23. Let's run away
Daphne looked at the daffodils Fabian had handed her. The flowers he had brought from her mother's grave. She stared at them blankly, and Fabian said,
“I thought about how to comfort you. All I could do was stop by your mother’s grave, pick some flowers, and come back here.”
Fabian smiled awkwardly and said, “What a gift, a flower blooming on a grave.”
"I..."
Fabian sat down with a thud and looked up at Daphne. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked at her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“...”
“I was confused. I didn’t know how to treat you.”
“...”
“I should have hugged you then, but I was confused first.”
“...”
“Honestly, I was scared. Because His Majesty, no, the Emperor...”
He repented with tears. Tears slowly welled up in Daphne's eyes.
No one had ever apologized to Daphne so sincerely. Fabian continued to give something back to her when she was trying to live without emotions.
“So that’s Daphne.”
“...”
“Let’s run away.”
And he finally awakened Daphne's spirit. Run away. It was a word she had not even thought of. Fabian said it again, looking at Daphne's foolish appearance.
“Let’s run away from all this. Come with me.”
Fabian looked quite desperate. Daphne shook her head.
“What do you mean, why am I running away?”
“You know that. The Emperor is after you.”
Daphne nodded.
“That’s why I shouldn’t run away.”
Daphne knew her situation well. The Emperor was after her, and if she were to escape, what would happen? Not only would she be hurt, but Fabian would also be hurt.
She still remembered the tragedy that had taken place in her own home. He had maliciously killed so many people just because her mother had tricked Daphne into thinking she was his daughter.
“Fabian, thank you for your words, but it’s okay.”
Daphne was truly grateful. She had been hurt by Fabian, but she was already better. Just saying that was enough.
“Daphne, you have to get out of this crazy place!”
When Fabian raised his voice, she wondered. It was her life. Why was Fabian trying to persuade her so desperately?
“This place is crazy. This place is just hell for you.”
“...I know, but.”
“Then why don’t you try to run away?”
Daphne blinked at Fabian's voice. Why didn't she try to run away?
“Well, I don’t have the strength, I don’t have money, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to live well there...”
“I said I would help you.”
“Why on earth?”
“I can’t just leave you like this!”
Daphne flinched when he shouted.
“Sorry, Daphne. Are you surprised?”
He spoke, taking a deep breath.
“You’re doing this because you’re not sure your life will get better? Because you don’t know what a free life is like after running away.”
“...”
“You may not live in luxury, but you can sleep in a sunny room instead of a warehouse-like place like this.”
“...”
“You don’t have to be noticed, no one hates you. They won’t even know that you’re a sinner.”
“...”
“There are a lot of fun things to do. Whether you’re hiding in the city or the village, there are a lot of fun things to do.”
“...”
“I will do it, I promise.”
Fabian took Daphne's hand and spoke. Daphne pictured that life. It was a life she had never imagined.
The environment had completely changed. But Daphne was afraid, like an animal that had been captured and locked up. And if she went, that man... The man who had cherished her as his little sister...
Daphne looked at the daffodils Fabian had handed her. The flowers he had brought from her mother's grave. She stared at them blankly, and Fabian said,
“I thought about how to comfort you. All I could do was stop by your mother’s grave, pick some flowers, and come back here.”
Fabian smiled awkwardly and said, “What a gift, a flower blooming on a grave.”
"I..."
Fabian sat down with a thud and looked up at Daphne. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked at her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“...”
“I was confused. I didn’t know how to treat you.”
“...”
“I should have hugged you then, but I was confused first.”
“...”
“Honestly, I was scared. Because His Majesty, no, the Emperor...”
He repented with tears. Tears slowly welled up in Daphne's eyes.
No one had ever apologized to Daphne so sincerely. Fabian continued to give something back to her when she was trying to live without emotions.
“So that’s Daphne.”
“...”
“Let’s run away.”
And he finally awakened Daphne's spirit. Run away. It was a word she had not even thought of. Fabian said it again, looking at Daphne's foolish appearance.
“Let’s run away from all this. Come with me.”
Fabian looked quite desperate. Daphne shook her head.
“What do you mean, why am I running away?”
“You know that. The Emperor is after you.”
Daphne nodded.
“That’s why I shouldn’t run away.”
Daphne knew her situation well. The Emperor was after her, and if she were to escape, what would happen? Not only would she be hurt, but Fabian would also be hurt.
She still remembered the tragedy that had taken place in her own home. He had maliciously killed so many people just because her mother had tricked Daphne into thinking she was his daughter.
“Fabian, thank you for your words, but it’s okay.”
Daphne was truly grateful. She had been hurt by Fabian, but she was already better. Just saying that was enough.
“Daphne, you have to get out of this crazy place!”
When Fabian raised his voice, she wondered. It was her life. Why was Fabian trying to persuade her so desperately?
“This place is crazy. This place is just hell for you.”
“...I know, but.”
“Then why don’t you try to run away?”
Daphne blinked at Fabian's voice. Why didn't she try to run away?
“Well, I don’t have the strength, I don’t have money, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to live well there...”
“I said I would help you.”
“Why on earth?”
“I can’t just leave you like this!”
Daphne flinched when he shouted.
“Sorry, Daphne. Are you surprised?”
He spoke, taking a deep breath.
“You’re doing this because you’re not sure your life will get better? Because you don’t know what a free life is like after running away.”
“...”
“You may not live in luxury, but you can sleep in a sunny room instead of a warehouse-like place like this.”
“...”
“You don’t have to be noticed, no one hates you. They won’t even know that you’re a sinner.”
“...”
“There are a lot of fun things to do. Whether you’re hiding in the city or the village, there are a lot of fun things to do.”
“...”
“I will do it, I promise.”
Fabian took Daphne's hand and spoke. Daphne pictured that life. It was a life she had never imagined.
The environment had completely changed. But Daphne was afraid, like an animal that had been captured and locked up. And if she went, that man... The man who had cherished her as his little sister...
“Thank you, Fabian, but I...”
“Is it because of the Crown Prince?”
Daphne flinched at Fabian's question. Fabian had already read her thoughts a long time ago.
It was better to at least stay by his side than to run away and face an unfortunate future.
Fabian looked at Daphne. She was refusing to change. She was already tamed.
“Listen carefully, Daphne. The Crown Prince doesn’t think of you as a younger sister, and he doesn’t particularly love you.”
“What do you mean!”
When Daphne screamed, Fabian grabbed her shoulder and said.
“The Crown Prince you love enjoys tormenting you.”
“...”
“Don’t you get it yet? That kid says he likes you, and he’s all for toying with you. You... you’ve been cheated on all your life.”
Daphne didn't believe it. Of course. Fabian didn't know anything. It was Asherad, who had been with her since childhood. Why was he so eager to make fun of him?
How much he adored Daphne.
“Fabian, if you’re going to say something like that, then go away.”
Daphne and Asherad have been together for a long time. Asherad has been capricious at times, but he has found Daphne.
Even though he could not save her from the Emperor's clutches, she wanted to be by Asherad's side.
“You are lying to me.”
Fabian's eyes changed at Daphne's confident voice. Daphne was not convinced, no matter what he said. In that case, he would only tell a part of the truth.
“The Crown Prince knew from the beginning that you were the daughter of a witch.”
“...”
“I thought he knew everything. After all, he was the Crown Prince. How could he not know that?”
That wasn't much of a problem. She wondered why he pretended not to know, but if he had known and still treated her kindly, she would have been grateful to Asherad.
“That’s not a big deal.”
“Daphne, this is a big problem. The Emperor tried to depose the Crown Prince only once, and that was because of you.”
Daphne blinked. Because of me?
“If you are a noble, even a passing dog will know! The Emperor loved your mother, so he insulted the Empress, the mother of the Crown Prince.”
Was that it? Daphne opened her lips slightly. Fabian shut his eyes tightly.
“Think about it. While you were in the palace, have there ever been times when people who were kind to you disappeared or suddenly treated you coldly?”
“...”
“You know that too.”
Daphne shut her mouth at Fabian's words. That's right. Everyone who had been kind to Daphne had disappeared. Or suddenly became cold to her.
“It’s all the Crown Prince’s fault.”
Daphne's eyes widened. Fabian realized that breaking Daphne's egg would require some deception.
The Emperor may have given the order, but the Crown Prince must have also contributed to some extent. In that case, wouldn't it be better to blame the Crown Prince? He had to break the trust in the Crown Prince.
“Because he wants you to be miserable. He wants you to be lonely. He does it to vent his anger.”
Then, Daphne could escape, even if her comfort was gone. The Crown Prince had clearly been toying with her.
“Please open your eyes and face reality! You know it. The Crown Prince enjoys tormenting you and almost brought you to rock bottom.”
"No."
“Or look! Why did he leave you like this? As the Crown Prince, he should have the power to do so! Why did he make you stay in a room like that?”
“...”
“If it were you, would you let your little sister live in a place like that? Would you let her live being ignored and treated coldly by people?”
“...”
“I would never do that! If Mervel did that, I would have made her run away even if it meant dying!”
“Stop talking, please.”
Daphne shook her head with tearful eyes. Fabian said, choking up.
“You will die of thirst. This is not a given. You deserve to be loved!”
“...No, no!”
Daphne screamed. She was gasping for breath.
“He saved me so many times.”
“Because if he didn’t save you, you would have died. And if he did save you, you would have followed him.”
“He asked me to stay by his side.”
“So he can harass you.”
“Every night he called me into his room and asked me to read him a book.”
“I was wondering how you were doing.”
Daphne bit her lip and swallowed a sob.
“He patted my head.”
“He sits on the chair, you kneel, like that?”
Fabian asked knowingly. She flinched.
“Uh... how.”
Fabian forced the corners of his lips to rise.
“Daphne, Daphne... poor Daphne.”
He spoke with tearful eyes.
“You really don’t know?”
Daphne wanted to shut Fabian's mouth for a moment. Whatever it was, it was the words that would ruin her. But perhaps she had already realized that she could not stop him, and so she stood there without shutting his mouth.
“That’s the same as loving a dog.”
Crunch crunch, the unhappy and peaceful world surrounding her began to break apart.
“Daphne, you were treated like a dog. By that bastard.”
The tears that had been held back flowed down.
“Is it because of the Crown Prince?”
Daphne flinched at Fabian's question. Fabian had already read her thoughts a long time ago.
It was better to at least stay by his side than to run away and face an unfortunate future.
Fabian looked at Daphne. She was refusing to change. She was already tamed.
“Listen carefully, Daphne. The Crown Prince doesn’t think of you as a younger sister, and he doesn’t particularly love you.”
“What do you mean!”
When Daphne screamed, Fabian grabbed her shoulder and said.
“The Crown Prince you love enjoys tormenting you.”
“...”
“Don’t you get it yet? That kid says he likes you, and he’s all for toying with you. You... you’ve been cheated on all your life.”
Daphne didn't believe it. Of course. Fabian didn't know anything. It was Asherad, who had been with her since childhood. Why was he so eager to make fun of him?
How much he adored Daphne.
“Fabian, if you’re going to say something like that, then go away.”
Daphne and Asherad have been together for a long time. Asherad has been capricious at times, but he has found Daphne.
Even though he could not save her from the Emperor's clutches, she wanted to be by Asherad's side.
“You are lying to me.”
Fabian's eyes changed at Daphne's confident voice. Daphne was not convinced, no matter what he said. In that case, he would only tell a part of the truth.
“The Crown Prince knew from the beginning that you were the daughter of a witch.”
“...”
“I thought he knew everything. After all, he was the Crown Prince. How could he not know that?”
That wasn't much of a problem. She wondered why he pretended not to know, but if he had known and still treated her kindly, she would have been grateful to Asherad.
“That’s not a big deal.”
“Daphne, this is a big problem. The Emperor tried to depose the Crown Prince only once, and that was because of you.”
Daphne blinked. Because of me?
“If you are a noble, even a passing dog will know! The Emperor loved your mother, so he insulted the Empress, the mother of the Crown Prince.”
Was that it? Daphne opened her lips slightly. Fabian shut his eyes tightly.
“Think about it. While you were in the palace, have there ever been times when people who were kind to you disappeared or suddenly treated you coldly?”
“...”
“You know that too.”
Daphne shut her mouth at Fabian's words. That's right. Everyone who had been kind to Daphne had disappeared. Or suddenly became cold to her.
“It’s all the Crown Prince’s fault.”
Daphne's eyes widened. Fabian realized that breaking Daphne's egg would require some deception.
The Emperor may have given the order, but the Crown Prince must have also contributed to some extent. In that case, wouldn't it be better to blame the Crown Prince? He had to break the trust in the Crown Prince.
“Because he wants you to be miserable. He wants you to be lonely. He does it to vent his anger.”
Then, Daphne could escape, even if her comfort was gone. The Crown Prince had clearly been toying with her.
“Please open your eyes and face reality! You know it. The Crown Prince enjoys tormenting you and almost brought you to rock bottom.”
"No."
“Or look! Why did he leave you like this? As the Crown Prince, he should have the power to do so! Why did he make you stay in a room like that?”
“...”
“If it were you, would you let your little sister live in a place like that? Would you let her live being ignored and treated coldly by people?”
“...”
“I would never do that! If Mervel did that, I would have made her run away even if it meant dying!”
“Stop talking, please.”
Daphne shook her head with tearful eyes. Fabian said, choking up.
“You will die of thirst. This is not a given. You deserve to be loved!”
“...No, no!”
Daphne screamed. She was gasping for breath.
“He saved me so many times.”
“Because if he didn’t save you, you would have died. And if he did save you, you would have followed him.”
“He asked me to stay by his side.”
“So he can harass you.”
“Every night he called me into his room and asked me to read him a book.”
“I was wondering how you were doing.”
Daphne bit her lip and swallowed a sob.
“He patted my head.”
“He sits on the chair, you kneel, like that?”
Fabian asked knowingly. She flinched.
“Uh... how.”
Fabian forced the corners of his lips to rise.
“Daphne, Daphne... poor Daphne.”
He spoke with tearful eyes.
“You really don’t know?”
Daphne wanted to shut Fabian's mouth for a moment. Whatever it was, it was the words that would ruin her. But perhaps she had already realized that she could not stop him, and so she stood there without shutting his mouth.
“That’s the same as loving a dog.”
Crunch crunch, the unhappy and peaceful world surrounding her began to break apart.
“Daphne, you were treated like a dog. By that bastard.”
The tears that had been held back flowed down.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment