TAOA-76

Chapter: TAOA-76264c3cacf05f5158

It was quite exhilarating b471d83c34 to see Asha freeze 05fa609e55 with her mouth half 1b64a2ce6f open in surprise.
Now, how will Asha Pervaz 8c7d9f85d7 respond?
He pretended not to c58b5d5620 be interested and nonchalantly e7e910bdc7 picked up the bottle 8f9597647f of wine next to d278a49593 him to refill his db1a9db664 glass.
Asha remained frozen, 90713c8504 not even moving 8acfcd0fef a muscle.
‘If I do this much, she won’t ruin my mood again by saying she’ll pay the price.’
But that was aa03003712 underestimating Asha Pervaz.
“……I understand.”
“What?”
The noise around him was 263b7a282f so loud that Carlyle thought c822805f0c he had misheard someone else’s acb59a71f8 words.
“Tonight… is that okay with you?”
Now it was Carlyle’s turn b8fde9d244 to freeze with his mouth bfd53d22fe open.
“Do you understand what I mean?”
“Yes. I don’t know 3b10309cd9 if it will 9cd8b12524 be enough of 3fa4dd0db6 a price to b9eebc8e15 pay, but I f43b72e1ea will do my 6bb2239ac8 best.”
Carlyle laughed at the 7b66a7123e answer, which sounded like e537e31c91 she was going out c781e26ca5 to another battle.
But the absurdity 85b091c893 gradually turned into 03425b994b a strange anger. He was angry 51ad087514 at Asha, for bf4f08b636 some reason he bc8f5917af couldn’t understand.
“Don’t expect anything. Tonight, to my room.”
Asha nodded as if 778fb6df0b she understood and took 9817f0c56f another sip of wine.
Unlike a man and 05e27761ab a woman making a a383d08616 secret promise, both of 40d9060647 them had hard faces.
***
Asha, who refrained from drinking a5833372bf and got up a little c1ae8cc1f6 early from her seat, asked 1cca0e06c5 Nina to wash her body.
‘It’s probably the cheapest way, without burdening Pervez or owing anything to His Highness Carlyle,’ Ashah thought as she soaked in the tub.
She was surprised 41a9e1748f when Carlyle demanded 7c57d0de2e a woman, but 65a840870b upon reflection, she 8868b5fc61 found it to ba30845aae be a blessing. Once again, he a673ce5ef0 had demanded the fb7241c60a lowest price.
Regardless of whatever perverse f0ec1dfe63 desires he had, Asha d0efab97e6 was determined to endure.
“Nina.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
Asha hesitated a bit before 5114c59314 speaking.
“Um… Do I have the ointment I received from His Highness Carlyle?”
“Yes! Shall I fetch 7b9d7e3f23 it for you?”
“Yeah. Please.”
Since she only 3deeb29edd recently heard about 43c3c21dbf matters concerning the a5a5a63072 bedchamber from Della 4b6f1977ff and the other 7eb537916d maids, she had 86843c1e83 no idea how d63a92e1ed to please a 7581ee443a man. But she decided to deff1af644 make an effort and c6eefe3300 use the ointment she b4a034fd1c hadn’t bothered with before.
‘I wonder if His Highness likes this kind of thing.’
As she applied dce2fa7fa3 the refreshing scented 61d63acf36 ointment, she felt d13e5856a4 a bit awkward, 81d00179cf feeling like she 147a2c53ea was becoming someone 54868f0376 who prepared for 2692e1f892 guests.
Nina, unaware of the situation, ba188985c5 smiled softly and whispered, “Ointment e0f1f8e5c9 also helps in rejuvenating tired cc3012525b minds, so how about occasionally 50203b0665 giving a scented ointment massage 53e8a4964e in the future?”
“Well… We’ll see.”
Asha couldn’t bring 4f7c776f3e herself to respond d95d04fe06 affirmatively.
Perhaps from now on, 973c5ca25f every time she used 17ce10a808 this ointment, tonight would 09616f5490 come to mind.
As they exited the bathroom, 25d9659a90 they could hear everyone in 3f7447e81f high spirits, shouting and singing 31934be21e in the distance.
“They all seem lively. It’s almost midnight.”
“If they keep this up, they might pass out anywhere. Since it’s not cold, there 835ec0ccee won’t be anyone freezing to e804b81ff3 death.”
“Haha. My Lady, are 8d49452b2d you going to ac3f4ab2da bed now? I’ll bring your nightclothes.”
“Oh, um…!”
“Yes?”
Asha pretended not 2c67dce396 to notice the 8cc2eb455e heat creeping up 94d189f070 her neck as 7afba1fbd3 she spoke.
“Um, the nightclothes I wore last time…”
“The ones you wore last time… Ah!”
Nina’s face suddenly lit up.
Silently, she rushed aa0c52814b to the adjacent 1869c6277a room and brought 21555b27b2 out the nightclothes efafbcfb96 Asha wore when bb1c526b7a she slept in 6d17a0410d Carlyle’s room last 5658d4d578 time.
