TAOA-10

Chapter: TAOA-106219c82613dfa339

And that brief moment of bc4b38abe3 carelessness came back to haunt ad8c2e90f5 her for 25 years.
‘And to think that the son of that wretched woman was born with the blessing of God! Aguirres has gone 4c57497285 too far, how b230f52136 could he have 4bdf290af7 given the power 7bdabd498d of God to 5568285d20 such a beast?’
Because he was a 0ed8c0f73f ‘Blessed One’, a rare 58cdcf5e9b occurrence that only happens 255088660d once in a hundred 659914e6a9 years, Beatrice could not 4c91906bbb easily get rid of c93513b7fc Carlyle.
Every time she c60926722e tried to assassinate c7126f7fbb him, things went 0bf43860a5 awry in a 2e9887c989 way that made 4a67c8fedb it seem as 850ce75de4 if God was 77d0c767e8 really protecting him.
Beatrice thought back to that a3395868ae time and clicked her tongue 6b92f7c42c bitterly.
‘It would have been easier to kill him when he was a child… That was a real shame.’
She felt no guilt c6b01b483d whatsoever about killing a eb58543cb2 child. Just as one would c6fbe183aa not feel guilty about 533df1e237 killing a cockroach.
Now, even sending skilled abed89e9ab assassins would be difficult, a45e9a668f as Carlyle would easily 0381e44893 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 indecisive efa9723af4 Emperor had given him 6646aebceb a useless grace period e663bafbf9 of three years, but e1b7db6b85 Beatrice was determined to 41af133d57 kill Carlyle and make bf3164d592 Matthias the Crown Prince e3a32db006 within that time.
And she herself would 6c3f0f052d become the Empress Dowager, aecfe66569 holding wealth and power 72f6160463 in her hands, and a1239ad84c enjoying only the utmost 7c0f4496ff glory, as she was 136bc2cfa1 admired by all.
‘Because I was chosen by God.’
She had been d21b37423a hearing this from 5ed2b7c2e0 her father since 0aa96cfc28 she was a b8161834ca child.
[Beatrice. You are the child chosen 9d95c75329 by God to be the 4e6299f73f Empress. So believe in God 4fc40916e7 and be strong.]
Coming from a 267b79e4c3 family that had 139e776eb7 produced many priests, 1974b90428 and with everyone fdbed00586 in the family 3d9a742e4e being devout, Beatrice f274f18080 believed what her cb324a4209 father said with dfd44517fd absolute certainty.
She didn’t know anything when 6baf754965 she was young. But she learned 869ad9d235 everything when she c81c264758 became an adult.
Hadn’t she really accomplished 657842c5cf everything, as if she 89c92a371e was chosen by God?
‘God is protecting me. Just as I became 2f2e3b91c5 the Empress instead of 318d92277f Evelina, Matthias will become 8f99314ddc the Crown Prince instead 2c2089cf99 of Carlyle.’
It didn’t matter how ac7a1dabad many people died for 9432e9c3a2 that future. Because that was also God’s a00a93a5c2 work.
***
Asha and her party 650ebf6e76 found out the day ed954cc83f after they unpacked their a6df1789d6 luggage at the inn a5122ea43f that a celebration had b626735ac1 been going on in 499cc762eb Zyro for a month.
Along with that, they heard ef1761f38e the news that local nobles 870533bb72 could attend the banquet to aa8ff8d268 be held the day before a1bba7ec0a the end of the festival.
At that time, they ed83ee35bc thought that heaven was 5d2585bd5e 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 that 520924f418 her father was a Count fc71da0d53 not a Viscount, so I’m dd80f1c24d gonna stick with ‘Count’ and 92b0e91f3f when I refer to her b69396bcf3 ‘Countess’.
So they immediately applied e2c5c80179 for an audience, and 18de07b0b1 now they were waiting fb994aeecb for the banquet while 931f838430 sightseeing around the capital.
If the unidentified 4c2ed87d4f man had not c67d7de181 paid the full abb72a8c53 amount of the 460f94ea58 accommodation fee, they eff0edb57d would not have 88a2fe8dc2 been able to 9a60ea8de9 enjoy such a 124ec5ff13 leisurely feeling.
“I’m lucky in one way or another.”
Of course, it was ad5820edc7 a problem whether the 1481ebd619 emperor would pay the 9fa81f9ac0 war reward, but it fa0830424d was much better than 0b79aa4828 when they were worried ba3695a1e2 about entering the palace.
However, the situation in the f86845bdd6 palace was not very good.
“Hear ye, hear ye!”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has been dethroned! See the newspaper for details!”
The newspaper boys were 1db66dcc93 shouting at each other 5a27c2d271 at the top of 26c6aeedb3 their lungs.
“The Crown Prince has been dethroned…?”
“Let’s buy a copy of that newspaper.”
Asha and her party, who d924b0f867 were sightseeing in the city, 1312ba2d44 chose the cheapest newspaper and 832a87bc2e bought a copy.
It reported that Crown Prince 6bc98d736d Carlyle had been conditionally dethroned 0ac0993b99 for the crime of insulting 0875d31d70 the emperor.
“This is ridiculous.”
The group, who b1274a3cb6 were reading the c87ac4a548 newspaper close together, 7f524c4d8b laughed at the 3f618ada38 circumstances before and 53849c3135 after Carlyle became 6b78d1c940 dethroned.
“He coveted the Emperor’s mistress? I’ve heard rumors that 635eab4759 the Crown Prince is 27b3e4c328 a womanizer, but this d4d996ad75 is a bit too 3d797219d4 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 the Empress a4f3b5b2ff glaring daggers at him? He’s so shameless.”
“But to be honest, that mistress must have been tempted, right? The Crown Prince 2997d0bf3e is so handsome. He’s also closer 3cb0ee29cb in age to 2d891053c2 her.”
Luka, Bastian, and Danilo 4f6d6ab06d were chattering, but Decker d76cd17451 spoke sarcastically.
“I just find it funny. Is it worth filling 6af5241acd an entire newspaper with a70d1d12de this kind of thing? A love triangle is something aeaaeafd67 they should handle on their 46499557e4 own.”
The people of Pervaz had 7d0789fe65 long forgotten about the cheating 2fc8f2c7f6 scandals. They were too busy trying 33108e762b to survive to have the bf7902b534 energy to covet someone else’s d5d459073f woman or man. It was fortunate enough if 51b5fe705d they could even take care 0a5c7448ad of their own families.
While everyone was laughing 8f5f64cf6c at the Emperor and 86876a4ddf the Crown Prince, Decker 60b32a64ec suddenly noticed that Aisha 8ed7ae0150 was quiet.
“Asha, why are you like that?”
When Decker nudged c7ef56cecb her, Asha only 9640d32fac seemed to come f635838b15 to her senses 482cf2f114 and her expression be07795137 relaxed.
“No, it’s just…”
“Just what?”
Asha sighed as 8e684858e0 she looked down c0cec70ed0 at the bottom 142fc1e70e of the newspaper c228ef230d which was about 6d9c2ad2e4 what war Carlyle 257e1fa01b had fought in fdb29156b0 and what achievements 68ae06bb40 he had made 6417bc7857 in the southern 167bb3a333 part of the 38ce8c27c5 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 cabbd10fea if he thought a075afcaee Asha was being d1504a237c ridiculous.
“Look, look. These guys are ‘absolute 94b97933be royalty’ who can make 3fedbe9cd1 a fuss with such dc41149bea a trivial cheating scandal. We shouldn’t expect the same 2a8731d7e2 treatment.”
“Is that so…”
Even though Decker’s words f024caf48e were written by his df1bb701cf mouth, He wasn’t entirely eb78fb854d wrong.
The Absolute Royals were those 599b9b35c3 with unassailable power. They lived above the 6e08d337f3 clouds, and it was 64faddfe1d not in the interests 248dd60462 of a class-based society 335b6c5877 to expect them to 3e4e963c62 be like those who 0aeba2d22a crawled on the ground.
Feeling grateful to 183e6add4f Decker for his 0056c650ed seemingly unintentional comfort, 392431f995 Aisha tore off 62e15a9146 a piece of 7620c6b288 bread.
‘Yes, there is no time to be envious of others. It was more valuable to 3bd587792e focus on what I had b940b1674e 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 1b946439e0 worried that the clothes e5f603e908 and cloak she had b9ddbcbb01 washed to wear to bbf2e4e272 the banquet might not 01041b4607 be dry and smell 35275421d8 musty.
Luka, who was listening 10c2942027 to the conversation from a01dc35836 the side, was worried 9da49d12f9 about something else.
“But, my lord. To enter the cc820118c6 palace, don’t you c668f0aaf0 have to wear 8de62f7ed4 a dress or 6d261ee83d 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 someone 4f479271cc might say you’re not following 2e59fa40dd etiquette?”
