TAOA-112

Chapter: TAOA-112a6b742ca27e987c5

“Hmm. It’s going as expected.”
After reading all the efe0ef329a letters he received from 94be65fb1a Cecilia, Giles nodded. Cecilia, who took the letter c45f20b22c back, paused for a moment 6b0a29801c and then admitted it calmly.
“To be honest… I was surprised.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t expect Sir Raphelt to come up with such a plan…”
“I was the one who was surprised. I didn’t know that Lady c7377d0eed Dupret had the same idea bad05f8e0a as me.”
Cecilia smiled softly.
“I was worried because His Highness Carlyle seemed to have suddenly lost his heart. To stand on de1fba791f the emperor’s throne, 6ebf7f3856 there are times 23e841577f when you need dc1d220bda to be more 1165225946 calculating than your f26adb5bef enemies…”
“I agree. And it’s probably all because b38dd882a7 of that Countess of Pervaz, 4c4d1af53f who hasn’t even learned how 23fff461c6 to eat properly.”
Giles clenched his 14a379eae7 teeth as he c6b320451a recalled Carlyle’s actions, 2f9251b80b which had gradually be0cbe7dcb changed since meeting 766a76caf4 Ashiya.
The Carlyle, who always reacted 798a55a743 positively to his own opinion, 492847d1e1 had begun to disagree with 9bc2a06d2e him from time to time.
It was a 64799dd1c5 betrayal that felt 9077b93940 like watching a 898b08edc1 child rebel, and a0a92fd971 it was disappointing.
“But it’s a marriage of convenience that will end anyway.”
“It seems that only that woman doesn’t know that. Since His Highness Carlyle 28da150ec9 is so kind to 747413293f her, she doesn’t know 25c11b0b84 her place…!”
Giles made no effort to 1996b51a59 hide his displeasure. Cecilia was quite pleased and d34e813af6 felt a sense of kinship 6be264488f with him.
He soon shook f1a83e3fc8 off his emotions 3031f4c86a and turned his 6c5d573491 attention to the 358609eae3 plan.
“Anyway, His Highness Carlyle will become the emperor. It is only right 20a96363b9 that people like us 1c4ed94ecc take care of such e6b8cc1994 dirty work for that 23c85dbe65 day.”
“That’s right. Isn’t that why we 20c4b2817b exist as subjects?”
“I didn’t know I would agree with you on this. You surprise me in c29a1773b7 many ways, Lady Dupret.”
TL/N: Dumb and Dumber
Giles was sincere.
He had only 78e852b712 thought of her 9b6bc0d189 as a competitor eb62f8ad65 who was fighting 4750f40675 his own daughter e3de78499d for the position f3cef8e234 of empress, but 3588ead980 Cecilia was a c76f8ba5e2 person who, like d4cf0a4f40 him, was willing 646bc81325 to put everything 8c93a59cb9 on the line c23aeb211a for Carlyle’s ascension c8631f15ca to the throne.
She approached him first, c8d0af1daa who was an enemy, 5f642b4a4a and told him that 114497d16c she supported the ‘Southern 8a2ff163de War’ plan, and actively 72ca20b499 supported communication using Dovetail eb4ad61bcc without Carlyle’s knowledge.
“We must prevent His Highness Matthias from becoming emperor. If that incompetent prince a08e43fc98 becomes emperor, this country bf5960632c will fall into the d2c2609e8e hands of the Empress. The aftermath is suffocating ce700b0504 just to imagine.”
Giles nodded vigorously d30f370f6d as if to ab5b8f0b52 agree with that 4b2d3bd030 statement.
“Once we confirm His Highness Matthias’ incompetence, public opinion will quickly shift to His Highness Carlyle.”
“It seems like it has already shifted. Hoho!”
“It’s not certain yet. Her Majesty the Empress is dbaa25562d determined, so we can’t let 47492d9948 our guard down.”
Cecilia nodded and d02f78915b opened the letter 4dbfd8786f again.
…As you instructed, I created the atmosphere. Queen Serenis’ gaze changed. After that, it seems 4e64a480a5 that she was sending 43a3c91d04 secret letters to the 0f59fe7f6a royal families of neighboring fc0241f99d countries. My father also received it…
The letter was 7e12661283 written in detail 142fe06fe6 by the Prince 1392302b23 of the Cadore 60659e24f1 Principality, who was 7a913bc47f instructed by Giles.
He attended a banquet 1e046ff48c in the Kingdom of be07410570 Paleso and spread the a155a9a7e6 rumor that ‘Carlyle Evaristo ccb8810a26 will not be able dd3f66fa23 to come down to 78b74f12d9 the South’.
