Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: You Win.
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Happy? Was it that Daphne becoming happy was so unbearable? Why on earth? Sara had been her friend, after all.
"Money? Money? Do you have any idea how many people died because of you? You didn't even know that, and your innocent, pitiful act was so disgusting and hateful!"
"……."
"What do you know! I, I didn't do it for that petty money…!"
Daphne realized blood was bursting from Sara's mouth. Even though she herself was the one betrayed and on the verge of death, Sara glared at Daphne like an enemy and unleashed her rage, biting down so hard that her lips split open.
"You know what? When I saw you sleeping, I wanted to choke you to death."
Sara shouted at Daphne with a sharp smile.
"I hate you! I loathe you! I despise you!"
At Sara's scream-like cry, Daphne stood there in a daze. Why did this person hate her so much? But Daphne already knew the answer.
No one liked her.
There was no one who would like her.
Friendship was an illusion.
When even Sara, whom she had thought of as a friend, revealed her hatred for Daphne, Daphne let out a hollow laugh. She desperately tried to explain herself to the person she had considered a friend.
"I… I didn't mean for it to happen like that."
"……."
"I really didn't know."
Daphne pleaded with Sara. Daphne knew it too. This wasn't her fault. It wasn't what she wanted. She just wanted to live normally, but no one left her alone. Yet Sara blamed her for it.
"Not knowing is a sin too! Not knowing is a crime! If there are no people around you, why don't you think about why? Why do the people who were kind to you disappear?"
"I thought… everyone hated me…."
"That's ridiculous!"
"……."
"Do you know how many people died because of your stupidity? You should have stayed alone, never meeting anyone, without spreading your misfortune."
"I…."
"Your very existence is a sin, your being alive is a crime, a curse!"
At Sara's words, Daphne's heart had already plummeted into the abyss. To sum up Daphne briefly, Sara was right. A person whose birth itself was a sin, whose existence was a crime. A walking curse.
Tears welled up and spilled from Daphne's eyes. Even sniffling like Sara was sinful. Daphne had to accept that hatred.
What a nuisance of a life, yet so disgustingly desperate to cling to it….
At that moment, Yohannis, who had been watching silently, stepped forward.
"Enough."
"……."
"This is in His Majesty's presence. Know your place."
Sara bowed her head deeply at his words. The room filled only with the women's sobs. Asherad, who had been watching quietly, approached.
"You're suffering a lot, aren't you, Daphne?"
"……."
"No one has ever loved you."
Daphne said nothing. In the face of this massive shock and betrayal, she couldn't tremble with anger, rage, or sorrow; she simply existed.
Asherad looked at her coldly and drew the sword that Yohannis praised. Before Daphne could say a word, the sword traced a streak of light.
"Kyaaahhh!"
Sara's scream rang out. Daphne looked over in shock. Blood, more blood was flowing. Sara clutched her hand and screamed. Daphne saw the finger lying detached on the floor beside Sara's body. It was as if someone had blocked her airway; she couldn't breathe.
"Ah… Ah…."
Sara whimpered, clutching her missing hand. When she looked up at Asherad with fear-filled eyes, he placed a hand on her shoulder while seated.
"Sara, I didn't tell you to slap Daphne's cheek."
"Aaah! It hurts, it hurts! Please spare me!"
"I told you not to lay a hand on Daphne's body. Why test my patience?"
Asherad spoke to her gently, just as he had to Daphne. His voice was leisurely and kind, utterly unrelated to the horrific blood and Sara's screams, making it feel for a moment like they were in another space altogether.
But the sword he held dripped with blood, and his expression was one of madness. Her breath caught in her throat. She felt like she was going insane. Sara's hatred, Sara's betrayal, his toying with her. She had never once been able to escape him.
"Haha…."
Daphne lifted the corners of her mouth in a laugh. Yohannis, who had gladly killed Amanda at the Emperor's command. Sara, who betrayed her. And Asherad, watching her. Asherad, Asherad.
"Your Majesty… you've won…."
Daphne forced the corners of her mouth up. In this maddening situation, barely holding onto her sanity, she clenched the fabric of the clothes she was wearing.
