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Chapter 16: Like Night and Day

After a short break, Charlotte put on some light makeup and officially began her blind date for the day.

The meeting place was the back garden of the lord’s mansion, where the sun shone brightly and the air was fresh, filled with many strange flowers and herbs rarely seen in the capital, putting Charlotte in a good mood.

This was a nice choice of location.

In the past, the suitors usually liked to invite her to their homes to show off their castle interiors, treasures, and extraordinary items to flaunt their status.

It was downright laughable.

Charlotte, being the Lionheart Princess, had grown up in the vast Lionheart Castle, and she was already tired of endless castles and mountains of gold and silver. As for the extraordinary items, she had played with them since childhood and couldn’t care less about them.

Having afternoon tea like this was much better.

As for the blind date process, it was quite simple: both parties sit together, drink tea, and chat to get familiar with each other. If things went well, they might have dinner together and dance in the evening.

The issue, however, was that no man had ever caught Charlotte’s eye; it would be a miracle if she could manage to not insult one for even ten minutes.

After the maids politely excused themselves, only the two of them were left alone.

Sitting in the chair and staring at the gentle smile on the face of the black-haired boy in front of her, Charlotte suddenly felt a bit unexplainably nervous.

“Your Highness, would you care to try the black tea? I prepared it specifically for you,” Roy broke the silence first.

“Mm.” Charlotte responded nonchalantly, elegantly raising the teacup.

Her delicate lips paused at the edge of the cup, lightly brushing against the amber tea.

The next second, Charlotte’s eyes brightened.

“Sun Oranges and Gem Grapefruit Blossoms? These are the originals!”

These were Charlotte’s two favorite teas. Mixed together, they were tangy, sweet, and incredibly refreshing.

The only problem was that these two teas grow in regions filled with ferocious monsters and only ripen in the autumn. The artificially cultivated ones don’t even come close in aroma.

This season, getting these precious teas was no simple task.

Even Charlotte had to be frugal with them in the capital.

“I heard Your Highness likes them, so I specially sent someone to procure them from the south,” Roy explained.

There was mention of Charlotte’s preferences in “Dancing Angels,” so Roy was of course well-prepared.

Of course, even if you had the money, you couldn’t get Sun Oranges and Gem Grapefruit Blossoms at this time of year.

But who said Roy had the “Friendship Points Exchange Zone”?

For just 20 friendship points, he got two big jars of tea, enough for Charlotte to drink for a whole year.

“You really put in some effort; it seems you checked out my preferences,” Charlotte snorted, her tone a bit complicated.

Roy took a sip of his tea and replied, “I wouldn’t call it effort; it’s just basic respect for a guest. What matters is that Your Highness likes it.”

When did this guy get so good at talking?

“Not that I like it, but I appreciate the thought,” sticking to her royal modesty, Charlotte didn’t overstate it.

But that doesn’t stop her from cat-like sipping one sip after another.

Seeing the little princess’s contradictory mouth and behavior driving him to finish his cup quickly, Roy couldn’t help but chuckle inside.

Just like in the original work, this little princess was totally a proud tsundere.

Nice!

Roy’s principle was simple: don’t seek merit, just avoid faults. Maintain distance and keep himself clean.

Charlotte despised the obsequiousness of simps and the rudeness of the average Joe. As long as he remembered this principle, he might not win over the little princess, but he certainly wouldn’t offend her.

Surviving this date meant that the two of their futures would run parallel for a long time, and he wouldn’t have to worry about ending up at odds with Charlotte and losing his life.

“Would Your Highness like more black tea?”

“Whatever.”

Whatever meant more!

Roy got that right away and poured tea for her without a second thought.

Only Charlotte’s emotions became complicated.

This guy seemed different from the rumors?!

They said Roy Ainbrad was a useless wastrel, rude, lecherous, and greedy—like that Raymond, he was notorious for being scum in the Lionheart Kingdom.

Five years ago, Roy did leave a similar impression on Charlotte at the ball.

But the Roy in front of her was nothing like the rumors!

To be honest, on the way here, Charlotte had already planned how to refuse Roy, expose the scumbag’s filthy true nature, and leave gracefully without a trace!

But now, what was with this situation?!

“I heard Your Highness defeated magical beasts all by yourself during a hunt before?”

“It was just a few Windshadow Wolves; the rumors exaggerate.”

“But that’s still impressive! I haven’t participated in a hunt before… Hey, this strawberry cake isn’t bad, right?”

“Eh? Oh, it is.” Charlotte just realized she had unknowingly demolished two pieces while Roy hadn’t even finished one. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she set her fork down and awkwardly explained, “I didn’t manage to eat anything on the way here; I got a bit hungry.”

“If Your Highness likes it, I can call someone to bring you the menu,” Roy paused, holding back his laughter, pointing to the corner of his lips.

Charlotte absentmindedly touched her lips and realized she had some cream on them, feeling her cheeks heat up as she quickly looked for a handkerchief, then remembered hers was with Lisa, leaving her a bit flustered.

A clean white handkerchief was handed to Charlotte just in time: “Here, I haven’t used this one.”

Charlotte hesitated for a moment before taking the handkerchief, wiping the cream off her lips, and handing it back.

“Thank you.”

Seeing Roy grinning at her, she felt unexplainably shy.

“What’s so funny? Everyone gets cream on their lips sometimes, right?” the red-headed princess complained.

“But not everyone looks as cute as Your Highness.”

“Ugh!”

Charlotte adjusted her breathing and retorted, “…Who would’ve thought the man from the Iron Blood Marquis family could be so smooth-talking.”

“I’m just stating the truth; Your Highness’s cuteness is genuine—it’s actually harder for me to not speak my conscience.”

“…Hmph.”

Charlotte felt her face growing even hotter.

No way.

No, no, no!

What’s with this setup…

How did it turn into a genuine blind date?!

She wasn’t mentally prepared for this!

Charlotte was genuinely a bit flustered.

This guy had no shortcomings at all!

His looks and family background were impeccable, and his etiquette and thoughtfulness were top-notch.

Most importantly, he wasn’t simpy and flattering, nor was he greasy like the average guy.

This kind of tact and respect made it impossible for Charlotte to dislike him.

However, over the years, negative opinions regarding Roy had already sunk deep into her mind.

What she knew of Roy was that he was crude, rude, incompetent, lustful, and low; drooling over women at balls while being a scoundrel who bullied his own maids in private.

Yet the Roy before her was utterly different!

Were the rumors wrong? Was Roy really being wronged… or was he just acting, playing her like a puppet with his masterful performance?!

Even with her confidence in her judgment, recalling all the negative comments about Roy made it difficult for Charlotte to draw a conclusion.

She wanted to know the truth.

Even if this was all just a beautiful dream, Charlotte still didn’t want to deceive herself.

She raised her head and stared straight at Roy, seriously asking, “I’m suddenly quite curious. Roy Ainbrad, why are you completely different from the rumors?”

Seeing the little princess who was initially lively suddenly lose her smile, Roy’s expression changed slightly.

This topic, after all, couldn’t be avoided.