Oswald and Charlotte returned to the mansion where they each took a bath.

After getting ready, the two got serious and started sorting out their situation.

They discussed the events that had occurred since she lost her memory until the present, along with the scenes depicted in her diary.

Then, Charlotte did her best to explain what she saw after her divine power had returned upon kissing Oswald.

“—Can you believe it!? I’ve been in love with Lord Oswald for a long time!”

“…”

Charlotte sat down next to Oswald on the chaise lounge. She spread her arms, proudly showing the extend of her love for him.

“Oh, and it wasn’t a simple crush, either! During hard times and sorrowful times, Lord Oswald’s existence was akin to a talisman to me!”

“…”

“Rather than my memory returning, it’s more like I was shown my memories and I recognized them…! Apparently, I’ve been in love with Lord Oswald my entire life!”

“…I get it.”

Then, Oswald, who was looking down and covering his face with one hand, muttered in a low voice.

“I understand now, Charlotte… I understand very well about your love, so please refrain from repeating it any further.”

“Eh!? But I’ve only told this story about five times!!”

No matter how often she retold the story, she still failed to express how much she loved Oswald.

She was dissatisfied, but Oswald, on the other hand, let out a strangely heavy sigh.

“…Put yourself in my shoes. How do you think I feel hearing someone professed their love for me with such a brilliant smile?”

“???”

Charlotte tilted her head. Despite still not understanding, she decided to hold back for the time being and tell him her conclusion.

“—Besides, ever since I spoke to His Highness Randolph at the evening ball, something stood out to me. Perhaps, the direct cause of my memory loss wasn’t because of the sealing of my divine power, but due to my own volition…”

Charlotte placed her palm atop her heart.

“Contract magic is a contract imposed on a soul…. However, if the interpretation ‘the soul is made of memories’ is correct, wouldn’t the contract have been considered null the moment I lost my memory?”

Oswald looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly as he gazed at Charlotte.

“As in, you erased your memories in order to escape from the royal contract?”

“Before I lost my memory, I seem to have also thought that ‘getting married with me would only burden Lord Oswald.’ However, as long as the contract existed, I couldn’t refuse the marriage.”

Therefore, Charlotte might have erased her own memory so that Oswald could escape from their marriage.

“My former self even lied in her own diary. She purposefully made it seem like we were enemies. Perhaps, it was so that I, who had lost my memory, would run away from Lord Oswald once I saw it.”

Charlotte reaffirmed yet again.

“But of course, my love for Lord Oswald won!”

“Okay, let’s move on with the story for now.”

“Aah…!! I’ve gotten used to the way you scold me!! Also, your profile looks cool!!”

“—Anyway, it’s about your previous hypothesis…”

While admiring Oswald’s beauty, the topic progressed quietly. Oswald picked up a piece of paper that was on the table and tapped it with the back of his middle finger.

“While you were drying your hair, I briefly checked the bookshelves in this mansion. Memories and souls are—”

“L-Lord Oswald!! You can’t just flick that paper with the back of your middle finger!? That’s too hot!! It is foul play.”

“Charlotte, be quiet.”

“Okay!!”

After straightening her posture, she listened to Oswald’s words.

“If I do a bit of research, I could find documents stating there’s a connection between memory and the soul. However, I’ve never heard of a theory claiming memories, the soul, and contract magic have such a causal effect. As it’s a magic unique to the royal family, it’s only natural that the information on it would be minimum…”

“I have evidence to back up my claim, Lord Oswald!”

Charlotte raised her hand before speaking.

“Isn’t Lord Oswald a member of the royal family? In other words, Lord Oswald must be qualified to use the contract magic as well!”

“…Well, I guess so.”

“However, haven’t I often rebelled against Lord Oswald in the past…? Even when you told me not to hug you, I hugged you. Even when you told me to wait, I ran away from home. I’m sure you’ve made many other small requests.”

—And yet, Charlotte wasn’t affected by the pain of going against his words.

“Even after the seal was lifted, my memories haven’t returned. I have seen glimpses of scenes from the past, but that’s the extent of it. Also, when I disobeyed His Highness Randolph’s order to ‘kneel’, I was safe…”

Oswald frowned, perhaps remembering that time.

Despite his expression, I’m sure Lord Oswald also realizes I erased my memory to escape the contract…

Oswald tried to get Charlotte away from the royal family.

Wasn’t that because the possibility, ‘Charlotte has somehow nullified her contract’ occurred to him?

However, it was understandable that the rational Oswald was unwilling to take such a risk. Therefore, the conclusions that Charlotte reached were nothing more than her own conjectures.

“As I thought, my memory loss was a plot I devised in the past to escape from the contract and free my beloved Lord Oswald… I believe so.”

“…”

“Even if I couldn’t go against the contract, my actions up until now are so sinful that I can’t forgive myself for being married to the person I love. Even if I was compelled to do so, or even if I’ve lost my memory…”

She looked down on her own palms and reminisced.

What were the people who perished on the battlefield thinking when they reached out to her former self?

Or when their hands were cruelly swatted away?

“I can’t escape that fact—well, I don’t want to run away, either.”

“Charlotte…”

“…The only miscalculation was that my love for Lord Oswald didn’t vanish even after I lost my memory.”

When Charlote woke up that morning, she fell in love with Oswald all over again despite having no memories.

However, in truth she hadn’t exactly fallen in love at first sight that morning.

Ever since Charlotte was a child, she’d been in love with Oswald simply and without end.

---

***T/N: We’re nearing the end now you guys.

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