The Age Of Arrogance

As he whispered even his secret wish, Asha’s eyelids fluttered and she slowly woke up.

 

“Countess! Are you conscious?”

 

Gabriel returned to his usual self and called Asha affectionately and politely.

 

Asha’s pale gray eyes scanned the air and slowly turned towards Gabriel.

 

“High… Priest…?”

 

“Oh, Libato, thank you.”

 

He prayed briefly and checked Asha’s condition.

 

It seemed that she didn’t have any strength in her body from lying down for a long time, but there didn’t seem to be any other problems.

 

“Fortunately. I was worried that I was too late… .”

 

“The High Priest… saved me. Thank you… .”

 

“You don’t have to say anything. You must have been very thirsty, and you must still be weak.”

 

Gabriel smiled kindly and comforted Asha.

 

However, he glanced at the door where Carlyle was guarding and quickly approached Asha and whispered in a very small voice.

 

“You may not be conscious yet, but listen carefully to what I say. While the Countess was unconscious, Emperor Kendrick Evaristo passed away and His Majesty Matthias succeeded to the throne.”

 

Asha’s eyes widened at his words. It meant that she understood what he was saying.

 

“Prince Carlyle fled to Pervaz and took control of the castle while the Countess was unconscious. And he is gathering his forces.”

 

“Fled…?”

 

“Yes. Since he couldn’t immediately deny His Majesty Matthias’s succession to the throne, which was recognized by the temple, let’s say he has ‘temporarily retreated’.”

 

Asha’s confusion was evident. Gabriel spoke in an urgent voice, as if to prevent her from thinking deeper.

 

“Prince Carlyle will gather the nobles and try to commit treason. In the process, he will pretend to be kind to the Countess in order to mobilize the Pervaz army again, but you must not be fooled.”

 

“That’s…”

 

“Cecilia Dupret, the Young Lady, is already staying in this castle. A deal must have been made in exchange for the position of Empress.”

 

When Asha nodded slightly with a hardened face, Gabriel was secretly excited.

 

“Prince Carlyle has turned the temple and the imperial family into enemies. The nobles will soon turn their backs on him as well. Now there is nothing left for him to expect.”

 

“……”

 

“The Countess will be used and abandoned until the end. Before that happens, come to me. I will help you.”

 

Asha moistened her dry lips with her tongue and slowly 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 will arrange a place for you in the Imperial Knights.”

 

Asha’s eyes flickered with a thoughtful light.

 

Gabriel gently took her hand.

 

“The word of God is the light and the way. Do not go into darkness, and do not go where there is no path.”

 

Asha sighed and nodded slowly.

 

“When the time comes… I will.”

 

Asha would never know how much that one word pleased Gabriel.

 

“You have thought well! I knew that the Countess was a true believer in God.”

 

He felt genuine joy and encouraged Asha a few more times before deciding to end the treatment.

 

“You must keep our conversation a secret. You never know what His Highness Carlyle will do to keep the Countess in his clutches. He is a fearsome man.”

 

“I understand.”

 

At her answer, Gabriel rose from his seat, feeling that he had more than fulfilled his purpose in visiting Pervaz today.

 

Then he opened the door and smiled at Carlyle.

 

“The treatment is over.”

 

“Asha, no, Countess Pervaz?”

 

“Come in and see for yourself.”

 

Carlyle entered the room, his grip tight on the hilt of his sword. And the moment he turned his gaze towards the bed, he met the gray eyes he had missed so much.

 

“Asha!”

 

He forgot that Gabriel was watching behind him and rushed over to Asha, taking her hand.

 

“Are you okay? Can you… recognize me?”

 

Asha thought he looked rather pathetic, with his lips trembling slightly, his hands sweating nervously, and his jaw clenched as if he were holding back tears.

 

‘I’m having all sorts of crazy thoughts as soon as I open my eyes.’

 

She resisted the urge to shake her head frantically. The ones who should be pitied are the innocent people who have become victims of the power struggle, not the one who is vying for the top of power.

 

Asha dryly replied, as if trampling down the embers of her lingering affection.

 

“I apologize for greeting you while lying in bed, Your Highness Carlyle.”

 

“Haaah… .”

 

Carlyle, relieved by Asha’s very Asha-like response, sank into a chair by the bed.

 

“Are you really okay? Are you in pain or discomfort anywhere?”

 

“I’m not sure yet. I don’t seem to have much strength in my body… .”

 

“Of course you don’t. You’ve been lying down for over a month.”

 

“Yes? That long?”

 

Asha, who had been indifferent, asked in surprise.

 

“Yes. To be exact, it’s been a month and ten days.”

 

Carlyle was smiling, but his smile was weak.

 

Then Gabriel stepped out from behind him.

 

“If your suspicions of me have been cleared, I must return to Zyro. And if there is a God, I ask that you keep my visit a secret.”

 

Carlyle realized that the man who had been there for less than two hours was about to return immediately. He knew that Gabriel had really come without the Empress’s knowledge. If he had been trying to find out something, he would have stayed for at least a day or two.

 

“If you need it, I will provide you with a horse or carriage.”

 

Although he was the lackey of the Empress he hated, Carlyle made the offer in a trembling voice, as he was clearly a benefactor in that he had saved Asha’s life.

 

However, Gabriel snorted and refused.

 

“It seems that the value of Countess Pervaz’s life is great. His Highness even offers me such favors.”

 

It was more like a provocation than a refusal.

 

“You must have been sneering at me like that while smiling broadly. You must have been 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 about your life.”

 

As the two men began to taunt each other, Asha, who had been watching them quietly, sighed loudly as if to tell them to stop. The two men’s shoulders flinched.

 

“I’m a little tired, so…”

 

As soon as Asha’s words fell, Carlyle jumped up from his seat.

 

“R-right. You need to rest for now. I’ll have Nina called.”

 

Gabriel also took a step back and bowed his head.

 

“May the grace of the God Rune of Healing be with the Countess. I will return now.”

 

The two men, who had left Asha’s room, telling her to take good care of herself, felt a sense of déjà vu as they stood in the 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 leave now.”

 

“Very well then.”

 

With nothing more to say, Carlyle called Lionel, who was standing far away, and told him to watch over Gabriel as he returned. Gabriel greeted him briefly and followed Lionel out of the castle.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Asha, who was able to move around to some extent, asked Carlyle for a private 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 the sofa at Carlyle’s invitation and was even served hot tea, but she did not relax her stern expression.

 

Carlyle swallowed dry saliva, guessing that it was anger towards him.

 

“Asha. If you don’t enjoy facing me, you can talk to me through Nina or Decker. I will never blame you…….”

 

“No. But…… did you originally call me by my name?”

 

Asha asked, stopping herself from drinking the tea. She had been called by her name in exhibitions or urgent situations, but she had never been called so affectionately in a private meeting.

 

Asha asked out of curiosity, but it sounded like a sharp rebuke to Carlyle.

 

He lowered his gaze and smiled bitterly, even though Asha 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 to be sarcastic. But it’s understandable that you would be suspicious of me being a rude and arrogant human…….”

 

Carlyle, who felt guilty even for Asha’s attempts to explain, looked down at the floor with a grim expression and opened his mouth with difficulty.

 

“I was wrong.”

 

“Yes……?”

 

Asha asked back, doubting her own ears at the sight of Carlyle 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 at him blankly, unable to say anything.

 

‘Why is he acting like this? What the hell happened while I was unconscious?’