59. If you love me, I love you
Why all of a sudden? Daphne's mind went blank. Asherad raised the corners of his mouth and spoke mockingly.
“Why, isn’t this your original seat?”
The words that pierced her mind filled her with a chill. Why was Asherad suddenly like that? Didn't he feel sorry for being hurt? Why was he suddenly like this?
Should she pretend to be sick? No, it would be too obvious. Asherad was in danger right now.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty? Is there anything that offends you...”
“Come here, should I cut off that ankle?”
The growling voice was murderous. Daphne flinched as she looked at the dark, murderous intent on his face.
She wants to go out. She wants to avoid this place.
Daphne was terrified of this man's inexplicable anger. She forgot to even breathe and looked at Asherad with all her senses sharpened.
His sharp gaze was fixed on Daphne, like a beast staring intently at its prey just before attacking it. She couldn't move, as if she had been stabbed by a spear.
“This is your final warning.”
Daphne walked slowly. It was only a short distance, but her feet felt heavy as she walked towards him. The humiliation she had forgotten came back to her mind.
This used to be so obvious, but why does she hate sitting down so much?
Daphne sat next to Asherad's chair, exactly under the right armrest, where he often raised his hand to stroke her hair.
"Good job."
A hand was placed on her head. Daphne accepted the gentle touch. In the past, she had been happy to receive this 'beauty', but now she was not happy at all.
She just stared blankly at the door, as if she wanted to go out again.
The hand stroking her head felt humiliating, as if someone was grabbing her head and pressing it down.
“Why, you don’t like it?”
Asherad whispered softly. His long fingers trailed through her hair and down to her chin. He lifted Daphne’s chin.
“You lived comfortably as the Emperor’s mistress, but now you don’t want to be treated like a dog again?”
“...”
“Huh? Daphne.”
The sarcastic words pierced Daphne's heart like a knife. Blood flowed down Daphne's chest. However, the blood flowing from her chest turned into tears and flowed down Daphne's face.
The man looking down at her was not facing her. He was looking down at her.
“If you’re the Emperor’s lover, you should do this much.”
Just like training a dog.
Asherad was very good at ruling and dominating others.
She found herself trembling with relief at the sight, for the kindnesses that Asherad had shown her so far were unusual and had always made her feel uneasy.
That 'relief' is a dog's emotion. It was so hurtful. Daphne clenched her fists and grabbed the hem of her skirt. A languid voice echoed through the quiet room.
“You come when I tell you to come.”
“...”
“If I say go, go.”
Why all of a sudden? Daphne's mind went blank. Asherad raised the corners of his mouth and spoke mockingly.
“Why, isn’t this your original seat?”
The words that pierced her mind filled her with a chill. Why was Asherad suddenly like that? Didn't he feel sorry for being hurt? Why was he suddenly like this?
Should she pretend to be sick? No, it would be too obvious. Asherad was in danger right now.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty? Is there anything that offends you...”
“Come here, should I cut off that ankle?”
The growling voice was murderous. Daphne flinched as she looked at the dark, murderous intent on his face.
She wants to go out. She wants to avoid this place.
Daphne was terrified of this man's inexplicable anger. She forgot to even breathe and looked at Asherad with all her senses sharpened.
His sharp gaze was fixed on Daphne, like a beast staring intently at its prey just before attacking it. She couldn't move, as if she had been stabbed by a spear.
“This is your final warning.”
Daphne walked slowly. It was only a short distance, but her feet felt heavy as she walked towards him. The humiliation she had forgotten came back to her mind.
This used to be so obvious, but why does she hate sitting down so much?
Daphne sat next to Asherad's chair, exactly under the right armrest, where he often raised his hand to stroke her hair.
"Good job."
A hand was placed on her head. Daphne accepted the gentle touch. In the past, she had been happy to receive this 'beauty', but now she was not happy at all.
She just stared blankly at the door, as if she wanted to go out again.
The hand stroking her head felt humiliating, as if someone was grabbing her head and pressing it down.
“Why, you don’t like it?”
Asherad whispered softly. His long fingers trailed through her hair and down to her chin. He lifted Daphne’s chin.
“You lived comfortably as the Emperor’s mistress, but now you don’t want to be treated like a dog again?”
“...”
“Huh? Daphne.”
The sarcastic words pierced Daphne's heart like a knife. Blood flowed down Daphne's chest. However, the blood flowing from her chest turned into tears and flowed down Daphne's face.
The man looking down at her was not facing her. He was looking down at her.
“If you’re the Emperor’s lover, you should do this much.”
Just like training a dog.
Asherad was very good at ruling and dominating others.
She found herself trembling with relief at the sight, for the kindnesses that Asherad had shown her so far were unusual and had always made her feel uneasy.
That 'relief' is a dog's emotion. It was so hurtful. Daphne clenched her fists and grabbed the hem of her skirt. A languid voice echoed through the quiet room.
“You come when I tell you to come.”
“...”
“If I say go, go.”
“...”
“When I tell you to kneel like a dog, you kneel.”
“...”
