Chapter 14
Knock, knock.
The sound of someone knocking on his office door echoed again.
Buried in the sheets, he slowly opened his eyes.
“Ugh…” Noctem groaned, swallowing a sigh as he sat up in bed.
He felt like he had just had a strange dream.
**“I think… it was about me with long hair.”**
Fragments of images lingered in his mind like scenes from a broken play: a petite young girl and a long-haired version of himself flashed by.
But even those snippets were blurry. Had he seen a painting? Was it in the annex of the estate?
**“I can’t make sense of it.”**
It was nothing more than a meaningless dream, the kind one could brush off and forget. Yet, for some reason, his mind kept replaying it.
“Your Grace?”
But his thoughts were quickly interrupted. He snapped out of his reverie when Tei’s voice called to him from outside the door.
“Come in.”
Noctem sighed softly and gave permission for Tei to enter.
Meanwhile, Tei glanced at him rubbing his eyes and instinctively pressed his lips together. It seemed he had woken the Grand Duke from his slumber.
Tei sneaked cautious glances at him, worried about incurring his wrath. But Noctem, far from being angry, appeared dazed, as though he was still half-asleep.
Sensing this was the perfect opportunity, Tei hurriedly delivered his report about the morning appointment with Viscount Hansen.
“Understood.”
Noctem nodded sluggishly. His voice, lower than usual, reflected his groggy state.
Suddenly, a chill ran down Tei’s spine. He quickly turned toward the door.
**I should leave. This place feels like walking on thin ice. This isn’t where I belong!**
With that thought, Tei bolted toward the door.
“Tei.”
Just as his hand touched the door, he froze. The Grand Duke’s voice was even lower than before. Slowly, Tei turned his head to look at him, stiff as a board.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“Is there… perhaps a painting in the annex…? No, never mind.”
The carefully spoken words dissolved into nothing. Tei tilted his head, confused by the Grand Duke’s sudden mention of the annex.
“The annex is currently being used as an armory, so there wouldn’t be any paintings there, Your Grace.”
“Yes, I know.”
Then why did he ask?
Tei left the office, deeply pondering whether this was some new form of psychological torture.
“Hah…”
A heavy sigh escaped Noctem’s lips. He rubbed his face and flopped back down onto the bed.
Even as Tei delivered his report, the dream continued to drift aimlessly through his mind.
**“I’m sure… the princess was in it.”**
He distinctly remembered calling out “Charlotte, Charlotte” in a soft voice he’d never used before.
Not only that, but the way he spoke about her—almost in reverence—lingered in his memory.
**“Am I losing my mind?”**
It wasn’t possible for him to be so consumed by someone he’d met only a handful of times.
And yet, there was also the tender emotion budding in his chest.
Looking up at the ceiling, Noctem sighed deeply.
**“I shouldn’t think about the princess for the time being.”**
For a week—no, a month—he resolved not to see her until these strange feelings faded.
But his resolve shattered within a day.
After finishing his meeting with Viscount Hansen, he returned to the meadow for a change of pace. And there, he saw Charlotte again.
This time, however, she wasn’t alone.
**“Wait… why is Kai there?”**
Noctem’s fox, Kai, who had been under his care for 14 years, was snuggled in Charlotte’s arms, wagging its tail furiously.
—
### The Morning Noctem Had His Strange Dream
Charlotte began her day early, as usual, by skimming through the gossip papers Anna brought to her. Then, she set about organizing the mountain of luxury goods still piled high in her room.
How much money had she spent over the past 20 years? Even after sending Adrian a bundle of jewels, there was still an overwhelming amount left.
Charlotte glanced at the extravagant items she had been steadily sorting over the past few weeks.
**“Even just a third of this would be enough to live comfortably for a lifetime.”**
For now, she was thankful. The Duke had significantly reduced the allowance he gave her to maintain appearances since she’d declared she was leaving. As a result, she had to carefully budget her money.
She mentally calculated the costs of housing and daily expenses and split the jewels into two piles.
One was for living expenses. The other was for purchasing mana stones and magic scrolls.
The latter wasn’t something she’d need if she managed to live a peaceful life in the southern provinces.
Even so, she planned to buy plenty of them.
**“I didn’t commit those crimes out of my own will, but I should at least try to atone for them. And while I’m at it, I’ll drain the Duke’s secret slush funds dry.”**
She intended to distribute the funds the Duke had illegally accumulated to the citizens of the empire as she traveled south.
Pleased by the thought of enacting a final act of revenge, Charlotte smiled to herself.
Fueled by this vision of the future, she worked quickly. She couldn’t carry everything at once, so she packed a portion into a bag and headed to Adrian.
After neatly converting the jewels into cash without leaving a trace, she returned home.
That was her morning.
Despite her busy start, she found she wasn’t hungry and decided to skip lunch. But then an idea came to her, and she instructed Anna to prepare a picnic basket.
“Oh, are you going somewhere? Should I pick out a dress?”
Anna, who would normally just nod and agree, hesitated and cautiously asked.
Perhaps her fear of Charlotte had subsided after a month of quiet behavior.
But that sense of security didn’t last long.
“No, I’ll eat here. Just prepare a picnic basket.”
“…Yes, Princess.”
Anna, stunned by the unusual request, quickly left the room.
Charlotte, aware of Anna’s bewilderment, saw no reason to explain and remained silent.
About 30 minutes later, Anna returned with the picnic basket and handed it to Charlotte.
The kitchen staff must have suspected the princess was plotting something wild again, given how quickly the basket was prepared.
Charlotte accepted the basket with a mix of gratitude and heaviness, watching Anna scurry out as though afraid of what Charlotte might do next.
**“There’s no point in getting close now when I’m about to leave.”**
It would only make things harder for Anna later. That had always been the case.
After staring at the door for a moment, Charlotte turned and opened the secret passage.
The cool air inside brushed against her skin as she walked deeper into the tunnel. Feeling a sudden chill, she hugged herself with one arm and pressed on.
At the tunnel’s end, she lowered the basket to the ground before using both hands to hoist herself out.
She emerged into the hollow of an old tree, brushing the dirt off her dress.
The beautiful field before her brought a smile to her face.
Leaning against the tree, Charlotte basked in the tranquility of the untouched landscape.
Animal sounds filled the air. While she admired the scenery, her eyes wandered to Noctem’s grave.
She thought about visiting but decided against it. Yesterday, she’d been poisoned by the plants there, and she didn’t want to risk running into the Grand Duke again.
**“It can wait a few days.”**
Murmuring an apology to Noctem in her heart, she took out a sandwich and some fruit from the basket.
Just then, she heard the rustling of a small animal moving through the grass.
A rabbit? She glanced toward the sound, but what she saw instead was…
**“Yip! Whimper!”**
“…Kai?”
It was Kai, the fox she had rescued when she was six in her previous life.
Stunned, Charlotte stared as Kai yelped and darted toward her, wagging his tail furiously.
“Oh…”
Kai leaped into her lap, panting with a delighted expression. Charlotte remained in shock.
**“Does he recognize me? How…?”**
This world’s Charlotte had never visited this place, let alone saved Kai. Charlotte was certain of that.
“Whimper… whine…”
But Kai, seemingly upset that she wasn’t petting him, let out a pitiful cry.
Out of habit, Charlotte popped a piece of fruit into his mouth and began stroking his face.
Kai finally seemed content, wagging his tail happily.
Charlotte looked down at him with a knowing expression.
**“You remember, don’t you?”**
“Yip!”
It seemed like he understood her words. His energetic response brought a laugh to her lips and tears to her eyes.
**“It’s been so long, Kai.”**
Four or five years, perhaps. Kai had lived two years beyond the fox’s usual 15-year lifespan before passing away.
Those last two years had been spent in the Grand Duke’s estate, thanks to Noctem’s care
.
‘He really went out of his way back then.’
Charlotte vividly recalled her surprise when Noctem had known about Kai and brought him up shortly after their marriage.
Though she had no regrets, like most pet owners, she had always wished her companion could stay with her forever.
When Kai passed, she had cried uncontrollably in Noctem’s arms, despite thinking she had made peace with it.
**“Ah.”**
Thinking about those times, her chest tightened, and tears welled up again. Wiping them away, Charlotte gently stroked Kai’s head.
**“I’m so glad we could meet again.”**
Even if it meant reliving the pain of losing him again, just being able to see him was enough.
Charlotte smiled brightly at the fox. A cool breeze blew, lifting her hair, which she tucked behind her ears.
Kai playfully pawed at her hair and nipped at it, tilting his head at her. Charlotte chuckled at his antics.
“Haha!” Her clear laughter rang across the meadow—a rare, carefree sound.
The birds in the field didn’t scatter but instead moved closer to her, drawn by her joy.
Charlotte handed Kai an apple and watched him nibble on it.
Then, she heard another rustle.
She assumed it was a deer drawn by the scent of fruit, but when she looked around, there was nothing.
Had she imagined it? She tilted her head in confusion but soon returned her attention to the fox playing with the hem of her dress.
This was her mistake.
She hadn’t noticed the faint shadow of a person nearby.
The wind carried a glimpse of silver hair. Noctem stood frozen, watching her laughter for the first time.
**“I can’t figure her out.”**
How did she know Kai’s name? And what was this strange feeling?
A peculiar warmth spread through his chest, and he felt his neck flush hot.
Noctem remained rooted to the spot, staring at the place she had sat, even as the evening fell and Charlotte disappeared back into the tree hollow.
Note
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