Chapter 85

"Charlotte"

Clyde looked at Charlotte with a sad expression, gazing at her intently.

"Even if you try to forget me, my feelings for you will never change."

(Ugh...! I understand now why Lord Oswald often describes my feelings as those of a puppy...!)

"However, every time you look at me as if I were a complete stranger, I feel as if my heart is being torn apart."

Clyde placed his hand on his chest and looked at Charlotte with a heartfelt gaze.

"As long as your memory is lost, you won't return to me. ...You will surely return to Oswald's arms, won't you?"

(Ah, no, no, no, no, no!! Being in his arms, that's... that's...!!)

Trying to suppress a loud cry, Charlotte bowed her head.

"I want to help you recover your memory. ...Please, will you allow me to do so?"

(Lord Clyde wants to help me recover my memory...?)

She opened her fan and hid her mouth while thinking.

(If it's true that we were married and he loves me, then he must want me to remember? The assumption that he's involved in a succession dispute is an overreaction, and if I assume that I can't receive the blessing spell because I'm already married to Lord Clyde...)

Everything fits together perfectly with Clyde's statements and the reason why Charlotte is repelled by the barrier.

(Still, I feel something is off.)

"Please, Charlotte. As part of the effort to help you recover your memory..."

Clyde narrowed his eyes and pleaded with Charlotte directly.

"Will you come with me?"

(—!)

At that moment, Charlotte realized something.

"...I understand the reason for the discomfort now."

"Discomfort, you say?"

Clyde tilted his head in confusion, but Charlotte continued as she set down her glass.

"Lately, Lord Oswald has been very kind to me. He says we should share the same bed, and he looks forward to our marriage... He calls my name and smiles at me."

Just thinking about Oswald made Charlotte's heart ache.

Every time she received his affection, she felt like screaming. She wanted to embrace everything, yet the overwhelming joy made her tremble.

(Lord Oswald...)

Charlotte couldn't help but smile, and Clyde responded with a gentle smile.

"...Hearing you talk about another man always disturbs my heart."

His words were filled with sadness, and it used to stir guilt in her.

But now, Charlotte could act like a villainess and behave properly.

"It's a lie."

The image in her mind was of Oswald's loving gaze, looking at her with adoration.

His eyes held a genuine warmth that was different from Clyde's.

"You don't love me at all, do you?"

"———..."

No matter how much he tried to hide it, his eyes told the truth.

"Charlotte"

"Ah, don't come any closer?"

Charlotte smiled and provocatively rejected Clyde.

"I don't want to be near a liar who claims to love me."

"———..."

Despite this, Clyde stood up and leaned in to look at Charlotte, who was deeply seated in her chair.

"I told you not to come closer."

"———I can't hear you."

(Here, I'll pretend to seriously reject Lord Clyde—this is my chance to execute the plan!!)

In reality, Charlotte's purpose in this meeting was not to extract information from Clyde through conversation. Emile had given her a small gem-like object.

"Listen, Charlotte. Get close to this man named Clyde and secretly plant this magical tool on him. It's about the size of a small bead, so you can casually slip it into his pocket."

However, getting something into his pocket required being very close. No matter how small the object, the act of placing it would be unnatural, so she was waiting for the right moment for Clyde to get closer.

(If he gets a little closer, I might be able to hide it in Lord Clyde's pocket!)

Just as Charlotte was about to act, something happened.

"Excuse me, Charlotte."

"?"

Clyde leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Can you lean down a little?"

"Eh..."

At that moment, Clyde suddenly hugged Charlotte tightly.

Immediately after, a wind spell burst out right next to them.

(This magic...)

Charlotte blinked and looked up, noticing the smell of blood and gasping.