Episode 65. D-day 60(5)

I stared in surprise at the person standing before me.

‘Daniel!’

His name came to mind immediately, but the next emotion that followed was despair.

‘Why does he look so gaunt?’

When I first met Daniel, he was a handsome man with a clean and studious image. He wasn’t as flashy or intense as Percy, but he had a quiet, enduring beauty like an orchid on a mountainside.

But the man standing before me now was so emaciated that it was hard to believe he was the same person.

‘What on earth happened? Was his father’s death that shocking?’

But it couldn’t be just that; the dark circles under his eyes were too pronounced. He looked like he hadn’t slept for days.

As I hesitated, unable to speak or retreat, Daniel stared at me with hollow eyes and called my name.

“Sienna.”

When I flinched and seemed about to step back, Daniel reached out to me, speaking incoherently.

“I… we…”

I responded in a cold voice.

“Step back. We’re not in a position to have such a friendly meeting anymore.”

“A hallucination?”

Daniel’s response was odd. He continued to stare at me as if he were in a trance and sighed.

“I’m not a hallucination, am I?”

I was just as confused by his words.

‘Does he see hallucinations of me?’

That thought sent chills down my spine.

I clenched my fists tightly. I felt like I might say something unnecessary if I didn’t keep my composure.

Daniel, who had been hesitating, smiled brightly and asked,

“Did you come to see me?”

Why would he ask such a thing when we were no longer engaged? I drew a clear line with a cold voice.

“I came to attend Count Bohan’s funeral.”

“You didn’t come to see my deceased father.”

“You know that’s a strange logic, don’t you?”

“That’s…”

He seemed mentally unstable. I took a step back and said,

“You seem very troubled, so I won’t press you further. Please go inside.”

“Just a little longer.”

But he grabbed my wrist.

“Please stay a little longer.”

I wanted to shake him off immediately, but I held back out of lingering sympathy for him.

As I stood there in silence, the discomfort became unbearable. I cautiously opened my mouth.

“I met Miss Beth here earlier.”

What exactly was his relationship with Beth now? One of the main reasons I attended the funeral was to figure that out.

Despite mentioning Beth’s name, Daniel didn’t react. I tried to probe further.

“It seemed like a maid was suspicious of her.”

“So what?”

“Pardon?”

Daniel’s indifference was startling. He continued,

“Does it matter what a maid thinks? What are you trying to imply?”

I blinked, unsure how to respond to his unexpectedly harsh tone. The Daniel I remembered had always been composed and gentle, so his current state was almost unrecognizable.

“Are you implying that Beth is involved in something suspicious? She would never do such a thing.”

His fervent defense of Beth made my stomach churn. The relationship between them was evidently deeper than I had anticipated. Trying to gather my thoughts, I asked,

“Are you and Beth…”

But before I could finish my question, he interrupted.

“Beth is innocent. She has nothing to do with this. And neither do you. Please, just leave it alone.”

His eyes, once warm and inviting, were now cold and filled with desperation. I took a deep breath and nodded, realizing that pushing further might do more harm than good.

“Alright, Daniel. But if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

Without another word, I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there with a haunted look on his face.

I stared in disbelief at Daniel, who seemed completely unconcerned about the fact that Beth was being suspected of murdering his father.

“How can you ask what’s the matter when your father’s suspected killer is being questioned?”

Daniel’s response was clear and unwavering, which was strange given how incoherent he had been moments earlier.

“I need Beth. When everything seemed lost, she was the only one who gave me strength.”

His sudden clarity when it came to Beth was suspicious.

‘So, Beth is suspicious after all?’

It seemed related to the maid’s sudden apology and departure earlier. However, there was no way to prove anything here and now. I shook off Daniel’s hand and turned away.

“Alright then. Go inside.”

“Princess Sienna.”

Why won’t he let go? His persistent grip was starting to annoy me, and I responded coldly.

“You have Beth. So why are you holding onto my wrist?”

“That’s…”

It was clear Daniel didn’t even know what he was doing. I pried his hand off and gave him a piece of my mind, which was unlike me.

“If you’ve decided to cherish someone, then don’t do pointless things. It only brings misery to everyone.”

“That’s not it.”

Confusion spread across Daniel’s face as if he had woken up from a trance.

“I just… I don’t understand. Why has Beth become so important to me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I have no particular feelings for her, but when I’m with her, it feels like she’s the only one who cares about me.”

Daniel seemed to be speaking out of confusion, but to me, it sounded different.

‘Could this be the protagonist’s buff?’

Not only does everyone believe her words when she cries, but can she also manipulate emotions? If true, it could cause me significant trouble in the future.

Daniel spoke to me as if seeking help.

“Sienna, I…”

“If you’re confused, keeping your distance might help.”

If Beth isn’t around, her influence won’t sway him. I thought my advice was reasonable, but to Daniel, it must have sounded harsh.

“Do I no longer matter to you?”

“I’ve already answered that question.”

His repeated whimpering was getting on my nerves, and I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

“Let’s stop this conversation.”

“Sienna!”

At that moment, a thin voice interrupted us.

“Daniel?”

It was Beth, who had gone into the cathedral earlier.

“Daniel, are you here?”

‘Beth!’

I tensed and clenched my fists. As Beth approached, Daniel’s grip on my hand loosened. Ignoring me, Beth gently tidied Daniel’s hair and spoke softly.

“Daniel, I’ve been looking for you.”

It was as if I didn’t exist.

Then, as if surprised, Beth opened her pretty eyes wide and hurriedly bowed.

“Oh, Your Highness.”

Her greeting was lovable, befitting a kind yet naïve protagonist, but to me, it all seemed like an act. I responded coldly.

“I don’t know who you are, but you seem to know about me.”

“Well, that’s…”

Predictably, Beth covered her mouth and made a hurt expression at my snide remark.

‘She looked pretty when I played the game, but seeing her in person is oddly infuriating.’

In the game, we were villainess and protagonist, but now we were walking different paths. To emphasize this, I added in a haughty tone,

“But you don’t seem to know me well. You don’t need to call me ‘Your Highness.’ You should call me the Duchess of Stewart. The wedding is just around the corner.”

In the game, it was a love triangle involving Daniel, but now I had no interest in him at all.

Beth stiffened in apparent shock, while Daniel’s expression turned serious as he asked,

“Is that true?”

Does he care about me or not? He should make up his mind. I crossed my arms and thought nonchalantly.

Then, suddenly, Beth burst into tears.

‘You wicked woman!’

The worst thing for Sienna was Beth’s tears. Sensing my discomfort, Beth cried even harder, as if gaining momentum.

“I’m sorry. I’m not very informed about such things because of my lowly status.”

“Beth.”

Daniel comforted her gently.

“It’s not your fault.”

“But I upset the princess. It is my fault.”

‘There we go again.’

I hadn’t done anything, but I somehow ended up as the villain. It was truly frustrating.

‘Just like earlier, when she started crying, people accepted her story without question, and Daniel suddenly became kind to her.’

Was this really her personality, or was she exploiting the situation? As I watched in confusion, I noticed Beth’s lips.

‘Is she… smiling?’

She seemed to be forcing tears. A headache started to throb.

‘Maybe I misunderstood the protagonist.’

I didn’t know for sure.

But it was clear she wasn’t the angelic protagonist I had seen in the game.

* * *

After Beth and Daniel left together, I felt strangely drained and walked wearily back to the garden where I had parted ways with Percy.

It seemed he had been looking for me, as his disheveled hair indicated. He called out to me.

“Sienna!”

“Percy.”

“Where did you go? I’ve been looking for you.”

I had been unbearably anxious a moment ago, but seeing Percy made me smile again. I couldn’t help but grin like a puppy.

“I met my brother Julius.”

Percy sighed but gently straightened my hair as he replied.

“I heard about it. They said you took him away because he started crying.”

Apparently, many people had seen Julius cry before I took him away. I shrugged.

“Well, I’ve earned myself another infamous reputation.”

“I heard from your followers that you’re the real power behind the throne, even scolding the crown prince.”

“Don’t listen to them. They’ll always defend me no matter what I do.”

Percy finished fixing my hair and frowned.

“Today, I saw something that really bothered me.”

“Oh, what a coincidence. I saw something disturbing too.”

“You’re not one to miss such things. You might guess how I feel.”

Percy tilted his head and spoke.

“Miss Beth from Count Bohan’s household seems suspicious.”