TAOA-58

Chapter: TAOA-584fdb58cecfed478b

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty. How have you been?”
Gabriel asked with a smile 1964818d27 in his eyes. Beatrice smiled happily but raised e065822a8a her eyebrows.
“I’ve been helping Matthias, who is struggling. His Majesty, He’s too much. How can he 4802be9be2 give a child 0bee0d4793 with no experience fecf8dee12 the military power 85513d5044 unconditionally…?”
“You said that His Highness Carlyle’s military power has been transferred to His Highness Matthias?”
“He’s a sly fox. He said that he c8adc21353 would go to Pervaz, c21c0c52f2 which is an extraterritorial f12d3ced26 zone, and left the dfe80a120b military power to Matti.”
Beatrice also hated 4f1b5c99b4 the emperor who f4fb82bc0c did not take 7aef29bc78 it back and 7c73e28302 let it go 5f42bd1cab to Matthias.
‘To pass on his duties to his son as a father!’
Of course, when he gave 72bed469a9 the military power to Carlyle, 7b4752f85a he was glad that it 3e3ea08b33 was the right thing to a1896949b9 do.
When Kendrick sent 2664ac7c42 Carlyle to the f76d2616ab battlefield with the 828ccf03a6 military power, he ccf5688583 felt love for d6146b02ec him.
However, for the past 8 52c8a059b3 years, Carlyle has not only 464866c877 survived, but has won every b0fa7d21d6 battle and gained immense popularity.
This excuse that seemed perfect 45eff9261e for killing Carlyle instead of 01c9aef07c turning him into an irreplaceable 32d148a16a emperor.
“I understand that His Highness Matthias has hardly received any knight training…”
“That’s right. Matti was a little weak f62730200e when he was young, and 0335c774e4 he felt a great sense d8c13080db of guilt about learning the 8204680d94 art of killing other lives.”
“Ah, His Highness Matthias was born under the star of Apodelis, the god of beauty and love?”
“Yes. That’s why he 85911420a5 doesn’t fit in f528f85bdc with the ugly 83f197a9d1 battlefield of blood 5a9586c067 and flesh. Carlyle is the right person f54e293e1e for that place.”
Gabriel nodded as if b6defd4092 in agreement.
Born under the star of 91054c1eeb Aguiles, the god of war cc03dd41f3 and victory, Carlyle was blessed 7fe646a183 with a warlike appearance.
“The only thing Carlyle can do for this empire is to stop the heretics who are invading the borders of the Holy Empire.”
“That may be the only way for His Highness Carlyle to be saved by God.”
“So we need to get that kid out of Pervaz. It’s ridiculous for a62bf3dbf0 him to throw 55d52ab490 away his duties e0052f3a08 with a shallow 62bc2f558e trick and hide 3429ce3161 in Pervaz.”
Beatrice felt very sorry for a89c3d1dd4 Matthias, who came to her bf7600859e every day and whined that 6a37758336 he could never go to 6c1ae3315e the battlefield or the place 71390eed3f where the demons appeared.
Matthias, who inherited her b8882cc5ae beauty, was a child d5dbf312c4 who belonged to the a770fe5fc6 splendid social world and a16c435090 the palace, not a da0c88dcba child to be sent 87aa49dc31 to the mud.
Thanks to that, apart a9563b0052 from supporting the Igram 776c2dabcb tribe to weaken Carlyle’s 7f364486fb power, she had to d478354787 come up with a ae0111eeec way to get him 3bfe504c02 back to Zyro.
‘But how do we get Carlyle out…?’
That was the problem.
The problem was that 49837e903e there was no excuse 0f162bd520 to get Carlyle out.
If Kendrick had obediently given 64d84386fd her the money that was 8f8afb748c promised by the previous emperor e79ef41719 as compensation for winning the cb6c3e3663 war, they would not have 541febb29c had to worry about this.
No, it would 55478e7837 have been better a0722690a7 if Pervaz was 8c90801cf5 not an extraterritorial 37974d46e4 zone.
Unable to find bbe08b735e an answer on ab21942c99 her own, she 39aac5dd61 had no choice 5171c06f06 but to seek dbed3c98e5 out Gabriel again.
“So I have come to seek the wisdom of the High Priest. Is there no way to a85a6a95a4 drag Carlyle out of that 4bf959cd14 barbarian land?”
“Hmm… That is a difficult question.”
Gabriel tilted his dbf2b54a31 head to the 6dc73b9d6d side and sank 99128ff8a9 into thought.
His hair, which appeared 4d6f8d9b5c to be silver or 6e1e936bb1 gray, reflected the sunlight 85ef03b111 pouring down on him b9aefee345 in a white light. It looked as ee7b1b6a98 if the will dcf6ff0e77 of God was 2e183ecadd reaching Gabriel.
