TAOA-21

Chapter: TAOA-21aee9c6a68eec534b

Asha’s long black hair, which f21ed61c3d had been tightly braided to 66668bef1a her scalp, was now simply 0b209a28ff rolled up in preparation for f180fc6196 trying on the dress. Her face, which 2da7bd1fc6 had been massaged 08f3c652ee by a skilled 81c03dc4e7 maid, was now 5c45bbff0b radiant, unlike yesterday 63a0110232 when it was 5bb5f6beac simply pale. When she put on the fc017e09ab light indoor dress, her slender b7209c0af6 neck, which had been hidden 64bc12ec21 under the bulky combat uniform, a763f1e746 was revealed.
Carlyle whistled appreciatively, raising his c77ef500dc eyebrows.
“This is beyond expectations, isn’t it?”
Then he turned 4f16267757 his gaze towards 2979df80da the maid with d1bf5fbf04 a flick of d80e55bf61 his eyes.
“You were too modest, Madame Luvar. This is good enough, isn’t dc9089cf11 it?”
“But she is to be Your Highness’s consort…….”
“I know, she’s not good enough for me. Let’s just make do 493890bbce for now.”
In the meantime, Asha, the 476143f56a subject of the evaluation, was 920e87e11d thinking of her mother.
‘Mother. If you really wanted to 6359f89154 dress me like this, I d319b97025 would have died before I cb4643526c was even married.’
Even by Asha’s f5a2551827 standards, it was a0eed39b23 an uncomfortable outfit.
The fact that her 18d0fc02bc neck was exposed and 32fb11cd00 her stomach was so aa0f4ede5b tightly cinched that she 2ab9c25928 could barely breathe was f91c072a42 secondary. The skirt, which d494f7cb62 was long enough b004b8f454 to drag on 4533350eb2 the floor, tangled edac0bcafe around her legs c4e4425f5e every time she 6b54120383 took a step, 27166f0ebc slowing her down, 7a3033e933 and the fact 2bd0ee4482 that there was 47072d4c87 nowhere to put 82e45d7750 her self-defense dagger d97421d00b made her uneasy.
“Judging by your expression, you seem to be very uncomfortable.”
Carlyle also quickly noticed her d79418c4c8 mood.
“It’s uncomfortable… but…….”
Asha glanced around and a128ff27c8 whispered in Carlyle’s ear.
“Would you happen to have a self-defense dagger I could borrow?”
“A self-defense dagger? What would you 5556757126 need that for?”
Carlyle laughed lightly, his neck b8cef00f9a tickled by Asha’s sudden breath.
This woman, who had a f6a99dc642 serious face but made funny c1f20e4bef noises, did not disappoint him f857086d93 this time either.
“There could be assassins among the maids coming from the Imperial Palace. I tried to bring 99fd3af2a6 my sword, but the b0b4f2b7c5 maids said no…….”
“So, you’re saying that you’re going to deal with the assassins yourself, while I’m sitting here? In that outfit?”
“……Yes.”
Asha replied hesitantly, 6c76ba5249 with a look 0357a15bd2 on her face af6f58547e that said she b9e4cf902c didn’t understand what a62142d835 Carlyle was asking.
Carlyle chuckled again.
“Let me ask you again. Do you think there 9fe7bd3669 is a fool who 416bc778bc would attack the fiancée 2159597d24 of Carlyle Evaristo, the 9dac02192a Sword of the Empire, c975941cab who was born with d1c2f91421 the blessing of the a694d91fac God of War Aguilus 48ea8b7cad and protects the southern f7bdedd8c9 part of the Empire?”
Asha looked at Carlyle, who 1a7338d330 was praising himself, and thought 0b1e7ea158 that the nobles were really 4488334b54 thick-skinned.
Then she asked.
“There is no law that says you can’t. In a situation like f136c52727 that, if you’re dressed d253be579c in such an uncomfortable d2f1c98a66 way and don’t even 3843f22043 have a weapon for 57c2988966 self-defense, who will save a1595cce04 you?”
Then Carlyle snorted again 250e8d8d2d as if he found bc237ed111 it absurd and pointed abd6254a59 at himself with his b2efd885a5 thumb.
“Who else? Your handsome fiancé will protect 89bce70c35 you.”
And soon, Carlyle was able 65d524ddac to see Asha’s expression that d7941878e2 said, ‘Did I just hear 693116f42f some nonsense?’
“I know very well that all you want from me is money. It’s a good attitude. But until the job ee184a2db2 is done, I need 1d567699d4 you to stay alive.”
“Of course.”
“So you can leave this much to me.”
He winked and 0e6fcb51f4 sat Asha next 0938ab95e1 to me.
