Ten minutes.

It took ten minutes for the black-haired wizard, whose mind had stalled in shock, to finally come back to his senses and hear the words spoken by Charlotte, who was smiling and complacent.

She said..."I";

Well, and then what about the front?

Marriage – Am I Married or Is She Married?

Duke Byrne married, so I married;

If I get married, who shall I marry?

Marry "me"......

Then the answer comes out:

I marry "me"... I marry myself;

Well?

No, no, no, no, you have to think again, think about it......

It took another ten minutes for Loren, who was full of self-indulgence and leaping thinking, to finally come out of his cranky thoughts, and his expression of disbelief was much clearer.

"Charlotte, you just said you ......"

"I said... I'm going to marry myself to you. The countess of the Red Blood Castle did not change her face and repeated it again.

The silent study seems to be silently responding to every parchment scroll and every ornament, watching nervously.

It is as if this is not a room of less than 20 square meters with only two people, but the center of the stage surrounded by all people's attention.

"If I don't hear it clearly, I can repeat it ten more times, a hundred times a thousand times... Until you get tired of listening. She couldn't take her eyes off it, and her calm voice sounded like a knight walking to the battlefield:

"But I don't think you're 'not 'not hearing', but 'not believing', right?"

"Duke Byrne... Loren Turin?"

I......

The black-haired wizard opened his mouth and stared at him, but he couldn't say a word, not a single sound.

Mentor Dalton, Root Infinit, Brandon, Asrael... Loren, who has fought with countless enemies, opponents and friends, and has experienced countless times of being speechless, or wanting to stop talking......

Such a situation, such a ... It's the first time I've been embarrassed.

"Charlotte, you... Are you confused?" After a hesitant pause, Loren showed a very reluctant and stiff smile: "Do you think my apology is not sincere enough, if it is not enough, I can actually be more ......?"

"I'm not angry, on the contrary I'm calm now, for the simple reason ... Loren, I already see you. ”

"You are too arrogant, too self-righteous, too serious about yourself - so what you want you to do, you must not be negotiable, the only choice is not to give you a choice, to force you to comply!"

In the categorical voice, the burning-eyed Charlotte pressed forward step by step, forcing the black-haired wizard to retreat step by step: "But you still can't believe it, why?"

"No, there's no why, I mean ......" Loren hurriedly tried to explain.

"What does that mean?"

Charlotte was still asking.

"Meaning... We're still at war, right?"

"Suitable, why not? Because the war is about to break out, as a duke, you should boost the morale of the whole duchy, arouse everyone's fighting spirit, and make your courtiers and knights more assured to be loyal to you. ”

"Tell me, what could be better than a wedding?"

"That, that ......" The black-haired wizard who was forced to speak almost didn't hesitate, "That Turin family... What about the Turin family, can they accept it?"

"You're not my own brother, what's unacceptable?" Charlotte snorted coldly:

"With all due respect, your grandfather, Leonardo Turin, and his father are only distant relatives of the Turin family; You side branches, which are almost about to break up, are half a Turin at most. ”

"Similar situations are not uncommon in Byrne's history, and even more so in the case of empires - in order to avoid the loss of royal power, not to mention cousins and collaterals, even between biological siblings and siblings. ”

"But ......"

"Nothing but that! I have considered all possible negative effects during your absence, and the conclusion is that even the worst outcome is nothing compared to the reward!"

Looking up suddenly, Charlotte interrupted again rudely: "The marriage of the two of us will save the Turin family from a terrible split in the future, give your business and inheritance a legitimate heir, and let your followers, the knights of Byrne, no longer have to think about which Turin to follow......"

"All of this, all of this, will create a Byrne that has never been more cohesive than ever before, and a Turin that has never been more powerful than ever!"

"So tell me, what else do you have questions?" Charlotte, who was excited, even her shoulders were trembling slightly: "What else are you worried about?"

"I... This ......" Looking at her eyes that were almost cannibalistic, the black-haired witch almost blurted out: "This kind of thing... Do you have to have a reason or a question?"

"Of course there is, and there must be!" Charlotte almost shouted, her voice suddenly sharpened:

"To this day, I have spent almost all my life living for the revival of the Turin family, sacrificing everything I can and giving what I can for this goal!"

"Now, the distance between this goal and me has never been so close, to the point that it seems to be within reach... No!" she shook her head sharply, her expression even more eager:

"Not only that, but now I can even surpass this goal and get a feat that even the previous Knight Kings have not been able to accomplish!"

"So I will never allow any problems and obstacles to stand in the way of this goal, whatever the problem must be solved - I don't care, even if tomorrow the Azorean elves will invade and the empire will be destroyed, I don't care!"

Looking at Charlotte, whose eyes were blood-red, Loren couldn't possibly and didn't want to convince her at such a time.

Because even if she says it now, she won't be able to change her mind.

"Charlotte, calm down first, you're too excited now. Looking at Charlotte, who was eager to eat people, Loren took a deep breath and tried his best to soften his expression and tone:

"In this way, I will only come back today, why don't we all go back and rest first, relax and relax our nerves, and wait until a few days to ......"

"Impossible!"

Unsurprisingly, Charlotte coldly vetoed: "You must agree, and now ask all the questions you can think of." ”

"Bring it up... And then what?"

"Solve it, destroy it, defeat it—you are the Lord of Byrne, the leader of the knights, then roar with a spear and speak with a sword!"

"And what if the problem is me?" Loren squeezed out a smile: "I... Kill myself?"

