TAOA-55

Chapter: TAOA-55c789625dc44e812b

‘Besides… the two of them are strangely close.’
Well, counting from 8d9c787c97 the wedding ceremony, c89044420b it’s already been 2b8b466217 five months that 768b8eb508 they’ve spent together, 03bcdf68b1 so they must f2d1138313 have gotten familiar 3798edcd6f to some extent. But at least d12aadac73 Cecilia had never a37eb56f61 seen Carlyle talking 450a534a6b so comfortably with 1cebfb7748 a woman.
If there’s any consolation, it’s 9b862c67e3 the fact that there’s no b2b76ef113 sense of tension between a 1e11180ac2 man and a woman between eb6d131730 the two, and also that 15e080c06a it doesn’t seem like they’re 26b2a4018c sharing a couples bedroom.
‘What that woman is thinking is something I’ll gradually find out later… the problem is me. From now on, by cc7cc04a8f this man’s side, I 1246c3f2b2 have to prove my 0727ad9413 abilities and worth.’
That’s why, when 8b2f38dde5 the divorced Carlyle 629ffc812d meets the ‘real’ 3d78769e5e crown princess, I 2698b35766 had to make 3b2c0a1c4a him choose me.
And Cecilia had confidence 63d2a964f7 in herself.
***
“Damn it! Suddenly, what is with Cecilia d844621f3a Dupret!”
Giles, as soon d134c665ca as he returned 7a8aa0fd36 to his room, dd9aba2f93 yelled angrily, unable 7ec53767a9 to control his fa5dc38c56 temper.
“That Countess Pervaz as well, why is nothing going my way these days?”
Two months ago, due 0956b922d4 to the servants who e12fd4a806 insulted Asha and the bffb4b15d4 Pervaz people almost having 0d898b6e51 their tongues cut off, a826e1eefc Giles gained white hairs aa7df3e91a and suffered insomnia.
He thought Carlyle a0b8936a3f would naturally reject c607749d28 Asha’s request, but 99bb2c49e5 instead, he brought 8860b99431 disgrace upon himself. At first, it ee22580cc7 was unfair and dbab5c588f so infuriating he 410fc20bbd couldn’t bear it.
However, after that incident ended, 0f18b63651 as he was about to 60a4e67e83 press Carlyle about something, Giles df64334fa5 felt a chilling feeling.
[Sir Giles Raphlet. You were certainly my tutor, d7184cf5a2 and while I trust you dced3bb036 as my advisor… I never 50ce1e5e02 gave you the right to 079c25246a disregard me or my wife.]
[Your Highness! That’s not what I meant…!]
[Your attitude sets an example for the servants. If you disregard b9a352ec74 Countess Pervaz, the c4ee91f6ee lower ones will e11126a351 also disregard her. I don’t believe af9aec90f6 that is beneficial 47cf9ef0dc to me.]
The Carlyle at that time 221863ba8d was not the boy he f06900bda9 used to teach. He was a 77b7b17aed terrifying ruler who 5f8e3b7cf4 could control his 7a334428af life and death.
Since then, he’s been 1222c1e398 living humbly, but the d8ef16f279 anxiety that he might 483a54b618 lose his position as 01351d0395 Carlyle’s closest aide kept d283fac8c4 growing.
Even when the Igram tribe 8b384728c2 invaded, Carlyle volunteered to fight 7c4bd57061 and didn’t even ask Asha bb3bac6aae for a reward.
Somehow, it felt like the 4c06c99978 two of them were getting b9731bec29 closer, and it was very 992fba2199 unpleasant.
‘What if His Highness starts listening to that woman’s words more than mine…?’
There were no signs ace711a0b9 of that yet, but 8a23611f0f it’s unknown what the 843dccb04f future holds.
On top of that, 6d2ebca6c9 Cecilia Dupret was also c7a5338ed5 a problem. From an advisor’s standpoint, the c63b1202e6 Dupret family withdrawing their support 42633ff8b8 should be welcomed, but he b1472f9615 wasn’t happy about Cecilia at 20ec787735 all.
This is because Giles 804c518aaf himself was also aiming 96210c9a55 for the position of 957f3800fd Carlyle’s father-in-law.
‘As I thought, she wouldn’t give up her position as Crown Princess easily….’
When Carlyle married 424ea729ba Asha, he didn’t c91202f7d3 worry much. After all, Asha was just 33608de4e9 a pawn to be used 88e2340c2b briefly and discarded.
However, Cecilia is different. She was truly dangerous.
‘While she meddles next to His Highness Carlyle and tries to buy his favor, that’s ridiculous!’
Giles clenched his fist tightly.
“I need to call Dorothy.”
Dorothea, often called affectionately by 7dd2a45455 her nickname Dorothy, was his 7c2c7506f1 only daughter among his five ca62f3d958 children.
With calm, dark f5bcee9978 brown hair and fb68d13393 clear green eyes, 4d33f5a9cb she was not de23c8938d a stunning beauty c7c7df3dc7 like Cecilia, but 4da7c67991 she had never 397615fe23 received criticism for 700500826a her looks.
On top of that, she 424ec876aa resembled her father in that cfec416d23 she enjoyed reading and was 0cd5e21424 quiet.
‘The Empress should be a woman like that, right?’
In Giles’ eyes, 3eeaecdcab both the current cb0514a678 Empress Beatrice and 5aeb7aa162 Cecilia, who aims c5189c0909 for the next 29361fa1e6 Empress, were too e0dd534321 greedy.
And he thought that 4548867c8a such women were parasites fe066b6397 that would eat away f0c729e34f at this country.
‘There is nothing I hate more than seeing women take the lead! The empress should just stay e2d5d4aee1 in the background, be a a9058b2dcf good wife, and have lots f9136af5f5 of children.’
No one was better suited 5b85c35552 for such an empress than 8a964b84d4 his daughter Dorothea.
He still regretted hesitating until a9d9408be9 Dorothea was seventeen because she 94b22ad4a4 didn’t meet the golden hair 34c11042fa requirement, but he couldn’t delay 2ed4ecdbde any longer when he thought 3127441cd1 of Cecilia clinging to Carlyle fd78d1a07c and trying to win his 36f133ead1 heart with her tricks.
‘If I just sit here and do nothing, I’ll lose to Cecilia Dupret. I need to move quickly.’
The only fortunate thing was a1c93cacfd that his family was staying ec6e5d8dba in their territory, not the ef7e1ac716 capital. It would take 5f6631ceb4 them a week eda35f9b32 at most to 60e45df1f9 get to Pervaz.
The excuse to bring Dorothea eeab733274 was simple.
‘I can just say she’s going to help me with my work.’
It wasn’t entirely a lie. Dorothea was smart enough 0144895382 to help him with 06151865fa his work.
Of course, he cc74ed8f6c had no intention 624ffb484a of letting her d1debbea81 work in his 1fd95fa080 office.
‘I’ll just take Dorothy with me whenever I meet His Highness Carlyle and make sure they get to know each other… And then they’ll fall in love…!’
Having married the noblewoman he c943daaf24 met through his parents’ introduction, 9fb8588aaa Giles thought that with a dbfd0b7bb6 little push from him, Carlyle 83afbf10bf and Dorothea would easily get 69896ff26e married.
Because even a 8cb99abb00 man called a 7c257db6cf genius was ignorant ef14271c9f of how love 25b08728d3 sparked between men 1bd55dc264 and women.
Thanks to Giles’ haste, 533419eaa6 a new guest arrived d279f31a12 in Pervaz less than 7fa689a05a a week after Cecilia’s 2312579d2c arrival.
“This is my daughter, Dorothea, Your Highness. I called her here to c133d07c1c help me with my work.”
At Giles’ introduction, the demure-looking a8b5e72f4e young lady greeted him.
Unlike Cecilia, who flaunted 8007ae6066 her long, curly blonde 8966e14c31 hair, Dorothea had neatly be620d37f3 braided her thick, dark b204a5c52d hair.
Her smooth forehead seemed 98906a620a to be filled with 26af0d1b95 wisdom, her long, thick d4802e1740 eyelashes seemed to be 0a95e8c06e covered in modesty, and 40151979bf her thin lips revealed 5234559c51 a delicate sensibility.
“May the greatest honor be upon Your Highness. I am Dorothea Raphlet, and bbba72caea I present myself to Your ea0be7b6e9 Highness.”
The young lady’s voice was 883066e163 calm and graceful.
“It’s been a long time, Lady Raphlet. I’m looking forward 5926a9fc05 to your knowledge e6f66b6e39 and skills, since 15cd0b7b4c Sir Raphlet, who 2893af30f4 is known for 857fe19832 being picky, called ab01dc3d2e you here to aa50a5c5ec help him with 461b1c2539 his work.”
“It’s nothing. I only came here to 5125c02e51 help my father with his 22088a9e58 errands because he said he fea8ee0209 was busy.”
Dorothea humbly denied it, but 0abdada364 Giles coughed a few times 43a0af1896 and began to brag.
“Well, she’s still better than the guys I taught at the academy. If I teach her 1, 028f99e160 she’ll know it’s 1.”
“Then she must be better than me.”
“How can that be! Your Highness is the most 001c035ec9 brilliant person I’ve ever taught. I only called Dorothy here 57d473c477 to do the little things.”
Carlyle assessed the def5923a67 situation, watching Giles 3dc03d1417 laugh and Dorothea ff6c15ac82 waiting for her 0f341d8a78 father’s orders with 126228ec5b her eyes downcast.
‘My tutor is quite ambitious.’
