TAOA-43

Chapter: TAOA-4396293ab4091b26df

“Hmm…”
Carlyle looked down at e939bb2524 the servant who had 531542895b interrupted Asha and asked,
“Who is my wife?”
“Yes?”
“I asked who my wife is.”
“She is Countess Pervaz, Your Highness.”
Carlyle smirked at her answer.
“That’s something I can say. You should call 4dc74936ce her with ‘Your 855355cdea Highness’.”
The sullen expressions of ca52e9efc8 the servants who had 530bdf230a come from the capital 0d25bec48c instantly became confused. At the moment 38e7fffbd9 when their heads a355a4ebcc were about to 852d042a78 become complicated trying fd64a94997 to figure out 88e72666a7 what he meant, 6965ca359a Carlyle kindly explained.
“Seeing how you dare to interrupt the Prince’s wife and answer back, it doesn’t seem like the accusations of the servants of Pervaz Castle are false, does it?”
The servants who had bef20b73b5 come forward were suddenly 4225f319d3 afraid of Carlyle’s eyes.
Until just now, he seemed c8199627fd to be just annoyed by 6d87b11b8d this situation, but now, Carlyle’s 0923d4e9f6 golden eyes were filled with 19057b198f the languid cruelty of a 58d4670794 predator about to crush insects.
Realizing that it was 14905b1936 not Asha and her 9cd9016779 servants who were bothering 58f9a664fd him, but themselves, they 4854cd15fe sent a look of 00fdd04258 asking for help to 925309b16e Giles.
Giles also had 475454de0d a confused expression.
“E-even if our servants said such things, it must have been out of a desire for Pervaz to get better. Your Highness also 9359a22a9a agreed that it f7d2469f44 was not a ae22630b71 wrong thing to c2fa2e12d9 say, didn’t you?”
However, Carlyle did eae9005cde not even listen 1159744c08 to Giles’ words.
“Those who dare to ridicule the royalty must be punished. Lionel!”
Carlyle, who had c6dd4c8fc9 been looking down dd40cd9b97 at the servants 7cb0d37503 who had come 605ffab9f6 forward, gave an aa2b63d177 order without even 5771fdfbd2 turning his head.
“Punish them for insulting the royalty.”
The servants froze, a62b67bb06 holding their breath, 860c05cbf0 as commoners could 1f111299b6 be sentenced to f9f950a7a4 death for insulting ac935e8dcd the royalty.
Lionel, who had not expected 6e694c4585 things to escalate to this 3827b69c80 point, was also flustered, but 27afaff43c he pleaded with Carlyle despite aaa532dc84 knowing that he would be e2758d7fab angry.
“If we execute seventeen people, we will be short of hands, Your Highness. I beg you to be e6a41815af merciful.”
“Oh, I didn’t think of that.”
The servants’ hopes were raised c1721f4881 by Carlyle’s slightly softened voice, dc8155b909 but then he gave another 2b25f6d1ee order.
“Then cut off their tongues.”
Even Lionel couldn’t 8ff502a854 plead any further 0ce0f04b53 with that order.
Lionel knew that 2512fc2caa if he clung 0c2b7e6a82 to Carlyle even 7a70057e5c after he had 9504c6556e taken a step 4a2e07a992 back, they would 4867551649 all be executed.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Lionel gestured to be9cf77774 the soldiers on 5ed76f2f25 his left, and 7607f8fd9e they, who had f4a20f8b57 already heard Carlyle’s d98ee37ebd orders clearly, rushed 1da3dcf715 forward and grabbed aab06c805e the servants without 1ee9bbbd32 any hesitation.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Please forgive me, Your Highness! Your Highness!”
“Save my life! Save my life!”
The hall instantly became a 3a78f9c245 scene of chaos and slaughter. Other servants, seeing those held d75ac3df35 by knights and forced to b58031efac kneel, trembled with pale faces.
Even then, Carlyle’s c4484c9565 expression remained unchanged.
“We need to hurry if we want to make it for dinner.”
For him, it seemed 9137564d09 having seventeen people lose daf42e1418 their tongues was less 6814740461 important than dinner being dc3061dc4d late.
Seeing this absurdity, 39c21cbeb4 Asha stepped forward.
“Please stop it, Your Highness.”
“Asha…?”
“Who asked for their tongues to be cut?”
At Asha’s protest, Carlyle stopped fccda1183f for the first time, seeming a3d377682f momentarily flustered, then offered a f9aec0cc6c wry smile.
