“Episode 26”
“The Missing Prince”
In the midst of the sweltering summer of Sekradion, the only ones capable of producing such a chilling voice would be Priscilla and her own mother. Daphne paused for a moment, contemplating her words.
“Celestian has left?” Priscilla’s expression was firm, indicating that she didn’t intend to scare anyone. There weren’t many things that could frighten Daphne.
“Boring.”
“I’m not trying to entertain you, Daphne.”
“Where could he have gone, the prince?”
Without hesitation, Daphne opened the door. In the corridor, Keisha was sitting on a makeshift chair, leaning against the wall, with Narid resting his head on her lap. The guards looked as stiff as skeletons, and the maid looked exhausted.
Daphne approached them stealthily, intending to startle them.
“Miss.”
Keisha’s gray eyes gradually became clearer. Not getting the reaction she wanted, Daphne frowned tightly.
“You weren’t sleeping?”
“I’ve been awake since Lady Denver arrived. Are you alright?”
Keisha’s face, which had been languid for so long, looked alert. Daphne hugged her tightly and pushed her long side bangs behind her ears.
“You’re worn out to death. This place is paradise.”
“Why would you say that?”
Keisha gently grasped Daphne’s arm. It seemed like she was checking the bandaged wounds.
“You barely grazed it. Honestly, making a fuss over a small scratch like that. Embarrassing.”
“Why do you say that?”
Keisha looked surprised and tilted her head.
“Miss?”
Narid also woke up at the sound of their voices, checking Daphne’s face and the bandaged parts of her body, then began to sob gradually. Eventually, Narid punched Keisha.
Although she said so, Daphne secretly appreciated their concern. When she had been hospitalized before, she had been alone.
“Where’s Cele?”
“He, um, momentarily went somewhere.”
Keisha chuckled as she spoke, even though she seemed surprised. Daphne raised one corner of her mouth and laughed too.
“Where could he have gone? The bathroom?”
“Daphne.”
A graceful voice from behind made Daphne’s stomach churn. Whenever she had to hear something she didn’t want to know, Daphne always felt this way.
“Celestian has left. Really.”
“He’s left?”
“Exactly. He’s disappeared. We’ve been searching for him, but there’s been no trace. Now… there’s no longer any danger for you, Daphne.”
Priscilla’s eyes glowed a deep blue. At the same time, Daphne’s golden eyes became cloudy. Keisha avoided eye contact. Narid just stared at the floor.
“Daphne, so…”
“Alright, just be quiet for a moment, Miss Denver.”
Daphne’s voice lost its warmth. Priscilla began to openly observe her. Daphne’s bodyguards and maid were the same.
“Me…”
Daphne was on the verge of swearing.
“I want to wash up first.”
At Daphne’s murmur, Narid abruptly stood up.
With the help of the maid, Daphne washed away all the discomfort from her body. Throughout, Daphne kept her lips sealed.
—
Amber Green’s private study.
Lying on the rectangular couch in the center, staring at the ceiling adorned with quirky little angel babies, was none other than Daphne Viewcater.
“How would you describe this feeling?”
Daphne looked up at the ceiling, where the bright yellow irises seemed to count the number of angel babies aimlessly. Fifteen in total. All bordered in gold leaf.
At first glance, it was extremely luxurious, and it felt burdensome too!
“I wonder if Mom would empathize with me if I tore all of these down.”
End.
After being discharged and returning home, Daphne’s room was locked with a lock. The servants were sent away under the pretext of vacation. Staying in the main house for a few days, Daphne found herself in an ongoing silent war with Amber.
In the social circles, Amber ranted about how her beloved daughter had been shot because of traitors. But when it came to Daphne, she pressured her with silent disapproval, saying, “I knew this would happen.”
There wasn’t even time to take off her shoes and start searching. By now, it was time to leave Sekradion, either by smuggling or by any means possible.
“Hah. It feels like having your brand new fully loaded iMac stolen at Starbucks.”
If someone were to ask why she was carrying something so big in the first place, there was no answer.
“No, did I really think that big thing wouldn’t disappear?”
In hindsight, it was as good as disappearing on its own! Why was she trusting so much?
“Because Priscilla was nearby?”
Even those kept close weren’t allowed to leave so easily, yet why was it only that man who…?
“He solved all the problems so I could leave right away.”
Daphne’s hands and feet turned cold. She straightened her upper body and massaged her stiff neck.
Many thoughts rushed through her mind. Eventually, a clear conclusion emerged.
“I was too careless. It’s all my fault.”
