Marry me!

Princess Celina was there too, enjoying the dance. She also stood and started to dance with them. Charlotte started to dance in her direction.

"Let's dance together, princess," she uttered, and the princess smiles at her. They both danced together, and Charlotte was looking for an opportunity to stab her from her back, but she couldn't take the opportunity to do so.

Duke feel something wasn't right. He stood, and his narrowed has still remained at Charlotte. He feels her actions were a bit weird and different. While Duke was looking at her, he felt that he might see that woman before.

When the music stops, Charlotte pouted her lips as she didn't succeed in her mission to kill the princess. She didn't think that she can change what was written in the book. All dancer bowed their head, and so is she.

They walked back backstage. "Where's that woman?" the woman who grabbed Charlotte earlier, raged while looking at her.

"There she is," they pointed at her, and Charlotte was too surprised when she started to run away.

"Hey! I have something to tell you!" the woman said, but Charlotte didn't hear it as she was focused on running away from her.

She was running when suddenly she bumped into someone. It was hard as a rock, causing her to bounce back. When Charlotte raised her head, it was Duke.

Her eyes widened, "Your Highness," she bowed her head.

"There you are. I was looking for you," he said.

"W-What? You are looking for me?" she asked.

"Yes," as far as Charlotte knew this part wasn't written. She was frowning why this is happening.

"Follow me," Prince Duke uttered and started to walk towards the garden.

It was dark already when they reached the garden. No one is around, and they're the only ones who are there. She looked around with a frown and looked back at Duke.

"Ms... What's your name?" her lips trembled when he asked that. Charlotte then thinks of a name that she could use as her disguise.

"Ah... Caroline. My name is Caroline, Your Highness," she introduced. Duke had a smile on his lips when he heard that. "I like your name," he stated.

"Thank you, Your Highness,"

"Out of the woman from the dancers... You caught my attention," he said, and Charlotte started to think.

"No way..." the Prince was stunned as she speaks.

"What is it? Something happened?"

"Are you going to marry me?" she asked.

"Yes. According to the royal rules. I had to pick someone who dances tonight," he said, which caused her speechless with her mouth wide open.

"Are you okay, Caroline?"

"No... You can't marry me. I don't want to marry you," Duke frowned while looking at her.

"What? You were the first one who said that. Why? How can you reject an offer from a Prince?" he asked.

Charlotte scoffed, " Excuse me... With all due respect, Your Highness. I can reject and marry who I want. Also, I don't like you. How arrogant," she said. Duke's eyes widened while looking at how she looked down on him.

"W-What? I'm a Prince in this village. My father is the King of the village where you lived," he boasted.

She looked at him, "So?"

Duke was so confused as he had just met someone differently. She's unique from others.

"Whatever you say, Your Highness. I would never marry a man whom I didn't like. If you may excuse me," Charlotte then started to walk away from him. Duke was still looking at her with a frown.

He scoffed and started to walk back to the palace. His father was smiling when he saw him go back. "How is it? Did you meet with her?" he asked. "Yes, Your Highness,"

"Where is she?" his father asked again.

"She didn't want to marry me, Your Highness," they were all surprised at what he said. Princess Celina looked at him with confusion, "What? Who dared to reject the Prince?"

"That woman. He dared to reject me," Duke said with a scoff.

"Find her, and you'll marry that woman. Guards! You must find that woman and bring her, here. Without any harm," the King said, and they all bowed their head and went out to start finding Charlotte.

She removed her dress and all the accessories she'd been wearing earlier. Charlotte was running as soon as she saw guards around the place. "What's happening? Why the Prince wants to marry me so suddenly?" she asked herself in confusion.

Later that evening, Charlotte went back to her room and tossed herself on her bed. She was about to close her eyes when suddenly Elton went inside. "Hey! What happened to your plan? Did you succeed this time?" he asked.

Charlotte was so sleepy to answer his question. "I'm tired," she replied sparingly. Elton was about to wake her up, but he sigh and went out, letting her take some rest.

The next morning, the rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky. Charlotte opened her eyes and saw the first rays of sunlight lit up the room. She stretches her arms and looked outside the window. She closes her eyes as she feels the breeze hit her face. She was having a moment when suddenly Elton break inside the room.

"Luna! What happened to your plan last night?" he asked. Charlotte looks at him while gritting her teeth. "Don't you know how to knock?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry. But, what happened last night?" he asked again.

"The Prince wants to marry me," Charlotte said, and Elton was standing there, unmoving while staring at her. She looked at him and saw him not moving. "Hey! Are you okay?" she asked him.

"You're telling me that Prince Duke wanted to marry you?" he asked, and Charlotte nodded her head. "Did he knows that you're Luna, the assassin?"

"Are you thinking straight? Of course not," she uttered.

Elton sighed in relief after hearing that from her. "That's a relief then,"

"What? Relief? How can it be a relief? He's looking after me... It's that a relief?" she asked him in an angry tone.

"Yes, it is. Think of it. Prince Duke wants to marry you, and you have the opportunity to go near the princess and kill her without even noticing by anyone," he said, and Charlotte thinks of that as a good idea.

Charlotte nodded her head as she agrees with his idea. "I think that's a good idea," she said to him.

"You think so too?"

"Yes,"

Later that afternoon, Charlotte started to remove all her weapons on her and change her clothes. She looked at the mirror for the last time before she went out of her room. She bumped into Elton.

"Don't get caught, okay?" Charlotte nodded her head and she left.

She was walking on the market when she was seeing some guards around. The corner of her lips slid upwards and she was standing in front of the fruit stall near the guards.

"Hey, is that the girl we've been looking for?" a guard said and looked in Charlotte's direction. They both nodded their heads and walked closer to her.

"Excuse me, Miss. Are you Ms. Caroline?" Charlotte turns her gaze at them with a smile.

"Yes, why?"

"You need to come with us. The Prince and the King were looking for you."

"W-What? The King? Prince?"

"Yes, so, you need to come with us,"

"No... Why would I?" she asked and was about to walk when they stopped her from leaving, by holding her wrists.

"Let me go!" she act innocently while trying to free herself from them.

They arrived at the palace, but Charlotte still tries to free herself from them as it was part of her act. "Let me go!" she raged.

Prince Duke and King Arthur look at her with a frown and surprise. When Charlotte saw them looking at her, she stopped and glared at them. She still bowed her head at them to pay her respect.

"You're here," Duke stated. She rolled her eyes, "Why I couldn't be? Your guards force me to come here. I don't have any choice," the King was surprised to know her bold attitude.

"Where are your manners? You're facing the royal family. How can you act like this, Ms?" Duke asked.

Charlotte scoffed, "Manners? What about you? Where are your manners? I was being abducted and being forced to come here. Is that what you called Manners?" she asked them, which caused them to fell silent.

"So... Tell me, Your Highness. How I can pay manners to you when you're the one not doing it,"

The King smirked while looking at her. "She's really different," he whispered at Duke. "I told you, Your Highness. She really is,"

"What about Princess Natalia? You're not going to marry her?" Celina suddenly asked them, and they both looked at her.

"Ah... There's Natalia. You should marry her then. We can expand the palace's business if you'll marry a princess," the King said.

"I don't know. I even don't see her face, how can I marry her?" Duke stated.

His eyes remained fixed at Charlotte's in front of them. She was gritting her teeth at him when their eyes met each other.

Duke stood for a second and walked closer to her. Charlotte was looking at him with confidence, but he walked and leaned in closer to her, causing her to take a step back and her eyes widened.

"The person I want to marry... is you," her cheeks started to get red and she could the heat on it. Charlotte blinked as her eyes adjusted.

"No way, I'm not going to marry someone I barely know," she uttered.

"Alright. Let's go on ten consecutive dates,"

"W-What?"

" I'll give you the chance to get to know more about me."

To be continued...