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

35

“So, who will be attending your Uncle Raymond’s birthday banquet?”

King Lionheart Robert Reinhardt had not expected that a casual remark at the dinner table would become the spark for the siblings’ dispute.

“Such occasions should be left to the second prince,” Charlotte said, cutting her steak with a pout, her face full of impatience.

“It’s fine for me to attend the banquet on your behalf. But Charlotte, you’re not getting any younger. It’s time to fulfill your royal duties,” said the man opposite her, with short red hair and a refined demeanor, speaking softly with a faint smile.

He was Charlotte’s second brother, Leo Reinhardt.

But this insinuation ignited Charlotte’s temper.

The red-haired princess put down her knife and fork, lifted her head, and looked directly into Leo’s eyes without any fear, proudly saying, “What do you mean?”

“Whether it’s cultivating extraordinary powers, governing my territory, or hunting magical beasts, I haven’t fallen behind in the slightest. Does fulfilling the duties of a princess necessarily mean I must marry a man I dislike?”

Charlotte’s confidence was not unfounded.

Despite her young age, she was only one step away from Rank 8, her own territory was well-managed, and she had recently led her knights on a successful hunt of magical beasts, earning considerable merit.

The Kingdom of Lionheart did not adhere to male superiority over female; if anything, it valued martial prowess.

Charlotte had already proven through her actions that the title of “Princess Lionflame” was no empty honor.

Faced with Charlotte’s imposing attitude, Leo shifted from defense to offense: “I’m not saying you haven’t done well.”

From noble mtl dot come

“But ultimately, the royal family must bear the heavy responsibility of continuing the bloodline.”

At this point, Leo sighed deeply, his tone becoming earnest: “Your eldest brother is stationed at the frontier, and given his personal circumstances, he remains unmarried. Although I am married, I also carry the duty of hunting down heretical cults.”

Then, Leo’s tone changed as he looked back at Charlotte, his voice filled with expectation: “But you are different, still young and unburdened, it’s the perfect time for marriage discussions.”

As Charlotte pondered how to retort, Leo averted his gaze.

The second prince’s face was shrouded in shadows, filled with guilt and sorrow.

“I’m sorry to push this duty onto you, but I’m not asking you to marry right now. However, you should at least interact more with men your age.”

“I…”

Faced with her brother’s sincere demeanor, Charlotte’s resolve softened, and her anger dissipated without a trace.

The proud princess was always more receptive to a gentle approach than a forceful one.

In fact, she understood the reason in his words. It was just that she personally had no desire to deal with those young nobles of her age.

Every time she attended a banquet, various sycophantic men and fawning admirers would harass her, and yet in public, Charlotte could not reject them as harshly as she would in private courtships, lest she offend their families.

Nobles could be libertine in private, but their public image had to remain immaculate.

Privately, she could be willful, but in such situations, outright rejecting someone could severely damage the other family’s reputation and lead to enmity with the royal family.

The tense atmosphere was no longer present, but the air became oppressively heavy, like damp mist, suffocating.

It was then that their father finally spoke up.

The robust king, with a beard as fiery as his name, waved his hand and laughed heartily, his laughter booming like distant thunder: “Ah, it doesn’t matter. If Charlotte doesn’t want to go, let it be! That old Raymond will understand!”

He glanced at Leo again, disdainfully remarking, “I’m not even worried, what’s got you in a tizzy? Your sister’s marriage is none of your concern!”

Leo attempted another struggle, “But…”

“But nothing!”

Even without invoking his extraordinary powers, Robert’s booming voice made the dining table tremble slightly.

“Those little nobodies are not worthy of my Charlotte! It would be best if Charlotte never married!”

“Uh…”

“Eek…”

The sudden outburst from their father left the siblings simultaneously speechless and contemptuous.

But Charlotte knew that her father was feigning ignorance on purpose, to give her an out.

In Visezia, the failure to pass on a noble’s extraordinary lineage is a crisis for any noble family, let alone the royal family.

However, the stronger the extraordinary bloodline, the slimmer the chance of having offspring. Like the Reinhardt royal family, bearing the golden bloodline, having three children in this generation is rare across the continent.

Now, with the eldest and second princes each facing their own difficulties, the responsibility fell on her.

Even if her father doted on her, there were limits.

Charlotte propped her cheek in her hand, twirling a lock of hair, her gaze drifting to the night outside the window.

Under the orange glow of the candlelight, the girl’s captivating red eyes took on a layer of faint sorrow, and her thoughts turned melancholic.

She couldn’t keep dragging this on…

“However, I’ve heard you’re getting along quite well with the young Carlisle lad?”

“Huh?”

Robert’s abrupt question threw Charlotte off balance.

But Robert, lost in memories of the past, didn’t notice his daughter’s discomfort, and remarked wistfully, “Back in the day, I had thought about arranging a marriage for you two, but who knew the Carlisle boy would turn out so lackluster…”

“Who says he’s lackluster?!”

By the time Charlotte realized, she had slapped her hands on the table and stood up abruptly.

Robert and Leo’s gazes turned to her, filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Charlotte’s face flushed, and she quickly sat back down, coughing solemnly before saying leisurely, “I just think that not all rumors are true.”

“Hmm? You met the lad a few days ago, didn’t you? How was it?” Robert asked, squinting his eyes.

Charlotte felt guilty under his gaze, “It was… not bad…”

That short phrase made Robert and Leo frown simultaneously, sensing something amiss.

‘Not bad,’ when said by the average noble daughter, means a refusal.

But coming from this proud tsundere, it meant the complete opposite!

One must know that whenever Charlotte talked about her suitors before, she always had a murderous look! Now, this attitude was simply unmagical!

Charlotte was unaware of the whirlwind thoughts between her father and Brother Wang, when she suddenly realized something.

The last time she couldn’t stay for the dinner, she thought she would miss Roy forever.

But if Roy was also attending Duke Raymond’s birthday dinner, wouldn’t she be able to meet him rightfully, and perhaps, even share a dance…

Alas, but she remembered Roy seldom attended parties.

“Carl said he’s taking the lad to the party,” Robert stroked his beard, his voice laden with meaning.

Charlotte immediately straightened up, her face flushed with excitement, revealing a dignified and graceful smile, her eyes sparkling with joy like rubies: “I’ve thought it over. It’s not good to always trouble Brother Wang to attend the parties. Perhaps this time, I should take on the task!”

Robert didn’t expose his daughter’s little scheme, his feelings complex and reluctant to let go.

But Leo’s expression turned peculiar.

The Carl family’s boy, Roy Ainsworth?

How come he remembered that guy as nothing but a worthless, villainous young master?