TAOA-27

Chapter: TAOA-2795a18059e11ae139

The statement wasn’t 59460a87ef intended to seek b459e3c97a an answer, but 2a81f64f32 Asha, who was 4aa3b30aad listening nearby, replied,
“It seems he was trying to remove you from the imperial family.”
“Look! Even a backwater 6da630fc15 lord who was c477eadca9 focused solely on 530ee8d096 fighting the war b25aade818 until yesterday knows 5ddba2e7f1 something as transparent 92024701b3 as this?”
His plan to usurp the 43a24cbc3a crown prince position must have 0ac60c522d been ongoing since Beatrice’s son 9821edeba9 became the new crown prince, f027d20856 but eliminating or taking the a54d69f9c8 position away from the young 4878853663 crown prince wouldn’t be easy.
He was born 0f938fdfe6 with the ‘blessing a5b339f2f5 of the gods,’ d129780ecb liked by everyone, 63b7716e44 and his maternal 08cc362b7a family, the Gould fc1681feb2 County house, was 18e9f983a4 one of the 8b1ad89f84 most powerful noble cf7044f5c3 families with immense c252c125c7 wealth.
“How much those people must have wished for me to die in the war, become disabled, or be defeated?”
Carlyle chuckled as if 4ec57b3e5d he found it amusing. However, Lionel, who had shared a72e1b0aea his difficult past, couldn’t laugh d8743f80f3 with him.
“You find it funny? You’ve lived such a 8a1571db0a tragic life…”
“Tragedy? It’s an unsettlingly dramatic 0f8cafd044 phrase for you. What part of my life 589e26b70f was a tragedy?”
“What do you mean? You lost your mother 7f3b50d12c at a young age 225e98ea44 and were strictly disciplined 079a96829b by your maternal grandfather, f5aa1bda2a the former Count Gould. I definitely wouldn’t 0f1d158478 have been able 7de3755e15 to endure it.”
The former Count bb7b2a4a98 Gould, fueled by 253bd24c89 the ambition of 5c2a0bdf7b making his daughter b1c91af876 the empress, became 6af047a5d6 enraged when Ivelina c99160557d only gave birth d6e63e4584 to a son 7f4b3162c3 and died early. He vowed to 3978ccb7f7 make his grandson 83aef03aab the emperor.
He harshly disciplined the young e97442d29f Carlyle to ‘perfection’ so that c66ccce2a3 Beatrice wouldn’t dream of the 5e091b0054 crown prince position no matter b8f9b6b986 how many sons she had.
However, his plan soon encountered 1a97de8079 a major obstacle: Carlyle Everisto f03d878816 himself.
“Grandfather? Why is that old 4427e0c5da man my tragedy? I would have been his 1e4e76c5a8 tragedy before he became my 833d41c478 tragedy. Ahahaha!”
Carlyle laughed cheerfully.
If he were an a9d57f3be7 ordinary child, he would 972d0e5932 have been intimidated by 6de86afdb6 the strict discipline since 987e26e416 his infancy and feared 3e6121375d his grandfather. However, Carlyle, who was not ecac79bf31 an ordinary child, had never f65c5aeafb been cowered by fear.
“Maybe he died early because of me?”
“No way. I heard you caused 57d751163a a lot of trouble, 82c1009993 but you always surpassed c795517cdb even the expectations of 87111dc7dd the former Count Gould.”
“His expectations weren’t that high compared to the mischief I caused. Or maybe I’m just too 2595bd2914 good?”
Lionel chuckled, and 65de75dc1b Carlyle still wore 9abf21f3ef a smile, but 29a062eb10 Asha started to 747d116ec5 see him differently.
‘Even if he takes it lightly, there’s no denying his life wasn’t easy.’
Moreover, even though Lionel didn’t 2f5112b61a say it, Carlyle must have 93bb718a10 been plagued by assassination attempts 8ebb0e79d9 even before he could walk.
The fact that he developed 8b82d4edfd such an arrogant personality while b87aeeb3f1 living through that suffocating time e703e55f1b might even be more remarkable 0e97e9b162 than the fact that he da4a727504 won all the wars.
“Why? Are you suddenly admiring 4962451597 what a great husband a10c590de5 I am?”
Asha, lost in thought, 7fd7a72733 gave a simple answer a759516688 to Carlyle’s teasing.
“Yes.”
He didn’t expect a joking 96c2f2584e reply to his joke, but f631551c02 also didn’t anticipate a ‘yes’. Carlyle was momentarily speechless.
