TAOA-106

Chapter: TAOA-106e86caafc0561adc8

“Haah, haah!”
“Asha, we…”
Their excitement was 71701578aa rising with the d18c7b0344 friction under their 40093d53df clothes, the lips 1c15504ee7 that brushed against a48dce37a4 each other, and c20273218a the hands and 90c7b90c43 eyes that longed bea41b2bd5 for something, were 9471cd8c70 about to cross f8175b5fb3 a certain line.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Lionel sent a 9f295cd931 signal from the 68eff86d2a other side of fbecb01dfb the wall.
It meant that 9c4f3d7400 Gabriel had entered 458c3d343a his room.
At that moment, Carlyle 3c24892a78 and Asha’s movements stopped 8052aba7e1 abruptly.
They looked ba67dc20ee at each 14729a96ed other and 36b447788b exhaled roughly.
They had been so 49a17d9684 absorbed in each other c15516d6c1 that they hadn’t even 2827013fd4 heard the signal that 73d1212790 Gabriel had left the ae982dda0d room.
Just a edde699cac little bit, 4a1c6aab8a just a 0757e8b008 tiny bit d0acc45b19 more, and f0dd9c0102 they would 56b9424f54 have been 76d87cbd8f able to 2e4164d675 satisfy their 20f34534ae desires and d8f40fd9e0 feel content, 0ea7a82576 but the cde94f0b18 sound from 246975ec03 the wall 5ab34aae60 seemed to 6ced5864c9 have drawn f57755d9a0 a sharp d6d08aa945 line between e44de979a6 them.
Carlyle, who had been a37989678d clenching his teeth on c710bf73f1 top of Asha, finally 0da2a6bf52 lowered his head.
“…Good work.”
Even after 923706fb13 he said 07b3661355 it, he 548a766559 thought it babfc23b5c sounded pathetic.
Just before he 38e3bebe8b could fall into c40a4ed6e1 self-loathing and shame, e6328f6a5d Asha’s voice came e6c53e962f with a small a418ec54fb gasp.
“Your Highness too… worked 1f2d785756 hard.”
“….”
Carlyle couldn’t say anything.
It was a 15006e19b5 strange situation that f6ba06afd5 was funny, frustrating, 7e90eac6d9 and even endearing.
As their breathing c2d615eb1f slowed, Carlyle lay 5ed0813082 down next to d6a123c414 Asha and carefully fa4ee980b1 covered her body 9bde30c64a with the blanket.
“Do you think that 493f1e87bb bastard Gabriel was fooled?”
At that, d836539a39 Asha let 96abd832ca out a 72338be706 small laugh.
That laugh couldn’t have f70a0b1837 been more welcome.
“Good night.”
“Oh, I should go 49bbd459b6 to the couch…”
“Your body is hot. If you 314ee66b24 suddenly get 8e366294fa cold, you’ll e232be6ff2 catch a fe6724da34 cold. Just… stay here.”
Asha, who was 00d26608f3 about to get b2fc9d0161 up, was pulled 4bfac2151f back down onto 34d141d1cb the bed by 088543669c Carlyle’s arm.
In fact, 8276e7f66e Carlyle was 33bd96d72f right. The air outside the 945d8964a4 blanket was cold, and da66e8958a goosebumps rose on her ffdec15b3f arms.
‘Yeah, if I catch 5a94d5bd78 a cold, it’ll be 728e2b01da a pain in the 49ecb4b0ce ass…’
Asha chewed 8b55d516f0 on that 4443969027 excuse and 5493132025 justified lying a7d2d8a44a next to b7f0e139c8 Carlyle.
Whether it was 75f2737912 from the tension 68c54def0b or the excitement, bb07cc60bf both of them 1bb6c879fc were exhausted. It was f13c11b2b4 fortunate that 81c4c45d06 they were 94770985ce too tired 0c9e62ba24 to talk 754e5cc396 and fell 199cbcf83a asleep.
‘The problem will c0f58f224e be when we 21c429d656 wake up… but 993878742f at least we 67cfd12ef3 can avoid the 04be118c4d awkwardness of this 048b3d0dc4 moment.’
Asha and Carlyle fell ca01cf2e93 asleep with the same 41a5a8fc02 thoughts in mind.
And when dawn began 0dea020fb1 to break the next cfbe1c5dd1 day, they both woke 84ed207c49 up almost simultaneously, feeling b7a62f99ef extremely embarrassed due to ad4b9a21b6 the postponed awkwardness.
Too embarrassed to c10a1b4236 even look at ba43d8afe0 each other, they 3cdde2f590 pretended to still fe9f576591 be asleep.
