Chapter 1409: Intermission 5: The Stalking Girl (1)

Charlotte’s POV

Three days had already passed since Julius’ execution.

Even after all that time, the whole thing still felt strange to think about. Surreal, maybe.

Death was such a simple thing when you looked at it from the outside. A person existed, and then they didn’t. Yet somehow, even knowing that, it still felt difficult to fully process.

Still, I understood why it had to happen.

Julius had crossed far too many lines. He had become someone unforgivable, someone who had hurt too many people and caused too much damage for anyone to simply overlook it anymore. At some point, punishment stopped being about second chances and started becoming about consequences.

And in his case, the only thing left that could possibly redeem him was death itself.

Honestly, even saying that in my head felt heavy.

I leaned back slightly in my chair and stared at the ceiling for a while, letting out a slow breath.

His death was... complicated.

That was probably the closest word I could think of.

I didn’t feel sorry for him.

At least, not in the way people usually meant it.

He had done all sorts of terrible things. Enough that his execution felt justified no matter how I tried to look at it. Deep down, I didn’t think there was much hope left for him anymore. Part of me even believed there shouldn’t have been any path for him to escape the situation he created for himself.

Actions had consequences.

Simple as that.

Plenty of people suffered because of him, and there was only so much damage someone could cause before redemption started sounding less realistic and more like wishful thinking people used to make themselves feel better.

Sure, maybe there was a possibility he could have changed eventually.

Maybe.

But "maybe" wasn’t enough anymore.

A tiny chance at redemption didn’t erase everything he had already done.

Still...

Even while thinking all of that, there was this uncomfortable feeling sitting in my chest.

Because despite everything, part of me still pitied him.

I didn’t understand his feelings properly back then. Looking back on it now, I realized how blind I had been. And honestly, part of the reason he became the person he did was because of me.

That thought stung more than I wanted it to.

If I had only been more aware of his feelings...

If I hadn’t been so consumed by my love for Professor Sesillian back then...

Maybe things could have gone differently.

Maybe.

I hated that word lately.

I didn’t know if I could’ve ever fallen in love with Julius romantically. Honestly, I doubted it. But I could’ve at least handled things better. I could’ve explained myself more clearly instead of avoiding difficult conversations and hoping things would somehow sort themselves out naturally.

Life really loved proving that strategy didn’t work.

Originally, the reason I even became close to Julius in the first place was because of my parents.

They wanted me to become Queen someday since Julius was the heir to the throne. Becoming close to him was practically planned from the beginning. Looking back on it now, it almost felt ridiculous. Like I had been assigned a role before I even understood what any of it meant.

Smile nicely.

Stay close to the prince.

Become useful.

That was basically the entire plan.

Honestly, it was exhausting.

I never wanted that responsibility.

Being Queen sounded glamorous to other people, but all I saw was pressure, expectations, and people constantly trying to use you for their own benefit. My parents especially treated me less like a daughter and more like some investment they were carefully preparing for the future.

That alone made me resent the whole thing.

And when it came to Julius himself...

I just couldn’t see him romantically.

No matter how hard I tried, he always felt more like a younger brother to me. Someone important, sure, but never someone I could genuinely imagine myself loving in that way.

Maybe that was cruel.

Maybe not.

Feelings weren’t exactly something people could force.

Still, I wondered sometimes if things would’ve changed if I had communicated properly. If I had actually sat down with him and made him understand my feelings clearly instead of letting everything remain vague and unresolved.

Maybe then he wouldn’t have gone down the path he did.

Maybe then things wouldn’t have ended so horribly.

But there was no point thinking about that forever.

The past stayed the past no matter how much you regretted it.

I couldn’t change anything now, and I definitely couldn’t bring him back. All I could really do was hope that wherever Julius ended up after death, he had somehow found peace.

For better or worse.

The room stayed quiet after that thought.

Too quiet, honestly.

Then suddenly...

"GUAAAHH!"

I nearly jumped out of my chair.

Ella bolted awake on the couch with a scream so ridiculously high-pitched that I immediately covered my ears with both hands.

Seriously, how did someone that small produce a sound that loud?

A second later, she completely lost balance and rolled right off the couch.

Face first.

The sound of her hitting the floor made me wince immediately.

"Oof..."

That looked painful.

"A-Are you okay?" I asked quickly.

"Y-Yes... I’m fine..." she groaned weakly from the floor.

She definitely wasn’t fine.

"What happened?"

Ella slowly pushed herself up while rubbing her head.

"I just... suddenly had a dream?"

"A dream?" I asked, smiling a little. "What kind?"

The moment I asked that, she instantly looked away from me.

Suspicious.

Very suspicious.

"I’m assuming it wasn’t a nightmare," I said casually, trying not to laugh already. "Considering I heard you moaning Leon’s name."

"W-Wha?! I-It’s not like that!"

Her reaction came way too fast.

And way too red.

Her face turned bright pink almost instantly, which honestly answered the question for me before she even tried denying it further.

The funny part was that I wasn’t even bluffing.

She had genuinely been moaning Leon’s name in her sleep the entire time. Quietly at first, then progressively louder while her hands wandered around her own body. At one point she was even touching her breasts while mumbling his name half-conscious.

Watching the whole thing unfold had honestly been hilarious.

That was exactly why I decided not to wake her up.

Free entertainment was free entertainment.

"It’s not like that..." she muttered again weakly.

"Mhm," I replied with the least believable nod possible. "Then why is your crotch stained with wetness?"

"Wha...?!"

Ella immediately panicked and checked herself so quickly that it almost looked rehearsed.

A few seconds passed.

Then she froze.

Because there was nothing there.

"Fufufu."

The realization hit her immediately.

"Y-You’re messing with me, Charl...~" she complained while pouting.

"I wasn’t," I said teasingly. "I just think it’s funny seeing you become like this."

Her embarrassment only got worse after that.

Honestly, Ella was normally so composed and proper that seeing her completely flustered over Leon made everything ten times more amusing.

"If you’re already this bad," I continued, resting my chin against my hand, "then why don’t you just offer yourself to Leon already? I’m pretty sure he’d jump at the chance to bed you."

At that point, her face somehow became even redder.

Honestly impressive.

Considering it was Leon, I genuinely believed he’d be more than willing to make Ella part of his harem. That man collected women almost as naturally as breathing, including me. At this point, if a girl looked at him for longer than five seconds, I automatically assumed she’d end up emotionally compromised somehow.

Yet despite all that, Ella kept holding herself back.

Probably because she was naturally shy.

Still, it was painfully obvious she liked him.

Actually, "liked" might’ve been underselling it a little considering the sleep-moaning incident I had just witnessed.

Part of me honestly wished she would stop hesitating already.