22. Your Prince

‘Commit suicide? I paid a fortune for him, who are they to demand his suicide?’

Daphne twitched one eyebrow. Her grip on his wrist tightened. Celestian closely observed her whitening palm.

“A traitor, living and breathing openly! How can this be!”

‘What’s wrong with that.’

“The villainess of Secradion, selling her reputation for love games! Have you no shame!”

‘Do I even have a reputation to sell? And you call ‘villainess’ a reputation?’

It was unbearable to listen to. Daphne deliberately turned her body with a large motion to glare at them. The group happened to be looking this way too. The men hesitated, perhaps startled by Daphne’s cold yellow eyes. Judging by their reluctance to charge forward, they didn’t seem to have any weapons.

She scanned the top of the building where Kisha’s group should be. As if to signal their presence, a reflected light blinked twice. It meant there was no particular threat.

When Daphne neither approached nor took a threatening stance, seemingly ignoring them, the men continued to rant. They went on about taking in a traitor as a lover and engaging in worthless love games.

They even recited the non-existent bedroom affairs between Celestian and Daphne.

“Don’t listen to that. Cover your ears.”

Daphne, feeling awkward, haphazardly put the sunglasses she was holding onto Celestian.

“[Should I do as they say?]”

Celestian nodded and muttered in a language Daphne couldn’t understand. Then he slowly crossed his long legs.

“What language is that? You insulted me, didn’t you? Your tone went up at the end.”

“Teriosan. I told you not to listen.”

He answered promptly.

“I have a good memory. [Should I do as they]… I remembered. If it’s an insult, you’re dead.”

Celestian chuckled and shook his head.

His golden hair looked darker today, perhaps because it was slicked back with oil, and his tight-fitting gray suit made him look like a sports star. Whether intentional or not, Celestian crossed his legs and scrunched his nose once.

“Aaaaaargh!!!”

“Ah, damn it. Why are they like this? When is the old man coming?”

Daphne muttered a small curse and covered her ears. As she glared at them for a long time, the prince’s shoe lightly touched Daphne’s calf.

“Why are you kicking me?”

“Accident.”

Celestian murmured, then reached out to brush Daphne’s calf once.

The people standing in the middle of the square were raising their voices louder and louder. A carriage led by three black stallions clattered around the circular plaza once before disappearing the way it came.

Daphne wanted to disappear quickly. But the driver showed no sign of returning. Glancing at the driver’s seat, she saw the key was still in the ignition.

“Helena Teriosa, how dare a princess of a ruined country try to seduce our King and almost destroy the great hierarchy!!”

A husky voice shouted like a wail.

‘So that’s how it was.’

Daphne inwardly clicked her tongue. She wondered why only the princess was being insulted when they had two children.

But isn’t it a bit rude to insult someone’s mother to their face? Daphne looked at Celestian just in case. He was looking up at Daphne with his usual calm face.

‘Aren’t men usually not okay with their mothers being insulted?’

When their eyes met, he slightly raised one corner of his mouth. Daphne couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Beaucater, I’m not that small.”

Celestian raised his hand in front of Daphne’s stomach. It meant that even standing like this, he wasn’t fully hidden, so he was asking her to move aside.

‘Besides, the princess left behind such a beautiful son, didn’t she? This is patriotism.’

Daphne put her index finger on Celestian’s lips.

“Shh.”

Celestian took off the sunglasses, neatly folded them, and placed them on his knee. The frowning prince cleared his throat a couple of times.

“Beaucater.”

“Let’s just go inside and wait somewhere. There’s a café right behind us, you know?”

Daphne held out her hand as if to say ‘take it’. When Celestian raised his hand to grab it, Daphne said “Ah” and put her hands behind her back. His right eyebrow raised.

“I apologize for pretending to be close, Your Highness. I’ve been rude to someone so lowly who doesn’t even know my noble name.”

Celestian clenched his fist once before standing up. As a result, Daphne had to look up at him for quite a while.

‘I told you not to look down on me.’

Daphne felt her neck craning and narrowed the space between her eyebrows. At the same time, she took a step back.

“Well then, ‘Your Highness’, don’t you want to formally introduce yourself to me?”

Celestian said arrogantly.

“Oh my, what an unworldly prince. Have you ever thought about buying and reading a newspaper?”

Daphne retorted, not backing down.

“As you say, I’m just a stupid blond with nothing to my name.”

Hearing the words she used to joke about in front of her room staff come out of his mouth momentarily dazed her.

“Right?”

