60. Intruders in the bedroom
“What’s going on?”
Did he find out that Count Locania was there? What if he searched the room, saying he found a suspicious shadow? Daphne asked in an anxious voice.
“Why are you trying to come in?”
“First, please let me in.”
If she doesn't let people in here, it will be considered suspicious, right? Daphne hesitated and told him to come in.
Fortunately, she was crying, so it was somewhat convincing as to why she was hesitant to let him in.
Ioannis said, looking at Daphne on the bed.
“What’s going on?”
“...”
“His Majesty said, right? At times like this, use a woman’s tears as a weapon. I need some time alone right now.”
Daphne wiped her tears and looked at Ioannis. His hard brown eyes were focused on Daphne's tears.
“I heard from the knights that something happened.”
“...”
“What happened between you and His Majesty?”
There was a hint of worry in those words. But Daphne did not want to say anything. She would have said the same thing even if the Count of Locania had not been under the bed. After all, wasn't the Viscount of Turbol one of Asherad's most trusted friends?
“Is it because I am the son of the Duke of Tourbol, or is it because of my friendship with His Majesty that you hesitate so much?”
“...”
“I swear on the honor of a knight. Please tell me what happened.”
The honor of a knight? Is that really that important? Daphne looked puzzled. It wasn't a cynical reflection; it was a genuine question. If you suddenly swear on the honor of a knight, does that make it a firm oath that will never be kept?
“What is that?”
Ioannis snickered at the sight of Daphne's expression. He, too, realized that his oath of honor was of little use to Daphne.
“Oh, excuse me.”
“...”
“The reason knights are respected is because they worship the strict values of chivalry. It is the honor of a knight to uphold strict rules with his life.”
“...”
“I am a knight, and when a knight swears to honor, he is swearing with all that he has.”
“...”
“You don’t even believe in that oath, do you?”
It was correct. Ioannis saw that and laughed again. Ioannis's smile, which barely changed his expression, was strange. Daphne realized that if she dragged on any longer, Ioannis would stay and try to persuade her.
“He treated me like a dog again.”
"Yes?"
“He made me sit under the chair again like a hunting dog. Just like in the old days.”
Daphne did not expect any emotional comfort from Ioannis, because the trivial problems she was experiencing were considered nothing to people.
'That much grace is too much for a sinner's daughter!'
Most of the people around her had that kind of attitude.
Ioannis, who had been listening quietly, frowned and asked.
“Surely, Asherad has been treating you that way?”
Daphne was surprised. She thought that Viscount Turbol shared everything with Askelad. Daphne nodded slowly in response to Ioannis' polite question.
"Yes."
“Have you always been like that? What made you feel that ‘dog’?”
“Because he always put me at his feet and stroked my head. His Majesty really loved dogs.”
“...”
“In fact, I wasn’t treated like a human being. When the Prince of Pindus tried to rape me, he told him to willingly take my body.”
Asherad had said he had sent priests, but now that was too much to believe. Daphne clearly remembered him telling her to drink as much as she wanted and then observing her face.
“His Majesty said this to me today. If I tell you to come, you will. If I tell you to go, you will go.”
John looked shocked. It was clear that he had not known that Daphne was being treated in this way, for he had unconsciously called the Emperor by his name, Asherad.
“That was... Asherad's fault.”
“...”
Daphne was surprised by Ioannis's reaction. Was it because they were friends? Rather, this man openly said that Asherad was wrong.
“Was that the kind of relationship you two had?”
“It wasn’t a fortress, but today... I don’t know.”
When Daphne bowed her head, Ioannis spoke after a long silence.
“Miss Daphne, I am truly sorry for what happened to you.”
Daphne's heart fluttered at that moment. She looked at Ioannis as if she had heard something she should not have heard. What do you mean by, regret? Does that nobleman say such things to me?
“If that’s the reason, then I understand why you’re sad.”
“...”
“You must want to be alone.”
Daphne nodded. Ioannis nodded and headed out. Daphne muttered.
"Thank you."
At her mumbling words, Ioannis looked back for a moment. He saw a small, shabby bird in a cage. He couldn't promise anything. He didn't have the words to sympathize with her feelings and offer her smooth comfort.
But Ioannis wondered why Daphne could not get close to Asherad. He knew that he was obsessed and killed everyone around her, but he did not know that he would treat her like that.
Even though he is a commoner and a sinner, he would be angry if he were treated like that. Asherad clearly made a mistake.
Count Locania, who got out of bed, looked at Daphne with a complicated expression. He had a complicated expression.
Another victim, a woman who was actually innocent but was also the cause of his son's death.
