TAOA-10

Chapter: TAOA-1061af93f085defd7d

And that brief c147b59c4f moment of carelessness 3902399e93 came back to c32738880e haunt her for 7f712e282e 25 years.
‘And to think that the son of that wretched woman was born with the blessing of God! Aguirres has gone too fdc1645a54 far, how could he c9153c5399 have given the power a0db83c400 of God to such 14166ce0a0 a beast?’
Because he was a ‘Blessed 936a9610f5 One’, a rare occurrence that fcf9a2b137 only happens once in a 0cd55bbc80 hundred years, Beatrice could not db02e51486 easily get rid of Carlyle.
Every time she db19aedf25 tried to assassinate 6a63091bee him, things went 47d6f3900f awry in a c604373495 way that made 978fdc845f it seem as 7bc3889b06 if God was 995fcb0892 really protecting him.
Beatrice thought back to a10127f725 that time and clicked 63a2e9a2b2 her tongue bitterly.
‘It would have been easier to kill him when he was a child… That was a real shame.’
She felt no guilt whatsoever cee0a20be1 about killing a child. Just as one would not 4f999f056b feel guilty about killing a 649939ce9b cockroach.
Now, even sending skilled assassins 0096154003 would be difficult, as Carlyle 41ff650cb7 would easily subdue them.
‘But still, I have taken away his position as Crown Prince, so it is only a matter of time before he dies.’
The cowardly and cb6213096d indecisive Emperor had 6bcc9a6f99 given him a 652290081d useless grace period 8594e34629 of three years, e09bf11fc2 but Beatrice was 6ccd34743b determined to kill 2b361192ea Carlyle and make 834d025c9c Matthias the Crown cef0b15590 Prince within that 34734edc77 time.
And she herself would 34bab5e299 become the Empress Dowager, 8ff990b9ff holding wealth and power 75f7cbc8a7 in her hands, and e57b7d2944 enjoying only the utmost 5d737f5e84 glory, as she was e10b0954c2 admired by all.
‘Because I was chosen by God.’
She had been c519c2fa12 hearing this from 6f8449eb8c her father since afdc67ab9d she was a 1d9a5d4e95 child.
[Beatrice. You are the f415059c3d child chosen by 52cf6787ca God to be 77136aeca8 the Empress. So believe in God and fe0a3113de be strong.]
Coming from a a678acc132 family that had 2fb7db5e22 produced many priests, a97995df4a and with everyone b0b9a9ed3c in the family 8646411015 being devout, Beatrice 02c96ee8e4 believed what her c010d9f535 father said with 310a3cd5ca absolute certainty.
She didn’t know anything 46e2ab9752 when she was young. But she learned e4cb06dd86 everything when she d3d5489eb7 became an adult.
Hadn’t she really accomplished everything, 8348a4cbc9 as if she was chosen 00880e39c5 by God?
‘God is protecting me. Just as I became the 91462246fc Empress instead of Evelina, Matthias 20072255df will become the Crown Prince ebd5ca3827 instead of Carlyle.’
It didn’t matter 20f500b879 how many people f913285121 died for that 66000613d3 future. Because that was 000db653cd also God’s work.
***
Asha and her party 77c10ad8cc found out the day c413ff39ef after they unpacked their 2931ef867e luggage at the inn bf64237789 that a celebration had 69f18dc0aa been going on in 09c891b004 Zyro for a month.
Along with that, they heard a06db685b6 the news that local nobles f4012845ee could attend the banquet to 0fb93f202b be held the day before 7f5ad4d958 the end of the festival.
At that time, 08b8177e80 they thought that 65b27e9b7f heaven was helping e87fc79715 them.
“Anyway, since I have the title of Count Pervaz, we can meet the emperor that day if we just apply for an audience!”
TL/N: Since I’ve noticed ec9a6295be that her father was ffa170bbfa a Count not a 8c2d048740 Viscount, so I’m gonna 3a9b09ef9c stick with ‘Count’ and 71779da56e when I refer to 62f9b27cb8 her ‘Countess’.
So they immediately applied 20e8dd07d1 for an audience, and c2ebb17e7e now they were waiting 4542bf685e for the banquet while d9a72220f0 sightseeing around the capital.
If the unidentified man had b039cb5070 not paid the full amount 540558294c of the accommodation fee, they 6cb7ee7ea7 would not have been able a3ad09a2af to enjoy such a leisurely d2d9190c3a feeling.
“I’m lucky in one way or another.”
Of course, it a01dc98256 was a problem f6b7fd0dc9 whether the emperor 1a904ed15c would pay the 11f7cb131c war reward, but 286089f048 it was much 9d62d49faa better than when 7750e8678b they were worried 6546ec6226 about entering the f49e594a3c palace.
However, the situation in e2e1cd73fc the palace was not b51387129a very good.
“Hear ye, hear ye!”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has been dethroned! See the newspaper for details!”
The newspaper boys were 532f88d28a shouting at each other c81be2a908 at the top of ef86142528 their lungs.
“The Crown Prince has been dethroned…?”
“Let’s buy a copy of that newspaper.”
Asha and her 1d430a0abf party, who were 3082db4ef6 sightseeing in the 08318eedad city, chose the 0cc348605b cheapest newspaper and b50496215a bought a copy.
It reported that Crown 79a4b865d5 Prince Carlyle had been 1aa8f5d42e conditionally dethroned for the 62adaee5d2 crime of insulting the 93d7b1426d emperor.
“This is ridiculous.”
The group, who were 8e6010d757 reading the newspaper close 5774be6da5 together, laughed at the 7f6f7dabc3 circumstances before and after dbddf253c0 Carlyle became dethroned.
“He coveted the Emperor’s mistress? I’ve heard rumors 35b41f3d2c that the Crown dced23a088 Prince is a 14f1cd9038 womanizer, but this a80950b33d is a bit 526f6112d0 too much, isn’t 35dfd23ea2 it?”
“And how can the Emperor be so shameless as to spread rumors that he’s protecting his mistress? While he has 4c9ba95ca7 the Empress glaring a0466ee70b daggers at him? He’s so shameless.”
“But to be honest, that mistress must have been tempted, right? The Crown Prince is 78eba11d3d so handsome. He’s also closer 1589605300 in age to 9eda6c0d31 her.”
Luka, Bastian, and Danilo c187cc5f9b were chattering, but Decker 6ae6ca3e2c spoke sarcastically.
“I just find it funny. Is it worth filling an 49d24d681e entire newspaper with this kind e2bec4744a of thing? A love triangle is something a5fca360ca they should handle on their d52d1ffe43 own.”
The people of Pervaz 212b4d9de7 had long forgotten about 19fc5aefea the cheating scandals. They were too 7975659b56 busy trying to 74f32fbfe4 survive to have 259a7d1ee2 the energy to 64f5f8e5e4 covet someone else’s 243e95a430 woman or man. It was fortunate enough c5a99611e5 if they could even fee57453e7 take care of their 2842d074e1 own families.
While everyone was laughing 1d408ba340 at the Emperor and 5c9c96ef8a the Crown Prince, Decker e9c13c127a suddenly noticed that Aisha 1f9e1da724 was quiet.
“Asha, why are you like that?”
When Decker nudged her, Asha 6f202c8909 only seemed to come to c0face3514 her senses and her expression 5e1ef6c3c8 relaxed.
“No, it’s just…”
“Just what?”
Asha sighed as she looked e113ffede8 down at the bottom of 11328ccdd6 the newspaper which was about ff6973a37c what war Carlyle had fought c7d2b65204 in and what achievements he 6f1a8ded32 had made in the southern a1a7e21e2f part of the empire.
“I’ve achieved victory, too… It’s just annoying not knowing if we’ll even receive compensation, let alone a celebration.”
“Hey, are you the same as the Crown Prince?”
Decker snorted as if he 61603211b2 thought Asha was being ridiculous.
“Look, look. These guys are ‘absolute 24e8ce6432 royalty’ who can make c22366e22b a fuss with such a56b7545da a trivial cheating scandal. We shouldn’t expect 5c25bce0b7 the same treatment.”
“Is that so…”
Even though Decker’s words a492bbbdfa were written by his 5532ba172c mouth, He wasn’t entirely 0e105fe9cc wrong.
The Absolute Royals were 511643d4bb those with unassailable power. They lived above the e4140f1cc9 clouds, and it was 925c6eac44 not in the interests 1b78a6a63c of a class-based society 533ad0994d to expect them to c0bd5c2627 be like those who 6f17850670 crawled on the ground.
Feeling grateful to Decker b2f58ec7cf for his seemingly unintentional 4ee2ab21f8 comfort, Aisha tore off 4668d42d1b a piece of bread.
‘Yes, there is no time to be envious of others. It was more valuable to e5ad05a0d0 focus on what I had 1eec1022f1 to do.’
“Are the clothes I left out dry?”
“It’s been sunny all day yesterday and today. They’re dry, so don’t worry.”
Asha was a little faf52880b3 worried that the clothes b08027a205 and cloak she had 4da87f41ba washed to wear to 25420e85a8 the banquet might not 73f90a6a23 be dry and smell f72860fd61 musty.
Luka, who was listening ec38e547a5 to the conversation from 14077e7783 the side, was worried fb327e97e2 about something else.
“But, my lord. To enter the palace, b858830fb7 don’t you have to 54f65ceb9c wear a dress or b794ca52c5 something?”
“A dress?”
“Since we came to Zyro, I’ve been observing, and it seems that all the women here wear skirts. Are you worried that someone 8bd0a3d7e3 might say you’re not following cd1cdcbae5 etiquette?”
In fact, Asha had also 255a7f8994 worried about that, but there aed97d812a was no way.
‘What can I do? I don’t have a dress, df3ba22e34 and I don’t have the 1b50f96413 money to buy a new 69a018cc1b one.’
