Chapter 19

Early in the morning, Günter, who was commanding soldiers on the deck of a warship, caught sight of a figure strolling across the gray beach and returning to the barracks. Günter turned his back on the beach and ran, kicking up sand.

“Johannes!”

Johannes stopped, reacting to Günter’s voice a moment too late. Günter’s eyes narrowed. Johannes seemed distracted, his mind elsewhere. Günter glanced in the direction Johannes had come from. The empty beach connected to a low hill, and beyond that….

A forest?

Hiding his puzzled expression, Günter asked,

“Where have you been at this hour?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

And Johannes seemed to be avoiding the question. This was unusual for him. Günter blocked Johannes who was trying to pass him.

“You were out of the barracks all night again, weren’t you?”

Johannes had been clearly distracted since the duel with Equilla. He could overlook it once or twice, assuming he was lost in thought with his return home just eight years away… but his endless strange behavior was unsettling.

Could it be that he finally found a woman he liked? That thought was fleeting. The area around the barracks was a deserted wasteland with no houses in sight. Feeling a strange anxiety, Günter asked his lord, who had walked a few steps ahead,

“Johan. Is everything alright?”

Johannes’s pace slowed subtly.

“Of course.”

But his voice was the same as usual. Günter was relieved for the moment. Still, he couldn’t help but look back at the forest Johannes had emerged from.

The forest, which looked like a black shadow, swayed gently in the warm wind blowing from afar.

💎

『Ugh, it’s too bitter.』

Thisbene grimaced as she chewed the dried herbs. Watching Thisbene’s jaw slow down involuntarily, Daphne spoke with feigned firmness,

『Tis, you have to eat it all.』

『Daphne. How have you been eating this? How long do I have to keep eating this?』

Of course, Thisbene knew there was no end in sight, even as she muttered those words. Like the war that had been going on for ten years. She had simply blurted out the words without thinking, shocked by the taste she felt she could never get used to.

Knowing this, Daphne didn’t respond to each of Thisbene’s small complaints. Although Thisbene had a look on her face like she was going to die from the bitterness, she diligently chewed the herbs. Watching her made Daphne feel grateful and somehow apologetic. She could now understand why Sione sometimes smiled bitterly when he saw her chewing the herbs. The feeling of making her beloved sister chew poison.

In the end, the herbs hadn’t prevented the marriage with Equilla. Nevertheless, Daphne continued to chew them. Seeing how Joffrey had broken his promise with Razan because the princess wasn’t menstruating, the herbs were still helpful to her.

In fact, her desire to avoid worrying Joffrey was a bit stronger. It was quite amusing to see him so anxious that he called Leah every day to check on her condition.

『…….』

But the moment Johannes discovered her secret, Daphne felt a sense of shame as if he had seen right through her.

She needed his sympathy, but she didn’t want to reveal that she was swallowing poison. He already knew enough about her miserable situation.

She felt somehow ashamed that chewing poison was her best option and worried about how he would take it. It seemed she still wanted to appear somewhat favorable to him. Daphne scoffed at herself.

‘I never thought he would know about these herbs….’

It was a misstep to believe the herbs were something only Sione knew, a closely guarded secret. Was it a common herb in Itium? But Johannes’s reaction seemed too intense for that.

Daphne recalled Johannes’s horrified expression when he recognized the herb.

He had looked at her, holding the herb, with terror. Terror wasn’t a word that suited him. But what was in his eyes was clearly terror. There was no other way to describe it.

It seemed certain that something had happened related to the herb. But not knowing exactly what it was made Daphne anxious.

‘What if he feels the same way about me swallowing the poison as he does about the herb itself?’

What if he stopped playing along with her charade? Just as her mind went blank with that fear,

“Three days from now, same time.”

It was the first time Johannes had suggested a future meeting.

What was he thinking? Daphne wanted to ask, but she couldn’t. She felt a lack of confidence at that moment, and anyway, he had never given her a proper answer. Still, she could vaguely guess that he found her swallowing poison more pitiful than repulsive.

Should she be happy or sad about this? Just as she was about to feel a bittersweet emotion,

『Daphne.』

『…….』

『Daphne.』

『…Huh?』

Lost in thoughts about Johannes, Daphne missed Thisbene calling her again.

『I called you several times.』

Thisbene’s brow furrowed slightly in displeasure. It was the umpteenth time.

『Ah…. Sorry. What did you say?』

Thisbene looked at Daphne for a moment without saying a word. Daphne gave an awkward smile and combed Thisbene’s long hair with her fingers. Thisbene, habitually lowering her eyes at the gentle touch, opened her mouth after a while.

『I asked if you went to the forest the day before yesterday, too.』

Daphne hesitated. She quickly looked back at the doorway and lowered her voice.

『There are still servants walking around outside. Speak softly.』

Thisbene then whispered in a low voice,

『Why do you go out so often? It used to be only once or twice a month.』

『This is….』

Daphne was momentarily speechless. Johannes Tennan was the enemy. Going outside the castle to see him while the war was raging was a dangerous and foolish act, no matter who heard it. She couldn’t tell Thisbene the truth. She would worry and definitely object.

Anyway, there was a time limit to this foolish behavior. Let’s keep it a secret until at least Itium leaves this place and she can never see him again. Wouldn’t that be alright? Just as Daphne opened her mouth to lie,

『Daphne.』

Thisbene was a little faster.

『You can leave.』

And Daphne couldn’t understand the words that came out of Thisbene’s mouth.

『…What?』

『You could cross the forest and over the mountains. I’m, okay. So don’t worry about me….』

Daphne then realized what Thisbene was thinking while she was out in the forest.

‘She thought I might not come back.’

Thisbene didn’t speak much. Daphne knew she thought a lot to herself. But she had never imagined Thisbene would be thinking such things. Daphne realized how little attention she had been paying to Thisbene. She was so shocked that words wouldn’t come easily.

『…The security has been particularly lax lately…. I was just trying to gather a lot of herbs while I had the chance so I wouldn’t have to leave the castle for a while.』

『…….』

『So don’t ever say that again.』

『Daphne, I….』

『I’ve never….』

I’ve never tried to abandon you. Daphne, who was about to shout those words, couldn’t continue. Had she really never tried to run away alone? She had at least considered escaping reality through death.

How much did Thisbene know?

Daphne’s face paled. Thisbene, looking at Daphne, was rather calm.

『There’s not much time left until the new Equilla arrives, Daphne.』

『…Let’s not talk about this anymore today. I think I’m going to get angry at you.』

Thisbene grabbed Daphne as she tried to get up.

『There won’t be another chance like this. If you’re going to run away, you should do it as soon as possible….』

『Stop it. I can’t listen to this.』

Daphne pushed Thisbene away and left her room as if fleeing. She heard a whispering voice behind her.

『Are you going to the forest again?』

Daphne, who was about to open the door, hesitated. After a brief moment of contemplation, she turned to Thisbene and said,

『…I’ll be back before you wake up.』

It was like a declaration that although she was leaving the castle again, she wasn’t going anywhere without her. Thisbene’s eyes wavered, filled with complex emotions.

Daphne secretly slipped out of the castle that day, too.