The Age Of Arrogance

‘That kind of guy wouldn’t hesitate to lick even shoes if he couldn’t bow his head.’

 

The emperor seemed to think this was his victory, intoxicated by his own power, but Beatrice wasn’t convinced.

 

‘A frog that wants to jump far crouches low.’

 

She became anxious looking at Carlyle, who had become even more intimidating during the year she spent hiding in Pervaz.

 

And her prediction became reality.

 

“Those people are precisely the ‘warriors’ of that barbarian princess!”

 

“Were they that cool? In my memory, they were like dirty mountain beasts…”

 

“His Highness Carlyle went to Pervaz, didn’t he? He must have definitely transformed Pervaz!”

 

A celebratory banquet after Carlyle’s victory.

 

The sight of Carlyle entering the banquet hall with his knights and Pervaz warriors mixed together as guards was unconventional.

 

And unconventional things always attract attention.

 

“Do you feel them licking you with their eyes? Especially those ladies.”

 

Carlyle teased Decker, pretending to whisper something important.

 

The Pervaz warriors who used to look scruffy, stood out considerably. Their hair, beard, eyebrows, and even fingernails were neatly trimmed, and their physical condition had improved greatly due to better nutrition.

 

Moreover, although the clothes they were wearing were mainly black, the fabric was good and the design was incorporated, making them look more stylish than the knight uniforms.

 

It was clear that the nobles, sensitive to what looked new and good, were already scanning them up and down, appraising their value.

 

“Even without this, it’s hard to breathe. Are they that displeased?”

 

Decker still thought the ladies were looking down on them with disdainful eyes because their appearance was very different from the people in the capital.

 

“How can you be so naive? Don’t ever follow them even if they try to tempt you with something delicious.”

 

“Am I a child?”

 

Carlyle chuckled with mischievous eyes at Decker’s grumpy voice and whispered.

 

“I’m not saying you’re a child, but If you naively follow them, you’ll be completely devoured by those skilled ladies.”

 

“Ah, uhm, yes. I understand.”

 

Decker, belatedly realizing the meaning, coughed awkwardly and looked around.

 

Ladies who already seemed to have husbands were sending him secretive and seductive glances while fanning themselves with fans.

 

He didn’t know why they seemed to be ignoring and looking down on him earlier.

 

Carlyle urged Decker, who was like that.

 

“Endure it no matter how disgusting and annoying it is. For the sake of your lord.”

 

“Of course.”

 

With the immediate answer that popped out, Carlyle guessed again that Decker’s loyalty towards Asha wasn’t solely out of duty as a subordinate.

 

‘Such a tearful love.’

 

He wanted to nag him even though it looked pitiful, but strangely his pride got hurt. It felt like he was acknowledging the love between Decker and Asha.

 

Anyway, this wasn’t the time to be lost in such thoughts.

 

“Alright, shall we start working a little now?”

 

Carlyle nodded to Giles who was nearby, and Giles winked at some nobles who were waiting for a signal in the surroundings.

 

Duke Dupret was the first to approach.

 

“Your Highness! I couldn’t sleep a wink after hearing the news that you had subdued the Igrams! I was worried about your safety!”

 

“Oh, Duke Dupret! You shouldn’t have worried so much.”

 

“But it was a fierce battle, wasn’t it? I heard the Igrams were surprisingly well-prepared.”

 

“That was a bit strange. Savages using catapults?”

 

The conversation between Duke Dupret and Carlyle piqued the interest of the nobles who were eavesdropping nearby.

 

“Catapults? How could savages have the skill to build catapults?”

 

“Right?”

 

“Then they wouldn’t be savages, but something else…”

 

“Duke, there are many ears listening.”

 

“Ah, I see. Hehe, how is the reconstruction of Pervaz going?”

 

Count Dupret tried to raise a suspicion but changed the topic to the reconstruction of Pervaz.

 

However, those who were listening had already heard everything.

 

“I heard over there that the savages’ attack on Pervaz was caused by an external force intervening.”

 

“But who on earth would join hands with the savages?”

 

“Who would benefit from attacking Pervaz?”

 

Everyone knew who they were referring to, although no one mentioned it directly.

 

The talk about the reconstruction situation in Pervaz quickly spread throughout the banquet hall.

 

“They say he poured a huge amount of money into it, but was it worth it?”

 

“Have you forgotten the beginning of all this? Countess Pervaz came with the promise of the late Emperor! Then His Majesty the Emperor was trying to break that promise…”

 

“It ended up costing even more money to cover up that embarrassing situation. His Highness Carlyle must have accepted that marriage to save the imperial family’s face.”

