21. The girl who is reading a fairy tale
The Emperor looked at the person before him, his teacup still in his hands, lost in thought. The Count of Locania. He was known as a womanizer.
“I heard you got a new wife this time, too.”
The Emperor spoke to Count Locania with a smile. The Count smiled and chuckled. The Count had the solid feeling of a warrior, but there was also a peculiar and unclean aura that was brightening up the colors.
“It’s embarrassing, but it is.”
“Haha, the Count is still the same.”
Count Locania chuckled at the Emperor's words. He stroked his moustache.
“Life is short, so what’s wrong with coveting enchanting flowers?”
Count Locania smiled at the Emperor as if he knew. If it were before, he would have smiled back in sympathy with that smile, but the Emperor’s face was strangely stiff.
'Let's see, let's see, it's crawling.'
Count Locania was in charge of the central military force of the empire. This man was a genius commander, but he did not possess military power. Although he was always lazy in his main job when he was a womanizer, he had an excellent sense and was several steps ahead of the future in developing gunpowder weapons, and he had the monopoly on them.
It was all thanks to Count Locania that they were able to gain an advantage in trade with the Kingdom of Thalassa. He willingly lent his technicians to the Empire.
Thanks to this, the Duke of Tourbol, a knightly family of the Empire with overwhelming commanding power and military force, was pushed out of the first military family.
The Count of Locania was a good check on the Emperor, who was bothered by the rigidity of the Duke of Tourbol. However, the arrogance of this Count sometimes irritated the Emperor.
“It seems that the son also likes flowers like the Count.”
“What do you mean by flowers? If it’s your son...”
“I mean, Pond, Pond.”
“Aha Pond!”
The Count burst into hearty laughter. The Emperor looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“The woman by the Pond was also very charming. Yeah, um...”
The Emperor said as he watched the person suddenly drift into another memory.
“You asked me to personally assign him to the Crown Prince’s Palace.”
“I know, Fabian, you’re quite a conscientious guy.”
Count Locania smiled. For a lecher, he took responsibility for most of his children. Fabian was one of them.
He was a man who was full of love in many areas, and fatherly love was one of his loves.
“Has my son done anything disrespectful to Your Majesty?”
For a question asked slyly, the voice was surprisingly full of concern. This was why Count Locania was easy to deal with.
He did love his children, after all.
“He's eyeing the daughter of the woman I brought home myself.”
The Emperor looked at Count Locania. He soon realized what he meant and laughed loudly.
“Oh, you mean that girl? The daughter of the dead Miss Beatrice?”
“...”
“That daughter must be beautiful enough. Then it makes sense.”
The Count chuckled, not realizing that the Emperor had deliberately brought up the subject as a warning. So you stupid warriors! What good is it to develop firearms by racking your brains? The Emperor ground his teeth.
“Don’t you know what I’m trying to say?”
“Aha, so you are thinking of taking the daughter of your favorite concubine, who you thought was Your Majesty’s daughter, as your concubine again. You must be shocked that my son is bringing up the subject of your favorite concubine.”
Count Locania pointed it out with a smiling face. Was he mocking him because he knew it, or was he unaware of it?
The Emperor's face hardened at once, but the Count paid no attention.
This guy must be eliminated later. I must eliminate him. Emperor Belenus ground his teeth.
“My son doesn’t know such things. I will explain it to him clearly, so please don’t be angry.”
The Count tried to appease the Emperor like this. The Count's smiling eyes turned cold.
“I have to read it again.”
Is this what punishment is like? Daphne continued to read the book as Asherad had told her. Her eyes kept closing. Daphne sighed.
"Daphne."
It was an incredibly affectionate voice.
Daphne caught the eye with a rebellious look.
Maybe that's why. Asherad, as always, made Daphne sit under his chair and read a book. When she felt sleepy, Asherad sent her away.
But today was different. Asherad told her to read a book.
“And so, the forest fairy... to escape the sun god... ended up becoming a laurel tree.”
Shouldn't he be sleeping? Asherad had a tired face, but he wasn't in danger of collapsing like her.
Just then, a knock was heard.
Daphne tried to turn her head, but Asherad gently stopped her from turning. It seemed as if he was telling her to read a book.
