Two days have passed since the prince's arrival, and Charlotte feels no inclination to descend for her studies; the presence of that boy is quite bothersome, and even beyond the annoyance Sigrid already represented, something about him also fails to appeal to her.
Just like the preceding days, she goes downstairs to have breakfast with her grandmother and the two guests and, upon finishing, they attend their lessons for hours until finally, the break time arrives. Charlotte, once she retreats to her room, prefers to stay put rather than come out. She waits for dusk to creep down to the mansion's great hall. The place is spacious and could serve her well for practicing some maneuvers, yet upon swinging the door open, she finds the lights ablaze with Sigrid right there.
"Oh! Lady Leroux, I see you’ve had the same thought," he observes.
"So, you're not a prodigy, just someone who trains hard to excel," he says with slight mockery.
"Are you mocking me? Adults call me a genius, but I strive to achieve what I desire," she retorts.
"I see. Is it to surpass the prince? You must feel inferior, though your father is the king's brother, you're just a duke. In such cases, everyone praises those of higher status, even if they're fools. It must be difficult to live in the shadow of such an idiot, right?" she prods.
Sigrid falls silent; never before had he heard a child speak so cuttingly. Despite his advanced age, the venom in Charlotte’s words is unmistakable.
"What you say is false; I have never felt that way," he asserts.
{The child is cruel, her words must have hurt you.} Amira taunts.
{Be quiet,} Sigrid rebukes her.
He can hear Amira's sniggering in his mind, and although he did not anticipate hearing such phrases from a younger girl, she is correct about one thing: Hugo is just a foolish, spoiled child. Fortunately, he's not the crown heir, and Sigrid doubts he will ever do anything significant enough to claim it.
"Wouldn't you like to be king? If you prove to be better, you could take the crown from the crown prince," she suggests.
"I have no interest in contending for such a role; my uncle hardly finds time for himself, and I don't aspire to live that way," he replies.
"What a pity; in my view, you'd make a good king," she says.
"Why does a girl take such an interest in this? Do you want to be queen? Marry the crown prince," he challenges.
She grimaces in distaste.
"He's already twenty; by the time I come of age, he'll be forty, and besides, they say he isn't handsome."
At least from what she recalls, the crown prince is depicted as an unattractive, overweight man who frequents brothels. Hence, halfway through the story, he is compelled to abdicate due to his life of excess and dies from an overdose of aphrodisiac, leaving Hugo as the heir. Sigrid, on the other hand, contemplates vying for the position, having garnered support from many nobles for his wartime performance, as opposed to Hugo who had never been to war. But, being the protagonist, Hugo somehow manages to be crowned king.
"But your family could force you," she points out.
"That will not happen. Let's train instead," he suggests.
Charlotte grabs her sword to commence practice with Sigrid, and they continue sparring for at least an hour before retiring. Even though Hugo notices them returning together, when Charlotte enters her room, Hugo approaches Sigrid.
"You shouldn't be alone with a girl; it could tarnish your reputation," he chides.
"We are children, your highness, nothing more," Sigrid retorts with a sneer, betting Hugo doesn't even comprehend why adults would say such a thing when a man and woman are seen alone.
"Of course, I know. It's because the man is wooing her, but people might think ill and say they were just kissing without any commitment," Hugo remarks confidently.
Sigrid rolls his eyes, amazed that the prince is a year his senior yet evidently lacks progressive education. Unlike Sigrid, whose parents have provided him with an education aimed at youths aged fourteen and up, it seems the queen does not permit similar knowledge for her son.
"Indeed, such things happen," he replies dryly.
"I told you I knew. So, don't ruin Lady Leroux's reputation," Hugo admonishes.
"We are merely training partners," Sigrid insists, adding that, as he already stated, they are children and hence, have not kissed.
With that, he enters his room and locks the door, eager to avoid further annoyance from Hugo.
