Indeed, Allen said she was free to do as she pleased.
It was up to her to spend her time however she wanted.
But… even in the freest of her leisure time, was there nothing better to do than to count the wood grains on the floor? Shouldn’t that choice be almost the last resort?
“... All right, Charlotte. Come here for a moment.”
“Y-yes?”
Allen got up from the couch and sat her there instead.
Then, he crouched down in front of her and looked into her eyes.
Allen can tell when someone's lying by looking into their eyes.
“Charlotte, I have a few questions for you. Do you… have any hobbies?”
“Hobbies, you say?”
Charlotte tilted her head curiously.
It was as if she had never heard that word before.
For a moment there, Allen wasn’t sure if she understood what he said but she soon responded with an “Umm!”
“There’s nothing in particular… I am sorry.”
“So then, what did you do in your spare time at home?”
“At home, other than learning how to manage a household, I had to perform domestic chores such as cleaning and needlework… so I didn't really have any free time.”
Charlotte said with a lonely smile.
The sight pierced Allen's heart.
“Then, did you ever have fun with this household management thing?”
"Well, I don't know about fun… I kept getting scolded by the teacher for making mistakes.”
“Then, what is your happiest memory these days!?”
“Hmmm… Oh! There’s one!”
Charlotte said with a lively voice.
Allen’s hope grew a little–
“About two months ago, as a reward for working so hard every day, Natalia… my sister gave me some fruit! It was half damaged, but… it was nonetheless a rare treat, so I was very happy!”
“...”
Perhaps, was this what they called being picked on or bullied?
“Err… Allen. Your face looks kind of scary…?”
“My unattractive features are inherited. Don't mind it. Leaving that aside, you… how old are you?”
"Uh, let's see, seventeen.”
“Seventeen!?”
She was just four years younger than Allen.
When Allen was seventeen, he was still at the Institution of Magic.
Every day, he bombarded the professors with difficult questions until they were close to tears, and blew up the laboratory a couple of times, experimenting on magic potions.
Although his research results were at the top of his class, he was what you could only call a devil-may-care idiot…
The most important thing to remember was that the best way to get the most out of your money was to be honest with yourself.
And what of Charlotte, on the other hand?
She had spent her teenage years which should be one of the most enjoyable in her life, without any hobbies or enjoyable memories, just being tossed about and exploited by others.
To only end up completely betrayed and collapsed deep in the woods like this.
“How can there be such a cruel story!?” He thought.
But Allen knew that Charlotte wasn’t lying at all.
He knew feeling sorry for her would only be humiliating her and thus, was disrespectful… yet, he couldn’t resist it in the end.
“... All right, I've made up my mind.”
“About what?”
Charlotte tilted her head anxiously.
Allen stood swiftly with resoluteness and pointed his index finger at Charlotte.
“Charlotte, I'm going to teach you… all the pleasures of the world!”
“...Eh?”