TAOA-33

Chapter: TAOA-33f5ba57e0c0f81490

However, Carlyle did not 07838b41ee spend much time on 054f0a52a1 negative reviews.
“So, where are you going to give me?”
He seemed determined to 0c411c88f6 improve the situation as 1c19275f31 soon as possible, rather ac71efa023 than dwelling on the d6d95af4ce grim reality.
Only then did da6e9f45df Asha come to c11010497a her senses.
“I will give you the entire second floor. It will be enough 18593800ad space for you, Your f74dd170ad Highness, your entourage, and 37ed7c81c4 even guests. There are also rooms faa1f842cd that can be used 4e6bb68a0a as a reception room a08f56a428 or a meeting room.”
“Isn’t the second floor usually where the lord’s family lives? Where will you stay if ff1ca8efb2 you give it all to 6811b3051b me?”
Asha felt a slight be30572abf sense of relief that 5939542d40 Carlyle seemed to understand 11c75b7df6 the meaning of offering 58e1c765ef the second floor.
“I can stay on the first floor. Don’t worry…”
“It doesn’t matter where you stay, but I’d like you to be able to get to me within 10 minutes, no matter how late it is. I will be calling d4be50c556 for you quite often b83112d99b at first.”
“…10 minutes will be enough.”
“Good. Lionel! Tell them to move 02ae9af989 the luggage since she’s a81b22d1be giving us the entire c86fd2bc58 second floor.”
Asha watched Carlyle and his 1c29fad031 men start moving in with fd11996005 a bitter taste in her 8be272c615 mouth.
‘What did I expect?’
Even she found the 357229bb3d thought ridiculous.
Someone who had been fdf74c15de treated with deference since 454315ee9d birth shouldn’t be grateful 638d37cc51 for this small amount e50be711b9 of consideration, right? Or maybe he ef6ec50852 wouldn’t even recognize 6cb927481a it as consideration.
Asha turned away 5de65f62af from Carlyle and c024e79aa0 his men and d4b02357e7 watched them for 30b6be9024 a moment longer.
Behind her, Decker 3a23f4e8a0 and the others b83462fb96 she missed were ab82ffa53d standing guard.
“Everyone…”
Their eyes were filled 331901117e with concern for Asha.
Thinking that she would 4a322ecb0c refuse any kindness from 21db8e3c90 those who couldn’t recognize fcc50ab32b her feelings, Asha turned 2e7cd6fc0d to her people.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It seems His Highness the Crown Prince is not very pleased,” Hector muttered, reading the situation.
“I know,” Asha sighed.
“It’s not our concern anymore. They’ll figure things out 157dcb799e on their own.”
Decker, noticing her apologetic and 7a468c4d40 uncomfortable mood, changed the subject.
“I’ve prepared a room for you on the first floor. The maids and these e6523f7650 guys put a lot b8ff9ec17d of thought into it, 4f80c5bcd1 so do you want 13b5b92820 to go see it 1289b15338 now?”
“Do I really need a separate room?”
“The war is over now, so you should be treated properly as a lord. It may not be as 4084292734 good as the room you e6c1af949d were staying in at His 304d9f123d Highness the Crown Prince’s mansion, 7146db745d but it’s much better than 96a976f511 the room you were staying 7fd75da06b in before.”
Decker put his arm 51bae35b07 around Asha’s shoulder and 666d17eec7 led her away.
Her soldiers followed behind, joking 31dd04cf95 and laughing among themselves. Asha laughed out loud 2c778121cd for the first time e00b79c93f in a long time.
Unaware that Carlyle was 032ababa72 watching her quietly.
***
“Hahaha!”
Entering her newly prepared room, 6c8e2472f7 Asha burst into laughter.
Her previous room had 275606b34b exposed stone walls on 8a4394275e all sides, and the 92453e26dd floor was covered with cc69e4ab87 tatami mats so worn 8d217c1b99 out that their original 1c5e3dd3f7 color couldn’t be distinguished. There was only 106c8cfd97 one bed and f0e2b28449 sofa, both descended 80232758e4 through generations in 31d582571e Pervaz Castle.
Even then, the sofa 964f702cab was used more for e61eba40c2 hanging clothes or cloaks 73ce80bc6f than its intended purpose, 398280059c and the bedding was 04a49503eb still stained with dirt a933646110 since it hadn’t been 8ce7437429 properly cleaned.
