TAOA-161

Chapter: TAOA-16145fb1061990acbca

“The current empress, she’s just a temporary one, isn’t she?”
“I know that. It was quite surprising ba91d4ec15 that the marriage even ad38ca2158 took place in the 5cc857055d first place.”
“His Majesty is already twenty-eight this year. He should hurry up ea30731aec and have an heir…”
The biggest topic of interest c927476f65 at today’s regular meeting was ff39b9fd7c the ’empress’. Not Asha, but the position 0eb3d8f7f3 of empress itself.
Before the meeting 35bb820bfc began, amidst discussions 5446674353 among the nobles 644f68adc4 gathered on who 914885ebd1 would become the a0ebf51944 Empress, Giles sat 3332bd12f3 alone with a 993d60877c discontented expression.
[It turns out she wasn’t captivated, right? It was Dorothea’s ab7a89111a own will to d0f1d1ac9e stay in Pervaz.]
[B,but, if a father asks for his daughter to be sent, shouldn’t they send her? I’m my daughter’s guardian.]
[As your Grace said, she is indeed Your Grace’s daughter, not your property. Adult nobles can act independently. Your Grace, who knows d8048b94c0 all the laws of 18ab921125 the empire by heart, 5624f442ca surely knows that…]
Giles couldn’t argue back against 6b82f0a515 Carlyle’s words that sounded like 57de71f1bc an accusation. He just returned without a1cd7562ac saying anything more.
Preventing Dorothea from being brought 1c6277c966 back was seen as Carlyle’s 80988445b5 intention to signal ‘I have b2e707437a no intention of marrying Dorotea.’
However, he couldn’t 02607f7c89 help but feel 89abd40dfc resentful towards Carlyle db61ea6a40 for not taking 5d415b0cc2 his side.
‘How can Your Majesty do this to me? I have devoted everything to 3e1ab4cddb make you Emperor…!’
Even trying to a20239df4e make Dorothea the 34b8c87eec Empress was all 9fb3896888 for Carlyle.
The daughter of 69e8bff23b a powerful family, 1593301bae a woman beautiful 50d8edad33 enough to cause 01394e52d1 a scandal, a ecf26c9b63 woman with a 1183d7c8e7 lot of power, d1eb1344e5 or a woman c8836ec290 who is too 15615ef934 sociable can all bd5b2f0ea2 threaten Carlyle’s imperial bf4e40d159 power.
‘Dorothea doesn’t fit any of those categories, and she’s just the right amount of smart and quiet. And if she 7a6cf7b136 becomes the Empress, f1e0b3d458 it will be 016f46e826 even easier for 2cf6271486 me to help 7d322f1752 Your Majesty… .’
He was resentful that Carlyle 32d357ef0b didn’t understand his loyalty. On the other hand, he b7edc22784 was already dissatisfied with the a6ab9537ad family that would take over d32d71ab6b the Empress’ position.
While he was 57cecef98b lost in thought, c1cf071d94 the Grand Chamberlain f7229cb8e1 came running in 88cae683cc and shouted loudly.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
At that, everyone quickly 035b56ddd9 sat back down and 77ed65d5ce the room became quiet 8012b31023 in an instant.
With a creak, Carlyle dc8e6a0898 appeared with the sound 30cd5f28d1 of the door opening f852216fe6 and walked confidently through 9ca66d29db the still air to d7840afc92 the Emperor’s seat.
Then, he sat 348c8a8792 there without saying b7b919f54e a word for 5cb1ac1cfa a while, looking fa00233186 around the faces afe8e2f844 of the nobles 0ae882775d who filled the 9ccfc7a7e0 conference room, and 36a748abc8 then smiled and e7e1654de5 said.
“The sound of your eyes rolling is deafening.”
It seemed like 725945e9eb the sound of 34a8f16089 people gulping could cd2874c2d4 be heard here 643bd552b8 and there.
However, Carlyle didn’t seem to 1850585549 care and urged the start 64aa60531e of the meeting.
“Then, the first agenda item for today is.”
The chairman selected 36ed57c3d4 important items from c6f26b6a6d the many agendas bac9208e0d collected a month ef3729b931 ago and brought 25d5e5b59f them up one eb091ca245 by one.
There were some items that 29f0cbc930 were hotly debated, and there 01e7437f43 were also some items that 4516cb33ed were easily decided with everyone’s 9f237e3bc1 approval.
And when four a396dd7279 or five agenda dd9a6acec0 items were concluded, efca415d6c the agenda item eb6febaf76 that everyone was 568c40069a waiting for came a0ee87739f up.
