Freyr Heronis, she was an ordinary aristocrat, no, an ideal woman who had never lived a life of misery. Beautiful appearance, birth that no one envy, and even the unstinting love of the family. Freyr was a woman with a lot of things, and a woman who did not know what she lacked.
It was a marriage of political convenience, but she had a kind husband, the people who treat her kindly in the mansion, and even the socialites who treat her accordingly. Thatâs why Freyr, as the Duchess of Heronis, did her best in her position so that she would not be a troublemaker to others.
Her kind husband was always kind to her and was a faithful person who never abandoned his duties. So Freyr started to have a feeling of love towards him and believed that they would stay happier as a couple.
âHello, Iâm Eunice. Iâve decided to work at Duke mansion starting from today. Please take good care of me!â
Until a woman who called herself Eunice appeared.
Since she appeared, her surroundings have become weird. Eunice was a woman with such clear energy, capable of making everyone in her surroundings feel good.
At first, Freyr didnât dislike her either. She thought it was a really good thing.
Not until her husband had a gleam in his eyes when he saw her.
* * *
I couldnât feel the warmth next to me in the bedroom from some time ago.
Waiting for him until late at night, when I opened my eyes in the early morning and saw the seat next to me empty,
When I saw him coming out of Euniceâs room late in the morning,
For the first time in her peaceful life, Freyr realized something was going wrong. Nevertheless, Freyr could not do anything about it.
Eunice, who is sweet and kind, brightens up her surroundings, and people are naturally attracted to her.
But she couldnât just stay still.
âHoney, there are eyes around us. I donât think itâs good to get too close to Eunice.â
Freyr thought that this was a natural right to say as his wife.
âTwo adult men and women are in a secret room⦠Shouldnât you be careful about that?â
âIâll take care of it.â
âButâ¦â
âWife, Eunice is helping me. As you know, the capital city is very chaotic.â
Duke sighed loudly as if he was asking her to listen.
âThere wonât be such a thing for you to worry about.
Her advice didnât even work with the duke.
Dukeâs answer to Freyrâs advice was cold, but since then, the relationship between Duke and Eunice seems to have become increasingly awkward.
Still uneasy, Freyr secretly hired a man to chase after Eunice.
Freyr only hoped.
Please, I hope I misunderstood the relationship between those two.
She wanted to make sure, even at the risk of embarrassing herself.
Would this not have happened if I had just held on to a little reason and waited for my husband to come back to me?
Obviously, she just tried to keep her position.
Freyr raised her head slowly and looked at the place where she was.
A desolate, narrow space that she had never been before.
âWhy did I come here?â
Freyr couldnât keep herself sane. It was so fast that the people who were always kind to her turned their backs, and it was the same with her husband as well.
With the false accusation that she was filled with jealousy and greed, and tried to hurt an innocent person and his lover, she was confined on a spire.
âFreyr Heronis, the sin of abducting and torturing the people of the slums, and cursing at the imperial family with their blood and brought chaos in the whole empire!â
The tone of his voice was cold.
âThe crime of kidnapping, threatening, and taking their lives. Hence, I shall remove Heronisâs surname from her and sentence her to life in prison.â
Her ex-husbandâs voice was no longer friendly to her.
Since when has his voice been so cold to me?
Even if it was a political marriage, was it my delusion to think that it was a happy relationship?
I just wanted to confirm that the strange relationship between those two was my delusion.
Neither did I want to attack Eunice, nor did I ever order people to kidnap her.
I just⦠I just wanted to know for sure what the relationship between those two was.
Even though she begged, screamed, pleaded, and cried because of the unfairness, neither her husband nor the people around her listened to her.
At first, I didnât have any suspicion.
That something was wrong.
What do you mean, the body was found in the basement of the mansion? A blood crazy-witch.
You donât really believe that crap, do you? You donât.
You know Iâm scared to see blood, let alone dead bodies.
Please, please say no.
I wanted to believe that he was trying to get me out.
But as a week went by and a month went by, I had no choice but to realize that this was reality.
Still, I waited for him endlessly.
I believed that I could go back to my place.
Because that was the only thing Freyr could do there.
* * *
During my life on the spire, I found out that I had a present.
Freyr gently wrapped her stomach.
With the thought that he would come to find her when he learns of the childâs birth, I informed the guard.
But even after a long time, even after I gave birth to my child, my husband didnât come to see me.
News that the Duke of Heronis got married, news of the joy of the nation,
A sarcastic remark that the Duchess of Eunice is kind and caring for many people, and that she is different from anyone else,
And even the news about the birth of the princess in Heronis Duke mansion, everyone is talking around and congratulating them.
The child in my arms⦠without even being congratulated, lives like this with her mother who became a prisoner.
When I asked them to call my husband or even contact my relatives, there was no answer that returned back.
As if they were asking her to die here, those acts, those words, and those gazes killed Freyr again and again.
