Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Return of the Sun
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Under a clear blue sky and a scorching sun, soldiers marched in like a swarm of ants. The people cheered wildly at the return of the black-clad army. Here comes Lu-Ravda!
The border skirmishes with Asala, which had dragged on for about a hundred years across three generations, finally came to an end after three years, thanks to Crown Prince Asherad.
A young man of twenty-three. The emperor's son, who had shown no particular promise in warfare, had now firmly etched his image into people's minds with the merits he earned in this war alone.
Amid the cheering crowds, Daphne wore a cold smile.
She knew she needed to flee quickly, yet she couldn't understand why she was standing there.
Hiding among the fools who didn't even know why the soldiers were returning in black attire, Daphne gazed at the man at the forefront.
Lu-Ravda, the god of sun and war.
As his army racked up victory after victory, the people had come to call him that.
Even daring to compare him to a god, his appearance held no shortcomings.
His glossy black hair, revealed as he removed his helmet, fluttered lightly with the motion of his horse.
His sharp nose, visible even from afar, was statuesque, and his hawk-like pale green eyes gazed down indifferently at the people, occasionally with an arrogance bordering on boredom.
Clad in massive full plate armor, he looked as though he'd rushed back. The gleaming armor bore ominous bloodstains.
His already large frame appeared even more imposing in the armor. Yet the people seemed to thrill at the sight all the more.
Unlike his sun-embodying appearance, a cloak emblazoned with the Pheneios Empire's emblem fluttered at his back.
The passing of Emperor Belenus.
But with this new sun returning steadfastly before them, they felt no grief over losing the empire's sun, no fear of the precarious situation ahead.
Even the knights and soldiers marching in triumph brimmed with pride, without a trace of solemnity. The people welcomed Lu-Ravda—Asherad—who had gone from crown prince to the new emperor.
Daphne stared at him as if entranced. His eyes, hardened by slaughter on the battlefield, had deepened, and the lines of his face had grown sharper.
The man who once exuded elegance now stood at the vanguard like a war god, resolute.
There had been a time when seeing him like this brought her joy. But now, that sight filled her with loathing.
She had seen his face. That was enough. Time was running out. As she turned to leave, she had the illusion that her eyes met those of the man waving to the crowd.
But when she looked at Asherad again, he was facing forward, waving to his supporters.
Her pounding heart settled back to a calm rhythm. She was disguised as a man right now. With her hair covered by a hat, there was no way he could recognize her.
Truth be told, there was no need to rush this desperately. Asherad would be overwhelmed dealing with the aftermath of the late emperor's death and ascending the throne.
What reason would he have to chase after someone like her, who was merely a plaything? She knew her place all too well.
Either way, she had to leave the capital by the end of the day. She calmly checked her belongings and mounted her horse.
She was leaving the capital where she had lived her whole life. Leaving the place where she had lived with her mother. She hadn't even been able to visit the grave before hastily setting off. A pang of bitterness hit her as she mounted, but she gripped the reins tight and spurred the horse onward.
* * *
She rode on for quite some time. The sun, high in the sky, had set, and night had fallen before she knew it.
Having left the capital, Daphne's heart grew urgent again. She needed to find a place to stay soon. The area near the capital wasn't unsafe, but bandits and wild beasts could still claim her life.
Especially for a twenty-one-year-old young woman—she'd make fine prey for bandits.
Wretched as this life was, she had no desire to become bandit fodder or to die.
Only after the moon rose high did Daphne arrive at the outskirts city closest to the capital.
Her body was exhausted. She entered the largest inn in the area, paid for a room, and took it. The innkeeper eyed her suspiciously, furrowing his brow and scanning her up and down, but she figured it was because she'd paid in gold.
Entering the room, a sigh escaped Daphne's lips.
True to her request for a good room, it wasn't bad at all. The walls, bathed in moonlight, gleamed greenish, the bedding was snow-white. There was even an attached bath. It was incomparably better than the room she'd had in the Imperial Palace.
It reminded her of the nice rooms from her childhood, when she lived with her mother.