A weak woman who was swept away here and there without any strength, without even the courage to kill herself.
Count Locania rationally understood why Fabian had risked so much to rescue Daphne.
He couldn't stand seeing that sight. The woman he loved was being treated like that by Asherad.
'Father, please forgive me. Everyone in the palace is harassing Daphne. I feel sorry for her. I want to protect her. I want to give her the responsibility that my father taught me.'
He made a pained expression. Count Locania said what he had been planning to say the moment he arrived.
“You, be more courteous around Emperor Asherad.”
"Yes?"
“Become his most beloved concubine.”
That's what Daphne was trying her best to do.
She just ran away from his touch and ruined everything. Daphne suddenly remembered what she had read in the book. The Count of Locania was a suspicious force wearing a mask anyway.
Wouldn't this guy threaten Asherad to find out something?
“I’m sorry, but the spy...”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t expect that. What do you think of people?”
Count Locania grumbled.
“Don’t you know anything? What if you go to such a strange length to find out and end up killing me? I don’t want that.”
It was the moment when she realized why Fabian had such a straightforward way of speaking. Daphne's eyes turned red because the nagging resembled Fabian's.
“I’ve been thinking about how to get revenge on that hateful Emperor...”
“...”
“The most effective and simple way is to lose love.”
“So my life...”
“No, not your life. You would be more useful elsewhere.”
Yet, Count Locania had a strangely warm expression on his face. However, the word 'usefulness' somehow gave off a cold ring.
“Miss Daphne, I will do my best to help you escape.”
Daphne looked at the man who was giving her the words she needed most, with a puzzled expression.
"Why?"
“...”
“You tried to kill me. I was the one who caused Fabian’s death.”
That was exactly what it said. Daphne couldn't understand why the Count of Locania had come here and taken such risks.
Isn't that just following Fabian's footsteps?
Looking at Daphne's face, Count Locania said:
“Revenge on the Emperor is revenge.”
“...”
“As Fabian said, aren’t you so pitiful?”
Tears flowed from Daphne's eyes, perhaps because she had been crying all this time. A forgotten memory came to her mind.
“You were trying to protect our family. I decided to just think about that.”
A warm sky, flowing white clouds, and Fabian, who shared a packed lunch with her.
Daphne's eyes filled with tears as she vividly remembered the scene she had struggled to forget.
“What’s going on?”
Did he find out that Count Locania was there? What if he searched the room, saying he found a suspicious shadow? Daphne asked in an anxious voice.
“Why are you trying to come in?”
“First, please let me in.”
If she doesn't let people in here, it will be considered suspicious, right? Daphne hesitated and told him to come in.
Fortunately, she was crying, so it was somewhat convincing as to why she was hesitant to let him in.
Ioannis said, looking at Daphne on the bed.
“What’s going on?”
“...”
“His Majesty said, right? At times like this, use a woman’s tears as a weapon. I need some time alone right now.”
Daphne wiped her tears and looked at Ioannis. His hard brown eyes were focused on Daphne's tears.
“I heard from the knights that something happened.”
“...”
“What happened between you and His Majesty?”
There was a hint of worry in those words. But Daphne did not want to say anything. She would have said the same thing even if the Count of Locania had not been under the bed. After all, wasn't the Viscount of Turbol one of Asherad's most trusted friends?
“Is it because I am the son of the Duke of Tourbol, or is it because of my friendship with His Majesty that you hesitate so much?”
“...”
“I swear on the honor of a knight. Please tell me what happened.”
The honor of a knight? Is that really that important? Daphne looked puzzled. It wasn't a cynical reflection; it was a genuine question. If you suddenly swear on the honor of a knight, does that make it a firm oath that will never be kept?
“What is that?”
Ioannis snickered at the sight of Daphne's expression. He, too, realized that his oath of honor was of little use to Daphne.
“Oh, excuse me.”
“...”
“The reason knights are respected is because they worship the strict values of chivalry. It is the honor of a knight to uphold strict rules with his life.”
“...”
“I am a knight, and when a knight swears to honor, he is swearing with all that he has.”
“...”
“You don’t even believe in that oath, do you?”
It was correct. Ioannis saw that and laughed again. Ioannis's smile, which barely changed his expression, was strange. Daphne realized that if she dragged on any longer, Ioannis would stay and try to persuade her.
“He treated me like a dog again.”
"Yes?"
“He made me sit under the chair again like a hunting dog. Just like in the old days.”
Daphne did not expect any emotional comfort from Ioannis, because the trivial problems she was experiencing were considered nothing to people.
'That much grace is too much for a sinner's daughter!'
