34. Lover
Duke Turbol's expression was not particularly changed. But this time he did as he was told. His subject's warning and all were gone.
He saw something so horrible that he couldn't even bear to look at it.
“Are you in your right mind?! Your Majesty, the person you were just kissing is Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty’s mother!”
The Duke's face could not have been more miserable. Asherad looked at his face as if studying it. His eyes were beautiful and sparkling like a doll's glass eyes.
That transparency was so devoid of emotion that it felt very alien.
The Emperor felt neither anger nor shame at the thought of someone spying on him. Asherad smiled at Duke Turbol as if to say, “Do more!” Then the Duke’s face twisted.
“Your Majesty...! Why on earth!”
Duke Turbol, who was in charge of the straight line and central axis of the empire, was eager to hear an answer from Asherad. Asherad was a moral Emperor who always pursued uprightness and was popular with the people.
He, who was like that, broke not only the minimum morals but even the taboo, and kissed his own 'mother'. Even that was a big deal, and he looked a little annoyed.
Asherad said with a smile.
“His Majesty the Great caused such a stir because of a woman, so why can’t I, a member of his blood, do the same?”
"Your Majesty!"
Duke Turbol shouted as if he could bear it no longer. Asherad felt as if his anger was a plaything.
Duke Turbol seemed very angry at him. Daphne, who had been knocked down by Duke Turbol, was shocked by the situation, but she also felt a sense of kinship with Duke Turbol.
Asherad also observed Daphne's anger with such an observant gaze. It was a distant thought that it wasn't only her.
“Your Excellency, how can you be so rude in front of His Majesty!”
Kalista shouted sharply. She stepped in front of him as if to protect Asherad.
“Are you spying on His Majesty’s room without permission?”
“Why is Your Majesty the Empress Dowager acting like this! If you had any sense, you shouldn’t act like this! You can’t act like this... You can’t act like this.”
“...”
“Your Majesty, what do you think your mother, the dead Lady Sabrina, is thinking?”
The Duke shouted at Asherad in a desperate voice. A cold sneer appeared on Asherad's face, which had been expressionless all along.
“Yes, I didn’t know that Prince Turbol would be more interested in my dead mother than me.”
It was a soft but sharp-boned word. When Duke Turbol made a hard expression, Kalista stepped forward again. Thanks to Asherad, she had some self-restraint, but she still could not tell when to step forward and when not to.
“Your Excellency, I have been with you for many years, so I tell you. Keep quiet about this. And why are you making such a fuss? We are all in the same boat!”
“...”
“If you don’t reveal it in front of others, nothing will happen. So, just keep quiet.”
“Do you really think so?”
Duke Turbol had been looking only at Asherad, not at Kalista. When Asherad didn't respond, the Duke spoke calmly.
“Since there are eyes here, I guess I can just kill them.”
As the Duke opened the door wide, his gaze turned to Daphne, who was kneeling. Malista narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows, thinking about who it was, and then remembered her.
Asherad looked at the fallen Daphne and then at Duke Turbol.
Duke Turbol saw his collar drop. Asherad's normally relaxed face was, for some reason, tense.
“That woman was secretly watching you two kissing. She’s just a maid. Shouldn’t she be killed?”
If Asherad had just nodded, Duke Turbol would have killed Daphne right away.
Daphne blinked in surprise.
I'm dying. She didn't have any great attachment to life, but when she felt her life was in danger, her heart started pounding.
What Daphne saw was the Emperor's fatal corruption. It was absurd for the Emperor to have an affair with his stepmother.
What is Asherad thinking?
What was he thinking as he looked straight into her eyes and kissed Kalista? At that moment, the Duke of Turbol took a step closer to Daphne.
His cold gaze seemed like it would kill her. Strangely, this quiet-looking man seemed to have a murderous intent toward Daphne. He was a large man.
Since he doesn't have a sword, he'll definitely kill her with his hands. If he hits Daphne's head with those big hands, it'll crush her, and if he strangles her, her neck will break right away.
“Yes, Duke, kill her quickly!”
Kalista screamed. At the Empress Dowager's words, Daphne realized that there was no way for her to survive.
It was the same with Asherad. He was staring at Daphne with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if lost in thought. This man had no intention of saving her.
In fact, Daphne had given up on living a more enjoyable life when she was caught while running away. Surely, this kind of death would not harm Fabian's family, whose name was even distant.
She quietly closed her eyes, as if turning away from Asherad's gaze. She thought that something painful was coming. For the first time, she was able to show a carefree expression.
But nothing she was waiting for came.
“If you make that face of wanting to die like that, I won’t want to do it anymore, Daphne.”
A soft voice was heard. She felt long hands caressing her closed face.
When she opened her eyes to that finger, Asherad was standing next to her. She asked why with her eyes, but Asherad looked down at Daphne's face.
“If you’re trying to provoke me, why don’t you stop, Duke?”
Asherad turned around and looked at the Duke. He took Daphne's hand and lifted her up. She was looking ahead with wide eyes.
Why?
Wasn't it Asherad who had always ignored her? Why did he insist on coming forward and protecting her like this?
You weren't originally like this.
Was it because she really had a look on her face that said she wanted to die, that she was so disgusted?
She couldn't figure it out. The important thing was that Asherad came out in public for the first time and defended her.
Was she really a dog? Why was she finding joy in this? Daphne hated herself.
“Asherad, kill her! What are you doing!”
Kalista gritted her teeth and shouted.
The man who had just shared a passionate kiss with her turned away from her and approached the shabby woman to protect her.
He didn't even make eye contact with Kalista. He just grabbed Daphne's arm and helped her up, as if he hadn't heard her.
“Your Majesty, what are you doing now?”
Asherad chuckled at Duke Turbol's words.
“There’s no way I’ll kill this kid.”
"What..."
“This kid is my lover.”
Lover? Daphne blinked. So suddenly? Then kalista said evilly.
“What are you talking about?”
It was a bolt from the blue! Suddenly, Asherad has a lover? Is he finally crazy?
“Are you protecting that woman right now? How wrong is that...”
“If you’re going to be a hooligan, it wouldn’t be bad to be this kind of hooligan.”
Asherad muttered quietly while holding Daphne's hand. However, his words had already reached the ears of both Kalista and Duke Turbol.
“Are you planning to officially announce that you are lovers? That won’t do!”
Duke Turbol spoke in a strong tone. With his fierce size and expression, his words felt somewhat threatening. Asherad brushed away the fierceness as if it were a breeze.
“Duke Turbol, do you think that by leaving the government to you, you have become Emperor?”
Sometimes, soft and light is scarier than heavy and stiff. Asherad smiled and looked at the Duke.
Daphne looked into Asherad's cold, sunken eyes. Although his intentions to protect her were impure, he disagreed with the Duke to protect her.
Even she knew how great a warrior Duke Turbol was. She also knew that he symbolized the 'uprightness' of the country.
“Your Majesty, that’s not it! That’s... Don’t you know better why that is!”
“Even so, if I have made a decision, it must be upheld.”
“...”
“Although the Duke is my teacher, you are not my father. That’s all for the advice. I have no intention of listening to any more.”
The Duke's mouth fell silent at Asherad's firm words. Asherad had no intention of changing his mind.
“Your Majesty, I won’t kill her. I was being presumptuous... This won’t happen again, so please withdraw your announcement that she's your lover...”
“No, I changed my mind.”
Asherad stroked Daphne's cheek.
“I was starting to get a little annoyed.”
He looked at the face of Duke Turbol as if he were seeing it for the first time. So did Kalista. The smiling and friendly Crown Prince Asherad was gone, and only the Emperor's face remained.
He felt very bad after dreaming about his mother. He also felt bad about Kalista's unreasonable demands for affection. He also felt bad about Duke Turbol's interference.
Daphne's attitude was also annoying. Actually, shr could tolerate everything else.
However, the fact that Daphne didn't even give him a look asking for help, let alone say a word, cut something off.
So, how can we make everyone feel bad?
“I will follow in my father’s footsteps. From now on, I will provide my Daphne with her own room, and I will cherish her... and love her.”
“Your Majesty, that won’t do. What are you doing now?”
Kalista screamed. Asherad realized once again that he had nothing to worry about anymore. He knew it, but he had been too careful.
“Asherad!”
Asherad said to Kalista, who was shouting nervously.
“Shut your mouth, Mom.”
