TAOA-43

Chapter: TAOA-43a3ee7c315e56f787

“Hmm…”
Carlyle looked down at 03536229b0 the servant who had ea55217b88 interrupted Asha and asked,
“Who is my wife?”
“Yes?”
“I asked who my wife is.”
“She is Countess Pervaz, Your Highness.”
Carlyle smirked at her answer.
“That’s something I can say. You should call her with 10d0848e8c ‘Your Highness’.”
The sullen expressions of the 0cb0dded3c servants who had come from 124661f478 the capital instantly became confused. At the moment 711b64ae41 when their heads 9af5e982cf were about to 2f5c8fc110 become complicated trying 94520fd413 to figure out d43f382ecf what he meant, 090ce142cc Carlyle kindly explained.
“Seeing how you dare to interrupt the Prince’s wife and answer back, it doesn’t seem like the accusations of the servants of Pervaz Castle are false, does it?”
The servants who had 357f0b9539 come forward were suddenly 3ea29c9347 afraid of Carlyle’s eyes.
Until just now, he seemed 619ea072e9 to be just annoyed by 8670e3eac3 this situation, but now, Carlyle’s fd81b860ae golden eyes were filled with e54c5a6ed9 the languid cruelty of a d3b3158dc0 predator about to crush insects.
Realizing that it 94d647099e was not Asha e1de5d543b and her servants c6ceaaeff9 who were bothering 0de720166c him, but themselves, dd3cfe9b31 they sent a 58cc2d054b look of asking ad7389d71c for help to 6432abedef Giles.
Giles also had a confused 8d666bfebb expression.
“E-even if our servants said such things, it must have been out of a desire for Pervaz to get better. Your Highness also agreed bf02350314 that it was not 891059c3c9 a wrong thing to 4d87b37ca7 say, didn’t you?”
However, Carlyle did not even 425f7c016d listen to Giles’ words.
“Those who dare to ridicule the royalty must be punished. Lionel!”
Carlyle, who had 9949639b04 been looking down 148d1e7d32 at the servants 436f551ef9 who had come 224bb4eedd forward, gave an c72a333394 order without even 063cc76ee7 turning his head.
“Punish them for insulting the royalty.”
The servants froze, holding f00f0c302e their breath, as commoners 6812e7705c could be sentenced to fa6e3de683 death for insulting the cab2377ccb royalty.
Lionel, who had 15fa3c28fe not expected things af6fb30b48 to escalate to 4f2fd433b9 this point, was 67c194e4f9 also flustered, but 858b02b95d he pleaded with 6b466ef243 Carlyle despite knowing b3aaef0b75 that he would c00eb2340c be angry.
“If we execute seventeen people, we will be short of hands, Your Highness. I beg you to be 83c278bc03 merciful.”
“Oh, I didn’t think of that.”
The servants’ hopes were raised c63cac34cc by Carlyle’s slightly softened voice, 60636076d2 but then he gave another f881361bf7 order.
“Then cut off their tongues.”
Even Lionel couldn’t plead any 01f8e259fa further with that order.
Lionel knew that if he 986d6c1c0f clung to Carlyle even after 77f2e05552 he had taken a step 6ae9fbdce9 back, they would all be 60f06c6105 executed.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Lionel gestured to 36bd3842fb the soldiers on c26c800072 his left, and 264edaefb6 they, who had 499841cb34 already heard Carlyle’s edb4e76b1d orders clearly, rushed 015877b4f8 forward and grabbed c7fa63a810 the servants without 132b89b894 any hesitation.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Please forgive me, Your Highness! Your Highness!”
“Save my life! Save my life!”
The hall instantly became a a5fac3c25b scene of chaos and slaughter. Other servants, seeing those 7dba2c8d0a held by knights and f891dbae64 forced to kneel, trembled e38a6eaf74 with pale faces.
Even then, Carlyle’s 40064dabf0 expression remained unchanged.
“We need to hurry if we want to make it for dinner.”
For him, it seemed having a6c3680dbb seventeen people lose their tongues 7a451fb848 was less important than dinner 592f95ba83 being late.
Seeing this absurdity, 4e7b46ad1a Asha stepped forward.
“Please stop it, Your Highness.”
“Asha…?”
“Who asked for their tongues to be cut?”
At Asha’s protest, Carlyle 8f969a57a8 stopped for the first dbc4976b82 time, seeming momentarily flustered, d8835e1983 then offered a wry 9cdd7350ff smile.