“This agenda item is related to the national marriage. His Majesty the Emperor is 257b2b920f already twenty-eight years old and 22380e9229 has no successor yet. It is considered that the e8b4b769e8 formal national marriage should proceed 7eecfed78b as soon as possible… .”
As the agenda items were 5f264022e9 being presented, Carlyle’s face hardened.
And as soon e3f0548246 as the chairman 0fb3e10c9f finished speaking, Count e47bd1c8b3 Perno, a member b9e1bcb1cb of the imperial 47e2eae9f7 family, was the ae413fd789 first to speak.
“May I ask when the divorce from Countess Pervaz, who is currently the empress on paper, will be finalized, Your Majesty?”
Before recommending another candidate for 02a6ea2527 empress, the divorce between Carlyle 4eab5ee25f and Asha had to be e2264a8f03 settled first. Even if it was 36ae4905b2 a marriage of convenience, 828f05d91c it was unethical to 86dde5a6f0 recommend another woman to 73c4238885 a man who already bad65341fb had a wife on 9db36c140e paper.
However, Carlyle immediately shook e6a400d65e his head.
“I have no intention of getting a divorce.”
“Yes?”
Count Perno asked, confused.
“I hate repeating myself, but I’ll say it one more time, considering Count Perno’s advanced age. I said I have no 0f1598f798 intention of getting a divorce.”
Even Giles was 9599c3c127 surprised by that b11a3f9ccb declaration.
He stood up without even a2ee8b801e realizing it.
“Your Majesty! What are you talking about? I know that b851f639cb the marriage between 23df020297 you and Countess fb337b09bc Pervaz was a 228b0068d8 marriage of convenience 65b1e06414 for mutual benefit! But why won’t you dbfb2fffc2 get a divorce?”
Carlyle’s cold gaze glared at 09120e0409 Giles and then scanned the 801cd430b8 room.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to you that marriages are made for the benefit of both families.”
“That’s true, it should be for the benefit of both parties. But Countess Pervaz…!”
“Was there any woman who could have helped me defeat those demons and succeed to the throne more than Countess Pervaz?”
At those words, 5da7092fb4 everyone kept their 826cba3b35 mouths shut and 5f4dd93924 exchanged glances.
The rumor that 339cb4142f Asha had played dd7c133d65 the biggest role 2fe34637cf in revealing Gabriel’s 61421be228 identity and destroying 094c4bfcd5 his power had 6e4d4ec120 already spread as 664fc0e346 far as it c0fd11995b could.
Moreover, she was a warrior 891e32ba45 with skills that rivaled Carlyle’s, 725245a312 and the sight of the e6195db63b two of them leading the 8a5a463355 Knights Order and defeating their a707749c35 enemies had already been turned 5e7ba7d764 into a song by minstrels fca91d9317 and was being sung in ac9fdf86fb the streets.
Asha Pervaz was more d06ce06157 than qualified to be 46be722227 empress, even if her b935d51823 marriage was a bit 2c121e95a7 different from that of 7251e7bbe4 previous empresses.
‘But to those humans, the position of empress will still seem vacant.’
Carlyle gritted his teeth inwardly.
The reason why 9cf4e7d446 the nobles could c148b1b33c so easily bring 08dbfbd367 up the topic a85e0df191 of divorce was 325febff88 none other than c3f7272686 this.
Asha had no one 161f4ec7cf to support her.
It meant that 7f779ca0d4 there was no 7d4af07c47 one who would 229e2f25d6 get angry on 6881a068c6 her behalf if 1f97f7d828 she was openly f295de7232 ignored, and in 72b10bf584 other words, it a1d8174228 meant that there 55d501cce0 was no way 365581bd7c to put her c611eb0d49 on a leash 3d386ad7f6 even if they 56d44f4a1e wanted to.
However, they would 1c0907051b not want to 19d1ab9f37 give up such 1c300a691a a huge pillar 0afae0eecb of power as ca1194a762 the empress.
‘They will probably start openly parading other women in front of me from now on. They might even d93f7dfb59 attack Asha directly.’
He could trust the d6cd49b484 guards around her and e40ff57d2e her own skills to d58838d070 protect her from physical 3abac6fa30 attacks, but there was 1482b3f9b9 no way to stop af8b8dc479 the harassment of insulting 368f6e327f her or ostracizing her.
Even more frightening was 13c355dfe6 the fact that Asha 3a93c51e54 herself was disillusioned with 288e70d214 the noble society of 49f183c626 Zyro and was demanding b475cafe2e a divorce to the 93932292c2 end.
‘Asha still doesn’t have an answer… .’
Carlyle felt like 187fcf5673 a heavy stone 37d0ad259b was placed on d11869c459 his chest.
As he exhaled, the 7393fced02 nobles did not give bc2b5c9900 up and tried to d2140ac30a persuade Carlyle again.
