Chapter 119: Chapter 119 : Charlotte Evans Avaloria

The name Charlotte Evans Avaloria carried weight—first princess of the Human Empire, daughter of Emperor Edward Evans Avaloria and his second wife, Isabella.

Her father, one of the few Monarch-rank beings in the world, stood at the pinnacle of strength and authority. But even in a palace filled with power, kindness often proved the most fragile trait.

Charlotte remembered her mother vividly. Isabella Evans Avaloria was not just a concubine—she was a beacon of compassion.

Always helping the poor, always mediating disputes with grace. The people loved her, and so did the Emperor—dearly, fiercely. Yet in the cold game of politics, kindness was a dangerous currency.

And that danger had a name: Regina Evans Avaloria.

The reigning queen and Charlotte’s stepmother, Regina saw Isabella’s growing influence like a weed choking her ambitions.

When Charlotte was born, Regina’s first reaction wasn’t fear—but relief. It wasn’t a boy. No threat to her own sons’ future claims to the throne.

For the first decade of Charlotte’s life, she was surrounded by love. Her half-brothers—Regina’s sons—doted on her, spoiled her even. Despite palace tensions, it felt like a family.

Until it didn’t.

One day, without warning, Isabella fell gravely ill. And with her descent into sickness came a strange transformation—her brothers, once so warm and protective, began to grow distant. Cold. As if someone had turned a key and locked away their affection.

Charlotte remembered the evening clearly. The flickering candlelight, the heavy silence in her mother’s chamber, and her pale mother propped up weakly on silken pillows.

Isabella’s voice was barely a whisper, but each word burned into her soul.

“Charlotte, my dear… you have to become stronger for what’s about to come, or you won’t survive in this place.”

The ten-year-old princess blinked back tears, trying to hold her mother’s fragile hand.

“Things are changing… and now you’re on your own. Your father’s hands are tied. Promises—he’s bound by them. He can’t protect you for long.”

Charlotte’s lips trembled. “M-Mother, what are you saying…?”

“Gather allies. Build your own forces. And if needed… become the queen of this empire. Even if you must walk the path of blood.”

“Power is important, my child, but never forget—your true strength is your mind. Think before you act. Always.”

Then, just before her eyelids fell shut for what would be years, Isabella whispered one final truth:

“The time of the prophecy is drawing near. I don’t want you to become a disaster as the prophecy said, Charlotte… so, please… survive.

I wish I could change your future, but now I can only that you yourself can manage to do that.”

And then… nothing. No farewell smile. No final breath.

Her mother never opened her eyes again and went into a coma from that day onward.

No matter what treatment they tried, she never woke up—only slept.

—

From that day forward, the soft-hearted Charlotte began to vanish. In her place, a sharper, more calculating girl was born. One who cried silently into her pillow, then rose each morning to learn how to twist words like daggers.

She studied the court. Learned names. Favors. Weaknesses. She spoke softly, smiled often—but always with purpose.

Slowly, she began to draw nobles to her side, gathering influence piece by piece.

But Regina wasn’t blind. The queen saw Charlotte’s growing web and did everything she could to trip her up. Meetings were disrupted. Rumors planted. Yet Charlotte endured.

Without her mother, she found warmth elsewhere—Serina von Crestvale, her aunt and the mother of Alden and Alicia. The Crestvales became more of a family to her than her own blood. Even Alden and Alicia treated her like a true sister.

As years passed, Charlotte extended her reach. She befriended Seraphina Starlight, and Ethan Williams—the prophesied hero of humanity.

At first, those friendships were strategic. But eventually… she found herself smiling genuinely. Laughing, even.

’This… this feels real. More real than the palace ever did.’

But then came the Zenith Academy entrance exam—and the arrival of a silver-haired nobody.

Charlotte had noticed him immediately. Striking blue eyes, silver hair like starlight, and a smirk that reminded her of someone who knew more than he let on.

She thought he was just another skilled commoner who’d somehow caught Alden’s attention.

’Pretty face. Useful, perhaps.’

That was her first mistake.

He manipulated her—her!—into a direct confrontation with vampires, turning her plans into a spectacle. And when the dust settled, the commoner had stood toe-to-toe with geniuses like Alden and Ethan.

Charlotte felt her grip slipping.

’How? How did I let this slip past me?’

Before the exam, she’d already spoken to Ethan, who had no interest in the Apex title. He agreed to hand it to her after the exam, a gesture of goodwill and strategy. Everything was going perfectly.

Until the unknown commoner flipped the entire board.

He didn’t just win—he shattered precedent. The first commoner in history to become Apex of Zenith Academy.

Charlotte could only grit her teeth as the announcement rang through the arena. Even with all her preparation, all her supporters, she’d been checkmated.

’Damn it… Damn him…’

But even in that crushing moment, her mind didn’t break—it calculated.

