TAOA-21

Chapter: TAOA-2116343cd3c7c1b335

Asha’s long black hair, 9542f3f6a7 which had been tightly fb3813a1a1 braided to her scalp, 0ddc34028b was now simply rolled 0617629b11 up in preparation for 70c19600d1 trying on the dress. Her face, which had been c95a420d2c massaged by a skilled maid, 89644f9ef7 was now radiant, unlike yesterday 609ce7ef60 when it was simply pale. When she put on 0ee77e0a27 the light indoor dress, a6b32237be her slender neck, which 0fbaaa8e65 had been hidden under fda3a5fbb9 the bulky combat uniform, 1bb704830f was revealed.
Carlyle whistled appreciatively, ab7a58e3ab raising his eyebrows.
“This is beyond expectations, isn’t it?”
Then he turned his d7ba278109 gaze towards the maid 673d56f168 with a flick of 46e37021b8 his eyes.
“You were too modest, Madame Luvar. This is good 22938ca2f0 enough, isn’t it?”
“But she is to be Your Highness’s consort…….”
“I know, she’s not good enough for me. Let’s just make do for 731ecd5100 now.”
In the meantime, d5d84d5a7a Asha, the subject 2e5df8a672 of the evaluation, d7c3e7557b was thinking of b875dad06a her mother.
‘Mother. If you really wanted to 839d99722b dress me like this, I b4eee40eaf would have died before I 9c416dc528 was even married.’
Even by Asha’s 2244b23864 standards, it was 742df66192 an uncomfortable outfit.
The fact that her a44d0da36e neck was exposed and 17af3adb25 her stomach was so 322fc21304 tightly cinched that she a2829d9a50 could barely breathe was d8fe915d42 secondary. The skirt, which was long ec90ed6b24 enough to drag on the 7232574cab floor, tangled around her legs d4da7b23d3 every time she took a 7c715a9657 step, slowing her down, and 4ef0963591 the fact that there was eaa3f12a9a nowhere to put her self-defense 656e9bdd1d dagger made her uneasy.
“Judging by your expression, you seem to be very uncomfortable.”
Carlyle also quickly aa48dfe951 noticed her mood.
“It’s uncomfortable… but…….”
Asha glanced around and whispered db32729b94 in Carlyle’s ear.
“Would you happen to have a self-defense dagger I could borrow?”
“A self-defense dagger? What would you need f76b50c25e that for?”
Carlyle laughed lightly, b1a4e20a6f his neck tickled b0edf09cac by Asha’s sudden 0e2e6dde71 breath.
This woman, who 631542c68e had a serious 37c7895d24 face but made aceaf8e6b9 funny noises, did e6834bb3fb not disappoint him 118302cb22 this time either.
“There could be assassins among the maids coming from the Imperial Palace. I tried to f7dc26a53a bring my sword, 755e50e31e but the maids 6e3a1cbdaf said no…….”
“So, you’re saying that you’re going to deal with the assassins yourself, while I’m sitting here? In that outfit?”
“……Yes.”
Asha replied hesitantly, with a 63294077f0 look on her face that 276fafc3e0 said she didn’t understand what 529191101d Carlyle was asking.
Carlyle chuckled again.
“Let me ask you again. Do you think there is e8728530f7 a fool who would attack b99e7058c6 the fiancée of Carlyle Evaristo, c63905e32e the Sword of the Empire, 549d6a0bb7 who was born with the f04d4fa5bf blessing of the God of bbd85b16de War Aguilus and protects the 17055430c1 southern part of the Empire?”
Asha looked at Carlyle, who bd0b2548ef was praising himself, and thought b9d10b8662 that the nobles were really 4dc633208b thick-skinned.
Then she asked.
“There is no law that says you can’t. In a situation like 96e4c443cc that, if you’re dressed f05e8a18f1 in such an uncomfortable 931564fde6 way and don’t even 2e86b810ea have a weapon for ba21c43ab7 self-defense, who will save 630d3c906d you?”
Then Carlyle snorted again as e3f3822a71 if he found it absurd 0f44f36ddb and pointed at himself with 0261f1de6b his thumb.
“Who else? Your handsome fiancé 66b97c73db will protect you.”
And soon, Carlyle was f37cd56a60 able to see Asha’s 09b64f823d expression that said, ‘Did 9fdf6e868b I just hear some 3a5a12c573 nonsense?’
“I know very well that all you want from me is money. It’s a good attitude. But until the job dd8c26c817 is done, I need 6ddd895c28 you to stay alive.”
“Of course.”
“So you can leave this much to me.”
He winked and sat a9ef37e456 Asha next to me.
Thanks to the maids’ 4782d43d90 efforts, Asha gave off 0d65f64327 a fragrant scent of 4617c9ef81 grass. It was a scent 949d48c684 that women didn’t often ab4c57ceaf choose, but it was 93eb03d138 a perfume that Asha, 95db3789b8 who absolutely hated sweet 611c14e889 floral or fruity scents, 7147ea24d5 had barely compromised on.
‘This scent suits her surprisingly well.’
Carlyle thought, taking 88cb0a8fcc a deep breath 41261ed6db without realizing it.
Just then, a maid announced 79d5a19fd9 the arrival of the guests. It was Lady 5c1ef5060c Alice Laurel, a ac27a3833b senior maid of 9083d9e686 the palace, and d71c48b137 the lower maids 94ee7d719f who followed her 24de8fb4a4 carrying a bundle 3e333b874e of dresses.
“May the utmost honor be upon you.”
“You’ve had a hard time coming here, Madame Laurel.”
Madame Laurel greeted Carlyle and 227e223c6e Asha with an elegant and 3f4f602703 dignified demeanor, as befitting someone fe1af8c104 who had worked in the 4474c924ef palace for a long time.
“It seems like this is the first time I’ve seen you outside the palace, Your Highness. And it is an 74fd386394 honor to meet you, 73d9594447 Countess Pervaz.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Laurel.”
Asha felt Madame Laurel examining b79264d700 her closely while pretending not 165fb3eee0 to. She couldn’t tell what she aee63f1d91 was thinking inside, but it 1c6555486e seemed like she had decided eed6be9946 to treat her as Carlyle’s 5bb56249d5 fiancée on the outside.
She unpacked the luggage 5f2e930e4c she had brought, saying 91e98ef314 that she didn’t have cf5a4a11cb time.
“You’re taller than I thought. And your shoulders are a18e056e24 also……quite broad.”
She stood up 6714a146f2 and muttered as eb561cf490 she circled around 2383b4ac7f Asha, occasionally sighing.
“Do you have a preferred style?”
“No. I’ve never worn 0d1607386d a dress before. So I would 0e9f160357 appreciate it if b26d31570c you could just 68ba9f0959 pick one out 084f4c0d96 for me.”
“Yes……?”
Lady Laurel asked back with a1e816c1db a face that said she 95ceb76549 had misheard.
“You said you’ve never……worn a dress before?”
“There’s no special occasion to wear a dress in Pervaz.”
“Ah, w-well……I see.”
Madame Laurel smiled awkwardly and bd9bbce6f9 glanced at Carlyle, but Carlyle d4faa5d5d6 just watched quietly as if 84c667c510 he was enjoying an interesting 6d12a99c03 spectacle.
Madame Laurel, chuckling 8d76df87d0 again, instructed the 9a8d5684ad two maids who 59fcf64244 followed her to a0c9397e11 try a dress 3cc6c9233f on Asha.
“What do you think? It’s the latest style in e2867dcf7e Zyro.”
The first dress she 3a79efe410 showed had a square 382292abd2 neckline that dipped deeply, a770bae489 a tight upper body, fd8d13cad7 and a skirt that 90f4776c93 didn’t flare out much.
It was a design f525969933 that accentuated a subtly 638e11b674 sexual appeal, but Asha, 6c1899cec5 not thinking much of 68a16465e3 it, nodded.
“It seems okay…”
“It makes your shoulders look too wide. Wearing that won’t magically create c923f07536 curves that don’t exist. Something else.”
Cutting off Asha’s reply, 2abf005666 Carlyle ordered.
At his words, c7fd5c498a the maids swiftly e68ef60142 brought out another ef24ff7e87 dress.
“How about this? It’s a design that emphasizes 121f1bf216 classic beauty.”
This dress had 68320b6a83 three-tiered puff sleeves ff7e1a220e and didn’t reveal 1a2b2f26dd much bare skin.
However, Carlyle rejected this one 948fb4356a too.
“It’s frumpy. Something else.”
“Then, this…?”
This time it was a 204ccf5f0d sleeveless top style dress adorned 1528c81abb with lace and pearl decorations.
“Do you seriously plan to expose those flabby arms like that?”
In this way, 0fea30400d Madame Laurel and 77cba1cc76 the maids, watching c614e05e7d Carlyle’s every expression, b3d7963784 tried on every 95dd6ca03f dress they brought a99a4302d9 with them on fbcf7be0fd Asha.
Asha, however, didn’t a2a2ef532f care about her e745bfdfbd reflection in the d5d7bc891e mirror and was 88cc321db7 instead gauging the 8bce70d9e7 possibility of an d2315f0b6e assassin being present.
