Charlotte looked out the window and let out a melancholic sigh. She gazed at the cloudy sky with a despondent look that was unsuited to a girl of fourteen years.
It looked like it was going to rain today. The foot of the mountains was covered in mist, and even the air in her room felt damp.
However, it wasn’t the coming weather that was preying on Charlotte’s mind.
“A love potion, huh...?”
Her thoughts were full of the potion that Cecily had tried to make.
Cecily, with her witch’s blood, had tried to concoct a love potion to give Zeke, who hadn’t openly shown any indication of romantic feelings towards her. Cecily’s mother, Greta, had also successfully concocted a love potion and given it to the man who was now her husband.
“Do people start to desire love potions when they fall in love, I wonder...?”
Charlotte still knew nothing of love and romance, so she couldn’t understand what had driven Cecily and Greta to do what they had done.
Of course, Charlotte did want to fall in love one day, but she was still terrified of men. Not only that, she knew her royal status prevented her from being able to fall in love with whomever she would like. It was possible that one day she would be used in a political marriage and wed to a prince of another country.
Charlotte didn’t view herself as particularly misfortunate, but when she thought of Cecily, who had fought to seize happiness with her own two hands, she was filled with a strange emotion.
“If I may, Princess Charlotte... Is there someone you want to feed a love potion to?”
Charlotte gasped in surprise.
She had completely forgotten there was a knight currently in the room with her, on guard duty. He had been completely quiet as he leaned against the wall. Her maids had gone off to deal with some tasks, and so it was just the two of them at the moment. Charlotte’s attitude towards men had softened somewhat in recent days, so her maids sometimes ended up leaving her alone.
Charlotte must have let her guard down as well. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have forgotten she was alone with a man, even if he were only standing there in silence.
“I-I don’t want to hear your insolence, you foolish pair of loins!”
“I’m quite sorry for my insolence, Princess,” the knight replied with a chuckle. Charlotte glared at him—at Alphonse, the vice-captain of the Celestial Knight Brigade. She didn’t know how to deal with him—this third son of a count and a complete womanizer.
Although Zeke had originally been hard to approach due to his rather vicious demeanor, he was surprisingly easy to talk to, and whenever she heard him speak of Cecily, Charlotte couldn’t help but feel a warmth in her chest.
However, Alphonse was different. He was, as his appearance suggested, just a dissolute man. Every time she saw him in the castle, he was with a different noble lady. A playboy like him topped Charlotte’s list of most detestable loins.
“Are you sure you don’t need a love potion? I can go and fetch one for you, if you so wish.”
Charlotte pouted angrily at Alphonse’s teasing. But not wanting to be called childish, she drew her rose-gold hair over her mouth to hide her expression. Unfortunately, she wasn’t aware that this act in itself was childish.
“I-I don’t need a love potion, thank you. I don’t even have anyone I’d like to give it to. Even if by some kind of mistake I did have someone I did like, then I would simply learn the madam’s enchanting tricks,” Charlotte said brusquely.
Ever since their meeting, Charlotte had taken a real shine to Greta, and thus she now spoke highly of the woman. Enchanting allure to capture the hearts of men... Most girls would want to master such tricks themselves.
The madam truly is an incredible woman.
Just like Cecily, Greta was currently staying at the Snowflower Palace as a welcomed guest. The three of them had enjoyed a tea party the day before, and Charlotte loved spending time with them—which made the occasions when she was alone feel even lonelier.
“Enchanting tricks, you say,” Alphonse said, with a somewhat dark expression. What was he trying to say? Charlotte grew more annoyed.
In almost every situation, Alphonse was overly talkative. She had even tried to get rid of him before by complaining to Zeke that someone so chatty couldn’t possibly be focusing on guarding her. Yet, maybe because Zeke looked down on her or simply hadn’t gotten the message, Alphonse was still chosen to guard her. This was a complete nuisance to Charlotte.
Pulling her hair together, Charlotte looked away from Alphonse.
“W-Well, stupid loins like you wouldn’t need a love potion. The girls come to you without your even needing to do anything.”
How pitiful, indeed. The girls who flocked to Alphonse were like butterflies in desperate desire for a beautiful flower’s nectar. Tears came to Charlotte’s eyes as she thought of these women.
Alphonse stared at Charlotte with a curious concern in his eyes. Wondering what would come out of his mouth next, Charlotte looked back warily.
“Your Royal Highness, are you sulking?”
“Excuse me?”
“It seemed to me you were jealous about how popular I am with the ladies.”
Come again?
Charlotte could only flap her lips like a fish out of water.
What did he mean? Jealous? Me? Hold on—is he really saying that I’m jealous?
What an incomprehensible joke.
“D-Don’t get the wrong end of the stick. I was merely pitying those poor girls whom you dupe.”
“Is that right? I’m sorry, I thought—”
“Sh-Shut up, shut up, shut up! I’ve had enough! Leave me alone! Your loins are giving me an earache! I wish Mr. Cee Rill was guarding me instead of you!” Charlotte screeched in rage.
Charlotte was usually a demure princess. It was rare to see her make a scene like this. However, when she was with Alphonse, Charlotte couldn’t help but act like an uncivilized child. It was no doubt because Alphonse was always making fun of her...
Bam!
Charlotte froze at the sound of something hitting the wall.
She looked up and found herself trapped between the wall and Alphonse. With her back pressed up against it, she had nowhere to go.
Charlotte was small, so she couldn’t see Alphonse’s face unless she tilted her head back a rather painful amount. She did so, and found Alphonse staring back down at her with a sharp glint in his eye. He let out a long sigh.
Fear raced through Charlotte as she locked eyes with him. He was close, and it had been many years since the last time she had been in such close proximity to a man’s loins. Shocked, she felt her legs give way.
“You say you’re not jealous, but here you are trying to make me jealous by calling for another guy instead. Your Royal Highness is a cruel one indeed.”
“Huh? Wha...?”
“Please stop it with these ‘enchanting tricks.’ I don’t want any more rivals than I already have.”
Charlotte couldn’t comprehend Alphonse’s surprisingly flirtatious tone. No—her brain couldn’t take it at all, which is why she could only scream: “S-S-Someone come help me! This pair of loins is going wild!”
Charlotte shouted these easily misconstrued words. Immediately, Alphonse came back to his senses. Charlotte slipped out from where he had her trapped and continued to shout with cupped hands.
“Save this fourteen-year-old princess from these horrible loins!”
“Hey! Stop, please! I’m sorry! I realize what I did was foolish!”
And so, the cries of this young girl and young man rang throughout the graceful, white-walled palace.