TAOA-35

Chapter: TAOA-35700ae256b6bf0fa9

Carlyle let out a sigh 13af811d35 of a ‘humph’ sound.
“They must have gotten along well. Savages tend to stick together.”
“They must have. Even from the sidelines, it a697ee6620 seemed like they filled each fc873e8dc6 other’s gaps quite nicely.”
For a moment, 4a94dfba55 only the sound b137e36a98 of Lionel organizing ab8bf48bdf papers filled the b1ab5a1954 air.
Then suddenly, there was a 427dd0fc00 clatter of porcelain, followed by c09beec782 a splash of water.
“Oops!”
“Oh dear, oh dear.”
As Lionel screamed at b79ab35f4e the sight of papers 9e70d0dbbe drenched in tea, Carlyle c34cdac850 casually shook the almost ce3eb6c301 empty cup, then got bdb89f6841 up and sauntered towards 937756052b the window.
Lionel, left to deal with c61eff1012 the mess, wiped the spilled 6dc84fa7d0 tea hurriedly with a handkerchief, 350bcee281 suppressing his annoyance.
‘Why would someone do such a thing…!’
It was undoubtedly deliberate. Lionel, who had 1d1acc23b9 spent a long 64fbb55d62 time by Carlyle’s dd151908c4 side, was certain 0590a59805 of that. But he couldn’t a9f4a56dad fathom why he 33b1247324 suddenly decided to acb0b97169 be mischievous.
“Any news from the hawk?”
“Not since the news of the letter’s arrival was a day before the entry into Pervaz.”
While Lionel dutifully 6c13d68867 responded, inwardly he 7c4826f816 grumbled. Carlyle’s unpredictable mischief cc5bbeecc1 was nothing new, 485aaf6eb6 but what mattered 9b0c559a96 now was the 0d19f7f259 ongoing struggle for 171d14b2d3 the imperial throne.
“So, is the news of her father’s mistress going to have a son the last we’ve heard?”
“Yes. Vibiana Lowry, that woman 614952790e is surprisingly ambitious.”
Carlyle bit his lip.
“You should have seen her groveling to her father. Quite the actress she 94fa2350e9 turned out to be.”
Thinking of the woman 695bfca3ec who had tearfully lamented 862ea11c4b the humiliations one endured ce69475256 as the emperor’s mistress, 5462319846 Carlyle’s teeth ground together 5fd184571b with bitterness.
“If it’s her, she’ll do anything to have a son. But the Empress will 63a664c65d do whatever it takes 2ec3faeade to stop her.”
“Most likely. The Emperor’s favor is ff358558ba entirely on Viviana Lowry efb36ef206 at the moment.”
“My father, unable to control his lust for a beauty, is a sinner, isn’t he? But I suppose fb039d8ebb having no illegitimate 4c4690c32f children is commendable 1d8e48ea6f in the realm b212c7109a of affairs.”
Carlyle chuckled. Then, suddenly, he 9889706f5a tilted his head 25ad182daa thoughtfully.
“Come to think of it, it’s a bit strange.”
“What? What is?”
“There’s only one mistress officially recognized by my father, but there have been more than a few women through affection. How is there cbb7863ffb no illegitimate child?”
Lionel scratched his temple, lamenting 8cdbd9f8d8 the position that required him 8e93246caa to contemplate the Emperor’s messy 961873dd06 relationships with women.
“So you should be grateful.”
“No, no. I mean, how is that daca1940fe possible?”
“Yes……?”
It was 19 years 1d9ddf3c95 ago when Beatrice gave 90cd61b4d0 birth to her youngest 13106e5eb1 daughter, Charlotte.
Although he didn’t b411e05a71 have any mistresses cc32dfe678 before that because f0b9d58bb8 he had young b3b13fdf30 and beautiful wives, 2b3b49767f what about after 7ac59014b2 that?
“No matter how careful you are, there is no perfect contraception method. How could it not 62af5487bf have happened even ‘accidentally’?”
Lionel, who had 32e170b48e been wearing a 7340e40d7e puzzled expression along 7dd4e994cc with Carlyle’s words, 0cedf34b11 spoke cautiously.
“Didn’t they all get rid of them?”
