TAOA-136

Chapter: TAOA-13677b99370e4c6a11a

As he whispered f439391b13 even his secret 1f67149bb1 wish, Asha’s eyelids 917e8ae5ca fluttered and she f31e7420ee slowly woke up.
“Countess! Are you conscious?”
Gabriel returned to 3dbb044a84 his usual self 9b3f60e366 and called Asha 84798e2a2c affectionately and politely.
Asha’s pale gray eyes 5e16342a1a scanned the air and f322abd38c slowly turned towards Gabriel.
“High… Priest…?”
“Oh, Libato, thank you.”
He prayed briefly 27c29aa9a6 and checked Asha’s f434874312 condition.
It seemed that 2d9013d030 she didn’t have f89d70d57e any strength in 6ccfe15afd her body from 9ed8e97c3d lying down for f99390c4ee a long time, 2a5751825c but there didn’t 10a6585185 seem to be de9780a68b any other problems.
“Fortunately. I was worried that I d2449987f9 was too late… .”
“The High Priest… saved me. Thank you… .”
“You don’t have to say anything. You must have been d7f23b7734 very thirsty, and you 084b9035ca must still be weak.”
Gabriel smiled kindly 9bc78f5b62 and comforted Asha.
However, he glanced at the b3ae7d49aa door where Carlyle was guarding 1bf18d4846 and quickly approached Asha and 13e705a472 whispered in a very small 2fb578389c voice.
“You may not be conscious yet, but listen carefully to what I say. While the Countess was 229809063e unconscious, Emperor Kendrick Evaristo c910cc70fc passed away and His 738109a8b7 Majesty Matthias succeeded to 03e39d9eda the throne.”
Asha’s eyes widened at b843e6ab9e his words. It meant that she understood 274cc849ec what he was saying.
“Prince Carlyle fled to Pervaz and took control of the castle while the Countess was unconscious. And he is gathering 5d8d706c60 his forces.”
“Fled…?”
“Yes. Since he couldn’t immediately f59f3f531e deny His Majesty Matthias’s ae0b0470fd succession to the throne, b940523186 which was recognized by 2c4c8838d3 the temple, let’s say 6f25f42bf9 he has ‘temporarily retreated’.”
Asha’s confusion was evident. Gabriel spoke in an urgent a8ec9586c5 voice, as if to prevent ec9f45854a her from thinking deeper.
“Prince Carlyle will gather the nobles and try to commit treason. In the process, he will b8d885d338 pretend to be kind to 1eb0995d80 the Countess in order to bbf39c6784 mobilize the Pervaz army again, 12baab86fa but you must not be b55b6a5603 fooled.”
“That’s…”
“Cecilia Dupret, the Young Lady, is already staying in this castle. A deal must have 601112cddd been made in exchange df5bb30164 for the position of 9fdae2d0d6 Empress.”
When Asha nodded 92b86a5c0b slightly with a 25486f9e08 hardened face, Gabriel 47dce3392f was secretly excited.
“Prince Carlyle has turned the temple and the imperial family into enemies. The nobles will soon 97095c4379 turn their backs on 4aebaf351d him as well. Now there is nothing left c4b2437c89 for him to expect.”
“……”
“The Countess will be used and abandoned until the end. Before that happens, 9b65310cd0 come to me. I will help you.”
Asha moistened her dry lips fc0a56b489 with her tongue and slowly 599b3e5e32 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 d948c03d4e will arrange a ab9591aad3 place for you 681c82002e in the Imperial 383c60a8f0 Knights.”
Asha’s eyes flickered cd94dec386 with a thoughtful 046fc86aa7 light.
Gabriel gently took her hand.
“The word of God is the light and the way. Do not go into 92981018fb darkness, and do not 0328994f34 go where there is 30f7abc5d6 no path.”
Asha sighed and nodded slowly.
“When the time comes… I will.”
Asha would never know d134ac041a how much that one c7915a6944 word pleased Gabriel.
“You have thought well! I knew that ba2211aa97 the Countess was e7e313cfcc a true believer 99f7457340 in God.”
He felt genuine joy cf6239176c and encouraged Asha a d8fffca399 few more times before fe12efd892 deciding to end the 29d2229af3 treatment.
“You must keep our conversation a secret. You never know what His 847065804f Highness Carlyle will do to 41731f4c4a keep the Countess in his 3bb04fd073 clutches. He is a fearsome man.”
“I understand.”
At her answer, Gabriel rose 19d07d3174 from his seat, feeling that 475204e44a he had more than fulfilled d957c034cf his purpose in visiting Pervaz 51eafc2e23 today.
Then he opened the 3ef41c8e1a door and smiled at 6557a1d5f1 Carlyle.
“The treatment is over.”
“Asha, no, Countess Pervaz?”
“Come in and see for yourself.”
Carlyle entered the room, cfc74c58b0 his grip tight on a125641262 the hilt of his b4b732fdc5 sword. And the moment he a20da2fd60 turned his gaze towards 09ca3910eb the bed, he met 36814e7aca the gray eyes he 1b0cca2885 had missed so much.
“Asha!”
He forgot that Gabriel was 98bf846a14 watching behind him and rushed b94e3efbb2 over to Asha, taking her cff4c03e91 hand.
“Are you okay? Can you… recognize me?”
Asha thought he looked bb637b5423 rather pathetic, with his c3a00fcdfc lips trembling slightly, his 579618c074 hands sweating nervously, and 846379cec1 his jaw clenched as 57dab93bae if he were holding a6d389650b back tears.
‘I’m having all sorts of crazy thoughts as soon as I open my eyes.’
She resisted the bdd52c27ea urge to shake a2d01d6a92 her head frantically. The ones who c0b9433d77 should be pitied 17086de1b0 are the innocent cb6760f7fe people who have bd14df5572 become victims of bbb39be138 the power struggle, 258f38a283 not the one 13a32a823c who is vying ac6e684c75 for the top 3bfd246141 of power.
Asha dryly replied, 1f745b6ad6 as if trampling 2b6e3dfcbf down the embers 09ce4da3c5 of her lingering e6b2f7e16c affection.
“I apologize for greeting you while lying in bed, Your Highness Carlyle.”
“Haaah… .”
Carlyle, relieved by Asha’s 43c2b94134 very Asha-like response, sank 5d464b126b into a chair by 028f4764ae the bed.
“Are you really okay? Are you in pain 32f4a5c177 or discomfort anywhere?”
“I’m not sure yet. I don’t seem 0d8604652a to have much 0dbea216cd strength in my 58edfd15a7 body… .”
“Of course you don’t. You’ve been lying down 0055a3b2c9 for over a month.”
“Yes? That long?”
Asha, who had 21d3f92409 been indifferent, asked 5ad38b41ce in surprise.
“Yes. To be exact, 3e56a14c62 it’s been a 690e3e618b month and ten 2bb9a985d0 days.”
Carlyle was smiling, but his adda258459 smile was weak.
Then Gabriel stepped out from 9dcc44419d behind him.
“If your suspicions of me have been cleared, I must return to Zyro. And if there 013812ca1a is a God, 726c346f0e I ask that 7fb671c993 you keep my daac5b37b4 visit a secret.”
Carlyle realized that the man 507ebd9180 who had been there for d43eec3aaa less than two hours was a63609b094 about to return immediately. He knew that Gabriel 7237b8595d had really come without 06dd1a8f4c the Empress’s knowledge. If he had been 7c9d39a2cc trying to find out 1e40adcf43 something, he would have e08e75abd7 stayed for at least 79d2cc171d a day or two.
“If you need it, I will provide you with a horse or carriage.”
Although he was b94c6a7ce8 the lackey of 8217163f91 the Empress he 75d3d8bcd2 hated, Carlyle made f9dba59ee1 the offer in dec5f14c66 a trembling voice, e1273890e6 as he was 1357fa1161 clearly a benefactor d3c93fc078 in that he c8a74861b9 had saved Asha’s 54c899fec6 life.
However, Gabriel snorted and refused.
“It seems that the value of Countess Pervaz’s life is great. His Highness even offers afa302ac04 me such favors.”
It was more like a 63b2d27c50 provocation than a refusal.
“You must have been sneering at me like that while smiling broadly. You must have been 89730570f7 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 don’t care ce8885e152 about your life.”
As the two 244ea2b91f men began to 156695c76f taunt each other, 0de964d877 Asha, who had a74a19d16f been watching them bffc5dec1c quietly, sighed loudly a30dd4e256 as if to 86d95ddd67 tell them to d3e5e27a61 stop. The two men’s shoulders flinched.
“I’m a little tired, so…”
As soon as Asha’s words 48fb5bb4c7 fell, Carlyle jumped up from df7b3e82e5 his seat.
“R-right. You need to a7ed764692 rest for now. I’ll have Nina called.”
Gabriel also took a f77640896c step back and bowed 9f8e0770c3 his head.
“May the grace of the God Rune of Healing be with the Countess. I will return now.”
The two men, 62c71636d9 who had left 3e6a69e917 Asha’s room, telling de6abcb3bb her to take 187e3f1d21 good care of 9cb8461e85 herself, felt a 8c0ded5dd8 sense of déjà dbf6e138d7 vu as they 765482347a stood in the c153d791fc 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 ffd0d7a8ec leave now.”
“Very well then.”
With nothing more to say, 5e138f24ca Carlyle called Lionel, who was b2c304500e standing far away, and told 1cfe6e543f him to watch over Gabriel 7160ad01a9 as he returned. Gabriel greeted him 5a30ec7acd briefly and followed 695610c30f Lionel out of 88c52ba7a0 the castle.
* * *
The next day, d1459e2f64 Asha, who was 60c69a7062 able to move 564ee72615 around to some 611d0593b0 extent, asked Carlyle 9a1f1949f3 for a private d29e623d45 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 on 802f213f43 the sofa at Carlyle’s 609b55edf7 invitation and was even 9592eac85d served hot tea, but 7b439534a1 she did not relax c768314d6d her stern expression.
Carlyle swallowed dry saliva, guessing aa55110ee2 that it was anger towards 5f1cde060c him.
“Asha. If you don’t 367b40e8b9 enjoy facing me, c261215f4a you can talk 852e767cce to me through b5c53f90f2 Nina or Decker. I will never blame you…….”
“No. But…… did you originally call c0d27d1b28 me by my name?”
Asha asked, stopping herself 586060da9f from drinking the tea. She had been called by 696808f97a her name in exhibitions or e02b23173e urgent situations, but she had 8e323653a3 never been called so affectionately 4fd3fee213 in a private meeting.
Asha asked out of d0445589f9 curiosity, but it sounded b1f71b4df2 like a sharp rebuke 482b7871e1 to Carlyle.
He lowered his gaze and f43ef9ff4f smiled bitterly, even though Asha 27b316b5e1 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 b2b5f05fc1 to be sarcastic. But it’s understandable that you 7ac16fe7b3 would be suspicious of me 2bbb18d471 being a rude and arrogant 667cfd48b2 human…….”
Carlyle, who felt guilty feaf8af00c even for Asha’s attempts e33c31a37d to explain, looked down 8284d1fb19 at the floor with c20e983dda a grim expression and 993e994cf2 opened his mouth with 62d2d811f6 difficulty.
“I was wrong.”
“Yes……?”
Asha asked back, 73bcf0a03a doubting her own 8c2c28aaea ears at the 2cbf9398a9 sight of Carlyle f0023599f9 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 8582e8a47b at him blankly, unable c275059bb9 to say anything.
‘Why is he acting like this? What the hell de9ca5e29a happened while I a0ca93e675 was unconscious?’7d45966e51d19e11

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