Chapter 88
Translator: uly
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Shattered Delusion
Count Rocania had been suffering from acute neurosis lately. It was strange. Daphne’s escape had failed, but Asherad showed no signs of movement whatsoever.
Did Asherad truly know about him? Had Daphne betrayed him? There was no way to tell. He had prepared for a possible escape, but he didn’t act rashly. If Daphne hadn’t snitched, any sudden move on his part would be more than enough to arouse suspicion.
This was a game of chicken.
Still, he had agonized over whether to flee or not, time and again. That cunning emperor would suspect and monitor every noble who made a move at a time like this.
Especially if Count Rocania became a target of suspicion—it would turn into certainty in an instant.
The reason for that certainty was simple. He was Fabian’s father, wasn’t he? The foolish Asherad hadn’t even considered that Count Rocania loved and cherished that bastard son of his. On top of that, hadn’t he presented weapons to Asherad himself? That was why Asherad trusted Count Rocania.
But once things went awry, there would be no turning back. He absolutely could not become an object of suspicion. And so, Count Rocania continued visiting the imperial palace as usual, serving at the emperor’s side. If his guess was correct, the emperor knew nothing. Yet nothing could be taken for granted. Suppressing his urge to run, Count Rocania decided to trust Daphne.
All the while, he kept wondering why it had failed.
‘The emperor returned sooner than expected.’
It was as if a trap had been laid. The moment he heard the emperor was coming back, Count Rocania had abandoned Daphne’s rescue and fled.
The problem was that he had no idea how Daphne was faring now that she’d been caught. The knights he’d assigned as her escorts had all been replaced. Should he be grateful she was still alive? In any case, he was coming and going from the thorny imperial palace, keeping watch on the situation.
‘Pindus Kingdom’s suspicious movements…’
This was an urgent report. He needed to find the emperor quickly. He’d have to figure out how to make contact with Daphne.
“What is it?”
As he headed toward the office, a knight guarding it blocked his path. Count Rocania spoke in an urgent tone.
“I have a report to make. It’s pressing.”
The knight stepped aside at his words. As expected, there was no wariness toward him.
“Where is His Majesty?”
The knight hesitated, choosing his words carefully. The count’s brows furrowed at the knight’s troubled expression.
“It’s urgent.”
The knight replied cautiously.
“He’s gone to the garden in haste.”
The garden? Puzzled, Count Rocania nodded and quickened his steps toward it. At that moment, a scream like a shriek pierced the air.
“Let go! Let me go!”
At the sharp cry of a woman, Count Rocania looked over. Fearing their group might spot him, he quietly ducked behind a pillar. Knights were dragging a woman down the corridor connected to the central palace.
‘The Empress Dowager?’
Calista was being held by the knights. They showed her no respect whatsoever. It was clear at a glance that the knights pitied and scorned the woman.
‘That damned woman is finally paying the price.’
How much havoc had Calista wrought while Asherad was away at war? Grinding his teeth as he recalled the humiliation his wife and daughter had suffered, he seethed. He despised Asherad, but Calista was no different. He was cold-hearted toward anyone who wasn’t his own from the start.
But what was this about?
Asherad was always deferential to the Empress Dowager in public. For him to allow such treatment meant something was up. He’d have to look into it.
Count Rocania’s gaze turned toward the scene.
* * *
Calista sobbed all day long. To be humiliated in front of those people—she couldn’t bear it. Her pride had been torn to shreds and scattered on the ground. On top of that, her insolent underlings hadn’t even bothered to check on their mistress.
The smirking faces of her underlings lingered in her mind all day. And the one that stood out most was Daphne, standing beside Asherad, looking at her with feigned fear.
“I’ll kill you!”
The knight who dragged her away, the maids who sneered, that loathsome wench—she’d kill them all!
Gritting her teeth at the thought of Daphne, her tear-streaked eyes blazed red. This had to be Daphne’s scheme. She’d timed it perfectly so Asherad would witness her striking out.
Calista gnashed her teeth at Daphne, who had orchestrated this situation, without a shred of self-reflection.
“You lowborn wretch, I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! You irritating fox!”
Of course, she did reflect on one thing. It was confessing her love to Asherad on impulse, right in front of everyone.
He was the emperor, with his dignity to uphold—she shouldn’t have done that. How startled he must have been. She should have confessed in a quiet atmosphere. Asherad must have been furious, which was why he’d confined her in this humiliating manner.
Yes, Daphne was the one behind this!
“I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!”
Just then, the door burst open.
“Why are you only coming now?!”
Calista snapped sharply. The one who entered was Daphne. Calista rushed at her, thinking it was perfect timing. As she reached out to grab her by the collar, someone seized her arm and flung her aside. Up until then, Calista thought it was Daphne.
“You, you wench!”
She really would kill her now. She scanned for a weapon. For daring to lay hands on imperial blood, even Asherad couldn’t complain if she killed her.
“Are you trying to kill her?”
But at the clear voice that rang out, Calista froze and fixed her gaze on the door. It was Asherad. Her eyes lit up.
“Ah, Asherad!”
Calista cried out in a hopeful voice. She naturally assumed Asherad would help her to her feet upon seeing her fallen. Just as he had with Daphne before. But Asherad neither lifted Calista up nor scolded Daphne for shoving her. He simply stared piercingly at Calista.
“Ah, Asherad.”
Calista felt a twinge of unease.
“I asked if you were trying to kill her.”
Calista’s face twisted in rage. Asherad had brought Daphne here on purpose. He’d come to mediate between them.
“Why did you bring that wench?!”
“…….”
“Why? Did she claim she was wronged? That I struck her out of nowhere?!”
Calista stood and said.
“But she… she did the same to me…”
“Shut your mouth and answer straight. Do you hate her? Do you want her dead?”
Calista gaped in shock, her lips trembling. Shut her mouth? This man— even if he was angry with her on purpose, how dare he speak to her like this!
“Yes, I want her dead! I want to kill that obstacle between you and me! I hate her so much!”
“So, that’s why you helped her escape?”
“Yes! I did!”
Calista admitted to aiding Daphne’s escape. At that, Asherad’s eyes changed. But Calista kept shouting.
“She could’ve just run away, but look at her coming back and spreading her legs for Your Majesty! Asherad, that woman needs to disappear. She’s no good for you!”
Daphne’s face paled at the insult. But it wasn’t the humiliation—it was Calista’s ‘admission’ that chilled her. She looked at Asherad with anxious eyes. Calista pleaded desperately to Asherad.
“Asherad! I’ve told you so many times, I love you! I know you’re angry about today! But I couldn’t help it!”
“…….”
“I love you, I love you! I love you. I’ve loved you from the start. That’s why I even killed your father! For you, so you could come back!”
Tears streamed down Calista’s face. Cruel as her nature was, her crying only made her more breathtakingly beautiful. Yet Asherad’s expression remained stony.
“Even so, that was too much. I know you’re angry with me. You kissed that lowborn right in front of me, saying you like her.”
“…….”
“There’s no need to hide it now. It’s just us here. Tell me your true feelings. Hurry!”
As Calista urged him, Asherad’s eyes lowered. He seemed to hesitate, then strode toward her. He looked at her as if about to kiss her. Excitement filled Calista’s eyes. He would confess his love. And whisper it to her.
She anticipated Asherad’s kiss.
“Calista. I…”
“…….”
“Have never once loved someone like you.”
At those cruel words, Calista’s eyes widened.
Thud. Agony exploded in her stomach. This devastatingly beautiful man looked down at her with haughty eyes.
“Argh, argh! Agh!”
Asherad didn’t stop at thrusting the blade in—he twisted it. The pain was so overwhelming she couldn’t even scream properly. She only knew Asherad was ripping into her guts.
“Ah, please, please!”
It hurt so much, so much! Please stop! Calista thrashed about.
“Stop it!”
Daphne’s voice rang out. The most grating voice at that moment. As Calista’s eyes questioned why, Asherad said.
“If you’re this stupid, you’re not even worth keeping alive.”
Asherad murmured lowly. Stupid? Her? Not worth keeping alive?
Calista writhed, blood pouring from her. It hurt. It hurt terribly, but her breath hadn’t been cut off. She reached out to Asherad as if begging for mercy, but he recoiled as if looking at filth and slapped her hand away.
That contempt, that gaze—it struck deeper than his words of not loving her.
The delusions Calista had rebuilt toward Daphne shattered once more.
I killed my husband for this man.
I even threw away a future where I could live in peace. I tried to help him. And this is the end? All because of that one wench?
Calista glared at Daphne standing by the door with blazing eyes. Still pretending to be innocent and brazen. It had to be her doing. But then she looked at Asherad.
She finally realized that all his actions toward her hadn’t been out of love.
She’d been used and discarded.
He’d whispered sweet nothings pretending to love her, and she’d fallen for it. This man didn’t love her—never had. Tears fell from Calista’s eyes. She didn’t want to die. She didn’t want to die!
“Ashe…”
Calista crawled away from the man about to kill her. Someone, save me, please, save me! Without realizing it, she crawled toward Daphne. As she looked at her with desperate eyes, the pain of steel piercing flesh struck again.
“Gah!”
This time, her beating heart was pierced. Calista stared at Daphne’s face and died.