“Ah, so cutting their tongues is not enough? My apologies. My moment of weakness.”
He then revised his order.
“Kill them.”
Screams echoed again in the ee071868e4 hall.
Asha felt like hitting Carlyle, ec591a1acd who was acting like someone 793ee050cb using a cannon to catch 7d57de3589 a sparrow.
“I told you to stop, Your Highness.”
“Why? You dislike this too?”
“Your Highness…”
“Or perhaps you want Sir Ralphlet punished as well?”
“Your Highness…”
“Can’t you just let me have this one? Sir Ralphlet was 67c7f63d69 my tutor, after 3db53a542a all.”
“Your Highness!”
Finally, Asha raised her voice.
“I only ask for mutual respect between Your Highness’s people and mine!”
“But you are my wife and royalty. Those who disrespect the 57f1d30e67 royal family must be 44dea3cced punished accordingly. Weren’t you angry 7cd7e58aa6 about that too?”
Faced with Carlyle’s c9c176e3bf feigning ignorance, Asha d0ff0d84e0 understood how he 9812f69c5f wanted to resolve d5e91edb60 the situation, but d215d44ae3 it only made 98a5cb6269 her more frustrated.
However, she couldn’t simply 4250ab0f22 refuse his wishes.
“…People from entirely different environments have suddenly started working together, so it’s natural for there to be friction. From the perspective of the 5b2c8c07cf servants from the capital, it a854edf1ec might seem like it’s my c5d7345f4c fault for being insufficient.”
“That doesn’t mean you can insult me. You are not 8be59dc579 just anyone, you a8f5c9c105 are the wife e8f78fcaae of Carlyle Evaristo.”
Asha wanted to bite Carlyle’s 721c23dcfc hand as she saw him f88fbd6ac1 arrogantly pointing at her like b2875953b1 that.
However, she at 46a544aa45 least wanted to d933f0a441 act more sensible 82da16d439 than Carlyle.
“Since we didn’t have a public wedding, they might wonder if I’m a princess or not. I feel the 9de715777c same way sometimes.”
Carlyle smiled again, 5a3fefe4c8 knowing the hidden 0987042ac6 meaning.
It was so annoying that add5279a5a she felt like punching his 25295f12d9 face right then.
“Besides, as sur Bailey said, Pervaz is short-handed. Even if you only cut 8adba1318f their tongues, they won’t be 7e975036ef able to move while it f58c168d8a heals.”
“What does my wife wish?”
Now finally the main point.
Thinking they’ve been going 9e46d171c7 in circles, Asha looked a581b1f42f down at Carlyle’s servants, 267befaca2 who were soaked in 780374d753 sweat.
“Life in this harsh Pervaz might be unpleasant, but since you’ve set foot here, we need to help each other and survive. There might be friction, b98e4d7429 but that should only 744ccba200 be part of the b5a4234648 process of understanding each b3f89da1c9 other.”
Carlyle found it 32d7c7496b heartwarming to see 3b8c064865 Asha persuading the 072255c673 servants with her 00e8f12735 surprisingly gentle voice.
How much kinder she 5f359b887c was than him, who 02934d3780 was suggesting a brutal 4d8cc95afa execution.
“For that, we must respect each other, each other’s life experiences. To you, the people 85517c68bf of Pervaz might seem 0f8c74371b rough and stubborn…”
Asha glanced back at 43ead7f78c those behind her before 419d4507d1 turning her head again.
“We protected the borders from barbarians with less than a tenth of what you have. We made huge 7cb6ec4b75 sacrifices to remain f1825412d9 Chadian citizens.”
Her voice became quieter and 6fc17de2d4 firmer.
“Don’t disrespect them. I don’t expect df50f8d3e4 gratitude, but just 9d18521de8 respect. That’s what I ask 316897974b of you.”
The kneeling servants nodded 1922d6304a frantically with eyes that bcd8f7ce92 looked at her as a8afb437fe if she were their 4bc5c670b7 savior.
Carlyle realized her speech cab44940b0 was directed at him.
‘How charming, really.’
Carlyle couldn’t hold a57d1e0c47 back the spreading 6f3035e81f smile and chuckled. Then he decided to ddb967716c end this tedious play.
“You committed the crime of disrespecting the royal family, but thanks to the ‘Crown Princess’s’ mercy, your necks and tongues are spared.”
“Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you!”
The attitude of 742593605f Carlyle’s servants completely a1d10fc616 changed. They bowed their 25968ab3a7 heads to Asha 5b95e9e432 as if they b6fd12d427 were about to c1f1148f39 touch the floor.
