#105. Between Hatred and Pity
The army led by Asherad quickly suppressed the Thalassa army that had launched a night attack. Their numbers were not large. Asherad, who had thought it would be a reconnaissance battle, felt somewhat uneasy.
The reason they were able to sneak into the garrison quietly was probably because the insider was a traitor. Asherad thought he just had to find the traitor.
But... Why did they insist on a night raid without any investigation? What could be the reason? Could it be... Asherad unconsciously turned his horse’s head toward Daphne. It was to bring Daphne back. However, when he saw the corpses of Daphne’s knights in the stable, he realized something had happened.
Daphne is gone.
Did she run away?
No, can she run away? Daphne is a child now... No way, the thought crossed his mind. No way, was she pretending to be a child from the beginning? To seize the opportunity to run away?
Askera shook his head at the sudden thought. It didn't make sense that Daphne's knights had died. It was more likely that someone had taken Daphne. That traitor must have caused this situation.
Asherad looked around at the mangled corpses, then rode away with a cold expression. It would have been best to bring troops to search, but there was no time. He didn’t know if the one who took Daphne was a traitor or someone else. He looked around the wooden fence. There was a battle going on in front, so he must have gone to the back, to the plains.
Asherad picked up his horse's pace. Asherad's horse was a fine thoroughbred, and it passed through the forest faster than the other horses. Soon, Daphne, riding her horse, was visible from afar.
Asherad was shocked for a moment.
Daphne was riding away on her horse.
She was running away of her own free will.
"Daphne!
As he called out that word, a look of shock crossed the face of the woman who turned around. Asherad saw it clearly. She began to drive faster. The traces of the escape that had already been revealed filled Asherad's eyes with a familiar, yet undesirable, emotion.
Run away?
Really, you're running away from me?
Was it all Daphne's play?
Why?
He couldn't understand. It would have been more accurate to say he didn't want to understand. That she had been fooling him like that for this opportunity? That she had been acting all cute and pretending to love him?
Asherad couldn't believe it. He had to know if it was true or not. So, he had to hold on to Daphne. Just a little bit more, just a little bit more. At that moment, Daphne disappeared, and the one in front approached.
He's a man.
A gloomy look appeared in Asherad's eyes.
What is that kid? Why are they together? The man drew his sword from his waistband. Fury filled Asherad's eyes.
You dare kill me?
Normally, he would have let him live and tortured him in every way, but Asherad had no reason to do that. He cut off the knight's head with such ease. He felt Daphne looking back. Covered in the knight's blood, he chased after Daphne.
He thought he would catch her. That's why he let his guard down. The reason for Asherad's defeat was that he didn't know that there was another person with Daphne. The hood and skirt she wore were large enough to obscure the woman in front of him.
So, he glared at Sarah as if he were going to kill her. He had fallen for her trick. It didn't matter why Sarah, his loyal confidant, had done this. He raised his hand and knocked Sarah unconscious.
It was clear where Daphne had gone. It was a bridge. However, Asherad, who had crossed the river, saw a large forest. Her,e Asherad could not find Daphne. He eventually returned to Sarah.
Sarah was the only one who knew where Daphne had gone.
"Your Majesty!"
Only then did the sound of horse hooves come to mind. Asherad stood on the bridge and waited silently for his knights to approach.
“Search the forest over there and this forest.”
"Yes?"
“Do I have to tell you twice before you understand?”
Askeraad spoke with a gloomy face to the knight, who looked surprised. And the knights searched the forest. Daphne was not found.
When Sarah woke up, she was in the barracks. When she lured Asherad, he got angry and knocked her out.
Finally, she was dragged here again.
At that time, Sarah had come to understand Daphne's feelings as she ran away. Sarah realized that she was lying on the dirt floor. When she raised her head to the cold air, she flinched. A black man was standing there, looking down at her, like a grim reaper.
It was Asherad.
As Sarah sat up, Asherad asked.
“Where did she go?”
Sarah looked at Asherad with a blank expression. The indifferent face was even scarier. It would have been more understandable if he had been angry.
“I don’t know.”
“...”
At those words, Asherad took the dagger from his bosom.
“Explain in detail what happened.”
Sarah bowed her head and explained in detail.
“A knight appeared and told the young lady to go. The young lady got on her horse, and I got on too.”
