80. Sleeping Corpse
'What on earth is this woman's intention?'
Oh my god.
There was a reason why this woman was so nice to her.
It was because I was truly in love! Tears flowed down Kalista's face.
How deeply must that man have agonized and suffered? Kalista wanted to run to Asherad right away and hug the man she loved.
“So, I will no longer hide the truth, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager.”
Daphne smiled brightly and knelt before Kalista. What it showed was sincerity and tragedy.
A cold smile appeared on Daphne's face at Kalista's tears. The naive woman believed Daphne's words too easily.
Having Daphne by her side wasn't a bad thing for Kalista in the long run. Plus, Daphne didn't overstep her bounds.
There was no reason not to keep her by her side. Daphne, who was not even at a distance from Kalista, was an easy woman to deal with.
Because of this, Kalista became very generous.
When Daphne said she wanted to go out for a change of pace, she was considerate enough to go out on a few trips. After a few trips out of town, Daphne never came back.
“Don’t look for her!”
This was precisely Kalista's mistake.
If she had gone after Daphne right away, Kalista might still be alive. However, to become the only person in Asherad, she truly wanted Daphne to disappear.
That's why she intentionally planned to look for her late, even when she said she was gone.
Little did she know that it would lead to her death. She had made the most foolish decision of her life.
'If I don't want to get caught, I have to get the Empress Dowager on my side.'
Even if she escapes, the clever Asherad may be able to figure out that Count Locania is behind it.
If that's the case, then they had to find another way to shift the blame elsewhere.
The one Daphne chose was Kalista. Ironically, Daphne had been watching Kalista the longest, and knew what kind of delusions she had through her maids.
Kalista was a typical idiot. She thought what she was going through was the greatest tragedy in the world, and she was also stubborn about what she thought was true.
Kalista opened her heart to Daphne, who caressed it, pretending not to.
Asherad sent her sweet letters, reminding her that his favor was still intact.
Kalista, who had initially tried to push Daphne away, finally acknowledged her need. Daphne continued to whisper to her side.
The Emperor's lover is Kalista. Daphne is her substitute. He, too, is clumsy in love and doesn't know what to do.
Asherad was a kind-hearted man, and he felt compassion for young Daphne.
Kalista heard it as sweetly as a fairy tale.
At first, Daphne felt guilty about Kalista. But one day, when Kalista slapped Amanda on the cheek, all that guilt went away. She could bear to ignore her.
But Kalista was too arrogant and too cruel.
Daphne, with her guilt gone, continued to tease Kalista.
Kalista wanted to show Daphne that she was superior, and went on an overseas trip under the pretext of helping Daphne, who had not been able to see the outside world.
The places of excursion were varied. The downtown area. The theater. The art gallery. The temple of Ru-Ravda.
Count Locania and Daphne were able to plan an escape route. And the place Daphne chose was the temple of Ru-Ravda, the sun god and god of war. No one armed could enter the temple, and the knights guarding Daphne were also not allowed to enter.
Before leaving the temple, Daphne gave Amanda a vacation and gave Sarah a large amount of jewelry, telling her that it was time to run away.
While she was praying, she ran away down a side road. Even though Kalista knew Daphne was missing, she didn't look for her. She secretly found it annoying to take care of Daphne.
The plan to ensure that not even the slightest suspicion was raised against Count Locania was successful.
In order not to cause trouble to the Count, who was helping her escape, Daphne chose to escape 'alone'.
She was lucky. She was not noticed by anyone until she left the temple of Ru-Ravda. She found the robe that Count Locania had prepared for her.
As soon as she left the temple, she deliberately mingled with the crowd in the market. The most important thing here was not to buy anything in the market, since Daphne's appearance was conspicuous.
If she leaves the capital alive, she will be caught.
Daphne knew it all too well, so she hid in another 'temple' nearby.
The temple of Ceres, the goddess of death, was always deserted. They were the ones who presided over funerals, and they were also responsible for transporting the bodies of those who could not afford the funeral expenses outside the capital and burying them in the ground.
If it's impossible to get out alive, then you can get out dead.
Daphne's thoughts were supplemented by the advice of Count Locania. Daphne entered the coffin designated by Count Locania.
Before she is buried alive in a coffin, Count Locania intervenes and rescues her.
There is only one drawback: Daphne has to move the corpse from one coffin to another and become a corpse herself.
It was a very simple but effective method that no one had thought of.
Daphne bit her lip. She could do it. The mortuary was filled with coffins of the same size. If she hesitated, she would get lost.
Fortunately, perhaps because of Count Locania's intervention, there were no guards around the mortuary containing the coffin. She looked around at the dizzying number of people inside the coffin.
'Ian Kerwin.'
It was the name the Count had spoken of. Relying on the light leaking from the ground, Daphne finally found the coffin with that name in the cool place.
Daphne pinched her nose. The stench of death was overwhelming.
She took a deep breath and opened the lid of the coffin. The lid, which she had thought would be heavy, was light. This must have been because the material of the coffin itself was not good.
If the poorest priests of Ceres were carrying the corpse, it meant that they were the poorest of the lower class.
Her face became clouded as she looked inside the coffin. What lay in the coffin was the corpse of a very small child. It must have been about three or four years old. The pale face showed that he had died from illness.
Daphne whispered an apology to the child and moved the body to another coffin. The child was small, and the body in the coffin next to it was also a child, so they could all fit in one coffin.
Daphne entered the unclaimed coffin and closed the lid. The coffin was too small and filled with the stench of rotting corpses. As soon as she entered, the low ceiling suffocated her.
There was barely enough room to move one arm. Daphne, lying down, took out some medicine from her pocket. It was a sleeping pill that the Count had prepared for her in case she got scared and messed up her work.
'If you eat this, it will all be over.'
'...'
'Even if the coffin is opened, you will still be seen as a corpse because you are in a deep sleep.'
'...'
'Good luck.'
The priests of Ceres will be carrying out the funeral tonight. It will all be over tonight. She thought as she swallowed the bitter pill.
After this night, a new world will come.
A life of freedom, no longer a life of being toyed with.
Then the bitter taste of the medicine felt like sweet honey. Were her eyes closed? Or were they open? The darkness inside the coffin made it impossible to tell whether her eyes were closed or open.
Daphne finally closed her eyes.
Daphne felt a hand tapping her cheek. Was it time to wake up already? She felt drowsy. The drug must still have taken effect, as she was too sleepy to open her eyes.
“You have to get up, Daphne.”
Daphne blinked slowly at the familiar and affectionate voice that suddenly came to her ears. Then, when she realized who the owner of the voice was, her eyes opened wide.
“Did you sleep well, Daphne?”
A voice as smooth as a snake's scales was heard. The green-eyed man was looking down at Daphne with a smile. He was smiling affectionately, like a devil.
'What on earth is this woman's intention?'
Kalista glared at Daphne. Daphne laughed and followed Kalista around. It was so annoying, but she couldn't ignore it.
The palace has Asherad's ears. What if he returns and hears that Daphne has been persecuted? Then Daphne opens her mouth.
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, I do not wish to be your enemy, but rather to live under your mercy.”
Oh, Kalista realized then. This stupid woman had no idea what Kalista was going through.
She just thinks that she has to obey Kalista because she is the highest ranking woman and she wants to become Empress.
Kalista hated that stupidity, but it was fun to watch. Anyway, Kalista couldn't kill Daphne. If she did, Asherad wouldn't leave her alone. Instead, she had to protect her.
Besides, this woman's stupidity was beneficial in the long run. If Daphne were to gain the Emperor's favor, then Kalista would have to live in Daphne's shadow, but what if this woman served her well?
It was really nice of Daphne to bend first. k
The palace has Asherad's ears. What if he returns and hears that Daphne has been persecuted? Then Daphne opens her mouth.
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, I do not wish to be your enemy, but rather to live under your mercy.”
Oh, Kalista realized then. This stupid woman had no idea what Kalista was going through.
She just thinks that she has to obey Kalista because she is the highest ranking woman and she wants to become Empress.
Kalista hated that stupidity, but it was fun to watch. Anyway, Kalista couldn't kill Daphne. If she did, Asherad wouldn't leave her alone. Instead, she had to protect her.
Besides, this woman's stupidity was beneficial in the long run. If Daphne were to gain the Emperor's favor, then Kalista would have to live in Daphne's shadow, but what if this woman served her well?
It was really nice of Daphne to bend first. k
Kalista was happy to be played by Daphne's clumsy tricks.
Daphne's kindness was like honey. As expected of a former maid, she personally took care of Kalista and looked upon Kalista, who was of noble birth, with 'admiration'.
“You are amazing.”
If there was one thing that came out of Daphne's mouth the most, it was this.
Thanks to this, Kalista felt adored just by breathing. It was something she needed, like a shower on dry land, when her self-esteem had fallen to its lowest point.
In a situation where the power relations were reversed, it was certainly not a bad thing for Daphne, who had the upper hand, to bow down.
Rumors began to spread that Daphne's behavior was indicative of something happening to Kalista, and people began to gather around Kalista again.
Most people wanted to have a word with Daphne, but Kalista was satisfied anyway. Then one day, Daphne told Kalista the 'truth'.