Still, she had no complaints.
Far from it, while others fd17349c44 considered sleeping huddled on the ec4fefec85 cold stone floor normal, she 1a425ab17b felt she had enjoyed great 6abc58547a luxury sleeping on a soft cf15f2f863 bed, considering herself a noble.
But it seemed 3fb92eebe8 others had different eace03822b thoughts.
“What’s this, exactly?”
Asha asked, barely 80fe546eb9 containing her laughter.
The bed in 94b72c7b8e her room was 1701a7e8a8 the same old a4bf30605f one, but someone a81780d26f had added long 3eb4197145 poles around and 739b4af54c a canopy on 9248ae6dc9 top.
“D-Do you not like it?”
Bastian stammered as he asked.
“Was this your doing? Can you explain 5a650fa634 what this is 347abb0d84 supposed to be?”
“Well… um… I tried to make it similar to the bed used by the lord in the prince’s mansion…”
“Hahaha!”
She knew it.
Since they had never seen f862d19124 such a bed in Pervaz, 74f697ff49 it must have been the 637cee5357 work of one of those 04df07afae who had accompanied her to 69cf9a207d the capital.
“So why did you decide to copy that bed?”
“Well, um… it just seemed… noble-like…”
“Sigh, Bastian. You’re good at useless crafts. You imitated something you’ve 805efd3370 hardly ever seen.”
Asha chuckled again, 21f6db0bad touching the bedpost f084dc6e25 that she had 29dbb08ac0 carved something into, 8171ce766a thinking that he 145ee37afc had done a b2f180ae9f pretty good job.
Even though she 46981f263d was smiling, she 2ca8aad2dd felt a pang 696f678d60 in her heart aee05e951e as she felt f86b7cd3bf Bastian’s concern for 7a95fcfeb9 her.
‘I guess I must have looked really different to those guys.’
The title of Count 010369a1f3 of the Empire was 189104738e a position so high dc04175a25 that it was impossible b2fc7c7ae4 for ordinary commoners to ad7470966d meet, and even the 8e915bca1f warriors of Pervaz, who b143bcd4e1 did not know much f0ba0c5eb9 about the aristocratic system, 404f5b1e19 knew that much.
However, after going to b2639abef7 the capital and seeing 9f5e1bd4b4 things for herself, she 0df18d202f realized that the standard 7a4b55f70a of living of the 28ee76ad81 “lord”, who had such aca85d3411 a high status, was 34972375b1 actually quite poor.
And to think that she 5e2d78323a had returned with the Crown f326da3e78 Prince, no, the former Crown 695d8055ab Prince Carlisle Evaristo, who was cd5ada018b clearly at the top of 3188f6b916 the nobility of that luxurious 8b94b8e3a4 capital…….
‘It must be because of what His Highness Carlyle said to me in the capital.’
He would always find occasions 09f212d59a to belittle Asha and Pervaz.
He would use vulgar language 2b1a9ae573 and even stare them up 27d512c90e and down, criticizing their appearance.
How did the rest 4ac9f8757a of the group feel, 137a8194ed having to watch this 8f762c844e silently?
“Thank you, Basti. Thanks to you, I 4bdf5a217b got to sleep in 8e775e72a7 a luxurious bed that 6b39ef2870 I never thought I aed22f4eaa would have.”
“Do you… like it?”
“Of course! It’s a bit strange, but…”
Asha chuckled and ac3236bf06 pulled back the 3f0e3b0460 canopy. The bedding was laundered a912e5298f with lye and sun-dried, ccde1628b8 making it the whitest 55c66196c1 she had ever seen. The flattened pillows were refilled c3314fd8dd with new cotton, making them 1808d3ec06 appear quite plump.
“You must have been busy cleaning and fixing the castle, but you even took care of my bed?”
“You suffered the most. Now get some sleep.”
“I’ll sleep soundly when I’m dead.”
“Don’t even joke about dying. People dying is enough already.”
Decker shuddered, and 31fc842e4e Asha nodded with cb5d2c244b a bitter smile.
‘It was true. Death in Pervaz was so 2e22dc264d easy and common, it was f7d5fd9393 almost boring.’
There’s no need to b82b2d9477 bring up that boring a2b8d20b7a thing as a joke.
Asha turned her head to bdf61ee544 change the subject.