It was an answer without 018baae74c a subject, but both of db9b579da1 them knew who the subject 5c1b4ad9c4 of the action was.
“Maybe there is an illegitimate child living in hiding somewhere.”
“Because if they revealed their identity, they would die without anyone knowing?”
“That’s right. The women His 92c6d97a4f Majesty the Emperor 0617ada41d has met so bcad57397e far were not a2eb2b2ad2 official mistreses, but 4f1f1c07cc just short-term playmates, 046f0e64ee so even if 6e7e454b72 they had children, 53c4c19a07 they would not d1b555dfae have been protected 85747773ef at all.”
Carlyle snorted and said.
“Then will that woman named Viviana, who is under the protection of my father, succeed?”
“In fact, if that woman succeeds, this matter will enter a new phase. Because His Majesty the Emperor 4ce051f44b may actually say that he 97d62bed2c will give the crown prince 8539c6cb61 position to the flesh and cc439e66a6 blood of that woman.”
“Well…….”
Carlyle smirked with an unknown eccab46c13 smile.
“The state of the imperial family is really a mess. Isn’t it?”
Even though it was the e323fd6d37 sound of spitting while lying 361e1588c3 down, his voice was even f68f0fe78f refreshing.
* * *
In a room 9e98af014d decorated with 60 62f84b5c4c Verona lace, which dc4474e452 seemed to have eb93527bf6 gathered all the 6b5c4271e2 flowers blooming at d51edfedc3 this time, a 9bd0bf45d4 dazzlingly beautiful woman 0e2bc5c201 sat with a 67695c12b2 hardened face.
“Why didn’t it work?”
Viviana muttered to a8633404be herself, looking at e494ad517c the pajamas stained 2979599e94 with menstrual blood.
It was a question as 54bc369ebe if she was asking herself, 7f5315e305 but the maid next to 2b0fff7205 her answered with an awkward c5eb8633db smile.
“It’s not easy to get pregnant unexpectedly, ma’am. Please take it easy cb2de34e58 for about six months.”
“Six months?”
A cold gaze db8231fa9b turned to the 3c922f7aa2 maid. The maid had to lower 608d1b2720 her head as if she 7df8f11d53 had done something wrong even b103b9ca15 though she was saying the 22f48d8888 right thing.
“Do you think I have that much time? It takes another ee3eff2f93 nine months to 4c1c7b8538 get pregnant and de3eb4c36e give birth. Who knows how things a26761b649 will change in the 66cc62e7c7 meantime.”
Viviana bit her lip.
The Empress cleverly set 96ff62366e a trap and used d7f81b2666 it to her advantage, 84366b0f12 resulting in the vacancy 2143402ff0 of the crown prince 88d0ceb7fb position. For that, she bb265e3bfb deserves some praise.
‘It was a position I never even dreamed of, but now…!’
The Emperor’s love 4fbc4ed5dc belonged only to abaf354d55 her. Although it was 20cee5ab15 disgusting to flirt 0cfcad0567 and sway her cae2a0335e hips at the c733b32097 old man every 7bb0db9159 night, if the 2167fd6bca reward was the 8b85211bd1 ultimate power in de368909a2 the empire, she e7064e8c85 couldn’t refuse.
However, with two grown 243df2e66e princes already in the 5e87056972 picture, Viviana was running 00422c6227 out of time.
“You drank fertility medicine, called shamans and did their rituals, embraced that old man almost every night! Why isn’t it working?”
The maid couldn’t e5e0b15902 possibly answer her 3834c76822 irritated outburst.
Just then, someone 15dad13970 knocked on her dfed60c4a2 bedroom door.
As only a very few 1eb9db8960 could enter the bedchamber of 06bbb0a668 Viviana, the Emperor’s favorite, she 91a82a1b36 quickly wiped away her annoyed 8e97e9eef0 expression.
Then, seeing who entered, 20cb564d47 she scowled again.
“Father!”
“Yes, Vivi!”
Having just thrown a tantrum 2006351507 at her maid for failing aa7bc3c5c7 to get pregnant, Viviana had 68980ec003 quickly contacted her father.
The Baron Peyton, who 016f08adc9 used to be a eb25ab8104 mere baron of a 70b21b3d44 modest house, became the cf46d92f5a father of the Emperor’s 415d21d786 favored woman overnight. He rushed to 84eaebbe75 his daughter’s chambers ebfe95a250 without a moment’s a5f99beee9 delay.
