"My lady?"
Logan had asked Charlotte three times, but she didn't answer. Her eyes looked a bit distant. Did he bore her with his talk? As a quiet person, Logan thought he didn't speak too much.
"Yes?" finally Charlotte began to gather her thoughts.
She had been too preoccupied taking a journey through memory lane. Listening to Logan's words about Princess Eleanor brought up painful memories she had in the palace: the day the Princess died.
"I think it would be a waste sitting here. Should we take a walk?" Logan showed a soft expression although he had been repeating himself like a parrot.
"Yes, I think it would be lovely," Charlotte smiled.
Logan didn't speak much during their walk. He did let out some short comments about statues or flowers. Within the same manner, Charlotte didn't initiate any conversations. She only nodded or gave a simple smile.
The question is why? Wasn't Charlotte supposed to befriend the Prince with everything she got? Yes, that's true. However, Charlotte had a blank mind right now. She had thought long enough and carefully about conversations topic last night, but she couldn't seem to remember any of it right now.
What should I say?
"Your Highness," this time Charlotte uttered the first word after they came back to the inner gazebo.
"Yes, my lady?"
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity to visit the Palace East Garden. It had been my dream since I was young. Forgive me, my happiness caused me to be too emotional," Charlotte pulled out an outstanding acting with glistening eyes. To compensate for her inability to share beautiful words before, she had to provide perfect body language.
"It's my pleasure to let my lady visit this garden on behalf of my aunt," Logan smiled softly after sipping his tea.
"No, Your Highness, it's my pleasure," Charlotte smiled.
"You must have really liked garden," Logan commented while trying to break the back-and-forth pleasantries exchange.
"Yes, since I was a child, I always loved venturing into nature. Be it walking, hiking, or horse riding, I find them all lovely."
"I think you inherited your uncle's adventurous nature," Logan chuckled, followed closely by Charlotte who nodded in agreement.
The two of them were enjoying the breeze when Logan face suddenly changed. He usually wore a gentle look despite his stiff face. But this time, his stiff face became even more serious. Anyone who saw it would understand that he had an important announcement.
"Miss Riverion, truthfully…"
Before Logan could finish his words, the cup in front of him was snatched. A pair of hands with long fingers and white gloves held the cup handle along with the saucer. Charlotte first response wasn't looking up. She was staring at the hand. She would never say this out loud, but she believed that white gloves didn't suit the owner's hand.
"Hello, brother. I hope you didn't mind this," Prince Damian held the cup up high asking for belated permission.
The moment she heard the voice, Charlotte stood up, "Charlotte Riverion give her greetings to His Royal Highness, Prince Damian."
"Please sit down," Damian said casually with a huge bright smile while dragging a chair and sat between Logan and Charlotte.
"What do you want?" Logan asked curtly. He didn't welcome the uninvited guest to have tea with him. On top of that, he was rude enough to take his cup.
Damian laughed out loud. His voice was less deep than Logan, but sounded sexy that Charlotte perfectly understood why lots of noble ladies went crazy for him. His blonde and blue eyes contrasted a great deal with Logan's appearance.
Both Logan and Damian were easy-going people, but Logan were a lot quieter than Damian. Damian was a social butterfly that always attracted people. He loved to give speeches and being the center of attention in a crowd. On the other hand, Logan was a calm person with a natural charm to gather people to his side.
Damian smiled way more easily than Logan. Nevertheless, it was the same smile that scared Charlotte. Something about Damian's smile made it more frightening than pleasing. A perfect face and expression to hide his true thoughts and intentions. Like a predator hiding its fangs.
"Nothing much. I was just curious when I heard you invited a lady to visit the East Garden that I must see her myself," Damian grinned from ear to ear like a mischievous little boy missing his brother.
"Ah really?" the expressionless Logan said, "you have seen her, shouldn't you go away now?"
"Aww, surely you wouldn't drive away your only brother in front of a beautiful lady."
Damian showed an even brighter smile that sickened Charlotte.
"Surely you didn't know me well enough, brother," Logan said sarcastically.
"Miss Riverion, are my presence here bother you?" Damian asked.
Charlotte scoffed in her heart. What kind of an idiot would reject a royal presence unless she was crazy enough? At any rate, Charlotte did lose common sense in her head. She didn't reject him but didn't welcome him either.
"I believe it is rude to invite oneself to an ongoing teatime," Charlotte didn't even bother plastering her business smile on her face. She deliberately tried to give Damian the cold shoulder.
"Hahaha?! What should I do then? I believe etiquette is decided by the higher power."
Shameless! Charlotte thought. She began to feel nausea with Damian's irritating and insincere smile.
"Is that so? Should we agree to disagree?" Charlotte said in an extremely cold tone.
"Hahaha?! You are an interesting young lady."
"Not as interesting as a prince could be."
Logan hated Damian ever since Princess Eleanor's death. However, what did his half-brother do to Charlotte that drive her to hate him that much? Logan was astonished by the different treatment Charlotte showed to him and Damian.
"Well, I must admit the sun has made me feel weak that I forgot how to properly present myself. Therefore, I will excuse myself. Let's meet again on another opportunity, my lady."
Damian bowed down to Charlotte, then went back to his palace all the while ignoring bowing to Logan. Not that Logan had any problem with it.
When Damian back could no longer be seen, Logan took this opportunity to ask Charlotte.
"My lady, do you know that scoundrel?"
Charlotte was shocked at Logan's choice of words. Scoundrel? She didn't disagree, of course, just didn't expect Logan to be so truthful with his feelings in front of her.
"I have met him a few times. Besides, the first time I saw Your Highness was also with His Highness."
"Ah, that's right. I was with him that day," Logan was thinking back about the time he was punished by Princess Eleanor along with Damian.
As the breeze hit her face, Charlotte suddenly remembered that Logan was about to talk about something before being interrupted by Damian. She took the liberty to bring up the question.
"Your Highness?"
"Yes?"
"May I know what you're going to say before His Highness came?"
Logan was silenced for a while. Charlotte wondered if he didn't hear her voice. Logan stiff face turned into a smile.
"Let's save that for another occasion."
"Pardon me?"
Charlotte couldn't believe her question being dodged like that. On one side, it was good for her. This meant she had another opportunity to meet Logan. On the other side, she was confused why Logan would do that.
"From your stories, I believe you like books?" Logan asked back all the while ignoring Charlotte's first question.
"Yes, I believe in the power of knowledge that people can receive from book."
"Should we meet again at the Royal Library the day after tomorrow?" Logan put on a charming smile.
"May I visit again?" Charlotte was dumbfounded.
What is happening here? What is he scheming?
Wasn't Charlotte supposed to be the one with an ingenious scheme? Why does it feel like Logan's the one stirring and leading her up?
"If my lady wished for it," an ambiguous smile was formed on Logan's lips.