Chapter 3
A Choice Without Regret
After finishing her reminiscence, Daphne untied the ribbon on her bonnet and entered the dining hall.
‘It was a choice without regret.’
In Secradion, where the entire summer season was held, the Marquis of Beaucater was famous for its beautiful palace.
Though it was called a mansion, it was as luxurious as a summer palace, and the King would visit for a few nights to have a whiskey and gambling time with his close friend, his father.
‘Daphne’s Room’ was located further back from the main building, along the vast rose garden. Her spacious bedroom, created by merging two floors, was bright every morning, illuminated by sunlight reflected off the Angel River.
The multiple layers of blue chiffon curtains hanging from the high ceiling shimmered like auroras when touched by the light.
And now—
‘It looks like a masterpiece.’
Golden strands of fine hair swayed gently in the river breeze coming through the open window. He rested his elbow on the table, propping up his chin as if still sleepy, lazily blinking while toying with his salad.
‘How did someone this lazy ever pull off killing my uncle?’
In the original story, he had even succeeded. Though he had immediately fallen into Psyche’s trap in the very next scene.
‘I’m relieved that this won’t happen again.’
Daphne had just returned to the mansion for a lunch appointment with him. The two sat across from each other at a long table.
“Lady, I don’t think I can support your new love.”
Misha, her secretary, grumbled from Daphne’s left side.
When Celestian had first been brought to the estate, the servants of “Daphne’s Room” had reportedly hidden revolvers and daggers behind their backs, each considering how to handle the rebellious prince if he caused trouble.
“Why? What did he do? Did he hit someone? Was it Kisha? Did anyone get hurt?”
Misha hesitated, clearly struggling not to blurt out something offensive in front of his employer. Daphne secretly hoped that he had committed a crime.
“Unfortunately, he’s been behaving himself.”
The prince, who had devoured an entire calf upon waking after three days of sleep, had, according to Misha, been relatively tame. He’d only roamed the estate as though it were his own house while Daphne was away.
Daphne regretted being too preoccupied with the crown prince’s wedding preparations to witness his adorable behavior.
“He had some promises to keep.”
“What promises?”
Daphne grinned mischievously.
‘An indirect kiss from Psyche…?’
Misha was disgusted by that expression. And he didn’t bother to ask about it.
“For what it’s worth, I wish you hadn’t broken off the engagement with His Highness, the Crown Prince. Prince Romeo is a peace-seeking man, both in the past and present. Even looking to the future, he seemed like a good match.”
“What?”
Daphne doubted her ears at the word ‘peace-seeking.’
Who on earth is peace-seeking? The same boy who once tried to set her red hair on fire, claiming it was an ideal match?
‘Or the kid who invited people and threw a wild party at my hotel’s opening, all under the guise of celebrating?’
Daphne couldn’t stop her expression from turning sour. Thinking about her worthless cousin made her feel like shit again. She also thought of Psyche, who was like a rabbit. She was getting more and more frustrated.
“As you know, Lady, treason is punishable by death. Please reconsider.”
“You’re right, but the crime has been misjudged. So the punishment should differ accordingly,” Daphne replied.
She rested her elbow on the table, propping up her chin, and stared at Celestian with sparkling eyes.
“What crime is that?”
Misha, inwardly intrigued, leaned closer.
“Too much beauty is a sin. I believe public execution would suit him best, so the people of the capital can marvel at Celestian’s looks.”
Will I get some money if I collect the viewing tax?
Horrified, Misha turned pale at her additional comment. He irritably removed his rimless glasses and stood.
“I’m truly quitting this time. I haven’t been grateful for the job.”
“I’ll see you later~”
Misha stormed out of the dining hall, leaving Daphne waving half-heartedly after him. He’d undoubtedly head straight to the office regardless.
Then she looked at the prince who was struggling with the salad. He was sticking out his red lower lip as if he was concentrating on picking up the corn with his fork.
It was a fairly peaceful afternoon, so Daphne was satisfied.
―Play the pitiful victim in front of the defense attorneys.
—Am I pitiful?
—Are you not?
—If I’m the only one left alive, doesn’t it look a bit strange?
—Hey. You’re already the only one alive.
—Fair enough.
At the royal trial a few days ago, Celestian had hesitated only briefly before nodding and following the script Daphne had crafted.
—I don’t know why this happened. Truly, I had no part in it this time.
He’d furrowed his brows pitifully, claiming he had nothing to do with the rebellion and had only been wrongly accused while mingling with some soldiers. His elegant face, contorted into an expression of injustice, sold the performance.
Daphne, sobbing dramatically, had provided his alibi.
<We were together!>
<Theriosa is innocent—it’s all a misunderstanding!>
<Beaucater’s Scarlet Rose weeps at the royal trial, claiming that the Prince Celestian’s innocence.>
Daphne’s Love, Our Arrogant Half-Prince acted like a lizard that had been caught by the tail, as if he had never plotted a rebellion. He had cut off all his tails with his pretty lips.
<The Villainess Who Saved the Traitor, Actually the God of Love Riding a Salvation Carriage?>
To restore Celestian’s reputation from “traitor” to “a prince with half-royal blood,” Daphne had bribed a major newspaper with influence beyond the kingdom, ensuring her handpicked headlines dominated the front page.
‘Adorable.’
A villain so insignificant, he didn’t even qualify as a side character. The man who had once inspired cries of “When will that bastard die?”
After observing him for several days, Daphne found he neither seemed vile nor particularly devious.
“Beaucater, it’s hot.”
Rather, he was incredibly lazy. Moreover, he didn’t even bother to wake up in the morning or eat if there was no meat!
“If you’re hot, take it off.”
