Charlotte

“Charlotte, hey! Are you listening?” Frederick called out, annoyed that she was not paying a single attention to him and instead paying attention to her surroundings.

With an irritated sigh, the woman turned to him with a scorn, “Apologies, were you attempting to make conversation, Mr. Frederick?”

She swore she could see steam blaring out of his head out of anger. However, he had patience considering she was his 'supposed' fiancée. Charlotte wore a smirk, facing the other way, and left him standing there while he stood there speechless. How dare she deflect my charms and flirtations? He thought.

The day went by quite quickly and soon, Charlotte arrived home where her father was taking care of the garden instead of her. She sighed tiredly, feeling her feet ache slightly, and made her way inside the house. Her father was working hard to keep the garden healthy for her sake as she continued living with him. He wanted her to enjoy herself as much as possible to prevent her from getting ill due to stress or sickness. He loved her daughter wholeheartedly and wanted the best for her – including arranging an engagement with Frederick.

Yet seeing how she continued to turn him down, he wondered if it was the best decision. Charlotte wasn't ready for marriage or children, she insisted, and he believed her. He was just trying to be nice to her. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but worry about his daughter's future and wished for the best for her.

As Charlotte entered the house, she closed the door behind her and then proceeded to enter the kitchen for a quick bite. Since her mother had passed years ago, she took the responsibility of doing house chores instead of her father, though, he preferred gardening even before he married her mother. A smile crossed her features as she reminisced the story her father had told her and somewhere deep in her heart, she wished for love like that.

“Where have you been?” Her father's gruff voice rang out from behind as Charlotte took a seat beside him.

“I went to visit Mrs. Mooseberry,” Charlotte answered simply.

The old man shook his head in amusement at his daughter's answer, “Well, it's about time. Did she have something special she wanted to show you? Perhaps a book that you'd find interesting?” He asked curiously.

“Yes, actually,” Charlotte responded with a bit of hesitation, “She had some new titles and some new texts that she wants me to see.”

“Ah, so she has started to collect your favorites. Is it something new?” Her dad asked eagerly, his brown eyes lighting up as he waited for his daughter's response. She knew he loved reading all sorts of things and loved hearing about what he read.

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Charlotte shook her head slowly, “Not this time, Father. This time I have heard of a particular book.”

Her father leaned closer in anticipation. Charlotte noticed how his dark eyebrows lifted and rose up slightly. “And what might that be? Please tell me it is not one of those awful romance novels as I told you yesterday,” he teased.

Charlotte shook her head, chuckling softly, “No, father. This book is different, much better, I am certain.” Charlotte paused for a moment while contemplating whether she should continue to speak or just let it go.

“Anyway, Father, have you been gardening all day? Perhaps it is time for a short break? I do not wish to see you all worked up and hurt your joints while tending to such a fine establishment,” Charlotte offered politely, rising from the table.

He chuckled and stood, following her out of the dining room, “I suppose it is a bit of a relief to get something fresh from the garden for a change. Now, I can sit down and relax for a while. Have fun reading, dear. I know that the smell of my beloved books is usually enough to put you in a pleasant mood and distract you from whatever worries may come to your mind,” he commented with a smile before turning to leave. Charlotte watched him leave for a brief moment, letting out a quiet sigh the moment he left and headed for the staircase to the second floor and upstairs, where his room resided. She climbed up the stairs silently, careful not to disturb the quietness of her surroundings and make any noise. It was still early in the evening, and most of the residents of the city had already retired for the evening.

The young redhead woman decided to unwind herself by reading the new book collection Mrs. Mooseberry had given her. However, she found it rather difficult to focus on what she was reading because her mind wandered off elsewhere. She didn't need the distraction of a book right now. All she wanted to do was lie down on her bed and close her eyes, forget about everything around her, and simply let herself relax. Instead, she found herself walking towards the window, her eyes landing on a large black castle in the distance. Sometimes, she wondered what lies ahead. Wherever it may lead, she would go there to meet her destiny one day; wherever that may be. If only fate would allow it, she would gladly take the path that led her there.

The redhead shook her head lightly to clear her thoughts and focused her attention back on the book in front of her. But somehow she found herself staring at the large castle once again. As always, curiosity began to overcome her, forcing her to finally set aside the book and stand to investigate what lay beyond the window. For a few moments, she stared at the beautiful scenery outside for quite a while and wondered what it must be like to live there.

Surely they must be incredibly beautiful. Charlotte imagined they probably were, but somehow she doubted it very much. She hadn't seen much of the world yet. She was content to stay in her small, quaint village. Why would she want to travel around the world when she had everything she could possibly want right here?

Well, this was enough for her, that is certain. All the thoughts running in her head seemed to exhaust her, causing her to retire to her bed after a change of clothes. It was late in the night by now, and all she desired was to sleep and get rid of her troubling thoughts and worries about today. Tomorrow was another exciting day full of adventure and excitement.

She sighed as she lay on the soft mattress beneath her, relishing in the warmth that came from the comforter. She couldn't wait for tomorrow to arrive.