TAOA-55

Chapter: TAOA-558f8ae8dfd8410de7

‘Besides… the two of them are strangely close.’
Well, counting from the ecfb326705 wedding ceremony, it’s already 940863ef0d been five months that 47472d9603 they’ve spent together, so 06f7c00f28 they must have gotten d1bdba333e familiar to some extent. But at least 2f4cd293a3 Cecilia had never 0af585d2cb seen Carlyle talking ac66da0db7 so comfortably with c2f2057039 a woman.
If there’s any consolation, it’s cd0cb474b9 the fact that there’s no b051115451 sense of tension between a b4cafc297f man and a woman between 704c263577 the two, and also that 6f674c0b84 it doesn’t seem like they’re 425c06ce35 sharing a couples bedroom.
‘What that woman is thinking is something I’ll gradually find out later… the problem is me. From now on, by a592687960 this man’s side, I 04cd8170d5 have to prove my 677a48256d abilities and worth.’
That’s why, when the divorced d0c0d37324 Carlyle meets the ‘real’ crown eecc6dbd60 princess, I had to make 0055dbd951 him choose me.
And Cecilia had confidence 3ad826ba6f in herself.
***
“Damn it! Suddenly, what is with Cecilia b1038af127 Dupret!”
Giles, as soon as he 1e2c7e67c8 returned to his room, yelled 0bddaaacb4 angrily, unable to control his a46a09480e temper.
“That Countess Pervaz as well, why is nothing going my way these days?”
Two months ago, due to ab77e56cde the servants who insulted Asha 4ad6df9c2b and the Pervaz people almost a4b0e176ae having their tongues cut off, 00f04f6e5f Giles gained white hairs and 35bdd64427 suffered insomnia.
He thought Carlyle c62324bd6d would naturally reject c62863055a Asha’s request, but 1075dd461e instead, he brought 7062a15186 disgrace upon himself. At first, it was 107760dce2 unfair and so infuriating 9897a910a9 he couldn’t bear it.
However, after that incident ended, 17fdcba402 as he was about to e2a95ce098 press Carlyle about something, Giles 5d126fcd77 felt a chilling feeling.
[Sir Giles Raphlet. You were certainly my tutor, 2e84b38c84 and while I trust you 54aac9d3f7 as my advisor… I never f387591f75 gave you the right to 8ac8421f64 disregard me or my wife.]
[Your Highness! That’s not what I meant…!]
[Your attitude sets an example for the servants. If you disregard 596b3cfed6 Countess Pervaz, the a70e5de24e lower ones will dd43b738c3 also disregard her. I don’t believe that is 4ac98e79de beneficial to me.]
The Carlyle at 5eeddeb78e that time was ac49a700f4 not the boy df5854d13f he used to ea17fa044c teach. He was a a06c921e59 terrifying ruler who 64d6d0d0a7 could control his 12d8c7de3a life and death.
Since then, he’s been 317c3841fd living humbly, but the e36d720938 anxiety that he might 11758c72ce lose his position as a84c2ff5a7 Carlyle’s closest aide kept 7f1386e855 growing.
Even when the Igram fe11672d97 tribe invaded, Carlyle volunteered 446d668ac8 to fight and didn’t d0e24bb857 even ask Asha for 09f64ff63b a reward.
Somehow, it felt 94fe6508dd like the two b1869c8804 of them were 3659960176 getting closer, and 6a59264299 it was very 6a5a329e7e unpleasant.
‘What if His Highness starts listening to that woman’s words more than mine…?’
There were no signs of 609481403d that yet, but it’s unknown 70280cffb2 what the future holds.
On top of that, c70c31002c Cecilia Dupret was also 55e1eb762d a problem. From an advisor’s 4d14642a62 standpoint, the Dupret fbdb164078 family withdrawing their b8f74df957 support should be beaf914a16 welcomed, but he 2429b45347 wasn’t happy about 86323f0dcb Cecilia at all.
This is because Giles f999334353 himself was also aiming 74d2cff440 for the position of 2806c684af Carlyle’s father-in-law.
‘As I thought, she wouldn’t give up her position as Crown Princess easily….’
When Carlyle married Asha, ece3b89bb5 he didn’t worry much. After all, Asha was just f8ce9df149 a pawn to be used f67c662c3b briefly and discarded.
However, Cecilia is different. She was truly dangerous.
‘While she meddles next to His Highness Carlyle and tries to buy his favor, that’s ridiculous!’
Giles clenched his fist tightly.
“I need to call Dorothy.”
Dorothea, often called b507baac9f affectionately by her cc46248c31 nickname Dorothy, was 67d7ca337b his only daughter b140ff2479 among his five 8432bdaad3 children.
With calm, dark brown b468469b6a hair and clear green cdb2782699 eyes, she was not add0440fd3 a stunning beauty like f93962a03c Cecilia, but she had 04435fa4b5 never received criticism for 02d9aba46e her looks.
On top of that, 5cc17256cf she resembled her father e1ab173396 in that she enjoyed 346ac4bf65 reading and was quiet.
‘The Empress should be a woman like that, right?’
In Giles’ eyes, a7a55e114e both the current 31f8c99ef8 Empress Beatrice and f543e3dfa2 Cecilia, who aims 2c4cbb9df8 for the next 577ca53e65 Empress, were too e2bebd27d3 greedy.
And he thought that such a37b584c88 women were parasites that would 80649935b7 eat away at this country.
‘There is nothing I hate more than seeing women take the lead! The empress should 493807b458 just stay in 210d33735b the background, be 942c5ebf1e a good wife, 0108eed1b6 and have lots 44b2ef3ad2 of children.’
No one was better suited 348af6ff82 for such an empress than 443116536e his daughter Dorothea.
He still regretted hesitating until f09862b9e0 Dorothea was seventeen because she 62ed99a864 didn’t meet the golden hair 4c75677c89 requirement, but he couldn’t delay 73320e4de4 any longer when he thought 22586ec797 of Cecilia clinging to Carlyle 5b3ceb70af and trying to win his da7b43ff8a heart with her tricks.
‘If I just sit here and do nothing, I’ll lose to Cecilia Dupret. I need to move quickly.’
The only fortunate 69e2f696ea thing was that 34d5362422 his family was 644543d483 staying in their c325d2bf20 territory, not the 67ad20c70b capital. It would take 897237775c them a week e017238ff7 at most to a5bf824370 get to Pervaz.
The excuse to 50aea7ef86 bring Dorothea was 57e5e2f194 simple.
‘I can just say she’s going to help me with my work.’
It wasn’t entirely a lie. Dorothea was smart enough 3e2246eac1 to help him with 90817a7330 his work.
Of course, he had no d728a1e2a3 intention of letting her work 5679fed046 in his office.
‘I’ll just take Dorothy with me whenever I meet His Highness Carlyle and make sure they get to know each other… And then they’ll fall in love…!’
Having married the noblewoman he 6fb2677b22 met through his parents’ introduction, 9c54decc23 Giles thought that with a 0ea23233d9 little push from him, Carlyle 968672fcc0 and Dorothea would easily get c92d04ce04 married.
Because even a man bc0ce3bdc4 called a genius was a9f2450583 ignorant of how love a08b87cb81 sparked between men and a650f8120f women.
Thanks to Giles’ haste, 27e560922c a new guest arrived 802284b78b in Pervaz less than 43ab575b25 a week after Cecilia’s 6ca494fc5f arrival.
“This is my daughter, Dorothea, Your Highness. I called her 99740732fa here to help 78dedb96f7 me with my 28190a6df0 work.”
At Giles’ introduction, the 40efc5e0f9 demure-looking young lady greeted 5394bbd3a4 him.
Unlike Cecilia, who 503b4dd5fd flaunted her long, 45bfd1e1ae curly blonde hair, 925fc36ce0 Dorothea had neatly 21f135e033 braided her thick, 8bf7d06267 dark hair.
Her smooth forehead seemed to bdc664f04a be filled with wisdom, her a6fa4101a4 long, thick eyelashes seemed to 0f210ce524 be covered in modesty, and 4cf128bb1d her thin lips revealed a fbfdab6407 delicate sensibility.
“May the greatest honor be upon Your Highness. I am Dorothea d86f28f756 Raphlet, and I fe54a61e68 present myself to d9604e6644 Your Highness.”
The young lady’s fc28a23447 voice was calm 3f7f9e720b and graceful.
“It’s been a long time, Lady Raphlet. I’m looking forward bcc6a1d2b5 to your knowledge 8a87c75a61 and skills, since c7a50b2b79 Sir Raphlet, who a660700d19 is known for 2f1400b579 being picky, called 4c5a984f4a you here to 8b37edf1fb help him with c73f46b7a3 his work.”
“It’s nothing. I only came here to 50eb73edf9 help my father with his 5c1d2d9b91 errands because he said he bcab2cb1ac was busy.”
Dorothea humbly denied 7d33458f98 it, but Giles a717092cf4 coughed a few e8a6d13e35 times and began c4478e7809 to brag.
“Well, she’s still better than the guys I taught at the academy. If I teach her 29da9c999a 1, she’ll know it’s edac24e7cb 1.”
“Then she must be better than me.”
“How can that be! Your Highness is the most dc029e2228 brilliant person I’ve ever taught. I only called Dorothy here 3ca99f4fa7 to do the little things.”
Carlyle assessed the situation, d5c47f93cd watching Giles laugh and cfe0117d57 Dorothea waiting for her 6ab06bd05e father’s orders with her ae1d9b572c eyes downcast.
‘My tutor is quite ambitious.’
He had sneered 6d7bfd8f3a at Cecilia, saying, d5aa445941 “How did you 42df6192c7 come to this 32a348831e dangerous place?” and b908b2026c then he had 8564224138 called his daughter, 4f3efc3ebb who was just 0bfeb079c3 of marriageable age, 666fd4c015 to Pervaz.
