Chapter Text
Charlotte
Charlotte was going to be baptized in winter and the first thing her lead scholar told her was that she had to earn Lord Meinrad’s loyalty for herself. He was the key for her to path her way to Aub-hood. It does not matter what her father wanted for Charlotte’s older brother.
So she put on her sweetest smile when Mother arranged a tea party with Meinrad and called him older brother. Which was not hard at all, he was very nice! Meinrad was a reliable older brother who brought Charlotte cookies and showers her with attention she never received from brother or father. Meinrad asked about her favorite colors, what she liked the most in her baptism dress and everything else he wanted to know about Charlotte. She felt flattered and also overwhelmed, never had a family member showed so much interest in her.
“Thank you so much for today, older brother Meinrad. I wish our threads would overlap once more.”
Meinrad trembled a bit for some reason. “Charlotte is really cute, anymore and I will spoil you even more and earn Aub’s disapproval.”
Her heart skipped a beat, somehow she liked the idea of that. “Then please spoil this Charlotte!” She fidgeted, “Charlotte is your one and only sister, older brother, ne?” She tilted her head to the side, “Are you disappointed Charlotte is so selfish?”
“No…” Meinrad patted her gently in the head and something felt like blooming in her chest. “Of course, all according to Charlotte’s wishes.”
Their next tea party, Charlotte wondered if she would be showered with gifts but Meinrad was not one to believe in spoiling a lady with just materialistic needs. He brought her a puzzle for the geography she had so much difficulty to remember, and then played the game together with her. She never knew it could be so much fun!
“Charlotte has done well, so time for your present!” He gestured to his attendant and the man left right away. “It will take a while so I will play a song just for Charlotte!”
It was a very easy song about a young little girl and her pet shumil that always followed her and Charlotte could easily play the song haltingly with little practice. “Charlotte has a little shumil, little shumil~”
Her very own song!
The attendant then returned with sweets she had never seen before, it looked simple- puffing on top of the glass container and decorated with powdered sugar and honey. “Charlotte, this is a sweet that reminds me so much of you. Eat it before it cools down!” He said after he poison tested it.
Charlotte ate a spoonful and was surprised by how airy it feels in her mouth, a bit bubbly and smooth. It was like eating clouds! “Hmmmm-” The taste was also very elegant.
She understood right away when Meinrad neglected eating his souffle in favor of watching her eat the sweets shrivel when it was cold. That was why he had it prepared not in advance but freshly baked. It was not a suitable dish for a tea party, one could say it was a failure even!
“It’s a secret sweet I can only present to Charlotte.”
After her baptism Charlotte started to get to know Meinrad even better, and she couldn’t help but imagine a married life with him would be even happier than Father and Mother! Meinrad’s sweet words were never empty, he was full of wisdom and truly cared for Charlotte. He assisted her and brother brilliantly in the winter room too! So unlike her unreliable father!
Mid-winter, Meinrad brought his exclusive seamstress from Gilberta. “I would like to get Charlotte’s hairpin made for spring… Miss Tuuli and Mrs Corrina here will help you, I think it’s best for Charlotte’s first spring hairpin to be everything Charlotte loves.” He winked, “I believe in spring Lady Florencia will bring you to a tea party for the first time, and first impressions are important.”
Hairpin was not a new trend however, Meinrad suggested new ideas that would make it a new one! Adding a tiny veil to the flowers! The seamstress had prototype flowers and cloth samples for the veil. They had Charlotte try various arrangements until Charlotte found ones she liked the most.
Her tea party with mother and Florencian was a resounding success! Charlotte also added her own idea to the pin, a tiny lion cub curling cutely in the flowers. She made a new trend!
It was during dinner after Mother regaled her success in the tea party, Charlotte made a hasty decision. She was feeling emotional about her first trend, and saw Brother commented Meinrad being weird to be into ladies trends and Father laughing-
Meinrad just smiled in response.
So Charlotte blurted it out, “Brother Meinrad… may Sterrat bind our threads in the future?”
Silence fell on the table, but Charlotte didn’t care- especially not Father’s horrified look that she made a blatant move to usurp his favored heir. What mattered to her was Meinrad’s reaction, a smile like Efflorelume blooming on his face.
“Uhm, of course Charlotte! I am most blessed by Bluanfa to receive the grace of a goddess!”
She was accepted- her feeling reached him!!! Not even father’s yell reached her, she had a Dark God of her own!
Later~
"Meinrad! You... Yoooou!!!"
Wow, Sylvester was broken- apparently this manchild was also a Dad. Understandably, he was in shock his daughter proposed to Meinrad. He understood, after all in his previous world it was a father's greatest joy if their daughter told them she was going to marry them when they were older. Sylvester was jealous of him for stealing that fatherly moment away. "Aub, it must be a shock that Charlotte didn't see you but me that way... but it couldn't be helped. You are hardly the father of the year, in fact- you give father a good fight for the worst Dad of the year."
Sylvester gaped at him. "...Did you just say I am as bad as Justus?"
"Sure, you didn't try making your son wear a dress but... you don't even know Wilfred is failing his classes until we found out ourselves." Meinrad pointed out.
"Ugh-"
"Then you let your son thought his grandmother is just unwell, leading to him accusing me for treason in public for all to see! He almost get locked up in Ivory Tower for that!"
"I-"
"Charlotte told me you hardly see her and often discourage her study because she isn't the heir you pick!"
"I just didn't want my kids to resent each other..."
Meinrad rolled his eyes, "Too late- poor Charlotte, since you are this kind of Dad, I will pamper Charlotte!"
Sylvester gaped at him, "Are you going to go againt me, your Aub?"
Meinrad raised an eyebrow, "Whose fault it is that Charlotte longs for me! Because her father is unreliable!"
"Ahem!" Meinrad adopted father cleared his throat."As amusing as this can be... why it sounds like you are both arguing over different things?" Ferdinand narrowed his eyes, "I understand Sylvester, but I don't get Meinrad's..."
"Eh? What is there to confuse about? Aub here is mad at me for stealing father-daughter's greatest moment! Daughter's proposal to Dad!" Meinrad announced proudly. "Because Sylvester is Sylvester, Charlotta fall for me instead for her dream groom!"
Sylvester gaped, "Wait- that's not it, also- did you just use my name as insult?! I am YOUR AUB!!!"
"You lost your precious daughter's moment, no respect for you!"
Their Aub slid down his chair, "...Ferdinand... what just happen, I feel like... I have been defeated so thoroughly by Meinrad... he stole my daughter! Is that what happened?!"
"Wow, Sylvester is Sylvester after all... you are very slow..." Meinrad drawled slowly.
"Stop using my name as insult! That's too unfair!!!"