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know. It was the first time I had seen such a knight. I begged for my life, and the young lady put me on a horse and ran away.”
“Do you really not know who that man is and where Daphne is going?”
"...Yes."
Asherad sat there, clutching Sarah's face tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut in pain.
“This is your last chance, don’t you know?”
“Yes. I really don’t know... Aaaah!”
Asherad gripped Sarah’s hand tightly and cut her finger with the dagger he was holding as a threat. It wasn’t a big cut, but blood flowed from her hand. Sarah groaned in pain.
“You don’t seem to have even considered the fact that you lured me by pretending to be Daphne. You must have known where she was going, so you must have done something like that.”
Sarah looked at her hand. It seemed like he was going to torture her like this. She had expected this to happen anyway.
“Why did you let her run away? Surely you didn’t fall for Daphne’s trick.”
“...”
“You’re not stupid.”
Asherad knew that Sarah had run away with Daphne of her own free will. The Empress had died while helping Daphne escape. She would probably die a miserable death, too. Or she might be forced to live.
“Sarah, think carefully. When Daphne returns, you will be with her again. Of course, I will spare your life.”
Sarah thought at that moment that it was a perfect temptation. She closed her eyes and seemed to think for a while before speaking.
“I really don’t know. I have no clue.”
Asherad looked at Sarah coldly. He thought this woman was strange. Why was she looking at him with such a lively expression? In the past, she had followed his orders like a dying person. But this time, she raised her head stiffly and met his eyes.
“Sarah, listen to me. Daphne is the one who drove your brother to death. Do you want her to run away and be happy, or do you want her to escape and be happy when you catch her?”
“...”
“Tell me. I am your ally in revenge.”
Sarah felt like melting away at the sweetness of Asherad's words. This is how he has been teasing everyone and standing above them. Sarah raised the corners of her mouth as she looked at Asherad's kind face.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
"What?"
“You killed him, you son of a bitch.”
It was a harsh word that could not come out of her mouth. Asherad tilted her face. Asherad was not affected by the insult. His face was as stiff as a doll's. Sarah hated it. The eyes that looked at her like a worm, the eyes that thought this woman would never stand up to him.
Daphne was a dog of Asherad, but Sarah was a bug that could be treated however she wanted. Couldn't that bug make a last desperate attempt? Sarah looked at the real enemy who had killed her brother.
Ioannis once said,
'If you want to blame someone, find someone else.'
Yes, that was right. The person who should be blamed was the person in front of her. Back in the old days, when her brother was alive and she was reasonably happy, Sarah pitied Daphne. Everyone pointed fingers at Daphne, but Sarah didn't think it was Daphne's fault.
It was her own fault for telling Daphne's story to her kind brother. If she hadn't made him feel sympathy for Daphne, her brother wouldn't have approached her. And he wouldn't have died a miserable death to this man who was the Crown Prince at the time!
“You killed him, so why do I want revenge on Daphne? Do you think I’m a joke because I’m not a noble or a royal?”
Asherad watched Sarah's outburst of anger without changing his expression. It was arrogant to the core. Yes, Asherad would have killed her own brother with such an arrogant expression. And he would also fall to that man. Asherad laughed as if he were in a good mood. However, his expression showed a hint of anger as if the bug's outburst had finally worked. Sarah said in a refreshing manner.
“It’s true that Daphne liked you.”
“...”
“I saw it clearly. She loved you so much that she was so stupid that I got angry even though you treated her like that.”
Those words didn't bother Asherad. Sarah smiled sharply at his expression, which seemed to want to hear more, and said,
“But not now. She says she’s sick of you now.”
Sarah coldly laughed at the man who had killed her brother. And she willingly decided to ruin Asherad's moment of happiness.
“You have received karma for your sins.”
“What are you talking about?”
Sarah grabbed something small from her pocket. Sarah, who was feeling something hard, cried out. She had no power to kill the Emperor now. But she could willingly send Asherad's heart to hell.
“You really don’t know why? I can see it just fine, too.”
Sarah looked at the man pitifully. He was pitiful, stupid. So foolish!
“You have to do something to be loved to be loved. You are already too late, and your love is ruined! Daphne will not come back! I know because I saw it all. Daphne will be happy only if she leaves you. You are a man who cannot even wish happiness to the person you love!”
“...”
“Daphne curses you! She hates you and thinks you ruined her life! She pretends to be nine every day and dreams about killing you! Do you think she’ll come back to someone like you now?”
Asherad picked up his sword. And just as he was about to stab Sarah...
“Ugh!”
Sarah took out a dagger from her pocket and stabbed herself in the stomach. Her face grimaced in excruciating pain. Her upright upper body fell to the side. Soon, blood flowed down her stomach.
Ah, that's what it feels like.
Before dying, she didn't dare to stab herself in the heart, so she stabbed herself in the stomach to maintain this vain life. Sarah thought that Daphne must have been scared like this, and she tightly closed her eyes. Daphne was strange. Daphne knew Sarah's betrayal, but she didn't harm her.
Daphne was always like that. She was kind-hearted and didn't want anyone to get hurt. Sarah knew better than anyone that the ones she should blame were the previous Emperor and the current Emperor, who made her like that. The day Daphne chose death, she realized what she had wanted.
She hates Daphne. But she doesn't want her life to be ruined. She already paid for that sin with one death.
It was a good thing. It was certainly a happy thing to have rid herself of the hatred in her heart, but for Sarah, it was like giving up on life. After losing her only brother, the only reason Sarah lived was to hate Daphne and take revenge on her.
She couldn't hate someone for a long time. After losing her parents and her brother, who had always been with her, she had already lost the will to live. If she continued to live like this, seeing Daphne would be a misfortune. She was sick of seeing misfortune.
Misfortune becomes tiresome if seen often. Sarah felt sorry for the unfortunate Daphne.
Sarah gave up her hatred for Daphne and gave up her desire to live. Seeing Daphne finally save her life and ride away on horseback, Sarah decided to do her best to help Daphne.
That idiot's life was miserable, but he should be happy from now on.
“You won’t receive Daphne’s love.”
Sarah uttered her last words to Asherad, who was looking at her with a distorted face. Bam! Asherad's sword stabbed Sarah's neck.
The pain was faint, and consciousness was fading.
It's okay, Daphne. This isn't really because of you. I wanted to die originally. This is suicide, so don't blame yourself anymore.
I've already forgiven you... My brother will too.
Sarah's spark of life was extinguished as she spoke words that could not reach Daphne.
The army led by Asherad quickly suppressed the Thalassa army that had launched a night attack. Their numbers were not large. Asherad, who had thought it would be a reconnaissance battle, felt somewhat uneasy.
The reason they were able to sneak into the garrison quietly was probably because the insider was a traitor. Asherad thought he just had to find the traitor.
But... Why did they insist on a night raid without any investigation? What could be the reason? Could it be... Asherad unconsciously turned his horse’s head toward Daphne. It was to bring Daphne back. However, when he saw the corpses of Daphne’s knights in the stable, he realized something had happened.
Daphne is gone.
Did she run away?
No, can she run away? Daphne is a child now... No way, the thought crossed his mind. No way, was she pretending to be a child from the beginning? To seize the opportunity to run away?
Askera shook his head at the sudden thought. It didn't make sense that Daphne's knights had died. It was more likely that someone had taken Daphne. That traitor must have caused this situation.
Asherad looked around at the mangled corpses, then rode away with a cold expression. It would have been best to bring troops to search, but there was no time. He didn’t know if the one who took Daphne was a traitor or someone else. He looked around the wooden fence. There was a battle going on in front, so he must have gone to the back, to the plains.
Asherad picked up his horse's pace. Asherad's horse was a fine thoroughbred, and it passed through the forest faster than the other horses. Soon, Daphne, riding her horse, was visible from afar.
Asherad was shocked for a moment.
Daphne was riding away on her horse.
She was running away of her own free will.
"Daphne!
As he called out that word, a look of shock crossed the face of the woman who turned around. Asherad saw it clearly. She began to drive faster. The traces of the escape that had already been revealed filled Asherad's eyes with a familiar, yet undesirable, emotion.
Run away?
Really, you're running away from me?
Was it all Daphne's play?
Why?
He couldn't understand. It would have been more accurate to say he didn't want to understand. That she had been fooling him like that for this opportunity? That she had been acting all cute and pretending to love him?
Asherad couldn't believe it. He had to know if it was true or not. So, he had to hold on to Daphne. Just a little bit more, just a little bit more. At that moment, Daphne disappeared, and the one in front approached.
He's a man.
A gloomy look appeared in Asherad's eyes.
What is that kid? Why are they together? The man drew his sword from his waistband. Fury filled Asherad's eyes.
You dare kill me?
Normally, he would have let him live and tortured him in every way, but Asherad had no reason to do that. He cut off the knight's head with such ease. He felt Daphne looking back. Covered in the knight's blood, he chased after Daphne.
He thought he would catch her. That's why he let his guard down. The reason for Asherad's defeat was that he didn't know that there was another person with Daphne. The hood and skirt she wore were large enough to obscure the woman in front of him.
So, he glared at Sarah as if he were going to kill her. He had fallen for her trick. It didn't matter why Sarah, his loyal confidant, had done this. He raised his hand and knocked Sarah unconscious.
It was clear where Daphne had gone. It was a bridge. However, Asherad, who had crossed the river, saw a large forest. Her,e Asherad could not find Daphne. He eventually returned to Sarah.
Sarah was the only one who knew where Daphne had gone.
"Your Majesty!"
Only then did the sound of horse hooves come to mind. Asherad stood on the bridge and waited silently for his knights to approach.
“Search the forest over there and this forest.”
"Yes?"
“Do I have to tell you twice before you understand?”
Askeraad spoke with a gloomy face to the knight, who looked surprised. And the knights searched the forest. Daphne was not found.
***
When Sarah woke up, she was in the barracks. When she lured Asherad, he got angry and knocked her out.
Finally, she was dragged here again.
At that time, Sarah had come to understand Daphne's feelings as she ran away. Sarah realized that she was lying on the dirt floor. When she raised her head to the cold air, she flinched. A black man was standing there, looking down at her, like a grim reaper.
It was Asherad.
As Sarah sat up, Asherad asked.
“Where did she go?”
Sarah looked at Asherad with a blank expression. The indifferent face was even scarier. It would have been more understandable if he had been angry.
“I don’t know.”
“...”
At those words, Asherad took the dagger from his bosom.
“Explain in detail what happened.”
Sarah bowed her head and explained in detail.
“A knight appeared and told the young lady to go. The young lady got on her horse, and I got on too.”
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know. It was the first time I had seen such a knight. I begged for my life, and the young lady put me on a horse and ran away.”
“Do you really not know who that man is and where Daphne is going?”
"...Yes."
Asherad sat there, clutching Sarah's face tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut in pain.
“This is your last chance, don’t you know?”
“Yes. I really don’t know... Aaaah!”
Asherad gripped Sarah’s hand tightly and cut her finger with the dagger he was holding as a threat. It wasn’t a big cut, but blood flowed from her hand. Sarah groaned in pain.
“You don’t seem to have even considered the fact that you lured me by pretending to be Daphne. You must have known where she was going, so you must have done something like that.”
Sarah looked at her hand. It seemed like he was going to torture her like this. She had expected this to happen anyway.
“Why did you let her run away? Surely you didn’t fall for Daphne’s trick.”
“...”
“You’re not stupid.”
Asherad knew that Sarah had run away with Daphne of her own free will. The Empress had died while helping Daphne escape. She would probably die a miserable death, too. Or she might be forced to live.
“Sarah, think carefully. When Daphne returns, you will be with her again. Of course, I will spare your life.”
Sarah thought at that moment that it was a perfect temptation. She closed her eyes and seemed to think for a while before speaking.
“I really don’t know. I have no clue.”
Asherad looked at Sarah coldly. He thought this woman was strange. Why was she looking at him with such a lively expression? In the past, she had followed his orders like a dying person. But this time, she raised her head stiffly and met his eyes.
“Sarah, listen to me. Daphne is the one who drove your brother to death. Do you want her to run away and be happy, or do you want her to escape and be happy when you catch her?”
“...”
“Tell me. I am your ally in revenge.”
Sarah felt like melting away at the sweetness of Asherad's words. This is how he has been teasing everyone and standing above them. Sarah raised the corners of her mouth as she looked at Asherad's kind face.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
"What?"
“You killed him, you son of a bitch.”
It was a harsh word that could not come out of her mouth. Asherad tilted her face. Asherad was not affected by the insult. His face was as stiff as a doll's. Sarah hated it. The eyes that looked at her like a worm, the eyes that thought this woman would never stand up to him.
Daphne was a dog of Asherad, but Sarah was a bug that could be treated however she wanted. Couldn't that bug make a last desperate attempt? Sarah looked at the real enemy who had killed her brother.
Ioannis once said,
'If you want to blame someone, find someone else.'
Yes, that was right. The person who should be blamed was the person in front of her. Back in the old days, when her brother was alive and she was reasonably happy, Sarah pitied Daphne. Everyone pointed fingers at Daphne, but Sarah didn't think it was Daphne's fault.
It was her own fault for telling Daphne's story to her kind brother. If she hadn't made him feel sympathy for Daphne, her brother wouldn't have approached her. And he wouldn't have died a miserable death to this man who was the Crown Prince at the time!
“You killed him, so why do I want revenge on Daphne? Do you think I’m a joke because I’m not a noble or a royal?”
Asherad watched Sarah's outburst of anger without changing his expression. It was arrogant to the core. Yes, Asherad would have killed her own brother with such an arrogant expression. And he would also fall to that man. Asherad laughed as if he were in a good mood. However, his expression showed a hint of anger as if the bug's outburst had finally worked. Sarah said in a refreshing manner.
“It’s true that Daphne liked you.”
“...”
“I saw it clearly. She loved you so much that she was so stupid that I got angry even though you treated her like that.”
Those words didn't bother Asherad. Sarah smiled sharply at his expression, which seemed to want to hear more, and said,
“But not now. She says she’s sick of you now.”
Sarah coldly laughed at the man who had killed her brother. And she willingly decided to ruin Asherad's moment of happiness.
“You have received karma for your sins.”
“What are you talking about?”
Sarah grabbed something small from her pocket. Sarah, who was feeling something hard, cried out. She had no power to kill the Emperor now. But she could willingly send Asherad's heart to hell.
“You really don’t know why? I can see it just fine, too.”
Sarah looked at the man pitifully. He was pitiful, stupid. So foolish!
“You have to do something to be loved to be loved. You are already too late, and your love is ruined! Daphne will not come back! I know because I saw it all. Daphne will be happy only if she leaves you. You are a man who cannot even wish happiness to the person you love!”
“...”
“Daphne curses you! She hates you and thinks you ruined her life! She pretends to be nine every day and dreams about killing you! Do you think she’ll come back to someone like you now?”
Asherad picked up his sword. And just as he was about to stab Sarah...
“Ugh!”
Sarah took out a dagger from her pocket and stabbed herself in the stomach. Her face grimaced in excruciating pain. Her upright upper body fell to the side. Soon, blood flowed down her stomach.
Ah, that's what it feels like.
Before dying, she didn't dare to stab herself in the heart, so she stabbed herself in the stomach to maintain this vain life. Sarah thought that Daphne must have been scared like this, and she tightly closed her eyes. Daphne was strange. Daphne knew Sarah's betrayal, but she didn't harm her.
Daphne was always like that. She was kind-hearted and didn't want anyone to get hurt. Sarah knew better than anyone that the ones she should blame were the previous Emperor and the current Emperor, who made her like that. The day Daphne chose death, she realized what she had wanted.
She hates Daphne. But she doesn't want her life to be ruined. She already paid for that sin with one death.
It was a good thing. It was certainly a happy thing to have rid herself of the hatred in her heart, but for Sarah, it was like giving up on life. After losing her only brother, the only reason Sarah lived was to hate Daphne and take revenge on her.
She couldn't hate someone for a long time. After losing her parents and her brother, who had always been with her, she had already lost the will to live. If she continued to live like this, seeing Daphne would be a misfortune. She was sick of seeing misfortune.
Misfortune becomes tiresome if seen often. Sarah felt sorry for the unfortunate Daphne.
Sarah gave up her hatred for Daphne and gave up her desire to live. Seeing Daphne finally save her life and ride away on horseback, Sarah decided to do her best to help Daphne.
That idiot's life was miserable, but he should be happy from now on.
“You won’t receive Daphne’s love.”
Sarah uttered her last words to Asherad, who was looking at her with a distorted face. Bam! Asherad's sword stabbed Sarah's neck.
The pain was faint, and consciousness was fading.
It's okay, Daphne. This isn't really because of you. I wanted to die originally. This is suicide, so don't blame yourself anymore.
I've already forgiven you... My brother will too.
Sarah's spark of life was extinguished as she spoke words that could not reach Daphne.
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