47. Insult
Daphne kept repeating to herself, she was just a maid. She should just quietly endure such insults.
This is something she had to get used to.
Get used to it.
She was the daughter of a sinner, a lowly maid who lived in a cleaning shed. You shouldn't be angry about things like this. So please, don't hurt yourself anymore.
But the situation had gone beyond what Daphne could reasonably accept.
Daphne hated being alone. To be exact, she was so lonely that she wished the loneliness would go away.
She wished someone had taken her side. But the maids standing behind her didn't catch Daphne even when she fell backwards.
“Pfft.”
Laughter was heard from behind, directed at Daphne, who had fallen comically.
It's not like she treated her maids badly or made them do ridiculous things because she was favored by the Emperor.
Daphne rather noticed. When she was a maid, these were high-ranking maids.
Even though they were people who laughed at her, she didn't even expect to become close to them and tried to make things convenient for them. She even set their salaries high. Then they were a little more friendly. But this was the result.
They did not take her side. They knew that she was displeased. They were the ones who could at least 'not laugh' at her, even if they did not protect her in front of Kalista.
Daphne felt a deep sense of loneliness as she watched those who were laughing at her from both sides.
There is no one on her side anywhere.
Daphne squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to kill the shame that was trying to raise her head. Rising from her seat, she bowed to Kalista and stepped back.
“Where are you going? How about taking a walk with me?”
“...”
“I changed my mind. I got bored.”
It seemed as if Kalista had no intention of letting Daphne go. Or perhaps she wanted to see her beg even more desperately.
Why was she trying to torment her so viciously with such an angelic and beautiful face? Daphne felt helpless.
Daphne desperately wanted to leave this place, but she didn't know what to do at the moment. She didn't know the royal family's graceful way of avoiding such harassment.
There was only one thing she could do at a time like this: just endure her taunts until Kalista's anger subsided.
“Hello, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager.”
Daphne made a puzzled expression at the man's voice she heard at that moment. The man with brown hair and dark brown eyes walking towards her was someone she had never seen before.
“Oh, Viscount Turbol!”
Kalista greeted him with a smile. Viscount Turbol, Ioannis Turbol, greeted her with a faint smile on his lips.
“What’s going on?”
“I was ordered to bring this girl.”
“To whom?”
“Don’t you know?”
The young man looked at Daphne, avoiding a direct answer. Daphne nodded awkwardly in greeting.
“Follow me.”
If there was anyone looking for her, it was Asherad. Someone who could be called out in front of the Empress Dowager. That was fortunate. Daphne followed Viscount Turbol.
The Viscount raised his hand to stop the maids who were trying to follow Daphne. The maids' faces turned sad. If they stayed, they would immediately face Kalista's wrath.
As Daphne was about to say something, Viscount Turbol said:
“There is no need to take responsibility for those who do not follow their master to the end.”
Daphne nodded at those words, thinking it was an obvious lesson.
When they got some distance away from Kalista and her party, his footsteps stopped.
“Why did you just take it?”
"Yes?"
Daphne looked puzzled by the sudden question. Viscount Turbol glanced at Daphne's face as if he found it strange.
“You are a woman that His Majesty cherishes. If His Majesty permits, then you can just claim it and leave.”
“...”
“Why didn’t you defend yourself?”
Why is this person asking this? Daphne said, staring intently at Ioannis' face.
“Was that okay?”
At those words, Ioannis made a face of bewilderment. Daphne didn't know. Could she really have gotten away with Asherad's excuse?
But how would Daphne know that? He never said it was okay.
Besides, Asherad was kind to the Empress Dowager. How could a maid dare to taunt a noble woman he liked so much that he even kissed her?
“Why doesn’t it work?”
“Well, His Majesty is on Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s side.”
"So?"
“So I don’t think it’ll work even if I say it anyway. Even if I try, it’ll just cause more trouble later.”
At Daphne's words, Viscount Turbol frowned.
“By the way, who are you, my lord?”
At Daphne's words, Viscount Turbol seemed to have finally realized it and spoke.
“Ioannis Turbol. Viscount Turbol.”
