Chapter 21
As she took in a deep breath, a fresh floral scent filled her lungs.
It wasn’t the cold that had once felt like it would tear her apart.
“Mmm….”
Daphne slowly opened her eyes.
The room was warm and gentle, completely different from the damp and filthy basement she had been in before.
A small candle flickered on the bedside table, casting a soft glow around the room.
Thanks to the dim light, she could make out her surroundings little by little.
She wiggled her fingers first, then tried to sit up.
“Ugh….”
Her whole body ached as if it had been frozen stiff. Every muscle was sore, but as she moved, the pain became slightly more bearable.
“Ah…”
Her voice was weak and hoarse. The first thing she did was grab the glass of water on the nightstand and drink it all in one go.
“Where am I? And how much time has passed…?”
She muttered to herself as she slipped her feet into the soft slippers beside the bed.
She needed to move and figure out what was going on.
As soon as she stood up, dizziness washed over her.
She let out a small groan, pressing a hand to her forehead.
After a moment, the lightheadedness faded.
The mansion was completely silent—it must have been very late at night.
Daphne welcomed the stillness.
She wanted to enjoy this brief moment of peace.
Slowly, she walked toward the window and pulled back the curtains.
“We’ve arrived in Anaxi.”
Outside, the moonlight illuminated a beautiful garden.
Lush green trees and colorful flowers were arranged in perfect harmony, creating an elegant yet orderly scene.
And in the middle of it, a lone figure stood.
“The Duke…”
His pink hair fluttered in the breeze.
It looked like he was taking a walk.
That meant he wouldn’t be going to sleep anytime soon.
Daphne had expected to see him in the morning, but now was her chance to ask what had happened after she lost consciousness.
She grabbed a shawl from the table, draped it over her shoulders, and quietly left the room.
She got lost a little while wandering through the mansion, but eventually, she made it outside to the garden.
Scanning the area, she soon spotted the Duke.
Theophanes was leaning slightly forward, examining the flowers in the garden.
Watching him, she suddenly recalled a dream she had while trapped in the Marquis’s basement.
A man, covered in blood, had been sitting on the ground.
He had the same face as Theophanes, but his expression had been completely different.
It was a name she had never heard before, yet she found herself whispering it.
“Ber…”
The moment the name left her lips, the Duke flinched violently and spun around.
He was always calm, always smiling—though there was an underlying sense of boredom beneath it.
But now, his face had completely changed.
The man who never showed surprise was now staring at her, wide-eyed, his lips slightly parted.
His reaction shocked Daphne more than she had expected.
“…What did you just say?”
It took Theophanes a moment before he finally spoke.
His reaction was too strong—something was off.
“When I was locked in the basement, I had a strange dream,” she explained as she slowly approached him.
“There were two people in it….”
The moment she said that his body tensed again.
“One of them looked exactly like you. No—he was you.”
“…And the other person…?”
“Yes. The other person called the man who looked like you ‘Ber.’”
Theophanes’ expression grew even more unsettled.
“I don’t understand… No, more importantly, how do you…?”
His words came out scattered and confused.
“Take a deep breath and speak slowly,” Daphne urged, reaching out to take his hand.
Smack!
A sharp sound echoed as pain flared in her hand.
A heavy silence followed.
“Ah….”
Daphne let out a small sound of pain, realizing what had just happened.
Theophanes’ face hardened.
“…I’m sorry. Are you alright?”
His expression was conflicted and unreadable.
“You have quite a strong hand.”
It wasn’t just strong—if the hit had landed differently, she might have broken a bone.
She tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
“You should put some medicine on that.”
His brows furrowed as he carefully took her hand and examined it.
Though he barely applied any pressure, his touch was unexpectedly gentle.
“I only came to talk.”
“…We can talk in the morning.”
Daphne was disappointed that their night stroll had ended so quickly, but she let him lead her back inside.
The look on his face was too serious to ignore.
The mansion was silent as their footsteps echoed in the halls.
Eventually, Theophanes stopped in front of a door, opened it, and walked in.
The room was neat and bright, giving off a cozy atmosphere.
“Where are we?” Daphne asked as she glanced around.
While she was distracted, she suddenly found herself sitting on the bed.
She turned and saw Theophanes opening a drawer in the nightstand.
“This is my bedroom.”
Daphne tensed for a moment before reminding herself—they were technically married.
Even if it was just on paper.
He took something from the drawer and closed it.
“But, my dear wife.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you go back to calling me ‘Duke’?”
“Ah….”
Daphne sighed softly.
“I guess I’m just not used to it. If I don’t think about it, I slip back into old habits.”
“You should get used to it quickly. If we had gotten married without any feelings involved, I wouldn’t mind. But right now, we are supposed to be madly in love, aren’t we?”
“…That’s true.”
No one calls their lover by their title, after all.
“Even now, for example.”
“…I’ll work on it.”
The cool touch of ointment spread over her hand, making her flinch slightly.
“It might sting a little.”
As he carefully applied the medicine, Daphne watched him quietly before speaking.
“Then… can I call you Theo?”
His hand paused for a moment.
“‘Duke’ is too long to say all the time.”
Hearing the unexpected nickname, Theophanes chuckled.
“Alright. I like that better.”
“You can keep calling me the same as before.”
Daphne adjusted her shawl and stood up.
“Then I will. Also, you’ve been unconscious for three days. How are you feeling?”
“…What?”
“It’s been three days.”
“That long…?”
“You were more injured than I expected. Do you want me to call the doctor?”
“No, I’ll see them tomorrow.”
“You should have them check your hand too.”
Gently, Theophanes ran his fingers over her still-reddened skin.
“It doesn’t seem broken, though.”
“…Just in case.”
“Alright. Sleep well.”
Daphne nodded and left the room.
Theophanes watched the door for a moment before reaching for his cigar case out of habit.
But before he could grab it, a knock sounded at the door.
He stood up and opened it.
It had to be either Daphne or Dante.
As expected, Daphne was standing there.
“…Sorry for bothering you when you were about to sleep.”
“It’s fine. What is it?”
She hesitated for a moment, looking embarrassed.
“…I don’t know where my room is.”
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