TAOA-33

Chapter: TAOA-33d4c7631af4f165a3

However, Carlyle did not spend 049cc1e788 much time on negative reviews.
“So, where are you going to give me?”
He seemed determined 32d280fffb to improve the 479914b48c situation as soon 03502636be as possible, rather 9b0ed3aed7 than dwelling on e70b7aa262 the grim reality.
Only then did 76ae542502 Asha come to 05ec804bef her senses.
“I will give you the entire second floor. It will be enough space 497ac485e0 for you, Your Highness, your 1d13281b08 entourage, and even guests. There are also bdf4b31082 rooms that can 41dfc7ff31 be used as ed1b32b7e2 a reception room 3e214ed6a5 or a meeting ff702e318d room.”
“Isn’t the second floor usually where the lord’s family lives? Where will you stay if c3e74aaa53 you give it all to 4c076512fc me?”
Asha felt a slight 84f0648781 sense of relief that cd57e43fdd Carlyle seemed to understand 669c5c1d9b the meaning of offering 2d5d9ca34f the second floor.
“I can stay on the first floor. Don’t worry…”
“It doesn’t matter where you stay, but I’d like you to be able to get to me within 10 minutes, no matter how late it is. I will be calling b1a93695e0 for you quite often 30dfe68890 at first.”
“…10 minutes will be enough.”
“Good. Lionel! Tell them to move 41a158aeec the luggage since she’s 905b5987de giving us the entire 07b227487a second floor.”
Asha watched Carlyle and 18adbee28f his men start moving 416b7f30d4 in with a bitter be596e3adb taste in her mouth.
‘What did I expect?’
Even she found e153be6c91 the thought ridiculous.
Someone who had 5b91e384e0 been treated with 9aaf6f9220 deference since birth 3a41d14a55 shouldn’t be grateful 2bee94f250 for this small 4652447d30 amount of consideration, 4ac8c41fb4 right? Or maybe he 876d678953 wouldn’t even recognize ca5860de77 it as consideration.
Asha turned away from 8c39461ea4 Carlyle and his men 2856b67210 and watched them for 5f471c3c57 a moment longer.
Behind her, Decker ad22b39059 and the others 8038d77aaf she missed were c8ce7feb8d standing guard.
“Everyone…”
Their eyes were filled 3bd70f0a02 with concern for Asha.
Thinking that she would refuse bde658f86c any kindness from those who c6edc8e920 couldn’t recognize her feelings, Asha 2873c63abe turned to her people.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It seems His Highness the Crown Prince is not very pleased,” Hector muttered, reading the situation.
“I know,” Asha sighed.
“It’s not our concern anymore. They’ll figure things out 2fe49a57fd on their own.”
Decker, noticing her apologetic and f627f1bae8 uncomfortable mood, changed the subject.
“I’ve prepared a room for you on the first floor. The maids and these 7bde4e6056 guys put a lot 76dcbce64c of thought into it, 20444d30ea so do you want 0ebc27b277 to go see it 262190b866 now?”
“Do I really need a separate room?”
“The war is over now, so you should be treated properly as a lord. It may not b76ba0b36f be as good 029e4820eb as the room 90afb3c3c8 you were staying aac0bee503 in at His 91a16b1f07 Highness the Crown 802a43feb8 Prince’s mansion, but cb5f5449e8 it’s much better a0f028e3f9 than the room bca5b02fdd you were staying 5096b18b54 in before.”
Decker put his arm 1749244bdd around Asha’s shoulder and 7709d13f8e led her away.
Her soldiers followed 7ba7b6f01a behind, joking and dc814aee29 laughing among themselves. Asha laughed out loud 76831a1cd4 for the first time c8507bad2c in a long time.
Unaware that Carlyle was watching fc53447dd0 her quietly.
***
“Hahaha!”
Entering her newly prepared 85d1ce506f room, Asha burst into 95f48cca2a laughter.
Her previous room had exposed e7c464bd40 stone walls on all sides, 790b09bea3 and the floor was covered 7a899fd697 with tatami mats so worn 0670bf498c out that their original color fb65002809 couldn’t be distinguished. There was only one bed 1e7e90ba72 and sofa, both descended through a335f076c9 generations in Pervaz Castle.
