Chapter 84
Sir Veron and the other knights were currently witnessing Theodore’s love in real time.
Although they kept their distance, they stayed quiet as if invisible, close enough to overhear the conversation. Honestly, seeing Theodore react as if falling in love every single time, despite having read Charlotte’s letters nearly a hundred times, was almost maddening. After all, they were used to the bloody stench of monsters on the battlefield, so it was a little insane.
Yes, it’s natural to like someone. It’s natural to fall in love. Unrequited love? They could understand that. But the level of passion Theodore displayed—given the extreme, life-threatening environment near Leopold’s garrison—seemed amplified by the danger he was constantly surrounded by.
However, upon returning to the capital and seeing Theodore face the object of his affection, it was clear their assumption was wrong. He wasn’t just carried away by circumstance—he was a fool completely head over heels.
‘He’s practically one step away from proposing.’
Theodore truly, truly loved Charlotte. He pondered over every word he said, anxious that he wasn’t speaking sweetly enough.
Even the slightest touch made his earlobes blush, and a smile lingered on his lips. If there were a model for a man in love, it would undoubtedly be Theodore.
“I never thought I’d see a scene from a romance novel I loved come to life like this.”
“All the heat went straight to his ears and neck. At this rate, isn’t he practically cooking alive?”
“Hah, Commander. I thought it was you fangirling, but I guess not. Enjoy your beautiful love.”
He never imagined cheering for someone else’s love like this. But Theodore’s feelings for Charlotte were so earnest that, considering her behavior, it didn’t seem entirely hopeless. Yet, there was someone who disrupted the beautiful and radiant atmosphere between them—Marc.
“Ugh… Huff. Aria, you dashed off like a rabbit, and I searched all over from here to there. You can’t just run around like this.”
The knight training ground was large, and there were many places for Aria to hide. Charlotte, unfamiliar with the area, went directly to the central training ground, where she found Aria. In contrast, Marc, who knew the layout well, searched everywhere in vain before arriving last.
Sir Veron muttered quietly,
“Don’t let him interfere. Pull him away.”
“Is he crazy? The atmosphere is perfect. Let’s go bring him here.”
Fortunately, Theodore wasn’t greatly bothered by Marc’s sudden appearance. If Marc hadn’t actively come to the training ground, Theodore wouldn’t have met Charlotte today anyway. More importantly, Aria’s cute reaction to Marc’s scolding-like remarks made the situation bearable.
“Humph!”
Aria puffed her cheeks and turned to bury her face in Charlotte’s embrace.
“Humph? Humph—? You tiny thing know how to pout?”
“I’m not tiny!”
“You are. You’re the smallest here, aren’t you?”
Charlotte tried hard not to laugh. Marc had said the exact same thing to Anna before. As Aria’s cheeks puffed even more, Theodore chided her.
“Marc, lower your voice. Use gentler words.”
“Ah, this mouth of mine… My lady, I apologize. Rolling around on the battlefield has made my speech rough.”
“It’s fine. Aria likes being called ‘tiny,’ right, Aria?”
Despite Aria’s occasional pouting, being called “tiny” had become a nickname she liked.
Since Marc’s sudden intrusion didn’t spoil the atmosphere, the knights who had been observing from a distance exchanged glances and slowly gathered around them.
“Greetings, my lady. It’s an honor. We serve directly under the Commander.”
“Ah…”
Charlotte immediately responded politely when the knights greeted her. Technically, as the daughter of Marquis Blanche, she didn’t have to be so formal, but she respected the danger and duty of knights like her father, and thus responded appropriately.
“I greet the knights who protect the Empire in the name of God. I am Charlotte Blanche of the Blanche family. May the blessings of Goddess Reberline be upon you.”
The knights were surprised by her politeness but were impressed.
‘She’s beautiful. The hair really does look like freshly fallen snow.’
‘She really resembles Marquis Blanche.’
‘Now I understand why the Commander likes her.’
At the same time, the same thought arose in their minds:
‘She’s nothing like the rumors.’
‘All the talk of her being fierce or witch-like… was nonsense.’
‘The rumors of curses and bad omens… social gossip can’t be trusted.’
‘Of course, if the rumors were true, the Commander wouldn’t like her.’
They had heard the negative rumors about Charlotte, given her proximity to black magic in some capacity. But since Theodore often spoke highly of her, they didn’t fully believe the gossip, nor did they feel inclined to defend her.
