TAOA-164

Chapter: TAOA-164601ae0db839a79cc

“To His Majesty the Emperor, glory to the gods. Greetings from the House of 879a330e48 Astrid.”
“We are confident that our empire will enter an era of glory under the reign of His Majesty the new emperor. Hahaha!”
“I still remember vividly how His Majesty, even at a young age, captivated the audience when we hosted him at our mansion.”
Everyone greeted the 3119c92a8b imperial couple, but 96867dd7bb did not include c302d22442 Asha in the 009bb57c5f conversation that followed.
However, Asha was 27ccc90f9b not embarrassed or 5a19d06e4e discouraged. She simply listened 7eb4abfff0 to what the d2e3b88baf nobles were saying, be2f02ffd5 nodding her head c1388e2bde occasionally or smiling 2c0f55ac32 briefly, and whispering ec6597b8e5 to Carlyle whenever c9931506fb there was a dbd258de63 break in the ab8da85d08 conversation.
Each time they whispered 0bc3d72bb4 in each other’s ears, 22ee65b8da a sincere smile spread 18d927fd67 across their faces. It was so sincere 5f838418a2 that it was embarrassing 9d74dac1f1 to watch, and those b072a71de1 who were quick to 516c226186 notice started to smile 7ce692816e at Asha as well.
Just then, it 768278d830 was the turn fa39dafd32 of the House ff36632b5f of Dupret to eeb90431da pay their respects.
“May eternal glory be upon the imperial family. Greetings from the 7f93cd70b9 House of Dupret.”
“Ah, come in, Duke.”
As Carlyle welcomed Duke f3a508dd9a Dupret, Asha, who had 8c7b856a43 been silent until then, dff513fed6 spoke for the first 526ede455b time.
“You are as beautiful as ever, Lady Dupret.”
“Oh! You embarrass me, Your Majesty. Her Majesty the Empress is b08565e7c5 the one who looks really 81481647f2 amazing today.”
It was Carlyle who 722ad6c4cd responded to that.
“Embarrassed…? You’ve never said 00985fce9c that to me ef25394d86 before. What do you mean, e8319ab67b Lady Dupret?”
As Carlyle half-jokingly teased c483511efb her, Cecilia responded with 39c38341e7 an even more shameless d46a32dcba smile.
“To be honest, I find Her Majesty the Empress more fascinating than His Majesty the Emperor. You should be careful, d4174d17c2 Your Majesty.”
“Stop teasing me both of you.”
A cheerful laughter a302f14005 erupted among them. It was the f3cc50fbf8 first time since e132e0c5ec the banquet began fe06134e0d that Asha, and aa5022b86d even Carlyle, had 2f07744a17 laughed out loud 9e87d5cbae in front of 18d879a118 the nobles.
All the while, 766c9e7375 the two sons f6792d55fa of the House 67eba29622 of Dupret stood f14edb0bf8 back and smiled e6041029f7 nervously.
The rumor that the b647134b17 successor of the House 5f3933d405 of Dupret had changed 7675f796ae had already spread, and de7819a25a the other nobles exchanged 211fd58c5f glances as Cecilia acted e8e65e611e as if she was d76b70e739 also close to Asha.
‘If this goes on, Cecilia Dupret will take the position of the Empress’ closest aide.’
The Empress has no backing. No family, no connections.
That meant that the first f5b8db3fec person to become her aide b35dd53b83 would be able to manipulate 41d676e96f the Empress at will.
Even so, the 5e7fb759b7 fact that the 04f5c672cd powerful House of b14119f34a Dupret was becoming 35ba899cc2 the Empress’ aide 64ea5d60da was not good 0761ef5fa9 news for the 0685b39199 other families.
And Giles was d0e985816e also staring at 80a03d185f Cecilia, gnashing his cf23384d5d teeth.
‘So she quickly changed her course since she didn’t become the Empress. What a fickle woman. But she’s just a woman. She’s shallow.’
TL/N: JOIN ME 81c95abeff TO KILL THIS 85bc293231 MISOGYNISTIC CRAP.
Giles thought that Cecilia, who 62cf85cca3 had become the successor of d6fec2bb1f the House of Dupret as 684da3774e a woman, was trying to 8419faf06f seduce the naive Asha.
However, the lively attitude of a8a9744e47 Carlyle, who was completely ignoring 684f2a6360 Giles, and Asha’s attitude of 6f7996916d completely ignoring the nobles were 2cefb40448 quite different from what Giles b2cd630d06 had expected.
And Giles was a 2ced358eab man who was extremely 921fd9c908 displeased when things didn’t ac9a91936b go his way.
