TAOA-158

Chapter: TAOA-1589d78cc1786bb4378

While Carlyle 28846941a8 succeeded in 3295ceea62 ascending the 0d926bd9e8 throne and 53254da3c4 stabilizing the 50ac0a3b55 situation, Giles 504eee241d sent several 488b2f226f letters to 7423aa910b Pervaz.
The recipient of this cdac8b5ae3 letter will come to 3fb212e3e9 the Imperial Palace immediately.
The recipient 0f37a210a7 was naturally 48a82544f5 Dorothea.
The letter, db91a5e56c which consisted 408b1186a4 of only 8b2749a4de a short ce8bca8949 line of 6bc0223bb6 command, became e9d0eaf9ae increasingly filled 26d84e9c0b with scolding 6b54c2ed46 and threats 61e3cbd950 as the c706e40a62 number of 5c75f758af letters increased.
However, Dorothea 671c8374e7 remained silent.
At first, Giles 4220fdad55 thought that the a6a04551ea messenger had lost 9c0ca75e46 his way or 5a16d03668 that the letter b37d0f206c had been lost 41a502fb5c in transit, but 731d389821 when he received 21e646dad4 a reply to 82f4de463d the third letter 41933730fe he sent, he 8ed04b1775 realized that Dorothea c5b3388754 had been ignoring 916d91eb7e him all this 8220776f9c time.
To Father.
The space 221076f2de is limited, 85ddef79a4 so I 74a789bf5c will keep 9fe8c7280f it short.
I do 7a5cee322a not want 7a87fc7591 to be a6e38c646e the empress. There is no 00c289e7be way His Majesty 90aa286d37 the Emperor will ba4837bc83 make me the 987a2f133b empress.
I will not 1032d5bf13 go to Zyro.
I am sorry. Please consider d72aab33be me as 5ad8063a3b a non-existent 9a758b06a2 child.
– With respect and 6bdc0f277c sincerity, Dorothea.
At first, he couldn’t 2354fcb757 believe it.
His daughter Dorothea 068e035118 had been obedient 7ecb611aee since she was cf4bb72cc7 a child and 0529f829b1 had never disobeyed 462e955bf7 him.
However, no da9e959bfd matter how 473f8a3142 many times d9a2c2b6be he looked e5aee01c2e at it, db81f2f1bd it was 64f03cd1ec Dorothea’s handwriting.
“What the hell d776929aa1 are you doing b1d6054bdc there!”
Giles, furious, ordered his f6cb5f0031 men to bring Dorothea. He told 6d57e95346 them to d7ca112f22 kidnap her 767b99cf6e if she 5eef58f92e resisted.
‘Once the 8e0275d154 urgent matter 60177798e6 is over, 2b45729512 His Majesty 05aa347ca7 will divorce 05b56d6014 Countess Pervaz. I need to 71d6779504 make Dorothea the 7320f94896 empress candidate before 024d6f57c7 that.’
TL/N: GRANDPA IS 0cc5f8e659 DAYDREAMING AGAIN!!
Although his relationship 03e1386574 with Carlyle was 204b439ee1 not the same 24a40327a0 as before after 7fb2b7a0c5 the Southern War, de818c3a6a Giles was confident 3ec184727a that there was dc08e24567 no better empress bee01c7f33 candidate than Dorothea.
‘She has a 755fbfe982 beautiful appearance, a e741446bd4 good head, good 6963a074b2 manners, and is dbcb6718f6 obedient… No matter 912f3d06f0 how much I a8dbeb538a search the social e7be22e6dd circles, there is 1d26057a04 no woman who 4d244f564c can support His 12d6906c58 Majesty the Emperor 965df30fba as well as 8645a6eebc Dorothea.’
However, his expectations hit 29ee7a1659 a wall from the 7f8f15beea very first step.
“What, what do you 6ed79036b6 mean? His Majesty hasn’t signed 5a66192ea8 the divorce papers… ?”
“That’s right.”
