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6. How to Possess You
“Waaaah!”
Callista had been crying for days. She wailed even louder, as if wanting the knights guarding her vicinity to hear, but only the maids and servants she'd brought from Talasa comforted her.
In Talasa, whenever she cried, no one could stand by idly. It was only natural. The King and Queen of Talasa executed anyone who made her cry.
They treated her like porcelain, as if even a single falling tear were too precious to waste.
Callista simply could not believe that her tears were worthless here. Nor could she believe the betrayal she had just suffered.
“This can't be happening, this can't be happening!”
She wept, clutching the letter from the King of Talasa. The writing mixed into the yellowed parchment was as ornate as if flaunting its own elegance, but the contents within were utterly cold.
[To my beloved daughter, Callista.
Out of my love for you, I have found you the finest of bridegrooms.
The position of Empress of the Peneios Empire is one no supremely exalted woman could ever attain.
Moreover, the Emperor of that empire is famous for being a just man.
If you wish to marry a person of that country, then become a person of that country.
Especially as Empress, you must become the mother of the empire—do you think your husband would be pleased if you sent letters over trifling matters?
Even your dead elder sister never once wrote me a letter out of the Emperor's wrath, so become a person worthy of your station.
Furthermore, having heard your account, it was only natural that the Emperor grew angry with you. He took you in as his daughter out of fondness for you—how could you sully the honor of the Kingdom of Talasa?
Endure.
Endure, and bear an heir.
And never again speak those foolish words about wanting to become the wife of Crown Prince Asherad.
For the sake of your mother, you must possess a somewhat wiser and more intelligent mind.
I shall not show your mother any letters of yours until you can conduct yourself with dignity.]
She had even clung to the carriage, weeping, on her way to the empire, yet the King of Talasa had not taken her side—he had cast her aside harshly. He had even taken her husband's side.
“To think he won't even show Mother my letters…….”
Callista sniffled. She had never imagined that coming to a foreign land would be like this. That even contact with her beloved mother would be severed if the King of Talasa willed it.
She had assumed everyone would serve and revere her of their own accord. Because she was noble. But Callista, without any backing, was ignored.
The Emperor, after his outburst, never summoned her again. Even the palace maids who had once fawned over her so warmly now, at some point, merely offered perfunctory greetings without a single smile.
It was infuriating and absurd.
It was an insult of a different kind. But what drove her mad was the realization that she would now have to grow accustomed to such treatment.
“Aaargh!”
She screamed in a fit of pique. Callista was not accustomed to treatment like this.
She threw her pillow, so caught up in it that she neither heard the knock nor noticed the door opening. The pillow she threw struck someone.
Callista lifted her head, grinding her teeth.
“……!”
But the moment she realized the owner of those long legs was Asherad, even she had no choice but to freeze in shock.
Asherad looked down at the pillow that had struck his leg. As his eyes lowered slowly, long black lashes stood out against his deathly pale face. An expression impossible to read—neither angry nor mocking.
The one who had delivered her first insult was devastatingly beautiful.
Unlike the world, sharpened and turbulent with her rage, the time enveloping him seemed to drift by slowly. So much so that her fury could not touch the quiet, tranquil world that wrapped around Asherad.
“You seem to be quite angry.”
The voice that flowed out languidly was still soft and gentle. The man, standing with the sunlight at his back, approached Callista.
“Oh dear. I hope you haven't hurt your hand.”
“…….”
Callista bit her lip and turned her head away. This was the most childish way of signaling her anger, somewhat past the age for a twenty-three-year-old.
But her manner of venting her anger proved remarkably effective.
“Aunt, you must be very upset indeed.”
Whenever she threw such tantrums, someone would always soothe her like this.
She had thought she'd been left to her own devices—only for Asherad to come see her in person. Callista struggled to suppress her pounding heart. Whoosh—a scent like flowers drifted in. She liked that fragrance, not overly heavy. He had come at some point, and Asherad was now watching her from right in front of her.
“Oh my!”
As the startled Callista covered her mouth, Asherad gave a smiling look with his eyes.
“I've come to offer you a formal apology, Aunt.”
“…….”
“I was rash.”
“…….”
“Because of that insignificant maid girl, I ended up, in the end, disgracing you.”
At those words, Callista was surprised. For all that, he seemed rather desperately to follow after her…… was it her imagination? The anger he had shown then had certainly been real.
Just as the thought was slipping away, Asherad spoke.
“Aunt, there is something I wish to speak truthfully about only to you.”
At Asherad's words, Callista gave a signal with her eyes. As the maids filed out, Asherad watched them blankly for a moment, then sat down on a stool.
“What truth is this? Isn't there only one truth? That you got angry at me, Your Highness.”
“Aunt. Please don't call me 'Your Highness'—call me comfortably.”
At Asherad's words, Callista's tone softened. A face where strong lines and delicate lines blended in an exquisite harmony. As Callista looked at it, this time she found herself averting her eyes without meaning to. Her ears felt like they were burning red.
