TGW Chapter 14 Part1

 

Beth spoke with a troubled expression.

"Your Highness, Lord Rouk requests an audience with you."

Sienna also felt a bit of discomfort. Joseph, who had visited just yesterday, was here again.

Joseph had always been quite cautious around his fiancée, taking care not to upset her. Therefore, he never dropped by unannounced. Yesterday was the first time he had come without notice, and today was the second.

After being practically chased away due to the visit of Marquis Rad yesterday, Joseph had been restless ever since. There are some people who, upon first sight, instinctively feel superior in every way.

Joseph instinctively recognized Marquis Rad as a threatening male. Moreover, any man would naturally feel uneasy finding another strong male lingering near his fiancée. Driven by this, Joseph rushed over the very next day.

"What should we do?"

"I... well..."

"You haven't looked well since this morning. Do you have a headache?"

Before Sienna could even begin to respond, Beth had already turned her into a patient.

Beth had been eagerly anticipating a visitor since morning. She needed to get rid of that unexpected and unwelcome guest outside as quickly as possible.

"...I'm not in the mood to see any guests."

"Yes, Your Highness. I'll convey your message to Lord Rouk."

Beth maintained her composure as she headed toward the waiting room. After all, she couldn't deliver regretful news with a smile on her face.

Meanwhile, in a twist of fate, Kuhn arrived at the Silver Palace while Beth was away in the waiting room. He encountered Joseph there. Joseph, upon seeing Kuhn, first looked bewildered, then his expression quickly turned sour.

"We meet again."

"Indeed. Rouk... Oh, my apologies. Was it Count?"

"No, I am the fiancé of Her Highness the Silver Queen."

"Yes, I know. That's why I can't exactly address you as 'Her Highness the Silver Queen's fiancé,' can I? If not Count, then Baron?"

Luke's face flushed with embarrassment.

"...I have not yet been granted a title."

"I see."

With a casual expression, Koon gave a half-hearted exclamation, then turned his head as if he had lost interest.

Joseph, feeling humiliated, clenched his fists tightly, his hands trembling.

"What brings you here?"

"I'm sure you already know the answer. Are you asking why I'm here to see Her Highness?"

Joseph flinched and then replied.

"That's right."

"And since when did you become the Silver Queen's proxy?"

"I am Her Highness the Silver Queen's fiancé. I am the only man officially allowed to be by her side. It is not improper for me to be wary of anyone approaching my fiancée with impure intentions."

The corners of Kuhn's previously expressionless lips curled slightly. If Russ was present, he would have muttered, "Oh, Kuhn is getting pissed," and backed away.

"Do you really think Her Highness sees it that way? She has an independent character and does not tolerate overreach."

"How could someone who only met Her Highness for the first time yesterday claim to know what kind of person she is?"

"I never said yesterday was the first time I met Her Highness."

"...What?"

Kuhn found Joseph's provocations utterly ridiculous. His childish attempt to avoid using honorifics was too petty to take seriously.

"Be careful. You know very well from experience how scary Her Highness can be when she gets angry."

"I have no idea what you mean."

"I'm saying you should be careful not to lose another button from your tunic. Oh, but you're not a knight, are you?"

Joseph's eyes widened in shock. How could Marquis Raad know about what happened on the ship? It was a humiliating memory he wanted to forget—filled with shame and anger that often made his teeth clench. It was something only someone present at the scene could know, yet Marquis Raad was aware of it.

'Could the princess have told him even that?'

Joseph clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw muscles tightened. Just then, the door to the reception room opened.

The moment Beth stepped into the waiting room, she was confronted with an awkward scene. Kuhn Rad and Joseph Rouk—two men facing off like predators guarding their territory.

To be precise, they weren't exactly facing off. Kuhn stood there leisurely, treating Joseph as if he were air. Meanwhile, Joseph's face was flushed with embarrassment, unable to hide his intense wariness.

'Oh dear.'

Beth felt a twinge of pity for Joseph. He should at least pretend to be calm and composed. His blatant hostility was painfully obvious to everyone.

Beth had no idea what had transpired between the two before she arrived. She had just witnessed Joseph failing to compose himself in time.

'If only I'd arrived a little later.'

Regretting her timing, Beth bowed her head in greeting to Marquis Raad. With both men present, she couldn't arbitrarily decide who to let in and who to send away. She returned inside to consult the princess, then came back out to the waiting room and spoke to the two men.

"Her Highness will see both of you."

A flicker of displeasure crossed Koon's eyes, while Joseph's expression remained angry.

The three of them—two men and a woman—sat facing each other on the sofas in the reception room. While tea was being prepared, Emma leaned in to whisper in Beth's ear.

"I used to think Her Highness's fiancé was the most dashing and impressive man."

"And now?"

"Now that I see them side by side, the fiancé doesn't seem impressive at all. Isn't that strange?"

Beth smiled slightly without answering. A person's charm isn't solely based on appearance. Their expressions, demeanor, and the aura they exude also matter.

'Lord Rouk's appearance is by no means inferior to Marquis Raad's.'

However, in terms of other qualities, Marquis Raad was far superior. And Beth had never liked Joseph in the first place. There were times when she found his gaze unsettling as if it weren't entirely clear.

One should not judge a person based solely on one aspect, but sometimes a fleeting impression reveals their true nature.

That said, Marquis Raad wasn't entirely a good person either. Beth was almost certain that the scoundrel who had dared to break the princess's heart was none other than Marquis Raad.

With a gentle smile, she kept her eyes sharp as a hawk while pretending not to notice Kuhn.

 

"Did you like the gift I gave you yesterday?"

"Yes..."

Sienna answered absentmindedly with a "yes" before realizing her mistake. She quickly tried to extend her response.

"Well... thank you. Does he... also know? That the item came to me?"

She avoided directly mentioning "The Iron King."

"He doesn't, but it doesn't matter. He gave me the authority to dispose of it. So, there's no need to thank him. That gift was from me to Your Highness."

Sienna nodded.

"I don't want to just keep it for decoration. That item is quite special, isn't it? Couldn't Marquis Raad help test its uniqueness?"

"Absolutely not."

The sword had a legend that it could cut through desert spirits. Kuhn understood that Sienna wanted to test whether the legend was true.

'She's a truly reckless woman. Even courage should have its limits.'

If it were the princess, she wouldn't just leave it as bravado; she'd likely charge into the desert herself. The thought alone made Kuhn shudder.

"Absolutely not."

Sienna silently lifted her teacup.

"No, Your Highness."

"...Alright."

Joseph felt an uncomfortable sense of exclusion. Although the three of them were seated together, there was a sense of connection between the other two that he wasn't part of.

It was hard to put into words, but in the way the princess interacted with Marquis Rad and the simple nods she gave him, Joseph sensed a closeness between them.

Joseph bit down hard inside his mouth and forced a smile.

"What kind of precious gift are we talking about? Your Highness, could you show it to me?"

"Well..."

It was the sword that had been taken from Joseph by the Iron King. Showing it to him would be quite awkward.

"It's a rather delicate item, so that might be difficult."

"Ah, I see..."

Joseph's forehead heated with embarrassment. As he glanced away, he noticed the corners of Marquis Raad's lips curve upward as he sipped his tea. Joseph's anger simmered. He tried to strike back with a question.

"Your Highness, do you have any special plans for this winter?"

"Not particularly. I haven't made any specific plans for winter."

"Then might you consider visiting the Duke's estate? In winter, it offers a stunning view of heavy snowfall, a sight rarely seen in the capital."

"The estate of Lord Rouk is adjacent to the Duke of Morton, isn't it?"

"That's correct. You could visit both estates."

"An interesting suggestion."

Sienna glanced at Kuhn to gauge his reaction.

"But honestly, I'm more interested in using the gift Marquis Raad gave me."

She expected him to take the bait, but he replied with a polite smile.

"It's too dangerous."

"Then I suppose I should visit Lord Rouk's estate."

"Please do. That would be much safer."

"Tch," Sienna muttered under her breath, feeling both embarrassed and disappointed. Yet, the idea of him suggesting she'd rather go traveling with another man than go somewhere dangerous made her heart race.

"Then, Your Highness, this winter, would you...?"

Joseph, obliviously cheerful, interrupted. Sienna pretended not to notice and gestured to a maid. She instructed the maid to place the box she brought in front of Kuhn.

