Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Punishment
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Blood spurted out like a fountain. Seeing Amanda writhing, Daphne rushed to her side. Asherad did not hold her back.
“Ah, Amanda! Amanda!”
Daphne screamed as she looked at Amanda’s body slumped forward. She limped toward her. The closer she got, the thicker the smell of blood grew. She straightened out Amanda’s twitching body and gazed at her face. Blood was trickling from her lips.
“Ah…… it hurts, it hurts…….”
Amanda was murmuring weakly. She caressed her stomach, felt something warm, and looked at her palm.
“Amanda, please!”
The blood-soaked palm, the woman calling her name. It was only natural for her gaze to turn that way.
Daphne stared into Amanda’s listless eyes. They were the eyes unique to someone on the brink of death, but the moment they recognized Daphne, they sharpened with murderous intent, stabbing right at her.
“You…… because of you…….”
“…….”
“You, you…….”
Daphne froze at the boiling hatred. Amanda reached out as if to tear her apart, but it was only a feeble motion. To Daphne, it felt like that hand was tightly gripping her throat.
“Cursed…….”
And then, Amanda’s eyes went vacant.
“Ah, Amanda! Amanda!”
“…….”
“Someone, please, anyone!”
Daphne looked toward Yohannis, but he watched her and Amanda with a cold expression. Amanda, with her hollow eyes, no longer blinked. Daphne hugged the dead woman and burst into loud sobs.
*Cursed thing.*
*Everyone around you ends up unhappy.*
*Why don’t you just die?*
Amanda had always said such things to Daphne. It wasn’t wrong. So many had died because of Daphne.
*Hey, where are you going? Don’t you know we have to clean that hallway now?*
*His Majesty will be here soon! You stay out! I don’t want to ruin the day because of you again.*
Amanda had never been kind. But even while mocking and cursing her, she had helped Daphne avoid the late emperor’s gaze and shared things Daphne might not have known.
She wasn’t someone who should die because of Daphne. And yet she had. She died because of Daphne. Daphne screamed in despair.
Fabian, Amanda—how many more had died because of her? Daphne lifted her head, ready to hurl curses at Asherad.
She thought he would be smiling like a devil. But seeing his face, her thoughts came to an abrupt halt. It was the emotionless face of a statue—neither enjoying her misery nor showing anger.
Punishment.
Daphne was receiving her punishment. Her thoughts turned to Sara, who had helped her escape. And to Count Rocania. They could not be used as part of Daphne’s punishment. Daphne crawled toward Asherad on her knees. Her trembling hand clutched at the hem of his pants.
“Please, I won’t do it again. Never again.”
Daphne begged through her tears.
She begged the man she had loved, the one she had asked to marry her, the one who had once been her entire world, the one she had wanted to spend her life with.
“I hate it now…… please, please. Don’t kill any more. Please.”
Asherad’s face did not twist into satisfaction at her desperation. If anything, it contorted even more.
“Why?”
“…….”
“Why are you begging like that?”
“…….”
“Oh, right. There was one more maid, wasn’t there?”
Daphne flinched. Asherad was seated. He stared intently for a long moment before beckoning to Yohannis.
“Let her in.”
At his words, the door opened.
“Ah, no, don’t! Please don’t! I was wrong!”
Daphne screamed. Sara entered, bowed to Asherad and Yohannis, and stood before Asherad.
“You called for me, Your Majesty?”
*Ah, no.* Daphne stood up. She didn’t want to see Sara die this time. So she positioned herself right in front of Sara.
It didn’t register that Sara had stepped past Amanda’s corpse or that she seemed far too calm.
With tears brimming in her eyes, she spread her arms as if to shield Sara from Yohannis and Asherad, who now stood beside her.
Asherad looked at the sight and let out a hollow chuckle. Bursting into laughter, he glared at Sara with blazing eyes.
“Tell my foolish Daphne the truth.”
What……? Before Daphne could turn around, a cold voice sounded right behind her neck.
“Daphne, could you move your hands? I can’t even greet him.”
Daphne turned with a confused expression. The truth? What truth? Sara showed no interest in Daphne’s puzzled look as she glanced around. Finally, her gaze settled on the lifeless Amanda. As she turned sideways, her face twisted in sorrow.
“Sara…… Amanda…….”
“You wicked bitch!”
Suddenly, Sara whipped around and slapped Daphne across the cheek without hesitation.
The sharp smack echoed through the quiet room.
Daphne clutched her cheek, staring at her. The pain burned like fire. Sara grabbed Daphne’s collar with both hands, yanking so hard that her nails dug into the soft flesh.
“Does it hurt?”
Sara asked in her usual gentle voice. *Why?* Daphne stared at her with wide eyes. Gritting her teeth, Sara demanded.
“Don’t you know why I hit you?”
Sara’s hands trembled. Anyone could see Daphne was the one hit, yet Sara looked at her with a pitiful expression.
“Sara, why…….”
The Sara Daphne knew was kind to everyone. Even to Daphne, whom others always scorned, she was affectionate and never truly got angry. That’s why Amanda always complained about Sara’s niceness.
And now that Sara had slapped her cheek.
“You really don’t know anything, do you?”
She glanced at Amanda’s corpse, her eyes reddening, then covered her face with both hands. Heartbroken sobs for her lost friend leaked out. Daphne didn’t know what to do. After a long while of sobbing, Sara lifted her head. She curled her lips upward and looked at Daphne coldly.
“Daphne, let me ask you something.”
“…….”
“Didn’t you know something like this would happen if you ran away?”
“I didn’t.”
“Really? Truly? Are you sure? You’re not. You sent me far away on vacation thinking I might die, and gave me money!”
Daphne pressed her lips together. She had given Sara many jewels, and sent Amanda on vacation far from here. Asherad couldn’t punish the unrelated Amanda, and Sara……
Sara ground her teeth, her face streaked with tears and hatred.
“You’re so selfish, you don’t think at all! Without even knowing what your existence means, just like that…….”
“I…… Sara, I thought His Majesty would spare you.”
“Liar! You just didn’t want to see anything because you wanted to run!”
She screamed in a voice mixed with sobs.
“You selfish thing, you’re a devil! I hate that something like you was by our side!”
Daphne stared blankly at Sara. Her hands trembled just like Sara’s. She had thought Asherad would spare them. Because he had before. But what if Asherad, obsessed with her, got angry and killed Sara?
What if that had happened?
Daphne felt like Sara’s words had struck her head. Tears streamed down Daphne’s face. She hadn’t considered even the slightest possibility and had run away thinking only of herself.
“Daphne, do you know why I survived?”
“…….”
“Why I survived unlike Amanda?”
Sara spoke in a chilling voice like before. Daphne shook her head as if she didn’t know. Sara let out a cold scoff and said.
“His Majesty…… His Majesty planted me there.”
*Planted?* Daphne’s face hardened. *No way…….* She turned pale and looked at Asherad standing behind her. He gave a deep smile, as if confirming it.
“Why…… why? Why on earth?”
Why had he planted Sara by her side? At Daphne’s murmuring question, Asherad answered gently.
“Daphne. You didn’t think I went to the battlefield without any precautions, did you?”
“The battlefield…….”
Daphne was at a loss for words. So Sara’s betrayal had started from the battlefield? *Why?* Daphne looked at Sara in confusion.
“His Majesty told me to monitor your every move. Who’s kind to you, who approaches you, what catches your interest, what you love!”
“…….”
“He told me to watch you!”
“…….”
“So I told His Majesty everything. Even that you’d pretend to be a corpse in Keres’s temple when you ran this time.”
Daphne bit her lip. That’s why Asherad had pretended to go on inspection and returned immediately. Listening to Sara. It felt like the world was crumbling. Why had Sara betrayed her? It was obvious. Because of the gold coins from Asherad. All her blood felt like it froze. Suppressing the rising sense of betrayal, Daphne spoke in a calm voice.
“Sara. Was the money that good?”
“…….”
“The money His Majesty gave you…… Ugh!”
Sara gripped Daphne’s collar even tighter. Her flesh bunched up, drawing a groan from her. Daphne looked into Sara’s blazing eyes.
“Because of money? Ha!”
“…….”
“It’s not the money. It’s because I hate you, I hate you.”
“…….”
“You were trying to be happy.”