#111. Fatherly love
Daphne.
At those words, Count Locania snickered. Even though it was dangerous enough that the cold iron would stab him right away, the Count did not seem surprised that he was being pushed into it. Even in the midst of all this, the Count laughed at Asherad, who was looking for Daphne.
It was a good thing he got that woman away.
Asherad said.
“Where is Daphne?”
Asherad's expression hardened at the leisurely attitude of Count Locania. Count Locania raised the corners of his mouth and spoke teasingly.
“Your Majesty, the country is on the verge of ruin. Does that woman matter now?”
“That woman?”
“Yes. The pretty blonde woman, Your Majesty loves.”
As the mirror cracked, Asherad's expression cracked. His always relaxed, triumphant, and proud demeanor was shattered with a crash. Asherad felt pain as if he had swallowed cold shards of glass.
“Daphne, the daughter of a seductress, the woman whom Your Majesty treated like a dog! That woman!”
Count Locania did not lower his voice. Asherad forced a smile as he spoke.
“Tell me. If you tell me where that child is, I will spare your life. No, I may even give you a reward.”
The Count burst into laughter at those words. He even held his stomach and shed tears as if he were watching a comedy. Life? A reward?
“Save my life? Who would believe that?”
The Count spoke with a smile on his face. He had no fear of what was to come.
“Should I kill your family too?”
Asherad said in a gloomy voice.
"Family?"
The Count of Locania's gaze suddenly changed. The corners of his mouth that had been raised lowered, his eyes widened, and his eyebrows furrowed. His breathing quickened, and his face turned red. He looked at Asherad with eyes filled with burning hatred.
“You already killed him.”
“...”
“My blood, my son, my child. My pride!”
He shouted. Asherad closed his mouth and opened his eyes wide. Son? Fabian? Why are you so angry? Fabian was an illegitimate child. If you killed a legitimate child, there would be nothing to say, but why would you go to such lengths to kill an illegitimate child? Even if you killed a legitimate child, you should have been executed for insulting the royal family. How dare you try to sneak away a woman who is carrying out a sentence!
He said this while looking at Asherad's puzzled face.
“You idiot. Don’t you understand why I betrayed you?”
“...”
“Of course, have you ever been loved?”
“...”
“You didn’t even receive your father’s protection...”
He clicked his tongue and looked at the little boy in front of him, who had gone mad from lack of love. For the first time in his life, Asherad was struck by the truth and couldn't say anything. It was natural. He knew that the Count of Locania was taking pity on him, even if only for a moment.
That touched Asherad's pride.
Why, why do you pity me? Why? What did that kid say?
Asherad never experienced anger from his father and mother, who protected him. His father either neglected Asherad in any hardships or laughed at him when he grew up. What about his mother? She would scold him when he could not overcome hardships as the Crown Prince.
To Asherad, blood relations were just... a ‘publicly recognized’ relationship. Just as you become a family when you get married and take in a wife, even if you love and cherish each other, it is only a superficial love.
Children are a means of continuing the family line. When a child dies, another child can be born.
He thought it was pathetic to give everything to that kind of bloodline and love. He didn't know infidelity, he didn't know maternal love. He never felt family love, and it was just a concept or an excuse to do something.
But the person in front of me was just plotting revenge on me for killing his illegitimate child. He took away the most precious thing to me! What did that guy say?
“Give it to me, give it to me!”
Asherad felt humiliated. He wanted to bring the dead man back to life and kill him. Daphne's love, his parents' love, the dead Fabian knew things that Asherad absolutely did not know.
“Never give it back.”
The Count grumbled.
“Even if your life was shit, you shouldn’t have taken it out on my son.”
“...”
“You took something precious from me, so I took it from you, too. Does that mean you can, but I can’t?”
Of course not! I am the Emperor, and that person is not a nobleman. That is the law. How much do you lose by doing this kind of thing? You lose more than you gain.
“A foolish boy who was not loved. Poor guy.”
A tear welled up in one of Asherad's eyes and fell. At this moment, the Count saw a boy who had gone mad without receiving the affection he deserved. However, this pity would last only a moment.
“Oh, Emperor, who was not loved and fell in love with evil.”
Count Locania saw Asherad's tears.
“I will take everything from you.”
“...”
“You! You will never be able to love again and will die miserably.”
"You!"
“Because you took everything away from my son.”
Ioannis gestured to the knights. Then the knights approached.
“Don’t kill him!”
Asherad cried out. He had much to find out from the Count: how Daphne had escaped, where she had escaped to, whether she was alive, and what she was doing now!
As the knights paused, the Count said:
“Where are my son’s remains?”
