Chapter 3

"Please forgive me...!! I am truly, truly sorry, please forgive me!! The great saint, Lady Charlotte's breakfast has been delayed, and there is no way to apologize for this...!! Please, please forgive me...!!"

Charlotte's eyes widened.

Her fear was extraordinary. And the fear-filled gaze in her eyes was undoubtedly directed at Charlotte.

"...I beg your pardon...!!"

With that, the maid ran down the corridor, her footsteps echoing.

"You were really scared, weren't you?"

Charlotte, now alone again, tilted her head in confusion.

What came to mind were the words Osvalt had said earlier and the maid's statement just now.

"---If you resist, I will seal you, even if it means killing you."

"The great saint, Lady Charlotte's breakfast has been delayed, and there is no way to apologize for this...!!"

(But my memory is gone, so my perception might not be reliable.)

Even so, she still thought something was off.

(Somehow, it feels like the words directed at the saint are more like those directed at a 'demon'... )

She was being treated as something utterly ominous.

Perhaps Charlotte's perception was indeed off. While thinking this, she looked around and noticed a small notebook on a desk by the wall.

(A diary? Did I write this before I lost my memory? This is a stroke of luck!)

Charlotte reached for the diary with hope. The amber leather cover had a picture of the moon and stars. When she tried to open it, however, it remained tightly closed.

"Hmm... hmm, hmm..."

She tried with all her might, but it was as if it was glued or magnetized shut.

"Ugh...!! Phew, it won't open...!"

She struggled until she was out of breath, but it wouldn't budge at all. The stubbornness of it made her think of something.

(What if I remember Lord Osvalt, and then I'll have the strength!? The way he looked and sounded just now... Ah, I feel like I'm going to pass out from lack of oxygen... Kyaa!!)

At that moment, the stubborn diary opened with a snap. The first page glowed with a soft white light.

(What is this...?)

In the light, Charlotte saw herself.

It was unstable, like a mirage, but it was clearly visible. The Charlotte in the light had several people kneeling at her feet and was laughing from the bottom of her heart.

"More, more, it's not enough! ---Beg me. Swear your loyalty and offer your love to me."

"Lady Charlotte...!! Please, use your great power to bring my wife back to life...!!"

The man, bowing his head, was crying and pleading desperately.

To this, 'Charlotte' said in a seductive voice,

"Say you'll do anything. If you do, I might be in the mood to revive your wife before her body decays."

"Of course...!! The power of the saint, please..."

"Then, listen carefully?"

Then, Charlotte whispered something to the man.

His face turned pale. Seeing this, 'Charlotte' smiled happily.

"Hehe...! Oh, I am so happy...!"

But in the next instant, the image in the light vanished.

The scene changed, and she was enveloped in burning flames.

There, Charlotte was on her knees, and a man stood facing her.

(...Lord Osvalt?)

Osvalt looked at the Charlotte in the image with a gaze that seemed to be looking at the most hated thing in the world.

"---..."

His eyes were so cold that Charlotte's spine tingled. At that moment, she felt a truly cold wind, and she blinked.

"Oh dear?"

The image had disappeared.

Charlotte's wrist, which was holding the diary, was wrapped in a soft coldness. After a moment, it snapped with a loud sound and turned into an ice shackle.

"!"

At the same time, ice spread from Charlotte's feet and quickly froze the walls.

(Oh, amazing.)

The entire room was instantly encased in ice.

If such a technique existed, it would certainly be useful during the summer. As she marveled at this, a light array appeared before her.

"Lord Osvalt!"

Seeing Osvalt emerge from the array, Charlotte's face lit up.

(He said he never wanted to see me again. But I can see his face again so soon!)

Her heart was fluttering with excitement.

However, Osvalt grabbed Charlotte's ice-restrained hands and pulled her forcefully towards him.

Then, he glared at Charlotte with a very dark gaze and said,

"---What are you doing?"

"!"

The air crackled with tension, and Charlotte's eyes widened.