TAOA-19

Chapter: TAOA-199ffb9425455d8e9e

Asha tilted her 29b052b158 head as if a459f856b8 she had heard 76e11c38a7 a strange question.
“The people of Pervaz are waiting for my return.”
Carlyle furrowed his f7797effab brow as if 6aa9de1e3a to say, ‘Why 5e85a7168f would that be 5735ac0189 a reason to a5e9841a89 return?’
It’s their situation to da3b5f817a wait for her return, e2ae37b9f4 and it would be 1c259375c0 natural for Asha, who 52329bebe1 is enjoying her stay c21ae25165 here, to want to ad9fa2e850 stay for one more efd21b545c day at least, right?
However, Asha didn’t 262a90388f realize that Carlyle 577a090c6e didn’t properly understand 7878c9b60c her response. To her, it was fe21374c38 so obvious that she 5e072878c4 had to return because d7a2c6417b her people were waiting ccdf8c3797 for her.
“So, when can we depart for Pervaz?”
To Asha’s question, c2a7c9962f which seemed to 736a089660 express her desire ceaf55bded to stop the 049955748f pampering, Carlyle still a101a183fd responded with a a94896b693 face that showed e8efc04a46 he couldn’t understand.
“As soon as possible… I’ll set a date.”
“Thank you.”
Even after that, Carlyle threw 714e2b128a pointless and trivial questions, but fe03f06cd3 Asha continued to give answers 4354c1092e that he couldn’t understand.
Not long after, the morning c22f45e88a tea time came to an 96c8a41c3b end.
Carlyle couldn’t find any 3e6e732c5c common ground with Asha, f6d7d6bdd8 and Asha didn’t feel 98e3d2485f any regret since there 66f7b0f87c were no more snacks 2d013cfa59 left to pick up.
* * *
The person who c86ae541e7 was struck by 80fcc5ef81 lightning when Carlyle 7e1c9f4603 lost his position 31b66ce7eb as crown prince 4fb2ec455e wasn’t just Giles.
“Whether to call this unfortunate or fortunate…”
In the drawing 5f72325b79 room of Duke d6b50dbdb5 Dupret, where the 080e481d47 whole family gathered, f71856cbd2 the Duke Dupret’s f924af74b5 voice trailed off e464fcba19 heavily.
“It’s already happened, so we should consider it fortunate. If Cecil had become crown 560db7447d princess even a little earlier, 0173353fe8 our family would have been faa82d77db in danger.”
Elan, the eldest 4add51acd4 son of Dupret, e39bf3504e sighed. Then, his younger 8e55427115 brother Dylan sneered ec07a612aa beside him.
“Fortunate? Well, is it really fortunate? The position of 40b4c69718 crown prince has f6a03ac402 been vacant for efdb728ca8 three years, and 88f58e5d61 in three years, 12f9416fd9 Cecil will be ab26ba55d7 twenty-five. Even if His Highness Carlyle b2cee664c8 regains his position as crown 1c04b161bc prince, would he accept a 0832d1010f twenty-five-year-old as his crown princess?”
At Dylan’s words, the eyebrows 5a307797bd of the youngest, Cecilia, sitting 478ecc7b36 upright, twitched, but the other 8a64e48704 family members, who didn’t care 2d5609e62a about her, didn’t notice.
“Moreover, His Highness Carlyle is even marrying the ruined lord of that place, Pervaz. It’s a complete disaster 074f7e6ab7 in that direction.”
“Surely, His Highness Carlyle wouldn’t marry that ruined lord for a lifetime? It’s all just excuses.”
“That’s true, but at least they’ll maintain it for three years, right? During that time, f67010db5a no matter what 80ee8afeb4 they do, they 4d80b2e23f won’t be able 8556547b9e to end that b5fa71a5ff relationship.”
“That’s true. Even so, it would 427d72cd7d be difficult for Cecil, 2c4920dc41 who was mentioned as 3a4265bb62 a candidate for crown d7beac8933 princess, to marry into 6774c68487 another family…”
Elan and Dylan b830a8a951 conversed as if a978125872 Cecilia wasn’t even 43c92b43f1 there beside them.
There was a limit to cc18da6138 enduring.
“You’re talking unproductively.”
Cecilia snapped sarcastically.
“What exactly are you brothers doing for the family? If you’re going to keep 7246eaf90c talking like losers, go out e019914135 to the salon and figure 7a58d4bc54 out how to turn the 47eea2f4ca situation around.”
