I would love to hear your scream

Charlotte didn't like Édouard's remark and looked at the suitcase beside him. She lifted her body when the carriage wobbled as it hit a pebble. Unable to balance herself, she fell towards Édouard who securely wrapped his arm around her waist. 

She landed on his strong thighs, and her lips brushed his left cheek. She gaped at him and promptly leaned back.

"My humble apologies," she said in a low voice and lowered her gaze. She moved back, but to his surprise, Édouard didn't let go of her. Her eyes lifted, and she asked him to let her go. 

"You have already made a move on me," Édouard said. She found him smirking, and it made her worried. 

"I did nothing," Charlotte said, and put her hand above his, which was holding her waist. "Prince Édouard shall let me go, or else I will ask the chauffeur to stop the carriage." She threatened him when she found he was no longer letting her go. 

"Then tell him to stop. I want to see who has more authority," Édouard challenged her. His confident tone intimidated her. 

Charlotte tapped on the wooden wall of the carriage behind Édouard and asked the chauffeur to stop. However, he didn't listen to her. 

"Unfortunately, he's loyal to me," Édouard stated. Charlotte kept moving, but he was adamant not to let go of her. 

"Prince Édouard, please let me go." Defeated, she requested him this time. She looked into his ocean blue eyes. 

"I won't," Édouard replied. "Stay this way. It's a better position. I can watch you closely," he affirmed. 

Charlotte averted her gaze from him and curled her fingers. Her hands, which were on his shoulders, she gradually pulled them away. Édouard wondered if she still had a fever and lifted his hand. She gaped at him when he rested his palm on her forehead. 

"Your temperature has reduced." Édouard was relieved to find that and put his hand down. 

"Prince Édouard seems like a womanizer to me," Charlotte remarked. 

"What did you say? Me a womanizer!?" Édouard could not stop laughing. 

"I didn't joke with His Royal Highness. He is forcing me to sit on his lap and has his eyes on the woman who was his late brother's wife. He must have had wrong thoughts about me," Charlotte stated. She wanted to anger him. Then, he would leave her.

"I am surprised that you read my mind," Édouard stated, and smirked. "Indeed, I have many wrong thoughts about you," he whispered, and his calloused fingers rested under her chin. "When your soft lips brushed my cheek, I felt the urge to kiss you right away," he affirmed. 

Charlotte knitted her brows and blinked her eyes for a time. "My lips didn't brush against your skin. Stop making ridiculous assumptions," she yanked his hand away from her chin. 

"You can lie to yourself," Édouard stated. "However, the one who experienced it cannot lie, Charlotte."

"You are shameless," Charlotte said in anger. 

"Indeed, I am." Édouard smiled at her. 

Charlotte finally hit his arm. "I will scream if you do not let me go." 

"I would love to hear your scream," he said, and the grin widened on his face. "Just say my name while screaming and the chauffeur will think something very intimate is going on between us."

Charlotte pursed her lips together and gulped to hear his words. She looked away and decided not to talk to him. She kept cursing him in her head while he enjoyed those expressions of hers.

Édouard didn't know he would flirt in this way with Charlotte. But he liked this change in him. His happiness suddenly left him after he could never confess how he felt about her. However, he always thought well of Charlotte. Even the day she got married, he only prayed for her happiness. 

The carriage halted, but his eyes remained glued to her. 

"We are outside my house. Please let me go," she urged again. Édouard looked out of the window and pulled his hand away from her waist. 

Immediately, Charlotte rested on the seat behind her and adjusted her hat. 

The door was opened and Édouard stepped out first. He turned and held out his hand for Charlotte. She grabbed it and he helped her get down. She checked her gown before going inside the mansion's gate. Édouard followed her and encountered Roger, the butler of the Bourbon family. 

He was extremely delighted to see both of them, and at the same time, he was surprised. 

"How is Father?" Charlotte asked Roger, who briefed her about the health of Marcus. She was relieved to hear that he was a little better than yesterday. 

Roger asked them to take a seat on the sofa in the living room. "I will inform Lord Marcus," he said when Charlotte stopped him. 

"I will go to his room," Charlotte said. Roger glanced at Édouard, who allowed her to. Charlotte quickly left for her father's room while Roger stayed behind. 

"Are her brothers and sister-in-law at home?" Édouard questioned Roger. 

"Yes, Your Royal Highness. They soon will be here," Roger replied. 

Édouard hummed when Hayden reached the living room with his wife. Winfred entered a few minutes later, and they greeted him.

"Bring the tea for—" 

"I am not here to drink the tea," Édouard said before Hayden asked Roger. 

"Take your seats," Édouard told them. The three of them swiftly settled on the sofa and wondered if Charlotte had agreed to marry him or not. 

"Rainard told me what happened after I left," Édouard began the conversation. 

"Father got suddenly sick after you left. Charlotte was refusing to marry you, which was the main reason behind our father's deteriorating health. But now, he is a little better," Hayden said. Fleuretta agreed with the words of her husband.

"I think the Prince should proceed with the marriage. Since he will be the one who will benefit from this the most. The territory of Beromont will be under His Royal Highness' rule," Fleuretta stated. 

"Did you three ever care about Charlotte?" He suddenly turned angry at them. "I had warned you not to say anything that would harm Charlotte in any way. You are lucky that I didn't strip you off of your position because of Charlotte." 

Hayden got scared to hear him and apologized to him for his mistakes. 

"Your rank will get lowered and so will yours," Édouard said, looking at Winfred. "Even if you both beg me, I will not forgive you both. Charlotte has agreed to marry me, but the pain her own brothers and sister-in-law inflicted on her, I cannot tolerate that," he pronounced while glaring at three of them.