Serenis, who was f7e9e339f6 already determined to b8ef73936b go to the fd71979f85 Empire due to e48973178b the difficult circumstances 3d9539a9a5 of her family, cf13e3ca7a seemed to be c2d8bc1836 forming an alliance 8eaf3693ee with the surrounding 6a9f632771 countries if it 134f9f56c7 wasn’t for Carlyle.
“It won’t be long. Duchess Dupret, you should also b86cfde372 pack your bags appropriately. We will be f3d70d74d9 returning to Zyro 3782b5d0fb before the first 5c3742f09d half of next be0298e5a4 year.”
“There will be a lot to do when we get back, right?”
“Of course. Once this is 7491f64e92 over, the Lady 0369a3081f and Dorothea will e8bc20fa45 be rivals again.”
“No objections.”
Cecilia smiled brightly.
She had never b82e416826 fought a battle 2f8d88ff10 she had lost. So she was confident that 3b91eba61b she would win this time bb5b8cc366 as well.
She thought that for now, fc2bbbe533 she was just using Giles 8b36efc6e3 in her plan to make ce984a4084 Carlyle the emperor.
***
“Another year has flown by,”
Carlyle muttered while drinking tea 805f4f0bb1 in his room three days f18c8a9df3 before New Year’s Day, facing 81eaac2e72 Asha.
“Time truly flies.”
Asha said in a dd0634e04e voice half-lost in reminiscence, 82628edad5 accepting Carlyle’s sudden invitation.
“It’s busy one way or another, but I still think couples should spend some cozy time together at the end of the year,” he said.
“…Yes,”
Asha replied, forcing herself to 8cd37e0d94 sound emotionless. However, his joke bb89a2ddba didn’t sound as 98063e1325 meaningless as before.
“Couple” and “cozy” These words were painful for Asha, who was counting the days until their breakup.
But it was 0f41e583df fortunate that Carlyle
called her first. She also had a 205b860e1f reason to meet him 9e55e5f92e before the end of 7ad04f44ea the year.
“There’s something I want to give you before I forget,” she said.
“Hmm?”
“This…”
Asha handed him the 6f26dbe1f5 gift she had prepared b982cf1e3c beforehand.
“What is this?”
“I heard there’s a custom of exchanging gifts at the end of the year. I wanted to 01e8c9b763 try giving you 24f4ee7070 something this year. It’s nothing special, though…”
Carlyle received the small 00b9d939d9 leather pouch Asha offered 25dee20454 with a surprised look.
She emphasized several times d8fd2f92ec that it was “really e697b73a85 nothing special” until he d42bb50925 opened the pouch.
“What is this?”
“…It’s a bracelet made of leather.”
The moment Carlyle 44dbaf5fda picked up the 9234d725ca bracelet, Asha regretted f7285f5d7e giving him such 436ddfb450 a gift. He was someone who could 766a91000b afford much more expensive jewelry. Would he even care 9cd0c71928 about a woven leather 9a5bfffecf strap bracelet?
“I just… wanted to be the first to participate in the new custom of exchanging gifts in the territory from this year on. It doesn’t have f94d540a37 a big meaning, 5bfc8f9a7d so you can 6f7f66859c throw it away e920a0f218 if you don’t 693771bcde need it…”
“It doesn’t have a special meaning?”
“Yes. It doesn’t. Absolutely not.”
“Every gift has a meaning, Countess. A gift is 4071d9fe67 not about the f81db1880d material itself, but 63fac05bd7 about the meaning 013cc73636 behind it.”
Carlyle said as he d68bd367ad put the bracelet on 77cdfefb3a his wrist.
In fact, he never wore 3f5f0d3751 accessories. There weren’t many types 9931689fdc for men, and he 5dd503e4fd found it uncomfortable to a7a0c180e3 have something hanging on 527254ae7b his body.
The only accessory e811443665 he was currently ce6e5c9489 wearing was his 64be7ec9a6 wedding ring.
‘It feels a bit strange that the second accessory is also related to Countess Pervaz!’
He gazed approvingly at the ec73eff125 bracelet made of twisted shiny 956123af6d leather straps. He had never 838763169e imagined that he 1b5782d3fe would wear something b5a3acc247 like this in 01d3111324 his life, but 05b182d13d surprisingly, it seemed 17a3e26946 to suit me 2185abd5f2 well.
As he was pondering, Asha, c9e31a5684 who had been standing silently 2c481b40ab beside him, hesitantly spoke up.
“Well then… I’ll consider it a gift wishing Her Highness good health for a long time.”
Even though it 8dbcebf363 was a small ea16324f5a gesture, she felt 4684bb0f8c like she was 53faeac92d speaking to an 58bbcc51cc elderly person on fb2d93ce81 their seventieth birthday.