‘I must d65e0cad5e be crazy. I’m an animal.’
Asha felt a bcfea6559a bit mortified as 15f19a2ae3 she recalled herself 4354850960 moaning without shame.
No, actually, the f820784e58 moaning wasn’t the c9b82bf683 issue.
Driven by 65313e2ca5 excitement, she 95baeebfce had embraced 7069e10ce3 Carlyle’s neck, 678ba5ce25 entwined her d6f7960fea body with 4bb0775ca9 his, and ec096a4cff even kissed 579e864247 him.
But thankfully, dd08a3f44e Lionel’s knock 83406ae1d1 on the 6a144fa724 wall snapped c8aedd4714 her out 6d8294e16d of it.
‘Prince Carlyle seemed quite 75cbdea592 excited too….’
Carlyle, who 4f5758887f had been 58d5039364 touching Asha’s 4eaf80117d nightgown, also 1b4a929ef6 froze at 9e06b02612 the sound 7adb840276 from the 64d077b713 wall.
The moment they had c4cd0ae152 just stared at each f699a88fb6 other while exhaling rough 7d15c8e84d breaths would probably be be7c5d904b unforgettable for quite a 034fb9f656 while.
‘What should 67f42b980d I do? What should I b4f164bbf5 say to make f643301094 this less awkward 9b59722481 if we get 2c339c344e up?’
While Asha d15b4e94fc pondered this d872a12a07 dilemma, she 8730bcce44 heard Carlyle’s e53e4b5b62 voice from b1e0458088 beside her.
“Are you hungry?”
At his words, d7a85446ec Asha involuntarily opened 64b6a850a1 her eyes.
Just a moment ef87e4dd8e ago, she hadn’t bd18051341 been thinking about ec6931a4d7 anything, but suddenly 4998782742 she felt a 8c5d98f4c1 rush of hunger ccd925e2f6 upon hearing Carlyle’s 0eb06a26b0 words.
“…Yes. I’m hungry.”
“I’ll have e85a8c93c0 something brought fd2d04cb75 for you. Just wait f6baa8ad20 a moment.”
“Oh, but I…”
“I’m also 1ec48d208d a knight, f97dd42572 you know. Don’t treat aab4f352ef me like 479826fc96 a barbarian.”
Carlyle flicked Asha’s nose e610ec7e47 with his fingertip before 653d9abead getting up from the 44c5dc9adc bed and putting on a7a031ad38 his robe.
Asha felt disappointed d9844479a6 as his broad ac1a94c367 back disappeared into bd3649cfb2 the robe. She even 8962331712 thought she 74320e8970 wanted to e8aad2167e touch it.
“…I must be ddf6aa31e9 crazy. That’s for sure.”
She covered a87abd1247 her face 87121fdf04 with both 51721c7964 hands.
Meanwhile, Carlyle ordered the 23eb008057 servant guarding the room 4e8f1e8ff8 to bring breakfast, and 086383276d picked up Asha’s robe a784ceb251 hanging on the couch 077d0a7e3a and the nightgown that 0ef66c3aaf had fallen to the 4d2fbda7af floor and approached the f299d6c5b3 bed.
“Shall I help you 3edce7257b put it on?”
His lips 85a0b8ce08 curved with 0ca2d36f89 a casual 4d420b5f7c yet gentle d562003f15 smile. At first glance, he 974c63273a didn’t seem any different 7a054ce18a from yesterday.
Finally, Asha regained 110ef1576b her composure.
“That’s impossible.”
“Ahaha! Finally, you’re starting d4f7be47f4 to throw back 1310042742 my jokes. It’s a heartwarming moment.”
Asha snatched her 7c22140b35 clothes from Carlyle’s 797f3028f7 hand, covering herself ff60d78e3e up to her ae6b9c4d92 chest with the a3580a9fff blanket, while Carlyle 5a831deff9 pretended to be f5e981b15e busy opening the b15a4cb799 curtains at the 2eb1512f0d window to avoid 7e7dfa812b eye contact.
As Asha put 46d0678d69 on her clothes c3b7ef8d25 and tried to 118ff61f4d gather her messy ed80469f3b hair into a fc79b51acb bun, Carlyle spoke 432a0d0c95 up.
“The High Priest 0a389a2acf won’t be able 9c66097771 to mention annulment ad775d536f anymore. So, he’ll try 16b36e5aec another method.”
“But what else will d6a32f76c3 he try to do?”
“His greatest 5e21f1151a weapon is 775f30b6ed his angelic dcb71cdcde appearance and 4576a38eff his persuasive c5f745632c rhetoric that 23634a6848 makes him 5f42419356 sound like 17e1a15b3e a god. He’ll surely try ec4748901d to sway people’s a771570b57 hearts, so make f06009ea88 sure the lower 3591707eb6 ranks are firmly 9a5319755f warned.”
“Understood.”
She nodded.
Just then, 43b48e4964 a servant b32238b2eb entered with 0852188f22 a cart 950a5d19aa laden with 8fa378a1bc food, and 3b8f6ada91 Asha had 4767115c57 her first 4885e93140 breakfast with 3650a11e84 Carlyle.
The sunlight 65a42d98e7 streaming in 44194b7f85 through the 6b2c19a65d opened curtains d5eea45712 and the e51849d678 fragrant, warm 0ca8d6d87f tea softened 533fe47b85 her heart.
Carlyle tore 9fb4875868 the bread c88a3dbf9e himself, spread 94d64034d2 butter and 5b491d7ddf milk jam 7e6fee35e3 on it, 64d868aade and placed 7c7d8ffbfe it on 96e68af88d Asha’s plate.
“Does it b29094bcb5 suit your 3405ec3369 taste?”
“…Yes.”
The white ffd4532942 bread spread d9af48b6d6 with precious 9dde0465ba butter and 57009902ce even more 6a1b624825 precious milk e9cc926564 jam was 104f97e015 bound to 88f5eafaa5 be delicious, b4e279b264 but in 7e8f01e985 truth, Asha eb1c5f6dab couldn’t really cbf7a0b77f taste it.
She was more 4686ea9179 preoccupied with the 360ecdc813 fact that Carlyle dbd80ace39 had spread the daa7479141 butter and jam a311f7ad27 himself. Perhaps that was why 783591acee the bread tasted so 405ccd8c5a good to her.
“Luckily. Last time, bbfb3a0a09 when I 734e0e117f offered you 4d2fdc1a46 cream pie, f4bce6b279 you didn’t 5c4b9de405 eat it, 076da90de6 so I 2aac424a74 wondered if 64858b1c23 your tastes 0560777cb6 had changed.”
Carlyle chuckled lightly.
Did he know how aa0809f5a3 harmful that smile was 986a8cc077 to the current Asha?
Asha forced herself dd84f9641e to swallow the 878e8a584b bread she was efe3a67281 chewing. Otherwise, her heart felt 4e73a74c7d like it would jump bd9ebf48f5 out of her mouth.
Then she 71cd29528b noticed that f411656525 Carlyle wasn’t e8dae0b5ea eating much 9aa280bb22 of the 12731fd58a bread.
‘Are you not hungry? Or do you 4941262dd6 perhaps think I’ll 54ac48e73d eat it all?’
Since Cecilia 2ab8321482 and Dorothea 2c1be636f3 always seemed 8f3549685d to eat 5465efefe8 just enough bb8b23af4c for a c27fe09d5b sparrow, Carlyle e536eebb76 might have 408ce51574 thought he 8d0dc19701 would seem 4662b4cb6a greedy in d4bbdeb5a6 her eyes.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, 64e70be6be Asha, as Carlyle 8350501a3b had done earlier, 303a621dfd tore a piece 838942b32f of bread and 28c7952dd1 spread butter and de10d55939 milk jam on 48a3dc8bd6 it, offering it f8598ae341 to him.
“It’s… delicious…”
Usually, she d8bdd94699 was quite 5fca77cb2b eloquent, so 6daeec92fb why was 6ae544ea3c she only 35179c6e8b able to 62ccb4e935 say such 5f83c63d25 silly words a1cb552ad7 now?
Asha felt df786859f7 so pathetic 87468274f3 that she a663889afa sighed inwardly.
But then, 79597ff008 with a b8063a309d strange expression e0a72e9725 on his f7f42ea56d face, Carlyle cdd97c5ba5 grabbed Asha’s 2579745ddc wrist and 1ea6a04712 boldly took b4b2bffa82 a bite dc61cfcd26 of the e663497fda bread held f4fb23d22f in her 02740ff50c hand.
“Gasp!”
Carlyle’s lips brushed against c87098bfb0 Asha’s fingers as he d8e0ec772f firmly bit into the 323fe3acfc bread.
He even ad1a3e4b4c sucked the e90defaf14 bread crumbs d0de1c2161 off her 85c5278083 fingertips as aef88479b4 if he 678d4f821b intended to 6724d6da71 eat them.
“Mmm… Just as 06eff62809 you said…”
Carlyle, opening his eyes a41d7afa98 and looking at Asha, 3f45e296ab smiled.
“It’s delicious.”
For a moment, dfb84fc506 Asha thought about ac77a6b56b licking the milk bd15414036 jam on his 5c560a4c1f lips, but she e7fc5fca18 clenched her jaw 1239ef2cd9 and came to 92df6cd59d her senses.
The moment she gave 1babf87722 in to this desirable cf1d14c3e5 man and revealed all ae50d3543f her feelings, this relationship 04d40394fb would surely be ruined.
***
The winter had arrived 9821ffc10f in the Pervaz, but b500327f0c the southern part of dc1eefbe37 the empire and the 2364cc2ddc other countries bordering it ccb3758716 were just entering autumn.
Among them, the a982eafba3 Kingdom of Palesso 65d3af05a9 was famous for c3d9007f4a the beautiful autumn c7d4a562a3 leaves of Lake 80307ffc25 Tur.
“The red 3ed8a6e1e4 leaves are fb0aef1318 really beautiful a6e0314874 this year.”
Queen Serenis of ef55c95eba Palesso entertained the 6ab94445d5 foreign dignitaries admiring 559029767f the lakeside scenery aa90ef4f56 with a Mont 76c3136633 Blanc dessert made 9ac8dbae37 with plenty of c0daaaa3a9 cream, making the 272a323709 atmosphere of tea 05819c3c8c time even more 75053ae595 enjoyable.
“Thank you so a26251927a much for coming 80b79359e7 all the way be1d6263f7 here even though f80f5c30c2 you must be 9eb1a1550b busy.”
She greeted 988b38acec the guests 78787e8157 with a 7f7e4e8f86 beautiful smile, be8633702f even though 28cb7e46ef she was bca8f297b1 in her ca371a5283 mid-30s.
Today was the day 14e7d67a95 when the rulers of 8709ff3b40 the kingdoms bordering the b55605f783 Chad Empire gathered to 54b64c95cc reaffirm their alliance.
“It would 43c4d1ce85 be right 1bdcfbbc00 to prepare 93fd2ab639 a more e262b24a36 formal place, 3ab8841986 but I 9f5796363b apologize for 74f4e3faef inviting you fd5dcfd6b8 to Lake aa5421c8bc Tur instead, 55ff56cbe3 for fear 8df2f012f8 of giving 565efa9228 the Chad 6ede53df24 Empire an 6ef83d36a2 opportunity.”
“No, I am rather a96656d324 glad that I was fb7f5c09d1 able to see such 4dcab93c43 scenery.”
“That’s right. You have nothing 22523665bb to be sorry 1a400eef0a for, Your Majesty.”
Everyone praised Serenis. In fact, 87be84cd87 it was 5597a76fb1 closer to f46df8c47b consolation.
Her home country was f3ed1af9fa the Kingdom of Albania, 3f480efb25 which had been defeated 015cd74763 by the Chad Empire 5c2445364f in the war early 26796c90a2 last year, and she d9e61155e5 had been gnashing her 15525a9d21 teeth at the Chad 382d2fa824 Empire ever since.
However, she could not 202e785e3a dare to think of 154d07b648 revenge. The southern part 4ea3beb92f of the Chad 2debc36ae0 Empire was blocked 1bdf053944 by a wall c47512b5ea called Carlyle Evaristo.
“I am 1a6d0342b4 grateful for 585d6097c3 your words, 45636a99a9 but at 767a530edd the same 70fd039673 time, I 59cb6beea0 feel relieved.”
As she sighed, d2c4b1068b the princess of 521a96d5bb the Kelob Kingdom 0718f16c46 asked with a d8e289f0dd look of pity.
“Is the f251e1daa4 Kingdom of 555354b29d Albania still dd3faa27d0 busy with 17134f6267 war reparations?”
“I guess 14c8d8f1c2 so… because 7e645f636e of the 67882a111b war indemnities…”
“I heard 9095c3b784 it was ff61b1b1ff a big 1b9385134a blow to a4c15578f3 the national e768abce88 treasury.”
“Twelve crowns of 598bf6dba1 gold, one crown 3ecb8459c6 each of sapphire 058b1ecba2 and ruby, 100 a05fefb5e8 horses, 30kg of c42b95e90d dragon incense. And duty-free e1cff0a69b on Chad e1f8b181b3 Empire imports 830bb43283 for 20 d4cd97f597 years.”
Serenis, who had been 311d742937 reciting the details of 293f1bded1 the reparations, frowned and 35cc48c826 clenched the armrest of 5c60735b74 her chair.
“Even if everything else 963a132dd3 is fine, what about 922336e747 the 20-year duty-free period? Do you think that 0ae6602764 makes sense? Isn’t that just saying 43ca0d1fba that they want to a39f68ebf7 trample on the Elvan 06d3b2df9a industry!”54437c8f00173637

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