The sight that greeted them was nothing short of shocking. Their jaws dropped in unison as their eyes fell on the girl standing before them, smiling as though she had been waiting all along.
It was Marinate Hamsborn.
Charlotte froze, her mind struggling to catch up with the reality before her. Shock tightened her chest, quickly giving way to a flare of rising anger.
"What are you doing here?" Charlotte demanded, her voice sharp.
"Oh my, Princess Charlotte—you’re here too?" Marinate replied sweetly, dodging the question with a playful tilt of her head.
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. She wasn’t someone who let things slide so easily.
"I’ll ask again," she said firmly. "Why are you here?"
But before Marinate could respond, Vikel’s voice cut through the tension.
"Ah, Charlotte—you came as well? That’s good. I was hoping to see you. Now, come inside."
At the sound of his voice, Charlotte clicked her tongue and decided not to press the matter further.
With a sharp little snort, she stepped past Marinate and entered the room.
Vivian followed behind, offering an awkward smile to ease the atmosphere.
Marinate, however, had no intention of letting things go so easily.
She leaned toward him with a playful glimmer in her eyes, clearly ready to tease or flirt.
But before she could, Charlotte grabbed her by the arm and tugged her inside without another word.
"Vivian, my grandson! How have you been?"
Vikel’s face lit up the moment he saw him. He strode forward and pulled Vivian into a tight embrace.
"I’m doing fine, Grandfather. How about you?" Vivian replied, returning the embrace with genuine warmth.
"Fine as always." Vikel smiled as he released him, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "But tell me, why did you grow your hair? If your mother saw it, she’d scold you for sure."
Vivian could only give an awkward smile in return. What could he possibly say, that he was copying his favorite fictional character?
No way. That would be far too embarrassing.
"Still," his grandfather chuckled. "It suits you, though." He leaned in, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "And I didn’t expect you to reel in Princess Marinate, either. As expected of my grandson, I’m proud of you."
He patted Vivian’s shoulder heartily, as if charming a princess were a great achievement.
If only he knew the truth. Far from being some enviable triumph, his poor grandson was caught between not one, but two lunatics of princesses.
After exchanging pleasantries, they took their seats.
Vivian sat beside his grandfather, while the two princesses settled across from them, eyeing each other warily like cats sharing the same territory.
Their conversation flowed in fits and starts until the food arrived. Soon, the table was lined with a variety of dishes, and the rich aroma filled the room, softening the atmosphere just a little.
"Tell me, Vivian," Vikel said as he cut a piece of meat and placed it neatly onto his plate, "how are you finding the academy?"
"I’m doing fine," Vivian replied, spearing a piece of fish and setting it on his plate.
But then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he raised his head. "Ah—Grandfather, were you at the main estate before coming here?"
Vikel placed the piece of meat into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before answering.
"No, I wasn’t at the main estate. I was at the Sant estate, having an important discussion with your other grandfather. From there, I came here directly."
As he spoke, his gaze flicked toward Princess Charlotte, silently asking whether she had revealed anything about that matter to Vivian.
As expected, Charlotte only met his eyes briefly, her steady look confirming she hadn’t said a word.
"Oh, you were at Grandpa’s place?" Vivian processed the information with interest. "How is he? And what about Grandma—is she doing okay?" His tone softened as he asked about his maternal grandparents, genuine concern written on his face.
"Well, they’re doing fine," Vikel replied, a gentle smile on his face. "They asked me to tell you to visit them—it’s been a while since you last saw them."
"Okay, I’ll visit them if I get a vacation," Vivian said, taking a bite of fish as he spoke.
Seizing the perfect opportunity, Marinate leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "Vacation? Can I join you?" she asked eagerly, shooting a daring look at Charlotte.
Vivian hesitated, unsure how to respond, his fork frozen mid-air. Before he could say anything, Vikel chuckled and interjected, "Well, of course you can. Charlotte will be going with him, so you can come too."
He gave her permission with a warm smile, glancing briefly at Charlotte, clearly expecting an amused reaction.
But Charlotte’s eyes were blazing with fury, silently demanding retribution. Realizing he might have overstepped, Vikel quickly averted his gaze, hiding his own amusement.
’He really is my grandson,’ Vikel thought, glancing at the two girls in turn—both stunning, both princesses. Generational beauties, no less. A satisfied smile tugged at his lips.
’I’m proud of you, my grandson,’ he continued, his eyes twinkling with mischief. ’Now, get married quickly and give me a few great-grandchildren.’
He looked at Vivian with expectant eyes, trying to convey the thought without speaking.
But Vivian, completely oblivious to his grandfather’s intentions, could only stare back in horror, unsure whether to laugh, panic, or run because of what he said earlier.
Vikel averted his gaze from Vivian and turned toward Charlotte. "By the way, Charlotte, how is His Majesty doing? Is his health well?"
Charlotte, carefully keeping her irritation at Marinate in check, responded with a composed smile. "He is doing fine. The last time I received a letter from him, he mentioned that everything was well."
Their conversation continued for a while. Vikel recounted his own experiences at the academy, sharing stories of the time when Charlotte’s grandfather, the dean, and he had been close friends during their student days.
He then turned his attention to Marinate, asking about her family and other harmless details, careful not to touch on anything confidential—after all, she was from another empire.
As their conversation wandered across many topics, the food was soon finished.
After settling the bill, they found themselves outside the restaurant.
The sun was already dipping toward the horizon, casting a warm glow that marked the hour as around five o’clock.
"Alright, Vivian, I’ll have to leave now," Vikel said to his grandson.
Vivian’s expression fell, and he hesitated. "Can’t you... spend the night here?" he asked hopefully.
Vikel shook his head gently. "No, my grandson. I have other matters to attend to, so I must leave."
Seeing Vivian’s hesitant expression, Vikel pulled him into a tight embrace and whispered playfully, "Make sure to give me at least four great-grandchildren from them." He glanced at the two girls, who were standing nearby, watching the exchange with curiosity, and a hint of amusement.
Vivian’s face turned bright red at his grandfather’s words. He quickly pulled his hands free and shot Vikel a look filled with disbelief and exasperation. The source of this content ɪs 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵
To Vikel, it looked like a complex mix of emotions—but Vivian’s thoughts were crystal clear.
’What are you talking about?! These two will only produce another set of lunatics! Do you want lunatics as your great-grandchildren?!’ he thought, though the words escaped in a near-whispered shout.