The following day, their routine remains the same, but unlike with Sigrid, Hugo must leave; he was granted only a short term to spend with his cousin and must now resume his lessons. Charlotte is less than pleased that the brat is departing, though she still has the less irritating child nearby. As the two children re-enter the mansion alongside Valentina, suddenly Charlotte charges into her grandmother with full force, causing her to fall abruptly. The sight shocks the maids, but they\san attempt to aid her, two are struck by arrows. Confusion ensues, with guards swarming to protect the children and the baroness.
"Charlotte, dear... are you alright? What's happening?" Valentina inquires.
"I'm fine, but did the arrow hit you?" she replies.
"No, child... you're amazing, you saved me," Valentina says, drawing her into an embrace while the others guide them into the safety of the mansion and fortify the doors. The guards scurry in search of the culprit while the maids tend to Valentina, who endured a few scratches from the tumble.
"My girl, if not for you, I wouldn't be here," she says, crushing Charlotte against her chest, overcome with emotion and shaking from the scare.
"Lady Charlotte is incredible; she noted the attack just in time," Sigrid compliments.
The guards report that the baroness appears to be the intended target, a fact that leads them to rule out an assault targeting Sigrid. Charlotte, for her part, remains quiet — confident that the attack was aimed at Valentina and likely not the last. She feels an obligation to deal with the situation, owing a debt of gratitude to the woman for shielding her from the marchioness.
The guards advise Valentina to stay indoors for the following days until they confirm the mansion's perimeter is secure. Valentina, therefore, informs the children that their swordsmanship lessons will take place in the great hall.
***
That very night, Charlotte gazes out her window at the guards scrutinizing the surroundings. They seem quite diligent in their duties, yet from her vantage point, she too surveys the vicinity for any suspicious movements. Her dark magic aura emerges, assisting her in detecting any anomalies. She is determined to apprehend the assailant.
"I've got it..."
Her sinister aura envelopes Charlotte, and in the forest, a swirling mist of black moves through the trees until Charlotte emerges. She walks until stumbling upon a small camp of three men arguing over their failed mission — without the baroness's death, their employer will withhold payment.
"What wicked men, my grandmother has done nothing wrong," Charlotte states with a tender voice.
The men spin around, perplexed to see the child there.
"Hey, it's that old lady's granddaughter."
"Lucky us, we can use her, a trade—her life for her granddaughter's."
The apparent ring leader approaches her, extending his hand.
"Little one, are you lost? Come, I'll take you home."
"I'm not lost; I'm here for you..." her voice dark and echoing.
Panicked and petrified, the men witness her face appear to melt away, then suddenly, it morphs into a shadow that dissipates into the ground. Haunted by a child's giggle, they see her dart between the trees, popping out from behind different trunks, disorienting them.
"What's happening? Is the forest cursed?"
"Someone's trying to spook us," another suggests.
Then, the girl stands before them, smiling and taking one man's hand.
"Let's play..."
He's shocked, but then his hand transforms into a red serpent, slithering up his arm and biting him, he screams. His comrades witness him collapse, not seeing any snake. Then, another of the men slashes at an illusionary beast with his sword, only to accidentally slay his comrade and, believing him to be another monster, kills him too. Reality snaps back, and he realizes with horror what he's done.
"You're evil; they were your friends," Charlotte says coldly.
The last bandit, gripped by anguish upon witnessing what transpired, points his sword at her.
"Stay back, demon..."
"Demon? But I'm just a girl," she replies sweetly.
"Damn demon..." he hisses.
He lunges to strike her, but Charlotte dodges and jabs a poisoned dagger into his leg. The man collapses, immobilized.
"The dagger has poison; if you want the cure, who sent you?" she demands.
"I-it was... Marchioness Leroux... she wanted the baroness killed..."
"I suspected as much..."
She plunges the same dagger into his throat; even his confession cannot save him. Charlotte hurries back, but from a tree above, Sigrid and Amira have witnessed it all. Sigrid is stunned by what she's done.
{She's not a child; she's a demon,} Amira remarks.
Sigrid remains silent, merely requesting they return home since Charlotte has already taken care of the criminals.
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