Asha was unable to respond for a moment.
She was curious about what was going on inside Carlyle's head, and she began to wonder if he was perhaps the illegitimate child of the Emperor or the Empress.
"Why did you decide that?"
"I will help you! On the honor of the Pervaz family, I, Carlyle Pervaz, will!"
"So, why… ?"
"I don't want to see any more of this injustice where everything is taken away so unfairly."
Carlyle was gnashing his teeth.
Only then did Asha think she could understand Carlyle's anger a little.
'His father was robbed of a lot by the father of the Crown Princess.'
The honor and glory, wealth and power that should have been his.
And his children, who had to live in poverty with him, died one by one on the cold battlefield in the far north. All except for the youngest, Carlyle Pervaz.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you. Sincerely."
"What can be done about the past? But we must stop the same injustice from happening in the future. At least that would be one step forward for the Pervaz family."
"I don't think what happened to me is the same as what happened to you. I'm much better off."
Carlyle snickered at that.
"If you lose this power struggle, all that's left for Your Highness is death. Isn't the outcome the same, regardless of how well you're doing?"
Asha's jaw clenched at his serious tone.
Carlyle wasn't finished.
"After dedicating your youth to fighting in the war and protecting the Empire, what did you get in return? You were falsely accused of a crime and lost your position as Crown Princess. Do you think it will end there? The Empress will not spare anyone who she sees as a threat to His Highness Prince Matthias."
Even the country bumpkin of Pervaz, who had been too busy fighting wars to pay attention to anything else, had figured that out within a few days of entering the capital.
Asha, who had grown up in this web of power, could not have been unaware of it.
Asha, lost in thought, looked up at Carlyle with a cold gaze that was different from before.
"So, how can you help me?"
Carlyle's lips, still bearing traces of chafing, curled into a smooth smile.
"The Pervaz family will be Your Highness's perfect shield. So please, use that shield to win over the nobles and manipulate the situation in the capital."
"You think that's possible?"
"Of course. I know for sure that there wasn't a single noble at yesterday's banquet who truly followed His Majesty the Emperor. What does that mean?"
"You…!"
"Many people are waiting for the owner of the throne to change… ."
Before Carlyle could finish speaking, Asha's hand covered his mouth.
"Even the walls have ears in the palace. Don't talk about such things lightly."
But the man who had fought against the barbarians all his life was not afraid, even in the face of such an unfavorable situation.
He placed his hand over the princess's hand that was covering his mouth and kissed her palm.
Asha gasped and pulled her hand away, and he smiled, feeling a strange sense of regret.
"Your Highness will reclaim 'that place'. Not because of your own ambition, but because of the many people who follow you."
Carlyle, who had accurately pinpointed Asha's worries, sipped the tea on the side and waited for her decision.
In truth, he himself did not fully understand why he was being so persistent.
'Perhaps it is because this is the one thing that can make the emperor's face crumple the most.'
Although his father did not hold any particular grudge or resentment towards the emperor, Carlyle, who had lost his parents and siblings because of the emperor, could not be as magnanimous as his father.
He wanted to somehow make the emperor suffer.
Even if it meant helping the princess, who had nothing to do with him.
In the end, Asha nodded her head at Carlyle's arrogant persuasion.
"Yes, you're right. I have lives to answer for."
She was a crown princess in name only, hated by her father the Emperor and threatened with death by her stepmother the Empress.
Yet many people followed her.
Some of them had lost their lives on the battlefield, some had been badly injured. Others had fallen from grace because of the emperor's or empress's hatred, and some had been threatened with assassination.
Yet they never let go of her hand.
[The future of the Chad Empire that we desire can only be created by Your Highness the Crown Princess.]
[The only person I can trust on this land until the very end is Your Highness the Crown Princess.]
Their words were a source of great strength, but on the other hand, they were also a burden on her heart.
That was why she could not bring herself to give up this tiring life.
"Count Pervaz."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Helping me means that you too will be in danger. Are you still determined?"