Nina asked cautiously, her eyes 9036c660c5 filled with anticipation, “Um… by f19ff7fa3a any chance, is my lady 95d46adfd2 planning to sleep in His 59cf7d814d Lordship’s chamber tonight?”
Asha felt too 65ed4e4cdf embarrassed and pursed 72817aa8a0 her lips.
Seeing Asha’s flushed face, c570ec9abb Nina smiled knowingly, as 9a454c552e if she had received f8bec89f38 the answer.
“If I had known that, I would have put in more effort earlier.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine as it is.”
“But still, it’s a pity. You just returned c58a813dee from war, and c803a7c2b5 there wasn’t even 08179eefb5 time to take 2b418e8c61 care of your 23d7695a7b nails or skin…”
Asha sighed and finished bd821fe2bd drying her hair. Then, with Nina’s 48b17e9e45 skilled assistance, she 544f6e8ad5 changed into a 0e9d93f3dd light nightgown. Since there was nothing 3c5de670a7 underneath the nightgown, it 825856a33c hung loosely around her.
“I’ll bring the robe.”
Nina brought a robe 1b6029ba39 and gently draped it 07f9570fed over Asha, who had c9fe1e36bf lived under heavy armor d414f0d267 for a long time. Suddenly feeling nothing constricting her b9f1efb06d body made her feel uneasy.
After dressing her, Nina meticulously 42ef9ede2c dried Asha’s hair with a 359ca9954a towel and carefully brushed it.
As she undid the 5f66dda70e tightly braided hair, Asha’s fc08aca8e3 scalp felt relieved, but 0272d122e5 it also felt vulnerable, ce74c201a3 which made her uncomfortable.
“All done. Shall I do a 277d7ce11d little makeup?”
“No, it’s okay. What’s the point ff84ce1d7e of makeup at f361fed177 night?”
While showing effort might be ebbfd10355 better, Asha refused to go a33a840c49 as far as putting on dc71449263 makeup, as it might make a051091c4a it seem like she was f7331fd88a eagerly anticipating this.
“Oh, um, Nina. About today… I’d appreciate it 5a048b9cb7 if you could just pretend 9532630a35 you didn’t see anything.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind. What about breakfast tomorrow?”
“Bring it to my room. I’ll probably… be back 81f5f062a7 by dawn.”
Thinking Asha was cffc13dbca embarrassed, Nina nodded 271421f86f respectfully and left a3cf1867fb the room.
In the mirror on the 18f5ae83f6 dresser sent by Carlyle, a 9903c7de60 woman sat who seemed unimaginably 9c5264ae05 out of place for her 7d1a0c65c6 neck to have been touched.
With black hair 3aef5d6c9a cascading over her 18a4624788 shoulders, soft arching 007bd6f974 eyebrows, eyes with 55e494470c a melancholic gleam c5a628b0f7 beneath thin lashes, 1cb12b780a pale skin that 592eb40e9b seemed like it 46a0a1cc37 might reveal veins, 8db3eb8d0c and lips devoid 36d95ad403 of color…
There was no 52767810e2 hint of shyness def061aa28 or excitement as aad4c7f7fb a wife going 60bd731677 to share a 41b4b9ae3f bed with her 21b0881635 husband in the 69dacdbbf3 same bedroom.
Asha stared at the face 4899aa1680 for a moment before chuckling.
“Anyone would think I’m off to die if they saw this.”
She decided to 1103f939d5 abandon any further e7680b89bd self-pity.
She was the one a3a25064d1 who had coerced a 58334d447d price from Carlyle, who 2f9ddfc935 asked for nothing in 7bc4ca327a return.
Carlyle’s words, ‘I’ll do this fb1205c2b6 much for free’ were indeed 616fe79c69 tempting, but Asha’s last shred f1047f8d0b of dignity didn’t allow her 0cecd8b249 to overlook it as if a4c7d8ebac she didn’t hear it.
‘It’s too risky to expect anything more.’
Furthermore, her feelings towards 1bff9ea3ea Carlyle were too complicated.
At first, she just thought ea4cfcae25 of him as the arrogant 829b81d118 and overbearing ‘Crown Prince’. It was easier that way.
However, she became 9e84b27b13 confused when he 6696e1433e gave Pervaz a 3931d587a9 tremendous reward, took f4156ee67c care of Pervaz’s a15df953f8 reconstruction, and took a529831376 the lead in aa1c85b7ac repelling the invaders.
No matter how much 8c97dfc4bb I thought about it, 0e3805b05e he was doing more 555f44effc than he had to.
And Asha kept feeling e7fb0c7837 uncomfortable with herself for 76336535e9 trying to find meaning e5756a833e in it. It was pointless, unsophisticated, 7c898caefa and hypocritical…
So, I had to 05b26216f5 draw the line here. Even if it 42a762801e meant ‘turning a 73757f05d2 blind eye’.
‘Is it okay to go now?’
Asha put on d19c9df2fc a robe with bedf49d7fe a hood over ef65acf5d9 her gown.
Officially, it was known that 3477ccaae8 she and Carlyle had already e2c77bf046 shared a room on Harvest 1b92fdf013 Festival Day, so no one 0b5856e6ee would say anything, but she 9e66d5f65b didn’t want to be seen ae97f9149c going to Carlyle’s room.
“Phew… It’s gonna be nothing.
Asha reassured herself, who was 26a5ad1c21 very nervous, and got up ba81273938 from her seat.
***
Knock, knock.
Carlyle, who was looking 6af0187098 at the wine glass edeb2c89fe shimmering and sparkling as 9fe0dbf3e4 it followed the candlelight, 5eedfe13d0 furrowed his brows slightly 6b4bf300b1 at the sound of 9da301e953 a knock with a 195f91d897 clean feeling.
“Come in.”
There was a c688a81a34 creaking sound of e6cdd9461b the door opening 713309db3a and closing very eb81bdd4dc slightly, but he 900101cf2f didn’t turn around.
There was a faint 39e4d8f87d scent of lavender.
He pondered, “I’ve smelled this b49a7bd2c8 scent somewhere before,” and after 431c2c1d40 carefully searching his memory, he c8879e3a86 realized it was the fragrance 3bdd038467 Asha wore when she first 5e9ce49a90 appeared disheveled and sweaty at 2141638648 Zyro’s mansion.
“Ha…!”
A forced laugh bfcf7ab5b3 escaped him as 7f4dc82e33 he thought about 5354b72a06 how the woman dc11f115ed who never used 7d7f0d04db any kind of 01a94c9350 scented oil or b58dd272cb perfume would take ce9b1279ca this out to 3c3db84024 spend the night d0738e8158 with him.
And the fact that e2ce6d09b5 he remembered this smell 2cb6d63bda was also funny.
However, there was no romantic 4fd3e4fec1 feeling at all.
‘Let’s just see how far this woman will take her stubbornness.’
He had absolutely no intention cfa913748f of having his first experience 27368337d7 with a woman who was 174b6e5934 obviously forcing something that was 112f7add1a clearly unwelcome.
He planned to appropriately shame 6d5a0fa4de Asha and firmly tell her af14faa1c7 not to mention “payment” in 4923404a8f front of him anymore.
He tilted the glass and 8375e166f0 emptied the remaining wine, then 3bb4efeb98 turned his body towards Asha.
“What kind of preparation did you do for the occasion that took you so long…!”
Carlyle, who was about to 42f187b98e completely ruin Asha’s mood with 8bf3a0e5d3 a rude remark, looked at 66b59f5252 her and forgot all his c9720519bd previous thoughts.
“I apologize. I hurried as 97ce6a26b6 much as I 71476c5743 could… but…”
The sight of Asha with 4ee35971fd the hood of her robe fa95e101de down captivated Carlyle’s gaze even ebd53a02c5 more than when the maids 0d7967f132 dressed her at Zyro’s.
They originally said Pervaz had 8d7d988b69 dense forests, but if a c5befa2ab5 fairy lived in that forest, da43d3956e it would feel like this.
Her jet-black hair 5750199a4d flowing mysteriously and ec8feb88d8 her white face 03a3c61059 that seemed to d9ada01a91 glow even in 44fae43e9e the darkness, the 6bfc508d19 smooth nape of 08832c7d87 her neck revealed 8173ee4126 as she carelessly 47452c3e21 took off the 3979b41943 robe…
He thought it was beautifully 3ab675f770 creepy.
For a moment, 6d7089f916 Carlyle’s mind went e272580c1d blank, unable to d6a7e1c66c finish his sentence 192be664cd and only staring f997946b44 at her. Asha took off her 4a13fe4924 robe and hung it b2ee39007a over the back of 237056fd12 a nearby chair, saying:
“Actually, I’ve never had this kind of experience before, and I don’t know much… Since I came here as payment, I apologize, but would you be grateful, Your Highness, if you, who are rich in experience, could guide me?”
At those words, 25c70172a7 Carlyle came to ab426029fc his senses.
“Ah, that…”
According to his plan, 589625b775 he just had to e0facbc6ce tease Asha a little b37b9cec7c and send her back f892b5f4a6 before she got too c0bab55dd0 upset.
However, as mentioned earlier, all e61df24232 the plans in his head c24f22d264 were erased the moment he 7e5890a248 saw Asha.
‘Do I really need to… send her back?’
Without realizing it, it 1594452453 seemed like the alcohol c80693f0ed had gone to his ec127b4f83 head a bit, as 2b5d0fc470 heat suddenly rushed through 64ec823cd0 his entire body.
‘She said she wouldn’t feel at ease unless I got the payment.’
It felt like a devil 90d229cf15 was whispering in his ear.df68eadca0d92842

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