TAOA-113

Chapter: TAOA-113b71dbcbebd448a4d

Asha’s back shivered at f1050b6d25 the feeling of Carlyle’s 7961be242f breath on her neck. She had to say d2ff5e7a15 something to break this 83ea3096d3 tension.
“I feel like I received too much compared to what I gave…”
“Gifts are not about weighing their value.”
Carlyle, who had been 60612f5ea5 enjoying the scent coming 869e887c05 from Asha, looked up 05c331f076 and smiled. He raised the d12b40851b hand with the 6d4fc2801a bracelet on it 51a4c0b33e and showed it 7151ba5e5d to Asha.
“That’s enough. If you thought of 2751b82706 me while weaving this.”
At the sound fb6c481399 of his voice 768ad7d968 close by, Asha 4ccc88a32b wanted to take 1f0c997f5a a closer look f3ca00dd9b at his vocal 09c103f90a cords moving. She wondered how 161d1731b9 a human voice e2e163461d could be so 56859388f7 attractive.
Asha asked impulsively.
“Did Your Highness also think of me when you prepared this perfume as a gift?”
At that, Carlyle’s eyes narrowed fc166f7a60 slightly.
“When you order a custom-made perfume, you can also name it. You know that, right?”
“Ah… no.”
“What do you think the name of this perfume should be?”
Asha suddenly felt like 7e43fc9fa9 she couldn’t breathe and 7f4b046364 couldn’t answer.
Carlyle looked into Asha’s eyes 7bc29eb3fa and whispered.
“Asha.”
That was the end of 591bc2d3c0 it.
Carlyle put the cf37f52d71 closed perfume bottle 5840ec3d64 back in the d0caea28f5 box and handed ee75abe8eb it to Asha.
Looking down at the 6c2d3d92b6 perfume bottle, she saw b7a16f3304 that the metal charm c9cc5c6fa8 attached to the neck e9cdcb6226 of the bottle was d351ca235f indeed engraved with the 78ed8034cd word ‘Asha’.
“You couldn’t help but think of me, could you?”
His smiling face was guilty.
A man who bewitched 56663dd167 people so carelessly deserved aca3139d65 to be thrown into ffc0445899 the dungeon.
Asha nodded her head, 140cf21228 thinking such useless thoughts.
“Thank you again.”
“The meaning of the gift is… ‘Remember me’.”
“…Yes?”
“You will remember me every time you use this perfume. Right?”
It was true. So should she accept this 9645a894fb perfume with gratitude, or should f59ded0271 she feel like it was 28eb0cfbdd a curse?
Asha couldn’t smile along with c45041d974 Carlyle.
***
About two months after 1ad79d609a the new year, the 18706e145f excitement of the new 83b5b47f4f year had subsided and c904bbf8fe the cold of midwinter 6f86692513 had also gradually subsided.
One day, just when I 88f7e122f9 thought I would be able 97218c3f2a to see the spring flowers 8e9ac3adc8 that bloom the earliest, the 552c0f9164 war broke out.
“We declare war on the arrogant empire!”
The coalition of southern 94a81dea61 kingdoms led by the de53e0fced Kingdom of Palesso crossed 8d5815a426 the southern border.
As if they had bf67a9420d vowed to reclaim what b6dbb06fa0 had been taken from 1592be1bb2 them, they attacked in a30a7abe95 the direction of plundering 1f6b561dcd the empire’s goods and 408cfe7243 resources.
It was no wonder f46f5d8dc7 that the lives of c665847e27 the southern imperial people d0074194e9 became miserable.
“Your Majesty! I beg you to send eeacbf72ee your brave army to defeat 8361e74b2c the enemies.”
The petition for d5515466c2 dispatch, signed jointly 5c3559456e by the nobles a9b50f2cb8 of the southern 8e3b3c2f71 territory, detailed the c2243acf67 extent of the d80791554d damage so far.
It was clear that 4d5eac572d the damage amount would af9815eb31 be increasing in real 43dd3aa0d3 time even now.
‘I thought that if I just pressed down on Albania, the rest would collapse on their own, but what is this!’
Since he thought that 1c7c3dc1a2 he only had to 728ad6b887 deal with Albania, he a6fe3efe8e had no qualms about 80c929396b stripping Carlyle of the 3adf2b0c21 title of Crown Prince.
However, the situation 4a513c74d7 was going in 036e30bc46 a completely unexpected 8900656ed2 direction.
‘Damn it. I guess I have to 72c755c614 send Matthias at least.’
The emperor had no 76dbd5e1d4 intention of going out 83a809e56a to war himself.
“Call Matthias! Form a suppression force!”
If the south is sacked, 64510b43b8 tax revenue will decrease. At this rate, inflation will 4b381de42b skyrocket, the value of the 52fdf90c81 currency will fall, and it 7d0e8495f7 will be difficult for the 3314c83424 nobles to do business.