In the Imperial Palace, she had always huddled in places that reeked of mold, where rats scurried in the ceiling.
But no longer.
Realizing she had escaped everything made her weary. Daphne tossed her luggage aside and removed her hat.
Her bright golden hair cascaded down to her lower back. She ran her fingers through it, then flung herself onto the bed. She'd heard that rooms got worse the farther you went from the capital—how much worse could they get? She imagined it.
But the thought only lifted the corners of her mouth. The future terrified her to madness, but Daphne now had a future—a new one. She had finally escaped that hellish Imperial Palace.
‘I hope you find your freedom.’
A man's bitter voice echoed in her mind. Daphne tried her best to forget it.
A small thrill and fear mingled within her.
“Sara.”
Thinking of the freckled girl with dark brown hair, she thanked her friend from the bottom of her heart.
Without her, escaping amid the emperor's death wouldn't have been easy. Once things settled, she should send her a letter. As she recalled her days in the Imperial Palace.
She had endured those years taking the punishment meant for her mother. But it was over now. The emperor was dead.
She thought of him, the next emperor—Asherad. Without him, she couldn't have survived that time. Sadly, it was true. But he...
Daphne squeezed her eyes shut. Even with them closed, a blood-soaked man appeared vividly. Covered in red blood, he spoke tenderly.
‘My beloved Daphne.’
His slow, sweet voice—contrasting his brutal appearance—made her heart plummet. But much time had passed. During the three years Asherad was at war, he might have already forgotten her.
Proof? He hadn't sent a single message. Their connection severed when he left for the battlefield. In that place of death and life, she was no more than an insect.
It was arrogance to think a man like the lowly son of a concubine would keep her in mind.
She was a toy. Asherad's pet dog.
Thinking of the man who stood bathed in all the world's light filled her with complicated emotions. A strange hatred and ache arose together.
Yes. There was no way that man would remember her. Calming the nagging bitterness in her heart, she closed her eyes.
Footsteps sounded.
Daphne jolted awake at the sound. Like a herbivore hearing a hunter's steps, she rose trembling. But the door was quiet.
Poor soundproofing? It made sense. She approached the door. Come to think of it, she hadn't locked it. That was close. Then a voice came from behind her.
“Locking it now?”
It was a deeply low, husky voice. Startled, she whipped around and let out a short scream. Seeing her confusion, the man smiled coldly.
The man was naked. His body, scarred in ways she didn't recognize, was taut with muscle. The beautiful man's form glistened as if freshly bathed.
Only then did Daphne realize the footsteps she'd heard were damp.
Water droplets fell from his curly black hair. As the man stepped forward, she retreated a step. His pale green eyes narrowed.
“Daphne.”
“Y-Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty?”
The man's lips quirked up slightly. That was bad. It meant he was angry.
“How... how are you here...”
He glanced out the window and said.
“As if I wouldn't recognize you.”
“......”
“Your destination was obvious.”
He had already predicted her movements. That's why he'd bribed the innkeeper and been waiting in her room, having bathed in advance...
“Why did you run?”
“......”
“Tell me.”
Even his coaxing tone carried sharp killing intent. Like facing a beast's eyes. Meeting his pale green gaze, she swallowed hard.
“Your Majesty.”
“No. Say it properly.”
“Asherad.”
“......”
Tears fell from Daphne's eyes. Did he really not know? The reason she fled. The reason she left the palace—he must know. As her lips refused to part, her body was suddenly pulled close, and her breath was stolen.
“Mmph, eek!”
Hot breath washed over her face. Daphne's eyes widened as she received Asherad's kiss. His red tongue forced its way inside.
It was overwhelming to accept his kiss. She instinctively stepped back until her back hit the wall. His thick thigh parted her legs. She felt his hard desire against her waist and her eyes flew wide.
Wet, slick sounds filled her ears. After a long kiss, he pulled away. Unlike her, gasping for breath, Asherad was unfazed.
Asherad gently traced her saliva-slick lips with his index finger and said.
“I've been drawing you in my mind all this time.”
“......”
“Weren't you doing the same?”
His burning gaze seemed ready to scorch her face.