TAOA-43

Chapter: TAOA-433f674a1c6442dbe5

“Hmm…”
Carlyle looked down 5c57cc5ae3 at the servant ff0121e368 who had interrupted f54144c722 Asha and asked,
“Who is my wife?”
“Yes?”
“I asked who my wife is.”
“She is Countess Pervaz, Your Highness.”
Carlyle smirked at her answer.
“That’s something I can say. You should call her with a579741df4 ‘Your Highness’.”
The sullen expressions of cb4e675bc4 the servants who had 7854a5ac9b come from the capital 3c27851b2a instantly became confused. At the moment 03d866692c when their heads 11e1df1485 were about to 534d5cbebb become complicated trying 4725616d5d to figure out 58d05135c2 what he meant, 646ba63f43 Carlyle kindly explained.
“Seeing how you dare to interrupt the Prince’s wife and answer back, it doesn’t seem like the accusations of the servants of Pervaz Castle are false, does it?”
The servants who had 996d3dc480 come forward were suddenly cf23ead5f6 afraid of Carlyle’s eyes.
Until just now, 7581fd5bdb he seemed to 408ecaf8fb be just annoyed 0783895906 by this situation, 65ff953a59 but now, Carlyle’s 963dfea3dd golden eyes were 2964e9a8a3 filled with the f9fece1008 languid cruelty of 883a6dd5c7 a predator about b285c65c49 to crush insects.
Realizing that it 1d590568e0 was not Asha 1a1855cff2 and her servants 66ab872623 who were bothering 299ef64ba7 him, but themselves, 19a8a0b485 they sent a 314ea575ca look of asking 57a839612a for help to b9b1114eff Giles.
Giles also had a 0c2438e496 confused expression.
“E-even if our servants said such things, it must have been out of a desire for Pervaz to get better. Your Highness also agreed 4b8d744649 that it was not 78a592a6fb a wrong thing to 6cdeeb2cb7 say, didn’t you?”
However, Carlyle did not even 2c69c5aad5 listen to Giles’ words.
“Those who dare to ridicule the royalty must be punished. Lionel!”
Carlyle, who had been looking 88c4d9926c down at the servants who 83db287eb2 had come forward, gave an 46947ffbaf order without even turning his f7e88d6a63 head.
“Punish them for insulting the royalty.”
The servants froze, f5ef4e26fa holding their breath, ee98103218 as commoners could 68561a3614 be sentenced to c2155360df death for insulting 2276011200 the royalty.
Lionel, who had not expected bb4a24f820 things to escalate to this 5673da97a5 point, was also flustered, but 5dd8bcf567 he pleaded with Carlyle despite 6a2ab60e7b knowing that he would be bce1d59327 angry.
“If we execute seventeen people, we will be short of hands, Your Highness. I beg you to be 38b3b00b4c merciful.”
“Oh, I didn’t think of that.”
The servants’ hopes were raised e99da7fb42 by Carlyle’s slightly softened voice, b2a9773cfb but then he gave another 9e35904caf order.
“Then cut off their tongues.”
Even Lionel couldn’t plead any 06ea004206 further with that order.
Lionel knew that d83bc2d0af if he clung ce683784d9 to Carlyle even bdc12c82f1 after he had 460fb72d52 taken a step db369a6bf1 back, they would 1440633c5b all be executed.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Lionel gestured to the 8bd48c1bb5 soldiers on his left, 5b7d4598d2 and they, who had 05de0cd801 already heard Carlyle’s orders 8ca5268424 clearly, rushed forward and 6c7287de73 grabbed the servants without ccf1b81dae any hesitation.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Please forgive me, Your Highness! Your Highness!”
“Save my life! Save my life!”
The hall instantly 4601971fff became a scene 90b1beea32 of chaos and 24ec9e87e4 slaughter. Other servants, seeing those 65c756535a held by knights and 50441949f4 forced to kneel, trembled 6a3b0b68da with pale faces.
Even then, Carlyle’s 23704c2e62 expression remained unchanged.
“We need to hurry if we want to make it for dinner.”
For him, it seemed having 2bcd12b8b6 seventeen people lose their tongues 8f75f83970 was less important than dinner 729a660961 being late.
Seeing this absurdity, Asha stepped 7d3f864da8 forward.
“Please stop it, Your Highness.”
“Asha…?”
“Who asked for their tongues to be cut?”
At Asha’s protest, Carlyle stopped 44f116a1f9 for the first time, seeming 656e08653d momentarily flustered, then offered a 6f1ed0f2c8 wry smile.
