“Episode 9”
“Your dimples are gross,” Romeo shrugged.
“It was for the sake of our secret meeting,” he added.
“Don’t use such words!” Daphne raised her voice, pounding her chest twice with her fist. “I almost fought with Stella because of you!”
Despite receiving favor from the king, harming a royal was a serious offense. So, even though Daphne wanted to punch Romeo’s handsome face since childhood, she had to restrain herself.
Daphne racked her brain for a suitable sport. She felt like she needed to win somehow to ease her frustration.
“Your Highness, how about we remove our rank insignia and duel? I’ll choose the discipline.”
While Daphne contemplated whether to kill, humiliate, or compromise, Romeo sighed heavily, running his hand through his bangs in irritation.
“Daphne.”
Once again, goosebumps crept up Daphne’s forearm.
“Why are you calling me by name? Ugh, I just got chills.”
The shifting shadows on Romeo’s face due to the lights beginning to illuminate in the garden made Daphne wonder if they were dimmed.
“Did I turn them off?”
The memory of Celestian from ‘back then’ surfaced in her mind—the Celestian with half of his face obscured by guilt due to his high nose bridge. She recalled his green eyes flickering in the lamp light.
“Daphne, Daphne, Daphne.”
This cousin of hers never missed an opportunity to irritate her.
“Why are you like this? It’s scary.”
The cool breeze from the forest behind the Marquess’s mansion rustled between them, swaying the violet curtains covering the windows.
“I’ve only been here for two days.”
“Never come back. I can handle Psyche.”
Due to his naive father, Romeo, who was burdened with the regency, was working harder than anyone to maintain friendly relations with neighboring countries.
Daphne, too, played her part to some extent. It wasn’t necessarily for the kingdom and its people, but for herself, considering she had a lot to lose.
“To think my wife rushed in and the first thing she did was kiss me, saying she missed me….”
“If you want to impress her, put money in the account.”
“That was your story.”
“Huh?”
Daphne blinked in confusion.
“If it was gossip, I would’ve been happy to hear it.”
Sighing, Romeo continued to vent his dissatisfaction.
“Damn it, why did I mention you almost cutting off my hair last night while I was sleeping?”
“Why did my name come up while you were sleeping?”
He didn’t respond, instead saying, “Aha, okay.”
Placing herself firmly in her corner of the second floor, Daphne realized Romeo’s visit for a conversation wasn’t solely because of some rebel.
“Oh, right. He can’t possibly be guarding a scoundrel like Celestian.”
Romeo was indeed more hopeless than Psyche if he was going to rely on her. Daphne often forgot that everything revolved around the protagonist, Psyche, in this novel’s world.
“But who am I to judge? She’s much prettier than him.”
Although tempted to mock her gloomy cousin in this moment of vulnerability, she refrained.
Approaching him cautiously, she extended her left middle finger, which she had carefully wrapped in her right hand.
“I’m really sorry. I’ll go kneel right away. Let’s eat this and lighten the mood, okay?”
Romeo nodded silently, responding by pushing the middle finger closer to Daphne’s face.
“Aren’t you going to wipe it?”
“Nah, I won’t.”
Due to Romeo’s shield-like hand, Daphne felt like she was swallowing a big ‘fuck you’.
—
Instead of velvet wallpaper, the ceiling and walls were painted with hues of pink and yellow, resembling the sky done in gouache. Overall, the room was small and low-key, with furniture in warm colors.
It was a quaint bedroom that didn’t match the redhead woman at all. Rather, it felt like a dollhouse enlarged for humans. Each bedroom in the annex had its own distinct concept. Celestian recalled the bedroom where he had lain until yesterday, burning like a nightmare.
Except for the breathtaking view beyond the window, it was full of shortcomings. It was scorching hot when the sun rose, as if it would incinerate people, and freezing cold at night, making them shiver uncontrollably.
Celestian briefly recalled the face he showed while walking confidently alongside the corpses covered in blankets under the lectern.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
Because of the severe facial muscles caused by the relentless torture and the cold air, he couldn’t see who had come to rescue him. It was difficult even to utter a word.
But since Celestian’s bright red hair was unique in the kingdom, he was momentarily tense.
‘Why does this feel unfamiliar?’
As Celestian stewed in his fever, clenching his teeth, the woman gently brushed his cheek with a cool hand, trying to loosen his stiff jaw. She fed him a strange concoction with a taste of odd strawberries, and steadily breathed to cool his sweat, while gazing at her own face for a long time.
“Something feels different.”
When he opened his eyes, the woman, who had brought a chair next to the bed, was casually flipping through documents in a light purple evening dress. The sound of papers being turned over filled the quiet room.
“Prince, are you awake? Are you in a lot of pain?”
Their eyes met, and the cold palm quickly reached for his forehead, with the back of the hand touching his cheek.
Celestian involuntarily brushed Daphne’s hand against his cheek, despite the gesture being more of a concern, she somehow seemed pleased.
“Prince, you must never die.”
Sometimes, she even talked about love, adding ‘really really’ to her words.
At first, Celestian was fooled several times, wondering if it was sincere. But now, he knew it was just mocking him. So he closed his eyes without a response.
Blinking, he found the bedroom empty. It felt painfully empty. Getting up from the bed, which seemed a bit small for his body, Celestian moved to the sofa that was now under the window. Sitting there, he repeatedly swept his hand over the velvet armrest.
Although night had fallen, the surface of the Angel River was bathed in orange light from the street lamps, as Celestian pondered various names.
“Viewcarter.”
The families of Secradion, who ruined Therios. These were the names he once wanted to uproot and destroy. But now, they were just targets of revenge with all the fundamental reasons faded away.
“What could it be?”
As he blinked, the image of the woman with sparkling gold eyes, spreading her arms like a burning star, came to mind.
“I was embraced by Psyche today.”
“Just saying things I can’t understand…”
“Oh, it feels like Psyche’s warmth is still lingering in my arms. Cele, would you like to cuddle?”
He burst into laughter, unable to hold it in. Celestian covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled for a moment.
“Should I pretend to love Denver?”
Celestian hummed softly, taking out the pink silk gloves he had placed in his pocket and placing them on his hand. The gloves were two sizes smaller than his hand and felt fragile.
He had never dared to grab it recklessly, fearing it would wear out like those he had written to Daphne. He didn’t know if he wanted a closer relationship. He was happy just watching from afar.
Setting his own boundaries, he lived reasonably.
“Daphne.”
Reflecting on the fleeting moments, he suddenly felt dizzy. Celestian murmured as he rubbed his temples.
“I don’t know if this is an opportunity or deception…”
In his memories, Daphne clearly hated herself. Yet strangely, his heart didn’t shrink.
“Yes, Daphne.”
A name that would never be fulfilled no matter how many times he called it.
“If that’s what you want, then so be it.”
Since there was still breath, misunderstandings could be cleared up. He was confident in keeping his promise. Now was the time to be satisfied with this extent.
Celestian kissed his lips between the ring finger and the pinky of the soft glove. The cool night breeze, mixed with the scent of the river and grass, gently caressed his silky hair and passed by.
