Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: The Second Prince's Wager
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Leaving behind the flood of all sorts of speculations about the two of them, Charlotte and Ricardo found and entered a small reception room next to the waiting room.
As if he had no intention of a long conversation, the Second Prince opened his mouth while standing, without even taking a seat.
"I heard you've been getting along so well with my little brother lately. How was it? Must not have felt great hanging around with those mangy curs, right?"
Even his words lacked any dignity.
What's the point of having such a beautiful appearance? Insulting someone right to their face as mangy curs and the like.
Charlotte suppressed a sigh and forced herself to respond calmly.
"Thanks to Your Highness's concern, I've been doing well with Prince Joseph."
"Hmm? You're speaking so brightly."
"What business might Your Highness have with me...?"
Ricardo suddenly thrust out his hand and gripped Charlotte's chin.
She could have dodged that hand a hundred times over and slapped his cheek about ten times in the process, but Charlotte glanced at the guards standing watch on either side of him and meekly allowed him to hold her chin.
The sensation of lukewarm sweat from Ricardo's hand lingering at the tip of her chin was utterly repulsive.
How could brothers be so different?
Even interlocking pinkies with Joseph felt nothing but cute and refreshing.
And Isaac or Russell had never made her feel this creeped out, even when hugging her.
Probably because Ricardo showed absolutely no regard for her feelings, that's why it felt this bad.
'Calm down. If I get disqualified, it'll be a huge problem, so I can't hit the prince. Don't hit Ricardo, don't hit him...'
Charlotte thought of Joseph and did her best to soothe herself.
'We even arranged to meet at a high place, but if I hit Ricardo and get disqualified... Joseph will be disappointed.'
Unaware of what Charlotte was thinking, Second Prince Ricardo stared for a long time at her standing demurely before him with her eyes cast down.
He had simply heard she was the girl making Joseph fret and panic, so his initial and only intention was to approach her once and see Joseph upset.
He had no plans to take any strange interest in a nine-year-old girl.
But seeing her up close like this, he suddenly wanted to keep her nearer.
Even without a puffed-up dress or flashy hair ornaments, she had a captivating charm, like a beautiful flower blooming proudly on a mountainside.
That must be why.
Anyone would like pretty things, after all.
And as royalty, he was allowed to keep anything that looked pretty or appealing close by.
Moreover, instead of the sour sweat smell from warriors, she even seemed to carry a sweet floral scent from somewhere.
"Charlotte."
"...Please speak."
"Instead of Prince Joseph, I'll play with you."
"Pardon? What do you mean...?"
Charlotte narrowed her eyes and looked at Ricardo.
"You're bored too, playing with trash you can't even throw away anywhere. I'll play with you."
This time, Charlotte recited the incantations of the 24 Plum Blossom Sword Techniques inwardly. If she didn't divert her thoughts by reciting something—anything—she felt like she'd stuff a rag in that prince's mouth and reshape his sleek face into a polyhedron.
"...That's not it. I need to head to the arena now, so please let me go."
She praised her own patience and spoke as softly as possible.
Ricardo blinked, slightly surprised. Then, as if recalling something, he turned her chin this way and that.
"Right. You even protected that Joseph guy in the flower garden. A stupid bitch who doesn't even know what relationship your ducal house has with me."
"...What do you plan to gain by playing with a stupid bitch like me? Please stop now..."
Ricardo blatantly blocked her path without giving way.
"Got quite the high nose on you. I'll let you pass the preliminaries. That good enough? You said you'd be in big trouble if you don't pass, right?"
Then, as if presenting something grand, he pointed at her with his chin.
Charlotte glared at him thinly in utter disbelief.
Gradually, her soft voice wouldn't come out anymore. Her teeth ground together unconsciously.
"...I'll pass the preliminaries myself."
Ricardo clicked his tongue.
"I thought you'd bite this bait. Even the Setia house keeps some pride, huh?"
"That's not it."
"No? Why? Why not?"
Ricardo pressed on persistently.
