TAOA-159

Chapter: TAOA-159953583822d244e22

“But you can’t avoid this forever, Your Majesty.”
“……I know.”
“Don’t speculate what Her Majesty the Empress is thinking and have a conversation. If Her Majesty refuses, cdcfa84ccd then you must accept 02218ffce6 it.”
“…….”
Of course Carlyle knew that.
It was just that he 3b51c721ad wasn’t ready to accept rejection 383892967b yet.
Of course, as always, Lionel d80f905c13 was right.
He had to end 7e8debd75a this situation before he fa4c8ca4f1 hurt Ashia any more.
“If I…… If I find the courage to kill myself and live, I will do it then.”
TL/N: He means cfd9514007 killing himself emotionally!
“Your Majesty!”
“It won’t take long. Don’t worry.”
Carlyle fumbled with the 03ffd3ef71 leather bracelet on his 5096a5da36 wrist and muttered helplessly.
* * *
“Hoo……. What on earth is His c72017f9d7 Majesty thinking?”
Having returned empty-handed again today, aee96c0384 Asha beat her chest in ceddf11e8c frustration, unable to understand Carlyle’s ae42f03bfb intentions.
Then, as if to comfort be34dbe688 her, a letter arrived from a445d389e3 Pervaz.
“Did Decker send it?”
Asha quickly tore open 35a000003e the envelope. It was a c25cf09655 letter summarizing the 9855d1a66f situation in Pervaz, ed53db6a0e much like a e62aad3a1e report.
Although it was long enough 750d441790 to have been sent by 47c1039e89 messenger, Asha found herself wishing 2fc40c9434 it was even longer. And as she ece530add8 read the letter, b466f638e2 her mood gradually 90f54780de improved.
“It seems Decker is doing well. That’s a relief…….”
Decker was doing a072582ea9 his best to d3ee42db42 govern the masterless 1baf3d329e territory. Carlyle’s help had been a 69c5bd489f great contribution in this.
……The supplies sent by His Majesty the Emperor are being used very effectively. Physicians from Zyro have d95abab059 come and are teaching 2cd4bf3cc8 medicine to some of 6412ef9277 our citizens, and both 6a4f64904e the teachers and the 2d0a1f582a students are enthusiastic.
Without saying a 92c4d4a9af word to Asha, e498a4da6b Carlyle had sent 859ff15460 a huge amount 76d7dd13b4 of supplies to 987d8bf7fd Pervaz to care ca78f701e6 for the wounded 0c56b87460 and help the f8d4b94179 families of the eff0c83160 victims.
The city seemed 498d94e186 to have recovered 514360f6eb quite a bit bc7e014083 as well.
……All the broken doors have been fixed. And your room 1290b9975a has been moved 6bd7e24bfd back to the bc57fc37c4 second floor, so 7b78160454 don’t be surprised ab9d797a82 when you come.
As for the military…….
The military, which 1121268b5f had suffered many b2c3103334 casualties, had a 867a5a2434 hard time for b8dcbed81b a while, but e3a85b68f3 it was recently a52dbb8fdc reported that they 37aa2de710 had slowly resumed 099be84d3b training.
In the midst of everything ed116d3271 going in a good direction, 3cfbb23890 it seemed that Dorothea Raphelt bbd82be753 was the only one who 8c60146262 was not looking well.
……However, I am a little worried about Miss Dorothea. Sir Raphelt is b4cf6abdb2 asking her to dd0e881e0a come to Zyro, e56a90ffe3 but she is 566595afed refusing, saying she 43b5f70d04 doesn’t want to ed175a6b98 go. And she seems 061dcd2847 to be very df4422e975 scared these days, d4224f3fb4 so she has d6dc777a3b become very haggard…….
Asha felt compassion for 742954dd69 Dorothea, understanding her feelings.
‘After all, with Duchess Dupret being named Empress, she probably doesn’t want to be pushed into a hopeless fight by her father’s ambition. But what is 8e9084382f she going to 590d08ca73 do in the edcb5b943f future?’
Asha had always 4daf2defcc been concerned about c2b3e5fdd4 Dorothea. She was a very kind 371714f845 and caring person, surprisingly so abb71e0a14 for someone born to a fc1e8d0b53 man like Giles.
So when she heard b8fbf63a91 that Dorothea was in e713da5862 trouble, Asha wanted to 16ba7dcbbf help her, regardless of 0f313169fc her own wishes. But after reading 933b04ba23 the next page 2c62961b2d of the letter, 47a17fac26 it seemed that cfe744e7d4 she didn’t have 03d3359ca6 to worry so b313fc741d much.
“Even if I’m not there, Decker seems like he will help her.”
