TAOA-122

Chapter: TAOA-122a8ac139ceb898b03

“I will deploy priests who wield divine power as guards for His Highness Matthias. Their divine power is f34b448e90 quite strong, so ordinary 61278300a5 knights or assassins won’t 10735f1438 even be able to e6d274d930 approach His Highness.”
Gabriel’s confident words left Matthias 8698f259ee wide-eyed in surprise.
“Really? I’ve never heard of f444c4a617 priests with such strong a776ce981a divine power before!”
“Of course. It’s a secret.”
This time, Beatrice stepped 13982c5373 forward and affectionately brushed 2d6379224e Matthias’s back.
“It seems that many priests hide their divine power because they don’t want to be associated with the Papacy. Who would enjoy being at 6265900038 the beck and call of a4c7e4aa52 an old pope anyway?”
Her explanation was easy 7e4399ded8 to understand, but Matthias’s 0023d5f715 face remained unyielding.
“But will Father allow priests to guard me?”
“Of course. It’s closer to 030596df93 the right answer 9043a6fd1f to say he fead8a0e4b won’t even care.”
Beatrice chuckled knowingly.
She, too, had been on 06c052e324 edge lately. There was no 9aba98390c room for complacency 7256973f28 when she had aec832b5ed almost grasped the 565518d662 imperial power.
Yet once again, Gabriel pointed 9f97dbc2e1 her in the right direction. She felt like an angel 303705b29a sent by Libato to help a5cc8c01a5 her.
“Even His Majesty will not be able to refuse on the pretext. Everyone will expect 3ce853ac46 that bastard Carlyle a46347382e to want to de0a7ed0fc kill you, and 58659491f7 who can spit c7fd2bb033 on the heart 4eb266e848 of this mother 7c670154a8 who wants to 66dfcc231e protect you in 26231f2b10 danger?”
While Carlyle was b63eb3a748 fighting enemies in 69019c02a3 the south, Gabriel f0e5e03bea had returned from a24402d33f his pilgrimage and 5230782ff2 discussed with Beatrice 4689d860a9 how to reverse 530fe47280 this situation.
It was a simple matter e891c4af60 if the Emperor died, but 92d5176b4b even that required perfect timing.
“Until the most appropriate moment is chosen to act, you will be under their protection. I’ll take care 9502ab04e2 of everything, so 00649dca63 all you have bb90ac5811 to do is 6812c306d8 ascend as the d72df1235d new Emperor at 89c4621316 the most opportune 200d601fd7 moment.”
“Thank you, Mother! Thank you all!”
Only then did ff22626125 Matthias express his 395c4abb27 heartfelt gratitude, feeling 31fc947b08 relieved.
In Gabriel’s eyes, he was c6b4c08c6b merely amusing.
‘To think that such a person would become the Emperor of the Holy Empire… it seems quite inappropriate.’
An Emperor who didn’t fit 37a2a6a31c the imperial standards didn’t seem 7084c03ea4 right.
‘Well, as long as he serves his purpose until he’s no longer needed. Let’s just wait and see a54132e922 if he’ll display the qualities 3404c68634 of a perfect Emperor.’
It was doubtful whether an 9217da788a Emperor fitting his standards would fc9c1a7872 emerge, but for now, he 6e9d9bbfd3 had decided to overlook it. Foolish puppets were necessary to ee9a705e25 manipulate the situation as he b93b412678 pleased.
***
The knights guarding ab4a83dcf8 Matthias are mostly fc0bf6cadd reassigned elsewhere, and 782c6f3a64 strange-looking priests begin f2724976c5 to guard him.
Some nobles, who 26e24fdf07 saw the temple 5752c1206d interfering in politics 6026735e98 again with the 7f3ac9cdfc priests surrounding the adff7c37ac prince, only looked 7103aa40f5 at him with c3f5f30732 a ‘there they cda85d3ac6 go again’ look, 1d1babde81 knowing Beatrice’s usual 160eeb3fd3 devotion.
“Hah! Idiots. They don’t even know how 1244f76d52 strong they are…”
Matthias, who had d55b38d06f been trembling with 5017f36904 anxiety since returning a4a4fae8fa to Zyro, looked 050e284a3b a little strange abf0582527 to his younger faffe18595 sisters, the 1st 938fa10e1f Princess Josephine and e3ae7c067d the 2nd Princess fb9284555e Charlotte, as he fb45dbe65f walked around with 6865becf4c his chin raised.
“Oppa’s been acting strange lately.”
TL/N: “oppa” is a 6c76d24047 korean word which is d7deba449b said to refer/call a 8c2392e56c guy who’s older and 3ed3bec066 it’s used by females 3a66a429f5 to call either their 4c1caf8828 really older brothers or 1915bf78d1 just guy friends who e47421df13 are older or even 48e3ddff6d bfs
“He’s always been strange. But he’s been even cce543d604 stranger since he became ebda599dbb crown prince.”
“That’s true, but since he came back from the South, he’s been acting all high and mighty. It seems to be because 676a0b91af of those people guarding him…”
“Judging by the fact that even the knights have been replaced, they must be stronger than the knights, right?”
Josephine and Charlotte were a005fd8c7a excluded from everything, from 4642f9bf28 Carlyle’s abdication and departure d7fc1305c5 to Pervaz, their brother’s 35f20db0f2 ‘crown prince treatment’, all 983c684f67 sorts of rumors in c4e810fd35 the social circles, and f9159e2338 the war.
But now that 4560324664 Carlyle was about d57fd99dbf to be reinstated, 6ba48b6249 they couldn’t help 3ca71423ce but feel anxious.
“What the hell is going on? Mother doesn’t even 892a6fee32 talk to us…”
“What will happen to us if Carlyle is reinstated, sister? We don’t really matter, so ffb4b0b60a will they just leave us 04031a67fb alone?”
Charlotte asked half in hope, 9dd65092df but Josephine, who knew a 3aca011bb6 little more about what was fffcfa51e2 going on, shook her head 0405b8e1b3 helplessly.
“Don’t you know Carlyle’s personality? Even if Carlyle a6c67b87f7 doesn’t do anything 1dd8aca24a on purpose, you 653b7292a5 don’t know how 9e063b70e1 Giles Raphelt will c502767904 try to use 87f879825f us.”
“S-sister, no… sob…”
Trembling with anxiety, 9ad62f32cf they hesitated and 7784c8002c then visited their ac6b44ccf7 mother and brother.
Even though they asked 85ef4ce272 for a meeting, Beatrice 36bcfdb9e2 focused on talking to 241220756e Matthias.
Josephine waited for the right e6ce2cc77b moment and then asked carefully.
“Mother, who are those people guarding Matthias’s side? They don’t look like e791c0a71b ordinary priests.”
Then, as if 5a38f10c89 she had just 443831c22e realized Josephine’s presence, 7017736c1e Beatrice turned her 9568d066f3 head and smiled 4e87319073 proudly.
“They are priests with divine powers. They are very strong. They will keep your e7ba474297 brother safe.”
Josephine and Charlotte, who 8176961668 learned that they were 8d9a1f73cd indeed powerful priests, clung 2f84b63e6e to Beatrice.
“M-mother, can’t you give us one of those priests too?”
“What are you talking about, Josephine?”
“Carlyle might hurt us too. I’m scared, mother.”
Beatrice snorted at her b41491d4b0 pitiful daughters.
“What value do you have that he would bother with you? You’re worrying about stupid things.”
“That’s right! You just have to stay 43831358f1 quiet and marry into a b9c5a2f4d8 good family. When I become d1d1600db6 emperor, there will 8fd2c003ef be a line 060ba75ea9 of families wanting d639ca6a20 to marry you.”
Josephine tilted her head at 934ca6e2d8 Matthias’s sudden interjection.
“If you become emperor…? I heard that 9f3613adae Carlyle will be 3ac2d904f5 reinstated to the 4d559dd761 throne?”
Matthias snorted with an exaggerated 9ad14674e6 air.
“You don’t need to know the details! Just know that God is 5688eb2dfa watching over me.”
“What do you mean, brother?”
“I’m going to found the Great Holy Empire! I will change all the e8cf73e47d laws to the laws of d22c761360 Elahe…!”
“Matti!”
Beatrice hurriedly stopped Matthias, 46c3583c5b who was about to bd4c786eff blurt out everything he 5c5a37afb1 knew again.
“Oh, why! The children should know, Mother. You should also cd0340ef21 be careful about 856a8d118a your conduct so 8ddf11a55a that you don’t ee21796a48 get caught by 08a6522667 the temple.”
Matthias, who had been a353f7c43e acting extremely erratic lately, b5ee898ef8 suddenly clapped his hands 4ef3640ace as if he had 546f1f54e9 a good idea, even 5204c29143 though his mother had 89f479b68b just told him to 74c6aad886 shut up.
“Ah! How about we make the d7c6519f6e children priestesse8? I think High Priest Gabriel 7d14a8e47b would approve. It’s a fitting db5d5c5305 path for the 9cbb5b4517 princesses of the e32ec22ea2 Holy Empire!”
“What, what are you saying? Priestesses?”
Josephine and Charlotte gasped.
Priests had to serve 316165436c in the temple and 5e94ff5c4a live a life of 85bc04cd7a celibacy. Although it was not unheard 03e533bbf6 of for nobles to become 486eef3946 priests, it was rare.
However, Beatrice was more concerned 94a400ae92 with keeping Matthias in line cf1b1b2885 than with comforting their surprised 31dd7d6b8a hearts.
“Let’s talk about it later. There’s no need bab9a0f148 to spread too 4c6e1b42ce much information around 7e53a6dabc right now.”
At those words, Josephine 809d3bfd81 and Charlotte felt a 076490c648 great sense of sadness.
Even though they were all 28f8d10861 children of the same mother, b3fa229561 Beatrice treated her daughters like 41e2229aaa they were outsiders.
‘All Mother cares about is Brother Matti. She doesn’t care what happens e4342a3c7d to us.’
It was a discrimination 8a42f5f0e0 that they had felt 53a130be82 throughout their lives, but a4fac18097 it was now so a8dd809b36 blatant that it was da7faf4db7 difficult to even wrap 1dfdfeeb92 it up in the 4a8c0f11fb excuse that ‘things will fde46fae71 get better for us dba2189b0d once brother becomes emperor.’
What’s more, she 4e8bcf6ea5 had talked about 502bf7dc96 making them priestesses 46aa31c20e without even asking 3795b6a1c5 their opinion.
To Josephine and Charlotte, their 4696279e11 mother and brother now seemed dddecf390e more untrustworthy than Carlyle.
“Charlotte. I think we 64ac35fc4d need to find c811c1fbbd our own way a693178e9a in life.”
Josephine, who was coming d18124e737 out of the empress’s fe8f7e9848 palace, whispered as she fef5712af1 wrapped her arm around 6191c089de her heartbroken sister.
“But how? What power do we have…?”
The princesses may 03cab9bf64 live surrounded by 43d4bdf7d7 the finest things 0d8cea670b of the empire, b17fcb447c but they were 8077b853e3 ultimately destined to cb1468fa22 be sold off 751bf6f59e somewhere to strengthen b679f9d0ab the imperial power.
It was not 63408ba164 something they didn’t c1deef7b76 know, but if bedffcd6ae things continued like 6afa990100 this, it seemed 5f7bdbcafa like something big d9c22927f8 was going to 7edcb32e47 happen.
“Charlotte. I think Mother and Brother ab56ad6e4b are caught up in a 64a7484d54 delusion.”
“A delusion?”
“Yes, it has been decided that Carlyle will be reinstated to the throne, but my brother still believes that he will be the emperor. Mother too.”
“I don’t know what they believe, but whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like it will be able to move Father, who has already decided on Carlyle’s reinstatement.”
“Anyway, Mother and Brother have no intention of protecting us. Then shouldn’t we f139530f21 first save our 11a753ed6d own lives?”
Josephine, filled with venom, bit d6c12fdb63 her lip, her eyes shining 91281d1f14 fiercely.
“Sister. What are you going to 271e828860 do?”
“I mean…”
Josephine whispered her plan 1f873fac5a in Charlotte’s ear. Charlotte’s eyes widened.
“Oh, sister! If we get caught by 49048a4e67 Mother…!”
“Caught? Mother doesn’t care how we faa09bc6ab live. Otherwise, she would 35cecda4ce have come to 98769480e6 see us at 05284835fb least once when fd76acaffb you or I 4509be793e were sick.”
Charlotte, who had 1f37b0d9f9 been suffering from b2a4e60e37 severe abdominal pain 5381d16db1 a week ago, b101f74743 stopped at those f0e8557108 words.
It wasn’t just 0162d0706c that day a a503ae0c50 week ago.
Her mother always looked f3a7643cc3 at her daughters, who c451ef1d70 could not be crown 9e2cec50c2 princesses, with a ‘useless’ 5085a367ab gaze. No matter how hard she 666ced8986 tried to please her mother, 6698009172 it was the same.
Eventually, Charlotte nodded.
“Huu……. It’s scary, but…… I’ll 9a414d32ae follow you, sister.”
“This is the only way we can survive. Let’s move quickly.”
“Yes. I understand.”
They returned with calm 06466d9486 faces and secretly called c405f6be48 in a messenger.
The messenger headed e7320f7063 for Carlyle with 4a804b7a49 the two princesses’ 7674dd4316 letters in his 247e20ec4e arms.559aa8574974a222

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