He had dangled the bait she wanted most, and it was none other than Ricardo himself saying it. This was the first time his proposal failed to touch her heart at all.
On the other hand, as Ricardo kept pressing and drew his body closer, Charlotte felt her throat tightening.
Feeling utterly disgusted, as if meekly offering her neck into a stranger's hand, Charlotte could endure it no longer and subtly shifted her body sideways.
As a result, the hand that had been firmly gripping her chin sliced through empty air.
Ricardo clicked his tongue in disbelief.
"Huh, look at this? Did you just use self-defense on me?"
Charlotte thought the entire situation was exhausting and drew the character for 'endure' in her mind for the twelfth time.
"No. Just..."
"It's obvious you won't pass. Why go that far?"
"...I'll pass."
"What if you don't?"
"...I will."
Ricardo smirked, pursing his lips.
"That confident? Then how about this? If you don't pass, can I cut off one of Joseph's legs?"
Charlotte swallowed her quiet shock and anger, slowly gazing at the fourteen-year-old boy standing before her.
She had always wondered what kind of temperament he had to push the Cheiker Kingdom into such a quagmire.
How much of the people's hard-earned blood he sucked, how much he neglected the livelihood of the common folk. Even now, sandwiched between great powers, the kingdom enjoyed peace without major upheavals—how did it reach such a crisis?
Before Prince Joseph could inherit the throne, how did it lead to nationwide rebellions on a massive scale?
She had wondered.
But now, she thought she understood.
If Isaac's problem in the future was ruthlessly using everyone as mere tools, Ricardo lacked even the concept of virtue from the start.
No proper talents would gather under him.
Only those craving money and power would flock to him, not for the sake of the nation.
And they would appoint others who craved money and power in turn.
Naturally, a culture of overworking, trampling, and climbing over those below would prevail.
The hellish situation still a decade away felt all too vivid before her eyes.
"That can't possibly happen."
"Why? You're confident, aren't you?"
"...Your Highness, I don't use other people as betting stakes."
Ricardo smirked amusedly, squinting his eyes.
"You're so picky. Fine, fine. This is fun too. Then stake yourself instead of someone else."
"...How can I stake myself?"
"Why not? If you don't pass the preliminaries, stay in my palace for a month. There, done."
A month in Ricardo's palace.
'Ricardo has no interest in me anyway. He just wants to toy with me to hurt Joseph.'
It wasn't hard to see through the childish Ricardo's psychology.
'He's still just a kid.'
Charlotte bit her lip hard, then let out a low laugh.
"Do you think Prince Joseph will even blink if I'm gone? If I stay in Your Highness Ricardo's palace for a month, rather, only Father would be pleased."
Ricardo shook his head as if it didn't matter.
He was confident.
Confident that Prince Joseph, who showed no interest or obsession in anything else, was utterly mad about this girl.
A month was a long time.
Plenty enough to show her a far more amusing world.
He couldn't bear how badly he wanted to see Joseph, deprived even of the one emotional anchor he had found, utterly broken.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter."
'I care, though.'
Charlotte ground her teeth inwardly.
Nothing good would come from staying in Ricardo's palace.
Besides, the most unappetizing meal is one eaten while minding others' eyes. She had only just gotten used to eating delicious meals with Joseph at the ducal house. She had no desire to stay in such an uncomfortable place.
Charlotte quietly stared at Ricardo, who showed no sign of backing down until she agreed.
Better to accept even this ridiculous bet than miss the preliminaries because he wouldn't let her go.
Honestly, she had no intention of failing the preliminaries anyway.
Then she couldn't agree to a bet that was pure loss for her.
"Then, what will Your Highness stake?"
Ricardo's eyes widened at Charlotte's bold question. Irritation flickered in his pale green eyes, which resembled the Empress's.
"What, you want me to stake something? Are you insane?"
"Anyway, it's obvious someone like me won't pass. If I win..."
In that instant, Charlotte's mind raced at full speed.