To tear them off. But when the clothes wouldn't rip, she untied the ribbon cinching the waist. Then she hiked up her skirt. Exposing herself down to her drawers, her near-naked form was revealed.
She didn't care if Yohannis and Sara were there. As Daphne reached for her drawers, Asherad's low voice sounded.
"Take that and get out."
At his words, Yohannis, who had frozen watching Daphne's bizarre behavior, dragged Sara out. The sound of the door closing echoed.
This wasn't a smile to save someone or to escape from someone. It was simply submission. Deciding to accept her cursed fate, her filthy destiny.
In this blood-scented room, Daphne approached her master. It was fortunate he didn't boil and eat the runaway bitch alive.
Now naked, Daphne wrapped her arms around Asherad's neck. Her hands expertly aroused him. Her fingers brushed his lips. Hearing his quickening breath, Asherad kissed Daphne's lips.
She didn't know if Asherad was mad or if she was. Perhaps both. In this room filled with her friend's severed finger and blood, Daphne decided to entwine her body with this man like beasts.
Her hands familiarly stripped off Asherad's clothes. The room reeked of blood. Ignoring the corpse and the wounds, the man and woman willingly became beasts.
Daphne stroked his lower body with her hand. She felt the heat and the hardening arousal. Daphne stared blankly at it before bringing her face close.
A wet sound escaped, and a low breath leaked from his mouth.
He leaned forward and grabbed her hair. Daphne's mouth glistened with saliva.
"Get up."
The lewd act ended soon after. Because Asherad had pushed the standing Daphne onto the bed. She fell without resistance. Asherad mounted her.
"Daphne."
"……."
When Daphne didn't respond, Asherad gripped her chin. As her blue eyes turned to him, he smiled seductively.
"Now do you understand?"
"……."
"I'm the only one who loves you like this."
"……."
"No one else loves you. It's all lies."
Daphne's eyes reddened. Her resolve not to cry lasted only a moment; her body was so fragile. Toyed by his fingers, her breaths began to sweeten.
"I don't hate you."
A lie. After turning her into a dog, this man was brazenly spouting falsehoods.
"See, I'm forgiving you like this."
Asherad gently stroked her hair. Daphne's lips trembled. As if finding it endearing, he kissed her mouth.
"I'm the only one in this world who loves you."
"……."
"I love you."
"Eek!"
Daphne let out a short scream. Because Asherad had suddenly thrust into her. Daphne looked at his face. An expression full of ecstasy, a face so happy in this moment of embracing her. But his eyes moved roughly. When Asherad, who had closed his eyes, opened them and met Daphne's gaze.
He grinned and kissed her. The flesh invading her mouth was hot and rough, making it hard to breathe. Instead, moan-like cries leaked out.
The sound of flesh rubbing against flesh grew even wetter. She had long grown accustomed to his touches, his movements. At even one of his gestures, Daphne gasped sweetly, unable to speak.
Asherad said nothing either. Words weren't needed while coupling. Even in a relationship without love, there was pleasure, and focusing on it let them forget that the man had captured the woman, or that the woman wanted to escape him.
"Take my child."
Daphne's eyes widened. What was he saying? Then she realized Asherad hadn't used contraception out of obsession.
But what could she do? The contraceptives Olga gave were quite effective, and Daphne had no pregnancy-like symptoms. Daphne knew that no matter what Asherad did, it was futile. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he embraced her more roughly, releasing inside.
As Daphne panted, he moved again. Daphne's eyes widened. Asherad's movements were still rough. He glared at Daphne with blazing eyes. The rationality he had forcibly suppressed revealed its true nature the moment their bodies joined. Primitive acts made people so emotional.
Asherad didn't let Daphne rest for even a moment. He roughly embraced her at times, and softly caressed her body at others to make her desperate. As dawn broke and sunlight seeped in, Daphne finally fell asleep as if fainting.
Asherad gazed at Daphne's sleeping face. His large hand stroked her hair. His eyes emitted intense hatred. He glared at Daphne. Yet his touch on her hair was endlessly tender. He watched her for a long while before pulling her waist close and pressing their bodies together.
"You're so beautiful when you sleep."
The man filled with murderous intent whispered tenderly into the woman's ear. He buried his face in the shoulder of the turned Daphne, nuzzled it, and fell asleep.