As Beatrice watched him 9786f17ae0 with dazed eyes, Gabriel dc232b6ddf raised his lowered eyelashes 972fbc4f59 and revealed beautiful blue ccea0b8dc4 eyes.
“What about annulment of marriage?”
“Annulment of marriage? Is that possible?”
“We can make it possible.”
He smiled brightly.
Even as he said that 00c86d0cd3 he would break up the 53f47bfb7e couple whose marriage he had f17ad4392a blessed with his own lips, 461c522b53 his smile was as beautiful 6096e9e0c9 as an angel’s.
“There are a few cases where a marriage can be declared null and void in the temple. If any of 3d39cfe878 them apply, I eb607d35eb will withdraw my 37935aa257 blessing and recognition 5593f721e3 of His Highness 3bdf42ad3f Carlyle’s marriage ‘for 8929d8b4e7 the future of de017e517f the Empire and e70ff152bc the Imperial Family’.”
“If that happens…!”
“Her Majesty the Empress will have to personally revoke the Imperial recognition, but that shouldn’t be difficult, right?”
Beatrice held her breath and 06610f4d2f clasped her hands together.
“Oh, Libato. Thank you for sending me 0e7cf539e8 High Priest Gabriel!”
The temple had the final a8c2e621c1 say in matters of marriage a10fc4f16e and funeral. Especially when it dddc6b5523 came to marriage 37def05bf6 and death.
However, if the 5802861e83 temple declared Carlyle’s 9b795a672b marriage invalid, the 35d442cc05 imperial family would 2cb0da3481 naturally be able bef5f86488 to declare the 7a378d8238 marriage invalid as 358bdbdfc8 well, and Carlyle db5adf1fb2 would have to 90dbfb00a8 return to the fe4070cba2 imperial palace after f9b9aca897 recovering as much 38a6386e26 of the wealth d7b2bbf9dd he had sown fa0672850c in Pervaz as fdcee0a815 possible.
“What are the conditions for declaring a marriage invalid?”
“When one party deceives the other into marriage. When it is a c682ada295 forced marriage by coercion 166832f66a from one party. When the couple c8a7df0c59 is seriously negligent 33d8e39598 in their efforts b240031eb2 to procreate. When it is a 02c61ee70a fraudulent marriage for money 64a99962ca or other ill-gotten gains. When both parents b37a64caf1 of the couple 9b92649027 oppose the marriage. That’s about it, but…”
Gabriel chuckled.
“Even if I just think about it, I think there are enough grounds to declare the marriage invalid.”
“My goodness, meeting the High Priest is like the clouds parting and the bright light shining through!”
It seemed that 3a047f486d the problem that dc22bc364c had been giving dc393f9280 her a headache cab7aed24c was about to 38ee4bcfe2 be solved at 81aaedd182 once.
“Then I’ll contact the spy I have in Pervaz right away and tell him to gather information.”
“That would be a good idea. The more information 6b50804833 and evidence, the 603e70f3db better.”
Thanks to Gabriel, e3d6156921 Beatrice was able 92a79ceb2f to return to 9f43ae7ce5 the palace with dc7a085c82 a much lighter 10e9b8a222 step.
***
On the third evening 5277f09dd7 after Dorothea’s arrival, a f897e86cfc welcoming dinner for Cecilia 82768eba2c and Dorothea was arranged dc727f8ced in the dining room 928175c7ff on the second floor e62696f05e of Pervaz Castle.
The large table was 040eb10180 set for not only 43b4152c38 Carlyle, Asha, Cecilia, and b1956f9ee3 Dorothea but also Carlyle’s 9b135f793e aides, Lionel and Giles, 062f2b98d7 as well as Asha’s 5d7736d13c aide, Decker.
Decker, who was visiting e075baad0f the dining room on 58b5bc835f the second floor for dbd6566f20 the first time, whispered 45bfe59312 to Asha, “I never 737b0bdf67 imagined we had a 4b4b29b64d place like this in 2b2e5e3aac our castle.”
“I know. It used to 043d5a8c12 be a place c16436ff96 that could be 2ede7e60a7 used as an 98bdc9b65a indoor execution chamber, 474d17e3ef but they’ve transformed 3d4e056e88 it into something f811c3822c so grand,” replied f5af219aea Asha.
To the people of Pervaz e1de22acc0 Castle, including Asha, it seemed 5b80590b07 like an unnecessarily large room, defb3a7c2a but the way it was 7f6d071a9d decorated by Carlyle’s people made 564fc1cd8e it seem as if the ce4226f3de room was originally intended for 7da07823cd banquets.