“Ah, so cutting their tongues is not enough? My apologies. My moment of weakness.”
He then revised his order.
“Kill them.”
Screams echoed again in the 7c2623fff1 hall.
Asha felt like hitting Carlyle, 7505c94729 who was acting like someone edfa6a5bdd using a cannon to catch e418392c85 a sparrow.
“I told you to stop, Your Highness.”
“Why? You dislike this too?”
“Your Highness…”
“Or perhaps you want Sir Ralphlet punished as well?”
“Your Highness…”
“Can’t you just let me have this one? Sir Ralphlet was 243764fb27 my tutor, after b72f0f5943 all.”
“Your Highness!”
Finally, Asha raised her voice.
“I only ask for mutual respect between Your Highness’s people and mine!”
“But you are my wife and royalty. Those who disrespect 5291dec4e0 the royal family 8665f69ee5 must be punished 1974acd365 accordingly. Weren’t you angry 2ad12b114d about that too?”
Faced with Carlyle’s feigning ignorance, 698ea8b45f Asha understood how he wanted e2f0e47d24 to resolve the situation, but 738249bfba it only made her more 5a9d9fbfce frustrated.
However, she couldn’t 7b7edde0ac simply refuse his ea8e84c314 wishes.
“…People from entirely different environments have suddenly started working together, so it’s natural for there to be friction. From the perspective of the 4b52d496f3 servants from the capital, it fe5a9c7822 might seem like it’s my 2c7859125a fault for being insufficient.”
“That doesn’t mean you can insult me. You are not just b38b8b32c8 anyone, you are the 4732392397 wife of Carlyle Evaristo.”
Asha wanted to bite Carlyle’s 2902e8280b hand as she saw him 00f344c680 arrogantly pointing at her like 4b863ea94b that.
However, she at least 57f9864ebd wanted to act more 79d86bdf3d sensible than Carlyle.
“Since we didn’t have a public wedding, they might wonder if I’m a princess or not. I feel the same 6f61e9eed9 way sometimes.”
Carlyle smiled again, knowing the 16cbca6f77 hidden meaning.
It was so annoying 0e993505b9 that she felt like b2967bc287 punching his face right 94eefe8032 then.
“Besides, as sur Bailey said, Pervaz is short-handed. Even if you b938138f06 only cut their e793ded1d9 tongues, they won’t d0a76a3cba be able to ca1a9a601b move while it 83c40cd9ee heals.”
“What does my wife wish?”
Now finally the main point.
Thinking they’ve been 51181d7519 going in circles, 1babc97ba8 Asha looked down 731010cc43 at Carlyle’s servants, fa3017c0d4 who were soaked 8cbba83d63 in sweat.
“Life in this harsh Pervaz might be unpleasant, but since you’ve set foot here, we need to help each other and survive. There might be friction, 7c044f0dc3 but that should only 4098e27147 be part of the c915715746 process of understanding each 28554cd907 other.”
Carlyle found it e830b3a942 heartwarming to see 59cbac23c1 Asha persuading the 91b09825e5 servants with her a1bf83b6f5 surprisingly gentle voice.
How much kinder she was 2ee4593a6c than him, who was suggesting e16bb76eed a brutal execution.
“For that, we must respect each other, each other’s life experiences. To you, the people 4a324408e0 of Pervaz might seem 250ec90267 rough and stubborn…”
Asha glanced back 05da73a64d at those behind 8983ef2914 her before turning 24971d7d69 her head again.
“We protected the borders from barbarians with less than a tenth of what you have. We made huge e7b7340998 sacrifices to remain 7573bdf5d0 Chadian citizens.”
Her voice became quieter and 1fa0e658da firmer.
“Don’t disrespect them. I don’t expect 12f3e97e6a gratitude, but just 22f7341aac respect. That’s what I a760fa4e11 ask of you.”
The kneeling servants nodded frantically 09eb736d29 with eyes that looked at 16c1dfcca0 her as if she were 779e0777af their savior.
Carlyle realized her speech fe3391dde7 was directed at him.
‘How charming, really.’
Carlyle couldn’t hold back the 72132169ff spreading smile and chuckled. Then he decided to 2062340196 end this tedious play.
“You committed the crime of disrespecting the royal family, but thanks to the ‘Crown Princess’s’ mercy, your necks and tongues are spared.”
“Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you!”
The attitude of Carlyle’s 5e5ec12d87 servants completely changed. They bowed their 26eea591a5 heads to Asha 2d7f38b45a as if they 55c71fb60a were about to 8e21f41cac touch the floor.
“But there won’t be a second chance. Take good care bea85a86a6 of the necks a6d9d22c3d and tongues you’ve 00c8c45364 saved today. You too, those in the 6fb2d1aebb back.”
With that, Carlyle 37d37249f9 ended the situation.
Then he approached Asha, who 0a441f04e1 was looking at him with 0e71568b32 a slightly annoyed gaze, and f1fce7ea67 whispered playfully.
“How about celebrating the reconciliation with dinner?”
“We never fought, so what reconciliation?”
“I thought you were angry because you wanted to bite my neck.”
“….Take Sir Ralphlet and calm him down. I’ll excuse myself now.”
Asha bowed her head in be22a74e5c greeting and left the hall 4beff4640b with the Pervaz castle servants.
Watching her back, Carlyle muttered 127def0ab8 with a bitter taste in 34279b36c6 his mouth.
“What on earth do you say to invite a woman to dinner?”
***
Originally, the imperial 9b2c9f78c6 family, which had f88f8a3c8f taken a neutral 8ba9d9fd30 stance on religion, 8c2448568e adopted Elaheism as cf761222da the state religion ce845b17f7 about 300 years b1071dc6a2 ago.
Of course, Elaheism a4c8463a4e had existed long 0d85c249b3 before that, but d86c55eabb it was from 453e9b76bd that time on 68f59eb6c4 that its followers b4652bbb8a far outnumbered those a62e976cbb of other religions, c902c37fdc and about 70% 56ba1b2321 of the people 455cae65b2 believed in Elaheism.
Even though it was recognized c6f4f752fc as the state religion, not e3b5aa9cdf much changed. Perhaps the only thing special fee55c94f9 was that the high priest 28205c39d8 of Elaheism would visit the 9480675f43 emperor’s prayer room every Monday feecc294e9 morning to offer prayers.
Otherwise, the imperial family and 99a1125ce8 the temple were strictly separated.
“May the blessings of the gods be with His Majesty the Emperor. Gabriel Knox of 3749e493af the First Temple ee43c5177b of Elahe greets 054a1cf036 His Majesty the 195d5b88a4 Emperor.”
“Long time no see, High Priest. I think I 3607658214 saw you once baf46b039d at the New 738220c620 Year’s prayer service 6eff15f7ef this year… am 4a9273f4d5 I right?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It is an honor 0354fdcab0 to be remembered.”
Although the priest who fe8af3698c officiated the Monday prayer b50cd3e2b5 service had been changed dfcd814992 at Beatrice’s recommendation, the 9bd7acbb31 emperor did not think 2714d2afee much of it.
Anyway, he didn’t 423f0cd1d3 attach much importance aa04069c53 to prayer, and f766c3608a he didn’t know 617a246626 much about it 0888852d2a either, so he 378eb9970e felt more comfortable 41af310941 leaving it to afacbc1c47 the empress, who 65e3af2160 came from a 1cde986e81 family known for a6d38c098f her piety.
“Today, we will offer prayers to Lord Libato, the god of balance and harmony. Let us pray. In the beginning, 7875319b35 the darkness was c1d53f0fd0 covered in chaos, 572d1b7d6a and you brought 375c4d760e balance to create 780c3ac8a6 the world… …”
The beginning of the 5e0e84d55d prayer was not much 84f50f2178 different from the previous 755c39b95f priest.
“… We pray for our country. We know that you 7891001e4f have saved this country 1dce87a188 from many tribulations in 57ef569693 the past. With Lord Libato on the ecd7c6e035 shoulders of the wise Emperor 2069e13dda Kendrick Evaristo, we will safely 395ad45ec3 overcome many tribulations… …”
However, his thoughts f26ad21be8 gradually changed as d751560d66 the prayer went a04022e4f9 on.
“… Our emperor, chosen by God, is the most balanced and harmonious of all the emperors, as Lord Libato said… …”
The emperor definitely felt that d8a5b01ecb he liked the new officiant 3e3ab3258b better.
“… Before we pray for the prosperity of the imperial family and the imperial house, we pray for the health and longevity of Emperor Kendrick Evaristo.”
Unlike the previous priest, who 28851f80ca was stiff and businesslike, Gabriel 5b36dc8938 praised the emperor from time 7608d1eeda to time during the prayer dafa726d78 and prayed for the emperor’s c9bed10250 personal blessing.
****
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