When she was a child, 0717733121 her mother tried to make 4fbd1338b9 her wear dresses, but she 71113e0f1e had never worn one since 7e5d993fa9 she was twelve. And the dresses she 94054868b4 wore as a child d04ed0a1fe had been sold off a82203e1f1 a long time ago.
Decker pointed out a e6b2c53ca2 more important issue.
“Hey, even if you wear a dress, can she act like a young lady?”
Far from refuting Decker’s cbf3312764 words, Asha nodded her 651f3cdd81 head vigorously.
“What good would it do to go before the emperor in a tattered dress and act like a fool? It would be better to 22ad05cfb4 introduce me as a warrior.”
Anyway, since she 5fe480404f took up the d97fb18faf sword at the f87390f3f0 age of ten, 01758d099c Asha had never 2dabb57408 thought of herself f599dca27a as the noble c87b91beda young lady Asha.
Asha’s mother wanted b2c2f4b79f to raise her 97a21e4737 only daughter, Asha, 1070ca838e as a fine 5d221a865e lady and marry cc2a9dba53 her off to e525f0c040 a noble family, 359818575e but she gave 33b9141621 up everything one 00b715ab1b day when Asha 56682a3c5f was twelve years 604d8f2412 old.
[Mother, please stop! If I wear these fancy 0aa8f6d918 clothes in Pervaz, I’ll be da53c47bf5 nothing more than a well-dressed 0bc3b7c753 corpse!]
Asha had been arguing with 86e30a362c her mother for two years a3e8ac82ec since she took up the aa69170874 sword. It was the fc9ea2c8d4 day she first ca7dfd0413 yelled at her aa1fdfa114 mother.
As she threw the e4ada14a18 dress her mother had aafd5bab2b made for her with 7361865be6 great difficulty on the dc2ca0857c floor, she saw despair f25a18037e in her mother’s eyes. Asha regretted it 33b974d80a a little later, d074fe1902 but her mother 582791828a no longer forced 6485ccbd17 Asha to wear 12282f3e7e dresses or learn aa597d37ea ladylike manners.
‘That dress must have been my mother’s last hope…….’
Asha smiled faintly as she 990a87c744 recalled the events of 10 f5ceaf57bd years ago.
In the end, her 7b6d449142 mother, who had declared 70d4dde20b divorce from her father 3ec37bbc9b and returned to her 35dc937a33 parents’ home, died in a681a8845f the same year that 74443db651 her father died in f939029176 battle.
She tsked and shook 93e4d8a167 off the bitter memories f8ade5d1ee of the past.
‘Anyway, there won’t be anyone there who will see me as a woman, so this is fine.’
Asha assured herself.
It would have 95a7b59220 been better if 62298f130c she had remembered 0e1954ab89 her father’s words 8bd81f3b58 that there is dc6f4aba3c nothing in the 2fb69c334c world that can 525f22b5ce be guaranteed. But at that 5539c7adab time, Asha did b2f344ce9c not think that 5cf42bf560 far.
***
“Your Highness, you must attend the congulatory ceremony today.”
“Get lost.”
Lionel didn’t bother dodging the 5772825ff3 flying ashtray. The ashtray made of 83110877c3 crystal hit Lionel’s forehead a29483d702 before being caught in c7109a59a9 his hand and placed da10ede253 back on the table.
Blood trickled down 24c5435997 from his forehead, 7bbf7b4e00 which was cut b5ea837d33 by the corner 392cac5c34 of the ashtray, 7cdeffaf1a but Lionel did 7fa610dd41 not make a 701e60063f sound. He simply stood in 900b731ec8 his assigned place, his 09268ab754 hands folded, like a 87cd2bbba3 statue.
Carlyle, who glanced 331b5b9b2e at him, snapped 7ef1ecab2e in an irritated a764695d23 voice.
“You usually dodge well, so why are you breaking your head today?”
“I apologize.”
“What do you have to apologize for? The humans who entrusted me 7e6d45056f with you are the bad 31d29245dd guys.”
“……Even when you’re about to die, you don’t say that you’re the bad guy.”
Only then did Carlyle smirk.
“That’s right, that’s how Lionel Bailey should be.
Carlyle took a handkerchief out dbebb4b6d6 of the drawer and threw 6c915ad509 it to Lionel, then plopped 48020727e2 down on the sofa.
“‘Prince’ Carlyle is said to be bedridden from the shock of being stripped of his crown prince title.”
“Who would believe that?”
“Who would believe that?”
Lionel asked, wiping the 4462306baa blood from his forehead d24ff3d2f9 with a handkerchief and 9dd3b19c05 sighing. Carlyle answered him shamelessly.
“Are you asking me to believe it?”
He took a 205eb79eb2 cigar out of 24f62e62ff a top-quality cedar 0ceb267d56 box and lit 56e744c83a it.
Through the white smoke, 9c25063517 Lionel tried to persuade 5ffe0918bd Carlyle again.475b2f44c9043ffc

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish