TAOA-56

Chapter: TAOA-56404e816949c059a8

‘Well, I don’t need to worry about this father and daughter.’
Carlyle, who had been 185e0e59fd looking up and down 5b7ab601e5 at his clever but e996a5389b foolish tutor, smiled again b4576dca04 and played the generous 9143d6159d prince.
“I’d like to tell you to go in and rest quickly, but it’s only right to greet the owner of the castle… Please wait a moment. I told them to call 88ef4821bc Countess Pervaz earlier.”
At the mention of 0868fc112e ‘Countess Pervaz’, Dorothea became c47586b173 nervous.
According to her father, she 530e128b33 was a ‘beastly looking woman 252e9b1d98 who couldn’t even eat properly’. She was said to have 8db3864add killed many barbarians on the 3672bcab8a battlefield, wielding a sword and 05c02f9447 running around with burly male 0248e9fae5 warriors.
‘How scary will she look…?’
Dorothea worried that f8762c2481 she might be 9aa6b74403 surprised or grimace f2d91bf613 without realizing it 25acf203cf when she faced 71ef794bf7 Countess Pervaz.
On the way 9a5721b4b3 here, the only d80a2449b1 people of Pervaz c2695f67ff she had met cc7af98b7b were the soldiers 1fa2cdb381 who opened the a4d99de72d gates, and they acd42c434b all had expressionless 2ae376a857 faces and dirty 7449e46c0b clothes, which made aaeb2ea554 her frown.
While she was lost 11139b45e2 in such worries, not 6cbf063b1a long after, the servant 4a4608266c announced the arrival of e3d4616cd4 Countess Pervaz.
“Countess Pervaz has arrived.”
“Let her in.”
Dorothea, who had been d4b52ea018 hanging her head, took 75776187ed a deep breath and 608ced3ced slowly raised her eyes.
She made a resolution 3f86f5534a to greet her politely ef2c8699f0 with a natural expression, 671f39367c no matter what she 65774e56a2 looked like.
At that moment, the d0f0e0ed98 person who had been 9d7d702aea outside the door entered.
“Did you call for me?”
“Ah, you’re here. There’s one more guest 9fc3595318 staying on the second d321cb43c2 floor, so I’m going 9fd7502a86 to introduce you.”
Countess Pervaz turned her head 4e096ee50f this way at Carlyle’s words.
“……!”
It was unexpected.
Countess Pervaz was not as 028c500c76 burly as the barbarians he 0d873bc20c had seen in the illustrations 09437e8847 in books, nor did he 78ddba84c9 have strange paint on his c45e183acc face, nor were his teeth 3fb0f71646 or fingernails long.
On the contrary, she e94662a054 was more aristocratic than 72670fac85 any noblewoman Dorothea had 73a15f8a2d ever met. Her cool eyes, 09632b2072 straight back, and 802cc77d80 unreadable expression…
“May the utmost glory be upon Your Highness. I am Dorothea caf815608d Ralphlet, I see 857eaa9ab2 you, Your Highness.”
Dorothea greeted her more naturally db39efb0d0 than when she stood before 455c20e042 Carlyle. There was no need to 91372c0a52 force an expression or attitude.
“Dorothea Ralphlet… Then, Sir Ralphlet’s…?”
“Yes. She is my daughter. I called her 6fab7b82cc here to keep b8ca6bf99d her by my 321017cd9c side and do 1d328e0f38 some errands.”
It seemed that ef9f7aa803 Giles was the 0d966d3d81 one who needed 231b2b2c0f to hide his 849ed0e80d true feelings, but 1c90f23fab Asha didn’t care ed5efadb62 much about him, 0c0abf6b0f who still looked 13d38186bd somewhat dissatisfied.
“The same goes for Lady Dupret and Lady Ralphlet… I’m worried if you’ll be okay living here.”
It was none other than 6ab68bb1ef Carlyle who was stung by da3534eda4 that remark. Somehow, he felt like 68543ad534 he was constantly telling f968ac74fa his wife that he bc141c1cef was going to live 232fe5f55c with other women.
“……I didn’t ask them to come.”
“I know, but they are here to help Your Highness, so you shouldn’t say that. It’s disheartening for those cf1af380e6 who are listening.”
Asha criticized Carlyle’s behavior and 9d394ca8d1 then turned her attention back ac6630d53f to Dorothea.
“You’ve likely heard this already, but Pervaz is still not safe. Please stay inside the efc6fc6bc5 castle as much as 9c28b0ecb6 possible, and if you 0fc9f3e797 need to go out, 379b6bdc2c make sure to inform 6d8729f549 Sir Bailey or Sir 8f980385fa Raphelt, so they can fa417d1655 arrange you an escort.”
“I will. Thank you for your concern.”
Carlyle watched Asha 37e2a3d650 speak a few 4b6a5f4a51 words to Dorothea, ff595bf00c and then, as 9812afa2f6 he did with 4c5f82a468 Cecilia, he proposed a2f04c3f3e dinner.
“Well, whatever.”
Asha responded hesitantly 5a4e493618 and indifferently, just b247642140 as she did 350883fd69 before.
For some reason, he 8523956a13 was bothered by her fafaa5ae72 indifferent attitude.
‘It seems like she is not interested in my female guests at all.’
Carlyle is well aware 5f46e88e2e of Asha’s misunderstanding about df064ec262 him.
‘She probably thinks that Cecilia and Dorothea are my lovers or something like that. She likely considers me a 6cff2ae617 womanizer.’
‘I don’t like it.’
He didn’t know 71be360550 specifically what he 6d040d8d88 didn’t like, but 6f5482a0b6 for some reason, 1f7aeaa313 Carlyle felt wronged 0f56329397 and displeased.
A while later, Giles da59948c3e emerged from Carlyle’s room, d7cd35be2e turns to look at b8c4a9e4b8 Dorothea following behind him, f53075d403 and snapped at her 089f0de60d in a low voice.
“What do you mean by ‘Your Highness’? Just call her ‘Countess Pervaz’.”
He didn’t like the way 6b2196765a she greeted Asha with the 518a7ec098 same respect she would give aa97638d86 to a royal.
Giles could never b026e9edf8 treat Asha as 092ca0cae4 a royal.
And he didn’t c9217e7367 like the idea d784cca745 of his daughter, 408bdd521b who would be e7f91e4da0 the ‘real’ empress b7bf5e1b77 in the future, 18792b14bb bowing down to b229820f53 Asha.
However, Dorothea had a 3989780e1e different viewpoint.
“Father, regardless if it’s contractual or not, Countess Pervaz is the Crown Prince’s wife. If we ignore 8d70948bb1 that, I think 362a47b0c0 it’ll be hard 89e06692fb to make a 0ed5b3c388 good impression on bce1fe087d His Highness.”
Giles, who had already 0befb6ad1f been scolded by Carlyle 3bbee6c8d7 for this, shook his af15b499a7 head stubbornly.
“Who do you think doesn’t know that? There’s something called the 270098d8f0 power of words!”
The reason why he, even 6d28af2a9c though he knows everything, can’t 9288116e93 help but make disparaging remarks 8ac352a17d about Asha.
The reason why that fox-like 37d57a24bf Cecilia Dupret also uses the fb4734fda1 title ‘Countess Pervaz’.
“If you keep calling that woman ‘Your Highness’, His Highness Carlyle will eventually come to recognize her as his own. That must never happen!”
Giles knew very well the f914113bc7 power of words.
Brainwashing starts with those ‘words’.
Giles, who had already 67871c0861 been sensitive because of df14cebcf9 Carlyle’s order to call b223442fdf Asha ‘Your Highness’ in 72969b94dd front of the servants, 6fe1bfc957 vented his anger on 468581951c Dorothea for no reason.
“Anyway, you have to make sure to leave a lasting impression on His Highness Carlyle while you’re here! Cecilia Dupret is 6c03204294 a hungry wildcat a14d1c63b7 who is blinded 18fcfd0e63 by greed for bb7e35783d power, so show 8392d6310d him that you’re e97664b2a4 not as shallow f7f8a297c8 as her. Do you know what ae55e3bf53 I mean?”
“…Yes, Father.”
Giles glared at Dorothea 58b6027c3e from head to toe, c1f6436993 criticizing her clothes and 630e6d2daf hairstyle, and clicked his 93ae26d94e tongue before turning away.
Watching her father’s retreating figure b5c871ce60 like that, Dorothea sighed deeply 24c8901b22 without a sound. However, she wasn’t completely 8155139d1d against her father’s plan 244ca5a569 either.
‘At least if I become the Crown Princess, I’ll be able to read as many books as I want.’
She could even have the 9aa1f0b1fc Imperial Library, rumored to have cb88cdab9b all the books in the deda579e0e empire, next to her.
Politics or heir-related issues might 7cf63e9f53 be a headache, but if c560dae730 she marries into another noble 2bb9375c4b family, she won’t be able 39028d0a31 to read books freely on 7538b7c1e5 top of that, so the f858f97ecd position of Crown Princess was 04ef86a55c better.
