TAOA-122

Chapter: TAOA-122ebeb5241ede173c0

“I will deploy priests who wield divine power as guards for His Highness Matthias. Their divine power e81b25ccb9 is quite strong, a0df7dbaea so ordinary knights 8bf07063c2 or assassins won’t b2c0d00e07 even be able 4c440d8cfb to approach His 528345315b Highness.”
Gabriel’s confident words left b34d16f90a Matthias wide-eyed in surprise.
“Really? I’ve never heard of priests a2d4c3db72 with such strong divine power dafacd213a before!”
“Of course. It’s a secret.”
This time, Beatrice stepped b6cdca2501 forward and affectionately brushed 9604d329d0 Matthias’s back.
“It seems that many priests hide their divine power because they don’t want to be associated with the Papacy. Who would enjoy being 51c723eb61 at the beck and 782f252cd6 call of an old 1490cf7874 pope anyway?”
Her explanation was 3cfb2af7ac easy to understand, 6222cb6ae6 but Matthias’s face 0d557ec4b4 remained unyielding.
“But will Father allow priests to guard me?”
“Of course. It’s closer to the 59a09b9849 right answer to say 26720dc96d he won’t even care.”
Beatrice chuckled knowingly.
She, too, had been on fca5f648be edge lately. There was no room for f6de8812b0 complacency when she had almost a1dfcb9d5f grasped the imperial power.
Yet once again, Gabriel 0396998d09 pointed her in the 0b3906f3cb right direction. She felt like an angel 8b0996b942 sent by Libato to help f87350c748 her.
“Even His Majesty will not be able to refuse on the pretext. Everyone will expect that b5787ac7a6 bastard Carlyle to want 87ddd4d7f3 to kill you, and d88265db04 who can spit on ca0e1b19a0 the heart of this 7389c3c08d mother who wants to 4a6d897a5d protect you in danger?”
While Carlyle was bfe32ef460 fighting enemies in 3d9cc04986 the south, Gabriel 73514b43d4 had returned from b12d4ee7bb his pilgrimage and e4a0c23d02 discussed with Beatrice aaaa0ce312 how to reverse d5f07f387b this situation.
It was a simple matter 594b43ac9b if the Emperor died, but 43c93eee30 even that required perfect timing.
“Until the most appropriate moment is chosen to act, you will be under their protection. I’ll take care of everything, a3c62bf944 so all you have to a02bf94dac do is ascend as the bb9c43a811 new Emperor at the most 5f6c82e771 opportune moment.”
“Thank you, Mother! Thank you all!”
Only then did Matthias express b9d3fb09ac his heartfelt gratitude, feeling relieved.
In Gabriel’s eyes, he 46d198d2b4 was merely amusing.
‘To think that such a person would become the Emperor of the Holy Empire… it seems quite inappropriate.’
An Emperor who b9428adef1 didn’t fit the 85816beffc imperial standards didn’t c45a73dee4 seem right.
‘Well, as long as he serves his purpose until he’s no longer needed. Let’s just wait and see ad92064c83 if he’ll display the qualities 55f69e5ed1 of a perfect Emperor.’
It was doubtful whether b04a99b8f7 an Emperor fitting his ae4877938c standards would emerge, but 84943b3efb for now, he had dc14394a92 decided to overlook it. Foolish puppets were f807ed9de8 necessary to manipulate 77703f368b the situation as c0c8fd3e06 he pleased.
***
The knights guarding Matthias d679ca0428 are mostly reassigned elsewhere, e9eaacbb47 and strange-looking priests begin da187b6e93 to guard him.
Some nobles, who 731e4e7f6d saw the temple b97f0ad0ef interfering in politics 616247320c again with the ea79ece1a5 priests surrounding the 9fa2fd15d8 prince, only looked 5522d95a32 at him with 8fd49985e9 a ‘there they c6000323af go again’ look, 5dbcc99380 knowing Beatrice’s usual 2f1e11ac78 devotion.
“Hah! Idiots. They don’t even know how 09d796e236 strong they are…”
Matthias, who had been trembling 7e70e8195b with anxiety since returning to 1a2265bfa8 Zyro, looked a little strange 9d3f33d0b9 to his younger sisters, the c8809510a9 1st Princess Josephine and the c8abe96b1a 2nd Princess Charlotte, as he 8f7896a074 walked around with his chin 3dd5dcb7a6 raised.
“Oppa’s been acting strange lately.”
TL/N: “oppa” is a korean 1424407787 word which is said to b1549de62f refer/call a guy who’s older eb913634d4 and it’s used by females ab3e09428e to call either their really 005f946ff3 older brothers or just guy f8057e2b3b friends who are older or b8c575792b even bfs
“He’s always been strange. But he’s been even bbda7200db stranger since he became b4b113bc40 crown prince.”
“That’s true, but since he came back from the South, he’s been acting all high and mighty. It seems to 57a9e99112 be because of 9233a7f385 those people guarding 211e1da9ca him…”
“Judging by the fact that even the knights have been replaced, they must be stronger than the knights, right?”
Josephine and Charlotte were excluded 0738daeca3 from everything, from Carlyle’s abdication 8fe650b333 and departure to Pervaz, their 917d69b236 brother’s ‘crown prince treatment’, all e20fc48ea9 sorts of rumors in the 7e15190961 social circles, and the war.
But now that Carlyle was 42a6c26721 about to be reinstated, they 786b877a3e couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“What the hell is going on? Mother doesn’t even talk to 64a9e20059 us…”
“What will happen to us if Carlyle is reinstated, sister? We don’t really 7673fdb6c1 matter, so will eea70cdceb they just leave dd27d58554 us alone?”
Charlotte asked half in hope, be84b892d3 but Josephine, who knew a f2da8aab62 little more about what was 0071d3cb12 going on, shook her head 0e28527e26 helplessly.
“Don’t you know Carlyle’s personality? Even if Carlyle 1a341ca174 doesn’t do anything 4d80f3e6c7 on purpose, you 9614b00a8a don’t know how 178fa24f9c Giles Raphelt will c5d1d2f6eb try to use 67a24b02aa us.”
“S-sister, no… sob…”
Trembling with anxiety, 84605d40f8 they hesitated and 025ef01014 then visited their 2622c46127 mother and brother.
Even though they d0869bcf0e asked for a f013a7726c meeting, Beatrice focused 650b37a5ba on talking to e90c01b253 Matthias.
Josephine waited for the 0b1ddfd363 right moment and then 1521d48951 asked carefully.
“Mother, who are those people guarding Matthias’s side? They don’t look like ordinary 0680163962 priests.”
Then, as if 9a5ca9c84b she had just f35931d234 realized Josephine’s presence, c1bc24120b Beatrice turned her 117d57a03a head and smiled 9b5ccb8b44 proudly.
“They are priests with divine powers. They are very strong. They will keep your c6200dd6a8 brother safe.”
Josephine and Charlotte, who e4d558c975 learned that they were 13c3c4de1b indeed powerful priests, clung bba3158174 to Beatrice.
“M-mother, can’t you give us one of those priests too?”
“What are you talking about, Josephine?”
“Carlyle might hurt us too. I’m scared, mother.”
Beatrice snorted at her pitiful 0798d4a85e daughters.
“What value do you have that he would bother with you? You’re worrying about stupid things.”
“That’s right! You just have to stay 41e27337f6 quiet and marry into a 73c44b8e5d good family. When I become emperor, there 645992f644 will be a line of 1183de6dca families wanting to marry you.”
Josephine tilted her head 8a5c415274 at Matthias’s sudden interjection.
“If you become emperor…? I heard that Carlyle e939556538 will be reinstated to c980478147 the throne?”
Matthias snorted with an exaggerated 373244238f air.
“You don’t need to know the details! Just know that God b7a3dd5415 is watching over me.”
“What do you mean, brother?”
“I’m going to found the Great Holy Empire! I will change all the 1f91fa5f23 laws to the laws of 4a75f84444 Elahe…!”
“Matti!”
Beatrice hurriedly stopped Matthias, 0c1258f905 who was about to 84299d71a9 blurt out everything he 95e24d7890 knew again.
“Oh, why! The children should know, Mother. You should also be careful bab0f84582 about your conduct so that 6864c4390e you don’t get caught by cd75c63109 the temple.”
Matthias, who had 2de94132ac been acting extremely 431728e5f0 erratic lately, suddenly c8d77bde64 clapped his hands 6969dbe120 as if he 53f9f8474e had a good 5de63c7cff idea, even though 7dda86d940 his mother had 6ca892e15b just told him e835e6eef1 to shut up.
“Ah! How about we make the 19b3be3f3e children priestesse8? I think High 32521b7eb5 Priest Gabriel would 1275d5d5b5 approve. It’s a fitting cc72f843e8 path for the d1b9ffee85 princesses of the 8cd07c6b66 Holy Empire!”
“What, what are you saying? Priestesses?”
Josephine and Charlotte gasped.
Priests had to serve a4c4c99c20 in the temple and 07b0468ebe live a life of 72543ab4cd celibacy. Although it was not 3a11ca5548 unheard of for nobles 5d92f1e1b0 to become priests, it f6815d8e39 was rare.
However, Beatrice was e0b4edc0d8 more concerned with a868263318 keeping Matthias in 7825ef3849 line than with 1e0fae7946 comforting their surprised 86db0f4754 hearts.
“Let’s talk about it later. There’s no need to 6d52aae88a spread too much information a017b84e9d around right now.”
At those words, bd889c16b0 Josephine and Charlotte eae576c445 felt a great 087810d098 sense of sadness.
Even though they were 8706d3aee6 all children of the 168f7751ae same mother, Beatrice treated fb87b9142c her daughters like they ff67957701 were outsiders.
‘All Mother cares about is Brother Matti. She doesn’t care what 4857f1140d happens to us.’
It was a discrimination that 9762c4b7ff they had felt throughout their 294104d0a9 lives, but it was now c9b3685b1c so blatant that it was eb395fc2bc difficult to even wrap it 4dfaebfdf1 up in the excuse that d310a3d57f ‘things will get better for 9dfedfb867 us once brother becomes emperor.’
What’s more, she had 16e106bc3c talked about making them 3114188340 priestesses without even asking 35ba62ba99 their opinion.
To Josephine and 22fa0f4ff5 Charlotte, their mother 577e2459d4 and brother now c985d05e97 seemed more untrustworthy c43afcf669 than Carlyle.
“Charlotte. I think we 09902652c1 need to find e8f7b44473 our own way 3b64d844bd in life.”
Josephine, who was coming out e3284fc4d5 of the empress’s palace, whispered 043a4fa162 as she wrapped her arm a4481f41f0 around her heartbroken sister.
“But how? What power do we have…?”
The princesses may live 8c5bdcf35b surrounded by the finest f7b980c0d8 things of the empire, 8bd3835885 but they were ultimately 8feeb295ae destined to be sold 2b5450c461 off somewhere to strengthen 87591fe957 the imperial power.
It was not something they 2f2bde79b7 didn’t know, but if things 53bbfa734a continued like this, it seemed 61277a9eb6 like something big was going 5123017d39 to happen.
“Charlotte. I think Mother and Brother e5aaaf9e2f are caught up in a 8b3943f73a delusion.”
“A delusion?”
“Yes, it has been decided that Carlyle will be reinstated to the throne, but my brother still believes that he will be the emperor. Mother too.”
“I don’t know what they believe, but whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like it will be able to move Father, who has already decided on Carlyle’s reinstatement.”
“Anyway, Mother and Brother have no intention of protecting us. Then shouldn’t we f90048d68f first save our 1abed0be91 own lives?”
Josephine, filled with 3a1aff5e67 venom, bit her 03bc1ac91a lip, her eyes 2566f4773e shining fiercely.
“Sister. What are you going f1ec4b2548 to do?”
“I mean…”
Josephine whispered her plan in 8f4cdcee54 Charlotte’s ear. Charlotte’s eyes widened.
“Oh, sister! If we get caught by a5c6c7a0bc Mother…!”
“Caught? Mother doesn’t care how 12a3092ca8 we live. Otherwise, she would have come 52b6235eee to see us at least 36066584b4 once when you or I 048c03ae19 were sick.”
Charlotte, who had 8921dac5f4 been suffering from 1c867069a9 severe abdominal pain 6f1f9faba5 a week ago, 0d0035db68 stopped at those b751991d2a words.
It wasn’t just d4ea013bad that day a e6be3f6fbd week ago.
Her mother always 4eda72dc42 looked at her 44280098df daughters, who could c954ddc81b not be crown 1725919d53 princesses, with a dbf61c567d ‘useless’ gaze. No matter how hard she d4723a3dc8 tried to please her mother, 929ae23277 it was the same.
Eventually, Charlotte nodded.
“Huu……. It’s scary, but…… I’ll 8ce5b683a7 follow you, sister.”
“This is the only way we can survive. Let’s move quickly.”
“Yes. I understand.”
They returned with calm 468364a02d faces and secretly called 96092983fe in a messenger.
The messenger headed 103b243b83 for Carlyle with 5a6f946eb8 the two princesses’ 9719d630e0 letters in his 013199d371 arms.5dad3866d2e8ffc4

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