“Episode 53”
Then he glanced at the bodies strewn around the room. From this marble pedestal to below, roughly twenty steps away, lay the corpses, all of them Azentar’s knights. Oscar couldn’t help but interject.
“I didn’t kill them.”
“I doubt what’s staining your body is wine!”
Celestian eyed the blood splattered across his body, shrugged his shoulders, and said nothing more. The silence made Oscar’s spine involuntarily shiver. He fumbled with his trousers hesitantly.
“Find it?”
Celestian gestured with his chin towards the table behind him. There, various weapons engraved with Azentar’s emblem were laid out. Oscar quickly changed the subject, speaking urgently as if someone was chasing him.
“This is a blatant act of provocation between nations. Celestian Thériosa, do you think you’ll get away with this?”
“You seem nervous. Can’t see that it’s already a lost cause?”
Celestian shrugged. Oscar continued to growl in frustration, his expression showing that he felt utterly humiliated.
“I must kill you. Lady Daphne Beauchater won’t take this lightly. Nor will this kingdom!”
Celestian raised an eyebrow incredulously.
Episode 53
Thank you for your love so far
Celestian’s green eyes glanced at the ceiling for a moment before returning to their original position.
He smiled mischievously, lifting the corners of his mouth.
“I’m fine at any time, I’ve never died before, so don’t worry. As for Daphne…”
Celestian’s gaze momentarily lost focus, then quickly returned.
“I didn’t realize you were so affectionate.”
“Thériosa, you talk a lot.”
“You’d do well to live as long as I have. You’re not getting any younger.”
Still smiling, Celestian loosened the tie around his neck. Oscar’s breathing quickened. There was nowhere to ask for help, and no guarantee of survival.
“Why did you kill His Highness, the prince?”
“Stop misunderstanding. I have no personal grudge against him this time. He was always at the mercy of Princess Laria.”
“It’s a conspiracy. Her Highness the Princess would never do such a thing. Where is Her Highness?”
“At my sister’s wedding.”
Celestian’s succinct answer made Oscar’s panting appearance seem pitiful. He furrowed his brows between his fine eyebrows.
“The princess said you were needed, so at least I’ll send you back alive.”
Celestian scratched his cheek.
“There was an incident with a carriage. Was that also your doing?”
“Listen carefully, Thériosa!”
Celestian shook his head twice. Then, with his red lower lip between his teeth, he watched as Oscar stumbled backward. A few steps back, there must have been a door.
“Even so, your mistake won’t be overlooked.”
“What did I do wrong?”
“You said you would take her to Azentar, even if you had to break her ankle. Daphne.”
In just two steps, Celestian closed the gap. Before Oscar could react, his knee swept out. Oscar fell clumsily onto the marble floor.
“Ow!”
It was just a single kick, but it felt like his bones twisted. He instinctively begged for forgiveness, then started begging without another word.
As Oscar barely crossed the threshold of the first step, his foot caught on something below. Another harsh blow from Celestian’s boot landed on his ankle.
“Feel it for yourself.”
“Ack! Thériosa! Aaagh!”
Celestian, annoyed, shook his hand. Because of that, Oscar’s leg fell to the floor with another agonizing scream.
Celestian bent over, gripping Oscar’s ankle and dragging him onto the pedestal. Oscar was already out of his senses and even rude.
“Ah, please.”
Celestian irritably brushed his hand. As a result, Oscar’s leg fell to the ground with another painful scream.
Rotating his head to relieve his stiff neck, Celestian picked up a sharp sword.
“Thériosa, you’re, you’re insane, no, no!”
“Yeah, no.”
With a grunt, Celestian stabbed the tip of the sword directly under Oscar’s patella.
Without any other threats or warnings.
“Aaargh!”
Feeling the exact piercing sensation, Oscar flapped like a fish on a fishing rod.
Celestian watched Oscar’s contorted expression impassively, then quickly closed the gap between their foreheads.
He himself, neither Celestian, nor Psiche Denver, nor Romeo Rodriguez. Not these idiots either. Then.
“Who was trying to kill Daphne?”
***
Other people’s weddings are boring.
If it had been usual, she would have spent time entertaining herself with interesting fantasies, but the whirlwind-like events that had occurred just a few hours ago didn’t leave her mind.
‘In the original story, Celestian, who committed treason, died because of Psiche. But now, if his goal isn’t to have Psiche… could it be revenge?’
Either way, it was all related to Celestian.
‘I don’t like complications.’
Daphne mumbled to herself, chewing on her gritty inner cheek. While she usually faced situations head-on and resolved them, avoiding things that hadn’t happened yet was the better option if possible.
Then everyone rose from their seats, and the main characters shared an eternal kiss.
‘Ugh.’
Daphne inwardly cringed.
‘Is it finally over?’
If she could only see this scene from now on, everything might end. She even half-expected to see the words “Thank you for your love so far” floating before her eyes.
Despite living through novels for two years, the reality was different. Nothing had ended. It didn’t feel as refreshing as she had thought it would.
She only came to one clear conclusion: Daphne Beauchater had messed up Celestian Thériosa’s second life.
***
The deep-colored sunset painted the sea crimson as it disappeared beyond the white horizon.
The first-class deck where the gala was held was adorned with small pearl-like light bulbs, giving the feeling of being inside a carousel.
Daphne had left that place. Although there were old university acquaintances she hadn’t seen in a while, she lacked the energy to put on a show and fake smiles with them.
“What should I do?”
She sat alone on a deserted bench, still dressed in her wedding attire. It was her fifth cigarette to explode from being chewed on.
She couldn’t enter the gala. Meeting halfway was also impossible.
This situation was practically an opportunity for Daphne, as she needed time to sort out her thoughts.
‘What should I do? Run away?’
As knights glanced down the hallway, Daphne sighed.
‘Why should I run away? Should I just apologize profusely and send him to Téryos?’
Until now, she had been rationalizing by saying, “I saved him!” repeatedly, but Daphne felt a sense of guilt for not making the man who had once been a prince belong anywhere here.
‘If Celestian has returned, it means he knew his entire future…’
If he had been alive again, he could have been good with a sword without a single callus on his hand. If he had lived again, everything might have gone according to his plan if she hadn’t intervened.
‘If it weren’t for me, Celestian might have been sitting next to Psiche.’
Thinking that far made Daphne feel nauseous. She flicked the unlit cigarette into the ashtray and gripped her temples with both hands.
‘Forget it. How foolish am I?’
With such an immature plan, she had made his future worthless.
Not every situation would be the same. She couldn’t guarantee that Celestian’s life matched the novel she had read.
—”You here.”
What was the rest of his sentence? She regretted interrupting Celestian’s impatient temper too late.
‘But how could Celestian know that I would die? In that place, ‘Celestian’ was crushed under a pile of rocks, and ‘Daphne’ dies in the side story.’
Was the Celestian she had read about in the novel the same person as the one standing before her?
‘Or not?’
A small contradiction sparked a question in her mind. And soon, Daphne muttered blankly.
“No, why can’t I give up even though I lived again? Isn’t it okay for me to just sit comfortably on a pile of money?”
‘Why do people who return have to suffer?’
The moment she felt like her insides were being squeezed like sweet potatoes, a familiar voice suddenly echoed behind Daphne. She turned around and met the gaze of the speaker.
Chills ran down Daphne’s entire body.
***
Episode 54
Crazy Gezz
Daphne frowned at the person who had appeared out of nowhere.
“Romeo, really? Can you see the goosebumps on my arms?”
“Can’t see.”
“Please don’t try to imitate Psiche. Do you think that tone suits your voice?”
Romeo Rodrigues, emitting a slight scent of wine, approached Daphne with twinkling light bulbs behind him, as if he had slipped out of the gala halfway through.
“You don’t look pleased.”
“I have something to think about.”
“Hmm.”
