~19~ Free Flowers at the Market

Calm as the morning breeze was Louis' face as he surveyed the outside of their carriage, while Charlotte - who had been sitting across from him - could not even meet his eyes, although she did her best to avert his gaze.

Knowing that it all started earlier, after Charlotte realized what Louis meant to her — that was the time she couldn't take things lightly anymore, just as she was realizing what he meant to her

'Why should I think that way about this young man who is a pushy person?! How can I even admire him for that?! For heaven's sake, do I want to be pushy like him?!'

Charlotte had avoided Louis ever since he entered Charlotte's room. He was just there to look at the lady just as she was preparing for Charlotte to start acting weird and then yell at him.

This is the kind of scenario Charlotte never anticipated, so she screamed earlier, which numbed Louis' eardrums from the high-pitched sound, and it only calmed down the moment Louis immediately closed the door, as if he'd sensed that the lady was silent had time to prepare.

Currently, in the car - two people were silent with each other. Louis - was silent because he always loved looking at the scenery while driving the carriage.

But Charlotte - she'd been silent for some tacit reason related to the one person she's dating now - didn't know what the lady was thinking at the moment

'Why am I suddenly thinking like this?! I'm the lady of the household for heaven's sake! Shouldn't I be the one looking superior now? Then how come he's way ahead of me?! No! That can not be! to show him who's the boss here!'

With deep thoughts circling in Charlotte's head, she finally had the courage she needed, and just as she was about to speak, the carriage pulled to a halt

"Loui -----"

"Oh! Seems we're already here, Milady - let me"

As always, the same voice - like a gentle harmony, makes Charlotte's heartbeat uninterruptedly again. There, Charlotte's eyes widened — her hands wandered to her chest, where her heartbeats and her eyebrows began to pucker the whole time, and it was only a few inches before they even meet.

Like what she had felt before - the sounds of drums beating had already deafened her hearing and the only thing holding her to it was her vision to see where she was right now

'Once again! Why do I feel every time I've finally decided to say something or even realize something - there's always a force that makes me stop in the middle!'

Even her thoughts had the upper hand - she gave in to them, not even aware that Louis was already holding her hand as he gently led her out of the carriage and into the market.

With a dress so colorful - a yellow color like the sunflower's - all Louis could do was shake his head and finally landed a smile that Charlotte wasn't even aware of

'My lady seemed deep in thought. Well, I guess I just have to make her realize that we're already here in the market.'

With those playful thoughts circling Louis' head, he immediately pulled Charlotte in his way when he saw a guy behind her trying to push the lady.

So he pulled her to him and that's when Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise because she knew that she – more likely she was already in Louis' arms – could even smell his fresh scent and a mint scent for her took his breath away for a second.

It was only a very long time before Charlotte found the courage to push Louis away when suddenly - Louis was the one who had let go of his hug

"Milady - if you wished to walk through the market then please refer to your path and those around you, ok? You were almost hit by someone behind your back."

"Who said I wanted to go to the market?! Isn't it you who suggested or even confessed that we should go to the market?!"

Charlotte wanted to say those words most of the day, she wanted to convey her feelings to Louis but her voice seemed controlled and whenever she opened her mouth no words came out, and just like before - she felt captivated by Louis' current facial expression compared to before when his eyebrows creased.

At the moment – ​​Louis was already smiling at the lady, stifling such a chuckle that was already out of the atmosphere. At this point, Louis put his other hand to his mouth as he tried to hide such a giggle on his back as the cool, soft, and gentle breeze suddenly rocked Louis' silver hair.

Golden sun flakes captivated Louis, coloring his pale skin so gold that Charlotte's vision was already full

That was the time her racing heart had even beat twice as fast before she even knew what she was doing - her hands were already clasped in the middle of her chest when she felt like the whole world had suddenly stopped her world.

Every laugh that came out of Louis' mouth was every touch of the gentle breeze swaying his delicate silver hair, and Charlotte's cheeks, neck, and ears burned with the sudden intensity of what Louis was bringing her, and she didn't even know otherwise than for the mere word "admiration" Harriett had said to her earlier

"So, my lady, if you want to be safe and guided - never let go of that hand - all right?"

Just like the usual attitude Louis - he didn't even dare to think more than what the lady had been thinking for a few days now. All Louis thought was that since he never referred to such odd actions by the lady, he's doing his job - as long as he can see that she's doing well what he's told her to do

The moment Louis had said those words - was the moment he gently took one of Charlotte's hands, which closed as he smiled at her - without even thinking about how the lady might be feeling. All Louis wanted was for the lady to walk safe and sound across the market - yet to Charlotte, it seemed as if every step she took, every crumbling bit she had already heard, her walls were enough to collapse like heaped sand

What she was thinking about the carriage earlier kept making her think she wasn't even aware that her hands were tightly gripping Louis, which only made Louis giggle

'I guess the lady was afraid of getting lost so she's holding onto me tightly. Well, for the most part - I'll never let them get lost, so there's no need to hold on. I will always be with my lady - until she finally changes for the better'

Louis seemed to chuckle at the thought, although it wasn't the idea at all. Charlotte - didn't even know her hand holding Louis had gripped him tightly as all she knew were the thoughts in her head being heard over and over coupled with the beating drums not stimulating her senses one bit clouded, seemed deserted

"Why is he holding my hand?! Why am I acting like this?! I'm superior, right? Then why the hell am I outclassed here?! No, this cannot go on -------"

But as what happened in the carriage - Charlotte's thoughts never end when she suddenly comes - Louis immediately presented her with a yellow rose, which made her eyes widen in surprise

"Why did h----"

There, too, the moment Charlotte looked at Louis - they were already in a flower boutique - Louis had picked up some of the yellow roses after giving something to Charlotte

"How much is that ma'am?"

But the mere thought of Louis speaking to someone and calling them honorably made Charlotte's eyes narrow while her stomach churned as if she were about to throw up.

However, when Charlotte looked at the one Louis was talking to, Charlotte seemed to let out a long sigh of relief, knowing that it was just a certain old lady who was smiling at the two

"Well, I guess I'd give it to you little kids for free. You see - I and my husband had our little shop's anniversary so we wanted to give lots of flowers as we did that day for our celebration."

A smiling old lady was talking to her husband who came to her side and made them a smiling old couple. Back then - Charlotte's thoughts felt like they were rushed and what she sees now was the vision of her and Louis growing old together

"Will we be able to grow old together like this old couple? I hope so."