I Think My Fiancé Has Regressed

Chapter 44: You are a really annoying person (4)

I was meeting Prince Eamon for the first time in a long time, at the palace.

It wasn’t one of those days where I’d prepared as much as I usually do, and I couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

“Are you nervous, Charlotte?”

“……A little.”

I answered Rose’s worried question in the carriage with a cautious nod of agreement.

That makes sense, considering today I relied solely on Ariana’s advice, taking a significant gamble as I boarded the carriage.

No makeup and no perfume when meeting Prince Eamon was not the sort of advice one would expect to hear from the mouth of a duchess.

In aristocratic society, grooming yourself when meeting someone is an important act.

No matter how good your basic impression is, if you don’t look the part, people tend not to treat the occasion as important.

But for such an important meeting, especially with my fiancé, Prince Eamon, no makeup or perfume?

It was not advice anyone in their right mind would take to heart.

And I was just coming back to my senses after listening to that advice.

I was coming back to my senses, and I was like, “Wow, that was crazy! I’m going to show Prince Eamon a bare face like that? That’s just plain insane!”

“I see.”

“As soon as I arrive at the palace, I need to rent a private room right away! Rose, you always have my cosmetics and perfume with you, right?”

“Yes, I have them, but….”

Rose checked the face of someone outside the carriage, and then picked up where she left off.

“…I don’t think I’ll ever have to use it.”

“What?”

As soon as the carriage door opened and I saw who it was, I nearly shouted in surprise.

“Eh, Prince Eamon?”

“Uh, welcome, Charlotte….”

I quickly covered my face with the hand I was holding and stepped in front of my fiancé’s sudden appearance.

“What are you doing out here! Prince Eamon?”

“Young Lady Ariana said that I should come out to greet my fiancé once in a while….so I’ve been waiting for Charlotte, albeit unexpectedly.”

“Oh, I see….”

What an annoying person!

What on earth is this? She came before me and put unnecessary pressure on Prince Eamon!

Now I can’t even sneak off and put my makeup on.

Maybe Arianna has calculated this far, and is deliberately trying to prevent me from putting my makeup on….

“Do you want to come in with me, Charlotte….?”

“Yes, yes….”

I couldn’t refuse Prince Eamon’s favor, so I gave up my makeup and followed him into the palace, with the intention of having a word with Ariana later.

* * *

“…….”

“…….”

It was time for my meeting with Prince Eamon, but the atmosphere was quiet and awkward.

Normally, I would have been the one to talk to Prince Eamon about this and that, but today I didn’t even have the energy to do so.

All I could do was cover my face with my fan, even if it was unnatural, and barely respond to the occasional story Prince Eamon would bring up.

“Charlotte?”

“Yes?”

“Have I done something to you, Charlotte, because you don’t seem to be making eye contact with me today….”

“Well, that’s not what I meant!”

Prince Eamon seemed to have a strange misunderstanding, and in my panic, I let go of the fan I was holding in my hand.

“Ouch!”

“Huh?”

I could see Prince Eamon’s expression change as my bare face, momentarily exposed without any protective gear, became visible.

“Charlotte? That face….”

“Bo, please don’t look, it’s embarrassing….”

I let go of the fan and spread my palm to cover my nakedness, but Prince Eamon just smiled.

“Today’s Charlotte is…prettier than usual.”

“……?”

“The Charlotte I usually see is very strong, and I was thinking it was a bit scary. Her perfume was also a bit strong, making it hard to breathe….

Oh, it’s not that the usual Charlotte isn’t pretty, it’s just that….”

…That was completely unexpected.

Whenever I met Prince Eamon, I would purposely put on extra makeup and wear a perfume strong enough to make an impression.

As it turns out, Prince Eamon was feeling the pressure of my behavior, unbeknownst to me.

‘Charlotte, when you go to see Prince Eamon, do you tend to put on more makeup than usual?’

‘Why are you asking the obvious? When meeting someone you love, you should appear in a way that lets them know that you cared for them as much as possible.’

‘You should never do that in front of Prince Eamon because it will backfire. You should never wear makeup and perfume!’

It was only I realized what Ariana meant then.

That what I had done as a favor to Prince Eamon might not be taken as a favor at all.

