60. Because the Weather is Nice

 Misha swallowed dryly. Daphne remained expressionless.

“I will correct myself.”

Daphne, who had been so cold that it was impossible to gauge what she was thinking, soon relaxed her expression. She let out a shallow sigh and nodded at his words.

“No. You’re right.”

“……”

“It’s fun to watch such a handsome man suffering while pining after an unreachable, unattainable love, because it’s entertaining to watch. That’s why I saved him from the start. Not because I actually like the man himself.”

Though Daphne had just been muttering about liking him, it could be blamed on the atmosphere.

“Because the weather is too nice~ I almost got confused.”

Daphne recalled Celestian trying to protect her on the ‘Page-René.’

His stable and warm embrace when he had held her tight, even though Daphne had been the one who said she would hug him on the ship.

‘Celestian being favorable towards me……’

The Daphne from her previous life and current Daphne were different people. The current Psyche cared deeply for Daphne.

‘Celestian still likes Psyche, that’s why he’s being favorable towards me?’

That premise was strangely confusing, but trying to think of other reasons would only make things more difficult.

—Every night I wonder. Why did you save me?

And regardless of the inside story, didn’t Celestian think that Daphne had saved him?

‘Romeo wasn’t this cold to women who liked him either. He tended to properly return favors when he received help.’

Above all, if she had died on that ship, the ‘Kingdom’s Wrath’ that Daphne had been blocking with her whole body would obviously have turned towards Celestian again.

‘Still.’

Daphne looked out the window.

Celestian’s fine golden hair swayed gently with his movements.

His smile that curved upward, as if amused by Kisha who couldn’t keep up with his movements, was even beautiful!

When such a wonderful man acts as if he cherishes her so much, is it even possible not to develop feelings?

‘I’m normal. Being attracted to such an incredibly cool man is completely normal.’

But feelings like liking someone who won’t like you back……

“Ah, damn.”

It was similar to a math problem that couldn’t be solved alone even if the answer key was right next to you.

Not knowing how to sort out these feelings, Daphne irritably brushed up her bangs. Misha, who had been watching Daphne’s mood carefully with pursed lips, quickly disappeared saying he would go prepare dinner.

She wasn’t the type to indulge in unnecessary luxuries.

Instead, when she wanted something, she had to obtain it by any means necessary. But even for things obtained with such difficulty, her possessiveness didn’t last long.

As Psyche had said, Daphne easily grew tired of faded things. She always liked new things.

“But it’s okay because he’s by my side right now.”

Daphne muttered like a self-affirmation. 

 ***

 The glass conservatory connected to the main building of the Beaucater mansion by a single path. A dinner party was in full swing in the place that had been lit up after a long time.

Following her mother’s dress code, Daphne wore a stuffy silk dress that covered all skin from shoulders to arms. Of course, she wore one with a plunging neckline as a silent protest.

“Mom.”

“Daphne~”

Amber seemed pleasantly tipsy. Perhaps because she was facing Amber after her long vacation, Daphne felt strangely unfamiliar with her own mother.

‘Not a single noble here. All members of the royal family.’

Daphne wrinkled her nose while looking around the conservatory. To reluctantly invite people to such an obviously scrutinizing party…

She couldn’t avoid coming since they knew she was home.

“My daughter is pretty even after not seeing you for so long.”

“Ahaha. You must be drunk.”

Her mother cupped Daphne’s cheeks preciously while pursing her lower lip as if cooing at a baby. Daphne could only give an embarrassed eye-smile while gently lowering her hands.

Amber wore a cool summer evening dress that Daphne usually wore. The other royals were all similar.

“It’s Lady Green.”

“Daphne!”

Amber’s Royal Club members sitting inside elegantly waved their gloved hands. Daphne approached them quickly while internally heaving a deep sigh.

“It’s been a while. I greet the Duchess of Endawin, Duchess of Windfall, and Lady Elta.”

One of them took Daphne’s hand and fiddled with it. With very gentle smiles spread across their faces, they each began to offer their pleasantries.

“How are things going with Grand Duke Teriosa these days? Why didn’t you bring him?”

“How could I bring a man to a ladies-only party?”

“Elta, that one isn’t a man. He’s tasty venison that our dear Daphne bought.”

‘Barbarians. When did they ever see me to call me ‘our dear Daphne’?’

Just as she was thinking how desperate for food they must be to eat deer—

“Daphne.”

“Yes?”

“You know a traitor’s child cannot come into this world, right? You must use contraception.”

Daphne opened her eyes wide, wondering if she had misheard for a moment.

“Yes. We don’t want to see Beaucater’s value decrease because you couldn’t keep your body in check. You might even get a bullet in your belly if you’re not careful. Daphne, this is advice that you need to think and act carefully.”

These people were only refined in their voice and tone. Their words were so vulgar that Daphne wanted to disinfect herself from head to toe with the whiskey in front of her.

“As always, I act properly. Mother seems to be calling me, so I’ll be going now.”

Daphne said this, lifted her dress hem in greeting, and tried to turn back towards Amber. She didn’t care if the royal women talked about her behind her back.

The collateral royal women were similar in age to Amber. However, they had lived their lives in different directions from her.

House Green had to keep increasing money to maintain their reputation as a queen’s family. Amber had frantically used any means necessary to increase wealth and riches since she was fifteen.

