Chapter 495.1: I Belong To You (1)

Autumn was already approaching its end.

More than a month had passed since Roel and Charlotte returned to Rosa. Tori City’s Love Forest was covered in a layer of rose-red leaves. This was the final splendor of the Miura Trees before everything withered to the frost.

Under a rain of rose leaves, Roel and Charlotte leisurely strolled down a forest path with their hands in each other’s.

Grace and the other maids had stopped their footsteps a far distance away, gazing at the two lovers with gentle expressions. As much as they would enjoy following the two of them and immerse themselves in the sweet atmosphere, they weren’t about to overstep their boundaries.

They knew better than to become lampposts.

“All the best, young miss!”

Grace clenched her fists tightly as she cheered for Charlotte. The latter glanced backward and directed her a nod.

The brilliant rays of the noon sun had expelled some of the late autumn’s coldness, granting Charlotte the freedom to wear her favorite clothes without having to worry about catching a cold.

Charlotte was particularly fond of wearing her own designs during her free time, and today was no exception. Her style was at odds with mainstream fashion trends, but she was always to pull them off with such grace that few would criticize her unconventional choices.

She had chosen to go with a floaty white dress with a newly-designed crown anklet for this long-awaited date.

Beside her, Roel was wearing a fitting suit that could be described as formal casual. It was another one of Charlotte’s own designs, and it fitted the vibe of their romantic date.

The Rosaian authorities had initially intended to cordon off the entire forest upon their arrival, but Charlotte insisted on doing away with this security measure. She didn’t want her date with Roel to be built on others’ misfortune, and she was confident in her lover’s ability to protect her.

Roel could only sigh at Charlotte’s rose-tinted impression of him. That being said, he still went with her wishes.

It was a relief that it was already late autumn and there were much fewer tourists around. Surprisingly, they didn’t bump into anyone else while strolling through the forest.

While taking in the breathtaking scenery, the two of them also found joy in observing the little things happening around them. In particular, they saw many adorable squirrels scurrying around the sunlit forest to stockpile food for winter.

These sights brought a smile to Charlotte’s face. She was so excited that she even released Roel’s hand and ran up to some of these animals so as to take a closer look at them, just like a curious little child.

Roel calmly followed her around, making sure to keep her safe.

Ever since she had fallen ill, Charlotte had never shown such a radiant glow on her face. The debility she suffered from the affliction left her constantly fatigued that it was hard for her to find joy in anything. She couldn’t express her true feelings before Roel, so she chose to cover it up with a smile.

But the happiness she was showing now was real.

In fact, she had been in high spirits ever since their departure from the Hundred Birds Gallery.

Watching as Charlotte attempted to beckon the animals over to her, Roel had an inexplicable feeling that she was different from usual. Sensing his gaze, Charlotte suddenly raised her head to look at him.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“… No, it’s nothing,” Roel replied with a shake of his head.

It finally struck him what was different about Charlotte.

She seemed to be neither the noble young miss of the Sorofyas nor the dignified successor of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy today. She was Charlotte Sorofya today, nothing more and nothing less. She had temporarily placed aside all of her duties and responsibilities to reveal her deepest nature, making her seem more earnest than ever.

Her change evoked an indescribable feeling in Roel’s heart.

It felt like they had entered a paradise where they could forget all about the harshness of the real world and enjoy the innocence of a youthful romance. It was reminiscent of a budding first love between middle schoolers sheltered in an ivory tower. It was shallow but wonderfully sweet.

Roel found her change alluring, but it left him bitter too.

He felt more attracted to Charlotte than he ever had, but a heavy feeling loomed in his heart when he thought about the reason behind her change.

Many emotions flickered across his face before he managed to put a rein on his feelings. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to forget about everything else and immerse himself in the present.

On the other hand, Charlotte was feeling vexed at being unable to attract the little animals.

“I don’t think I am well-liked by little animals,” she said.

“They’re probably busy scavenging for food,” replied Roel.

“I can’t get the birds in my Hundred Birds Gallery to warm up to me too. It really is weird. Don’t the legends always describe elves as being close to wild animals?”

Charlotte stared yearningly at the little animals who refused to approach her with disappointed eyes.

Roel blinked his eyes in surprise, not expecting to see such a childlike side to her. He contemplatively stared at Charlotte and the little animals hiding behind a tree.

With a slight flick of his finger, he released a weak pulse of mana into the surroundings. Seconds later, a jolt ran through the bodies of the little animals. Their little heads peeked out from behind the tree to look at Charlotte before suddenly scurrying toward her.

“Oh?”

The abrupt change in situation shocked Charlotte, but this rare show of intimacy coming from these little animals quickly made her heart swell in joy. She carefully stroked their smooth fur as a moving smile blossomed on her face.

Roel found his mood brightening up too.

The two of them took turns feeding the little animals before finally setting them go.

Charlotte quietly watched as the wild animals returned to the depths of the forest before snapping back to the present. She then directed a sharp glance at Roel, who immediately averted his eyes out of guilt.

“Ahem. I guess little animals do like you after all.”

“Are you sure? I’m pretty sure that a villain has coerced them to do that.”

“…”

Charlotte grabbed Roel’s hand, not giving him any room to escape. The latter sighed softly.

“I got busted, huh?”

“Of course. Despite my weakened state, I am still a transcendent. The least I can do is to sense mana. But how did you do that?”

“I got some help from Peytra,” Roel replied with a smile.

What he had done earlier was tapping into Peytra’s authority as the Queen of Saint Beasts. Other than the demonic beasts who had turned against Goddess Sia, it was well within her authority to summon any beasts at her whim.

Charlotte looked at him enviously, not knowing that he had such abilities too.

“Honestly, it’s nothing much,” Roel said.

“It’d be nothing much if we’re just talking about small animals… but I heard that children are like small animals too.”

“Hm?”

“I’m saying that I might not be well-liked by children too,” Charlotte elaborated as she gloomily lowered her head.

Those words caught Roel by surprise, and he didn’t know how he should respond. This was a taboo topic for Charlotte right now.

Words relating to hope and the future were things that one absolutely shouldn’t raise before the terminally ill. Charlotte was so severely ill that she could very well fall asleep and never wake up again. Even her tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed, let alone having children. Talking about such distant possibilities would only stoke her sorrow and regret.