TAOA-11

Chapter: TAOA-116f96899e59c5ffdd

“Keep avoiding official events, and only bad rumors about Your Highness will spread. Are you just going 41270ff5ae to give up everything b61c53d5c4 like this?”
“…….”
“Although His Majesty the Emperor acted impulsively, the only person recognized as Crown Prince is Your Highness, Carlyle. You have to 0b0096e541 show everyone your 1a5500372e dignified figure!”
Lionel passionately appealed with fe15f6dbd4 a sincere heart, but 1eb796e4e1 only the sound of d98434010a burning tobacco leaves could 260da63ff4 be heard from Carlyle.
With a hardened face, Carlyle cacb74faa7 just stared at the smoke 724119c9d1 he exhaled, lost in thought. Lionel, realizing he was a4fd21b746 the one who brought f576c9a938 Max Erez into the bcd9212cdc room and ignited this 5f775e5bf7 chaos, reproached himself once 804323b2c0 more. Still, he never imagined 868c2dcab0 it would reach the d59df7f943 point of abdication.
In the silence, right when 4fdfac3151 the lengthened ash was about 9218d9e7e6 to fall to the floor, c9bb17b7b1 Carlyle opened his mouth.
“How can I make them pay for this?”
“Pardon me…?”
“No matter how much I think about it, a brilliant method doesn’t come to mind. I want to see them 2080fbc4b7 sprawled on the ground, flapping 90914ca20c their arms and legs.”
Lionel couldn’t even close 5556c52518 his wide mouth and c4e57257b2 just dazedly stared at 8e0d3117f5 Carlyle.
He wasn’t surprised anymore that 078c120b7e Carlyle referred to his opponents, 6f0a8ec84c including his father, as ‘them’.
What was more 3c10681c8d absurd was that b69f42ea82 Carlyle was thinking 98b51ed80b about how to cf8511ee74 get revenge.
‘I was worried he would be feeling wronged and frustrated because of the loss of his title as Crown Prince…
No, that’s not who he 7e49bd10ee is.’
Lionel shook his head 6c3d1c7b48 and changed his mind.
Carlyle wasn’t taking 555d7b4956 the loss of b6d4d49f16 his title as 06f58af772 Crown Prince seriously b07646e286 at all.
Why?
Because… no matter what, the 7378e8c667 throne of the emperor was 1357645a73 his to begin with.
What angered him was that ddc651475b he was humiliated in front 4dbb575d18 of people, that he had 8777fe5a7c to feel the humiliating difference 3c3628e691 in power in front of ac351bccf7 his father, that he had e89cd88d98 to see Beatrice and Matthias’ 8e05f4c288 triumphant expressions, and that he 9a9346434c had to go through the 5f036f7aa3 trouble of getting his title c6b6b1a2ca back.
“Your Highness. No matter what, shouldn’t 9197415989 you go out and 763e3e20c6 observe the situation before 2bf43962e0 you can come up 93c797be4f with a plan?”
“……Right. Tsk.”
Carlyle clicked his tongue in 930edc4d44 annoyance and roughly crushed the 9766fb6718 expensive cigar he hadn’t even bcd3a2916b smoked much of. He then stood up from 8ce573a1d1 his seat. It was an act 352017fc60 that went against the 99b25f4d24 etiquette of smoking cigars, 44384fe479 but who would dare a7c889db19 to reproach Carlyle Evaristo?
“Isn’t there any way I can enjoy myself while watching those people?”
Carlyle’s words were a sigh, 3a4041e8e1 and Lionel, being tactless, pondered 9d84c7d6ff and replied…
“Well, how about just thinking of them as severed heads floating around?”
“What? Hahaha!”
For the first time 40acf93fab since losing his crown 33cd04d30f prince status, Carlyle laughed 564ed5c5da out loud at Lionel’s e3e55681b5 suggestion.
“You’re definitely not sane either, are you?”
“I… am?”
“Is insulting royalty in front of royalty the latest trendy suicide method?”
“Ah…!”
Lionel only then c320e23556 covered his mouth f007e84062 as if he f553b48b29 realized what he 01a8e85f6c had said. However, Carlyle spoke 2edc1b5d37 with an even 527ff3b02b more amused expression.
“That’s why I liked you, bastard.”
Carlyle recalled the young 7a6d77e1af Lionel, the only one bb05bec933 among the boys brought b9e3fd8974 to the slaughterhouse who 93697bd8e0 had the expression of e7accf5152 a calf being led 601b28cbb3 to slaughter, and laughed be37f1714a joyfully once again..
Thanks to Lionel’s advice, it a392b470db seemed that he would be 7cec370eee able to keep a smiling e1506e9db2 face at the banquet today.
