Believe me, my love [Bonus chapter]

"Why does it feel to me you are hiding something from me?" Charlotte inquired, her gaze fixed on Édouard's reflection in the mirror.

The servants discreetly withdrew, leaving the chamber as they readied the princess.

"Why did you get such a thought?" Édouard queried as he purposefully strode toward her while she turned around to face him.

"Because you look lost to me these days. During our conversations, you often become quiet, almost as if a weight is on your mind," Charlotte elaborated.

"I usually think how come I am sitting in front of the woman I love whom I had lost once," Édouard revealed, his fingers tenderly grazing the side of her neck. Leaning in, he placed a gentle kiss on the center of her forehead. "Believe me, my love, there's no reason for you to worry. I'm not burdened by any concerns," he reassured her, a warm smile gracing his lips.