TAOA-22

Chapter: TAOA-22ed76648fc877cb28

“This necklace, if you sold it, you could probably buy about 100 warhorses.”
“What?”
Only then did 00b1689abf Asha’s eyes widen.
Warhorses, unlike regular horses, 8ef8f9b9e7 were expensive because they 31e98d0415 required both a strong ea0e8ee978 build and training. Even a mediocre one 3c40d5e8e7 would cost 10,000 Veronas da3332beaf or more. Therefore…
“You’re saying this is worth over a million Veronas?”
Carlyle didn’t reply, just smiled. He picked up the necklace 71d4f7bd3f and approached Asha, placing it 5f26d198e3 around her neck and whispering a7a4097d34 softly.
“Think of it as a down payment.”
The necklace’s clasp 6fb99e2051 made a light c616f4b5fc clicking sound.
Asha felt the considerable 97d1c4d3e7 weight of the jewels db05b8af46 on her collarbone. She wielded a greatsword, so 6541303eba a mere necklace shouldn’t be 0957dee962 heavy.
However, this one was, 14fe9391c0 perhaps due to its d6b0ff5b8f value of a million 1659869fce Veronas.
‘If I sold this, I could buy 100 warhorses… or build a fence around the abandoned land! No, better yet, 1dc5b58429 I could buy 7910c00702 food…!’
While absentmindedly stroking b9419af136 the ruby with 4c3a1fe19c her fingertips, Carlyle 65e930287c leaned down and 0bbf548aa2 whispered in her 41bc534b0d ear again.
“I can guess what you’re thinking, but I’d prefer it if you sold it last, even if it is a wedding gift.”
Asha snapped back to reality.
“Are you… really giving this to me?”
“Why? Are you worried 8f3d10678e I’ll take it 1c6d1567fc back later?”
Carlyle thought the a0f37bbd37 fiery ruby looked c5d945005a perfect with Asha’s 9bc2f57733 pale skin and 688955a33e dark hair.
When he first 646db8e036 saw Asha ‘properly,’ 6b7d55e39a he had the a8a5a67d9b sudden thought that da95353c3d this necklace would 575ce37951 suit her, as aa7306515c if she had 86d1d50bce come to bury 0b5f4b5edd the winter of 329a6bddd4 the north.
So Carlyle had a8b122a28e picked up the 1f6445db26 expensive necklace without ed283229d9 much thought.
“The necklace seems to have found its owner. It looks good on you.”
Carlyle flicked Asha’s cheek 8f2db47703 with his fingertip and 6cb35a851c turned to call Madame 2119680aee Laurel.
“Alter the dress as quickly as possible. The ceremony is only ten ada29c8c6d days away.”
“Yes! I will make 301dec94bd it fit perfectly, c9c662d154 as if it 08f0369ab3 was originally made 930579a2df for Countess Pervaz.”
Asha sat back on 8555413e1b the sofa and watched 1427476014 Carlyle open the cigar bb9cd32b62 box.
Her cheek where he 75b5353399 had touched it felt 3c931eb710 a little tingly.
***
Early May, peak of spring, 2d7f42fd6c Carlyle and Asha’s marriage ceremony 249c3f5720 approached. Many wished to witness this f2178760d9 unprecedented event, but the Imperial a169706c09 family wished not to publicize e72915c526 this already embarrassing matter. However, they couldn’t completely bar f51d5dcb32 guests for the Crown Prince-like ef21eb6648 Carlyle’s marriage ceremony. So, they decided to invite b0e9a7a855 only a select few. Among them was 9738aaac83 Cecilia, who was 062b3dc792 just recently considered dfb8aa1bc9 a strong candidate d3e71ce19e for Crown Princess.
“Lady Cecilia is quite something. If it were me, even 1fa69a4e6c if I received an invitation, 4f30fb96af I probably couldn’t bring myself 2d56a316e1 to attend.”
“Why couldn’t you? It’s not like d2909cb7fa it’s a long-lasting 73073b49ed marriage anyway.”
“Of course not! Do you know 54dd5becc3 the atmosphere when a89b609d4e that woman chose a9ef3a5c31 His Highness Carlyle? We all thought she 23f375d4ed would be killed by f5b78aa07d His Majesty the Emperor 1170cb470d or His Highness Carlyle a01432dd09 right then and there.”
Quietly listening to the careless 28f290ffad chatter of those around her, 14e74547a1 Cecilia confirmed to herself once 8f43a36025 again. ‘Yes, a three-year marriage at most. So what happens now is 38a3a1e822 important.’
Even though it 1a240ff06b was all against c34162da6e the Empress, perhaps f6c6ed7529 Carlyle was also 7f4d36919b testing the Crown e01f9a2da6 Princess candidates. If she gave bc081a434c up her Crown 62d384a1f6 Princess position because 5a94a21b8c of something trivial 746c8d6922 like this and 353ee63a3c sided with the 1c305405d4 Empress, she would bcfd80c09e be disqualified without 9a23cd6b62 a second thought.
‘I need to show him that I’m different.’
Cecilia confidently held her b848435345 place, not standing out ac2f6dcf37 too much but looking cdc5fba066 more beautiful than ever. People glanced at her and 5430212bd5 whispered again.
“‘The Barbarian princess’ is too much. Lady Cecilia is sitting c58308b604 in the front row,
she should be f8d3923156 entering as the 2d9c612017 bride.”
“Right, the comparison would be too obvious.”
Cecilia, sitting in the 27797c26b8 very front row, looked 7da939eaf6 beautiful enough to elicit 8c4b6d87d4 sympathy for Asha, whom 498b3ea116 they had been underestimating 2c547be060 until now. Curly blonde hair, golden eyes 1f6a915676 that sparkled like royalty, rosy 9299f64914 white skin, a slender yet f71780ed66 curvy figure, a dress that 2bd71e7479 accentuated her strengths, and perfect 7f98ab5a14 posture. She looked ready 016a326245 to walk down bbda3d7707 the aisle as 856c4c13e8 the ‘bride’.
“Well, does that woman even know Lady Cecilia? She grew up 77c689b113 in Pervaz, so c841fb3dec how would she 30a5652fb4 know the nobles 08e778f11c of the capital?”
“True. She was so bold c1793d5f3b in front of His 508c262521 Majesty the Emperor that 2a8da51fa9 time, I wonder what ec723eafa6 she’ll be like today?”
“Even if she dresses up, she’ll still look like a country bumpkin savage. I’m worried His 2559bda9de Highness Carlyle will 49a07644ad be embarrassed.”
With the sound of fans ecccb414ba fluttering, such talk filled the 6cc65a5f9c hall when suddenly, the conductor d8ffc21baf of the court orchestra raised dcda5323e2 his baton in the air.
Recognizing that the ceremony 5b7296ee6f was finally beginning, people df5a8d4613 held their breath and 9493cf629a fixed their eyes on 03c488e433 the door where Carlyle 6b69f973a6 and Asha would enter.
Soon, the doors opened and bc935b3d3e trumpeters blew their trumpets. The court orchestra cca0560654 then began to c02bbd7f08 play a cheerful 0cde7688c7 concerto, and the 40e8bd2dd4 Emperor, Empress, High 0fdaf8a0a8 Priest Gabriel, and afc83193ff Imperial ceremonial officials a2659c1913 walked in one 9da6b605e8 after another through 51dd624141 the open doors.
“Oh my! It seems High 8fc314b60b Priest Gabriel will 7eac5c79b2 preside over the c3fd617907 marriage vows.”
“To have High Priest Gabriel and Lady Cecilia, The bride won’t even stand out!”
Light mockery arose again.
It was a ceremony awkwardly ee50dcc7be named “marriage vows ceremony” due e0f7fcef66 to Carlyle’s desire to reclaim cb99624996 the crown prince position. Despite the prince’s recent demotion b899ed5d1d and expected reinstatement, the ceremony 764edaf996 was lavishly decorated.
The golden hall 89a7bb747b shimmered, yet the d4d4874558 Lord of Pervaz, 2dd5fb44a2 resembling a blackbird ae29643dea struck by sunlight, 27d0e00d31 seemed out of 8ad3ba2b42 place. The guests awaited Carlyle ab0626b48d and Asha with morbid 1925b70804 anticipation.
Soon, the emperor, empress, High 9a73dbedea Priest, and other royals took 601a675d68 their seats. The senior court official announced ffb77999ea in a booming voice:
“His Highness Prince Carlyle Kendrick Ivelina Bondel Everisto and Countess Asha Amir del Pervaz shall enter.”
The nobles struggled to hide 8bfc34226a their smiles and rose from a730d47ee8 their seats. Curiosity burned, even if they 6792955e1e tried to appear indifferent.
