As a Villain I Really Don’t Want To Be Pursued by the Heroine

15

Roy’s troubles were all too visible to Alice, who stood by his side.

Be it love or marriage, to Alice, romance was a distant and foreign concept.

She didn’t quite understand it.

But she had asked Anya about it yesterday.

‘So-called love,’ Anya had said, ‘is about becoming someone special to each other.’

Someone special.

If her master were to marry the princess and become that ‘someone special’ to each other, would she still be considered ‘special’ to her master?

At that thought, a vague sense of melancholy filled Alice’s heart, making even the cheesecake taste less sweet.

But she quickly blinked away the feeling, took a deep breath, and shook off the gloom, perking up.

Her master finding happiness was a good thing.

She should do her part to help him!

“Master, Princess Charlotte is so outstanding and beautiful, don’t you like her?” she asked.

Roy’s expression turned odd at the question.

“It’s not about liking or not liking. It’s just that, we’re not quite suitable.”

Little sister, she’s your future wife, I can’t just cuckold you, can I?

Ah?

But I’m no longer that ‘bad boy Roy’ who would mistreat Alice and stir up Charlotte’s sense of justice and protectiveness.

That said, it’s unlikely these two ladies would ever come together.

But that doesn’t change my current predicament.

Roy remembered a line from ‘The Angel’s Waltz’ stating that ‘bad boy Roy’ and Charlotte had a matchmaking session, which only deepened Charlotte’s disdain for ‘bad boy Roy,’ leading to an unhappy parting.

That plot point was covered in just two lines, with no direct description, which is why Roy hadn’t thought of it initially.

It’s understandable, though.

Roy himself wouldn’t want to marry a woman of no substance who spent her days berating the servants.

Especially when he himself was in such a favorable position.

Roy had no interest in pursuing Charlotte, quite the opposite, in fact.

He valued his life more than beauty.

But he had already promised his father, who in turn had promised the royal family, so the matchmaking had to happen.

He couldn’t just snub the royal family’s face, could he?

He couldn’t offend Princess Charlotte, nor could he avoid the matchmaking.

Fortunately, the current him was no longer the detestable, worthless ‘bad boy’—at least he wouldn’t blindly fawn over someone, nor would he cling to them in a greasy manner.

Roy pondered optimistically, as long as he remained a courteous gentleman, surely Charlotte wouldn’t trouble him without cause?

“Master, if there’s anything I can assist with, please command me.” At this moment, Alice volunteered her help again.

Looking at the sincere face of the young maid (automatically filtering out any stoicism), Roy couldn’t help but feel warmth in his heart.

His own little cotton-padded jacket was indeed heartwarming!

What princess? Not familiar at all.

“Regarding this matchmaking, there is indeed something I need Alice’s help with.”

Roy entrusted her with a heavy heart: “No matter what the royal maids ask you, just answer truthfully.”

Alice didn’t ask why, she simply nodded obediently: “Everything as you wish, master.”

———————————————————

Days passed by, one after another.

And the day of the matchmaking with Charlotte finally arrived.

Considering Charlotte was in the royal capital and it was inconvenient for her to travel to the border, Roy specially suggested arranging the matchmaking in a small town, Sunwind Town, located midway between the Ironblood Ridge of the Ainsworth territory and the royal capital, Lionheart City.

Roy arrived in Sunwind Town a week early to scout the location. Upon receiving news of Charlotte entering the town, he immediately led his entourage to welcome her.

Below the lord’s mansion, a majestic griffin with a mix of golden and red feathers, dazzling and eye-catching, led the procession through the streets. The luxurious mahogany carriage was adorned with rubies and gold, carved with the roaring lion king’s crest amidst blood and fire.

Ordinary griffins are grey, but only those inheriting the royal bloodline have golden-red plumage.

And the emblem on the carriage, symbolizing the royal pride and valor—the 【Lionheart】 crest—was the mark of the Reinhardt royal family.

The procession came to a slow halt before Roy.

The carriage door swung open, and a pair of legs encased in brown high-heeled boots and black silk stockings gracefully stepped down.

A breeze passed by, and her fiery red hair fluttered.

The red-haired girl wore a deep red military dress uniform adorned with badges and decorations, and a matching short skirt with elegant, black over-the-knee socks. Her delicate face appeared youthful, yet her brows carried the innate arrogance of a highborn.

The Reinhardt family valued martial prowess, having warrior princesses, not princesses.

But the girl was no crude warrior; her every move radiated the royal family’s pride without losing the grace and poise of a woman.

The most dazzling ruby of the Lionheart Kingdom, indeed, lived up to her reputation, making even the evening sun pale in comparison.

The attendants let out soft gasps of admiration.

Even Roy, who was mentally prepared, was momentarily captivated by this crimson silhouette.

However, Charlotte herself was also taken aback.

Roy Ainsworth was even more handsome than his portrait.

Regardless of his character, Charlotte acknowledged his attractiveness.

Fortunately, their standoff didn’t last long.

Roy quickly came to his senses and stepped forward to greet her.

“Welcome, Your Highness, to grace us with your presence.”

“You’ve become even more beautiful than you were five years ago. Please forgive my momentary distraction by your beauty, Your Highness.”

“Mr. Ainsworth, you flatter me. As for looks, you’re certainly not lacking either.”

Charlotte hummed lightly, as if mentioning it casually without much thought.

But she didn’t realize that this was the first time she had complimented a man since she started her courtship meetings.

Facing the hand Roy extended to her, it was also the first time she didn’t refuse, allowing him to help her out of the carriage.

Charlotte actually despised skinship with strange men; she wasn’t some frail damsel incapable of alighting from a carriage on her own.

Yet, previous suitors, seizing the opportunity, all seemed eager to touch her, forcing her to put on a stern face and refuse.

However, contrary to her expectations, Roy simply helped her down and then let go of her hand without any lingering attachment.

—Facing what could be a lioness that might cost him his life, Roy dared not linger.

“The journey has been long, Your Highness. Perhaps you should rest a bit, while I arrange for some afternoon tea.”

Charlotte raised her delicate eyebrows, teasingly saying, “You do think of everything, don’t you?”

“If Your Highness wishes to start with the afternoon tea right away, I would be more than happy to oblige,” Roy said calmly, indicating that the choice was hers to make.

“Let’s wait a moment.”

Previous courtship meetings were with men who were as eager as if they had never seen a woman before. They didn’t consider her travel fatigue and were in a rush to start the courtship.

Little did they know, a girl’s makeup retouching takes time.

Even being called a ‘princess,’ Charlotte is still a girl at heart, and she wouldn’t neglect her appearance.

This guy, he’s quite considerate.

Charlotte’s rigid expression softened a bit, and her steps became lighter.