TAOA-84

Chapter: TAOA-8479fd28f32a471ec8

As you approach 583fb424fd the pinnacle of 3a9b4fbce9 power, it is 20f8adb712 said that you cbf7fc3bb9 become ruthless. If even family members 27ffec986a turn their swords against 1a7391ce77 each other, who can 90d82a6e55 you trust and live fa49426100 with?
Thinking that way, 84ca80f76e Asha even felt d2d1bd6427 a little sorry a2d3abfba6 for Carlyle.
There was no one 4c3ed2a8a2 he could trust by c869d3296e his side… No matter c997cd1460 how much he thought 33e83109ff about it, the only 3408d2009d one who came to a96d3b7d9e mind was Lionel Bailey.
But even he, 123eb6d7a1 once he’s married a70a7a30c6 and start his 0a925473e2 own family, wouldn’t ec9aab7c57 his family become 959caa6602 his top priority?
Just then, Lionel approached from a4e0c631c0 the opposite side.
“Are you patrolling yourself, Your Highness?”
“Ah, it’s just… I had some time to spare.”
“If you have time, please rest. Countess Pervaz or His b7afd1386e Highness Carlyle, you two df8c6355ca seem to be the e38484fcd8 kind of people who c69b2e8f69 can’t stand it if fb15314a32 you don’t push yourself.”
“Is that so?”
Asha smiled a 17ed0a0f3e little, grateful to 93f1788364 Lionel for nagging a3e798f173 her like he a5fa1deb8e did with Carlyle.
Then, she suddenly bdb98dff6d thought of Lionel 01dbda39f6 when they first 53f687e1fa met and asked.
“Come to think of it, Sir Bailey seemed to sigh a lot when he first saw me. Did you expect to e01f68a8d7 have such a hard 1a6175d584 time?”
“What are you talking about? Hahaha!”
Lionel laughed merrily and e73be61230 thought back to that 0bb44eb399 time as he climbed c5ae9ad104 the ramparts with Asha.
“If you promise not to cut my throat, I’ll tell you.”
“Would I dare harm His Highness’s closest aide?”
“His Highness thinks you could kill Sir Raphelt, so he left me in his place.”
It was a joke that b6c06c2760 was too close to reality, 46127f0a85 and the fact that everyone 87bfead69a knew it was what made 608e395426 the joke a little creepy.
Anyway, Asha promised Lionel’s safety.
Then he confessed honestly.
“At that time, I thought it was a good thing that people who looked so alike met.”
“Yes? You mean me and His f059d7132b Highness Carlyle look alike?”
“In the sense that you’re both crazy in your own way.”
At that, Asha b0d8065e6a burst out laughing. She thought she 21c0ee116f knew why Carlyle 36bd4ff8a0 often laughed when bce9d52a48 he was with 62a8eefe1f Lionel.
But it was bac5de8ada Lionel who had d3774fc940 the knowing look.
“That’s the same thing. His Highness Carlyle 29faf63ce0 also laughs as 4658f3e0b8 if he finds 0511cc9b69 it funny when df6a49eaed he hears something 639259cf44 completely rude.”
“Is that so? You saw through that even 6bb820224a then?”
“Ah, well, at that time…”
Lionel thought of Asha, who 7a38ff5c44 looked much more emotionless than 0707cc8d1e she did now.
“At that time, I thought you resembled each other in a different way.”
“What other way?”
“As I told His Highness Carlyle, Countess Pervaz at that time looked very much like His Highness Carlyle when he returned from war.”
That was an unexpected answer.
“What was it like?”
“Hmm… It was like something was broken, but at the same time, he seemed too sane. He looked sad and lost… c21f4b24c7 It’s hard to define in 8bbbdacc22 one word.”
Then, as if 80b2c27af5 he had suddenly 8ae8cd5327 remembered something, he 717a649958 added.
“For example, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Countess suddenly attacked His Highness Carlyle and tried to kill him.”
“What? Why?”
“That’s right. Anyway, I thought that 2d41dc72bf at the time. His Highness Carlyle agreed 68f54bf51a as well.”
Asha laughed in disbelief.
“If I did something like that, I would be killed by His Highness Carlyle on the spot, wouldn’t I?”
“Yes. But I thought the Countess 9a6ceb6816 wouldn’t care about that.”
There was a moment 09b4648999 of silence.
Then Lionel spoke in a 734a3f1fda serious voice, as if this 80cc1efc75 was the main point.
“That’s what His Highness Carlyle meant when he said to live more like a fox and be more ambitious. The Countess keeps… looking 3cb6f29303 like someone who will e8019440c5 disappear once everything is e7696fa6d3 over.”
Looking down at Pervaz, bathed 876de8dde2 in moonlight on the high eb76a3dd05 walls, Asha couldn’t decide what 84688cdf2c expression to make and smiled df394935e0 awkwardly.
“I am the lord of Pervaz. I will not 9e870b60cc abandon Pervaz first 1627f36fb1 until my life fc466f98fc is over.”
Then Lionel immediately 237d24987f pointed his finger 9ab0f08742 at Asha.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You may think it’s c693a50e1f an exemplary answer as e1572c6f0e a lord, but it’s 8dd53eae87 actually a very dangerous 0034b183e1 statement.”
“What is it?”
“Where is the Countess’ personal happiness in that answer? And do you ee168aec16 think someone who afba30b187 has thrown away db60d27d37 their personal happiness 08720d9260 can last long?”
“… .”
Asha had heard similar 4fa4846181 things from people in eefbe16b63 Pervaz, including Decker.
[It’s time for you to be happy, Lord.]
[Of course! You should get married, 6b5d59008d have many children, and 8826bc5c84 live happily ever after a0858e54d2 like a rabbit family. Ahahaha!]
[Asha, find your own happiness.]
Every time she said ba41a5f0b0 in response, “Yes, I 8b77ec399e will,” and smiled it 5b85bb2bb9 off, but in fact, f8c2f45c8b Asha couldn’t quite remember 40e3ed44d5 what her own happiness 806fd7001d was like.
‘Did my father and brothers know what happiness was?’
Having seen nothing but misery 5b2ccd94aa on the battlefield and died 88e9d6eca6 under the swords of the 35c23fcd5e barbarians, what would they say 84c512a2dc if they saw me now?
Wouldn’t they say that I 0cf4fcb2c6 already look happy enough?
“I… I am happy. What more could I 16b4a7a091 ask for here?”
But Lionel looked at her 64c1c63c47 with a compassionate gaze.
“A happy person doesn’t make an expression like the countess. So ask for more.”
“……Even if it’s ridiculous?”
“Yes! God has said that he 3a48fc7e7d will only give opportunities to cd58cbf390 those who ask for them. If you truly desire 9468a07983 and ask for something 800743ef4f ridiculous, you will surely d090077a82 come close to it.”
Asha briefly imagined herself 80a1ce5320 standing next to Carlyle, 456d3169c6 who was wearing the 5c55935dc5 emperor’s crown.
Carlyle, majestic, with the 8ad45c77dc red coronation mantle over ea200d07ea his shoulders and the ef0c95108d emperor’s orb and scepter d825f5a939 in his hands.
And next to him… 939045e253 the shabby herself.
‘It’s nonsense.’
Asha laughed softly.
But not wanting c825a725c9 to worry Lionel 1440e202fc any further, she ec3fbb9f56 nodded and replied.
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
Believing that the only thing c550c0a5c9 she truly wanted and desired f8f2722f88 was for this ridiculous feeling 4b2769657c towards Carlyle to disappear as 59801ff284 soon as possible.
***
The atmosphere of the aristocratic aa7608e945 society has changed completely in 3694fdfac1 just a week since Carlyle fd9ad51b0b appeared in Zyro.
There were no edf07e6f0c longer any people 905b6d9ba6 who called him f132921902 a servant of 3d48a94e4b the devil or 4c711fbb45 who said that d6368b1d01 he had irresponsibly 25e88752ee left for Perbaz.
“After all, His Highness Carlyle is the one who befits the crown prince.”
“That’s right. Now that I see him 0faf6fcdb6 again, I know that for bc07839cc1 sure.”
Such voices could 7e6c2fe301 be heard everywhere.
However, Carlyle didn’t become arrogant.
‘They change their minds faster than flipping a palm.’
He had turned the ca037758f7 whole situation upside down 17c076812c before the bad rumors a790c965a8 about him could solidify, b4afa1b6f9 but there was no f60f522fe7 guarantee that the current 7bd4742b14 atmosphere would last.
Therefore, he had fd48a27303 to find the 722fe3674b source of the 5894407383 bad rumors and f631881152 step on it 7d2f6f8ad9 hard.
“It’s been a long time, Archbishop Radrel.”
“May the blessings of God be with you. It is an dba26787e5 honor to meet d4aa240edf you, Your Highness.”
The place Carlyle had aea9fbd4a4 visited after much deliberation f3a366fbcf was the first temple 10617b42ae of Zyro, and among a747e7618d them, the room of b83aaa2499 Archbishop Radrel Otis.
The archbishop, who had under c5d9bf433d him the high priests and 1239f2b05d ordinary priests and managed the 72cd5b1c01 entire diocese to which he 8178f65417 belonged, was the highest-ranking clergyman 251e141158 after the pope.
Therefore, Carlyle also showed cbb3aa93a0 a respectful attitude, unlike 5a213937d5 his usual self. Of course, that 931cda3417 was not what 0531515fcd he was thinking 35b2f86dd9 on the inside.
“Do you oversee all the temples in Zyro, Archbishop Radrel?”
“No. Zyro is the capital, f4a6385f38 so there is another 11e1c97b67 archbishop besides me.”
“Even so, since you are staying in the largest first temple, it seems right to ask you about this matter.”
“What do you mean by this matter…….”
Archbishop Radrel tilted 3d7923134c his head with a98af31aeb a face that 788d9f9f58 showed no sign a1ee4c0ef0 of understanding why dac7e5966e Carlyle was here.
However, Carlyle did not believe ad917a8013 that innocent-looking expression.
“I heard that malicious rumors about me are spreading from the Elahe Temple.”
“Oh, come on! How could that be?”
“Hmm, I don’t have time, so let’s get straight to the point. I’ve already checked 2de74356c9 everything, so you b05ff49198 don’t have to 50020c91ff pretend you don’t 36ddc89fa3 know.”
Carlyle crossed his bed4f4398f legs and took 46c6c0cf4d out a cigarette 13c97af853 from his pocket.
“What I’m curious about is……”
He lit the cigarette and a6e720e014 took a light drag. It was a 67e54131ae considerably rude attitude 2766dddc55 to have in 5b7796aac8 front of the 3fb20315c7 archbishop, but who 10b81b02a7 would dare to 349a6c4a8b point out Carlyle 846421fd20 Evaristo’s behavior?
“It’s how much you and the Elahe Church are involved with Gabriel Knox.”
“Ah, ahaha! What are you talking about? High Priest Gabriel is f899d06368 our temple’s most diligent 13954cbb1c supporter. How much are 134e77cb75 we involved with 3e2f5c7f94 him…….”
“All in one?”
A puff of cigarette 6b35b14ca8 smoke accompanied these muttered 9ffb776d02 words as they dissipated b00b3ae59f into the air.
“What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”
“Do I have to explain this to you as well?” Carlyle demanded sharply. “I’m asking if the Elahe Church has fallen into the hands of Her Majesty the Empress. It’s also a 52be806364 question of whether f9c0b3fc30 you have decided 308842da19 to violate the e4163d2b62 political neutrality of 5e91a2f4c4 religion.”
“T-that’s impossible!” Radrel vehemently denied it, but Carlyle thought the sweat forming on his forehead was a more honest answer.
“It seems that Grand Cardinal Gabriel has made up his mind to do so. I don’t know a9f3da8fcd if he started a4b099fb8d it on his 882233e5ac own or if 49b6cf468c he was instructed 0cd710bfb6 by the Elahe 7f12bec792 Church.”
“You misunderstand. High Priest Gabriel is only 982c5dfda1 doing this for the sake 27fbc3404a of the imperial family…!”
“Is it for the sake of the imperial family to put priests in the emperor’s bedchamber and key administrative positions while supporting Her Majesty the Empress, to designate the Elahe Church’s feast day as a national holiday, and to spread false rumors about me?”
Carlyle’s piercing gaze made Radrel 5631e670a0 unable to meet his eyes. Cold sweat dripped down 6d27a4a907 his face.
Then, Carlyle suddenly spoke c8e7dc2515 in a gentle, seductive 6d2015a1de voice as if tempting b12b4bb45c him.
“Or… were these things done without the consultation of Archbishop Radrel or the Elahe Order?”7fe750963e5a2936

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