For a moment, Daphne was about to tell him that was why she liked him, but she bit her lip.

“That’s not about you, it’s about princes in novels.”

“But I am your prince, aren’t I?”

Celestian smiled brightly. Daphne lightly clenched her fist and hit his shoulder. At the same time, he let out an “Ugh” and hunched his shoulders.

“Don’t exaggerate.”

“It really hurts.”

* * *

They sat side by side at a long rectangular wooden table, looking out the window. Daphne ordered a peach tart sprinkled with gold dust.

The café, decorated in brown tones, was very spacious with a mezzanine structure. Closest to where they sat, two long swords were crossed in an X shape and hung on the wall, and jazz flowed from a gramophone. People dressed in black sat in pairs facing each other at the square tables lined up in a row.

Daphne rested her chin on her hand and looked around at the people. They all had long black umbrellas leaning against the corners of their tables, dressed in gloomy attire.

‘Is it going to rain?’

However, Narid, who usually prepared clothes to match the weather, hadn’t said anything. Outside the window, beyond the buildings, the sky was cloudless and deep blue. There was a brief static sound before a new song started playing.

“Oh. I like this song.”

Her worries dissipated as a favorite song began to play. She tapped her shoe in a wave-like motion to the singer’s voice blending with the saxophone. Then she scooped up a spoonful of tart and held it out to Celestian’s mouth, pretending to be friendly. He blinked his green eyes slowly again. He seemed to be gauging what she was up to.

“Ah, do it.”

When Daphne mimicked opening her mouth, he followed suit. After popping it in, she smiled with satisfaction. A clicking sound was heard from somewhere.

Thinking she might have misheard, she pulled her chair closer to Celestian, and the shutter sound was heard again.

‘Even reporters are here.’

Daphne looked towards the source of the sound. A lady sitting in the open-air section pushed her fedora down further, then quickly got up and disappeared. And she noticed a black carriage similar to the one she had seen earlier passing by leisurely.

‘Black carriage…’

Daphne tilted her head and looked at the prince sitting next to her. Their eyes met because he had been looking at her. She was momentarily flustered but quickly composed her expression.

“Celestian Teriosa.”

His gentle expression turned sulky at Daphne’s cold call.

‘Why is he making that face?’

“What is it, Beaucater.”

His pronunciation was more resolute than usual.

“Isn’t this a bit strange?”

“Me?”

He raised his hand to touch his cheek. His small face was briefly covered by his large hand before reappearing. When his light green eyes looked at her again, Daphne opened her eyes wide and then shook her head as if to say no.

“This place is really popular, you know. Especially in the evening, with couples.”

Daphne felt a sense of déjà vu after saying those words.

Right next to the capital station, a famous café with a nice evening atmosphere.

Normally, the square should have been bustling with people. However, as if by agreement, people had disappeared, and the driver had left his post without saying a word to his employer.

“You’re right. Indeed.”

Daphne muttered to herself. Celestian’s green eyes briefly glanced towards where the other people were sitting.

Perhaps this was unnecessary overthinking.

But based on past experiences, this situation could be summed up in two words.

‘We’re screwed.’

Daphne tried her best to stay calm.

‘No, that can’t be. If something was wrong, Kisha would have signaled me. Am I really overthinking this?’

Even as she thought this, she felt an uncontrollable tension.

She felt her hands becoming seriously cold. She immediately grasped Celestian’s wrist and stood up.

“Cele, let’s go.”

When Daphne stood up, all eyes focused on them. They were wearing masks. Her breath caught in her throat.

A black carriage, elaborately decorated with silver foil, appeared once again. This time, it was charging straight towards them. The coachman removed the clutch connecting the horses and jumped off.

Daphne thought she should avoid it, but her body, remembering the situation, stood there stupidly. She felt Celestian’s hand pulling her arm, but Daphne was just in a daze.

It’s similar to that time a few years ago. The carriage had no horses or coachman, and only the carriage compartment was rushing at full speed. The whole situation seemed to be in slow motion.

—Daphne, please snap out of it. I…

Someone started calling her name. Very desperately at that.

—Daphne.

The increasingly loud jazz music consumed Daphne’s hearing like water.

“Daphne!”

Celestian called Daphne in a desperate voice, but she couldn’t move an inch. Daphne closed her eyes, consciously trying to ignore the entire situation.

‘Why does this feel familiar?’

Both him calling her name and the feeling that everything was about to end seemed familiar, as if she had experienced it somewhere before.

A comfortable embrace enveloped her. With a loud shattering sound, the café window was broken through.