The Age Of Arrogance

“The Duprets swore their complete allegiance to His Highness Carlyle. The fact that I am here is proof of that.”

 

“Ahem! Well, that’s a bit of a strong statement, but there’s also the saying, ‘a pawn to be discarded’.”

 

Decker was a little surprised to learn that Giles was not only rude to Asha. He was confused whether he should be happy about it or lament it.

 

What was even more surprising was that Cecilia, who heard the remark, did not seem offended or intimidated at all.

 

“Hohoho! Sir Raphelt is quite the joker. Don’t you know how much value Cecilia Dupret has in the social circle? Ah, you may not know since you’ve been away from the social circle for a long time.”

 

She lowered her eyebrows regretfully and smiled apologetically.

 

‘Blonde woman wins 1-0.’

 

Decker gulped at the tense atmosphere.

 

Then Dorothea calmly replied.

 

“Our family prefers to keep quiet gatherings with like-minded people. It seems that Miss Cecilia is quite popular with the gentlemen?”

 

It was a question that not only suspected Cecilia’s relationship with men, but also added the nuance of ‘I don’t really understand why you’re popular’.

 

Cecilia didn’t take it lightly either.

 

“That was all in the past. Perhaps Sir Bailey or Sir Raphelt would know the reason.”

 

Her gaze quickly glanced over to Carlyle, who was silently slicing the meat.

 

‘Wow……. Is she saying that she was His Highness Carlyle’s unofficial candidate right here?’

 

Decker felt his mouth open wide.

 

‘The current Crown Princess’ is also sitting here!

 

He quickly turned to Asha, worried that she might be upset.

 

“Don’t worry too much, Asha.”

 

However, Asha seemed completely uninterested in the war unfolding on the table.

 

She was putting beans, carrots, and couscous on top of a thinly sliced turkey, then folding the meat and putting it in her mouth.

 

“Asha?”

 

“Hmm…!”

 

Not even hearing Decker calling her, Asha closed her eyes and nodded her head, expressing her ‘deliciousness’ with her whole body.

 

“Asha…….”

 

“……Huh? Did you call me?”

 

Asha, who was a beat late in answering because she was busy chewing and swallowing the food in her mouth, looked at Decker with a ‘what is it’ expression.

 

“Hey… are you okay?”

 

“Yeah! This is pretty good, isn’t it? It’s really delicious.”

 

Nodding her head, pointing to her plate with the end of her fork, Asha even looked innocent.

 

“No… that’s not it…”

 

“Why? What’s wrong?”

 

“…Nothing.”

 

Only after Decker sighed did Asha look around to see what’s happening.

 

Meanwhile, Cecilia and Dorothea are in full swing of their war of nerves. It seemed like a topic of a book Asha and Decker had never heard of came up.

 

“It’s surprising that you’ve read that book. It must be hard to find in a small provincial town.”

 

Cecilia’s words were basically an insult saying “You country bumpkin”.

 

“It wasn’t hard to find. My father borrowed it from the Academy library.”

 

Dorothea’s answer in turn meant “My father is a top scholar in the Academy and a close aide to His Highness”.

 

“Oh, Sir Raphelt got it for you! You must be really happy to have such a loving father.”

 

Cecilia’s praise was sarcasm implying “What do you have to offer besides your father’s connections?”.

 

“Duke Dupret also loves his daughter, doesn’t he?”

 

Dorothea’s pleasant words were a counterattack saying “You’re nothing special without your family name”.

 

Asha watches without much interest the conversation between the two beautiful, elegant, and noble young women.

 

Honestly, since there’s always an amusement in watching a spectacle or a fight, she felt somewhat like she was a ‘spectator’.

 

Perhaps irritated by this, Cecilia directed her attack towards Asha.

 

“Oh! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been bringing up my father in front of Countess Pervaz…”

 

It seemed like she was about to bring up Amir, who was exiled to this terrible Pervaz and eventually died in battle.

 

Decker’s face became tense without him even realizing it. But Asha responded with a composed voice.

 

“You don’t have to worry about my feelings. I also enjoy talking about my father.”

 

“Oh, really? To be honest, I’m a little curious. I’ve heard he was a great knight, but how did he…”

 

With a face full of pity, Cecilia asked ‘How could you have been so tactless to be exiled to a place like this?’, while simultaneously showing boldness.

 

And Asha, who doesn’t understand the implication at all, is also impressive.

 

“I heard that he killed the Commander of the Kelob Kingdom during the war. Thanks to him, the Imperial Army, which was being pushed back, was able to win, and so they gave him the title of Border Count and awarded him Pervaz as a reward for his military accomplishments.”

 

Asha took a sip of the wine beside her.

 

She was about to continue, but then stopped, and by the way her eyes widened as she looked at the glass while nodding, it seemed she was admiring the flavor of the wine.

 

Cecilia, dumbfounded at her composure, blatantly points out Amir’s ‘wrongdoings’.

 

“The former Count, he also didn’t have tact. Usually, in a war where the Emperor or Crown Prince participates, it’s common sense to put the biggest military achievement under their name….”

 

Decker thought that this time, Asha might really flip the table. To say a mere twenty-two-year-old lady had no tact, no common sense, towards Amir – even in his perspective, it seemed like crossing the line.

 

However, Asha just tilted her head slightly and asked:

 

“Why is that common sense?”

 

“Huh? As far as I’ve heard, usually it’s like that…”

 

Asha’s gaze turned towards Carlyle.

 

“Then perhaps, Your Highness’ brilliant accomplishments, were also piled up in such a way?”

 

Carlyle’s hand, which had been cutting innocent vegetables with a knife, stopped.

 

“Would I eat because I lack food, and snatch another’s military achievements? It’s regrettable that my father was a coward, but please don’t treat me as the same kind of person.”

 

Carlyle’s brow furrowed slightly, then smoothed out.

 

Asha shrugged, looking back at Cecilia.

 

“So they say.”

 

And with that, she again began to focus on the food.

 

Unlike the two ladies who were nibbling like birds, she put a large chunk of meat into her mouth with one bite, making her cheeks bulge.

 

“The food seems to suit your taste.”

 

At Carlyle’s words, Asha only nodded.

 

She couldn’t answer with her mouth full of food.

 

The others, with the exception of Decker, simply thought Asha’s attitude was un-noble, un-ladylike, but Carlyle was caught in a completely different thought.

 

‘Really, it doesn’t matter at all?’

 

Everyone knew that Cecilia and Dorothea were here to take the spot of the ‘real’ Crown Princess in three years.

 

Therefore, it was natural for a war of nerves like the earlier one to take place.

 

However, Asha seemed to have no interest in this situation. Or rather than no interest, perhaps she saw it as ‘someone else’s business’?

 

‘So…she’s just watching who will take her husband?’

 

This bothered Carlyle.

 

‘Of course, that attitude of not clinging to me, that’s very good. The will to thoroughly fulfill the contract, I understand it well. But…’

 

He became irritated, just like when he overheard Asha and Decker’s conversation the other day.

 

Carlyle again poked at the food on his plate while carefully considering the reason for this, even though he knew it was a behavior quite contrary to dining etiquette.

 

Asha still continued to show her admiration for the food. Carlyle, who had been silently watching this, suddenly stopped his fork.

 

He seemed to know why he was in a bad mood.

 

‘Shouldn’t you pretend to be a couple in front of outsiders? That’s what the contract says.’

 

That’s right. The contract.

 

Doesn’t the contract clearly state that you will ‘faithfully fulfill the role of a wife on paper’?

 

Being a wife on paper means that you have to at least look like a couple without any conflict in front of others.

 

The problem now is that it’s not just a conflict, it’s like there’s nothing going on at all.

 

As Carlyle chewed on these thoughts, he ignored the renewed war of nerves between Cecilia and Dorothea and spoke to Asha.

 

“Do you remember the couple’s portrait I mentioned before?”

 

“Yes? Ah, that… .”

 

Asha replied with a look of disgust.

 

The eyes of the others turned to the two.

 

“Portrait?”

 

When Cecilia asked, Carlyle answered her while pressuring Asha.

 

“When a royal couple gets married, they have to paint a couple’s portrait and send it to the Imperial Archives. We need to hang one here too.”

 

He felt much better than before and took a bit of the food he had been struggling with, and the words ‘couple’s portrait’ made Cecilia and Giles’ expressions worse.

 

“Lionel. How’s the artist search going?”

 

“I was going to tell you anyway, but among the artists I contacted, ‘Fabian Ruscoe’ accepted the offer. I think he’ll be here soon.”

 

Asha didn’t care about humans like Fabian Ruscoe or Rusk, but Cecilia and Dorothea looked a little surprised.

 

“If it’s Fabian Ruscoe, he’s the painter who won the Grand Prize at the Imperial Salon three times, right? <May Pond> and <Portrait of Mrs. Ebeverje> were quite impressive… .”

 

When Dorothea pretended to know first, Cecilia opened her mouth as if she couldn’t be left behind.

 

“For His Highness Carlyle’s portrait, it’s only natural to use an artist of Fabian Ruscoe’s level. I also prefer Fabian Ruscoe’s style to ‘Jerdau Roland’, who painted the portrait of His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

Even after saying that, Asha’s expression remained blank. Then Dorothea asked cautiously.

 

“Did Your Highness perhaps want a different artist?”

 

At that question, Asha glanced at Carlyle and muttered.

 

“No. It’s just…annoying.”