Letter

Charlotte leaned against her mother's warm and familiar shoulder for a long time, as if trying to release all the grievances and pressure she had endured alone these past few days through this brief embrace.

Lady Isabella gently patted her daughter's back, feeling her slight trembling gradually subside, her heart filled with tenderness and a complex, indescribable emotion.

She had mixed feelings about the young man named Karl.

Unlike her husband, Earl Rochefort, Isabella had lived in the Royal Capital for a long time and knew almost nothing about the young Lord who had suddenly risen to power in the Northern Territory. Her only impressions came mostly from the newspapers and the sensational marriage that had shaken the kingdom.

All that is known is that he was the son of Duke Schmidt, who went to the Northern Territory due to the Northern Border Reclamation Order. He was a minor border Lord rose to prominence and became Prince Consort after luckily repelling the Sauron.

However, it was this very person who caused her beloved daughter to suffer such immense pain.

As a mother, she instinctively felt disgusted and even averse to the man who had "let down" her daughter.

But in front of her daughter, she had to suppress these emotions.

After a while, as if remembering something, Lady Isabella carefully took out a letter sealed with Wax Seal wax from an exquisitely embroidered cloth bag she carried with her.

The letter paper is of excellent quality, with slight wear on the edges, indicating it has been transported over a long distance.

"Charlotte," Lady Isabella handed the letter to her daughter, speaking as calmly as possible, "This is a letter your father asked me to give you. He said... it's about that boy named Karl."

She deliberately used the term "child" in an attempt to downplay the emotional entanglement involved.

Charlotte's body visibly stiffened upon hearing the name "Karl".

She immediately lifted her head from her mother's shoulder, a glint of urgency in her eyes, and almost snatched the letter from her.

Her fingers trembled slightly with excitement as she eagerly tried to tear off the Wax Seal, but hesitated halfway through.

She glanced around instinctively, her eyes filled with an innate wariness and shyness, as if the letter were her most secret treasure, one she didn't want anyone to see.

Lady Isabella saw her daughter's reaction, understood, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

She considerately stood up and said softly, "Let's go to the study; it's quiet there. Mom will go with you."

Charlotte gave her mother a grateful look and nodded.

Supported by her mother, she carried the heavy letter and slowly walked towards the small study attached to the secluded cottage.

Aunt Martha tacitly did not follow them inside, but stayed in the living room with a look of worry and anticipation on her face.

The study door was gently closed, isolating it from the outside world.

Charlotte leaned against the door, took a deep breath as if gathering her courage, and then walked to the desk. With the last bit of daylight streaming in from the window, she carefully opened the envelope.

When she took out the letter and unfolded it, her gaze first fell on the opening title, "My dearest daughter Charlotte."

It was the father's tone, not Karl's.

In an instant, an overwhelming sense of loss welled up in her heart, making her nose sting with tears.

She had initially thought... she had thought it would be a letter from Karl, even if it was just a few words...

She forced herself to suppress her disappointment, composed herself, and began to carefully read her father's letter.

The Count's handwriting was as steady and powerful as ever, but between the lines it revealed a rare sense of concern and helplessness as a father.

"... Regarding that young man, Karl von Schmidt, there are some things I feel you should know. He came to see me shortly after you left Fran City."

Upon reading this, Charlotte's heart skipped a beat, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the edge of the letter, as if trying to see the scene through the handwriting.

She held her breath and continued reading:

"At that time, the royal envoy had just finished discussing with me all the details of the Princess's procession heading north, and was preparing to depart for Carnford to read that... decisive Imperial Edict to Karl."

"Unexpectedly, at this very moment, Karl came himself. When he walked into my office, he had a relaxed, even pleasant, expression on his face, and he was holding a letter in his hand. I guess it was probably written to him by you? At that time, he must have been looking forward to reuniting with you."

Upon reading this, Charlotte's breath caught in her throat, and a sharp, lingering pain shot through her heart as if pierced by a cold needle.

She could vividly picture the scene: Karl arrived full of hope and longing, unaware that what awaited him was a beautiful disillusionment that would shatter everything.

She had just experienced the cruelty of this extreme intertwining of hope and despair, falling instantly from a paradise full of anticipation into a cold, hopeless hell, and knew all too well how heart-wrenching it was.

She forced back her heartache and continued reading her father's letter:

"I think you can guess what happened next. I personally read the Imperial Edict to him. When he heard 'bestowing upon him the title of Prince Consort ' and 'marrying Princess Louise,' the color drained from his face instantly, and he froze. His expression was as if he were silently asking me, ' Count Excellency, are you joking?' After a long while, he asked me in a trembling voice if he could refuse."

Charlotte's tears welled up silently, dripping onto the letter and blurring the ink. She could feel Karl's despair and helplessness at that moment.

"The answer was cruel, of course. He couldn't do it. At least not now. He didn't have the power to defy the Royal Decree. Then, as if grasping at a last straw, he asked me urgently if he could see me. I had no choice but to tell him that you had already left and returned to Hewenham Territory."

"When he heard the news, the last glimmer of light in his eyes went out. Perhaps he thought you were angry with him, or even didn't want to see him again, which is why you left so resolutely, not even wanting to see him one last time."

"No, that's not it! Karl, that's not it! I love you, how could I blame you!" Charlotte cried out silently in her heart, her tears flowing even more fiercely, soaking the letter and her clothes.

She longed to fly to Karl's side immediately and tell him her troubles and her deep love.

"Seeing him like that, I couldn't bear it, so I told him the truth. I said, Charlotte doesn't not love you; it's precisely because she loves you so much that she can't bear to watch you marry someone else."

"Even at the very last moment before she decided to leave, when I asked her if she wanted to see you one last time, she refused, because she was worried that if someone saw you, it would be bad for you and affect your future."

"After hearing these words, Karl remained silent for a long time. He understood the profound and hopeless love and sacrifice behind your silent departure. I could see that he was in great pain, but even more so, he felt a complex mix of emotions after being deeply moved by your affection."