Of course, Roel was going to do everything he could to save her, but he still didn’t want to do or say anything that might upset her. Thus, after a momentary pause, he directed the conversation elsewhere.
“You don’t need more people to like you. Am I not enough?”
“Darling…”
Roel wrapped his arms around Charlotte and embraced her. It was rare for him to utter such domineering words, and it made Charlotte blush a little.
“Is it jealousy I’m detecting here?”
“You could say so. I want your mind to be filled with nothing but me.”
“You dumbo… it already is,” Charlotte murmured in response.
“!”
A jolt ran through Roel’s body, and he widened his eyes. The unexpected counterattack left him feeling embarrassed instead. He turned his head over to look at Charlotte, and he suddenly felt an inexplicable itch in his heart.
The sweet scent of romance gradually deepened. The two of them looked at each other without saying a word, their hearts beating rapidly.
“Darling, I…”
“Hm?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Charlotte hesitantly cut off her words halfway through, and she turned her head away. Roel was intrigued by her actions, but he decided not to probe on.
They spent a while in embrace before slowly releasing each other. They resumed their leisurely stroll down the rose-colored path afterward, but it was not that easy to calm their furiously beating hearts anymore.
…
For the rest of the day, Roel and Charlotte feasted their eyes on many sceneries they had missed out on their previous trip here. It was both sweet and heartwarming.
Charlotte did run out of energy halfway through the trip, but it was easily resolved through Roel’s princess carry.
She would have usually protested against such intimate gestures in public, but many things had changed over the past month. She had grown accustomed to this level of intimacy between them, refusing to come down even as she recovered from her fatigue.
Roel had also gotten used to dealing with Charlotte’s willfulness. He lowered his head and gently demanded a kiss in compensation before resuming their walk. Charlotte blushed furiously as he collected his fees, but she didn’t reject it.
They were both still at an age where it was normal to get embarrassed about such things, but their dynamic felt more like an old loving couple. It was a mysterious feeling for both of them, but they relished in it too.
Evening, Roel carried Charlotte back to the Diamond Rivière. They were welcomed with bright smiles from Grace and the other maids. The two of them shared a marvelous dinner before heading to a nearby observatory to rest.
After an entire day of activities, Charlotte succumbed to her exhaustion and fell deeply asleep. Holding her in his arms, Roel enjoyed the beautiful setting sun while stroking her silky long hair. He took a sip of wine prepared on the neighboring table and relished in the moment.
It was too early for him to rest when the sun had yet to set. On top of that, he had a feeling that the day hadn’t ended yet.
True to his premonition, Charlotte’s eyes fluttered around an hour later, rousing from her sleep. A sweet smile formed on her lips when she saw Roel lying right beside her. She looked at the darkened surroundings, followed by the half-emptied wine bottle on the neighboring table.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“I am. You had something to tell me.”
“You knew about it?”
“How long do you think we have been together for? You have been distracted for the entire day.”
Charlotte’s face reddened and she bit down on her lips. A moment later, she sat upright and turned to face Roel.
“… That’s because I was looking forward to it.”
“Looking forward to it? What are you referring…”
“Darling, I love you.”
“!”
The abrupt confession startled Roel. He could see the earnest feelings brimming in Charlotte’s emerald eyes, and it brought about a rush of emotions.
Charlotte did express her feelings for him from time to time, but this was the first time she was confessing to him in such a formal and solemn manner. There was no way he would be unmoved when his lover was saying such words to him.
“I love you too, Charlotte.”
After properly answering her feelings, Roel leaned forward and kissed her as if to apologize for having her make the first move. The sweetness of the exchange was tinged with the bitterness of alcohol, but it only further lit their feelings ablaze.
It was a while later before their lips finally parted.
Gasping for air, Roel looked at the auburn-haired woman who had locked her arms around his neck. She was looking at him probingly with eyes filled with desire. He would have to be as dense as a rock to not understand the meaning behind that.
She was inviting him. Their current level of intimacy was no longer enough to satisfy her.
Yet, Roel hesitated at her silent invitation.
Charlotte’s condition was in its worst-ever state. The earlier walk was already more than enough to exhaust her, let alone anything more intense than that. Roel seriously doubted that her body would be able to take it even with the adrenaline rush from their feelings for each other.
Sensing his worry, Charlotte touched his cheek and reassured him.
“Darling, don’t worry about me.”
“But your body…”
“It’s because I’m already in this condition that I wish to do it.”
For the first time, Charlotte revealed a melancholic expression. She caressed his cheek as she continued on.
“I initially planned for something more elaborate, but I think it would only upset you more. I don’t know when my body will reach its limit. I might fall asleep tonight and never wake up again. That’s why, I want to make full use of today to fulfill my wish.”
“Charlotte…”
“Darling, I am yours. That has been the case from our birth. Our fate was decided a hundred years ago. The Goddess of Fate has intertwined our destinies together. I want you to understand that.”
“I get it. I do. You are my fiancée…”
“That’s right, I am your fiancée, your one and only fiancée. I want to fulfill my responsibilities as your wife for once,” Charlotte replied hoarsely.
Those words spoken with love and sadness tore down every last one of Roel’s mental defenses. With tears glistening in his eyes, he nodded. Then, he carried her up and brought her to a familiar bedroom.
This bedroom in the Diamond Rivière was a place cradling many of their important memories. This was where they had first shared a bed years ago, and they were going to share yet another important moment here.
Roel softly placed the fragile Charlotte down on the bed, but he immediately found himself at a loss as to where to start. Sensing his dilemma, Charlotte looked at him with a tender smile on her tear-stained face. She slowly opened up her arms, as if she was going to accept his entirety.
“Darling, don’t hold back. Entrust it all to me.”
“!”
The feelings Roel had suppressed for the longest of time gushed out like a torrential flood, devouring his rationality. Two bodies intertwined with each other, eventually becoming one.