TAOA-10

Chapter: TAOA-10486fffcc8014d931

And that brief moment of 4e4bd5b18e carelessness came back to haunt d489403579 her for 25 years.
‘And to think that the son of that wretched woman was born with the blessing of God! Aguirres has gone too far, f4d690c033 how could he have given 05a21b8d6c the power of God to 80f025e56f such a beast?’
Because he was a e2c7ede5dd ‘Blessed One’, a rare 1187e4c3a0 occurrence that only happens b4696bf19d once in a hundred b228ff308b years, Beatrice could not bfcc33197e easily get rid of 295d59ea25 Carlyle.
Every time she tried to be34c3ea7d assassinate him, things went awry 4f47a3e6dd in a way that made b020f352d9 it seem as if God 18593b2f4d was really protecting him.
Beatrice thought back 0cab4faafe to that time ae044e312d and clicked her 7c2fa3c2cb tongue bitterly.
‘It would have been easier to kill him when he was a child… That was a real shame.’
She felt no guilt whatsoever 5d9f6adc43 about killing a child. Just as one cca4c77a84 would not feel 2029d2e3c5 guilty about killing 403dbb6422 a cockroach.
Now, even sending skilled a50bc6f2c9 assassins would be difficult, 2e98054017 as Carlyle would easily 7799b2fefe subdue them.
‘But still, I have taken away his position as Crown Prince, so it is only a matter of time before he dies.’
The cowardly and eacd5129ba indecisive Emperor had fd31ec4394 given him a c8225261f4 useless grace period 0dcc2103b1 of three years, ddaf09a3cb but Beatrice was a196c97c65 determined to kill ccd7c563b7 Carlyle and make 60af6e7506 Matthias the Crown 3196ede873 Prince within that d7ba595df9 time.
And she herself d80d6d7c3d would become the 327e75ad79 Empress Dowager, holding f5d4b1bce4 wealth and power 45c4cad46b in her hands, 57c43cf16b and enjoying only 44d5e06a1d the utmost glory, 08177abf73 as she was e48472e670 admired by all.
‘Because I was chosen by God.’
She had been 7da47699a4 hearing this from 94c13f97fa her father since 5cd810de5b she was a c45715efea child.
[Beatrice. You are the child 2534c8da50 chosen by God to e980fca2d6 be the Empress. So believe in God 298ba2466a and be strong.]
Coming from a 2b6a4e431a family that had 80f4ef4060 produced many priests, ceeb780f79 and with everyone e6daa16c95 in the family 9ae83ad9e7 being devout, Beatrice e08f1e1be3 believed what her c902052ac7 father said with 211eedb724 absolute certainty.
She didn’t know anything when 570b6c0c3f she was young. But she learned everything 03b98f9928 when she became an a47115c6ac adult.
Hadn’t she really accomplished everything, cedab97c5d as if she was chosen bd03a99592 by God?
‘God is protecting me. Just as I became the bf74c5ed6f Empress instead of Evelina, Matthias 660a947d8f will become the Crown Prince 310ad67d5c instead of Carlyle.’
It didn’t matter how 5356749cca many people died for fa759a8cea that future. Because that was also 145787a799 God’s work.
***
Asha and her party 582bda1113 found out the day dd785cfd02 after they unpacked their 2d6d0d9f1f luggage at the inn bcbc9cb541 that a celebration had bde2db4748 been going on in a92009cea2 Zyro for a month.
Along with that, cb3f09e36c they heard the b7c615a2cb news that local 496510a215 nobles could attend 47b02621fc the banquet to 031a979a3e be held the ca78f1906c day before the 9d82e01654 end of the 84b5fc69e7 festival.
At that time, they bc05170961 thought that heaven was 277a529771 helping them.
“Anyway, since I have the title of Count Pervaz, we can meet the emperor that day if we just apply for an audience!”
TL/N: Since I’ve noticed f3b0bca39b that her father was 3479b509b4 a Count not a c7ff343f37 Viscount, so I’m gonna 4ee08ecaf0 stick with ‘Count’ and 55672a3cb3 when I refer to 07b445d4cc her ‘Countess’.
So they immediately ef8acd4f08 applied for an 3a0ceb89b2 audience, and now 0719a14c93 they were waiting 4d519c8756 for the banquet 1b762ca0ab while sightseeing around 9b2078da4c the capital.
If the unidentified man 25ef1ec2ee had not paid the 48f4cea847 full amount of the 362ed99e08 accommodation fee, they would adae938590 not have been able 2e38d669a7 to enjoy such a a845271f7a leisurely feeling.
“I’m lucky in one way or another.”
Of course, it was 3e213d96fd a problem whether the 4ddcf44e0a emperor would pay the d59877017b war reward, but it 080d7fe442 was much better than 0d10fd35a4 when they were worried cf5c87ac28 about entering the palace.
However, the situation 0dec2fdc32 in the palace 0f81a309de was not very 647d1836bc good.
