72. Excuse
Daphne's face hardened at those cold words. Where have you been? Did he realize that she had run away?
How?
Her head was spinning. Asherad reached out and caressed Daphne's chin.
“Daphne, you look so good in your head.”
“...”
“Did you think I didn’t know you ran away?”
The hand that touched her face was incredibly cold. His fingers ran down her chin and stroked her neck. Maybe it was because of the temperature, but it felt like a knife was stuck in her neck, and it gave her goosebumps.
Daphne felt a moment of fear that this man might strangle her. Amid the tension, Daphne opened her mouth with a tearful expression.
“Well, I thought you were dead!”
Instead, she looked at Askerad with a sense of resentment and resentment. Asherad was puzzled by her attitude.
“Because I couldn’t even see your face properly when you fell.”
Tears welled up in Daphne's eyes. The hand that was dangerously stroking her neck stopped.
“Your knights chased me out.”
Daphne thought. Asherad knows she ran away anyway.
Then, she has to make him understand why she had no choice but to run away. Then, Asherad's anger will subside. Daphne grabbed Asherad's arm and sobbed.
“The moment I was kicked out without even being able to reach out to you, my situation really hit me.”
“...”
“I am nothing without you. I die helplessly.”
Daphne looked at Asherad's face without wiping away the tears that were falling down.
She couldn't tell what he was thinking. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, which seemed strangely like he was mocking her, or like he was provoking her to see how she could persuade him.
“That’s why.”
“So you ran away?”
“Because someone tried to kill me.”
Asherad narrowed her eyes at Daphne's words. From now on, it was gambling territory. She gritted her teeth to keep quiet. If Count Locania's words were true, then Kalista must have taken some action to kill Daphne.
Also, if Asherad had known all the information while lying sick, he would have found out what the Empress Dowager had done. In other words, Daphne had never lied.
“So, you ran away and left me?”
Daphne couldn't answer Asherad's words, because he was right. Daphne spoke as if making excuses.
“Because I was scared.”
“...”
“I am nothing without you... I couldn’t just die quietly knowing how much the Empress Dowager hates me.”
Daphne looked straight into Asherad's eyes, as if nothing could be more honest.
The man burst out laughing when he saw the confident woman running away as soon as her lover died.
"Haha..."
Daphne didn't know what the smile meant, but she knew it was negative. However, Daphne had a very powerful weapon.
“Asherad.”
At those words, Asherad opened his eyes wide and looked at Daphne. She bit her lip and hesitated for a while, then closed her eyes as if giving up, and said.
“If I really wanted to run away from you. If I was shaking so much that I tried to get away, why would I have come back to you as soon as I heard you were awake?”
“...”
Asherad looked at her with the corners of his mouth lowered.
“If I had run away while you were down, I could have definitely gone anywhere, you know.”
“...”
“I came back to be by your side, to see you again. Because by your side is where I belong.”
Daphne tried to smile through her tears, hoping it wouldn't seem mean. She rested her head on Asherad's chest. She reached out and hugged his waist tightly, whispering.
“Thank goodness you’re alive.”
“...”
“I’m so glad.”
Was it an empty echo, or was it the truth? Daphne couldn't tell. But as if brainwashing herself, she continued to whisper that she was lucky, and continued to whisper sweetly in the arms of the one who had captured her.
“Your Majesty, I cannot live without you.”
“...”
“I thought my world would end the moment you drank my tea and died.”
Daphne began to sob. Asherad looked down at Daphne in his arms. There was no contact. At the gaze that seemed to pierce the back of her head, Daphne lifted her head and looked straight into his eyes.
“I’m glad to be alive.”
“...”
“I’m really glad to be alive.”
Daphne brainwashed herself and Asherad. This ignorant, weak concubine cried and cried, saying that she could not live without him. Without saying anything else, she held him in her arms as if he were everything to her and continued to cry.
Soon, Asherad's hand was placed on Daphne's back.
Yes.