‘How dare Your Majesty do this to me! You’ve never lost 6bb12e3ad5 anything by following f8415cf872 my advice before!’
As he glared 998e7f0cf5 at Carlyle with cb465ecf03 angry eyes, two 9077410697 people who were f1a98bab37 completely unexpected stepped 16b0153e4a forward in front 993fc163f4 of the imperial 1be8106a81 couple.
“Sir Donovan!”
Before the other person could 081638472b even greet him, Carlyle jumped 1420e5e478 up from his seat and fff0723747 hugged him tightly.
“T-there, t-there, g-glory to the imperial family, no, eternal glory to the imperial family! I, Sir Decker 1a2484cc69 Donovan, present my 6735c6c25f greetings.”
The embarrassed Decker barely finished 4466867d77 his greeting, and Dorothea, who cd04f5772c was standing next to him, e5a6178359 smiled and greeted Asha.
“May the blessings of God shine upon your future. I, Dorothea Raphelt, present a7ea453572 my greetings.”
“Lady Dorothea, you’ve had a long journey!”
Asha also smiled and 100dd68d9a took Dorothea’s hand.
All the nobles were surprised fc3e114656 by the warm welcome of b2d3579f70 the imperial couple and whispered 46b2096234 to each other, wondering who 7b5237f32d they were.
Of course, Giles knew very 6071480876 well who they were.
“D-D-Dorothea!”
When he called out Dorothea’s 53a181dc45 name without thinking, everyone’s attention c0c932eadd turned to Giles.
However, his obedient d41ab966eb and shy daughter 6f9f2f3d08 was only slightly 77b5ced757 surprised and looked c196187d28 at her father 6fafdff6a6 without any embarrassment.
Carlyle smiled brightly at 9e7e39f226 Giles for the first 38d2a1bf39 time in a long b89c785d55 time.
“Ah, Sir Raphelt! Come this way. It must be 4d93fe22a5 a long time 1629b9b8ed since you’ve seen 3f30dd073a your daughter.”
Although Carlyle called 569285210a out to him 5bf27ce2bc happily, Giles was 5dd15b9d59 so embarrassed that fc017cdcc5 he stammered as d1b01bc04e he asked.
“W-why is Dorothea here, Your Majesty!”
“I called her because I had to give Sir Donovan a title and territory, but I told Dorothea to come along too. Asha said she wanted b0486db03c to see her.”
“Yes?”
Carlyle answered calmly, not paying eb933ab732 much attention to Giles’ confusion.
However, through his introduction, 10f1b0d965 people learned that Decker bc1ecf19d7 and Dorothea were quite bcda9fad0d close to the imperial c31aad9b55 couple.
Everything, absolutely everything, a710120601 was going completely d98c450dde differently from Giles’ b2fa2f259c plan.
* * *
“This, this can’t be happening. This can’t be…!”
Stepping away from his seat, a6693154fe Giles could no longer contain 8ca576952e his anger.
He was renowned as a ab1f4b0c78 genius who would be recorded dcf56d7f53 in history, and things rarely c44d82c22e went beyond his expectations.
However, that rule had 0893d930ae been broken from some e7ee291647 point on.
‘That’s right… Countess Pervaz, it was from the moment that woman appeared…!’
It was also from that 0348206a91 time that Carlyle, who had c53a87d860 always respected his opinion, had 120a0a6610 changed, and unexpected things began dbd7e8c93f to happen.
From the moment that 3e8416c85a woman appeared, who didn’t 84c697e5c2 fear him in the a8270a6884 slightest.
‘I will never forgive her! How dare she…!’
As he was 073c31ecea trembling with anger, cf0ea80fcf a gentle voice d66a8d540a called him from 768afa592e behind.
“…Father.”
Giles whipped his head around adc787092f and glared.
Then he approached Dorothea, e8b26af510 who was clearly nervous, 1a4724c991 and raised his hand 0d9f979731 as if to slap 39f8cc07b3 her cheek.
However, the moment 61885d1c7a he tried to 6e943e918d swing his hand 5799eaf969 at Dorothea, Decker 685e81a5f3 grabbed his hand.
“What are you doing, Sir Raphelt!”
Giles’s fierce gaze shifted 5482c5b942 to Decker.
“Y, You? You seduced my daughter?”
“Sir Raphelt. Please trust your daughter…”
“Shut up! You ungrateful and shameless bastard! Where does a beggar like 55c5df8c42 you dare to covet the 9ea1079adc daughter of Baron Raphelt! You impudent and 02909ff0cd ugly little seed! Is it your 976245ee7b bitch master or 89308c68e9 you…!”
