24. Dog Treats
After Fabian left, Daphne looked blank. A dog? A dog?
I were a dog?
How could that be?
Daphne bit her lip. It couldn't be. She shook her head forcefully.
“You were mistaken.”
What does someone like Fabian know?
Treating her like a dog is too harsh. She tried to smile. Tears flowed from her eyes. Asherad was not that kind of person. He was so kind to people.
He was a bit sensitive, but that was something he had to have as a person of high status. Did he feed the dog a bowl or put a leash on it?
Isn't treating her like a dog a ridiculous exaggeration? But why does one corner of her heart pound so hard?
Daphne stood up. Should she meet Asherad? Then, the misunderstanding might be cleared up.
If Asherad smiles at her, if he speaks to her kindly, she will be willing to trust Asherad over Fabian. She will be willing.
Because didn't Asherad chase after her? Daphne would never forget the sight of the young man chasing her at that moment when the winter rain was falling.
Daphne, who had made up her mind, got up from her seat to go see Asherad. Perhaps because she was absent-minded. The sun was at noon, and if nothing special had happened, Asherad would have been taking a walk in the backyard of the Crown Prince's Palace.
Daphne wanted Asherad to leave because something special had come up. But Asherad was out walking. He had Kalista by his side.
Kalista was holding a rope in her hand, and following it, she found that it was connected to a long-haired white dog's leash. She heard that Asherad had given the dog to the seemingly free-spirited Empress. She takes that walk here.
Daphne looked at Kalista and Asherad in thought. Their conversation could not be heard from here, but at least the two were talking face to face.
Face to face.
Daphne had never thought it would be so strange. She knew very well that she could not talk to Asherad like that because of their status.
Still, she was jealous.
Daphne closed the distance a little more. A few knights noticed her, but they didn't pay much attention to her. They probably knew that she would be hanging around here anyway.
Asherad and Kalista sat on the bench. They were talking about something so enjoyable. A dog was sitting between Kalista and Asherad.
They continued to chat while watching the dog panting and sticking out its pink tongue.
At that moment, Asherad raised his hand and patted the dog's head. Just looking at it felt like getting hit in the head.
Asherad is sitting on a chair, a dog sitting at his feet, and a slow hand stroking it.
As if he were petting Daphne, Asherad looked down at the dog with a smile. The dog seemed to like the touch and rested its head on Asherad's lap with a happy expression.
Then Asherad handed the biscuit he had in his arms to the dog. The dog happily accepted it and ate it.
Daphne almost retched. She covered her mouth a few times and then smiled faintly. Her breathing was ragged, and tears were streaming down her face.
She backed away and left the Crown Prince's garden.
“Ha, haha. Hahaha!”
Just petting a dog. Just, just, just petting a dog.
“It was me, it was me!”
The dog was clearly like her. Daphne trembled with rising humiliation. She had always bowed down because she was the daughter of a sinner. She was a sinner before Asherad!
'If you commit a sin, you must be punished.'
Asherad had been saying that. Asherad had been 'punishing' her. Pretending to do it for her more than anyone else, and deceiving her by affectionately treating her like a 'dog'!
Daphne gasped for breath. She couldn't breathe properly. She clenched her teeth to keep herself from sobbing.
Daphne returned to the maids' quarters, where she ran into Sarah, who was also returning.
“Daphne! What is happening!”
“...”
“Oh my god, your face is a mess!”
She thought she had swallowed her tears, but it seemed they were all showing. Daphne swallowed her tears and said.
"Sarah."
"Yes?"
“His Highness the Crown Prince.. His Highness the Crown Prince gave orders not to let anyone approach me?”
Sarah's face hardened at those words. Daphne knew the answer just from that face.
“Is it just an order?”
“...”
“He killed them just for talking to me once.”
Sarah's voice was dark and deep. Daphne's eyes opened wide. At this moment, realizing that her very life had been played with, she fell into a pit of despair.
She knew that the life she was living was hell, but she didn't know it would be this hellish.
“I really didn’t know.”
Is it pity or sorrow? Sarah whispered quietly to Daphne.
“Yeah. I didn’t know.”
She smiled. Daphne, who had learned the truth, covered her face with both hands and sobbed.
Sarah did not comfort Daphne.
Daphne, with her mind in order, was able to face Fabian in a more composed state.
Fabian, who came cautiously at dawn, had a dark face. He seemed to be constantly thinking about how he could persuade Daphne.
“Fabian.”
“...”
“Let’s run away, just like you said.”
It was scary to see the world change. But what was scarier than the fear of change was the desire to escape from here.
Daphne's world was shattered. In fact, perhaps she knew it too. But Daphne was not normal because everything around her was not normal.
What does it mean to like something?
Fabian held Daphne in his arms. He didn't need to say anything. He understood how Daphne felt and comforted her with his embrace.
His embrace was warm. Seeing Fabian's actions, Daphne truly knew what it meant to love and cherish someone. When someone you love is shivering in the cold, you take off the thin clothes you are wearing. That is affection.
But Asherad did nothing. He could have shown Daphne some kindness, but he only watched her suffering.
A question she had never dared to ask came to mind. She is just her mother's daughter. Why is he so cruel to her?
If he's been around long enough, he knows that. That she's not a big enough blinker to claim such a thing.
After Fabian left, Daphne looked blank. A dog? A dog?
I were a dog?
How could that be?
Daphne bit her lip. It couldn't be. She shook her head forcefully.
“You were mistaken.”
What does someone like Fabian know?
Treating her like a dog is too harsh. She tried to smile. Tears flowed from her eyes. Asherad was not that kind of person. He was so kind to people.
He was a bit sensitive, but that was something he had to have as a person of high status. Did he feed the dog a bowl or put a leash on it?
Isn't treating her like a dog a ridiculous exaggeration? But why does one corner of her heart pound so hard?
Daphne stood up. Should she meet Asherad? Then, the misunderstanding might be cleared up.
If Asherad smiles at her, if he speaks to her kindly, she will be willing to trust Asherad over Fabian. She will be willing.
Because didn't Asherad chase after her? Daphne would never forget the sight of the young man chasing her at that moment when the winter rain was falling.
Daphne, who had made up her mind, got up from her seat to go see Asherad. Perhaps because she was absent-minded. The sun was at noon, and if nothing special had happened, Asherad would have been taking a walk in the backyard of the Crown Prince's Palace.
Daphne wanted Asherad to leave because something special had come up. But Asherad was out walking. He had Kalista by his side.
Kalista was holding a rope in her hand, and following it, she found that it was connected to a long-haired white dog's leash. She heard that Asherad had given the dog to the seemingly free-spirited Empress. She takes that walk here.
Daphne looked at Kalista and Asherad in thought. Their conversation could not be heard from here, but at least the two were talking face to face.
Face to face.
Daphne had never thought it would be so strange. She knew very well that she could not talk to Asherad like that because of their status.
Still, she was jealous.
Daphne closed the distance a little more. A few knights noticed her, but they didn't pay much attention to her. They probably knew that she would be hanging around here anyway.
Asherad and Kalista sat on the bench. They were talking about something so enjoyable. A dog was sitting between Kalista and Asherad.
They continued to chat while watching the dog panting and sticking out its pink tongue.
At that moment, Asherad raised his hand and patted the dog's head. Just looking at it felt like getting hit in the head.
Asherad is sitting on a chair, a dog sitting at his feet, and a slow hand stroking it.
As if he were petting Daphne, Asherad looked down at the dog with a smile. The dog seemed to like the touch and rested its head on Asherad's lap with a happy expression.
Then Asherad handed the biscuit he had in his arms to the dog. The dog happily accepted it and ate it.
Daphne almost retched. She covered her mouth a few times and then smiled faintly. Her breathing was ragged, and tears were streaming down her face.
She backed away and left the Crown Prince's garden.
“Ha, haha. Hahaha!”
Just petting a dog. Just, just, just petting a dog.
“It was me, it was me!”
The dog was clearly like her. Daphne trembled with rising humiliation. She had always bowed down because she was the daughter of a sinner. She was a sinner before Asherad!
'If you commit a sin, you must be punished.'
Asherad had been saying that. Asherad had been 'punishing' her. Pretending to do it for her more than anyone else, and deceiving her by affectionately treating her like a 'dog'!
Daphne gasped for breath. She couldn't breathe properly. She clenched her teeth to keep herself from sobbing.
Daphne returned to the maids' quarters, where she ran into Sarah, who was also returning.
“Daphne! What is happening!”
“...”
“Oh my god, your face is a mess!”
She thought she had swallowed her tears, but it seemed they were all showing. Daphne swallowed her tears and said.
"Sarah."
"Yes?"
“His Highness the Crown Prince.. His Highness the Crown Prince gave orders not to let anyone approach me?”
Sarah's face hardened at those words. Daphne knew the answer just from that face.
“Is it just an order?”
“...”
“He killed them just for talking to me once.”
Sarah's voice was dark and deep. Daphne's eyes opened wide. At this moment, realizing that her very life had been played with, she fell into a pit of despair.
She knew that the life she was living was hell, but she didn't know it would be this hellish.
“I really didn’t know.”
Is it pity or sorrow? Sarah whispered quietly to Daphne.
“Yeah. I didn’t know.”
She smiled. Daphne, who had learned the truth, covered her face with both hands and sobbed.
Sarah did not comfort Daphne.
***
Daphne, with her mind in order, was able to face Fabian in a more composed state.
Fabian, who came cautiously at dawn, had a dark face. He seemed to be constantly thinking about how he could persuade Daphne.
“Fabian.”
“...”
“Let’s run away, just like you said.”
It was scary to see the world change. But what was scarier than the fear of change was the desire to escape from here.
Daphne's world was shattered. In fact, perhaps she knew it too. But Daphne was not normal because everything around her was not normal.
What does it mean to like something?
Fabian held Daphne in his arms. He didn't need to say anything. He understood how Daphne felt and comforted her with his embrace.
His embrace was warm. Seeing Fabian's actions, Daphne truly knew what it meant to love and cherish someone. When someone you love is shivering in the cold, you take off the thin clothes you are wearing. That is affection.
But Asherad did nothing. He could have shown Daphne some kindness, but he only watched her suffering.
A question she had never dared to ask came to mind. She is just her mother's daughter. Why is he so cruel to her?
If he's been around long enough, he knows that. That she's not a big enough blinker to claim such a thing.
He must have realized that she was too scandalous to be worthy of such a noble position. Couldn't he have quit at the right time?
Why did you chase me then?
You should have just thrown it away then.
While waiting for Fabian, Daphne suffered and suffered again.
“Are you running away now?”
Daphne asked Fabian cautiously.
“No, you can’t run away now.”
"Why?"
“You're sometimes under surveillance.”
Daphne looked surprised. Surveillance? Surveillance? Who am I?
“So that must be what happened to the people who came to you.”
Daphne opened her lips slightly. Did Asherad do something like that?
“Then how do I escape?”
“In two weeks, a ceremony to offer sacrifices to the Lord will be held. All eyes will be on that ceremony. The troops will be the same. We should hang it here.”
“...”
“Once that time passes, you will be taken away by the Emperor.”
Daphne swallowed. Listening to Fabian, she realized how dangerous her situation was. Asherad was Asherad, but the Emperor was also a great threat to Daphne.
Would he try to pounce on her like the Prince of Pindus? The very thought gave her goosebumps.
“If you run away, this will be your last chance, Daphne.”
Fabian grabbed Daphne's shoulder. That was it. If the Emperor reached out, she would become his mistress and live in the palace. Then it might be harder to escape.
“On the second day of the festival, when the moon rises, you pretend to go to the bathroom and come out.”
“...”
“And jump down. I’ll take care of everything.”
Daphne nodded at those words.
***
Daphne had given up on Asherad. Her feelings for him were bitter, and her longing for freedom was sweet. Her burden was very simple.
Fabian said there wouldn't be any guards, but just in case, Daphne hid her thick clothes as best she could and headed to the bathroom.
She laughed again. Daphne's warehouse-like room didn't even have a window, but there was a window in the bathroom.
Knock knock-.
There was a knock on the bathroom window. Daphne approached the window cautiously. The place she lived was not high, and it was easy enough to jump down. And a hooded man was standing below.
Daphne put her foot on the windowsill. She didn't hesitate for long. She jumped down very lightly. It was like flying through the sky on a moonlit dawn night.
She didn't even think she was going to die. It was so overwhelming.
Daphne landed on the ground. Fabian, whom she had thought would catch her, seemed to have let her go. The soft grass made her body cold, but she was able to get up.
'What if I miss this?'
It was when Daphne raised her head with a resentful expression.
“Oh my, that must hurt a lot.”
A sweet man's voice was heard. When he took off his hood, his green eyes sparkled in the moonlight. The blue moonlight was gently illuminating his beautiful face.
“Daphne. Are you okay?”
Daphne stood there, unable to even scream. A man as beautiful as a fantasy was looking down at her with shining eyes.
It was Asherad.
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