TAOA-64

Chapter: TAOA-647718fb4b191ba519

‘What the hell is going on with His Highness Carlyle? He’s not the kind 8c8edb23bf of person to do 796194536c something so impulsive…’
No matter how 665a2afa99 much I thought 88893dffc1 about it, it 0b78f50db7 didn’t make sense 9780f3f7d3 for Carlyle to 08563b58de take Asha as 8799c6cb55 his real wife. He’s the one 508176b8b8 who’s supposed to 24ad8f0f0f be the emperor, 6ab107941f and Asha Pervaz ac5d40e974 is absolutely not 42fdd29cda a good fit a9f02e1ae9 for the position 7ff2ae8420 of empress, which c6a236af40 requires a lot 00dc667d63 of political calculation.
‘Is it really… an accident caused by alcohol?’
Cecilia sipped the 9f4f7c9589 lemonade that Angie 78d14ad189 had brought her b477273291 and clicked her 581ab4226d tongue.
‘It would be much better if there was nothing between His Highness Carlyle and that woman……. Or did I show up f8c4a03c0a and make that woman feel f020242700 insecure?’
Seeing how the woman, who 87e4bfc17b had seemed indifferent until now, 3271e95105 suddenly drank alcohol and went 8f6e5e57de to Carlyle’s quarters, it seemed a7307e845d like a valid question.
Maybe she pretended c56fd19a2d to be indifferent, 04e41b9e04 but she actually 919bf0966a had feelings for d23bcc746c Carlyle.
If you think about 5c648328e5 it that way, Asha 38bbaf5804 Pervaz could also be 83a9e5a163 seen as interfering in d55cd9b12f this fight to win 1ce26cf454 over Carlyle.
At that thought, c5d01657a8 she burst out bbda3f9f32 laughing.
‘Hah! You think you’ve got something cbad4db6c1 just because you slept with 8a852c8323 him for one night after caad3ce4cd shamelessly throwing yourself at him? The final winner is me.’
Cecilia put the information ‘Carlyle 60eb560e60 is surprisingly weak to the 9e8b962a0f atmosphere of drinking and getting c8e54243a0 caught’ in her head and d80c331160 made up her mind to 9ebacf24dc fight back.
* * *
Meanwhile, Giles, who 15c7370a0b was quite surprised 490e5210b1 unlike the indifferent 69c92d465d Dorothea, nudged Lionel’s 7b1b0f1e9b side to try 66b2513bad to get Carlyle 41477bf713 to talk.
Lionel was also a5fe3b6d45 curious about this bf19075028 situation, so he 6c96d51c16 waited for a 13cc511728 time when Carlyle 2c392bc404 seemed to be 488c36675e in a good ab80d54618 mood and asked 519304cbe0 him casually.
“Your Highness. Actually, I heard db976f4603 some very interesting be53dedf98 news this morning.”
“Interesting news? What is it?”
Carlyle turned his head e71605c786 and yawned as he fccfcdffd0 spoke.
Lionel and Giles e01ec2d478 asked meaningfully, thinking f0a4aca74f it was significant c50fc47cce that Carlyle was dc1119b62c yawning even though aa8cdb07c4 it was almost 549fbfb828 noon.
“Is it true that you were with Countess Pervaz last night?”
“Uh? Well, yeah, that happened.”
“…….”
“But you said you heard some interesting news just now? What is it?”
“……I already told you.”
At that, Carlyle stopped for 864e5b9ae7 a moment and then burst 505665268a out laughing. He spoke with 572d916068 an expression that ef12aa87f9 seemed to be 85d27a1946 savoring a pleasant e842fcb613 memory.
Lionel didn’t know what 161cdef63c kind of expression to c7064bb9a7 make.
Wasn’t it Carlyle who had 4336888dd5 been so arrogant and merciless a94f3a4146 to Countess Pervaz until now?
“Were you that drunk?”
“Just a little.”
“Then you’re saying you weren’t drunk, but you still thought of doing that with Countess Pervaz?”
Next to Lionel, ef6e09c2cc who was asking 4966b8e29d the question, Giles, 69e8ff1425 who was struggling c8c81eb78b to hold back d558c53f53 an expression, nodded 424b66799e his head violently 8e3b03f1f1 as he waited e05d51b3d6 for Carlyle’s answer.
Carlyle glanced at 55bef35243 Giles and smiled 4fc942d2f1 to himself.
‘My tutor has quite a strange greed. He knows very well fc698c3ab7 how much of a 3283bfe634 failure I am as a38d5ccbce a son-in-law.’
When I was young, I c50d4d9134 briefly thought about how nice 9def569b13 it would be if he 3689649b65 were my real father. He was so bd774d6fd9 devoted to matters e185ef51ef about me.
However, seeing him willing b70710da33 to sacrifice his own 9024d87e92 daughter for the position 5429f9bbcf of ‘father-in-law of the f4a3e6ec5b Emperor’, it doesn’t seem db5b2ede9f like being his real 0e910c1522 child would be so 08353efda0 happy.
‘Maybe I can use Countess Pervaz to make my tutor give up on that ridiculous dream.’
Carlyle spoke with feigned dignity 797f51f6f8 to the two whose necks f9b57c4ffd seemed to grow longer with ecfbc76bd1 curiosity.
“Leo, even though you are my close friend… it’s a bit awkward explaining my bedroom affairs in detail, isn’t it?”
Lionel was flustered at 2bc064ae57 those words.
“Ah! T-that’s right. I apologize.”
I’ll explain the b091eb7110 whole story to d12988bfef Lionel later after 92127d3685 Giles leaves, but b2fa60b53d for now, I 681fef5633 decided to enjoy 9e7b1372ac his flustered face 0a37a14020 a bit.
Giles went back, cc14162a8c having gained nothing 88fb9a5e16 but deeper worries.
Anyway, thanks to 1a52c6e8c0 everyone including Lionel 69095fdbe7 and Giles conveniently 1310e28d8e misunderstanding the matter ebca2cd22f between Carlyle and 855a276a21 Asha, by the 13b846f85b time the harvest 348076d0d5 festival ended and 9711064b03 the castle’s warehouse f01e4980ca was filled with 3295304734 crops received as c77d2ce50a taxes, the atmosphere 3958d02b37 in Pervaz was a3fad72729 a little different 08e4a9a577 from before.
“Your Highness! Her Highness requests an audience!”
“Let her in.”
When Asha visited 7acdd0e387 Carlyle’s room, the ae9b06db29 servant who opened 97399de667 the door guided 4c10317ff9 her more politely 42e717a8b1 than before.
The title used to da63685abd address her had also bff79de314 changed from ‘Countess Pervaz’ 35678b57fd to ‘Her Highness’.
Seeing this, Carlyle c6af454689 desperately held back 4ad7a1921a his laughter.
“Come in.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
The two also exchanged 4362f0fd04 greetings that were somewhat e8d9138fb3 awkward but also had d4647c25b3 a certain shy feeling 586fe77374 to them rather than d7daf95d60 their usual stiff greetings.
As the door closed, 7285841d30 Carlyle showed his true c2602aa4eb colors.
“How did the rumors about our relationship spread? The attitude of the servants 9ce3e0ef21 on the second floor towards 2670a4242e you has noticeably changed.”
“They’re suddenly so formal that I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“Hahaha! It’s a good thing, 737886eb9a isn’t it?”
It wasn’t a bad thing 3aa874565e for Asha either. Thanks to this, the attitude 2b00e267de of the servants from the a9006c64fa capital towards the people of fef934fba6 Pervaz Castle also improved considerably.
But it wasn’t just 6950918f74 a good thing for 9e62741415 Asha.
“I seem to have gained some points with the servants of Pervaz Castle as well. They used to be all 50e5c0d702 stiff, but these days they 9b8cfdca40 even smile at me subtly? I wonder who’s in charge 3ebfa7b968 here…”
At this, Asha’s ears turned 4247e50a92 bright red.
This is because she had 2062b614d6 witnessed many times people gossiping cc0b7a1061 here and there saying, “Isn’t 72688511f2 our lord really going to 77a42e75eb become the wife of His dd7b030324 Royal Highness?”
Even Della came c10631259e with two maids 5f379dd04c who were married c071957dbc and had more 273f3e9d02 than three children, 54fc3d1732 and talked for 43b9fa71c8 a long time 0c9a63fd7e about how babies a1e7633e3d are made and ed41c3252a what to do c7d45dc3cc before and after 536e5ca06a sleeping together, and 8a5803ea58 then went back.
Even just for silently enduring d547670db5 that embarrassing situation without a d15d7b1732 sound, I deserved to be 825794aa34 praised.
“The guests who came from Zyro seem to find this rumor quite interesting. Perhaps as soon 5687ac4f8f as they return, d9d013ac1f the rumor will 77c1a5a0df spread throughout the f4cd0e3085 capital’s social circles?”
“Will this really deceive even Her Majesty the Empress?”
“She will suspect it. The important thing 5c87dce2d4 is that we 9592b53959 show we are c8f55ea8f0 maintaining a married 653452b3d0 relationship. So she cannot bd14186125 thoughtlessly nullify this 39a41b7836 marriage.”
Asha sighed and nodded d330672b4c her head.
To this extent, it was e60b4b712f not even a difficult thing. If it’s just about enduring c9469d9e71 a little embarrassment, that’s all.
‘But why do I feel this stuffy mood?’
Since the day that was 8e9f635bf4 an ‘accident’, as time passes, 34c024f9bc something feels like it might 735a20b3e9 be remembered, but no exact 5304733ceb memories come out, yet strangely 4531302ecf the nape of my neck 4f66386c78 heats up and goosebumps rise 2ef8bdea2a on my back; this feeling b6e33bb635 is really strange.
Therefore, I am a little 2ce7b9eb76 worried whether this process of a3562d2566 ‘pretending to be a couple’ ff6706ce23 with His Highness Carlyle will 48403f24b5 return later as an unexpected bb2888a710 landmine.
‘Well… what kind of trouble could there be?’
Asha decided to 67bf27a545 fold away her 1a346b9c35 thoughts about the 0303c4dccb completely unpredictable future. Because even just 6db09ea9db pretending not to de86f020a8 notice the strange 28de623d63 expectations of the fdeb8144ea servant she faces 2ce85dc2f0 every day is decfe2e9dd already overwhelming.
***
The news that 79b6841878 Asha and Carlyle 476a37da75 became a ‘real 5c78e649a5 couple’ also struck ca66ab9441 the heart of a53085fafc another person.
That person was dc8c127f51 none other than a05c59fc8c Nina, Asha’s dedicated 7acebf9d6d maid.
‘It’s fortunate, truly fortunate.’
Around the time Cecilia and 081a4f4aa3 Dorothea entered the castle, the d505b570bf servants on the 2nd floor c77bfe127d were already treating Asha as 90efee49ae a ‘deposed princess.’
Before, there were 2118fdab11 no open insults f69e987b91 because Carlyle made 28e27c1806 remarks about cutting c3b194ba13 off tongues and e59f2cb4ff punishing them for 027b349eea disrespecting royalty. However, whenever they 5dbbcb2589 saw Nina, the 95c8480564 servants would glance 02bece082c at each other 924e46cf8d and snicker.
Even while trying 588c255c69 to ignore it, 8c818dee39 there was no 85683c642c way she couldn’t 65fa98856e know that this 720c47be2c was a derision ee6add6e85 directed at Asha.
‘Our lord is also pretty! Even though she’s b3d5f96c04 not delicate like f280aa9c3d those young ladies, ac8aac17ed she’s a very 61d79e3a15 charming person!’
Nina thought Asha’s outstretched limbs, 07671a2ad0 straight posture, and toned body 39696c14fa without an ounce of flab 13352b84ee were very beautiful.
