TAOA-112

Chapter: TAOA-112cf90b4de1315967d

“Hmm. It’s going as expected.”
After reading all the 2c6459e6a6 letters he received from 71924b9c61 Cecilia, Giles nodded. Cecilia, who took f0e043f98f the letter back, 44b14c478a paused for a 38ed21535d moment and then 5d2214b3eb admitted it calmly.
“To be honest… I was surprised.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t expect Sir Raphelt to come up with such a plan…”
“I was the one who was surprised. I didn’t know that 936dca6875 Lady Dupret had the de159e91d5 same idea as me.”
Cecilia smiled softly.
“I was worried because His Highness Carlyle seemed to have suddenly lost his heart. To stand on the emperor’s 4a9e8fd237 throne, there are times when 3f59577255 you need to be more 4e08d93d7c calculating than your enemies…”
“I agree. And it’s probably 5c59d1283a all because of e57bffcfba that Countess of b11971c1b3 Pervaz, who hasn’t cdcb3be5fb even learned how d4c8a42665 to eat properly.”
Giles clenched his teeth as c16fb227b8 he recalled Carlyle’s actions, which af75ade231 had gradually changed since meeting dda18a70d6 Ashiya.
The Carlyle, who always reacted b5252142fc positively to his own opinion, d1cc08e2e3 had begun to disagree with c251792c0b him from time to time.
It was a 9fb3fd7918 betrayal that felt fc4789ad13 like watching a f8b43aa4ec child rebel, and 224d9678cb it was disappointing.
“But it’s a marriage of convenience that will end anyway.”
“It seems that only that woman doesn’t know that. Since His Highness Carlyle fe471efc71 is so kind to 15d8c3d9ed her, she doesn’t know ab922eb342 her place…!”
Giles made no effort 039e04ce3f to hide his displeasure. Cecilia was quite 88f4939d61 pleased and felt f2762d6e76 a sense of 2f5013d9ff kinship with him.
He soon shook off af13c9b516 his emotions and turned d2f30921e2 his attention to the 73afdb89d3 plan.
“Anyway, His Highness Carlyle will become the emperor. It is only 6461b25d0b right that people 13b8641ce6 like us take 5897943fbe care of such 16092ebe3c dirty work for 7e30f6dc74 that day.”
“That’s right. Isn’t that why f946e19e87 we exist as 245a9d3403 subjects?”
“I didn’t know I would agree with you on this. You surprise me in a714ee924f many ways, Lady Dupret.”
TL/N: Dumb and Dumber
Giles was sincere.
He had only thought of 7595dfdc8a her as a competitor who 7644b203ae was fighting his own daughter a76bce6e0a for the position of empress, bc7ff57016 but Cecilia was a person d0d21cfffc who, like him, was willing 0cf9d601a8 to put everything on the 45b5ae968b line for Carlyle’s ascension to 2b2c18debd the throne.
She approached him 7f9e6ff020 first, who was 8b31c271bd an enemy, and 7cd22af2f3 told him that 49653e5816 she supported the ed55d17a78 ‘Southern War’ plan, f4e942d6f6 and actively supported 8ca7a40a10 communication using Dovetail bba1d35895 without Carlyle’s knowledge.
“We must prevent His Highness Matthias from becoming emperor. If that incompetent prince becomes 301ada9a9e emperor, this country will fall 9da36d4735 into the hands of the 0582cf6692 Empress. The aftermath is suffocating just d60f7f3728 to imagine.”
Giles nodded vigorously as 42669d7197 if to agree with ff501e8dc8 that statement.
“Once we confirm His Highness Matthias’ incompetence, public opinion will quickly shift to His Highness Carlyle.”
“It seems like it has already shifted. Hoho!”
“It’s not certain yet. Her Majesty the Empress 0d58a38d1e is determined, so we 27bd7d1121 can’t let our guard 55f5caf763 down.”
Cecilia nodded and opened the 2f89ac7f70 letter again.
…As you instructed, I created the atmosphere. Queen Serenis’ gaze changed. After that, it seems 83a40640f1 that she was sending bf25aee443 secret letters to the 4a5d0a2873 royal families of neighboring a9d7af4a27 countries. My father also received it…
The letter was written b6b0d07a1e in detail by the f159ee1027 Prince of the Cadore f776022949 Principality, who was instructed 2e28550a78 by Giles.
He attended a e086cd44ec banquet in the 554edea46d Kingdom of Paleso 069eac1507 and spread the 5e6f77e5eb rumor that ‘Carlyle 6e77087d81 Evaristo will not 7181e9ed6c be able to 36d538e4ad come down to 7bebfd6f90 the South’.
