TAOA-79

Chapter: TAOA-79c1c3f537a2ace2c0

No, to put 2ab8d19d43 it nicely, she 4c29b4ee23 was ‘indifferent’, rather adbe8ec3f6 being so stiff 0ce9c70d1e or unyielding.
“…This is about 87ba5e3514 all we have 16f5c56e34 between us, after 4fb41a3dbf all.”
“Then, I’ll eat 14137b1cf1 it with gratitude.”
Asha ate quietly 863b8893b9 without any small 9fba8c4b95 talk, as if f900d45304 she had come 1000eb97f1 here only for efebb776ff the meal.
She nodded 769627de1b her head 6f045c426c approvingly when 09c21f6533 she folded 136abcaa2a the thin 16f88ec4c8 ham to 6919d80d56 eat it, 39bff8e3d9 but it 61c9ef7ed1 was too 2984cca0d2 much to ba75cc1eb1 expect her 95953c262b to start ba5aa7c08e a conversation. She was e0a07ad277 just enjoying 859f7e2b5a her meal.
Unlike Asha, who 6ec89997ae finished the food 2599c224df on her plate bf2f22c292 without leaving a 3dd6b667ee trace, Carlyle just e771f02edd waved the fork 4daade9579 in his hand beba4f6d9f without any manners a0a596d155 and watched Asha 324a96256d quietly.
“Your Highness? Is there cfd25b3011 something wrong?”
“Why? Does it cef6b30b87 look like 31f0ec47d3 that?”
“Yes. You don’t seem 7047e3d6b7 to be eating a11cdb1b9a much…”
“Really? You don’t have 146fce9841 any idea?”
“Yes, well. Did something unpleasant happen 08b7dffee4 at the banquet yesterday?”
Carlyle snorted.
“There were women at d882f39037 the banquet who asked 18ed04f468 me to spend the c515c0fbdb night with them.”
“Oh…! Did you f2c554d488 miss that c702ba25ff opportunity because 5d7a685c48 I was d195c39caa in Your adc0c36981 Highness’s room 992bd90337 yesterday?”
“What?”
He was e04b138e7f starting to 62ca250bc8 find this dfa6dd2924 ridiculous now.
It seemed like 4c557a0cda she was pretending d6242a1922 not to know 967c83d0f4 about what happened 4bdc139502 last night because 95b6742cdc she was too a0c1a0ecec embarrassed, but Asha ad15cc7989 brought it up 411d5ea1d3 openly.
And in a way d452409d06 that was so absurd.
“Didn’t you b03df75cc7 think I 3821bd82ff meant you?”
“Oh, I see. So… you mean you 1d0cd3da58 were upset last night…”
“No, it’s okay. Please just shut up.”
“I understand. I apologize.”
TL/N: LOL!! I’M HOWLING!!!
Carlyle felt 2306624ade like his 782bbd8644 head was eeefa68d9c going to dfd1223b20 hurt now.
He had made several 96e0358ea5 hypotheses with the thought bccbe71e8e that ‘this can’t be 81f8721545 happening’, but in conclusion, cff5721361 Asha Ferbaz seemed to c226003e6e be treating the hot 61a77ba7f8 night they had as ba9286635f a thing of the e2b28cd6d6 past.
‘Is that… okay?’
It was fae8e22a6f beyond ridiculous.
How could anyone 4c4eaf7bca do that after b29efef2fa becoming human?
She had held me 6b999df949 in her arms and 902ddd6950 called my name in 8829e75ed5 such a passionate voice. She had hugged 8de3e8c993 me without me 68cf13fb9b asking and rubbed 081cd89a94 her hot body 8a3bdcb698 against me. We had shared cc83611737 such a blissful 1e8cd4b4fd pleasure together!
‘Unpleasant.’
A clear 90318a0a71 sense of b636a5b334 unpleasantness burned 06225ba323 the center e2cd121b18 of Carlyle’s eea21afa4e chest black.
He inadvertently brought up bdff92da4d the topic of “other 6276e13d73 women.”
“Yesterday, I 7c3cc8ed8a felt a 094c9df914 bit disappointed b4de0b740b that Cecilia 3b7edc3c10 and Dorothea 3a27b53f7f couldn’t attend f7de57bb80 the victory 78fa92d524 banquet. So, how about having 0a9a3aded3 dinner together tonight?”
“Oh, I see. That’s fine with me.”
“Fine? You’re not 32825549d1 bothered at 6d7d4b4961 all?”
