| 13. Beautiful Every Day I See You

Daphne’s childhood dream was to be the principal dancer of a ballet company. She had plenty of time to dedicate and money to spend. But her talent was quite ambiguous.

After investing a fortune in lessons, she only developed a stubborn persistence, while the desired results became more distant. Her mother, who secretly hoped her easily bored daughter would quickly tire of it, gently persuaded her.

―Daphne, how about taking lessons with the royal family from now on?

After hearing that there would be an engagement ceremony right after her debutante, and that she needed to maintain proper behavior, she became weary.

―I’ll keep dancing until my legs break.

Daphne shouldn’t have said this. On an unlucky day, she was hit by a carriage, and her leg was broken clean off. Losing her dream for the first time, Daphne fell into despair and was briefly admitted to a sanatorium in a distant territory.

At that time, she met a cheeky little girl who thought she could do anything if she had as much money as Daphne.

―What good is money? Without talent, it’s all the same.

Daphne sneered like that but still sponsored her. She hoped the girl would fall into a similar, vague despair that she had felt. It was the unkind intention of young Daphne’s generosity.

But now…….

‘A good omen.’

Today was the solo recital of that girl who had become the kingdom’s representative organist. As she entered the Music House with its clean, pale green marble floors, familiar wealthy individuals passed by, glancing at her.

Daphne stood in front of the central staircase, beneath the large chandelier. She was planning to greet a few guests she had invited as a sponsor before taking her seat.

“Miss Beaucater!”

Just then, a young lady with lush black hair and blue eyes entered the hall and, spotting Daphne, quickly approached.

“It was really difficult to get tickets, thank you so much for inviting me.”

“It’s a return for last time, Miss Algeste.”

Iel Algeste was Daphne’s ballet classmate and university peer. Now, she’s the principal dancer of the continent’s top ballet company.

“I’m glad I can see your face after so long. It takes months to meet you once…….”

“That’s because you’re not staying in the country.”

“It’s all thanks to you. These days, when I look at the newspapers, it’s all about you. I’ve been worried constantly. Was it hard?”

“Was it……?”

Daphne thought for a moment about what could have been difficult.

To prove that her words when she said she missed Daphne weren’t just empty, Iel hugged Daphne’s neck and kept rubbing her cheeks and kissing her.

Then Iel belatedly noticed Celestian who was staring at her blankly. She shyly stepped back and greeted him, slightly lifting the hem of her dress.

She was about to step forward and extend her hand, but Celestian responded with a light bow. Iel smiled lightly and approached Daphne again.

“Still as beautiful as ever. It would be such a waste to let you die.”

Then she lowered her voice and whispered. Daphne also turned her back to Celestian and spoke quietly so that only her friend could hear.

“Instead, there’s another problem.”

“What is it?”

“Every night…… Well, you know what.”

Iel blushed and laughed as if she couldn’t help it, slapping Daphne’s exposed shoulder. Daphne shrank back, pretending it hurt.

“But, Daphne.”

“Yes?”

“The Grand Duke keeps looking at me.”

Iel glanced sideways at the side of Daphne’s face with her blue eyes. Daphne answered nonchalantly.

“It’s because you’re pretty.”

“Not that. He’s almost glaring…….”

“Iel, and Miss Beaucater.”

The person who approached was Iel’s lover. After greeting Daphne, he immediately noticed Celestian. His calm face turned pale.

“Daphne, I have to go.”

“See you next time. Write to me~”

Iel quickly pulled her lover away before he could blurt out something, ascending the stairs. The man following the ballerina, looking flustered, was a former navy officer and a famous faction member of Romeo…… that is, a pure conservative.

“Let’s go now.”

Celestian, relaxing his eyes, meekly hoped to go to the seats. Unable to find a proper place to hold, he timidly grasped the hem of Daphne’s dress.

“Where to?”

However, before climbing the stairs, Daphne’s friends who spotted her immediately ran over and rubbed their cheeks against hers.

Celestian tilted his head with an uncomfortable expression and fiddled with his necktie. Eventually, deciding it wasn’t working, he even started to loosen it.

“Beaucater.”

Daphne turned her gaze. Surprised by Celestian loosening his tie, she nudged him.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s suffocating. It hurts.”

At the mention of pain, Daphne, who had been turning her back all this time, quickly said goodbye to one person. Then she turned her body straight and looked closely at his neck.

“Oh my.”

Indeed, the inside of his neckline was red and inflamed. It seemed the rope wounds hadn’t fully healed yet.

“When we’re in front of people, call me by my name. Lower your waist a bit.”

He bent his waist at Daphne’s gesture. Daphne held her breath for about 2 seconds at the face that came in close without adjusting the distance.

“Okay. Your call.”

Daphne flinched for a moment and then chuckled. She then skillfully tied the necktie’s knot. Celestian closed one eye and raised the corner of his mouth.

“You entrust your breath to me and want to do that?”

“You’ve never properly told me your name. I can’t trust you since you lie every time you open your mouth.”

Hearing that, Daphne raised her golden eyes upwards and pondered for a moment. Come to think of it, she really hadn’t properly told him her name, had she?

‘Even so, you don’t know me?’

If you just went out and picked up any newspaper from the stands, Daphne’s name would surely be written somewhere at least once.

Daphne was about to say something like that but closed her mouth. She just stamped her eyes firmly on Celestian’s round forehead and the mole above his eyebrow.

“Why do they keep hugging you?”

“Because it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other?”

“Do something like a handshake.”

“Hugging is usually how we greet each other. And it’s rude to shake hands without gloves…….”

Celestian held out the hand he had been keeping behind his back all this time. It was a familiar pair of matching gloves. Daphne’s eyes widened as she took them.

“When did you get these? If you had them, why didn’t you give them to me earlier?”

Celestian lowered his gaze. Then he slightly raised one eyebrow.

‘Ah, right.’

Daphne remembered that these gloves were the ones she had traded with a lie.

‘Should I make an excuse?’

But there was no need to say words that would be worse left unsaid. Besides, everything in her hands was hers, so there was no need to create a feeling of loss.

“Thank you.”

Daphne said briefly as she slipped her hands into the gloves.

“They’re mine, so give them back.”

Celestian quietly added.

* * *

As soon as they entered the box seat on the third floor, Daphne loosened Celestian’s necktie. With quick movements, she even unbuttoned one button, revealing that the skin chafed by the collar was red and raised. Daphne furrowed her brow.

“Why?”

Celestian, suddenly having his clothes loosened, opened his eyes a bit wider, surprised.

“If it hurts, you should say so.”

“I did earlier.”

“No, from the beginning……. Never mind. I’ll apply some medicine later.”

Daphne was about to blow on it but stopped. She wondered how entranced she must have been by his face to not even think of looking at his neck.

‘I should have him get a medical examination.’

Daphne straightened her posture and adjusted the focus of her opera glasses.

The hall became noisy. Looking down from in front of the railing, Romeo and Psyche appeared in the first-floor seats, entering and sitting down among the standing audience.

Psyche in a pure white A-line dress, and beside her, Romeo in a brown suit.

Turning around, Celestian was sitting quite arrogantly with his arms crossed and legs crossed.

“Aren’t you going to look?”

“At what?”

“It’s Psyche.”

Celestian, who had been looking down and thinking for a moment, slowly got up and stood beside Daphne. Then he looked intently at the area below where Psyche and Romeo were.

Daphne wanted to examine his face closely, but she gave up, fearing she might fall to the first floor if she leaned in carelessly.

“Celestian.”

“Yes?”

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen her, right?”

Celestian turned his head to look at Daphne. His eyes, like green ponds, sparkled like Christmas trees, perhaps due to the orange lighting in the hall.

‘Should I lend him the opera glasses?’

Daphne fiddled with the black telescope in her hand. But even without offering him the telescope, his vision would already be in black and white.

‘Only Psyche would be shining brilliantly, I guess.’

“I see her every day.”

Celestian’s gaze deepened.

‘Oh my. I suppose he means he thinks about her every day.’

It felt somewhat eerie. Daphne secretly smoothed down the goosebumps on her arm as she replied.

“Is she still pretty even after not seeing her for a while?”

“Yes.”

Celestian was afraid that Psyche might melt at his temperature if he touched her even from a close distance.

‘The author is quite insensitive. If he was such a pure romantic, couldn’t they have allowed him to hold her hand at least once?’

In Celestian’s eyes, Psyche must seem like a very thinly made glass bubble. The iron wall of Psyche that Daphne knows could be said to be made of vibranium!

The hall lights dimmed, suggesting the concert was about to begin. Daphne sat back in her seat, taking a few steps backward. Celestian followed shortly after.

Mildred, a brown-haired, brown-eyed, freckled girl, entered the pin light. She seemed to have grown considerably since Daphne last saw her. Daphne clapped incessantly, blending in with the audience.

The soft yet heavy sound of the organ, filled with air, filled the quiet concert hall. Celestian flinched as soon as the performance began.

“This.”

“What do you mean, ‘this’? That girl is Mildred Serenade. She’s only sixteen now…….”

Daphne whispered the organist’s background in a very low voice. However, the prince didn’t respond. She glanced at him once. The muscles in his jaw were gradually tensing.

‘Is he happy to be in the same space?’

Daphne just closed her mouth and looked at Mildred performing solo under the square light. It was a sacred and instantly captivating melody no matter how many times she heard it. Daphne clasped her hands together and began to listen intently.

“You’re only mean to me. How could you…….”

Celestian spoke stiffly, breaking each word. Daphne, already deeply immersed in the performance, put her index finger to her lips without even turning to look at him.

“Why can’t you remember me, every time?”

Celestian, muttering these puzzling words, closed his eyes. And then he started to groan as if he was enduring something. For the entire two-hour performance.