Juliet, the menace that had intruded upon Charlotte’s peace, was escorted away by the guards.

As she spent her time in a leisurely manner, Charlotte heard the door at the top of the stairs being opened from the other side. The door was a blind spot for her. After that, the sound of footsteps slowly echoed down the stairs, step by step.

From the stairs, a man named Quentin appeared. He was the second son of Marquis Sargent, the prime minister of that country.

They had been engaged since childhood, and Quentin even served as her secretary once. However, after the king ordered her arrest, that was no longer the case. Now, they were merely childhood friends.

“—Why would you do something so foolish?”

Quentin asked with a stern expression.

Even though both their relationship and engagement spanned from their childhood days, Charlotte didn’t feel a shred of closeness to him. The man himself seemed to condemn her.

At the same time, Charlotte wasn’t the slightest bit surprised. That was just how the man named Quentin Sargent was.

“’Foolish’? Certainly, you could call it that. I have to admit, I was somewhat reckless. In my defense, I just couldn’t care less about this country. I should’ve acted more thoroughly and carefully.”

Charlotte slowly crossed her legs and ran her fingers through her long hair.

Despite being arrested, she was allowed to bathe, but still. Despite that, upon no longer being able to receive hair treatment from her servants, her hair had become coarse. When her fingers couldn’t easily flow through, she frowned.

When Quentin saw that neither Charlotte’s actions nor expressions seem to exhibit any remorse, he was deeply disappointed, and not to mention, repulsed.

“And what do you mean by ‘why’? You’ve heard from her guards, haven’t you?”

Quentin was at Juliet’s side every day, encouraging her. He must be shocked by Juliet’s state after her visit earlier. Hence why he was here.

“You seem to have said some hurtful words to Her Highness Juliet when she visited you.”

“…Ha!”

He had just made it clear why he had even bothered to come see her. It was not to visit his former fiancée, but to chastise the person who had hurt someone precious to him.

He was always thinking of Juliet—honestly and simply.

Despite having anticipated it, she still snorted. She was so baffled that her words tumbled out half in disbelief.

“You appear angrier at my having made her cry more than the fact that I betrayed my kingdom!”

Quentin furrowed his eyebrows at the correct assessment.

He seemed grim, but that was also nothing new. Even when they were engaged, she couldn’t recall a single instance where he was sweet to her.

How much had Juliet’s escort knight told him? How calmly could he have conveyed Charlotte’s words without distorting them or taking Juliet’s side?

Charlotte could speculate. Regardless, the only thing that mattered the most to Quentin was that Juliet had been hurt. That was all. As expected of him.

“I believe you were my fiancé? Yet, you harbor feelings towards her. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“…!”

Quentin gasped, truly not expecting that accusation.

Although his heart belonged to another, it hadn’t reached the point of him being unfaithful.

It’s about her, so of course he’s aware of it.

“I don’t really care either way. I don’t feel anything for you. From the beginning, it was just a marriage of convenience.”

Charlotte didn’t like her fiancé, nor did he her. They were both in agreement in that regard, but that wasn’t the end of it.

“In this kingdom called Lymore, she’s the one enjoying all that is pleasurable while I spurned aside. Every day, I grew more resentful until I couldn’t take it anymore. What a grand waste of time, that is all this kingdom is. Hence, I chose treason.”

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