’He’s a wildcard. Wildcards are dangerous… but also useful.’

So she extended a hand in friendship. Beneath the smile, she formed a new strategy.

’If I can’t hold the Apex title myself… I’ll make someone else hold it for me. Someone loyal. Someone grateful.’

Then came the orientation—and Alex Dragonheart’s bold, arrogant speech. Half of the nobles scoffed. The commoners cheered. And Charlotte saw an opportunity.

’Perfect. Let him make enemies.’

She whispered to her followers—let Lorenzo’s arrogance grow. She didn’t give direct orders, of course. She simply nudged, suggested. Manipulated.

Lorenzo, the proud noble, took the bait. He began targeting Alex. A campaign of noble pride and petty spite—and Charlotte knew:

’Alex… he’s too stubborn to ask for help. He’ll endure until he breaks.’

At the cafeteria incident, when her friends suggested stepping in, Charlotte stopped them.

’No. Let him handle it. And when he’s at his lowest, I’ll reach out… I’ll save him.’

’He’ll owe me. He’ll trust me.’

’And then… controlling him would be easier. Even taking the Apex title.’

She didn’t need to be the strongest. She didn’t need to be loved.

She just needed to win.

But boy, she was wrong.

On the very first day Lorenzo tried to humiliate Alex, Charlotte had watched everything in the cafeteria. Lorenzo, puffed up by ego and her carefully planted words, had ordered a trembling first-year to throw a bowl of food onto Alex’s head.

The food splashed down—thick, oily broth sliding down Alex’s silver hair and onto his uniform. The entire room hushed. Gasps, stifled laughter, nervous shifting. Charlotte leaned forward slightly, curious.

But Alex didn’t flinch. He didn’t shout, didn’t react with wounded pride or embarrassment. He merely looked at the trembling boy who had done it.

’Why isn’t he reacting?’ Charlotte thought, her brows furrowing. ’Is he trying to save face?’

After talking to the first-year who threw food on him, Alex dragged Draven with him and disappeared somewhere.

In the next moment, chairs scraped, tables flipped, people started throwing food at each other—and the atmosphere in the cafeteria turned from playful to hostile. The next thing anyone knew, Lorenzo was eating floor tiles and was beaten half to death by Carl Dimitri.

And since then, Carl started bullying Lorenzo.

That was not in her plan. Not even close.

Strangely enough, every time her eyes met Alex’s after that, a chill ran down her spine. His blue eyes didn’t glare at her. They didn’t even carry resentment.

They understood.

’Does he know?’ she wondered again and again. ’Does he know it was me behind it all?’

But he never confronted her. Never showed any hostility. Just that calm, unreadable gaze, like a mirror reflecting her own schemes back at her.

And that unsettled her more than anything.

Because the only people who ever made her feel this… exposed were her father and her mother.

’It’s like he can see through me. I hate that. I absolutely hate that.’

Then came the duels. And everything shifted again.

It was supposed to be sparring with the second years. But when Alex stood across from Alicia von Crestvale—one of the strongest, not a second-year but a third-year in the academy and Charlotte’s cousin—people expected a show, not a bloodbath.

At first, Alex was beaten badly. But after some taunting from Alicia, the atmosphere changed.

He didn’t just hold his own. He injured Alicia. Injured her.

The entire arena had gone silent. Even Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat.

Even Ethan couldn’t have done that. Not now.

’No one could among the first years.’

And at that moment, a realization struck her like a lightning bolt—

’I underestimated him… He’s far from normal.’

It wasn’t just his strength. It was how he used it. When to strike. When to manipulate. When to pull back. Like he was playing chess while everyone else was busy tossing dice.

Her instincts screamed.

’This guy… is dangerous.’

He was a wildcard. Uncontrollable. Unreadable. And if she wasn’t careful, he’d become her enemy.

And Charlotte knew better than anyone—some enemies weren’t worth making.

So she made her decision.

If she couldn’t defeat the wildcard… she’d play him.

She’d make him her ally. In the race for the throne, he might be the key to turning tides, flipping the impossible in her favor.

But before any of that…

She had to do the hardest thing a royal with pride could ever do.

She had to apologize.

’How bad could it be…?’ she told herself, biting her lip as she turned away from the balcony that day, already planning the next move.

But a whisper of doubt still echoed in her heart.

’And if he refuses…?’

—

[Present]

The Grand Hall shimmered under floating crystal chandeliers, casting kaleidoscopic lights across the marble floor as the Freshman Ball continued in full swing. Couples danced with each other. Music played softly in the background. Nobles danced, laughed, gossiped.

But at one corner, far away from the main crowd, a table stood where the atmosphere was anything but festive.

Alex and Charlotte sat alone.

The silence between them stretched long enough to feel tangible. Finally, Charlotte drew in a breath and said softly, “Sorry… can you please forget about it?”

Alex raised a brow, his eyes gleaming faintly under the dim glow. “Forget about what? That you manipulated Chorenzo into bullying me?”

Charlotte’s throat tightened, but she didn’t avert her gaze. “Do you know why I did that?”

Alex leaned back in his seat, swirling the juice in his glass with a lazy motion. “Well, I have a few guesses,” he said. “But you can take your time telling me.”

Charlotte straightened her posture and said with quiet firmness, “In the race to the throne, it’s the sharpest and strongest who survive.”

Her voice held a cold logic, a tone she’d often used in royal meetings and court debates. “I’ve proven my intellect many times in the royal court. What I needed to prove… was strength. And becoming the Apex of Zenith’s first-year batch was the perfect opportunity for that.”

She looked down at her hands. “Everything was going according to plan… until you came.”

A flicker of amusement danced in Alex’s eyes.

“But I don’t care about that anymore,” she continued, surprising even herself with the honesty in her tone. “I want you to become my ally in the race to the throne.”

Alex stared at her, unmoved, his expression unreadable. “And why should I?”

That made her mouth twitch. She hesitated… then forced a smile.

“Because…” she said weakly, “we’re friends?”

At that, Alex was stunned for a moment—then he chuckled. A dry, bitter sound.

“You’ve got some nerve,” he said, shaking his head. “You really have the audacity to say that after trying to crush me.”

“I’ve already apologized,” she said quickly, a little defensively.

Alex leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping.

“Do I look like a forgiving person to you?”

Charlotte blinked.

“Do I look like Seraphina?” Alex continued, his tone laced with mockery. “Or Ethan? Someone you can manipulate with emotional blackmail, Princess?”

That struck a nerve. Her playful mask fell, replaced by something sharper, more serious.

“Alright then,” she said, lifting her chin. “What do you want?”

Alex’s gaze shifted. He tilted his head ever so slightly, eyes narrowing toward another table just ten meters away, where two girls sat sipping drinks, heads tilted slightly as if… listening.

Charlotte followed his line of sight, confused—until Alex raised his hand and gathered mana at his fingertips. The surrounding mana stirred like water drawn toward a drain.

Glowing runes formed in the air, swirling in precise, elegant circles—intricate and unmistakably advanced.

Then—snap.

The symbols completed in a flash, and a soundless pulse of energy expanded from the table like a bubble, canceling out the lingering trace of auditory magic.

—

Across the hall on another table, Evelyn suddenly stiffened, eyes wide in alarm. Her spell was gone.

Both she and Alicia turned toward Alex at the same time.

Alex, now grinning like a mischievous fox, simply stuck out his tongue and winked.

A vein popped on Evelyn’s forehead. “That bastard! He knew we were listening from the start!”

Alicia burst out laughing, clutching her sides. “He gets more amazing by the minute. That was a high-tier sound spell. Most third-years can’t even detect that kind of eavesdropping magic unless they’re extremely sensitive to mana.”

Evelyn scowled. ’And he can already use runes at the level of Aero Scripting? Just how damn talented is that guy?’

Alicia gave a smug smirk. “I know, right?”

“…Why do you look proud about that?” Evelyn narrowed her eyes.

“I’m not,” Alicia said quickly, poorly hiding the smugness on her face.

—

Back at the table, Alex let out a casual sigh.

’Thanks for the heads-up about the spell, Useless,’ he said in his mind.

The familiar mechanical voice rang in his head.

[ Can you stop calling me that, host? Or next time I won’t tell you even if there’s a bomb under your seat. ]

’Suit yourself,’ Alex replied internally, snorting.

Meanwhile, Charlotte sat frozen, staring at him like he’d just turned into a dragon.

“Y-You can use runes?” she stuttered. “And you’re at Aero Scripting level?”

Alex blinked. “Oh right. I forgot. You guys don’t know.”

’Just what kind of monster is he…?’ she thought, suppressing the chill crawling up her spine. ’People spend years just to understand rune theory… and he’s been here one month?!’

“I… What did you just do?” she asked, still stunned.

Alex replied offhandedly, “Nothing much. Someone was snooping. I just disrupted their auditory frequency.”

Charlotte gulped. Even she, despite her high sensitivity to mana, hadn’t detected the eavesdropping spell.

’He noticed it before I did. Just how many cards is he hiding…?’

“Who was it?” she asked softly.

Alex simply smiled. “You don’t need to know that.”

A flicker of irritation crossed her face at that, but she swallowed it. This wasn’t the time to get petty.

“You asked what I want,” Alex said, his tone suddenly serious. “Can you really give me what I ask for?”

Charlotte regained a bit of her royal pride and smirked. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to, commoner. I am the First Princess of one of the strongest empires on Etheron.”

Alex gave a dramatic bow in his chair. “Then, Your Highness, allow me to be shameless.”

His eyes locked with hers, cold and unwavering.

“I want… the Awakening Nectar.”

———

A/N:

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