“Yes. That girl is the child of that wicked woman. In my childhood, she even threatened my position.”
“…….”
“Though they say all the lies have been exposed, I could not know my father's—no, His Majesty's true intentions, so I kept her by my side and observed her. Even showing her kindness was for the purpose of uncovering some unknown something.”
“…….”
“It is an absurd notion, of course. But the truth is, if that woman were to become 'the Emperor's child' once more, she would be a great threat to me.”
“What an absurd—”
“You know it too, don't you, Aunt. Since time immemorial, how many such absurd things have there been? Didn't your mother tell you never to stand idle before anything that could become a threat?”
“Then just kill her!”
“You're telling me to kill the girl whom His Majesty deliberately brought here alive?”
“Isn't that simply what should be done?”
It was truly a simple problem. But Asherad fell silently quiet and looked at Callista. It seemed like he was mocking Callista, an ignorant fool who knew nothing. When Asherad's lips twitched, Callista felt displeased. But at the words that followed, she shut her mouth.
“A son raising rebellion against his father's decision. It is not such a simple matter.”
“…….”
“The Crown Prince has raised rebellion against the Emperor's decision. I have no authority to do such a thing. If I were to…… kill the girl His Majesty deliberately brought here alive, it would be defying His Majesty's command.”
“Ah.”
“Would His Majesty forgive a servant who defied his orders?”
All traces of mockery vanished, and a kind voice rang out, as if teaching a child.
Even the foolish Callista understood. To her, her parents had been people of boundless understanding and generosity, but the relationship between these two was different. It was because that damned Emperor's temperament was so strange.
That Asherad had turned his back on her was all the Emperor's fault. Truly a bizarre yet simple conclusion. Callista cleared her throat and said,
“I hadn't thought of that point, Asherad.”
“Naturally. You wouldn't know anything about it, Aunt. In truth, what made me angry was that, even though it was only natural you wouldn't know, I was so hurt that you would treat me this way…….”
Asherad even went so far as to say that it was natural for Callista to be ignorant of such things, thereby sparing her pride.
Moreover, the word "hurt" somehow sounded endearing. Callista placed her hand on Asherad's shoulder.
“I'm the one who should apologize for not understanding.”
“No, Aunt. I unintentionally inflicted an insult upon you, so how could I ever repay it?”
“It's fine. We are, after all, not nobles of the same homeland.”
Callista accepted his apology awkwardly.
“Thank you. I suppose I simply wanted to throw a tantrum without reason toward you, Aunt, who came from my mother's country.”
“…….”
“In any case, you are the only person in this country I can rely on, are you not?”
At those words, Callista's heart stirred. Callista, who had been writhing in isolation and helplessness, melted softly at Asherad's comfort.
“Now you are my only family.”
Callista said, as if lamenting.
“What are you saying? The King and Queen of Talasa are standing right there, quite plainly.”
At Asherad's words, Callista shook her head, shedding tears. Callista had still not matured, and she fell easily for the kindness shown by those around her.
“Look at this letter.”
Callista held out the letter from the Kingdom of Talasa.
“The King of Talasa has abandoned me.”
And so, she committed the blunder of revealing her great weakness. Asherad accepted the letter with a puzzled look.
Tear droplets were spattered across the parchment. Asherad read it for a long while, then folded it carefully and pressed it back into Callista's hand.
After wondering what to do, he pulled Callista into an embrace.
“You must have suffered greatly in spirit.”
“Sob, sob, he is my stepfather, but I trusted him so…….”
Callista wept, tears streaming down. Asherad gently patted and soothed her. But his eyes were gleaming with a strange light.
What a dreadfully stupid woman. Callista had no idea how great a weapon this stupidity would become for Asherad!
Ah, yes. At last, I no longer need to drag out time. He smirked. A dreadful distortion and euphoria began to take root in his green eyes.
Daphne.
At last, I've found the perfect way to possess you.
Holding the woman before him in his arms, he thought of another woman.
* * *
“Hey! Miss Cuckoo!”
Fabian ran toward Daphne. Daphne, startled, fled. Why on earth did he keep following her? Ever since that conversation, whenever Fabian saw Daphne, he tried to strike up a conversation.
Daphne desperately avoided Fabian.
It was obvious why.
It was because Fabian had slandered Asherad. Just as she was anxious over Asherad not seeking her out again, Fabian's words kept lodging themselves in her ears.
Wasn't he a member of the Crown Prince's personal guard? Why on earth did he keep loitering around the maids' quarters where she stayed! And how did he even know she was here? Daphne stood behind a statue and let out a sigh.
“Found you!”
Fabian's voice rang out. At the far too cheerful voice, Daphne started and tried to run, but her wrist was caught.
“Miss Cuckoo, the game of tag ends now.”
Fabian whispered softly.