Aha. Somehow, it said 'Turbol', so it seems he is the heir of the Turbol family.
As a nobleman of the Duke's family, the man looked firm rather than arrogant. He had a similar, strong-looking aura to the Duke, but he seemed to show little emotion.
The reason was simple: he did not despise Daphne.
He looked Daphne up and down, then folded his arms and said.
“You have elegance, but you don’t seem to know what to do in the palace.”
Daphne flinched at those words. She remembered the Duke of Turbol trying to kill her. Of course, as a son of that family, he would be displeased with her, too.
“Don’t cower in fear of every single criticism. I don’t think of you as a mean person, and I don’t pity you. Hold your head up high and stand tall.”
At that remark, Daphne straightened her back and raised her head. Ioannis watched her with a cold expression.
“If you want to be by His Majesty’s side, you must become a woman worthy of Him.”
What if I wanted to leave him? Daphne thought to herself. But she had enough sense not to say it out loud.
“But, Your Grace...”
Daphne opened her mouth with difficulty to answer the question that had been on her mind since earlier. This was not the road leading to the palace where Asherad was, but a completely different direction.
It seemed as if Ioannis had just remembered it.
“It was a lie.”
"Yes?"
So, are you saying that you dared to forge the Emperor's orders to bring Daphne back from the Empress Dowager?
What a great treason that is...
The man who had committed treason so shamelessly left the place without looking back.
“You’re weak.”
Ioannis muttered. The Daphne he had seen with his own eyes was so weak and delicate.
Even her appearance was like that. Even among the nobles, many looked weak but were like poisonous plants or carnivorous plants that swallowed up those who were fooled by their appearance.
But Daphne was the same inside and out. Her hair was the light of warm sunlight. Although she was tied up carelessly, even that sparkled in the golden sunlight. If you put your nose to her hair, it seemed like the smell of warm sunlight would fill your nose.
Her skin was a bit tanned compared to that of noble ladies, and although it was shameful, the little blush on her cheeks gave her a pleasant glow and made her look fresh.
The woman was certainly beautiful. She blossomed beautifully in Asherad's hands, beyond the ordinary maid he had passed by a few times before.
But is that flowering?
A cowering expression that makes it hard to look at people properly. Cloudy blue eyes with deep thoughts. A shadowy face. Red lips that are tightly shut. A sense of danger that could be destroyed without resistance if someone were to set their mind to it.
She wasn't good for Asherad. If she had a strong personality, she would have fought and been hit, and that would have been her life.
But that woman was so weak that it wouldn't have been strange if she had died right away. Was it because of her fluttering chiffon dress, or was it because of her face that seemed to have given up everything and felt no shame?
Women are too weak to be an opponent for Asherad.
If that woman is destroyed by Asherad's touch, then what will happen to Asherad?
Ioannis thought of the weak woman of a summer day with a blank expression. A woman as delicate as a flower that withers away on a summer day, leaving behind only a scent that stings the nose like a final scream.
“Cheer up, Daphne.”
Sarah held Daphne's hand tightly. Daphne smiled faintly. It seemed that she could live because there was at least someone who could comfort her.
“Because you seem like a bad woman.”
Sarah spat out such a curse. What if Sarah had been a maid who ignored her? She sighed in relief as she looked at Sarah’s gentle face.
“Were you very embarrassed?”
Daphne shook her head. She sometimes felt distant from Sarah, but she was still her friend. She was grateful to have Sarah by her side.
It's not like no one took her side. But she still had a friend named Sarah.
So, this is it.
“It’s okay since you listened to me. I’m not embarrassed anymore.”
“His Majesty, what did you say?”
Daphne nodded. Asherad, of course, said nothing about Kalista’s misdeeds. Kalista also did not tell Daphne to stay away from him.
“I'm sure he knows.”
Daphne's heart sank. Her pulse pounded anxiously.
“..."
“He is such a strange person. If you are going to cherish it, cherish it to the end.”
Daphne nodded at Sarah's grumbling. The corners of her lips, which she had tried to raise, began to tremble slightly. She knew it, but it hurt when someone pointed it out.
