#107. I shouldn't have run away
It was said that there were still twenty days left until they arrived at the Kingdom of Thalassa. Their ship was heading to a place that was farthest from the conflict between Asherad and the Kingdom of Thalassa, a place where people would not hear news.
The man who gave her that explanation was a man named Derek.
Daphne thought the man was kind. He would make fun of her when she didn't eat or was having a hard time, but Daphne thought that was his way of showing concern.
Even after taking anti-nausea medication, she still felt nauseous. Her condition somehow got worse. However, as time passed, Daphne finally realized that she had escaped the annoying Peneus.
As she went out of the cabin, she saw people. They were all workers working on the ship, but they smiled and greeted Daphne.
"Hi?"
Daphne doesn't know how much those innocent words were a salvation. She had wanted to hear those words before. To receive a greeting mixed with pure kindness from someone who didn't even know her. Daphne swallowed her tears and greeted him.
Not everyone will be kind to her. Still, Daphne, free from the sin that clung to her so tightly, was happy about it.
This is heaven.
She loved this life so much because she could live without being tied down by anything.
Everyone on the sailing ship was busy. Daphne, who had been comfortably eating food here, eventually decided to help them.
Daphne cleaned the ship with her head covered. At first, they said she didn't have to, but Daphne was stubborn. Perhaps because there were only men, the cabin was dusty, and Daphne cleaned it up one by one.
“What are you doing?”
Derek asked Daphne, who was cleaning the floor. When she looked up, he saw her with a look of exasperation on her face. It made sense. She always wore soft clothes, but she was cleaning the floor in a stiff outfit.
Daphne said with a smirk.
“I'm here to help you.”
"Why?"
“Of course, I can’t just receive treatment without doing anything.”
“...”
“The captain has decided to pay me my wages. I plan to live on my own once I leave the ship.”
“...”
“I did well living as a maid.”
Daphne's voice was slightly raised, and she was talking about anything, as she had never been so happy to chat with people.
It was just a bit of chores on the ship. However, even just doing that gave her the feeling of being up against the world with her bare body. They didn't give her any rough work to do, but it was enough.
It was fortunate that she lived as a maid. If she had stayed by Asherad's side and only received what he gave her, she would not have been able to support herself at all.
It was only because he neglected it...
Yeah, just leave it alone.
A bitter expression appeared on Daphne's face. The Emperor and Asherad had deliberately put her through this ordeal.
This alone is enough.
When she goes out, she has to do this kind of work to make a living. There probably won't be anyone in the Kingdom of Thalassa who knows Daphne. Should I get a job at a noble family's house? Or maybe it would be better to get a job at an inn or something... No, there might be someone who knows her face.
In this way, it was fun to think about the future.
There would be no one there who would hate her unconditionally. She was no longer the daughter of a vulgar seductress, but simply Daphne. After some work was done, Daphne went up onto the deck and looked at the sea. Seagulls were flying, the sea was blue, and no men were chasing her.
Seeing that there were no ships nearby, she realized that she had really escaped. The sea was a symbol of escape. As she placed her hand on the railing and looked at this beautiful blue sea, all her worries and concerns seemed to disappear. Daphne was so stable that she thought it was foolish to worry about returning to Asherad.
A smile naturally appeared on that face.
Her shiny blond hair flowed softly. Despite her colorless clothes, Daphne’s appearance was striking. The sailors glanced at her. She was a rare and stunning beauty. She was ordered to serve, but she was so pretty that she went around saying she would help.
Some people treated her like a daughter, but there were also quite a few who drooled. Derek, who saw their behavior, passed by them.
He turned around and glared at the sailors. At that silent gaze, the sailors, one by one, avoided eye contact and left their seats.
Derek frowned and looked at Daphne.
It was nice to see Daphne's smiling face. It was better than the old days when she would tremble in anxiety and not leave the room.
These are the men of his father's merchant ship, and they must be heavy-hearted. But, is it better to be exposed like this? He approached Daphne, who was in a good mood.
“Oh, Sir Derek.”
There is no longer a voice dripping with the old gloom. Derek said, looking at the woman who becomes more lively the more she leaves Peneus.
“Don’t expose yourself too often.”
“Huh? Oh, is His Majesty chasing me again...”
Daphne was still calling Asherad 'His Majesty', although she didn't realize it.
Derek's eyebrows furrowed.
“Emperor Asherad does not know your escape route. That is not the problem, it is the sailors.”
"Yes?"
“Be careful. Don’t be alone. Do I really have to tell you that they’re all men?”
Ironically, because of the Emperor and Asherad, any approach by men was blocked. The Prince of Pindus was a special case, so Daphne had no wariness in the first place.
“What is that...”
"Ha..."
Derek sighed.
“You. Think about how you look to men. Don’t you think they’ll target you?”
“...”
“What would you do if someone had a secret crush on you while you were standing there all alone like that?”
Sexual desire? Daphne swallowed hard. Could someone be raping her like that Prince? But before that, Daphne didn't understand.
“Then... I can’t even go up on deck because of those people?”
Derek narrowed his eyes at the question. If a man is targeting her, it is unfair to be restricted in her actions for fear of being attacked by a man. To Daphne, it was a very reasonable and innocent question. But to Derek, it was different.
“Did you kill Fabian by acting so thoughtlessly?”
Daphne opened her eyes wide. Derek was looking at her with a dark, sunken face. Guilt slowly began to creep into her speechless face.
Derek never once talked about himself. Of course, not even about Fabian...
“Naivety has its limits.”
“...”
“That must be why Fabian fell for it, too. Seeing your foolish innocence and that half-asleep face.”
Derek raised the corners of his mouth. Daphne said nothing. Daphne bit her lip and lowered her head. Yeah, it was strange not to do that.
Daphne's karma will continue to haunt her.
"Sorry."
Daphne's apology distorted his face. If he pokes at her to criticize her, she never takes offense, but simply bends back, complying. Darkness once again settled on her face, which had been filled with happiness.
Fabian probably couldn't get over it after seeing that either.
“Something like a yoke.”
Daphne flinched, lowering her head.
“You are no different from your mother...”
Then he saw Daphne lift her head and bite her lip. Just when he thought he saw fire in her eyes, he felt a shock on his cheek.
“Ha, don’t talk nonsense.”
And Daphne flinched at Derek's cheek, turned around, and walked away. Derek looked at her back and laughed.
He did try to provoke her on purpose, but he didn't know she would make that kind of expression again.
“Fabian.”
He thought he knew why his worthless brother loved that woman. Derek thought of Fabian. He thought of himself, who ran away because he couldn't stand being an illegitimate child.
The cheeky younger brother who shouted that he no longer had an older brother.
Derek left everything to Fabian and wandered. His mother, his sister. He even hated his father. Before Fabian declared his separation, he would always smile brightly when he saw his brother, who came back every now and then.
Watching him hold his hand and hang on, whining, Derek felt like this guy was making him feel guilty. That's why he always let go and ran away.
I shouldn't have run away.
I shouldn't have run away.
I shouldn't have run away!
Derek screamed when he realized that Fabian had disappeared without a body. If he had been confident, Fabian might have made a different choice.
Fabian.
Fabian...
He cried out as he recalled his brother, who had smiled brightly at him. He realized too late that the reason he had stopped by the house while wandering around was to see Fabian's smile.
When Fabian smiled, he felt reassured that he had a place to return to. But now he had nowhere to return to.
He looked at Daphne's back.
It's that woman. Fabian died because of that woman. But he knows all too well that that woman is also a victim. Even so, he sometimes takes out his anger.
Still, I granted your wish before I died, so please forgive me, Fabian.
The sky was gray and looked like it was going to rain soon. The sea wind had gotten stronger at some point. Three days before their arrival, they were faced with a storm.
