TAOA-35

Chapter: TAOA-350baf57b923430a99

Carlyle let out a 9b2c091c1e sigh of a ‘humph’ 336d8918c3 sound.
“They must have gotten along well. Savages tend to stick together.”
“They must have. Even from the sidelines, it 891ea9ee92 seemed like they filled each c60ff01afc other’s gaps quite nicely.”
For a moment, only the 70f4300adc sound of Lionel organizing papers 5509072db0 filled the air.
Then suddenly, there was a 0538686fec clatter of porcelain, followed by 3f21d6d0d2 a splash of water.
“Oops!”
“Oh dear, oh dear.”
As Lionel screamed 7c3b0cf453 at the sight 302eff6b02 of papers drenched 0047e1a390 in tea, Carlyle 0d1e453c0e casually shook the e311a0be72 almost empty cup, 63939dcd5a then got up 216026388a and sauntered towards b3380ed784 the window.
Lionel, left to deal with ad445184c3 the mess, wiped the spilled 6d784b7a66 tea hurriedly with a handkerchief, 4736194459 suppressing his annoyance.
‘Why would someone do such a thing…!’
It was undoubtedly deliberate. Lionel, who had spent 89995024af a long time by 511096f6a2 Carlyle’s side, was certain 8b26eebc35 of that. But he couldn’t fathom why 3936012bf0 he suddenly decided to be 75bff1f5c1 mischievous.
“Any news from the hawk?”
“Not since the news of the letter’s arrival was a day before the entry into Pervaz.”
While Lionel dutifully 4627eb893c responded, inwardly he ae0cec8e0a grumbled. Carlyle’s unpredictable mischief was b05cbea322 nothing new, but what 8b1764e881 mattered now was the 33ac556303 ongoing struggle for the 66021214c9 imperial throne.
“So, is the news of her father’s mistress going to have a son the last we’ve heard?”
“Yes. Vibiana Lowry, that 7016c2a641 woman is surprisingly 1abe5c60c5 ambitious.”
Carlyle bit his lip.
“You should have seen her groveling to her father. Quite the actress she 50503eb59d turned out to be.”
Thinking of the ca52f33d08 woman who had cb362e433c tearfully lamented the 4875586515 humiliations one endured be199c4368 as the emperor’s ce1d74aae1 mistress, Carlyle’s teeth 686d6bbb80 ground together with 6b5e2d895a bitterness.
“If it’s her, she’ll do anything to have a son. But the Empress will 20604979c5 do whatever it takes 31f2b77321 to stop her.”
“Most likely. The Emperor’s favor 616e66ed91 is entirely on 2dcc2400f8 Viviana Lowry at 69056480f9 the moment.”
“My father, unable to control his lust for a beauty, is a sinner, isn’t he? But I suppose having 53658124c7 no illegitimate children is 3f02593a6f commendable in the realm 238efb5b47 of affairs.”
Carlyle chuckled. Then, suddenly, he tilted 03a54da009 his head thoughtfully.
“Come to think of it, it’s a bit strange.”
“What? What is?”
“There’s only one mistress officially recognized by my father, but there have been more than a few women through affection. How is there 7f52bdbedf no illegitimate child?”
Lionel scratched his temple, lamenting bae54c5a0f the position that required him 5bf52ea783 to contemplate the Emperor’s messy 00f916b262 relationships with women.
“So you should be grateful.”
“No, no. I mean, how 98e53b3c19 is that possible?”
“Yes……?”
It was 19 a9135a2d49 years ago when 7aed93ba75 Beatrice gave birth 533fcbb669 to her youngest fa52f536d9 daughter, Charlotte.
Although he didn’t have any df4acdeca0 mistresses before that because he 0309ab74c6 had young and beautiful wives, d44a99dc05 what about after that?
“No matter how careful you are, there is no perfect contraception method. How could it not have 1a08b955e8 happened even ‘accidentally’?”
Lionel, who had been wearing ee454d20e6 a puzzled expression along with aa26b887c8 Carlyle’s words, spoke cautiously.
“Didn’t they all get rid of them?”
