“Episode 11”
“Beauchater.”
Celestian coughed softly, covering his mouth as if to stifle a gasp.
“I didn’t even know if it was a son or a daughter, just assumed it would be a daughter. I feel like such a fool.”
Daphne looked at his pale face as he spoke, unable to find words to reply, which amused her greatly.
“If you look in the wardrobe over there, the baby items we bought at that time are still there. We received so many gifts too.”
Pointing to the wardrobe with quaint doors, Daphne, with lips pressed against her knees, hummed softly.
Of course, there were no baby items. Only gun boxes Daphne had collected since childhood were stacked there. In addition, there were luxury journals made by the tailor, letters that had not been sent, love letters received from someone long ago, now-unused outdated accessories, and more.
“I was overworking myself back then, planning a tea café and an arts venture. I was pushing too hard.”
That wasn’t a lie. Daphne felt like she had shed all her tears during that time. The thought of that busy period made her heart ache.
Daphne sighed repeatedly, holding her temples with her index finger, breathing heavily.
“Sometimes, when I remember, it feels like it was my fault.”
Celestian kept his lips tightly closed, eventually chewing on his lower lip.
“I should have been careful, I failed to keep my promise.”
“Whose child was it, anyway?”
His voice was tinged with anger. He quickly covered his lips and cleared his throat, adjusting his tone.
“I don’t know.”
Daphne replied simply, with a touch of curiosity but not much concern. Celestian crossed his arms and leaned back, turning his head towards her.
“Why did I live like that? The nobility calls me trash. Didn’t you know?”
She almost burst out laughing at this point. Her voice began to tremble. She quickly leaned forward to hide her expression.
Celestian finally reached out his hand towards Daphne. She was not crying, but laughing, he realized.
“It’s you.”
He seemed to be trying to gauge whether she was lying about being abandoned or inheriting something.
“It’s a lie.”
Daphne fanned her face with her hand, continuing to laugh.
“A lie?”
He confirmed again. Daphne nodded her head.
“I thought it was real.”
Celestian ran his hand through his hair, a little agitated. Daphne grabbed his arm and continued to shake with laughter.
“Don’t cry.”
His elderly voice was very gentle. Daphne’s shoulders shook as if she were about to burst into tears. Maybe because she was drunk, she felt that his sunken voice was twice as cute.
“Hm.”
Unable to contain her laughter, she burst out, her lips still firmly sealed. His cheeks were now red.
“Are you enjoying this joke?”
Celestian frowned slightly, then smiled. His lips, which had been heavily chewed on, were now bright red.
“Sir, please don’t bite your lips.”
Daphne reached out and touched the side of his lips. It was a habit she had when she was with her girlfriends.
“Have I gone crazy?”
Daphne awkwardly pulled her hand away, pushing Celestian’s arm that she had been holding onto. Then she exaggerated her voice.
“Wow, our prince is so innocent. I can’t believe you would believe something like this.”
“Well, there’s no reason not to believe it. Especially coming from you.”
Celestian’s remark made Daphne pause for a moment. She felt a strange mixture of emotions. But upon closer consideration, his words weren’t entirely wrong. After all, she had never known how Daphne had lived until now.
“Why would you tell such a lie?”
He added calmly. Emotions crossed his face that Daphne couldn’t read. A naive prince with rare expressions. Perhaps because of that, she began to feel a subtle sense of guilt.
“It’s funny because of your expression.”
“It’s not funny.”
She retorted sharply.
“If that’s the case, my apologies.”
Daphne quickly regained her composure after suppressing her emotions. With laughter subsiding and sighs held back, silence fell once again.
‘Why do you keep staring? It’s embarrassing.’
She tapped the carpet with her bare foot.
Whether he was annoyed by the woman who had ridiculed herself as a prince or not, he didn’t take his eyes off her. Daphne kept her face in his view despite the burning sensation in her cheeks.
‘Right.’
She rolled her eyes upward, thinking about the schedule she had just discussed with Romeo.
Thirty-one days until the engagement ceremony of the prince and princess. The nobles with money in the capital’s social circles were holding parties one by one.
Tomorrow was the first day of the relay party, also the day of the party at Psyche’s villa. Daphne didn’t have many close friends, and the party was only for the royal family and high-ranking nobles—a “boring” party.
Romeo’s secretary handed Daphne a beautifully embroidered invitation as she got into the carriage. The name written inside belonged to Celestian.
“Cele, we have to go to the organ recital tomorrow and then the party.”
“After making me feel this way, are you asking me out on a date?”
Celestian chuckled. Daphne felt a tingling sensation in her cheeks at the word “date.”
“What date? I just mentioned my schedule.”
“Huh?”
Daphne replied, her eyes widening. Celestian covered his mouth with his hand again and burst into a dry laugh.
“Alright, have a good time by yourself then.”
Then he became serious again.
“Why should I go alone? I’m going with you.”
He furrowed his brows again at her continued teasing. The subtle satisfaction of irritating such a good-looking man only to herself. Daphne was pleased with herself for continuing to win.
‘But… why bring a set of trash?’
Daphne didn’t understand Romeo’s intentions. But she was aware of Celestian’s current position in the kingdom as a set of garbage. Everyone wanted to step forward and throw him away.
Also, Daphne had no intention of taking him to Psyche and showing him off. It was partly because she still hated his blue eyes that kept lingering in her mind.
“I’m just your slave, after all.”
“Slave?”
Celestian raised the corner of his mouth sarcastically. Then he gestured to a small bed with his chin.
“Like a bed doll.”
He was in a state of utter despair, having groaned and gotten up. Daphne squinted her eyes.
“If you want to lose your ears, keep talking.”
Seeing her field of vision narrow, it seemed that her physical limits were reaching their limits again. It was time to sleep. Daphne stood up first.
“Good night, your ghostly grace, please get up before noon.”
And then, pretending to be polite, she picked up the hem of her skirt and bent her knees. With the sound of her furry slippers dragging, Daphne reached the door.
She was about to turn around to say goodnight, but she was so surprised.
“Whoa, damn.”
Celestian was right in front of her. To be precise, his shirt, inner shirt, and chest were right in front of her.
Daphne clenched her hand over her pounding heart and looked up.
“Damn?”
Daphne was in such a state of shock that she couldn’t even realize that Celestian had cursed in a hoarse voice.
‘No sound of footsteps, no, no sound of chairs dragging!’
“Where are you going?”
Celestian reached out his hand somewhere around Daphne’s waist, raising his eyebrows slightly.
“To bed.”
“Where?”
“From the room? No, how did you? Did you fly?”
“It’s magic.”
Celestian casually replied.
In the darkness, his smile seemed even more luminous. Daphne glanced sideways to see him holding onto the doorknob.
“Where do you sleep?”
“Prince, there are many rooms in my chamber. I don’t necessarily need to sleep in the princess’s bed.”
“I put you to bed.”
“Because it suits you.”
No matter how much she thought about it, Celestian seemed to have flown. Daphne moved her foot to scan the floor just in case. Sure enough, his ankle was next to her foot.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, from there to here, it’s at least fifteen steps….”
After reciting all kinds of angelic princesses and princes prettier than princesses, Daphne wondered if he had actually grown wings and looked over his shoulder.
“Bevater.”
As he bent down, Daphne sniffed slightly at the scent coming from him. It was a familiar scent. Exactly the same scent she always used. The perfume she had been jumping around without because she had run out of it!
“Why?”
He let go of the hand holding the doorknob and grabbed a handful of Daphne’s damp hair.
“Go to sleep. Sleep with me.”
Several situations had occurred in a short period of time. And they kept happening. Daphne blinked her eyes slowly. In the dim light, Celestian leaned over and whispered softly in Daphne’s stiff ear.
“You want to do it too.”
