The Age Of Arrogance

Dorothea suppressed the anger that was welling up inside her.

 

There was no point in talking back to her father. He was the one who held her life in his hands.

 

Perhaps that was why Dorothea had never had any illusions about marriage since she was a child. No, to be more precise, she didn’t want to get married.

 

‘They’re all going to be like my father anyway.’

 

The noblemen were all the same.

 

Before marriage, they would act romantically, as if they were competing with others, but once they were married, they would immediately act like they were the masters of their wives.

 

She didn’t think it would be any different just because he was the Crown Prince. In fact, it would be even worse.

 

‘But there’s no way my father will keep me alive if I don’t get married… and if I don’t become the Crown Princess, he might marry me off to someone even worse.’

 

While Giles droned on and on, Dorothea sighed quietly and clenched her jaw.

 

“…That’s all I have to say. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, father.”

 

Giles clicked his tongue in displeasure as he watched Dorothea bow her head and repeat the same words in the same tone, “Yes, father.”

 

Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he added.

 

“And if you have any information about Countess Pervaz, let me know.”

 

“Information about Countess Pervaz? What kind of information are you talking about?”

 

“Anything. The more information, the better.”

 

“But I need to know what you want the information for…”

 

Giles almost snapped again at Dorothea for not understanding what he meant, but he held back.

 

If he was too harsh, the already meek and timid Dorothea would become even more withdrawn, which could have a negative impact on her chances of becoming the Crown Princess.

 

He spoke in as calm and gentle a voice as possible.

 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s something trivial, like what kind of food she likes, what kind of flowers she likes, or if she has any bugs she hates.”

 

Dorothea had a puzzled look on her face. She couldn’t understand what her father wanted to do with the trivial tastes of Countess Pervaz.

 

Giles clicked his tongue inwardly and explained.

 

“It seems like His Highness has taken a liking to Countess Pervaz more than I thought. They even went to war together, so it seems they’ve built up some camaraderie…”

 

He clenched his fist as he thought of Carlyle, who had ordered a sword for Asha without even telling him.

 

“That woman must disappear someday. It would be better if she died in some trivial accident that no one would suspect.”

 

Only then did Dorothea’s eyes widen and she looked up at her father.

 

“Are you saying that you want to find information that can be disguised as an accident?”

 

“Dorothy.”

 

Giles looked down at his surprised daughter with stern eyes.

 

“This is not a kind and affectionate world. It is a battlefield where you either kill or be killed. You must also be strong-willed.”

 

Dorothea could not answer.

 

However, Giles turned his gaze away, as if he did not expect an answer from her.

 

Casually looking out the window, he found Decker nudging Asha’s side, asking her to show everyone the sword he had received from His Highness.

 

He was the one Carlyle had kept by his side for the longest time during this Zyro trip.

 

“I’d like to use that jerk.”

 

“What?”

 

Giles smiled at Dorothea, who rolled her eyes, not knowing what he was talking about.

 

“Try to approach Decker Donovan. No one knows more about Countess Pervaz than that guy.”

 

He left that word and walked out of Dorothea’s room.

 

Left alone, Dorothea finally turned her gaze to the training ground her father was watching and sank into a quiet despair.

 

TL/N: I don’t want to spoil y’all but her father is sooooo stupid to tell her to do that, lol!

 

***

 

Carlyle received the letter from the royal sender about two months after returning from Zyro.

 

“Is he going to confront us head-on?”

 

Carlyle chuckled incredulously as she read the letter.

 

“What on earth could it be about?”

 

“It says they’re concerned about us since it’s been a year since our marriage and there’s no news of a child, so they’ll send a priest to pray for us.”

 

“Really?”

 

Lionel furrowed his brow inquisitively.

 

“What happens if we refuse?”

 

“They might consider our marriage abnormal and try to annul it.”

 

“But who decides if a marriage is normal or not? They approve marriages where a 60-year-old man marries a woman in her 20s just for the sake of it.”

 

Such marriages were common. There were even cases of forced marriages and incestuous ones.

 

Those were considered normal and accepted, so how could they judge a marriage between two healthy individuals who followed the proper procedures as ‘abnormal’?

 

“Try to guess who the priest coming to bless our pregnancy might be.”

 

Carlyle asked with a smirk, causing Lionel’s eyes to widen.

 

“No way…”

 

“Don’t tell me you’re serious.”

 

“Gabriel, the High Priest?”

 

“Bingo.”