“I have to read you the next story.”
Daphne nodded. She was so sleepy she couldn't stand it.
“There was a girl who loved to weave. Her weaving skills were the best in the whole country. When she embroidered flowers, it was said that the flowers seemed to give off a fragrance...”
The door creaked open. Daphne mumbled. The hand stroking her hair seemed to urge her on.
“Daphne, that’s enough. Go to sleep.”
Daphne closed her sleepy eyes, put down her book, and lay her head on Asherad's lap. His fingers tickled her ear.
He began to hear regular, wheezing breaths.
Asherad smiled as he looked affectionately at Daphne, who was sleeping with her upper body leaning on his lap. Then, he raised his head at the sound of footsteps that continued to be heard and stared at the visitor.
“Are you here?”
Asherad smiled broadly. His eyes were drowsy and sleepy. The drowsiness that was unique to them. The visitor, no, Fabian, was looking at it with a hardened expression.
“Why did you call me?”
The knight spoke quietly, trying to act as if nothing had happened. Asherad lowered his head again without saying anything and straightened Daphne's hair, which was scattered like gold threads.
"Your Highness."
At the urging words, Asherad brought his index finger to his lips.
“Shh. If you keep making noise like that, she’ll wake up.”
Asherad smiled and spoke charmingly. Fabian said at the incomprehensible sight.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?”
“...”
"I am..."
“But on the surface, it’s my knight, so I should at least give you a warning.”
Asherad stroked Daphne's head. He spoke while looking at Fabian's face. Fabian looked back and forth between Asherad and Daphne on his lap with a pale face.
“What the heck...”
“…...”
“What the hell is going on here?”
“...”
Fabian could tell what was what. But the only thing he could tell was that there was an unbearable ugliness here, in the palace.
Protect Daphne, who is treated like a pet.
“Daphne, are you feeling okay?”
Sarah looked fondly at Daphne's slapped cheek. The brown-haired girl seemed overcome with guilt.
“Oh, my. You’ve swollen a lot.”
After being hit by Kalista, she came back from reading a book in Asherad's quarters. Was it a big punishment? It wasn't a big punishment.
It was brave of her to come back alive after being out of favor with the Empress. Moreover, when she woke up, Daphne was lying on Asherad's sofa.
“The maid told me to rest for the time being.”
Daphne nodded weakly.
“What happened? I heard you were caught wearing clothes. Did Her Majesty scold you?”
Sarah asked cautiously. Daphne looked at her clear face and sighed quietly.
“I wasn’t scolded much. I just stayed up all night reading books.”
“What happened? Did His Highness the Crown Prince ask you..."
Daphne shook her head at those words.
“Nothing happened. I was just reading a book.”
Sarah stared blankly at Daphne's body.
“What about Fabian?”
“Fabian?”
Daphne laughed vainly.
“He ran away.”
“...”
“No, it wasn’t an escape. He just went.”
There was a thud at those words. Daphne looked closely at Sarah's face, but Sarah's face was one of pity.
“Poor Daphne.”
“...”
“I guess that guy couldn’t handle you either.”
Daphne didn't answer. Sarah was right. Just because that guy liked her didn't mean she would go back to being a normal girl.
“Oh, look at me. Madame Lapel told me to clean the stove... Daphne. I’ll see you later.”
Sarah got up from her seat and stepped back. She was used to being locked in her room, hugging her knees, and killing time.
As night drew on and dawn approached, the door opened with a bang.
"Daphne."
Daphne looked up at the sound of the door opening. It was Fabian. When Daphne was startled, he put his index finger up to her as if telling her to be quiet.
Aside from her disappointment with Fabian, she didn't know what the situation was. Even if she screamed, no one would come, but Daphne nodded anyway.
Fabian saw Daphne curled up on the bed and immediately grabbed her hand. As he was about to say something, something wet came into her hand.
"Ah."
Daphne knew that she could smell the scent of grass from it. What is this? Daphne looked at the thing in her hand.
It was a withered yellow daffodil. Daphne blinked as she looked at it.
Why are there flowers all of a sudden...?
Fabian said softly.
“It’s the flower that bloomed on your mother’s grave.”
