Chapter 494: Because It’s You
Chapter 494: Because It’s You
The Hundred Birds Gallery had been oddly silent ever since Charlotte’s health report came out. No one came to visit or scout out the latest information, making it more peaceful than it had ever been. It was like a serene paradise in the midst of the bustling Rosa City.
It was not that the people were turning their backs on Charlotte.
The upper echelons of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy were well aware of Roel and Charlotte’s relationship. If Charlotte’s days were truly numbered, they thought that it was only courtesy for them to step aside and grant the two lovers the space they deserved.
Reports flowing into the Hundred Birds Gallery had been greatly reduced, filtered out to only the most important news. Charlotte’s responsibility of handling the united army’s logistics had also been passed down to someone else.
The medical team had initially demanded Charlotte to remain at home and rest up, but with no foreseeable solution for her obstinately worsening condition, they finally relented and allowed her to travel outside.
The nervous atmosphere surrounding Charlotte suddenly vanished, replaced with a flood of generosity and kindness.
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This meant that her wish could be fulfilled. She started scheming something after Roel agreed to her request, even going to the extent of chasing him out of the room.
“You can’t enter, darling!”
“Ah?”
Roel was intending to watch over Charlotte for her afternoon nap since he was suddenly chased out of the room. The two of them had been sharing a room for quite some time now that there were hardly any secrets between them, so he found it perplexing how he was suddenly evicted.
Charlotte’s heart panged in guilt upon seeing Roel’s bewilderment. She emphasized it would only take her a while and proclaimed it to be a compulsory break for his hard work thus far.
Roel didn’t believe her words at all, but he decided not to pursue the matter when he saw the warm smiles on the maids’ faces.
Over the past month, with the two of them flaunting their love everywhere they went, practically all of the maids in the Hundred Birds Gallery had already become their diehard fans. Nowadays, the first thing they did whenever anything happened to Charlotte was to report to Roel.
Since neither Grace nor the other maids were saying anything at all, it was unlikely that Charlotte was up to anything bad. He wasn’t too anxious to uncover what she was up to since he knew that it was only a matter of time before he found out.
Besides, he needed some private space for himself too.
So, he hesitantly nodded before instructing her to remain careful.
“Your narcolepsy is getting worse nowadays. Those around you might not always be able to make it in time to support you, so you have to refrain from standing on high places…
“Alright, I will.”
Feeling Roel’s concern for her, Charlotte’s lips curled into a sweet but embarrassed smile. The two of them looked at each other affectionately for a long while before they finally parted ways at Grace’s urging.
The door closed, and the tenderness in Roel’s eyes slowly receded. He solemnly made his way into another room.
It was not just Charlotte who needed to make preparations here; he also needed to make some of his own. He had to pay a visit to someone while Charlotte was busy with her stuff.
…
Strolling in the midst of a tranquil mountain valley was Roel.
His surroundings were dark and shrouded in chilly mist, but before he could express his discomfort with a frown, a faint ray of light suddenly shone from the depths of the mountain valley, bringing warmth to him.
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He was momentarily surprised by this sudden show of concern, but he soon shrugged it off with a smile and continued trekking down a familiar path. Before long, he arrived at a mountain stream, where a ravishing golden-haired woman sat atop her throne.
“It has been a while, Peytra.”
“Yes, it has been a while since we last met here.”
“You don’t seem surprised by my sudden visit.”
“I’m not. I do pay attention to what’s happening outside,” Peytra replied with a sympathetic look in her eyes.
She rose to her feet and slowly walked up to Roel. To his bewilderment, she suddenly raised her arms and embraced him.
“Peytra?”
“You don’t need to say anything. I understand… It has been hard on you.”
“…”
Her gentle voice and mana brought about waves of serenity. Her abrupt words momentarily surprised Roel, and it took him a moment to realize that she was consoling him.
She didn’t utter other words of consolation. With her warm embrace, she seemed to be waiting for him to release the sorrow and frustration he had bottled up over the past month, which she would then accept and assuage. Feeling her goodwill, Roel’s expression started to scrunch.
The past month he had spent with Charlotte had been the most marvelous dream but also the most terrifying nightmare.
It had always been his dream for them to spend their days together, expressing their affection for each other like any ordinary couple. But behind the sweetness, he was forced to watch Charlotte gradually languishing over time. The helplessness he felt from being unable to do anything for her tortured his mind and soul, and not a day went by without him cursing his own weakness.
He faced everyday with a smile and a positive attitude, looking as if there was nothing in this world that could bring him down, but the truth was that everything felt bleak and heavy to him. Often, he found himself lying on the bed more awake than ever, staring at the sleeping Charlotte with moist eyes.
Not even Grace and the other maids were aware of these secrets, but it didn’t escape Peytra’s notice. It could be said that she was the one who understood Roel’s feelings the best.
