The Age Of Arrogance

“Oh, and I will return to Zyro after conducting another pregnancy blessing ceremony next month. I wish I could stay longer to bestow blessings, but…”

 

“I understand that you’re busy. Don’t worry about it.”

 

“Thank you for understanding. Perhaps the god of abundance, Snaila, will soon bestow gifts that resemble both of you.”

 

Gabriel’s words of departing with dignity were somewhat dubious, but Asha didn’t harbor much suspicion.

 

‘After all, even the High Priest is ultimately human. What more can be done here?’

 

Now that the card of annulling the marriage was no longer an option, he believed he could do nothing but monitor the situation in Pervaz.

 

She couldn’t even imagine that the pregnancy blessing was just a lure.

 

*

 

“The High Priest will return at the end of December.”

 

Carlyle’s eyebrows raised at Asha’s report.

 

“With everywhere likely to be blanketed in snow by the end of December…?”

 

“Do we really need to concern ourselves with that when it’s his decision to leave?”

 

“…You’re right.”

 

Carlyle nodded, seemingly satisfied with Asha’s explanation that showed no ulterior motives for Gabriel.

 

But the atmosphere with Asha was still tense.

 

‘Why did I think Countess Pervaz liked that bastard before?’

 

He regrets it once again.

 

At that time, he was so angry that he felt like his eyes would turn upside down just because of the fact that Asha had prepared Gabriel’s bathwater.

 

He doesn’t understand why he did that at all now.

 

‘Either I was possessed by something, or I was just too sensitive because of that Gabriel bastard.’

 

The problem was that several days had passed without him apologizing to Asha.

 

Today, as soon as the report was over, Asha seemed ready to leave without further ado.

 

Carlyle stopped her.

 

“Countess Pervaz.”

 

It was difficult for him to speak, but he was determined to apologize somehow.

 

However, as he hesitated to utter those short words ‘I’m sorry’, Asha averted her gaze and murmured in response, misunderstanding his intentions.

 

“It’s fortunate that the High Priest is returning earlier than expected. You must have had a hard time pretending to be a real couple with me.”

 

“What…?”

 

Carlyle forgot what he wanted to say as he couldn’t understand what Asha was talking about.

 

“It must have been embarrassing for the young ladies on the second floor to see you. Leaving your real lovers and doing that with me.”

 

“Lovers…?”

 

Asha nodded casually, as if she had just heard something obvious. But her lips seemed slightly twisted.

 

Carlyle chuckled awkwardly.

 

“Who said that?”

 

“What… what are you talking about?”

 

“Who said I was a lover for those women?”

 

“Th, that…”

 

“Why do you think I drag Lady Dupret or Lady Raphelt to bed every night and roll around with them?”

 

Carlyle’s breath became heavy, and eventually, he exploded in anger.

 

Do you think I would have done what I did with you with any other woman!”

 

Asha flinched at the sudden harshness of his tone and lowered her head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to sound so rude…….”

 

“No, no, that’s not what I meant……! Haah……”

 

Carlyle sighed loudly, ruffling my hair.

 

“I swear on all my victories, it had nothing to do with the youngsters staying on the second floor.”

 

Asha’s eyes flickered a little, which Carlyle assumed was doubt, and he spoke again.

 

“I’ve never laid a finger on any of them. They’d act like they’re the Crown Princess if I gave them the slightest excuse.”

 

“Ah……!”

 

Even though it was an image she’d created on purpose, she felt bad that she had to make this excuse to be understood.

 

But there was no way she could argue with that.

 

“Anyway…… Just as you prejudiced me, I did too, Gabriel’s record was so colorful that I wondered if you might have fallen under his spell…….”

 

“How could I, when my contract with your Highness is tied to Pervaz?”

 

“I know, …… but a man’s heart doesn’t always do what he wants.”

 

There was silence between them for a moment at Carlyle’s words.

 

Asha’s parched lips pursed, and she clenched her fists tightly, pressing her nails into the flesh of her palms.

 

‘Even if His Highness hasn’t noticed my feelings, I have to say something!’

 

But she couldn’t think of anything to say.

 

Luckily, Carlyle broke the awkward silence.

 

“I feel like I’m rambling, but I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry…….”

 

“Yes……?”

 

“I’m sorry I misunderstood you, and I’m sorry I misjudged you without looking into it.”

 

“……I see.”

 

I don’t think I’ve ever heard this arrogant man say this many sorrys to someone before.

 

Asha didn’t know how to react, so she repeated her stiff answer and walked away.

