83. Bee
Blood poured out like a fountain. Daphne, who saw Amanda squirming, ran to her. Asherad did not catch her.
“Oh, Amanda! Amanda!”
Daphne screamed as she saw Amanda's body slumped forward. She limped towards Amanda. The closer she got, the more the smell of blood filled her body. She laid Amanda's squirming body down properly and looked at her face. Blood was flowing out of her lips.
“Ah... it hurts, it hurts...”
Amanda was mumbling weakly. She felt the warmth of her belly and looked at her palms.
“Amanda, please!”
Bloody palms, a woman calling her name. It was only natural that everyone's eyes would turn to her.
Daphne looked into Amanda's powerless eyes. Those eyes that were unique just before death, but the moment they recognized Daphne, they turned into sharp, murderous intent, and stabbed Daphne.
“Because of you... because of you...”
“...”
“You, you...”
Daphne froze in her seething hatred. Amanda reached out as if to tear Daphne apart, but her movements were feeble. Daphne felt as if the hand was tightening around her throat.
“I... received...”
And then Amanda's eyes became empty.
“Oh, Amanda! Amanda!”
“...”
“Someone, someone, please!”
Daphne looked at Ioannis, but he was watching Daphne and Amanda with a cold expression. Amanda, with her empty eyes, did not blink anymore. Daphne hugged her dead body and burst into tears.
'Cursed.'
'The person next to you becomes unhappy.'
'Why don't you just die?'
Amanda had always said that to Daphne. It wasn't wrong. Many people died because of Daphne.
'Hey, where did you go? Don't you know you have to clean the hallway over there right now?'
'His Majesty will be here soon! Don't come out! I don't want to ruin another day because of you.'
Amanda wasn't kind, but she did help Daphne escape the Emperor's gaze, even as she laughed at her and cursed at her, and she also taught her things that Daphne might not have known.
She was not the kind of person who would die because of Daphne. But she died. She died because of her. Daphne screamed in frustration.
Fabian, Amanda, how many people have died because of her? Daphne looked up to curse Asherad.
Daphne thought he was smiling like a devil. However, her thoughts stopped when she saw Asherad's face. It was a statuesque expression, neither enjoying nor angered by Daphne’s misfortune.
Punishment.
Daphne was punished. And she thought of Sarah, who had helped her escape. She also thought of Count Locania. They should not be used as Daphne's punishment. Daphne approached Askelad on her knees. Her trembling arms grabbed the hem of his trousers.
“Please, I won’t do that. I won’t do it again.”
Daphne cried and begged.
She prayed to the person she loved, the person she asked to marry, the person who was once her world, the person she was once planning to spend her life with.
“I don’t want to do this anymore... please, please. Don’t kill me anymore. Please.”
Asherad never showed any satisfaction at the desperation. Rather, his expression became even more distorted.
"Why?"
“...”
“Why is it raining so much?”
“...”
“Oh, there was another maid?”
Daphne flinched. Asherad was sitting there. He stared at her for a long time and then gestured to Ioannis.
“Let mhet in.”
At those words, the door opened.
“Oh, no, no! Don’t do that! It was my fault!”
Daphne screamed. Sarah opened the door and came in, bowed to Asherad and Ioannis, then stood in front of Asherad.
“Did you call, Your Majesty?”
Oh, no. Daphne got up. This time, she didn't want Sarah to die. So she stood right in front of Sarah.
It didn't even occur to Daphne that she had walked past Amanda's body, or that she had acted so nonchalantly.
She spread out her arms as if to protect Sarah from Ioannis and Asherad, who were standing next to her with tearful eyes.
Asherad burst into laughter at the sight. He burst into laughter and looked at Sarah with glaring eyes.
“Let my stupid Daphne know the truth.”
What... Before Daphne could even look back, a cold voice rang out in the back of her throat.
“Daphne, could you please take that hand off me? I won’t be able to say hello.”
Daphne looked back with a confused expression. Truth? What is that? She turned her head here and there, as if she didn't care about Daphne's puzzled expression. Eventually, her gaze turned to the dead Amanda. Her face, which had turned to the side, was distorted with sadness.
“Sarah... Amanda...”
“This bad girl!”
