#120. The courage to face it
Asherad, who had been asleep in the forest, woke up. He looked up at the sky, washed his face, and then mounted his resting horse. There was nothing left for him. Daphne. Let’s find Daphne.
I have to see Daphne.
From the beginning, his goal was Daphne. He tried to remember his goal and leave his sadness behind.
'Let's talk properly this time.'
He heard Ioannis' voice.
'Neither oppress nor force.'
This is the second chance he gave him. Hr won't miss this chance. After losing everything, Daphne became the only purpose of his life.
So Asherad went to the port. It was expensive to go to the enemy country. After handing over a bag of gold coins, he arrived in Thalassa. The port was full of people who had been ruined by the war.
Asherad's appearance was no different from theirs. He gave the gatekeeper another gold coin and went inside. Then he searched for Daphne without any particular reason. However, it seems that he looked like a beggar to the people.
The villagers spat on Asherad and shook themselves as if they had something dirty on them. No matter how much he had been treated as a royal, it was a first for him to experience something like that.
Although his heart was empty, he felt a sense of contempt. Asherad could have punished it with his sword, but he did not have the strength to do so.
Even though he was looked down upon by the commoners who regarded him as such a worthless person, he felt that there was nothing he could do about it. The Emperor? What kind of Emperor was he?
Asherad only looked for Daphne. He had lost everything, but he felt like he could survive if he had Daphne. Now, he felt like he would die without Daphne.
And then he found Daphne.
Unlike him, who was immersed in darkness, he saw his own woman, who was shining as if she had gathered all the light in the world. She was like a goddess. Blonde hair that sparkled in the pure white sunlight. Pure white face, bright smile.
"Daphne."
That's how he called the name of the woman who was his life.
Olivia opened her eyes wide and saw a man sitting on the street like a vagrant. His face, stained with dark dirt, looked exactly like a homeless person. Even so, those green eyes that seemed to suck her in were still staring at her.
Olivia was so shocked that she momentarily considered screaming.
But the man wasn't as intimidating as before. It was strange. He was always full of emotions towards her. For example, love, or anger...
But his eyes were empty.
It was strange. It was really strange. That's why Olivia didn't run away, but just stared at the man.
“Ioannis told you.”
Those were the first words that came out without her knowledge. Ioannis. Yes, that person must have told him. If he hadn't said it willingly, Asherad would have threatened him or something.
Asherad nodded slowly at the word 'Ioannis'.
“Yeah. That guy told me.”
Asherad's voice was weak. For some reason, Olivia was not afraid of this man. Was it because she was no longer the 'Daphne' who had been playing in his hands?
Or maybe it was because he looked broken now. No, she didn't seem afraid now, even if there were knights behind him. The man's gaze was weak enough that Olivia could tell.
“What about Ioannis?”
Asherad lowered his eyes at those words. If he had been here, Ioannis would have been nearby.
“That person doesn’t come here.”
"Why?"
“Dead.”
Olivia's expression turned cold at those words. Why did Ioannis die? Wasn't he a smart guy? Could it be...?
“Surely you killed him?”
There was a possibility. He hid the location of Olivia. That alone would have been enough to kill him. Surely, Asherad would have tortured him to find out where she was...
“Hahahaha!”
Asherad burst out laughing at Olivia's words. He laughed so long that it felt vulgar, as if he had seen a clown, that he didn't know what was so funny.
“Oh. Yes.”
“...”
“Daphne. I guess that’s how I’ve always looked in your eyes.”
There was a bitter regret at the end of Asherad's words. Could it be that he regretted it? He reached out and touched Olivia's hand. He looked up at her without even standing up.
“Daphne. I have no regrets.”
“...”
“I did my best for my love.”
Olivia grabbed his hand and pulled it away. His hand slipped away helplessly. Yes, that was it. He didn't regret it.
What good is talking to a person like that anymore?
“Are you going to arrest me again?”
"...No."
That was the end of it. Suddenly, Olivia remembered the article Derek had shown her a month ago. It said that the Emperor of Asherad had gone missing. It said that a certain Count, righteously angry at the civil war with Thalassa, had betrayed Asherad.
The missing Emperor is here.
If she tells the security guards of Thalassa that Asherad is here, Asherad will die. She wants to do that now. She wants to drive him to his death.
"Mom!"
At that moment, the voice that she most did not want to hear was heard. Olivia was startled. Asherad's gaze lingered on the boy.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
Ian took Olivia's hand in a bright voice. Asherad's expression changed. He looked at Ian with joy. Olivia hid the child behind her.
"Let's go."
Then Ian took Olivia's hand.
"Mom."
"Yes?"
“That old man fell down.”
“...”
“Let’s save him quickly.”
When she heard him say that, Asherad was lying down. He didn't look well-nourished. Olivia silently took Ian's hand and led him.
