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

19

“You’re wrong, terribly wrong!”

Once she began, the emotions boiling in Charlotte’s chest couldn’t be stopped.

The young man in front of her clearly liked her, yet he was content with just one face-to-face tea meeting before letting go.

Just like in the knight novels, where the knight who deems himself unworthy of the princess takes his leave.

She always thought the princesses in knight novels were foolish.

The knight clearly loves the princess so much, so humbly, willing to sacrifice himself for her happiness. Yet the princess inexplicably throws herself into the arms of a prince.

She is not a princess.

She is a royal princess.

Charlotte took a deep breath and declared loudly to the young man before her.

“Roy Ainsworth, I’m going to make things clear today!”

“You are the only one, who is worthy of me!”

Under the twilight afterglow, the princess stood proudly, even the sinking sun behind her paled in comparison.

Like the most dazzling crimson mark in this dim world, deeply branded in Roy’s heart.

Roy had never thought, carrying over a decade of negative reputation, that he could truly gain the favor and recognition of Her Highness the Princess.

So subconsciously, he never considered proving to Charlotte that he wasn’t that ‘rogue Roy’.

As long as you don’t invest true feelings, you’ll never get hurt.

Aim not for merit, but for no faults. Just be careful not to offend Charlotte.

But now, the proud princess uses her passionate emotions to ignite Roy’s silent heart.

Charlotte has proven that she won’t deny everything about Roy because of prejudice and rumors.

After a while, Roy couldn’t help but raise the corners of his mouth, suppressing a chuckle.

“So, did Your Highness fly back just to tell me this?”

“Of course… not!” Charlotte’s tone suddenly became disordered mid-sentence.

“Cough cough, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t come back just for you.” The little princess crossed her arms and haughtily lifted her head to emphasize: “It’s just that being misunderstood by you is really annoying!”

“Thank you for flying back specially to remind me,” Roy replied, holding back a smile.

“I’ve said, it’s not just for you that I flew back…”

Charlotte, who was just now full of vigor, suddenly softened, shyly averting her gaze from the boy in front of her.

Roy straightened his expression, saying earnestly, “But I still don’t think I’m worthy of Your Highness now.”

“Hey, you…!”

Charlotte, slightly irritated, was about to give him another lesson, but unexpectedly, Roy took the initiative, stepping forward right in front of Charlotte!

So close, too close!

The distance between them was just a hair’s breadth, so close that even their breaths were ambiguously intertwined.

Charlotte, who had never been so close to a boy, faced the youth before her, almost able to see her reflection in his dark eyes.

The girl momentarily forgot to breathe, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

As the sun set, the shadows of the boy and girl overlapped, with only a hair’s breadth between them.

“This is the truth, Your Highness is born with golden blood, an extraordinary being, the respected ‘Lion Flame Princess’. I’m not yet qualified to stand beside Your Highness.”

If previously at the tea party it was just modesty, now Roy truly believed it.

Roy looked straight at the girl before him, sincerely saying, “So I promise you, one day, I will become a man worthy of Your Highness.”

If Charlotte is willing to trust him, then why shouldn’t he meet her expectations?

Charlotte’s cheeks flushed red, but a hint of undeniable joy shone through.

“Words alone don’t count.”

“Eh?” Roy, who had just been suave, was a bit embarrassed.

Charlotte lowered her eyes, asking shyly, “Do you know about the oath of a kiss?”

With that, she extended her fair hand towards Roy.

Of course, Roy knew. Legend has it that during the founding period of the Lionheart Kingdom, the dragon-slayer Siegfried, before setting off on a campaign, offered a kiss to the princess as an oath, promising victory for the kingdom.

Since then, the hand-kissing gesture has signified the knight’s most sincere oath to the monarch. As time passed, this ancient ritual also took on the meaning of a gentleman’s promise to a lady.

Roy understood without words, kneeling halfway, he took her fingertips, soft as silk.

The warmth from the girl’s fingertips was scalding, startlingly so.

As if handling the world’s most precious treasure, Roy, with utmost care and sincerity, under the sinking twilight, bestowed a gentle kiss upon Charlotte’s hand.

Those outside the door, ready to mock Roy, were left agape, unable to believe the sight before them.

And after the oath, Roy and Charlotte looked at each other, both shyly averting their gazes.

Perhaps to break the ambiguous air, Charlotte spoke up, offering her sincerity: “If you don’t mind, from now on, you can call me Charlotte—when it’s just the two of us.”

This was the first time the Lionheart Princess, aside from her kin, allowed, even somewhat eagerly, a man to call her by her name.

“You can call me Roy,” he responded with a light laugh.

“Thank you for trusting me so, Charlotte.”

“!”

She had arrived with bluster and bravado, but now Charlotte’s face was flushed with shyness, unable to lift her head.

“Idiot!”

“We have a promise, one day, to shed the title of a scoundrel, to prove myself to everyone! Until then, I will always wait for you!”

After saying this, Charlotte turned, somewhat awkwardly mounted her griffin, and departed, vanishing beneath the sunset.

And Roy’s panel, long dormant, flickered to life.

【Lionheart·Reversal Progress】: 5%

【Current Reversal Node: Lionheart】

【Charlotte·Reinhardt】: Affection +30, Current Affection 11

【Reward】: Reversal Point +1

——————————————

On the way back, Charlotte, covering the spot Roy had kissed, blushed and giggled to herself.

After hearing Charlotte’s retelling, Lisa couldn’t help but feel moved; the princess, so discerning in her tastes, had finally found someone special.

It was like watching one’s own cabbage grow up, finally ready to be courted.

But Lisa had one question.

“So, Your Highness, you’re quite fond of Master Roy, aren’t you?”

“Well, not that fond. It’s just, he’s quite nice. Handsome, well-mannered, polite, and although he’s done some bad things in the past, he’s said he wants to turn over a new leaf… Anyway, I don’t dislike him!” Charlotte fumbled with her ponytail, bashfully smiling, unable to hide her joy.

Lisa filtered through Charlotte’s proud and coy words, concluding.

The princess was more than pleased with Roy!

And that’s why she was all the more puzzled.

“If you like him so much, why not stay for the evening banquet?!”

According to aristocratic etiquette, if a lady is pleased with her suitor, she should stay for dinner, and with some luck, even dance! If fortune smiles broadly, sparks might fly that very night!

“…….Ah, this.”

Charlotte’s smile froze on the spot.

She was accustomed to leaving immediately, having long forgotten this formal procedure.

A loss indeed.