“If I tell you to love me, you love me...”
“...”
“Then it will work.”
The strength with which he held her chin grew stronger. Daphne closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her chin.
As she gripped the ball tightly, his tongue entered her slightly parted lips. Daphne closed her eyes even tighter as the kiss filled her mouth. The sloshing sound filled her ears.
"Hmm..."
When she tried to pull her face away, Asherad grabbed my chin again and continued kissing her.
The kiss was sometimes gentle, then wild and savage, choking her breath. Was it the kiss that made her breath quicken, or was it his excitement? He lifted Daphne and sat her down on his chair.
Finally, Daphne and Asherad looked at each other. He lifted Daphne's chin and looked at her for a long time.
He raised his fingers and stroked Daphne’s collarbone. It felt soft, like a feather being brushed. His fingers lowered further and came just above her breasts. His fingers pressed hard against the soft, elastic flesh. When he raised his hands to touch Daphne’s breasts, Daphne got up from her seat.
Asherad looked at Daphne, who was standing up from his chair. He asked with an indifferent expression.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t want this anymore.”
Asherad let out a breathy, muffled laugh.
"So?"
“Why are you making me feel so ashamed like this?”
“Shame?”
The laughter-filled voice was even more insulting. Daphne stepped back. Submission was a sweet temptation. What she had been doing to Asherad all along. If she were to perform the humiliating acts that had become so familiar, he would surely be pleased.
Maybe he'll give her a prize.
But she didn't want to do that.
Tears fell from Daphne's eyes.
“Do you enjoy watching me do this, Your Majesty?”
“...”
“I feel terrible whenever you do this.”
“...”
“I hate this so much.”
Daphne backed away. Even so, she was nervous that he might rise and cut off her ankles, or that he might press down and force her body away.
At the end of her backstep, she reached the wall. Daphne looked at him tensely, as if he were a wild beast ready to bite her throat at any moment.
During that strange standoff, Daphne's hand touched the doorknob.
She opened the door and went out. Asherad sat on his chair, looking at the door.
The blue moonlight shone on his face. Soon, clouds covered the moon, and darkness fell over his face.
After a long cloud passed, light appeared again. Then, the man's expressionless, doll-like face soon became distorted.
“Do I enjoy doing this?”
Asherad muttered. The knuckles of the hand holding the armrest had turned white.
***
On the way back, Daphne looked back several times. She was afraid that an angry Asherad would chase her. She was afraid that he would subdue her in an instant and drag her into his room.
When she reached her room at the end of that terrifying hallway, she collapsed on the bed and began to sob.
Was it really that shameful to kneel down and look up at Asherad again? Of course, there was that too. It was also scary when he was angry.
But what was sadder than anything else was that he was trying to treat Daphne like he used to.
Maybe Daphne wanted Asherad to change.
Why?
Why would she want that man she didn't even love, who was now so horrible, to change?
Daphne asked herself. She knew the answer. Daphne bit her lip.
She felt so ashamed of herself for having expectations of a man who treated her like a dog.
There were many other reasons to break down and cry. Daphne just reaffirmed it. Everything Asherad provided was influenced by his mood.
If he gets angry and sends her back to that dirty room, she will once again live the rest of her life next to rats until she dies.
Her whole life was in his hands. Realizing the unreasonableness of that relationship, she felt resentful.
She could not do anything to Askeladd, but only Asherad could shake Daphne.
She wants to get away. She wants to get away from here.
“I want to run away... I don’t want to live here...”
But finding a way to escape was far from easy. She had no connections to the palace and no helper. Who would let her go, the Emperor's mistress? On the contrary, she was more conspicuous than when she was a mere maid, and Daphne was at a loss.
“Tsk tsk, even the sound of crying is so quiet, like a mouse squeaking...”
A voice suddenly came from Daphne's room, where she was sobbing. Daphne was startled and tried to scream, but her mouth was covered.
There will be an escort knight outside the room?
Daphne opened her eyes wide and saw Count Locania standing there. Count Locania raised the corners of his mouth at Daphne's surprised expression.
“I didn’t come here to kill you, so be quiet.”
In fact, if he were going to kill her, it would have been better to kill her now that her mouth was covered. As Daphne nodded, the Count took his hand off her covered mouth.
“How is it here...”
“Because hiding under a woman’s bed is my specialty.”
The middle-aged man laughed hysterically. Daphne looked around anxiously. Amanda, Sarah, or Viscount Turbol might come here.
“I kept trying to approach you, but it was so hard.”
He grumbled. With the arrival of the Duke of Turbol and his knights, the Count of Locania could never approach Daphne.
This was also a gap he had barely discovered. If it weren't for the fact that Duke Turbol was a military man and had connections, their relationship would have ended with just a greeting.
“What the heck...”
“I thought about it.”
At that moment, a knock was heard. Daphne and Count Locania looked at each other with surprised expressions.
“Pretend to cry.”
Count Locania muttered as he hid under the bed. She burst into tears again.
"Who are you?"
“I'm going.”
It was Ioannis.
<Part 1 ends.>
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