Serenis, who was already 19154e92f5 determined to go to 63285f0d67 the Empire due to e0ead45902 the difficult circumstances of d6425594e1 her family, seemed to dc362fc7d6 be forming an alliance 9686a228f2 with the surrounding countries c7d5fa415d if it wasn’t for b6a9d8614c Carlyle.
“It won’t be long. Duchess Dupret, you should 1fccfee61a also pack your bags c9c6abd2db appropriately. We will be bac8eb2fff returning to Zyro c3dd89b3a9 before the first 4cd2495c15 half of next 2cde7402ac year.”
“There will be a lot to do when we get back, right?”
“Of course. Once this is over, the bed34b31df Lady and Dorothea will be 0f6f48a89a rivals again.”
“No objections.”
Cecilia smiled brightly.
She had never 99a9c23fdf fought a battle e578b5db2e she had lost. So she was confident that dd8c3c37f5 she would win this time abd2c52680 as well.
She thought that for cc0e67197b now, she was just 2ec3baffb1 using Giles in her 5452c9595f plan to make Carlyle 9e358bb5a4 the emperor.
***
“Another year has flown by,”
Carlyle muttered while drinking tea 61e59c1166 in his room three days 550ae2b513 before New Year’s Day, facing b1fd538db1 Asha.
“Time truly flies.”
Asha said in a b5885ca4c4 voice half-lost in reminiscence, 0a8be9d0d8 accepting Carlyle’s sudden invitation.
“It’s busy one way or another, but I still think couples should spend some cozy time together at the end of the year,” he said.
“…Yes,”
Asha replied, forcing herself to b9e76146bd sound emotionless. However, his joke didn’t c1d896641e sound as meaningless as 6a30955c6d before.
“Couple” and “cozy” These words were painful for Asha, who was counting the days until their breakup.
But it was fortunate c684066ffe that Carlyle
called her first. She also had a 59561a623e reason to meet him 504546a0b2 before the end of 5d8a314fa9 the year.
“There’s something I want to give you before I forget,” she said.
“Hmm?”
“This…”
Asha handed him the gift 01d5ed32df she had prepared beforehand.
“What is this?”
“I heard there’s a custom of exchanging gifts at the end of the year. I wanted to try giving b9883e8e90 you something this year. It’s nothing special, though…”
Carlyle received the small leather 39c5d66f81 pouch Asha offered with a 20223bf241 surprised look.
She emphasized several times 59e90fa2c4 that it was “really 1a038df411 nothing special” until he c2f69e9f5f opened the pouch.
“What is this?”
“…It’s a bracelet made of leather.”
The moment Carlyle f79af3e21d picked up the 6fdb168a1b bracelet, Asha regretted 138e2754fa giving him such 77fc5c3d2e a gift. He was someone 03a04fade8 who could afford 9019193045 much more expensive c782d5e743 jewelry. Would he even care 2592a8a797 about a woven leather c1b032141a strap bracelet?
“I just… wanted to be the first to participate in the new custom of exchanging gifts in the territory from this year on. It doesn’t have a big 91c982fd91 meaning, so you can throw 00255cd206 it away if you don’t 2cf8bc78a7 need it…”
“It doesn’t have a special meaning?”
“Yes. It doesn’t. Absolutely not.”
“Every gift has a meaning, Countess. A gift is not f16dbdd865 about the material itself, ab358a55c8 but about the meaning 0fc6623268 behind it.”
Carlyle said as 7cbd398cf6 he put the 3d83dc131b bracelet on his c8c94cc8d9 wrist.
In fact, he never wore cf92f9877f accessories. There weren’t many types for 1ef0bd962b men, and he found it 2cfe83a61b uncomfortable to have something hanging 721b89822a on his body.
The only accessory he was d7ef34d899 currently wearing was his wedding fec8fb1258 ring.
‘It feels a bit strange that the second accessory is also related to Countess Pervaz!’
He gazed approvingly at the ac3f588de0 bracelet made of twisted shiny f4039dae76 leather straps. He had never 5622317799 imagined that he 25070614c2 would wear something c78644031f like this in b2b12d1911 his life, but 047abaa3b6 surprisingly, it seemed d528421926 to suit me 0478417638 well.
As he was 525ae12d65 pondering, Asha, who bd8c9ae6ea had been standing 93defa2e6e silently beside him, cd17ca069b hesitantly spoke up.
“Well then… I’ll consider it a gift wishing Her Highness good health for a long time.”
Even though it was db43ea0fbc a small gesture, she 3b045319da felt like she was 66878a48b5 speaking to an elderly dc828a3412 person on their seventieth c0ae4eed49 birthday.