It was said that there were still twenty days left until they arrived at the Kingdom of Thalassa. Their ship was heading to a place that was farthest from the conflict between Asherad and the Kingdom of Thalassa, a place where people would not hear news.
The man who gave her that explanation was a man named Derek.
Daphne thought the man was kind. He would make fun of her when she didn't eat or was having a hard time, but Daphne thought that was his way of showing concern.
Even after taking anti-nausea medication, she still felt nauseous. Her condition somehow got worse. However, as time passed, Daphne finally realized that she had escaped the annoying Peneus.
As she went out of the cabin, she saw people. They were all workers working on the ship, but they smiled and greeted Daphne.
"Hi?"
Daphne doesn't know how much those innocent words were a salvation. She had wanted to hear those words before. To receive a greeting mixed with pure kindness from someone who didn't even know her. Daphne swallowed her tears and greeted him.
Not everyone will be kind to her. Still, Daphne, free from the sin that clung to her so tightly, was happy about it.
This is heaven.
She loved this life so much because she could live without being tied down by anything.
Everyone on the sailing ship was busy. Daphne, who had been comfortably eating food here, eventually decided to help them.
Daphne cleaned the ship with her head covered. At first, they said she didn't have to, but Daphne was stubborn. Perhaps because there were only men, the cabin was dusty, and Daphne cleaned it up one by one.
“What are you doing?”
Derek asked Daphne, who was cleaning the floor. When she looked up, he saw her with a look of exasperation on her face. It made sense. She always wore soft clothes, but she was cleaning the floor in a stiff outfit.
Daphne said with a smirk.
“I'm here to help you.”
"Why?"
“Of course, I can’t just receive treatment without doing anything.”
“...”
“The captain has decided to pay me my wages. I plan to live on my own once I leave the ship.”
“...”
“I did well living as a maid.”
Daphne's voice was slightly raised, and she was talking about anything, as she had never been so happy to chat with people.
It was just a bit of chores on the ship. However, even just doing that gave her the feeling of being up against the world with her bare body. They didn't give her any rough work to do, but it was enough.
It was fortunate that she lived as a maid. If she had stayed by Asherad's side and only received what he gave her, she would not have been able to support herself at all.
It was only because he neglected it...
Yeah, just leave it alone.
A bitter expression appeared on Daphne's face. The Emperor and Asherad had deliberately put her through this ordeal.
This alone is enough.
When she goes out, she has to do this kind of work to make a living. There probably won't be anyone in the Kingdom of Thalassa who knows Daphne. Should I get a job at a noble family's house? Or maybe it would be better to get a job at an inn or something... No, there might be someone who knows her face.
In this way, it was fun to think about the future.
There would be no one there who would hate her unconditionally. She was no longer the daughter of a vulgar seductress, but simply Daphne. After some work was done, Daphne went up onto the deck and looked at the sea. Seagulls were flying, the sea was blue, and no men were chasing her.
Seeing that there were no ships nearby, she realized that she had really escaped. The sea was a symbol of escape. As she placed her hand on the railing and looked at this beautiful blue sea, all her worries and concerns seemed to disappear. Daphne was so stable that she thought it was foolish to worry about returning to Asherad.
A smile naturally appeared on that face.
Her shiny blond hair flowed softly. Despite her colorless clothes, Daphne’s appearance was striking. The sailors glanced at her. She was a rare and stunning beauty. She was ordered to serve, but she was so pretty that she went around saying she would help.
Some people treated her like a daughter, but there were also quite a few who drooled. Derek, who saw their behavior, passed by them.
He turned around and glared at the sailors. At that silent gaze, the sailors, one by one, avoided eye contact and left their seats.
Derek frowned and looked at Daphne.
It was nice to see Daphne's smiling face. It was better than the old days when she would tremble in anxiety and not leave the room.
These are the men of his father's merchant ship, and they must be heavy-hearted. But, is it better to be exposed like this? He approached Daphne, who was in a good mood.
“Oh, Sir Derek.”
There is no longer a voice dripping with the old gloom. Derek said, looking at the woman who becomes more lively the more she leaves Peneus.
“Don’t expose yourself too often.”
“Huh? Oh, is His Majesty chasing me again...”
Daphne was still calling Asherad 'His Majesty', although she didn't realize it.
Derek's eyebrows furrowed.
“Emperor Asherad does not know your escape route. That is not the problem, it is the sailors.”
"Yes?"
“Be careful. Don’t be alone. Do I really have to tell you that they’re all men?”
Ironically, because of the Emperor and Asherad, any approach by men was blocked. The Prince of Pindus was a special case, so Daphne had no wariness in the first place.
“What is that...”
"Ha..."
Derek sighed.
“You. Think about how you look to men. Don’t you think they’ll target you?”
“...”
“What would you do if someone had a secret crush on you while you were standing there all alone like that?”
Sexual desire? Daphne swallowed hard. Could someone be raping her like that Prince? But before that, Daphne didn't understand.
“Then... I can’t even go up on deck because of those people?”
Derek narrowed his eyes at the question. If a man is targeting her, it is unfair to be restricted in her actions for fear of being attacked by a man. To Daphne, it was a very reasonable and innocent question. But to Derek, it was different.
“Did you kill Fabian by acting so thoughtlessly?”
Daphne opened her eyes wide. Derek was looking at her with a dark, sunken face. Guilt slowly began to creep into her speechless face.
Derek never once talked about himself. Of course, not even about Fabian...
“Naivety has its limits.”
“...”
“That must be why Fabian fell for it, too. Seeing your foolish innocence and that half-asleep face.”
Derek raised the corners of his mouth. Daphne said nothing. Daphne bit her lip and lowered her head. Yeah, it was strange not to do that.
Daphne's karma will continue to haunt her.
"Sorry."
Daphne's apology distorted his face. If he pokes at her to criticize her, she never takes offense, but simply bends back, complying. Darkness once again settled on her face, which had been filled with happiness.
Fabian probably couldn't get over it after seeing that either.
“Something like a yoke.”
Daphne flinched, lowering her head.
“You are no different from your mother...”
Then he saw Daphne lift her head and bite her lip. Just when he thought he saw fire in her eyes, he felt a shock on his cheek.
“Ha, don’t talk nonsense.”
And Daphne flinched at Derek's cheek, turned around, and walked away. Derek looked at her back and laughed.
He did try to provoke her on purpose, but he didn't know she would make that kind of expression again.
“Fabian.”
He thought he knew why his worthless brother loved that woman. Derek thought of Fabian. He thought of himself, who ran away because he couldn't stand being an illegitimate child.
The cheeky younger brother who shouted that he no longer had an older brother.
Derek left everything to Fabian and wandered. His mother, his sister. He even hated his father. Before Fabian declared his separation, he would always smile brightly when he saw his brother, who came back every now and then.
Watching him hold his hand and hang on, whining, Derek felt like this guy was making him feel guilty. That's why he always let go and ran away.
I shouldn't have run away.
I shouldn't have run away.
I shouldn't have run away!
Derek screamed when he realized that Fabian had disappeared without a body. If he had been confident, Fabian might have made a different choice.
Fabian.
Fabian...
He cried out as he recalled his brother, who had smiled brightly at him. He realized too late that the reason he had stopped by the house while wandering around was to see Fabian's smile.
When Fabian smiled, he felt reassured that he had a place to return to. But now he had nowhere to return to.
He looked at Daphne's back.
It's that woman. Fabian died because of that woman. But he knows all too well that that woman is also a victim. Even so, he sometimes takes out his anger.
Still, I granted your wish before I died, so please forgive me, Fabian.
The sky was gray and looked like it was going to rain soon. The sea wind had gotten stronger at some point. Three days before their arrival, they were faced with a storm.
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