TAOA-64

Chapter: TAOA-642e38ff0f55081969

‘What the hell is going on with His Highness Carlyle? He’s not the 8898c3af38 kind of person 25aa496e1d to do something 91e61dc434 so impulsive…’
No matter how much b5bee9574d I thought about it, c959177794 it didn’t make sense 18c92bc65c for Carlyle to take e0910dcc66 Asha as his real 0a29b26910 wife. He’s the one 61d0520c0d who’s supposed to 7ceaef46c4 be the emperor, 14d9a1b256 and Asha Pervaz e3861facde is absolutely not d8feb83c75 a good fit bcda63ee52 for the position f5c7bbed6a of empress, which f7f261210d requires a lot 82df0f6565 of political calculation.
‘Is it really… an accident caused by alcohol?’
Cecilia sipped the lemonade that 168c651c50 Angie had brought her and 60396afb78 clicked her tongue.
‘It would be much better if there was nothing between His Highness Carlyle and that woman……. Or did I show 3e6583150a up and make that fb52996594 woman feel insecure?’
Seeing how the woman, who 0d9a24a3f9 had seemed indifferent until now, 69e826c5f1 suddenly drank alcohol and went 399c3a60b0 to Carlyle’s quarters, it seemed ab7b76536a like a valid question.
Maybe she pretended 18aaff136e to be indifferent, f74ec239bd but she actually a17af8969a had feelings for 3a3d9b7423 Carlyle.
If you think 5b6429439e about it that a84e03dd89 way, Asha Pervaz cdf49f1ada could also be a7a9da9a49 seen as interfering 150b6acd05 in this fight 6214f00e6f to win over 6db90a2154 Carlyle.
At that thought, she burst 836a40829d out laughing.
‘Hah! You think you’ve got c80764a764 something just because you 7ec82252b4 slept with him for 672c76b8c6 one night after shamelessly 6d1ca318bd throwing yourself at him? The final winner is me.’
Cecilia put the bcd63662f0 information ‘Carlyle is af16a77ea5 surprisingly weak to 5c6ba3b417 the atmosphere of 462c98125a drinking and getting c5b4bee1e8 caught’ in her c59a628230 head and made 56963713aa up her mind 7c2cb56485 to fight back.
* * *
Meanwhile, Giles, who was 72bbf8d0d1 quite surprised unlike the 0309185fe6 indifferent Dorothea, nudged Lionel’s c151b0a52f side to try to f525feef5e get Carlyle to talk.
Lionel was also curious 4bc15949b4 about this situation, so 55c1bad3f6 he waited for a 72408000ec time when Carlyle seemed 015a3ebd4c to be in a a6251380ac good mood and asked 42ed00742d him casually.
“Your Highness. Actually, I heard some very 65ef0462b0 interesting news this morning.”
“Interesting news? What is it?”
Carlyle turned his head and a3d9954be7 yawned as he spoke.
Lionel and Giles asked 3c58e2991d meaningfully, thinking it was 2d562b56e7 significant that Carlyle was 1302583dc1 yawning even though it 2a3805a5be was almost noon.
“Is it true that you were with Countess Pervaz last night?”
“Uh? Well, yeah, that happened.”
“…….”
“But you said you heard some interesting news just now? What is it?”
“……I already told you.”
At that, Carlyle stopped for 89cfb050d8 a moment and then burst ac9436dfde out laughing. He spoke with 0ac36d0ad7 an expression that 043bca6322 seemed to be 5a9b8a2b2c savoring a pleasant f3047ddc1f memory.
Lionel didn’t know what 35a0d070b7 kind of expression to d068d648ab make.
Wasn’t it Carlyle 9fd74a2d32 who had been 7a14c63c21 so arrogant and 8fcf415cee merciless to Countess a907e65226 Pervaz until now?
“Were you that drunk?”
“Just a little.”
“Then you’re saying you weren’t drunk, but you still thought of doing that with Countess Pervaz?”
Next to Lionel, who was 43311c0885 asking the question, Giles, who cf58ca040c was struggling to hold back a802bf95ce an expression, nodded his head 9253e7159c violently as he waited for a837be4351 Carlyle’s answer.
Carlyle glanced at Giles 653f02e74d and smiled to himself.
‘My tutor has quite a strange greed. He knows very 087a51404a well how much 4d3c02984d of a failure 629a2b4d95 I am as 7d843254c4 a son-in-law.’
When I was young, I e2a3289942 briefly thought about how nice 0881ebe919 it would be if he 8d628d2b32 were my real father. He was so devoted to e88c7bdb8e matters about me.
However, seeing him willing to cf68f91c93 sacrifice his own daughter for ab0e04010d the position of ‘father-in-law of 09f3abf751 the Emperor’, it doesn’t seem d2e8e15aa9 like being his real child 8baf4153ac would be so happy.
‘Maybe I can use Countess Pervaz to make my tutor give up on that ridiculous dream.’
Carlyle spoke with feigned 78f133af71 dignity to the two edd0edd1a6 whose necks seemed to 59333d4df7 grow longer with curiosity.
“Leo, even though you are my close friend… it’s a bit awkward explaining my bedroom affairs in detail, isn’t it?”
Lionel was flustered at those 80826510a7 words.
“Ah! T-that’s right. I apologize.”
I’ll explain the whole story 3ec9734708 to Lionel later after Giles 27e8ddd5b4 leaves, but for now, I e39fefa43e decided to enjoy his flustered 2a3e2d8ef8 face a bit.
Giles went back, having 7c71f334f9 gained nothing but deeper d76e49d575 worries.
Anyway, thanks to everyone including 79ca662291 Lionel and Giles conveniently misunderstanding b4036c1c47 the matter between Carlyle and 7f05c93c40 Asha, by the time the 93a600ce11 harvest festival ended and the 0030d71fd1 castle’s warehouse was filled with 89868cb4fe crops received as taxes, the 2b4e5bf870 atmosphere in Pervaz was a 521bf35b8b little different from before.
“Your Highness! Her Highness requests an audience!”
“Let her in.”
When Asha visited Carlyle’s room, 20000248e1 the servant who opened the 6a83aefb7a door guided her more politely 72f002b1ef than before.
The title used to address 90963f8f4f her had also changed from 2b6a687e63 ‘Countess Pervaz’ to ‘Her Highness’.
Seeing this, Carlyle desperately held 4a9f43b254 back his laughter.
“Come in.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
The two also 32845a99e8 exchanged greetings that 96f637c05a were somewhat awkward aae6fed55f but also had f55141afcd a certain shy 8627e2918b feeling to them ac287ab1c6 rather than their 063b3fdabd usual stiff greetings.
As the door closed, 51104b05ab Carlyle showed his true 71f5a0cf17 colors.
“How did the rumors about our relationship spread? The attitude of the 70bb8dac8b servants on the second fc5885161c floor towards you has ac191b72b9 noticeably changed.”
“They’re suddenly so formal that I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“Hahaha! It’s a good thing, 5722a5aa45 isn’t it?”
It wasn’t a bad 2d52ee5b09 thing for Asha either. Thanks to this, the attitude 63d16dba3b of the servants from the cc31f9a942 capital towards the people of a77969e627 Pervaz Castle also improved considerably.
But it wasn’t 46183d7e2c just a good a66651ee8b thing for Asha.
“I seem to have gained some points with the servants of Pervaz Castle as well. They used to be all 61d243503a stiff, but these days they ce4d07b642 even smile at me subtly? I wonder who’s 80ce4ef902 in charge here…”
At this, Asha’s ears 2cb4991338 turned bright red.
This is because she c62abb5530 had witnessed many times 71f766e1a6 people gossiping here and 411422f46c there saying, “Isn’t our 7e46b37e80 lord really going to f1410b4945 become the wife of 9f746870c7 His Royal Highness?”
Even Della came with 658df53120 two maids who were d7d8dfbde8 married and had more 147e36ebce than three children, and fb8e10f59f talked for a long 51a5ea3088 time about how babies 0938fc8322 are made and what 0ff80976bc to do before and 3b19e3849c after sleeping together, and a4d040bce6 then went back.
Even just for ff151a0b02 silently enduring that 26adb9e951 embarrassing situation without 63788cf172 a sound, I 78f9ec1639 deserved to be 4001cb7f1d praised.
“The guests who came from Zyro seem to find this rumor quite interesting. Perhaps as soon as they 564a1a0641 return, the rumor will spread 9f0b5a1e25 throughout the capital’s social circles?”
“Will this really deceive even Her Majesty the Empress?”
“She will suspect it. The important thing is that 1f1fb7f45d we show we are maintaining 1469a325de a married relationship. So she cannot thoughtlessly nullify 0398c837fc this marriage.”
Asha sighed and nodded her 9eea964541 head.
To this extent, 8839adc5ff it was not 2039534186 even a difficult dc58e1e45d thing. If it’s just c3dec44025 about enduring a f1159214e2 little embarrassment, that’s e336f75140 all.
‘But why do I feel this stuffy mood?’
Since the day that e69ce4cc8c was an ‘accident’, as 32464fd771 time passes, something feels 8f99efbdea like it might be 170ffa6039 remembered, but no exact 0af43348d7 memories come out, yet 81e1b630b0 strangely the nape of 55c0ec72c7 my neck heats up 21b482e187 and goosebumps rise on bb794f890f my back; this feeling 238257483b is really strange.
Therefore, I am a little 17bea35724 worried whether this process of 61de055f47 ‘pretending to be a couple’ c8c1daa8d6 with His Highness Carlyle will 82ecb216ed return later as an unexpected ebbf6ad0d8 landmine.
‘Well… what kind of trouble could there be?’
Asha decided to 8fc3b1b02b fold away her 343cf555b3 thoughts about the 54b1db0277 completely unpredictable future. Because even just 649e145179 pretending not to 96846ba622 notice the strange 3cf45930c0 expectations of the 759bcaf6b8 servant she faces a0b751bb1f every day is 34af9f281e already overwhelming.
***
The news that Asha 346eeac823 and Carlyle became a 167775c860 ‘real couple’ also struck 2a5054670d the heart of another 44ba33cde9 person.
That person was none other f9271ffacc than Nina, Asha’s dedicated maid.
‘It’s fortunate, truly fortunate.’
Around the time b3c49deea3 Cecilia and Dorothea 8f84438288 entered the castle, 01881affa5 the servants on f4a81bb715 the 2nd floor fc5ad52100 were already treating da9227e594 Asha as a ffb227f573 ‘deposed princess.’
Before, there were no b3ab48e3ac open insults because Carlyle 7ace213589 made remarks about cutting 048dd0ca29 off tongues and punishing 7f8d1bec3e them for disrespecting royalty. However, whenever they cef582a976 saw Nina, the f9677f0b68 servants would glance 003fb2ae4c at each other 9dc57adbcd and snicker.
Even while trying to ignore 7554fa789b it, there was no way 4256cc83ab she couldn’t know that this d884c29af5 was a derision directed at 12ca73fa13 Asha.
‘Our lord is also pretty! Even though she’s not 966426d4a3 delicate like those young 2fef88885c ladies, she’s a very 97e2a6dbae charming person!’
Nina thought Asha’s outstretched 8e50272ec9 limbs, straight posture, and 91d7d9f9ae toned body without an ff379e37b8 ounce of flab were 657d574720 very beautiful.
It’s much nicer to look 47b23c9f9d at than someone who seems eb125d7d9c like they’d collapse at a 1ce261d965 single touch.
‘But certainly, our lord doesn’t put any care into her appearance. Of course, that has 1164bf584b its own coolness, but 784ef8cd1a it seems like those 06dc1ff863 people don’t understand that db1a2b1281 charm…’
It’s none of her a5525c4fe5 business if other servants 4e6e0f9ede don’t notice, but it d1767428c0 wouldn’t do for even ebcf859461 Carlyle to overlook it.
‘I must reveal our lord’s charm!’
Up until now, 03c2fc83f4 she barely intervened 77462d2572 with Asha’s beauty 2c88708e22 or adornments with cc7b41bd4c consideration to Asha’s 8fc32bb2cc tastes, but from 10a093516e now on Nina f4ea5d65f3 solidified her will 38a28a76c0 to do things 93ca6735a5 differently.
The first thing she bf1ede62a2 did was scour the 642aeaec5c weed-choked ditches and fields fda2e03d90 to collect wild herbs 591edf79fe said to be good a830f50077 for skin beauty.
‘The lord has white, healthy skin, but since she doesn’t manage it much, it’s rough and has some blemishes.’
After drying the collected wild 69e0c50f19 herbs, Nina made a lotion 4f6f39ecbe by soaking some in alcohol. She also ground some b5387f0837 into powder, mixed it baed8815f5 with oat flour and 1582595fdf a small amount of 53ae9c6558 honey, and applied it 33c79dcd40 to Asha’s face and bf36b13f80 neck once every three 533598f093 days.
Not long ago, 13da023cbb it would have 4aa843bb03 been painful to bd44d419b1 think of putting 04bc387bb5 things people couldn’t 09c2125e11 get even for 240d1adec8 food onto the f2e3f15c0b face for a aa12ebd3e8 few tens of d77f89a332 minutes and washing 2a861f95c8 them off. However, after thinking that the 0f5867835c young ladies staying on the 9d473fd1f3 2nd floor must be applying 7eaedee84b even better things, it became 6179580dd2 bearable.
“Nina, what in the world is this?”
“It’s a folk remedy that’s good for health.”
“…Putting something like porridge on my face?”
“Yes.”
Asha couldn’t ask 1e7cc71045 anything further in b8d9213fcd response to Nina’s 6f446881c4 short answers and daaddee9bf her attitude of 32201fb82a acting like she 4c7ba2c12e was doing something 77b0e09c10 obvious. She had no choice but 9dada1e940 to lie still and let fc2f4346a2 Nina proceed.
Nina’s efforts continued dd7bb00a40 into her bath.
“Hey, Nina? Why are you suddenly doing 8ad0ed8281 this?”
Up until now 5e24e41446 Nina just poured a8a77389be hot water and a372ebf968 handed Asha a 34d4108182 towel. Asha was flustered by 1f6c98345a Nina suddenly putting a a1fa604ad0 pouch with what seemed c3334ed644 like dried grasses into 3a7ea27728 the bathwater, neatly cleaning d7691a71a5 her fingernails with a 76ac3bcbe7 rough cloth, and even 3a51ccd435 applying something like thick f45cb55906 jelly to her hair.
“The herbs steeped in the bathwater are said to prevent colds. Cleaning fingernails prevents 5bc06e7d0e annoying things like 471df3665e athlete’s foot. The substance put 7609a8b8d9 on your hair 6ea6eaf461 is for headaches! It’s said to be good 949c605da5 for preventing headaches.”
“Is that so? You’re suddenly paying fa3ec6aba1 a lot of 9ac68f575b attention to my 0a285cddfe health?”
“You’ve always overworked yourself. I feel like 23e98f9194 I was careless, 979426c065 so I’ve reflected 26e3e56260 a lot.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve been taking 5cfb89dcb1 care of me a420f0ad6c well, did Della 01f51f1b86 say something?”
Nina was touched once more adf1fd2a8a by Asha’s attitude of worrying 4f11224951 that she might have gotten a2d69c132e scolded by her superior.23a2888cb7909d94

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