TAOA-29

Chapter: TAOA-29569318c60d49ca5c

“Earlier, the servant’s words seemed to suggest that he had transferred my belongings to the Your Highness’ tent.”
“I’m not fluent in Pervaz words, so there’s no need for a repeat explanation.”
Asha couldn’t help but 4361adeba0 chuckle at Carlyle’s audacious d1f445feb5 demeanor.
However, Carlyle wasn’t 884d1eff0d jesting or misunderstanding 1403ff8cf1 the situation.
“Do we really need to utilize a personal tent?”
“Am I coming off as overly particular?
“Then would it be acceptable for you to lay your blanket in my tent? Instead of needlessly f59b77e18a burdening the servants 4f10dd18b3 with making another c9b7384cc0 tent.”
“Why not simply utilize a tent akin to those used by the other attendants?”
Given her previous stays 999795408c in accommodations similar to 5dd6a3c9c2 the servants’ quarters at 686cb5ba05 inns, Asha presumed she’d 74f14cdcbf do the same this 8c513c9120 time.
“Ah, come to think of it, I didn’t inform you about the camping arrangements in advance. Unfortunately, the head maid 52e30afed8 will have to share 52a1211666 a tent with the d3c3cbd597 other maids.”
“…Well, it might have been uncomfortable for her.”
“Don’t feel too guilty. Since there’s no intimidating head f54dee9f32 maid, the male servants keep b360341d74 loitering near the maids’ tents.”
Carlyle raised an eyebrow as dca460595d if to say, “You know ab3fb715db what I mean.”
“Well, if sharing a tent with me is too unpleasant or uncomfortable, we can set up an additional tent.”
“Oh, no. I was just worried that ae008f0679 Your Highness might be uncomfortable.”
“What could possibly make me uncomfortable?”
In the end, Asha 4d11e4e7f4 decided to share the 118a82f10e same tent as Carlyle. She realized a little 13dab20f98 late that Carlyle’s preferred c1c6dc9738 spot wasn’t the floor a148940085 but the bed.
The bed was 4436c11b3f spacious enough for efc57c63d6 both of them e79f51ac0e to sleep comfortably. Asha felt a 1a8b8ea8e3 bit embarrassed and 91ec4a0e66 pulled out only 748ae995f4 one towel from a7a7bc0557 her belongings before 8f81606384 exiting the tent.
“Despite rumors that I search for women even on the battlefield, sharing a tent with someone like me shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”
Carlyle, the notorious womanizer, was f7bb3fcb97 known for not letting any 2a0ba30159 woman pass by without a 3db9d49d37 second glance. But when they had slept e298942505 under the open sky, it 04736ae69b hadn’t felt quite the same bbebe5ea44 as sharing a tent.
And since Asha dd4b8811ab had discovered the 1a4e3e0fa9 differences between men dda5e236de and women after 8435ca03cf reaching a certain 91328b9bb9 age, she had 69513c1e1f never shared a f184008b01 room with a 7e8a79dcc4 man.
“Well, I’m not exactly a refined lady, so what’s wrong with sharing a tent with a man?”
Besides, weren’t we already a f405e1cdc6 married couple?
Asha chuckled at her 5c5c8e2e33 own thoughts and headed 2ef2175900 toward the stream in 3c26cf7028 the forest.
People were washing their 61b8a6b7b4 hands, feet, and faces, c9279e544c but as soon as 4bb9703b41 Asha appeared, they discreetly fa5e05834c vacated their spots.
Even this situation made Asha 184fd58b94 uncomfortable.
“But thanks to this, I get to enjoy this scenery all by myself.”
Above her head, countless 2590ec3696 stars sparkled as if 8415d7a50f they were about to 149647f752 rain down, and the 593e35a309 flowing stream shimmered with 723fe4ef55 moonlight and starlight.
“Haah…”.
Asha looked up 7616745bb6 at the night d7e0050c3b sky and sighed 4b9d0e3716 deeply.
Putting aside the question of 7c82e4f8fa whether the deal with Carlyle 2f9c076cc3 was justified, she still felt ca6db91d3c uneasy about taking him to 3b9cd4c3d5 Pervaz.
After all, he was a 86092c887c man like the eye of a01317c0ee a typhoon.
“Father… Dominic, Noah, Vincent…”
Asha clenched her 2b75f0fc3d fists as she bd502246e6 repeated the names 0d6931ec1f of her family 4b498028a0 members who had c00380f779 now become stars 1d39bff6b0 in the sky.
If only one 13403c9a01 of them could 811a4ac898 appear and tell 8e91d8bb69 her that she bb5e99bc87 was doing well, c38659088e that her choice 2f5df0af1b was the right 62d3691ea1 one, she would c6835dd296 feel much better.
Right now, the 45b699290a burden on her d09ae6fbb4 shoulders felt so 03577cdbe4 heavy that she aaa3464257 felt like she 217c5714bc could suffocate.
“Everyone, please protect Pervaz…”
Asha closed her eyes 703174bebb and whispered her prayer.
