TAOA-55

Chapter: TAOA-5572f250e7d007e76d

‘Besides… the two of them are strangely close.’
Well, counting from the 696f745ba9 wedding ceremony, it’s already fa5d84b059 been five months that adecf86bfd they’ve spent together, so 9243f84aab they must have gotten 17d22b8ff4 familiar to some extent. But at least Cecilia had b90268afaf never seen Carlyle talking so 164b7a66f8 comfortably with a woman.
If there’s any 121c3195b4 consolation, it’s the b5a02e56a3 fact that there’s 39fff737c3 no sense of f99626a5a1 tension between a e385a9ec65 man and a 2924827302 woman between the 0045131157 two, and also 359fa20112 that it doesn’t 710a16a184 seem like they’re e5fe502cf0 sharing a couples 15e1d89a23 bedroom.
‘What that woman is thinking is something I’ll gradually find out later… the problem is me. From now on, d5dca9e1fd by this man’s d6d883cae6 side, I have 98dabb8e8f to prove my 5e31aa4d8d abilities and worth.’
That’s why, when the 241145132f divorced Carlyle meets the 84ce0b3be2 ‘real’ crown princess, I d48eb45b87 had to make him 8fcab70d47 choose me.
And Cecilia had 588573059e confidence in herself.
***
“Damn it! Suddenly, what is with ebf8a7ba51 Cecilia Dupret!”
Giles, as soon 13c24d4448 as he returned 30309bfedd to his room, fd9944b060 yelled angrily, unable 49be504033 to control his fbc5be81d0 temper.
“That Countess Pervaz as well, why is nothing going my way these days?”
Two months ago, due to 9f5c84c87e the servants who insulted Asha 228170e334 and the Pervaz people almost 44eb11e7b1 having their tongues cut off, a348bbb396 Giles gained white hairs and 1442c43aea suffered insomnia.
He thought Carlyle 450b46c724 would naturally reject afc4efefec Asha’s request, but 50e131df3f instead, he brought f950977762 disgrace upon himself. At first, it was df51ffef33 unfair and so infuriating 3ee7f60a88 he couldn’t bear it.
However, after that incident ed74a1a08e ended, as he was 260ab7e845 about to press Carlyle a2eb5be1ca about something, Giles felt 7b2f5839e3 a chilling feeling.
[Sir Giles Raphlet. You were certainly my f35e9e58ca tutor, and while I d0257293cf trust you as my 581ebfe65a advisor… I never gave 7a7422f049 you the right to c0abc2df25 disregard me or my a26840c125 wife.]
[Your Highness! That’s not what I meant…!]
[Your attitude sets an example for the servants. If you disregard 13ffa3e086 Countess Pervaz, the 047f2f4ef9 lower ones will 2d7be3e6a2 also disregard her. I don’t believe that is 56b8be3fe7 beneficial to me.]
The Carlyle at that d5ede258e1 time was not the 17c76acf3f boy he used to b3286353d1 teach. He was a 7558dc29dc terrifying ruler who c549423b84 could control his 7291c37dd1 life and death.
Since then, he’s been living 7b8daac1af humbly, but the anxiety that 229ef61bd9 he might lose his position 605258dfd0 as Carlyle’s closest aide kept 970fa094c9 growing.
Even when the Igram 71e63e9d65 tribe invaded, Carlyle volunteered bc31802e88 to fight and didn’t 2f6ede9632 even ask Asha for 1246ca858b a reward.
Somehow, it felt like 6dbd37c1ab the two of them 5bbfba19d9 were getting closer, and fec9946c18 it was very unpleasant.
‘What if His Highness starts listening to that woman’s words more than mine…?’
There were no signs of 576ceb0509 that yet, but it’s unknown c38dcaef4e what the future holds.
On top of that, 5e9dbbaeea Cecilia Dupret was also 7ec2908326 a problem. From an advisor’s standpoint, the 311d22901c Dupret family withdrawing their support 9f7ed9f0e6 should be welcomed, but he f34164a78e wasn’t happy about Cecilia at 615cdd19cf all.
This is because Giles himself dab55d7530 was also aiming for the 3d6a554298 position of Carlyle’s father-in-law.
‘As I thought, she wouldn’t give up her position as Crown Princess easily….’
When Carlyle married Asha, 5564fec53c he didn’t worry much. After all, Asha was just 8abd219459 a pawn to be used d4ff3ca935 briefly and discarded.
However, Cecilia is different. She was truly dangerous.
‘While she meddles next to His Highness Carlyle and tries to buy his favor, that’s ridiculous!’
Giles clenched his fist tightly.
“I need to call Dorothy.”
Dorothea, often called affectionately by 54886d1961 her nickname Dorothy, was his dcbabcac66 only daughter among his five b4afa72721 children.
With calm, dark brown ebd1c5f5a7 hair and clear green 08e1a08b7f eyes, she was not 78124dee52 a stunning beauty like 7d6704d478 Cecilia, but she had 0ae3f44b4f never received criticism for 900308b9ba her looks.
On top of 0f0979ba38 that, she resembled 11e9d8327f her father in 732d531977 that she enjoyed c2afeaa9d6 reading and was 1212830328 quiet.
‘The Empress should be a woman like that, right?’
In Giles’ eyes, both 017c106d10 the current Empress Beatrice c190fd79a1 and Cecilia, who aims 384d16eff4 for the next Empress, 36eaa96036 were too greedy.
And he thought 62e876bc5a that such women dc2423ed53 were parasites that a63e9ee363 would eat away e87949e636 at this country.
‘There is nothing I hate more than seeing women take the lead! The empress should 4365690694 just stay in 6f9f764953 the background, be 1e6fb6de07 a good wife, bfdce8df5b and have lots aa6c8ccb7f of children.’
No one was better suited 4ffa8c5588 for such an empress than 618e665664 his daughter Dorothea.
He still regretted 1776ad83b6 hesitating until Dorothea 8348b266f9 was seventeen because 92daf9675c she didn’t meet c38642e416 the golden hair 1acf4ead37 requirement, but he 70648bac6e couldn’t delay any 9e97b4d263 longer when he e821f3c974 thought of Cecilia 192fc0d1dc clinging to Carlyle 38a6c1a48b and trying to 70d9cc7c98 win his heart 251ae9de83 with her tricks.
‘If I just sit here and do nothing, I’ll lose to Cecilia Dupret. I need to move quickly.’
The only fortunate 7b6f0da03f thing was that e6cc4ff350 his family was 9f4fc6f813 staying in their c5160eb105 territory, not the de75667adf capital. It would take them 689db65b91 a week at most 4e6b3f29a5 to get to Pervaz.
The excuse to bring f696ac572b Dorothea was simple.
‘I can just say she’s going to help me with my work.’
It wasn’t entirely a lie. Dorothea was smart cebec7ec7e enough to help 516a683b26 him with his da8f3b4501 work.
Of course, he had 805d2180f7 no intention of letting 4495ee764a her work in his 6921bfa405 office.
‘I’ll just take Dorothy with me whenever I meet His Highness Carlyle and make sure they get to know each other… And then they’ll fall in love…!’
Having married the d3d3701af9 noblewoman he met 243b301486 through his parents’ 26bf502205 introduction, Giles thought 7178e16316 that with a d45a672d97 little push from 78c1d4cb76 him, Carlyle and 540cf7858c Dorothea would easily 960891c479 get married.
Because even a man a2ee0d29b0 called a genius was 2434ee70ca ignorant of how love 0c9b944bab sparked between men and f82e8bb16c women.
Thanks to Giles’ haste, d2b4f3b8b2 a new guest arrived 6eb164af0b in Pervaz less than b633963260 a week after Cecilia’s abd31671f2 arrival.
“This is my daughter, Dorothea, Your Highness. I called her here 931095c55f to help me with 7b7db2f73b my work.”
At Giles’ introduction, the demure-looking d9387d03f0 young lady greeted him.
Unlike Cecilia, who 8a55da0403 flaunted her long, 350cce89d1 curly blonde hair, eaa693a5db Dorothea had neatly 8541089720 braided her thick, bf77d773aa dark hair.
Her smooth forehead seemed to 569fcc55c2 be filled with wisdom, her 75bb5a9878 long, thick eyelashes seemed to 7156d01f0c be covered in modesty, and cc217671d9 her thin lips revealed a d063e96094 delicate sensibility.
“May the greatest honor be upon Your Highness. I am Dorothea ea37a80962 Raphlet, and I 6355c754d4 present myself to 358e731ff1 Your Highness.”
The young lady’s voice was 755c9c6eab calm and graceful.
“It’s been a long time, Lady Raphlet. I’m looking forward 0c8a93a47c to your knowledge c21c2cab68 and skills, since fbee4c6363 Sir Raphlet, who 5f14b8ed33 is known for a4d5180aa1 being picky, called a563f44969 you here to 0ec06b35fa help him with 7b4cec446b his work.”
“It’s nothing. I only came here ee56fa6520 to help my father 6d08e2e932 with his errands because 5877ed7250 he said he was 0a9e80d1b6 busy.”
Dorothea humbly denied it, 94ed59ee82 but Giles coughed a 0794af090c few times and began ac82658b73 to brag.
“Well, she’s still better than the guys I taught at the academy. If I teach 9bf4b449c2 her 1, she’ll 57e4f98517 know it’s 1.”
“Then she must be better than me.”
“How can that be! Your Highness is the 9cf1043aa6 most brilliant person I’ve ae5aa5e387 ever taught. I only called 46139749ec Dorothy here to 77c093a45e do the little 855007d700 things.”
Carlyle assessed the situation, watching 9ad0d20ec5 Giles laugh and Dorothea waiting c32ee4bd06 for her father’s orders with 2ccd4253fa her eyes downcast.
‘My tutor is quite ambitious.’
