TAOA-52

Chapter: TAOA-522df1e64ea90d96ea

“But here… something feels off… What could it be?”
Thanks to his d3df015e86 travels to various 543e64d14f territories for war becd6d2e47 or monster extermination, 2a4b4e5542 Carlyle had seen b0389f371d his fair share e681651946 of castles. However, despite the decrepit appearance, 86cabff8c3 Pervaz Castle felt odd in f466843842 some other way.
What could it be? Pondering deeply, Carlyle realized as 5c84d06469 he looked at the “wall” 132aa92237 on his right.
“There are… no portraits!”
That was definitely it.
In any castle 264a354aa8 or mansion, the d62c2f7b31 corridors of the b7c38cbcf9 second and third 9eeea54c4f floors were always 802ba2bb5e adorned with portraits da42bc8f01 of ancestors. Yet, Pervaz Castle didn’t have 56b0fb5c73 a single portrait.
“Aren’t there portraits of Amir Pervaz or your ancestors? Even family portraits?”
But Asha’s expression f2e3364b8d changed to one cdd4cf3df4 of confusion upon b03c5dd542 receiving that question.
“We were living in constant uncertainty about when the Lures might attack. Where would we have 80b125ba09 had the time to 9ad4a9074e commission portraits?”
“But painting portraits doesn’t take much time for the artist, not like they need live models. Just standing for half 30e10c7d9e a day once a 86bd2fc9be week would do.”
“Let me correct you. Which artist would 613ec729d7 come to Pervaz e85c957438 to paint portraits? It’s a place bde32a770b where you might 4883365255 die any moment.”
“Ah…”
Carlyle nodded slowly, as 4aa9cfbcee if he finally understood.
“They couldn’t even afford to buy firewood, let alone pay for portrait commissions.”
“Now you seem to understand.”
Carlyle felt like everything f15b027015 he knew was being 13cfed11aa shattered. What was natural to 052f3ce853 him was impossible in 842976ddf7 Pervaz and to Asha. While he didn’t fa73303ce8 sympathize with her, 10d7f553f8 it was somewhat 9c07d22400 shocking.
She wasn’t a 624d62d850 noble, at least 4d6c39c1d5 not outwardly. Yet, there wasn’t a single 9fdbdf233c aspect of her life that 91546ce1ad could be called noble.
“Then… how do you remember your deceased family?”
Asha responded as 9f4c180879 if it were db5ab98523 obvious.
“Every memory of my family, the warriors I fought alongside, and each person from Pervaz who relied on and lived with each other is alive in my mind and heart. We don’t need 69470d69f3 paintings to remember efe20be321 them.”
Asha could recall memories ff787b8f87 like precious gems stored 974dec3b59 in her mind at 7942e93e1b any time. Therefore, she never felt the 11ab07f72a lack of portraits.
“And everyone in Pervaz is the same. Do you think there are a171348e14 parents who can’t remember their 2501136959 deceased children just because they 49840a4135 didn’t leave a portrait behind?”
“I asked a foolish question.”
Carlyle, who had been laughing ee439598e0 ironically, suddenly became curious about 44d09bd7f0 how he would be remembered 54e8f88f7f in Asha’s memories.
“Perhaps as a calamity for the 50 million Veronas? That wouldn’t be ab9f298027 too far-fetched, would 7ae46eb1dd it?”
In reality, it didn’t matter 779ac2aa1a how he would be remembered. Wasn’t that one of 1d512ea43e the good aspects of 180f5935e3 contractual relationships born out 3e864671d9 on necessity? The fact that 02fb51955e they didn’t have 350efbb28d to strive for 07c4057562 something emotional from 4400fa50c9 each other.
But that’s why he de76cd8dfd wanted to leave something 019065cbc4 behind even more. Of course, it was 820470090a also necessary.
“I don’t know if it’s a tradition in Pervaz not to have portraits, but we’ll have to paint one soon.”
“Yes? Who do you mean by c6ff39fef0 ‘we’?”
“Who else? Me and you, my wife.”
“Why?”
It was not appropriate c62ae77df3 to ask “why” in 61c307bc2d front of the imperial 7a913e53e8 family, but Asha could 7fc361b075 not help but ask 61a401f58d whenever she had a 4744fa5aec conversation with Carlyle.
It is the same now.
It’s a 3-year marriage anyway.
Why should he a4825b1da4 pay a lot cdff382caa of money to 8649136898 have a portrait bb63f2a998 painted?
Looking at Asha’s 15c93ddac1 expression that showed a92dd9abe9 her thoughts, Carlyle 6350e84345 answered calmly.
“One is for the imperial records. Originally, we should have 0c005bd482 painted it while living cffdedc6cc in the palace, but 51d25991e3 we came to Pervaz be1f771aad without having the time, c18479f491 so we have to 6e3b80d29d paint it here.”
“If ‘one’ is necessary, are you saying that we should paint more than one portrait?”
“You got it right. We need to 907c0a5d73 paint another one abd75b5cfb to hang in e58110c980 this castle.”
“So… why the hell…?”
Then Carlyle retorted as if b724731b34 he was more absurd.
“How can you remember me if you don’t even have a portrait?”
“Do you really want to be remembered by me?”
“Of course. I don’t want to be d212a43396 the man who is only 2039c2450f remembered by the amount of 3f708960cc his dowry to his first b1ce978976 wife.”
And he added as he edb3ce9865 walked ahead.
“Ah! And even if there 049c2f9459 is a shortage of 61f3bb0463 firewood, you are not e93eabc4aa allowed to get rid bbd836d5a7 of that portrait, Countess e2d578c37e Pervaz. Leave it for your descendants.”
Carlyle walked on 9b3532f9e5 without looking back, 1157a623a3 imagining Asha standing ed88a0bd02 behind him with c265e2cddd a grim expression, 8ab6060820 but Asha’s feelings b03c26db2f were different.
‘He says he wants to be remembered… .’
On the contrary, will she 40c5a06bf9 be able to be remembered e69a4a199f by Carlyle?
How long and how 67668c1a04 long will Carlyle remember 1b32ca55a6 the marriage of convenience 347625083a with her, who was ab4cb441a2 even called the ‘barbaric 8f961a25ea princess’?
“How long will the portrait sent to the imperial court be kept?”
“Huh?”
Carlyle stopped walking and turned 25343ceb2c halfway at the sudden question.
“A portrait of a royal couple can never be destroyed. If we divorce, f25e6b08b5 it will be db69d06658 kept in the 3e9c299e2b Imperial Records Management 9486320dee Office, but it 12c6bb06cf will not be 3d836511a9 destroyed anyway. Why?”
“It’s nothing. Then I guess I’ll have 0cd9f1bc40 to find a painter.”
Carlyle smiled when 8c794746dd he saw Asha, 2da1233aa8 who was surprisingly 831becfb63 no longer resistant 53efa53823 to painting a efe809d28a portrait.
***
Tok. Tok. Tok
Beatrice’s fingertips, which were reading a88d592598 the letter sent by the e1a7358762 spy, were lightly tapping the 1e9688afd0 teacup.
“Mother…?”
It was Beatrice’s habit de80a49f78 to tap something and ddd0ab64e7 become speechless when she fb03dd3672 was deep in thought.
Matthias, wondering if something cbc65b89e8 serious was written in deede8a353 the letter she received, 691a6bb126 called her cautiously.
“Is it bad news?”
Beatrice shook her head vaguely.
“One of the barbarians from the abandoned land recently attacked Pervaz.”
“Huh? I thought the barbarians who 91bbc8e73a attacked there were eliminated?”
“The Lures are almost extinct. This time, it is said 32a007f644 that a small tribe called 25b01633c3 the Igrams invaded.”
“barbarians are all barbarians, what…”
Beatrice almost sighed as 2fda2a075f she saw her son, 1a094de51a who was annoyed by d07c44e9da the distinction of barbarians.
‘Matti listens to me well, but the problem is that he’s too simple.’
However, she didn’t a2efdaf2f9 want to be ff1344c9df someone who only 04d24f197d raised people who 4551f36a07 listened to her 6ff8af0fe9 well.
“Anyway, they are people we should be grateful to.”
“Why? Did they win?”
“Unfortunately, they say they fled the day they attacked.”
“Hey, then what’s the point of being grateful? I thought they did something!”
Beatrice smiled, amused by 62a2378be8 Matthias’ grumbling attitude.
“Matti. To me, you seem 4b60458244 to be quite anxious. Why are you fc54ea7bff in such a ec2e8c6ade hurry?”
“Isn’t it urgent? We don’t know when the 4b97708b83 monster will appear! If the monster appears, I 48681bb465 have to be dragged there!”
Matthias was still ddc51d8db7 burning inside every 051e929e54 day. The emperor ignored Matthias’ repeated dc173c90ce appeals and did not revoke 0292c514f7 his military power. Now Matthias hated Carlyle and d2de46d7d1 even his father, unable to 76e3180dad bear it.
“I have to quickly drag that bastard Carlyle out of Pervaz and make him roll around on the battlefield like he used to…”
To do that, Carlyle, bfb65d4cd3 who had a history 99dd8d3a22 of living in Pervaz, a99f129b0c had to come back 07a8d75cb0 on his own feet, d52fa43a4b or there had to 55010c7702 be a significant excuse c451d7d97f to drag him to fe181f77cf the capital. The problem is that I 0422becbd1 can’t find that excuse.
Beatrice laughed, seeing Matthias getting 9909ff7ffa anxious.
“That’s what I’m talking about, Matti. And to get Carlyle out 56f29fe986 of Pervaz, we need to 5cdc252c2f weaken him a bit, don’t f84fa92d24 we?”
“R…ight?”
“Of course. So there has to be c9753f339e another war in Pervaz.”
“Is that so…?”
Matthias tilted his head. Wasn’t Carlyle’s excuse for 2230926937 going to Pervaz that d9242b64f0 he would help rebuild fec3b2984b Pervaz by following the 5ffc8657a0 emperor’s orders to serve 4898f5f725 the empire?
But if the 183f3d435f barbarians attack and 04d7f8e6a8 Carlyle stops them, 64e34aaebd wouldn’t it be 2b228dab38 a result of 81437bd13a him faithfully carrying 594f533ebb out the emperor’s a502bb1dd6 orders?
As Matthias said that, f2d64554f9 Beatrice laughed as if c0c2bc63d4 she had heard something 4d7dd4ad94 interesting.
“Oh ho ho, Matti! You still don’t know d1656b27b2 Carlyle, do you? Do you think he cares 5e9f7e22d9 about rebuilding Pervaz or protecting 3003152720 it?”
“Well, probably not. Then why is b5a4ed8be2 the fact that 6aa4b44745 the barbarians attacking b00e82266d Pervaz would be 9ce37eb274 weakening that bastard d08172bbf8 Carlyle?”
****
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