Suddenly, Sarah turned around and slapped Daphne across the face without hesitation.
A thud, a sound echoed through the quiet room.
Daphne was looking at her with her hands covering her cheeks. The pain of being burned was excruciating. Sarah grabbed Daphne's collar with both hands. She pulled so hard that her nails dug into her soft flesh.
“Are you sick?”
Sarah asked in her usual affectionate voice. Why? Daphne looked at Sarah with wide eyes. She asked through gritted teeth.
“I don’t know why it’s right for me.”
Sarah's hands were shaking. It was obvious to anyone that she was the one who had been hit, but Sarah was looking at Daphne with a pitiful expression.
“Sarah, why...”
The Sarah Daphne that knew was kind to everyone. She was even kind to Daphne, who was always looked down on by others, and she couldn't even get angry properly. That's why Amanda always complained about Sarah's kindness.
Then Sarah slapped herself on the cheek.
“You really don’t know anything.”
She blushed as she looked at Amanda's body, and then covered her face with both hands. A bitter sob of losing her friend escaped her. Daphne didn't know what to do. Sarah, who had been sobbing for a long time, raised her head. She looked at Daphne coldly, the corners of her lips raised.
“Daphne, let me ask you something.”
“...”
“Did you really not know that this would happen if you ran away?”
“I didn’t know.”
“Really, really? Are you sure? No. You thought you were going to die, so you went on a vacation far away and gave me money!”
Daphne pursed her lips. She gave Sarah a lot of jewelry, and Amanda took her on a vacation far away from here. Asherad couldn't punish Amanda, who was not involved, and Sarah...
Sarah spoke through gnashing teeth, her face stained with tears and hatred.
“You were so selfish that you didn’t even think about it! Without even knowing what your own existence was, you did that...”
“I... Sarah, I knew His Majesty would spare you.”
“Lies! You must have been so anxious to run away that you didn’t see anything!”
She cried out in a voice mixed with tears.
“Selfish, you are the devil! I hate that someone like you was with us!”
Daphne looked at Sarah with a blank face. Daphne's hands were shaking just like Sarah's. She thought Asherad would let them go. Because he had let Sarah go before. But what if Asherad, who was obsessed with her, got angry and killed Sarah?
What if that had happened?
Daphne felt like she had been hit in the head by Sarah's remark. Tears streamed down Daphne's face. Daphne ran away, thinking only of herself, without even thinking of the slightest possibility.
“Daphne, do you know why I was able to survive?”
“...”
“Why did I survive and not die like Amanda?”
Sarah said in her usual creepy voice. Daphne shook her head as if she didn't know. Sarah gave a cold laugh and said,
“Your Majesty... Your Majesty planted me.”
What did you say you planted? No way... Daphne’s face hardened. She looked at Asherad, who was standing behind her with a pale face. He gave her a deep smile as if he agreed.
“Why... why? Why on earth?”
Why did he plant Sarah next to her? At Daphne's mumbling question, Asherad answered affectionately.
“Daphne. You didn’t think I’d go into battle without any gear, did you?”
"Battleground..."
Daphne was speechless. So, Sarah's betrayal started on the battlefield? Why? Daphne looked at Sarah in confusion.
“His Majesty has ordered me to watch your every move. Who are the people who are kind to you, what approaches you, what interests you, what you love!”
“...”
“His Majesty told me to watch over you!”
“...”
“So I told Your Majesty everything. That next time you ran away, you would pretend to be a corpse in the temple of Ceres.”
Daphne bit her lip. That was why Asherad had pretended to go on an inspection and returned right away. After hearing Sarah's words, she felt like her world was falling apart. Why would Sarah betray her? It was so obvious. It must have been because of the gold coins Asherad gave her. She felt all her blood freeze. Suppressing the betrayal that was welling up in her, Daphne spoke in a calm voice.
“Sarah. Was the money that good?”
“...”
“The money His Majesty gave you... Ugh!”
Sarah gripped Daphne's collar tightly. The flesh was pinched, and she groaned. Daphne looked into Sarah's blazing eyes.
“For money? Ha!”
“....”
“It’s not because of the money, it’s because I hate you.”
“...”
“You were trying to be happy.”
Blood poured out like a fountain. Daphne, who saw Amanda squirming, ran to her. Asherad did not catch her.
“Oh, Amanda! Amanda!”
Daphne screamed as she saw Amanda's body slumped forward. She limped towards Amanda. The closer she got, the more the smell of blood filled her body. She laid Amanda's squirming body down properly and looked at her face. Blood was flowing out of her lips.
“Ah... it hurts, it hurts...”
Amanda was mumbling weakly. She felt the warmth of her belly and looked at her palms.
“Amanda, please!”
Bloody palms, a woman calling her name. It was only natural that everyone's eyes would turn to her.
Daphne looked into Amanda's powerless eyes. Those eyes that were unique just before death, but the moment they recognized Daphne, they turned into sharp, murderous intent, and stabbed Daphne.
“Because of you... because of you...”
“...”
“You, you...”
Daphne froze in her seething hatred. Amanda reached out as if to tear Daphne apart, but her movements were feeble. Daphne felt as if the hand was tightening around her throat.
“I... received...”
And then Amanda's eyes became empty.
“Oh, Amanda! Amanda!”
“...”
“Someone, someone, please!”
Daphne looked at Ioannis, but he was watching Daphne and Amanda with a cold expression. Amanda, with her empty eyes, did not blink anymore. Daphne hugged her dead body and burst into tears.
'Cursed.'
'The person next to you becomes unhappy.'
'Why don't you just die?'
Amanda had always said that to Daphne. It wasn't wrong. Many people died because of Daphne.
'Hey, where did you go? Don't you know you have to clean the hallway over there right now?'
'His Majesty will be here soon! Don't come out! I don't want to ruin another day because of you.'
Amanda wasn't kind, but she did help Daphne escape the Emperor's gaze, even as she laughed at her and cursed at her, and she also taught her things that Daphne might not have known.
She was not the kind of person who would die because of Daphne. But she died. She died because of her. Daphne screamed in frustration.
Fabian, Amanda, how many people have died because of her? Daphne looked up to curse Asherad.
Daphne thought he was smiling like a devil. However, her thoughts stopped when she saw Asherad's face. It was a statuesque expression, neither enjoying nor angered by Daphne’s misfortune.
Punishment.
Daphne was punished. And she thought of Sarah, who had helped her escape. She also thought of Count Locania. They should not be used as Daphne's punishment. Daphne approached Askelad on her knees. Her trembling arms grabbed the hem of his trousers.
“Please, I won’t do that. I won’t do it again.”
Daphne cried and begged.
She prayed to the person she loved, the person she asked to marry, the person who was once her world, the person she was once planning to spend her life with.
“I don’t want to do this anymore... please, please. Don’t kill me anymore. Please.”
Asherad never showed any satisfaction at the desperation. Rather, his expression became even more distorted.
"Why?"
“...”
“Why is it raining so much?”
“...”
“Oh, there was another maid?”
Daphne flinched. Asherad was sitting there. He stared at her for a long time and then gestured to Ioannis.
“Let mhet in.”
At those words, the door opened.
“Oh, no, no! Don’t do that! It was my fault!”
Daphne screamed. Sarah opened the door and came in, bowed to Asherad and Ioannis, then stood in front of Asherad.
“Did you call, Your Majesty?”
Oh, no. Daphne got up. This time, she didn't want Sarah to die. So she stood right in front of Sarah.
It didn't even occur to Daphne that she had walked past Amanda's body, or that she had acted so nonchalantly.
She spread out her arms as if to protect Sarah from Ioannis and Asherad, who were standing next to her with tearful eyes.
Asherad burst into laughter at the sight. He burst into laughter and looked at Sarah with glaring eyes.
“Let my stupid Daphne know the truth.”
What... Before Daphne could even look back, a cold voice rang out in the back of her throat.
“Daphne, could you please take that hand off me? I won’t be able to say hello.”
Daphne looked back with a confused expression. Truth? What is that? She turned her head here and there, as if she didn't care about Daphne's puzzled expression. Eventually, her gaze turned to the dead Amanda. Her face, which had turned to the side, was distorted with sadness.
“Sarah... Amanda...”
“This bad girl!”
Suddenly, Sarah turned around and slapped Daphne across the face without hesitation.
A thud, a sound echoed through the quiet room.
Daphne was looking at her with her hands covering her cheeks. The pain of being burned was excruciating. Sarah grabbed Daphne's collar with both hands. She pulled so hard that her nails dug into her soft flesh.
“Are you sick?”
Sarah asked in her usual affectionate voice. Why? Daphne looked at Sarah with wide eyes. She asked through gritted teeth.
“I don’t know why it’s right for me.”
Sarah's hands were shaking. It was obvious to anyone that she was the one who had been hit, but Sarah was looking at Daphne with a pitiful expression.
“Sarah, why...”
The Sarah Daphne that knew was kind to everyone. She was even kind to Daphne, who was always looked down on by others, and she couldn't even get angry properly. That's why Amanda always complained about Sarah's kindness.
Then Sarah slapped herself on the cheek.
“You really don’t know anything.”
She blushed as she looked at Amanda's body, and then covered her face with both hands. A bitter sob of losing her friend escaped her. Daphne didn't know what to do. Sarah, who had been sobbing for a long time, raised her head. She looked at Daphne coldly, the corners of her lips raised.
“Daphne, let me ask you something.”
“...”
“Did you really not know that this would happen if you ran away?”
“I didn’t know.”
“Really, really? Are you sure? No. You thought you were going to die, so you went on a vacation far away and gave me money!”
Daphne pursed her lips. She gave Sarah a lot of jewelry, and Amanda took her on a vacation far away from here. Asherad couldn't punish Amanda, who was not involved, and Sarah...
Sarah spoke through gnashing teeth, her face stained with tears and hatred.
“You were so selfish that you didn’t even think about it! Without even knowing what your own existence was, you did that...”
“I... Sarah, I knew His Majesty would spare you.”
“Lies! You must have been so anxious to run away that you didn’t see anything!”
She cried out in a voice mixed with tears.
“Selfish, you are the devil! I hate that someone like you was with us!”
Daphne looked at Sarah with a blank face. Daphne's hands were shaking just like Sarah's. She thought Asherad would let them go. Because he had let Sarah go before. But what if Asherad, who was obsessed with her, got angry and killed Sarah?
What if that had happened?
Daphne felt like she had been hit in the head by Sarah's remark. Tears streamed down Daphne's face. Daphne ran away, thinking only of herself, without even thinking of the slightest possibility.
“Daphne, do you know why I was able to survive?”
“...”
“Why did I survive and not die like Amanda?”
Sarah said in her usual creepy voice. Daphne shook her head as if she didn't know. Sarah gave a cold laugh and said,
“Your Majesty... Your Majesty planted me.”
What did you say you planted? No way... Daphne’s face hardened. She looked at Asherad, who was standing behind her with a pale face. He gave her a deep smile as if he agreed.
“Why... why? Why on earth?”
Why did he plant Sarah next to her? At Daphne's mumbling question, Asherad answered affectionately.
“Daphne. You didn’t think I’d go into battle without any gear, did you?”
"Battleground..."
Daphne was speechless. So, Sarah's betrayal started on the battlefield? Why? Daphne looked at Sarah in confusion.
“His Majesty has ordered me to watch your every move. Who are the people who are kind to you, what approaches you, what interests you, what you love!”
“...”
“His Majesty told me to watch over you!”
“...”
“So I told Your Majesty everything. That next time you ran away, you would pretend to be a corpse in the temple of Ceres.”
Daphne bit her lip. That was why Asherad had pretended to go on an inspection and returned right away. After hearing Sarah's words, she felt like her world was falling apart. Why would Sarah betray her? It was so obvious. It must have been because of the gold coins Asherad gave her. She felt all her blood freeze. Suppressing the betrayal that was welling up in her, Daphne spoke in a calm voice.
“Sarah. Was the money that good?”
“...”
“The money His Majesty gave you... Ugh!”
Sarah gripped Daphne's collar tightly. The flesh was pinched, and she groaned. Daphne looked into Sarah's blazing eyes.
“For money? Ha!”
“....”
“It’s not because of the money, it’s because I hate you.”
“...”
“You were trying to be happy.”
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