Chapter 266: Lionheart King Charlie

"It's not too much, really, it's not."

Charlot Mecklenburg truly wasn’t known for his courage, and besides, what did courage have to do with this matter? Challenging a Saint rank was something only fools would do.

Princess May didn’t say anything more.

Charlot, drenched in cold sweat, began to reflect on whether he had been too "arrogant."

How could he, in front of Princess May, say something like: "Praise Senior Menielman"?

Especially since it was Princess May who had forced him to recite the novels in the first place. Wasn't this blatant resistance?

Princess May flew over a hundred kilometers before gracefully landing. She said, "Bring out your Dark Luxury."

Charlot asked, "Aren't we flying directly?"

Princess May replied indifferently, "Menielman Soumet's strength is not to be underestimated. I need to conserve energy for the upcoming battle."

Obediently, Charlot summoned Dark Luxury while secretly muttering to himself, "Grand Princess, even your endurance is lacking?"

"We’ve barely flown this far!"

"Not even as enduring as a tiny ant."

The two boarded Dark Luxury, and Charlot noticed that Princess May’s mannerisms seemed somewhat peculiar. However, this grand princess was draped in an all-black robe, with even her face obscured, so Charlot couldn't discern her expression. He simply pretended nothing was amiss, slumping lazily in his seat and even considering sticking his tongue out to pant.

Lately, he had been utterly exhausted.

The Grand Princess was more ruthless than any capitalist!

Charlot secretly grumbled to himself in her presence, finding the act quite satisfying.

Once aboard the carriage, Princess May remained silent. Initially, she gazed at the scenery outside, but after a while, unable to contain herself, she asked, "Do you feel like something is wrong?"

Charlot glanced out the window. "We’re not off track."

Princess May fell silent for another half hour before speaking again, "Are we perhaps..."

Charlot gave her a curious look and countered, "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? I didn’t bring any food. If we pass through a village, I can buy some."

Princess May took a deep breath and said, "As an imperial princess, I shouldn’t be sharing such a small space with an unrelated man."

Charlot felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him. Only now did he realize why Princess May had been acting so strangely. He had not only casually boarded the carriage but was lounging in his seat without a care for appearances—completely improper conduct in front of a princess.

Ah, yes. The Old Continent was still a feudal empire. Offending a royal princess was a crime punishable by death.

At first, Charlot was a little frightened and didn’t dare to rise. But after a few minutes, he relaxed and said, "Since it’s already like this, Your Highness needn’t worry. There are no outsiders here, and I won’t speak of this to anyone."

"Let’s just leave it at that!"

Princess May hesitated for a long time before giving a slight nod.

Charlot suddenly recalled how Princess May had often dragged him into private rooms to recite novels. Why, then, did it suddenly matter that they couldn’t share a carriage?

"This woman is really peculiar. No wonder she ended up a widow."

Charlot dared to grumble a little more to himself. To ease the awkwardness, he added casually, "Shall I recite another book for you?"

"Hmm, a new novel?"

Charlot immediately regretted his words. He was nearly done reciting the two current books, and once finished, he would finally escape this torment. Offering to start another would only prolong his suffering.

Princess May said lightly, "Very well."

Determined to choose a short one, Charlot racked his brains for several minutes before settling on a non-web novel fantasy story. He began, "Once upon a time, there were four children who discovered a large wardrobe in their home. Inside were many clothes. While playing hide-and-seek, they found themselves in a snow-covered forest..."

"They encountered a lion! The lion told them a witch ruled the world and that they were destined to be its saviors..."

Princess May interrupted his recitation. "Did you base this story on Lionheart King Charlie?"

Charlot was about to deny it when he realized the Lionheart Empire's legendary founder, Lionheart King Charlie, bore many uncanny similarities to the story. The parallels were enough to make one question whether the author of this Earth classic had been inspired by him.

Princess May said coolly, "This book should not be published in the Fars Empire. Publish it in the Ingrima Empire instead."

"Make sure to sing praises of the Lionheart King. You might even reap unexpected benefits."

Charlot doubted a mere book could bring him any tangible advantage. He replied, "You can publish these books in Ingrima as long as I receive my royalties."

Princess May was surprised. "You’d allow all of them to be published?"

Charlot nodded. Princess May secretly thought, "Even the side story about Duwei and Crown Prince Chen can be published?"

"Alright. He truly is a shy man."

Charlot had no idea he was digging his own grave. He didn’t even know about the side story, let alone its existence.

When Anne had managed the matter, she had gone to great lengths to ensure her ghostwriter signed a permanent copyright waiver and a confidentiality agreement.

In return, she promised the ghostwriter a substantial one-time payment and 10% of the royalties from each volume sold thereafter—a significant percentage in this world, where most authors earned far less.

Anne was wealthy, and the ghostwriter was a young noblewoman. She also demanded that Anne promise never to reveal her involvement.

This noblewoman was far more concerned about her identity being exposed. She believed the book was her magnum opus but absolutely did not want anyone to know she had written it.

What she hadn’t expected was that, in the decades that followed, she would earn royalties amounting to several écus annually—enough to make her financially independent until her death in her nineties. Even then, the royalties continued to grow year after year.

She kept her word and never spoke of her involvement.

It wasn’t until her death that her great-great-great-granddaughter discovered a mysterious annual payment. Investigating further, she traced it to the publisher and uncovered the truth.

Yes, Charlot would be unjustly accused for over a century.

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