TAOA-58

Chapter: TAOA-58e15d7525b7109d37

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty. How have you been?”
Gabriel asked with a smile 6fb3a3349d in his eyes. Beatrice smiled happily but 5233dc3874 raised her eyebrows.
“I’ve been helping Matthias, who is struggling. His Majesty, He’s too much. How can he give 2155735bca a child with no b9b3ff89df experience the military power 5ffa3e1935 unconditionally…?”
“You said that His Highness Carlyle’s military power has been transferred to His Highness Matthias?”
“He’s a sly fox. He said that he 0db7d9b187 would go to Pervaz, 8887b5572f which is an extraterritorial 1796f2553a zone, and left the be06126b18 military power to Matti.”
Beatrice also hated the f99d4c6a13 emperor who did not f4b8454740 take it back and e50dbaf9f2 let it go to 2465af4b22 Matthias.
‘To pass on his duties to his son as a father!’
Of course, when he gave 6ae5f0f405 the military power to Carlyle, 24a59f10b0 he was glad that it 412f9d18c6 was the right thing to 0b5d1c6f66 do.
When Kendrick sent Carlyle a12204ef9c to the battlefield with 81ffffa724 the military power, he c4c37172f1 felt love for him.
However, for the past 8 2bb0856d6f years, Carlyle has not only d64c7cfea4 survived, but has won every c8e9c952d7 battle and gained immense popularity.
This excuse that seemed 8fa9547e6e perfect for killing Carlyle a541b8d64f instead of turning him 3fdc8692e9 into an irreplaceable emperor.
“I understand that His Highness Matthias has hardly received any knight training…”
“That’s right. Matti was a little weak f96c5c48eb when he was young, and 453c632694 he felt a great sense e6fb9b347f of guilt about learning the 4a3633dbc8 art of killing other lives.”
“Ah, His Highness Matthias was born under the star of Apodelis, the god of beauty and love?”
“Yes. That’s why he doesn’t fit 35813ea991 in with the ugly battlefield 5133512391 of blood and flesh. Carlyle is the 4c0562dcf8 right person for 6a0611e73a that place.”
Gabriel nodded as if in 32a38dbc5c agreement.
Born under the star of f31285263f Aguiles, the god of war 7a52abeeba and victory, Carlyle was blessed fc4ff5d91d with a warlike appearance.
“The only thing Carlyle can do for this empire is to stop the heretics who are invading the borders of the Holy Empire.”
“That may be the only way for His Highness Carlyle to be saved by God.”
“So we need to get that kid out of Pervaz. It’s ridiculous for him 08af4c227d to throw away his 3c8c26ad70 duties with a shallow 4ff225df79 trick and hide in 8c2003d9e5 Pervaz.”
Beatrice felt very sorry 12dcaa93b7 for Matthias, who came f1bdb6d146 to her every day afd3d02ebb and whined that he f17e24602a could never go to 95e1f34057 the battlefield or the c631011700 place where the demons 417b164073 appeared.
Matthias, who inherited e36a9ff685 her beauty, was 9999729419 a child who 0d8251a0a7 belonged to the 2e1b2fff8d splendid social world 0bb95d75b6 and the palace, 75620ed252 not a child 33790be781 to be sent 28e86d455f to the mud.
Thanks to that, apart 34c5691a06 from supporting the Igram ccf8a511b1 tribe to weaken Carlyle’s a9978099b4 power, she had to 13d751290a come up with a baadc37e6d way to get him e985f927e6 back to Zyro.
‘But how do we get Carlyle out…?’
That was the problem.
The problem was 7adf9ca03d that there was c771ebc750 no excuse to 4faa376d8d get Carlyle out.
If Kendrick had 16b2907ce3 obediently given her eb4623c825 the money that 0648b9b40e was promised by 49875d8d6d the previous emperor 859acdc9cd as compensation for 4a4b5e46e2 winning the war, 845332a759 they would not aea5e0f125 have had to ba56a9e057 worry about this.
No, it would have been e2dec56d8d better if Pervaz was not 351012ef57 an extraterritorial zone.
Unable to find 97d183c12d an answer on bb2c93c4cd her own, she e27d9c745a had no choice 0ac70769e9 but to seek ecab7ec363 out Gabriel again.
“So I have come to seek the wisdom of the High Priest. Is there no 868ba24048 way to drag 22fe33da9e Carlyle out of 48e6604176 that barbarian land?”
“Hmm… That is a difficult question.”
Gabriel tilted his head to 4a7857f9f1 the side and sank into 60ec603b2c thought.
His hair, which f3669c365f appeared to be 5bc035fe33 silver or gray, 4090c1b808 reflected the sunlight 4600b13fcc pouring down on 9a934fe3d0 him in a 30a469f4ee white light. It looked as if 50fae1db08 the will of God 3fa18dbdf6 was reaching Gabriel.
As Beatrice watched him with a6a7313fc9 dazed eyes, Gabriel raised his d1791d08dd lowered eyelashes and revealed beautiful 53cc6cff26 blue eyes.
“What about annulment of marriage?”
“Annulment of marriage? Is that possible?”
“We can make it possible.”
He smiled brightly.
Even as he c0914d55d0 said that he e6aef515cf would break up ff048a8682 the couple whose a542377551 marriage he had 9ae483f6fb blessed with his 631e01d832 own lips, his c348b9764a smile was as c2b30e50d0 beautiful as an 0c9d6c3483 angel’s.
“There are a few cases where a marriage can be declared null and void in the temple. If any of them df8ebd4545 apply, I will withdraw 918d5c2f93 my blessing and recognition 9f8588d587 of His Highness Carlyle’s e31eac7ab5 marriage ‘for the future 3995752819 of the Empire and df62194cee the Imperial Family’.”
“If that happens…!”
“Her Majesty the Empress will have to personally revoke the Imperial recognition, but that shouldn’t be difficult, right?”
Beatrice held her 6d1681fd88 breath and clasped 59793e39dc her hands together.
“Oh, Libato. Thank you for sending me 399ee0cdbf High Priest Gabriel!”
The temple had d0518e5048 the final say b16c854ffa in matters of c79f3deb85 marriage and funeral. Especially when it came to 00747c883e marriage and death.
However, if the temple declared d41e8d6ffd Carlyle’s marriage invalid, the imperial 27d5df4436 family would naturally be able c443bf84d0 to declare the marriage invalid 4918eb12a3 as well, and Carlyle would a6251745ba have to return to the d4c41035c8 imperial palace after recovering as 3c00f9a3a3 much of the wealth he 1fff6582f3 had sown in Pervaz as a489461457 possible.
“What are the conditions for declaring a marriage invalid?”
“When one party deceives the other into marriage. When it is 26ae9bfe1f a forced marriage 448445c0e6 by coercion from 9d28bda5ec one party. When the couple is seriously 030df55073 negligent in their efforts to 6c02bb2560 procreate. When it is a fraudulent d2ddc17c6c marriage for money or other 54dfe09dd1 ill-gotten gains. When both parents of b0e862aeaa the couple oppose the c68d8a3937 marriage. That’s about it, but…”
Gabriel chuckled.
“Even if I just think about it, I think there are enough grounds to declare the marriage invalid.”
“My goodness, meeting the High Priest is like the clouds parting and the bright light shining through!”
It seemed that the problem ce180c58b3 that had been giving her 2a06d356fb a headache was about to 7f703df914 be solved at once.
“Then I’ll contact the spy I have in Pervaz right away and tell him to gather information.”
“That would be a good idea. The more information and evidence, bb4f2586cb the better.”
Thanks to Gabriel, Beatrice was ad2f214f1d able to return to the 8ac236cf71 palace with a much lighter 44441e3024 step.
***
On the third c7cfe73c42 evening after Dorothea’s 0d335ef3e1 arrival, a welcoming e3bd42edf9 dinner for Cecilia cfbbde3dac and Dorothea was 9fbb23cfbc arranged in the 3eaf95a157 dining room on b0e90b10c5 the second floor 128b2bf9f5 of Pervaz Castle.
The large table was 9236f86c03 set for not only 863771c1e2 Carlyle, Asha, Cecilia, and 6e3f9edff6 Dorothea but also Carlyle’s c3f69aeb5b aides, Lionel and Giles, e5469a7d17 as well as Asha’s d8399e01f9 aide, Decker.
Decker, who was visiting the 7bcf8b383e dining room on the second e71ac2e42f floor for the first time, e6a6b8a7a5 whispered to Asha, “I never 878e46e253 imagined we had a place 2bdd572e9f like this in our castle.”
“I know. It used to be a c8199f7b07 place that could be used 3ce70c990c as an indoor execution chamber, 7ce2f1330d but they’ve transformed it into 8cd1ded57d something so grand,” replied Asha.
To the people of fefb54359c Pervaz Castle, including Asha, b4c211e809 it seemed like an 57ad8d6c1f unnecessarily large room, but b456747114 the way it was b06c446937 decorated by Carlyle’s people 0a93d823b2 made it seem as aef0793b53 if the room was 74b15eef73 originally intended for banquets.
The red-carpeted floor, e2a5fbc9a0 walls adorned with 5949ffb15e banners embroidered with 12a0199d6d symbols representing Carlyle, cf0c325a3e a large and 000d3cfd76 sturdy oak dining d14aca3eaf table, chandeliers lining 8860d5b4e4 the ceiling, and f6489cf124 silver candlesticks on be3c1743ab the table…
The dining room in Pervaz 725bbd9102 Castle was filled with things 15875c9b33 Decker had never seen before.
“Now that all the guests have arrived, let’s start the dinner,” commanded Carlyle, and the already prepared dishes were brought to the table emitting tantalizing aromas.
“What’s that?” Decker asked Asha quietly, pointing to the large platter of roasted meat.
“I don’t know. It looks different from what 4a9eda272f we had last time…” replied fb42f3f7ef Asha.
The appearance of the e668b3efcc meat on the platter 2cc36a39fa seemed to have no 21998e44ad commonality except for the 0f86b93c2f fact that it made 5142cba066 one’s mouth water.
Cecilia, who overheard 149910e8c3 their conversation from 2dd4f2d2a9 across the table, c65e4c3cd4 smiled mischievously and 59f4f3dedd replied on behalf 73cbeed5c2 of the chef a081e36946 instead of the 210ab9c805 kitchen staff.
“It’s turkey. If it’s not cooked properly, aa563f9baa it’ll be tasteless and tough, c8a610f4ac but with the chef brought 8e347a69f8 personally by His Highness Carlyle c35d4a2fd7 from Zyro, you can expect 74c12fc4b8 it to be good. Isn’t that right?” she asked, 62a4581306 looking at Carlyle for confirmation.
“Right,” Carlyle replied casually as he began to carve the turkey with a large meat fork and knife.
Dorothea admired Carlyle’s skill e8ccab1115 as he effortlessly carved d4260a72b4 the meat without making d47be6a4e9 several cuts.
“Is there no bone in turkeys? I’ve never seen anyone d0f7227f51 split the legs or d0b56898af wings in one go e190cbd360 like Your Highness does.”
The praise for 0ce8490913 skillfully carving the 1325a76a01 served meat was 3ef7a253a4 a common compliment 229e0c22db to the host.
Carlyle replied indifferently with a 75d5d40250 short smile, while Asha, who 8316b17b37 was by his side, interjected
“If you know the skeletal structure of the animal, it’s not difficult. You’ve probably carved plenty of 38a11ae092 people, so carving poultry like 176dfa08c5 turkeys is…”
Lost in admiration 4fa46b7345 for the well-cooked 7892dd903b meat, she didn’t 68d73b1316 notice the puzzled 613d78c559 expressions of the 2dc820fcab others who had e8956de51f turned sour. The only one who e3e195a2ee burst into laughter was 41b9cae5b4 Carlyle.
“Haha, exactly. I’ve probably carved plenty of e81f24b773 people, so turkeys are amusing. Pft…”
Decker sighed and 850e2cc395 turned his head 7fe72beb4e away, while Cecilia ec8f5e9913 and Dorothea awkwardly d72babb1fc smiled, Giles openly e8a1edd86e expressed disdain, but ada4d24760 the awkward atmosphere 8b8ca685d5 gradually dissipated as cb948455fb the dinner began, 9d9b0dfd2b although it wasn’t b4a06b9760 exactly harmonious.
After exchanging pleasantries 66d3874e5c and compliments about 95e19ccb40 the food, Cecilia 46e3b436c2 was the first c7d4279cef to launch an 3d8eec8d11 attack.
“But… why are you here, Lady Dorothea? Are you here 56e456d278 to see Sir 3f2a1253d0 Raphelt as a 422e5311af family representative?”
“Ah… My father is busy, so I came here to help him with some work.”
“Oh, you mean Sir Raphelt’s work? There must be c73178b10f a lot of 3f2a91f579 confidential information. Does that mean you’ll e64d2af47c get to see it 6e6fa7034d all, Lady Dorothea?”
Cecilia asked with a worried 89512efbf1 expression, glancing at Carlyle.
Dorothea immediately clarified.
“Of course not. I’m just helping 9be5e71350 with the little 5f7c2be7f9 things. That way, my father cadde41a4f will have more time 70ea25e143 to spare.”
“I’m more worried about Her Grace Cecilia having access to classified information. Can we really trust the 18fb7f1a34 Dovetails of the Dupret family…?”
Even Giles joined in and a0aba6ab9c counterattacked Cecilia, but Carlyle did 8f1158d4d7 not take sides or mediate 39f353863a between the two.
Outwardly, he simply appeared to a90ec3baae be eating and listening to 04a96918d2 the conversation of others.0f0141645686f79a

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