Daphne kept repeating to herself, she was just a maid. She should just quietly endure such insults.
This is something she had to get used to.
Get used to it.
She was the daughter of a sinner, a lowly maid who lived in a cleaning shed. You shouldn't be angry about things like this. So please, don't hurt yourself anymore.
But the situation had gone beyond what Daphne could reasonably accept.
Daphne hated being alone. To be exact, she was so lonely that she wished the loneliness would go away.
She wished someone had taken her side. But the maids standing behind her didn't catch Daphne even when she fell backwards.
“Pfft.”
Laughter was heard from behind, directed at Daphne, who had fallen comically.
It's not like she treated her maids badly or made them do ridiculous things because she was favored by the Emperor.
Daphne rather noticed. When she was a maid, these were high-ranking maids.
Even though they were people who laughed at her, she didn't even expect to become close to them and tried to make things convenient for them. She even set their salaries high. Then they were a little more friendly. But this was the result.
They did not take her side. They knew that she was displeased. They were the ones who could at least 'not laugh' at her, even if they did not protect her in front of Kalista.
Daphne felt a deep sense of loneliness as she watched those who were laughing at her from both sides.
There is no one on her side anywhere.
Daphne squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to kill the shame that was trying to raise her head. Rising from her seat, she bowed to Kalista and stepped back.
“Where are you going? How about taking a walk with me?”
“...”
“I changed my mind. I got bored.”
It seemed as if Kalista had no intention of letting Daphne go. Or perhaps she wanted to see her beg even more desperately.
Why was she trying to torment her so viciously with such an angelic and beautiful face? Daphne felt helpless.
Daphne desperately wanted to leave this place, but she didn't know what to do at the moment. She didn't know the royal family's graceful way of avoiding such harassment.
There was only one thing she could do at a time like this: just endure her taunts until Kalista's anger subsided.
“Hello, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager.”
Daphne made a puzzled expression at the man's voice she heard at that moment. The man with brown hair and dark brown eyes walking towards her was someone she had never seen before.
“Oh, Viscount Turbol!”
Kalista greeted him with a smile. Viscount Turbol, Ioannis Turbol, greeted her with a faint smile on his lips.
“What’s going on?”
“I was ordered to bring this girl.”
“To whom?”
“Don’t you know?”
The young man looked at Daphne, avoiding a direct answer. Daphne nodded awkwardly in greeting.
“Follow me.”
If there was anyone looking for her, it was Asherad. Someone who could be called out in front of the Empress Dowager. That was fortunate. Daphne followed Viscount Turbol.
The Viscount raised his hand to stop the maids who were trying to follow Daphne. The maids' faces turned sad. If they stayed, they would immediately face Kalista's wrath.
As Daphne was about to say something, Viscount Turbol said:
“There is no need to take responsibility for those who do not follow their master to the end.”
Daphne nodded at those words, thinking it was an obvious lesson.
When they got some distance away from Kalista and her party, his footsteps stopped.
“Why did you just take it?”
"Yes?"
Daphne looked puzzled by the sudden question. Viscount Turbol glanced at Daphne's face as if he found it strange.
“You are a woman that His Majesty cherishes. If His Majesty permits, then you can just claim it and leave.”
“...”
“Why didn’t you defend yourself?”
Why is this person asking this? Daphne said, staring intently at Ioannis' face.
“Was that okay?”
At those words, Ioannis made a face of bewilderment. Daphne didn't know. Could she really have gotten away with Asherad's excuse?
But how would Daphne know that? He never said it was okay.
Besides, Asherad was kind to the Empress Dowager. How could a maid dare to taunt a noble woman he liked so much that he even kissed her?
“Why doesn’t it work?”
“Well, His Majesty is on Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s side.”
"So?"
“So I don’t think it’ll work even if I say it anyway. Even if I try, it’ll just cause more trouble later.”
At Daphne's words, Viscount Turbol frowned.
“By the way, who are you, my lord?”
At Daphne's words, Viscount Turbol seemed to have finally realized it and spoke.
“Ioannis Turbol. Viscount Turbol.”
