Chapter 67
Congratulations Beaucater Family!
“Narid Serenade, I’m your master, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are, my lady.”
“Then why—ugh!”
Narid quickly pressed her hand over Daphne’s mouth.
“Mm! Mm!”
“You promised not to say anything you’d regret! And honestly, your voice is totally shot right now. It’s not cool or fierce. Not scary at all!”
“Mm!”
“If you sulk this time, not even a bonus will fix it—ow!”
Daphne bit Narid’s hand. Hard enough to make a point, but not enough to really hurt. Startled, Narid stared at Daphne, who now looked like a sulking child.
“How dare you cover my mouth while I’m talking? Listen carefully: I’m sick. Your master is sick! Why weren’t you right next to me when I woke up? Is that okay? I’m sick!”
Daphne rarely pulled rank or asserted her authority, but when she was ill, this side of her always emerged—a vulnerable, childish one that seemed to test who would stay by her side no matter what.
Like a child who had suppressed her tantrums for years, Daphne couldn’t tolerate being left alone when she was sick. And it was always Narid who stayed by her side during these moments.
“Do you think I brought you out of Serenade for nothing? If it weren’t for me, you’d have been cast aside! After the Count’s funeral, you’d have been sent back to your hometown, stuck in that shabby little shop!”
Narid winced at the harsh words but didn’t move from her spot. Instead, she placed her hands on her hips, meeting Daphne’s glare.
“Stop acting like a brat, Daphne!”
“Why did you leave me alone? I told you to stay with me! You promised you’d stay by my side!”
“I didn’t leave you alone! Kisha was right here!”
“Where is he? That idiot’s probably off chasing women again while I’m suffering—”
“I’m right here…”
From beneath the foot of the bed, Kisha’s voice emerged. Daphne turned to find him hunched awkwardly, his large frame barely fitting under the bed. Ruffling his messy hair, Kisha rose to his full height, leaning on the bedframe.
“I’ve been here the whole time.”
“Why were you under there?”
“Well, how could I lie next to you? Men and women should be separate. You were sound asleep, so I figured you’d rest until morning.”
“……”
“… Okay, fine. I might’ve dozed off for a bit myself.”
Narid clicked her tongue.
“Neglect of duty. My lady, dock his pay.”
“Again? Come on, that’s too much…”
Kisha grumbled while Narid busied herself tying Daphne’s hair back into a neat ponytail. She left briefly to fetch a few items, then returned to tend to Daphne.
“Now, let’s hear it. What kind of dream had you shouting at me like that?”
“… I dreamt of the Count.”
Narid’s hands paused briefly as she cracked open a pill case.
“Oh, him.”
“Don’t call him that.”
Narid handed Daphne several pills, which she dutifully swallowed without complaint. She even offered her a candy, but Daphne shook her head.
Using a warm, damp cloth, Narid wiped away the sweat from Daphne’s face, neck, and chest, sighing deeply as she worked.
“If he were alive, he’d be a proper grandpa by now. He wasn’t all that young to begin with.”
“It’s only been three years. He’d still be as strong as ever.”
“……”
“And he’d probably grab Celestian by the collar and throw him around.”
“The Count couldn’t walk, remember? The Grand Duke would’ve fought back, and it would’ve been a mess. Imagining an old man in a brawl isn’t exactly appropriate, my lady.”
In the dream, Kilian had stood tall on two healthy legs. The mix of memories and fantasy made Daphne’s chest ache.
“Sometimes, Narid, you’re too blunt…”
Daphne cleared her throat again. Narid grinned, shifting the subject to something Daphne might like.
“You should’ve seen the Count take Kisha down. You’d have loved it.”
“Did you enjoy watching me get beat up?”
Kisha scowled, earning a teasing smile from Narid.
“Of course! Seeing you collapse after two or three hits was chef’s kiss.”
“I thought I was going to die! Would that have counted as a workplace injury?”
Kisha peeked at Daphne with mock indignation, but she wasn’t laughing. Sensing the mood shift, Kisha straightened up, dropping to his knees at the bed’s edge.
“I’ll, uh, take my punishment now.”
“Stay like that until morning.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“My lady, have you seen the Grand Duke? Any plans on how to bring him back?”
Narid asked cautiously.
“I haven’t seen him. And I’m not thinking about it. I’m giving up. I don’t have connections or resources anymore.”
“Giving up?”
“Why did Psyche even invite me to that party? To show off?”
The thought of Psyche didn’t bother her as much as the odd behavior of Delphinium. Tomorrow, she’d likely find out what rumors had already spread.
“Sorry to interrupt, but those outfits didn’t suit you, my lady.”
“Which ones?”
“The suit earlier, and that red dress in the evening.”
“To say something doesn’t suit me? Three more days added.”
“Ugh…”
Amber had already locked away assets Daphne couldn’t recover.
If I still had access to those, rebelling would’ve been so much easier.
Not that she’d ever really felt that Kilian’s inheritance was hers to begin with. She barely used it.
If only Amber would quietly back off… But would my mother really push me this far? I’m her daughter, after all.
Then again, Amber Green seemed to have green blood—cold and ruthless.
— If you want, I’ll buy you this kingdom.
Her father’s cheerful voice echoed in her memory. Back then, she had scoffed and dismissed it, but now, the idea was tempting.
“Maybe I should ask him to buy the kingdom for me.”
“Could he?”
“Probably not.”
The thought of wanting to see her father only when she was struggling felt absurd.
As the Marquis of Beaucater, head of Russell Bank, and the true power behind their family’s ventures, her father was busy enough to see Daphne once or twice a year.
Still, he’d gone out of his way to build her an independent “room” in Serenade, a sign of his belated efforts to connect with her.
“Not that it matters…”
“Narid, I’m tired.”
“Oh, the medicine must be kicking in. Get some rest.”
Narid gently eased Daphne down, tucking her in with care. Daphne smiled faintly, content to be doted on like a child.
“I’ll sleep here tonight, so don’t worry. Kisha will stay like that until morning, right by your side.”
“Make sure his head doesn’t leave the floor. Add another week if it does.”
“Dammit…”
Kisha groaned, his defeated tone making Narid burst into laughter.
*****
Two mornings later, as expected, Ladies Gossip filled the entire kingdom with talk of Daphne’s story.
“What is this?”
However, it wasn’t the kind of story Daphne had anticipated. Kisha and Misha were also staring at the gossip page, their eyes practically bulging out, dissecting every single word.
<A Celebration for the Beaucater!>
“A celebration? What kind of celebration?”
Misha nearly jumped up, shouting in disbelief.
“Young lady, are you pregnant?”
Kisha looked at Daphne with a serious expression. Daphne turned to him, her face full of disbelief.
“Are you crazy?”
“Well, you and His Highness did attend the royal wedding together, just the two of you. Usually, at such events, wonderful things happen and couples often… bear fruit.”
Nerid, unable to listen any longer, shoved the cleaning cloth into Kisha’s mouth.
<The Royal Family Steals a Husband from the Rose of Secradion!>
“…Husband?”
Daphne’s hand, holding the tabloid, turned deathly pale. Her complexion matched. Her jaw had dropped, and she couldn’t close it.
<Did Theriosa Really Plot Treason?>
<With Commoners Already Ignored, Was It Truly Treason?>
<A New Beaucater or Theriosa?>
Daphne, who had barely recovered from her sickbed, felt like she was about to faint again. The scandalous stories about her and Celestian filling the front page were practically a novel.
“Guys, I’m about to scream.”
“This time, maybe you should just go ahead and scream…”
The final headline was the worst of all.
<Regardless of Everything Else, the Royal Family Must Return the Prince to the Woman Bearing New Life.>
“Just tell them I’m dead.”
Daphne pressed her hand to her forehead and collapsed onto the soft sofa.
*****
Crisis had turned into opportunity.
Within just a few hours, public opinion had flipped entirely. Nobles and commoners who had received help from Daphne started causing a commotion.
Meanwhile, Daphne was still suffering from a persistent fever.
<Rotten Royal Family: What Are They Doing to the Rose of Secradion?>
The complaints grew louder, claiming that a woman newly expecting shouldn’t be stressed, and even the late queen wouldn’t have approved of such treatment.
To summarize, the general sentiment was: “How could they imprison the baby’s father? Isn’t that going too far?”
“What idiot baby’s father? What are they talking about?”
Daphne had to bring the newspaper close to her face, her vision blurry. No matter how many times she read it, the printed words didn’t change.
‘Just stood next to him, barely checked out his face and body. If I’d actually gotten a taste, maybe I wouldn’t feel so wronged.’
Celestian’s dazzling face, always carrying a subtle smile, briefly flashed through her hazy mind. Daphne shook her head vigorously to dispel the thought.
Driven by sheer frustration, she tore the newspaper into four pieces. Yet her anger remained unquenched.