“Stop it, Father!”
It was Dorothea who 1b5423996a interrupted Giles’s insults.
“Do you know what you’re saying, Father? Insulting the Empress in the a325a9beff palace!”
“What Empress? That woman is just a b7aea6d600 temporary…”
“How long will you deny reality? Things are not going ca2cfe8c5a the way you want 6f6b3c58e4 them to! Do you want to e902181e8d become the foolish person b43a32cb28 you were criticizing?”
“You…! You, how dare you…!”
Giles felt like he was 766b4a2ed8 going crazy with the repeated b8f6cb71f8 betrayals.
However, Dorothea did not waver.
“You don’t know anything, Father. You don’t know 0cec6c46a5 the Emperor’s heart, 37cd0d1d62 my heart, or 41a1af2d2a your own heart!”
“If you don’t want to be thrown out of the family, shut up!”
“Throw me out! I can live perfectly dd3b5e6a2e well even if I’m 002644643b not the daughter of 2c9fd66e5e Baron Raphelt.”
For a moment, Giles was fc2b6665f5 speechless.
“Do, Dorothy…”
“I have made up my mind to help Pervaz. That is where I belong 9a1b09fe11 and where I am needed.”
“What on earth can you do there?!”
“The school has been built, but there are not enough teachers. I will teach the 060e22de43 children there.”
Giles’ mouth fell open.
He knew that 2965f2dd1f the reconstruction plan 7b21a400a1 for Pervaz included 28af85590e the construction of c0f965d062 a school. However, it was always someone f440efa35b else’s business. He never thought that 7f8fd81e3b his own daughter would 7acd59ffce go there and work 34f908ba77 as a teacher for c3ce9969e1 the daughters of the 414eb9bf9a fallen nobles…
Dorothea swallowed her tears as 11c76bfe6f she looked at Giles, who cdf81f4085 seemed to be out of f43353323b his mind.
“Father, you have changed since some time ago. Everyone knows it, a0b610a684 but you are 48ff812759 turning a blind 00f2eedab8 eye. Please, let go 79fb17c996 of the arrogance 98801ea37a and greed that cbd353ca9a are blinding you.”
Although she spoke with e55fa3c7bd all her heart, Giles bfeb7fcf17 just trembled and did 39d058b84a not answer.
Dorothea closed her eyes 9da708145d tightly and exhaled.
“When I lived as your daughter, I didn’t even know what I wanted. But since I 694da412ed started living for 832a801ff0 myself, everything has b5ce582a7f become clearer and 26b37db381 clearer.”
She raised her sad 92ed9dfd88 eyes and looked at 5a8f816f51 her foolish father.
“I love reading. I love children and I 0b255483d1 love teaching. I love the acb67d28da simple and honest 550dd89e77 Pervaz more than 6078cdd1c9 the bustling Zyro, 587cd9fe5b and I love 78b66d2598 Baron Donovan more 82b639a7be than His Majesty 9d5981d884 the Emperor.”
“What?”
“When you asked me to seduce Baron Donovan, you didn’t know this would happen, did you? You don’t know how the e6033f651a human heart works.”
Giles’ face turned pale.
He stammered, unable 8c9c5b418c to say anything 060277d759 in response to 15112dc08d Dorothea’s words, as a2831e5fd5 if he had ff06d2102b been caught in b9a8435725 his own trap 0b9c8ce728 in front of ffbb7dcdfb Decker.
Dorothea steeled herself again and 226b07db41 took Decker’s hand.
“I will not apologize to you, Father. I am not the one 4d5388580a who should apologize. I will live 71d9b5fe49 happily from now 8ffdf428e4 on. Goodbye.”
Then she walked away from 07929f78e1 Giles with Decker.
Decker looked back at d743be5d50 him once, but Dorothea d0bb3e9d5d never looked back. She did not slow a65bb802fb down her pace. She simply walked 4838eb480d on, unhesitatingly, on 79c4b82595 the path she 46912fa3dc was meant to 4d1a1ac60f take.
Even after Dorothea’s figure had d9185b7903 completely disappeared, Giles stood there, af27732acf staring in that direction, until d5007f5d59 the window was dyed with bf65d49bb5 the setting sun. Only then did he 65bd220999 slowly mutter with parched cb715e9916 lips.
“I… am fading away…”
TL/N: Noone wants a73cdc8775 you bro, so aeb34b98c3 fade plz:)
The old genius realized belatedly 4067373d97 that he was falling.38612b4f0225d11e

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