Vol. 1 - Ch. 40
The Fake Madam DisappearedThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Notes
T/N: I think there’s something else with that tomb… or Daphne could also be faking it 🤔
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
T/N: I think there’s something else with that tomb… or Daphne could also be faking it 🤔
Chapter 40
It was unmistakably Daphne’s voice. It meant that she had said those words.
“This doesn’t make any sense…”
Edmund suddenly realized that Daphne had appeared in his subconscious. In the dark, deep abyss, the presence of Daphne seemed overwhelmingly significant.
Without paying attention to the fact that he was recalling this for the first time, Edmund focused all his attention on the fact that Daphne came in his unconscious state.
In his subconscious, Edmund merely observed Daphne’s figure who approached him first. Then whispered something so sweet that it was almost bitter.
She asked him to hold her.
“…This is insane.” He had to be losing his mind.
Edmund, who had been pacing in his office, eventually headed to the training hall. He knew that if he stayed idle, he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about Daphne. And so, he stayed in the training hall until dawn.
* * *
“…What?”
“His Excellency is calling for you.”
Daphne blinked. She quickly glanced around and lowered her voice.
“He’s awake?”
“Yes, he woke up last night.”
It had been only a week, and yet Edmund had woken up. Daphne knew what Edmund went through each time. Of course, it was the first time he had sought her out like this. She couldn’t believe it, but since the one delivering the message was Benjamin, Daphne didn’t question any further.
Following Benjamin, she arrived at Edmund’s office. The place held only bad memories for her, causing her to hesitate for a moment. Inside the office, Baron and Baroness Nuvelle, along with Johann, were already present.
“Madam.”
Daphne exchanged brief nods with the Baron and Baroness Nuvelle before sitting down with Benjamin. Shortly afterward, the door opened.
“Sorry I’m late.”
It was Damian. Daphne looked at Damian, but he didn’t spare a glance in her direction as he took his seat.
“Everyone’s here.”
Freshly out of the bath, Edmund appeared with water still dripping from his wet hair.
“Let’s get straight to the point. I’ve decided to participate in this year’s hunting competition.”
Hearing this for the first time, Daphne and Damian both turned their attention to Edmund.
“It’s by imperial decree.”
“…That’s rather sudden.”
Whether it was good or bad news, the suddenness remained unchanged.
“It might actually be for the best. Damian, while you’re in the capital, it’s an opportunity to solidify your position as heir.”
The position of heir.
Damian’s expression darkened instantly.
“…Understood.”
“We depart tomorrow, with only a small group. The first group will be led by Benjamin, and the second group by Johann and…”
Edmund continued with his explanation.
— — —
After confirming everything and finalizing the details, one by one, the others left, leaving only Daphne and Edmund.
“…I won’t go to the capital.” With her head down, Daphne stared only at her tightly clenched fists resting on her lap. “I can’t go.”
“Why? Is this related to your attempt to pair Damian with a fiancée while I was gone for a week?”
Daphne turned to face Edmund.
“That’s… not what I intended.”
Daphne averted her gaze from Edmund.
“I’m not feeling well.”
“The Baroness Nuvelle will accompany you, so don’t worry.”
Daphne anxiously bit her lip.
Edmund’s eyes fell on her pale lips. They were neither small nor large, thick nor thin – just ordinary lips – but their cold temperature was what lingered in his memory.
As blood slowly returned to her pale lips, Edmund blinked.
“And… ‘All members of the House of Winter must attend.’ That’s what the Emperor’s letter says.”
Edmund tapped the letter against the table.
“…If I’m unwell, I might not be able to go.”
“Why are you so determined to not go?”
“I just don’t want to go, that’s all.”
Daphne’s voice grew louder.
“You don’t want me to go either, do you?”
“How can I be sure you won’t leave again while I’m away? With your condition.”
Edmund’s gaze fell on Daphne’s flat stomach. Startled, Daphne quickly covered her belly with her hand and bowed her head deeply.
“…I promised. I promised I wouldn’t leave… until the child was born.”
“I can’t trust someone who’s already broken a promise.”
“This time, I’m serious.”
“I don’t think you just don’t want to go. Perhaps…”
At his trailing words, Daphne turned to look at Edmund.
“…It’s related to Lord Sergei, isn’t it?”
Daphne’s lips parted. Seeing Daphne’s dazed expression, Edmund tapped the table lightly.
“You didn’t know?”
“...”
“The assassin who attacked you in the border village – they were sent by your brother.”
* * *
“He’s going to the hunting competition?”
“Yes. Isn’t this the first time? I’ve been here for ten years, and I’ve never seen him participate in the hunting competition.”
“This will be the second time this year that he’s going to the capital. Ugh, I’m so jealous. When will we ever get a chance to step foot in the capital?”
“If we keep working hard and saving up, maybe before we die. Let’s get back to work.”
Only after the maids’ conversation faded did Daphne finally open the door. As she passed through the empty corridor, she glanced out the window and noticed the hustle and bustle of those outside.
“…It’s related to Lord Sergei, isn’t it?”
As she had suspected, it was Sergei who had sent the assassins. Daphne bit her lips out of habit, trying to walk as slowly as possible. But that was a mistake.
“...”
She ended up face-to-face with Damian. The moment their eyes met, both Daphne and Damian froze. Daphne’s gaze landed on the sword at Damian’s waist. It was the same rough sword he always used.
Noticing her gaze, Damian looked down at his waist, his expression unreadable. He probably knew that Daphne had gifted it to him, yet he still used it. That sword, like all the other gifts Daphne had sent, was probably either discarded or buried somewhere.
As Daphne’s body trembled slightly, Damian turned away faster than she could react. Watching Damian’s retreating figure, Daphne slowly followed him down the stairs.
“Ah, Young Master. The carriage for you and the Madam is ready…”
“It’s fine.”
When Daphne finally caught up to him, she saw Damian boarding a supply cart instead of the prepared carriage. The reason was simple: he was avoiding being in the same space as her.
That’s fine. I’m used to it.
Daphne blinked and boarded the carriage. Resting her head against the window, she closed her eyes and focused on the surrounding noises. The sound of loading, voices, the commotion. And then, Edmund’s voice as he rode out on his horse.
“Let’s depart.”
As Edmund’s voice sounded, the carriage began to move.
— — —
“Your Excellency.”
At Benjamin’s call, Edmund looked up. Though the sun hadn’t yet set, the sky was already darkened by ominous clouds.
“It looks like a snowstorm is coming.”
“Any word from the vanguard?”
The vanguard, which had left a few hours ahead, included Baron Nuvelle, Johann, and several Black Knights. If anything had happened, a messenger would have arrived by now.
“They say the snowstorm has already begun in their area.”
Edmund narrowed his eyes at the looming dark clouds. Something didn’t feel right about them. The snowstorm would likely last for more than half a day. However, they had already passed the nearest village, making it too late to turn back.
“We’ll have to take a different route.”
“Is there no other choice?”
With a grave expression, Benjamin nodded.
There were only two roads to the capital: the one they were on now and the one that passed by the tomb of the former Duke and Duchess.
That back road was restricted to outsiders, and after the incident involving Daphne years ago, access had been tightly controlled. If they took that route, it would be the first time in years that anyone had set foot there.
“Should I inform the others?”
“…Everyone except Daphne.”
Benjamin informed the group that they would be changing routes under the guise of taking a break. Fortunately, since Daphne remained in the carriage, they didn’t have to notify her.
“The back road?”
Damian’s expression grew tense upon hearing the news.
Noticing this, Benjamin quickly added, “We haven’t informed the Madam.”
“…That’s a wise choice.”
The carriage resumed moving.
They took a wide turn to avoid drawing attention and began heading down the back road, leaving the ominous clouds behind. The delay cost them some time, and the dark clouds followed close behind. As they neared the path where several bodies had once been buried, the air grew colder, and the horses’ pace slowed.
“Your Excellency.”
Benjamin quickly approached Edmund, who was at the front.
“What’s causing the commotion?”
A faint disturbance could be heard. Benjamin wiped the sweat from his brow.
“It seems the Madam has found out.”
The inevitable had happened.
“Is she causing trouble at the former Duke’s tomb again?”
“No, but… she seems extremely anxious and agitated.”
It was a minor issue. It wasn’t as troublesome as her trying to storm the tomb of the former Duke again.
“She’ll calm down soon enough. Just make sure she doesn’t cause a scene.”
“Yes, understood.”
With Benjamin gone, they quickened the pace. Not long after entering the back road, they heard a sharp scream.
“My Lady!” Someone shouted urgently. “She’s losing too much blood! We need bandages!”
Blood loss.
Edmund immediately dismounted and headed to where the crowd had gathered. There, Daphne lay half-collapsed with a pale face, and Baroness Nuvelle had tightly wrapped Daphne’s arm with a torn piece of cloth.
“What happened?”
“I’m sorry, my Lord. While I looked away for a moment, Madam suddenly broke the window…”
Though the wound wasn’t extensive, it was quite deep, and it took a while for the commotion to settle. The only relief was that Daphne had just fainted from the heavy blood loss. But once she regained consciousness, she might cause an even bigger problem.
“I should have ridden in the carriage with her.”
Watching the scene unfold, Edmund climbed into the carriage where Daphne was.
“Hurry, let’s move.”