TGW Chapter 15 Part 3

 

Doug visited the Red King’s palace. It had been quite a while. A young man coming out from inside noticed Doug and bowed his head slightly. Doug clicked his tongue as he watched the young man’s back.

He didn’t recognize this one, but one was much like the other. They were all slender and handsome young men. His sister’s taste remained consistent.

“Welcome, brother.”

Patricia’s attire was disheveled, perhaps because she had been playing with her toy.

“It’s fine to play around, but keep it in check during daylight. What if the Silver King finds out?”

“Leave that to me. Stop nagging.”

Doug, who had more than a few mistresses, wasn’t in any position to criticize his sister’s affairs with men. Nor did he intend to interfere.

“Did you wrap up the negotiations?”

“More or less. They pounced on any opportunity to bite; it was exhausting.”

The negotiations among the ducal families over the mining rights had just concluded. People thought the Lehman family benefited because the Red King was part of it, but it was just an illusion.

The Emperor did not favor the Lehman Duke’s family just because it was his wife’s maiden family. Most of the privileges enjoyed by the Lehman Dukes were granted by the former Lehman Duke during the previous Emperor’s reign. Both of them were no longer alive.

“Still, you benefited because Duke Rouk conceded. Isn’t it time to start talking about marriage?”

“It’s still too early.”

“I don’t mean right away.”

“The Princess detests the idea. Forcing it won’t help.”

Patricia sighed in frustration.

“It seems the Princess is going through a rebellious phase these days.”

Doug chuckled softly.

“Why are you laughing?”

“You sound like a mother with a rebellious child.”

“Well, I am her mother.”

“Have you ever experienced the usual worries of a parent raising a child? Has the Princess ever caused trouble or problems? She’s always managed everything herself, growing up well on her own.”

“The fact that the Princess has grown up so well is largely thanks to me.”

“Yes, yes.”

Doug humored her lightly. As a father with children of his own, he often envied his sister. Having a child like the Princess would be so satisfying, it would fill one up without even needing to eat.

“Is there a problem?”

Patricia, with a sullen expression, recounted the greenhouse party incident from a while ago.

Doug burst out laughing.

“So why did you provoke the Countess?”

“That woman is driving a wedge between me and the Princess!”

Patricia believed that Sienna’s apparent rebellious behavior was due to her lingering resentment. She thought Sienna was acting out, deliberately flaunting her defiance.

“Attending a party with the Iron King is going too far. The Princess has crossed the line.”

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Do you think the Princess would act without any thought? It’s not just about rebelling against you.”

“...Is that so?”

“I hear the Princess also meets frequently with Marquess Raad, the Iron King’s close aide. That alone tells you she’s gathering intelligence on them.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if she discussed such matters with me?”

“Sometimes a child doesn’t want to rely on their parents. The Princess is at that age now. When she’s older, she’ll realize that her parents are her only true allies.”

Patricia sighed.

“For now, just observe.”

“I’ll follow your advice, brother. But I can’t just stand by completely. I need someone to watch and let me know if the Princess is on the right path. Among her current close associates, there’s no one who...”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“Yes, there’s a knight named Sir Stus. A loyal knight.”

It took a lot of work to find someone trustworthy. Patricia had thought if she couldn’t find one, she would simply create one.

Patricia had raised Stus herself. She had taken in a boy from the slums with talent and ambition but limited by his birth. She fed him, taught him, and put him through just the right amount of brainwashing to turn him into a loyal servant.

After a perfect cover-up, Stus was transformed into someone from a reputable noble family whose fortune had sharply declined. Everything Stus had was given by Patricia. Stus, who was filled with ambition, could never let go of these things. Thus, he wouldn’t betray her.

Patricia didn’t trust people, but she trusted their desires.

“Brother, please do something about it. It should appear as if I’m not intervening for now.”

“Hmm. Alright, I’ll find a way.”

***

Sienna swung her sword diagonally, pretending to aim straight ahead but striking to the side. Her supposedly perfect strike was completely ineffective. As if he could see right through her, Kuhn blocked it perfectly.

Sienna frowned. The impact of their swords clashing reverberated through her hand, her wrist tingling. In learning the sword from him, Sienna realized one thing.

'Even if I devoted my whole life to swordsmanship, I could never beat him.'

He didn’t seem to have any special techniques. In fact, his movements were so simple and straightforward that anyone could imitate them. But Sienna didn’t underestimate him. The more one mastered something, the more the unnecessary parts fell away, leaving only the essentials.

Let's say she practiced relentlessly and somehow managed to mimic his techniques. There was still one thing Sienna could never catch up to.

His strength far exceeded that of an average man. It was completely different from when she practiced with knights. He took Sienna’s attacks with such ease.

‘I’ve heard the bodies of desert ghosts are encased in a shell, as hard as steel.’

She had heard that the Kaligo mercenaries hunted desert ghosts. Only when technique was combined with strength could one slay such a monster. And Kuhn was the leader of the mercenary group.

‘Will I ever get to see this man’s true abilities?’

She wanted to. Had Fatima seen it?

As Sienna did not continue her attack, Kuhn lowered his sword.

“Shall we stop here for today?”