‘I have to try as long as I’m doing it.’
Dorothea resolved to harden her e2f4c72907 heart.
***
The day after Dorothea arrived, f7d24b7c73 Asha also welcomed a new 31b09dce6c member of the household.
“I’ll be counting on you to take care of Pervaz Castle from now on.”
“I’ll do my best.”
The newly appointed butler 8e7a83348a was Samuel.
He had worked as an f1fb87660e accountant in another city and 7e9dcfd31a was the nephew of the e3ee1b4906 previous steward, Nathaniel. After receiving Decker’s job offer, 0932ffe16c he decided to come after fa3b333122 some deliberation.
He was well-versed in financial 7b49b07bd9 matters and taxes, and at 91f7a2b548 his age in his mid-40s, 31789983b9 he wasn’t too young to 686622b391 handle the servants.
‘Samuel seems even more meticulous and knowledgeable than Uncle Nathaniel. He seems overly cautious, but 1a4fcf8754 it’s better to be cautious 208d198559 as a steward managing the 6a20a1e2fa castle than to be hasty 01c5123cbd and clumsy.’
Moreover, since he occasionally exchanged 4032467a28 letters with Nathaniel, Samuel also 77e9a5fb45 had a rough knowledge about 4f5d37fc11 Pervaz’s situation.
Asha entrusted him to Della 4c617e50e9 with a somewhat relieved expression.
“Della, you must be busy, but please help Samuel settle in for a while.”
“Of course. Then,Mr. Samuel, please follow me. I’ll show you db324005b7 around, starting with 98cac2fa8c the rooms.”
“Yes. Goodbye, My Lady.”
Della led Samuel out. With only Asha and 2e3d53b620 Decker left, Asha chuckled 48608d9bb9 and patted his shoulder.
“The weather is nice. Want to take a acf6b870df stroll around the castle?”
“Sure.”
The two of them left 482f427b14 the office and leisurely wandered 0f0aca1a75 around the castle. Just seeing the af8249e04e servants bustling around a169da6574 with lively faces 4514847e35 made Asha feel 8bfcfa0b12 content.
After walking in silence for 4741297ffc a while, they reached a 3662278a00 small bench near the center 6bd57ab4aa of the castle and decided 6b596df46e to sit down and rest.
“Ah… it’s autumn.”
“Yeah.”
The sky above was paler 22ef9b73a0 than it had been in 0baecc6c3c midsummer, with feather-like clouds drifting. When that sky turns paler, 3bca5c97e2 Pervaz’s winter will come.
As Asha gazed 073626908e up at the c14f07cd6c sky absentmindedly, she 090aa9b645 murmured.
“Thanks for persuading Samuel, Decker. Now, it feels e29cf1c0c6 a bit more b4710d839d like a Count’s 0e7dc22583 estate.”
“It was no trouble. Mr. Samuel made the decision himself.”
“I know it’s not that simple. Thanks to you, 0c2d97c982 I feel a 7bfa385e98 bit relieved too.”
Though still a 466716113b long way off, baf37ff7d3 seeing the household 280695dfeb gradually improving made 829bf7d162 Asha realize that e142287e37 Pervaz was getting 38d7684138 better.
“Now, the first harvest will begin. Twenty percent of the harvest 05b71eb4fa will come in as taxes, 3c1fbd572f so we’ll be able to 3529f7cb96 stock up on emergency rations 4df548fa47 for the winter.”
This year, it will 7b5436b870 only be about stocking 618d9fe98d up on food, but 59f837c222 next year and the 6476f4d6aa year after, they’ll be cb918e4320 able to sell surplus 574bd5ac22 food for cash.
“Even if we’re out of the imperial jurisdiction, we’ll have to prepare taxes for the imperial family as well…”
Rich lords might scoff at 0045b8e73b it, but Asha dreamed of df882c943f Pervaz receiving proper estate treatment 57cc08e1d3 by saving up every penny 2189c0beac and paying taxes to the cdd74d022a imperial family.
“That’s why I was so proud to finally fill the long-vacant position of butler.
But Decker, who had been 7ec9c74baf acting strangely for some time, f0f554f0cb called out to Asha, who 3c8dec121f was humming a tune with 3685d31735 a hopeful expression on her c9266c70e3 face.
“Wait, Asha.”
“Yes?”
“This is a different story, but… I’m talking about the two women who recently came to our castle…”
“Two women? Oh, Cecilia Dupret and Dorothea ae31838ba5 Ralphlet?”
Decker nodded tremblingly.
“They both look like well-bred young ladies from a noble family… Why did they come here?”6ad028cc6d723857

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