“Arrange for the carriage right away!”

“Malcolm, calm down!”

When they returned to the Elms mansion, an unusual sight had unfolded in the garden.

Malcolm was holding a sword to Juliet’s neck. It was the same magic weapon used by one of the bandits. Katie was trying to persuade him while the servants held their breath.

Just as the knight had reported, Malcolm was attempting to kidnap Juliet.

This sudden change in behavior felt like déjà vu.

—I had forgotten.

Well, not exactly, but since nothing like that had happened in a while, she might’ve become complacent.

Given Malcolm’s nature, this came off as a complete shock. Charlotte didn’t think he had the mental fortitude to resort to such drastic measures, especially when it’d leave him no room for excuses later.

“S-Sister…”

When the frightened Juliet caught sight of Charlotte, she called out to her wistfully. She must had been very scared.

Hearing that, Malcolm also noticed Charlotte and the others. He glowered at them.

“Malcolm Elms. Do you realize what you’re doing? Let Juliet go.”

“Shut up! Juliet is mine! I won’t hand her over to that lowborn, George!”

“Huh…?”

George’s eyes widened when his name was brought up. Charlotte and the others were also taken aback.

Malcolm glared at George as if he were facing his sworn enemy—no, his love nemesis.

“Such a wanton seducer! Just like that harlot you called your mother! How dare you use underhanded methods to attract Juliet’s attention! I won’t stay quiet! This ends now! No one shall get in our way!”

“…Aren’t you mistaken?”

Charlotte couldn’t help but ask. After all, Juliet had been surrounded by many generous people for the past 17 years, yet she’d never been attracted to anyone.

Katie was the one to answer that question.

“It’s true! That filthy parasite seduced the Second Princess! She asked me if he had a fiancée or a lover! You son of a fucking whore! How dare you seduce the girl Malcolm is in love with! This is all your fault! If not for you, he won’t be so angry!”

Katie criticized George for an absolutely nonsensical reason.

Charlotte sympathized with George who’d been called a parasite, and with Juliet whose love had been exposed without her permission. Although, now wasn’t the time for that.

She glanced at George who stood next to her. George didn’t seem to mind the derogatory slur. He must’ve been used to it.

“Did you talk to Juliet about something?”

“Well, I went to check on her after greeting Her Highness the Crown Princess… We bumped into each other in the hallway, and I supported the Second Princess when she almost fell. After that, we had a brief conversation, but that was it…”

George explained the situation while being confused.

As the representative of the earl’s family, it was only natural for him to greet the Second Princess. However, it seemed that the encounter had a slightly bigger impact on Juliet than usual.

Still, what was Juliet doing in the hallway when she was supposed to be resting in her room? Perhaps, she couldn’t bear sitting still.

“…And that was enough to make Juliet fall in love with him?”

“Where’s the logic? Instead of Malcolm Elms, who saved her life, she was attracted to the eldest son because he caught her when she stumbled?”

“Maybe his face is exactly her type?”

“…In that case, it can’t be helped.”

“Indeed. It can’t be helped.”

Charlotte and Ethelbert had a quick back-and-forth, before coming to that conclusion.

She couldn’t think of any other reason. Juliet’s preferences had been revealed in the most unexpected place.

But honestly, George’s face and aura were similar to Quentin’s… Yet since Quentin had been by her side since childhood, she probably saw him as an older brother and not a love interest.

It seemed that Quentin and the knights were the first to be attacked by Malcolm. Where were they? Were they rendered unconscious?

Just as she was thinking that, Quentin staggered out of the mansion. There was a cut on his cheek from which blood was streaming. It seemed to have been inflicted by a sharp blade.

“Malcolm Elms…! Release Princess Juliet…!”

Quentin desperately ordered him. It went without saying that Malcolm, who was holding Juliet hostage, had the upper hand.

“Not one more step! Imperial Brother and his aide, don’t you dare use magic!”

“Hyiii…”

The sword moved a bit and Juliet shrieked. Quentin gritted his teeth.

“What are you planning to do?!”

“We’ll be hopping into a carriage to leave the country! I’ll live happily with Lady Juliet in a country where we won’t be disturbed!”

Such a crazy and foolish fantasy it was, but he was probably serious. It’d be a huge deal if Juliet was taken away. On the contrary, if he were to inflict a wound on her…

The face of the man she hated the most in the world flashed across her mind.

If there was even a single scratch on Juliet, Charlotte wouldn’t get away with just a scolding. Being suspended was pretty much a given. He might even punch her so that she could feel a fraction of Juliet’s fear and pain, or some other excuse.

After that, he’d “readjust” her schedule, forcing her to say goodbye to her almost nonexistent breaks. She’d likely be stuck working inside for about a month. This could end up interfering with her plan.

She had fallen into a precarious situation. She mustn’t let it escalate any further.

---

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***T/N: When you laugh and joke about how complaining about work is Charlotte’s catchphrase, but it’s actually a trauma/ PTSD reaction resulting from childhood abuse.

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