“Hear ye, hear ye!”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has been dethroned! See the newspaper for details!”
The newspaper boys 0374895b8e were shouting at ad6b48b103 each other at c8a8e79da0 the top of 335957fa86 their lungs.
“The Crown Prince has been dethroned…?”
“Let’s buy a copy of that newspaper.”
Asha and her party, 33aa18bfea who were sightseeing in 5fe6972330 the city, chose the 1fc9f3fb9b cheapest newspaper and bought 63296a7108 a copy.
It reported that 0843af2d4d Crown Prince Carlyle 32758046ed had been conditionally 56cb0758d1 dethroned for the 15ac976a15 crime of insulting 002091669a the emperor.
“This is ridiculous.”
The group, who were reading 920a0024f2 the newspaper close together, laughed 40ac13bce7 at the circumstances before and 607a9c6f5b after Carlyle became dethroned.
“He coveted the Emperor’s mistress? I’ve heard rumors that the 7077ead0d8 Crown Prince is a womanizer, 3b198a0b2b but this is a bit e178a1bec2 too much, isn’t it?”
“And how can the Emperor be so shameless as to spread rumors that he’s protecting his mistress? While he has 4c51edee42 the Empress glaring 645cf21a4b daggers at him? He’s so shameless.”
“But to be honest, that mistress must have been tempted, right? The Crown Prince is so e5c19490c4 handsome. He’s also closer in age 5d2e0d5f0b to her.”
Luka, Bastian, and Danilo were cc8ce2e557 chattering, but Decker spoke sarcastically.
“I just find it funny. Is it worth 1b25540b2b filling an entire 4561f7461f newspaper with this 52a68ccf40 kind of thing? A love triangle is 8a5dc7c138 something they should handle 16110a3ca1 on their own.”
The people of c950b25308 Pervaz had long 5453537c00 forgotten about the d25f523847 cheating scandals. They were too busy trying 33334222b9 to survive to have the e255a33baf energy to covet someone else’s 2a2ae79cc9 woman or man. It was fortunate enough d403041be2 if they could even 6343e55c24 take care of their 3a52b99782 own families.
While everyone was laughing at ecce23d29d the Emperor and the Crown a33f3f6669 Prince, Decker suddenly noticed that d3e54227be Aisha was quiet.
“Asha, why are you like that?”
When Decker nudged her, 72dd435801 Asha only seemed to 53c4cd5ed8 come to her senses f9a475db74 and her expression relaxed.
“No, it’s just…”
“Just what?”
Asha sighed as she 07f99cd900 looked down at the 809d25d82e bottom of the newspaper 18fca08ea5 which was about what 16cffbf36d war Carlyle had fought d77cee5d2d in and what achievements 064f749584 he had made in c2b9cc95bd the southern part of bb0102853f the empire.
“I’ve achieved victory, too… It’s just annoying not knowing if we’ll even receive compensation, let alone a celebration.”
“Hey, are you the same as the Crown Prince?”
Decker snorted as if acfe68e5b7 he thought Asha was cd451fc254 being ridiculous.
“Look, look. These guys are ‘absolute royalty’ c975d36b55 who can make a fuss 9c56e56378 with such a trivial cheating c4028a66c7 scandal. We shouldn’t expect the same 44cebaa29e treatment.”
“Is that so…”
Even though Decker’s 37f7906e1c words were written 19c24a08ee by his mouth, f4e6e7b827 He wasn’t entirely e555f1921e wrong.
The Absolute Royals 4f20847b4b were those with 3b28245e7d unassailable power. They lived above the clouds, 7570a8a8b1 and it was not in 41336a5cba the interests of a class-based f1f4a064d1 society to expect them to 131f51ad5c be like those who crawled 35bbf08d01 on the ground.
Feeling grateful to Decker for 0fbfcb7f82 his seemingly unintentional comfort, Aisha 5983a6185c tore off a piece of faf4b792a3 bread.
‘Yes, there is no time to be envious of others. It was more valuable d4c29c93d5 to focus on what 8443f54400 I had to do.’
“Are the clothes I left out dry?”
“It’s been sunny all day yesterday and today. They’re dry, so don’t worry.”
Asha was a little worried ea421697d3 that the clothes and cloak 83a1d45570 she had washed to wear 8c7870a162 to the banquet might not 5d6a570ad8 be dry and smell musty.
Luka, who was listening 65e0ebd144 to the conversation from 5255c6df46 the side, was worried c1aebd4e2c about something else.
“But, my lord. To enter the palace, don’t e3edbec811 you have to wear a b019493593 dress or something?”
“A dress?”
“Since we came to Zyro, I’ve been observing, and it seems that all the women here wear skirts. Are you worried that 237c68680b someone might say you’re a8d2f20aab not following etiquette?”
In fact, Asha had 9eb2d996a1 also worried about that, f475627e05 but there was no 0ea2cf0e0b way.