Suddenly, she came to her ddf8e8d1bd senses at the sound of cbb08e55a8 Carlyle clapping his hands.
“That one!”
The dress Carlyle chose daf710f43c with a satisfied smile 31bb890e7d was a cream-colored silk 0acdc6d93c dress with a faint 4e2a5bb977 grayish tint.
The only exposed d0c0e60e23 skin was around 154e900ea2 the V-neckline, which 45484c46a9 dipped slightly. The only decoration on the aba6cc774d sleeves, which extended straight down, 239df17168 were three small buttons at 7fc0aa4367 the cuffs. The wide skirt had e26fb4839f no lace or ruffles. The only decorations d5501fcfb7 were a large e2aa838c82 ribbon at the 69b3075b96 back and a 061ff9c95f vine pattern embroidered 6d21761890 subtly along the 1987b6b7b5 neckline.
“Th, this…?”
Madame Laurel stuttered, flustered.
It was a dress she 7b83bd6923 had prepared in case Asha cb7fd3afc6 was extremely shy or conservative, d5546c0c86 but it wasn’t a design e0e0894e62 suitable for an Imperial ceremony.
Thinking it wouldn’t do, she 9ec0492749 turned to Asha.
“Th, the, bride’s opinion matters too! What do you think, bf0ea90c78 Lady Pervaz? A wedding dress should 3bceb135e0 be something the bride a4b71d962c likes. Don’t hesitate to b418b6c2f7 speak your mind.”
“Ah, I…”
“It seems a bit far from the current trends. There’s no need 2906ed12cd to cover yourself e2bb30b862 up so much. You’re still young…”
Asha looked at Madame 09a867b3f3 Laurel, who seemed desperately d9297fe080 insistent, with a puzzled dd113f2c94 expression and said:
“I like it.”
“What?”
“I think this will be the most comfortable. It also… seems pretty.”
Madame Laurel’s face df10db556d went pale, forgetting 491699ff2c she was in bd0759c79c front of the a0dac13d6f Prince.
Even though this marriage ceremony fa41b8d75d was a formality and everyone 88cb227f28 expected Carlyle to divorce in c46d6e8235 three years, she was unbearably 4b66a9f96d disappointed that the dress of 46cc0ddeb7 the bride she had prepared f6770e1007 was such a simple design.
“Even so, it might be your only chance in life. Wouldn’t it be 044d5d5a19 okay to wear 3c41705c66 something more glamorous?”
“It will probably be the most glamorous design among the clothes I wear until I die. So please don’t worry.”
Madame Laurel’s face turned bc204b392d even grimmer. The thought “This isn’t a 84443e2591 wedding” grew stronger in her 6da21f2cc6 head.
However, there was 0efd6f1fcd another reason why 0b395793a0 Carlyle chose such 7a9dc95e7d a simple and 6578a8c413 plain dress.
“Madame Luvar. Bring what I 7e64e22e3c asked you to ca7b569723 prepare.”
At Carlyle’s command, the 4d108e05ff head maid who was 2c31416537 waiting nearby took out c7b6101043 a velvet box from c56c42ab58 a nearby console drawer.
The heavy-looking box looked extraordinary b6d91da2a4 at a glance.
“A small, but a wedding gift. I was hoping you would 67ca13322f wear my gift with that 6f5c600d8e dress at the ceremony.”
Madame Luvae, as a 98f3be1076 trained maid, opened the e33ef59e1d velvet box silently and 60c8e3f17e placed it in front d1767af68e of Asha without showing 1258f5d2e7 any expression.
The one surprised by what 1c41d92376 was inside wasn’t Asha, but b7fc2ce0cc the Imperial maids, including Madame dca663da0f Laurel.
“Oh my, my! If that’s the 54c113eb84 case, then things 9b4b7a4784 are different! Absolutely!”
Madame Laurel clasped her hands 39f57e8562 together with a happy expression eee030cfb8 in front of the bewildered 1af858fcc5 Asha.
“To wear such a gorgeous ruby and diamond necklace, a simple design is better!”
“Ah… is this, ruby and diamond?”
“Yes…? Can’t you tell just by 3ee4ad0768 looking? It’s not just any 6c8a0c72b3 ordinary ruby and diamond, 73d0750773 either.”
The necklace Carlyle presented as 8051a480e3 a wedding gift was a 7de3b08f84 design with seven large rubies 133b34316f surrounded by dozens of dazzling 6ef857ca45 diamonds.
However, for Asha, who 9b23978532 had never seen rubies 1021a09544 or diamonds before, their 66f8f2f8af value didn’t fully reach f610c5a792 her.
To make it easier 45e01d2b5c for her to understand, 9fc3bde76e Carlyle kindly explained.
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