Chapter 29: Capture your attention and heart
Charlotte dabbed the napkin on her lips after drinking the water. She put it down and looked at Édouard, who had also finished the food. She stood up after he rose to his feet and she followed him.
"Where will the Duke take me?" Charlotte asked with a bit of excitement. It had been a long time since she roamed around any place other than the palaces or castles.
Seeing this sudden enthusiasm in her made Édouard delighted. "Can you ride the horse?" He asked her while keeping his hands behind his back.
"I can," Charlotte answered. "Do we have to ride the horses to go to the secret place?" she questioned him.
"No. That was a random question," Édouard answered and put on a tiny smile on his lips to find that Charlotte was so eager to go out with him. They quietly walked in the corridor. Charlotte at the front while Édouard a step behind her. They descended the stairs and came out of the palace.
A horse carriage was waiting for them. Charlotte lifted her gown a little and stepped inside. However, before stepping in, she found out that one more carriage was behind this one. When Édouard stepped in, she asked him about the second carriage. Rainard had closed the door and got into the horse as he would accompany the Duke and Duchess for their safety.
"Our clothes and other things are placed in the second carriage which would be useful for us on this small trip," he informed Charlotte.
"We are going on a trip!" She was stunned to find out. "But was this not your secret place? You are taking so many people with you," she murmured and looked out of the window as she saw Rainard and a few other soldiers.
"Safety is important too, Dear Wife," Édouard remarked.
Charlotte shifted her gaze at him and felt her cheeks heating up. She turned her face away and looked out of the window from her side.
Édouard understood that she was shy after his remark. He looked at her hands. She was fiddling with her fingers when Édouard asked her if he could hold her hand.
"Why?" She asked while keeping her gaze away.
"I love to hold it," Édouard replied.
Charlotte bit her bottom lip and did not reply to him.
"I will consider that as a yes," he said and gently placed his hand above hers before holding it.
"That was a NO," she said stressing the word 'NO' while meeting his gaze.
"Oh. But I have held it now. So, let's be like this," he stated and shifted closer to her. The carriage had started to move and their journey began.
Charlotte knew that Édouard had feelings for her for a long time. She wanted to hear about this and wanted to know about the bet he made with Mathieu.
"Édouard," she called her name after pondering for a long time.
"Hmm?" He lowered his eyes to look at her.
She lifted her eyelids and peered at him. "Nothing," she was too nervous to talk about it. He got dubious of her. Her orbs showed she was curious to know about something.
"What is it? You can ask," Édouard stated.
"Can I?" She queried.
Édouard nodded his head at her.
"Why did you stay unmarried for a long time?" Charlotte asked. She did not jump straight to the question of whose answer she wanted to know but decided to find the answer indirectly. She did not want him to get the wrong idea that she was interested in him.
"I had no choice," Édouard answered.
"What did you mean by that statement? The Kingdom has so many potential women for the Duke," Charlotte opined.
"But no one captured my attention and heart," Édouard stated.
Charlotte stopped blinking to hear that statement. So, she was the one who captured his heart? How? She had never even conversed with him much at those times. Mathieu had introduced them, but Édouard would always look angry. However, merely on her deductions, she could not tell whether Édouard had feelings for him or not.
"Did I capture your attention and heart?" She queried.
Édouard was astonished to find out that she was talking about all this.
"Yes," Édouard replied. He did not want his feelings to remain hidden anymore. He wanted to be truthful to her in every aspect. It would be wrong if he kept holding back what he truly felt for her.
Last night, when he returned to the bedchamber, after having a detailed conversation with Rainard, he decided to make effort to go close to Charlotte.
Earlier, he made a mistake and let Mathieu have her. He should have been selfish in his love for her.
"How could I—" she could not finish her words as Édouard interrupted her.
"You smiled at me at the party where all elites have gathered in the Escana Castle. You looked beautiful that day," Édouard asserted. "You were in my heart for a long time, Charlotte," he told her the truth.
Charlotte had not expected that Édouard would tell her the truth so easily. She thought he would keep lying to her as he did all this time. She was not furious at him. Instead, she was astonished to learn the truth from him. "Are you speaking the truth?" She still wanted to confirm with him.
"I do not see any reason to lie to you," Édouard asserted.
Charlotte looked away and did not say anything. She wanted to bring her entire thoughts in one place. She wanted to recall the time when she first saw Édouard. Even Mathieu's confession did not appear this sweet to her. She closed her eyes. 'No, I cannot think this way for Mathieu. His love for me was exceptional,' she thought in her mind.
But her inner voice questioned her. 'Are you sure that Mathieu's love was exceptional for you? Édouard decided not to marry you after you married Mathieu. He came to rescue you when everyone blamed you for his death.'
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She was puzzled thinking about what to do next.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone