Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Second Prince's Proposal
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Honestly, you don't even like me, do you?"
Hearing Charlotte's question, Ricardo was reminded once again.
Of just how idiotic Charlotte Setia had been.
Of why she had been treated like such an outcast in the Setia House.
She was so stupid that she couldn't even seize an opportunity handed to her on a silver platter. Despite being a direct descendant of the Setia House, she only hung around with that third-rate Prince Joseph.
"...Don't talk nonsense. Think it over properly and answer again. No, I'm the idiot for even talking to a fool like you."
Charlotte looked at Ricardo with strange eyes as he suddenly started yelling at her.
His ears had turned bright red, and the way he was getting all heated up was truly bizarre.
Worried that he might actually go to Jerome or Camilla with this ridiculous proposal, she quickly added another excuse.
"I already have someone I've set my sights on as a fiancé, so it won't do any good even if you say something like that."
"...Someone you've set your sights on?"
Right, that changed everything.
Ricardo barely managed to suppress the anger surging to the top of his head.
If she truly had a prearranged fiancé, then no matter how exalted his status, he couldn't propose an engagement on the spot.
He hadn't even imagined such a possibility.
While noble families often decided on fiancés from childhood, the partner for someone with Charlotte's notoriously poor reputation wouldn't be anyone desirable.
Maintaining the composure he'd barely regained, Prince Ricardo asked Charlotte,
"So, who is this person?"
Charlotte smiled brightly.
"Ah... My dad has been nagging me lately to get engaged to Prince Joseph. I've been thinking about it too."
This was true, but also not true.
It was like saying, "If you keep crying, a dragon will come and eat you."
There couldn't possibly be a noble lady who wanted to get engaged to Prince Joseph, who had no power, no backing, and was out of favor with the emperor. It was just something her father said to scold his stubborn, immature daughter into listening.
But even if there was no actual plan to get engaged to Joseph, since Jerome had already said it, it wasn't entirely untrue either.
Ricardo's face stiffened at Charlotte's absurd lie.
Today, this worthless pest was grating on his nerves more than usual.
By the time Charlotte returned, the people in the room had changed quite a bit.
Some kids from Group 3 who had passed the preliminaries had arrived, but the numbers had dwindled considerably. It seemed the participants scheduled earlier in the bracket had left to prepare.
Fortunately, Joseph hadn't had his turn yet and was still sitting quietly in his original spot.
'He wouldn't have actually stayed put just because I told him to wait, would he?'
Thinking he somehow resembled a loyal dog, Charlotte hopped up onto the tall chair next to him and sat down side by side. She then gently stroked his soft black hair.
'Ah. This is purifying. So purifying.'
At first, he had hated it so much, but now even when she touched his hair like this, he only let out a few sighs and didn't swat her hand away.
As Charlotte satisfiedly stroked his hair for a good while to soothe her weary mind from conversing with the deranged Ricardo, Joseph turned to her and suddenly asked,
"What was that?"
"Ah... Second Prince?"
"Yeah."
Charlotte gave him a charming smile.
"Were you worried about your big sis? Aw, you're just too cute."
Even holding back from hugging him outright was Charlotte being considerate of the onlookers, given how adorable he was.
Joseph stared blankly at her as she wiggled her feet excitedly, then asked again,
"...What was it?"
Charlotte was a little surprised by the low question.
Normally, whenever she called herself his big sis, Joseph would just shake his head and end the conversation there.
'Ricardo must be bothering him... He's so sweet.'
Charlotte pondered how much to reveal before deciding to come clean honestly.
"He proposed an engagement."
"...What?"
Joseph scowled and asked back. Since he usually showed so little expression, this was the first time Charlotte had seen him look so openly displeased.
The soft spot between his brows she could poke wrinkled vertically, his sharp, handsome black eyebrows furrowed deeply, and his red, cute lips pursed in irritation.
'This is cute in its own way...'
But Joseph was up against Ricardo directly today.
If he got unnecessarily upset, there was a risk he might let emotions cloud his judgment when Ricardo was right in front of him.
'Well... Joseph wouldn't do that.'
Just in case, Charlotte quickly reassured him.
"It was really nothing. I have no idea why he even said that, and there's no talk of it between our families either. I turned him down flat."
"...Ha, unbelievable. Anything else? He didn't try anything?"
"Nothing happened. I came right back."
"You think that guy would back off so easily?"
Joseph pressed her with eyes as black as the night sky.
Charlotte chuckled and stroked his hair once more.
"He left when I used you as an excuse. I said I had to get engaged to you. Funny, right?"
'Well, more precisely... He said he'd hear my answer again after the tournament, once he saw what kind of state Joseph was in.'
Joseph, who had seemed ready to keep pressing, blinked rapidly and shut his mouth.
Thinking he must not have understood, Charlotte kindly added an explanation.
"I just used it as an excuse. Don't worry. I'll handle everything."
"...An excuse."
Joseph clamped his mouth shut as if the words were stuck in his throat, saying nothing more after that.
With her only conversation partner lost in some inscrutable thoughts, Charlotte quickly grew bored and got up.
Her eyes naturally drifted to the large bracket posted on the wall.
Isaac versus the first prince was coming up soon... and the second versus third prince matchup wasn't far off either.
Her own match against Lancelot was before Joseph's in the order, but somehow, checking Joseph's bracket made her heart race more than her own.
'...Ah!'
Suddenly, while staring at the bracket, a great idea struck Charlotte.
She had been agonizing over a chance to change people's perception of Joseph.
His skills would shine through in this tournament, and his reputation would improve accordingly.
But would that be enough?
Not when the faction supporting Second Prince Ricardo was so entrenched.
She needed to sway public opinion.
She knew what a scumbag Ricardo was, but most of the people didn't. Having just witnessed firsthand how self-centered he was, she thought it would be perfect if she could expose that to more people.
And conveniently, wasn't this the prime opportunity with the largest crowd in the kingdom gathered in one place?
'Plus, during the tournament, the empress's influence—who slyly manipulates Ricardo—won't reach as far.'
If there was something to show, now was the time.
Not by directly exposing Ricardo outright, but by making him reveal his own flaws. And she had just thought of a way.
Charlotte quickly turned back to Joseph.
"Joseph. More importantly, listen to this idea I had."
"Okay."
"You're up against Second Prince Ricardo soon, right? When you go for the finish, could you maybe leave just enough of an opening?"
"...An opening for what?"
"Could you give him a gap that's just ambiguous enough that surrendering would be the obvious choice? I watched him earlier, and he's so hot-headed, I think we can exploit it."
Whether he couldn't follow the sudden topic shift or was still lost in thought, Joseph blinked silently for a long while before slowly replying,
"...So, when fighting that Ricardo guy, even if he drops his weapon or I have my blade at his throat, you're saying leave a little room?"
Charlotte nodded eagerly.
But Joseph let out a small sigh.
"...Prince Ricardo is the type who won't admit defeat unless my real blade touches his neck. He absolutely won't concede like that."
She smiled brightly.
"Yeah. That's what I think too."
"...Got it. I'll do that."
Joseph pondered briefly, then nodded readily.
That was it. He didn't even ask why she was making such a request.
Charlotte decided against explaining in detail.
It wasn't a difficult order anyway.
Ricardo was undoubtedly a skilled swordsman, and with his sturdy build wielding a halberd, a single mistake could be dangerous...
But Charlotte was confident.
Her adorably cute Joseph would definitely seize the upper hand.
She narrowed her eyes, calculating her next moves in her head.
It felt just like playing xiangqi.
Slowly capturing the opponent's pawns one by one, then cornering the king with no escape before declaring checkmate. An inescapable bind.