Her response was laced with personal interest.
“You’re still so curt with your words.”
Celestian clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
Though she was impatient by nature, Daphne prided herself on having considerable patience.
She had lived for years, waiting for the day he would go up to the gallows, waiting for the day his body would safely come into her hands.
The remark about the heat must not have been a lie, as his golden hair, brushed back, revealed a forehead glistening with sweat..
With the sun shining through the window behind him, he looked as enchantingly beautiful as a scene from a painting.
Through the three undone fronts of his shirt, you could see his smooth collarbone and deeply engraved chest muscles. However, the scar on his neck that was clearly visible made her heart ache.
“What are you staring at?”
Just last week, he had been a traitor rolling in the mud. After being washed, fed, and properly rested, he had quickly transformed back into the elegant prince who once danced around the ballroom as the king’s marionette.
‘He looks so good I could faint…’
As Daphne raised a hand to her forehead to revel in the sight, Celestian interrupted her musings.
“Come over here and fan me, Beaucater.”
Daphne let out a sigh and giggled. She got up from her seat and slowly approached him, looking down at him.
‘I saved this man from death.’
Every time his pretty face smiled, she felt a sense of accomplishment.
This man had been her goal and her trophy for the past two years, driving her relentless pursuit of wealth and resources.
The man who claimed that it was love despite having destroyed Psyche’s family and friends, and the audacity to plot a rebellion, saying that he would do anything for love.
The only object of hatred for the warm-as-sunlight heroine!
“Tell me your name.”
Still resting his cheek against his hand, he reached out with his other hand, grabbing a handful of Daphne’s red hair. Meeting her eyes tenderly, his gesture was deliberate, but Daphne simply snorted and replied.
“None of your business.”
“None-of-your-business. That’s a lovely name.”
“No, I said it’s none of your business!”
Perhaps it was because of her dramatic performance at the trial, sobbing and fainting as she professed her love, but Celestian never asked why she had saved him.
He seemed firmly convinced that Daphne genuinely loved him, especially since she kept calling him “my love” and treating him like a dashing prince.
And yet, this same man would later sit down to write Psyche another letter filled with romance and love today. Daphne didn’t mind delivering it herself—after reading it halfway through, of course.
‘I wonder how heart-wrenching it’ll be.’
She suppressed a strange fluttering in her chest at the thought.
“Beaucater.”
“What?”
“Are you completely set on not reconciling with my younger brother?”
Daphne blinked at him, tilting her head slightly.
‘What kind of nonsense is this?’
By “younger brother,” he must mean Romeo.
“He and I are cousins.”
“Did you think I didn’t know that?”
“You didn’t seem to know last week.”
Considering the size of his brain, which could only hold Psyche’s image, it was understandable that he couldn’t match Daphne’s name with her face.
‘But how do you not know my name? Am I really that insignificant?’
Daphne could bet 30 million Leons that her name was plastered even in the one-liner tabloids kids scattered around the capital.
“If someone doesn’t know me in Secradion, you’re an idiot, Prince.”
“I admit it.”
Celestian closed his eyes and admitted.
‘Did he just admit he’s an idiot?’
Daphne barely suppressed a laugh.
“But I’m a foreigner, so I wouldn’t know better, Lady Beaucater.”
As he spoke her surname, his crimson lips curled slightly. His features were so strikingly beautiful that even a hibiscus flower pinned to his ear would pale in comparison.
‘Does he live under a rock, or what?’
“Hmm… But I know that you harassed Denver because you wanted to be Romeo’s bride.”
It was a tone that was teasing Daphne. After the rebellion, she had confined him to the estate to avoid the conservative royalists baying for his blood. Apparently, he had spent his time reading second-rate gossip columns like <The Wicked Woman of Secradion, Unrequited Love for Her Cousin>.
“There’s no need for a briefing. That love is over.”
Daphne raised a hand, politely rejecting his attempt to provoke her.
The curtain had fallen on her role in this charade of love, and there was no point in cheering for a discarded character like the prince.
“Beaucater.”
His gaze kept drifting to her lips. Feeling self-conscious, Daphne scratched her neck and turned to look at the shimmering Angel River outside the window.
“Yes, Cele?”
“I think you’d make a fine crown princess. Ambitious, kind, and clever—quite suitable, really. Will you reconsider?”
He evaluated Daphne with his hand on his chin.
‘It’s true that Romeo likes ambitious women, but would he want to marry me, who is almost like his own sister?’
Daphne looked back at the man who was muttering incomprehensible words. The villain she adored wore a surprisingly serious expression.
“Why? Do you think if I end up with Romeo, Psyche will come running to you?”
He paused for a moment, smiled faintly, then lowered his head and poked the green grapes with his dessert fork. It seemed her remark had hit the mark.
“I have no interest in the queen’s throne.”
Just the other day, the heroine, Psyche, had read in the papers that Celestian’s execution had been indefinitely postponed. Her face had turned bright red as she glared daggers at Daphne.
It had been a look Daphne hadn’t seen even during her most villainous acts, leaving her momentarily stunned. Although she tried to soothe Psyche with promises of an explanation, the heroine, biting her lower lip, could only mutter how she couldn’t understand before storming back to the palace.
“Idiot. You don’t deserve to eat. Starve.”
With her index finger, Daphne flipped over the plate he was eating from. The plate spun lightly through the air before hitting the floor with a sharp clatter.
“Yeah. I was getting tired of it anyway.”
Celestian looked down at the shattered pieces with a faintly regretful expression before casually brushing his large hand as if to dismiss the incident.
“In that case, let me ask another question.”
Daphne was about to tell him to shut up when he spoke again.
“Why don’t you sleep with me?”
