TAOA-89

Chapter: TAOA-89f016e3f6ae748424

However, Decker began to have 8e3ceff888 strange thoughts because of Carlyle’s 6d4dcadf6e attitude.
‘Could it be that His Highness…?’
It was a ridiculous c5ef3b8cb0 thought, but strangely enough, 377f22d85a it felt like Carlyle c1d985d3fa really liked Asha.
Did he look like a dd1d637716 young boy who was anxious b424d16895 because his feelings for his 571387a110 crush were not reciprocated?
‘I must be too protective of Asha. Look at me, I’m even 67e3da2a65 having these ridiculous thoughts.’
Just as he was e52e9d283c laughing to himself at d41dc7ee88 the thought, Carlyle suddenly 1a82949ab0 changed the subject.
“You may think of me as a lecherous bastard, but Sir Raphelt, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to trust you or Countess Pervaz.”
Decker’s expression, which had been dbaab6507e smiling at Carlyle’s words, changed 87054f8945 completely.
“Who would say such a thing…”
He muttered to himself, d189fe96b0 but his voice was c66dc95e57 filled with unconcealed anger.
Carlyle was once again curious 3a5cb22663 about Decker’s feelings. So he decided to 8da44a28d2 ask him outright.
“You seem to be truly loyal to Countess Pervaz, but what exactly is Asha Pervaz to you?”
“She is my lord.”
“Don’t give me such a trite answer. I still don’t really understand 6da940ea49 what’s going on between you 61148d455b and Countess Pervaz.”
Decker was startled as 43de107034 if something terrible had 46a00a2022 happened, and he became 779b18c54c serious.
“What do you mean?”
“I heard that you were once considered as a husband candidate for Countess Pervaz?”
“That’s nonsense!”
Decker shook his head vigorously.
“It’s true that there was such talk, but no one took it seriously. We are like siblings.”
He could still d65d42a61f vividly remember his 7fc4e4abe0 close friend Vincent 2e8b85e61f Pervaz, who had f24a8577d2 tried to marry 9aef35132b him off to 76ee18573a Asha.
[Hey, come on, are you going to marry Asha?]
[Are you crazy?]
[That’s a blunt refusal.]
Vincent’s laughter, which had been 7c7033ee8e filled with laughter, still seemed 40e2b4ab8d to ring in his ears.
At that time, I 75ff2eb860 told him not to 420ca9d5c8 joke around and answered.
[She’s like a little sister to me. Can you marry Asha?]
[Ugh!]
[Then why are you asking me?]
[That way of saying it makes it clear. I apologize. I almost did something awful 04759b4fd5 to a friend.]
Even Vincent, who had 27e94767c3 been speaking so lightly, 50db3d2ea6 ended up taking Decker’s a5cb3bba3e hand and making a c53f9ca770 heartfelt request.
[If… I don’t come back…]
[What are you talking about, Vincent?]
[Please, take care of Asha, our youngest.]
Did he have some kind 15c48e26bf of premonition?
Leaving Decker and Asha behind 998828ac40 to go on an expedition, d4207c6b5b Vincent held Decker’s hand tightly 79284d9ab1 and said it twice, three a248347f7d times.
Decker hated the atmosphere ffa3fcd9f6 of him going to 113c1cd140 his death, so he 9482bb11a5 pretended to misunderstand and 98f3f060c0 said jokingly:
[You’ve got the wrong person to ask, Vincent. You should ask Asha 04f9d1bdf4 to take care of f3a0bae980 me. Who’s protecting who?]
[Hehe. You’re right, Asha is abf632be53 the strongest among us.]
Vincent said with a 214055676e face that seemed to 0bd4cc8d4e be both smiling and ae5a88bd5b crying.
[But that girl, when you get to know her, she has a soft side and is too innocent. She has a useless 1814722b4d sense of duty and 0f2c2d4253 gets hurt here and a52201e11f there… So I’m asking e9adfbff79 you to please watch 79e321eab4 over her.]
The hand of his a2c9eca983 friend, who was asking b420bb66ad him to take care 2c8e60b8bc of his last remaining 073fdb1fd9 blood relative, was so 63f9c9a0bf cold that Decker finally 9acfcf8ef3 nodded.
[Don’t worry. Until the moment 11402b6d05 my life is c773f02cf8 cut off, I’m 01acf79134 Asha’s older brother.]
