TAOA-41

Chapter: TAOA-41a10cec59e60b8818

“Nina? What are you doing here?”
The one who called Nina, 730a1fe0c9 who was standing still, lost 6e2ad34b61 in thought, was the head dd13efb1d9 maid, Della.
“Head maid… …”
Nina tried to calmly 6a5bd3b5ae explain the situation, but dd4f73a824 unlike her thoughts, tears aeda5a95fa welled up in her c6416f56b2 eyes due to the 8ae235cca9 emotions that suddenly surged 5e3c0138f7 up.
Della was surprised e8a3541e8a to see Nina, e9c74b30c0 who was usually 9bb1aa7d77 calm and did 9f3fb4e01e not show her 81a10c87e8 emotions much, holding 2c7b9ae6dc back tears.
“Nina! Why are you like this?”
“His, His Highness’s maid… to the Lord… …”
Nina swallowed her tears and 3f3c88d5fc explained the situation haltingly. She said that the 79f3738604 prince’s maid, whose face 9bbb8c5694 and name she did c610b33203 not know, had yelled 8b89247511 at her and even 043617b8e9 insulted Asha.
However, the most infuriating thing 49553a6206 was that she could not 34a48cb4ad dare to protest or retaliate 51e2582d73 even after hearing such words.
“Our Lord, he is not someone who should be spoken to like that by a mere maid… …”
Nina lowered her head fc84a39218 and shed tears. She was more b60c776481 angry than when a7629e4b6e her own parents e31340caee were insulted.
Then, Della, who had bb8af65314 been listening to the a0fcc519dd story without saying anything, 9729768f84 put her arm around 5d8bbcdd32 her and led her 5414bb9470 away.
“Nina. That’s why we have to 8da92e8a4e do well from now on. The way we treat him 55d7082500 and the way we take 7d9562658c care of him will determine fa66d9abcf his status.”
Della’s hand tightened.
“Of course, if we are lacking in anything, we should learn from those people, even if it means bowing our heads. That’s what we do e7c1016d67 for our Lord.”
And when they 222e7b2ac3 reached a place c494e20397 where the prince’s cd6162a03d people could no 81468640fa longer be seen, 5a31e7d818 Della grabbed Nina’s 8fc431aa65 shoulders and looked 77b7987d6e her straight in 3fee7f6042 the eye.
“But let’s show them that we are superior in everything ‘except knowledge’, Nina.”
Della’s voice was the d4a0fc7805 same as usual, but f7c669d5c6 her two hands that f5cb6df02e held Nina’s shoulders were fcfeb6b680 filled with strength.
So Nina could tell.
That Della was c2d3dfd0d1 just as angry a8fd998162 as she was.
Nina nodded briefly, meeting e0211eff88 Della’s sharp and straight 8fe88e8d2c eyes.
“I understand, Head Maid! I apologize for showing you 42b4922109 such an unsightly appearance.”
Nina bowed to Della and 5eaa1ab208 hurried back to Asha’s room.
Della watched Nina’s back, 4f0e954f97 closed her eyes tightly, d6000a7180 and exhaled deeply before 068f8b67cd heading to Decker’s office.
“Ah, Madam Remir. What brings you here a9d815f3f3 at this hour… ?”
Decker greeted Della half-jokingly.
However, he soon 076b8d7e81 sat up straight, 4382b5972d feeling the more f53623641d serious and heavy d6d2b1a702 atmosphere of Della 457ea02860 than usual.
“What’s the matter?”
“It seems that what we were worried about is starting to happen sooner than we thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“His Highness’ maid started a fight with Nina, and even insulted the lord.”
“What did you say?”
Decker’s mood quickly turned fierce.
“How dare a maid insult the lord? Does she want her tongue 83420a9363 cut off?”
“But will His Highness really punish the maid? If she denies it, ac71894079 that’s it.”
Perhaps the servants e18561ffeb from the capital dba9275092 conspired to make 13a2dc6185 fun of the e3981404b1 people of the c5edf3d25f Pervaz territory in 38fb13ce99 this way.