“Thank you for the compliment, Prince Aemon.”

“Yes, yes. Charlotte.”

The rest of the conversation followed, as it usually does at a reception, to get to know Prince Aemon.

However, today, instead of me speaking for myself as usual, Prince Eamon was telling me what he wanted to tell me.

Perhaps he felt more confident because his impression of me had softened.

“…And just the other day, I caught a long-lived scarab the size of my fist in the yard!”

“…….”

I almost burst out laughing at the innocence of the story, which came out of nowhere.

It’s so cute it drives me crazy, how can someone be so adorable and angelic?

He’s the same age as Prince Alexandros, but he’s so much more innocent, and something in my chest fills up at once.

“Are you having fun, Charlotte?”

“Yes, very much.”

“What part of it is funny, hmm?”

“Well, of course….”

I was about to open my mouth to say, “Because I can picture Prince Eamon having fun catching long-lived scarabs.”

Once again, another of Ariana’s caveats flashed through my mind.

‘Charlotte, do you find that when you talk to Prince Eamon, you often call him cute or adorable?’

‘Yes, that’s right, Prince Eamon’s strong point is his innocence and loveliness, so of course I often give him compliments that bring that out.’

‘Don’t you ever say that kind of thing to Prince Eamon again! Men’s egos get hurt when they’re complimented like that, and it’s better to say something nice or manly than that!’

…Then, after I’d complimented Prince Eamon, my fiancée, who was often talking excitedly, would turn sour.

“Charlotte, what part did you find funny?”

Oh no, am I getting this one right?

“Well, I couldn’t help but grin as I pictured Prince Eamon being a manly man and catching a long-lived scarab.”

“I’m, aren’t I?! Charlotte knows, too!”

I had never seen Prince Eamon so pleased with my answer before.

Now I could understand why Ariana had given me that advice.

Just following a few words of advice from her can make all the difference in a man’s reaction, and Ariana herself seems to breathe this seduction, doesn’t she?

…If I don’t want to make a mistake and lose my fiancé, I’m going to have to tighten up a bit.

* * *

“See you next time, Charlotte!”

“Until next time, Prince Aemon.”

I wave to Prince Eamon as he sees me off in front of the palace, and for the first time in a long time, I’m able to return to my mansion with a sense of satisfaction.

For the first time, I feel like I really know my fiancé, even if it’s through someone else’s mouth.

Still, now that I have a sense of what to expect, perhaps I can become intimate with Prince Aemon myself in the future.

…Though I’ll have to be much more careful with Ariana herself.

“Ah, Charlotte, are you going back now?”

“…Yes, I am.”

I hadn’t realized it before, but Prince Eamon’s reaction today convinced me that Ariana is a dangerous person if left alone in many ways.

Just wearing no makeup and changing my compliments a little bit can change my fiancé’s reaction drastically, and if Ariana were to try to seduce Prince Eamon, I’d be no match for her.

Prince Eamon is adorable, so it’s only natural that Ariana would have a crush on him as well….

“Ariana, there you are.”

“Ah, Alex, what brings you here?”

“Nothing else, but my dad said he’d like Ariana to join us, so I thought we could stay for dinner if you don’t mind.”

“You don’t mean my father…you mean King Alfred! Of course I’d be honored, I’d rather go back tomorrow morning!”

“Well, that would be the Duke’s concern, anyway, so just stay until dinner and return sometime today.”

“Well, then, do you mind if I rest in Alex’s room until after dinner? I mean, it would be a shame to the servants if they had to rearrange the room just for me!”

“Well, it’s not really something to be sorry about….Well, if Ariana wants to do it, she can.”

“Oh…! Charlotte, I’m sorry, I was going to ask you if you’d like to come back with me, but something came up and I think I’ll have to stay a little longer.”

“…Yeah, well, I have eyes and ears, so I already know what’s going on.”

“Take care, Charlotte, and I’ll see you next time!”

“Yes, see you next time, Ariana.”

As I watched Ariana disappear into the palace, taking Prince Alexandros’ hand, I silently put the hypothesis I had just formed out of my mind.

It was in that moment that I realized that Ariana and I could be friends in the truest sense of the word.