The first insult, shame, anguish, and loneliness that she experienced in her life eroded Freyr.
She found out eventually that the only one who could get her out of this place was the Duke, so she had no choice but to search for him anxiously.
âDuke, did you really forget about meâ¦â
Everyone cursed Freyr as a wicked woman who had gone crazy because of love.
They pointed her out as a stupid woman, a pathetic woman, who was looking for love even after receiving such treatment.
Even if she wanted to swear at them or curse them, the only thing that came out of her mouth was the longing for her husband.
As if no other words were allowed.
Thatâs why Freyr gave up thinking about other things.
The faint expectation that he would come to find her if she waited was the only reason she could survive.
Yet, no matter how hard she tried to hold onto her consciousness, it was impossible to do anything if her body was unstable. Freyr found out at some point that the sickness was eating her body.
âYouâre dying alone like this.â
Why did the Duke abandon her?
Why should she be framed and die so miserable?
Come to think of it, it was really strange.
A trial wasnât held properly, it was a fixed punishment, and I couldnât even contact her family.
My life, which was splendid, was no longer there.
The world was right for abandoning me.
After all, they curse me as a witch, a wicked woman, and are hoping for me to die.
The splendid thing was for a moment, and at the end of my life, deep darkness was greeting me.
When I struggled from death in frustration, despair, and excruciating loneliness, no one but my daughter appeared before me.
My daughter said she understood me.
Why did she forget about this child?
For seven years old, the child was so small and thin.
I could see the childâs hand trembling when she said that she understood what I wanted to be, was dukeâs wife and not her mother.
It was obvious to me that people had cursed and abused the child for being her daughter.
Even when I looked at her through my blurred vision, she had a physique that looked atmost six years old.
Yes, just for being her own child, she was living like this and would continue to live like this again.
The hand of the child holding her hand was very warm.
I wanted to wrap tightly the small, warm, yet trembling hand, and hug the child.
Nevertheless, in my mouth, I only heard a voice looking for duke.
Why?
Only then did Freyr realize that she was strange.
Why do you say that you miss the Duke if you blame him, and canât say any other words?
She didnât have enough strength to deeply reflect on the sense of deja vu that came to her.
Only, at the moment of her death, Freyr wanted to open her mouth to call her daughterâs name.
The mouth that opened easily when searching for the Duke didnât open at its own will, so Freyr resented and regretted it.
âDaphne. Daphne. Daphne.â
My poor daughter, whom I couldnât even give a proper name.
Why did she finally remember her daughter, who she held in her arms a few times?
When I had you, I was so happy.
It was as if my memory had been erased and then rewritten.
As if someone were covering her mouth, she resented her tightly sealed mouth, and Freyr closed her eyes, enduring the injustice.
She felt her consciousness slowly sinking down with tears flowing from her eyes.
She was no longer afraid of this death.
âIf, God is listening to meâ¦â
If God considers me to be a little wise, please, please.
Please donât let my daughter walk on the same fate as me.
If my daughter is born with this fate, please let her break that fateâ¦
I heard the voice of my daughter, Daphne, looking for me.
However, Freyr could never open her eyes again.
The childâs name could not be called at the end.
It was the end.
* * *
The heavy pressure that held me down so far had disappeared.
When I thought that I was as light as a butterfly, I really became a purple butterfly.
I saw something beneath my wings. As I approached, I saw a little girl sitting in front of me.
It was Daphne, the daughter of Freyr.
I thought it was definitely the end, but was she given another chance?
I instinctively knew what to do in this situation.
I canât take care of this child, touch her, hug her, or even call out her name.
I wanted to live for my child for the last time. So, I flapped my wings vigorously to take the child to a safe place.
The unfamiliar boy was sad, looking at the child. Somehow, I thought that if he were to become that childâs family, that child would be happy, too.
This was the end of what I could do.
As I felt the wings that were flapping hard slowly turn into light, my eyes met with the child who was leaving far away.
ââ¦Good-bye, Butterfly.â
Despite the words of gratitude from the childâs mouth, Freyr could not cry.
Because she wasnât allowed to cry.
She was just sad.
This will be our last meeting.
I shouldâve held you in my arms a little longer.
I shouldâve given you a name myself.
I shouldâve told you I love you at least once.
From the beginning to the end, she was a truly unqualified mother.
Therefore, I had no choice but to hope that you live a happy life.
The purple butterfly began to be erased from this place.
Freyr, who was slowly disappearing into the light, prayed to God again, knowing that it was her greed.
âPlease, give this ugly mother another chance in the next life.â
Really, Iâll give her generous love in the next life.
Please, once again, put that child down by my side.
I want to tell my child that I love her so much until she gets sick of it.
I want to make my child happy.
I want to be Daphneâs mother.
I want to live happily with Daphne.
If God is listeningâ¦
The purple butterfly, with its little wish, left a small halo of light and disappeared without a trace.
Only God knew whether her wish reached God or not.