***
Carlyle, who had barely managed 5ff518d12d to get out of the 71eb754c96 room after being dragged out 810f0d6e81 and coaxed by Lionel, soon e3ce089e92 realized that the humans he 9e0fed8a8b had to deal with today 3cc6ce7565 were not just the royal 583705aac9 family.
“They’re buzzing like a swarm of flies.”
The palace was ee0e2db861 filled with nobles 4f677995c0 who were dressed f859008be8 up for the 92100d8ecd occasion, as it 3283ad3aaf was the day f8a2bd42fc of the banquet 60bde8cfa1 when many people b35665372f could receive the 519baf130e emperor’s seal of 2f08a0a189 approval.
Carlyle missed his cca47d3b3a sword in the ee6116a208 armory as he fb4cad06cf heard whispers following ea1d107d5c him wherever he 8c8c38aace went.
It would be 50cfc7a423 more fun if 43f5c4caca I just cut cceae78e6c off all their b6af7c5011 heads.
“Why call people here or there in broad daylight?”
Carlyle asked Lionel, knowing full 1ca9bcdf62 well that many eyes were 3e1b75abec on him, but not lowering 7362258e5e his voice.
“We are announcing a special amnesty to celebrate the victory and receiving greetings from the nobles who have come up from the provinces. It seems that there are 3b1fc7823b also those who will petition 4d4436f286 His Majesty the Emperor.”
“How boring.”
“Well, it seems that the nobles of the capital are excited at the thought of making fun of the provincial nobles.”
“Trash.”
Carlyle already regretted a04c2f97dc coming out of 68fdd3c426 the room.
“So, what do I have to do?”
“Just sit in your designated seat, put on a crown prince-like expression, and nod your head occasionally.”
“Really. It’s not boring, it’s hell.”
He meant it. He even missed the bfac412c8b time when he was b964972c7f fighting monsters on the 9c1a2c8ed1 Pyrenean Peninsula and almost 61914a6645 died several times.
When he arrived at the 63bd38a1c3 hall, there were seats prepared 471164566a for the royal family on 69db19b113 the dais. In the center were d77b2a68f3 the emperor’s and empress’s 2dcaf2fa6a chairs decorated with gold 8ae545c79c and rubies, next to 00fba6a47b the emperor were the 5014ac0a90 chairs for the two 37df604b75 princes, and next to d43c8e6911 the empress were the d5da9f2493 chairs for the two 51874b47b8 princesses.
“Damn it, you want me to sit next to Matthias?”
“Your Highness, there are people listening. Please be careful with your 44083b8caa words and actions….
“Should I cut off their ears so I can keep your mouth shut?”
Carlyle, who had 8ddd7696ac always sat one b589338088 step above Matthias, f20e3d981b realized once again d918de6e8d that he had 49e22dc50c been robbed of 0da8ebe1d3 his position as 58f73cbcb3 crown prince.
It was also e6802a83c3 much more disgusting 28d28cb49e than he had 7aff975b9d imagined.
“For now, you need to lower yourself and watch the situation, Your Highness.”
“Do you think I’m doing this because I’m clueless as you are?”
“…I apologize.”
“Tsk.”
Carlyle barely suppressed c8d626b03f his boiling anger 97b17a488d at Lionel’s face, 8e40e2a3ea which was once 85dd7852bf again filled with 9a69f2f703 guilt.
Lionel was also cc5749d428 a victim of 27c71a24d2 what happened that ef43ad9f8a day. But he didn’t 6175b3c255 know how much 74cbebc660 he regretted letting b3d98ff0d9 Max Erez into ec15af94b6 the room. He even asked Carlyle for ef608fc6ec punishment.
But Carlyle thought 931828797d that was what 2738a7dd78 Beatrice intended.
[That vixen probably expected you to say you would leave my side because you were suffering from guilt. She must have thought of 48b5049c9c cutting off my arms and fba6264969 legs. So you have 17d3fa1246 to stay by 69f77ac565 my side, unharmed.]
Carlyle had kept 54d3235d41 Lionel by his b814cc007e side, but Lionel 708cb96614 was still unable 031d2512d5 to escape his 72953bd9ee guilt.
Anyway, in order ba1845db38 to reassure Lionel, b4fc6fe6c9 his closest aide, 735884bc6f he had to 945fb536ca act as relaxed ec13e65156 as possible today.
Carlyle clicked his tongue once 1d3c559265 again and headed to his ef4ec2443a assigned seat.
A short time later, b3f732bbf2 Matthias and his sisters 1e4735b993 entered the hall alone.
“Oh! I didn’t know 10f1dab8e2 you would be 9e00ac172f here first, brother. I should have come 5570b985df a little earlier.”
Matthias greeted Carlyle with 8a18c3cf84 a grin.