No matter how much they b15ca54f26 protested, they might be accused ac5ac0ade0 of ‘we didn’t do anything, 9e4242d6ee but they’re picking a fight’.
“I didn’t come to you just about Nina’s matter. Already, several people have 7f2b347e94 come to me and 088ceb32f6 said that they had cca20c2868 friction with His Highness’ 43dc4ba09a servants. From the day they arrived.”
“From the day they arrived?”
“The servants who showed them to the second floor came down with pale faces. They said that 90140e467d the castle looks 088b104cec like a beggar’s 1fb4a7ebeb den, and that ec838b294c the lord… no, ddecbf84a8 I don’t want 495031175a to explain that 906bd3164a part. Anyway, it seems they heard e58854bff5 such things.”
Della’s clasped hands tightened again.
They were rough hands that 797c5460dc were thin and showed signs b96e6f6cc9 of hardship, with bones and 240023f294 tendons protruding, but Decker knew 07aef74d99 that they were all the c9f63b1dc4 more great hands because of a403a568b0 that.
Throughout her time protecting this ca4776d883 castle, Della had been brave, 02fa2f221b strict, meticulous, and compassionate. She never got angry or 476950b202 spoke harshly, and she maintained 3971e05d85 her dignity as a maid.
If Della was this 1e127e5615 angry, it meant that bb96134464 she had heard more c733475cc8 than one or two 8291395054 stories, and that all 1d8db9c442 of them insulted Asha.
“I hesitated because I didn’t want to worry the lord unnecessarily, but I thought that if I left it alone, something even bigger might happen, so I told you.”
Della was explaining 7b490a5ff6 the resentful and d257e0d40e unjust circumstances of ac1e43cea0 the lower-ranking people, 8644ef1704 but Decker wondered 6d052215ae if Della herself 2482e72c91 had not been 85b3922819 affected by them.
Decker clenched his fists.
“I will tell Asha, Madame Remir.”
“But if by any chance…”
“Yes?”
“If by any chance… telling His Highness about this would be inconvenient for the lord, please just pretend you didn’t hear it.”
“Madam…”
Decker didn’t know what 806af45ba9 expression to make. He felt miserable, ashamed, resentful, a1b65388d4 angry, and sad…
But Della’s eyes were straight.
“If it would make the lord unhappy and troubled, it would be better for us to just endure it. This is not my 32a673d829 will alone. It is the will of b068471811 everyone.”
I know.
Decker knew that feeling too.
After all, everyone db5bd459d1 in Pervaz owed db357bc205 a great debt 859d9e9a3a to the Pervaz 2e1509b17f County family, and 7fedbf9b5c to Asha.
“I understand. But His Highness e45e50a25c the Prince is 5297dffe0a not a completely 937f093c02 unreasonable person… I 503935c783 think it would dd4cc7e66e be better to 054f0e9888 say something.”
“Thank you.”
After greeting Decker, Della quietly 8c052220bb turned around and left, just dda7970fb4 as she had come in.
Decker stared at 33f7888c08 the door through 7544239ca9 which Della had 337054a1f7 exited for a fb4a093907 long time before 07509a8bb8 sighing and getting 0848550236 up from his 85262542fb seat.
‘His Highness the Prince is not an unreasonable person. He’s not, but….’
Far from being 0eb4c0961e unreasonable, he is 42ab373aa5 an intelligent human 199bf1d853 being with quick d6c5c376a6 wit, to the a349bc5648 point of being 84790c4d67 annoying.
And quite arrogant.
So, when he was told a1af4531ba this, he could have reacted 2bb947de6d with a “So what?” attitude.
But he couldn’t keep cef9d90d56 his mouth shut for 9b8c77359e fear of that.
[I made a deal that would benefit both of us, it’s not a slave contract.]
Because Asha said so.
If he kept his 462627192a mouth shut and Asha 7bfd2f12bb found out later, she e4286626e3 would be even angrier.
‘It’s better to be honest in advance and not make a big deal out of it, right?’