Aha. Somehow, it said 'Turbol', so it seems he is the heir of the Turbol family.
As a nobleman of the Duke's family, the man looked firm rather than arrogant. He had a similar, strong-looking aura to the Duke, but he seemed to show little emotion.
The reason was simple: he did not despise Daphne.
He looked Daphne up and down, then folded his arms and said.
“You have elegance, but you don’t seem to know what to do in the palace.”
Daphne flinched at those words. She remembered the Duke of Turbol trying to kill her. Of course, as a son of that family, he would be displeased with her, too.
“Don’t cower in fear of every single criticism. I don’t think of you as a mean person, and I don’t pity you. Hold your head up high and stand tall.”
At that remark, Daphne straightened her back and raised her head. Ioannis watched her with a cold expression.
“If you want to be by His Majesty’s side, you must become a woman worthy of Him.”
What if I wanted to leave him? Daphne thought to herself. But she had enough sense not to say it out loud.
“But, Your Grace...”
Daphne opened her mouth with difficulty to answer the question that had been on her mind since earlier. This was not the road leading to the palace where Asherad was, but a completely different direction.
It seemed as if Ioannis had just remembered it.
“It was a lie.”
"Yes?"
So, are you saying that you dared to forge the Emperor's orders to bring Daphne back from the Empress Dowager?
What a great treason that is...
The man who had committed treason so shamelessly left the place without looking back.
***
“You’re weak.”
Ioannis muttered. The Daphne he had seen with his own eyes was so weak and delicate.
Even her appearance was like that. Even among the nobles, many looked weak but were like poisonous plants or carnivorous plants that swallowed up those who were fooled by their appearance.
But Daphne was the same inside and out. Her hair was the light of warm sunlight. Although she was tied up carelessly, even that sparkled in the golden sunlight. If you put your nose to her hair, it seemed like the smell of warm sunlight would fill your nose.
Her skin was a bit tanned compared to that of noble ladies, and although it was shameful, the little blush on her cheeks gave her a pleasant glow and made her look fresh.
The woman was certainly beautiful. She blossomed beautifully in Asherad's hands, beyond the ordinary maid he had passed by a few times before.
But is that flowering?
A cowering expression that makes it hard to look at people properly. Cloudy blue eyes with deep thoughts. A shadowy face. Red lips that are tightly shut. A sense of danger that could be destroyed without resistance if someone were to set their mind to it.
She wasn't good for Asherad. If she had a strong personality, she would have fought and been hit, and that would have been her life.
But that woman was so weak that it wouldn't have been strange if she had died right away. Was it because of her fluttering chiffon dress, or was it because of her face that seemed to have given up everything and felt no shame?
Women are too weak to be an opponent for Asherad.
If that woman is destroyed by Asherad's touch, then what will happen to Asherad?
Ioannis thought of the weak woman of a summer day with a blank expression. A woman as delicate as a flower that withers away on a summer day, leaving behind only a scent that stings the nose like a final scream.
***
“Cheer up, Daphne.”
Sarah held Daphne's hand tightly. Daphne smiled faintly. It seemed that she could live because there was at least someone who could comfort her.
“Because you seem like a bad woman.”
Sarah spat out such a curse. What if Sarah had been a maid who ignored her? She sighed in relief as she looked at Sarah’s gentle face.
“Were you very embarrassed?”
Daphne shook her head. She sometimes felt distant from Sarah, but she was still her friend. She was grateful to have Sarah by her side.
It's not like no one took her side. But she still had a friend named Sarah.
So, this is it.
“It’s okay since you listened to me. I’m not embarrassed anymore.”
“His Majesty, what did you say?”
Daphne nodded. Asherad, of course, said nothing about Kalista’s misdeeds. Kalista also did not tell Daphne to stay away from him.
“I'm sure he knows.”
Daphne's heart sank. Her pulse pounded anxiously.
“..."
“He is such a strange person. If you are going to cherish it, cherish it to the end.”
Daphne nodded at Sarah's grumbling. The corners of her lips, which she had tried to raise, began to tremble slightly. She knew it, but it hurt when someone pointed it out.
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