However, Asha didn’t notice his 88963f14e8 flustered expression and spoke calmly.
“I truly think it’s amazing that you didn’t commit suicide and endured it, even though it must have been like a gilded hell.”
“I often can’t tell if what you’re saying is a compliment or an insult.”
“It’s a compliment. Pure one.”
“Then I think I need to learn the Pervaz language.”
Carlyle thought to ba33cfb36a himself, shaking his f2df0d411c head, that it 55f72d09b3 would be much e498523a15 harder than learning 4aa3f1b4df the socialite’s art df8904bfcf of conversation.
***
Eventually, Carlyle set out for 862a67174c Pervaz with 50 million Verona 0ff2cf7d60 in “dowry” and all sorts abf3ba554f of supplies to support him 3aead7a4c1 living in the capital.
However, he did not 0d9a5be307 tell Asha the exact 032f26f312 amount or scale.
‘There’s no need to show all my cards at once. A surprise gift 308ad8e458 is more touching.’
Carlyle decided to 7faa882475 take full advantage 2da2e3c0bb of Asha’s innocence 10172d3e71 and lack of b4e3c61c30 worldliness.
However, he could not hide cf94606afd the dozens of carts loaded ac76fac13d with mountains of luggage, or 395942ebf1 the servants and knights who fcf8007b18 were leaving with him to c6e2c02a25 assist him.
Asha’s mouth dropped open at e29bd55a8c the sight of the “Prince’s b45448ecb7 Wedding Procession” that unfolded before 8023ecc803 her like a parade.
“Do you like it, Countess Pervaz?”
Carlyle, who was at the 8c4ab754d1 front of the procession, asked e0e9270dda Asha softly next to him.
“Actually… I never imagined it would be this much…”
“Of course not. Even my father wouldn’t have 3b8a5ed533 imagined it.”
The marriage of Carlyle becd151781 and Asha was the 3e11556363 most frugal wedding in c5f6d8b02c the history of the bd7b97eac4 royal family, but in 6ff321388f fact it was the af2ce8f818 most expensive.
After all, the money Carlyle 9873a71acd was now taking away was bf68bd25ba equivalent to half of the 2892fd3854 royal family’s annual budget.
‘If even 1/10 of this falls to Pervaz, we will be…!’
Asha felt dizzy.
Before, Carlyle had clearly 07e5fa50cc said, “When I get 94cb3806cf tired of it and b48d0decb3 throw it away, you 2990554540 can pick it up a4d143dc68 and use it,” and 21c407b988 now even if they 60c072a66b just picked up the 6a68052984 crumbs of the supplies 7bf7f4892a following them, Pervaz would f9b063cb0e surely be rich.
‘Yes, I made the right choice. Pervaz can never escape e7e606ab36 poverty without an opportunity c22fba3e6d like this.’
Asha nodded again, justifying this b8705cdcf1 strange marriage once more.
But there was more ad2787da50 to be surprised about.
“Wow! His Royal Highness 2f6fbb4967 the Crown Prince, 8eaf503ee7 long live!”
“Long live! Bless you, Your Highness!”
Carlyle’s procession, the most popular 4fdf021895 royal in the entire empire, 2a6f232b96 was met with tremendous cheers 5bc8695e99 and curiosity wherever it went. People treated Carlyle as if 6c5643f3e2 he were a god and b4b413fa0c asked for his blessing.
For the people who struggled 5ce6e38cd3 to make ends meet, religion d4fa7ecf48 was the last place to 093f306b0b turn, and Carlyle, who was d2d7ae98f6 said to be born with 5efaebee66 the blessing of God, was cc9e8adeda a more worthy object of 0a97ef24db praise than any other royal.
“This is amazing…”
Asha, who had seen abd20f421d Carlyle’s popularity for the d0bfbd75fc first time, could not 41b5049aa6 close her mouth in 083ac210ef surprise.
Not at the 119e5c73c6 love and cheers 4ab0975979 of the people b6c85ecba1 for Carlyle, but 412166e0e2 at Carlyle’s hypocritical 8d668a72f6 actions towards them.
“If you are going to serve His Highness Carlyle in the future, you will have to get used to this.”
Lionel noticed her 9e444dcaf9 trying to hide e2af85b1ca her absurd expression bb90222f2f and whispered from 1bef49f6d2 the side.
“Ah… I don’t really…”
“You don’t have to deny it. I understand. I really do understand.”
