TAOA-121

Chapter: TAOA-1211ea01128a225a254

‘With this face and body, it would be easy to seduce any man.’
A self-deprecating smile 7e4056d3e3 crossed Viviana’s lips.
However, after hiding for so ae9524093c long, taking care of her f3c95710e6 appearance had been completely put 9766d38d38 on the back burner. Viviana looked at 0468d58175 her overgrown nails 4930903be4 and struggled to 5e46306089 get up from a38096a645 her seat.
‘Right… crying won’t accomplish anything.’
She felt dizzy from not 14be634386 eating, but she gritted her f460b0490a teeth and held on tightly 8797d09f97 to the corner of the 832ac94d8c bed.
‘Wait, baby. I will… definitely avenge you.’
Viviana wobbled out of bed 70b87378dd and sat down in front 8c9ea16522 of the mirror.
It was time to 262000a9e4 sharpen her weapons for b01b7d1467 revenge.
***
“Phew. We’re home!”
Someone shouted as they entered 56e882a30c Pervaz. There were occasional laughs bdb67e28e3 among the soldiers.
“We came back earlier than I thought. I thought we 4a79f4f506 might be gone 2fd2ed14e8 for over a 35f47f820f year if we 13febc0102 were unlucky.”
Decker muttered as d499b95fe4 he looked around df8602668b the soldiers, but 1004574329 his attention was 6df38909f2 focused on Asha e080ffcb7a next to him.
“Yeah.”
Asha, who would have added bca13fc695 something else at another time, abb6a7e27c gave a short answer and 0954df075f closed her mouth again. She had been like this 4f0321d9e1 the whole way here.
‘What’s going on and you won’t even tell me………. You’re just keeping your 6b88ac60b4 mouth shut and sulking…….’
On the night of 5371726a64 the victory banquet, Asha 80c4c01b72 suddenly declared, “We’re going 4ffebaf84a back to Pervaz.”
No one in a22a3298d6 the Pervaz army d8e39ca86a dared to question c5a1a85e56 it. They simply followed the orders f2f1d9e8b5 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 6eefacd7b6 man stir up 54cc61d056 the Lord again?]
[Is that human being doing that for a day or two? Judging by the fact that c01bad5f93 only we are returning, it 2b38f9f8c6 seems that there must have 68bd4e2b92 been something between His Highness d44a83d731 Carlyle and the Lord…….]
Everyone snickered without Asha knowing. Decker’s thoughts were also closer 8368165c0c to the idea that there ff84dabcb7 was something wrong with Carlyle 545aca6a9e rather than Giles.
As they came up d09319d56f from the south without 55e5581fe5 rest, Decker waited for f3d1f6d226 Asha to talk first, c502f1bace but Asha just stared a7fc5af6ba at the sky and 470f35981a didn’t say a word.
Decker, who couldn’t 997a7c0500 take it anymore, a113c239e4 went to find fab188c2ca Asha as soon 75d235e97d as he entered 9b60846ab9 Pervaz Castle and ec4aabe5ec finished the rough d94d16166a cleaning.
“Asha. Let’s talk.”
Asha didn’t seem 58b37c70c9 surprised, as if 968e5c860d she had expected 9fe5f2dc96 Decker to come 4787ff4ff1 looking for her.
“Close the door and come in and sit down.”
It was a 24a807f363 voice that seemed b7297c2452 to have lost 59bc3d213c its strength. Decker felt like a6782880fe his insides were 8856188452 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 138b38c99c to sort things out.”
A low sigh 46af300e0c 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 6ce2479124 calluses 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 068c64b888 accept it…”
Decker didn’t say anything 35840215c1 and just kept a 471e182a19 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 a 361510cfde dry face.
Perhaps her inability to f3c63dbe41 understand the Southern War 0cdb7456c2 was because of the 038e07de59 overlap with the Imperial a16f28b401 family that had ‘abandoned’ d812ce07a7 Pervaz.