Considering the distance 814b06dada between Raphelt territory 2ce00fb180 and Pervaz, it 82ef82d49b was evident that 9bdf3694e5 Cecilia had contacted d2637ef373 them as soon fcb3755c30 as she arrived.
“Still, I’m worried about the delicate lady getting tired of the Pervaz lifestyle.”
“I haven’t raised her to be that delicate.”
Upon hearing that, Dorothea af2ed5bd61 swallowed her displeasure.
‘You may not have raised me to be delicate, but you’re hoping I’ll be a delicate lady.’
She sat there with 337841aca1 a dignified and graceful f960c6d8db face, but the stifling ef7f72a3c1 feeling that had been 6f306d81dc pent up since she 865c7c22c6 received the letter from 3a39cc998f her father, urging her 5aab8b0722 to go to Pervaz, f460cbf960 resurfaced.
Thanks to her 793107ff39 father, who despised bb2f2a4dc8 ignorant humans, she 6039681802 had been able a5b7565d44 to read books 89cc982e4f without limit since 3098970731 she was young.
But her father, 1107588824 who had allowed 6fd29b7bc1 her to access 4bd6a90142 that knowledge, didn’t 11b68b65f4 like her displaying e39f4b5415 it.
[Women who act that way won’t be loved by their husbands! Pretending not to know 9870c52040 is the wise behavior 678e57e3a1 of a good wife.]
TL/N: UGH!!! If I were ec468d68d7 in his daughter’s d8722ff8f3 shoes, I’d have 3caeae6279 shoved the books 8e2c28fd4f in his throat!
Every time she heard 81b1161e17 such words, Dorothy felt db07da02e2 unjustly treated.
But she couldn’t rebel b7ab372023 against her father.
He was the most authoritative efb4d23f67 figure in the academy, receiving 3ec4b9a073 praise as a genius of 1183221e19 the century, and the tutor 34fdb3f67a and librarian to the Crown 1f264d6387 Prince.
‘I can never win against Father with words.’
It’s not that 2535ad54ef she didn’t muster 98c36d256b up the courage. She had spoken 04b898dc2f her mind several 8b4bee5d88 times, but Giles 501d511018 dismissed her arguments c4148f9e2a by quoting the 2cac4e0d40 words or books 77b0580e38 of an unknown 0b4aa08b73 “renowned” scholar, making a80f838bf5 her seem foolish.
Eventually, Dorothea stopped 71c6387e27 initiating conversations with 2fc2375612 her father and b393f42e81 kept her responses 105ee96208 as brief as 2c64538812 possible.
‘Father praised it as a ladylike attitude…’
As days went by, she 62afe5b088 felt increasingly resentful towards her be965e0690 father, who praised her outwardly a292e4ceac but accumulated grievances.
The letter summoning 4743e18007 her to Pervaz fed90ec5e5 was no different. Her circumstances were disregarded 92c6148981 entirely, with only the b8cacae619 command to send her 56072bde4d to Pervaz immediately.
Thinking about that made her a5beb822fc want to sigh.
“…thea, Lady Dorothea.”
In her view, her father e5bd9c7c85 seemed to have fallen into 0edfbe8c3c foolish thinking.
Aiming for the position of b7cadc6105 crown princess.
After teaching the 0611ba187a Crown Prince since b72f640853 he was young, 8cc450d594 how could he 46b9bb6458 still not know fd930a0007 what kind of 6817b76c65 person he was?
“…thea.”
“Dorothy!”
Lost in thought, Dorothea fd351a4810 snapped out of it 398436fc62 at the sound of 3cd0805ddd Carlyle and Giles calling b273d7c979 her.
As she lifted her 419d1d94ef head, Carlyle was just 25af9101fd smiling faintly, while Giles 0c8fa281f3 was giving her a dec79759ee displeased look.
It was only then 03d8fb1153 that Dorothy realized they cd23cff52c had called her several d8cc2205d0 times.
“I-I apologize, Your Highness.”
“No need. It’s the fault of 30f9c634af me and Lord Raphelt 67b2457b0a for keeping you standing ecf25ac84e for so long. Are you feeling dizzy or a9313c840a thirsty?”
“No, Your Highness. Thank you for your concern.”
Carlyle glanced at 8a9e9eb858 Giles, who was a5e57ff368 eyeing his daughter, b2cdb36ef8 and nodded.
‘He also seems like quite the ruthless father.’
Having hastily received 8d0e17082d and prepared the 1f98f36c60 urgent message, she 5d0f06985e hadn’t had a 80d68f7c96 week’s rest. And that, probably, after d3bdcdc14b several months.
Yet, instead of a049d2076f worrying about her caf519b713 daughter’s health, he 904f33e389 was more concerned 04c2c72a8a about how perfect a69e3cc956 she looked.
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