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Chapter 74: The Lament of the Duke’s Dog

As the arrow flew, Charlotte was filled with despair, but to her surprise, the explosion of flames caught the bird mid-flight, giving her a moment of joy.

Putting away her bow, she pointed towards where the bird had fallen, exclaiming, “I won! You have to admit defeat, that was your own words!”

It had been ages since she felt this excited, not since the first time she hit her target as a child.

“Ugh…” Roy scratched his head, unsure how to argue back.

The princess’s little meow bell would have to wait for another day.

In truth, the match between Sequence 8 and Sequence 9 was clearly unfair, but neither of them cared much as they were just having fun.

“It looks like the princess is still the better one,” Roy admitted, not one to sulk over losing. “So what do you want me to do?”

“Hmm…” Charlotte pondered, her eyes mischievously scanning Roy from head to toe, clearly excited.

If she thought of what to make Roy do, being a knight and a fan of romance novels, she had plenty of ideas that could fill a list without end.

Wall slams, massages, princess carries, more intimate titles, or perhaps something even more exciting…

Charlotte’s gaze drifted to Roy’s lips, and she quickly recoiled as if burned by a hot flame.

Ah, no! There are too many people around; that kind of thing is definitely out of the question!

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes gradually turned dreamy.

Roy didn’t quite understand why Charlotte’s momentum had suddenly weakened.

Charlotte cursed the crowd for being too large, making it hard to play along in a big way. After pondering for a while, she finally spotted a butler kneeling beside a chair, respectfully serving her ladyship a drink under the pavilion.

Just imagining Roy kneeling before her like a butler, elegant and courteous, nearly made the girl’s face turn as red as an apple.

Butler × Young Lady, sounds good.

“Go get me a drink! Then serve it to me, got it?” Charlotte ordered with a spoiled tone.

“Got it,” Roy replied helplessly, feeling a tad disappointed.

Was Charlotte really being too kind? Just running an errand wasn’t much of a punishment, right?

…Wait, what was there to be disappointed about? He wasn’t a masochist!

Seeing Roy lose yet still show potential far beyond an ordinary Sequence 9 extraordinary being, many began to regret not showing enough enthusiasm earlier.

As for Charlotte’s devoted fans, they had intended to cheer and celebrate, welcoming Roy to their crew of defeated dogs.

They never expected that the princess wouldn’t cast him a scornful glance or hurl scathing insults at him but instead looked at him with a shy and bashful expression, inviting him to join her for a drink!

There was no more mocking, replaced instead by a chorus of bitter laments that sounded downright sour.

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At the long table beside the pavilion, an array of colorful drinks dazzled Roy’s eyes.

He remembered that Charlotte in the original story was a strawberry enthusiast.

As he moved to grab a drink, a knight suddenly approached him.

“Mr. Ainbrad, the princess would like to see you.”

“The princess?”

Roy’s expression shifted.

He seemed to have an inkling of where the disruption was coming from.

Meanwhile, Charlotte sat at a chair near the hunting ground, eagerly waiting, when she saw a knight walking straight toward her. The princess immediately stifled her joy, straightened her posture, and returned to her usual graceful and proud demeanor.

She recognized him as one of her brother’s subordinates.

“Esteemed Princess, your brother requests your presence.”

“Now? I still have someone to wait for; let him wait.”

“The prince said he needs you to see Roy Ainbrad’s true self, and it’s essential you grace him with your presence.”

Charlotte’s expression shifted slightly, and she instinctively clenched her fists.

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At the center of the pavilion sat Prince Leo Reinhardt.

Compared to the lighthearted conversations surrounding him, the atmosphere here felt much more serious, as if one had stepped into another world.

Knights stood on either side, while the gloomy second prince Leo loomed ominously in the middle.

The name Leo had never appeared in the original story, so Roy had no idea what kind of person he truly was.

However, from the tense and solemn expression, it was clear to see the arrogant gaze of someone in a higher position looking down at others.

Unlike the boisterous and rugged Robert, Leo was more like the unapproachable monarch Roy had imagined.

“Roy, I witnessed your performance just now; it seems Sequence 9 can actually compete with Charlotte. The ‘Ironblood’ child is indeed living up to its name.”

Leo’s voice was cold and heavy, devoid of any hint of praise.

“Thank you for your commendation, Your Highness,” Roy replied, maintaining a respectful demeanor, his tone similarly dull.

“Compared to the princess, I’m still quite lacking,” he added, following the principles of politeness.

“Seems you’re aware of it yourself,” Leo replied with a leisurely sneer.

“Your Highness?” Roy frowned.

Leo nonchalantly crossed his legs and placed a hand on his neck, coolly saying, “Since you have this self-awareness, why are you still so close to Charlotte?”

As soon as he spoke, the sharpness of Leo’s red eyes shot towards Roy like a blade.

This wasn’t extraordinary power; it was merely the intimidating aura and pressure of a superior.

For someone who was still just a wet-behind-the-ears brat, this level of pressure should suffice.

No matter how noble the bloodline they inherited, a kid is still a kid; they will panic with just a little pressure.

What surprised Leo, however, was that Roy neither shrank back nor fumed with anger; instead, he raised his head, stood tall, and casually replied, “I don’t understand; how is my private matter with Charlotte any of Your Highness’s concern?”

With these words, the surrounding knights all froze in shock.

Leo’s eyebrows furrowed deeper.

This guy was actually implying that Leo shouldn’t meddle in their private affairs?

Your private matter with Charlotte? Who do you think you are?

Smart, but not smart enough.

Too arrogant!

At the same time, Roy was pondering.

Why does Leo want him to distance himself from Charlotte? Is he trying to play the role of a wingman?

But that didn’t make sense; if he truly were a wingman, why didn’t he show up to bicker with Alice in the original? After all, where did this second prince end up in the original story?

What was certain was that the disruption definitely came from Leo!

A prince, he had enough power to threaten Roy, and as the prince’s brother, he indeed had a connection with Charlotte.

Leo sighed, “Must I expose your true self to make you understand?”

“What do you mean?”

“You getting close to Charlotte is nothing but a lust for her power and beauty, am I wrong?” Leo scrutinized him, laughing disdainfully as if he were a clown.

“Putting on a false gentleman’s facade, using matchmaking events and familial ties to keep entangling Charlotte, taking advantage of her budding feelings to deceive her into your grasp, have I made an error?”

Roy’s first reaction was disbelief.

You can just claim that? No evidence, just wild speculation!

But just then, a slight tremor sounded from behind him.

“Brother, what are you talking about…”

Looking at the faint sneer on Leo’s lips, Roy’s mood dropped to freezing point.

 

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