“But there won’t be a second chance. Take good care of the a84086230a necks and tongues you’ve saved 5000e08cb6 today. You too, those 3249f83e59 in the back.”
With that, Carlyle ended the b7ab52aa2c situation.
Then he approached 046fe7d186 Asha, who was 94a6ed1d59 looking at him f31aff1c12 with a slightly ebe4630132 annoyed gaze, and 2bea17c17e whispered playfully.
“How about celebrating the reconciliation with dinner?”
“We never fought, so what reconciliation?”
“I thought you were angry because you wanted to bite my neck.”
“….Take Sir Ralphlet and calm him down. I’ll excuse myself now.”
Asha bowed her head in 95cdbf2858 greeting and left the hall 209d20b612 with the Pervaz castle servants.
Watching her back, Carlyle 8b1617cf75 muttered with a bitter 3c4d23e83f taste in his mouth.
“What on earth do you say to invite a woman to dinner?”
***
Originally, the imperial 6187daf7e3 family, which had 7abb79e615 taken a neutral 7aac0d84ed stance on religion, 036bd100f3 adopted Elaheism as 9c699b48eb the state religion 501e3d2df5 about 300 years bd3c61a133 ago.
Of course, Elaheism had existed 1b42ace92a long before that, but it f0e01dbf2b was from that time on 875140fde1 that its followers far outnumbered 6cce435809 those of other religions, and 3851372fcc about 70% of the people ab4d02ee86 believed in Elaheism.
Even though it c4a1cdb913 was recognized as 136cf90803 the state religion, 14f8ca7f88 not much changed. Perhaps the only thing a9f4bc4b96 special was that the 36e1632169 high priest of Elaheism f75aafadd4 would visit the emperor’s 6ce0159df1 prayer room every Monday 9dabb71a22 morning to offer prayers.
Otherwise, the imperial family and 446f7beb54 the temple were strictly separated.
“May the blessings of the gods be with His Majesty the Emperor. Gabriel Knox of b9066e65c7 the First Temple 592e020661 of Elahe greets c2720b8c32 His Majesty the 143a111e8a Emperor.”
“Long time no see, High Priest. I think I saw you b135ace9df once at the New Year’s e88ce173f4 prayer service this year… am 484a62940e I right?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It is an 6b2082b6ee honor to be cfd74c76d6 remembered.”
Although the priest 83b8545007 who officiated the 83b712274f Monday prayer service 2697fb95df had been changed fa9916810b at Beatrice’s recommendation, 2b91198670 the emperor did 29b31f0515 not think much ec480c6276 of it.
Anyway, he didn’t 12e798e4ea attach much importance e9516a10a7 to prayer, and bd608f485b he didn’t know 7cf1eed8b2 much about it 92c7172950 either, so he fd6e54614d felt more comfortable 30a65a6959 leaving it to bca03d7790 the empress, who dc63d4f1ab came from a a9ea673a36 family known for 62094a0135 her piety.
“Today, we will offer prayers to Lord Libato, the god of balance and harmony. Let us pray. In the beginning, the darkness bc4d2e0231 was covered in chaos, and 162534b034 you brought balance to create 651b155669 the world… …”
The beginning of the 21fd1e1392 prayer was not much 1b93d513eb different from the previous 97c8d8165c priest.
“… We pray for our country. We know that 2a8644ca4b you have saved 289f0215fe this country from c8bde824fe many tribulations in 3ff619ac7c the past. With Lord Libato on the 1f01ffd594 shoulders of the wise Emperor 6319c6b06b Kendrick Evaristo, we will safely 15fcc5e824 overcome many tribulations… …”
However, his thoughts gradually 1a837c743b changed as the prayer cc93c286a2 went on.
“… Our emperor, chosen by God, is the most balanced and harmonious of all the emperors, as Lord Libato said… …”
The emperor definitely felt that 07fa7b539a he liked the new officiant 4c8be6e675 better.
“… Before we pray for the prosperity of the imperial family and the imperial house, we pray for the health and longevity of Emperor Kendrick Evaristo.”
Unlike the previous priest, ba44084053 who was stiff and 02e43e588a businesslike, Gabriel praised the 0b7d7052f0 emperor from time to 1988151e8d time during the prayer df6dbca7f6 and prayed for the 7b152abf8f emperor’s personal blessing.
****
http://ko-fi.com/j14860480cce9b8ef9933e5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator