55. Tearful Unrequited Love

 Daphne’s red hair fluttered softly in the gentle breeze.

She firmly gripped Romeo’s wrist as if it were a lifeline, and using her flexibility, bent back as far as possible against the railing.

“Romeo Rodriguez, would you be curious if you were me? Can’t you let me go?”

“Should I really let go?”

“Ah, no! No! No! Brother! Please! Amen!”

Daphne raised her voice loudly for the first time in a long while. Her voice turned metallic from panic. If he let go, she could fall into the sea immediately.

She rolled her eyes around seeking help, but it was useless.

Daphne glanced down at the sea. Fortunately, there seemed to be devices like propellers directly below, so the crocodiles weren’t close.

But it was high enough that her whole body could shatter upon hitting the surface.

‘I have a fear of heights!’

Daphne closed her eyes tightly and blurted out anything.

She recited one by one the memos Celestian had brought about returning the gold, silver, and land plots Romeo had put up as bachelor party stakes, and giving anything else if desired.

She spilled everything except about the Jella Shoe Workshop voucher, but Romeo looked displeased.

“Why again!”

“Jella.”

“I’ll give it, I’ll give it! Of course I should give it to you!”

Daphne nodded her head vigorously while tightly gripping his hand again. Daphne gently opened her tightly closed eyes and looked at Romeo. He was looking elsewhere.

“Hey!”

“Ah, you’ve come.”

Before Daphne could look in that direction, Romeo muttered and pulled his arm. The cold wind suddenly stopped, and Daphne’s body floated up.

The feeling of being safe came before the warning of death. A warm, sturdy arm was supporting her back.

“Cele.”

Celestian embraced Daphne’s waist with strong force and lifted her up easily.

Like someone who had caught glass just before it fell, he was breathing heavily.

After briefly checking Daphne, Celestian quickly lowered her until her feet touched the ground. Daphne stood supported, her trembling arms wrapped around his shoulders.

Celestian’s face showed no expression when she looked up at it. His chest, which had been rising and falling rapidly, gradually regained stability.

“You, who’s supposed to be the nation’s Crown Prince, who’s about to become king!”

“We used to play like this often in the old days, right? For old times’ sake.”

Romeo showed his palm as if he was sincere. Celestian just glared at him.

“Lighten up, brother. I said it was a joke.”

Celestian, who had been silent, removed Daphne’s arms wrapped around his body.

‘Huh?’

It would have been literally just an action to break away momentarily, but a small weight settled in Daphne’s heart. Celestian walked briskly to where Romeo stood, showing his back to Daphne.

“Daphne says it’s not fun.”

Celestian punched Romeo’s shoulder with his fist.

Though quite a loud and dull sound was heard, Romeo only frowned once. He looked down at where he was hit, then brushed it off with the back of his hand while smiling.

“Always plotting treason.”

Romeo whined uncharacteristically.

Celestian put his index finger to his lips like he’s telling Romeo to be quiet. Watching this situation from behind, Daphne muttered through clenched teeth.

“Cele, hit him one more time. I’ll take full responsibility.”

Romeo, who had been smiling broadly, said ‘That would be regicide.’ He walked over and stopped as he passed by Daphne’s side.

“Be grateful, Didi.”

“What should I be grateful for……”

“Like you said, we’re humans who shouldn’t think.”

Romeo muttered while tapping Daphne’s forehead with his index finger, then leisurely walked toward the deck.

“That bastard, I really need to kill him. Celestian. Let me go.”

“I wasn’t holding you in the first place.”

Celestian responded in a gentle voice. That voice made her blood boil even more.

Unable to find a way to express it, Daphne pulled at her own hair once and slumped down on the bench. Her ankle cramped.

“It stings, it hurts……”

She blinked several times as her eyes stung from exposure to the salty wind. A few tears streamed down. Celestian folded his long legs and crouched in front of her. He soon held out a handkerchief and bent down to look at Daphne.

“Are you crying?”

“No.”

It was Celestian’s kind voice, no different from usual. Daphne blinked several times to shake off her tears. When her vision cleared, Celestian’s beautiful features came into sharp focus.

Daphne cleared her throat once. She was about to put her hand on Celestian’s cheek but slightly clenched her fist instead. He didn’t seem to be hurt anywhere.

“You, where were you? You weren’t in some prison or something, right?”

“Prison?”

Celestian looked puzzled, then slowly shook his head.

“That bastard’s room.”

“That bastard? Celestian, no matter what, Romeo is the Crown Prince. Can you just call him ‘that bastard’?”

“You called him that first.”

When Daphne went “ah” and nodded, Celestian smiled brightly.

—…He’s handsome. That unpredictable bastard.

Why would her godfather’s complaints about him suddenly come to mind at this timing?

‘No. Everything my godfather said was right.’

Daphne couldn’t understand this man’s heart at all, now that he had returned to her. She consciously rolled her toes in circles to loosen her stiff ankle.

‘I’ve been thinking all day but still!’

Daphne had been confident she knew everything about the person called Celestian Teriosa.

However, that was merely an illusion Daphne had created, and it all crumbled leaving complete doubt and guilt behind.

‘Right, this man likes Psyche. That’s possible too. It’s not like I didn’t know.’

“Daphne.”

Daphne finally looked into Celestian’s green eyes. And realized she hadn’t been looking at his eyes until now.

“Why did you change clothes?”

“Something got on them.”

Looking at Celestian properly again, he was wearing a blue informal suit. Even gloves that seemed to fit his hands just right. On his chest were an amber brooch and elaborate jeweled decorations trailing down.

‘That’s a prince’s attire.’

Daphne felt his shoulder with her palm. Even the fabric texture was similar to her dress. Though being a men’s suit, it didn’t have gradients, just a plain blue vest.

Nevertheless, it was perfect attire for looking like a couple.

‘That Craziguez.’

Romeo always tormented Daphne by driving her to the brink, but would then soothe her heart with simple gifts. She seemed to have stuck out her tongue thinking that this is how one gets a beauty like Psyche after growing up.

So Daphne just had to be happy with the given gift as usual, putting aside all thinking.

‘But I’m not very pleased right now.’

It was because Daphne, who was terrible at deduction, hadn’t finished organizing her thoughts.

‘I hate this feeling too.’

She took a deep breath. And decided to ask him what she was curious about right away.

“Celestian, why did you come back?”

Celestian flinched.

“You didn’t have to come here. Even if you just disappeared, I wouldn’t have looked for you. I would have just felt sorry instead.”

“For what?”

His green eyes widened.

“For ruining all your plans.”

“Do you know what my plans were.”

Celestian propped his chin and looked up at her. At the same time, Daphne’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t particularly want to speak about those stories of tearful unrequited love entangled with treason.

“Let’s start from the beginning. I feel like I’m the only strange one here.”

“Daphne, none of my plans have gone wrong yet.”

“What?”

“It’s smooth sailing, like this ship.”

Celestian smiled brightly. Daphne became even more confused instead. He was different from this morning when he had been irritable like his whole body was covered in thorns.

“You seem like a different person from this morning.”

“Hmm, that’s……”

His green pupils looked down, then sparkled the moment they looked up at Daphne.

“Because I cleared out something that was bothering me.”

He muttered, seemingly relieved, then gently placed his palm on the back of Daphne’s white Mary Jane shoe and pulled. Because it came off quickly, Daphne tried to hide her leg under her dress skirt in surprise, but was stopped by his hand.

“Does it hurt?”

“Are you crazy? Let go.”

“To think I only realized it now.”

Celestian pushed out his lower lip. Then without another word, he massaged Daphne’s stiff ankle. The subtle rubbing between bone and stiff muscle naturally came with pain. Daphne let out a shallow groan.

“Celestian, you’re not crazy.”

And quickly corrected her words. Celestian tilted his head.

“Does it seem that way?”

“Everyone’s like that. They might repeat even while knowing how the story will end.”

“Right. You were always the type to get hit for not being able to control your greed and making others angry.”

“Ah, so you’re hitting me with facts now.”

This time Daphne pushed out her lower lip sulkily. Celestian placed Daphne’s foot on his thigh and continued moving his hands.

‘This feels familiar.’

There seemed to have definitely been times like this when living in Serenade. The boy who had earnestly massaged her ankle overlapped with Celestian. Daphne’s eyes narrowed once again.

“Daphne.”

“What now.”

Bang!

Red light burst behind Daphne’s back, followed by a thunderous sound. At the same time, Celestian pulled her into an embrace. Because Celestian had been crouching, they both tumbled down in a funny position.

Bang!

“Ah!”

They both made popping sounds at the same time as their foreheads collided hard.

Daphne irritably rubbed her bangs until they became messy. Celestian must have been quite hurt too as he was frowning.

‘Wow, he’s handsome again.’

Daphne had to hold her breath for a moment. She cleared her throat and asked casually.

“Does it hurt?”

Celestian’s hands were firmly holding Daphne’s arms. Daphne started giggling.

“Yes.”

“Right. Because this isn’t a dream.”

Daphne lightly hit Celestian’s cheek with the back of her hand, then quickly stood up and held out her hand to him. He took that thin hand without hesitation and raised his body. 

 In the narrowed distance between them, Daphne hesitantly stepped back one step. Then she nonchalantly tucked her hair behind her ear and looked toward the railing. 

 Bang! 

 Daphne’s shoulders slightly hunched at the loud noise. It seemed the fireworks had started on the deck. 

 “Wow, these Secradion fireworks. What gunpowder do they use to sound like bombs going off?” 

 Countless fireworks endlessly filled the sky where the sun had fully set. Daphne’s hair fluttered gently again in the wind.

Celestian stared intently at Daphne’s face as she turned to look at him. The redness under his eyes suggested she was feeling emotional about something. 

 “Why, are you feeling emotional because your unrequited love got married? Want a hug?”

“…Yes.” 

 ‘How cute.’

Daphne’s mouth twitched as she opened her arms. And as if he had been waiting, Celestian immediately embraced her shoulders and waist. 

 “Daphne.”

“What?” 

 Celestian’s arms gradually tightened. Daphne soon tapped his back three times while gasping for breath as if asking to be saved.

“Cele, I can’t, can’t breathe.” 

 But Celestian only loosened his arms slightly and pretended not to hear. Her hair rippled like a red aurora in the wind, catching the light of the bursting fireworks.

“Help, I’m being crushed to death……”

Daphne’s face, muttering playfully, was just as red.