's wide eyes changed from surprise to a more convincing villain than she had in the past
'Let me do that once in this time'
"Well if you said you were the birthday party then why are you here? Supposedly - you need an introduction, right?"
And with that – instead of getting angry like he used to when the lady slapped her in the face that day – Lucien just laughed
'Seriously, she wasn't even scared of me - is that why she's putting on a front, huh?'
Then with that – Lucien gripped the lady's hands tightly and grinned at her – a devilish grin no one can imagine
"If it weren't you - alright, I guess I have no choice but to lock you up here - because you've really caught my attention for the time being, lady..."
'What the hell? He's supposed to be scared of me - but why do I feel like he's more of a bad guy than me?!'
With that kind of thought - Lucien was about to push her against the wall and startled her again - when Charlotte suddenly used all her strength to escape the young man, and she did. That's because she only stamped her foot on the young man when she had the chance - and grabbed his neck to make Lucien take a step back
At that moment - Lucien couldn't even understand why - but the lady had really caught his attention, mere self-defense was not even known to the ladies - yet the lady standing in front of him did it in a snap Second - his eyes widened yourself as before
'What the hell was that? Is she a fighter?!'
He didn't know that Charlotte had a butler who used to teach her everything
'I'm just glad Louis has been able to teach me something like this over the past few days. I felt like I really set an example for him to be a good student!'
And with that – Charlotte giggled all the way through the household garden. Away from the gathering and away from such a dangerous young man - when suddenly she bumped into someone again and this time - opening her eyes - it was the same young man who had caught her earlier after the collision
"Milady - are you alright? Wait, are you the lady from before?"
Charlotte couldn't speak for a moment. Her lips parted, but she couldn't speak the words. She felt like she used to be in the same situation over and over again, which only gave her a headache for a moment
'I think so, but how come she's here too? I can only think that she is also here to recover from the people inside.'
"Milady?"
In a sweet, gentle tone - Charlotte swallowed and blinked, then let out a sigh as she fixed her position while facing the young man.
"L-Look, I apologize if I keep bumping into you - but I guess it's never intended to go along------"
But before Charlotte could finish speaking, the young man had already laughed in front of her. The kind of laugh that was instantly pleasing to one ear and raised Charlotte's eyebrows
"It is always a pleasure to assist you, my lady. Yes - I hope that after I have helped you the second time, you will say your name at last, my lady?'
Leon knew that saying a lady's name to a young noble meant much more, and the lady only cares about that for the young man if it was Leon who asked it. However, at first the lady was puzzled by the pleasant personality she saw from Leon - she had already realized that the young man posed no danger to the young lady
Before introducing herself - Charlotte let out a long sigh and then looked seriously at Leon
"Greetings, young sir, I'm Charlotte Carlile, a pleasure to meet you."
Then, like a lady, she bowed to what she had done before after thanking the young man who had helped her not to be bumped into again
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Charlotte - I am Leon Vanderbilt"
And with that – Charlotte's eyes widened. The moment the young man in front of her said he was a Vanderbilt meant he was one of the brightest people in the Empire. At first Charlotte was surprised and that caught Leon's attention
'I don't think she knows me at all. Unlike the others who have known me for years'
He wanted to smile in front of the lady, he wanted to do it - but he couldn't even bring himself to do it because he knew it would be disrespectful to the lady. About then - Leon immediately walked up to her - knelt in front of her, held one of the lady's hands and kissed her
"My lady, allow me to be your friend from this moment on. I know it may come as a surprise to you. However, I hope you can treat me as one - I wanted to be your friend right away"
And with that - Charlotte's eyes widened again. She couldn't even see what she was getting herself into. Her heart was beating louder than before and even if she didn't notice it – her body had already done the deed
She felt as if she had been engulfed in heat on her cheeks and ears that she could not move even an inch. Because the young man had the same attitude as Louis, she thought Louis would take the oath
It wasn't until she blinked her eyes that she realized where she was
"Y-Young Sir, I think it's going to take some time considering I haven't even known you."
"Don't worry, my lady - you'll get to know me better sometime."
'What is he talking about?! Can this night end already? I have this unexpected person coming my way!'