I Accidentally Saved The Male Lead’s Brother Chapter 136

“It’s your first official appearance as the Duke’s fiancée, isn’t it? You need to prepare properly!”

This was a point Charlotte had overlooked, as she had been solely focused on facing the survivor of the Petrian family. She had assumed she could just get an appropriate dress tailored by Carcel’s designer.

However, Irina had a different opinion.

“This isn’t something to take lightly! You shouldn’t just follow trends—you must set them! Let’s not waste time. We’ll call a designer right now, and we’ll look at this together.”

Unable to resist Irina’s insistence, Charlotte had no choice but to summon a designer.

By the time Theo and Danny, covered in dirt, had taken quick baths and were munching on snacks with flushed faces, the designer arrived.

The designer Irina had called upon was a young woman, introduced as Baroness Denis.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Lannia. My name is Jenny Denis, and I’ll be responsible for designing your dress.”

“Nice to meet you, and I look forward to working with you.”

“Baroness Denis is the most popular designer in social circles these days. I’m sure she’ll create the perfect dress for you.”

Irina declared confidently. True to her words, Baroness Denis had a distinctive approach.

Rather than showing pre-prepared designs, she opened her sketchbook the moment she saw Charlotte and began drawing swiftly on the spot.

‘Is this how things are done in the capital?’

Having never needed to have dresses made while residing in the Lannia estate, everything felt unfamiliar to Charlotte.

‘Don’t they usually show pre-made designs first…?’

As if reading her thoughts, Irina explained.

“It feels unusual, doesn’t it? But this is Baroness Denis’ strength. Instead of presenting pre-designed dresses, she customizes designs to suit the client. I can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with for you.”

At that moment, Baroness Denis finished her sketch and approached them. Charlotte let out a soft exclamation as she looked at the sketch.

“It’s beautiful.”

The dress exposed the shoulders and had a fitted waist, with a voluminous skirt. It was the very kind of dress Charlotte had dreamt of as a child.

“Your shoulders are beautiful, and your waist is slender, so emphasizing those areas would be ideal. Nowadays, corsets are less common, so I’ll design it to make your waist appear slim without one.”

Theo, who had approached with muffin crumbs around his mouth, gazed at the sketch in awe beside Charlotte.

“Wow, it’s a princess!”

“Do you like it, young master?”

“Yeah! Charlotte Sister’s a princess!”

Theo swung an imaginary sword as if he were a knight protecting a princess. Smiling warmly at his antics, Charlotte patted her lap, and Theo climbed up to sit on her knees.

“This design looks perfect to me.”

“Understood. Shall I also design the Duke’s attire to match this dress?”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

Charlotte hadn’t asked for Carcel’s opinion, but somehow, she felt he would agree.

“Understood. Now, let’s choose the dress color…”

At that moment, the door clicked open, and Carcel entered.

Irina and Baroness Denis stood and bowed.

Danny, following his mother’s lead, gave a quick bow, while Theo waved his sticky hands at Carcel.

“Brother! Theo ate a muffin!”

“I see.”

Carcel looked fondly at Theo, then glanced around the parlor, wearing a slightly perplexed expression.

“It seems I’m interrupting.”

He addressed Charlotte and turned to leave, but she quickly set Theo down and darted over to grab his arm. Carcel looked at her curiously.

“I’m picking out the clothes we’ll wear for the New Year’s Ball. Would you like to join? I need to have something made for you as well.”

He glanced at Irina and Baroness Denis, who were both silently hopeful he would stay.

Carcel nodded readily.

“Very well.”

He took Charlotte’s hand and walked over to sit on the sofa. Theo, after wiping his hands on his pants, reached out to Carcel.

“Brother, hug me!”

Carcel picked Theo up and seated him on his lap, then gestured toward Baroness Denis.

“You have my measurements, don’t you?”

“Yes, unless they’ve changed significantly since last autumn, I’ll proceed accordingly.”

“They haven’t changed much.”

“Understood. I’ll design your attire to match the Lady’s dress.”

Baroness Denis handed Carcel her sketchbook with Charlotte’s dress design. After glancing at the sketch, Carcel gave a faint smile and nodded.