Sienna nodded.

“Why don’t you give me any pointers? We just keep practicing.”

“Hmm. To be honest, there isn’t much to critique. Your basics are solid, and there aren’t any noticeable bad habits. What you lack is actual combat experience, so just continuing to practice with me like this is the best approach.”

“So, you’re saying my swordsmanship is only good for practice?”

“In real combat, what you’ve learned is often useless. When you’re in a life-threatening situation, your mind goes blank.”

“Then why bother learning at all?”

“Because you have to remember it with your body, not your mind, so you can react instinctively in emergencies. That’s why practice is important.”

“In that case, maybe I could also...”

“No.”

He cut her off before she could even finish speaking.

“The best scenario is that you never have to experience combat in your entire life.”

“...”

“I’m worried about what kind of reckless things you might do. Even if a situation arises where you have to use a sword, your first move should always be to run. Understand?”

“...Got it.”

Sometimes, when he treated her like a child playing near the water, Sienna felt conflicted. Even when she was young, she didn’t hear such nagging.

“Don’t come from tomorrow onward. With the preparations for the banquet, you’ll attract the maids’ attention. We’ll put sword practice on hold for the time being.”

The New Year was almost upon them. The year-end palace banquet, which would be held in a few days, was in full preparation. Since it was also a farewell party for the delegation from the allied nations, it was planned on a grand scale.

‘There are a lot of events this year.’

Sienna’s coming-of-age ceremony and investiture, two of the Emperor’s children got engaged, and the allied nations joined as vassal states. In Sienna’s memory, there had never been a year with so many events.

“Sienna, are you attending the party?”

“Of course. Why? Are you planning to skip it?”

“Oh, I’ll be attending as well. But on that day...”

Kuhn glanced at Sienna, gauging her reaction.

“I will be escorting Lady Fatima.”

“Hm.”

“It’s something I couldn’t avoid...”

“I know. Fatima is a princess of the allied nations. You are their diplomatic representative. It’s only natural.”

“Yes... That’s right.”

Kuhn appreciated that she understood without needing him to explain every detail, but her smooth acceptance didn’t sit well with him. She had been upset when he appeared to be close with Fatima, yet she seemed unconcerned about them attending the party as partners.

‘Has the Fatima effect already worn off?’

He was reminded again of the difference in their feelings.

On that day, Joseph, her fiancé, would be by her side, and Fatima would be by his. The two of them would meet in the banquet hall, each with their partner. He wasn’t too thrilled by the scenario that unfolded in his mind.

Looking at Kuhn, Sienna recalled the conversation she had with her mother a few days ago. Patricia had been eagerly preparing for this year-end party, even inspecting the plates for the tables herself. Amidst her busyness, she had called Sienna over for tea.

"My indifferent daughter. Come by for a moment. I want to see your face."

Sienna didn’t take it at face value. She naturally assumed there was another purpose. Curious about what her mother had to say, she went to the Red King’s palace. As expected, after some small talk, Patricia got to the point.

"It seems you haven’t been meeting with Marquis Raad lately."

"Yes. Isn’t that what you wanted, Mother?"

"It’s more that... I was just concerned for the Silver King. When you met with the Marquis, what did you usually talk about?"

"Lord Rouk was also present. We didn’t discuss anything important."

Sienna found Patricia’s belated probing odd. She must have already summoned Joseph and questioned him.

"Hmm..."

"Mother, if there’s something you want from me, please speak plainly."

"…Alright. I am curious. Have you heard anything about what kind of deal His Majesty the Emperor might have made with the Ferro Alliance? I’m preparing for the year-end party with great care, you know. It’s a farewell for the delegation, but I’m short on information. I need something to go by."

"If I learn anything, I’ll let you know."

What could a secret diplomatic deal possibly have to do with a farewell party? Leaving the Red King’s palace, Sienna found her mother’s clumsy approach amusing.

But thinking back to her past self, she felt a chill. If it were the old her, she might have half-believed that her mother’s intentions were pure.

Back then, she believed her mother knew nothing about politics. Now, she knew her mother was the most political person of all.

‘Would Kuhn tell me if I asked?’

She had no intention of asking for her mother’s sake. It was purely personal curiosity. She wondered just how much he would reveal. How much would he hide? She wanted to test him.

‘...Let’s not be petty.’

It would be a question with no right answer. If he told her, she’d be disappointed in his lack of discretion; if he didn’t, she’d be hurt and still disappointed.

Kuhn had never broken the rules. He never asked sensitive questions. Sometimes, she forgot he was the Iron King's man.

“After the banquet, I might be leaving the capital for a while to see off the delegation.”

“All the way to the desert?”

“Not all the way to the desert. But the next time we meet after the banquet, it could be in the new year.”

By the time he returned, she would either have broken off her engagement or be in the midst of negotiations to do so. He was determined to escort her to the first palace banquet of the new year. And then, he would begin his formal courtship.

He clenched his hands tightly, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her.

‘Not yet.’

As she left him and made her way back to the palace, Sienna pouted.

“It’s not like I don’t have any men to escort me. There’s my brother, and there are plenty of men who came with the delegation.”

She muttered to herself as she walked.

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