Charlotte was devastated to hear Hayden's words. In the Bourbon family, if there was someone who cared for her, it was her father and the butler. It would be better if she had died. At least she didn't have to see this day.
"Ahh." A low scream escaped her mouth as her head hit something hard. She lifted her head and saw a pair of blue eyes darting at her.
"Your Royal Highness," Charles, a man in his fifties, said, looking at Édouard, but he paused from speaking further.
Charlotte's eyes landed on Édouard and she kept glaring at him.
"Charlotte!" She heard her father's voice. She stepped back and turned to look at her father.
He had halted midway to see the Prince and quickly bowed before him to show respect.
"Your Royal Highness, the Duke of Wexnon, please accept the greetings of Marcus Bourbon." Marcus stood straight and wore a tiny smile on his lips after the formal bow.
Édouard's personal assistant, Charles, looked at Charlotte and cleared his throat, motioning his eyes for her to bow to the Prince. Charlotte ignored it and decided to leave. She walked past Édouard when his voice stopped her.
"I am here to see you," Édouard said. This was the first time she heard his voice. Every time she attended the royal parties, events, and other important familial functions, Édouard would be absent from them. This was her first time meeting him in person. As the women had described him, he was the most handsome man in the Kingdom of Escana.
His golden hair was parted on the left side of his head, with some golden fringes covering the right side of his brow.
However, the question was why was he using an informal tone with her?
Édouard leaned close to her, who was only an inch away, and whispered in her ear, "It will not be wise for you to leave the place suddenly. Charles may complain about your behavior in the Palace of Escana." He slightly tilted his head to look at his personal assistant, Charles.
Charlotte tilted her head to peer at him and took a few steps back before showing the curtsey to him.
His knight, Rainard, came forward to inform him that he had appointed the soldiers around the Bourbon mansion. Charlotte heard them while her father came forward. He welcomed the Prince to his house.
Édouard glanced at Charlotte for a brief moment before walking ahead. Rainard and Charles also followed him.
"Let's go in," Marcus told his daughter. Charlotte nodded and walked in again without complaining.
In the living room, Édouard took a seat on the sofa while Marcus sat on the sofa where he had been seated earlier. Charlotte remained standing, keeping her head low. Hayden had taken the seat on the other sofa, on the right of Édouard.
The maid served the tea for them and silently left for the kitchen.
Édouard read the scroll, which had earlier been on the sofa table.
"His Majesty sent this message a day ago, Your Royal Highness," Marcus said while rubbing his hands. He was nervous, wondering if Édouard was not interested in the marriage.
"Charlotte, why don't you take a seat?" Édouard asked as he gestured to his left. She looked at him once again and knitted her brows. Why did he keep calling out her name? She didn't like it.
However, in front of her father and brother, she didn't say anything. She walked up to him and sat next to him, maintaining a good distance between them.
"You should remove the hat too," Édouard said as he leaned forward and picked up the teacup.
"Pardon me, but I cannot do that, Your Royal Highness," Charlotte said in the most polite way. Hayden looked at his father.
"Charlotte, His Royal Highness, is a member of the royal family. You can remove your hat," Marcus made his daughter understand.
"Sir Bourbon, let's not force your daughter," Édouard said, and turned slightly to Charlotte to hand the teacup to her. "You cannot refuse it," he said, and his lips curled into a smile.
Charlotte had heard that Édouard hardly used to smile. Then, why did he smile at her? Because he was the Prince, who visited her house, she could not refuse to take tea or take the teacup with the tiny plate beneath it. Moreover, Charles' eyes darted at her like a hawk.
She realized that she had to remove the veiled hat first to drink the tea.
"This is my personal assistant, Charles Dexerth, and this is my knight, Rainard Laverick," Édouard said as he introduced the Bourbons to them. Charlotte had removed the hat and placed it beside her.
"This is Hayden Bourbon." He stood up and gave a formal greeting to the Prince, followed by Charles and Rainard. Édouard motioned for him to sit down and returned his attention to Charlotte.
His eyes lingered on her tiny face and stopped at her plump lips. He raked his eyes back to her eyes and saw the dark circles beneath them. She must be crying daily in remembrance of her late husband.
Marcus gulped as he found the Prince's gaze fixated on his daughter.
"Let's drink the tea," Édouard said after he had a good look at Charlotte. He picked up the tea and sipped it. After him, the three of them drank their respective tea.
"His Royal Highness didn't send a message to us about his sudden visit. Pardon me, but we would have made some special arrangements," Marcus said as she smiled a little.
Édouard placed the teacup and the plate on the table and crossed one leg above the other. "I had some important work to finish, so I myself didn't know if I would be able to reach here at the right time or not," Édouard said.
Charlotte also put the cup on the table as she was not interested in drinking the tea.
"Did Charlotte read the message from His Majesty?" Édouard asked and tilted his head to hear her answer.
"Yes, she read," Hayden replied. He didn't want his sister to mess up again, so he decided to lie. "Your Royal Highness, Charlotte, is ready to marry you," he proclaimed.
Charlotte looked at Hayden in disbelief. He didn't hesitate to lie to Édouard. She felt terrible at the moment. She should not have come here.
"Next time, don't speak until I ask you to. Also, Charlotte is still the Duchess of Beromont. You must show respect towards her while speaking," Édouard warned Hayden. His voice had suddenly turned cold and furious.
Hayden felt humiliated, but he nodded at the Prince's response before apologizing to him.
"Take your time to think about it," Édouard said as he glanced back at Charlotte. "However, it will be best if we marry each other," he said.
Charlotte turned her head to gaze back at him. Those eyes looked concerned for her, and it made her feel weird.
Soon, he looked away from her and stood up out of the blue. Marcus and Hayden also rose to their feet, followed by Charlotte.
"I have to leave," Édouard said, and he looked at Rainard. "Escort Charlotte to the Palace of Beromont," he ordered his knight.
"There is no need to do that, Your Royal Highness." Charlotte found it strange that the man who had never been interested in other people's affairs was suddenly showing an interest in her.
"There is!" Édouard said. His tone was firm and authoritative.
"I have an urgent piece of work to finish in the evening, so I must leave. Thank you for the tea," Édouard said and left the mansion before giving one last glance to Charlotte.