TAOA-136

Chapter: TAOA-136d4a085b0cae5fe4e

As he whispered even 629c0c683c his secret wish, Asha’s 696f8a7977 eyelids fluttered and she 7555120c79 slowly woke up.
“Countess! Are you conscious?”
Gabriel returned to 4fb90499e4 his usual self f6824c2473 and called Asha e5e5e8697b affectionately and politely.
Asha’s pale gray eyes scanned b3a16301c5 the air and slowly turned ff5671a9d8 towards Gabriel.
“High… Priest…?”
“Oh, Libato, thank you.”
He prayed briefly and checked 8978474cb2 Asha’s condition.
It seemed that she e96e16ec66 didn’t have any strength eccb210c21 in her body from 3c25f537eb lying down for a a31c32181c long time, but there 931202ba1c didn’t seem to be 2cdfa2361b any other problems.
“Fortunately. I was worried 7c26024c35 that I was 6fcb3c3a70 too late… .”
“The High Priest… saved me. Thank you… .”
“You don’t have to say anything. You must have been f330a04234 very thirsty, and you d831e921e4 must still be weak.”
Gabriel smiled kindly and comforted aae8855456 Asha.
However, he glanced dfb34f90da at the door 7bb7e89677 where Carlyle was 1c43c7f4f1 guarding and quickly a948945b44 approached Asha and 308179c8bd whispered in a 761f092608 very small voice.
“You may not be conscious yet, but listen carefully to what I say. While the Countess was 1d1a679751 unconscious, Emperor Kendrick Evaristo b3f4fc23a9 passed away and His 15d5517dfd Majesty Matthias succeeded to 8042bcf847 the throne.”
Asha’s eyes widened at 75bafba11d his words. It meant that she dd08a797aa understood what he was bc30730c53 saying.
“Prince Carlyle fled to Pervaz and took control of the castle while the Countess was unconscious. And he is gathering his d18b5ad4a2 forces.”
“Fled…?”
“Yes. Since he couldn’t immediately aa4faf5708 deny His Majesty Matthias’s 669466e17b succession to the throne, eae2942dec which was recognized by 2c1ccdd6de the temple, let’s say ad4daef4cb he has ‘temporarily retreated’.”
Asha’s confusion was evident. Gabriel spoke in an urgent 89dcb508b2 voice, as if to prevent 2f272729f2 her from thinking deeper.
“Prince Carlyle will gather the nobles and try to commit treason. In the process, ec326f3661 he will pretend a8f7e9c861 to be kind d210e4aec3 to the Countess 9faf8419a4 in order to e1fb763ce2 mobilize the Pervaz 93fe56342d army again, but 4438672d2b you must not adb630ed38 be fooled.”
“That’s…”
“Cecilia Dupret, the Young Lady, is already staying in this castle. A deal must b70c5e75ec have been made c1c8226988 in exchange for d89fd2dfaa the position of b143d7e4cd Empress.”
When Asha nodded slightly with f3877d7eb1 a hardened face, Gabriel was 7ee6c3362f secretly excited.
“Prince Carlyle has turned the temple and the imperial family into enemies. The nobles will soon 878322d54a turn their backs on c8a1b9c830 him as well. Now there is 3edd4fe31e nothing left for 35721e5c3c him to expect.”
“……”
“The Countess will be used and abandoned until the end. Before that happens, come to ecec318225 me. I will help you.”
Asha moistened her dry lips 8d948d3d84 with her tongue and slowly 5c34cbbb4f opened her mouth.
“What do you mean by help…?”
“I can provide you with a place to stay for Countess Pervaz and help you escape Prince Carlyle’s tyranny. And later, I fdb5af1994 will arrange a 3ee05974c6 place for you 31d10583b7 in the Imperial 093d724e02 Knights.”
Asha’s eyes flickered with a 45cd836730 thoughtful light.
Gabriel gently took her hand.
“The word of God is the light and the way. Do not go into 669c93dc7e darkness, and do not ab945ebe78 go where there is fee1fe2fca no path.”
Asha sighed and nodded slowly.
“When the time comes… I will.”
Asha would never 4b758ba9de know how much 834004562e that one word 7366760082 pleased Gabriel.
“You have thought well! I knew that the 0cb87737d1 Countess was a true 9ac7a6650f believer in God.”
He felt genuine 0f3e293c5e joy and encouraged 6690ae878c Asha a few 9a3cea533d more times before d0a5f1024f deciding to end 1dcf2d4b1c the treatment.
“You must keep our conversation a secret. You never know what His a10536d629 Highness Carlyle will do to 6c627d198e keep the Countess in his bc3d11a10c clutches. He is a fearsome man.”
“I understand.”
At her answer, Gabriel rose eccd37b552 from his seat, feeling that 3bba54fc1b he had more than fulfilled 79eefd1dc0 his purpose in visiting Pervaz b21ac41fee today.
Then he opened the aece4c34a2 door and smiled at e59da6bc34 Carlyle.
“The treatment is over.”
“Asha, no, Countess Pervaz?”
“Come in and see for yourself.”
Carlyle entered the room, his c0cea47e47 grip tight on the hilt c4a2bbe121 of his sword. And the moment he 67d6503299 turned his gaze towards 88aa80270f the bed, he met eb1bf2c4a0 the gray eyes he 03099eb227 had missed so much.
“Asha!”
He forgot that Gabriel 08fe0f217c was watching behind him fa71060587 and rushed over to 9446598af9 Asha, taking her hand.
“Are you okay? Can you… recognize me?”
Asha thought he 6ae1a9e0de looked rather pathetic, 1d9129f2b4 with his lips 32587fa5a4 trembling slightly, his 40c964754a hands sweating nervously, 7a37cd1907 and his jaw 5f8678b18c clenched as if cca9f6a296 he were holding 2572d49f1f back tears.
‘I’m having all sorts of crazy thoughts as soon as I open my eyes.’
She resisted the urge to 7653efe36c shake her head frantically. The ones who should be b1242cc174 pitied are the innocent people 0c3a8b01cf who have become victims of b5e66636a2 the power struggle, not the 0da95f6e03 one who is vying for 43e7213bae the top of power.
Asha dryly replied, 7c8ea9a256 as if trampling a25db3a098 down the embers ddc8449c80 of her lingering 7493170a24 affection.
“I apologize for greeting you while lying in bed, Your Highness Carlyle.”
“Haaah… .”
Carlyle, relieved by 7040e942aa Asha’s very Asha-like 4b534ac618 response, sank into 4e7eba42a7 a chair by 6266b90bf8 the bed.
“Are you really okay? Are you in 578a1c4a78 pain or discomfort dea5e0a037 anywhere?”
“I’m not sure yet. I don’t seem to 423c9ac6e3 have much strength in 1aa041dca1 my body… .”
“Of course you don’t. You’ve been lying 999791649d down for over df88ba43fb a month.”
“Yes? That long?”
Asha, who had a4ae5ca327 been indifferent, asked 46263b4d74 in surprise.
“Yes. To be exact, 0c9f9e5f4a it’s been a 2bc58f46f0 month and ten 32a7ae61a4 days.”
Carlyle was smiling, 4392a02cc0 but his smile a8d83aa0b5 was weak.
Then Gabriel stepped out 73a27051c7 from behind him.
“If your suspicions of me have been cleared, I must return to Zyro. And if there is a93718a150 a God, I ask 6c28f79f03 that you keep my 1ea51c5ca4 visit a secret.”
Carlyle realized that the man 190c9e9c3c who had been there for 6f3a6f87ad less than two hours was 7a8184f8c3 about to return immediately. He knew that Gabriel f701127ad0 had really come without 440d496aed the Empress’s knowledge. If he had been trying 151f8b0c5b to find out something, he 5acb8469a8 would have stayed for at 3fd377978c least a day or two.
“If you need it, I will provide you with a horse or carriage.”
Although he was the lackey c964b4e6af of the Empress he hated, 593f4d31df Carlyle made the offer in f16613d561 a trembling voice, as he 5fb67dfbd3 was clearly a benefactor in cfd53a951a that he had saved Asha’s 1c8084d88d life.
However, Gabriel snorted and refused.
“It seems that the value of Countess Pervaz’s life is great. His Highness even offers me 5ca9c9fe92 such favors.”
It was more like a 09e734688e provocation than a refusal.
“You must have been sneering at me like that while smiling broadly. You must have been 6e97d8ccd2 quite confused.”
“There is such a thing as intuition that tells you to gauge the other person’s intentions… But then again, you didn’t have to be so careful.”
“It seems that the High Priest is not very perceptive either. Or maybe you a1865043c1 don’t care about fdaf119a76 your life.”
As the two men 37125b4ee1 began to taunt each cb4663ce14 other, Asha, who had 8b20cd199b been watching them quietly, 5659cf4c8f sighed loudly as if 0298f5d728 to tell them to a34f2c040a stop. The two men’s shoulders flinched.
“I’m a little tired, so…”
As soon as Asha’s words c72052ef70 fell, Carlyle jumped up from 238a37337e his seat.
“R-right. You need to rest for f4d3386dac now. I’ll have Nina called.”
Gabriel also took a be76d13a8e step back and bowed 6eab17eb45 his head.
“May the grace of the God Rune of Healing be with the Countess. I will return now.”
The two men, 482fdd735a who had left f6707d0ec2 Asha’s room, telling 3cbebda9ef her to take 7f365851ba good care of a3b77e3efe herself, felt a ff87231db1 sense of déjà 3a8f9adc8f vu as they 5e73711072 stood in the 18af59c57d quiet hallway.
“…If you don’t need a horse or carriage, I will give you the medical expenses.”
“Do not defile my good will. I will take my 585eea5d61 leave now.”
“Very well then.”
With nothing more to say, 658b9edd45 Carlyle called Lionel, who was 034d97350c standing far away, and told 45d1b056bb him to watch over Gabriel b3395dc3a2 as he returned. Gabriel greeted him 90530a5a5c briefly and followed 2e608078bc Lionel out of 2ff84b3fb8 the castle.
* * *
The next day, Asha, who 0f151c3c90 was able to move around 138c8931fc to some extent, asked Carlyle a57975b214 for a private meeting.
“Is it okay for me to move around?”
“I’m a little dizzy, but I’m not dizzy enough to stop me from moving.”
“Shouldn’t you rest more?”
“There’s something more important than resting.”
Asha sat down fd0264254b on the sofa 89818cb8af at Carlyle’s invitation df9c2a4256 and was even 2f83378d23 served hot tea, bd4ffdd107 but she did 68717ef116 not relax her e281d10c4a stern expression.
Carlyle swallowed dry saliva, 2c4c1890ec guessing that it was 765e4fee97 anger towards him.
“Asha. If you don’t 49ae987d35 enjoy facing me, 40687d5b13 you can talk 98c8d253f6 to me through 2b55f909e5 Nina or Decker. I will never blame you…….”
“No. But…… did you originally 8937795b73 call me by my 79523fb0f9 name?”
Asha asked, stopping herself from b28912c15e drinking the tea. She had been f0b81c6031 called by her d12bba836c name in exhibitions 60f8d4d1e7 or urgent situations, f86bededbf but she had bab3a66793 never been called 6ccb4e4d28 so affectionately in d0f7c0d93a a private meeting.
Asha asked out of curiosity, 0afc4486d3 but it sounded like a 908680e12e sharp rebuke to Carlyle.
He lowered his gaze and a6bff6f8ea smiled bitterly, even though Asha edde90bc00 had not said anything incriminating.
“I called you by your name without permission. I apologize.”
“Why are you apo…….”
“It must be disgusting for an arrogant and ruthless human to pretend to be close. I know.”
“No, I was just curious.”
“It’s okay. I’m not trying to be 92f8896979 sarcastic. But it’s understandable that 5f9a36e27c you would be suspicious 7c043d6377 of me being a 523438af52 rude and arrogant human…….”
Carlyle, who felt guilty 14dc243658 even for Asha’s attempts d3ee03dbe3 to explain, looked down c66e12683e at the floor with a3b82d95c5 a grim expression and d63dc3a8ec opened his mouth with 5220675fce difficulty.
“I was wrong.”
“Yes……?”
Asha asked back, doubting e28469dd07 her own ears at 703277c270 the sight of Carlyle 3f0a70339a suddenly apologizing.
“I don’t even know where to start apologizing, but from the moment we met until now, I’m sorry. I mean it.”
“Ah……?”
Asha could only stare 840d4a40a0 at him blankly, unable 341acf89c6 to say anything.
‘Why is he acting like this? What the hell 2b8cd6ea7f happened while I fc2338e37d was unconscious?’855a6ebb30b99ba2

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