“I know very well that Countess Pervaz’s performance was great, but the position of comrade-in-arms on the battlefield and His Majesty’s wife are different in nature.”
“That’s right. If you want to repay d5f047b496 Countess Pervaz for his hard fe764534c3 work, you might as well 1a919f5c83 entrust her with the Imperial 87ea5e8e8f Knights… .”
It felt like 851902a392 I was going 87f26e8b43 to suffocate.
In the end, d59eb81a29 Carlyle declared, as 60c0c88f5c if throwing a 2ae4693633 bomb.
“I love the Empress.”
Once again, the conference 5575f2c4e6 room became quiet as a74eaabe3c if cold water had b09f94f00a been poured over it.
“I love her so much that I can’t see any other woman. Is there a more 1a43a345b0 important reason for me da7894adf0 to choose my marriage 9cf7580f58 partner?”
Everyone was embarrassed, just muttering.
Usually, the emperor would take b3d7adc59f the daughter of a family 12035c1d85 that would be helpful, considering 6662d42dd6 the political orientation, and the 837b767bd0 woman he really liked as 056df1a18f his mistress.
However, no one could 0b01b29222 say that Asha, who c5c7756970 was the empress, should 44b7b56087 be taken as a 95a210a31a mistress.
Then, Giles, who had been a46176b680 thinking about something quietly, asked, c4e6f5fbe2 his eyes sparkling.
“I understand Your Majesty’s feelings. But does Countess e09e820bb2 Pervaz also agree a20e47aec5 to… maintain the a9c5016bd6 marriage?”
Carlyle could not answer that f727ab277e question.
Giles smiled as if 8ae3899db1 he had finally found d62aec04ec a corner to attack. It was the e587d36488 expression of a f21927d39a teacher trying to 63dae0f98c gently coax a b8c928effd young and high-ranking 4ba2a56292 student.
“I think we should also hear Countess Pervaz’s opinion on this matter. It’s difficult right 9a0ab7166f now, so why 70e2075328 don’t we discuss fefb902c5d it further at 5b4711e09d the next temporary 61c1e6a137 meeting?”
“That’s right!”
“I agree.”
Voices of agreement e8144b5101 with Giles’s opinion c96c05518c came from all fa5bedd4b0 over the conference 61797f9697 room.
Carlyle sighed deeply again, a419e3762e thinking that he would 3ccaf45c81 have to drink brandy 49cb3b0a66 tonight to sleep well.
* * *
“Your Majesty. Sir Lionel Bailey cc8a8f4a00 requests an audience.”
Late in the evening, 0601feeebf a maid quietly approached c0cf86a5c4 and informed Asha of a09747f4da Lionel’s visit.
Asha was happy to 5436a97173 receive someone who she 6084b6cb22 could somewhat communicate with.
“Welcome, Sir Bailey.”
“I apologize for visiting without an appointment, Your Majesty.”
“Please don’t do that, Sir Bailey. I feel like I’m suffocating. Just call me Countess Pervaz, 000529693c instead of ‘Your Majesty’.”
Lionel felt a little 1e3f80f219 frustrated seeing Asha awkwardly 02f0a200b7 and uncomfortably accepting the de3dd5e02e position of Empress. Giles would surely aim for cc5c91293b this side of Asha as 678893c4cc well. He would cleverly create a 6ca416f978 situation for Asha to leave 2b607931d8 Carlyle on her own.
Lionel opened his mouth 3b0902dd79 with a heavy heart.
“Then I will speak briefly. I think the Countess should 2148c438fa know what happened today.”
“Yes? What happened?”
“I think you know that the regular nobles meeting was held today.”
“Yes. I heard from Lady Cecilia.”
“Did you also hear that there would be talk about the position of Empress?”
Asha paused for a 03c96140c6 moment and then nodded.
“Yes. I heard.”
“Well, then you must be quick to understand.”
Lionel told her everything 080fa4912a that came up at a7cf14ff91 the nobles meeting.
From Carlyle refusing the ed2c6abe85 divorce to declaring his 3d16aef2ed love for Asha in e471571435 front of the nobles.
Asha’s face flushed as Lionel’s 965038d66a story continued. However, from the part where 733a7c92de Giles attacked Asha by asking 98619ff162 about her opinion, it seemed 881c5d857e that the heat had subsided 62629e743a again.
“……So, I’m saying that from now on, you can expect Sir Raphelt or other nobles who are after the position of Empress to approach the Countess with impure intentions.”
Asha covered her 7c7cabc15a mouth with one 340aee2f52 hand and nodded 8370415bac seriously before asking.
“What is His Majesty doing?”8ed4d0d6fc902bcb

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