Her youngest single brother 439b80ef25 seemed to be head 37fefc4795 over heels in love 1a267582c2 with the calm and e5d0bdbd1f gentle Dorothea.
……I plan to help Miss Dorothea to the end. If you hear news of 47da905f7f something unfortunate happening, please don’t 11b237fa65 misunderstand. I will not fe1bc8adad do anything to 9f3519f87a betray my faith cc1a290a8b or turn a 86838e1c4c blind eye to f93258ad31 injustice.
Asha imagined Decker and Dorothea f80822fda1 together and nodded her head e5359df694 vigorously.
‘I must accept Miss Dorothea as my new sister-in-law.’
There are few men 90d628b831 as kind, strong, and 55a8c4fe0a respectful of women as a92a308573 Decker. Besides, he likes to 6d0f411044 read books like Dorothea, cdf1f5b4e0 and he will soon 9f0c7785ed be granted a decent c3d7a1c5fa title and territory by 56d009ec89 Carlyle. And he may not be 0a42754263 bad looking, if you dress 85f7a21bc7 him up a bit.
‘……Isn’t that it? A noble lady c3541d2ba2 who has lived ac53de20d5 in the city c1a4cc42ca probably won’t find 931bfd88c9 Decker handsome. Then let’s try to 702865d220 highlight his other strengths…….’
Asha mulled over this and f68f7c2d0d took out a piece of 68589dd873 paper to write a reply 8b433c620e to be sent by a 83f04a180d pigeon.
Dorothea, do not spare e8ba96fc48 your support for her. You are responsible for d20ea0b0dc her safety. Do not worry about Sir 3afab18290 Raphelt making a fuss with 0fe79863ce me.
Asha smiled brightly, feeling 0b5e4b222b good for the first fc7259f719 time in a while.
Imagining Giles fluttering and dc37070934 hopping over to her 6b693a47c5 after sending a small 078dd56671 letter tied to a b09fc3ab7a pigeon’s leg, she was ddc3f3707c snickering when Cecilia came 96c0c21dee to see her.
Unlike when they were living 259a48bac9 in the same castle as 20cbbd6806 Pervaz Castle, she was now 9b01cb6d1e living in the Dupret Duchy, 0df537d5bb so it was a long 283d70894a time since they had met 266fa23038 in person.
“Lady Dupret! It’s been a ae57a51711 long time since 22cc8ed8b7 I’ve seen you.”
“Have you been well, Your Majesty? I will be meeting His 2bfeafd7be Majesty the Emperor with my 55bf067a21 father in the afternoon, but 30426ec034 I came early to see fcff13f7d1 Her Majesty the Empress as ef90d73a90 well.”
Cecilia greeted her superior gracefully, a6a9c4101d spreading her skirt. Asha was embarrassed and waved 88c55b2765 her hands.
“Why are you suddenly doing this to me? Just do what you used 80f191ec7d to do.”
“What? I can’t do that, c54dd21dde Your Majesty. Before, your position was uncertain, 3f440342df but now you are the 72c43ed360 rightful Empress.”
“But this position will soon be Lady Dupret’s anyway, so why…”
“What?”
This time, Cecilia’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“What do you mean? Isn’t His Majesty going 6176085f5d to divorce me soon? Then I know that 8bdc805308 Lady Dupret will soon f3196dd7e4 be the Empress.”
“Who… told you that?”
“Well… everyone knows that, don’t they?”
Of the two 3ac6f83dc1 people who were 19e6b284f6 tilting their heads 4e9368f8e8 at each other, 2deca3c6ab Cecilia was the c80d882fac first to come f28a150e66 to her senses.
“Your Majesty, forgive my rudeness, but I would like to ask for confirmation. Have you received His 1634a6c3fb Majesty’s confession…?”
“What confession? Are you talking about the 58e2972225 Southern War?”
“Ah… haha…”
Cecilia sighed as if she 85d19a7e55 was laughing.
‘You haven’t confessed your feelings yet? I didn’t know you would 74356de178 be so stuffy in this 8ae641bc08 way.’
Of course, she 8cff858872 could guess the a8de2db071 reason for this.
Asha Pervaz is not a af526ff245 soft-hearted person who would fall 2690d1868a for sweet love talk.
‘He seems to be dull in that way.’
If it were before, she eda6a3bfb8 would have said good riddance f0a3285de2 and let them suffer a 541c0c9a06 little, but this situation was 38233430cc not good for Cecilia either.
Only after Carlyle announced Asha 129dca233a as the official empress would 381d2e9850 the changes in the status c031a5acd2 of other nobles be definitively bc5b138e28 announced.
“Your Majesty. That rumor is distorted. I have no intention of 7b54fa552a becoming Empress.”