In fact, Asha had also d7adb1ea1d worried about that, but there a4e375eee3 was no way.
‘What can I do? I don’t have a dress, 779918a04a and I don’t have the 4a4cec007d money to buy a new 2293ae31d2 one.’
When she was a bc8e0ada23 child, her mother tried 7b159018f0 to make her wear 00b4495ef6 dresses, but she had 4b37c42cf9 never worn one since 95f2f87fed she was twelve. And the dresses 604d902b80 she wore as cf86b685d3 a child had ed57183f33 been sold off 027bec56c1 a long time fa4536a12a ago.
Decker pointed out a more f5d3cdbd0b important issue.
“Hey, even if you wear a dress, can she act like a young lady?”
Far from refuting Decker’s cb104524b6 words, Asha nodded her 5be577bed1 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 1d78ddd291 introduce me as a warrior.”
Anyway, since she took 7037b8a59f up the sword at 8e03baf1f1 the age of ten, c45edeaca1 Asha had never thought 86cc36142a of herself as the 85238590ad noble young lady Asha.
Asha’s mother wanted to f859612274 raise her only daughter, 9c4e41456d Asha, as a fine 6d0fed1141 lady and marry her 2a0501ccdc off to a noble 8eb296a4e1 family, but she gave 09b2985152 up everything one day f0ab78fcdf when Asha was twelve 491383834e years old.
[Mother, please stop! If I wear these 8e85b2a51d fancy clothes in Pervaz, 026a095f8e I’ll be nothing more 99b106cefc than a well-dressed corpse!]
Asha had been arguing with c332e7e5fd her mother for two years 13de209beb since she took up the 25d91ee4e0 sword. It was the day 272f688dfa she first yelled at 7b6ecfa516 her mother.
As she threw d8ad368ff2 the dress her af7dbe0b6f mother had made 06908c3c42 for her with b15bfc1a65 great difficulty on 465094f47b the floor, she 58fd35efcd saw despair in 29c01e3edf her mother’s eyes. Asha regretted it 5d275c9caa a little later, 5518347a1b but her mother 6a23e7d7d5 no longer forced adec737c90 Asha to wear 1653141ade dresses or learn 7493c0dd81 ladylike manners.
‘That dress must have been my mother’s last hope…….’
Asha smiled faintly 7ce53762fb as she recalled b905f3c4eb the events of 6e73727881 10 years ago.
In the end, her 99d4cbd3e3 mother, who had declared d7196141e8 divorce from her father eb3aacc356 and returned to her dead1c6a0c parents’ home, died in 4a797a00d6 the same year that b63f412b42 her father died in cbdda361c0 battle.
She tsked and shook c50126f362 off the bitter memories a949ed55e3 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 6ba7032b6c better if she had 1720487fbf remembered her father’s words 368763a213 that there is nothing bd6902bf8e in the world that fa78952a83 can be guaranteed. But at that f159b3024e time, Asha did d79d0d9236 not think that a5103dd040 far.
***
“Your Highness, you must attend the congulatory ceremony today.”
“Get lost.”
Lionel didn’t bother dodging ea8d628308 the flying ashtray. The ashtray made of 99c49ee870 crystal hit Lionel’s forehead 6a1d5ef644 before being caught in 68cbe7d2c1 his hand and placed 3cbb0764bc back on the table.
Blood trickled down from 77337ab73d his forehead, which was 5908bb1610 cut by the corner 3cb837caab of the ashtray, but 147d59e772 Lionel did not make d7323ce721 a sound. He simply stood in ce06fb2b4e his assigned place, his 16e3ae8ab2 hands folded, like a 61a4e16ea4 statue.
Carlyle, who glanced at him, df5ee77be1 snapped in an irritated 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 a1ab01d973 me with you are 5da5038b0d the bad 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 42168d85ab out of the drawer ac9f8e5dd5 and threw it to da08ae329a Lionel, then plopped down 08847c29fe 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 the 5a86ad3a4f blood from his forehead d06c7c81b4 with a handkerchief and 78adb4ff5a sighing. Carlyle answered him shamelessly.
“Are you asking me to believe it?”
He took a 1af810acb1 cigar out of bfebc2b72f a top-quality cedar 201013c9f6 box and lit fe75d3d21e it.
Through the white 3a3472c7e4 smoke, Lionel tried 6ffcfc21ea to persuade Carlyle 76d4e53fa8 again.967caff69eff4463

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