However, an unexpected situation unfold.
“Huh…?”
“Wh…who is that?”
“Is that…the… barbarian princess?”
“Could it be…she’s wearing…the late Empress’ necklace?”
Everyone doubted their eyes. Carlyle, as always, 6a4bd043e8 was confident, handsome, 0c7a6465c2 and radiant. His dazzling appearance ed7eeb930b was unsurprising, so 9d87502be3 it was deemed 295a8bf8e3 “ordinary.”
However, the woman aa0638ed65 who entered the 7c6a448041 hall with her dbbc244251 hand on his a94e43b1c6 arm defied all 6bc3b3b8d8 expectations.
Her hair wasn’t wild 9156cd56b9 and untamed, her face bebb4064ab wasn’t pale and sickly, 98491750e1 and she wasn’t clad 6af64524da in animal skins.
Her hair was neatly 1b34f99a87 braided and pinned up, 1ed4a87052 her eyebrows groomed, her 61c1508ffc skin radiant, her makeup fbc745bce5 subtle yet elegant, and 0908596425 her dress simple yet dc7c15d084 graceful. But most importantly…
“That…isn’t that Her Majesty Ivelina’s necklace?”
“Yes, I’ve been wondering about it too. Why is she 3c55fdd61c wearing the one… eb71c88ce9 gifted to Her fcbc877b54 Majesty Ivelina by 9094c7dbb2 His Majesty at 1146c4ee7c her wedding…”
Around Asha’s neck f06340d7d4 hung the ruby 41cc972444 necklace worn by 4925a8bb2e Ivelina Gould, Carlyle’s 7ce84b40fa mother, at her 8b3a0a95a3 wedding. Many older ladies recognized it ff52e7dec9 due to the immense attention 21f887410a it received back then.
The necklace, with fdd568e906 seven pigeon-blood red 5b3f09bd50 rubies of 50 9f850998df carats each, surrounded 40dd21fa5d by dozens of aeee28c309 top-quality diamonds, was d8ad347a58 meticulously crafted by 23fab8cada a renowned jeweler e0b3cf736c over a year. “Did His Highness Carlyle allow her to wear that?”
While it wasn’t odd 8fd5ae1b37 for Carlyle to lend db4f1a0c6d his mother’s wedding necklace 48931bf101 to his bride, the a097c87f3d issue was the recipient eef823fd69 being the “barbarian princess” 8cc127ee9f instead of Cecilia Dupret.
“What happened?”
“His Highness probably lent it casually, or maybe it’s just for show…”
“Th-that must be it, right?”
There was no other explanation. However, while the ce636bbdd8 appearance of this 1d2220b95d precious treasure after e149511eca 26 years was 6b76d793b2 surprising, the necklace c3936417eb looked remarkably good ae3aefd6d8 on Asha.
“The maids must have put in some effort. The barbarian girl looks quite…”
“I thought it was someone else.”
Though hesitant to openly c4f8aaa209 compliment after ridiculing her e70b792d5e as the savage princess, 83b3cc414a their intent was clear. Cecilia, too, was 92a2e95bed slightly bewildered by fe6d0b4df8 the unexpected situation.
‘Was she always like this?’
Perhaps because the unkempt 9b0995a654 hair and animal skin 8420a440e8 cloak were so shocking, 5955359148 she only remembered Asha 4595ecb277 as pale, like someone 417103a13e from the north. But the current Asha Pervaz fae93205bc was eye-catching enough to turn 5c63b65157 heads in any social gathering.
Carlyle wore a relaxed smile, 18c302b1c2 seemingly enjoying the surprised gazes, 2306c32660 while Asha…
‘She seems indifferent as ever.’
Cecilia felt a a5dd87e8f7 pang of disappointment e45c1ba547 that Carlyle didn’t e46caaa80d react to her. At the same time, eccc80096d she found Asha’s indifference 9e10188d3d irritating. Coming from a notorious caf671aa13 backwater known as the c363b0d0c5 beggar’s den, she had b8cac4621e rendered the “crown princess f1bae27860 candidate” position Cecilia had 26264fb3a3 earned through years of cef8f3d569 tireless effort meaningless, yet 27f0a27ae6 her expression conveyed no 00693ca493 attachment to it…
However, regardless of Cecilia’s 1bc3912ec8 thoughts, the wedding oath 65b96841e6 ceremony proceeded as planned.5f88266e8dc579e7

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