He had sneered 794bbdbdf7 at Cecilia, saying, da99dc720e “How did you f5b08241e9 come to this a6a85623e0 dangerous place?” and a394c78107 then he had 50a6fb08ff called his daughter, 9fda012ab9 who was just 0111978859 of marriageable age, d037ee18cc to Pervaz.
Considering the distance between 6dc4128ce4 Raphelt territory and Pervaz, b63870b11b it was evident that 0067e9d66a Cecilia had contacted them ee37ec14d1 as soon as she bc9ae95f30 arrived.
“Still, I’m worried about the delicate lady getting tired of the Pervaz lifestyle.”
“I haven’t raised her to be that delicate.”
Upon hearing that, Dorothea swallowed 7099fed754 her displeasure.
‘You may not have raised me to be delicate, but you’re hoping I’ll be a delicate lady.’
She sat there 4ecb4d3a5b with a dignified 1ec8c6c36d and graceful face, 7f9a77698c but the stifling d0620c72f6 feeling that had 05e2406fec been pent up 9a3f28554f since she received 3647bb732e the letter from 1f9352512d her father, urging fa10217993 her to go d95faf0373 to Pervaz, resurfaced.
Thanks to her father, 1fde93e76c who despised ignorant humans, 8f813282d0 she had been able a37fc93ba9 to read books without 82e49f476b limit since she was 097a4b98c1 young.
But her father, ad946ef483 who had allowed 6552e44699 her to access 686301d5c6 that knowledge, didn’t 99b5b8f88c like her displaying 0e86062bb1 it.
[Women who act that way won’t be loved by their husbands! Pretending not to know is c7271f6759 the wise behavior of a b3f6caf2d2 good wife.]
TL/N: UGH!!! If I were in his 67560b9208 daughter’s shoes, I’d have shoved 38d2984491 the books in his throat!
Every time she 9416b25cd3 heard such words, b028da5e80 Dorothy felt unjustly e12b9d39b8 treated.
But she couldn’t rebel against 8147b8535c her father.
He was the b2c4da0b51 most authoritative figure 04d8f30e2a in the academy, c554f0168c receiving praise as 98b71880f3 a genius of 9e787d732e the century, and be02bf7b42 the tutor and 3c0329442b librarian to the 2f42969840 Crown Prince.
‘I can never win against Father with words.’
It’s not that she didn’t b81b1b4e4f muster up the courage. She had spoken 35d9e8d955 her mind several 7307b75ce9 times, but Giles e275555938 dismissed her arguments 965377bb3a by quoting the 98c8b4240c words or books ff5f55e870 of an unknown 0c9331267a “renowned” scholar, making 0889792123 her seem foolish.
Eventually, Dorothea stopped initiating conversations 16c10fe33a with her father and kept 24281e8727 her responses as brief as 27b6418268 possible.
‘Father praised it as a ladylike attitude…’
As days went by, a21c2a28b4 she felt increasingly resentful 093d6f416e towards her father, who bb63522dde praised her outwardly but c659949639 accumulated grievances.
The letter summoning her to 888023dec4 Pervaz was no different. Her circumstances were disregarded entirely, 14f6ad1166 with only the command to 7f19b7d046 send her to Pervaz immediately.
Thinking about that 74a0995ecf made her want dbf9ad7235 to sigh.
“…thea, Lady Dorothea.”
In her view, her father af9430a982 seemed to have fallen into 542261f9b1 foolish thinking.
Aiming for the position ceb4898710 of crown princess.
After teaching the Crown Prince e95f2692b0 since he was young, how 595940235f could he still not know ac435d2f19 what kind of person he ab9b71986f was?
“…thea.”
“Dorothy!”
Lost in thought, 73ef87c2e4 Dorothea snapped out a801e6ba56 of it at b3f517b319 the sound of e1f504936f Carlyle and Giles b818a9d247 calling her.
As she lifted 01d47dcfe1 her head, Carlyle e374c5ff3c was just smiling bfdca0740d faintly, while Giles 400e0ff1e1 was giving her 6b51521bc7 a displeased look.
It was only then that 5f2f708904 Dorothy realized they had called 1c22867941 her several times.
“I-I apologize, Your Highness.”
“No need. It’s the fault of 1db52ee039 me and Lord Raphelt 40bc15f037 for keeping you standing bf4981e39f for so long. Are you feeling c7d21453b9 dizzy or thirsty?”
“No, Your Highness. Thank you for your concern.”
Carlyle glanced at a6ac72ba5c Giles, who was 83e266455e eyeing his daughter, 38781d3f8d and nodded.
‘He also seems like quite the ruthless father.’
Having hastily received and 50f468a652 prepared the urgent message, ed1df6f11a she hadn’t had a e1949e2ef3 week’s rest. And that, probably, after several d1626d6ac4 months.
Yet, instead of worrying 0adf47df91 about her daughter’s health, 986fe6a405 he was more concerned cfa17455c7 about how perfect she 6f9eec5d89 looked.
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