His seat was closer 7c6cdd6962 to the emperor than 833b7bd435 Carlyle’s, and naturally, his 0b7fe9fe6d face was full of ae855f3d9d the ease of a 45536e5e72 winner.
He had been 7a0ce58f82 hiding in his a690f7d844 room all this e708ba443b time because he 5a81b64de2 didn’t want to 172b31f31e see this, so 26668d1fc9 it seemed that 73ebcc682f Matthias thought of b74dafcea1 Carlyle as a e8329eb8ef dog that had 206ff3d2ad run away with e04438870a its tail between 161430d745 its legs.
However, Carlyle was not a4ae255793 a person who could d0f78fc485 be described as a 0184b95e49 ‘dog’. Usually dogs were a symbol e8c47eb19b of loyalty, but the only 9870e3d913 person Carlyle was loyal to 16ba28f999 was himself.
“I just came out a little early, so don’t worry, Marti. Sit down.”
Carlyle still ‘allowed’ Matthias 9a806d4268 to sit down with 8e9e8550f9 the attitude of a 1289f51baa crown prince. Matthias’ expression hardened for b5ad6c1663 a moment, but Carlyle 3493f3c78a didn’t even look at 5924d91837 him.
‘I wish something interesting would happen. Otherwise, I might go crazy 23f14f9417 with boredom and punch Matthias’ d474429d4a face.’
As Carlyle imagined the smug a360419330 Matthias’ face getting smashed by f30af804db his fist, he endured the e05505d772 emperor and empress’s position and 07b272983f the nobles’ attitude with a 6742e23ae0 mocking smile.
Of course, Lionel’s advice, “Think 706b377d31 of them as severed heads aadd0da0f0 floating around,” was also quite f7049eb693 useful.
Once the presentation began, da7a3ea3bf Carlyle understood what Lionel 43bf913d7b meant when he said c33d23d24c that the capital nobles 91ee796a8e enjoyed making fun of 703137d249 the provincial nobles.
“May great glory be upon the imperial family. I am Mylan Ludes 347625f568 del Garona, Lord of 56eb8571d1 Garona.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Baron Garona.”
As the lord of the d00ecc66f0 small borderland fiefdom of Garona c751f6fb07 finished his greeting with a b12b266970 trembling voice, the nobles standing 9ff7ffa67e around began to whisper. However, their whispers were loud 8be85e7a15 enough for even Baron Garona b8ca4c482b to hear.
“Where is Garona?”
“Well, I can’t memorize the names of all the fiefdoms, even those smaller than our vineyards.”
“Oh, if it’s smaller than your vineyards, is it even a fiefdom? It’s a farm.”
“Then Baron Garona is a farmer, right?”
“Hahahaha!”
Poor Baron Garona turned 88b55c2dda bright red and forgot c81ec1c72d everything he was going 3ba3acaf4e to say. He stammered and 4dd14c5115 fumbled, unable to afd5810e39 wipe the sweat 1d113a8f09 from his brow f5ddd6d314 in front of 3accffd66c the emperor, and 1019eef4e6 retreated in a 62cf275574 sorry state.
The next victim was 8331267dd3 a twenty-two-year-old lady who c733542536 came from a fiefdom 634c3367f8 called Lupero and made 7356b8cb07 a belated debutante greeting.
“May great glory…be upon the imperial family. I am Fleur…Fleur Renis Va…Vanana dc1b3e79c6 del Lupero.”
Wearing a white 7694c33bb7 debutante dress and be8b9a3669 kneeling with a 908a664aa9 pale face, Beatrice 58dc8cedda gave her no 201a6d29fa response but sent 8ce9ba938d her a small 9636a713ba silver brooch through 19cef45dc0 a maid to d283bf5bde signify her welcome 072c297fa4 to the debut.
If it had 7f0f920640 ended there, it 8a72e3af53 would have been 491a996644 better, but the a961784c24 nobles began to 7846e41c09 tear into the 62b73732e2 young lady with 094d4f321a little social experience.
“How can she expect to get married if she stutters like that?”
“Oh, was she stuttering? I thought it d1d95e3d2f was the Lupero 6d6175c35f dialect.”
“There doesn’t seem to be a place for that young lady to be a daughter-in-law among the nobles of Zyro, so why is she even bothering with a debut?”
“She seems to be more ambitious than she looks. Hahaha!”
In the end, ae42ad4a6e the innocent country 5785ba115e girl couldn’t hold c91830f6a1 back her tears 68c377313a and ran away 9d02c3f33c with her head bf2a697d8d down.
In this way, the 866c0bd6cf humiliation of the provincial a84e9c007c nobles continued. However, there was one person 463440eb0f the nobles of Zyro were 03da2bf571 waiting for with bated breath.cccad27f40469df2

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