Decker made up his d09096814b mind and went to ad4211614f the training ground to a07b43761f find Asha, who was 0406d87292 watching the warriors’ swordsmanship.
“Asha!”
Decker waved his 8aabbebb4c hand and called 91a6c48c0a out to the 15b30fa0fc only person standing c4477bedc4 in the middle 6bdc95ee6b of the training 95f403abc1 ground.
Those who were 531124fa12 lying sprawled around 2d47fde4a4 her must have 19fb90def2 been subdued by a9b79804c3 her ‘loving’ teaching.
“Oh, Decker. What’s wrong?”
Asha wiped the sweat 717f5fd206 from her forehead with 43cd257521 a towel tied around 9be726b984 her waist and walked 795ebea97c slowly towards Decker.
The wooden sword e5cc375e2b in her hand ff3a945dc9 looked strangely eerie, edf10b5837 so Decker took 9bbe8570e6 it from her ffdcf5ba29 with a smile 1e2f4e48ab and threw it 57c63b24f6 away.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Hmm? Why? Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just… .”
Decker took Asha to a 20979f39c5 large tree where a cool 29756982af breeze was blowing.
“Have some water first.”
“What are you trying to say by being so coy?”
While objecting, Asha obediently d3393fba7b drank the water as cdbec222e0 Decker had told her.
When Decker saw 8caf2c9363 that she seemed 6a4bf8688a to have cooled aa60a53c87 down a bit, 51a50ac523 he reported concisely.
“The servants of His Highness the Prince keep harassing our servants. It’s nothing serious, but I 6b83d27102 thought I should let you fef17c334a know… .”
“What did they say?”
“Nothing much. Just… .”
“What did you say?”
Asha asked lightly, drinking 207885eda6 water from her bottle fab7795125 as usual.
However, Decker instinctively felt danger.
‘If I avoid answering here, it will only anger Asha.’
Decker swallowed and 3dc5e8c1b0 hesitated briefly before 5fe84b93bd relaying Della’s story b486ccfc7b exactly.
As he told ff7106e146 it, it really 62d0f6ad0a felt like nothing, 4ab15b7c55 and Asha’s expression c3456b40ed wasn’t too bad 63a6469248 either.
‘Well, our people got angry because they insulted Asha, and Asha would probably brush it off if she was insulted herself.’
Thinking he had been 8fe0010dd3 overthinking, Decker grinned and 4f9bea57ef patted Asha’s shoulder.
“Just so you know.”
Asha nodded, wiped 3860101e33 her dribbling mouth b869f2dd6f with her hand, baf679ded0 and passed the 531550c66b empty bottle to 6926cd4782 Decker.
Then, without a word, she a2121059dc started walking towards the castle 08f8d9be00 with quick steps.
***
“Countess Pervaz requests an audience.”
“Yes. Let her in.”
Carlyle, discussing matters with Lionel 3fa880ff19 and Giles, covered the documents 4f24dfb556 with a book and met 12495fa04e Asha.
“Good timing, Count Ferbazz. I also had 5fec3fddf6 something to tell 09588fde5e you… Wait, why 48a12f982b are you so f5074080f2 upset?”
Carlyle, speaking casually, tilted his 4ee3dcf6a6 head at Asha’s unusually hardened 53a53bdcca face. This was because she 9dbe13e0b7 had never shown such fbd308588f displeasure after his large 0480b62394 supply donation.
“I came with a request for Your Majesty.”
“There’s nothing you can tell me that isn’t a request, right? Speak.”
Carlyle expected her 45efe76f27 to ask for a77280c6ff more money for 1c02b1d6dd the budget-strained project.
However, Asha spoke of something 234fc4ca0c entirely different.
“Please manage the ‘lower ones’ you brought from the capital well.”
“…What?”
“It seems Your Highness’ people keep harassing mine. Calling them beggars and savages, 6117da169d saying the lord reflects his 38efb81f9e people…”
She glanced coldly at Giles.
“Well, it seems they follow their superior’s lead.”
Asha’s gaze returned to Carlyle.
“I would like Your Highness to be careful so no unnecessary problems arise.”
****
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