I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Farewell

It’s pretty rare for the members of the Reinhardt royal family to gather around the dining table.

In the Lionheart Kingdom, with its focus on martial prowess, the royal family practices what they preach, sending the Crown Prince to the Desperate Defense Line for training.

At the same time, the Second Prince, Leo, has a task of hunting down Cult activity, leaving him with little free time.

The King and Queen are both busy dealing with internal and external affairs, so you can imagine how seldom the whole family gets together like this.

But what’s even rarer than family gatherings is Charlotte’s nonstop chatter.

“Brave, kind, honest, graceful, humble, yet unyielding—ah, you should really see how he protects that maid! Roy Ainbrad is one of the few men worthy of the noble title, far from the awful reputation people say he has!”

In the past, when Charlotte talked about potential marriage partners, she either looked disgusted or ready to punch them. Seeing her glowing like this while praising someone was enough to shake the family’s perception of her to the core.

Their father, Robur, had a mix of feelings, wanting to say something but holding back.

The Second Prince Leo’s expression darkened, feeling completely baffled.

Meanwhile, Charlotte’s mother, Leisa Reinhardt, a majestic woman, sipped her red wine, her lips curling into a hint of devilish amusement.

“So, you really like him, huh?”

“Of course…! I mean, his character!” Charlotte choked a bit.

Even though she’s proud in public, facing her mother’s piercing gaze made Charlotte feel a little guilty.

The little princess looked away, playing with her long hair, pretending to casually explain: “I just think he’s excellent, completely different from the spoiled brats of this generation.”

“That’s all.”

Being family, they all understood what was implied.

Charlotte’s forced emphasis was practically a confession in itself.

Their father Robur, sipping silently, didn’t have much to add.

Truth be told, he wanted to break the legs of every man who got close to his daughter, but seeing her so happy, and considering that Roy is the precious son of his friend, he just couldn’t explode.

However, Leo decided to pour cold water over Charlotte’s excitement right then and there.

“Isn’t it possible he’s just putting on an act?”

“You have to understand, people lie, especially those scoundrels who can charm girls with a few smooth words.”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at Leo: “Brother, I know how to judge character. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Charlotte prided herself on being good at reading people; besides, Leo attacking Alice was a sudden event, so there was no way Roy was faking his protection of their maid.

Taken aback by Charlotte’s retort, Leo fired back, putting down his fork and knife, looking straight at her with half a sneer and half sarcasm: “Don’t you find it strange?”

“A good-for-nothing scoundrel suddenly becomes a brave knight overnight? And it just happens to be before your arranged marriage? Doesn’t that sound a bit too convenient?”

“Oh, very reasonable.” Charlotte rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed: “You’re still the same—suspicious and worried, always thinking people can’t change for the better.”

Leo’s brow twitched, but he buried his annoyance deeply, replying seriously: “And you, holding onto unrealistic fantasies as a girl.”

Charlotte was always competitive, even against her own brother.

Since they were family, everyone knew everyone’s history.

She smirked, ready to hit back: “Leo, I remember when you first saw our griffon knight, you thought he was a demon and cried to Dad about it! Was that ‘realistic’ enough?”

Mentioning that incident brought smiles to everyone’s faces except Leo’s, and even the serving maids struggled to contain their laughter, filling the room with a cheerful atmosphere.

Leo could no longer keep his cool, his face turning red.

“Humph! You were the same when we…”

“Enough.” Their father’s voice cut through the sibling banter a bit sternly.

“Charlotte believes in the goodness of people while Leo is suspicious; neither of you are wrong, but don’t go to the extremes. You should learn from one another,” Leisa interjected, glancing between the two with a gentle fondness.

Under their mother’s kind gaze, the sibling’s tempers cooled.

Charlotte, proud but not arrogant, understood the wisdom in her mother’s words.

Yet Leo’s eyes remained obscured by his bangs, darkening even more than before.

Leisa felt a pang of helplessness. The boy’s pride was too high, making him hard to reason with.

“Next week is the founding ceremony. Let’s take a long-awaited picnic this weekend to relax; otherwise, you’ll be too busy then.”

“Yeah!” Charlotte perked up immediately, her frown evaporating into a cheerful smile.

The Reinhardt family occasionally left the capital for picnics in the royal gardens, which was a unique vacation for them.

Escaping the tedious courtly socializing to hunt in the wild, barbecue, breathe in the pleasant evening breeze, and stay up late reading the newest novels made it hard for Charlotte not to be excited.

She just didn’t notice that Leisa looked even happier watching her.

“And I’ve got a surprise prepared for you, Charlotte!”

“I can’t wait!”

Charlotte felt a tingle of anticipation.

Could it be the rare wine from the royal cellar or a prime ribeye steak? Oh, maybe it’s the latest knight novel!

But amid this joyful atmosphere, Leo sighed deeply.

“Sorry, I won’t be going this time.”

“Brother…” Charlotte felt a little embarrassed, worrying he might still be mad at her.

“It’s nothing to do with you.” Leo forced a smile at Charlotte.

“Recently, cults have been rampant across the land, and magical beasts are wreaking havoc. It’s pretty chaotic right now. It’s already hard enough to return to the capital; plus, I have some reports to handle.”

These weren’t secrets.

“Tch, those beasts have been exceptionally troublesome this year.” Robur spat, looking a bit solemn.

“Just go take care of your business, but don’t miss Charlotte’s birthday.”

“Of course, that’s exactly why I came back.”

Everyone felt a bit reluctant but understood. Honestly, Leo usually spent his time patrolling the kingdom, so him making it back this year was hard enough.

“By the way, Mom, can you leak a bit about the surprise?” Charlotte broke the awkward tension, curious about what her mother had planned.

Leisa’s smile widened even more.

“You’ll know when the time comes; you’re definitely going to love it.”

————————————————————

Finally, the day of departure arrived.

As they followed the caravan to the Marquis’ estate, Roy realized this would be his first time parting with the little maid. Watching Alice’s small, delicate figure, he felt a pang of reluctance.

“Alice, here, take this.”

Before leaving, Roy pulled out a golden brooch shaped like the sun and pinned it to her chest.

“Master? What’s this?”

“The Brilliant Brooch can protect you from a fatal attack. I dug it out from the family treasure vault.”

It was actually a treasure he had exchanged for favor, coming from the Third Era Sun God Cult. This extraordinary brooch could withstand a full-on attack at Sequence 7 levels. Only mentioning its value would alarm Carl and raise questions.

“Just make sure you take care of yourself, okay?”

A hint of tenderness flashed in the little maid’s eyes as she clutched the brooch over her chest, nodding earnestly: “Mm!”

Roy ruffled the girl’s hair one last time and then got into the carriage, embarking on his journey to the capital.