Meanwhile, the collateral royals…

‘They’re just humans whose only life achievement is adding their surname to the royal family. So damn pathetic.’

“Where are you going? Come sit here.”

However, Amber was cruelly standing behind Daphne already. Face to face with her mother, Daphne unconsciously made a disgusted expression.

“Green, why did you only have one daughter? You should have had several to continue the prestige of being royal in-laws. Daphne keeps crossing the line.”

“Haha. One daughter like Daphne is enough. If I had another, managing them would have been more troublesome.”

“Ah, I suppose so. Especially if they deviated like this.”

Daphne perched her bottom barely on the very edge of the sofa next to Amber. Daphne smiled faintly, lowering only her golden eyes and tried her best to think of amusing thoughts.

‘Celestian’s unbuttoned shirt front, that man’s crying face, angry face……’

Thanks to this, the royals’ strange stories bounced off using Celestian as a shield.

Of course, that only lasted briefly.

“Daph, no matter how I think about it, the cards you hold are useless. No matter how I think about it, sleeping with a traitor cannot be forgiven.”

Daphne’s ears always perked up at such talk. Her pride was subtly hurt too.

‘Still on about that? And we’re not even sleeping together?’

Daphne smiled a rotten smile.

Her lips itched to tell them that the treasures Celestian had obtained from the last gambling were worth enough to feed an average family for five more years.

And it’s not just that! The money he won while staying at the nameless hotel was 4 billion rion, right?

There were probably many among these royals in name only who didn’t even have that much money. But even if they got that money, they would enjoy the luxury of a few dresses and then live like beggars again.

‘Royal blood really saved you all.’

Royals don’t pay taxes. They get almost half of what they paid back, and use that for more luxury. It’s a vicious cycle, but being royal means they can draw unlimited loans, and receive preferential treatment even when traveling abroad.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. I heard the Prince of Agentar was fine until he got off that ship. He wasn’t someone who would suddenly become depressed about life.”

From what Daphne heard it was a carriage accident, but apparently rumors here said it was suicide. Daphne replied lightly.

“Accidents don’t happen in predictable situations either.”

Daphne wanted to tell them they were ‘paranoid,’ but she just endured it. Because it wasn’t just Amber here.

“It doesn’t make sense that they couldn’t even find the body of the man who was about to get married. Daphne, aren’t you sad?”

“I don’t know why you’re worried, but I never met His Highness even once.”

“Not even on the ship?”

Amber asked. Daphne shrugged and nodded.

“Still, Amber. These days I can’t sleep well at night. I worry every night that heaven’s anger might affect Daphne.”

“Lady Elta, since he and I have absolutely no connection, how about getting a prescription for sleeping pills and trying to sleep in a warm place?”

Daphne replied with a cute smile. Elta clicked her tongue.

“Daphne, you always give disappointing answers even when people worry about you.”

Daphne just smiled and brought her gloved hand to her lips. It was because she almost blurted out ‘f*ck’ at that moment.

“Maybe you should discard that card, daughter. How did I raise you?”

“Oh my!”

When the words ‘how did I raise you’ came from Amber’s red lips, Daphne could no longer endure and jumped up from her seat.

“Mom, elders, it’s time for my eagerly awaited gossip magazine delivery. May I go first?”

If she just ran out now, Amber would surely get criticized about how she educated her daughter’s manners. When mom gets in such a situation, how could a daughter leave her behind? No matter how much of an enemy she might be.

“And I have something to tell you, Mom. Could you spare me a moment?”

Daphne didn’t even wait for the other royals’ response as she pulled Amber up and came out to the pond behind the conservatory. She turned around and looked down at her mother who was a hand span shorter than her.

“Amber Green. Mom! What exactly are you plotting? Why did you invite those people? Why are you making a show of force by calling me to a place like this again?”

“I wanted to clearly show you reality. That the royal elders still treat you like waste.”

“No, what do they have to do with me! I won’t get involved with them!”

“Daphne, they’re elders. Even if they don’t listen, maintain your manners.”

She had heard such words over and over since childhood. Daphne rolled her eyes once but replied carelessly with a ‘yes, yes.’

“When will you discard that man? It’s already been over two months. Daphne, this is taking unusually long for you.”

“I’m not tired of him yet. His face isn’t one I’m tired of yet.”

Daphne wore a momentarily gloomy expression.

‘And I haven’t done ‘that thing’ everyone’s worried about. I’ve only kissed his cheek.’

Amber looked quite disappointed too.

“Still, you need to cut him off. You’ve always listened to everything your mother said.”

“Mom, goodness. I didn’t listen well, you made me listen. That’s hugely different, why don’t you understand?”

“Then should I make you listen this time too, for my daughter to hear my words?”

Mother’s usually sharp voice was unusually gentle today. Daphne instinctively sensed that this wouldn’t be good. The reflected light from the ripples created fish scales on Amber’s face.

“You ask why I invited the royal elders. You’re my daughter who will raise ‘Beaucater’ and ‘Green’ to the royal family once again.”

Daphne almost screamed ‘please let me go’ for a moment. Amber’s cold hand touched Daphne’s cheek again.

“Even though you’re not asking because you don’t know, daughter. Making Mom sad……”

Daphne deeply furrowed her brow. She took a big step back to distance herself from Amber.