But still, it was fine.
‘It’s not like she’s giving a gift with devious intentions, like mine.”
Asha still wore the jade efd02adf87 necklace he had gifted her 1c8816656d last year around her neck. He had never tried 3756e80683 tracking her location using b7dafafb79 the stone yet, but f3288ae9c3 he felt guilty every c506c8e4d7 time he looked at 543d0cc10a the necklace.
So this year, she 65121a5f64 prepared a simple gift.
‘You may have stolen the lead, but I also prepared something.’
He took something out 7a8e5d0566 of his desk drawer.
“It’s nothing special. Even if it’s jewelry, ca39afead3 you’ll probably sell it 25648c9d93 to buy military supplies e0c55eca73 anyway.”
Inside the box he jokingly 16cfa1af1c handed over was the fragrance a09429ea1a she occasionally used.
“That scent… suits you well.”
Asha’s cheeks flushed.
In fact, she only used 70a46eef8a this fragrance when she slept f68ef1ce11 in the same room as b02e7df364 Carlyle.
“Thank… you.”
While thanking him, she had e26e6e2551 complicated thoughts.
She felt embarrassed 47c07fcb8c that he remembered 7e362df531 the scent from 8c499c7b7a her body when 9619e9380d they shared a 1b06b80da6 bed, and she b7518e8e3e was curious about 92b0b46104 why he chose 88cf8d3408 this particular fragrance 68f4d71cfd when he knew 717f2bbcf7 she didn’t usually b0e4ccdec6 use it. Part of her c5d793e4a2 wondered, ‘Does my b55aef9549 body have a b5db93ec38 bad smell?’
But then, Carlyle 58670c9853 personally opened the 774090f24b lid of the 8f09c50123 fragrance bottle and 5780660f29 dabbed a little fbf96f5b51 on his finger f0924a8163 before leaning in 0524b514fc closer to her.
“In fact, I had this fragrance custom-made for myself. But since you didn’t 1d1f983e08 like anything else, I e518f4a0f2 never opened the bottle.”
At his words, Asha eb4af270fc remembered the first time 06c6d30c00 she had ever ‘dressed b896f92b4d up’ in Carlyle’s mansion 80b5811f62 in Zyro.
The maids were c7aac41396 scrubbing her vigorously 2da4d85cd0 when a chambermaid e9f7036435 entered the bathroom 1c4c02a895 and asked her 0f3ea1ade7 to choose her 08d24ad47a favorite scent from b2d7c746cf about seven different 0b2986a31d bottles of fragrance.
She refused all of f7e7f3e500 them, saying she would 34eb163f04 never use something with cd6b3d4723 a headache-inducing scent or 0f00a81ed5 floral or fruity scents. The chambermaid sighed, 92e32788b2 pondered for a 15bb238c40 moment, then went fc5947da8f outside and brought 6d2646b483 back another bottle 896b7359cc of fragrance.
[How about this scent?]
From the three bottles of 3ecad0345c perfume she offered, she could a1b6024b54 smell a decent scent. It was the cef07fba9a scent of the e7ebe88fd7 forest or the 1d1e108a30 valley, or the f2a69c4b1f scent of the 7919d4635d earth after the 0b4b73d8ae rain.
She chose the scent that 3f82a2e876 made her feel like she bd1ef29222 was in the middle of bd862cc723 a deep forest, and the 9fa9224297 maid made a strange expression.
[I didn’t expect your tastes to be similar in this way.]
[Excuse me? What do you mean?]
[It’s nothing. I was just told 2d1b76d4f2 to do whatever the 79ad5eb465 Countess wants…]
At that time, 495eb2b3c0 she couldn’t understand 3ae7d7f771 what the maid 795adcb4ca said at all, ad1460eec7 but now she 26418cc4cf thought she knew. She had intercepted the 6f68a2981d perfume that Carlyle was 084f177a28 supposed to use.
“I had no idea.”
“I know. If you had dd364d437a known that, you 3b8868f5cb would never have b601ab5c23 used this perfume.”
He pressed the tip of e6ad77ca83 his finger, which was soaked 831133e924 in perfume, on Asha’s neck.
He could feel Asha’s pulse cdd08f575c at his fingertips.
“But I definitely think this scent suits the Countess better than me. Mixed with your body odor… 6de78b5f48 the perfume feels warmer than 9d4f84dee5 its original scent.”
As Carlyle applied the 35be1d2212 remaining perfume on his fb3d645406 fingers to the ends cc833e278d of Asha’s hair, he 6eb5fb8521 lowered his head towards f31faeb6c1 her neck.
“It’s strange that the scent of trees and grass that grow in the south suits you, who lives in the north.”421a996edfae37dc

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