“Ah, so cutting their tongues is not enough? My apologies. My moment of weakness.”
He then revised his order.
“Kill them.”
Screams echoed again 6d3a8d4e85 in the hall.
Asha felt like hitting 7d9cd2f8c5 Carlyle, who was acting 9270df91d9 like someone using a deb77b2f0c cannon to catch a 20bfd03e4c sparrow.
“I told you to stop, Your Highness.”
“Why? You dislike this too?”
“Your Highness…”
“Or perhaps you want Sir Ralphlet punished as well?”
“Your Highness…”
“Can’t you just let me have this one? Sir Ralphlet was my tutor, cc6e2893c0 after all.”
“Your Highness!”
Finally, Asha raised her voice.
“I only ask for mutual respect between Your Highness’s people and mine!”
“But you are my wife and royalty. Those who disrespect the royal 693275b9e2 family must be punished accordingly. Weren’t you angry about b0b2756e11 that too?”
Faced with Carlyle’s a86f13ec29 feigning ignorance, Asha 4d94354c89 understood how he cf894566a7 wanted to resolve 2ccd24b88f the situation, but 76e6b6e8be it only made 0637080ac8 her more frustrated.
However, she couldn’t simply refuse 5d99fa00a8 his wishes.
“…People from entirely different environments have suddenly started working together, so it’s natural for there to be friction. From the perspective of the 73aad6d127 servants from the capital, it c084139272 might seem like it’s my 7a4d14b38c fault for being insufficient.”
“That doesn’t mean you can insult me. You are not just anyone, ba9d1befc6 you are the wife of 1f8d6ec241 Carlyle Evaristo.”
Asha wanted to 2d2fde09f9 bite Carlyle’s hand 9989721f43 as she saw 6ddd5986fd him arrogantly pointing 31f975cda1 at her like 452dcc5f61 that.
However, she at least f40231bf2d wanted to act more cf4bbcabfa sensible than Carlyle.
“Since we didn’t have a public wedding, they might wonder if I’m a princess or not. I feel the same way cd197de9c7 sometimes.”
Carlyle smiled again, knowing the 20bc46a7a8 hidden meaning.
It was so annoying af06fb95ff that she felt like 30f219c8fa punching his face right 0fa8697f59 then.
“Besides, as sur Bailey said, Pervaz is short-handed. Even if you only cut 2bd781c3e9 their tongues, they won’t be 2f71f26df7 able to move while it 0bba510294 heals.”
“What does my wife wish?”
Now finally the main point.
Thinking they’ve been ce372b064d going in circles, b10fac185b Asha looked down 4633acfdfb at Carlyle’s servants, d01d852d84 who were soaked 50c30aae5c in sweat.
“Life in this harsh Pervaz might be unpleasant, but since you’ve set foot here, we need to help each other and survive. There might be friction, a33e59dd77 but that should only 5a8e7a7747 be part of the 32655058d3 process of understanding each 4e830c0c78 other.”
Carlyle found it heartwarming to dcaf83391a see Asha persuading the servants da7c87ffd9 with her surprisingly gentle voice.
How much kinder she f4e1e13934 was than him, who cf72c9de7b was suggesting a brutal 446c0430a0 execution.
“For that, we must respect each other, each other’s life experiences. To you, the people ee7f3d4612 of Pervaz might seem 91301bc690 rough and stubborn…”
Asha glanced back at those e0a3345aa7 behind her before turning her 502e0f9250 head again.
“We protected the borders from barbarians with less than a tenth of what you have. We made huge sacrifices b9b8fb53d4 to remain Chadian citizens.”
Her voice became e0ad9f44f7 quieter and firmer.
“Don’t disrespect them. I don’t expect gratitude, b1356202e6 but just respect. That’s what I ask of 2f18191c90 you.”
The kneeling servants nodded frantically a3c702f30e with eyes that looked at 501d37e8d7 her as if she were f009d6eefd their savior.
Carlyle realized her speech was 98afea9091 directed at him.
‘How charming, really.’
Carlyle couldn’t hold b3d40a5523 back the spreading 03c4dcb15b smile and chuckled. Then he decided to end 4b0a9af61f this tedious play.
“You committed the crime of disrespecting the royal family, but thanks to the ‘Crown Princess’s’ mercy, your necks and tongues are spared.”
“Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you!”