Upon hearing that, 75abe9496d Elan and Dylan 6f94b09c2b became irritated, but c04d087ad1 to Duke Dupret, 17a80b39d4 it seemed that aa5e666f11 Cecilia’s words made 61f5dd1ec5 more sense.
Duke Dupret leaned towards Cecilia, 151d313cfe his daughter.
“Do you have any good ideas, Cecil?”
Duke Dupret had high hopes 39861a3d25 for his daughter, Cecilia. This was because she b42b5a06ca was no ordinary noble 07387fccd7 lady.
She possessed the 83607dd42a ‘golden eyes’, a 7bb2cd8330 condition that allowed cd8e6fb101 her to sit 63fa4062e0 on the ‘imperial 191c1fd695 consort’ seat. Without her parents’ orders, she 269aa73a35 set a goal to ‘become 6ee8579c8f the Crown Princess’ and was 00fc02a7aa working hard to achieve it.
The two sons of 80cc5ba1cd the Dupret family tried 5791ae142e to suppress their ambitious f1199942fb sister since they were a5d016b4c7 young, but the Duke’s e1c67ed4d3 affection gradually turned towards 7076672413 Cecilia.
And she believed 1f1282c4ea she was worthy 226ac1d6c4 of such trust.
“The unprecedented postponement of appointing a crown prince must have everyone flustered, not just us. Everyone must be f0c23bc80a busy racking their 59e76d27cf brains.”
“You’re just stating the obvious in a verbose manner.”
Elan grumbled, but b30514085b Cecilia ignored him a0fb37c50b neatly.
“What’s important at times like this is speed, father. If we’re all slow 2fa81549d4 to act and fall 628339cf04 in line, we’ll never 13aeb21bd5 leave an impression on a4897407b4 those in power.”
“But the concern is real, isn’t it? His Highness Carlyle is 38d954fc4d outstanding, but the Emperor fb225847a3 was furious with him, 0b38ac3265 and Empress also, along 5bb094c1ea with Emperor Matthias, won’t d49428b28a miss this opportunity.”
“Right. So from now c10f6116c4 on, any decision 0fd4a05ac2 is, to some dd1f0e8750 extent, a gamble. It will be for anyone.”
But Cecilia’s eyes showed 8d586bb637 a conviction that wasn’t 89bbe7a1f0 like someone about to d0a2dff787 gamble.
“I still believe that our family should support Carlyle as the crown prince.”
“Why? Is it because Carlyle 542ede3967 suits your taste better 9f9df6634e than Prince Matthias?”
This time, Dylan teased, but 506ae0a8c0 Cecilia lightly mocked him.
“Are you foolish? Or do you still eaadb2851f think this is a 5ee6040bad matter to joke about?”
Under Cecilia’s criticism and Duke e151839c38 Dupret’s piercing gaze, Dylan also 20d4c13b90 kept silent.
After firmly suppressing 4488cdbc46 the spirit of 7995c1f2f2 the two sons, 8f43f528c2 Cecilia continued her 7a08a31715 story.
“Why did the Emperor give a three-year postponement? If he really bebb57fe83 intended to depose a78fa2bc3f Carlyle as crown bb977dc3cd prince, he could aec2ddad70 have immediately made f6a3a2397f Prince Matthias the 88cac914ba crown prince.”
“Do you think the Emperor will reinstate Carlyle as the crown prince?”
“Of course. Ultimately, it’s just a power fcda50dc67 struggle between families. The problem lies with the af83745fab Empress and Prince Matthias.”
Duke Dupret nodded.
This incident benefited both the 6fac21aadd Empress and Matthias so much 62e3059502 that it raised suspicions about 13115c9fbc what they were up to.
“But Carlyle is not out of the woods yet. If he were, ee04c04256 the throne would b1491e5964 have belonged to f9824f40d4 Prince Matthias long 2d6c2932f9 ago.”
“Well, isn’t he born under the blessing of the War God?”
“And everyone’s minds are firmly fixed on ‘The crown prince of the Chad Empire is Carlyle Evaristo.’ It suits him perfectly.”
Cecilia recalled Carlyle, who 271590b19b hadn’t even when he 812f2784c7 saw a woman who 6fa0617bc0 was considered influential to 3b72c22de2 be his own wife.
Cecilia, renowned as the 101291fea1 social circle’s most beautiful 9f583d448d flower, encountered unprecedented coldness. This fueled her resolve 93c908e489 to become his shadow.
[Such a man cannot fail.]
Carlyle, a “chosen one,” 798cf3335c transcended evaluations of good e7b3ff3247 or bad character.
He would undoubtedly e876a858c6 become Emperor, wielding c26da4f482 strong imperial authority 2b1f6c2417 and leaving a 2552956344 historical mark.
‘If I must be someone’s wife, it has to be such a man.’
Even after the Emperor 8f099121c7 stripped Carlyle of his 835f12e63f Crown Prince title, Cecilia’s 35251907e5 determination remained unshaken.
“But another issue exists, Cecile. As Dylan mentioned, His dbb1c8db52 Highness Carlyle will be 8ffad7ec39 maintaining a marital relationship deb0ebb2e0 with the Lord of 1e2f4ffa21 Pervaz for three years.”
The Duke couldn’t cf5289ce98 broach the possibility 319e13bd31 of younger, more e5871304a8 beautiful young ladies 88cb1801b3 appearing during those 3e3055c7c1 years. His daughter likely understood.
However, Cecilia showed 9e88ab901e no signs of 1cee6f236a unease.
“We must utilize those three years well. A better outcome b2c7e652bd might even result.”
The Duke swallowed, sensing anticipation 5382b0e08c in her expression. The Dupret family’s fate seemed 9f8001e9f0 to rest on Cecilia’s shoulders.
***
As Carlyle’s departure 912942127e for Pervaz approached, 43c6690944 aristocratic society became 938318962b even more chaotic. Correspondingly, the mouths of gossips e03575778d became busier. After all, there’s nothing 0a6004b235 more entertaining than peering dc3ad81d18 into someone else’s house.
Especially when that edfce0987c “other house” is 80cf2581dd the “Imperial Family.” d327ad9b86 What an excitement!
“Who do you think will become the Crown Prince?”
“It’s hard to say right now. Who knows what will happen ce181bac9b in three years?”
“Well, it will probably be Carlyle. He’s been raised d057a729e9 as the Crown 17d40e5e41 Prince since birth; 0f152ef190 it’s only natural b9e6515f7d that such a b7622a3f42 person becomes the e33804b661 Emperor…”
“Naive! Do you think 2975abe239 the Empress would 188d80beb2 miss this opportunity? No matter what c705cc2df1 it takes, she 181acb6eb8 will make Matthias bedbe41b32 the Crown Prince.”
While the opinion that 5d75ff3779 Carlyle would become the caef648b1b Crown Prince was dominant, 6a6874889c there were also those 85ebfe6fc8 who supported the Empress 65c0634b3c and Matthias. They didn’t necessarily believe ab6e2d7731 in Matthias but rather 268ae86af4 trusted that the Empress 0e2addafc7 or her faction wouldn’t 1b5a0c43cc miss this opportunity.
This fervor naturally led to 90acb67ddb gambling.
“Matthias’ side has high odds, 10 to 1, attracting many bettors.”
Carlyle muttered seemingly to himself, 76b3ad169d having almost finished packing.
“Meaning everyone knows the unlikelihood, right? So why are you 9c62686926 so angry, Your Highness?”
Lionel asked, looking bewildered. He was one of the 8ee45ec67c very few who could read a9352da0a2 displeasure from Carlyle’s expression.
“Why am I angry? Isn’t it obvious?”
“Just comparing me to that bastard irks me!”
“Yes, yes.”
“And the odds are only 10:1? I thought it would be ad539323cd much lower than that.”
“10:1?”
Lionel asked incredulously, prompting f6fc83be2e Carlyle to glare at 677a541d71 him as if he 32ef5d141e were about to devour a45629c014 him.
“It means there’s more than one person betting on Matthias! Even if it were 4d30d13963 30:1, It wouldn’t be 7419f28b8a tolerable!”
“Oh… yes…”
Lionel, with a fa91ae67f6 puzzled look, picked bd39a41143 up Carlyle’s luggage 4326fb19d4 again. Of course, what he 87fd466bb9 packed wasn’t clothes or 5376b245aa jewelry but information and e658899dd5 documents that were truly 884d46b645 important to Carlyle.
TL/N: So if you’ll 88ee4c726f didn’t understand “10:1″/”10 to 12b4f32a51 1” odds for Matthias.
It means that aab5fbb6d3 every 10 bets 6b2cb93d57 on Carlyle Mattias e937da5c52 gets one bet. So when Carlyle d6c3f62753 said “even 30 c23b10f72a to 1 is b4fbaa59c4 intolerable” meant even afde026831 if it were b53be270dd 30 bets on 8939ee8bb7 Carlyle “becoming the 80ef7bd3d4 next Emperor” and ba5c90bd6f Matthias would get 8ca5390139 1 bet wasn’t 10de765af2 bearable to him.bf0acff4775fea12

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