TAOA-103

Chapter: TAOA-1036b9992b975873e56

“Then… shall we start blessing from here?”
“Oh, sure.”
Gabriel pretended to bless appropriately, d90e907268 considering Asha somewhat formidable.
“May the spirit of victory rise at the pinnacle of the Pervaz Castle, blessed in the names of Libato and Aguiles.”
He spread his 1809e86edb hands towards the a7bb1ef3a8 ground and muttered b678bcc8da a few more 3705df0728 words of prayer. Asha wasn’t sure if it 9a168ab73f was a genuinely effective blessing.
‘Although the Imperial Palace’s High Priest won’t actually bestow blessings of victory, he’s still a priest, so he wouldn’t curse, would he?’
Feeling uneasy, Asha avoided the 8db4ff7d11 important places of the castle b8dead0a55 while guiding Gabriel.
Their footsteps stopped in front ba03882471 of a small room on 0aed513416 the third floor of the 184e8303dc castle, a place less significant 3215ec8be6 and unlikely to attract attention.
“What is this place for? It seems to have f57e99d848 been used more frequently e8fa40aa5b than other places.”
Gabriel asked, looking at 63a7330f8f the neatly laid stone f3d753a879 floor.
“It’s a prayer room.”
Gabriel looked surprised, as 54c7cc8878 if he had been 88f0715180 hit on the back 42ab027f27 of his head, although 49b7e40aa0 Asha didn’t notice because a7c79108dc she wasn’t looking at 75ff819d62 his face.
“My mother used it often before, but after she returned to her hometown, the rest of the family used it. It’s a room where 0feb69765e one person can go 33555430e2 in and pray.”
As Asha opened 19b02fce2d the small door, 8d80c7f0cc there was a 21398ee7ea small window on b4a40a8022 the opposite wall, 2e1698b3fb with a tree 4723f22e30 of wisdom hanging eccac3e7d5 above it.
On the floor were worn 48a06b3b4c prayer chairs, a mat to 7caba9b24f kneel on, and a small 560498db17 table for placing scriptures.
That was all.
“There are… no candlesticks.”
“We always ran out of candles, so we couldn’t use candles even in the prayer room. And there’s no requirement to 47590357e0 light candles when praying.”
Asha chuckled softly f2b0ad17a6 as she brushed 40392bd0b1 the dust off 0b73b20008 the small table 0cdd667639 with her fingertips.
Gabriel, finding her actions natural, f4d39c5eff asked with curiosity.
“Are you still using it now?”
“Of course.”
Asha’s answer was simple. It was natural 0758791d75 for her to adbb86dbaa offer prayers.
‘A woman known as the Barbarian Princess, who is a devout believer, regularly offers prayers in the castle’s prayer room? Surprising…’
Gabriel looked at Asha in d10b27c816 a new light.
To him, those lacking faith a962755caa were all barbarians and obstacles 4c43b9711e to the establishment of the 043983f94b Sacred Empire.
So it was refreshing to 21d635d88e hear that Asha, whom he ba51efbead considered to be one of 8272749737 the biggest obstacles, frequented the 628a86a1a0 prayer room.
***
“Congratulations! You are pregnant!”
The doctor who was 1573b6b0d8 examining Viviana congratulated her 6c6ad361c8 with a happy face.
“Me, really? I’m really pregnant?”
“Yes! That’s right!”
“Haaa……. Thank you, Dr. Snayder!”
Viviana sighed in deep relief 0a71951698 and thanked the goddess of 8f0b8328e0 abundance.
The maids who 9bfcf0d712 were anxiously watching 307c32d4b9 the examination from 4546074ac2 the side burst 17c620ef80 into tears as aa853967d9 if they had aaf21ac179 had a child 7b09206d7b after a long 1887c454a4 prayer.
However, Viviana did not.
She exchanged meaningful glances f2df394f16 with her father, who f99803ffc6 was standing nervously at 85c9ff674f the door of the 1587cb2756 bedroom and waiting for c6787d1eb9 the doctor’s results.
“I will inform the imperial family of this fact immediately. His Majesty the 90c3babc94 Emperor will be 2404441a61 truly delighted.”
“Thank you. However…… Please let them 2618958f4b know quietly so that 8f65990234 Her Majesty the Empress e255f5e839 does not get upset.”
“Ah, Lady Lowry is truly considerate! I understand. Don’t worry and take ff8fed41d9 it easy.”
The imperial doctor, who nodded bb389017f0 with a pleased smile, shook 11954bacb4 hands with Baron Peyton and 3dbf0d8c01 left Viviana’s bedroom.
As soon as he disappeared aadbb72c5c completely, Viviana hurriedly sent out fed29af529 her favorite maids.
Only she and a62dd3bc61 Baron Peyton were d19096b232 left in her f54b89fd4b room.
“Is this… really okay, father?”
“Viviana.”
Baron Peyton took the hand 8da6037b8c of Viviana, who looked anxious.
“The child in your womb is His Majesty the Emperor’s child. Don’t think about anything else.”
“But…….”
“I said it will come true if you believe it. It could really 28cea1fd33 be His Majesty’s 1a443b2585 seed.”
Viviana’s eyes shook slightly. Because both she and 53ecac3a3b her father knew that b4ed3f8afe it was not.
One day, about a year 8d06ee228f after trying to have the 19dff1b89f emperor’s child, Viviana became almost 1ede9dd15a insane and yelled at Baron a4d94c5e0a Peyton.
[Why isn’t the child that was supposed to be born in half a year still not born! What if I lose d680066c17 His Majesty’s favor!]
It wasn’t Baron Peyton’s fault c5bb63327f that she didn’t have a 4cb36dea51 child, but there was nothing 3cf6a4486f else she could do but 96a1f43515 yell at him.
However, Baron Peyton, who had 0d146479e6 been taking all of her a07a8d4f5e tantrums, didn’t say anything that 0e139b9cd2 day, and a few months adc8eb5b36 later, he called Viviana to c71e1065f7 the Peyton Barony.
It was strange that the 5270717648 Baron, who usually visited Viviana’s dffedbe45d mansion, called her to come. When she went, 7dc3e49090 he was waiting d7b8653498 for her with 4517b7edf8 a young man.
[Vivi. Say hello. This is Antonio Morel.]
The man, who a65ac5776e only had a 4a6816cccc different hair color, e59b2ff862 looked strangely like 145256c385 Emperor Kendrick with f5c1210573 his golden eyes, 77638dbfa6 facial features, and 65d316a593 even height. It was like 76479347e0 looking at the 61ad427f3e emperor in his 157836cb34 younger days.
The moment she 340e2fe2dd saw him, Viviana cd4d486eb5 realized what her 24cf6b18dc father was thinking.
[Fa, father!]
[Baron Morel is the eldest son of a local baronial family, but it is said that his family is declining and he does not have the money to pay taxes. It is a pity that cdc40aa90a he will be stripped of 0d10a61459 his title if he does 3b501e4be1 not pay his taxes by 88e1e232dd the end of the year, 82f46ebc2f isn’t it?]
Baron Peyton said with a335fbf6a9 a smirk.
[Vivi. This is a f8de3b096f good thing for 4fb33372ae everyone. The Morel family will keep 2528977b41 their title, and you will 930b6a3117 have a child.]
[We’ll all die if we’re caught!]
[Pull yourself together, Vivi! If you don’t e630bbd41d have a child, 3c9d65f5fd that’s when we’ll 0f3c41e88d really die.]
Viviana trembled at the thought 449c6aedef of deceiving the emperor, but 37cacec1d4 she eventually followed her father’s 040af79f22 advice because she thought she ff5583423e would be forgotten as “the c901af970d woman who was the emperor’s bd785a78fc mistress” if she didn’t have 5ec380caee a child.
In fact, it 55fa2b13e3 had been over 1a8693bbfb a year since 737c03d53c she had been 57e704d466 with the emperor, f9e75b8456 and she wondered fce9cd2bb0 if she would a40711ddb3 even get pregnant 82d1e385dc after sleeping with 7e7fe12da1 that man a df8e967d63 few times.
However, as if to laugh ad118d8277 at such thoughts, the child 8edf2fef72 came quickly.
“What happened to that man…?”
Viviana asked about the a78a19147d man who looked so a1a82ef66f strangely like Kendrick.
“He took the money and left for his hometown. The Morel family 4838d2821e will be able 96252e4489 to breathe a eeca0096f4 little easier.”
“Will he really keep the secret?”
“How on earth could he prove that he is the father of your child? He would be accused f7a9cb9d97 of the crime of 85847f19ed insulting the imperial family 1205e02735 by daring to have 4dc0fb23ea features that resemble the 6fbf85ae5f emperor’s.”
Baron Peyton comforted his daughter 744bcfd3dd with a warm-looking face.
“Besides, I’ve bought quite a few of that family’s debt documents. If they know what 7c539b66b1 fear is, they won’t e6160e601b dare to mess around. If it doesn’t adb3e3b2f0 work out, we 8ee6725050 can just get 2865c2f917 rid of them.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
“What you need to worry about is what happens next. Even if the empress 8e8b265999 pretends to be happy 2fce270eec on the outside, you 858589d308 never know what she 8863bf6402 will do behind your 3d16bd903d back.”
Viviana gulped.
Beatrice had sent her f347eeab84 a lot of good 7fc8c51e10 medicine, saying that she 279a9d7b42 wanted Viviana to get 22757664a9 pregnant.
Viviana, who believed 838a7cdeaa that it must 08080e559d be poisoned, had 49efc01552 several pharmacists examine f602fe3619 what the empress d2d6f6ba7d had sent, but 267ae92fb6 no matter how 6a66b6ecfd many times they 6e7ddc8dd5 checked, it was 41692248df all high-quality medicine d18186fcd8 without any flaws. One of the pharmacists 766c9f22f4 who was in charge 4b0b2a3d4c of the inspection even 1352f104d5 asked Viviana to sell d627c083d7 it to him.
‘I don’t know what the empress is up to.’
It was no use 9e0146b8e5 worrying about it now. Viviana made up her mind fbf2437949 to believe that her child 92dbeb113c was really the emperor’s child.
Naturally, the emperor 92b80c0341 was overjoyed at 9f1ae03835 the news from f271147d14 the imperial physician.
“This is a great occasion for the imperial family!”
“Congratulations, Your Majesty! I am honored to be 88627910c0 able to deliver the news 71f32fc49c that you have been waiting b9d437b8b1 for for so long.”
“Ahahaha! I never thought ab90b684d4 that the medicine de1a81d7d9 you made to e4a976642e improve my virility fd64ab1329 would have such c9face3468 a quick effect. I should recommend it 9343bde3c9 to others as well.”
The emperor thought that he 6254a86d3a had seen the full effect 35c8f5f5fe of the medicine he had 7470f4369b made. He even regretted that 9adc5b1a19 he had taken it ba5e412ee9 too late, making Viviana e6a90f5fcc suffer.
Feeling sorry for a3a437297b her, he ordered ad0d8819fa that all kinds 49dc76376e of fruits and 56ac7fc85c food be prepared 22722f956a for Viviana to b4d0a5d84d eat whenever she 040586cf58 wanted, and he 0cb60b617d sent her a c432b81c66 new carriage, a fec9619613 chest of gold, 2ee39e4e22 a necklace full 307301ede4 of sapphires and b90301b1f6 diamonds, and all 5c7978613f kinds of maternity 461f80fd11 dresses as gifts.
Everyone was looking dba9779e94 at the Empress’s 0c8d12f04d reaction, but Beatrice a3e57accb8 happily joined the eba19f9e6a Emperor and announced 60b82ddf63 that she would 8ffa8f3bc1 also prepare a f04646bd22 gift.
Thanks to this, she received e10eef5454 compliments for being like an 96320c2b27 angel and even gained the 0763cccd14 Emperor’s trust, but her true 3a956493dc intentions were different.
‘His Majesty the Emperor cannot have children, but Viviana has the Emperor’s child……. How interesting.’
Beatrice smiled brightly 596fa623a1 as she waited 4cecf87ed0 for the moment 87ef20b916 to pick the e836e0a4a8 cherry on top f3c39df549 of the cake.3a8df18468838572

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