Choosing to trust that man with her body, and keeping him around so carelessly, were both her choices. So ultimately, losing him was also her choice.
“No, damn it. Should I run away?”
Her fists clenched involuntarily. Someone patted Daphne on the back. The hot hands belonged to Romeo.
“Rome.”
The protagonist who had personally come all the way here was not a welcome guest. With his black hair and golden eyes that proved they shared the same bloodline, he wasn’t particularly endearing.
“I’ve called you several times. Are your ears working?”
“I’m fine. Look, Romeo. Celestian…”
“He ran away. I heard. How’s your body?”
Romeo grumbled irritably. His thick eyebrows narrowed. He looked very intimidating, and he was already angry. Daphne rolled her eyes instinctively.
“Just breathe properly. Your limbs are fine.”
But her lips continued to murmur.
“Why did you come? Aren’t you busy?”
“You almost died.”
Even saying this, Romeo seemed to have worried about Daphne in his own way. Daphne smiled wryly at the large hand patting her back several times.
“I have nothing to give you. Unless there’s something I need to receive.”
Daphne bit her lip. She pulled out a photo from her pants pocket and handed it to Romeo.
“What’s this?”
Romeo squinted and looked down at it. It was an original paparazzi cut from when Celestian was crowned prince of Sekradion.
During the suppression of the rebellion, all photos and newspapers featuring Celestian’s face would have been destroyed and burned within the capital. Asking where she got it from would be a pointless question.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Find him.”
Romeo sighed as if he didn’t want to hear such words.
“Daphne, I can’t help you find him.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
“Things are different from before. The circumstances and situation have changed,” said Romeo, who used to be a prince and now was practically the king. If rumors spread about Romeo searching for a traitor, what kind of gossip would circulate in the alleys? “The former prince who eagerly wanted to become king actually conspired against the throne…”
“I don’t need your help. You won’t need to cut off a prince’s legs or hands for me,” Daphne said firmly, feeling the intense pressure of Romeo’s grip from her left wrist to her side.
“Mad, it hurts!” Daphne exclaimed as the pain shot through her arm. She was trying to remind herself of her injury. It truly felt like her arm was about to burst!
“Romeo, do you think I’m asking you to find him so I can harm him? Not this time. I won’t need you to bring me his dead body, okay? It’s pointless,” Daphne said, restraining her impulse to lash out these past few days. She had to keep her composure and remember her position and duties in every action she took. That was her job, Daphne.
Daphne just suppressed her impulses.
“No, bring me his head. Use it instead of Agrippa’s. Did I keep him alive for nothing? Am I stupid?” She spat out words she didn’t mean.
“If you find him and kill him, and then bring his body, there won’t be any bad rumors. People will say you did what needed to be done,” Daphne continued.
“Think of him as dead.”
Daphne flinched at the familiar words.
“We’ll announce it on our side too. He was destined to die anyway,” Romeo added.
“It has to be Celestian.”
“Why are you so fixated? Is your brother paying you?” Romeo asked.
Daphne pondered his question. She could answer why she was fixated with crying being pretty, teasing being fun, and joy from having someone around, but money? “To motivate you to earn money. You’re the only one,” Daphne replied earnestly.
Romeo chuckled at Daphne’s desperate voice. “I’ll buy you something else. Something similar. You’ll be fine if you’re blonde.”
‘He speaks so easily,’ Daphne thought, unable to laugh. She just lowered her yellow eyes. She was suppressing something that threatened to burst out. Her pale face turned as red as her hair color.
“Romeo, will you really not help?”
“Stop it.”
“Even if I sell your fatal flaw to the Emperor of Azenthar?”
Romeo’s flaw? Fatal weakness? There could only be Priscilla now, and Daphne was not someone who would betray Priscilla, even if she were to die soon.
“Sure, whatever,” Romeo replied nonchalantly, seemingly aware of it.
“Will you tell Priscilla what you did to me when we were kids?”
“She already knows.”
He was firm. It was a firm refusal, and his golden eyes were filled with annoyance, even pressure to give up.
“But still, Romeo…”
“Stop it, Daphne.”
“Romeo.”
“I said stop.”
“In your presence, I won’t cry. Romeo, you’ll just… disappear…”
Daphne couldn’t shed a single tear. It felt like everything was clogged up, as if poking a needle into her palm would make blood spurt out like a fountain. Suddenly, she had a thought passing through her mind.
‘Yeah, I have no friends, no money?’
The power to move people is capital. Daphne knew that fact well.
