Run Away From Me - Chapter 95


95. What kind of adult have I become?

Daphne was both happy and scared of this palace. When she woke up after listening to her mother's lullaby, she found herself in a luxurious and unfamiliar place. How scary it was. And she couldn't move her body very well.

When asked what had happened, they said that she had fallen ill and was taken care of by Asherad.

When she looked for her mother, Asherad told her honestly that her mother was already dead and that she had lost her memory. Daphne was so shocked by the fact that she was breathing and living in a world without her mother in just one day that she cried. She couldn't accept the world that had suddenly changed. Even in the midst of all this, Asherad took care of Daphne and comforted her.

Asherad also went to visit her mother's grave with her.

When she went back to her old house, it was a ruin. Rotten trees, broken windows, and a garden overgrown with weeds. Daphne couldn't believe it, but when she saw this, she had no choice but to admit it. Daphne had lost her home and her mother overnight.

Is it true that she lost her memory?

After she acknowledged her mother's death, no tears flowed. As if she had already grieved enough. But her heart ached softly. The sadness had flown away, but had not disappeared.

Before she lost her memory, was she living with this kind of sadness in a corner of her heart?

So, thinking of her mother, she wondered if one day her heart ached and she was struggling.

But that's okay, because there was Asherad.

She was grateful just to have a lover named Asherad.

'We were in love.'

Asherad whispered that. It seemed like it wasn't a lie, because her heart raced every time she saw him. Daphne had never forgotten Asherad. That must be why she loved him even when she was an adult.

She became an adult in a short period of time.

What will happen when she grows up?

As a child, she wondered what she would be like when she grew up.

And the environment in which he became an adult overnight seemed good, but strange.

The blond hair that she had always hated as a dull color had turned into a dark blond that looked like melted gold, and the freckles that she had hated had disappeared, giving her clear skin. How wonderful it was to see herself looking more beautiful than she had ever wanted to be. Daphne was pleased with her appearance.

She could wear adult clothes as she pleased, and most importantly, she had Asherad. Despite her sad loss, her circumstances were not bad.

The maids were all kind and nice. Except for that maid named Sarah. The fingerless maid was always watching her closely as if she were trying to find something. For some reason, she couldn't bear to look her in the eye whenever that happened.

Every time Daphne saw her, her heart would swell. It was hard to look at her face, but Sarah took good care of Daphne and always stayed by her side.

Sarah said she had forgotten her mistakes. What did she do wrong as she grew up? What should she do? Daphne always had strange thoughts as she looked at Sarah.

What kind of adult has she become?

She lost her mother, became a beautiful person, and now she lives in the palace with her lover.

However, people sometimes looked at her strangely. She still couldn't figure out what happened.

***

Daphne walked around the garden. The weather, which had entered summer, had become cool enough to walk around as the sun set. This was the beauty of the palace. The beautiful flowers in the large garden were a delight to her eyes.

The garden was much bigger than her house, and she had many clothes to wear and many delicious things. The room she stayed in was also nice. The bed was soft, and the blanket was made of a strange material, so it was cool and not stuffy even when covered. How big was the room? It was bigger than her original room. It was different from that moldy, musty place with a low ceiling like a coffin...

'Uh?'

Daphne opened her eyes wide. What was she thinking about just now? What room? Her mood quickly dropped as she thought about that room. She suddenly bent down and sniffed the scent of the blooming Stokesia, feeling like she had a musty smell in her nostrils. The lingering smell seemed to have subsided somewhat.

It was at that time that her heart, which had been pounding strangely, began to beat slowly.

"Daphne."

Daphne soon heard someone's voice. Her lover, Asherad, was coming. The golden sunlight shone on him. Dressed in pure white, he looked like a god incarnate. His curly hair sparkled in the sunlight. The white pattern embroidered with gorgeous gold threads was gorgeous and yet frighteningly well suited to him. His high nose, his red lips lined the curve. And those beautiful eyes. The moment those beautiful green eyes filled Daphne with light, she couldn't bear it.

She ran to him with a bright smile and hugged him. As she hugged him tightly with both arms, her heart raced at the unique, heavy scent. She stood up and pressed her face against his chest. The more she did so, the more intense the scent was. Daphne really liked the scent coming from him. She laughed and raised her head to look at her lover.

However, the man who should have been smiling brightly was looking at her with a blank expression. It felt like he was surprised to see something that should not have happened. Daphne also noticed that his body was stiff.

This happened to her mother often. Was this wrong? As she flinched, the corners of Asherad's mouth rose again, and he hugged her tightly.

“Ah, Daphne, Daphne...”

She could hear his panting breath. Just as her embrace felt hot, Asherad quickly pulled away.

“What were you doing?”

“I was feeling stuffy, so I went for a walk.”

“Are you feeling stuffy?”

Daphne nodded. His face hardened seriously. He seemed to be feeling guilty. Daphne shook her head in surprise and shouted.

“I was just feeling suffocated from staying in the room! It’s not that this place is suffocating.”

“...”

“I just need Asherad to be by my side.”

The smile on the woman’s lips was warm. Asherad was speechless for a long time after seeing it. He looked at Daphne’s innocent face and smiled in rapture.

He should have done this a long time ago. He should have bought a potion to make her lose her memories and given it to her.

This is how their relationship could start again. He won't make the same mistake twice. Asherad hugged her head tightly.

“Aren’t you bored?”

“I’m not bored.”

But the child's expression was honest. It was boring to play, eat, and walk here every day, repeating the same routine.

“Is there anything you want to do? Maybe buy some clothes. Maybe look at some jewelry. Maybe bring some little animals.”

“Animal?”

“Like a puppy.”

At that, Daphne opened her eyes wide and shook her head.

“Dogs, I hate dogs!”

“Why? It’s small, cute, and follows you around well.”

“Never bring a dog, I hate dogs, I hate dogs!”

She shook her head frantically as if having a seizure. Asherad grabbed Daphne's shoulder in surprise.

“Yes, I won’t bring that up. I promise.”

“No, please, I hate dogs more than anything in the world!”

"Yes."

Did Daphne have any trauma from the puppy? Some people are afraid of puppies... Asherad calmed down his uneasy feelings. Daphne also calmed down when Asherad tried to soothe her. When her panting breath became relaxed, he spoke carefully.

“Is there anything you want to do? I’ll let you do anything. I hope you don’t get bored here.”

At Asherad's words, Daphne thought with a listless face, then smiled.

“It’s a picture!”

"What?"

“I want to learn how to draw.”

Asherad's eyes trembled. He looked at Daphne with a displeased expression, then nodded.

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

"Hehe."

As Askeladd was about to spend time with Daphne, a servant came running in, out of breath.

"Your..."

When Askeladd's cold gaze fell on the attendant, he gasped and changed his words.

“The Prince of Pindus has arrived.”

"I get it."

Asherad answered with a displeased expression. He stroked Daphne's hair with regret.

“Asherad, do you have to go to work?”

Daphne pulled Asherad away with a dignified expression. He grumbled as he looked at Daphne's face.

“Daphne, do you not care that I am leaving?”

“Of course it’s lonely. But, I don’t want Asherad to get scolded by His Majesty the Emperor.”

“...”

Asherad's face hardened. She still thought that 'His Majesty the Emperor', that is, the late Emperor Belenus, was alive. He was sick in bed, and he had been told that he had forgotten Daphne, but it was only a matter of time before Daphne would know.

All young Daphne knows is that she is the late Emperor's false daughter.

He doesn't know what would happen if she found out that Asherad was his real son.

He decided to hide it as much as possible.

***

The Prince of Pindus was annoyed. Naturally, it was because of Asherad. He had ignored him as a good-looking Crown Prince, but it was funny to see him looking down on him from the throne.

He had no negotiating power, and as a result, they had to sell their trade items, coral and pearls, at a loss. It was all his fault because of his incompetence.

Now, when he returned, he had no idea what he would hear from his father. It was all because of Asherad. He had opened his mouth so skillfully and had bewitched people.

“You unlucky bastard!”

He came out at dawn and suppressed his anger. He was disgusted by the scent of flowers in the garden, so he trampled on them indiscriminately. Just see who gets caught.

He walked into the garden, stomping his feet.

For some reason, a sweet scent seemed to be wafting. A non-obtrusive scent, different from the scent of flowers. Following the scent, he entered a narrow space and saw the servants’ passage. Why did he come here? As he was about to leave, he heard footsteps.

At that moment, the Prince opened his eyes wide. A blond hair shone brightly in the moonlight that had not yet set. The back of the woman dressed in pure white was breathtakingly beautiful.

Who could it be, the daughter of a nobleman?

Her hair, dyed the color of moonlight, was dazzling. If a noblewoman were here at this hour, would she be meeting a man in secret? What kind of face would she have?

He licked his lips. Then, the woman looked back.

Uh!

The lustful Prince recognized the woman right away. It was the maid from that time! How could he forget that pretty face? The blond hair that flowed gracefully, the blue eyes. How he had thought of her even when he went to Pindus. She was like a pearl in an oyster. Thinking how pretty she would be if she were dressed up, he cursed the priests of the god of death who had interfered with him at that time.

As expected, now that he looks at it, his judgment was not wrong. It was because of that pretty face that his body moved.

He snickered as he glanced at Daphne.

Now that he looked at her, it seemed like she was wearing pajamas, and the loose white clothes showed off her flesh. The clothes reflected in the moonlight, and the shadows of her black legs were even more racy. Wasn't this the very definition of a lecherous person trying to seduce a man?

It was a good thing. It was perfect for venting his anger.

The Prince of Pindus crept towards the woman who was standing there dumbfounded. The moment he stood behind Daphne, his thick hand covered her mouth before she could scream.

He was a master of this sort of thing.

“Ugh!”

He subdued the struggling Daphne and dragged her into the dark shadows. It was a night that swallowed everything.


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