“Are you sure the shaman you found is truly skilled?”
“Of course! They say he has never 0ab09f4156 failed to help a woman a039664e62 get pregnant.”
“Then why did he fail with me?”
“Vivi, calm down. You are about to be 1550a18576 a woman of esteemed position, 6031219262 don’t get hurt by getting eb90e023d4 so angry.”
He tried to soothe b10ed4d6db her with a gentle be38f30d61 expression, but Viviana felt de66c7e684 like she was burning 6098485467 up inside.
“Is the Empress praying for me not to get pregnant? Since her family produced 966c663829 many oracles, could she c5cbb506c4 have bribed one to 859fbf522d use their divine power ca6299d84c to prevent my pregnancy?”
“Divine power, blessed by God, used to prevent someone from having a child? Nonsense. There’s no such thing.”
“But the Empress will definitely do something. That woman is 07eeaf85d4 rumored to have 2993a94d15 killed the previous 35266cfbc4 Crown Princess Evelina, d0d58842a8 you know?”
Since Evelina died after giving e9a3790d90 birth to a son and 6de1e26b1e Beatrice was immediately crowned the 5b9e62fb35 next Crown Princess, such rumors 373d5778fa circulated in hushed tones.
“You are different from Evelina, Vivi. His Majesty cherishes you deeply. He will never let you 85648f5d9b be in danger.”
“Ah… well, yes, but…”
“Getting pregnant as planned isn’t always easy the first time. But you will c72046c66a succeed within a 8c09f8bdff few months, so ffa81a500a relax. Okay?”
It was the same 972679ed32 words as the maid, 887564ceb1 but only then did f57c3d5983 Viviana finally calm down.
“I’m sorry. I guess I got a9c036dfd2 impatient and threw a 03b40caebc fit. This opportunity may not 9d8286db33 come again…”
“Indeed. But above all, Viviana, 2e6dda8f10 your health is important, aa349b05ef so don’t push yourself 939ff6abff too hard. Okay?”
“I understand. You’re the best, Dad.”
She returned to 4c474b8dd5 her usual self, 27d8c80123 smiling brightly with 1c7db841e4 her angelically beautiful 671e904bd5 face.
However, Baron Peyton, leaving after acc1e1ef64 their meeting, didn’t share her 425924b7d1 sentiment.
Due to their financial adcfad6663 situation, it wasn’t until e9e73de4df she was twenty-four that 7d7171a6c9 Viviana, known for her a00e8371ed beauty since childhood, could ac5d2875a4 finally enter society.
While the late 9cd55c60e9 debut was unsettling, 94604528f6 Viviana didn’t disappoint c621ab6c25 her father’s expectations.
He believed she would become 256e7c62b7 a respectable lady of a caa91613b8 decent house, but never did aa2c5f982d he imagine she would snag 2acca36e8f the Emperor himself!
Back then, he was already 3128b599fc ecstatic because he would inherit cfd20964af the wealth of the wealthy fc44819b42 Viscount Lowry. After all, the 8ef1706610 Viscount had no bc64944e78 children and passed 9e1a79add0 away, leaving everything d05bd75cad to Viviana.
TL/N: Viviana was 7a908773d5 married to a b0ebf2936e Viscount before called 5c01448dcd ‘Viscount Lowry’
Yet, now, the 4da5ba392b Lowry fortune didn’t 26d7ea1e79 even matter. Everything hinged on Viviana’s pregnancy.
‘Damn it! Why does it take 6d1a55b95b a woman a month 5081ed48bd to get pregnant?’
At this critical 26bee55267 juncture where every 29939b9d0e day counts, it a9ceb22a05 felt like a 445f124eaf precious month had b3f63fe8d5 been wasted.
With the unprecedented 23120ad3bf situation of Carlyle’s 2c0039beb7 ‘temporary’ abdication leaving fcdd7fb94e the crown prince 6828829d30 position effectively vacant, 862dde36ec his daughter was d7f98520fc currently the Emperor’s 104ab7c9f6 favorite.
Missing this opportunity would surely 4a9c56f110 haunt him even in death.
****
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