 

“You don’t know anything. He fled to the extraterritorial zone to escape the pressure from the Empress. Because of that, only the southern part of the empire is in danger…”

 

“That’s right. Didn’t a monster appear in the south last time? Even then, only the Knights were sent down without His Highness Matthias.”

 

The conversation gradually turned unfavorable for the Empress and Matthias.

 

The nobles who were on Matthias’ side tried to defend him a little, but with the dazzling Carlyle sitting there like the sun, Matthias’ presence quickly faded away.

 

The banquet was not only about Carlyle.

 

“Those people called the Pervaz warriors, don’t they look kind of cool?”

 

“Oh my! I like the clean and elegant style…”

 

“But you haven’t been able to take your eyes off them, have you?”

 

“Of course, official and unofficial positions are bound to disagree. Hohoho!”

 

A burst of laughter erupted from behind the ladies’ fans.

 

The Pervaz warriors, who had been carefully groomed by Carlyle’s barber, seemed to the ladies to be different from the gentle and elegant nobles or knights of the capital. They were rough, wild, and strong, but they were also loyal to their lord to the death.

 

Thanks to this, the image of Pervaz was also improving.

 

“What kind of place is Pervaz? I’ve heard a lot that it’s terrible, but it’s all just rumors, right?”

 

“It must be very devastated after 28 years of war. But it seems like His Highness Carlyle is rebuilding it quickly.”

 

“I heard from someone who visited three months ago that it’s not in as bad shape as you might think.”

 

“Shouldn’t we invest before it’s too late? Since His Highness Carlyle is staying there, it’s sure to rise in value later.”

 

Just a year ago, anyone who said they would invest in Pervaz would have been called crazy.

 

Decker, who had been listening to the conversation, clenched his fists with a new sense of emotion.

 

‘Asha! Pervaz, which was treated as a barbarian land, is being recognized as a territory of the empire!’

 

It was true that it was thanks to Carlyle’s money and fame, but Decker and the Pervaz warriors never forgot that it was Asha who had stood up to the emperor and made a bold deal with the crown prince.

 

Then someone brought up the topic that everyone was curious about, but had been hesitant to mention.

 

“But… It seems that ‘Her Highness’ isn’t here?”

 

“That’s right. The relationship between the two of them seems to be…”

 

“Of course it is. It was a marriage of convenience for both sides. They’ll probably get divorced in two years…”

 

The divorce had been predicted since the time of the wedding vows, but since Carlyle had been away from Cairo for so long, the topic had died down.

 

However, now that Carlyle had returned, once again demonstrating his abilities, the families with ‘golden-eyed’ daughters were quickly calculating their chances.

 

‘My ears are burning from the sound of all the scheming.’

 

Carlyle smiled wryly as he watched the nobles approaching him, using his daughter as a pretext.

 

They were too late.

 

Dupret and Giles were already ahead of them.

 

The problem, however, was that Carlyle didn’t seem to be attracted to Cecilia or Dorothea either.

 

‘But I can’t choose the one who will be the crown princess based on my own feelings.’

 

But then, suddenly, he thought of Asha, who had been quietly watching him in the middle of the battlefield and in the dimly lit bedroom.

 

The beautiful killer with mysterious gray eyes.

 

TL/N: SCREAMING!!!

 

An ally and wife whose true intentions are unknown.

 

“Haah…”

 

“Your Highness? Is something uncomfortable?”

 

At Carlyle’s low sigh, Giles quickly asked.

 

Only then did Carlyle realize that he had sighed, and he shook his head with a wry smile.

 

“No. Anyway, now that the imperial court has held a banquet, we will soon be invited from here and there.”

 

“That’s right. I’ll pick a few places, focusing on those with a lot of influence.”

 

“Focus on families with knight orders. Don’t be too strict, as we need to keep an eye on the temple as well.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Carlyle greeted another nobleman who approached him and thought about what he would do next. Now was not the time to waste time thinking about Asha.

 

* * *

 

The moon was bright.

 

Asha, who was walking around checking the castle at night, looked up at the sky and suddenly thought that the moon she saw on Zyro must be the same moon.

 

‘He must be captivating the nobles at the banquet hall by now.’

 

TL/N: MY GIRL IS JEALOUS!

 

Carlyle had explained to Asha in detail what he would do on Zyro.

 

He would announce the victory in the war against the Igram and secretly spread the word that the Empress was behind it. He would also let it be known that the situation in Pervaz had improved considerably.

 

He had also talked about investigating the suspicious temple and High Priest Gabriel Knox, and then taking a warning or similar stance towards the temple.

 

‘He will surely expand his influence while pulling the nobles who are tightrope walking between the two crown prince candidates, and sufficiently check the Empress’s side.’

 

It was easy to say, but in the process, Carlyle would surely face formidable obstacles.

 

In the end, his family would be the biggest obstacle.