 

But when she got back to her room and replayed what had just happened over and over again, her earlobes slowly began to turn red.

 

[Do you think I would have done what I did with you with any other woman!]

 

I didn’t know why the words kept coming back to me.

 

Even though he was yelling at me, I wasn’t angry, but my heart leapt with a strange excitement.

 

The fact that he didn’t have a relationship with Cecilia or Dorothea, the fact that he tried to clear up my misunderstanding, the fact that he apologized, all made me feel special.

 

‘I shouldn’t be doing this, I shouldn’t be doing this…….’

 

Asha lay sprawled out on her bed and covered her eyes with her hands.

 

Carlyle’s image flickered in and out of the darkness in front of her.

 

***

 

The snow that had been falling heavily since late November finally stopped in mid-December.

 

The people of Pervaz came out with snow shovels to clear the snow that had piled up on the streets.

 

When they were suffering from the war, no one cleared the snow, but now that hope had permeated every corner of life, they actively looked after their surroundings even without being told.

 

And then, around that time, Gabriel said he would leave.

 

“If I wait for all the snow to melt, It’ll be next year. The carriage should be able to roll at this point, so I will return to Zyro now.”

 

“Are you really sure? If you go like this and the snow starts to fall again, you could be isolated in the middle of the road.”

 

“I don’t think that will happen, as I should reach Elsir by tonight. Thank you for your concern.”

 

Carlyle was quite generous to Gabriel, who was leaving, and Gabriel was also polite.

 

“Please give my regards to His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress. Tell them not to worry.”

 

“I understand. May the blessings of Libato be with this place.”

 

Gabriel smiled kindly at Carlyle, who seemed eager to get rid of him, and left Pervaz Castle.

 

Just before he left, he took a look at Asha, but he didn’t say anything more to her.

 

‘There must be a way to contact her later.’

 

And then, pretending to head for Elsir, he changed direction as soon as the spire of Pervaz Castle disappeared from sight.

 

“Head over the northern border.”

 

“Yes, High Priest.”

 

The coachman and aide he had brought with him were also possessed by black magic, so there was no resistance to his dangerous and incomprehensible orders.

 

They circled behind the snow-covered hill and entered the abandoned land. The carriage and horses were white, so they were barely visible in the snow.

 

After riding for some time in the abandoned land, the snow that had been thickly piled up from Pervaz gradually thinned out and bare ground appeared.

 

‘It didn’t snow even though it’s north of Pervaz.’

 

He got out of the carriage and looked around.

 

Could Pervaz, which had just ended the war, be this devastated?

 

Whether it was a plain, a mountain, or a hill, it was all yellow-brown. Even though it was the middle of winter, not a single blade of grass was visible.

 

‘It seems that the rainfall itself is low……. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the land of the dead, not the abandoned land.’

 

He had his party wait at a distance and walked alone into the middle of the land where everything seemed to be dead. Then he looked around and raised the black magic from his hands and scattered it in the air.

 

‘Now, what will happen?’

 

The magic that scattered from his hands seemed to float in the air as it was scattered, but then it suddenly flew to one point.

 

Gabriel also followed his own magic to that place.

 

There was a small hole like a breathing hole in the ground where stones and gravel were rolling around.

 

“I found a rabbit hole.”

 

Gabriel smirked.

 

Just as Asha had said, there was a hole in the Abandoned Land where magic was leaking out.

 

“Where the hell does this hole lead to? Magic is pouring out of here.”

 

The magic was pouring out so much that it was making the surroundings dizzy. With this amount, neither humans nor animals could survive, just as Asha had said.

 

However, Gabriel, who had already become a considerably powerful black magician, was only sorry to see the magic being scattered.

 

“If I could only absorb all of this, I could easily finish off that Carlyle bastard.”

 

But unfortunately, that was impossible.

 

This was because Gabriel drew his own magic circle by referring to the book and offered sacrifices to it, and received his magic power from that magic circle.

 

Gabriel, who had been looking at the hole where the magic was leaking out with regret, soon changed his mind.

 

‘No. Greed is a taboo. Let’s be satisfied with the fact that this magic has contaminated the humans and animals of the Abandoned Land.’

 

Humans and animals contaminated with magic could be controlled using his dark magic circle.

 

Normally, it would take a lot of effort to confuse the human mind with dark magic, but it was easy for humans who were contaminated with magic.

 

‘Good. First, let’s draw a magic circle near the residence of the Igram and Pir tribes….’

 

Gabriel spread out the map that the priest he had previously sent to the Abandoned Land had drawn for him.

 

It seemed that Carlyle’s downfall was already within reach.