92. You died well
Joannes, who went out into the hallway, saw Kalista's maid coming into the hallway. What could she be doing while she was still at the state funeral? She didn't even have enough to serve the King and Queen from the kingdom of Thalassa. Furthermore, that maid was the one who had contributed to Kalista's death. She had been recruited by Asherad and had manipulated her master's remains.
Ioannis knew full well that Asherad had killed Kalista, for he had actually participated with the handmaiden in the manipulation of her body. Kalista's handmaiden soon approached Ioannis and greeted him.
He looked at Kalista's handmaiden and asked in wonder.
“What's going on?”
“I came running after hearing that Baroness Ritter had taken poison.”
The maid bowed her head and said.
“Do you know anything?”
As Ioannis' face became serious, the maid lowered her head.
“I had forgotten, so please forgive me for telling you now. The dead Empress Dowager, that woman gave the Baroness poison.”
“What are you talking about? Why on earth?”
“It seems that by giving her poison, or if she poisoned someone, the Empress Dowager was trying to use that as an excuse to get rid of Baroness. Or, she would step in and kill her and frame her...”
Ioannis lowered his eyes. The thought that suddenly occurred to him was that she had died well. It was fortunate that Kalista had died quickly from the sword wound, since she had done this despite Asherad's repeated warnings.
Ioannis knew all about the evil she had done in the palace from his father, the Duke of Turbol. How many people had she killed who were an eyesore? And how many mistakes she had almost made. If the Duke of Turbol had not taken control, the empire would have fallen.
“For what reason did she try to kill her?”
“Well, that woman... thought she could have His Majesty the Emperor.”
That again? Ioannis frowned. Kalista was someone he should have eliminated, even if he wasn't Asherad. Even if she had feelings for him, shouldn't she have kept it a secret for Asherad's sake? If she were to be branded with the stigma of having a forbidden relationship, even though they were not related by blood, would the Emperor's authority exist? What would she do if all the temples did the same and excommunicated her as a beast?
She knew Kalista was foolish, but she didn't know she was that stupid.
“So, what about the poison?”
“Oh, yes! That poison... will be fine.”
"What?"
“It doesn’t kill people. It just brings them to the brink of death.”
Ioannis' expression hardened. Then, can Daphne live? Ioannis' face brightened.
“So, does that mean natural recovery has occurred?”
“Yes, that’s right. I know it’ll hurt, but...”
“Why on earth?”
Why did Kalista give her such poison? A poison that couldn't kill?
“That is, to give an antidote to someone who has taken poison and save them.”
“...”
“If the person who took the poison were to come back to life, she would want to point out that the last person she met was the Baroness.”
This was the first time he didn't feel sorry for someone who died. He thought Kalista died well, but he thought she died even better. Even if Kalista lived, she would have been an obstacle to Asherad, and she would have trapped Daphne and killed her.
“So, what’s the antidote?”
"I know she doesn't have one. She wouldn't save it, because it's going to survive anyway."
Ioannis frowned. Did Kalista never think that she would be the one to eat poison after tormenting Daphne so much? She was foolish, she was foolish, but she really was foolish.
“When does it happen?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t think it will take long. The ‘antidote’ that woman made needs to be less than a short time to take effect.”
Ioannis nodded as if to make sense.
“Are there any aftereffects?”
“I don’t know about that. However, since it’s poison, I can’t guarantee that it doesn’t exist.”
At those words, Ioannis let out a small sigh. It was fortunate that Daphne was alive, but if there were aftereffects, it might not have been as good as being alive. Thinking that way, he decided that he had to tell Asherad about this fact. Then, suddenly, another thought occurred to him.
“Don’t tell anyone about this.”
"All right."
“Don’t even dare to speak to His Majesty.”
"Yes?"
Ioannis bowed his head and looked at the maid's face.
“I will send gold to your family. It is better to keep this matter a secret, for His Majesty’s sake.”
"Yes..."
It was a secret that no one would know about anyway if no one told them. And since he was giving money to her family, who were already deep in debt, there was no reason for the maid to refuse.
'Maybe you'll kill me if I don't tell you'
Because of Kalista, the maid had great distrust of her superiors. Still, she could trust Ioannis of the House of Turbol. The maid nodded and headed to where she should be, not the room where Daphne was lying.
Ioannis stared blankly at the sight.
There was no antidote anyway. If Daphne were alive, it would be better for Asherad to despair and suffer more. To Ioannis, Daphne was a bird. A caged bird.
She would rather live happily, loving and receiving, by Asherad's side. In any case, Ioannis was on Asherad's side. He was willing to grant Asherad whatever he wanted. If it were Daphne, then he would do it. That's why he advised Asherad. Make a fancy birdcage.
If Asherad can't let go of Daphne, he can create a beautiful world and let Daphne live there. That's how it should be, but even if the world is beautiful, if the owner doesn't like it, the bird will die.
Ioannis realized it too late.
Also, Daphne was a very emotional person, and she was drying up there.
In fact, Ioannis was in no position to give advice to Asherad.
Admit it. He neglected her. He knew what kind of situation Daphne was in, but he didn't think it was that important. He helped her a little because Asherad's methods were wrong. He was also pleased to see her sparkling vitality. He thought that if she smiled like that and stayed with Asherad, they would be happy.
But Daphne chose to run away. When that foolish choice didn't work out, she chose death.
He was in a high position and sometimes thought of people as tools. But Daphne was not a tool or a means. It was foolish of him to realize this when she was in danger of death.
He doesn't hate Askelad. He's been crazy since childhood, and he's twisted like that. He has to realize his love while struggling to lose Daphne. He needs to reflect on what he did and why he had to do it.
For the broken, there was only broken regret.
Ioannis looked blankly at the hallways of the insanely splendid palace.
So it was only natural that he had some regrets. Ioannis repented quietly.
The Empress Dowager of the Empire of Peneus died. The people and nobles were shocked by her sudden death, but it was to be expected. Kalista had only shown her presence as an Empress when she was regent. Even then, she did not like to hear difficult things, so she had no popularity.
At least if she had been kind and gentle, there would have been room for sympathy, but her personality was also dirty. How many people had been humiliated by her? The Countess of Locania and her daughter, Baroness Erpi, Countess of Zerat, etc. Most people had no popularity and were cruel, so the nobles all pretended to mourn her death.
However, among them, there was one who was truly sad.
“My daughter, oh my, my daughter!”
It was Kalista's mother. King Thalassa and his wife came running immediately upon hearing the news of Kalista's death. At first, the King was not convinced, but it was natural for him to be dragged here when his beloved wife was surprised.
Kalista's mother literally wept.
How could she express the sorrow of losing her daughter? She was a precious daughter who lost her father at a young age and gave her everything she asked for. Whether her daughter's personality became vicious or not, she considered her daughter the most pitiful person in the world.
The mother's lament over losing her child would have drawn sympathy from the people, but on the other hand, the nobles thought that since they had cherished her so much, it would be better for their daughter to die first.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor, where is Your Majesty, the Emperor!”
Queen Thalassa cried out in agony. The nobles of the empire looked at her with wide eyes. No matter what, how could they call upon the Emperor of the empire so rudely?
“Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty is so sad...”
A servant bravely went to try to stop her, but was only pushed away in vain by the Queen's struggling.
“Sadness? What kind of words are you talking about? He neglected my daughter! He didn’t even take a proper step to the funeral! Shouldn’t he explain this absurd death?!”
The Queen's words caused people to murmur. The shrewd nobles knew that Kalista's death was suspicious.
The Emperor only appeared on the first day and did not appear again after that. Someone began to openly doubt this.
The King also deliberately did not stop his Queen. He intended to hold the Emperor responsible for Kalista's death and demand a huge price. No one could blame a mother who had lost her reason due to grief.
When the Queen started making a fuss, the knights and attendants ran to the Emperor.
Soon, the sound of knights’ armor clanking could be heard. The clean, stepping footsteps were definitely a familiar sound. Passing through the blue-lit funeral doors, the Emperor appeared. The Queen, who was about to say something, and the nobles who were watching this situation with interest had their expressions hardened.
The Emperor appeared to be dying.
He was clearly a beautiful Emperor with clear green eyes, but it felt like there was no color. He was skinny, and his eyes were not open properly, looking at the ground. His lips were dry, and his eyes were shadowed. What they felt from his slightly opened eyes was a bottomless abyss.
He felt despair and sorrow as he became a walking corpse.
Who can describe that face in words?
People were left speechless by these empty and hollow words.
The Emperor looked at the coffin with weary eyes and then turned away without even making eye contact with the Queen. His once powerful and elegant steps became weak.
The nobles' eyes poured out as they looked at the fallen Emperor. The Queen was also surprised. She could not bear to criticize a man who was so overcome with sorrow.
Joannes, who went out into the hallway, saw Kalista's maid coming into the hallway. What could she be doing while she was still at the state funeral? She didn't even have enough to serve the King and Queen from the kingdom of Thalassa. Furthermore, that maid was the one who had contributed to Kalista's death. She had been recruited by Asherad and had manipulated her master's remains.
Ioannis knew full well that Asherad had killed Kalista, for he had actually participated with the handmaiden in the manipulation of her body. Kalista's handmaiden soon approached Ioannis and greeted him.
He looked at Kalista's handmaiden and asked in wonder.
“What's going on?”
“I came running after hearing that Baroness Ritter had taken poison.”
The maid bowed her head and said.
“Do you know anything?”
As Ioannis' face became serious, the maid lowered her head.
“I had forgotten, so please forgive me for telling you now. The dead Empress Dowager, that woman gave the Baroness poison.”
“What are you talking about? Why on earth?”
“It seems that by giving her poison, or if she poisoned someone, the Empress Dowager was trying to use that as an excuse to get rid of Baroness. Or, she would step in and kill her and frame her...”
Ioannis lowered his eyes. The thought that suddenly occurred to him was that she had died well. It was fortunate that Kalista had died quickly from the sword wound, since she had done this despite Asherad's repeated warnings.
Ioannis knew all about the evil she had done in the palace from his father, the Duke of Turbol. How many people had she killed who were an eyesore? And how many mistakes she had almost made. If the Duke of Turbol had not taken control, the empire would have fallen.
“For what reason did she try to kill her?”
“Well, that woman... thought she could have His Majesty the Emperor.”
That again? Ioannis frowned. Kalista was someone he should have eliminated, even if he wasn't Asherad. Even if she had feelings for him, shouldn't she have kept it a secret for Asherad's sake? If she were to be branded with the stigma of having a forbidden relationship, even though they were not related by blood, would the Emperor's authority exist? What would she do if all the temples did the same and excommunicated her as a beast?
She knew Kalista was foolish, but she didn't know she was that stupid.
“So, what about the poison?”
“Oh, yes! That poison... will be fine.”
"What?"
“It doesn’t kill people. It just brings them to the brink of death.”
Ioannis' expression hardened. Then, can Daphne live? Ioannis' face brightened.
“So, does that mean natural recovery has occurred?”
“Yes, that’s right. I know it’ll hurt, but...”
“Why on earth?”
Why did Kalista give her such poison? A poison that couldn't kill?
“That is, to give an antidote to someone who has taken poison and save them.”
“...”
“If the person who took the poison were to come back to life, she would want to point out that the last person she met was the Baroness.”
This was the first time he didn't feel sorry for someone who died. He thought Kalista died well, but he thought she died even better. Even if Kalista lived, she would have been an obstacle to Asherad, and she would have trapped Daphne and killed her.
“So, what’s the antidote?”
"I know she doesn't have one. She wouldn't save it, because it's going to survive anyway."
Ioannis frowned. Did Kalista never think that she would be the one to eat poison after tormenting Daphne so much? She was foolish, she was foolish, but she really was foolish.
“When does it happen?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t think it will take long. The ‘antidote’ that woman made needs to be less than a short time to take effect.”
Ioannis nodded as if to make sense.
“Are there any aftereffects?”
“I don’t know about that. However, since it’s poison, I can’t guarantee that it doesn’t exist.”
At those words, Ioannis let out a small sigh. It was fortunate that Daphne was alive, but if there were aftereffects, it might not have been as good as being alive. Thinking that way, he decided that he had to tell Asherad about this fact. Then, suddenly, another thought occurred to him.
“Don’t tell anyone about this.”
"All right."
“Don’t even dare to speak to His Majesty.”
"Yes?"
Ioannis bowed his head and looked at the maid's face.
“I will send gold to your family. It is better to keep this matter a secret, for His Majesty’s sake.”
"Yes..."
It was a secret that no one would know about anyway if no one told them. And since he was giving money to her family, who were already deep in debt, there was no reason for the maid to refuse.
'Maybe you'll kill me if I don't tell you'
Because of Kalista, the maid had great distrust of her superiors. Still, she could trust Ioannis of the House of Turbol. The maid nodded and headed to where she should be, not the room where Daphne was lying.
Ioannis stared blankly at the sight.
There was no antidote anyway. If Daphne were alive, it would be better for Asherad to despair and suffer more. To Ioannis, Daphne was a bird. A caged bird.
She would rather live happily, loving and receiving, by Asherad's side. In any case, Ioannis was on Asherad's side. He was willing to grant Asherad whatever he wanted. If it were Daphne, then he would do it. That's why he advised Asherad. Make a fancy birdcage.
If Asherad can't let go of Daphne, he can create a beautiful world and let Daphne live there. That's how it should be, but even if the world is beautiful, if the owner doesn't like it, the bird will die.
Ioannis realized it too late.
Also, Daphne was a very emotional person, and she was drying up there.
In fact, Ioannis was in no position to give advice to Asherad.
Admit it. He neglected her. He knew what kind of situation Daphne was in, but he didn't think it was that important. He helped her a little because Asherad's methods were wrong. He was also pleased to see her sparkling vitality. He thought that if she smiled like that and stayed with Asherad, they would be happy.
But Daphne chose to run away. When that foolish choice didn't work out, she chose death.
He was in a high position and sometimes thought of people as tools. But Daphne was not a tool or a means. It was foolish of him to realize this when she was in danger of death.
He doesn't hate Askelad. He's been crazy since childhood, and he's twisted like that. He has to realize his love while struggling to lose Daphne. He needs to reflect on what he did and why he had to do it.
For the broken, there was only broken regret.
Ioannis looked blankly at the hallways of the insanely splendid palace.
So it was only natural that he had some regrets. Ioannis repented quietly.
***
The Empress Dowager of the Empire of Peneus died. The people and nobles were shocked by her sudden death, but it was to be expected. Kalista had only shown her presence as an Empress when she was regent. Even then, she did not like to hear difficult things, so she had no popularity.
At least if she had been kind and gentle, there would have been room for sympathy, but her personality was also dirty. How many people had been humiliated by her? The Countess of Locania and her daughter, Baroness Erpi, Countess of Zerat, etc. Most people had no popularity and were cruel, so the nobles all pretended to mourn her death.
However, among them, there was one who was truly sad.
“My daughter, oh my, my daughter!”
It was Kalista's mother. King Thalassa and his wife came running immediately upon hearing the news of Kalista's death. At first, the King was not convinced, but it was natural for him to be dragged here when his beloved wife was surprised.
Kalista's mother literally wept.
How could she express the sorrow of losing her daughter? She was a precious daughter who lost her father at a young age and gave her everything she asked for. Whether her daughter's personality became vicious or not, she considered her daughter the most pitiful person in the world.
The mother's lament over losing her child would have drawn sympathy from the people, but on the other hand, the nobles thought that since they had cherished her so much, it would be better for their daughter to die first.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor, where is Your Majesty, the Emperor!”
Queen Thalassa cried out in agony. The nobles of the empire looked at her with wide eyes. No matter what, how could they call upon the Emperor of the empire so rudely?
“Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty is so sad...”
A servant bravely went to try to stop her, but was only pushed away in vain by the Queen's struggling.
“Sadness? What kind of words are you talking about? He neglected my daughter! He didn’t even take a proper step to the funeral! Shouldn’t he explain this absurd death?!”
The Queen's words caused people to murmur. The shrewd nobles knew that Kalista's death was suspicious.
The Emperor only appeared on the first day and did not appear again after that. Someone began to openly doubt this.
The King also deliberately did not stop his Queen. He intended to hold the Emperor responsible for Kalista's death and demand a huge price. No one could blame a mother who had lost her reason due to grief.
When the Queen started making a fuss, the knights and attendants ran to the Emperor.
Soon, the sound of knights’ armor clanking could be heard. The clean, stepping footsteps were definitely a familiar sound. Passing through the blue-lit funeral doors, the Emperor appeared. The Queen, who was about to say something, and the nobles who were watching this situation with interest had their expressions hardened.
The Emperor appeared to be dying.
He was clearly a beautiful Emperor with clear green eyes, but it felt like there was no color. He was skinny, and his eyes were not open properly, looking at the ground. His lips were dry, and his eyes were shadowed. What they felt from his slightly opened eyes was a bottomless abyss.
He felt despair and sorrow as he became a walking corpse.
Who can describe that face in words?
People were left speechless by these empty and hollow words.
The Emperor looked at the coffin with weary eyes and then turned away without even making eye contact with the Queen. His once powerful and elegant steps became weak.
The nobles' eyes poured out as they looked at the fallen Emperor. The Queen was also surprised. She could not bear to criticize a man who was so overcome with sorrow.
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