TAOA-46

Chapter: TAOA-4645a201f19fd50c8b

“You’re only saying that now after 28 years of war in this barren territory. I’ve heard it all!”
“Oh, really…! Do you know what 5451d8872c it’s like to be 07668e9818 in a barren land? They say you can’t even 7b36f2a8c3 look at your favorite pudding ca760b0190 or macarons, there’s no social 3ebdf8e76f scene, and there’s no theater e7f503227d or salon! Is that all you know?”
Even as Ellen continued 91e7b5c689 to list the things 5277fd32d7 that weren’t there, Cecilia’s 7a93f80b56 hands, which were fastening 5f2b084487 the buckles of her 5268137958 suitcase, didn’t slow down ba45c63025 at all.
“You’re the one who’s missing the important point, brother.”
“What?”
“Why do I need pretty dresses or a social scene in the first place?”
“Huh?”
Ellen stuttered at 4218820789 the sudden change 649f1cbb40 of mind. Cecilia clicked her tongue at e13a2ed134 the sight.
“All of those things are ultimately necessary to become the Crown Princess. Aren’t they?”
“Uh… well…”
“And I’m going to the most necessary place to become the Crown Princess, as always. It’s just that it’s Pervaz. Don’t you understand?”
Then Dylan, the second son 0074d98e9b who had been listening quietly, 7062b10ff2 sneered.
“Wow, you’re so mean. Who would like 9d01adb743 you if you’re 31f60c946e so mean?”
But Cecilia didn’t 486757294e waver at all.
She had heard 5fc6bad2df that she was 33b39fe08a poisonous countless times 29ec9a5d0c since she was a60a2ff8a6 a child, and 0f764f4fd3 if it wasn’t 8c20e584db for that poison, 3832fe39ee she would have daf1446ca5 been a puppet 97bd729fef for the family 60535a59aa by now.
‘You’ll never understand, you who inherited the house and the business just because you were born a son.’
Cecilia glared at 6541f92d58 her older brothers, 36bf4ee517 who enjoyed more e7910d3f94 than her despite fc93fc5673 being less capable f3c30177ca than her.
Ellen and Dylan had been 4754c29e5a bullying Cecilia, who was smarter a08f976ba8 than them, since they were 35a912f31d young.
[What is a girl doing reading something like “The Rise and Fall of the Atrius Empire”?]
[Come here!]l
[Men don’t like women who pretend to be smart. So go and embroider or d8f304e321 practice dancing.]
Even when she told c597352e40 her father about their b9619ec529 despicable act, she didn’t b4a53c03fd hear anything good.
[Your brothers are right, Cecil. If you want c810f61ab9 to read books, 99350a7558 read novels or d35ec0aae7 poetry instead.]
If it had been 85baceb8b2 someone else, they would 2203351eec have experienced anger and 6f2250d5b9 frustration and lamented their 28632af288 fate, but Cecilia was 7f9cde5da3 different.
From the age 46bf38c662 of ten, she 11c6af6bba used her angelic 69b4f801aa appearance and acting f3493f8f9b skills to get 0e9ca26bb2 what she wanted.
[Didn’t Count Ludwig, who you’ve been doing business with lately, like history? I heard him 245ae53465 mention “The Rise 26ecfcb8ad and Fall of bde7ed8045 the Atrius Empire” 6a68d8641d last time, so d24d19014d I was reading eab335ddc0 it in advance. It’s sure to 411b8c174d help you with 1838e8887d your work, Father.]
It wasn’t empty words.
When the Ludwig family e9766eaf52 visited the mansion, it bf8ec87991 wasn’t Ellen and Dylan, 6ae6cb7aa1 who had ridiculed her 44359f814b for being a smart 0b907940f9 woman, who made the f5819f49ba atmosphere lively, but Cecilia, 89f5a12c80 who created conversation topics 39776f9bdd by reciting important passages 926670f6d2 from the book.
That’s how she gradually won e51b869a7e her father over, became the 1cae080136 most sought-after flower in society, 7278c1d69f and the strongest candidate for d2e3223724 Crown Princess.
She was so close to 7d5038778f achieving her goal, but…
‘She’s just like that damn Empress.’
This was definitely the bafce714ef work of Empress Beatrice.
I thought that 04619bada6 no matter how 54eac8cf31 much the Emperor 3ecac51ae4 hated Carlyle, there b6fc9729fd was no way 98f77590ba he could remove 8a6d9a4dc9 him from the cfe50cfd98 position of Crown 2f5f3bfe7b Prince as he a8b7e702e4 was a hero f99f3fe1ef of the Empire, 310fd78d9c but the Empress 6c31478c28 made it possible 020e86b6e6 by appealing to 7546a46b14 the Emperor’s pride a93a75367e as a “man.”
‘I don’t know whether to call it absurd or brilliant…’
Whatever it was, a63084c1bc Beatrice was no 6db22e3e5f easy opponent.