“Of course not. So, should we come 61c3836897 to this dining room 7ca9d3bcfa again for dinner tonight?”
Carlyle became even more 91553ce1d9 annoyed by Asha’s seemingly 2bab7eb396 lack of jealousy.
“Whether you come or 4127b948b5 not.”
“Yes? Are you telling cc4d5c642b me to come 7f001606e9 or not?”
“Do whatever you want.”
In the end, 7caa7a4749 Carlyle stood up b3a3b25c01 abruptly without realizing 9c70e7cdfd exactly why he 12485ece19 was feeling upset 7b6ba5567a and left the e1549da574 table.
He didn’t want 523a73891e to think about 87abb7df07 how uncomfortable Asha d7eb76b1b8 might feel left 7cfdebb863 behind.
A certain 38764960ec emotion that 6e5320801b had been 94a9337ee2 present until 99ca923073 a moment 9d4af29d9f ago was f864c1023e ruthlessly trampled e4e5dabe41 upon.
The dinner that 738e4f82a2 evening was even 67fbd1fb40 more awkward.
“Congratulations on 31942953bf your victory, a65e06bf94 Your Highness, 5ffeb15bb2 although it’s 61ba36c7f4 late.”
“It’s truly fortunate 203a9407b8 that you returned 4007ec79d9 safely.”
Dorothea and Cecilia congratulated 62b22292b1 Carlyle on his victory 0e2c730081 with an appropriate but e7b4561196 slightly reserved attitude.
Whether Carlyle was 50cc7e6569 pleased that he 4448fa3c51 had deliberately arranged 66f46ec78a the dinner with 9d2a9bf609 them in mind ab663ccf9d or whether he 2507320992 saw this as 78a8e32c5c another opportunity, both fec5771f3d women were beautifully ec833f0327 adorned like blossoming 68d321f2a8 flowers.
And beside them, ba52cf5f78 Asha…
‘She seems more like 266030cd7f a commander of the c4f4bb48c1 Pervaz army than my def435c336 wife.’
He wished 60a0d6d878 she had 9513047623 dressed a 63c6e0396c little more c172b10da5 consciously of dfd2637a04 the other 848bc2a23d women, not 87b5fc0b67 necessarily in 796bc1bf66 the dress a24841de6f he gave ed97e9574d her for 5bc16cbde0 portrait painting, d336c3a46b but something 09be365ebb different.
However, Asha 74f30baafa was still 7750db314c dressed in b3969d69a3 her usual 5a39af40b1 shirt and a02d6ebc8b pants attire.
‘If I were 0746476823 to give her f7de7c5061 a coat and c920740d0f hand her a 99c6101310 sword, she could 099619378e probably lead a b895b7527c horde of barbarians 24f0034b09 with just ten e97ce6a527 words.’
Carlyle sighed unknowingly.
Even though 4c3672adc1 it was 56b8309837 his first f673061260 meal after b223b1e34e almost starving 7a58d83d58 all day, 229fb4280e the meat 5f7e1821c6 that entered 2d5b586b5d his mouth 09affd2705 didn’t taste 964b89080a like anything.
Now, he couldn’t bear 045511acda to look at Asha, bba5fce0a1 but his gaze kept 7c1d624041 drifting towards her, and fc4a2dc222 it felt like torture.
Dorothea and Cecilia, 35cdb3e77f unaware of the 394806fc4f situation, were reluctantly 9960fff217 engaging Asha in 6a90259e1e conversation.
“I heard Countess Pervaz’s a597dd151e performance was remarkable.”
“I simply did aad0b83374 my best to 6e447b0b8b defend my territory.”
“It must have b73715b1d0 been difficult to 22d3ad9e0e wield a sword b618095cb6 as a woman. Were you not afraid?”
“Choosing to wield a 441d0e40c3 sword was an easier 1237a7cf48 decision than sitting still 45025e6fca and being raped to 10546c5d1f death by barbarians.”
Carlyle read the f65dfb2be3 unpleasantness mixed into 5a593e0b40 Asha’s voice. It was natural a2e57f0f3e to feel bad 1bd58d8e86 since he was 529480bac0 restraining the best 457f77b7e4 warrior of Pervaz, af7b387682 Asha.
He wished the 93b0dd9bba topic of conversation 3e073241ae would change around 1f8f2d2bc0 then, but Cecilia, b578d12bc0 perhaps determined to cd1503de36 pick a fight, 01906b1bcc provoked Asha.