"As long as Your Highness is in Pervaz, our Pervaz will continue to develop day by day. That is enough for me."
At that moment, Asha realized that Carlyle was also a man who had dedicated his life to what he needed to protect.
She felt a strange sense of kinship.
"I look forward to working with you, Count Pervaz."
She held out her hand to Carlyle.
Carlyle looked at her hand and clasped it firmly.
"I am the one who looks forward to working with you."
* * *
Preparations for Asha and Carlyle's wedding ceremony were proceeding quickly. Along with that, the wedding dowry for Asha was also being prepared steadily.
"I didn't think the imperial treasury officials would give us everything we asked for…"
"What did I tell you? I said it would work."
Asha looked at Carlyle with a complicated look and shook her head.
At first, she tried to minimize the luggage, but Carlyle strongly opposed it.
"Are you trying to spread rumors throughout the empire that you're a beggar? In this situation where you're being unfairly kicked out, we need to take everything we can!"
Then he made a list of what to ask for from the treasury officials and handed it to them. It even included a set of the finest needles and threads.
[Did you even want to lend me a needle, so you included this?]
[No, literally, there is nothing in Pervaz. Your Highness must prepare everything you need here, no matter how small or trivial.]
At those words, Asha, who once again understood Pervaz's situation, did not say anything more and did as Carlyle said. If she left even a part of the luggage she brought, it would be a help to Pervaz.
Anyway, now in front of her was a long roll of paper filled with items that the palace would give her, and Carlyle was reading it to make sure nothing was missing.
If anyone saw it, they would think that the owner of the items was Carlyle.
Just then, the maid announced someone's visit, and Asha got up to greet the guest.
"This is my closest aide, Baron Giles Raphelt, along with Lionel Bailey, whom you met last time. He is my longtime tutor and the one my enemies want to get rid of the most."
At Asha's introduction, Carlyle got up and shook his hand in greeting.
"It's my first time meeting you. I am the lord of per6, Carlyle Amir del Pervaz."
However, Giles frowned slightly and tilted his head.
"That's strange. You look strangely familiar…"
"That's really strange. Is there something even Sir Raphelt doesn't remember?"
"Well, it's not like we had any reason to meet. There was no reason for me to go to Pervaz…"
Giles took Carlyle's hand, still unable to shake off his puzzled expression.
"I'm Giles Raphelt."
After introducing himself briefly, Giles sat down and glanced at Asha.
"To be honest, I never imagined that such a situation would happen. Your Highness."
"I told you before. I'm tired."
"Were you going to give up everything just because you were tired? In fact, Count Pervaz, who caused this, was also reckless!"
Giles glared at Carlyle and then lowered his voice as he looked at the rolled-up paper between Asha and Carlyle.
"If it wasn't for Count Pervaz, Your Highness would have done something even more reckless. Going to Pervaz alone…"
"I thought you would have brought a few books."
As Carlyle interjected, Giles' fierce gaze turned back to Asha.
"I told you this over and over again! You must be greedy, Your Highness! In this ruthless world, the only one who can protect you is yourself."
"That's right."
"Look at this! Even Count Pervaz, who came from the countryside to fight savages, knows this. Why do you keep thinking of giving up everything, Your Highness?"
"I thought you would prepare for revenge in the extraterritorial Pervaz by accepting my marriage proposal, but you just want to rest. You may rest forever, Your Highness."
"That's what I'm saying! This is a fight you can't back down from now, Your Highness. Take your heart…!"
Asha rubbed her temples and waved one hand as she heard the nagging from both sides.
"That's enough, enough!"
"But Your Highness!"
"You two seem to be getting along too well for people who just met."
Asha shook her head.
"As I talked with Count Pervaz earlier, yes, I have been too selfish, Sir Raphelt. I must be strong for the sake of those who believe in me, even if it's just me."
Asha smiled nonchalantly, but Giles and Carlyle's expressions were not so good.
They were not happy that she, who had sacrificed herself for the empire, the imperial family, and the people, never showed any ambition.