The Age Of Arrogance

“The maids all received scarves, but I received a shawl because I am the maid in charge of the lord. I heard that the head maid received a coat.”

 

“Ah…….”

 

“I thought it was strange to give a shawl or a coat in the middle of summer, but come to think of it, it will be autumn soon. And the winters in Pervaz are long.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I think His Highness put a lot of thought into it.”

 

Asha agreed with Nina.

 

She was surprised that he had even taken care of the gifts for the servants working in the castle, and that there was evidence that he had put thought into choosing the gifts. She was incredibly grateful.

 

“I must thank him later…”

 

She didn’t feel confident enough to face Carlyle yet, but she felt like she had to thank him.

 

And the second crisis came thanks to a chance encounter with Dorothea.

 

“Good morning, Countess.”

 

“Ah, Lady Dorothea. Good morning to you too.”

 

Cecilia felt uncomfortable every time she met her, but Dorothea, unlike her father, was a kind person.

 

However, she was still at a loss for what to say to a noble lady. So much so that she ended up talking about Carlyle, who she had just been thinking about.

 

“The castle feels lively with His Highness Carlyle here.”

 

Asha wanted to bite her tongue after she finished speaking. If she had nothing to say, she should have kept her mouth shut. Why did she say something like that?

 

However, Dorothea responded sincerely even to her empty words.

 

“Yes, he brought gifts for everyone in the castle, so the second floor was bustling with people carrying luggage all day yesterday.”

 

“Everyone seems to be happy to receive gifts. My maid said she received a shawl… What did you receive, Lady Dorothea?”

 

Asha wanted to bite her tongue again.

 

Why did she wonder what gift Dorothea had received? It was the perfect way to be misunderstood.

 

However, even this time, Dorothea did not mock or belittle Asha, but answered her kindly.

 

“Most of the people on the second floor received tea that is good to drink in winter. It seems that hot tea is essential for the winter in Pervaz.”

 

Cecilia and Dorothea, who had come to Pervaz in October of the previous year and had not been able to prepare much for the winter, were surprised by the harsh cold of the northernmost part of the empire.

 

Since wearing clothes alone was not enough to keep the inside warm, hot tea was a necessity.

 

Dorothea was a little surprised that Carlyle remembered such details, but Asha was concerned about something else.

 

‘Most of the people on the second floor received tea? Did he not give a more special gift to Lady Cecilia or Lady Dorothea…?’

 

She couldn’t understand why it gave her such a strange sense of excitement.

 

‘Let’s get a grip. His Highness Carlyle simply gave everyone a gift that would be practical for them.’

 

For the people of the capital who are suffering from the cold, warm tea to drink, and for the people of Pervaz who do not even have enough clothes to wear, scarves or shawls.

 

‘I’m sure they gave something like a weapon to the knights or the senior knights, just like he did to me. It’s not special just to me.’

 

Thinking so, Asha’s excited heart calmed down a bit.

 

However, the people would not let Asha’s heart be at ease.

 

“Asha! Show me the sword that His Highness Carlyle gave you.”

 

Decker, who was talking to some senior knights of the Knights Templar near the training ground, said in a whisper.

 

She doesn’t know why he’s whispering when she was the one who received the sword.

 

“This……?”

 

With no reason to refuse, Asha raised the sword she had at her waist.

 

Then the other knights around her gathered and exclaimed, “Wow!”

 

“This is a custom-made sword from ‘Senar Vilman’!”

 

When one of the knights who was checking the tip of the scabbard exclaimed in surprise, exclamations erupted from around her.

 

“‘Senar Vilman’? What is that?”

 

When Asha asked, the knights were all shocked.

 

“Don’t you know? It’s a swordsmith workshop that is said to be one of the best in the world.”

 

“It’s expensive to order. A sword like this would probably cost as much as a small mansion, if not more.”

 

At those words, not only Asha but also Decker opened their mouths wide.

 

“What sword costs that much……!”

 

“The steel they make there is that strong and good. It doesn’t break easily.”

 

“They say they make a famous sword that will raise the skill of the sword owner by one level.”

 

The knights continued to talk about the legendary swordsmith workshop.

 

Asha tried to calm her pounding heart and made a nonsense remark.

 

“Well…… they wouldn’t have given this just to me, right?”

 

However, the knights shook their heads vigorously.

 

“The ‘Senar Vilman’ sword is not something you can easily get your hands on. Countess Pervaz is receiving this gift because she is the wife of His Highness Carlyle, or rather, Her Highness is a princess!”