“I have something to say to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
“What is it?”
“In fact, His Majesty did not want to reveal it, but as a lady of the royal family, I wish to reveal the truth.”
“...”
“His Majesty does not love that kind of person. He is a man of twisted affections.”
"...What."
“The one His Majesty truly loves is Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager.”
That's ridiculous, that's not true. Daphne sighed at Kalista's suspicious gaze.
“The look he gave me, the affection he showed me. All of that had a separate owner.”
“...”
“Because it was a forbidden relationship, he couldn’t dare to show it, and he was so upset that he let it out on someone as insignificant as me. To tell you the truth, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager. When Your Majesty the Empress Dowager told me that His Majesty the Emperor loved you, I was secretly surprised at how well the two of us could communicate.”
Kalista looked at Daphne, who had told her the absurd truth. She had a look of heartache on her face. However, the truth that Daphne had told her directly matched Kalista's vain delusions.
Daphne's kindness was like honey. As expected of a former maid, she personally took care of Kalista and looked upon Kalista, who was of noble birth, with 'admiration'.
“You are amazing.”
If there was one thing that came out of Daphne's mouth the most, it was this.
Thanks to this, Kalista felt adored just by breathing. It was something she needed, like a shower on dry land, when her self-esteem had fallen to its lowest point.
In a situation where the power relations were reversed, it was certainly not a bad thing for Daphne, who had the upper hand, to bow down.
Rumors began to spread that Daphne's behavior was indicative of something happening to Kalista, and people began to gather around Kalista again.
Most people wanted to have a word with Daphne, but Kalista was satisfied anyway. Then one day, Daphne told Kalista the 'truth'.
“I have something to say to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
“What is it?”
“In fact, His Majesty did not want to reveal it, but as a lady of the royal family, I wish to reveal the truth.”
“...”
“His Majesty does not love that kind of person. He is a man of twisted affections.”
"...What."
“The one His Majesty truly loves is Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager.”
That's ridiculous, that's not true. Daphne sighed at Kalista's suspicious gaze.
“The look he gave me, the affection he showed me. All of that had a separate owner.”
“...”
“Because it was a forbidden relationship, he couldn’t dare to show it, and he was so upset that he let it out on someone as insignificant as me. To tell you the truth, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager. When Your Majesty the Empress Dowager told me that His Majesty the Emperor loved you, I was secretly surprised at how well the two of us could communicate.”
Kalista looked at Daphne, who had told her the absurd truth. She had a look of heartache on her face. However, the truth that Daphne had told her directly matched Kalista's vain delusions.
Oh my god.
There was a reason why this woman was so nice to her.
It was because I was truly in love! Tears flowed down Kalista's face.
How deeply must that man have agonized and suffered? Kalista wanted to run to Asherad right away and hug the man she loved.
“So, I will no longer hide the truth, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager.”
Daphne smiled brightly and knelt before Kalista. What it showed was sincerity and tragedy.
A cold smile appeared on Daphne's face at Kalista's tears. The naive woman believed Daphne's words too easily.
Having Daphne by her side wasn't a bad thing for Kalista in the long run. Plus, Daphne didn't overstep her bounds.
There was no reason not to keep her by her side. Daphne, who was not even at a distance from Kalista, was an easy woman to deal with.
Because of this, Kalista became very generous.
When Daphne said she wanted to go out for a change of pace, she was considerate enough to go out on a few trips. After a few trips out of town, Daphne never came back.
“Don’t look for her!”
This was precisely Kalista's mistake.
If she had gone after Daphne right away, Kalista might still be alive. However, to become the only person in Asherad, she truly wanted Daphne to disappear.
That's why she intentionally planned to look for her late, even when she said she was gone.
Little did she know that it would lead to her death. She had made the most foolish decision of her life.
***
'If I don't want to get caught, I have to get the Empress Dowager on my side.'
Even if she escapes, the clever Asherad may be able to figure out that Count Locania is behind it.
If that's the case, then they had to find another way to shift the blame elsewhere.
The one Daphne chose was Kalista. Ironically, Daphne had been watching Kalista the longest, and knew what kind of delusions she had through her maids.
Kalista was a typical idiot. She thought what she was going through was the greatest tragedy in the world, and she was also stubborn about what she thought was true.
Kalista opened her heart to Daphne, who caressed it, pretending not to.
Asherad sent her sweet letters, reminding her that his favor was still intact.
Kalista, who had initially tried to push Daphne away, finally acknowledged her need. Daphne continued to whisper to her side.
The Emperor's lover is Kalista. Daphne is her substitute. He, too, is clumsy in love and doesn't know what to do.
Asherad was a kind-hearted man, and he felt compassion for young Daphne.
Kalista heard it as sweetly as a fairy tale.
At first, Daphne felt guilty about Kalista. But one day, when Kalista slapped Amanda on the cheek, all that guilt went away. She could bear to ignore her.
But Kalista was too arrogant and too cruel.
Daphne, with her guilt gone, continued to tease Kalista.
Kalista wanted to show Daphne that she was superior, and went on an overseas trip under the pretext of helping Daphne, who had not been able to see the outside world.
The places of excursion were varied. The downtown area. The theater. The art gallery. The temple of Ru-Ravda.
Count Locania and Daphne were able to plan an escape route. And the place Daphne chose was the temple of Ru-Ravda, the sun god and god of war. No one armed could enter the temple, and the knights guarding Daphne were also not allowed to enter.
Before leaving the temple, Daphne gave Amanda a vacation and gave Sarah a large amount of jewelry, telling her that it was time to run away.
While she was praying, she ran away down a side road. Even though Kalista knew Daphne was missing, she didn't look for her. She secretly found it annoying to take care of Daphne.
The plan to ensure that not even the slightest suspicion was raised against Count Locania was successful.
In order not to cause trouble to the Count, who was helping her escape, Daphne chose to escape 'alone'.
She was lucky. She was not noticed by anyone until she left the temple of Ru-Ravda. She found the robe that Count Locania had prepared for her.
As soon as she left the temple, she deliberately mingled with the crowd in the market. The most important thing here was not to buy anything in the market, since Daphne's appearance was conspicuous.
If she leaves the capital alive, she will be caught.
Daphne knew it all too well, so she hid in another 'temple' nearby.
The temple of Ceres, the goddess of death, was always deserted. They were the ones who presided over funerals, and they were also responsible for transporting the bodies of those who could not afford the funeral expenses outside the capital and burying them in the ground.
If it's impossible to get out alive, then you can get out dead.
Daphne's thoughts were supplemented by the advice of Count Locania. Daphne entered the coffin designated by Count Locania.
Before she is buried alive in a coffin, Count Locania intervenes and rescues her.
There is only one drawback: Daphne has to move the corpse from one coffin to another and become a corpse herself.
It was a very simple but effective method that no one had thought of.
Daphne bit her lip. She could do it. The mortuary was filled with coffins of the same size. If she hesitated, she would get lost.
Fortunately, perhaps because of Count Locania's intervention, there were no guards around the mortuary containing the coffin. She looked around at the dizzying number of people inside the coffin.
'Ian Kerwin.'
It was the name the Count had spoken of. Relying on the light leaking from the ground, Daphne finally found the coffin with that name in the cool place.
Daphne pinched her nose. The stench of death was overwhelming.
She took a deep breath and opened the lid of the coffin. The lid, which she had thought would be heavy, was light. This must have been because the material of the coffin itself was not good.
If the poorest priests of Ceres were carrying the corpse, it meant that they were the poorest of the lower class.
Her face became clouded as she looked inside the coffin. What lay in the coffin was the corpse of a very small child. It must have been about three or four years old. The pale face showed that he had died from illness.
Daphne whispered an apology to the child and moved the body to another coffin. The child was small, and the body in the coffin next to it was also a child, so they could all fit in one coffin.
Daphne entered the unclaimed coffin and closed the lid. The coffin was too small and filled with the stench of rotting corpses. As soon as she entered, the low ceiling suffocated her.
There was barely enough room to move one arm. Daphne, lying down, took out some medicine from her pocket. It was a sleeping pill that the Count had prepared for her in case she got scared and messed up her work.
'If you eat this, it will all be over.'
'...'
'Even if the coffin is opened, you will still be seen as a corpse because you are in a deep sleep.'
'...'
'Good luck.'
The priests of Ceres will be carrying out the funeral tonight. It will all be over tonight. She thought as she swallowed the bitter pill.
After this night, a new world will come.
A life of freedom, no longer a life of being toyed with.
Then the bitter taste of the medicine felt like sweet honey. Were her eyes closed? Or were they open? The darkness inside the coffin made it impossible to tell whether her eyes were closed or open.
Daphne finally closed her eyes.
***
Daphne felt a hand tapping her cheek. Was it time to wake up already? She felt drowsy. The drug must still have taken effect, as she was too sleepy to open her eyes.
“You have to get up, Daphne.”
Daphne blinked slowly at the familiar and affectionate voice that suddenly came to her ears. Then, when she realized who the owner of the voice was, her eyes opened wide.
“Did you sleep well, Daphne?”
A voice as smooth as a snake's scales was heard. The green-eyed man was looking down at Daphne with a smile. He was smiling affectionately, like a devil.
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