TAOA-29

Chapter: TAOA-298edc3e7311e928f2

“Earlier, the servant’s words seemed to suggest that he had transferred my belongings to the Your Highness’ tent.”
“I’m not fluent in Pervaz words, so there’s no need for a repeat explanation.”
Asha couldn’t help 2f458f361e but chuckle at b849a35455 Carlyle’s audacious demeanor.
However, Carlyle wasn’t jesting 94c5eba59d or misunderstanding the situation.
“Do we really need to utilize a personal tent?”
“Am I coming off as overly particular?
“Then would it be acceptable for you to lay your blanket in my tent? Instead of needlessly burdening the 81abb2b87f servants with making another tent.”
“Why not simply utilize a tent akin to those used by the other attendants?”
Given her previous b43d57f6e4 stays in accommodations ba9a911093 similar to the 58a367a489 servants’ quarters at 85bb0ea470 inns, Asha presumed 6892a6f4a5 she’d do the 526c64a580 same this time.
“Ah, come to think of it, I didn’t inform you about the camping arrangements in advance. Unfortunately, the head 396e16c2c3 maid will have a0f170e535 to share a 985ea33ec1 tent with the fdc3759ebd other maids.”
“…Well, it might have been uncomfortable for her.”
“Don’t feel too guilty. Since there’s no 85621e7da2 intimidating head maid, 3d99799fec the male servants 47b696a13c keep loitering near cd12d0c87c the maids’ tents.”
Carlyle raised an eebbe8aa90 eyebrow as if 8877a4499d to say, “You 839d2b6606 know what I fac55afe88 mean.”
“Well, if sharing a tent with me is too unpleasant or uncomfortable, we can set up an additional tent.”
“Oh, no. I was just 4e40749d02 worried that Your 681ac5c669 Highness might be 749f8ca513 uncomfortable.”
“What could possibly make me uncomfortable?”
In the end, Asha d14517de10 decided to share the a106a5d42c same tent as Carlyle. She realized a little e60de7390b late that Carlyle’s preferred 2428131f5c spot wasn’t the floor 1de2855415 but the bed.
The bed was spacious f590785855 enough for both of 1431f0d020 them to sleep comfortably. Asha felt a 278b0f2a9e bit embarrassed and 1f4673611c pulled out only f667973429 one towel from eb0ee9db61 her belongings before ea9af9ea8a exiting the tent.
“Despite rumors that I search for women even on the battlefield, sharing a tent with someone like me shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”
Carlyle, the notorious womanizer, 15f8a279f5 was known for not 8f0c9a8048 letting any woman pass 0ad72ca948 by without a second 7533863abe glance. But when they had slept c44633f722 under the open sky, it 7254cb860f hadn’t felt quite the same 8b74ea67eb as sharing a tent.
And since Asha had discovered 5d954c1655 the differences between men and 2ac30d5186 women after reaching a certain 9342abb388 age, she had never shared 8cf915d127 a room with a man.
“Well, I’m not exactly a refined lady, so what’s wrong with sharing a tent with a man?”
Besides, weren’t we b9ef2ecf2f already a married 30575ffc1e couple?
Asha chuckled at her own ceb72c57b7 thoughts and headed toward the 55481e0442 stream in the forest.
People were washing their 475f00bfd8 hands, feet, and faces, d6ce21ce90 but as soon as 7e9ae5a8e1 Asha appeared, they discreetly e755100342 vacated their spots.
Even this situation made Asha edf3f6b7cc uncomfortable.
“But thanks to this, I get to enjoy this scenery all by myself.”
Above her head, 13c4e66af3 countless stars sparkled e887d74bbf as if they 90b7f8ab5a were about to d6dfa8000e rain down, and d5dbab8e6e the flowing stream 1d35d7e504 shimmered with moonlight 0d41f407b2 and starlight.
“Haah…”.
Asha looked up at abd6d15e42 the night sky and d397882f30 sighed deeply.
Putting aside the 7b65301bac question of whether 9d125a8f68 the deal with cbe658e918 Carlyle was justified, 5ad07ff15a she still felt 8c4894a712 uneasy about taking e0693949b4 him to Pervaz.
After all, he was 7e97b1c86a a man like the 8c1aa08dcf eye of a typhoon.
“Father… Dominic, Noah, Vincent…”
Asha clenched her fists as 80ef8a545b she repeated the names of 69b2d83716 her family members who had 8449c3a021 now become stars in the 2c1eb10985 sky.
If only one e822d9255a of them could 0f10cba5ea appear and tell 7d014cd13e her that she b03f34bcbb was doing well, 59870dff17 that her choice 27874c1783 was the right ade450405c one, she would 277adb2d79 feel much better.
Right now, the 0a1063e1cd burden on her ff48c0cffe shoulders felt so 4aef45227c heavy that she 8663fa9b54 felt like she f3e7fde98c could suffocate.