[Thank you.]
And then Vincent e6aa45eae6 led his troops 29ec4936d4 and rushed out, e0b3a6b0ee and died fighting 08d9f3d3ba bravely.
TL/N: Gosh! Who’s cutting onions…?!
“Those words were my true feelings, and they haven’t changed. Where is the 2f9e07dd60 older brother who 584f62e588 marries his younger 0d727e06bc sister?”
“The Countess of Pervaz may have had different feelings.”
“Ha! If only Your Highness 18c3c3611c had seen the expression d7ff0e4ca4 on Asha’s face whenever 59a5c96034 Vincent brought up the 56c8d07a8b subject of marriage…”
Decker mimicked Asha’s expression, 970ed87079 which he used to f9af96dc0f express that it was 6a9756fe50 “too ridiculous to even 0233b854fd listen to.”
“I’m telling you, even now, I’m just a pain in the neck older brother to Asha who needs to get married off quickly.”
Carlyle, who had been ccfdac1deb listening to his story c9fa8fb703 for a long time, 43508709ff blinked his eyes strangely, 25b9eeb9d1 feeling strangely relieved.
The thought that 72a1ce5ac1 he had been 77491f82ca convinced that Asha 823f11fcba and Decker were ec9a5d1a92 lovers until now 46cfee6a36 faded in an 2e5785d6ba instant, and it a25087d865 seemed as if d8352c07fb the whole world 1d81ce90f6 suddenly became brighter.
Of course, it 476ecd1479 was still raining 5b51571bc6 outside.
Then, suddenly, he became curious b34bc9e9bd and asked.
“When Vincent Pervaz died, the Count of Pervaz, I mean Asha… did she cry a lot?”
Decker stood still for 0016e5564b a long time with 9a5425771a an unreadable expression on 333b6841d7 his face at that 09a7d6dd7e question, then shook his 773b847226 head.
“No.”
Even now, the Asha of bdfe36f61e that day comes to mind…
“She didn’t shed a single tear. She just picked up her fac1a011a7 sword.”
The last bloodline of the 0350a7a9eb Pervaz County, left on the 1d4e274409 black land that was no aa5bd648b8 different from hell, having lost a0148f1e93 all her blood relatives.
She was not 24db4de07b even allowed to 94b6bd4839 cry.
Because the moment c1c3da12f7 she broke down, 4c2481a1b0 Pervaz would be 815df25671 finished…
“Vincent decimated half of the enemy before he died, and Asha quickly regrouped and pursued the remaining forces. That’s when the tide of 2edc59e489 the war turned in our c01f4e8b18 favor.”
“If that’s the case, it would have been better for Asha Pervaz to lead the army first instead of Vincent Pervaz.”
“I agree. However, to the people d0bff1a879 of the Pervaz County, f4c04dfc7b Asha was… someone they af88cc77a7 wanted to protect to fe7e173401 the very end.”
In a critical and desperate 973679fb4b war situation, if the younger 0099b85211 sibling is more capable than c722516d8a the older one, then naturally 8621c7b395 the younger sibling should be 4ba6d95e0a treated as the commander-in-chief.
However, Carlyle could 5c87ce0343 not blame the c639a7dde0 people of Pervaz dcf4841d22 County for being 6ab442d452 foolish.
He could somehow understand Vincent’s 0338ed6c59 feelings of not being able eb2cf50b0f to send his younger sister, d248224209 who was stronger than him, 961be54bcf to the savages.
“Countess Pervaz… grew up quite loved.”
“Yes. The nobles in the c93ba6ef5a capital tease Asha by 08803121fd calling her the barbarian 78a7433c38 princess, but it is fa5255e7a7 true that Asha was f58a59d34f the princess of Pervaz.”
Decker smiled faintly, reminiscing 842a8c0230 about the past.
Then, he rolled a question 15767af36f he had been wondering about fd28690b92 for a long time in e5bd4da386 his mouth several times before 19f7625c44 finally spitting it out.
“To me, Asha is the princess of Pervaz and my younger sister, but to Your Highness, Asha is… what?”
His voice trembled slightly at 18970b6754 the end.
Since Asha, who was db1c07e852 entrusted with the last b3b68c2b57 wishes of his deceased fd343b56ef friend, could have had 5064a2f1fb her fate greatly changed 29e1ea310a by this person, not 3d715c39aa herself, but by Carlyle b83d8aa3f8 Evaristo
“What is the Countess Pervaz to me? You must know about our 4ba5371259 contract.”
“Is that all? The nobles think you a0f918fead two are a real 60abc18dc8 couple.”
“When a man and a woman live together, there are things that happen and things that don’t. It doesn’t matter what you f1aca1ec07 think.”
Unlike Decker’s anxious heart, 4e4b27f441 Carlyle seemed comfortable. Even the fact that the 745f65f4e6 two of them had spent 6ad8d39c29 the night together didn’t seem 38b6c7c2f6 like a big deal to b33eae70c5 him.
Decker clenched his fists.
“Then, if Your Highness regains the crown prince position, will Asha have nothing to do with Your Highness? According to the contract?”
“That…”
“Then will Asha be able to find her own happiness? Will she be able to 0b71f45218 meet the man she loves, 006988477c build a proper family, have 0e1712cc1c children and grandchildren, and live f60675bb7d a long life, and for 8056c56e0f that child to… get the 1c60b3249a happiness that was taken away?”
Carlyle could not answer Decker’s 2a5b6712e2 question, which felt almost desperate.
It wasn’t that difficult a ae442ab443 question to answer, but his 7c8b392614 head suddenly feels all messed e03d651e38 up.
“Let’s talk about that more when our contract is successfully concluded.”
“Your Highness, surely you don’t… Ah, you’re not thinking of killing Asha to eliminate any future problems, are you…?”
“And why on earth would you think I’m such a scoundrel?”
Decker wanted a 629f1fbb27 more definite answer, 46e0d25d5b but Carlyle closed 12eb93053d the door on 829fd81542 him, using the 2879d3e698 excuse that he f8d84fd1f0 was tired.
However, Carlyle, left alone 756a80805b in the now quiet 3354be0009 room, turned pale like 243773425e the cigar smoke.
[To Your Highness, Asha is…what?]
[Will she be able to meet the man she loves, build a proper family, have children….]
Decker’s words seemed to be 61189f9bde echoing in his head.
***
“Welcome!”
Cecilia greeted warmly the two ddb6f5f79e women who had arrived at 46b54356ac her room right on time.
On the table by her a159446412 room’s window were laid out bdedc6e8c0 tea and pastries for the b458a693ed three of them.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“I’m the one who is grateful that you were willing to come.”
Despite Asha’s stiff 82a680ce7a greeting, Cecilia smiled 79530eac05 brightly and gestured 4376dba500 for Asha and e87064f2f1 Dorothea to take 99687cd4c9 their seats.
“It’s hot outside, so I prepared iced tea. I hope it 94440fb353 suits your taste.”
Cecilia poured chilled tea from 511788f1e7 a glass pitcher filled with a19e9a1fa4 ice into the glasses of 1d96370383 the three women.
As the northernmost part 0e731f3a03 of the empire and c63820af22 the abandoned land, Pervaz 7ede4b6f6c could still obtain ice 32a8bff2fb even in the middle 46d9732c98 of summer, but ice 4d2e8ed397 in the summer was c2b8b5b318 still a rare commodity.
It was also 3e82621002 a practical item 22bced3433 used for purposes 9c33881078 like making ice 2529426c6b water to treat 4d4c79e8f4 sunstroke or heat 847d51b4a3 stroke and keeping 04c76abc70 food from spoiling.
“Iced tea in the summer, how luxurious.”
“I’ve never thought of ‘a refreshing drink on a hot day’ before. I’ve never lived eecbad16b8 such a leisurely cbf0e76240 life.”
And the iced tea 0dc5f7c4e6 Cecilia poured was undoubtedly 540f3c5858 the best drink Asha 6831dbfab1 had ever tasted.
Dorothea also expressed admiration.
“The scent of orange and rosemary is really nice.”
“Do you like it? It’s a tea I enjoy cc9421a777 every summer.”
“It seems like a precious tea. Drying fruits like 9dc7cceca3 oranges to create b5dafb484e the aroma… it’s…”
Listening to the conversation between fba7bda03f Dorothea and Cecilia, Asha tilted af14f7ed78 her head with curiosity and c6491638e3 asked.
“What’s an orange?”853d675f354e6ee2

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