Duke Turbol's expression was not particularly changed. But this time he did as he was told. His subject's warning and all were gone.
He saw something so horrible that he couldn't even bear to look at it.
“Are you in your right mind?! Your Majesty, the person you were just kissing is Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty’s mother!”
The Duke's face could not have been more miserable. Asherad looked at his face as if studying it. His eyes were beautiful and sparkling like a doll's glass eyes.
That transparency was so devoid of emotion that it felt very alien.
The Emperor felt neither anger nor shame at the thought of someone spying on him. Asherad smiled at Duke Turbol as if to say, “Do more!” Then the Duke’s face twisted.
“Your Majesty...! Why on earth!”
Duke Turbol, who was in charge of the straight line and central axis of the empire, was eager to hear an answer from Asherad. Asherad was a moral Emperor who always pursued uprightness and was popular with the people.
He, who was like that, broke not only the minimum morals but even the taboo, and kissed his own 'mother'. Even that was a big deal, and he looked a little annoyed.
Asherad said with a smile.
“His Majesty the Great caused such a stir because of a woman, so why can’t I, a member of his blood, do the same?”
"Your Majesty!"
Duke Turbol shouted as if he could bear it no longer. Asherad felt as if his anger was a plaything.
Duke Turbol seemed very angry at him. Daphne, who had been knocked down by Duke Turbol, was shocked by the situation, but she also felt a sense of kinship with Duke Turbol.
Asherad also observed Daphne's anger with such an observant gaze. It was a distant thought that it wasn't only her.
“Your Excellency, how can you be so rude in front of His Majesty!”
Kalista shouted sharply. She stepped in front of him as if to protect Asherad.
“Are you spying on His Majesty’s room without permission?”
“Why is Your Majesty the Empress Dowager acting like this! If you had any sense, you shouldn’t act like this! You can’t act like this... You can’t act like this.”
“...”
“Your Majesty, what do you think your mother, the dead Lady Sabrina, is thinking?”
The Duke shouted at Asherad in a desperate voice. A cold sneer appeared on Asherad's face, which had been expressionless all along.
“Yes, I didn’t know that Prince Turbol would be more interested in my dead mother than me.”
It was a soft but sharp-boned word. When Duke Turbol made a hard expression, Kalista stepped forward again. Thanks to Asherad, she had some self-restraint, but she still could not tell when to step forward and when not to.
“Your Excellency, I have been with you for many years, so I tell you. Keep quiet about this. And why are you making such a fuss? We are all in the same boat!”
“...”
“If you don’t reveal it in front of others, nothing will happen. So, just keep quiet.”
“Do you really think so?”
Duke Turbol had been looking only at Asherad, not at Kalista. When Asherad didn't respond, the Duke spoke calmly.
“Since there are eyes here, I guess I can just kill them.”
As the Duke opened the door wide, his gaze turned to Daphne, who was kneeling. Malista narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows, thinking about who it was, and then remembered her.
Asherad looked at the fallen Daphne and then at Duke Turbol.
Duke Turbol saw his collar drop. Asherad's normally relaxed face was, for some reason, tense.
“That woman was secretly watching you two kissing. She’s just a maid. Shouldn’t she be killed?”
If Asherad had just nodded, Duke Turbol would have killed Daphne right away.
Daphne blinked in surprise.
I'm dying. She didn't have any great attachment to life, but when she felt her life was in danger, her heart started pounding.
What Daphne saw was the Emperor's fatal corruption. It was absurd for the Emperor to have an affair with his stepmother.
What is Asherad thinking?
What was he thinking as he looked straight into her eyes and kissed Kalista? At that moment, the Duke of Turbol took a step closer to Daphne.
His cold gaze seemed like it would kill her. Strangely, this quiet-looking man seemed to have a murderous intent toward Daphne. He was a large man.
Since he doesn't have a sword, he'll definitely kill her with his hands. If he hits Daphne's head with those big hands, it'll crush her, and if he strangles her, her neck will break right away.
“Yes, Duke, kill her quickly!”
Kalista screamed. At the Empress Dowager's words, Daphne realized that there was no way for her to survive.
It was the same with Asherad. He was staring at Daphne with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if lost in thought. This man had no intention of saving her.
In fact, Daphne had given up on living a more enjoyable life when she was caught while running away. Surely, this kind of death would not harm Fabian's family, whose name was even distant.
She quietly closed her eyes, as if turning away from Asherad's gaze. She thought that something painful was coming. For the first time, she was able to show a carefree expression.
But nothing she was waiting for came.
“If you make that face of wanting to die like that, I won’t want to do it anymore, Daphne.”
A soft voice was heard. She felt long hands caressing her closed face.
When she opened her eyes to that finger, Asherad was standing next to her. She asked why with her eyes, but Asherad looked down at Daphne's face.
“If you’re trying to provoke me, why don’t you stop, Duke?”
Asherad turned around and looked at the Duke. He took Daphne's hand and lifted her up. She was looking ahead with wide eyes.
Why?
Wasn't it Asherad who had always ignored her? Why did he insist on coming forward and protecting her like this?
You weren't originally like this.
Was it because she really had a look on her face that said she wanted to die, that she was so disgusted?
She couldn't figure it out. The important thing was that Asherad came out in public for the first time and defended her.
Was she really a dog? Why was she finding joy in this? Daphne hated herself.
“Asherad, kill her! What are you doing!”
Kalista gritted her teeth and shouted.
The man who had just shared a passionate kiss with her turned away from her and approached the shabby woman to protect her.
He didn't even make eye contact with Kalista. He just grabbed Daphne's arm and helped her up, as if he hadn't heard her.
“Your Majesty, what are you doing now?”
Asherad chuckled at Duke Turbol's words.
“There’s no way I’ll kill this kid.”
"What..."
“This kid is my lover.”
Lover? Daphne blinked. So suddenly? Then kalista said evilly.
“What are you talking about?”
It was a bolt from the blue! Suddenly, Asherad has a lover? Is he finally crazy?
“Are you protecting that woman right now? How wrong is that...”
“If you’re going to be a hooligan, it wouldn’t be bad to be this kind of hooligan.”
Asherad muttered quietly while holding Daphne's hand. However, his words had already reached the ears of both Kalista and Duke Turbol.
“Are you planning to officially announce that you are lovers? That won’t do!”
Duke Turbol spoke in a strong tone. With his fierce size and expression, his words felt somewhat threatening. Asherad brushed away the fierceness as if it were a breeze.
“Duke Turbol, do you think that by leaving the government to you, you have become Emperor?”
Sometimes, soft and light is scarier than heavy and stiff. Asherad smiled and looked at the Duke.
Daphne looked into Asherad's cold, sunken eyes. Although his intentions to protect her were impure, he disagreed with the Duke to protect her.
Even she knew how great a warrior Duke Turbol was. She also knew that he symbolized the 'uprightness' of the country.
“Your Majesty, that’s not it! That’s... Don’t you know better why that is!”
“Even so, if I have made a decision, it must be upheld.”
“...”
“Although the Duke is my teacher, you are not my father. That’s all for the advice. I have no intention of listening to any more.”
The Duke's mouth fell silent at Asherad's firm words. Asherad had no intention of changing his mind.
“Your Majesty, I won’t kill her. I was being presumptuous... This won’t happen again, so please withdraw your announcement that she's your lover...”
“No, I changed my mind.”
Asherad stroked Daphne's cheek.
“I was starting to get a little annoyed.”
He looked at the face of Duke Turbol as if he were seeing it for the first time. So did Kalista. The smiling and friendly Crown Prince Asherad was gone, and only the Emperor's face remained.
He felt very bad after dreaming about his mother. He also felt bad about Kalista's unreasonable demands for affection. He also felt bad about Duke Turbol's interference.
Daphne's attitude was also annoying. Actually, shr could tolerate everything else.
However, the fact that Daphne didn't even give him a look asking for help, let alone say a word, cut something off.
So, how can we make everyone feel bad?
“I will follow in my father’s footsteps. From now on, I will provide my Daphne with her own room, and I will cherish her... and love her.”
“Your Majesty, that won’t do. What are you doing now?”
Kalista screamed. Asherad realized once again that he had nothing to worry about anymore. He knew it, but he had been too careful.
“Asherad!”
Asherad said to Kalista, who was shouting nervously.
“Shut your mouth, Mom.”
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