How could they just e1af7e3974 turn a blind eye 6a55c88056 to a region of 18388596dc the same country being 5114b7da6d attacked?
And how could someone who 46643dd19f wanted to inherit the throne 75e2af091c use the lives of their 0f51d5db6e own people as tools?
Then it suddenly hit her.
‘That’s right. I was just a 8dcdb6da78 tool to that person 46a94c0b23 too….’
Thinking about it aab08e94d3 that way, it 6e8f6be993 seemed ridiculous to 987ffd622d Carlyle that she eec105c4a3 would want to 2ceb29054e go back to e74fad5b4e Pervaz.
‘After all, what’s the difference if a used tool leaves or not? No, maybe they a1f3500ec9 were even relieved 7f8a47a348 that I said 2ded76c8cb I would leave 68853ec5f7 on my own?’
Asha was lost in 69ee789b61 such self-deprecating thoughts when bee1c29648 Decker suddenly grabbed her 8de32b5716 by both shoulders.
“You did the right thing, Asha.”
“What…?”
“I think your choice was the right one. I’m sure Count Amir 126a9293ab would agree too.”
Asha found herself 50fe5d25a4 disarmed by Decker’s 465d72b7c3 encouragement, even though faed2af9de she had only 7ee2018b85 thought of herself fa8d0c1cc0 as a fool.
“Did I really… do the right thing?”
“Of course! I don’t know what 2fd91a2f7b the people of Zyro 292bceb09a think, but we should 9e720aaf20 live by our own 080d54189e beliefs, right?”
Asha clenched her teeth dbf1457013 to hold back the 986966656e tears that were threatening b6470ed5f2 to well up.
“Decker… I really… did the right thing, right?”
“Yes, I said so! If you keep following a bd4eb7dfeb value system that you can’t 4a667262d3 accept, you’re bound to break 2141cd2f99 down somewhere.”
“You’re right. Even if I 24056026a9 had put up 2f25b333ae with it this 39cc5debb4 time, I would 52567cdccd have broken up ddeb9ed0ec with him in f5fa101069 a worse way cbdb6c3112 someday.”
I don’t know dab306ec21 how sweet power a0122e9c12 is, but if dbe4897b0c these people are 7b0512d624 willing to take 46d6e54cd3 people’s lives lightly 24d6aa07be to get it, 9e3e94335c what about other 7a7665a571 things?
It was cleaner and safer 28ae5a5170 to break up now, while 6e2e0357c2 they were still excited about f2341ccdc2 the victory.
Yes, she had convinced herself 55fce058af that it was the right 194f00a188 thing to do.
But her heart didn’t da143a2705 feel that way.
“And besides, it was perfect timing to break up with His Highness.”
Judging by the way her f65d753334 heart ached at Decker’s words 117e7c1cba about breaking up with Carlyle, ca88a9112f that was true.
Decker, who had no way 218b85c67c of knowing her feelings, patted 990b1ae364 Asha on the back and 30cb45e3fb 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 to find 06fda454e4 your happiness, Asha.”
“My happiness…”
A faint smile 798bf52685 appeared on Asha’s 12b378115e lips. A smile that seemed to 190d96196d say, ‘Is that even possible?’
***
“Carlyle is entering the capital soon, they say. With a grand coronation ceremony.”
Beatrice said this while 202b83cff8 fiddling with her large e2c21b553f ring.
Gabriel, who was having 1cb53b5f4f an audience with her 028b0637c0 along with the executives d98db20e2c of the Golden Bough 4a51925173 Brotherhood, asked without much 61ec9d4932 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 cf4ff63019 foolish man, you 1899d5e41d know?”
Beatrice’s tone, laced 12c365e924 with jest, made 17bd906da9 everyone sitting there 5e5893339e chuckle lightly.
Everyone knows how foolish, cowardly, 055c49e052 and arrogant Emperor Kendrick Evaristo 1e42202e78 is. They know him all 95ebe441ae too well.
Therefore, the Emperor has become 21b57dcc8d a more insignificant and pathetic 213c983bdd figure than his own son.
