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T/N: To be fair, Daphne really didn’t do anything to fight back these kinds of people all these years, so it was easier for others to belittle her as they see fit. I hope she gets more backbone from here on 🙏
E/N: Yeahh I'm hoping for some good character development. I'd love to see Daphne become strong mentally and stand up to these people.
Chapter 38
Edward toned down his excitement and thought carefully.
This was a perfect opportunity to not only take down Duke Winter, who had long been a thorn in his side, but also to restore his own tarnished reputation.
“Good. But what if Duke Winter doesn’t lose control?”
“I have everything planned. Just trust me.”
The Emperor smiled in satisfaction, seeing Sergei so well-prepared.
Clink, clatter. The sound came from the dancer beside the Emperor, who had dropped her cup. Her face had gone pale, her hands trembling—she had overheard everything. Edward clicked his tongue softly.
“I will take my leave now.”
“Very well.”
Sergei turned to leave. Just before the door closed, a sharp scream echoed through the hall.
‘Still as twisted as ever.’
Instead of sending people away, the Emperor kept them close, making them hear everything before killing them—a habit that hadn’t changed for years.
As Sergei clicked his tongue and tidied his cloak, a woman passed by him, headed toward what would soon be a bloodstained scene. Her steps were light, and her voice carried a flirtatious tone. Despite having clearly witnessed the scene, she showed no sign of surprise.
Sergei realized she was the Emperor’s newly favored concubine, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
‘She looks familiar.’
Furrowing his brows, Sergei stared at her bright brown hair as she disappeared before turning to leave.
* * *
It was cold. With a shallow breath, Daphne curled into herself and her body began to tremble.
At last, she woke from a deep sleep, meeting a pair of gleaming eyes in the darkness. It was Edmund.
Once again, Edmund had come to her room. Unlike yesterday, he now hid in the shadows, silently watching her. Pulling the blanket aside, Daphne rose from the bed.
“…Edmund.”
“...”
“You can hear me, right?”
Barefoot, Daphne walked across the freezing floor toward the shadow where Edmund stood. His eyes became clearer in the darkness. It was only natural that she was reminded of Damian, who resembled him so closely.
“You have someone to replace me, haven’t you?”
She shouldn’t have tried to hold onto Damian or made excuses. He would leave eventually, and what good would it do to clear up their misunderstandings? To Damian, she would always remain a selfish person. It wouldn't even matter in the end.
Human greed is endless, and mistakes are repeated.
Daphne inflicted another wound on her already battered heart.
‘Do I even deserve this?’ She mocked herself inwardly, but couldn’t stop.
“Hold me.” Daphne took a step into the darkness. “It’s too cold and lonely here.”
‘That was all. There was no other reason.’
“Just hold me, so I don’t have to think about anything.”
As arms wrapped around her waist, Daphne closed her eyes.
— — —
The faint sunlight began to filter in.
Daphne blinked absentmindedly, her body heavy and sluggish like a water-soaked sponge as she slowly sat up. The room was cold, likely because the magic stones had lost their power. Daphne approached the table, taking out the faded stones.
When she opened the drawer, there were only dead magic stones, with no usable ones left.
“Sigh…”
Daphne eventually returned to her bed and drank from the water on the table. Her thirst was much worse than she had expected, and she didn’t stop drinking until the jug was completely empty.
Kneeling on her bed, she stared blankly out the window. The sun had just begun to rise, painting a beautiful and serene scene. Daphne made a decision.
‘I have to leave… soon.’
‘As soon as possible. The sooner, the better.’
For that to happen, Damian needed to secure his position. And the fastest way was through an engagement.
Though Edmund had refused, Daphne couldn’t bring herself to wait patiently for years.
The timing was perfect.
Edmund was in no position to object, and from what she knew of Damian, he wouldn’t turn down the engagement.
Already fully awake, Daphne walked to the table. She opened the drawer, taking out a quill and paper. But she paused when she saw the cheap quality of the paper—something no noble would use. After shoving the paper back into the drawer, Daphne quickly dressed and left the room.
— — —
“…Rejected?”
“Yes.”
“Are we short on paper?”
The Chamberlain frowned. It was unpleasant enough to see the Madam’s face so early in the morning, and now she was asking for magic stones and paper?
“We’re not short, but there’s no harm in being frugal.”
What the steward handed her was the same cheap paper that Daphne had always used—something commoners would use.
“You are the Lady of the house. You should set an example for the servants, shouldn’t you? Besides, it’s not as if you have anything important to do.”
Daphne looked at the Chamberlain in silence. He brazenly lifted his chin, knowing full well that there was nothing she could do about it.
“What’s all this commotion?”