Daphne felt relieved inwardly. His hand gently stroked Daphne's golden hair. She buried her head in his arms and smiled faintly. Asherad would get over this. In this ambiguous relationship, Daphne also realized it.
This man loves that Daphne needs him. She can't get away from it.
"Daphne."
Asherad whispered affectionately.
“I never thought about what would happen to you if I died.”
Look, his voice was not like this. He stroked Daphne carefully. The hand that patted her back was so affectionate. Daphne was completely relieved by that. But then, Asherad's cold voice was heard.
“What you have to do is very simple.”
“...”
“Follow me and die. Cut your arteries with a sword. Jump from the top floor of the palace. Or drink poison.”
Daphne's heart sank. She looked up at Asherad. The blood in her body seemed to freeze.
He tells her to follow him without hesitation and die. This man really treats Daphne like a loyal dog. Daphne shed tears at that. Asherad smiled and caressed Daphne's eyes where tears were falling.
“Thank you for coming back, Daphne. I’m so glad you came.”
“...”
“But, there is no second time.”
Daphne's heart grew cold at the soft warning.
“The Empire must set an example for the Kingdom of Thalassa!”
Veronica gritted her teeth. This is ridiculous! How could I have fallen into such a trap! How, how could this have happened!
“I didn’t poison the tea!”
Veronica was angry. It was just so unfair. But no one listened to Veronica's excuses. A woman who was jealous of the Emperor's lover and almost poisoned him. Veronica was nothing more or less than that.
Kalista, that fake Princess!
She gritted her teeth. Let's calm down. If she calms down, the people of the Kingdom of Thalassa will save her. How could the King leave her alone?
“It’s okay, it’ll be okay.”
“It won’t be okay.”
Veronica's eyes widened in anger at the voice she heard. It was because Kalista had appeared smiling.
She was wearing a gorgeous light green dress. The glass beads embedded in her dress sparkled. Heavy makeup, gorgeous hair ornaments. Veronica lost all sense of reason at the sight of her eyes being so adorned.
“This evil bitch!”
She spat and shouted at Kalista. Kalista gestured absently, and the knights standing next to her opened the cell door and entered, slapping Veronica on the cheek. With a slap, her body fell to the side. Kalista burst into laughter.
“Princess Arald, why do you act so innocent? You did the same thing in your beloved homeland. You treated me kindly, and then you framed me for getting in a strange tea and humiliated me... Did you think I didn’t know?”
"...”
“I just gave it back to you the way you used to.”
Kalista burst out laughing. Yes, Veronica was like that. Kalista had her way, but at the time, she wasn't the type to mess with people.
Veronica approached Kalista gently, framing her and isolating her.
Where did the rumor of a fake Princess come from? If there was someone who would not be satisfied even if chewed to pieces, it was Veronica.
Veronica put her hand on her cheek with a blank expression. Blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. Her face was astonished by the violence she had suffered for the first time. But soon Veronica shouted with venom.
“You idiot. Do you know what you have done? Do you not know how much danger you have put the Kingdom of Thalassa in?”
“What do I know, a rotten country like that?”
Kalista said with a cruel smile. Veronica now realized that her own common sense was different from Kalista's.
“You, you!”
“Shouldn’t you have unconditionally supported me for the sake of the kingdom? As someone from the same homeland, I was thinking of helping you.”
Kalista snorted. She sat up and locked eyes with Veronica, who was slumped over the bars.
“Let me give you some advice, since I’m the first one to come to this shitty country.”
"What..."
“The King will never save you. He will abandon you again.”
“Nonsense, I’m from the Duke of Arald!”
“You fool, I am the Queen’s daughter!”
Kalista laughed. She was really having fun. It was like a toothache just seeing Veronica in trouble. Now, if only I could catch that woman, Daphne, and kill her!
“Take care of it properly. Behave like a knight.”
Kalista ordered her knights out of the prison, but as she walked down the hallway, an ominous voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Mother, you really have a foul mouth.”
"Eeek!"
Kalista's heart sank. Asherad was standing in the passage. His hair was tangled and black, and his eyes were piercing with a tremendous fury.
Daphne's face hardened at those cold words. Where have you been? Did he realize that she had run away?
How?
Her head was spinning. Asherad reached out and caressed Daphne's chin.
“Daphne, you look so good in your head.”
“...”
“Did you think I didn’t know you ran away?”
The hand that touched her face was incredibly cold. His fingers ran down her chin and stroked her neck. Maybe it was because of the temperature, but it felt like a knife was stuck in her neck, and it gave her goosebumps.
Daphne felt a moment of fear that this man might strangle her. Amid the tension, Daphne opened her mouth with a tearful expression.
“Well, I thought you were dead!”
Instead, she looked at Askerad with a sense of resentment and resentment. Asherad was puzzled by her attitude.
“Because I couldn’t even see your face properly when you fell.”
Tears welled up in Daphne's eyes. The hand that was dangerously stroking her neck stopped.
“Your knights chased me out.”
Daphne thought. Asherad knows she ran away anyway.
Then, she has to make him understand why she had no choice but to run away. Then, Asherad's anger will subside. Daphne grabbed Asherad's arm and sobbed.
“The moment I was kicked out without even being able to reach out to you, my situation really hit me.”
“...”
“I am nothing without you. I die helplessly.”
Daphne looked at Asherad's face without wiping away the tears that were falling down.
She couldn't tell what he was thinking. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, which seemed strangely like he was mocking her, or like he was provoking her to see how she could persuade him.
“That’s why.”
“So you ran away?”
“Because someone tried to kill me.”
Asherad narrowed her eyes at Daphne's words. From now on, it was gambling territory. She gritted her teeth to keep quiet. If Count Locania's words were true, then Kalista must have taken some action to kill Daphne.
Also, if Asherad had known all the information while lying sick, he would have found out what the Empress Dowager had done. In other words, Daphne had never lied.
“So, you ran away and left me?”
Daphne couldn't answer Asherad's words, because he was right. Daphne spoke as if making excuses.
“Because I was scared.”
“...”
“I am nothing without you... I couldn’t just die quietly knowing how much the Empress Dowager hates me.”
Daphne looked straight into Asherad's eyes, as if nothing could be more honest.
The man burst out laughing when he saw the confident woman running away as soon as her lover died.
"Haha..."
Daphne didn't know what the smile meant, but she knew it was negative. However, Daphne had a very powerful weapon.
“Asherad.”
At those words, Asherad opened his eyes wide and looked at Daphne. She bit her lip and hesitated for a while, then closed her eyes as if giving up, and said.
“If I really wanted to run away from you. If I was shaking so much that I tried to get away, why would I have come back to you as soon as I heard you were awake?”
“...”
Asherad looked at her with the corners of his mouth lowered.
“If I had run away while you were down, I could have definitely gone anywhere, you know.”
“...”
“I came back to be by your side, to see you again. Because by your side is where I belong.”
Daphne tried to smile through her tears, hoping it wouldn't seem mean. She rested her head on Asherad's chest. She reached out and hugged his waist tightly, whispering.
“Thank goodness you’re alive.”
“...”
“I’m so glad.”
Was it an empty echo, or was it the truth? Daphne couldn't tell. But as if brainwashing herself, she continued to whisper that she was lucky, and continued to whisper sweetly in the arms of the one who had captured her.
“Your Majesty, I cannot live without you.”
“...”
“I thought my world would end the moment you drank my tea and died.”
Daphne began to sob. Asherad looked down at Daphne in his arms. There was no contact. At the gaze that seemed to pierce the back of her head, Daphne lifted her head and looked straight into his eyes.
“I’m glad to be alive.”
“...”
“I’m really glad to be alive.”
Daphne brainwashed herself and Asherad. This ignorant, weak concubine cried and cried, saying that she could not live without him. Without saying anything else, she held him in her arms as if he were everything to her and continued to cry.
Soon, Asherad's hand was placed on Daphne's back.
Yes.
Daphne felt relieved inwardly. His hand gently stroked Daphne's golden hair. She buried her head in his arms and smiled faintly. Asherad would get over this. In this ambiguous relationship, Daphne also realized it.