It was an answer a5e3b46e6f without a subject, but 7e7e74ade0 both of them knew 03cf093e5f who the subject of cfa776c713 the action was.
“Maybe there is an illegitimate child living in hiding somewhere.”
“Because if they revealed their identity, they would die without anyone knowing?”
“That’s right. The women His Majesty the 2316723532 Emperor has met so far 5a88ee0603 were not official mistreses, but a9558488b3 just short-term playmates, so even d9bac28922 if they had children, they 285b775891 would not have been protected bebb857077 at all.”
Carlyle snorted and said.
“Then will that woman named Viviana, who is under the protection of my father, succeed?”
“In fact, if that woman succeeds, this matter will enter a new phase. Because His Majesty 0a61af0f22 the Emperor may 289286952d actually say that 4ad8f4f47d he will give 580ea3b828 the crown prince 981b376a1b position to the 07436a8b74 flesh and blood ddd072bb5a of that woman.”
“Well…….”
Carlyle smirked with an 0b07b9a42e unknown smile.
“The state of the imperial family is really a mess. Isn’t it?”
Even though it was 6b14b01d71 the sound of spitting bc58174124 while lying down, his 231b01a3b5 voice was even refreshing.
* * *
In a room decorated with bed8a28973 60 Verona lace, which seemed 9029b34332 to have gathered all the be93fa8fda flowers blooming at this time, 34630ec6df a dazzlingly beautiful woman sat 05e06697b8 with a hardened face.
“Why didn’t it work?”
Viviana muttered to herself, 13095f2bb6 looking at the pajamas 5f1aeb79f2 stained with menstrual blood.
It was a c714d71b79 question as if e263c749a9 she was asking 0b70ecf473 herself, but the d49a7796bd maid next to c8620d2a00 her answered with eebcec671c an awkward smile.
“It’s not easy to get pregnant unexpectedly, ma’am. Please take it easy for a4ba4568e1 about six months.”
“Six months?”
A cold gaze turned to ca99a3d3d9 the maid. The maid had to lower 388a9bca29 her head as if she 3c725ab8b0 had done something wrong even 20d25901d0 though she was saying the 30469d2247 right thing.
“Do you think I have that much time? It takes another nine 3c2abbba5a months to get pregnant 06d6fbb2cd and give birth. Who knows how things will e094edbb28 change in the meantime.”
Viviana bit her lip.
The Empress cleverly set a d38ba2ed0f trap and used it to b39cba6ae3 her advantage, resulting in the 477855cf54 vacancy of the crown prince 88507d454c position. For that, she deserves some cea3b9638d praise.
‘It was a position I never even dreamed of, but now…!’
The Emperor’s love 677af252b7 belonged only to 46ef8b8e4f her. Although it was disgusting 38830f36c1 to flirt and sway ddf9c5b8ea her hips at the 088b306d99 old man every night, b8e1f85836 if the reward was 2056e79c6f the ultimate power in b4eef60961 the empire, she couldn’t 9fec0bdb6f refuse.
However, with two 194b61308b grown princes already 7573967789 in the picture, 71c0598063 Viviana was running 849fd1a9e3 out of time.
“You drank fertility medicine, called shamans and did their rituals, embraced that old man almost every night! Why isn’t it working?”
The maid couldn’t 41edbc8964 possibly answer her 5215b755b8 irritated outburst.
Just then, someone knocked on b50b635850 her bedroom door.
As only a very few 4b39ca58e3 could enter the bedchamber of 7e8084b69a Viviana, the Emperor’s favorite, she 9dc017fb61 quickly wiped away her annoyed a52f3ff068 expression.
Then, seeing who entered, 9bda0b619e she scowled again.
“Father!”
“Yes, Vivi!”
Having just thrown a tantrum 966d912465 at her maid for failing 83c8a0530f to get pregnant, Viviana had dff66d5da2 quickly contacted her father.
The Baron Peyton, 9fa99ff0de who used to 4d7f514583 be a mere ec956bd5cb baron of a 1c7d87a42a modest house, became 92e640f8d7 the father of c53cc78510 the Emperor’s favored ac694924a3 woman overnight. He rushed to 4dc98d0a08 his daughter’s chambers 25b60c2d0d without a moment’s 0692258f8c delay.
