TAOA-121

Chapter: TAOA-12134f16c36c3a53002

‘With this face and body, it would be easy to seduce any man.’
A self-deprecating smile crossed Viviana’s 95cbe5564b lips.
However, after hiding for so eaa8bc8e93 long, taking care of her 8a1cf0a02d appearance had been completely put aaf2bc1627 on the back burner. Viviana looked at 8e9a557219 her overgrown nails 7c1193df42 and struggled to b2c8b326ef get up from 192c3910c6 her seat.
‘Right… crying won’t accomplish anything.’
She felt dizzy f21da753ec from not eating, 189aaedadb but she gritted 6c5eb22398 her teeth and e09911729a held on tightly a711f75064 to the corner 7f47c1f498 of the bed.
‘Wait, baby. I will… definitely avenge you.’
Viviana wobbled out of bed 85d3b1af5a and sat down in front 49486723f1 of the mirror.
It was time c95e99e0d1 to sharpen her 9b5befdb1c weapons for revenge.
***
“Phew. We’re home!”
Someone shouted as they f692b2e755 entered Pervaz. There were occasional laughs 232255f540 among the soldiers.
“We came back earlier than I thought. I thought we 9bf5ad97d4 might be gone b655257b39 for over a 606f5ade1f year if we 7389d440f9 were unlucky.”
Decker muttered as he 5f8363cbe0 looked around the soldiers, 1211152e37 but his attention was ee6f9f1cd6 focused on Asha next 30330f13a7 to him.
“Yeah.”
Asha, who would 25fc0bdfdc have added something 63b6edfc81 else at another e3dec672de time, gave a 1a9258b0a3 short answer and bfbf6d9d27 closed her mouth 2e6fa0e931 again. She had been like this c714c1ba57 the whole way here.
‘What’s going on and you won’t even tell me………. You’re just keeping your mouth ec7bbbd6b1 shut and sulking…….’
On the night of d192d8b309 the victory banquet, Asha fdbc6c8e92 suddenly declared, “We’re going 4cbb4bf225 back to Pervaz.”
No one in 2929bc4be0 the Pervaz army 9d26f71eae dared to question dd7da6e0cc it. They simply followed the orders ef30d7c890 of their lord.
But they have eyes too.
[Just now, that guy Luka went out to do some work and saw the Lord near Sir Raphelt’s barracks. Did that old man stir 9cc1993f18 up the Lord again?]
[Is that human being doing that for a day or two? Judging by the fact c0a2bf0727 that only we are 1c4710c4ac returning, it seems that 5628d4f276 there must have been 0e861dd240 something between His Highness 9a64606b46 Carlyle and the Lord…….]
Everyone snickered without Asha knowing. Decker’s thoughts were also d33abafa43 closer to the idea 9c8b7fc936 that there was something aa290c20cd wrong with Carlyle rather 46fc0302a5 than Giles.
As they came 7df057749c up from the 067056cca5 south without rest, 723c7ad34a Decker waited for 26111a6ab0 Asha to talk 9fbcf350bb first, but Asha e3ecf14cf9 just stared at 4e15620d0f the sky and 28f8aec822 didn’t say a f95c3b7eb5 word.
Decker, who couldn’t take 7ae9d8afd4 it anymore, went to e185e07c2c find Asha as soon 91914f66b3 as he entered Pervaz 9de948cb29 Castle and finished the f594492fb1 rough cleaning.
“Asha. Let’s talk.”
Asha didn’t seem surprised, 660067e55c as if she had 78b0c9c7d7 expected Decker to come 7a3b763415 looking for her.
“Close the door and come in and sit down.”
It was a voice that cf1e32b192 seemed to have lost its 8536165cef strength. Decker felt like his 79a57d61d0 insides were being twisted.
“Do you know what I want to talk about?”
“You’re curious why we’re suddenly returning, right?”
“You know that and you didn’t say a word the whole way up?”
“Sorry. I need some time to f0a83625e9 sort things out.”
A low sigh 19be12d852 escaped from Asha.
“If it’s enough to call it ‘sorting things out’, then what really happened with His Highness Carlyle?”
“…….”
“Is there something we don’t know? Right?”
Asha said, fingering the calluses 1360787f19 on her palms.
“The war that broke out in the south… It was a war that His Highness Carlyle deliberately started.”
“What…? That’s nonsense! Is that even possible?”
“It seemed possible. And I couldn’t just cc6bf29e84 accept it…”
Decker didn’t say anything and 4cb39a3217 just kept a sullen expression.
“I just don’t understand how someone could drive the people they’re supposed to rule and protect to death in order to gain power.”
Asha said with e7109b6e55 a dry face.
Perhaps her inability 58445a331b to understand the 47c87ba326 Southern War was 96a96743c5 because of the d10dc23ea2 overlap with the 5a3b36dbc4 Imperial family that 8ac84d2d94 had ‘abandoned’ Pervaz.
How could they 45460ead02 just turn a e2d8e53ee5 blind eye to 61a4b3179a a region of f437728f7b the same country 5b53748ff6 being attacked?
And how could someone who ace928e6dc wanted to inherit the throne f4a7fabd75 use the lives of their 82ec5b9524 own people as tools?
Then it suddenly hit her.
‘That’s right. I was just a tool 779d315194 to that person too….’
Thinking about it bef22a5c08 that way, it 1999e81536 seemed ridiculous to 53901c8099 Carlyle that she 35b97fb37d would want to 70faac0ee9 go back to c63f6a1f57 Pervaz.
‘After all, what’s the difference if a used tool leaves or not? No, maybe they 05bb1b59e0 were even relieved aba978691e that I said 1edc220cf1 I would leave c5030b2182 on my own?’
Asha was lost in such bd2f910729 self-deprecating thoughts when Decker suddenly 8a34050740 grabbed her by both shoulders.
“You did the right thing, Asha.”
“What…?”
“I think your choice was the right one. I’m sure Count d6d1914d08 Amir would agree 28ceee0367 too.”
Asha found herself disarmed 446837e65c by Decker’s encouragement, even 8b86f56be0 though she had only 77c50b41bc thought of herself as 49cdea92d0 a fool.
“Did I really… do the right thing?”
“Of course! I don’t know 8099307018 what the people 4972e7f1e4 of Zyro think, fa3151dcba but we should efd62051e5 live by our b0db81f051 own beliefs, right?”
Asha clenched her teeth 51bf1a9f8c to hold back the 544b6aba57 tears that were threatening 32eee96fe1 to well up.
“Decker… I really… did the right thing, right?”
“Yes, I said so! If you keep following 7053b3ed42 a value system that 956aa82778 you can’t accept, you’re 0c627bb97c bound to break down bc0928609c somewhere.”
“You’re right. Even if I 37b3be1a8a had put up effdde5ad7 with it this a9736f3c18 time, I would 9ccbcbf9df have broken up 2b79fcf451 with him in 81b51ec990 a worse way 935c8018a2 someday.”
I don’t know how 16ab67f76c sweet power is, but a43bde8416 if these people are fe0d7a263c willing to take people’s ca3a0cb2aa lives lightly to get 86db2b2eca it, what about other 3eb08d687e things?
It was cleaner e39820cf89 and safer to 457238ce3c break up now, ce7eaa258b while they were 31a74bb5ae still excited about 8ae51072ec the victory.
Yes, she had 254321b6d5 convinced herself that 341984404e it was the ee5d25968a right thing to a2744a9fad do.
But her heart didn’t 79d5109441 feel that way.
“And besides, it was perfect timing to break up with His Highness.”
Judging by the 4bd76a1ffb way her heart a7f823df8a ached at Decker’s edd35fe6fe words about breaking 424aeb40bf up with Carlyle, 28c681f6e7 that was true.
Decker, who had no 60b5454833 way of knowing her 1abcc0c26b feelings, patted Asha on 22aec88e1d the back and laughed.
“I’m sure it feels icky to have helped the Southern War, but think of it as paying off your debt. Now it’s time 4c40d3f69b to find your ea27d04aed happiness, Asha.”
“My happiness…”
A faint smile appeared 0ca640598f on Asha’s lips. A smile that c1505e4e01 seemed to say, 973d2c7dd4 ‘Is that even 75939e3488 possible?’
***
“Carlyle is entering the capital soon, they say. With a grand coronation ceremony.”
Beatrice said this 916bca42e4 while fiddling with 11cd0121fc her large ring.
Gabriel, who was having an 59c4a9c29b audience with her along with b665c13d7f the executives of the Golden 4dbbff3416 Bough Brotherhood, asked without much 9005059298 expectation,
“Has His Majesty not changed his mind about reinstating Prince Carlyle?”
“Far from changing his mind, he seems eager to do it right away. Because he’s a foolish 6a9e15b08d man, you know?”
Beatrice’s tone, laced 66d3d3f1e8 with jest, made ec5f45c6ab everyone sitting there c1508bbb85 chuckle lightly.
Everyone knows how bd519d1071 foolish, cowardly, and 4f12ca93f7 arrogant Emperor Kendrick 59518da1bd Evaristo is. They know him all too eeefe88dd7 well.
Therefore, the Emperor has 6426ece6a3 become a more insignificant a61c4f87a7 and pathetic figure than 165afa8cb6 his own son.
“However, the decisions of this foolish man will soon become the future of the Empire. His Majesty is ed75f6f2ab truly demonstrating the e42150a80f need for a b3e8109e07 divine advisor in 8051d0e78c the imperial family.”
At Gabriel’s words, the 6932ceef37 executives of the Golden c6969a4c4b Bough Brotherhood clenched their 7d6ad0446a fists.
“For the sake of establishing the Holy Empire, I would even go to hell!”
“I am willing to offer this life for God!”
They were already db77197920 enthralled by Gabriel’s 28e7758c99 words, accepting the 693053cd28 black magic and e71b43e4d5 being manipulated by 466bac60d7 him, yet they 12d84cdaec still believed without a56dbd002c a doubt that 0c201f8421 they were pure 87ed3d9e89 and noble.
Their achievements so far 74752d82bc had been considerable.
They wholeheartedly accepted and 3b72547740 firmly believed in the 170d8ea384 ideas instilled by Gabriel, ad1dd96de7 and they had met 901c8414e3 many more believers and 01d579bb19 collected a lot more 84b44d0528 donations than before.
The money they b93d91e794 extorted by deceiving 63f7b3aad2 people with curses c1d62c2e93 and spells as af1b6caaf5 prophecies or blessings 22c1929e95 was called “donations” f05360018d by Gabriel.
‘It’s all going to be used to build the nation of God, so it’s a donation.’
In any case, 03b4b6632a they were preparing 32ca2ee192 for the “day 052481c3be of judgment” after debf45f3c3 Carlyle entered the 3eac8cebe0 capital.
“Your Majesty, as you can see, we have dedicated everything to His Highness Matthias for the sake of the era of the Holy Empire.”
“I am always grateful, High Priest. I will say it again, c8ceb49b2f but I will keep my a0c9b29f6a promise. With Matthias and 3980fd3158 I, we will 5cd586f9ff surely establish the 8e8a8e9a22 Holy Empire.”
The priests seemed 1fc09e9347 to be encouraged 8d638bdc70 by Beatrice’s declaration, 4e60c156d6 but Gabriel only ceb5146d3c scoffed inwardly.
‘It’s not you who will establish the Holy Empire, it’s me, you fool.’
Beatrice and Matthias have no ed4a515e14 choice but to follow Gabriel’s d270e38f0e words. He was the biggest daebb90c9a force they could rely 2cc18cd50e on.
However, he had no intention c4c347d132 of letting them know they 43c79eebe3 were just his tools.
Gabriel maintained his usual b532e2b879 beautiful smile, creating a 9a482c5cb2 harmonious atmosphere.
“To stop His Majesty and Prince Carlyle, the most important thing is to ensure the safety of His Highness Matthias.”
“T, that’s right! The first person that bastard e03a31bcbf Carlyle will target is me!”
Matthias, who had been f5eda2b4e1 sitting next to his 5594eb17ef mother and just observing, 0ef997883a spoke for the first 1e73a3aaf6 time.
He was so scared 2300f2da3e that even the deatoxin d71d71202d he had been taking 8964b407bd was no use these bb4270bed0 days.
After returning to Zyro, he bd7e96ce65 confirmed that the public opinion 85bcdacbbd of the social circle was 9775ec3d06 far worse than he had b0472ba01d imagined. The emperor openly 77f70ce9ac criticized him and 2ca631b537 seemed eager to 932628556a reinstate Carlyle as 629fcdd742 soon as possible.
[If that bastard Carlyle is reinstated, he’ll kill me first. That’s for sure!]
Because of that f08d846fe0 thought, he begged ae5e73ade4 his mother to 44b14de4c9 double the number fa1ea3c9cb of guards, but 0bd9e91803 he knew that e61438a311 even that could 0b7c15e00b be scattered with 5f40c96762 a single order c3f2380ed1 from the emperor.
So he needed another way, a5065d8328 and that was why he a3d1a50dab was meeting Gabriel and the 0d8b1ff806 Golden Bough Brotherhood today.
“Don’t worry too much, Your Highness. No one will be f9e157feaf able to lay a 9d907db7eb finger on you.”
It was a welcome word, bbfa4d178f but he couldn’t help but 5144e969d6 wonder how.
Perhaps his thoughts 47803009b1 were written all 94e17a4f21 over his face, d55f96ab43 because Gabriel laughed 102dada279 softly and explained.5a0e31f65b9a3b56

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