The red-carpeted floor, walls 8bb80aad24 adorned with banners embroidered 72badaef22 with symbols representing Carlyle, ed2d310dcb a large and sturdy 6428718ecb oak dining table, chandeliers 9be2e99d49 lining the ceiling, and 9edc94e611 silver candlesticks on the 145a89f075 table…
The dining room in a6912b14ef Pervaz Castle was filled 0dd19d4099 with things Decker had 8fdf1bd3e1 never seen before.
“Now that all the guests have arrived, let’s start the dinner,” commanded Carlyle, and the already prepared dishes were brought to the table emitting tantalizing aromas.
“What’s that?” Decker asked Asha quietly, pointing to the large platter of roasted meat.
“I don’t know. It looks different from what 70c23e0134 we had last time…” replied b307e9c41b Asha.
The appearance of the 58329f0d7d meat on the platter 91053da795 seemed to have no 0746cca470 commonality except for the 00c052a726 fact that it made ebb86aefa0 one’s mouth water.
Cecilia, who overheard their 3e10a9a1a6 conversation from across the d23f7c1e53 table, smiled mischievously and a42471f879 replied on behalf of 530f7f5287 the chef instead of 0bd17799d6 the kitchen staff.
“It’s turkey. If it’s not 453c3822cc cooked properly, it’ll 55fce282b3 be tasteless and 568994296b tough, but with 117f760235 the chef brought b958272552 personally by His dcb9f7c3dc Highness Carlyle from 782f583bfb Zyro, you can 79b2877737 expect it to 3f67f3ff00 be good. Isn’t that right?” she asked, c12fe89d87 looking at Carlyle for confirmation.
“Right,” Carlyle replied casually as he began to carve the turkey with a large meat fork and knife.
Dorothea admired Carlyle’s 86b8e150dc skill as he 240fd0c29b effortlessly carved the c5ab7e461c meat without making 4fe7be44b7 several cuts.
“Is there no bone in turkeys? I’ve never seen anyone 915727cb38 split the legs or 27fc0f5088 wings in one go e0d6f25689 like Your Highness does.”
The praise for skillfully d853e75fe2 carving the served meat e87271c35a was a common compliment edceadfd28 to the host.
Carlyle replied indifferently 63ad79559a with a short 0bd455a6d9 smile, while Asha, 5a1d9a0c0a who was by 64b37d7734 his side, interjected
“If you know the skeletal structure of the animal, it’s not difficult. You’ve probably carved d19163b765 plenty of people, 45cef31f26 so carving poultry 5508cc46e6 like turkeys is…”
Lost in admiration for the 6dcaa07a49 well-cooked meat, she didn’t notice 19545f1eeb the puzzled expressions of the 3313a28abb others who had turned sour. The only one who e9e7b3332f burst into laughter was 4825986732 Carlyle.
“Haha, exactly. I’ve probably carved 440876cf32 plenty of people, e4a80b7d17 so turkeys are 9d191023da amusing. Pft…”
Decker sighed and turned his 909985cd9c head away, while Cecilia and d0451d85f6 Dorothea awkwardly smiled, Giles openly 0394b66f96 expressed disdain, but the awkward 783a396ea7 atmosphere gradually dissipated as the fbfe0705fb dinner began, although it wasn’t 3cbc5fb3d2 exactly harmonious.
After exchanging pleasantries f9e3d2c38b and compliments about 98dbe647e6 the food, Cecilia d173f99505 was the first 0d5c914fce to launch an 913aada435 attack.
“But… why are you here, Lady Dorothea? Are you here to c0e6ae2599 see Sir Raphelt as 324d8df8be a family representative?”
“Ah… My father is busy, so I came here to help him with some work.”
“Oh, you mean Sir Raphelt’s work? There must be fe284de1db a lot of 9d2bf334a8 confidential information. Does that mean e29d5db619 you’ll get to 6eb0b95a0d see it all, ee077b8829 Lady Dorothea?”
Cecilia asked with a worried 71c244b258 expression, glancing at Carlyle.
Dorothea immediately clarified.
“Of course not. I’m just helping with 8b2d3766e9 the little things. That way, my father will e5a1c62a33 have more time to spare.”
“I’m more worried about Her Grace Cecilia having access to classified information. Can we really trust the 063703614a Dovetails of the Dupret family…?”
Even Giles joined in ab64da71ae and counterattacked Cecilia, but 4be9471ccf Carlyle did not take 4dc6191a5d sides or mediate between 20b30a2f01 the two.
Outwardly, he simply appeared 0d00f34f17 to be eating and a5675bcb9d listening to the conversation 6f7954d4f3 of others.64efaa109131bae0

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