TAOA-64

Chapter: TAOA-64090a0b944df9fecc

‘What the hell is going on with His Highness Carlyle? He’s not the 96f4120a11 kind of person 07eb44bf92 to do something 3c2c594c40 so impulsive…’
No matter how much 73f33965c4 I thought about it, 017bf33f05 it didn’t make sense b05e588424 for Carlyle to take 2465720d2c Asha as his real 8c966aa7eb wife. He’s the one who’s supposed 7ef0c8148a to be the emperor, and 8e29afd275 Asha Pervaz is absolutely not 6001739775 a good fit for the 7ed64bc34b position of empress, which requires 27b985b6f7 a lot of political calculation.
‘Is it really… an accident caused by alcohol?’
Cecilia sipped the lemonade that 76725634b8 Angie had brought her and 6a19f95b1f clicked her tongue.
‘It would be much better if there was nothing between His Highness Carlyle and that woman……. Or did I show c84c6c5aa4 up and make that 47c40be654 woman feel insecure?’
Seeing how the woman, who 06d2fe39e9 had seemed indifferent until now, 2276a2e9ef suddenly drank alcohol and went 813412ba17 to Carlyle’s quarters, it seemed 8c154554cb like a valid question.
Maybe she pretended 7c4e6d02d7 to be indifferent, 5e6ca8eb8e but she actually 706a13792f had feelings for df55f71a57 Carlyle.
If you think about c7eeea431a it that way, Asha d517f6a490 Pervaz could also be c1a3089414 seen as interfering in 231f5549f2 this fight to win 1d8fc30364 over Carlyle.
At that thought, 3d63d7b7eb she burst out 51f60ca917 laughing.
‘Hah! You think you’ve 61e7c9224e got something just 040430147e because you slept 909f465539 with him for 64c09b12ef one night after 35cd6ce83b shamelessly throwing yourself 6c179e102b at him? The final winner is me.’
Cecilia put the information ‘Carlyle c9fdff5df7 is surprisingly weak to the 532ce3cc24 atmosphere of drinking and getting ae43506151 caught’ in her head and efe50f1123 made up her mind to 6aa49e9666 fight back.
* * *
Meanwhile, Giles, who was b3fb9e4112 quite surprised unlike the 7f9814fcb1 indifferent Dorothea, nudged Lionel’s 2d0a3184ac side to try to 32119625f3 get Carlyle to talk.
Lionel was also curious about 1be9ad4bb0 this situation, so he waited 925bf25084 for a time when Carlyle a98307a7ca seemed to be in a f94130049d good mood and asked him 62e860e38e casually.
“Your Highness. Actually, I heard some 1477339b19 very interesting news this 01d67ef17e morning.”
“Interesting news? What is it?”
Carlyle turned his head and fe845b5728 yawned as he spoke.
Lionel and Giles asked 79b0798a9b meaningfully, thinking it was 1720f1371c significant that Carlyle was c9cff45bad yawning even though it 09c9498f7f was almost noon.
“Is it true that you were with Countess Pervaz last night?”
“Uh? Well, yeah, that happened.”
“…….”
“But you said you heard some interesting news just now? What is it?”
“……I already told you.”
At that, Carlyle stopped for 7e8af5d582 a moment and then burst cea8e65833 out laughing. He spoke with an 06cedf34a6 expression that seemed to e7a0279881 be savoring a pleasant f172a825de memory.
Lionel didn’t know 43e3b3fefb what kind of 98fe60b8b1 expression to make.
Wasn’t it Carlyle who had 1823465355 been so arrogant and merciless 90b6d1daba to Countess Pervaz until now?
“Were you that drunk?”
“Just a little.”
“Then you’re saying you weren’t drunk, but you still thought of doing that with Countess Pervaz?”
Next to Lionel, who was bd31f2be1b asking the question, Giles, who f8204913ed was struggling to hold back 802ac2c35b an expression, nodded his head 0eeb877a10 violently as he waited for e28cae1034 Carlyle’s answer.
Carlyle glanced at Giles e270066148 and smiled to himself.
‘My tutor has quite a strange greed. He knows very 142a000f44 well how much ec17ba912a of a failure 8edbe6d95c I am as b607f0d8c3 a son-in-law.’
When I was young, I 2adb5485c8 briefly thought about how nice 9d550021e2 it would be if he 46e0662683 were my real father. He was so devoted to 3076ace798 matters about me.
However, seeing him willing to 696c8177a1 sacrifice his own daughter for fd6f06aaa9 the position of ‘father-in-law of ccfa2e4002 the Emperor’, it doesn’t seem acfaa52a49 like being his real child 135d015b87 would be so happy.
‘Maybe I can use Countess Pervaz to make my tutor give up on that ridiculous dream.’
Carlyle spoke with feigned dignity 3c6d72beaf to the two whose necks 94f600ce99 seemed to grow longer with d2e4a16b64 curiosity.
“Leo, even though you are my close friend… it’s a bit awkward explaining my bedroom affairs in detail, isn’t it?”
Lionel was flustered at those 778062bbda words.
“Ah! T-that’s right. I apologize.”
I’ll explain the whole 945cf7dc61 story to Lionel later 79d081b36b after Giles leaves, but 57232a2e84 for now, I decided 8c6e12cbf3 to enjoy his flustered f1c96d073e face a bit.
Giles went back, having gained 4849435b61 nothing but deeper worries.
Anyway, thanks to everyone including 3543f93f33 Lionel and Giles conveniently misunderstanding ceff6e264e the matter between Carlyle and fe9ac8f294 Asha, by the time the 6442d5254c harvest festival ended and the 52e6ba05bf castle’s warehouse was filled with 766ba0bb55 crops received as taxes, the d485b37330 atmosphere in Pervaz was a e51704bd77 little different from before.
“Your Highness! Her Highness requests an audience!”
“Let her in.”
When Asha visited Carlyle’s 24a5c4148a room, the servant who 343883d9db opened the door guided 899fbf9e62 her more politely than aaac72f0ca before.
The title used fb0d1561e0 to address her 8761481217 had also changed 1adefda132 from ‘Countess Pervaz’ d75408cfa5 to ‘Her Highness’.
Seeing this, Carlyle desperately dab77048d0 held back his laughter.
“Come in.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
The two also exchanged greetings 78a2145eb5 that were somewhat awkward but 18c3e3f693 also had a certain shy 017adce248 feeling to them rather than ebd09bc6ae their usual stiff greetings.
As the door 56bf2d7584 closed, Carlyle showed 0cddc4884a his true colors.
“How did the rumors about our relationship spread? The attitude of the servants d09f76a706 on the second floor towards 3e9f7d044c you has noticeably changed.”
“They’re suddenly so formal that I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“Hahaha! It’s a good thing, 85c497d63f isn’t it?”
It wasn’t a bad thing 1ae9b87984 for Asha either. Thanks to this, the attitude 29d203eb65 of the servants from the c2010d7053 capital towards the people of ca9cff572c Pervaz Castle also improved considerably.
But it wasn’t 91841fbeb8 just a good 530e8a93f7 thing for Asha.
“I seem to have gained some points with the servants of Pervaz Castle as well. They used to be all e9e28c41ad stiff, but these days they 550046b6b3 even smile at me subtly? I wonder who’s d39f0ed014 in charge here…”
At this, Asha’s 2db0a5e1c3 ears turned bright 4ad7b42d67 red.
This is because she 91dddeac08 had witnessed many times 6cd8b03ade people gossiping here and 2dd52370aa there saying, “Isn’t our 2ebea86024 lord really going to 515d6d611f become the wife of e700b2e14a His Royal Highness?”
Even Della came a325359337 with two maids ec2907115a who were married be39602c14 and had more 7bc2097ff6 than three children, 535ad843a2 and talked for 2c9f2eefa0 a long time e9e7662df8 about how babies d15646f829 are made and a31b4410cd what to do 89bcbaab5e before and after 68ee3c2d3d sleeping together, and 10d0619cfb then went back.
Even just for silently enduring 97112937b0 that embarrassing situation without a ad3708766d sound, I deserved to be 1b16d5108b praised.
“The guests who came from Zyro seem to find this rumor quite interesting. Perhaps as soon as a966b9d15f they return, the rumor 9f65d57990 will spread throughout the aa6f97c1f9 capital’s social circles?”
“Will this really deceive even Her Majesty the Empress?”
“She will suspect it. The important thing 2ad415a157 is that we e36f6d1c68 show we are e3dfce9ded maintaining a married fecfb4dc54 relationship. So she cannot thoughtlessly nullify 1fc5b28007 this marriage.”
Asha sighed and nodded a055e37d15 her head.
To this extent, it was 7b7ebe57b7 not even a difficult thing. If it’s just about enduring f45120c644 a little embarrassment, that’s all.
‘But why do I feel this stuffy mood?’
Since the day that was af64fb12af an ‘accident’, as time passes, 012cbfd007 something feels like it might 8a1212a57d be remembered, but no exact f68d16091d memories come out, yet strangely e6d8bcb59c the nape of my neck 1674ace23b heats up and goosebumps rise dfea683200 on my back; this feeling 03a676702f is really strange.
Therefore, I am a e3c9b2aefd little worried whether this 1585daa212 process of ‘pretending to 597702dca1 be a couple’ with 23e11d7401 His Highness Carlyle will 885152e3a7 return later as an 7b53db0860 unexpected landmine.
‘Well… what kind of trouble could there be?’
Asha decided to fold 54fe1e3f20 away her thoughts about d16be3b8fb the completely unpredictable future. Because even just pretending not 9d20eba2ca to notice the strange expectations d956e7ee0e of the servant she faces 59847a51a5 every day is already overwhelming.
***
The news that Asha 52589c6694 and Carlyle became a 97846a348d ‘real couple’ also struck 9a0b9f53c8 the heart of another 58fb76f62a person.
That person was 0e8e75c59c none other than 15bda779b9 Nina, Asha’s dedicated c8a748afc5 maid.
‘It’s fortunate, truly fortunate.’