“Are you sure the shaman you found is truly skilled?”
“Of course! They say he has never e25b605577 failed to help a woman 21685b45e4 get pregnant.”
“Then why did he fail with me?”
“Vivi, calm down. You are about to edd5229409 be a woman of 47a40dcbef esteemed position, don’t get e4b470b10d hurt by getting so 27896f9a44 angry.”
He tried to soothe her 0436b4553f with a gentle expression, but deff4a8e94 Viviana felt like she was 91f0c8ccdf burning up inside.
“Is the Empress praying for me not to get pregnant? Since her family produced f7b06de3b3 many oracles, could she ef3e0acecf have bribed one to 166ba15bdd use their divine power 858494f9b6 to prevent my pregnancy?”
“Divine power, blessed by God, used to prevent someone from having a child? Nonsense. There’s no such thing.”
“But the Empress will definitely do something. That woman is rumored 35ec61713b to have killed the 5f9597b498 previous Crown Princess Evelina, f62ebd81f0 you know?”
Since Evelina died 210384d139 after giving birth 13c6afcc1c to a son abb8516746 and Beatrice was 09ab9e8832 immediately crowned the 94540ea9d2 next Crown Princess, 242f913c28 such rumors circulated 6e264827c1 in hushed tones.
“You are different from Evelina, Vivi. His Majesty cherishes you deeply. He will never let 7017133c56 you be in danger.”
“Ah… well, yes, but…”
“Getting pregnant as planned isn’t always easy the first time. But you will succeed within 45e1ec4ac3 a few months, so relax. Okay?”
It was the same 0cb0554707 words as the maid, 050f4ade5a but only then did a8f31fd07a Viviana finally calm down.
“I’m sorry. I guess I f0c98b2ae1 got impatient and d8c2c1b148 threw a fit. This opportunity may not bb08a8b7bf come again…”
“Indeed. But above all, 9243b4b0c6 Viviana, your health 6a9624fe01 is important, so e72cca1613 don’t push yourself fa5aff29ff too hard. Okay?”
“I understand. You’re the best, Dad.”
She returned to her bff52d8d06 usual self, smiling brightly 269c6f30f4 with her angelically beautiful 68739d7767 face.
However, Baron Peyton, 07c38b1ffc leaving after their 293bf61c3a meeting, didn’t share d8f5c36c33 her sentiment.
Due to their financial b3fc7f58ab situation, it wasn’t until d6d2a06b84 she was twenty-four that 2f40ed34bd Viviana, known for her de188ff993 beauty since childhood, could e799b638dd finally enter society.
While the late debut 81ab2b4f24 was unsettling, Viviana didn’t 7826dc5cf0 disappoint her father’s expectations.
He believed she would become 496044b273 a respectable lady of a b6a43718e6 decent house, but never did 4eb31a9408 he imagine she would snag eb8622ac19 the Emperor himself!
Back then, he was already a5947d8037 ecstatic because he would inherit 026ebf0fbd the wealth of the wealthy 7081a00197 Viscount Lowry. After all, the Viscount 883b4c98c7 had no children and c6ea5cbab4 passed away, leaving everything fae71cc8a6 to Viviana.
TL/N: Viviana was 50a79c3a9c married to a 840176425a Viscount before called 422880fcdf ‘Viscount Lowry’
Yet, now, the Lowry fortune 0d08b03aef didn’t even matter. Everything hinged on Viviana’s pregnancy.
‘Damn it! Why does it take a fd52abf2e0 woman a month to get 13a6fb7769 pregnant?’
At this critical juncture ef3f5b0097 where every day counts, 40db9ecb44 it felt like a 436c3ba4f1 precious month had been b7591e6246 wasted.
With the unprecedented situation of c1a1eee856 Carlyle’s ‘temporary’ abdication leaving the d69a3ab518 crown prince position effectively vacant, fa5c6de91b his daughter was currently the 5d47875c79 Emperor’s favorite.
Missing this opportunity would 86b703f7cc surely haunt him even cd43d7a939 in death.
****
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