Most of the people around her had that kind of attitude.
Ioannis, who had been listening quietly, frowned and asked.
“Surely, Asherad has been treating you that way?”
Daphne was surprised. She thought that Viscount Turbol shared everything with Askelad. Daphne nodded slowly in response to Ioannis' polite question.
"Yes."
“Have you always been like that? What made you feel that ‘dog’?”
“Because he always put me at his feet and stroked my head. His Majesty really loved dogs.”
“...”
“In fact, I wasn’t treated like a human being. When the Prince of Pindus tried to rape me, he told him to willingly take my body.”
Asherad had said he had sent priests, but now that was too much to believe. Daphne clearly remembered him telling her to drink as much as she wanted and then observing her face.
“His Majesty said this to me today. If I tell you to come, you will. If I tell you to go, you will go.”
John looked shocked. It was clear that he had not known that Daphne was being treated in this way, for he had unconsciously called the Emperor by his name, Asherad.
“That was... Asherad's fault.”
“...”
Daphne was surprised by Ioannis's reaction. Was it because they were friends? Rather, this man openly said that Asherad was wrong.
“Was that the kind of relationship you two had?”
“It wasn’t a fortress, but today... I don’t know.”
When Daphne bowed her head, Ioannis spoke after a long silence.
“Miss Daphne, I am truly sorry for what happened to you.”
Daphne's heart fluttered at that moment. She looked at Ioannis as if she had heard something she should not have heard. What do you mean by, regret? Does that nobleman say such things to me?
“If that’s the reason, then I understand why you’re sad.”
“...”
“You must want to be alone.”
Daphne nodded. Ioannis nodded and headed out. Daphne muttered.
"Thank you."
At her mumbling words, Ioannis looked back for a moment. He saw a small, shabby bird in a cage. He couldn't promise anything. He didn't have the words to sympathize with her feelings and offer her smooth comfort.
But Ioannis wondered why Daphne could not get close to Asherad. He knew that he was obsessed and killed everyone around her, but he did not know that he would treat her like that.
Even though he is a commoner and a sinner, he would be angry if he were treated like that. Asherad clearly made a mistake.
***
Count Locania, who got out of bed, looked at Daphne with a complicated expression. He had a complicated expression.
Another victim, a woman who was actually innocent but was also the cause of his son's death.
A weak woman who was swept away here and there without any strength, without even the courage to kill herself.
Count Locania rationally understood why Fabian had risked so much to rescue Daphne.
He couldn't stand seeing that sight. The woman he loved was being treated like that by Asherad.
'Father, please forgive me. Everyone in the palace is harassing Daphne. I feel sorry for her. I want to protect her. I want to give her the responsibility that my father taught me.'
He made a pained expression. Count Locania said what he had been planning to say the moment he arrived.
“You, be more courteous around Emperor Asherad.”
"Yes?"
“Become his most beloved concubine.”
That's what Daphne was trying her best to do.
She just ran away from his touch and ruined everything. Daphne suddenly remembered what she had read in the book. The Count of Locania was a suspicious force wearing a mask anyway.
Wouldn't this guy threaten Asherad to find out something?
“I’m sorry, but the spy...”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t expect that. What do you think of people?”
Count Locania grumbled.
“Don’t you know anything? What if you go to such a strange length to find out and end up killing me? I don’t want that.”
It was the moment when she realized why Fabian had such a straightforward way of speaking. Daphne's eyes turned red because the nagging resembled Fabian's.
“I’ve been thinking about how to get revenge on that hateful Emperor...”
“...”
“The most effective and simple way is to lose love.”
“So my life...”
“No, not your life. You would be more useful elsewhere.”
Yet, Count Locania had a strangely warm expression on his face. However, the word 'usefulness' somehow gave off a cold ring.
“Miss Daphne, I will do my best to help you escape.”
Daphne looked at the man who was giving her the words she needed most, with a puzzled expression.
"Why?"
“...”
“You tried to kill me. I was the one who caused Fabian’s death.”
That was exactly what it said. Daphne couldn't understand why the Count of Locania had come here and taken such risks.
Isn't that just following Fabian's footsteps?
Looking at Daphne's face, Count Locania said:
“Revenge on the Emperor is revenge.”
“...”
“As Fabian said, aren’t you so pitiful?”
Tears flowed from Daphne's eyes, perhaps because she had been crying all this time. A forgotten memory came to her mind.
“You were trying to protect our family. I decided to just think about that.”
A warm sky, flowing white clouds, and Fabian, who shared a packed lunch with her.
Daphne's eyes filled with tears as she vividly remembered the scene she had struggled to forget.
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