22. History of Obsession
Fabian was confused. He couldn't believe what was happening in the palace.
The Emperor's nagging, the Empress's harassment, and the Crown Prince's appearance to save her at the right time. And then there's Daphne sleeping on Asherad's lap.
All of these things were strange and bizarre. Humans tend to fear things that defy common sense. The imperial family, which was at the height of absurdity, aroused fear in Fabian.
Even after running away from Daphne, Asherad did not forget to call him. Asherad looked at Daphne while caressing her. As if marking his territory.
He gritted his teeth and left the palace. The dawn wind was truly cold. He had no idea what to do next.
The one waiting for Fabian when he returned home was Count Locania. The always playful Count suddenly punched Fabian in the face.
“Why, why are you suddenly like this?”
Count Locania raised his fist and said.
“You have to look at people and flirt with them, didn't I tell you that?”
Fabian was confused. He couldn't believe what was happening in the palace.
The Emperor's nagging, the Empress's harassment, and the Crown Prince's appearance to save her at the right time. And then there's Daphne sleeping on Asherad's lap.
All of these things were strange and bizarre. Humans tend to fear things that defy common sense. The imperial family, which was at the height of absurdity, aroused fear in Fabian.
Even after running away from Daphne, Asherad did not forget to call him. Asherad looked at Daphne while caressing her. As if marking his territory.
He gritted his teeth and left the palace. The dawn wind was truly cold. He had no idea what to do next.
The one waiting for Fabian when he returned home was Count Locania. The always playful Count suddenly punched Fabian in the face.
“Why, why are you suddenly like this?”
Count Locania raised his fist and said.
“You have to look at people and flirt with them, didn't I tell you that?”
The Count of Locania shouted. Seeing Fabian's face darken as if he had guessed something, the Count said.
“What? Did he threaten you or something? What did the Emperor say?”
Fabian shook his head.
“No, Belenus, that horny beast doesn’t even pay attention to his surroundings anymore.”
Should he tell his father that the Crown Prince had threatened him? Fabian hesitated. However, seeing the Emperor curse so fearlessly, the Crown Prince might try to catch and kill him.
Although he was always cheerful and easygoing, the Count was not picky when he got angry. Fabian asked in a tired voice.
“Why shouldn’t I approach that woman?”
Count Locania said with a smile.
“There is one woman I have never been able to seduce.”
“...”
“Why would that be?”
Fabian was unable to answer that astonishing question. Count Locania smiled coldly and said:
“That woman was the Emperor’s woman. If she had been just any government, I might have tried to seduce her, but that woman was different.”
“...”
“Do you know what the Emperor did? He loved. He loved truly!”
Daphne's mother was loved by Emperor Belenus? Fabian felt dizzy.
“But you see, that way of loving was really strange.”
“...”
“They say that he brought such a pretty woman from somewhere and had her live in the palace, but later, out of fear of someone seeing her, he built a mansion near the palace and hid her there.”
Count Locania slowly closed and opened his eyes as if trying to recall the woman.
“Yes, there were many things that happened while the woman was in the palace. For example, everyone who even flirted with her was killed.”
“...”
“All the flowers she had shown affection for were cut down, and anyone she cared for, whether they were women or children, was killed. The painter who had been painting her portrait was also beheaded.”
“...”
“No matter how pretty that woman was, I didn’t even look her in the eye because I was afraid of my own life.”
“...So does that mean the Emperor loves Daphne?”
When he asked in a trembling voice, his father chuckled.
“The woman he was so obsessed with died, and her daughter was born. Is he going to just let that happen?”
“...”
“Belenus, that guy might actually like it since she was born from another man’s seed, but their blood isn’t mixed. Or maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference even if their blood was mixed.”
At those words, Fabian felt a surge of revulsion. His stomach churned.
“If the Emperor is nagging at her, her face must be starting to resemble her mother’s.”
“Then the Crown Prince...”
“Huh? What about the Crown Prince?”
“No, it isn’t.”
Could it be that the Crown Prince was doing this to warn the Emperor about the dangers?
No. No. He made Daphne kneel and read the book. The man was 'showing off' himself as if he were petting the cat in his arms.
It was his intuition as a man.
“So what the Emperor wants is to make Daphne his concubine? The woman he once considered like a daughter...”
“I guess so. It seems like he doesn’t even hide it anymore. He doesn’t even know shame.”
“...”
“I heard that he is extending his evil hand to that woman as well. No one is to be kind to that woman. No one is to be affectionate to her. That is the order that has been given.”
“What would happen if you treated her affectionately?”
“They all died. Those who pitied the little girl for what she had done were all executed for disobeying orders, and the young servants who knew nothing had their hands cut off and were driven out. Even the animals were killed.”
“...”
“Recently, a male servant died after speaking to her once...”
Fabian sighed at those words. However, he had another question. Wasn't it the obsession of the Crown Prince, not the Emperor?
Who is being obsessed?