“...”
“Tell me where my son’s remains are, or I will kill that woman.”
Count Locania looked at Asherad with wet eyes. However, the denial only made Asherad's wounds deeper. What use is a corpse to threaten Daphne?
Would my father have acted like this for me? Would he have risked his life?
Asherad thought of the Emperor with a cold face. No, he would never do that. He would rejoice in his death and gladly raise another son.
“How would I know about that corpse?”
“...”
“I guess he became food for wild dogs.”
At those words, the face of Count Locania turned pale. Then, a red anger appeared on his face.
“Asherad!”
Bang!
The sound of something exploding echoed. Asherad thought it was gunpowder exploding. However, the noise he thought was loud was smaller than he thought, and the knight closest to Count Locania fell down, spewing blood.
“If you don’t want to end up like this, back off!”
The Count of Locania shouted, holding a small cylinder with gunpowder smoke coming out of it.
He didn't know what was happening. He only knew that the Count had something faster than a sword. The knights stepped back without realizing it. Count Locania raised it and aimed it at Asherad again. Ioannis immediately blocked his way.
“Yes, there must be a pain worse than death for you.”
“...”
“I will not kill you, Asherad. If you killed my son as you pleased, then I have the right to destroy you as I wish.”
Who would say that? As Asherad was about to say that, a horn sounded. At that sound, Count Locania burst into laughter. Someone came into the tent and shouted.
“The enemy made a surprise attack!”
It was an invasion of the Kingdom of Thalassa.
Daphne, who had woken up, wandered the streets. She thought that someone in Peneus would recognize her, but no one here knew her. It was a port city where people came and went.
This was the place where most new civilizations arrived.
Daphne wandered around the shops and looked at the fountain in the square, with Derek always by her side.
“Why did you follow me all the way to a place like this?”
“How many times do I have to tell you that it’s dangerous for women to be alone?”
“It’s okay if it’s low.”
“It’s dangerous even during the day. Do you know how many people in a city like this commit a crime once and then run away on a boat?”
Daphne sighed as Derek followed her around. The reason Derek was still here was simple.
'We played the role of a married couple at the gate, isn't that natural?'
'...'
'If I leave later, just say we're divorced.'
"I lied when I came in saying we were a 'couple', so I'm here to maintain that pretense," Derek said with a laugh.
“So, please allow me to go on a date, ma’am.”
What is 'something like a date'? Daphne sighed. Still, there were many good things about having Derek. He had been to many places - Pindus, Thalassa, Peneus, Assala - and was an expert on everything except dyeing.
“That fountain was a gift from King Thalassa to Princess Arnesil of the Winter Kingdom, who came to this port 50 years ago.”
“...”
“The King married the Princess and was truly happy.”
Daphne, who was always locked up somewhere, listened intently to his story. It was such an interesting and refreshing story. Derek was blunt and didn't tell stories often, but when Daphne insisted, he had no choice but to tell them. When Daphne listened to the story with shining eyes, he smiled shyly.
At that time, Derek was just like Fabian. When Fabian was talking outside and saw Daphne's face, and smiled shyly, and Daphne also closed her eyes and smiled along. Beautiful memories came to mind. Fabian's face, Fabian's smile. His hands.
Wasn't that the happiest time in Daphne's life, the time when she was at peace and happy after her mother's death, when she didn't know she had been deceived by lies and deception?
At that moment, Daphne's head spun.
Why am I so dizzy? Daphne thought, holding her forehead. She thought it was because she had been on a rocking boat and had just gotten off, but now that two weeks had passed, it was just too much.
“Everything... Olivia?”
Derek picked up Daphne, who had collapsed. He also knew that Daphne was still not eating well and was dizzy. But he had never thought she would collapse. He carried Daphne, who had a pale face, and went to a nearby doctor's office.
“Oh my, that pregnant woman is so skinny and doesn’t eat any nutrition. She almost collapsed.”
The doctor took a look at him and said,
“Pregnancy... is that what you mean?”
“You didn’t know? Well, she's so skinny, it’s understandable why you wouldn’t know. You’re her husband, right? Congratulations!”
The doctor snickered. But Derek's face hardened. His seed is growing in Daphne's stomach?
“How long has it been?”
“It’s been over four months now. I don’t know the details. It might have been longer.”
Derek looked at Daphne's face. Tears fell from Daphne's eyes as she lay there. Her eyelids began to flutter.
Finally, Daphne opened her eyes.
“Pregnancy...?”
The ignorant doctor smiled broadly and said:
“Yes, that’s right.”
It was a signal that brought despair to Daphne.
Previous Next
Daphne.
At those words, Count Locania snickered. Even though it was dangerous enough that the cold iron would stab him right away, the Count did not seem surprised that he was being pushed into it. Even in the midst of all this, the Count laughed at Asherad, who was looking for Daphne.
It was a good thing he got that woman away.
Asherad said.
“Where is Daphne?”
Asherad's expression hardened at the leisurely attitude of Count Locania. Count Locania raised the corners of his mouth and spoke teasingly.
“Your Majesty, the country is on the verge of ruin. Does that woman matter now?”
“That woman?”
“Yes. The pretty blonde woman, Your Majesty loves.”
As the mirror cracked, Asherad's expression cracked. His always relaxed, triumphant, and proud demeanor was shattered with a crash. Asherad felt pain as if he had swallowed cold shards of glass.
“Daphne, the daughter of a seductress, the woman whom Your Majesty treated like a dog! That woman!”
Count Locania did not lower his voice. Asherad forced a smile as he spoke.
“Tell me. If you tell me where that child is, I will spare your life. No, I may even give you a reward.”
The Count burst into laughter at those words. He even held his stomach and shed tears as if he were watching a comedy. Life? A reward?
“Save my life? Who would believe that?”
The Count spoke with a smile on his face. He had no fear of what was to come.
“Should I kill your family too?”
Asherad said in a gloomy voice.
"Family?"
The Count of Locania's gaze suddenly changed. The corners of his mouth that had been raised lowered, his eyes widened, and his eyebrows furrowed. His breathing quickened, and his face turned red. He looked at Asherad with eyes filled with burning hatred.
“You already killed him.”
“...”
“My blood, my son, my child. My pride!”
He shouted. Asherad closed his mouth and opened his eyes wide. Son? Fabian? Why are you so angry? Fabian was an illegitimate child. If you killed a legitimate child, there would be nothing to say, but why would you go to such lengths to kill an illegitimate child? Even if you killed a legitimate child, you should have been executed for insulting the royal family. How dare you try to sneak away a woman who is carrying out a sentence!
He said this while looking at Asherad's puzzled face.
“You idiot. Don’t you understand why I betrayed you?”
“...”
“Of course, have you ever been loved?”
“...”
“You didn’t even receive your father’s protection...”
He clicked his tongue and looked at the little boy in front of him, who had gone mad from lack of love. For the first time in his life, Asherad was struck by the truth and couldn't say anything. It was natural. He knew that the Count of Locania was taking pity on him, even if only for a moment.
That touched Asherad's pride.
Why, why do you pity me? Why? What did that kid say?
Asherad never experienced anger from his father and mother, who protected him. His father either neglected Asherad in any hardships or laughed at him when he grew up. What about his mother? She would scold him when he could not overcome hardships as the Crown Prince.
To Asherad, blood relations were just... a ‘publicly recognized’ relationship. Just as you become a family when you get married and take in a wife, even if you love and cherish each other, it is only a superficial love.
Children are a means of continuing the family line. When a child dies, another child can be born.
He thought it was pathetic to give everything to that kind of bloodline and love. He didn't know infidelity, he didn't know maternal love. He never felt family love, and it was just a concept or an excuse to do something.
But the person in front of me was just plotting revenge on me for killing his illegitimate child. He took away the most precious thing to me! What did that guy say?
“Give it to me, give it to me!”
Asherad felt humiliated. He wanted to bring the dead man back to life and kill him. Daphne's love, his parents' love, the dead Fabian knew things that Asherad absolutely did not know.
“Never give it back.”
The Count grumbled.
“Even if your life was shit, you shouldn’t have taken it out on my son.”
“...”
“You took something precious from me, so I took it from you, too. Does that mean you can, but I can’t?”
Of course not! I am the Emperor, and that person is not a nobleman. That is the law. How much do you lose by doing this kind of thing? You lose more than you gain.
“A foolish boy who was not loved. Poor guy.”
A tear welled up in one of Asherad's eyes and fell. At this moment, the Count saw a boy who had gone mad without receiving the affection he deserved. However, this pity would last only a moment.
“Oh, Emperor, who was not loved and fell in love with evil.”
Count Locania saw Asherad's tears.
“I will take everything from you.”
“...”
“You! You will never be able to love again and will die miserably.”
"You!"
“Because you took everything away from my son.”
Ioannis gestured to the knights. Then the knights approached.
“Don’t kill him!”
Asherad cried out. He had much to find out from the Count: how Daphne had escaped, where she had escaped to, whether she was alive, and what she was doing now!
As the knights paused, the Count said:
“Where are my son’s remains?”