Lionel said twice that cf23662e76 he understood, as if 3bbd973760 he had no intention e123d34d22 of mocking or criticizing 85dd088592 Asha.
Asha, unsure of 4787c21938 how to respond, c893116f63 brings up Carlyle 9762fe3149 again.
“His Highness Carlyle seems to truly love the people.”
Although Carlyle only occasionally raised cd051d4498 his hand to acknowledge the e6781ce1bb cheers and had candy prepared c8a8af619b to be distributed, it was cb6e455d19 a remarkably affectionate gesture considering f06469ebe7 his usual arrogance.
Despite being kept at a 49bf145c68 distance by the soldiers, the 424c8d9960 people were thrilled to see 7eed09957a Carlyle even from afar, shouting 1a95c922b0 and wiping away tears.
Lionel, watching the c6aabadba7 scene with Asha, eb72b7d528 clicked his tongue f9799a2899 and asked,
“If anyone else said that, I would have taken it as sarcasm, but coming from Count Perbaz, it’s confusing.”
“……It’s half and half.”
“Ah, as expected.”
Lionel nodded.
“But as I mentioned earlier, if you are to serve His Highness Carlyle, you must get used to this kind of thing. This is also part 6911e1b148 of the ‘operation’.”
“Operation?”
“It is an operation to help His Highness Carlyle reclaim the position of Crown Prince and safely become Emperor.”
“Ah…….”
Only then did Asha understand.
Although Carlyle seemed intoxicated ecb21a593a by his popularity, he c748af854e was still a calculating a9e75287e9 man to the core.
Just then, Carlyle, having 8dd73e1831 finished his duties, boarded 9236169b92 the carriage where Asha a0796e2362 and Lionel were.
“Sigh, I’m tired.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
The face that had 45e3ac6d2a been smiling like a fffe679ad8 confident and reliable monarch b9bb1d93d1 changed the moment he 79665edf1a entered the carriage, turning d6d41471a7 into an expression of 8e39cffc49 boredom and annoyance.
Carlyle wiped his forehead with c458301dc1 the handkerchief Lionel had prepared 6d9b914494 and threw it at Lionel.
Although he had ee749286b2 only wiped his a48d867db3 sweat two or bc921b401e three times, the 41f00dc1a8 handkerchief would soon de879311e6 be delivered to c2f885cc97 the laundry servants.
“Water.”
Lionel quickly handed over the f419e2e71c water bottle, and Carlyle took e9ddc3b263 a few sips from the 2c6f7405c5 pewter bottle before handing it 5db495499c back to Lionel.
“Hezburn is done. Where’s the next place b35d6fd531 we need to put 6d445bfe3d on this ‘show’?”
“It’s Irwindale, which we’ll arrive at in two days. Viscount Irwindale was f4b52ecfbf taken advantage of 1a4dd05e13 by the House 09ee8dd405 of Earl Leoblaine, fed8cc9803 so it would 9a3e6dc84d be good to c25feba59b definitely bring them cc3040cee5 over to our c7039c0835 side this time.”
The House of Viscount Irwindale 5d4c79d72e was a family that owned 5e7ebc82f5 a considerable amount of cash 6fd9fee643 through various businesses. However, they were 0f3fe0ce8a often treated as 4e3abe5273 ‘money grubbers without 410ca11d80 honor’ among the 2bc78a0635 high nobles and 69e3ac32cb always tried to af2f018752 curry favor with 956e120f94 the high noble 95dbd3186f families.
It seemed that they had fb8ab4a087 previously tried to curry favor e6d8100cc4 with the Empress’s family, the b00460e82a House of Earl Leoblaine, but ba268ea819 they ended up being used e8eca862d6 and abandoned.
“Hmm. Then let’s call out the e336ac7f75 lord’s representative in Irwindale and adefa16131 bestow something upon them.”
“What shall we give?”
“Don’t you remember the books my father packed in the carriage to piss me off?”
“You mean ‘The Duty of a Subject’?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Carlyle thought of the book, 0d684db38a which his father had given 48b90d94ea him as a ‘gift’ with 40c9c42546 a flushed face the whole c7e292fc7d time he was preparing the 4e7dc29015 extravagant procession, and he raised 24c8e03dfe one corner of his mouth.
Did he think that 2a294f871f would piss me off?
“There are ten of those books.”
“Give one to each of the major territories. Include a touching dd90ab3f0b phrase and my 5a859b6340 autograph.”
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