Chapter 16: Outing With Charlotte.

While Charlotte was struggling with her inner feelings, fearing Ben's response, two figures were peeking from the slightly opened door of the room beside Ben's. They were listening to the conversation between Ben and Charlotte. It was none other than Sol and Puli.

"Why is sis here?" Sol asked in a low voice.

"Hehe~ can't you see? She was here to invite Ben on a date," Puli teased Sol, who looked confused.

Both Puli and Sol decided to follow Charlotte because they saw she was acting strange, talking to herself about something, shaking her head, and then walking back and forth, deep in thought.

Then, she suddenly stood up with a determined face and started walking. Seeing this, Puli signaled Sol with her eyes to follow her.

"Are you feeling bored?" Charlotte asked while not meeting Ben's eyes, trying to find any loopholes in the conversation to invite him out.

'Charlotte, you look cute. You wait and see, I will make you mine.' Ben looked at Charlotte, asking about his well-being.

"Ben...?"

Seeing no reply from Ben, Charlotte looked at him. Seeing Ben, who was looking at her without blinking, she lightly blushed and called him again.

"Yes... I mean, yes Captain. I am a little bored." Ben went along with Charlotte.

'This is it. Ask it, Charlotte, you can do it.' Charlotte encouraged herself.

Seeing their captain blush from the side, both Puli and Sol had different kinds of reactions.

Puli had a smirk while nudging Sol, implying, 'See, I told you before, now it's evident before your eyes.'

"It must not be true, right?" Sol had an ugly expression with wide eyes, not believing what she was currently witnessing.

The icy princess who always looked down on men with disgust was now blushing, looking at Ben.

"I am now free. So... how about going out for sightseeing?" Charlotte, whose face suddenly became cold and indifferent, said.

'____'

'What!!! Did she want to invite me out?' Ben looked at Charlotte, confused because he thought he needed to make an effort to get her to fall for him instead of Yami.

While Ben was lost in thought, outside his room, Puli and Sol were looking in the direction where Charlotte had left.

After an hour...

Ben got dressed up for his outing with Charlotte and went towards the courtyard where Charlotte had asked him to come to meet her for an outing.

When he arrived at the courtyard, he saw Charlotte standing in the rose garden, waiting for him.

Ben was mesmerized by Charlotte because she would usually wear her armor with her captain robe, but now she was wearing a beautiful blue gown with many blue roses, and her hair was loose.

Beside her, there was a carriage waiting for them.

"Oh Ben, you came." Charlotte noticed Ben standing at the entrance of the rose garden.

'____'

"Captain."

"What?"

"You look really beautiful," Ben said without taking his eyes off her while walking towards her.

"Oh... thanks." Charlotte turned her face away from Ben with a slight red visible on her ears, her lips formed a slight curve.

"Then shall we go?" Charlotte asked Ben while entering the carriage.

Ben followed behind her and left the base in the carriage.

After traveling for some time in the carriage, it was stopped before a restaurant. While traveling in the carriage, both Ben and Charlotte did not speak, there was an awkward silence between them.

After the carriage came to a halt, Ben and Charlotte exited it. Ben looked at the tall royal-looking building before them.

"Let's go," Charlotte said with a chuckle, seeing Ben looking at the building in awe.

Ben nodded his head and followed behind Charlotte.

When Ben and Charlotte entered the restaurant, a waiter was walking towards them.

"Welcome mam." The waiter bowed to Charlotte and took them towards an empty table. After taking their seats, Charlotte ordered food. After receiving the order, the waiter left the table.

After the food arrived, both Ben and Charlotte started to eat while chatting with each other about their lives, mostly about Ben's life in the orphanage.

"How is the food?" Charlotte asked Ben while wiping her mouth with a tissue.

"Oh, it's tasty. I like it," Ben answered while chewing the food in his mouth.

On one of the tables at the corner, a fat man was sitting, wearing a noble dress. He had a bald head and a blond mustache.

His eyes laid on Charlotte, who was chatting with Ben with a smile.

'Why should such a beauty accompany that brat? She should accompany me. Who am I, a noble.'

He looked at Charlotte with a lust-filled gaze while looking at Ben with jealousy.

When the fat guy heard Ben was a common orphan, his disgust for Ben skyrocketed. While gripping the wine glass in his hand, he tightened.

'Commoner brat, dare to step inside here? I will show you your place. As for the woman, she will belong to me.'

The fat guy with a smirk got up from his place and started to walk towards Charlotte and Ben.

"Hi there, young lady. You look beautiful. How about accompanying me?" The fat guy asked Charlotte while his head held high and beaming with confidence.

'Who would reject me? A noble, handsome man like me.' The fat guy gave his killer smile to Charlotte.

"Get lost, trash." Charlotte didn't even look at the fat guy and said with disdain in her voice, with narrowed eyes.

'____'

Crack...

There was a cracking sound coming from the fat guy, who was looking at Charlotte with a shocked expression. This was the first time someone rejected him like this, with disdain in their voice.

"Young lady, I am a noble. If you accompany me, you will get richer," the fat guy tried to tempt Charlotte with his money.

Puff...

Ben heard the fat guy who couldn't control his laughter and laughed at the stupidity of the old guy before him.

When the fat guy saw Ben was laughing at him, he felt humiliated; his face turned ugly.

"You... you commoner. How dare you laugh at me." The fat guy pointed at Ben and shouted angrily.

Seeing this, Charlotte's face darkened, the aura around her started to turn black.

"Ohh... calm down, old man. If you become angry, you will die of a heart attack." Ben commented on the fat guy, who was yelling at him, with a smirk.

'____'

Crack...

"You!!! How dare you call me old." The fat guy's face turned red in anger. When the crowd heard Ben's comment, they laughed at him.

"You women, come with me, or else you will face the consequences." The fat guy is about to catch Charlotte's hands.

A hand gripped him firmly.

"Old man, what do you think you are doing? She is your daughter's age, you know." Ben once again teased the fat guy, but instead of smiling, there was a serious expression on his face.

The fat guy tried to free his hand from Ben's clutch but failed.

"I said nicely to you to behave properly suitable to age, but you don't take my warning to your heart, do you?"

"Don't try to touch her again, otherwise I will blast open your bald head with my bare hands."

When the fat guy heard each word of Ben, he felt the killing intent from it.

"You... you! I am noble." The fat guy took a few steps behind, and his legs were trembling in fear.

"Noble my ass. I only care about her." Ben shooed the fat guy's hand away.

Hearing Ben, Charlotte looked back at Ben with a red face. She felt very warm towards Ben, her lips curved upwards.

'He is standing before me, protecting me, just like on that day.' Charlotte was happy seeing this scene.

"You, I will call magic knights for attacking me. They will arrive in a few minutes." The fat guy started to panic and warned Ben that he would call Magic Knights to take action.

"Oh... you see, the magic knights have already arrived." Ben punched the fat guy in the face, sending him flying, crashing into the wall.

Seeing the crowd gathering, a few magic knights came to the restaurant.

"Hey, what's the problem?" One of the magic knights from Purple Orca asked, looking at the man.

When his eyes saw Charlotte, who was looking at Ben's back in a daze.

"Captain Charlotte." The magic knight exclaimed in surprise seeing Charlotte.

After solving the situation with the fat guy, Ben and Charlotte returned to the carriage. Meanwhile, the management of the restaurant apologized to Charlotte for this incident and banned the fat guy's entry permanently.

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(Author's POV)

Thanks for reading the chapter! please give a review and power stone!!!