And it was clear that 1cebc1c30f the arrows of blame would 226930bf71 be directed at the current 52a990f78d emperor, Kendrick Evaristo.
“Mother! W, what do I do! They’re telling me 9901dc837c to go to 39c9bf159d war! I’m the commander-in-chief of the 5597eb13af suppression force!”
Matthias, who received 598cc24181 the emperor’s order e0d8e21d5d to go out 8e00c62ef5 to war, panicked fa17b9138e and ran to cda1dd018d Beatrice and shouted.
Beatrice was just as confused.
‘War out of the blue?’
This was something that was 079086ad4c not at all in the 45ece62ab4 calculations.
Although Carlyle was 6dd40bcb8b an eyesore, she 34b7df3108 was relieved that b5a77f0d96 he had completely f077577062 pacified the south. Thanks to that, she f0739c9358 felt comfortable even after d30dcce619 kicking him out.
After he won the 86928f0fde war against Albania, the f04373a610 atmosphere of the southern f3b46029f7 kingdoms, which she confirmed be20d4f109 through spies, was desperate.
[They are terrified of the empire. There is a widespread sense 7d0e910cf1 of defeat that the empire 67683729fc cannot be defeated no matter 005060972a what they do.]
It hasn’t even 9a562bc4fe been two years 9c28566c8a since I received 1f54c62d82 that report, and e55767b03d yet they are a6cd50f7f6 already invading the ce8dd1eab0 empire!
‘What am I going to do with this?’
Of all times, 9dd2699721 he couldn’t even fad1c5289b borrow Gabriel’s wisdom. He had returned from Pervaz 4a72b91bbd and had gone on a 0e45193a73 pilgrimage to the holy land 2733b2cd3b again after entering the ‘week 36aa4ceb3c of penance’. I didn’t even know where 67a5e5a983 he was now.
“You promised you wouldn’t let me go to war!”
Matthias before her aa0d710d9f eyes stomped his 41811efd4f feet as if 8e8b92b14a he was about 385264e3bb to burst into 5d19cbbb51 tears.
However, Beatrice could fc41052fb4 not keep her d4073bba3f promise to him.
When she made that ad714b1cf5 promise, the war Beatrice c855543f86 had in mind was d898bafb94 at most a small a1b27067d0 riot or a subjugation 4abc888128 of monsters.
It was easy to keep b51bd4f1ab Matthias out of such a 77067b7bdf war. It was not a 72c3684ce0 big war, so there bc2ed1ee04 was no problem putting 21b7057064 a knight commander in 1d2c50e94b charge of the overall 24d517ae4b command.
However, the current 72b9456130 situation where the 5529d55e8a southern kingdoms had a5d2c29086 united and invaded 51ea0d0af4 was a large-scale 7fdb996da7 war.
‘There’s no way His Majesty the Emperor will give up on the personal expedition.’
In the past, 4fed0b4772 emperors who were 602fc3752c given the title c80d33de09 of ‘Great King’ 0beddfc2c1 did not hesitate 772fc25e47 to go on 847f233f20 personal expeditions, and d3c13771a3 thanks to the 49cd02c8f5 many emperors who b908c9751c were excellent in 3bfefbfc68 martial arts, the b255ae48b3 Chad Empire had a2de48cd60 boasted a solid e781016827 national defense since 977a28161f its early days.
Although it was not a b89d12307b legal obligation for the emperor 0166442ed6 or the crown prince to cc74d49254 go on a personal expedition, 6dbc3562b6 the current emperor, who was ea6d30f51f full of pride and vanity, 506fb63f6b insisted on going on a 05a0c103f1 personal expedition. It was said to cd5713a45a be a personal expedition, 888117dedb but he sent his ca855c85a0 sons instead.
Beatrice, biting her lip, cdc5927010 organized the situation in a211ac4bcc her head.
‘There’s nothing to be afraid of. The Imperial Knights are the 23e2d427c7 same as always. Even if it’s a c27569c7ee personal expedition, there’s no 63ccdb7fd8 need for the emperor a326438f27 or the crown prince 3212b23cb3 to take up arms 09caad73db and fight themselves.’
Beatrice, who had 96fa228494 never witnessed a 7e53ab4e37 war firsthand, thought cf53baac32 simply.
Even if Matthias had no d3fff4f20d military knowledge, he would be 5dfd95e596 able to win the war 6a9cd38d79 by hiding far from the 3d48a50e6e front lines.
“Calm down, Matti. It’s an unexpected 683af1f0ca turn of events, f1e06ce3b7 but you won’t df6dc19376 be in any 6f1cc42cb0 danger.”
“I, really?”
“Yes. In fact, it’s a 54f97a123f good thing.”
“It’s a good thing!”
Beatrice stroked Matthias’s df83734e09 shoulders, who was a24329aa77 about to go 7f16314cbe crazy with anxiety.