Kuhn looked at the small wooden box and asked, "What's this?"

"I should reciprocate since I received such a nice gift."

"Reciprocate? Are you saying this is for me?"

"That's right."

Kuhn stared at the box for a while before carefully picking it up and opening the lid. Inside were cuff buttons. They were intricately crafted with a mix of gold and silver and adorned with a unique gemstone that changed color depending on the direction of light.

Sienna thought his expression must be the same as hers had been when she first opened the box and saw the sword yesterday.

‘I should have chosen something better.’

She regretted not picking something more thoughtful.

"Do you like it?"

"Did you choose it yourself?"

"Yes."

Kuhn put the box down, rolled up his jacket sleeves, unfastened the buttons on his shirt cuffs, and replaced them with the ones he had just been given.

Watching him, Sienna felt a strange flush of embarrassment.

"Your Highness."

Kuhn smiled at her.

"May I kiss you?"

Everyone in the room was stunned. Joseph stood up abruptly, his face turning beet red, and shouted.

"Marquis! What is this insolence?! How dare you speak so rudely!"

Joseph turned, expecting the princess to intervene, but he was left speechless. The princess, who should have been furious at such an audacious remark, showed no reaction. She merely looked away.

Sienna stood up.

"Both of you, leave now. We can't spend the whole day drinking tea."

Sienna briskly left for her bedroom, leaving the two men in the reception room.

The expressions of the two men leaving the reception room were starkly different. Joseph glared at Kuhn with a distorted face.

"Her Highness will never forgive today's insolence."

"Indeed, she won't. You might get summoned soon and scolded harshly."

Joseph wanted to grab the Marquis by the collar as he dramatically sighed and shook his head. Instead, he clenched his fists in frustration.

Kuhn smirked as he watched the retreating, fuming figure of Joseph.

‘He is annoying, but still, he's better.’

For now, it's best to keep them engaged. Even if the engagement were broken off hastily, she'd just get engaged to someone new.

‘He's transparent and overly concerned with appearances. A guy like him is easy to handle.’

And crucially, Kuhn held a fatal weakness over him. He could dissolve the engagement whenever he wanted.

On his way out of the palace, Kuhn turned around to take in the overall structure of the palace.

‘Judging by the layout, it should be around there.’

Sienna cooled her flushed face inside her bedroom, trying to catch her breath.

Tap, tap. A strange, light tapping sound could be heard. She considered calling a maid but instead went in the direction of the sound that caught her attention.

She was startled to see Kuhn standing beyond the balcony window. Instinctively, she turned to check if anyone else was around.

Kuhn tapped on the window frame again while maintaining eye contact with Sienna.

Crossing her arms, she glared at him, then approached the window. She slid the latch to the side. Kuhn immediately grabbed the window and opened it, stepping into the bedroom.

"Are you crazy...?"

Sienna didn't finish her sentence. He swiftly approached her, pulled her into his embrace, and captured her lips.

"Mm...!"

The wrist she raised to strike his shoulder was caught. The arm wrapped around her waist moved up, his large hand cradling her face from under her chin.

His tongue, now deep inside, swept over her teeth and brushed against the inner side. The texture of his tongue rubbing against her sensitive mucous membrane made her shudder.

Even though it was daytime, they were in a bedroom. The intimacy of the location and the thrilling possibility of a maid knocking at any moment made the situation both nerve-wracking and tantalizing.

Her body heated up much faster than before. A small moan escaped from deep within her throat. His grip tightened as he sucked her tongue so forcefully that the base of her tongue tingled. He nibbled and licked her lips, exploring them as if he wanted to devour her.

Just as Sienna was gasping for air, he pulled away.

"You really are crazy."

Sienna panted, scolding him. He had trespassed into the princess's bedroom—a serious crime for which he could be executed.

"Yes, I suppose I am."

Looking at her lips glistening with saliva, Kuhn's eyes also gleamed. He spoke with his lips almost touching hers.

"I think I'm going mad."

His eyes were smiling as he spoke. Sienna found herself helplessly allowing his lips to meet hers again. As her wandering arms encircled his neck, their kiss grew even more passionate.

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