Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The path to death for the young princess was shabby.

It was just an old wagon, a few maids, and an escort driver.

The indifference of the emperor and empress who should have taken  care of Daphne’s wedding was revealed.

The escort would  keep her from escaping, and the maidsl would use her for  their own advantage.

And, that was according to the will of the emperor.

‘If only I could do that.’

Daphne raised the corners of her lips as she looked down at the procession through the window.

It almost made her laugh.

“Your Majesty the Princess.”

When she turned her head to the sound of a heavy voice, Count Corman, sitting opposite her, caught her eye.

“Are you really okay…”

The count, who had lost weight after a month, came to see off the princess.

“It would still be dangerous.”

“I know.”

Daphne laughed and  brushed  her hair.

As the Duke’s bride, she took a bath in warm water mixed with perfume oils  for the past few days, and her hair had become  softer.

But still, it was not comparable to other nobles.

“Besides, the emperor is trying to kill her majesty the princess.”

The Count turned his gaze out the window.

At the end of his gaze, there were maids who followed them.

It meant that there might be an assassin among them.

‘I know.’

If she goes down and doesn’t do her part, she’ll soon be taken care of.

“The Dukedom is a dangerous place. Archduke Bertrand is little…”

It was  not a bit but…

He was  very dangerous.

Correcting the count’s words inwardly, Daphne  thought .

The numerous rumors about Kale, the villain in the original story, were all true.

‘Only one of them is a lie.’

It was the one about him quenching his thirst by drinking blood.

No liquid could quench Kale’s thirst.

Rather, it only made it worse.

There was a savior who appeared in front of Kale, who was going crazy from enduring the pain..

It was the female lead, Flora.

Like  any  romance fantasy, Flora, who was set out  as an ordinary traveler, actually had a mysterious power.

And that power was the only power that could free Kale from  his  curse.

Daphne looked at her hand.

Whoosh.

A faint light gleamed in the palm of her hand, and then disappeared in an instant.

The power was so weak that even the count who was  next to her could not notice.

However, the very power that Flora had was light.

In her previous life, when Flora lifted Kale’s curse, didn’t she watch closely from the side?

‘It’s weak, but it will be a great help to quench his thirst.’

But why did she have this power ?

Daphne clenched her palms slightly and tilted her head.

Even in the original story and in her previous life, she had no power.

So, she was used back and forth  and  was eventually betrayed and miserably died.

Just like when she was living in Korea.

“Ha.”

Daphne smiled.

Yes, she herself reincarnated in the book and returned  back in the book..

And, If she had  returned one more time, it wouldn’t have been  anything strange.

‘I will be able to lead the deal with Kale more advantageously now.’

“Your Majesty, are you okay?”

When she looked up at the sound of his call, the Count was looking at Daphne.

As the silence grew longer, he seemed concerned.

“If you’re afraid, even now, I will somehow…”

“If I don’t go, your daughter will be here.”

At Daphne’s words, the Count kept his mouth shut.

The guilt on his face grew stronger.

“Don’t worry too much, Count. I will survive.”

Daphne looked at the Count and smiled brightly.

By now, Count Corman’s mind was  shattered with guilt, shame, and worry.

What a nice person.

Never forget these feelings.

‘Don’t forget that I protected you and your family.’

So that he can answer her calls right away when she needs him.

Daphne swallowed all those words and laughed.

Knowing nothing, Count Corman took something out of his arms and held it forward.

“Take this just in case. I have put some self-defense items in there.”

“I’ve already received enough.”’

She was going to refuse, but for a moment when she saw the look on the count’s face, Daphne picked it up.

“Thank you so much.”

The servant, who was outside, announced the time.

“Your Highness, it’s time to go.”

“Come to think of it,”

The count opened the door instead of the servant.

“The thing you asked last time was loaded into the carriage with tea leaves, but the amount is small due to the short time frame. Maybe in the future…”

Suddenly, the count stopped talking.

“What is this?”

Daphne, who turned her head along the count, hardened.

Those who should not have been here were approaching Daphne and Count Corman.

It was Alan who betrayed and killed her.

He was coming to Daphne with his vassals.

“Daphne.”

His voice was sad.

The way he looked at her now was sweet and generous.

Yeah, just like that day.

“It hurts, brother.”

“Good bye, sister. You were really useful.”

The voices began to overlap.

Daphne fixed her eyes on Alan who was walking toward her without  any hesitation ..

“Are you already leaving?””

Alan who had  trampled, laughed, and raised a sword to kill her.

On top of it, his younger face now overlapped with her past memories.

Daphne fixed her eyes on Alan without blinking .

‘Why did you come here?’

Neither in the original nor in the previous life, she had ever met Alan at this palace.

In the original, they met after the palace had collapsed, and in the previous life, they found themselves…

‘Ah.’

Realizing something, Daphne blinked slowly.

‘I see.’

A smile squeezed out of her closed lips.

Alan had never found Daphne ‘first’.

Because he didn’t need her.

‘You too, were one of the bystanders just like the emperor.’

He was the kind of person who only paid attention to something or someone when it was useful and left it in a corner when  it was no longer of use..

‘Why did I only realize this now?’

When Daphne was adopted, Alan opposed the emperor.

He raised his voice saying that adoption should not be done solely for the purpose of showing and creating an image of a good imperial family.

Or was it because he was the protagonist of this novel?

‘It must have been because it was the only way I could survive.’

In fact, there were many paths Daphne could’ve chosen, like the Emperor, Kale, and Prince Claire.

However, in the original story, everyone died and only the male lead, Alan, survived to the end and achieved happiness.

So she believed blindly that she could live with him too since he was the male lead.

But, she didn’t grasp the situation properly.

“…”

Alan, who was interpreting Daphne’s silence, frowned as if in distress.

He naturally took a seat in front of Daphne and lowered his body to meet her gaze.

“…Sorry.”

He stopped talking and took a deep breath. The gap added to the sadness.

“I should’ve protected you. If I had  a little more power, I wouldn’t have had you sent to that monster…”

Tears filled his blue eyes. Soon it started to fall.

His face was distorted with false guilt, but he was truly beautiful.

The bright blonde shone in the sunlight, and his blue eyes glistened with tears.

“The Prince…”

Of course, the followers of Alan’s perfect and beautiful acting exclaimed.

Even Count Corman and the nearby maid and attendant sniffled.

A hostile prince who suffers from not being able to protect his younger sister and the people who feel sorry for it.

Oh, it was such a picturesque scene and it was truly disgusting.

‘I am the one who is supposed to die, but Alan is taking the sympathy ticket.’

In fact, it wasn’t Daphne who had  caught everyone’s eyes.

It was Alan‘s crying.

Her role at this stage was just that, a prop that would make Alan stand out.

‘If I stay like this, even Count Corman will waver to Alan.’

And that’s  what he was aiming for from the beginning.

The nobles brought later would be a bonus.

After his mother’s family collapsed and the first Empress died, Alan began to gather   support in this way.

‘What should I do…’

It was okay to leave Alan alone like this.

Even if Alan takes the Count by such a naive trick, the Count will follow Daphne when an important  time arrives.

Because he has already done that.

‘So, as a spy, it’s better to leave him alone.’

“…!”

Daphne opened her arms and hugged Alan.

He didn’t know she would react like this,  as  she felt his body stiffen.

“Thank you, I didn’t know my brother would think of me like this.”

“…Of course, I always thought of you.”

The answer was slow as he was properly confused.

Daphne then burst into tears.

“I-I-I thought my brother had forgotten me. Heck, no one has been looking for me.”

“…”

“To everyone, I thought I was abandoned.”

Silence descended.

Not only the vassals, but also the maids and attendants avoided Daphne’s gaze.

In a way, they were also part of the people who had neglected her.

Guilt, discomfort, doubt.

Several emotions  ran through their  mind.

And the people choose to have doubts in order to erase their guilt and discomfort.

“Wow, huh… Aren’t the two of them a little different?”

“Yes. Hearing the words of His Majesty the Prince, it seems like he always took care of her…”

“Is the princess lying? He was the one who directly opposed bringing the princess in.”

“But that skinny body and the state of this palace where the princess lives… Isn’t it strange?”

“She’s a commoner, so even if someone takes care of her she wouldn’t truly know.”

The whispers grew as quickly as the guilt and doubts felt by the nobles.

“I hope the Princess is lying…”

Things began to turn against Alan.

Alan stiffened, realizing that.

‘He’s still young and  they’re all shallow and easy to read.’

It’s easier to flip the board.

Daphne held back her desire to laugh.

‘You must have thought that I was being dragged around.’

It would have been the case if she hadn’t been able to find the memories of her previous life.

Because it was Daphne who was used to and fro by the emperor in the original story.

But not now, not anymore.

Now people in this space have more sympathy for Daphne to avoid their guilt, and they are starting to have doubts about Alan.

That was subtle but a small twist.

Which had never existed before.

“Daphne.”

It was Alan who moved first.

There was a sense of agitation that he had to get out of this place.

“I’ll have to go. It’s important, I have a job.”

“Then…”

Daphne looked up at Alan as if she were  remorseful .

“I can’t help it. Your brother is busy.”

People’s eyes narrowed as they lowered their heads as if they understood everything.

Alan bit his lip.

“I prepared a present for you. Tell your maid, and I’ve put it on the wagon beforehand.”

“Wow! Thank you, brother.”

Daphne looked at Alan and smiled softly.

“For sure next time.”

Yes, definitely next time.

“Please have a long talk with me.”

I’ll kill you and rejoice.

“Okay. Promise me, Daphne.”

Alan, knowing nothing, smiled brightly.