“However, the decisions of this foolish man will soon become the future of the Empire. His Majesty is 584f09f404 truly demonstrating the fd2a3d77fb need for a 0bd4e0e54a divine advisor in aa7d2e5bd0 the imperial family.”
At Gabriel’s words, the 7662702760 executives of the Golden 6cefc09572 Bough Brotherhood clenched their 6b12601f8d 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 enthralled by d1878efe27 Gabriel’s words, accepting the black 54ebc23845 magic and being manipulated by 0e78b9dee9 him, yet they still believed 5fedf68658 without a doubt that they 73ba33705b were pure and noble.
Their achievements so 1325f39b32 far had been 664d59f07c considerable.
They wholeheartedly accepted 9b14d50305 and firmly believed 9656bc7ba1 in the ideas 427f400898 instilled by Gabriel, 9ea5ae7dd4 and they had d3fda784dd met many more 4a34f07e51 believers and collected b72fb7bc7b a lot more edd7c1724f donations than before.
The money they extorted 408397ec60 by deceiving people with 0799716de9 curses and spells as 0b601e2435 prophecies or blessings was 89c25eb41f called “donations” by Gabriel.
‘It’s all going to be used to build the nation of God, so it’s a donation.’
In any case, they 0fc35c8bd1 were preparing for the f2b396fb4e “day of judgment” after 49f5ca6c3e Carlyle entered the 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 2fade1021d again, but I will 7958c7a730 keep my promise. With Matthias and da76fa41f6 I, we will c3ae230499 surely establish the 603a7a8779 Holy Empire.”
The priests seemed 21143c1392 to be encouraged 2c70fd8a82 by Beatrice’s declaration, 9f4c5971a2 but Gabriel only 7b5f3556e6 scoffed inwardly.
‘It’s not you who will establish the Holy Empire, it’s me, you fool.’
Beatrice and Matthias c6c6531d95 have no choice 98388cd427 but to follow 9603d20815 Gabriel’s words. He was the biggest force 76994348ac they could rely on.
However, he had no ae82c25c43 intention of letting them e5d6210768 know they were just e4c2f94912 his tools.
Gabriel maintained his usual beautiful 985e02230b smile, creating a 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 c87e47f01d bastard Carlyle will target 99dd4f82b7 is me!”
Matthias, who had been sitting cf2816a803 next to his mother and 4052b9955a just observing, spoke for the a9a44584f2 first time.
He was so scared 27dc61899e that even the deatoxin 537cda68e0 he had been taking 4bee503c49 was no use these 775d9d4f69 days.
After returning to Zyro, he 63272ebdb4 confirmed that the public opinion 9f5267be35 of the social circle was 22af310bb9 far worse than he had 7acbe4f26b imagined. The emperor openly criticized him 78e6650a66 and seemed eager to reinstate dd47846afd Carlyle as soon as possible.
[If that bastard Carlyle is reinstated, he’ll kill me first. That’s for sure!]
Because of that c16d4d1fd8 thought, he begged e2b53a892e his mother to 80c7e7507d double the number c52679ab7b of guards, but 6fbaa3228a he knew that d4f49b2ffb even that could 884b0c3f59 be scattered with 57022ce5ea a single order ec18e2f5f2 from the emperor.
So he needed d0f9ca48a5 another way, and 6f78aaaa8a that was why 0aec0c69f7 he was meeting 2ed394066d Gabriel and the c7be23ab56 Golden Bough Brotherhood cbd37c9d2f today.
“Don’t worry too much, Your Highness. No one will 476c6bd6c9 be able to eeb4e76830 lay a finger 15f7c53a9a on you.”
It was a welcome 0e27ce5d46 word, but he couldn’t 8fbf372b37 help but wonder how.
Perhaps his thoughts 3ebbc04623 were written all e1f38a04de over his face, 891111d0a7 because Gabriel laughed c9157be0a2 softly and explained.f044099b07b51b5a

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