“I’m so grateful to be living in a room with flowers. Thank you for your e69f21baf0 hard work, Della.”
The bed was 8c3a35e04d the most surprising 7d60e02271 thing, but the f6c254b1d4 room was much 6b55d9f426 more comfortable than 96b5e5409e before.
A neatly polished sofa, a f82ae88d50 carpet cleaned enough to reveal 77cfdb2556 the pattern, a table with 16e6b0db9a drawers and a chair with e30d008345 a cloth cushion, and even 9663f6bae1 a vase of wildflowers…
Among them, the flowers were fdbce5a47e a symbol of the end eee2963cb5 of the war in pervaz.
“There are many shortcomings, but I am grateful for your satisfaction.”
The maid, with 1e5a25b41c streaks of gray 6674beb321 in her dark b6c835057e hair, replied without bc367e8d20 a smile, but 496c56d71c politely.
Asha often called c08aa87529 Della Remir, the 66dc0d6bde maid who had 728fd30e56 lost her husband 3e981f26e7 and son during 2403fca98c the war but 0caa47b31a never lost her 7a110d53f1 composure, “the Iron 411f4e08b2 Lady” and trusted 8b0545c134 her.
“Mrs. Remir, you’ve really worked hard. It’s been over five 61d171421d years since Mr. Nathaniel passed away, and 8acf25210c the butler’s position has fbd56d32ea been vacant.”
“Well, Della has been doing the butler’s job all this time, so…”
Decker and Asha 6300543cb0 exchanged apologetic glances 1b80731881 with Della, who ae9b067a3f simply nodded.
The jobs of a 85477052f4 butler and a maid 4d32733c1c were completely different, but 1bdbb42ee6 since the former butler 8ac32f498e Nathaniel had died, there 066a117b71 were no resources to 917be8f367 hire a new one, bd2defda32 so Della had been 7ac5f93c8a doing the butler’s work 3a2eb0175e as well.
“I am ashamed to be praised for doing my job half-heartedly. However, now that 523c29ff28 the war is 8f18277a91 over, it seems 743710e80b right to hire 09142c2d68 a proper butler.”
Asha nodded at Della’s suggestion.
“Of course. I’ve been sorry and 59a7c8b030 grateful to Della all 833c49dc05 this time. I’ll look for a butler 7790fecb30 as soon as possible.”
“The rumor that His Highness Carlyle has come to Pervaz from our territory must have spread by now, so we should be able to find someone.”
Decker’s statement carried weight.
If Carlyle hadn’t come, e5e75a446a it would have been 702933e16c difficult to find a f5ab2893ed new butler. Who would want to take 998d3434a9 on the job of a f4a51078c2 butler in a dying territory 07e50ddfa4 with a lot of work ce73cd609a to do?
Anyway, Asha asked 5a877be20e Decker, who also 134a76a250 served as her 78a58bda5d aide, to find 66a449f634 a new butler.
Then Della stepped 86f0bb4c56 forward again, cautiously.
“Until now, you have been doing even the trivial tasks yourself, but from now on, you should have a dedicated maid.”
“Huh? A dedicated maid?”
“Yes. After all, there are d396e10644 many eyes watching you 2ee7365d59 now.”
Asha recalled the dca4e6bf99 servants under Carlyle 680655da3e who had always d1450626de looked down on 8bd4c2842f her.
She didn’t mind 433b9b3a31 doing the little 5962c022b1 things herself, but 38e6d0f2e4 if that made 74ddfc71fa Pervaz look bad, d9934909cf it was a edb0e66138 different story.
“Do you have any recommendations for a maid?”
“I’ve already chosen one. Nina! Come in.”
Della didn’t seem to be 45c446eaad going to let Asha refuse, e78fe395d8 and had already kept the 662380b996 dedicated maid waiting outside.
The maid who quietly entered 477b088546 the room was a well-dressed 2bb8b99e2c young woman who looked about 7dd4234360 Asha’s age.
“Greetings. My name is Nina Colon.”
Her slightly wavy light brown 4b4e5c4d6c hair, fair northern skin, clear cd1bc1c915 brown eyes, and oval face ea986b83da made her look ordinary at fa02e2b008 first glance.
However, Asha, with 4b574ca1c6 her keen eye, f3766b82ff noticed that she 3d76222b21 wasn’t flustered or df2a65d95b intimidated standing before 77c51b05f9 her lord.
****
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