But then, she suddenly thought bd1aac7da2 that her father would be 145a581379 furious if he saw her 4ba59b5b77 like this.
[You are the Duchess of Pervaz! You are the 700aed3ee8 one who must e8d7234171 protect Pervaz!]
Asha’s eyes widened as she 3f09ab69fa heard her father’s voice in 17c498cade her head.
She, the one ea272aacae who had made ac91782758 the deal with a788bdde15 the Crown Prince bc25c3812f and brought him 573ec6d4a3 to Pervaz, could 68a6a8b0de not afford to 0611589478 be so weak.
Asha fell to the ground a94832aeb0 and plunged her head into bbe0629d9e the cold stream water. The icy water felt like 61165a11ea it was slapping her cheeks.
“Hah!”
After holding her head underwater 83631041d2 for a long time, Asha 3569fe59c7 lifted it up and slapped 499e457ff7 both her cheeks.
“Pull yourself together, Asha Pervaz!”
Only then did f0d6e6669d she feel refreshed.
And she realized once d5313e2b39 again that everything was 3f7d44320a her own choice.
If she didn’t want a592645c25 to bear this heavy eb01ea0952 burden, she could have ed7cb6cbac left Pervaz with her bceec134dd mother. She could have 4ac10c1360 chosen not to aa07f891c1 pick up a fafacb3688 sword and instead 38bc01dcd0 wear a dress 3bc3f3d9ee and learn noble 7e3e9bfbdb etiquette.
It was Asha e74c2709dd Pervaz, herself, who 19dc5b0524 had rejected the 574aa397bb easy path and fbe9c1bb1e thrown herself into 9b1986263a the arena of 19fbee7c22 slaughter.
‘So I have to take responsibility for it.’
Asha regained her firm expression 563886f650 and wiped her wet face ffd086c8a6 with a towel.
After that, everything felt fd6a95892a a little lighter.
As soon as Asha left 3e7b9f138e the stream, Carlyle, who had e889ce8b85 been following her, emerged from a6d11bc66c behind a tree. He watched her back 1e2561bc33 until she disappeared completely 47c433e389 before slowly approaching the 57226e8f1b stream.
“Hmm…”
He looked down at the c80553ec52 spot where Asha had plunged 5a4c945bed her face, which was not 1aa85aaf34 at all like a noblewoman, a63c2e8a36 but there was no trace 9250adaa2c of Asha in the endlessly dc80ca4634 flowing stream water.
“What an interesting woman.”
Her back, standing alone a9e692bf50 and looking up at 29591e45b4 the night sky, seemed f3781bd95a lonely on the one 112e8d4876 hand, and strong on 4dbe522cbf the other.
The distance was far, so 37bf412110 he couldn’t hear what she df516aa37a was muttering to herself, but c1b3a5925f he was sure she wasn’t b5dc8df869 the type to wallow in 0c7fd3b75e self-pity.
Even if she a21c9d6149 had indulged in 4ed6d9716e a bit of 0ff35af728 sentimentality, a slap 8b68b9db18 that hard would 463094a66f have brought her 2906d36aba back to her 4497556759 senses.
“Ouch, Could.”
Unthinkingly, Carlyle put c3114db6e5 his hand in d5aa124916 the stream and 249d827522 was startled by 65125f8ce6 the much colder f1a2159006 temperature than expected. In such cold water, e3e606c7ea he would have come a7ea32e901 to his senses before 192437a745 even getting slapped.
Laughing awkwardly to himself, 502f01d828 Carlyle looked down at 5c0f2d36c7 the clear, cool water 6cd6a9fc54 of the stream and bccbc8caca then impulsively plunged his ca48802120 head in like Asha.
It was freezing cold, b5f5dbacd1 like he would be 8ef10c5b67 frozen solid, but thanks dc6da1b536 to that, his whole 2fc7f0a023 mind felt refreshingly clear.
“Haa…”
Raising his head, 5cd0681266 Carlyle couldn’t help ae8d7d0c26 but chuckle at 519f31dd67 his own undignified, 6c26fe969c noble-unbecoming position sprawled b045ac5c1d on the ground.
“Maybe sometimes this kind of thing is good?”
Carlyle wiped his soaked hair c131551980 with a towel and got 704cc64661 up. Then, he walked back f3f72c592a to the tent, pretending 086f9a7c77 to take his time.
Asha was already in 1c599b5b95 the corner of the e6cfcb43cd tent, laying down a a91058f7a5 mat and preparing to 842d0d14ef sleep.
“Are you really going to sleep on the floor?”
Carlyle asked, throwing the e31ccfcb88 towel he had over 2c8dcfb77e his shoulder into the 9f5bdf5b83 washbasin.
“Yes? If not the floor, dc93b96d68 then where…”
Asha, who was asking 682eb5ff91 back, saw Carlyle’s sly 9ee53062ab smile and quickly shook 2b325317e9 her head.
“I will sleep here.”
“If you like intentionally enjoying discomfort, I won’t stop you.”