 

“I heard that even royalty can’t order more than one at a time.”

 

At those words, Asha’s heart finally started to beat wildly.

 

She was excited that it was a good sword that even knights who use swords would envy, and even more so that it was a custom-made sword for her, and that it had such a strange phrase engraved on the pommel…….

 

‘Oh, this is not good…….’

 

Asha, who had pretended to be indifferent in front of Decker and the knights, touched her lips with her hand as she walked out of the training ground.

 

If she didn’t, she felt like everyone would see the smile spreading across her face.

 

***

 

‘What on earth was he thinking, His Highness Carlyle?’

 

Cecilia frowned as she looked down at the expensive tea leaves in the pretty tin case.

 

As she had told Asha before, it was natural for nobles to bring gifts for their close acquaintances when they returned from a trip.

 

It was also common to give more thoughtful gifts to important and special acquaintances.

 

The gift that Cecilia received from Carlyle this time was expensive tea.

 

The gift itself was not the problem, but the fact that she received the same gift as Dorothea, the maid, and the butler was a serious problem.

 

‘Am I supposed to be here and receive the same gift as Dorothea Raphelt or the maid?’

 

She tried to think calmly, but she couldn’t help but feel irritated.

 

The root of her irritation was a sense of crisis and anxiety.

 

‘Surely… it can’t be that I won’t become the Crown Princess…?’

 

Cecilia shook her head violently at the thought.

 

‘No. That can’t happen, and it won’t happen.’

 

She habitually repeated to herself that she was the future empress.

 

However, she didn’t feel as confident as before.

 

Her heart had been racing ever since she saw Carlyle and Asha sparring the other day.

 

‘Countess Pervaz is also a warrior, so it’s perfectly natural for them to spar. But still….’

 

Was it because it was a sparring session between a man and a woman? There was an indefinable tension between the two of them that day.

 

When they stood close together, facing each other with their swords drawn, it seemed for a moment that they were about to kiss.

 

Moreover, what she had said to Asha in order to suppress her anger, that ‘it’s natural to want to give gifts to someone special’, had backfired.

 

‘That sword… I heard it’s not an ordinary sword.’

 

It was said that it took a long time to make, so it must have been ordered a long time ago.

 

At the earliest, it could have been around the time the Igram first invaded, or at the latest, around the end of last year.

 

The fact that Carlyle had been preparing a gift for Asha for so long only added to Cecilia’s anxiety.

 

And the fact that she had sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere between the two of them for some time now.

 

However, Cecilia had to achieve the result that she had fought so hard for with her father and brothers.

 

‘There’s nothing certain yet. I will definitely take the position of Crown Princess. I am the one who will become the Empress!’

 

There was a year and a half left.

 

Cecilia clenched her teeth and made up her mind.

 

***

 

It was nearing the end of August when Fabian Rusco, who hadn’t been noticeable for a while, approached Carlyle with a flushed face.

 

“Your Highness. The portrait has been completed.”

 

“You seem to have been absent for quite some time.”

 

“I’ve been holed up in the studio working on the painting.”

 

Carlyle chuckled at that and turned to Lionel, who was by his side, asking, “Have you scheduled the tasks so tightly that you couldn’t even spare a moment to show your face outside?”

 

“Oh, no. The deadline is still several months away.”

 

Lionel also replied, seeming puzzled. Then Fabian scratched the back of his head and said,

 

“Well… there have been some changes to the plans.”

 

Carlyle had requested two identical portraits.

 

So, while they had completed one with Carlyle and Asha sitting in the typical pose of a noble couple, they had intended to draw another one in the same style when the Igram invaded.

 

“We had to draw it with a different composition than originally planned. If you don’t want that portrait, we can draw another one identical to the first during the remaining time.”

 

“Well, let’s have a look first. My wife will be arriving soon.”

 

Carlyle waited until Asha, whom he had summoned, arrived.

 

His wife, who had run away blushing during their recent sparring match, had returned with her usual indifferent demeanor, but Carlyle was much happier now that he had realized she was just hiding her true feelings.

 

‘I wonder what her reaction will be to the portrait of us as a couple.’

 

Externally, she would probably briefly comment with something like “It looks nice” and then sit with an indifferent expression, but what would she really feel?

 

Carlyle waited eagerly for Asha while imagining such scenarios.

 

TL/N: The cutest golden retriever × black cat couple fr🤭♥️