“You shouldn’t go near people like that.”
“...”
“What if he gets hurt?”
She walked back to her 'home', holding her son's hand, making a discriminatory remark she had never made before. Ian kept glancing back.
“Olivia! I was worried because you weren’t here.”
When she came home, holding Ian's hand, Derek was standing right at the door. Olivia forced a smile and went into the kitchen to organize the ingredients.
“We came back.”
“Are you okay?”
“It’s light.”
Somehow, there was no energy in her voice.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”
When Derek asked Olivia, she didn't say anything. She cut the meat she had bought familiarly and cooked it in a pan with butter. The sizzling sound filled the house.
“Olivia.”
“Let’s just leave this city.”
"What?"
“I can’t live here.”
Once the meat was cooked to a certain degree, she started grilling the vegetables. Derek convinced Olivia, who was cooking, to join them.
“You have nothing to worry about anymore. This is the foundation of your life that you have just built.”
“...”
“You also enjoyed teaching children at school. It’s safer here than anywhere else. Do you really have to do that?”
Derek lived as a wanderer, but he had a stronger desire for stability than anyone else. This was an enemy country that Asherad could not easily reach. Moreover, she had been rooted for almost six years. It was unfair to move as if running away.
Besides, Asherad went missing almost a month ago. The Emperor died in the war, so why on earth did they have to move?
“Ian was born and raised here. School is...”
“Derek, this is something I can’t do.”
She thought about telling him that Asherad was here. But that alone, for some reason, she couldn't say that. If it were Derek, he would have picked up his sword and killed him without hesitation, or reported him to the police.
“Just leave right now.”
Derek nodded at those firm words.
Olivia wanted to leave right away, tomorrow, but Derek was curious as to why. She asked Derek cautiously.
“Maybe Peneus will raid this place?”
“No way, our ships are all mobilized for the naval battles in the west, and there’s absolutely no way they’ll be able to come here.”
“...”
“This place is too far away. That’s why the Count designated this place.”
“...”
“Why? Are you still interested in that guy from the Turbol family?”
"A little..."
Derek let out a low sigh as Olivia bowed her head and trailed off. He closed his eyes and seemed to think, then smiled.
“Just give us three days. We have a lot to sort out.”
“...”
“Since the security situation is not good, we also need to figure out which route to take.”
"All right."
So they began to talk while eating the meat stew Daphne had made.
“Ian, we’re moving.”
At those words, Ian burst into tears. That night, it rained. Olivia spent the whole night looking out the window at the falling rain.
He is such a great Emperor, he must be taking shelter from the rain somewhere.
Olivia fell out of the window and into bed. And so the morning came. It was still raining.
“Ian, I told you we could skip school starting today!”
Ian shook his head at Olivia's words.
“No. I’ll take my time and say goodbye to the kids.”
“Ian. You can do it all at once on the last day.”
“No, I have to talk to Mariko, who fought with me at another school. Mom doesn’t even know that.”
“Why the girl you fought with?”
“We’ll never meet again.”
Then Ian ran away with his school bag. Olivia looked at the empty house and was lost in thought. Derek said he had something to do in the morning and went out somewhere, leaving Olivia alone.
If someone was home, she would make up an excuse to stay home...
Olivia, who had been making such weak excuses, suddenly looked up as if an idea occurred to her. She decided to make the decision herself. She wouldn't act so indecisively.
Olivia did nothing again. Now she knows. Asherad is now weak. And since he came to the enemy country in his own right, he can't do anything carelessly.
The rain was cold. The man was getting wet from the pouring rain. He knew it would make him cold, but he didn't care.
He hoped the rain would wash everything away. His memories of Ioannis and his current suffering.
'What did I come here for?'
If it were him before, he would have gotten Daphne into his hands by any means necessary. But Ioannis told him not to do so.
Daphne looked beautiful. The clothes she wore were plain, but they shone brighter than those in the palace. Asherad smiled as he recalled that sight. And the child next to her was...
'It must be my child...'
Judging from the way shd held each other's hands tightly, she didn't hate the child. Ah, you guys were living as a complete family without me. With that love...
Asherad was jealous of the little boy holding her hand. How he wishes he could be that child...
But this, too, was the end. It was the end.
Asherad decided to die here. What reason was there to live? He was getting rained on again. Judging by the sun shining, it seemed like the rain would stop soon.
At that moment, a shadow fell, and an umbrella was placed. Asherad shook his head with difficulty. He looked up blankly and saw a woman standing with her back to the sunlight.
He thought she looked pretty.
“Get up, Asherad.”
“...”
His vision, which had already been slightly blurry, recovered. Taking in the beautiful being, Asherad moved his motionless body.
“Let’s talk.”
“...”
“Now let’s talk, Asherad.”
Suddenly, he felt a lump in his throat. Olivia, no, Daphne came to see him.
Asherad, who had been asleep in the forest, woke up. He looked up at the sky, washed his face, and then mounted his resting horse. There was nothing left for him. Daphne. Let’s find Daphne.
I have to see Daphne.
From the beginning, his goal was Daphne. He tried to remember his goal and leave his sadness behind.
'Let's talk properly this time.'
He heard Ioannis' voice.
'Neither oppress nor force.'
This is the second chance he gave him. Hr won't miss this chance. After losing everything, Daphne became the only purpose of his life.
So Asherad went to the port. It was expensive to go to the enemy country. After handing over a bag of gold coins, he arrived in Thalassa. The port was full of people who had been ruined by the war.
Asherad's appearance was no different from theirs. He gave the gatekeeper another gold coin and went inside. Then he searched for Daphne without any particular reason. However, it seems that he looked like a beggar to the people.
The villagers spat on Asherad and shook themselves as if they had something dirty on them. No matter how much he had been treated as a royal, it was a first for him to experience something like that.
Although his heart was empty, he felt a sense of contempt. Asherad could have punished it with his sword, but he did not have the strength to do so.
Even though he was looked down upon by the commoners who regarded him as such a worthless person, he felt that there was nothing he could do about it. The Emperor? What kind of Emperor was he?
Asherad only looked for Daphne. He had lost everything, but he felt like he could survive if he had Daphne. Now, he felt like he would die without Daphne.
And then he found Daphne.
Unlike him, who was immersed in darkness, he saw his own woman, who was shining as if she had gathered all the light in the world. She was like a goddess. Blonde hair that sparkled in the pure white sunlight. Pure white face, bright smile.
"Daphne."
That's how he called the name of the woman who was his life.
***
Olivia opened her eyes wide and saw a man sitting on the street like a vagrant. His face, stained with dark dirt, looked exactly like a homeless person. Even so, those green eyes that seemed to suck her in were still staring at her.
Olivia was so shocked that she momentarily considered screaming.
But the man wasn't as intimidating as before. It was strange. He was always full of emotions towards her. For example, love, or anger...
But his eyes were empty.
It was strange. It was really strange. That's why Olivia didn't run away, but just stared at the man.
“Ioannis told you.”
Those were the first words that came out without her knowledge. Ioannis. Yes, that person must have told him. If he hadn't said it willingly, Asherad would have threatened him or something.
Asherad nodded slowly at the word 'Ioannis'.
“Yeah. That guy told me.”
Asherad's voice was weak. For some reason, Olivia was not afraid of this man. Was it because she was no longer the 'Daphne' who had been playing in his hands?
Or maybe it was because he looked broken now. No, she didn't seem afraid now, even if there were knights behind him. The man's gaze was weak enough that Olivia could tell.
“What about Ioannis?”
Asherad lowered his eyes at those words. If he had been here, Ioannis would have been nearby.
“That person doesn’t come here.”
"Why?"
“Dead.”
Olivia's expression turned cold at those words. Why did Ioannis die? Wasn't he a smart guy? Could it be...?
“Surely you killed him?”
There was a possibility. He hid the location of Olivia. That alone would have been enough to kill him. Surely, Asherad would have tortured him to find out where she was...
“Hahahaha!”
Asherad burst out laughing at Olivia's words. He laughed so long that it felt vulgar, as if he had seen a clown, that he didn't know what was so funny.
“Oh. Yes.”
“...”
“Daphne. I guess that’s how I’ve always looked in your eyes.”
There was a bitter regret at the end of Asherad's words. Could it be that he regretted it? He reached out and touched Olivia's hand. He looked up at her without even standing up.
“Daphne. I have no regrets.”
“...”
“I did my best for my love.”
Olivia grabbed his hand and pulled it away. His hand slipped away helplessly. Yes, that was it. He didn't regret it.
What good is talking to a person like that anymore?
“Are you going to arrest me again?”
"...No."
That was the end of it. Suddenly, Olivia remembered the article Derek had shown her a month ago. It said that the Emperor of Asherad had gone missing. It said that a certain Count, righteously angry at the civil war with Thalassa, had betrayed Asherad.
The missing Emperor is here.
If she tells the security guards of Thalassa that Asherad is here, Asherad will die. She wants to do that now. She wants to drive him to his death.
"Mom!"
At that moment, the voice that she most did not want to hear was heard. Olivia was startled. Asherad's gaze lingered on the boy.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
Ian took Olivia's hand in a bright voice. Asherad's expression changed. He looked at Ian with joy. Olivia hid the child behind her.
"Let's go."
Then Ian took Olivia's hand.
"Mom."
"Yes?"
“That old man fell down.”
“...”
“Let’s save him quickly.”
When she heard him say that, Asherad was lying down. He didn't look well-nourished. Olivia silently took Ian's hand and led him.
“You shouldn’t go near people like that.”
“...”
“What if he gets hurt?”
She walked back to her 'home', holding her son's hand, making a discriminatory remark she had never made before. Ian kept glancing back.
***
“Olivia! I was worried because you weren’t here.”
When she came home, holding Ian's hand, Derek was standing right at the door. Olivia forced a smile and went into the kitchen to organize the ingredients.
“We came back.”
“Are you okay?”
“It’s light.”
Somehow, there was no energy in her voice.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”
When Derek asked Olivia, she didn't say anything. She cut the meat she had bought familiarly and cooked it in a pan with butter. The sizzling sound filled the house.
“Olivia.”
“Let’s just leave this city.”
"What?"
“I can’t live here.”
Once the meat was cooked to a certain degree, she started grilling the vegetables. Derek convinced Olivia, who was cooking, to join them.
“You have nothing to worry about anymore. This is the foundation of your life that you have just built.”
“...”
“You also enjoyed teaching children at school. It’s safer here than anywhere else. Do you really have to do that?”
Derek lived as a wanderer, but he had a stronger desire for stability than anyone else. This was an enemy country that Asherad could not easily reach. Moreover, she had been rooted for almost six years. It was unfair to move as if running away.
Besides, Asherad went missing almost a month ago. The Emperor died in the war, so why on earth did they have to move?
“Ian was born and raised here. School is...”
“Derek, this is something I can’t do.”
She thought about telling him that Asherad was here. But that alone, for some reason, she couldn't say that. If it were Derek, he would have picked up his sword and killed him without hesitation, or reported him to the police.
“Just leave right now.”
Derek nodded at those firm words.
Olivia wanted to leave right away, tomorrow, but Derek was curious as to why. She asked Derek cautiously.
“Maybe Peneus will raid this place?”
“No way, our ships are all mobilized for the naval battles in the west, and there’s absolutely no way they’ll be able to come here.”
“...”
“This place is too far away. That’s why the Count designated this place.”
“...”
“Why? Are you still interested in that guy from the Turbol family?”
"A little..."
Derek let out a low sigh as Olivia bowed her head and trailed off. He closed his eyes and seemed to think, then smiled.
“Just give us three days. We have a lot to sort out.”
“...”
“Since the security situation is not good, we also need to figure out which route to take.”
"All right."
So they began to talk while eating the meat stew Daphne had made.
“Ian, we’re moving.”
At those words, Ian burst into tears. That night, it rained. Olivia spent the whole night looking out the window at the falling rain.
He is such a great Emperor, he must be taking shelter from the rain somewhere.
Olivia fell out of the window and into bed. And so the morning came. It was still raining.
“Ian, I told you we could skip school starting today!”
Ian shook his head at Olivia's words.
“No. I’ll take my time and say goodbye to the kids.”
“Ian. You can do it all at once on the last day.”
“No, I have to talk to Mariko, who fought with me at another school. Mom doesn’t even know that.”
“Why the girl you fought with?”
“We’ll never meet again.”
Then Ian ran away with his school bag. Olivia looked at the empty house and was lost in thought. Derek said he had something to do in the morning and went out somewhere, leaving Olivia alone.
If someone was home, she would make up an excuse to stay home...
Olivia, who had been making such weak excuses, suddenly looked up as if an idea occurred to her. She decided to make the decision herself. She wouldn't act so indecisively.
Olivia did nothing again. Now she knows. Asherad is now weak. And since he came to the enemy country in his own right, he can't do anything carelessly.
***
The rain was cold. The man was getting wet from the pouring rain. He knew it would make him cold, but he didn't care.
He hoped the rain would wash everything away. His memories of Ioannis and his current suffering.
'What did I come here for?'
If it were him before, he would have gotten Daphne into his hands by any means necessary. But Ioannis told him not to do so.
Daphne looked beautiful. The clothes she wore were plain, but they shone brighter than those in the palace. Asherad smiled as he recalled that sight. And the child next to her was...
'It must be my child...'
Judging from the way shd held each other's hands tightly, she didn't hate the child. Ah, you guys were living as a complete family without me. With that love...
Asherad was jealous of the little boy holding her hand. How he wishes he could be that child...
But this, too, was the end. It was the end.
Asherad decided to die here. What reason was there to live? He was getting rained on again. Judging by the sun shining, it seemed like the rain would stop soon.
At that moment, a shadow fell, and an umbrella was placed. Asherad shook his head with difficulty. He looked up blankly and saw a woman standing with her back to the sunlight.
He thought she looked pretty.
“Get up, Asherad.”
“...”
His vision, which had already been slightly blurry, recovered. Taking in the beautiful being, Asherad moved his motionless body.
“Let’s talk.”
“...”
“Now let’s talk, Asherad.”
Suddenly, he felt a lump in his throat. Olivia, no, Daphne came to see him.
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