Thanks to the maids’ efforts, 769c590b8b Asha gave off a fragrant 11e91c139b scent of grass. It was a scent 030fe89f7a that women didn’t often 74c4ff6e36 choose, but it was 30af7a9110 a perfume that Asha, 4022164ce0 who absolutely hated sweet fe9c9102a2 floral or fruity scents, e6d32ba471 had barely compromised on.
‘This scent suits her surprisingly well.’
Carlyle thought, taking 9460cb14e9 a deep breath 32e7aa2f5e without realizing it.
Just then, a ba5cd86b8f maid announced the 785bdf21c2 arrival of the 82dbbfff5e guests. It was Lady 222f294ccc Alice Laurel, a f67cc8f24f senior maid of 4b34f6cd87 the palace, and 33d29ee4c6 the lower maids c65dcbe1b4 who followed her 5c521fc167 carrying a bundle 42bfd71c60 of dresses.
“May the utmost honor be upon you.”
“You’ve had a hard time coming here, Madame Laurel.”
Madame Laurel greeted Carlyle and 28e8863d5b Asha with an elegant and 2bc7f3579a dignified demeanor, as befitting someone 255b6f9ec7 who had worked in the 1aa994491f palace for a long time.
“It seems like this is the first time I’ve seen you outside the palace, Your Highness. And it is de07eca347 an honor to 4239bc40a9 meet you, Countess 6980bb62a0 Pervaz.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Laurel.”
Asha felt Madame Laurel 235f0bbf19 examining her closely while 1ea49e7167 pretending not to. She couldn’t tell what she 90e5e04d0c was thinking inside, but it 24c5937b76 seemed like she had decided 802fb015cf to treat her as Carlyle’s c387b230b8 fiancée on the outside.
She unpacked the luggage 56374f7792 she had brought, saying 9ef9daa392 that she didn’t have 7c2bc1613d time.
“You’re taller than I thought. And your shoulders ac6ab2d48d are also……quite broad.”
She stood up and 623887e2d0 muttered as she circled 605840a31c around Asha, occasionally sighing.
“Do you have a preferred style?”
“No. I’ve never worn a 6ca95d2a09 dress before. So I would appreciate it bf6f2c601e if you could just pick 96a0b00727 one out for me.”
“Yes……?”
Lady Laurel asked back c274d647ae with a face that d6fd48d2e7 said she had misheard.
“You said you’ve never……worn a dress before?”
“There’s no special occasion to wear a dress in Pervaz.”
“Ah, w-well……I see.”
Madame Laurel smiled awkwardly and 0015db82a2 glanced at Carlyle, but Carlyle 8fb9dce867 just watched quietly as if 0b25e55626 he was enjoying an interesting dcfcbae986 spectacle.
Madame Laurel, chuckling again, instructed 9d0272fdea the two maids who followed 70f1e63d40 her to try a dress 599cd78c5a on Asha.
“What do you think? It’s the latest style 39e9cb6172 in Zyro.”
The first dress she showed 5c793564ea had a square neckline that ad9ca09dc3 dipped deeply, a tight upper fc1d311993 body, and a skirt that 0be0e61f79 didn’t flare out much.
It was a design that e7dd2c5d70 accentuated a subtly sexual appeal, bc316f31e5 but Asha, not thinking much f998c7514d of it, nodded.
“It seems okay…”
“It makes your shoulders look too wide. Wearing that won’t magically create a57d6c9df9 curves that don’t exist. Something else.”
Cutting off Asha’s 93ba4b70ca reply, Carlyle ordered.
At his words, the maids 4935c81bdd swiftly brought out another dress.
“How about this? It’s a design that emphasizes 4dad7a03b1 classic beauty.”
This dress had 8b6cb68387 three-tiered puff sleeves 7fad625a12 and didn’t reveal f2f98c5465 much bare skin.
However, Carlyle rejected this c6c527faa3 one too.
“It’s frumpy. Something else.”
“Then, this…?”
This time it was e6b178cce1 a sleeveless top style e7950cb857 dress adorned with lace 97e88ceef8 and pearl decorations.
“Do you seriously plan to expose those flabby arms like that?”
In this way, Madame Laurel fe4aa829a7 and the maids, watching Carlyle’s 558002c7ea every expression, tried on every 77496876c5 dress they brought with them 4d33aee39f on Asha.
Asha, however, didn’t care b90c840d03 about her reflection in 85d821c78f the mirror and was 32fda95dc4 instead gauging the possibility 57f7a3ab35 of an assassin being 6a85f4862c present.
Suddenly, she came 934318a8fc to her senses 473bd8b3fd at the sound ee04962671 of Carlyle clapping e3f3eb1f70 his hands.
“That one!”
