On the day of the appointed ‘date,’ Charlotte rode a carriage to the guesthouse, where Ethelbert’s attendant, Brandon, was already waiting to welcome her.

“We’ve been awaiting you, Your Royal Highness.”

Brandon elegantly bowed his head before escorting her to Ethelbert’s chamber.

As the younger brother of a neighboring country’s emperor was staying there for half a year, security was tightened. On top of the knights Ethelbert brought from the empire, the number of knights from the kingdom stationed at the guesthouse had also been increased. Even the hallway in front of Ethelbert’s chamber had at least one knight assigned to it at all times.

“My master desires an environment where he can casually speak with Princess Charlotte. Please have your escort knights wait here.”

With a smile, Brandon pointed at the waiting room right next to Ethelbert’s chamber, a room which was intended for escort knights and servants.

“But…”

“Don’t worry. If something happens, I’ll be within reach.”

“…I understand.”

Once Charlotte had sent her two escort knights to the waiting room, Brandon glanced at the knight standing guard in front of Ethelbert’s chamber, prompting him to knock on the door.

“Your Imperial Highness, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess has arrived.”

“Let her in.”

“Understood!”

The knight opened the door, through which Charlotte and Brandon proceeded to enter.

“It’s been a few days, Your Highness.”

Ethelbert was sitting leisurely on the sofa, crossing his long legs.

At first, since he told her it was a date, she had assumed that they would be going out somewhere. However, two days ago, Charlotte received an invitation to a tea party. Not only did it only consist of the two of them, it was also located at the chamber of the guesthouse assigned to Ethelbert for his use during his study exchange period.

Despite how strange it was, Charlotte concluded that his mood must’ve shifted, so she went there anyway. The maids had ensured that her outfit matched the occasion.

Upon seeing the appearance of Ethelbert, who was waiting inside the room, she instantly realized that her conclusion was mistaken.

In spite of the lofty aura exuded by his dazzlingly handsome face and demeanor, he was dressed in a simple clothes meant for commoners. Undoubtedly, he was planning to go out incognito.

In that case, Brandon must’ve ordered Charlotte’s escort knights to wait in the other room to conceal his master’s plan, which was apparent from his attire.

“Thank you for inviting me today, Your Imperial Highness Ethelbert.”

First, she extended a polite greeting.

A woman dressed from top to bottom in formal and striking attire courteously greeted a man who was dressed simply, yet was sitting proudly. To others, the sight might’ve been surreal.

“Were you able to coordinate your duties?”

“I used my date with His Highness as an excuse to delegate it onto others.”

The work she had thought would only ever increase was unexpectedly coordinated. At first, it was supposed to simply be a matter of organizing the schedule.

“When I returned home, I was fully expecting to be told to finish my own work even if I had to postpone it to another day. But for some reason, His Majesty instructed me to pass some of my tasks to my subordinates.”

“Is that so?”

It didn’t come off as a surprise to Ethelbert, who casually accepted it. On the contrary, it only made Charlotte even more uneasy.

“Did you do something?”

“Do you think someone who isn’t from this country has that kind of authority?”

“…That’s true, as well.”

Charlotte also didn’t know what she expected by asking, so it made sense. At the same time, she knew that it wouldn’t have taken much for him to intervene.

“Until I saw His Highness’ attire, I thought we were going to have a tea party.”

“What’s the use of being honest? We’d only be surrounded by knights as we make our way around town.”

Apparently, they were indeed going to take a stroll around the castle town.

“Now, let’s get started on your preparations.”

Ethelbert stood up and walked over to her, holding out his hand. When Charlotte placed her hand on top of his, he grasped it softly.

“You look so gorgeous in that dress, I can’t take my eyes off you. However, if we don’t dress appropriately according to our stature, we’ll definitely stand out in the castle town.”

Ethelbert politely led her by the hand, and they soon stood in front of a mirror tall enough to capture her entire body. The pristine surface of the mirror reflected the image of “Princess Charlotte,” which she’d seen almost her entire life.

Long, wavy golden hair and jade green eyes—the shades that attested to her kinship with Frederick.

“What do you mean by preparations? I didn’t bring any spare clothes.”

“Rest assured. I’ve prepared some for you.”

Ethelbert snapped his fingers and a magic circle appeared underneath Charlotte’s feet. When she was about to step away, Ethelbert warned her.

“Don’t move.”

A warm breeze swirled from the floor and Charlotte’s body was enveloped in brilliance. As she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the radiance, she involuntarily closed her them.

As the light gradually subsided, the first thing that Charlotte noticed was that her dress wasn’t as heavy as before. She slowly opened her eyes and looked down at her own outfit.

Instead of the dress that Juliet was so fond of, she was wearing a simple, lacy white blouse and a solemn, navy blue skirt. Her shoes had also been replaced by a pair of slippers.

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***T/N: Yah, Charlotte really deserves a day off… after being forced to work a like a horse for most of her life.

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