“Y-Young Lord Damian.”
The Chamberlain quickly bowed as Damian appeared out of nowhere.
“What brings you here?”
“My father asked me to retrieve a document from his office. Do you have the key?”
“The key is with the butler.”
“I see.”
Without sparing Daphne a single glance, Damian disappeared.
“I understand your position,” Daphne said quietly before heading back to her room without another word.
Damian focused on the faint sound of footsteps moving away as he left.
‘Hah.’
He hadn’t expected to see Daphne again so soon after what happened yesterday. Her pale face suddenly came to mind.
‘I told her to rest, so what is she doing wandering around?’
If she had stayed locked in her room as she used to, they wouldn’t have crossed paths like this.
After retrieving the key from Benjamin, Damian entered Edmund’s office. Just as he found the document he was looking for, his eyes fell on something hastily scribbled.
‘…Mother?’
Damian immediately recognized Daphne’s handwriting.
There was no reason for her to be in Edmund’s office. Puzzled, Damian reached for the paper.
— — —
A few days ago, Johann’s morning routine had a new addition.
‘Again today…’
It was to check the lock on Edmund’s room.
Johann picked up the shattered pieces of the lock that had been smashed to the ground.
It wasn’t broken with aura – just brute force. A powerful aura was swirling just beyond the door, creating an uneasy feeling and dizziness for anyone who got too close. No one else dared to come near, so it was obvious who had done this – Edmund.
But the strange thing was that the protective barrier remained intact. There were no signs of conflict with Edmund’s aura.
Johann stared at the firmly closed door, then took out a new lock to replace the broken one. Edmund could maintain his sanity, but it was always best to be prepared.
‘I’ll have to contact the Archmage again.’
The situation had taken a different turn, and Johann’s anxiety had reached its peak.
The Archmage was the last surviving hero from a time long past, an enigmatic figure who had stopped aging long ago. More importantly, he was the only one who could stop Edmund’s rampages.
For Johann, the latter fact was of far greater importance. For reasons unknown, the Archmage would occasionally help in exchange for small amounts of Edmund’s aura sealed within magic stones.
“Johann, there you are.”
One of Johann’s subordinates approached, saying they had been looking for him.
Despite the fact that Edmund had processed multiple times the usual amount of paperwork over the past month, Johann’s workload had piled up again within just a few days of downtime. There was no time to waste.
“Let’s go.”
Just as Johann was about to head to the office, an unfamiliar sound caught his attention. He paused, moving to the window. His eyes widened in surprise.
“What in the world…?”
An uninvited guest had just entered through the front gate. Johann immediately sought out Benjamin, who quickly found the truth.
“They say they were invited by the Lady.”
“The Lady…?”
Johann was utterly confused. But as soon as he heard that the guest was the Young Lady of the Sovel Marquisate, he realized Daphne’s intentions. Johann went to find her.
“…My Lady.”
Sitting in the drawing room, Daphne showed no surprise at his appearance.
“What are you doing?”
“Preparing to welcome a guest. Why?”
“You….”
Johann bit back the words that almost escaped him. No matter what, she was still the Lady. He had to show respect.
“You do realize how dangerous this is, don’t you?”
“Edmund asked me to.”
Johann blinked at the unexpected name.
“If you have a problem, take it up with him.”
Johann opened his mouth to protest, but there was no way Edmund had asked her to do this. Still, without proof, he couldn’t stop her. He needed to verify this with Edmund, but right now, there was no way to reach him.
“Leave. The Young Lady will be here soon.”
In the end, Johann left the drawing room. It wasn’t long before Young Lady Sovel entered. Unsure of how to handle the situation, Johann removed his glasses and sighed.
“Johann?”
At that moment, someone appeared.
* * *
“I believe this is our first meeting.”
Lady Sovel, the only daughter of the Sovel Marquisate, was a picture of charm. Her green hair and light brown eyes were especially striking.
‘Am I doing the right thing?’
Writing that invitation on such shabby parchment had been an impulsive move. She didn’t regret it, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t anxious.
“I didn’t expect a reply in just half a day.”
“An invitation from the Winter family? Waiting would only be a disadvantage for me.”
Rachel set down the teacup she had been holding. Daphne understood what that meant.
“Shall we get straight to the point? I know why you invited only me.”
Rachel was as bold as one would expect from someone raised with love and care at her age.
“You’ve chosen me to be the Young Lord’s fiancée, haven’t you?”
Instead of a clear answer, Daphne remained silent.
“To be honest, I was surprised when I received your invitation. My father told me you’re in a rather neglected position, isn’t that right?”
Rachel, who had never faced any real hardship herself, spoke brightly, finding nothing odd about disregarding Daphne.