The Emperor looked at the person before him, his teacup still in his hands, lost in thought. The Count of Locania. He was known as a womanizer.
“I heard you got a new wife this time, too.”
The Emperor spoke to Count Locania with a smile. The Count smiled and chuckled. The Count had the solid feeling of a warrior, but there was also a peculiar and unclean aura that was brightening up the colors.
“It’s embarrassing, but it is.”
“Haha, the Count is still the same.”
Count Locania chuckled at the Emperor's words. He stroked his moustache.
“Life is short, so what’s wrong with coveting enchanting flowers?”
Count Locania smiled at the Emperor as if he knew. If it were before, he would have smiled back in sympathy with that smile, but the Emperor’s face was strangely stiff.
'Let's see, let's see, it's crawling.'
Count Locania was in charge of the central military force of the empire. This man was a genius commander, but he did not possess military power. Although he was always lazy in his main job when he was a womanizer, he had an excellent sense and was several steps ahead of the future in developing gunpowder weapons, and he had the monopoly on them.
It was all thanks to Count Locania that they were able to gain an advantage in trade with the Kingdom of Thalassa. He willingly lent his technicians to the Empire.
Thanks to this, the Duke of Tourbol, a knightly family of the Empire with overwhelming commanding power and military force, was pushed out of the first military family.
The Count of Locania was a good check on the Emperor, who was bothered by the rigidity of the Duke of Tourbol. However, the arrogance of this Count sometimes irritated the Emperor.
“It seems that the son also likes flowers like the Count.”
“What do you mean by flowers? If it’s your son...”
“I mean, Pond, Pond.”
“Aha Pond!”
The Count burst into hearty laughter. The Emperor looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“The woman by the Pond was also very charming. Yeah, um...”
The Emperor said as he watched the person suddenly drift into another memory.
“You asked me to personally assign him to the Crown Prince’s Palace.”
“I know, Fabian, you’re quite a conscientious guy.”
Count Locania smiled. For a lecher, he took responsibility for most of his children. Fabian was one of them.
He was a man who was full of love in many areas, and fatherly love was one of his loves.
“Has my son done anything disrespectful to Your Majesty?”
For a question asked slyly, the voice was surprisingly full of concern. This was why Count Locania was easy to deal with.
He did love his children, after all.
“He's eyeing the daughter of the woman I brought home myself.”
The Emperor looked at Count Locania. He soon realized what he meant and laughed loudly.
“Oh, you mean that girl? The daughter of the dead Miss Beatrice?”
“...”
“That daughter must be beautiful enough. Then it makes sense.”
The Count chuckled, not realizing that the Emperor had deliberately brought up the subject as a warning. So you stupid warriors! What good is it to develop firearms by racking your brains? The Emperor ground his teeth.
“Don’t you know what I’m trying to say?”
“Aha, so you are thinking of taking the daughter of your favorite concubine, who you thought was Your Majesty’s daughter, as your concubine again. You must be shocked that my son is bringing up the subject of your favorite concubine.”
Count Locania pointed it out with a smiling face. Was he mocking him because he knew it, or was he unaware of it?
The Emperor's face hardened at once, but the Count paid no attention.
This guy must be eliminated later. I must eliminate him. Emperor Belenus ground his teeth.
“My son doesn’t know such things. I will explain it to him clearly, so please don’t be angry.”
The Count tried to appease the Emperor like this. The Count's smiling eyes turned cold.
***
“I have to read it again.”
Is this what punishment is like? Daphne continued to read the book as Asherad had told her. Her eyes kept closing. Daphne sighed.
"Daphne."
It was an incredibly affectionate voice.
Daphne caught the eye with a rebellious look.
Maybe that's why. Asherad, as always, made Daphne sit under his chair and read a book. When she felt sleepy, Asherad sent her away.
But today was different. Asherad told her to read a book.
“And so, the forest fairy... to escape the sun god... ended up becoming a laurel tree.”
Shouldn't he be sleeping? Asherad had a tired face, but he wasn't in danger of collapsing like her.
Just then, a knock was heard.
Daphne tried to turn her head, but Asherad gently stopped her from turning. It seemed as if he was telling her to read a book.
