"..."
'Wow, what a piece of trash...' I thought, barely suppressing the urge to curse my grandfather out loud. I had to cover my mouth to keep my true feelings from showing on my face.
It was official: my grandfather wasn't exactly a "good person" either. Good people don't trap others in debt for sport. I suppose it was a blessing that he at least seemed to care about his granddaughter, even if his moral compass was spinning in circles.
"Hmm, well, at any rate, it was a good thing you pulled the young lady's hair," he mused.
I nearly choked on my own air. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"
He clearly didn't believe for a second that I hadn't touched Aria's hair, but he didn't seem to care about the truth.
"Didn't we get even more leverage because of it?" he asked, stroking his chin. "Even though the Duke has been paying his interest regularly lately, he hasn't been... desperate enough. I was wondering how to turn up the heat, and you’ve handed me the perfect opportunity."
"What are you—"
"Yes, falling on purpose when he touched you? Brilliant. Of course, he’ll pay for daring to lay a hand on my precious granddaughter, but more importantly, it gives us an excuse to raise the stakes. You really do have some good ideas, Charlize."
"..."
"Because you want to own him, don't you?"
I clutched my face in my hands. 'Calm down. Stay in character.' Thanks to Charlize’s muscle memory, I managed to force a smile.
"...Yes, Grandfather."
Inside, I was screaming. This family was even crazier than I’d realized. Between the original Charlize’s cruelty and her grandfather’s cold manipulation, it was a wonder anyone in this world was still sane.
I was starting to feel suffocated. If I followed my grandfather’s lead, I was headed straight for another "Game Over." Askin Remut wasn't a man who could be won over by oppression. He’d endured so much already, but the anger was building up inside him, layer by layer. My grandfather’s methods would only make him explode.
'My life literally depends on this man not hating me, and my grandfather is out here pouring gasoline on the fire.'
My grandfather laughed, looking genuinely pleased with himself. I quickly excused myself and left his office.
I rubbed my chest, letting out a long sigh. 'I have to assume that no one in this family is actually on my side.' Between the tyrant brother and the manipulative grandfather, I was surrounded by ticking time bombs.
As I was walking away, the office door creaked open again.
"Charlize."
"...Grandfather?"
He was peeking through the crack in the door, his brow furrowed. "...Is your cold still not better?"
"What? Oh, no, I'm fine."
"I’ll call the priest again anyway."
"..."
It was such a strange, jarring moment of genuine concern from a man who had just been talking about financial ruin. I shook my head and headed back to my room.
* * *
The next day, I felt completely recovered. I wasted no time in preparing to go out.
"We're going back to the Lemut estate," I announced.
The maids looked worried, but they knew better than to argue with me. The trip wasn't long, but we ran into a problem halfway there.
"Princess... the driver needs to speak with you."
The carriage had come to a halt. The heavy storm from a few days ago had caused a landslide, blocking the road. Local villagers were busy digging out the mud and debris. I stuck my head out the window to see the damage.
'Wow.'
It was a mess. Houses on both sides of the road were in shambles, with roofs caving in and walls collapsing. It was a localized flood, and I knew this was terrible news for Askin. He was already struggling financially; a natural disaster was the last thing he needed.
I grabbed my skirts and climbed out of the carriage. The maids and knights immediately swarmed me.
"Princess! Your dress will get muddy!"
"It's fine."
"But your limited edition shoes—!"
"I said it’s fine." I had a hundred pairs of shoes just like these in my closet. A little mud wasn't going to kill me.
"Princess, please forgive my rudeness."
"Wait, what are you—"
Before I could finish, one of the knights stepped forward. My body instinctively reached out for his hand—a habit from Charlize’s past.
'OH MY GOD!'
Suddenly, my feet were off the ground. The knight had picked me up as if I weighed nothing. I looked up and recognized him—he was the same massive knight who had carried me back to the carriage in the rain at the Lemut estate.
He had a stoic, calm expression, as if carrying a Princess through the mud was just another part of his daily routine.
'I mean, he’s handsome, but compared to Askin, he’s just... a guy.'
"...Did I ask you to do that?" I asked.
"My apologies, Princess. The order was to ensure not a single drop of mud touched your dress or shoes. I was slow to act."
I patted him on the shoulder. "Just put me down."
He looked surprised for a moment, then looked toward the back of our group. A few seconds later, four knights appeared carrying a palanquin.
'You have got to be kidding me.'
"You’ll be comfortable now, Princess."
"No, no... absolutely not. Put that thing away." I knew the original Charlize wouldn't walk more than three steps without a sedan chair, but I wasn't her. I stepped back onto the ground.
The knights looked at me with a mix of fear and confusion. All of them, except for the one who had just carried me. He was looking at me like a kicked puppy. I tried to remember who he was, but Charlize’s memories offered nothing. He wasn't even a named character in the book.
"The priority is seeing my fiancé and clearing up the misunderstanding," I muttered to myself.
The staff suggested we turn back, but I wasn't about to give up. I turned to a nearby knight.
"Call more workers."
The driver looked stunned. My grandfather had sent a small army of staff with me today after the "incident" in the rain.
"Princess... hiring enough workers to clear this debris today will be incredibly expensive. No one wants to come out to Lemut territory."
The Lemut estate was basically the "bad neighborhood" of the Dukedoms. The captain-type knight tried to gently persuade me to turn back.
"Are you saying I can't go there?" I pointed toward Lemut Castle. "The road is blocked, and you're worried about money? My money?"
The knights exchanged looks and bowed their heads. "W-We'll call the workers immediately!"
To my surprise, the workers arrived much faster than expected. Not just them, but the knights and servants were all mobilized to clear the road.
'This is going to take all day,' I realized. The road was a total disaster. Even with everyone working, it would be hours before a carriage could pass. And Askin wasn't the type to come running just because I called.
I wanted to walk, but my current outfit wasn't exactly designed for hiking. I stood by the side of the road, looking toward the castle, when I felt someone watching me.
I turned and saw a group of children—likely the children of the local villagers. They were trying to hide behind my carriage, peeking out at me with wide eyes.
The moment our eyes met, they flinched.