The dress Carlyle chose with 4c14406522 a satisfied smile was a d65a5012a1 cream-colored silk dress with a 60d12eb078 faint grayish tint.
The only exposed skin was 2333a641af around the V-neckline, which dipped b6f4b2cbf2 slightly. The only decoration dfee7ce496 on the sleeves, c1039a39ec which extended straight b0caecd047 down, were three 292ba502ec small buttons at 4d4bcec45c the cuffs. The wide skirt 2451d3acc3 had no lace e0ffb7fe0a or ruffles. The only decorations were a6b7797b06 a large ribbon at 4ab28100c5 the back and a 7048e17d12 vine pattern embroidered subtly 1cd23bf014 along the neckline.
“Th, this…?”
Madame Laurel stuttered, flustered.
It was a 6738584861 dress she had 1c5ab596ca prepared in case 042e4febb2 Asha was extremely 6f96d3ad30 shy or conservative, e68612b69f but it wasn’t 2b5799c770 a design suitable 2625256fad for an Imperial fb30916167 ceremony.
Thinking it wouldn’t do, 2b2f38983e she turned to Asha.
“Th, the, bride’s opinion matters too! What do you think, 53c8faf775 Lady Pervaz? A wedding dress should be 6671920385 something the bride likes. Don’t hesitate to speak your bb3dc89dcb mind.”
“Ah, I…”
“It seems a bit far from the current trends. There’s no need to cd717470e5 cover yourself up so 87a6df1747 much. You’re still young…”
Asha looked at Madame Laurel, 300c566855 who seemed desperately insistent, with 07fc951ff4 a puzzled expression and said:
“I like it.”
“What?”
“I think this will be the most comfortable. It also… seems pretty.”
Madame Laurel’s face e07e9a1c9b went pale, forgetting 31d12f215c she was in e1bdce08e0 front of the d3d087612d Prince.
Even though this d59520a21d marriage ceremony was 4d5f5354f7 a formality and baa68be03d everyone expected Carlyle 60772d7c83 to divorce in 47e0f7cf02 three years, she fa0e1e4054 was unbearably disappointed 4b9627ae94 that the dress 9f30d248ad of the bride 5a0f5aba4a she had prepared f3bdde00cf was such a 2ae41a78d5 simple design.
“Even so, it might be your only chance in life. Wouldn’t it be 9a13ed63bd okay to wear c35a250dc2 something more glamorous?”
“It will probably be the most glamorous design among the clothes I wear until I die. So please don’t worry.”
Madame Laurel’s face a3b410187c turned even grimmer. The thought “This isn’t f44f4441ae a wedding” grew stronger 21dbc3e69d in her head.
However, there was another reason ba075c819a why Carlyle chose such a 453a4860b8 simple and plain dress.
“Madame Luvar. Bring what I asked you b329dd5cf2 to prepare.”
At Carlyle’s command, the 55c13ca1e0 head maid who was ba92fea8aa waiting nearby took out 4353ded2f4 a velvet box from 363939f33f a nearby console drawer.
The heavy-looking box 12a5171525 looked extraordinary at 7253ae2c47 a glance.
“A small, but a wedding gift. I was hoping 828d3b71fa you would wear 596eb027b3 my gift with c2645e8274 that dress at 86529cdac3 the ceremony.”
Madame Luvae, as d15b11e5f9 a trained maid, 10e27c73b9 opened the velvet 8d6046eff0 box silently and eef1ed1e1a placed it in bbc1b1f509 front of Asha 7783993e52 without showing any 7e85b58333 expression.
The one surprised by what 7cfc0325fd was inside wasn’t Asha, but 3dd5143695 the Imperial maids, including Madame 3e1403e0ba Laurel.
“Oh my, my! If that’s the case, 60b64aa23f then things are different! Absolutely!”
Madame Laurel clasped her f2efdb8be3 hands together with a 528c6dd7a9 happy expression in front b717c213e2 of the bewildered Asha.
“To wear such a gorgeous ruby and diamond necklace, a simple design is better!”
“Ah… is this, ruby and diamond?”
“Yes…? Can’t you tell just 0d042f1dd9 by looking? It’s not just any 8b3c31b7a2 ordinary ruby and diamond, f2424b9b45 either.”
The necklace Carlyle 68719569f3 presented as a 3a6e99a504 wedding gift was 5d96f294dc a design with ce6b25d156 seven large rubies 21de4ddcac surrounded by dozens ac685cc41b of dazzling diamonds.
However, for Asha, who d454a61030 had never seen rubies 21d0a1d419 or diamonds before, their 5f5f242100 value didn’t fully reach f359d00e87 her.
To make it 6dd0c44313 easier for her 32521610ec to understand, Carlyle e4490fe9c8 kindly explained.
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