“I like it.”

He gently pulled Charlotte closer, placing an arm around her waist. Together with Theo, the three of them looked like a harmonious family.

“Since I’m designing, shall I also make something for the young master?”

Charlotte’s face lit up.

“That sounds wonderful! Theo’s outfit will be adorable.”

“Understood.”

Baroness Denis smiled brightly and began sketching again. Soon, she presented matching designs for Carcel’s outfit and a smaller version for Theo, designed to complement Charlotte’s dress.

“For the colors, I’d like white,” Carcel murmured as he looked at the sketches. He glanced at the blue rings on both Charlotte’s and his own hands, adding, “With blue as the accent.”

“Ah, the engagement rings are blue diamonds. I’ll match accordingly. I’ll make sure everything is prepared perfectly.”

Baroness Denis bowed and left the room. Charlotte watched Carcel and the chatter-filled Theo, smiling silently.

Though she worried about the New Year’s Ball, imagining the two of them in matching outfits made her heart lighter

****

After Theo went down for a nap, Charlotte followed Carcel to his office. He had said there was something important to discuss regarding the New Year’s Ball.

‘What could he want to talk about…?’

Given their history, Charlotte felt a sense of dread at Carcel’s serious expression.

If he mentioned breaking off the engagement again, she was prepared to pack her things and go back to her brothers as a lesson.

However, Carcel’s words were completely unexpected.

“There are people you need to be cautious of at the New Year’s Ball.”

Charlotte’s relief that it wasn’t about breaking off their engagement quickly faded. Her expression turned serious as she realized the gravity of what he was saying.

‘People I need to be cautious of?’

It wasn’t just one person—it was multiple people. Was there someone besides the blond-haired, blue-eyed man to worry about?

Carcel then spoke a name that Charlotte hadn’t anticipated.

“Penelope Ohen.”

Charlotte almost let out a scream of surprise.

‘Why is Penelope’s name coming up here?’

The original novel’s heroine—Penelope was someone Charlotte had already planned to be wary of during the New Year’s Ball.

The reason was obvious: Carcel. Her goal was to keep him from encountering Penelope.

But for Carcel to bring up Penelope’s name first was unexpected.

Still, she forced herself to feign calmness.

“Who is this lady?”

“I’ve heard that the blond-haired, blue-eyed man suspected to be a Petrian family survivor has approached Lady Ohen. According to Sir Morris’s investigation, Lady Ohen nearly drowned as a child.”

That was true. It was the reason Penelope was chosen as a suitable candidate in the original novel. She had briefly stopped breathing after nearly drowning, only to be revived through artificial respiration.

“So Sir Morris and I believe that Lady Ohen might be a suitable candidate like you. There’s also a chance that the Petrian survivor could be Rositto…”

“Wait.”

Charlotte raised a hand to interrupt him. While she had been listening seriously, there was one thing that kept bothering her.

“You think Penelope… I mean, Lady Ohen is a suitable candidate?”

Carcel paused, trying to gauge the meaning behind her words. Charlotte seemed displeased.

Though her face was composed, the tension at the corners of her mouth was noticeable.

Carcel couldn’t understand why she was reacting this way.

Was she upset that Lady Ohen might also be a candidate?

Unaware of the danger, he replied honestly.

“Yes, that’s our assumption.”

Charlotte was struggling to contain her frustration. She usually tried not to get angry with Carcel, but the irritation kept bubbling up—childish as it was.

Finally, she couldn’t help but speak in a sulky tone.

“Then, when you talked about breaking off the engagement…?”

“…Pardon?”

Carcel froze, realizing too late the storm he might have unleashed.

“Did you already know about Lady Ohen being a candidate back then?”

Carcel pressed his lips tightly together. He had known, but admitting it now seemed unwise.

However, Charlotte saw the truth in his silence.

Furrowing her brow, she glared at him.

“Were you planning to break off our engagement and go to Lady Ohen instead?”

Carcel, clearly flustered, denied it immediately.

“No. I specifically instructed Sir Morris to find someone who could protect me like Sir Heather. Lady Ohen wasn’t even in consideration.”