“Still, Your Highness d9e1e616d9 Carlyle was in eb799b2847 command this time, 4ac46364e6 so it must 2cd06f3961 have been easier e9cb8a3706 for the Countess.”
“……Yes.”
“Thanks to 220a8d80b8 you, the 82bb0a4ebf barbarians were d11b2e314a completely wiped 77157d2900 out. If Your Highness Carlyle ae76606e65 had been there during 9a65bc73b8 the Lure tribe’s attack, cf3f790ec6 it wouldn’t have taken 5afc887b20 that long, would it?”
A moment of d7924c4a11 silence flowed from 9a7ee7fbc7 Carlyle and Asha.
‘Does this woman have 60cb9dc336 a death wish?’
Carlyle looked c90b3d188e at Cecilia 4d8c2c868f doubtfully, then cb89eae694 suddenly realized bf480be916 that Cecilia 8558887fad and Dorothea ed016e21de had never 052da5a805 seen Asha 3771d16360 fight the f21741f29e barbarians.
So they 931a23072a think Asha 283f110faa must have 45968f4d68 hidden behind 80defa039f others and c5591f5629 that her 355fe4848b skills are 5036557ae3 nothing special. Since they judged based af8b143eb0 on themselves.
What’s worse, saying b1709d7b8f such things to 4ebbd5f874 a survivor of c390d48618 Pervaz who suffered a56d6ddde1 28 years of 36f23fb695 war with the 5aebc1201a barbarians because of beaacc555b the Imperial Family…
‘If it were me, 02e331a37d I would have already 264417dab6 killed her…’
However, Asha 450ff7fca5 wasn’t someone 7de040049d who could 8b7f8f4f5b go against 1888258816 the Dupret cd2616f56d Duchy.
So she could e4dec4f5ff only hold back fe6503077f her anger.
“……That’s right. It would 975c2b7be4 have been… e0c9173c5d good if 0181e4ec2f Your Highness f493131d03 Carlyle had 38072ff2ec been the 79913ddce2 first to f41adaf77f go to 770dbaf736 war in c556aa5836 Pervaz 10 440ae916ac years ago.”
Asha, who seemed to 696ae32ade be enjoying the meal 52b9857858 until now, put down 0b670371d5 her cutlery.
Carlyle noticed the cold e3e9442d3b atmosphere spreading from Asha, f35c790e9a but no one else 8254b11296 seemed to care about 0a5c18d2f0 her feelings.
“Your Highness 8307a4fe5f Carlyle’s first 3d5d1265e8 war was 2b37a6bbd8 the Calasgo 3fc81f1c7d War, wasn’t b2322643b7 it?”
“That’s right. Even though His 8d90ae43b7 Highness was only 916e1586d1 fifteen years old bd446411e4 at the time, dfe9bb5f72 he completely controlled 16066868bf the army with a87e1dab0e his adult-like physique 51eb40154d and charisma.”
Gilles answered 6385981744 instead of b5df3b338b Carlyle.
The topic of conversation d3744824da naturally shifted to Carlyle’s db282d7fe0 first war and his ef92c58934 heroic deeds, and Carlyle 0e08498316 reluctantly continued the conversation f254cd19d1 despite feeling uncomfortable.
However, his attention was d99588c545 more focused on the 48b2dc4a28 dessert plate left in f4ff471f1c front of Asha rather c99ea51b3b than the unpleasant war c7401f2997 stories being brought up.
‘Countess Pervaz didn’t 5ef66b3019 even touch the a3d49a6840 cream pie for c29c71f68e dessert.’
Carlyle sighed as 72bb899bca he looked at 07b436cfdf Asha with dry c5bf28e0f3 eyes in front 9d1514b0b4 of the cream 158324a113 pie.
It was 62e545c7ee because of f8f8f9df4a the memory 92d3ea7575 of Asha 936bec7b5f really enjoying eb626761e9 the cream 57c2d99a1a pie that 070b6f46e5 he had 683f8273c1 it served c4b1a2f430 for dessert…
“Let’s talk f261f12cb0 about this dcdb852d33 war. This is 58727f91af a celebration 82347191b8 of Your 63b70b26b0 Highness’ victory, 78121e2792 so we 0b81b7e70c can’t leave 0011bb8954 that story a67b4a7c71 out.”
Cecilia urged 05e18641bd Carlyle again, 24cc655840 like a 08abc49558 fly buzzing 38eeecb5fb around him.