“Then doesn’t that mean the Emperor is constantly watching Daphne?”
“I don’t think he watched it all the time, but he probably did it often. He probably didn’t care when she was little, but when she grew up and looked like her mother, he probably started to become obsessed with her.”
Fabian gritted his teeth.
“Then why am I alive?”
“First of all, he must have been busy with the death of the Empress and welcoming a new Empress, so he couldn’t worry about it.”
“...”
“The second is me.”
“...”
“It’s because of this smart father. No matter what, he doesn’t want to make an enemy of me.”
Count Locania pounded his chest. He had now developed firearms, a long-range weapon that was so necessary on the battlefield.
How could one kill such a man? The blueprints were in his head, and the craftsmen he hired were sworn to absolute loyalty to him.
“So, son, think wisely. If you don’t want to lose your life.”
“I also value my life.”
Fabian spat out annoyed words and went into the room. The Count clicked his tongue. His face grew colder and colder.
“No matter what, there is a line that must not be crossed. You are a bastard who is worse than a rotten rag.”
The Count of Locania ground his teeth.
“So that’s why you made the Crown Prince like that? That pathetic brat who abandoned his own son. And to rule the empire as an Emperor, the country is in ruins.”
He freely cursed the foolish and ruthless Emperor.
***
Morning came, and the sun rose to noon. Fabian did not sleep but was lost in thought. When the sun was about to set in the west, he got up and ran towards the place he had known before.
The tomb of Beatrice, Daphne's mother.
Fabian was riding towards it, the wind blowing and ruffling his hair.
Is this love?
Or is it chivalry?
Or is it an atonement for his fearfulness and inability to help?
Fabian thought as he ran to pick daffodils.
They were people who had only been together for two seasons, two seasons. One season was a time of unrequited love, and one season was a time when they barely talked.
If you ask if it is more meaningful than family, you might think it is meaningless.
However.
However.
However,
Isn't it so pitiful?
He was sobbing.
Fabian thought back to the seasons when he had watched Daphne. She had been neglected and ignored by everyone. Sometimes Daphne would speak in a very small voice, and it broke his heart to know how she had been treated.
A woman wearing an old maid's uniform. But when she smiles, she is the most beautiful woman in the world.
Fabian liked her.
Fabian was an outsider, an illegitimate child, but he was somehow cared for by his father, and thus was able to obtain a family and a house in the capital and become a knight.
Although he was an illegitimate child, his life was not entirely unhappy.
Of course, there were times when he was subjected to the control of the Countess and bullied by the legitimate heirs of the Count's family. However, it was like child's play, and when they became adults, they treated each other like cows and chickens. He was living a pretty good life.
His father was wealthy enough to feed all his children, took responsibility for the women he touched, and showed affection to them. His family, his mother and younger sister, were tightly knit with family love.
However...
However, Daphne was different.
Unless they were born to be unhappy, it couldn't be like this.
Daphne's life was completely trampled upon.
The knights warned him not to go near Daphne, but he believed in his father's authority and thought it was okay. No, maybe it was because he was a young, blue puppy.
Fabian stood at the tomb. Even if she was a concubine, it was not possible to bring her tomb into the palace, so Daphne's mother was buried here.
The tomb was neat and tidy, as if the Emperor was constantly looking after it, but it felt lonely for some reason. This must be because there was no one to visit the grave.
Daffodils were blooming on the sad and lonely grave. He picked one and gave it to Daphne.
"Daphne."
Fabian shed tears as he looked at the withered daffodils. It seemed as if they were Daphne's future.
Since the love that Asherad had bestowed upon her was the only thing that could be compared to a shower, Daphne looked only at that place and yearned for love.
Daphne had done nothing wrong. It was clearly unfair to live that kind of life.
Now he knew what was going on. Daphne should not be there. She had a better future ahead of her, but she was thoroughly trampled and abandoned as a plaything of the higher-ups.
The whole world couldn't be on her side, but he would be on her side.
He remembered the first time he saw Daphne.
The maid who ran out in tears was trampled by his eyes. He hated the way she always had a frightened expression. Nevertheless, he loved the way her eyes would light up when he spoke to her. She was pretty when she smiled, and when he spoke to her occasionally.
She was always timid and resigned, saying that she was the daughter of a sinner. Even so, she never blamed those around her, which was pitiful, but he wanted to protect her.
Fabian shed tears.
Even though he knew what the decision was, he couldn't stop crying. But, isn't this all he's learned?
His father, who was a delinquent, had always taken responsibility. He had also taken responsibility for his family. So, even though he was a 'man', it was natural for him to take responsibility for the person he loved.
Chivalry?
Maybe that was included. The knight saves the lady. Leaving that aside, does that make sense? Someone had to save her. He had to save her and make her laugh a little more.
He was not a mythical hero. But to one woman, he could be a hero.
To do that, Fabian,
He was willing to go into Daphne's hell with her.
He held the daffodil tightly.
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