That was an excellent choice.
"Choosing me as your marriage partner under the title 'Duke of Haven' means that you know the news that my crown prince status has been revoked, right?"
"I apologize. It's a title that's been on my lips for a long time.... I'll be careful from now on."
"If it's a title that's stuck on your lips, there's no need to change it. Not until my title becomes Your Majesty the Emperor'."
Carlyle's lips curled into a cool smile.
Just like the songs of the street minstrels, he was indeed a man who seemed to have been chosen by the gods.
He must not have had time to take proper care of himself while traveling through the battlefield, but his reddish-brown hair and skin were smooth, and his amber eyes, which were closer to topaz, were filled with dignity. His firm and red lips, tall height, and solid muscular body were also very tempting.
And Carlyle, he himself knew very well that his appearance was handsome enough to captivate others.
'You can't even think of looking down. It would be troublesome if you cling to me without knowing your place.'
Carlyle tried his best not to make a contemptuous expression and asked jokingly.
"Even though we're about to get married, you're staring at me too much from the first meeting. Do you like my appearance that much?"
However, Asha's thoughts as she looked at him were completely different from his guess.
"Rather than that, I'm a little envious of your physique. Of course, there is the disadvantage that the bigger you are, the easier it is to become a target, but there is also the strength that comes from physique."
Carlyle was speechless for a moment and just fidgeted with his crossed feet.
"So... in battle...?"
"Yes."
"This body is your preference?"
"I would like to have that kind of body, but it's almost impossible."
It didn't seem like she was talking around. Judging from the fact that she kept her face expressionless even while looking at Carlyle's face.
"...That's interesting."
Carlyle felt a little deflated. But he thought it was better than being clingy and infatuated with him.
"Then shall we start talking about the 'deal' now?"
As expected, the word 'deal' came up.
Asha made up her mind and sat down across from Carlyle as he suggested.
"First of all, I would like to thank you for giving my despicable father a taste of his own medicine. You really used your head well, Barbaric Princess."
He called Asha's derogatory nickname without any hesitation.
"It must have been a gamble with your life, but you made me want to take part, so the gamble was a success."
However, this time too, Asha's answer betrayed Carlyle's expectations.
"Actually, I would have preferred it if Your Highness had not agreed. Then I would have just quietly taken the compensation and left."
"Do you think my father would have given the compensation willingly?"
"Well, with the eyes of the nobles on him, he would have given it. He might also send assassins, but we were planning to run away as soon as we received the compensation."
Carlyle, despite being called "the desire of all ladies", Asha couldn't hide her subtle displeasure. He found her refreshing, albeit slightly annoying.
"If you truly believed you could escape, you must be naive. As it is, this situation is the most advantageous."
"So, what do you plan to do?"
Asha's straight question hung in the air as Carlyle took a cigar out of the cedar box in front of him and clipped the tip.
The cigar cap that fell under the cutter looked like someone's severed head.
"I'll give you what you want. Anything but being treated as a wife."
Despite his words of not being treated as a wife, Asha remained unfazed, Kallail added with satisfaction,
"You were truly willing to risk your life to rebuild Pervaz, and I won't hold back on the financial and material support needed for that."
The promise Asha had longed to hear came from Kallail's mouth, not the Emperor's.
But cautious Asha, before showing any sign of joy, looked sharply at Carlyle and asked,
"What do you want from me?"
Carlyle smirked as he puffed on his cigar and exhaled.
"Don't care what I do in Pervazz. Don't expect me to treat you like a wife, and don't think about siding against me. And when I ask you to, sign the divorce papers without complaining."
"Not difficult, is it?"
"He genuinely thought the conditions were easy.
But Asha didn't easily agree.
"What are you going to do in Pervazz? If it's something that will harm Pervazz, it will be difficult for me to agree to the conditions."
"If you don't agree? Where will you get the funds to rebuild Pervazz?"
"If it's going to collapse again, what's the point of rebuilding it?"
"There is.Those filthy peasants of yours can live a little longer."
Carlyle said without any intention of erasing the look of contempt and disregard for her and her people.
And although she heard the term 'filthy peasants,' Asha couldn't refute and kept her mouth shut.
Pervaz was a place where people lived with the sole goal of escaping death for just one more day. So, they needed the strength to hold on for one more day today, no matter what trials awaited them in the future, and the money Carlyle would offer was desperately needed.
As Asha remained silent, clenching her jaw tightly, Carlyle spoke as if the previous insult was a joke.
"Of course, I don't want to do anything that harms Pervaz. So you, too, help me succeed."
"...I understand."
It was a negotiation Asha couldn't win from the start. So, she had to take the practical option.
"You said you wouldn't spare the support needed for the reconstruction, but I want a contract that specifically outlines the contents."
"Contract, good! I don't believe in promises made only with words either."
Carlyle ordered Lionel to bring paper and pen for the contract, then jokingly said to Asha:
"I'm glad I already found something in common with my future wife. We might be a pretty good couple."
"A couple who take what they need from each other and part cleanly, is that what you mean?"
"See, we communicate well."
Carlyle smiled charmingly and took another puff of his cigarette.
"I look forward to working with you, my wife."
Lionel, who was sitting beside them, took a deep breath and started writing a contract that only they would know about.
Asha's focus, naturally, was on the part compensating Pervaz.
"A" will support "B" and Pervaz with the following content:
Immediate resolution of the current food shortage throughout Pervaz.
Provision of all necessary seeds for farmland within Pervaz for the duration of the contract.
The right to consult with "A"'s accompanying medical experts for a period of 2 years.
Full coverage of the construction of border defense costs.
…..
Seeing the dreamlike items listed one by one, Asha's throat tightened.
'It's a contract with no harm will be done, right?'
She still didn't know what Carlyle was trying to do, nor how her future would unfold. But nevertheless, this was an opportunity she simply had to seize.
Asha signed the bottom of the
contract without hesitation.
***
A short while later, Asha emerges from the drawing room unharmed. Her entourage, tense and vigilant against any potential assassins, quickly surrounds her protectively.
"Is everything alright?"
Decker whispered.
"Alright…? I'm not sure if it's alright or not,"
As Asha replied ambiguously, Lionel, who was following her out, spoke with a weary expression:
"I will show you to your quarters. Please follow me."
Once again, confusion filled the faces of Asha's party.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has offered to provide you with accommodation until his departure for Pervaz,"
"The Crown Prince is truly going to Pervaz?"
"Yes."
Asha, who was keeping the details of the contract to herself, began to follow Lionel with a blank expression. Her entourage had no choice but to follow her, but not all their questions were answered.
Their curiosity intensified upon arriving at a large mansion in the capital, owned by Carlyle.
Lionel explained when Asha's entourage gazed in awe at the luxurious interior of the guest house, a sight they've never witnessed before.
"This is the annex of the mansion. It is primarily used for His Highness' personal guests. You have free access within this annex."
Despite his polite tone, Asha read the warning implied there.
"Does that mean… we're not allowed outside the annex?"
"It's for Countess Pervaz's safety. It could be dangerous for you otherwise."
The warning wasn't baseless. The Emperor was furious; he had to provide not only the compensation from the war with the Lure Tribe but also the marriage support funds.
'He can't deny the victory against the Lure Tribe, nor renege on his public word… Assassination seems to be the only option.'
While not enjoying her meeting with Carlyle, Asha fully agreed with his portrayal of the Emperor as despicable.
Lionel instructed the servants to attend Asha's party, sighed once more, and leave.
"Asha! What happened?" Decker bursted out, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. The others stare intently, eager for answers.
Asha looked around their assigned room before speaking.
"I made a deal with the Crown Prince."
"A deal?"
"Yeah, He'll provide significant financial and material support for Pervaz's reconstruction. More than we anticipated."
This was good news, but the moment she mentioned the word "deal", Decker's expression stiffened.
"Just because he's the crown prince, he won't just give out money for nothing. Asha, what did you agree to give the crown prince in return?"