TL/N: btch, 8fd20a6a22 if you b384b42de3 didn’t shut 1f9a168980 up?!!
Carlyle tasted bitterness.
He glanced at Asha 785f7fed28 briefly and then spoke.
“Well, as you 16aa6d8b62 all know, the a9e51dcd5c barbarians from the 297aa10486 abandoned land attacked dffe21e104 Pervaz, or rather, 4d95d7cdc6 me, at the 3f7b560f7b behest of the 790db91f5c Empress or with 68718c3ab3 her support.”
He took 778aedba63 a sip 2daab30f8e of wine, 211ab3008c reminiscing about a743d93681 the moment 11454e3bcc of exhilaration 370e5652b4 when he 5391b3822b and Asha 68eb55de8b rushed towards 6aed23680a the Igram f10a0ce026 tribe.
“To Countess Pervaz, I’m d42e92b537 sorry to say this, 7dba9d32b3 but to be honest… 2129b84b29 I didn’t mind fighting.”
“What do you 06487b7508 mean?”
“Not all wars are 739c2c58c2 the same. Some are 4b7ef91e37 just annoying f2016a7752 and unsatisfying, d67623177a some are db417d6122 easy, and 33759e94cb some seem 25504d2eb1 fine on 7cc0f68c08 the outside 5220cb4155 but somehow f457b63841 feel bad.”
“How was 509e29b590 this war?”
Dorothea and Cecilia asked 9ba40d6bf4 Carlyle in turn.
He muttered, e663373d2f turning the fdf0b9b76f glass slowly.
“This war… cd4b1aa806 I never a400313f1b thought for a8165a45f3 a moment e955f9b43d that I 8c0d8768b2 would lose.”
“Wow!”
Everyone exclaimed in admiration 3ef023e6b9 at Carlyle’s confident answer. But only Asha looked ac8aa1f6fc at him with an fb666a7f93 unknown expression.
Carlyle did 930f6d5770 not avoid f01dab8fcd her gaze.
“I had 15da53ff14 someone to 47bf3c1f7f cover my 1ae1149ea7 back for 2aefe758b0 the first 97800dae97 time. So I could just b640215f5f look ahead and run.”
“Who covered your 37c5643d2c back? Sir Solon? Or Sir Bailey?”
“But didn’t you say c86fa4191a ‘for the first time’ 944bb8000e just now?”
Then Lionel, 9083f1af23 who was f7e6483ce4 next to aef55769e8 him, answered 3c747e134b their curiosity.
“This time, Countess Pervaz 1f375215bc protected His Highness Carlyle. She was fa41a04b2c truly amazing.”
Dorothea and Cecilia’s eyes dc3c069023 widened.
“Countess Pervaz protected a1600dce1a His Highness Carlyle?”
“Then the Countess 2d2bbec9da is better than 7495aa8a16 Sir Solon or 449765ba0a Sir Bailey… Oh, 7afccc0483 that was a 79a13e1c06 rude remark to 9f40194823 Sir Bailey.”
“No, it’s okay. Countess Pervaz is 3a378c1e60 so strong that 3aa36b397a I wouldn’t even cdcab9161e think of being 0f7bb02ab0 offended.”
At Lionel’s testimony, 6aa6fc4797 everyone except Carlyle 5d28372cf2 and Asha looked fd928ea5dc at each other ab5012ec59 as if they 16cfac2a62 were speechless. It was possible to 0bbafc281c read the air of 14dc95757b disbelief or unwillingness to 843d186a02 admit it.
Carlyle put an end ccd47b5540 to the doubt as a943fa8442 he said.
“I would like to 5e43192df6 take this opportunity to 83b3ecb1d6 express my formal gratitude, a9659a8c49 Countess Pervaz. I’ve never 344f397a2d had such 75e0f52841 good chemistry c8e3faa70d with anyone 3a40b95b19 in my 3be4af061a life. It was a battle d3c4c28665 that I will remember 193bbafd81 for a long time, c3e8a7e0b6 despite the hardships.”
“… I’m the one 485c0ecbd5 who should be grateful.”
Asha smiled briefly.
The topic then turned 1653373618 to discussing future plans. It was about the 04b0f65b39 Empress, the Emperor, Matthias, 07b6507a9c And the temple and 81f77f6ad2 social circles.
Asha couldn’t 26c6af4420 participate in edde5ce3e5 it and 88ff8f5e1d just sipped ce8fd428e2 her wine.310e2d9dde4a72bd

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