"Then convince yourself that you're not the best at this, or that I can too!" Charlotte, who was immersed in a dream, was not polite to him at all: "Say, what's wrong with you?"

I... I said I'm still a kid, okay?!

Loren didn't dare to say anything.

But he now desperately needed a reason to bring back Charlottela, who had been oppressed to death by her dreams, and to turn her back into the sane, calm Countess of the Red Blood Castle.

But for what reason... Especially on your own?

"Actually, you don't have to be so embarrassed, I know that. ”

Charlotte, who suddenly lowered her voice, had a slight tremor in her words.

"In fact, I heard about it before you even came back from Boi—Salika Jonah, the figureless, dissolute archduke of the scimitar, and I know that you have fought side by side on the battlefield and trusted each other, right?"

Well?

This time Loren was really flustered.

"And the one from the Oldwood Forest, said to be an elven war dancer named Leah, Bishop Anson told me that you two are very close, and that she once left the forest alone to meet you at Ebolden... This kind of emotion should not be just comradeship......"

The calm tone was mixed with Charlotte's deep breaths again and again: "And the one many years ago... Ah, I remember, Ariel of Corona, the child of your second mentor, who helped you again and again, and must have come back with you this time and again for the destruction of Ebolden, right?"

"No... Charlotte, I see that you seem to have misunderstood something......"

"I wasn't mistaken about anything!"

Interrupting him rudely, the slammed countess regained her gentle tone: "I mean... I can understand your difficulties, and I can understand these differences... Compared to me, a sculpture like a puppet is not attractive at all!"

"You are embarrassed because you are afraid that it will hurt me, just as you have hidden it from me again and again because you are afraid that I will be worried, but this time I will tell you that you need not worry about all this. ”

Pursing the corners of her mouth, Charlotte's chest rose and fell violently: "I don't need you to be responsible for me, I don't need your loyalty - you don't need to think about anything but a name, and if necessary, I can even help you hide it!"

"All the responsibilities and obligations are handed over to me, and I will bear the responsibility if something happens—I don't even need you to tell me that you love me like the Black Duke did to the Dragon Empress!"

"Do you understand?!"

She raised her head suddenly, and her eyes were more watery and crystalline.

Resentment, determination, irritation, grievance......

How many emotions are there... Loren didn't know.

Probably no one in this world will be able to know.

But Loren finally figured out one thing, and that was why... Between myself and Charlotte, we always can't understand each other.

For him, the surname of Turin and the title of duke were probably like property and real estate - his castle, his country, his fiefdom and his power, all of which allowed him to continue to do what he wanted.

But for Charlotte, it's a different story.

Byrne, Turin these... Not her wealth, but her faith.

And she herself, like those fanatical believers in history, tirelessly pursues the ascension of faith, eager to dedicate and even sacrifice for the faith.

She doesn't care about the process, as long as the result, even if it costs more than she can afford.

She was so eager to sacrifice herself to this "Byne of Turin" and then attain spiritual upliftment.

To put it more simply, she takes these things too seriously.

"Byrne, Turin... These are all I have, and when I can finally see the rewards of my life, I will never let this hope leave me!"

Choked up, Charlotte straightened her haughty, swan-like neck: "So tell me, if you still need anything I promise you, I will definitely say yes!"

"I... I'm mentally prepared, you know?"

The room fell silent.

Charlotte stared at the black-haired wizard's face, anxiously awaiting an answer.

Loren, who was looking at her, took a deep breath.

"I understand, I... No, I don't understand. Shaking his head vigorously, the black-haired wizard gritted his teeth as he stared at a pair of disappointed and painful eyes:

"I don't understand... What do you think you are, what do you think you are—a living person or a sacrifice?"

"My surname is Turin, and I will dedicate myself to this surname and bear all its costs!" Charlotte said coldly: "This is the noblest sacrifice spirit of the Byrne!"

"This is not called sacrifice, this is called self-righteousness!" Loren, who was also no longer calm, retorted fiercely: "You just think it's okay to do this, as long as you pay for yourself, it's a dedication, right?!"

"What's the difference between this and a guy who keeps ordering on the battlefield and rushes to the enemy by himself?!"

"Otherwise, I'm a woman, what else can I do?!"

"You're a woman, but you can't just be a woman, you have to be Charlotte Turin!"

"I don't understand!"

"Of course you don't understand, how can you understand a person who wants to die immediately?!"

"And what do you understand?!"

"I understand that you still have a choice, you are not without a way out, let alone persecuted, no one has forced you in various ways, lured you to do this and that, forced you to escape death in one predicament after another!" clenched his fists, Loren roared:

"If this is for the past few years, can you understand how envious I will be, I am almost dying of envy now!"

"I took this path for freedom and choice, but I didn't have a choice, and I was forced to go again and again - can you understand the feeling of a person who has to fight hard to get a little bit of 'freedom', and see the feelings of another person who has so many choices but throws them away in vain?!"

Charlotte froze, looking in amazement at the dark-haired wizard in front of her, who had suddenly changed into a person.

Maybe it's because there's no way back, maybe it's because Loren, who has completely torn his face and is no longer cheating, is also hysterical:

"First of all, let's get one thing clear - Charlotte, you are my friend, so I say this kind of thing not to pity you, but to be angry - your behavior today is simply out of shape, I really don't believe that you are the same person as you were three years ago!"

"You're the Countess of the Red Blood Castle, the leader of the House of Turin, the blood relative of the Black Duke, Charlotte Turin! It's not me, you have the right to choose!"

"So say it out loud, who is the person you really love and not the one who wants you to sacrifice yourself?!"

"You ————!!!!"