Run Away From Me - Chapter 56



56. The Accomplice's Smile

Daphne opened her eyes wide. Surely he wouldn't be caught? When she saw Count Locania, he burst into laughter.

“Your Majesty, why are you saying such scary things?”

Asherad didn't respond to those words. The strange standoff continued.

Asherad seemed lost in thought, then raised the corners of his lips. It seemed as if he was literally joking.

“If you were doing something like that, you obviously couldn’t focus on hunting. Count Locania, go and investigate the families with the fewest prey.”

“I will do so.”

The Count bowed and left the tent. Her heart pounded. As the saying goes, if there is little game, suspicion is bound to arise. Daphne only hoped the Count had hunted a lot.

"Daphne."

At the voice calling again, Daphne stopped her thoughts and looked at Asherad.

“What are you thinking about?”

She tried hard to avoid the gaze of the green eyes that were trying to dig into her gap. Asherad's gaze followed her persistently.

“No, nothing.”

“Why, does anyone have any clue?”

“I couldn’t see them because they were all wearing masks.”

Daphne then looked at Asherad. Asherad didn't seem suspicious. He was looking at Daphne's face with his eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t worry. It won’t happen again.”

He reached out and stroked Daphne's hand. Her hand was cold compared to Asherad's. Asherad wrapped her cold hand tightly.

“Really, this won’t happen.”

Why does this person give her peace of mind? Daphne slightly lowered her head and looked at the hand that Asherad had wrapped around her. His hand was long and large.

It was enough to wrap both of Daphne's hands at once. It seemed to forcibly warm up her cooling hands.

This guy is protecting her?

This guy?

This man, who never took her side even once, and was only interested in capturing her and imprisoning her?

After all, he didn't even help her when she was in danger of dying?

This ma,n who left Kalista alone, even though he knew she would shun her if she were left alone?

Daphne swallowed the emotions rising in her throat.

It was a pity.

What would he do when she told him? Would he be angry that she wanted so much? Would he laugh at her for wanting a lover, or would he be happy that she loved him after all?

None of these were what Daphne wanted.

She knew that what burned inside her wasn't pure hatred for him.

A combination of sticky, pent-up affection and anger. In between the extremes of emotions, Daphne closed and opened her eyes.

Especially now that her feelings for Fabian have become so intense, she realizes that she can't look at Asherad properly.

"It's okay."

Daphne smiled brightly.

“Your Majesty, I am truly fine.”

“...”

“And Your Majesty, you saved me in the end. Are you sorry for me?”

Asherad opened his eyes wide at the warm words, then closed them. In the dark, shadowy tent, it was impossible to know what he was thinking. The only certain thing was that he was smiling.

“Yeah. I’m sorry about that.”

“...”

“I think that’s right.”

Asherad hugged Daphne again. Daphne thought he was trembling. Daphne thought as he held her in his arms. This gave her a secret he didn't know.

***

After a while, when Daphne was heading to the carriage, it was time to announce the winner of the hunting competition. Daphne's eyes widened. It was because the Count of Locania was wearing a laurel wreath, which symbolized victory in the hunting competition. It wasn't just that there weren't enough prey, but he actually won?

Daphne looked at the dead prey and then got on the carriage. It seemed that the raid was not over yet. At that moment, Count Locania and Daphne met eyes. The Count smiled in an unknown way. It was the smile of an accomplice.

“Come with me.”

Daphne looked at the person who suddenly reached out his hand. She blinked at the unexpected figure. It was Ioannis Turbol, Viscount Turbol.

He used to speak informally, but now he was using formal language.

***

Kalista's face was pale. Today, she was too exhausted to even do her specialty of destroying things in her room. Why, why? Why?

She trembled as she looked at Asherad sitting on the chair. At this moment, the titles of the most senior adult in the imperial family and the most exalted woman in the empire were nowhere to be found.

She was a sinner who knelt before Asherad.

“Could you explain, Mother?”

Asherad spoke with a gentle expression. Next to him, sitting with his legs crossed, stood knights, and in front of them stood men who had fallen with their hands and feet tied.

“Why did this happen?”

A gentle question. But equally as brutal. In this situation, there was no one more frightening than someone who suppressed their emotions. Kalista's lips turned white.

“Why on earth did these outlaws come into my forest, which is like my garden?"

Asherad raised the corners of his lips.

“I, I... don’t know!”

“You don’t know?”

As he winked, the man who had been lying down came to his senses. As soon as he realized where he was, he let out a short scream and crouched down.

“Ask His Majesty for a favor!”

The man screamed as the knight kicked him in the stomach.

“I am sorry. I have committed a mortal sin, Your Majesty! I was only doing as I was told....”

There was no hesitation in speaking, as if he were reciting prepared lines.

“So, who ordered you to do this?”

The man then looked at the Empress Dowager standing behind him. Without hesitation, he shouted.

“That woman! The Empress Dowager!”

“You fucking bastard!”

Kalista couldn't hold it in anymore and shouted. You crazy bastard! You said that keeping secrets is the lifeblood of an assassin. You said that you wouldn't reveal your client's identity even if a knife was put to your throat! And you're spitting it out like you were waiting for it?!

“No! Your Majesty, this is a false accusation!”

“Whose conspiracy is this?”

“That’s just a conspiracy by a group of people who are jealous of me! Has something been going on lately?”

Kalista tried to shout confidently. They are creating this situation without any evidence and just trying to get her to confess.

Their testimony could be neutralized by the magic word of false accusation! Surprisingly, she was using her clever mind to recall several unlucky families.

She will remove it at this opportunity.

"Yes..."

He nodded. A color came to Kalista's face. As expected, Asherad was weak to her. He would probably believe anything she said.

He stepped down from the throne and walked down, locking eyes with Kalista. Asherad smiled broadly.

“Even though I gave you one last chance, you completely ignored me...”

Before Kalista could say anything, he drew his sword. The blade flashed and glowed.

“Gyaaaah!”

Kalista sank to the ground with an ear-piercing scream. The short-haired maid next to her died, spewing blood. Covered in blood, Kalista screamed with all her might. For her, who had been raised more precious than a greenhouse plant, this was a horror she had never experienced before.

“This woman lured Daphne to go for a walk there?”

Asherad with a smile, his voice so clean and charming that it was hard to believe he had just killed someone.

Who said that the Empress Dowager was being served by Asherad? Asherad was just tolerating it.

“Oh, Asherad, I was wrong!”

“...”

“I, I was wrong! Please save me, Asherad! Don’t do this to me!”

He held out his hand to Kalista, who was on her butt. Kalista flinched and avoided the hand that was extended, but soon realized that it was the hand that was being extended to her and grabbed it. Her bloody hand was slippery. Kalista got up from her seat.

“Of course, mother. I won’t kill you.”

“...”

“I love my mother very much.”

Asherad smiled beautifully with a face splattered with blood. Kalista trembled as she looked at the alluring demon's face.

“Please, if you don’t do this, I promise you a sweet world.”

He reached out and kissed the back of Kalista's hand gracefully. With the dead woman. With the threatening Asherad. Kalista forced a smile in that maddening space.

Oh, right. Asherad. Askeraad is going to be angry!

I'm okay! If you can forgive me for this mistake, then you really like me!

Asherad loves me!

As the gap between her perception and reality grew, Kalista's delusions became stronger rather than shattered.

She chose to live in a sweet reality under the hand that Asherad offered her. However, she too was beginning to feel some emotion.

She was learning what despair was.


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