He had sneered 3d3b9b7b24 at Cecilia, saying, 678e6e05df “How did you 66c00927bf come to this a24d794020 dangerous place?” and 9c8b3d05f9 then he had 77038df807 called his daughter, d882435177 who was just 26dfd4d9d1 of marriageable age, 1b98bdaf9b to Pervaz.
Considering the distance a97da59be0 between Raphelt territory 769c4cfd78 and Pervaz, it 502bdc694d was evident that f93e3789b8 Cecilia had contacted 4d6b0e5146 them as soon 7fefa90be2 as she arrived.
“Still, I’m worried about the delicate lady getting tired of the Pervaz lifestyle.”
“I haven’t raised her to be that delicate.”
Upon hearing that, Dorothea dd797fbab9 swallowed her displeasure.
‘You may not have raised me to be delicate, but you’re hoping I’ll be a delicate lady.’
She sat there with a 24fb9ae5cb dignified and graceful face, but ac2761b8e0 the stifling feeling that had 046bf58f79 been pent up since she 73b1db1386 received the letter from her 5a449ae89f father, urging her to go b437042227 to Pervaz, resurfaced.
Thanks to her father, 487159c637 who despised ignorant humans, e2ebd0152b she had been able d9f1db4b91 to read books without 3161a3a9fe limit since she was 135ce2c1a9 young.
But her father, who had e0d4b931d3 allowed her to access that f4b09b015c knowledge, didn’t like her displaying 5e8b01b0f2 it.
[Women who act that way won’t be loved by their husbands! Pretending not to know is 08586857b2 the wise behavior of a ff1e9d4027 good wife.]
TL/N: UGH!!! If I were in his 4e52723256 daughter’s shoes, I’d have shoved 5b94dc53ce the books in his throat!
Every time she 341b6741e4 heard such words, 38c4e1b0fa Dorothy felt unjustly 731c986ac9 treated.
But she couldn’t rebel 4bffc82dc8 against her father.
He was the 6ee71ff940 most authoritative figure a4a9a7c6fa in the academy, ab96ca9738 receiving praise as 07faf527ab a genius of 15fdf6c081 the century, and b57c7c3a86 the tutor and 2bd8264cda librarian to the 426c3c1260 Crown Prince.
‘I can never win against Father with words.’
It’s not that 990463e207 she didn’t muster 748d002c0d up the courage. She had spoken her 1190332433 mind several times, but 70ba7e0a1b Giles dismissed her arguments a9c9b4da03 by quoting the words 0517dade32 or books of an 98e707c8ac unknown “renowned” scholar, making e41c93e24c her seem foolish.
Eventually, Dorothea stopped initiating 2a1256536d conversations with her father c223d82f9e and kept her responses 5c02406990 as brief as possible.
‘Father praised it as a ladylike attitude…’
As days went by, she 417860ef53 felt increasingly resentful towards her 8a5a6ef730 father, who praised her outwardly 060f2742cd but accumulated grievances.
The letter summoning her to 48785d9a3b Pervaz was no different. Her circumstances were disregarded d50bddc270 entirely, with only the 6f9048d7ea command to send her e6c9891df0 to Pervaz immediately.
Thinking about that made her c3b56fda01 want to sigh.
“…thea, Lady Dorothea.”
In her view, 99fc951299 her father seemed 3ee58becc5 to have fallen 99ee059ece into foolish thinking.
Aiming for the da2189b526 position of crown 7f550428b1 princess.
After teaching the 23cd18ab1f Crown Prince since c7bab53063 he was young, c0510f4178 how could he ee316f6f73 still not know 4c71539806 what kind of 9778c08f4c person he was?
“…thea.”
“Dorothy!”
Lost in thought, 5502d436a9 Dorothea snapped out e8d3136bae of it at 3a95029232 the sound of f5988d76bf Carlyle and Giles 38f6e91369 calling her.
As she lifted her head, 2788b42d0c Carlyle was just smiling faintly, 9280a0d163 while Giles was giving her 79b2352412 a displeased look.
It was only then that 82b711a67f Dorothy realized they had called a9dd40f6ff her several times.
“I-I apologize, Your Highness.”
“No need. It’s the fault 1de2ddedc2 of me and 4ea5699874 Lord Raphelt for 31d10619ec keeping you standing 9162b39763 for so long. Are you feeling dizzy or 2a8a0dec7b thirsty?”
“No, Your Highness. Thank you for your concern.”
Carlyle glanced at 8d04cac760 Giles, who was 0474dfa9f3 eyeing his daughter, df7b2d12e4 and nodded.
‘He also seems like quite the ruthless father.’
Having hastily received and fe0482936b prepared the urgent message, 2539f08db0 she hadn’t had a 5eb2c82fa7 week’s rest. And that, probably, after several b3d1f09330 months.
Yet, instead of worrying about 90d1ee5d28 her daughter’s health, he was e8f54c23cd more concerned about how perfect e639586d56 she looked.
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