38. Because I Don’t Have You
Β Daphne pressed her lips into a tight line. She wanted to burst into the groom’s waiting room right now, grab her cousin’s ankle, and dunk him in the sea.
But could Daphne win against that navy-trained bulk? And on the sea at that!
‘No.’
Daphne dropped the note to the floor and stood on her tiptoes to pull the dress from the hanger.
The only thing she had done to displease him enough to torment her like this was hanging around with Celestian.
‘He said he wouldn’t report it, but seems like he did everything.’
The image of the navy man with a face like a Moai statue flashed through her mind.
‘Yes, I should admit what needs to be admitted.’
That she must be the only crazy woman who keeps her future wife’s archenemy as a public dating partner and brings him to the wedding.
“It’s mourning clothes.”
βPsyche. I’m serious. If you say you’re marrying Romeo, I’ll definitely show up in mourning clothes and cause a scene.
Back then, it had made the gossip columns as the lines of a jealousy-blinded villainess, but it was Daphne’s sincere heart wanting to separate Psyche from that crazy bastard.
Daphne laughed dryly as she tore off the mesh veil and threw it aside.
‘Who else but Romeo would prepare something like this.’
Since childhood, her cousin had been desperate to make Daphne cry.
The reason being, ‘It’s interesting, isn’t it?’ Whenever Romeo did that, Daphne would just sigh pitifully and go about her business.
When they entered puberty, the intensity of his harassment increased. Things like trying to set her hair on fire saying it was like a fuse, or intercepting and reading aloud letters from nobles who had crushes on Daphne, or humiliating them until they ran away.
Well, things were quite peaceful for a while after Daphne’s accident.
‘How long is this going to continue? When will you really grow up?’
Daphne rubbed her twitching lips. She flung open the bathroom door again with a bang. The green eyes that leisurely turned to look at her didn’t seem particularly surprised.
“Why aren’t you surprised?”
“Because I know only you are out there.”
Daphne glanced briefly at the man’s top and bottom clothes strewn beside the bathtub before standing in front of the sink. The smeared mascara hadn’t completely washed off.
“Celestian.”
“Yes?”
He looked up at Daphne. She grabbed her hair that had fallen over her collarbone in two parts, swaying it as she asked.
“Would it look bad if I went out like this?”
Celestian looked at Daphne intently.
“……Why?”
Then he tilted his head as if genuinely confused. His green eyes seemed to speak only truth, but Daphne wanted a slightly different reaction.
“Because my hair isn’t tied up.”
“Does it need to be tied up?”
“There’s probably a party going on by now. I’ll be the only one with nothing done to their hair.”
“Why does that…”
Because of Celestian’s still confused face, she decided to refrain from such questions from now on if possible.
“Never mind. I’ll just go out and ask someone……”
She was waving her hand, thinking of asking just anyone to braid it for her, whenβ
“Should I tie it for you?”
“Huh?”
“If it’s simple, I know how.”
Celestian pressed his large hands together and made braiding motions, wiggling his fingers.
As if it were some kind of magic, Daphne immediately handed him the comb. Then she grabbed two hair ties and sat down with her back to the bathtub.
The floor was wet, but it didn’t matter since she would change clothes anyway.
‘Into that damn black dress.’
Celestian shook his hands dry and took hold of Daphne’s hair. The sound of water splashing came from behind as he seemed to raise his upper body and turn this way. Daphne squeezed her eyes shut, trying to suppress her rising curiosity.
He combed through Daphne’s hair quite tenderly. Like he wanted to cherish every strand of the red hair that reached down to her lower back.
“Cele, do you have children?”
“Children?”
The voice coming from extremely close, right behind her head, was too gentle. Daphne kept calling on gods she only knew by name.
“I’m asking if you’re a dad.”
The large hand that was slightly damp and warm brushed past her nape and ears at regular intervals before pulling away.
‘Wow.’
Daphne belatedly regretted that her choice had been very wrong.
Every time he stroked her hair with his warm hands, she felt like she would turn into seaweed. With each small movement, the sound of water moving accompanied it.
“I…… don’t have you, Daphne.”
Celestian’s voice was slightly muffled by the splashing sounds and couldn’t be heard properly.
‘Why does the word wife sound so sweet when he says it?’
Daphne was simply happy even though she had misheard.
“So how could I have children?”
As the tangled hair seemed mostly sorted, he started braiding the hair divided into two parts from the back of her head. Goosebumps rose on her scalp and nape.
“Do you do Anne’s hair?”
“Yes. The tomboy miss.”
“Not Pippi?”
“……Who is Pippi?”
“She’s a girl similar to Anne with red hair and charming freckles, but a bit more eccentric.”1T/N: I think this refers to Pippi Longstocking
A brief silence lingered.
Thinking he might not have heard because he was concentrating on braiding, Daphne was about to move her lips again whenβ
“You are a bit scary, and, um, a bit… eccentric, it’s true.”
“Hey.”
“But Diana suits you better.”
Celestian murmured kindly with a slightly airy voice.
‘Ah, am I going crazy?’
Daphne’s skull rang like a bird that had hit its head on the Emillee Bell2aka Bell of King Seongdeok/Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok the Great; itβs a large bronze bell, the largest extant bell in Korea with a dongβ. Really, it was nothing special but her head was in such an uproar!
“……My name is Daphne.”
When she realized that several classic novels were connected in here along with red-haired Anne, Daphne doesn’t know how much effort she put into not getting freckles on her nose bridge.
“Are you finally allowing me to use your name?”
“You’ve been using it as you please already.”
Diana would have been an object of admiration that girls with similar temperaments to Daphne, the ‘Anne’ type free spirits, would have wanted to become at least once.
It was fortunate that he wasn’t facing her.
‘You pervert. Control yourself.’
Daphne scolded herself. Even without looking in a mirror, her face must have been completely red.
“Yes, Daphne.”
When Daphne tried to turn around, Celestian clicked his tongue and fixed her head forward.
Daphne brought the braided hair forward and fiddled with it. It wasn’t just braided, but woven in a complex pattern. His handiwork wasn’t bad.
‘I want to ask when he learned this too.’
He placed the completed opposite side braid over Daphne’s shoulder as well. Daphne stroked the protruding parts of the braided hair with her fingertips.
“Your hair got a bit wet.”
Celestian tapped Daphne’s stray hair at the back with his index finger.
“It’s fine. This much wetness will dry quickly.”
Daphne pretended to be cold as she stood up and quickly left the bathroom without looking back.Β
Β * * *
Β She put on the black dress and laid the neatly braided red hair over it. The current Daphne looked like a young noble miss.
‘I’ll just make something up.’
The black shirt and suit pants were buried at the bottom of the wardrobe. Daphne neatly folded them and placed them in front of the bathroom, declaring that she absolutely would not help him dress.
‘Go straight left to the deck. There’s no point trying to run on a ship anyway.’
After firmly planting this warning, Daphne left the cabin first.
Leaving the hotel section, she came out to the A deck promenade. Many nobles showing off their accessories were visible.
“Romeo, where is that bastard.”
Unlike Daphne who walked while fuming, everyone passing by had flushed faces.
They leaned against the white iron railings where the breeze gently blew, sharing stories about this ship’s grandeur and tonight’s banquet.
The white-glowing sun was still high, and the sea breeze was refreshing.
The emerald sea that the ship’s hull cut through created a spray like a snowstorm, shattering into pieces… and with the sea breeze blowing appropriately, it was a moment when everything looked gentle.
Butβ¦
“Why is everyone wearing black?”
Unlike her expectation that everyone would be wearing blue tones according to the dress code, and thus Daphne alone would stand outβ¦
Everyone was wearing achromatic colors.
Unlike the prominently sparkling accessories, black suits, black dresses, black shirts with black skirts.
‘Did the order of ceremony change?’
Although Daphne had arranged the guest list and dress code, she couldn’t participate in the overall order of ceremony. That was entirely the royal family’s domain.
“Ah, so that child……”
The lily that Celestian would have suddenly came to mind.
She wanted to curse Romeo for not giving any hints about this, but it was probably because of those oh-so-noble royals who were planting dandelion seeds instead of hair on their heads.
Even at the port there were more people wearing blue clothes, so everyone must have changed after coming aboard.
“Miss Beaucater, your dress is modest today. It suits you well.”
“Thank you.”
As expected, there were many familiar faces in this area. Daphne had to hug and receive cheek kisses from one lady every five steps.
Sitting at a cafe table in front of the third floor railing overlooking the stern deck, Daphne tried to gauge where Secradion Palace would be.
She tightened both sides of the ribbons that Celestian had tied himself, making sure her hair wouldn’t come loose in the wind.
Just then, someone came up behind her and trapped her in their arms while grabbing the table.
‘What the.’
Daphne spun around and raised her fist to hit the pervert’s face.
“Didi.”
The man caught Daphne’s wrist as it came right up to his face. As expected, a pair of golden eyes were smiling down at her.
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