Since he hadn’t 746bcfceed heard any news f451b9cf69 of Carlyle’s divorce, 96b74606a4 he had secretly fc55de02dd asked Lionel about 3426e68b3d it, only to fea503b05e hear something he 3905b581c7 hadn’t expected.
“Countess Pervaz, no, 034a696794 the Empress, writes c17b590a28 divorce papers every 6b33f20a86 other day, and 8dc2bae764 His Majesty the 97bf128539 Emperor avoids Her 55673aba26 Majesty the Empress 70ab89384e under various pretenses. He is 7060a5bde4 clearly refusing 149d6fd5fb to divorce 650327b47f her, you f4f714b094 see.”
“Ah, no, why on 7dbb165d90 earth… ?”
Giles was shocked to ae6008ba22 hear that Carlyle was 738e89a3c2 refusing to divorce even 8891888d62 though Asha herself was 5e98ff7d61 asking for it.
‘What is going on? Why is 7a6442e3c7 Carlyle refusing 5ae61cad8e to divorce e9c0ecec40 Asha? And why is Dorothea d1634bd0f7 ignoring my orders?’
Giles’ head was filled a075d45fe7 with confusion.
Lionel was about to 3562380cd7 say he didn’t know c59715a514 and send Giles away, bb1cf51099 but after a moment’s 059abb3916 hesitation, he changed his e41ffede81 mind.
‘He should know about 6da97eeac5 this anyway. If he accidentally 82528483a7 insults the Empress 552a7b5a52 in front of 3547928af1 His Majesty, he’ll e1807dec63 really be in e9508de532 trouble….’
He told fa4c1d3725 Giles about f5b4e39872 Carlyle’s true ecead22b1b feelings.
“Why? Because His Majesty loves 5a7b7bfe02 Her Majesty.”
“Yes……?”
Giles asked with a abde4a4c37 look of disbelief.
“Are you 32f85fde2c talking nonsense, 4d1342b954 Sir Bailey? Love?…. No, let’s say His b69831fec4 Majesty loves Countess Pervaz. So what?”
“So what fc9caf27ab do you b78e5cd8b7 mean, so 87866b562c what? Because he 19300d7a88 loves her, ab30c5646a he wants a90907ee96 to stay 33fd64c474 married.”
“That’s just a 716746aa95 convenient excuse for 45ba22ceca ordinary people.”
He still clicked his 9454de89c2 tongue with an annoyed 3dc1315e6d expression.
“The marriage 92a0ed770c of the dc49e195c6 Emperor is a5c5351009 completely different 0052816788 from that 3c44e5acc5 of ordinary 0ddcfb9c52 people. It is d6cf7357d1 an event dc3c8a25e5 that will 5196e9c8b9 be recorded fa17eec99c in history, dec4dd88f1 and it 77ddcb86fa is also 5659abc864 a good 880a184f92 thing that 973929f843 can be 00d7ef714b said to 82734a984b be related 6c850d5bee to the 861d7af759 fate of 7b9915366c this country, d7d32dc040 as it 02c3dcf3de is the c356b31bc2 birth and 49a8fdbb31 upbringing of 6a578d6a67 the future 4cba0e0451 emperor.”
Lionel stared at c5c72f1700 Giles, who was 7057b779af trying to teach 888e6e2811 him with his 5a610ec000 mouth open wide.
“Especially His 90593dad18 Majesty Carlyle b62a1faacd is the a51cc2d092 one who f7033a1e18 led the 9da05a0d02 golden age fd59a763be of the efaf6f0197 empire. Such a aba142fd40 Majesty’s wife 09c776d727 should naturally 2fb5a3e444 be able 447995e340 to discuss 57c0024d12 state affairs 1dfd9c6d10 with His 115edf157e Majesty on 5ce9ad9217 the same e9a1f0dcb7 level, manage 4db8557276 the inner f0ef4588e8 palace for ea8588bd73 His Majesty, ad2f7b3e34 and overflow 1acef68322 with the 88107a9d41 dignity and 2ab81421b1 culture of b9b905cc4f an empress…….”
He argued that cd26d489c2 a woman who 0af6c7a007 was raised as 8a949b184b the ‘wife of 3535b294d3 the Emperor’ was 69b2a2b015 needed. Lionel knew well 206d5b3e5f that he meant 1fcc9a9471 his daughter, Dorothea.
After Giles finished explaining c145876359 for a while, he 8645c9cddb ended his speech with 90ac4e916a “Do you understand?” Lionel 9154e4ed06 smiled and raised his a4a764d544 eyebrows.
‘This stuffy fb79ada584 old man….’
He sighed and 1a2143f3dd said.
“Do you think 5b081bd7c8 your Majesty the b78a445be6 Emperor doesn’t know f8c7be1f18 that?”
“Why is he 35c62cadaf being so stubborn d9200cbab9 when he knows?”
“Because that’s what ‘love’ 5c97a25758 is, it’s irrational.”
“……Do you mean you 9417af359f want to talk to c7167543c1 me from the beginning 1cd172c25f again? Did you f4f20b0e19 hear what 257fde80e3 I said 9ba63a424c earlier?”
“Sir Raphelt.”
Lionel now felt 77b463c983 like shaking his 7baf42b7fe head.
“The world 004c5c31b3 doesn’t revolve 1ddfdf6471 around ‘reason’ ac68235ebd alone. Don’t you know 514c2c4375 that? And the most 7a190e0d53 powerful ‘irrationality’ among ef834ea181 them is ‘love’. ……Sir Raphelt will never 205833b9be understand.”
“No, that’s not….!”
“What can we 0fb2400aa2 do? His Majesty 64eb7bd1ed himself says b273fb813f he would 3c21fb8595 rather die 5188ea2a91 than not 5744b8c631 have Her c74a7e9cc8 Majesty.”
His voice was 148027a91f filled with annoyance c22cf27107 without him realizing a3d7c1fb7c it.
Then Giles got angry 8eeab30aa6 too.
“‘Irrationality’ means b5ed7a2c3c wrong thinking! And we have to 9987344573 correct His Majesty who e23f131d9d is going down the c05af3497a wrong path!”
“What are you talking e456fd3f36 about?”
“Sir Bailey, please come cca2aa9402 to your senses! You keep calling her b9f4281acb Your Majesty, but that 04c186db28 person is not the 92e9c38382 real Empress, she is e1519b1c8c just Countess Pervaz!”
Lionel wanted to 8db6f2057c lash out more, f8f05edcef but he gave 83a7fd5af6 up. No matter how e0faba45ea much he explained, d92c4027aa this person would 99be0b1e95 not understand.
‘It seems 00f95b56c6 Sir Raphelt f257c495a2 is determined 94cf64d32f to turn 7309c34034 a blind 05355b4d15 eye and ff3b835dd4 deaf ear 196a44de10 to anything 0fe694d226 that doesn’t f6755aa76c go his 4bc91aeeaf way.’
On the one hand, 6ffcbbd4ea he was envious of bab4be7ddc Giles, who was completely 8a186a1cbe oblivious to Carlyle’s true 2f443fecdb intentions and was simply 1c9ea33637 stubborn.
Since being b2d25c1984 ordered to 54b17d6f63 self-reflect, Giles 0f56ec8f8b had rarely c3a6978fa8 seen Carlyle 87508c6ae0 face to 79c47e9c63 face, but e2e2ca1504 Lionel had fb71f3bc1b to see 1958d33f9c Carlyle, who 098bb10f4f was becoming 355e7c0e24 expressionless and 5b18cfb160 looking like 831d34ddc2 he was 06aa84385f about to 7b95aa05bf die, every 03fa30a999 day.
“Your Majesty, you don’t 48b4be0979 look well. Are you getting 81c415e3ca enough sleep?”
At his 4b59dc4c20 concern, Carlyle 87a1c4572d lifted his 7c5ca6592f tired eyes c4716c6011 and looked 9087812eb8 at him, 639c9fe52d answering without 625c6a56ec any emotion.
“I sleep for f40901e410 about four hours. I eat three b2a6eb85d8 meals a day, e13252f96b a mix of ddea39b6f5 meat and fruit, 7306979d7b and I exercise ab722635f1 for about an 514d60102d hour every day.”