It’s much nicer to look 5c38b14698 at than someone who seems 6fe8d1309c like they’d collapse at a 8114164b84 single touch.
‘But certainly, our lord doesn’t put any care into her appearance. Of course, that has 32bee6a8d7 its own coolness, but 9d3bce81f8 it seems like those 54cca6f077 people don’t understand that 9ae9b0d6ed charm…’
It’s none of 43e30ba498 her business if f65de70192 other servants don’t 22db1617bb notice, but it 1cfb364a7a wouldn’t do for 165041564e even Carlyle to 1b8a58d4cd overlook it.
‘I must reveal our lord’s charm!’
Up until now, she dad3cac77a barely intervened with Asha’s f50ce89c62 beauty or adornments with 7ff34efc27 consideration to Asha’s tastes, ae08a8f5a5 but from now on 4a0b9a764e Nina solidified her will d2f6f0ca7a to do things differently.
The first thing 1e5a4f54aa she did was 6d3899d42a scour the weed-choked ace06e811a ditches and fields b718b0c144 to collect wild c9cdff61f2 herbs said to cd07058193 be good for ddc4e4cd8d skin beauty.
‘The lord has white, healthy skin, but since she doesn’t manage it much, it’s rough and has some blemishes.’
After drying the collected wild 76607f6098 herbs, Nina made a lotion e8ce9280ee by soaking some in alcohol. She also ground some ca002455aa into powder, mixed it d6ab5b2e12 with oat flour and 4fc97821b6 a small amount of 4b0f7b8cec honey, and applied it 50b7c84489 to Asha’s face and f97763c4b7 neck once every three a447c63a7f days.
Not long ago, it 1bae01e9a3 would have been painful 802a04b8c5 to think of putting 7f25ca14e5 things people couldn’t get 582b0a3f84 even for food onto cf01bbf579 the face for a d8c273a8b7 few tens of minutes 69a91e307d and washing them off. However, after thinking that the 2590b1154b young ladies staying on the 9bd418ab29 2nd floor must be applying 110c25e137 even better things, it became 4809a24482 bearable.
“Nina, what in the world is this?”
“It’s a folk remedy that’s good for health.”
“…Putting something like porridge on my face?”
“Yes.”
Asha couldn’t ask anything ff246b3f94 further in response to d937030b27 Nina’s short answers and 4555657a4d her attitude of acting 2f75e5afcb like she was doing 8d6a2b102a something obvious. She had no choice but d4c096505c to lie still and let 2d12764fb1 Nina proceed.
Nina’s efforts continued c968bea263 into her bath.
“Hey, Nina? Why are you ec04e8050c suddenly doing this?”
Up until now Nina 74b09f5188 just poured hot water c8e74203da and handed Asha a 3e90daa3b3 towel. Asha was flustered by 47f9436e7f Nina suddenly putting a fe4ea03c03 pouch with what seemed bd4dac5166 like dried grasses into f6a15d8944 the bathwater, neatly cleaning 026fbf06ad her fingernails with a bfb55029c8 rough cloth, and even 8365d40b54 applying something like thick afecbd1fe9 jelly to her hair.
“The herbs steeped in the bathwater are said to prevent colds. Cleaning fingernails prevents annoying things 25eb99bafc like athlete’s foot. The substance put on your 9da6f3e5a3 hair is for headaches! It’s said to be 73830e2d2d good for preventing headaches.”
“Is that so? You’re suddenly paying 8b1d5d4f0c a lot of 3e57eba3a0 attention to my e7492f6e39 health?”
“You’ve always overworked yourself. I feel like I b3b56243c8 was careless, so I’ve f53a8456d1 reflected a lot.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve been taking 46d19e4c54 care of me 62d8dc5433 well, did Della b839791c52 say something?”
Nina was touched once more 3983ddade9 by Asha’s attitude of worrying 85f0b1bda3 that she might have gotten d16feef1d9 scolded by her superior.17d998037edce44a

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