Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Thump. Thump.
The sound of two hearts beating filled the space between the man and woman on the bed, rough and unsteady.
In truth, most of the noise belonged to Charlotte.
Raon’s behavior was too much for her to handle, and for her, not fleeing the room already was an accomplishment in itself.
She was embarrassed.
And—
Raon… like, like, like, like.
She was too happy.
Charlotte’s rationality had nearly short-circuited.
It was to the point where she even wondered if she had lost consciousness again and was now dreaming.
That’s how unreal the situation felt to her.
Raon acting so forward.
Those two words that seemed so incompatible had now merged into one.
After returning, perhaps he had taken a bath, because his usually neatly styled hair now fell messily over his forehead.
The sight of him no longer in his usual butler uniform, wearing only a simple black cotton T-shirt, felt unfamiliar as well.
And sitting so close that she could fall into his arms if she leaned in just a little, smiling at her like that.
Everything was unfamiliar.
All of it combined made today’s Raon feel less like a butler and more like a person to Charlotte.
More precisely, a man.
Up until now, Charlotte had always liked Raon. But it was not the kind of love one had for a caretaker or servant.
It was the pure affection of a young girl who wanted to stay together forever, who wanted him to look only at her.
But today’s Raon felt too much like a man.
To the point where Charlotte herself almost felt like she had become a woman in response.
“…Maybe I should just hug him.”
Already, her reason was being overwhelmed by instinct.
And yet, as expected of a well-educated young lady, she forced her expression into a sulk and pretended to be indifferent.
“Chi, I told you you didn’t have to keep the promise.”
“Did I… really not have to keep it?”
“…That’s up to you.”
At that, Raon leaned in a little more, lowering his body to meet Charlotte’s eye level where she was curled up on the bed.
“Really? Then should I go?”
“……”
Don’t go.
The words rose all the way to her throat, but Charlotte’s eyes only grew slightly red.
For a proud girl like her, admitting she wanted him to stay by her side felt humiliating.
And yet, she still wanted to hold him back so badly that her eyes began to tremble.
Perhaps sensing her feelings, Raon lifted his head again and spoke casually.
“Actually, the promise was just an excuse. I’m here because I wanted to be. See these clothes? I changed right after work and came straight here.”
“…Really?”
“Of course. I wanted to see you wake up, my lady.”
As he said that, Raon himself began to feel something was off.
Why am I acting like this today?
Even to himself, he felt unusually unfiltered, as if he were speaking whatever came to mind without hesitation.
There was a clear reason for it, though he himself did not realize it.
Charlotte tilted her head slightly.
“I didn’t really follow your plan today, you know? The dance with the crown prince ended up falling apart too.”
Hearing her slightly guilty tone, Raon shook his head.
“I understand that my lady did her best, even if it was toward someone she had no feelings for whatsoever.”
“…?”
The emphasis on certain words felt strange, but Charlotte nodded anyway.
“R-right…”
Satisfied, Raon continued.
“Oh, by the way, my lady. What did you talk about with His Highness earlier? You two looked pretty close.”
“…????”
“I couldn’t hear properly from far away. I thought it might be useful for the next plan.”
The content itself was normal enough for Raon.
What felt strange was his attitude.
Scratching the back of his head, he looked vaguely uneasy, almost awkwardly so.
Charlotte, who knew Raon better than anyone after five years by his side, finally realized what that feeling was.
And Raon’s next words confirmed it.
“You even leaned in pretty close earlier. How did that happen?”
“…Hooh?”
“I told you to get closer, but not that close. What are you planning to do at your age when you’re still unmarried…”
After that, Raon continued muttering awkwardly, but none of it reached Charlotte’s ears anymore.
“Kuh….”
Inside her mind, laughter erupted.
Ahahahaha, ah—what do I do, this is so—pfft—ahahahaha.
She trembled slightly, trying desperately to hold it in.
So that’s what it was.
Earlier, when he suddenly leaned in so close—it was jealousy.
The crown prince.
Right. She had been unusually close with him today.
The prince had praised her appearance. That part was true.
Charlotte stole a glance at Raon again, barely holding back her laughter.
His expression was a strange mess—brows furrowed, mouth corners forced upward.
And then, she struck again.
“So~ the crown prince said my beauty was so dazzling it left him speechless. I was honestly a bit embarrassed.”
“Fuh… you seemed to en-johh…”
“Right? You did exactly what you told me to do, Raon.”
That was it.
Charlotte’s conclusion became dangerously simple.
Jealous Raon = love.
This expression would never get old. She could watch it forever.
She shifted closer to him, smiling like a child who had found a new toy.
While Raon was still struggling with whatever inner conflict he had, Charlotte gently wrapped her arms around him.
“…Ah, my lady?”
“Let’s stay like this for a bit, Raon. I’m really tired and a little scared today.”
“…Should I hug you too?”
He almost asked it seriously.
Charlotte quickly shook her head.
“No. If you do that, I might not be able to hold back.”
Hold back… what?
Raon pushed the thought away and focused on suppressing his own turmoil.
Otherwise, the softness against his side and the faint scent would break his restraint.
Still…
This is good.
Raon thought as he gently held her hand.
It was just the two of them, the night quiet around them.
Maybe it was fine to relax a little when no one could see their faces.
And so, they both surrendered to each other’s warmth.
The long night felt like it might end too quickly.
Later in the deep night, Charlotte closed her eyes, preparing to sleep.
At her request, Raon sat beside her, holding one of her hands as he waited for her to fall asleep.
Even just sitting there quietly wasn’t boring, which he found strangely comforting.
“Hey, Raon… why did your way of speaking change earlier?”
Half-asleep, she asked suddenly.
Now fully back to his usual self, Raon gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb as he answered.
“I told you. I was waiting for you to wake up. I think I was just… a bit excited.”
“…Is that so?”
“…I’ll try not to make that mistake again.”
Realizing how unguarded he had been as a butler, Raon felt a faint embarrassment.
But there was another reason he had acted that way.
Because of the crown prince.
Seeing Charlotte interact so naturally with him had made something tighten in his chest.
Was their relationship too formal?
Should they be a little closer?
As Raon wrestled with that thought, Charlotte’s sleepy voice drifted again.
“Today’s Raon… I liked him…”
“……”
Raon froze.
He nearly tightened his grip on her hand.
It was fortunate Charlotte was already half-asleep.
Otherwise, her bones might have turned to dust from how carefully he restrained himself.