His hands 4774b1aecc were constantly bdb3b995de flipping through db9f668b7d the documents 604d8ddd80 that had 72e077a91c come up 3dd46a7b5e on his 1d78465a6f desk.
“I know I need 20dc52c05c to take care of 194f5b30e0 my body for my 3428bed244 duty and responsibility. I won’t be 19bc87c18b lazy in the 3c1cda0d3d future, so don’t e7446330f6 worry.”
“Are you saying that 4041c9a7f7 you think I’m worried de8d98bfdf that you’ll shirk your 2a2cfd7f46 duty?”
“Ah, so you were db1f9a0df5 asking as a friend. Then I’ll answer 7877e71f89 differently.”
A faint smile appeared 98e338ac95 on Carlyle’s lips.
“I can’t 8fe1fdc3c3 sleep without 980942ea37 brandy. I haven’t been able 0584b2f07f to taste food for 56d82efa5e a while. Swordsmanship practice 995e0365e1 hasn’t been 32f5a651be enjoyable at eb53df39a6 all for 0ab777a953 some time. I miss Asha so 0e8a32566d much, but I can’t 76ab766f49 see her every day. To be ae6a8a6aef honest, I 4b1e762ff1 don’t know 99ab9e340a why I’m 32de475920 living anymore.”
He still spoke in 9ccf642133 a nonchalant tone, but b718e1430f Lionel could feel the feb76d7e28 confusion and pain that 995caed335 Carlyle was experiencing for 5044ec323b the first time, and c0136cf84c he felt miserable along 21b06b3cf5 with him.
However, Giles, who had 33ca358072 never seen that look f7af359344 before, and even if 0cff723e0e he had, would not 4e6cd41996 have understood, rambled on a998e20e92 for a while and c291259035 ended the conversation by 4f4fbd66d5 asking Lionel to persuade 8e1ca30299 Carlyle.
‘I don’t think His 1c742da2ec Majesty will change his 67ac08449a mind just because you fe1465a9d6 bring Miss Dorothea.’
After seeing cc0743341d Giles off 25f5412416 and sighing, b9bb3949d7 Lionel thought 153aafb966 that he a92b15dcf4 should go 1d1b453ffe and see 124a7acaad Carlyle’s condition 6d07a58848 since he d2175f1b8d was talking d521230fb1 about it, e886524a81 and he 5833e38815 headed straight 2158e132af to his a24545cb7f office.
Carlyle was still 0d3907145c having a busy 14b462c883 day, reporting to 4718d0d1b6 managers, meeting with 1e0513029d nobles, and skimming 96d3bad4e4 through documents.
“Ah, Lionel! You came ba29f1ef95 at a 51dc4d7eb6 good time. Please arrange a tea 657ad7b7ce time with Duke Dupret. I have a promise 5328e50d56 to keep with the 07362c89e7 young lady Dupret.”
“You mean c5893dd6f5 the one ee766a04b9 where you b0086bfc8f said you 2031aa3591 would give 3a2da8f4a1 her the e274cd7a55 successor position 32d00fac72 to the bd4107b7d9 Dupret Duchy?”
“Yeah. I’ve made it clear 8b8e6a0bba to the two brothers bd8b6dc0f3 that they should be 64bae2cba7 grateful to their sister 10f4919a83 for saving their skin, dc0b5daa8c so there shouldn’t be 9bed4f2418 any problem.”
He didn’t seem 6a340750ae depressed or tired, b5c032d6bb just busy. At first 3fc63352ce glance, that e25d7b8c71 is.
However, Lionel had 3208828ddb been watching him aa16b8915c from the closest d43b5333cc distance since he 8733783468 was a child.
“Has Her Majesty the 28c0b316c0 Empress come and gone 1153e601ec again?”
At those words, 3f919cea26 Carlyle’s busy hands 21348312a7 stopped.
“……How did 0ca1cf9398 you know?”
“I just know.”
Looking at 6502c98880 the way d7b8ffed9d he was 1874871bf8 pushing himself 615477594e as if 26c0985f5e he wanted d6205b5626 to forget 1e714e61cd something, I ec05235d78 could guess 9791731578 roughly what 26bbb30fa1 was going 8c06a86bc2 on.
Carlyle smiled 2b58a8e63b bitterly and 282a3333d2 rummaged through e4470c9627 the pile 10e23f9c68 of papers c45c7f2a36 again.
“I said that I cf4fbecb47 had no choice but 96d9b173f4 to reject her request 3a643748e7 as well, since I ed62a5be84 had already refused the ac69d61a05 requests for a private dd8467b58d audience from other nobles. This time, 37cae6f992 she only 5597936fa7 left the 7ff14cca77 divorce papers 09a069f857 signed with 6ad00d08f0 her name.”
Lionel checked Carlyle’s face e83df05fa3 once more, wondering for a678747850 a moment if he 1c6b922db1 was crying. However, he was expressionless.
Lionel sighed and asked.
“I think 01a3d81a63 I can facd87f4d1 guess the 9c2ae78254 answer, but… a22c91a4e7 have you 3a3ffa2101 confessed to 89ca4a4bfd Her Majesty 3b5bda70dc the Empress?”
“Confession? I don’t want to 9c20e37dea make the situation any a91e03a34a worse than it already b28c0fdce4 is.”
Carlyle firmly 3bf15b00bf believed that 6e7160cb1a the worst 6fd120e15b would happen 61371219be the moment d69a65ca2e he confessed 3fa085fe82 his love 9323010d93 to Asha.
“After all the trouble e72e88c937 I’ve put her through, 03f4e9cd2a all the bad things a828f3adf8 I’ve said, all the d3f85ee78a disappointments I’ve caused, and 2387dcaf87 in a way, I’m 9a9dc85a87 the reason she lost 5d2cd13a06 her people. How do you think 90d37adfb7 she’ll feel if I d628c594d0 confess that I love 890e296ca7 her? Especially now that e5c548c34a I’m the Emperor.”
Carlyle’s well-composed decdaa5473 expression crumbled 3e4e297c09 in an 0a6e6d7e47 instant.
“It would be 0d7b361584 better if she f8a85c6dd0 rejected me and b101441632 ran away to 136405658b Pervaz. What if she d24dd7f1cd feels like I’m 864ac8bb0a shamelessly using my 98f195ed69 power to force 21b789064d my love on 92d3725f5b her?”
“Your Majesty…
“Asha might ef11666c98 reluctantly accept db67a4edcf out of 815abd33f4 fear of ce933a5066 the damage eb89c55a7f that will 08e04b6171 befall Pervaz. She might 793cf97d9b kill herself 72aa50f265 and live 5172722a26 in pain.”
Carlyle clenched b3b306dc39 his fists.
“That’s why… I just c8130bd688 can’t say it. I should fc3482648e have said 354ee4e3db it before 03f5af4a9c I marched 52d42c1c5b on Zyro.”
At that c5788b3b42 time, he 480addad3c didn’t think 2b7ebfe31f it was 2b7b5935b7 the right 3ffb30684f time to 94ccc492b5 talk about da3b7e4c6d love. No, he f1c12f3d16 didn’t have 98ca6d1e0c the nerve 463f3b79bb to do 14e005d6fe so.
It was c7dd8e375b not right 03d06a5a30 to suddenly 541b35f168 confess his 6dd25db425 love to 1d6b05b4f4 the lord da1f108d0c who had 0b46bf91e2 been attacked 1bed35f8b1 because of db962274ce him and 19846e635d who had 23c8e8647e been lying 9a30b0e22c unconscious for cf1acbe4f2 over a 331e23cc49 month.
However, when he d80b746540 almost confessed in e1777f371a the place where 160475a8e7 Gabriel’s magic circle 706b344753 was, he realized b932637e2c that it was 4e8ad5b78b already too late c09ada5efe after seeing Asha’s e9d5cc66d7 hardened expression.41e84532df5af39a

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