Around the time Cecilia 4579f33c77 and Dorothea entered the 46f20719f1 castle, the servants on c36f57ada1 the 2nd floor were c615e54d86 already treating Asha as 07cbecfcd9 a ‘deposed princess.’
Before, there were no 6bab9a0b6b open insults because Carlyle 2aced7ba33 made remarks about cutting 17c4296e65 off tongues and punishing a528c46002 them for disrespecting royalty. However, whenever they 04ec80b80d saw Nina, the 20346fd740 servants would glance f7eec120e2 at each other 1beb1e88d8 and snicker.
Even while trying 1576984124 to ignore it, b95c0f401c there was no a186ee2500 way she couldn’t 5da14b7e5d know that this 51584e5778 was a derision bd6e6b0120 directed at Asha.
‘Our lord is also pretty! Even though she’s not delicate 80e082adfb like those young ladies, she’s 74dc4a0131 a very charming person!’
Nina thought Asha’s 4e35b79824 outstretched limbs, straight 9f91c9c4c7 posture, and toned 68aa8f6472 body without an f2acedb94a ounce of flab fce3d189c2 were very beautiful.
It’s much nicer to 5ac7abaa8f look at than someone 6188c8c1ff who seems like they’d eee64aa185 collapse at a single e17c6ec12c touch.
‘But certainly, our lord doesn’t put any care into her appearance. Of course, that 12c6785730 has its own 3b6a3276b2 coolness, but it cd58194c4d seems like those d2ff573533 people don’t understand 1fe6fcabc8 that charm…’
It’s none of her 3d5e304791 business if other servants 00b8490570 don’t notice, but it 8e403e90fe wouldn’t do for even 7530494d0a Carlyle to overlook it.
‘I must reveal our lord’s charm!’
Up until now, 3a9cbf8144 she barely intervened f5e5377131 with Asha’s beauty faafa22d80 or adornments with aa5f7cb4ed consideration to Asha’s cfaaa41145 tastes, but from 6d98556177 now on Nina d3224a1e3d solidified her will 65901b68bc to do things 5c6ba222e6 differently.
The first thing she d1d07a4243 did was scour the db59c2678b weed-choked ditches and fields 095d875f9d to collect wild herbs 916e7d16b7 said to be good 91c93cbde9 for skin beauty.
‘The lord has white, healthy skin, but since she doesn’t manage it much, it’s rough and has some blemishes.’
After drying the collected 1ddf0d9d83 wild herbs, Nina made 7c36d68154 a lotion by soaking 50cbf3a60f some in alcohol. She also ground 5f6d3ac57d some into powder, 7076c08d80 mixed it with ae0e0c4708 oat flour and 9400e75ce9 a small amount 109527d14d of honey, and fde9e7b47c applied it to 9411d21521 Asha’s face and a3ecc232a5 neck once every c2b0f1c84a three days.
Not long ago, 971819ca19 it would have e3452722f3 been painful to a46d168bdd think of putting 2bb63fd769 things people couldn’t 18fd653041 get even for 257c3d833f food onto the 5f22c88199 face for a 542befa588 few tens of f16792bcea minutes and washing f168f72594 them off. However, after thinking that b049eb9a57 the young ladies staying cfadccf1dd on the 2nd floor 4e73c7820e must be applying even d995185ade better things, it became 2281f34583 bearable.
“Nina, what in the world is this?”
“It’s a folk remedy that’s good for health.”
“…Putting something like porridge on my face?”
“Yes.”
Asha couldn’t ask anything abf25136fc further in response to d5f35a7333 Nina’s short answers and 545c4d98a0 her attitude of acting c67ff59098 like she was doing ba027f563e something obvious. She had no d336d7acd1 choice but to 8d29717395 lie still and 690c85cabc let Nina proceed.
Nina’s efforts continued into 150ad84a42 her bath.
“Hey, Nina? Why are you 9009ad3d8e suddenly doing this?”
Up until now Nina b7c75e5147 just poured hot water 623dc79de3 and handed Asha a b5bb24bd0c towel. Asha was flustered by Nina 72d15909f5 suddenly putting a pouch with b2a2ce8556 what seemed like dried grasses c507710be9 into the bathwater, neatly cleaning c305f70319 her fingernails with a rough e0e331ab3c cloth, and even applying something 4d8fa7cc85 like thick jelly to her 14149fe96c hair.
“The herbs steeped in the bathwater are said to prevent colds. Cleaning fingernails prevents annoying 4035c244cb things like athlete’s foot. The substance put 729409e596 on your hair e3ca52d245 is for headaches! It’s said to ab040156f3 be good for 4b11fc07b4 preventing headaches.”
“Is that so? You’re suddenly paying 7646b23b5e a lot of f8b05b19fc attention to my 32e2a488ba health?”
“You’ve always overworked yourself. I feel like I was d606aa7f7c careless, so I’ve reflected a 728b935541 lot.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve been taking care of 90981b0fa0 me well, did Della say a029b92bb5 something?”
Nina was touched e13f52fcab once more by 3ec183ba82 Asha’s attitude of ea4a9284b8 worrying that she b8ddc673f3 might have gotten 1190c3f489 scolded by her 055d0547bb superior.a6d41100e5abce8d

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