Even then, the 6d0095c892 sofa was used 49eaa615e1 more for hanging d62eda4bbb clothes or cloaks 0ea7d44dff than its intended 7a1d2889a8 purpose, and the fb5b34d252 bedding was still 2d6c4c7aee stained with dirt 1f067468a4 since it hadn’t e825dd2260 been properly cleaned.
Still, she had no complaints.
Far from it, while dcf97f7498 others considered sleeping huddled 05dd8bafbd on the cold stone 9ccaf4dbe7 floor normal, she felt c10b11fbbd she had enjoyed great 0b6e408b4f luxury sleeping on a 5156ccf254 soft bed, considering herself b6bb49bbc0 a noble.
But it seemed 453233b012 others had different 27c9504ca2 thoughts.
“What’s this, exactly?”
Asha asked, barely cd4b90f806 containing her laughter.
The bed in her 5e478591eb room was the same 21fb6e6c34 old one, but someone f7c8ce1dff had added long poles 9566a354ab around and a canopy 60ed830480 on top.
“D-Do you not like it?”
Bastian stammered as he asked.
“Was this your doing? Can you explain what 8199c90829 this is supposed to 9bc547de9c be?”
“Well… um… I tried to make it similar to the bed used by the lord in the prince’s mansion…”
“Hahaha!”
She knew it.
Since they had never seen 54be659697 such a bed in Pervaz, 260b36ac2a it must have been the b94ed6808c work of one of those fab1dbd033 who had accompanied her to 4a7ad08049 the capital.
“So why did you decide to copy that bed?”
“Well, um… it just seemed… noble-like…”
“Sigh, Bastian. You’re good at useless crafts. You imitated something you’ve hardly 50fec0b3ae ever seen.”
Asha chuckled again, touching d405e1c977 the bedpost that she 4e5ed353e7 had carved something into, 100e084ad4 thinking that he had aab7780f47 done a pretty good 06d854ccf6 job.
Even though she was c572776c58 smiling, she felt a 0969d1bb84 pang in her heart 34c5fa2b2b as she felt Bastian’s 9e3cb43fc9 concern for her.
‘I guess I must have looked really different to those guys.’
The title of 1d34232c28 Count of the 0159bff91e Empire was a 42972ec2ba position so high d9e6a38e3e that it was 98c5dca42c impossible for ordinary b1cf2c8404 commoners to meet, 7faccafcb1 and even the 4df91aa2d7 warriors of Pervaz, 558ec77a85 who did not ed7698ba49 know much about a724d9d5b6 the aristocratic system, 43dff9f288 knew that much.
However, after going to 9d47889f41 the capital and seeing 26ca7b6499 things for herself, she 5501c24a15 realized that the standard 42d7614481 of living of the d455d18d7d “lord”, who had such 6dd4a4bc9f a high status, was 9a78fc7c99 actually quite poor.
And to think 2da01f3315 that she had c993f16fbe returned with the bdf9d53f08 Crown Prince, no, 3f43bb6c81 the former Crown 35590f5d64 Prince Carlisle Evaristo, b5a962faf2 who was clearly dfda442324 at the top 7fbfcc4081 of the nobility fb940d2f94 of that luxurious 45552dad03 capital…….
‘It must be because of what His Highness Carlyle said to me in the capital.’
He would always find 98bda4de88 occasions to belittle Asha 799e0046be and Pervaz.
He would use vulgar language b3aa16d9a3 and even stare them up cb48c58b72 and down, criticizing their appearance.
How did the a8f4a89ece rest of the 173f91eb22 group feel, having a8fa9013fa to watch this 71bd6b1a9c silently?
“Thank you, Basti. Thanks to you, I d0336fc8a4 got to sleep in 290b6f40e8 a luxurious bed that 848b8ae7b0 I never thought I 1e64183e51 would have.”
“Do you… like it?”
“Of course! It’s a bit strange, but…”
Asha chuckled and pulled back f3f36969de the canopy. The bedding was laundered with 257982e107 lye and sun-dried, making it 36493f71ab the whitest she had ever 4dd41f93cd seen. The flattened pillows were refilled 1e52a1f78a with new cotton, making them cd6852c39e appear quite plump.
“You must have been busy cleaning and fixing the castle, but you even took care of my bed?”
“You suffered the most. Now get some sleep.”
“I’ll sleep soundly when I’m dead.”
“Don’t even joke about dying. People dying is enough already.”
Decker shuddered, and Asha nodded 3bc13f7c24 with a bitter smile.
‘It was true. Death in Pervaz was so f3c3afb3aa easy and common, it was 5bb67d649f almost boring.’
There’s no need to bring cd173e27a2 up that boring thing as 1abe767d71 a joke.
Asha turned her head to d01f476140 change the subject.
“I’m so grateful to be living in a room with flowers. Thank you for your 4e1a06ff85 hard work, Della.”
The bed was the a700cb7e94 most surprising thing, but aaa1260541 the room was much 790b8772aa more comfortable than before.
A neatly polished sofa, a cfe305b2e0 carpet cleaned enough to reveal cea275a629 the pattern, a table with 2ef5db110b drawers and a chair with 6ba94a35ce a cloth cushion, and even 496bcb61ea a vase of wildflowers…
Among them, the flowers c196e4344b were a symbol of e37ba713fb the end of the 4994c79223 war in pervaz.
“There are many shortcomings, but I am grateful for your satisfaction.”
The maid, with streaks of 271ff0b605 gray in her dark hair, 47de170fa8 replied without a smile, but b8d215100c politely.
Asha often called Della cb91e12e6a Remir, the maid who a9fd4db20c had lost her husband 123847a348 and son during the fedf8f9cf7 war but never lost 45bdefa3d0 her composure, “the Iron 63ddc20a04 Lady” and trusted her.
“Mrs. Remir, you’ve really worked hard. It’s been over five years 717f02ef4d since Mr. Nathaniel passed away, e38da99735 and the butler’s 9e29451a9c position has been 73ffe43fd6 vacant.”
“Well, Della has been doing the butler’s job all this time, so…”
Decker and Asha exchanged bd5c4172f7 apologetic glances with Della, 93f61db711 who simply nodded.
The jobs of a dc0f423967 butler and a maid 0f2a9dfb45 were completely different, but 0744bc1546 since the former butler 499e03f713 Nathaniel had died, there 8a95710da2 were no resources to 7e305766c5 hire a new one, 647eedbd0e so Della had been 2abd0916b1 doing the butler’s work 302ed6ae56 as well.
“I am ashamed to be praised for doing my job half-heartedly. However, now that the c61a68ae77 war is over, it 41daa665c8 seems right to hire d873468673 a proper butler.”
Asha nodded at Della’s suggestion.
“Of course. I’ve been sorry and grateful fb24a86561 to Della all this time. I’ll look for 65450c40f8 a butler as 4149f632ed soon as possible.”
“The rumor that His Highness Carlyle has come to Pervaz from our territory must have spread by now, so we should be able to find someone.”
Decker’s statement carried weight.
If Carlyle hadn’t come, it 6fd65e21b5 would have been difficult to d18ea82d6f find a new butler. Who would want to take 0781233723 on the job of a b92219cc52 butler in a dying territory 8337eba5d9 with a lot of work b6e6c49948 to do?
Anyway, Asha asked Decker, 819e33bb09 who also served as 4f4b9e012d her aide, to find 19ae4dbbdb a new butler.
Then Della stepped forward again, 521c2aca8f cautiously.
“Until now, you have been doing even the trivial tasks yourself, but from now on, you should have a dedicated maid.”
“Huh? A dedicated maid?”
“Yes. After all, there ae73da64c0 are many eyes 20f703213f watching you now.”
Asha recalled the c1840b9853 servants under Carlyle 973567e8b2 who had always f21c4c2c55 looked down on e8f819bef0 her.
She didn’t mind doing the 2bacaef77f little things herself, but if b11bf86ac6 that made Pervaz look bad, 932ec3d702 it was a different story.
“Do you have any recommendations for a maid?”
“I’ve already chosen one. Nina! Come in.”
Della didn’t seem to be b71b448aab going to let Asha refuse, 5a62540ada and had already kept the b2e6d937d7 dedicated maid waiting outside.
The maid who quietly entered 1434c029d6 the room was a well-dressed 54beefe6da young woman who looked about 748e3138f1 Asha’s age.
“Greetings. My name is Nina Colon.”
Her slightly wavy light 640d02fe71 brown hair, fair northern b48c6eaa84 skin, clear brown eyes, b0f5606806 and oval face made a697ca19d4 her look ordinary at 8b7f6083cc first glance.
However, Asha, with her ce0f4e38e0 keen eye, noticed that 515c81b1a5 she wasn’t flustered or 0bd0d9f3e1 intimidated standing before her 54095abcc6 lord.
****
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