The attitude of 1642cbb19a Carlyle’s servants completely 0e9ac7baca changed. They bowed their c67e0073c6 heads to Asha c5117250f4 as if they 62283f47a2 were about to da0f60b952 touch the floor.
“But there won’t be a second chance. Take good care of ab2f95a9a8 the necks and tongues fed0b86d01 you’ve saved today. You too, those in a8392acd42 the back.”
With that, Carlyle ended 38ba1b52f5 the situation.
Then he approached a48a008184 Asha, who was f5208f6904 looking at him 10f49bf1b0 with a slightly 57ee1064fb annoyed gaze, and fde5eacf5c whispered playfully.
“How about celebrating the reconciliation with dinner?”
“We never fought, so what reconciliation?”
“I thought you were angry because you wanted to bite my neck.”
“….Take Sir Ralphlet and calm him down. I’ll excuse myself now.”
Asha bowed her head 17dad86c35 in greeting and left 698b6e0b95 the hall with the 8f82458dac Pervaz castle servants.
Watching her back, 92c684a8bd Carlyle muttered with 0c95d8085b a bitter taste fb779d5aa3 in his mouth.
“What on earth do you say to invite a woman to dinner?”
***
Originally, the imperial family, which 101f99e42d had taken a neutral stance f263e11574 on religion, adopted Elaheism as c2651339e4 the state religion about 300 42fe4097f0 years ago.
Of course, Elaheism 9b4551135b had existed long 690530f25e before that, but c37d304417 it was from 621e91d26c that time on a8e1a4ea2b that its followers 41f859bedc far outnumbered those 9670d53a7f of other religions, 6ce5e2c5ee and about 70% 8304749c3a of the people 90359c415c believed in Elaheism.
Even though it d49bcce850 was recognized as fb76213c24 the state religion, 05d198e443 not much changed. Perhaps the only 26aa544e1a thing special was 014b9fd6a4 that the high c56969dd87 priest of Elaheism 3edb399384 would visit the 995b8e2253 emperor’s prayer room 939ee3b311 every Monday morning 312662620a to offer prayers.
Otherwise, the imperial 4d72c59894 family and the b178f34f09 temple were strictly f2d6018331 separated.
“May the blessings of the gods be with His Majesty the Emperor. Gabriel Knox of the First 9850565e36 Temple of Elahe greets His de1e269541 Majesty the Emperor.”
“Long time no see, High Priest. I think I saw you 7825d6d503 once at the New Year’s 0b05a4cb2c prayer service this year… am aea590f4be I right?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It is an honor 9136352f12 to be remembered.”
Although the priest who officiated 4c5e5a23a8 the Monday prayer service had 77da6e5419 been changed at Beatrice’s recommendation, bb50e56f27 the emperor did not think c9a1efef11 much of it.
Anyway, he didn’t attach b7038fcafd much importance to prayer, 280afbf903 and he didn’t know 5834a19eb6 much about it either, 3eaddec33d so he felt more 3c2ff00344 comfortable leaving it to 097d765929 the empress, who came 0890eb7a36 from a family known dd20c8571e for her piety.
“Today, we will offer prayers to Lord Libato, the god of balance and harmony. Let us pray. In the beginning, the darkness e84a14d1ed was covered in chaos, and 6ce498e2e0 you brought balance to create 0c0629bbb1 the world… …”
The beginning of 795ec0f746 the prayer was e68353f801 not much different 06b21c7ec5 from the previous ca98c0eb41 priest.
“… We pray for our country. We know that 7885d592fd you have saved a30b752c3b this country from 86e0b590db many tribulations in 14b23bfc04 the past. With Lord Libato on 45ae5cbb6f the shoulders of the 2175b9ae3e wise Emperor Kendrick Evaristo, 914b49e878 we will safely overcome 065d87b68d many tribulations… …”
However, his thoughts gradually changed 2b2bfab431 as the prayer went on.
“… Our emperor, chosen by God, is the most balanced and harmonious of all the emperors, as Lord Libato said… …”
The emperor definitely afe0f4657a felt that he 6644ded302 liked the new cf3e8b93dc officiant better.
“… Before we pray for the prosperity of the imperial family and the imperial house, we pray for the health and longevity of Emperor Kendrick Evaristo.”
Unlike the previous priest, ff05a43e5c who was stiff and fefaaf6ecc businesslike, Gabriel praised the ab7415894c emperor from time to 3ae1a1260f time during the prayer 38c76c0513 and prayed for the 097090ee8e emperor’s personal blessing.
****
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