The Age Of Arrogance

꧁༺The Person I Love The Most ༻꧂

 

The Imperial Salon Exhibition, held every two years, was the most prestigious art competition in the Chad Empire.

 

Although the year Carlyle ascended to the throne was skipped due to unfavorable circumstances, it had been held regularly every two years since the following year.

 

And this year’s Salon Exhibition became a hot topic when it was decided to exhibit masterpieces owned by the Imperial Family along with the winning entries of this year.

 

“It would be good to show the level of art in the Empire to the foreign envoys who visit this time.”

 

With a single word from Carlyle, the nature of this exhibition was determined.

 

And as he expected, the exhibition of the Salon Exhibition winning entries and the Imperial art collection was a great success.

 

Among them, the most acclaimed was Fabian Ruscoe’s 883 work, “Portrait of Prince Carlyle Evaristo and his Wife.” The work, also known by the subtitle “The Crucible of Glory,” was always crowded with people.

 

“Is this a painting that he painted after seeing the two of them fighting the savages in person?”

 

“Yes, of course there is some exaggeration.”

 

“No! I heard it was more than this, not less. It was said that if His Majesty the Emperor received the protection of the God of Victory, Her Majesty the Empress received the protection of the God of Death.”

 

The conversations people shared became the spark that fueled the rumors about the painting.

 

However, the painting was so great that even the wildest rumors seemed plausible. No, it should be the two people drawn in it that are great.

 

“I never imagined that this painting would come out of the Imperial Archives.”

 

Asha shook her head.

 

She felt a little embarrassed that people were so impressed even though it seemed to her that the reality was greatly exaggerated.

 

“Well, how about it? Thanks to this, Ryan and Aliya can learn more about their parents.”

 

“I’m worried that the children’s delusions will get worse.”

 

Asha sighed, and Carlyle laughed.

 

Nine-year-old son Ryan and six-year-old daughter Aliya grew up hearing stories like myths about their parents from those around them.

 

Asha often reproached herself for not noticing that there were so many people who were talking such ‘nonsense’ around the children, but Carlyle didn’t see it as a bad thing at all.

 

‘The pride of having respectable parents can also lead children in the right direction.’

 

The good and bad examples of that were himself and Asha.

 

Although he was born and raised as a crown prince, he had no respect for his father at all, and because of that, he had a rather arrogant time.

 

On the contrary, Asha was born and raised in the land of despair, Pervaz, but she respected her father. That’s why she was able to end the war with the Lure tribe and lead Pervaz to victory, and she was able to ignore the arrogant ridicule and contempt of the ‘Zyro people’. Because she knew very well what it is to be truly respected and what it is to be truly despised.

 

“Don’t worry too much. They say that the day you’ll be praised by the children as the ‘world’s best parents’ is not far off.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Asha vaguely imagined her baby-like son and daughter entering puberty and rebelling, and she smiled.

 

In addition to being very doting on me, Carlyle was also extremely devoted to his children. So it was his job to scold the children, and after being scolded, the children would run to their father and cry loudly.

 

As the children reach puberty and start acting out like puppies, it will also be my role to discipline them.

 

“I don’t know, but you will probably be the ‘cool dad’ forever. The kids like you better.”

 

“Pft!”

 

At Asha’s prediction, Carlyle almost spit out the drink he was drinking.

 

His wife was good at meddling in other people’s affairs, but she was quite insensitive when it came to her own affairs.

 

“Don’t you know that Asha Evaristo is the eternal idol of Ryan and Aliya?”

 

“Hahaha! Do you have to brag about your wife even in this situation?”

 

“No, I’m serious?”

 

“Thank you for the comfort. But I’m fine. I’m just grateful that the kids don’t hate me and don’t avoid me.”

 

Carlyle felt suffocated as he watched Asha, who still thought he was comforting her.

 

His wife still had low self-esteem.

 

That afternoon, Carlyle looked at the children who had come to see him again and spoke seriously.

 

“Kids. I have bad news.”

 

“Yes?”

 

Ryan, who looked exactly like Asha, and Aliya, who looked more like Carlyle, widened their eyes in surprise at the words “bad news.”

 

“Mom… Mom…”

 

“What, what’s wrong with Mom?”

 

Ryan asked, but Aliya was already blinking back tears.

 

Carlyle sighed and said.

 

“Mom thinks you don’t like her very much. She thinks you only like Dad.”

 

“What? That’s nonsense!”

 

“No! No!”

 

Aliya finally burst into tears.

 

Although it hurt Carlyle a little that she kept saying “no,” he held back and comforted the children.

 

“Ryan. Aliya. Why do you think Mom feels that way?”

 

When asked in a gentle voice, Ryan and Aliya thought about it with sad faces.

 

“Hmm……. Maybe we didn’t tell Mom we love her enough?”

 

Ryan felt that saying “I love you. Good night.” and kissing her every night before bed seemed like too formal a greeting.

 

But he also felt a little wronged because he had never meant it.

 

“And we’re always playing pranks and making trouble in front of Mom…….”

 

Aliya wiped her tears and reproached herself.

 

Carlyle hugged his lovely and pitiful daughter tightly and shook his head.

 

“It’s not like that, Aliya. It’s normal for children your age to run around like that, and I don’t think it’s wrong either.”

 

He hugged Ryan, who was next to him, and stroked the backs of the two children, thinking of Asha, who was awkward about being loved.

 

Amir and his family all loved Asha, but they were all blunt.

 

And the long war must have made her defensive.

 

“Mom, she’s embarrassed. She’s embarrassed that other people love her, so she just doesn’t think it’s true.”

 

“Why is mother embarrassed that we love her?”

 

“Your mother has always been a shy girl. Even though your father showed her how much he loved her, she didn’t believe him until the end.”

 

Carlyle still remembered Asha’s eyes at that time, which said, “This person talks so strangely. Are all the people from Zyro like this?” even though he had thrown all sorts of strange words at her.

 

Of course, after they confirmed their love for each other, Asha now accepted his love without doubt, thanks to his even stranger behavior of saying twelve times a day that he loved her and asking her if she knew how much he loved her.

 

So she let her guard down.

 

‘Surely Ryan and Aliya wouldn’t know who they love the most in the world.’

 

He loved his children too, and his children loved him back, but there was a huge wall between that love and the love for their mother.

 

Of course, he had never felt envious of that.

 

Asha was a person who deserved such love.

 

“Ryan. Aliya. Let’s talk about how much we love each other every day. Mom is good at everything else, but she’s a bit of a fool when it comes to being loved.”

 

“Mother isn’t a fool.”

 

See. His son doesn’t even blink, as if he won’t tolerate even a joke.

 

“Yes, yes. Anyway, let’s say it so that Mom can be sure. How about that?”

 

“That’s good. It’s not difficult at all.”

 

“That’s right. It’s not difficult at all.”

 

Carlyle’s lips curled into a smile as the children, their faces full of determination, clenched their tiny fists.

 

“And hug Mom a little more. Kiss Mom a little more.”

 

“Is that okay? Won’t mother be bothered?”

 

“Have you ever heard your mother say she was bothered by you?”

 

Ryan and Aliya shook their heads. Asha had never frowned at the children’s clumsy behavior.

 

No matter how many times the children failed or tried, she would gladly watch over them.

 

She didn’t catch the children when they fell while walking, but she patiently waited until the fallen children got up on their own and ran into her arms.

 

Asha had a hard time talking to the children at their level, but the children already realized their mother’s love.

 

* * *

 

“I love you.”

 

Aliya, who was running to eat cookies, saw Asha and ran over to her. She suddenly hugged her and said she loved her.

 

It was the third ‘love confession’ this morning.

 

“I love you.”

 

This time, Ryan, who came out to practice swordsmanship, approached her and hugged her neck, kissing her on the cheek.

 

Her son, who used to be very shy about physical contact, had suddenly changed since the day before yesterday.

 

‘What is this game?’

 

At first, she thought the children were playing a new game.

 

Maybe they made a bet on who could ‘confess their love’ more.

 

But as the days turned into a week, ten days, and a month, Asha gradually became accustomed to the children’s greetings and kisses of love.

 

And each time, her heart melted at the children’s pure and endless love.

 

“Carlyle.”

 

One night, Asha, lying in bed about to sleep, looked up at the ceiling and called for Carlyle.

 

“Hmm? What?”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

There was no sign of apology on Asha’s face. Instead, a happy smile spread faintly.

 

“I think Ryan and Aliya like me more than you.”

 

“Ha! You used to say no no matter how many times I told you that.”

 

“Hehehe.”

 

A suppressed laugh escaped from Asha’s lips.

 

“Ryan said he’s going to marry me when he grows up. Then Aliya cried. She said she’s going to marry me.”

 

“This is outrageous! How dare they look at the Emperor’s woman? I must teach them a lesson!”

 

Asha burst out laughing again at Carlyle’s fake growl. Carlyle also laughed, amused by her.

 

He kissed his wife and told her,

 

“Don’t ever believe what those kids say. I’m the one who loves you the most.”

 

It was a night when happiness filled her like being immersed in warm water.

 

* * *

-Fin

(Side Stories Finale)

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