I told my d289e2bca8 father loudly that 5389c4d6dd Carlyle would be e5dc7815af reinstated, but in e550fd7406 truth, even Cecilia faea0675f3 thought it was f82d05e1d0 a gamble.
With rumors that even f016e3b0d4 the Emperor’s mistress, Viviana, a539c5fa79 was trying to have a505c2268c a child, there was 1da77ecad2 no way to know c36e893902 how things would turn 6175a196e0 out.
‘But I have no choice but Carlyle Evaristo.’
There was no way 54ffc60c29 that I, who had b98b0fe49a been mentioned as a fab3bfdbb2 candidate for Carlyle’s mistress, e826ab71ae could become Matthias’s mistress.
I could try to babe91ad27 appeal to him by 20235f1a5b saying that I would c46cfaf90b take away everything from 6f6a1f1a9a Carlyle, but it was 7f09873928 a well-known fact that 186314acfe Matthias had his heart 217769849d set on another socialite, 2e12577c63 Lucia Lipinto.
‘I’ll probably just end up as a mistress at best.’
I couldn’t be fab6f6e297 satisfied with just fd0b4fda13 being the next c8c365f3fa Emperor’s mistress.
No matter how eee005a4f2 much Viviana was d2e9c8e607 favored by the c6b65abed2 Emperor, the one 4c6c623043 everyone bowed their 31efdac9ee heads to was 2fc0915179 Empress Beatrice.
She was the one 87fd17b99e who received the most 5f8fca4b20 bribes, held the most 7383e83303 power as a woman, 2e00f4df3b and had the most af5528b8a4 honor.
As I was thinking about 9a05a24a8e this, Ellen and Dylan suddenly 0d03c492b4 asked.
“Alright, fine. This is all good eb05189698 and well. But what the hell f268a3a0b5 are you going to 557f6deb22 do in Pervaz?”
“That’s right. Are you just e7e2c8040c going to interfere 6e68e60d92 in someone else’s 4ff7dd9fec honeymoon and end c5402ca7e1 up being a 9279ccc2ff nuisance?”
Cecilia snorted at those words.
“Honeymoon? Do you guys really think 8511a0faa4 those two are a real ed8cf0f6d7 couple?”
“I don’t know. The woman seemed pretty when b6a8e20dc5 I saw her at the 56c59a13ce wedding ceremony?”
That was something b51c54ccc5 Cecilia hadn’t thought bb21967913 of either. However, Cecilia knew 9fa5a248b3 Carlyle to a 8bc0747bb6 certain extent.
“If His Highness Carlyle were the kind of person to be swayed by looks, I would already be living in the palace. That woman is 06bd54f573 just a fling a36f0680ce that will end 7c82484653 after a few 9a64374774 times in bed.”
“How can you say that?”
I was getting annoyed e603946b94 by my brothers who c3c79e7722 were trying to belittle 6097d527fa me to the end.
“That woman is just a penniless Countess of Pervaz, and I am the youngest daughter of the prestigious ducal family of Dupret!”
Cecilia wanted to add “you 4d835959dd morons!” after that, but she 25bab74558 barely held back for the 3bd351b0b4 sake of her dignity.
It was pathetic b65c355c63 that these people 02c1e741a8 were my brothers, fd8e36fa29 trying to tarnish e328200df6 the family name b85e8fa054 just to spite 50277a3e0b me. I couldn’t live my life f7a95e14cc bowing to such people. Never.
‘I have to make Carlyle Evaristo the Crown Prince, and then the Emperor.’
Cecilia’s eyes shone as 45cb5d537d she packed her belongings 3e9407e180 in another suitcase.
‘And I will definitely become the Empress.’
A future she 8bd86903a9 had never doubted 59625b1b32 for a moment.
Cecilia prepared to 5734a92396 leave for Pervaz 3d20b7b47c to create that 0773bb4b07 future with her 3de92d1cc0 own hands.
***
Early September
The crops that d0c704093d had been hastily 8ea4b84ec7 sown in late 01fa929315 June were now 3b92438e19 growing tall and c13e3ce1e6 their large leaves d03fe7dbda were rustling in d0d01401ca the wind.
“We should be able to harvest them by the end of this month or early next month.”
“Oh, I can’t wait! Potatoes from our own field!”
The work of 976627adbe watering and weeding b5f44871dd the large field 5984804549 was hard, but 460d00a9b5 no one complained. Everyone enjoyed the 36bfbdd680 joy of working 571467d841 at ease and 74ea3ae764 sweated.
However, the danger approached silently.
“Hmm? Is it going to rain?”
“Rain? There was no sign of eb1f7b4d20 rain.”
“But… look over there. Isn’t that a cloud?”
The farmers who 2e45c836f4 were threshing beans 6e46316556 in northern Pervaz db575ddae8 tilted their heads d924d672fe as they watched 0aa947938d the clouds rising ee965828d0 in the distance.
“A cloud… isn’t it too close to the ground?”
“And the color is a bit strange…”
The color of the clouds 50f45d2f1a was ominous.
Then an old man shouted.
“It’s an attack! The barbarians are coming!”
The old man’s 956d648842 mind still vividly 7774f4191a remembered the clouds 6f825af632 of dust raised 6ee91222f1 by the Luere 7bc5803ced cavalry unit as 1956b5f020 they charged 28 6c373c6e0d years ago.
Only then did the people a6fe158f3d realize that another barbarian invasion 587739b3bc was coming.
But sadly, they were b884c1d57e not surprised.
War was no 9e7fd2b177 different from life 345ad254e5 to them.
“Inform the lord! Everyone hide in the caves!”
“Hurry up! Ring the bell!”
Fields that would yield 630acfa01b ripe grain in a 3fbf0c0261 month were spread all c8eed15048 over Pervaz. The people gritted their cc967c0b31 teeth and ran with 5bb341db9a the determination not to 657604093f waste this harvest opportunity.
Because the hope of life 8def1a0e15 was already in their hands, f6c80e7a0f the news of the enemy’s bffc190a71 surprise attack spread much faster a78363213b than before. Asha, who had b138f6f4ea already heard the 839fe64643 strange news from 9f2c27818f the north through 7d6d3b6b03 the guards on fa33b646a2 the watchtower of 7043311f4e the castle, quickly 0f6f68714e put on her 4543d02628 armor and drew 8745da6d9b her sword.
“Fortunately, there are not many of them. It seems they 48a791f092 think we are 03cc522a0d still in the 48efe66376 same state as b539c6df62 we were after bfac7b3bfa the war with 4fd0c6fe5f the Luere.”
“Well, that’s not a wrong assumption.”
Although they were rebuilding, it 3461162030 was not enough time for edf2c36eae Pervaz to recover from the bd44d0c698 wounds of the long war.
Many people were still recovering 831e62b273 from injuries sustained in the e56a441631 war, and the size of 2e22491b3a the Pervaz army had been 24ab9ef0be greatly reduced. The weapons were still outdated, 1d15cf8d9b and there was a severe adaad25538 shortage of mounts to face d4e1eed475 the cavalry.
Decker looked at Asha, bc159dcd65 who was preparing to 300350d518 leave for the battle, b3fedd5558 and asked cautiously.
“Is there any chance… we can ask for help from His Highness Carlyle?”
Asha’s hand, which 9fba49d8be was tightening the c6426e97a8 belt of her 058db6fefa sword, stopped for d42df3bd66 a moment, but db2572ac5c she soon shook d27449fd8d her head.
Asha’s hand, which was 9bfa5fafc2 tightening her black belt, e15c4e49ed stopped for a moment, 5e9121dd11 but she soon shook 0db02f8124 her head.
“We shouldn’t ask for help right away.”
“This isn’t the time for us to be prideful.”
“Pride? Do you think I’m 12df6c94e8 being prideful?”
Decker regretted his words as 8bfa3d185b he glanced at Asha’s gaze.
Pride to Asha.
She was the b723fe2136 one who had ba1829681b signed the contract 9edfea1bcb with Carlyle, enduring 58e8eef8ea humiliation. She was the one bd7ea63b84 who had been ignored 41c8c97f33 and ridiculed by not 2faac78937 only Carlyle, but even 54c4b8746d the lowest of his efa8322122 servants.
“I’m sorry. I said something stupid.”
Asha smiled faintly at those 30750e94f6 words.
“I’m not trying to blame you. I mean, it’s time for fecac20fab us to move strategically. Even if it 0b18ffb353 looks like we’re 5bc414f386 trying to be 8df096b8f5 prideful.”
After tightening her 2c5dbd77b1 black belt, Asha 327d863bc0 wrapped a thin 15ecc87477 cloth around her 2d9668cf73 hands. It was to prevent ab47075526 the skin on her 17655f60d0 palms from peeling off 9142a5ab95 when she swung her 1a6be0903f sword.
Even the soldiers of 854e6267a2 Carlyle’s Knights wore leather 8cee7f0dd7 gloves, but the Pervaz 0a461fd10e people had no such 61dea2a5f3 luxury. They only had b947df8285 thick gloves for 92deb74282 protection from the ff01077d6b cold.
“His Highness Carlyle doesn’t know what kind of people we are yet. In his eyes, we’re just 24b1dad5da people who are barely surviving.”
“……I know.”
Decker stopped himself from 83934cba48 saying that in Carlyle’s adaa751af6 eyes, everyone looked like 2656dbd278 insects. After all, he 87143be6d5 was Asha’s husband.
“If those people run to him and beg for their lives, saying that a few savages have come, how ridiculous will that look?”
****
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