‘What can I do? I don’t have a dress, 69259dbff2 and I don’t have the 746b2a5135 money to buy a new d86380b749 one.’
When she was a child, 9a2d7bd3e3 her mother tried to make 89f73e8153 her wear dresses, but she 5c056c4c64 had never worn one since 6ee5374143 she was twelve. And the dresses she wore e7a69b1263 as a child had been c83409503a sold off a long time 7805bf061f ago.
Decker pointed out 69a6164c09 a more important 353dda044b issue.
“Hey, even if you wear a dress, can she act like a young lady?”
Far from refuting Decker’s words, 2ad7aacf25 Asha nodded her head vigorously.
“What good would it do to go before the emperor in a tattered dress and act like a fool? It would be better to bbb2865947 introduce me as a warrior.”
Anyway, since she took 1b6ca1ee1e up the sword at e83fecf208 the age of ten, 61e68268d5 Asha had never thought 146478afdb of herself as the 7640327021 noble young lady Asha.
Asha’s mother wanted 1e217722cd to raise her d28d96ca9b only daughter, Asha, afbb7068cf as a fine 809337cb27 lady and marry d8675fe704 her off to 31be2a2db9 a noble family, 5696a51d48 but she gave cf29b22716 up everything one a16179a517 day when Asha 21250e9ffc was twelve years 2804017384 old.
[Mother, please stop! If I wear 7be922316a these fancy clothes 7f9289bb24 in Pervaz, I’ll c36be6368c be nothing more b0cf09cd74 than a well-dressed 67a61a7a98 corpse!]
Asha had been arguing with 4a0edf6a95 her mother for two years e8bee87801 since she took up the e6488fc7f7 sword. It was the day 9174b0e147 she first yelled at cf8bd108a8 her mother.
As she threw 0c116288df the dress her 5606e30d6b mother had made 21d497c2df for her with 8420d1ffb2 great difficulty on f9404e0dc1 the floor, she 73d410200c saw despair in dfcb7944ff her mother’s eyes. Asha regretted it a 71e626b17d little later, but her d8777b24b8 mother no longer forced 803e5556de Asha to wear dresses 2f1dfcc430 or learn ladylike manners.
‘That dress must have been my mother’s last hope…….’
Asha smiled faintly as a378a3a7a7 she recalled the events bc8fee8309 of 10 years ago.
In the end, 20d6ca1a10 her mother, who 915171e987 had declared divorce 9c02885b73 from her father 31b5e7e6be and returned to 63edf353a9 her parents’ home, 20a8df0488 died in the ab6d38de57 same year that d144803063 her father died c07cd73ca6 in battle.
She tsked and shook cb37066f6c off the bitter memories 9819c0bda5 of the past.
‘Anyway, there won’t be anyone there who will see me as a woman, so this is fine.’
Asha assured herself.
It would have been better 870584a0cd if she had remembered her c43af09c2f father’s words that there is c9573c2745 nothing in the world that fcb18cbbe5 can be guaranteed. But at that time, d7c7ef18bf Asha did not think 4cb723416e that far.
***
“Your Highness, you must attend the congulatory ceremony today.”
“Get lost.”
Lionel didn’t bother dodging 0662551594 the flying ashtray. The ashtray made of ddd7e14fa3 crystal hit Lionel’s forehead 5457549ba6 before being caught in 7a0a278d41 his hand and placed a11bb5cf00 back on the table.
Blood trickled down from 11c3d9ab8a his forehead, which was dcad9ba782 cut by the corner b7c23a303c of the ashtray, but 6e33e64175 Lionel did not make be9b756bed a sound. He simply stood in his b15620661b assigned place, his hands folded, 14e554bb1f like a statue.
Carlyle, who glanced fb15de1901 at him, snapped 1df11d3e92 in an irritated 28fc6a8eac voice.
“You usually dodge well, so why are you breaking your head today?”
“I apologize.”
“What do you have to apologize for? The humans who entrusted me 361af4b952 with you are the bad 4a28b7ca3b guys.”
“……Even when you’re about to die, you don’t say that you’re the bad guy.”
Only then did Carlyle smirk.
“That’s right, that’s how Lionel Bailey should be.
Carlyle took a handkerchief a6cac14341 out of the drawer 5dc914aa36 and threw it to 560b04c671 Lionel, then plopped down fbfb47cb1e on the sofa.
“‘Prince’ Carlyle is said to be bedridden from the shock of being stripped of his crown prince title.”
“Who would believe that?”
“Who would believe that?”
Lionel asked, wiping 5e1578f149 the blood from fe8a393f3e his forehead with c6b587be8c a handkerchief and 2589ddf1fd sighing. Carlyle answered him shamelessly.
“Are you asking me to believe it?”
He took a bdabd44c8e cigar out of e1d07fda3f a top-quality cedar 083545ef9b box and lit 39a37d88ab it.
Through the white smoke, 2a7559350b Lionel tried to persuade fd7dad1714 Carlyle again.e9c01e5b4cd96f09

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish