Tamed or Captured

Asha had told her to come to the Imperial Palace at any time if she was threatened by her family.

Nia had tears in her eyes as Vanessa guessed her troubles and asked her what was wrong.

“I came because I have something to ask you, Lady Vanessa. It’s an impudent request, but… I want to become your lady-in-waiting.”

Asha’s eyes widened. 

Nia was the least likely candidate among the noble ladies present to become Vanessa’s lady-in-waiting.

She looked like a woman who would never become Vanessa’s lady-in-waiting unless she tried to hurt her and take her place.

Until monsters attack the tea party.

But if she had come first to become a lady-in-waiting, something must have happened later.

Asha calmly looked at Nia’s face to read her intentions, but Nia spoke first.

“……It’s true that I came to seek Lady Vanessa’s protection. I thought it was the only way to fulfill my family’s expectations while keeping myself safe.”

Asha was silent for a moment, then asked seriously.

“Did the count order you to become my lady-in-waiting, or is it your own will?”

At the sharp question, Nia looked embarrassed and avoided eye contact.

Warm and mysterious, but with a strong will and a strong feeling of purple eyes were staring at her.

Looking into those honest eyes, Nia couldn’t bring herself to lie.

“It was my father’s order, but it was also my own will. He invested several years in me, but I couldn’t become a butterfly, so he told me to at least become a spy for the family.”

Asha was taken aback by her confession, but what came next was even more unexpected.

“But I didn’t come here to harm Lady Vanessa. On the contrary, I want to help. I will become your spy.”

“Are you serious.…?”

“Yes. I have decided not to live according to my father’s will anymore. I made this decision from the moment you saved my life.”

Nia had always followed her father’s orders like a loyal follower since she was very young, without ever thinking of rebelling.

If he told her to go hungry, she went hungry, and if he told her to do something that noble ladies didn’t have to do, she obediently did it like a doll. 

Kiam Delphinium had always whispered to her like brainwashing.

‘All you have to do is endure this. For a butterfly to hatch from a cocoon, it must face even greater trials than this. Every butterfly in history has gone through these trials and become Empress. If you want great power, you need great effort and sacrifice. If you suffer for 20 years, you can reap more than twice as much happiness in the future. So are you giving up now?’

As Nia cried with a burn on her hand, Kiam struck the ground with his whip and yelled fiercely.

‘Stop crying right now! You can’t be in pain and act foolish like this! You should never show your weak side to others. Your suffering will disappear the moment you become a butterfly. So just endure it until then. For the glory of our family!’

Nia reminisced about the past and said bitterly.

“When I first heard the news that Lady Vanessa had appeared, I felt like the sky was falling. All my efforts and struggles that no one had ever recognized were ultimately useless, and I thought my life was over.”

Nia closed her eyes tightly and continued.

“But after meeting you in person the other day, I realized that everything about my father’s education and what he said to me was wrong. Butterflies are never passive beings… In the end, I was just a wildflower grown inside of a greenhouse.”

When Asha shot the arrows to kill the monsters, Nia was really shocked.

Nia had never fought for someone else’s precious life before.

She had never even thought of opposing her father.

She had only thought of opposing Vanessa, whom she thought had taken her place.

However, Vanessa fought against the monsters, not against her.

She saved those who despised and harassed her….

Nia stared at the attack scene and ran away later than the other ladies, and was in danger of being killed by a monster.

At that moment, Nia felt as if a beam of light was pouring down in front of her as she watched an arrow fly next to her with the golden wind.

And she was certain.

After enduring numerous hardships, Nia finally realized that she was not meant to be a butterfly from the beginning, as true butterflies are beings that choose to suffer and fight alone for others.

When the real butterfly, Vanessa, reached out to her first and touched the wounds she had kept hidden inside, the emotions she had been holding back burst out in a single moment.

It was like a flower that had been blooming alone in a cave with no light had finally met a golden butterfly flying in the sky for the first time.

She wanted to lean on Vanessa, to dedicate herself to her, who had discovered and saved her life.

She had sincerely fallen in love with the butterfly. With a pleading look, Nia turned to Asha.

“Please allow me to be by your side. I told my father that I would act as a spy, but I want to be your hands and feet. I’ll find out all the rumors and political issues going around in the aristocracy for you. If our family tries to commit treason, I will report it directly to you without hesitation. When I realized that I was not a butterfly and my family abandoned me, I also abandoned my family. Please allow me to offer my allegiance to Lady Vanessa and His Majesty.”

Nia finished speaking and knelt in front of Asha as if to make an oath.

Asha was surprised by the unexpected show of support.

Every time she made a decision and took action, something new happened that she had never experienced before.

As if a flower was blooming where the butterfly had flapped its wings, everything was slowly changing.

Asha then kneeled in front of her, placing a gentle hand on Nia’s shoulder as she spoke.

“You told me earlier that you were just a wildflower grown in a greenhouse….”

Nia looked up, and Asha smiled softly.

“But that’s not true, Lady Nia. Flowers grown in a greenhouse do not grow painfully or fail to grow.”

Her words shook Nia, causing her eyes to tremble with emotion.

“Nia, you are still a caterpillar and haven’t emerged as a butterfly yet. I hope that you can break through your father’s strong shell and fly freely in the sky. Please take care of yourself from now on, Nia.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Nia couldn’t believe that she would be accepted and tears welled up in her eyes. 

With kindness and gentle eyes, Asha wiped away her tears.

Nia tightly held Asha’s hand and cried, her voice trembling.

“Can I really become a butterfly too…? Can I also choose to live my remaining life freely?”

“Yes, you will. You will definitely become one.”

Asha patted Nia’s back with a sympathetic gaze.

Vanessa’s shoulders, which seemed infinitely fragile to Nia, were broader and more comfortable than anyone else’s.

For a long time, Nia leaned against Asha’s shoulders and poured out hot tears.

* * * * *

Asha visited the temple to resolve Nia’s issue and investigate the appearance of the monsters. 

She thought that as a priest who communicates with the gods, Dart might know something about this phenomenon.

When she arrived at the temple, she saw the priests moving around busily.

She stopped a passing priest and asked him what was happening.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, we are preparing to pray together to God Etzheim now.”

“A prayer?”

“Yes. We are planning to offer a worship service because monsters had appeared in the empire.”

Asha’s expression darkened. As expected, the priests seemed to know about this phenomenon.

“Can I join you in the service?”

“Sure. If Lady Vanessa is with us, maybe God will listen to our prayers.”

Asha followed the priest to the chapel where numerous priests had already gathered, including Dart, who was assisting the High Priest in front.

Asha sat quietly at the back of the chapel to avoid disturbing anyone.

The priests lit candles and knelt in front of the statue of the god, offering solemn prayers. Asha also bowed her head and joined her hands together in prayer.

Later, the priests began to chant a hymn in a low voice, but suddenly a clear, beautiful male voice broke through their chanting. The beautiful voice made Asha open her eyes.

She was amazed to hear the voice and looked up to see Dart at the center of the priests, eyes closed and singing along with a pure voice. 

Dart’s voice was so beautiful that it felt like her heart was melting on its own.

Perhaps because he was carrying the spirit of the flower, he exuded an extreme beauty that was a bit different from Karaf’s. 

Maybe he also had the power to captivate people.

After a short break, Asha cautiously approached him.

He was watering the flowers even during his break.

His pure white hair was beautifully dyed under the setting sun, and his long, slightly drooping eyelashes looked innocent. 

When he spotted Asha, he got up and greeted her.

“Lady Vanessa.”

Asha greeted him politely, and Dart looked at her with a worried expression before speaking.

“I heard that the monsters attacked you at the Duchess of Lilac’s tea party.”

“Yes. That’s why I came to ask you if you know anything about this phenomenon.”

Dart’s face darkened at those words.

“……Actually, this time I received an oracle. It happened while I was praying, so it still feels like a dream, but I still feel like I heard the voice of God Etzheim.”

Asha’s eyes widened, and she asked anxiously.

“If it’s him, did God Etzheim say something?”

“Yes…… But since it’s related to His Majesty the Emperor, I don’t know if I dare to say it.”

When Dart hesitated, Asha spoke calmly.

“It’s okay, so please tell me. Actually, I’ve had a conversation with God Etzheim before.”

Dart’s eyes widened slightly.

“Lady Vanessa…… Did you receive an oracle?”