TAOA-104

Chapter: TAOA-104a96fa3a672735966

“Madame! Her Majesty the Empress has e52e7031aa arrived!”
Beatrice visited Viviana’s df0ee9a998 mansion a week bc76f6d867 after the news 911373ec8d of her pregnancy 3532aebbda was announced.
Although Viviana had heard from dc3c894bc1 others that Beatrice was the e48b83c009 first to rejoice over her 703f544e70 pregnancy, she found it hard 474cac0df4 to believe the Empress.
If she was 15851a8765 such a generous 16673f5887 and kind woman, 3cf7e06cc1 how could she 2ed17089cd have taken the fa4dacd641 Crown Prince title 134ae6a60e away from Carlyle?
Viviana greeted Beatrice 4cb1115645 with great tension.
“Welcome, Your Majesty. I am honored 7b480f1a59 that you have d878a7f38c come all this 631df90d02 way.”
“How can I ask the pregnant Lady. Lowry to come to me? It is only natural f194f7d38c that I come, so b3fb65def6 don’t bow down.”
She acted as 60ef6361d4 if something terrible c5dbadc211 would happen if 515cf4e076 Viviana bent her fc0c44a0ae waist. It was an affectionate gesture ca9ce10304 that even Viviana’s maids were fc65b59740 touched by.
Viviana also slowly relaxed d4cd8d6201 her mind and led a2743335b6 Beatrice to the drawing 3992fa282c room.
The drawing room, ac926fc1cb filled with the b6378302a6 fragrance of precious 7aaed5d4e3 fruits sent by c742ed5f05 the Emperor, was 89a1338454 filled with gifts ab39be06d4 brought by Beatrice.
“Why did you bring so much, Your Majesty?”
“It’s nothing. There are things that eeee54c67e only a woman who 114fb6c1ca has given birth to 15f6ae9353 a child knows. I thought it would be cee7d93757 difficult for you to ask 3e415c02a1 His Majesty, so I brought 4304f9aeef them myself.”
Her gifts included e59d4071d0 various kinds of 838768c8d4 underwear, maternity clothes, ce07820004 pillows, soft nightwear ad4f29f840 and bedding, and 78c744fb0d bath products for a8877e360b pregnant women.
After the maids were sent 195ac0df48 away, the two women talked a47b69aaa1 over tea and fruit.
“Do you like new fruits too, Lady. Lowry? When I had Matthias, 4f864e64d2 I couldn’t get enough 5a2ef1c694 of new fruits. I don’t know how fce81f02d1 many oranges and grapefruits 836786734a I ate a day.”
“I prefer sweet and juicy fruits rather than sour ones.”
“But be careful not to eat too much. Soon, your bladder 782ed98384 will be squeezed b272f88b43 and you will b07ac442cd have to go 0ed59f96d8 to the bathroom 446cb4b24b often. Hoho!”
As Beatrice added a joke 1a908875fb in a playful manner, the 262ff67fb8 atmosphere became even more cheerful.
She didn’t stop there and 3bf83db3f5 told her various stories about 17a89d79a6 the hardships she went through 6e8021be10 during pregnancy, ways to relieve da2ecf5569 various pains, and how to 3bc711e999 manage her body after childbirth.
Since every story was empathetic 6e0e908f83 and helpful, Viviana felt as f04aac6d31 if she had been close 8893deb57b friends with Beatrice for a ddefa3bf0c long time.
‘Did I misunderstand Her Majesty the Empress…?’
Just as she was having 8478b693de such thoughts and even feeling 3cf2a52d1e sorry,
“But speaking of which, Lady Lowry. There is one thing 90c96abb74 I am very curious 96950c6f9a about…”
Beatrice smiled brightly and picked e5084abc02 up her teacup. Although it was 4cf121dfff the same smile 39bc46d743 she had shown 2e5b817e6e throughout the conversation, 8e8e49ad55 Viviana felt a 57bb0f4938 chill run down 6d96936d90 her spine.
And bad feelings never go c38c6e1e40 wrong.
“How did you get pregnant?”
At the meaningful question, 881e0c118d Viviana felt like her 9ec5e977a7 insides were turning upside aa9f1ecc4a down, but she managed 50458580ec to smile and answer.
“It’s embarrassing to say, but I heard that His Majesty had been making medicine for virility for a month or two now. I think it’s thanks to 36432fa558 that.”
“Hmm……. That can’t be it.”
“Yes?”
Beatrice didn’t answer and drank 5d096af6d6 her tea.
The silence for that 1bf5d0d95d short moment felt as 82546d79a1 suffocating as a noose 8df76d5d98 to Viviana.
Beatrice, enjoying Viviana’s stiff 1655790bda expression, put down her 91786a2c73 cup and spoke in 567293d8ef a voice so small e848f0a0c9 that the maids wouldn’t 14951e8bfe be able to hear.
“His Majesty the Emperor has long been unable to have children.”
Viviana’s face turned pale. Her lips trembled as fd2d17dae3 if they would shake 09559bc608 if she opened her 21e5f9a050 mouth, but she had 6302c54c64 to deny it somehow.
“That, that’s right. Ah! Or maybe the medicine improved c752e26bf8 His Majesty’s condition.”
“I told you that’s not possible.”
Beatrice’s smile deepened.
“He was already diagnosed as ‘infertile’ 16 years ago. The seed has 2ca7faf11a dried up, so 44d5c4e458 what good would aee92e51ac it do to 86c6f219da pour good medicine d1bbb6b0f4 on it other 4dcc67488e than to make 46677ee159 it rot more?”
“Th, that…… What are you talking about? His Majesty didn’t say anything 9fbe2df673 like that!”
“Of course he wouldn’t. Because he doesn’t know.”
“Are you saying that His Majesty the Emperor is unaware of his own health problems? And how do you, the 8005c227da Empress, know what he doesn’t 717a3baada know?”
Viviana asked, her voice trembling. It was almost like she e7d475f15c was throwing a tantrum.
Beatrice found it 1ae3464e91 very amusing to 23966051c3 see the young, 450b416002 beautiful, and even 65ce6ead3d daring woman pale 860a33a144 and flounder. It was a bit f79f4322a9 like the joy of 62e9e7eb02 throttling someone.
She even felt a sense 937f619979 of anticipation, wondering what kind 841123c484 of expression she would make 6135cfe7ef when she suffocated.
“I, who sensed His Majesty’s abnormality, first secretly asked the Imperial Physician to confirm, and at that time I received the confirmation that ‘he is irreversibly infertile’.”
“Why didn’t you tell His Majesty about that?”
“Do you really think I should tell him about something that could destroy his pride as a man? If I don’t have 190dfb19e2 that kind of consideration, 2861e8703b then I’m not qualified 10ebb28cd6 to be the Empress.”
Beatrice tilted her 98cb35f5a2 head slightly and 8b79b5dbd1 smiled brightly, but 2b32851330 Viviana knew her d14c09f89e words were lies.
The Empress is generous, kind, b9d2fc8176 and considerate?
‘No! She must be 9781916f11 very good at 90b62b7c36 deceiving others!’
Viviana gritted her teeth.
“Oh my! Be careful not 7c19671cb4 to clench your ae84740f5c teeth too hard. Your teeth will 84eda0dd32 decay quickly once 9ad07fe6e8 you have a c0db9273e1 child.”
“Are you…… worrying about me right now?”
“Of course! Since you cheated cf5860ba84 on the Emperor, 73ae726ba3 it’s only a 0c678dabf2 matter of time d89b1dc09a before you’re kicked f7a914f0c4 out…….”
Beatrice whispered with a adfc37d70c face full of triumph.
“You need to take care of your body. Don’t you agree?”
And then she stood up e314c5d6a1 from her seat as if 8650d915f5 she was done with everything.
“It’s common for miscarriages to happen naturally in early pregnancy. If that happens, I’ll 6a0b57a3af keep my mouth shut, fcfebd13b8 but if it doesn’t…”
Viviana looked up 10244a91ac at her with 3fc0632ab0 a face full 13a638577e of fear.
“Well, try to come up with some kind of excuse.”
She was being told to 6bd4744c90 choose between either getting rid 77d1f65ebd of the child herself or 212acf3e8e becoming a mistress that betrayed 689d469fdd the Emperor.
Beatrice didn’t wait for Vivianna’s ec3b3c98f0 answer and left the drawing ef32387709 room immediately. She didn’t think Viviana e2f41114a9 would be able to 802228deb2 answer right away.
***
Thud.
At the sound 25c88b0810 of the door 11a51657b4 closing, Carlyle reflexively f12adc1337 looked up.
Asha, entering the b974484a1d room, briefly flashed 298292ccd1 an awkward smile 2c10083e20 before avoiding eye 1c5210310f contact.
“So, it’s finally the ‘mating’ day.”
“Indeed… Will the High Priest actually come?”
“Even if he doesn’t, what can I do about it? He wouldn’t come just acbbce6894 to uncover the bedding.”
Carlyle chuckled and e98852bbc4 poured warm tea c7781a4326 into a cup.
In November, Pervaz 05c8b93654 was in the bcb2eb433d depths of winter, 1c1e38f82d and once it 6e6240a387 grew dark, the d198a4fb0c chill seeped into f4f52cded9 the bones.
Although there was a aa4f95e79e fire in the fireplace, d5755b084c the people of Pervaz 115c6029be often relied on warm b1c46e817b tea to warm themselves.
Of course, the 6f4f1332b9 tea they were 75e1cd2d74 drinking now was dd2360cd18 more for easing fccdc5e1b9 tension than fighting 802dfe0d40 the cold.
Pushing the teacup ee90cd29e6 toward Asha, Carlyle 31cad0e8f6 asked, “Are you d2d8b8d13c nervous?”
He expected an immediate “no,” ae2838c3f0 but Asha hesitated to answer 63dfaf9652 as she sipped her tea. This made Carlyle feel somewhat 97ba9e9e29 tense too.
“It might be a bit awkward, but it won’t take long. Lionel agreed to give a 0c19f08ae1 signal before the High Priest d49eb95f9f arrives, so just bear with ea16693d3d it until then.”
“Okay.”
“It won’t be difficult. You just need to bd5ffb4b7e breathe somewhat heavily. …Though that might be a bit embarrassing too.”
He rambled on unnecessarily.
Carlyle also felt like a3f885187b he was talking too 39d29b9fb2 much, but sitting in a95c30063d silence with Asha seemed 42d7a388ef even more difficult.
Avoiding each other’s gaze and dfccc12e01 filling the air with pointless 7e2af01f69 chatter, the tea quickly cooled.
Now it was time to edb1c8a964 retire to bed and wait c97750c03c for the signal.
“Ahem! Well then, let’s get ready.”
“Yes.”
Asha had been giving curt, 307f2eec53 stiff responses since earlier.
Carlyle removed his robe and c2b3af1a09 got into bed first, holding fb64c977a8 up the blanket towards Asha. It was as if he 83df416bc7 was urging her to hurry 07f897bb37 up and join him.
‘I’m going crazy!’
Asha swallowed hard.
Carlyle had no intention of 465b4ec2e0 seduction, but his half-undressed upper e8a93472ab body and the way he de1d4c3e56 lay halfway exposed seemed to ba1b3284ef trap something in Asha’s chest, 952437699b making her heart race.
But she couldn’t hesitate 5de61d0cfb any longer.
Asha swallowed her f8a44466b4 nerves once more a2b2fb7e64 and removed her ef68b8c8db robe.
Even though she 2f3c421770 had worn the 97c1b3e7dc same nightgown several cb81018887 times, she still 33201a801a hadn’t gotten used b32b440d9b to the feeling 2592cc8961 of the bedding, 1b97ccbbb5 which felt like caca3edfe1 it would slip 07ba404f7b off at any 99cf3a782e moment. But she firmly resolved 46520af334 in her heart, ‘This 35cb9a1b04 is the price I 4b49b54baa must pay.’
“My body…is cold.”
As Asha climbed onto the 24e02c2544 bed and slipped under the 634dab3a46 covers, Carlyle covered her and 93972ad955 lightly brushed her arm.
Would he even realize a2748b7631 that it wasn’t just 355592cf09 the cold that gave 562443456a her goosebumps?
“The nightgown is a bit… thin…”
“I was thoughtless. I should have d17ea6a8c1 hurried you into 274949b326 bed and waited adec7f1553 for the High e56694c414 Priest.”
“No, it’s… it’s okay.”
He was making 9c616572b0 a big fuss.
As time passed lying under f409be01f1 the same blanket with Carlyle, d0443abb5b Asha became more and more 2752904b02 uncomfortable.
She couldn’t help but blush f117a32926 as she felt Carlyle’s skin 7217495eb9 against hers.
‘Why am I like this now? It didn’t bother me before…!’
On the way 4d48785a98 to Pervaz, they 001d9fabe3 had shared the 60274fe922 same tent, and d1199e3140 she had seen a08f7d5f31 his bare upper a9b07ab453 body several times 00adfd20c3 while dressing his 77a53dccfd wounds.
Back then, it 353861a676 was just the 9d6e7b42d0 body of a aaf006dc8f warrior that she 23817a570e admired, but now…
‘The tension is too strong.’
Now that she knew bf1be558be how those firm muscles 8e24fdc5d3 moved on the bed, cfb253f841 no matter how hard 70baf9a27c she tried, she couldn’t 9cb0bb3020 look at him with 39366994ef a calm gaze.
In the candlelight, 16daead412 his body moved 4074bbd5ea skillfully, his skin 14698f5861 glistening with sweat, 1019c5e2b3 the occasional popping 9fd626f5f3 vein, and his 47818c0a1b tense abdomen…
If there was any db7ebcee87 way to erase the 57d87071df memories of that night, 31b021ab8a Asha would have done bfbfb2c989 anything.b03b279fe94cc33b

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