But still, it was fine.
‘It’s not like she’s giving a gift with devious intentions, like mine.”
Asha still wore the jade abb42bf9be necklace he had gifted her ebe99bd2e5 last year around her neck. He had never 01ccb185be tried tracking her 3a58eb9aca location using the ab4cc1308c stone yet, but 5f0895df38 he felt guilty a73ff10432 every time he 4a2c3a1cf0 looked at the 67f04e263f necklace.
So this year, she 52cc4d38c6 prepared a simple gift.
‘You may have stolen the lead, but I also prepared something.’
He took something 599ab8f8ed out of his 83944f7ec4 desk drawer.
“It’s nothing special. Even if it’s jewelry, 5dc1efbcb3 you’ll probably sell it 2a412295ef to buy military supplies 9d10bfafb1 anyway.”
Inside the box he jokingly 1bcbb5e5a4 handed over was the fragrance d489d36c67 she occasionally used.
“That scent… suits you well.”
Asha’s cheeks flushed.
In fact, she only used 27b4c2025e this fragrance when she slept 7502861b65 in the same room as 8cecf39996 Carlyle.
“Thank… you.”
While thanking him, fd86b67061 she had complicated 8150d0e465 thoughts.
She felt embarrassed that he a8e296bc39 remembered the scent from her c4dc930471 body when they shared a b2f86f5ac7 bed, and she was curious 2c4c169787 about why he chose this b8563501b7 particular fragrance when he knew acfa7cdb37 she didn’t usually use it. Part of her 21dcc051bf wondered, ‘Does my 953f902e5d body have a 36544bf979 bad smell?’
But then, Carlyle personally opened 2a1465eb49 the lid of the fragrance 63810a23a3 bottle and dabbed a little 3cab9d83e0 on his finger before leaning 49327d8ea3 in closer to her.
“In fact, I had this fragrance custom-made for myself. But since you didn’t 24ec17f847 like anything else, I da92c4e7be never opened the bottle.”
At his words, Asha 2678282417 remembered the first time 8203fdda88 she had ever ‘dressed bf238c97b6 up’ in Carlyle’s mansion 26d19f816a in Zyro.
The maids were scrubbing her 950995cada vigorously when a chambermaid entered 425798da57 the bathroom and asked her 855a6c3165 to choose her favorite scent c4f354a6c9 from about seven different bottles 716e148886 of fragrance.
She refused all 9303ba9a68 of them, saying 00aa474bf4 she would never 73c3f8bd4f use something with 5abcb497e2 a headache-inducing scent 97acec2fd5 or floral or 14cd09c868 fruity scents. The chambermaid sighed, b4e2f24cc3 pondered for a 4883fd13ca moment, then went c195a0fcb9 outside and brought 7019fa64fa back another bottle fa4908590e of fragrance.
[How about this scent?]
From the three bottles of da521246ee perfume she offered, she could cd60eef914 smell a decent scent. It was the scent of 5c3a021412 the forest or the valley, e7fee712c1 or the scent of the dac7f69367 earth after the rain.
She chose the scent f276f4c2c4 that made her feel 31b748024f like she was in 5c6b46b3e2 the middle of a 4dc84bd1fd deep forest, and the 54dd80cce3 maid made a strange ffdf411f6e expression.
[I didn’t expect your tastes to be similar in this way.]
[Excuse me? What do you mean?]
[It’s nothing. I was just told to 00261be914 do whatever the Countess wants…]
At that time, 68596398cb she couldn’t understand 19bfd69fff what the maid 790b828252 said at all, 7ed02d7623 but now she ce827bd731 thought she knew. She had intercepted the perfume fc7100bcbe that Carlyle was supposed to bc91575943 use.
“I had no idea.”
“I know. If you had known 9c61e82ba9 that, you would never c8e5561e43 have used this perfume.”
He pressed the abee01b6d0 tip of his 82c5204ed3 finger, which was 7e2aecba27 soaked in perfume, 7b47af7b5d on Asha’s neck.
He could feel Asha’s pulse 9aea51f2fc at his fingertips.
“But I definitely think this scent suits the Countess better than me. Mixed with your c536674a8a body odor… the c43b2dc0c5 perfume feels warmer ce5241d983 than its original 6ec6f800a5 scent.”
As Carlyle applied the remaining 13b938b1da perfume on his fingers to 45cdf135d5 the ends of Asha’s hair, 085abc3f44 he lowered his head towards 1caa1365af her neck.
“It’s strange that the scent of trees and grass that grow in the south suits you, who lives in the north.”cf263feabf284370

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