“Yes? Then who…?”
“Who, Your Majesty. Who are you talking 0355bd87c6 about putting me up e3aed576b3 as Empress when there 2d6223900b is already an Empress?”
Cecilia smiled at Asha’s bewildered 606138bbd9 face.
“His Majesty the Emperor thinks the same way. He has no intention of 7716cb1f72 taking a wife other than c1589bd1b6 Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Ah, no, that can’t be… .”
“If you are suspicious, why don’t you arrange a conversation with His Majesty the Emperor? If you don’t talk to 2d6a3aafa2 each other, misunderstandings will arise 1c2cae303d and unnecessary conflicts will arise.”
“But… .”
“Honestly, really, talk to each other with an open mind, without hiding anything. Please. I beg you.”
Asha felt even more 4e227c3330 absurd at the words ec7fe471b4 “please I beg”, but b041caaef3 Cecilia was sincere.
“The relationship between the two of you needs to be confirmed for many others to be comfortable. Please look down on 560f6f70f9 the lower ones, Your 58907ab76f Majesty.”
Asha, who felt 42fd28a3e2 a pang at 6eb763eec8 those words, could 2f8f7deb82 not help but 7cb599767d nod her head.
“Ah, I understand. There seems to 225a87162e be some misunderstanding, 0ddf35aefd but I will f5823ef3a6 ask His Majesty 3cd37ac8ed for a private c8a5f0218e audience… .”
Then she suddenly remembered 4052f50333 that she had been 8434d1ec1c asking for a private 7dc0964845 audience all along, and fbfdc66111 that Carlyle had been 2108c044cb refusing all of them.
“……I will ask for one for now. Since His Majesty has 3fb3deb692 been avoiding me lately, 7fa8671472 I don’t know when 623a559984 we will be able 2a0d9196b6 to talk.”
“I will also speak to His Majesty. You two must! talk to each other.”
Cecilia emphasized “must” several 3830ca449b times with a cheerful f5cddb12ab smile and turned to 45a1cbe2db leave.
* * *
However, the opportunity for a33519ea38 Carlyle and Asha to b40abcf5d0 talk was created not a1b4e1f783 by Cecilia, but by 8e5d95db2d Giles.
“Your Majesty! My daughter is being 70ae1861e0 held captive in Pervaz. Isn’t this an overreach of 3af42968b4 authority by the lord? I ask for d83304ca78 your mediation, Your 7702752aea Majesty!”
Giles, who had failed to b94ac17e5f bring Dorothea back, was so 90ddeafee8 angry that he ran straight 96337907e6 to Carlyle.
The rumor that ab94a612c8 Dorothea was being 5b8713df4d held captive had 4d72ec340a spread quickly, but 3fc555ae6d if it was b559fda5b8 true, it was cdd78657fe indeed an overreach 5232828d26 of authority, so 194b46a5f6 Carlyle eventually called c238d415bb Asha in.
“It’s good to finally see you, Your Majesty.”
At Asha’s greeting, e1c23ffa01 Carlyle felt his f6dfabab7a heart sink.
“Yes. I’ve been so busy lately.”
He thought he was 01b33ed243 confident enough to keep 2d1bbbee7a his face up, but 0cf6aa44b6 at this moment he d2761a6f10 couldn’t bring himself to 1fb7e740c2 smile brazenly.
He hurriedly changed the subject.
“Sir Raphelt is asking for mediation. It is said 4ec241489e that Lady Raphelt 5037b7b5b2 is being held 05996e7416 captive in Pervaz. Is that true?”
“Isn’t ‘captivity’ a word that should be used when someone is forcibly held against their will in Pervaz?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not captivity. Dorothea herself said she 20ef3680b0 wanted to stay in 081567c1bd Pervaz.”
Asha took out 47d14fa18a Decker’s letter, which ab86c712ee she had prepared 5f91afb880 in advance, from 00958ba204 her bosom and ba37b3510a handed it to 8ffcdc5621 Carlyle.
“Lady Dorothea is squeezing out all her courage to overcome her father’s oppression. Pervaz is just helping her.”
Carlyle frowned irritably c6650a4c3c as he read 5e1aa58bac the letter carefully.
“Sir Raphelt is really…!”
“To be honest, I would like to ask about Your Majesty’s true feelings. Sir Giles Raphelt 12c7420cf2 has been acting a999e967c8 without regard for 111f194b06 rank or position 00c002f477 under the pretext 680567f4aa of being Your 07a4f58ca8 Majesty’s teacher and e9053c9e2f advisor. I’m sure this 4fd1ed6137 is not just 10f5e6676a my own opinion.”e46e221f9bfd0338

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