 

Lionel looked at Carlyle as if he were about to grab him by the collar.

 

“Is Gabriel, who is said to be more popular than the pope in Elahe Sect, coming to bless our pregnancy? If he’s coming here, we’ll have to vacate the place for at least a month. Who would we put in charge?”

 

“Exactly. Unless… it’s worth enduring such a loss.”

 

There was a brief silence between them.

 

“Whether by hook or by crook, they want to stir up trouble between Your Highness and Countess Pervaz.”

 

“That alone isn’t enough. He might try to sow discord between me and the countess, or even try to buy off the palace servants. And who knows what other bizarre things he might do.”

 

Lionel shook his head nervously.

 

If it were any other priest, even the Archbishop, Carlyle wouldn’t worry.

 

But Gabriel Knox was utterly unpredictable, and he even seemed to manipulate the empress.

 

For such a person to come bearing the excellent pretext of blessing a pregnancy, it was impossible not to worry.

 

“For now… it might be necessary to show that Your Highness and the Countess Pervaz get along like a married couple.”

 

“Indeed. They say that the blessing of pregnancy is performed by a priest who enters the bedroom where the couple sleeps together.”

 

“Are you crazy……!”

 

“I agree. We have to show them that we have a marital bedroom anyway…….”

 

There was a lot to do.

 

Rumors had been spread that he had been sleeping with Asha, and he had worked to make it seem like they were on good terms as a couple, but Gabriel could easily label this as ‘abnormal’.

 

“I think we should talk to Countess Pervaz first.”

 

“Right. But my wife always follows my opinion very well. It’s a time-saver to plan first and then notify her.”

 

Lionel stared at Carlyle, who was talking shamelessly with a straight face, and didn’t answer. He called for Asha instead.

 

Asha, who came with Lionel after a while, nodded after a brief explanation.

 

“We need to make a new marital bedroom.”

 

“But wouldn’t it be unnatural for people to see that we’re making a marital bedroom now?”

 

“Are you going to let that suspicious High Priest come into His Highness’ room then? That’s too dangerous.”

 

“That makes sense.”

 

Carlyle thought he had done well to call Asha. As Asha said, it seemed like it would be difficult for Gabriel to bear to enter his bedroom.

 

‘That snake might do something strange in my room.’

 

In the end, they decided to redecorate their marital bedroom.

 

It would be busy for 2-3 days as they had to decorate one of the guest rooms on the 2nd floor as the their bedroom.

 

However, while talking, Lionel felt that the relationship between Carlyle and Asha was somehow strange.

 

“Excuse me…… I know this is a rude question, but there’s something I don’t understand no matter how much I think about it.”

 

“If you know it’s a rude question, you shouldn’t ask it. And if you’re going to ask anyway, don’t beat around the bush.”

 

Lionel ignored Carlyle’s sarcasm and looked at Asha and asked.

 

“As far as I know, you two definitely used the same bedroom…… I’m curious why you’re acting like ‘allies’ today, neither more nor less.”

 

At that moment, both Asha and Carlyle shut their mouths tightly. It felt like their ambiguous relationship was being pointed out.

 

It was a strange relationship where they shared the memory of a hot night and pretended to forget about it.

 

However, Lionel, who didn’t know about their intimate time, interpreted the situation in their favor.

 

“Was that also part of the plan to fool people? In preparation for a day like this……?”

 

Lionel, who only knew about the ‘fake first night’ at the Harvest Festival, it was perhaps a quick conclusion.

 

“Ah, we got caught.”

 

“You kept it a secret from me too?”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Carlyle answered good-naturedly.

 

“I meant to tell you, but I forgot.”

 

“No, there’s something else you’ve forgotten! It’s a question I couldn’t even ask…”

 

“I see.”

 

Carlyle chuckled knowingly as she looked at Lionel, who was filled with curiosity.

 

But Asha couldn’t bring herself to join in the laughter.

 

Because of what Lionel had said, all of her history with Carlyle came flooding back at once.

 

“Come to think of it, you slept in His Highness’ bedroom on the night of the Harvest Festival.”

 

She had woken up in the scented bed after passing out from drinking, facing Carlyle in her light nightgown.

 

Now, her face would probably burn with embarrassment, but back then, she hadn’t been aware of the awkwardness. She had only been concerned about whether there would be any issues with the Harvest Festival after passing out drunk.

 

If it were now… perhaps her heart would burst with embarrassment from the moment she opened her eyes and smelled Carlyle’s scent.