CHAPTER 102: PIANOFORTE

Lilith lingered at the doorway for a moment before stepping into the room. She moved quietly to the couch and sat down, placing her hands flat on her thighs. For a few minutes, she simply listened, letting the soothing melody wash over her.

Charlotte, eyes closed in concentration, hadn’t noticed her presence. It wasn’t until she opened her eyes that she caught sight of Lilith sitting there.

Startled, she let out a soft chuckle and placed a hand over her chest. "Dear heavens, I didn’t hear you come in."

"You must have been so engrossed in your playing, that’s why," Lilith replied with a smile. "You play beautifully. You should play every day."

Charlotte blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, Lilith. You’re so kind. I wish I could, but unfortunately, it’s not possible. The prince isn’t fond of music, especially the pianoforte. Viktor once told me that the Queen used to play it almost every day when she was alive, and it reminds him too much of her."

"Oh... I didn’t know that," Lilith said softly.

"There’s still a lot you don’t know about the prince," Charlotte replied.

Lilith tilted her head. "Are you close to the prince? You seem to know quite a bit about him."

Charlotte laughed lightly. "Gods, no. We are not close at all. I think he only tolerates me because of Viktor. Everything I know about him comes from Viktor’s stories."

"Have you ever crossed his path before? Maybe angered him somehow in the past?" Lilith asked.

"No, never. The prince isn’t the kind of man who engages with people unless it’s absolutely necessary and my presence has never been needed." Charlotte gave a small shrug. "Honestly, he scares me a little. I prefer staying out of his way."

Lilith pressed her lips together, observing the young woman thoughtfully. That’s when she noticed something different. Her eyes widened slightly. "You cut your hair."

Charlotte grinned from ear to ear. "Yes, I did."

"But why? You had such beautiful hair." Lilith said, slightly disappointed.

"I did it to vex Viktor," Charlotte said with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "He dared me to do it, and I did. He hasn’t seen it yet, though. I can already imagine his reaction. I can hardly wait for that moment."

"You cut your hair because of something Viktor said?" Lilith arched a brow, incredulous.

"I know it sounds stupid, but yes, I did," Charlotte said with a light laugh. "I really don’t care much about the length, it’ll grow back in three months or so. So, I’m not bothered."

"Do you like Viktor?" Lilith’s question came suddenly, catching Charlotte off guard. She blinked a few times, then frowned slightly.

"What do you mean by that? Of course I do, we practically grew up together in the same house," Charlotte replied curtly.

"I’m not talking about that," Lilith clarified. "I mean... do you like him? As in, have feelings for him? Are you attracted to him?"

Charlotte burst into a loud fit of laughter, so much so that she coughed twice before calming down and wiping the tears that had welled up in her eyes. "You are quite funny, Lilith. Why would you ask that? There are over a million men in Valyron, and you think I would be attracted to Viktor? Well, I’m not. That would be weird, don’t you think?"

"I... don’t think so," Lilith replied honestly. "Its not like you’re related. You just grew up together."

"Well, I suppose you’re right. But no, i have no feelings for him. Besides, I’ve seen the type of women he courts, and I can assure you, I’m nothing like them. And he’s not the kind of man I would choose to court either."

"Alright," Lilith said with a slight nod. "I guess I was wrong. It’s just... you both act like a married couple."

"That’s just how we’ve always been," Charlotte said with a shrug.

Just then, the door to the music room opened and Viktor stepped inside, wearing a brown coat and black trousers. His hair was tousled, like he had just woken up. His eyes flicked from Lilith—who greeted him with a smile—to Charlotte, who stood with her arms crossed, smirking.

His eyes widened when he saw her hair. "Dear heavens! Lucy, you cut your hair."

"Surprise, Viktor!" Charlotte grinned from ear to ear. "You dared me, and I proved you wrong."

Viktor let out a deep sigh and rubbed his temples. "I can’t deal with you, Lucy. Why would you even do that? I was only joking—I wasn’t being serious."

"How was I supposed to know that?" Charlotte shot back. "You should have told me before I cut it."

"I wanted to, but you were too quick to prove your point. You know your father loved your long hair and yet you still cut it."

"It’s going to grow back. Don’t act like it’s a big deal. It’s just hair." Charlotte rolled her eyes.

Viktor turned his attention to Lilith. "Forgive my bickering with Lucy, she’s incredibly stubborn and hard-headed."

"Stubborn? How am I stubborn? I literally didn’t do anything wrong," Charlotte whined, a frown settling on her face.

Viktor pressed his lips together. "Nobody said you did anything wrong, Lucy."

"I wish to retire to my chamber. You have succeeded in ruining my mood." She stood up from the chair and walked toward the door. Pausing, she turned to Lilith with a small, polite smile. "I will play for you next time. Have a wonderful evening, Lilith."

With that, she turned and exited the room.

A moment of silence passed between Viktor and Lilith before she broke it. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am. Although I fear Lucy will be the death of me. All I’m doing is trying to protect her, but she refuses to understand that." He let out another sigh.

"Charlotte is a grown woman who can make her own choices. Perhaps you should let her because clearly, she doesn’t want your protection."

Viktor sighed again, pressing his lips into a thin line. "You are probably right."