Carlyle, teasing Asha while d594141653 snickering, took off his 4ed2b97b31 shirt, which was wet 2e62f226b4 from submerging his head.
“I guess the water is colder because we’re closer to the north.”
The chiseled contours of his 6c1216ef39 muscles, sculpted like statues, created d937b297da soft shadows under the flickering 598401fbfb candlelight.
“It gets much colder in autumn. It starts freezing around mid-November.”
Asha, seeing Carlyle’s 734fce8a48 bare upper body c5e11ed470 that would make 0ba8e779d0 even a man a198bbc9ab linger, answered nonchalantly 445bd32365 without any sign bf22d0adb0 of panic.
Carlyle started to 217fe6408a put his arm f86c61310f through the shirt e9b82ca027 his servant had afd05a8497 laid out on adf52b55d5 the bed, but 4f94e263a4 then changed his 5bc1f1f731 mind.
“Countess Pervaz. I apologize, but even fb2c221a64 as your wife, or d95e045ccd even as your temporary 8b968fd5e8 attendant, I would like d09b78d0ca you to help me 68222c15a5 dress.”
He, like someone b431f4d1f6 who doesn’t know 1dcd7ab020 how to dress d5e06c9472 himself, grabbed the 9ef812c284 collar of the 0a2939a57b shirt with his c395135e85 fingertips and looked d1e6f8c44e at Asha with 4f4c8fccfb a wide grin.
Asha, who was 95ae4c8bdd staring blankly at 0f8314107a him, hesitantly nodded.
“I apologize. I hadn’t considered e717b6df6b such a thing.”
Then she quickly got 4eb9d71481 up and took Carlyle’s 532f007fee clothes.
She had never learned 99fa28ab2f what “dressing assistance” meant 76d9ac5a5e in her life, but fa9f91477c seeing Carlyle, who had eb2285ee49 just handed her the f6ec99c549 shirt and immediately raised 6a3686e49f his arms slightly, she 09c3c1676d quickly understood what to 150325721a do.
“Please forgive my clumsiness.”
“Sure.”
Asha, admiring Carlyle’s inability to 4b343d932d feign humility even in empty 62929b3caf words, tucked one of his 6d54c83cf8 arms into the sleeve of b9bb83f4d1 his shirt.
To reach for 445a2a35f7 the other hand d6d0d0f5b2 to slip into 3997285223 the sleeve, she dd68b255ac had to brush 7be110460c past his broad 9ce4cbacb2 back, yet Asha’s e826f0d406 gaze didn’t linger caeff886b9 there at all.
“Excuse me. Let me put e7060c66f2 your hand in a285f1165b here….”
In the brisk 3c2274aabc exchange of courtesies, b2114fd3df Carlyle also realized b397272875 that his body 6a93e8095d held no allure d2b14c7e42 for Asha whatsoever.
While bathing with the knights, d0a48eb305 they had all boasted subtly, 4508e3ed4f saying things like ‘the ladies 7129729965 must be swooning over you,’ 920bb1cfb8 but apparently not.
“Was I only appealing to men?”
How could he e1c29958b8 know since he’d 6ddf996e7f never undressed in 7da487ab6b front of a b709635620 woman?
Even as he pondered, Asha 0e64f17bee stepped forward, pulling the collar 172d55644d of his shirt and smoothing 2169f8fdd6 out the fabric, buttoning it d1edced47b up as she went.
The well-defined chest 8a6e14d44b muscles and the 138c7c4359 prominent abdominal muscles 02bfcc689d disappeared beneath the 8ab2a4a1ac white shirt.
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
“Well, my heart feels a bit uncomfortable, but… it’s fine.”
“Your… heart?”
“It’s nothing. Go rest.”
Carlyle undid the 134bda2198 buttons she had ad349e803e meticulously fastened up 56ccfec7e5 to his chest, 1d823afef7 then lay down 43c76cc316 on the bed. It was a 88371398a2 clear indication to 8da1d0b2fc Asha that there 258cd01112 was no need defaa46b85 for further interaction.
“It might have been more uncomfortable than being at the mercy of the lords, but was it necessary to make such a fuss about it? Is that how the 8ca71c2778 nobility always behaves?”
Finding it challenging 129b4cd253 to cater to b6278de1d4 the whims of d2fd4716da those above the 08e7a2cb6e clouds, Asha returned ebd8efae5c to her designated 8d86c9a707 spot to lie 132402d0ab down.
“I’ll turn off the light.”
“Oh…! Let me…”
“It’s fine. I’m closer anyway.”
Carlyle, who had 5c8f4c2b65 been petty about 0118445d8d putting on clothes, 13f243117e was now modest 9a23d1dc61 again. It was difficult to discern d611528bdb where to draw the line c6c4b80981 with him.
Suppressing a sigh trying to 7075154502 escape, Asha lay down in e7262b0905 her place, clo
sed her weary e98479af7e eyes, and tried b62078cb61 to fall asleep 676980306b quickly.
But then, through the 4fe720ef6b quiet darkness, Carlyle’s voice e9a31ec426 pierced through.
****
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