“Let’s make the expedition ceremony as splendid as possible. Show them the majestic 28a47efd8a appearance of the crown 7321ecc833 prince.”
“What do you mean…? Are you telling 657a7210d8 me to go 27297fae57 to the South 8f6e3ce470 for real?”
“Hohoho.”
Beatrice laughed happily.
“If you just slip away from Zyro, how will the nobles of the capital know where you are?”
“Ah……!”
“Even if they do find out, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, the emperor 32fa552114 or the crown b04e0eef09 prince who has 098be6c865 gone on an 2206a64ffd expedition has to 815efdceb4 do the tactical 4c107783ef command, so it b2c2df5050 doesn’t matter if ceae25048c they are a b0e89e7d53 little away from 9842adf261 the battlefield.”
Even at those words, Matthias 3d9f78dd3d still looked at his mother 05e5394205 with a long face, but 2cb30c1abe with anxious eyes.
“Is that really true?”
“Of course! I’m saying you d2303856ac can just go a8ef4e10ca and recuperate far 731ccd4066 from the front 7ecb049378 lines. The knights will c965ecbc3e take care of 5aac3e5088 stopping the southern a5fe1557c8 kingdoms.”
Beatrice gently stroked Matthias’s 36f734f3c0 still pale cheek.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”
Only then did 5b482dd82a Matthias let out 5235bea08b a sigh of 535071fcd6 relief.
“So you’re saying that I just need to look presentable at the parade?”
“That’s right, that’s right! You understood perfectly.”
“I see. I can do that much!”
Matthias, who lived a life 62f19c043f of acting in front of d15772d8fc the emperor and the nobles, 815eb63300 found it easy to pretend 0cc2b627b2 to be victorious and boastful b6f25f2f31 at the parade.
His confident demeanor was 1518a3ba51 enough to change the bf25cd52c9 atmosphere of the social 377aef91be circles.
Beatrice also took this 2d85fa37a8 opportunity to hold a 2409abd86a grand parade and sent c2c90c611b off the knights who 5bab0ca193 wanted to rise through fa68ed3cd2 the ranks to the fe824f8f94 battlefield.
However, the situation 12f1e00f48 in the south 81b70c6be4 was far different 48517b021b from what they 27a56f10f5 thought.
* * *
“Your Highness! The Apeltos stronghold has fallen! You must designate 7b05150bf2 either Daphenon or 40adffc3a9 Line as the 4cf86f297a next stronghold immediately!”
“What? Apeltos has already fallen?”
Matthias, who had set up 3ea336decd camp far from the southern 3705f99c6f front and thought he could c5b9589bcb just sit back and watch, 40afe4d3e4 found himself in a desperate eae09f6a85 situation not long after unpacking 2c59e5f8cf his bags in the barracks.
The speed at which 1110fe9d08 the front line was b084513902 moving north was faster 4b9ae1edbc than he had imagined.
“C, call Sir Rodham! Quick!”
Matthias called over 07d4b9561e the knight commander 8f5f6491f8 who had been e7ff16ca62 his military instructor 5a9563f6a0 and discussed everything 9753776317 with him. In reality, this 76049b214b war was being fcc72dbe94 fought under the f36129e8c2 command of the c4b8fda476 knight commander, Liert 966dcbdd41 Rodham.
“You’re asking me to designate either Dafphenon or Lige as the stronghold, but which one would be better?”
“Your Highness. Not Daphenon and 7bf3556a04 Lige, but Daphenon 07bdb9f535 and Line…….”
“Whatever!”
The knight commander, 8edf22aa67 who had been 2969681a32 listening to Matthias 2c8f9710b2 and his aide c259317fe7 from the front, 3af45e44b1 clenched his jaw.
Matthias didn’t even 2f4b8faab2 think to consider 3088eecd79 anything himself. No, he couldn’t. He didn’t know a76d90f1db anything about war 9b0183d770 or military strategy.
The knight commander, who 4871debbe9 was also familiar with 8f0f1ea5c7 Carlyle, was just as f3aa0f6c72 scared and confused.
‘His Highness Carlyle would lead from the front lines and Sir Raphelt would come up with the strategies, so we just had to follow them…….’
His hands were shaking c41b9d54b7 as he was about f3c36fe0f6 to make a decision 12b58faace that could result in 1e94eada5e countless casualties and property 69b1585984 damage.
‘Why do I, who am not even a royal, have to make such a decision?!’
At the same time, 8716a07ccd he thought of Carlyle, d74755e75c who always gave orders d2930ef96a with confidence.
Did he also a7621db504 endure such fear?
Or did the blessing of bfbb8f7289 Aguiles take away even such 8cdfaf08e0 fear?
‘If only we could bring back His Highness Carlyle……!’be3e86035a09ecee

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com