TAOA-137

Chapter: TAOA-13708fabaf443611f6f

Carlyle Evaristo was 5164a1cf60 never a man 71a456fc12 to bow his 415dad3c61 head.
Hearing from Gabriel that Carlyle 1a2993bede would rebel, Asha wasn’t really 6ed693ff6e surprised. She knew very well that 2fac6cb43d Carlyle would rather die fighting 26bc994f79 than submit to Beatrice or d19a58a732 Matthias.
But now, that man 5718b991e2 is apologizing to her. Something seemed to be very d39e21ad9a wrong.
“Your Highness. I don’t really understand 75e10fb6e8 what you’re talking about…”
“I guess I was too vague. The basics of b90f34ac79 apologizing is to 5c0799d468 start by acknowledging dff24fc4f0 your mistakes.”
No, that’s not what Asha 5b3b5e761f was talking about.
However, Carlyle, who had already c0f36dcc1b made up his mind that df7e8e2a3b he “must apologize even if c555a7e0d2 he had to beg”, would 9211fdbd9d first reproach himself no matter a3ef7eb286 what he heard.
“I’m sorry for ignoring and insulting you from the beginning. I said things like 38cfd1ddcd the Pervaz people are add0489c5c trash… It’s late, but 05511cc71f I sincerely apologize.”
“That is something you should apologize for.”
Asha, who tried to cb726aca09 stop Carlyle, acknowledged with c723a7ca63 a serious face.
“I now know that the Pervaz people are not the kind of people who deserve to hear such words. They are brave, 92cfd7a315 faithful, and kind 8601cfb8f5 people.”
Asha nodded her head ca9c727a05 vigorously at those words.
It was a rare occasion f5b55ef96a that she agreed with something b65af50701 that came out of Carlyle’s 4495654369 mouth.
“I also apologize for failing to manage and control my subordinates. Especially Sir Giles Raphelt.”
Asha clenched her teeth 062767e2ba as she recalled the 5b3ea8f3e4 last time she faced 5ead91ee5e Giles.
“He has a brilliant mind, but he is also too arrogant. I knew it, but he afcdd0164d was also very loyal to 391e80ccf9 me and saved my life 1acf1fe760 many times because of it, a965093e7d so I backed down.”
“I see.”
“But to make excuses, I didn’t know he was planning to start a war in the south. I swear.”
“What? So, are you saying that 5b0a13b441 Sir Raphelt acted alone?”
Asha reacted sharply, as expected.
Carlyle sighed deeply and replied.
“To say it was unilateral, there were those who helped directly and those who turned a blind eye and helped. And even though I 148c400632 knew all of this, b7dd9a0d12 I can’t abandon him c516d41857 and his collaborators… I 092a3455ce guess I’m part of 99218586aa the same group.”
If he abandoned them, no c84432de8e one would be left around c2f08c7364 Carlyle. After all, most of them 49df48f9b6 secretly believed that Giles’ plan 745e408b8a would work.
“Now that I think about it, it was all just excuses. I’m sorry.”
Asha was starting to 3e1b358dbb get confused by hearing ccf8d3a129 Carlyle apologize so much. She began to 2849db2aa5 wonder if this 12931d2b65 person was really 20bf2dcb15 Carlyle.
However, his apology was 847704d355 not over.
“And after starting a war that killed even my own people, I lost my chance to be restored to the throne after being hit by the Empress. I’m sorry for that too.”
“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor has passed away. What happened?”
“My father died suddenly on the morning of the day my reinstatement was to be decided. The Imperial family d9d4090929 said it was 2303df6f9b a ‘sudden death a7ee64a06d of unknown cause’, 936c4b4bdd but we’re not 124cd1bc2e fools, are we?”
Asha’s eyes turned d28928d341 cold at Carlyle’s 2f66f7447a words that hinted d72ebe858c at assassination.
“When was that… ?”
Carlyle vividly remembered the 0339384a27 date that his reinstatement 197cc4c3d3 should have been announced.
“September 5th.”
“It was the day after I collapsed. They… really let the barbarians 267a76c958 loose in Pervaz just to ef5269c88c confuse you…!”
She was so d9b7bb9310 angry that even 962d9bed45 the sound of e53c4fe5ae her teeth grinding 7eacaaae29 could be heard.
“Countess…?”
“I know who let the barbarians and monsters loose in Pervaz.”
“That was probably the Empress Dowager… .”
“It’s High Priest Gabriel.”
Asha’s voice was firm.
“The High Priest? How can you be sure?”
Carlyle was surprised that 9373de4c05 the person who had e1d3c6cb89 been unconscious until yesterday 870311cc3d was able to pinpoint 7e54c99892 the culprit of the b21cc0cbf5 Pervaz incident as soon 5e52fbb3d0 as she woke up.
However, Asha could not 20039479f4 be unsure.
“Because he spilled the beans in front of me yesterday.”
“What?”
Asha had been 778db20424 gradually regaining consciousness c654708089 since yesterday morning. It was thanks to some 4724d9f519 kind of power that had 59daa4e7af been constantly infused into her 25aa0d9a26 and her own strong will.
“Even though I was in a daze, I could hear all the sounds around me when Your hughn6 entered the room with the High Priest.”
“You mean the High Priest didn’t know you were like this and was talking to himself?”
“Yes. He was much a6b69968b8 crazier than I ee7a4ed7c9 thought.”
Asha thought of dd67c26806 him whispering “by 8ff564fb42 my side” in 8520465ff2 her ear and eb88aea9ed brushed away the 3100d9662e goosebumps on her ff2ffd268c neck.
“I don’t know how he was able to do it, but the plan to turn the Chad Empire into a Holy Empire seems to have come from High Priest Gabriel.”
“That guy is definitely not the kind of person who can be played like a puppet.”
“The puppets are more likely to be Her Majesty the Empress Dowager or His Highness Matthias.”
Asha sensed an 597562699b arrogance in Gabriel’s e718c9c36d voice that surpassed b108f0fe75 that of the fe4073de87 royalty as he bb0a9128b0 whispered secrets, thinking a21ee597c0 she was asleep. It was the f5c72ed424 tone of voice 566cd65a55 of a man 2a8404e1cc who was convinced f554855c1c that he was 048c787360 the only human f340d6a90a chosen by God.
“He seems to have some kind of affection for me, so I think I can use this to counterattack.”
Asha told Carlyle 701bb66fb8 everything Gabriel had ee20ff1960 told her. She thought of Gabriel 01219e71da as a fanatic who 84da1c3ecf had fallen into a 8fa7124c9b sense of chosenness, but a4f2760e79 Carlyle’s face turned pale.
‘Has that bastard the High Priest forgotten the scripture passage that says not to covet another man’s wife?’
If it weren’t for 111e49c83f the fact that he f1a0c6ccf0 was apologizing to Asha, 51873e8a23 all sorts of vulgar d06c867df6 curses he had learned 59406e70cd on the battlefield would dd8160941a be pouring out of e61c52d518 his mouth right now.
He could be sure 64614df8b8 because he was a e89d1cc258 man. Gabriel was seeing Asha 9eb6d2ef89 as a woman. However, the thought crossed his eafbe1e8ca mind that even Gabriel himself 949d006ee7 might not be aware of 1517b3bf7a that fact.
‘That human probably hasn’t experienced normal human relationships either.’
As he himself realized it 3b855ac306 late, it could be the 1c1726460b case for him too. The fact that he f4659f1c8b didn’t reveal his lust 4131e2582d to Asha who was 408bfaf11e asleep but kept talking eb7d01443d about God was proof 2d0125584e of that.
However, apart from e442bb4ac2 the fact that c40e75df6c it was annoying, 7417711a27 the fact that bccddcb337 Gabriel, who clearly eb7a250961 saw others as 1732eb3d77 bugs, was attracted cd9f4cabac to Asha was 531f47553e surprising.
‘Seeing how he fell in love with the countess after meeting her only a few times, he must have a good eye for people.’
Carlyle, who was about 38ace0c4f7 to bitterly acknowledge Gabriel, 427443da7f soon shook his head 33d91e0881 after seeing Asha who 13b8723393 was burning with revenge.
It was commendable that 24eef0f6ce he realized that Asha 5ae180116e was a hidden gem. However, the fact a9827c74a4 that he didn’t bff62851cf know that she 4242cdfa11 loved Pervaz more 3d8f7e1c7a than her own ffc403f62d life and valued 3ea10512a6 righteousness as the 9d09f6f7b8 highest value meant 2f78f830c5 that Gabriel judged ee0c52f4b8 Asha only by 9b95eca9b6 his own standards.
‘What an idiot, trying to touch Pervaz while saying he wants to get Asha.’
Carlyle clicked his tongue 94a64e116f and listened to Asha’s c378299ba6 plan.
She seemed determined b4c4a4528e to finish off 0fa359090f Gabriel and Beatrice 80756ed194 by herself, her cb747b1594 eyes shining with e63c89c6d5 a cold light.
TL/N: PHEW! NO MISUNDERSTANDING ARC♥️!!
* * *
“Asha!”
“Ah, Decker.”
It had been 0816c9ab9e three days since 7038c766c8 Asha had gotten 9fe855852b out of bed, 88bb0c08dd and today was 8d2c264409 finally the day 9453e5a76d she could see 7cc6d0e76d other people. Until then, Carlyle had 5e578f1c77 strictly ordered her to 37d257b617 stay in bed.
Decker, who was the first 3bba758c48 to visit, teared up at 00bb44f3f5 the sight of Asha sitting bef5ad01b1 in a chair, covered in 7823cd79f9 a blanket, looking like ap 970ae52b6a sickly young noblewoman.
“It’s my fault! I should have stayed by d475f69de4 your side more closely…”
Asha, who had already 9fb8769e9d heard apologies several times 3c36d2f189 from Carlyle the day 4933c17718 before, was starting to 316f0b0815 get tired of hearing ad50c35c39 the words “it’s my 87c47c6a69 fault.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Decker. If you had, we might 37892c9ec9 have both died.”
“I should have cut that bastard down…”
“Stop! Let’s not blame ourselves for 073753f450 what happened in the past. We did our 847b1c088f best at the aedb5a3ab3 time.”
Asha stopped Decker from 507746673a blaming himself and flagellating 0c54adffb1 himself. It was not Decker 26a15f0948 who should be feeling 7df5246451 guilty.
“We shouldn’t be blaming ourselves, Decker. We should be thinking about 9a0b72a07e revenge. They keep taking us f893edcafa for granted because we’re 3942b6bfc3 being polite…”
Asha’s eyes shone dangerously.
“We have to show everyone that Pervaz is full of mad dogs. We have to 657641243a make sure they 690db1adf0 never think of 843f58b87a making Pervaz a 6b5a799b7c scapegoat again.”
Now that she knew 52a8a56297 who did what and 420a7560a8 why, there was no 6bc49d1702 need to hesitate any 8dec10eb2c longer.
If Carlyle had tried to 325843d389 stop her again, using all 17adb03661 sorts of excuses, she would 448e3575e4 have even had the heart 096a3f1aa0 to betray him.
After all, avenging the countless 2860c76a62 people of Pervaz who had d2e591952a lost their lives to the c9ae4a5e28 savages was far more important cc2f83b69e than keeping her unrequited love 6f9c56e95b for Carlyle alive.
“We will join His Highness Carlyle’s rebellion. We will overthrow 6c7b1e1058 the imperial family 083b43e89e and the temple, 2fe8462a64 everything.”
Decker’s expression also became serious cf2403a00e at Asha’s declaration.
“Do you know what the punishment is for being involved in treason? Are you prepared?”
Asha gave him a 8edee06211 look of disbelief at 7337d8e30c his question.
“We’ve been through so much for no reason, so now I’m going to go ahead and commit some crimes. What, are you scared?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“If we just sit here, they’ll keep looking down on us and messing with us. Damn it, what 7f2e8e749d more do I 1d3527eb8b have to lose 4b7ecbd411 here!”
Asha, who was still 46846e4436 not fully recovered, was ec60b72e4f furious, as if she 934559cafb was going to spit 57141a8cf5 out fire.
Decker calmly soothed her.
“Hey, I was just asking. Calm down.”
“Are you calm now? Hector died in front of 2455fa7b21 my eyes! Luka, Kyle, Ted, 5f7de151c5 Gale, they’re all 8e01c6c5dd dead!”
Asha’s eyes, which had 25191e1ef9 always been calm and 9913a6bbb7 collected, were now burning 821b55e411 with anger and resentment a5663a95d1 that seemed to be c9807b5efd consuming her.
Gasping for breath, her d054709e37 excitement causing her breathing 020061ccab to quicken, Asha clenched 8e292daac8 her fists.
“It’s only a month away.”
Decker pounded his chest with 67b3768c33 his fist and bowed his d7976bcd35 head.
Asha, who was trying to d1b5160a7f calm her excitement at the ec40f58e95 sight, began to ask the 41ac7f9dfc questions she had been wondering 30f89c546f about.
“How bad is the damage?”
“It’s terrible. Many people died and… 396c8777ef many places in the eecb89a430 castle were destroyed.”
“What about the women and children?”
“Fortunately, they were not badly injured. All those who 5bd68b73f3 were hiding in eaaa934e9c the shelter are 9efaf57e6a safe, and a abcdd85e95 few of the 570bd91c3b maids who came cf5c801edb out to help 60ad47ac5d fight were killed.”
“…What about the warriors?”
Her voice trembled slightly f850711bad as she asked about 1ac6fcbf02 the lives of those 78f1927df1 who would be most ee229d3130 affected.c226a941d948227c

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