Her gentle consolation brought down Roel’s mental defenses, and he felt a lump in his throat. But before his tears could flow, he suddenly closed his eyes and squeezed his temples. He took in deep breaths and forced himself to calm down.
Seeing that, Peytra gently stroked his back.
“You can cry here. It’ll only feel worse if you bottle it up.”
“No. I want to vent these emotions on the culprit behind this.”
“… That explains your heavy killing intent,” Peytra replied with a sigh.
It was a common fighting strategy for a transcendent to channel his emotions into anger for his enemy before releasing it during a crucial moment, but Roel’s intense feelings had been accumulated and bottled up for so long that it was almost creating a monster within him.
After a long comforting embrace, the two of them finally stepped away from each other. Gazing at the much calmer Roel, the Primordial Earth Goddess finally dove into the heart of things.
“What do you need my help for?”
“… I need your help in crafting a few items.”
Peytra let out a soft sigh. She seemed to have anticipated this situation.
“Should I say ‘as expected’? I knew that it would end up like this.”
“I’m sorry, Peytra.”
“No, you don’t have to apologize to me… I have witnessed the blossoming of your relationship, and to be honest, I’m glad that you made the same choice as you did back then.”
Peytra sighed once more before tousling his hair.
“However, I think that you should cherish yourself more.”
“… I’m fine. This is nothing as long as I can protect her.
“This isn’t nothing at all! Haaa! You’re lucky that they are all good girls. If any of them tries to harm you… No, I’m worrying over nothing. You would have been able to see through them if that had been the case,” Peytra said with a deep sigh.
She had no idea whether this was a good thing or not, but the least she could do was to support him.
“Don’t worry, you can leave this to me. You’re good kids who deserve happiness.”
Offering a sincere blessing with a smile, the Primordial Earth Goddess leaned forward and kissed Roel’s forehead. The surroundings began to blur. Moments later, Roel’s consciousness plunged into darkness.
…
After the short meeting with Peytra in his dream, Roel woke up in his own bedroom. There was a light breeze coming from the window. The room looked unfamiliar since he had hardly spent any time here.
There were no maids waiting outside his room, suggesting that Charlotte was still busy with her preparations. Since he had spare time on his hand, he decided to deal with his work first and browse through reports coming in from Rose of Dawn.
Rosa wasn’t the only one who had taken huge actions after realizing the severity of Charlotte’s affliction. Rose of Dawn had also started making moves to search for clues to her curse. There was not much progress at the moment, but the members were all doing their best.
It was worth noting that their hard work wasn’t solely because of Roel’s orders. Rather, Charlotte’s survival was one of the key factors to ensuring the peace and stability of humankind.
Be it her position as the successor of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy or her Primordial High Elf Bloodline, there was no denying that whatever happened to her would have rippling effects throughout the whole of humankind. This was especially so now that Rosa was an irreplaceable chain in handling the united army’s logistics.
After Roel browsed through a couple of documents, a maid knocked on his door and informed him that Charlotte was done with her preparations. So, he made his way to Charlotte’s bedroom, where he saw a gorgeous auburn-haired woman standing before a full-body mirror, dressed in an adorable gown.
The moment he saw Charlotte changing her clothes, he immediately knew that this wasn’t going to be anything good. Unfortunately for him, Charlotte wasn’t planning to let him off that easily. She grabbed his arm and firmly seated him down on the sofa, forcing him to assume the role of her fashion consultant.
A pity it was that this fashion consultant had no constructive feedback to offer.
“Darling, how do you find this dress?”
“Mm. Looks good.”
“Your feedback is… What about this one?”
“Looks good too.”
“…”
Charlotte pouted in dissatisfaction at Roel’s repetitive compliments. Seeing that, he sighed softly before awkwardly revealing his true thought.
“I think that they all look good. You’re the one wearing them, after all.”
“!”
Those embarrassing words evoked a chuckle from Charlotte. Miffed from being laughed at, Roel expressed that she should have gotten someone else if she wanted some constructive opinion, but Charlotte decisively shot that suggestion down.
“I don’t want to. Your eyes are enough.”
With a gentle smile, she stepped forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. This sudden intimate transition made Roel avert his eyes in embarrassment. The maids behind swooned at their affectionate gestures.
Having been placated, Roel patiently helped Charlotte pick out her clothes. Even so, it still took an entire hour before she finally decided on her outfit. With that, they were all prepared for tomorrow’s outing.
The following morning, the Sorofyas’ Diamond Rivière set out for a romantic trip for the couple.
The coaches had no trouble navigating since their destination was within Rosa.During the carriage ride, Roel couldn’t help but notice that Charlotte looked a little nervous. She would occasionally direct discreet glances in his direction but not say a word at all.
“What’s wrong, Charlotte? Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine, darling. You don’t need to worry about me,” Charlotte replied with a smile.
Looking at the scenery outside passing her by, her eyes gleamed with anticipation. They were going to arrive at Love Forest very soon.