“...”
“Tell me where my son’s remains are, or I will kill that woman.”
Count Locania looked at Asherad with wet eyes. However, the denial only made Asherad's wounds deeper. What use is a corpse to threaten Daphne?
Would my father have acted like this for me? Would he have risked his life?
Asherad thought of the Emperor with a cold face. No, he would never do that. He would rejoice in his death and gladly raise another son.
“How would I know about that corpse?”
“...”
“I guess he became food for wild dogs.”
At those words, the face of Count Locania turned pale. Then, a red anger appeared on his face.
“Asherad!”
Bang!
The sound of something exploding echoed. Asherad thought it was gunpowder exploding. However, the noise he thought was loud was smaller than he thought, and the knight closest to Count Locania fell down, spewing blood.
“If you don’t want to end up like this, back off!”
The Count of Locania shouted, holding a small cylinder with gunpowder smoke coming out of it.
He didn't know what was happening. He only knew that the Count had something faster than a sword. The knights stepped back without realizing it. Count Locania raised it and aimed it at Asherad again. Ioannis immediately blocked his way.
“Yes, there must be a pain worse than death for you.”
“...”
“I will not kill you, Asherad. If you killed my son as you pleased, then I have the right to destroy you as I wish.”
Who would say that? As Asherad was about to say that, a horn sounded. At that sound, Count Locania burst into laughter. Someone came into the tent and shouted.
“The enemy made a surprise attack!”
It was an invasion of the Kingdom of Thalassa.
***
Daphne, who had woken up, wandered the streets. She thought that someone in Peneus would recognize her, but no one here knew her. It was a port city where people came and went.
This was the place where most new civilizations arrived.
Daphne wandered around the shops and looked at the fountain in the square, with Derek always by her side.
“Why did you follow me all the way to a place like this?”
“How many times do I have to tell you that it’s dangerous for women to be alone?”
“It’s okay if it’s low.”
“It’s dangerous even during the day. Do you know how many people in a city like this commit a crime once and then run away on a boat?”
Daphne sighed as Derek followed her around. The reason Derek was still here was simple.
'We played the role of a married couple at the gate, isn't that natural?'
'...'
'If I leave later, just say we're divorced.'
"I lied when I came in saying we were a 'couple', so I'm here to maintain that pretense," Derek said with a laugh.
“So, please allow me to go on a date, ma’am.”
What is 'something like a date'? Daphne sighed. Still, there were many good things about having Derek. He had been to many places - Pindus, Thalassa, Peneus, Assala - and was an expert on everything except dyeing.
“That fountain was a gift from King Thalassa to Princess Arnesil of the Winter Kingdom, who came to this port 50 years ago.”
“...”
“The King married the Princess and was truly happy.”
Daphne, who was always locked up somewhere, listened intently to his story. It was such an interesting and refreshing story. Derek was blunt and didn't tell stories often, but when Daphne insisted, he had no choice but to tell them. When Daphne listened to the story with shining eyes, he smiled shyly.
At that time, Derek was just like Fabian. When Fabian was talking outside and saw Daphne's face, and smiled shyly, and Daphne also closed her eyes and smiled along. Beautiful memories came to mind. Fabian's face, Fabian's smile. His hands.
Wasn't that the happiest time in Daphne's life, the time when she was at peace and happy after her mother's death, when she didn't know she had been deceived by lies and deception?
At that moment, Daphne's head spun.
Why am I so dizzy? Daphne thought, holding her forehead. She thought it was because she had been on a rocking boat and had just gotten off, but now that two weeks had passed, it was just too much.
“Everything... Olivia?”
Derek picked up Daphne, who had collapsed. He also knew that Daphne was still not eating well and was dizzy. But he had never thought she would collapse. He carried Daphne, who had a pale face, and went to a nearby doctor's office.
“Oh my, that pregnant woman is so skinny and doesn’t eat any nutrition. She almost collapsed.”
The doctor took a look at him and said,
“Pregnancy... is that what you mean?”
“You didn’t know? Well, she's so skinny, it’s understandable why you wouldn’t know. You’re her husband, right? Congratulations!”
The doctor snickered. But Derek's face hardened. His seed is growing in Daphne's stomach?
“How long has it been?”
“It’s been over four months now. I don’t know the details. It might have been longer.”
Derek looked at Daphne's face. Tears fell from Daphne's eyes as she lay there. Her eyelids began to flutter.
Finally, Daphne opened her eyes.
“Pregnancy...?”
The ignorant doctor smiled broadly and said:
“Yes, that’s right.”
It was a signal that brought despair to Daphne.
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