The thunderous roar alarmed everyone in the hall. Guards and maids came rushing down the corridors toward the courtyard to assess the situation.
The courtyard was engulfed in dust and smoke. As the smoke settled, a young man with dark hair could be seen standing before a massive crater.
"Miss Charlotte! Mr. Atreus! What happened? What was that explosion?!" one of the guards shouted as they approached.
Edward came rushing down with Breno by his side, both of them visibly worried and fearful. "Atreus! What happened? Weren't you and Charlotte just talking?"
Atreus was dumbfounded, unable to find the words to explain what had just occurred. He had acted on impulse and now had no idea how to justify the situation. "U-um, f-father, actually..."
Charlotte quickly intervened, trying to calm everyone down. "Uncle, let me explain. It's actually my fault."
She took a deep breath before continuing, "I wanted to see Mr. Atreus's skill in combat, but I didn't expect things to escalate like this. It's my fault for being too short-sighted. I truly apologize for the trouble I've caused." Her tone was genuinely remorseful.
Atreus, however, refused to let her take the blame. "No, no, this was clearly my fault for using too much power. Miss Charlotte did nothing wrong. Father, I sincerely apologize for my carelessness."
Edward, having pieced together the events, could not simply let this incident slide. The damage caused on such an important day could not go unpunished. "I understand what happened, and I have examined the damage you caused. As for your carelessness, your punishment will be decided later," Edward declared in a stern tone, making it clear that Atreus's punishment would not be an easy one.
"O Edward, why be so hard on a joyous day? I have a better idea," Breno interjected, whispering something into Edward's ear.
"But Breno, this was clearly—" Edward began to protest but was quickly cut off.
"Listen, Edward, you shouldn't be this harsh. Follow my plan; they're young, after all. Remember what we used to do when we were young?" Breno reminded him with a knowing smile.
Edward sighed in defeat. "Fine, as you wish," he relented.
"Well then, that's settled," Breno said with a grin. "My dear daughter Charlotte and Atreus, come find your father and me in his office after the marriage party."
Edward turned to the guards. "Guards, bring the gardeners and clean up this mess. And Atreus, don't cause any more trouble today. Some important guests are coming, so don't embarrass me."
"Yes, Father!" Atreus responded, relief washing over him. He had somehow managed to navigate this hurdle, but he couldn't help but feel disheartened. "What am I going to do with my life?" he muttered to himself, frustrated and sad. (It's all that woman's fault!)
As Atreus glanced up, he saw Charlotte making her way back to the mansion. She caught his eye and gave him a mischievous grin, clearly unfazed by the morning's events.
"Master Atreus, I told you to be extra careful today, but you didn't even listen! Who told you to be so reckless?" scolded Margret, his maid, as she rushed to his side.
"Margret, calm down. Nothing happened, see? I'm perfectly fine."
"But still, who told you to be so careless? I mustn't leave your sight!"
"Margret, relax. I was only messing around a bit. Miss Charlotte helped calm Father down, and the situation is under control now."
"Miss Charlotte did? That's surprising. I didn't expect her to favor you. Well, that's our young master for you; you can win anybody's heart in an instant. But still, that is quite surprising given her behavior before."
"Before? What do you mean?" Atreus asked, curiosity piqued.
"Oh, it's nothing noteworthy, young master. I'm just happy to see you finally getting along with the young miss."
Atreus found Margret's evasion odd, but he decided to let it go for now. He could always ask her about Charlotte later.
The rest of the day passed without further incident. As evening fell, Atreus found himself relaxing on the balcony, enjoying a rare moment of peace. However, his solitude was soon interrupted by his older brother.
"Oh, what is my dear little brother doing in a quiet place like this? Already finished talking with your dear sweetheart, Charlotte?" his brother teased, a smirk on his face.
"Don't tease me, brother. I'm not in a great mood," Atreus responded, his frustration evident.
"Oh, is it about the incident this morning? Don't worry too much. You know Father acts strict, but deep down, he cares about you the most."
"It's not that I'm worrying about. It's just... I acted so recklessly on such an important day. It could have turned into a huge disaster. I'm really sorry, brother."
"Well, if my little brother doesn't cause a little bit of mischief, who's going to do it? I was bored talking to the nobles anyway—you just added a little bit of spice!" His brother laughed heartily.
"Yeah, but still... Miss Charlotte asked me to show her my skills. I should have held back a little bit."
"Huh? Charlotte did? You guys talked?"
"Brother, don't tease me. Of course, we talked. Am I an imbecile or something?"
"No, I'm serious. That's weird. When I visited her last time, she wasn't interested in this marriage at all. In fact, she tried multiple times to run away from home. So this comes as a surprise!"
"Really? But when we talked, there wasn't even a hint of disdain from her. I didn't sense anything. In fact, she seemed genuinely interested in learning about me and kept talking about my achievements."
"Maybe she changed after you last saw her and understood her mistakes."
"Yeah, I really do hope that's the case, and not something else..." Atreus's brother remarked with a concerned tone.
"Well, we shouldn't be theorizing about nonsense. Come on, let's enjoy ourselves. Come with me."
"H-huh? Brother, wait!" Atreus protested as he was dragged away.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the mansion, a hooded figure approached Charlotte. "Mrs. Jane, I have a message from Mr. Nahile. It's time for the next part of the plan."
"Charo, I think I told you not to address me as Jane, but Charlotte, did I not?"
"My apologies, Miss Charlotte. This won't happen again."
"Enough. Where is the real Charlotte?"
"She was last seen in the Forest of Calamity. She is most likely dead by now."
"What do you mean 'most likely'?! Confirm her death! This plan must not fail. If it does, you know what's going to happen!"
"Y-yes, Miss Charlotte, as you wish."
A servant's voice called out from the hallway, "Mrs. Charlotte, Mr. Edward and your father want to talk to you."
"Coming," Charlotte responded, her voice calm but with a hidden edge.
"Remember, if you fail, your fate will be worse than death!" she whispered harshly to Charo before turning to leave.
As Charlotte made her way down the hall, her eyes narrowed in determination. The game was far from over, and the stakes were higher than ever.