This man loves that Daphne needs him. She can't get away from it.
"Daphne."
Asherad whispered affectionately.
“I never thought about what would happen to you if I died.”
Look, his voice was not like this. He stroked Daphne carefully. The hand that patted her back was so affectionate. Daphne was completely relieved by that. But then, Asherad's cold voice was heard.
“What you have to do is very simple.”
“...”
“Follow me and die. Cut your arteries with a sword. Jump from the top floor of the palace. Or drink poison.”
Daphne's heart sank. She looked up at Asherad. The blood in her body seemed to freeze.
He tells her to follow him without hesitation and die. This man really treats Daphne like a loyal dog. Daphne shed tears at that. Asherad smiled and caressed Daphne's eyes where tears were falling.
“Thank you for coming back, Daphne. I’m so glad you came.”
“...”
“But, there is no second time.”
Daphne's heart grew cold at the soft warning.
***
“The Empire must set an example for the Kingdom of Thalassa!”
Veronica gritted her teeth. This is ridiculous! How could I have fallen into such a trap! How, how could this have happened!
“I didn’t poison the tea!”
Veronica was angry. It was just so unfair. But no one listened to Veronica's excuses. A woman who was jealous of the Emperor's lover and almost poisoned him. Veronica was nothing more or less than that.
Kalista, that fake Princess!
She gritted her teeth. Let's calm down. If she calms down, the people of the Kingdom of Thalassa will save her. How could the King leave her alone?
“It’s okay, it’ll be okay.”
“It won’t be okay.”
Veronica's eyes widened in anger at the voice she heard. It was because Kalista had appeared smiling.
She was wearing a gorgeous light green dress. The glass beads embedded in her dress sparkled. Heavy makeup, gorgeous hair ornaments. Veronica lost all sense of reason at the sight of her eyes being so adorned.
“This evil bitch!”
She spat and shouted at Kalista. Kalista gestured absently, and the knights standing next to her opened the cell door and entered, slapping Veronica on the cheek. With a slap, her body fell to the side. Kalista burst into laughter.
“Princess Arald, why do you act so innocent? You did the same thing in your beloved homeland. You treated me kindly, and then you framed me for getting in a strange tea and humiliated me... Did you think I didn’t know?”
"...”
“I just gave it back to you the way you used to.”
Kalista burst out laughing. Yes, Veronica was like that. Kalista had her way, but at the time, she wasn't the type to mess with people.
Veronica approached Kalista gently, framing her and isolating her.
Where did the rumor of a fake Princess come from? If there was someone who would not be satisfied even if chewed to pieces, it was Veronica.
Veronica put her hand on her cheek with a blank expression. Blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. Her face was astonished by the violence she had suffered for the first time. But soon Veronica shouted with venom.
“You idiot. Do you know what you have done? Do you not know how much danger you have put the Kingdom of Thalassa in?”
“What do I know, a rotten country like that?”
Kalista said with a cruel smile. Veronica now realized that her own common sense was different from Kalista's.
“You, you!”
“Shouldn’t you have unconditionally supported me for the sake of the kingdom? As someone from the same homeland, I was thinking of helping you.”
Kalista snorted. She sat up and locked eyes with Veronica, who was slumped over the bars.
“Let me give you some advice, since I’m the first one to come to this shitty country.”
"What..."
“The King will never save you. He will abandon you again.”
“Nonsense, I’m from the Duke of Arald!”
“You fool, I am the Queen’s daughter!”
Kalista laughed. She was really having fun. It was like a toothache just seeing Veronica in trouble. Now, if only I could catch that woman, Daphne, and kill her!
“Take care of it properly. Behave like a knight.”
Kalista ordered her knights out of the prison, but as she walked down the hallway, an ominous voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Mother, you really have a foul mouth.”
"Eeek!"
Kalista's heart sank. Asherad was standing in the passage. His hair was tangled and black, and his eyes were piercing with a tremendous fury.
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