“I have to read you the next story.”
Daphne nodded. She was so sleepy she couldn't stand it.
“There was a girl who loved to weave. Her weaving skills were the best in the whole country. When she embroidered flowers, it was said that the flowers seemed to give off a fragrance...”
The door creaked open. Daphne mumbled. The hand stroking her hair seemed to urge her on.
“Daphne, that’s enough. Go to sleep.”
Daphne closed her sleepy eyes, put down her book, and lay her head on Asherad's lap. His fingers tickled her ear.
He began to hear regular, wheezing breaths.
Asherad smiled as he looked affectionately at Daphne, who was sleeping with her upper body leaning on his lap. Then, he raised his head at the sound of footsteps that continued to be heard and stared at the visitor.
“Are you here?”
Asherad smiled broadly. His eyes were drowsy and sleepy. The drowsiness that was unique to them. The visitor, no, Fabian, was looking at it with a hardened expression.
“Why did you call me?”
The knight spoke quietly, trying to act as if nothing had happened. Asherad lowered his head again without saying anything and straightened Daphne's hair, which was scattered like gold threads.
"Your Highness."
At the urging words, Asherad brought his index finger to his lips.
“Shh. If you keep making noise like that, she’ll wake up.”
Asherad smiled and spoke charmingly. Fabian said at the incomprehensible sight.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?”
“...”
"I am..."
“But on the surface, it’s my knight, so I should at least give you a warning.”
Asherad stroked Daphne's head. He spoke while looking at Fabian's face. Fabian looked back and forth between Asherad and Daphne on his lap with a pale face.
“What the heck...”
“…...”
“What the hell is going on here?”
“...”
Fabian could tell what was what. But the only thing he could tell was that there was an unbearable ugliness here, in the palace.
Protect Daphne, who is treated like a pet.
***
“Daphne, are you feeling okay?”
Sarah looked fondly at Daphne's slapped cheek. The brown-haired girl seemed overcome with guilt.
“Oh, my. You’ve swollen a lot.”
After being hit by Kalista, she came back from reading a book in Asherad's quarters. Was it a big punishment? It wasn't a big punishment.
It was brave of her to come back alive after being out of favor with the Empress. Moreover, when she woke up, Daphne was lying on Asherad's sofa.
“The maid told me to rest for the time being.”
Daphne nodded weakly.
“What happened? I heard you were caught wearing clothes. Did Her Majesty scold you?”
Sarah asked cautiously. Daphne looked at her clear face and sighed quietly.
“I wasn’t scolded much. I just stayed up all night reading books.”
“What happened? Did His Highness the Crown Prince ask you..."
Daphne shook her head at those words.
“Nothing happened. I was just reading a book.”
Sarah stared blankly at Daphne's body.
“What about Fabian?”
“Fabian?”
Daphne laughed vainly.
“He ran away.”
“...”
“No, it wasn’t an escape. He just went.”
There was a thud at those words. Daphne looked closely at Sarah's face, but Sarah's face was one of pity.
“Poor Daphne.”
“...”
“I guess that guy couldn’t handle you either.”
Daphne didn't answer. Sarah was right. Just because that guy liked her didn't mean she would go back to being a normal girl.
“Oh, look at me. Madame Lapel told me to clean the stove... Daphne. I’ll see you later.”
Sarah got up from her seat and stepped back. She was used to being locked in her room, hugging her knees, and killing time.
As night drew on and dawn approached, the door opened with a bang.
"Daphne."
Daphne looked up at the sound of the door opening. It was Fabian. When Daphne was startled, he put his index finger up to her as if telling her to be quiet.
Aside from her disappointment with Fabian, she didn't know what the situation was. Even if she screamed, no one would come, but Daphne nodded anyway.
Fabian saw Daphne curled up on the bed and immediately grabbed her hand. As he was about to say something, something wet came into her hand.
"Ah."
Daphne knew that she could smell the scent of grass from it. What is this? Daphne looked at the thing in her hand.
It was a withered yellow daffodil. Daphne blinked as she looked at it.
Why are there flowers all of a sudden...?
Fabian said softly.
“It’s the flower that bloomed on your mother’s grave.”
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