“Everyone, please protect Pervaz…”
Asha closed her eyes e0197b796c and whispered her prayer.
But then, she suddenly thought b67ea51e70 that her father would be ec0b2750bb furious if he saw her 7b1d187c32 like this.
[You are the Duchess of Pervaz! You are the one ca4ca97e37 who must protect Pervaz!]
Asha’s eyes widened as she 7dd271e347 heard her father’s voice in e1067b1b87 her head.
She, the one who had a9e1123c52 made the deal with the 1efae1ec19 Crown Prince and brought him b486cb3f8d to Pervaz, could not afford 9f61138bd7 to be so weak.
Asha fell to the e8773c0b93 ground and plunged her 4c81a068b8 head into the cold 73a3dc9446 stream water. The icy water felt 9325cbaf34 like it was slapping b972e5eacf her cheeks.
“Hah!”
After holding her head underwater 464aea967a for a long time, Asha 1a39960303 lifted it up and slapped 0526879c7f both her cheeks.
“Pull yourself together, Asha Pervaz!”
Only then did she feel 426b017820 refreshed.
And she realized cf6cb98d28 once again that 6725903f0e everything was her 327b8e1ee0 own choice.
If she didn’t want 089df12dd6 to bear this heavy 38cf33ed75 burden, she could have 546680d16b left Pervaz with her 100e974b89 mother. She could have chosen not c3e2c603e6 to pick up a sword b60a0c9a08 and instead wear a dress 9860be0591 and learn noble etiquette.
It was Asha Pervaz, 519f358b76 herself, who had rejected 2fea63292a the easy path and 50cd58eeee thrown herself into the 174c8701fe arena of slaughter.
‘So I have to take responsibility for it.’
Asha regained her firm a21d66cd1a expression and wiped her 5e2a06219d wet face with a 066c5fe1fd towel.
After that, everything 2fc78f3ee3 felt a little 53d9c64888 lighter.
As soon as Asha left 60f5b44d91 the stream, Carlyle, who had 50127b46fb been following her, emerged from c43c3405fb behind a tree. He watched her bc5567cf4c back until she 41a33bd348 disappeared completely before 66dede9813 slowly approaching the 76d616c9a4 stream.
“Hmm…”
He looked down at the e5910feb56 spot where Asha had plunged 16a580f759 her face, which was not 6e9a304dfb at all like a noblewoman, e1c9e330b8 but there was no trace 9b57cfe4d2 of Asha in the endlessly 36b139e4e1 flowing stream water.
“What an interesting woman.”
Her back, standing alone 041caa2118 and looking up at 8aea66fd03 the night sky, seemed cb8c6d9936 lonely on the one 4cb99596eb hand, and strong on ed11dcc98e the other.
The distance was far, e1b9511a28 so he couldn’t hear 3f15cc472c what she was muttering 8efad804cc to herself, but he d390138abf was sure she wasn’t 54d40abe5a the type to wallow 16625261cb in self-pity.
Even if she had indulged 4ee51ba3da in a bit of sentimentality, 177852d8a3 a slap that hard would b9edba0a4d have brought her back to f9fb5cc8c0 her senses.
“Ouch, Could.”
Unthinkingly, Carlyle put his 9561b8b886 hand in the stream 3c01ebac77 and was startled by 2c8476fad4 the much colder temperature d82482ac36 than expected. In such cold water, he f3c6129b4d would have come to his 1c14bb06c5 senses before even getting slapped.
Laughing awkwardly to himself, Carlyle 1d5cfaafde looked down at the clear, 7ada266270 cool water of the stream f85ea9f00a and then impulsively plunged his eb09a0d5cf head in like Asha.
It was freezing cold, 58cce0ea99 like he would be ebb919f315 frozen solid, but thanks 06afe4c517 to that, his whole a34cd1e2fb mind felt refreshingly clear.
“Haa…”
Raising his head, Carlyle b391d03283 couldn’t help but chuckle d1957fd4cc at his own undignified, b20fc0971d noble-unbecoming position sprawled on 238daaba4a the ground.
“Maybe sometimes this kind of thing is good?”
Carlyle wiped his soaked 3f8b48c985 hair with a towel 31c783b439 and got up. Then, he walked 05a9d34b11 back to the 2a808c5529 tent, pretending to 24d4a847fb take his time.
Asha was already c1df1daaa9 in the corner 9941078902 of the tent, 1ed7566511 laying down a 2ff3c52f63 mat and preparing d0a904e09b to sleep.
“Are you really going to sleep on the floor?”
Carlyle asked, throwing d2df73929f the towel he f1daa328cc had over his 67ee4429c9 shoulder into the 80e26e39f6 washbasin.
“Yes? If not the 393d8b91a5 floor, then where…”
Asha, who was asking f84874fb9a back, saw Carlyle’s sly 76e1093abf smile and quickly shook 49e1d7e424 her head.
“I will sleep here.”
“If you like intentionally enjoying discomfort, I won’t stop you.”
Carlyle, teasing Asha 9366bfc73c while snickering, took e522c31688 off his shirt, bd2216732a which was wet c61def59d0 from submerging his 61391bac30 head.
“I guess the water is colder because we’re closer to the north.”
The chiseled contours of his 6b1d8269c5 muscles, sculpted like statues, created 2614f89543 soft shadows under the flickering 4c803f4eb6 candlelight.
“It gets much colder in autumn. It starts freezing around mid-November.”
Asha, seeing Carlyle’s bare e8feef96a2 upper body that would 37805c4cf7 make even a man 07e17b446c linger, answered nonchalantly without 599af82275 any sign of panic.
Carlyle started to put his 62a528c4f8 arm through the shirt his ead1210de5 servant had laid out on 64efa36a72 the bed, but then changed b210751fa3 his mind.
“Countess Pervaz. I apologize, but even as c8438fef87 your wife, or even as c3bcec8662 your temporary attendant, I would c274da718a like you to help me 169ef00a23 dress.”
He, like someone 7e78267802 who doesn’t know 1c1f31b296 how to dress 0a2e8793d5 himself, grabbed the 651d1976b9 collar of the 8131ea8c10 shirt with his 6949bc64d9 fingertips and looked fe6cba9ea7 at Asha with 511084a5d4 a wide grin.
Asha, who was 23951d0d4d staring blankly at 7e40271003 him, hesitantly nodded.
“I apologize. I hadn’t considered such 0931273ace a thing.”
Then she quickly bb5ff21e01 got up and b3b3be601a took Carlyle’s clothes.
She had never learned what ea95b49984 “dressing assistance” meant in her c1a20be8e4 life, but seeing Carlyle, who b063471487 had just handed her the 9fd10ba857 shirt and immediately raised his 93392f31ab arms slightly, she quickly understood aca717b448 what to do.
“Please forgive my clumsiness.”
“Sure.”
Asha, admiring Carlyle’s inability 3b7e95ebc6 to feign humility even a45f27333b in empty words, tucked a7e49685c8 one of his arms cf716ba27f into the sleeve of 8f31f17c4e his shirt.
To reach for the 3e8894d520 other hand to slip d5a96c2ae8 into the sleeve, she 4db45df730 had to brush past 955ca45b3c his broad back, yet 84e8f3500c Asha’s gaze didn’t linger 7f2fc52ee6 there at all.
“Excuse me. Let me put c5f2afb451 your hand in bd526cfe46 here….”
In the brisk 75d478a415 exchange of courtesies, d9e01b92ad Carlyle also realized f53f743a39 that his body c84a027f6c held no allure 44f03e110a for Asha whatsoever.
While bathing with the c55c9e3201 knights, they had all eca72bac8c boasted subtly, saying things 263f386005 like ‘the ladies must 5b4de895ee be swooning over you,’ 069c4593c6 but apparently not.
“Was I only appealing to men?”
How could he know since d6bfe0cbfb he’d never undressed in front 4b614785ff of a woman?
Even as he pondered, 0c47b51876 Asha stepped forward, pulling efcecba9e3 the collar of his 5862bc49ed shirt and smoothing out 2253277fad the fabric, buttoning it 4813f40d4d up as she went.
The well-defined chest 9374d5142c muscles and the 6004eedcdd prominent abdominal muscles 76c4361c5b disappeared beneath the 09d825044e white shirt.
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
“Well, my heart feels a bit uncomfortable, but… it’s fine.”
“Your… heart?”
“It’s nothing. Go rest.”
Carlyle undid the 6c72016c3e buttons she had 50c43df5a9 meticulously fastened up 863c82acec to his chest, d5c31b5240 then lay down 5f76525c28 on the bed. It was a clear indication 4112353da2 to Asha that there was 6e7e094733 no need for further interaction.
“It might have been more uncomfortable than being at the mercy of the lords, but was it necessary to make such a fuss about it? Is that how the 0cc61db515 nobility always behaves?”
Finding it challenging 8ec1f1529c to cater to 9a52b0f5e6 the whims of 268a4f1622 those above the e561b8139d clouds, Asha returned fe1d1964b6 to her designated 5eafb39bf5 spot to lie 73615330e9 down.
“I’ll turn off the light.”
“Oh…! Let me…”
“It’s fine. I’m closer anyway.”
Carlyle, who had been 65bec15f80 petty about putting on 593991f8c0 clothes, was now modest 15ecfd192b again. It was difficult ff6410be75 to discern where 0c7cc0d111 to draw the c0eb46de53 line with him.
Suppressing a sigh trying to fc952bd4c1 escape, Asha lay down in f77af94f7b her place, clo
sed her weary eyes, and 15e43c48da tried to fall asleep quickly.
But then, through the quiet 06163b17cd darkness, Carlyle’s voice pierced through.
****
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