---

Chapter 24: Bitter Yet Inexpressible

Roy got up and opened the door, just as he expected, the figure of the princess came into view.

However, the girl was no longer in her usual imposing military coat. Her flowing red hair fell softly around her shoulders, and she wore a knee-length pink nightgown. Even with her serious expression, she gave off a cute yet fierce vibe.

Roy asked, “What’s up at this hour?”

She rolled her eyes at him, “What? Can’t I come to find you if there’s nothing going on?”

With that, Charlotte barged into the room, leaving Roy no choice but to step aside while he closed the door behind her.

Feeling as comfortable as if she were back at home, Charlotte plopped down on Roy’s bed without hesitation.

At that moment, Roy felt like a cat had just stolen his spot.

Just as he was about to turn on the crystal chandelier, Charlotte suddenly panicked and exclaimed, “No lights!”

“Why not?”

“It’s late, it’ll disturb their sleep, right?”

Noticing Roy’s sudden silence, Charlotte frowned, “Am I wrong?”

“No, no, you’re right.”

Roy nearly burst into laughter.

Even Alice, with her usually indifferent demeanor, felt shy in her nightgown, so it’s no wonder the blushy princess was even more flustered.

But what Charlotte didn’t know was that she already possessed [Night Vision], allowing her to see better in the dark than in daylight. She could clearly make out her rosy skin, that taut face slightly tinged with embarrassment.

Feeling bashful yet desperate to come into his room was unusual for Charlotte, who typically wouldn’t launch such an offensive.

The answer was quite evident.

“What are you standing there for? Sit down.”

“Okay, okay.”

Roy chuckled as he sat down next to Charlotte, getting a close-up view of her profile with open delight.

“Wow, the princess sure had a great time on that date with Alice today.”

“As the host, it’s only right to provide some company, right?”

“Hmph, I don’t know any host that dotes on their little maid like you do.” Halfway through her sentence, Charlotte clenched her little fists, her sharp teeth grinding.

Roy had suspected that Charlotte would make a fuss back then, but he didn’t anticipate she would come to settle the score that very night.

“Charlotte, you know Alice had a rough childhood, right? She’s just a kid, so it’s normal to spoil her a bit,” Roy paused, then wryly asked, “Besides, she’s naturally good-natured and shy. Do you really think I’d treat her like some kind of servant like other nobles?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Charlotte sighed softly.

Then she glared at him, her eyes full of grievances: “But forgetting about that, when you let her… you actually did that!”

She stumbled over her words mid-sentence.

Turning her head away, she muttered angrily, “You creep! I think you’re just after Alice’s body!”

“Really? Do you think I’d ever do anything to hurt Alice?”

“And besides, that ‘thing’ with Alice is totally different from what I would do with you, Charlotte.”

“What’s different?” Charlotte turned around, about to retort, but the boy suddenly leaned in and planted a quick kiss on her pink lips.

“You…!”

Fuming with embarrassment, Charlotte raised her fist, but had to lower it again when Roy made a shushing gesture.

If they made noise, it wouldn’t be good if the others found out they were secretly meeting.

In fact, though she glared, the fire in Charlotte’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by a glossy sheen of moisture.

Roy paused for a moment.

In the dark, her eyes were, as the world said, more captivating than the most beautiful ruby.

“What’s different?”

“Eh?”

“How come I’m not the same as Alice when it comes to that? If you don’t clarify…”

Looking at her eager yet hesitant expression, Roy couldn’t help but smile knowingly, leaning back toward Charlotte, gently lifting her chin to respond with action.

He savored the fragrance that belonged to Charlotte, fully ignoring her soft little tongue’s pleas and the gentle punches she delivered.

After quite a while, with tear-filled eyes, Charlotte finally let out a cute exclamation and scrambled away.

Roy smirked, enjoying the princess’ flustered exit: “So, did that clear things up?”

“Y-yeah, it’s clear!”

“Cough, cough, it’s late, so I won’t disturb you anymore.” The princess coughed a couple of times, then, without waiting for Roy’s response, she pushed herself up with quivering legs, leaning against the wall, and stumbled out of the room in a daze.

After Charlotte left, Roy lay back down on the bed.

However, the lingering scent of gardenia and black tea on his lips made it hard to fall asleep.

With no other choice, Roy started counting sheep.

Just as he finally felt a little drowsy, a series of knocks interrupted him.

“Are you asleep?”

“Yeah, sleeping.”

Nia barged into the room without hesitation, and Roy’s lips twitched.

These two really don’t treat him like an outsider at all.

The drowsiness faded instantly as Roy climbed up, complaining in annoyance, “Seriously, can’t whatever it is wait until tomorrow?”

But Nia jumped onto the bed, pushing Roy into the corner and gave him a playful thump.

The elven girl had also let her long hair down, wearing a loose green coat that hung open, showing off a white bra and shorts underneath. From her upper body, the alluring curves of her form were on full display, leaving Roy speechless.

However, he didn’t have the luxury to admire her figure.

“You’ve got to be kidding; the princess came to find you tonight, and I’m just supposed to wait until tomorrow?”

As soon as she spoke, Roy immediately shut his mouth, turning slightly embarrassed.

Really? Is she seriously just waiting to catch him in the act at this late hour?!

Noticing Roy’s confusion, Nia helplessly gestured to her pointed ears: “Are you forgetting what I am?”

“In this room aside, I’m really curious about what you did to make her run out into the hallway all wobbly, even losing a shoe.”

Looks like he might have crossed a line.

Hearing Nia say that, Roy felt guilty about Charlotte.

“But hey, I’m understanding and didn’t come barging in as soon as you started getting cozy with Charlotte. So…”

With a playful smile, her delicate fingers boldly slipped under Roy’s nightgown, teasing him.

“Shouldn’t you express some gratitude to such a considerate beauty?”

Going through all this trouble just for that line, huh?

Roy bitterly smiled but was also somewhat eager: “How would you like me to thank you?”

“Um, let me think… let’s do that. Ah, I want one just like the princess!”

With that, Nia pounced on Roy, leaning in.

After a brief kiss, she tasted a hint of gardenia and black tea, frowning slightly.

Roy panicked a little: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just a minor issue.”

Oh, you Charlotte, sneaking in at night, trying to make Roy’s scent last so he sleeps well, huh?

No worries, she planned on ensuring Roy would remember her scent while falling asleep!

Without waiting for Roy to ask, Nia once again claimed his voice.

Time passed, and their roles gradually reversed. The once-innocent elven girl, now equally weak, wiped her moist lips, her ears slightly flushed, and softly left the room.

That night, the girls fell into peaceful slumber.

Only Roy, each time he closed his eyes, found his mind flooded with the images of the three girls. But when he opened his eyes, he was met with an empty room. Tossing and turning, he couldn’t calm himself down and felt utterly miserable.

Why did they kiss and run? If they were bold enough, they should stick around and keep him company! The boy, wide-eyed in the dark, silently protested in frustration.

 

---