Meeting Charlotte in person reaffirmed the lesson: you can’t judge people by rumors alone. Even in brief interaction, it was clear the gossip was false—she was a genuinely pure person.
A person’s character shows in their actions. Even if cloaked in pretense, it eventually surfaces. When Charlotte showed courtesy, there was no trace of falseness. Her sincere respect and gratitude toward the knights shone through naturally.
One by one, the knights’ preconceptions about Charlotte began to fade. Like Charlotte, they began to act more kindly and respectfully than they would with most nobles.
Sir Veron spoke first.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from the Commander. I am Sir Veron Silvidro.”
“Nice to meet you, Sir Silvidro. Has Theodore spoken about me?”
“Yes, he has. Quite a lot, truly.”
Sometimes it seemed like a neurosis, but there was no winning against the Commander, so they had gotten used to listening to him talk about the lady. Sir Veron didn’t waste words—the Commander’s sharp gaze was enough to silence him.
“All I heard were good things.”
“Theodore.”
Theodore quietly warned, and Sir Veron immediately closed his mouth. Charlotte stifled a laugh.
“Theodore has good subordinates… Ah.”
She covered her mouth with her hand and looked up at Theodore.
“Sorry for calling your name in front of your subordinates. I’ll call you Sir Arbelche.”
“Theodore.”
“Huh?”
“It’s fine, just call me Theodore.”
No, that was impossible. Formal titles and calling by name reflected closeness, and Theodore wanted to maintain a close bond with Charlotte. When Charlotte slowly blinked her round eyes, Theodore repeated his words once more.
“Theodore.”
“…Alright, Theodore.”
It felt like a spring breeze whispered into his ears. Could a voice be this beautiful? Surely no one else had such a lovely voice. As Theodore nodded, there was one more person nearby with an equally gentle voice—Aria.
“Sir Knight.”
“Huh?”
Aria grabbed Theodore’s sleeve and gave it a gentle shake. She looked at him intently, as if trying to read his heart, then smiled.
“Aria wants to explore the training ground.”
“Alright, I’ll show you around.”
“Mom too.”
This time, she held Charlotte’s sleeve tightly. Holding Theodore’s hand in one and Charlotte’s in the other, Aria called out innocently:
“Mom, Sir Knight, and Aria. The three of us.”
The three of them… At that moment, the knights busily resumed their duties. Whether Aria meant to explore as a trio or was just speaking, it was a perfect opportunity.
“Oh, I just remembered something I need to do.”
“Forgot to maintain your sword, didn’t you?”
“Also, I forgot to write the report!”
“Anyone want to spar? Come quickly! We’ll train hard today.”
Theodore slightly furrowed his brows, knowing his subordinates were deliberately causing the distraction, but he had no intention of letting this chance slip. Aria hopped down and, with her small, soft hands, grasped Theodore’s fingers.
“Mom, your hand too!”
“Okay.”
Holding both Charlotte’s and Theodore’s hands, Aria, excited, began running down the training hall corridor. Charlotte quickly followed, warning her of danger, and Theodore followed at a brisk pace.
Crash! Excitedly running, Aria soon lost her grip and fell in the middle of the corridor. She landed as if tumbling forward and began sniffling. Charlotte quickly scooped her up. Aria whimpered, almost crying.
“Aria, don’t cry, okay?”
“My knee hurts, Mommy. It’s scraped.”
She pointed to the scraped knee. It wasn’t bleeding or badly hurt, just some dust and dirt, but Aria was clearly upset. Charlotte tried to soothe her, but Theodore reached out to her knee first. Gently touching it, he suddenly made a fist and pretended to eat the pain.
“All the pain is gone now. You won’t feel it anymore.”
Charlotte bit her lip, and Aria widened her eyes like a rabbit, staring at Theodore. Charlotte had often fallen and had her father playfully soothe her wounds. Theodore had even done the same while playing on the garden swing with her.
She didn’t expect Theodore to do the same for Aria. Though he acted naturally, he looked away, embarrassed. Aria, unaware, truly believed Theodore had “eaten” the pain and even tried to look into his mouth.
“Aria, wait a moment.”
“Mom! Sir Knight ate Aria’s pain!”
“Charlotte, stop laughing and try to stop her.”
Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh in the end.
