The girl was wearing a common Farce Empire attire, a maple leaf-patterned long dress. This was the standard outfit for many women traveling long distances—thick, windproof, and warm, with hidden compartments for carrying small items like a short dagger for self-defense. She had no luggage with her.
She wasn't as beautiful as Annie, but she was definitely an 85 out of 100, with a youthful face full of collagen and delicate brows slightly furrowed in displeasure.
Charlotte compared her to his memory, and although the image was somewhat blurry, he was quite certain that this young lady was his fiancée—Sylvie Martin.
In the past few days, Charlotte had avoided riding in Annie's carriage, opting for public transportation instead, precisely to avoid such a situation.
He shrugged his shoulders and walked over with as gentle a tone as possible, saying, "Miss Martin, long time no see."
Sylvie Martin was regretting her decision to travel alone from the Behemoth Principality to Strasbourg. She should have come with a companion.
Strasbourg was much larger than she had imagined, and the security was much worse than she had expected.
Within the first hour of arriving in Strasbourg, Sylvie had already lost all her belongings and didn't even have a single sou left.
The address Charlotte had given to his brother was for 58 Elysee Garden Street, and it had taken her an entire day to find this residence.
Sylvie was almost certain she had come to the wrong place.
58 Elysee Garden Street was a mansion, far beyond what her former fiancé, who earned only one florin and seventy sous per week, could afford. But she had nowhere else to go.
When Sylvie Martin heard someone call her name, she looked up slightly and indeed saw a familiar but annoying face.
She snapped, "Why did you give me a fake address?"
Charlotte didn't bother explaining and instead took out his keys to unlock the door, adding, "I live here now."
Sylvie was so shocked that it took Charlotte calling her twice before she followed him inside.
Charlotte didn't know why this fiancée disliked his predecessor so much—maybe it was because of his predecessor's unclean lifestyle or bad habits—but it didn't matter. He hadn't come to this world to take over someone else's mess.
Although Miss Sylvie Martin seemed to be a pure and innocent young lady.
Charlotte led Sylvie to the small study, gestured for her to sit wherever she liked, handed her a glass of water, and casually asked, "Why don't you have any luggage?"
Sylvie, a little embarrassed and angry, replied, "It was stolen at the station."
Charlotte couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected his fiancée to be so naive.
Sylvie was even more upset. She gritted her teeth and said, "Can you stop laughing at me? You're even more annoying than before."
Charlotte nodded and immediately stopped laughing. It wasn't right to mock a girl, especially since they didn't know each other well.
The predecessor's memories of Sylvie Martin were scant, suggesting they really weren't close.
Charlotte retrieved a prepared document, handed it to Sylvie, and said, "I've already signed my name. All that's left is for you to sign, and the engagement will be annulled."
"If you're concerned, we can go to the government office to have it notarized. I'll cover the cost."
Sylvie, still angry, grabbed the quill and quickly signed her name in beautiful script.
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief.
Now he could openly pursue a relationship with Annie without worrying about any complications from his past.
Charlotte carefully dried the ink on his copy of the document, placed it in an empty box, and smiled, "So, what are your plans now, Miss Martin?"
Sylvie hesitated for a moment before softly saying, "If possible, I'd like to stay for a few days."
"I'll leave as soon as my father sends me money."
"I've completed my education at Behemoth National Academy and have been hired as an imperial civil servant. I should receive my work assignment in about half a month, so I won't trouble you for long."
Sylvie Martin's eyes were filled with determination and courage as she spoke.
Charlotte was momentarily dazed by her gaze—it was a look he often saw in independent, strong women in his previous life.
Though even in that world, such women were rare.
Charlotte shrugged and said, "Miss Martin, even though our engagement has been annulled, I still have a responsibility to care for you whenever you need it."
"Please feel free to stay here as long as you need."
This former fiancée had solved a major problem for him, so Charlotte wasn't going to be cold-hearted.
Besides, this was a medieval world.
Security was poor.
Being a prison guard himself, Charlotte knew all too well how chaotic even the capital, Strasbourg, could be.
Leaving a young woman to wander alone would weigh heavily on his conscience.
If Sylvie were to leave on her own, she would almost certainly get into trouble.
Sylvie Martin sighed with relief. She quietly touched the dagger hidden in her maple leaf dress and said, "You're not allowed to approach me at night."
Charlotte pointed to the staircase on the side of the banquet hall and nonchalantly replied, "There are fifteen rooms on the second floor; you can pick whichever one you like."
"By the way, I only moved in recently, so the house lacks many essentials. If you need anything, please let me know soon. We still have time to buy it before it gets completely dark."
Sylvie put down her water glass, pulled her dress into a curtsy, and then left the small study, heading up to the second floor.
A few minutes later, she came back down and said, "I need a kerosene lamp, some clothes to change into, bedding, and I'm hungry. Is there any food in the house?"
Charlotte smiled slightly and said, "There are a few croissants, some stuffed bread, and a bit of Eastern tea in the house, but I doubt you'd be interested in those. Let's go out to eat instead."
"There are all kinds of shops on Elysee Garden Street, and as your host, I should treat you to a welcome meal."
Sylvie Martin was surprised. Charlotte's gentlemanly demeanor was something she wasn't used to. She knew what kind of person her former fiancé was!
Charlotte Mecklen was a typical scoundrel, one of those spoiled brats who, having grown up wealthy, indulged in all sorts of vices, constantly flirting with women and maintaining inappropriate relationships with several ladies in Behemoth, showing no regard for propriety.
Sylvie Martin had once been certain that this former fiancé of hers would be expelled from university due to a scandal, unable to obtain his degree, which was the fate he deserved.
This was why Miss Sylvie had insisted on breaking off the engagement—she had no interest in playboys and libertines. She couldn't imagine spending her life with such a degenerate.