TGW Chapter 17 Part 4

 

The Iron King’s birthday party was held modestly at the Iron King’s Palace. Even though it was a small event, nearly thirty people attended. Among them, aside from Violet, the only one from a ducal family was Emily, the youngest daughter of Duke Schultz.

Duke Schultz was the Emperor’s cousin, so Emily was a sixth cousin to the Iron King. However, Emily attended today as a friend of Violet.

Duke Schultz’s family had a strong alliance with the Imperial Family rather than being close relatives. There was little private exchange between the two sides. Emily, with an awkward expression, glanced at her sixth cousin, Princess Sienna, from a distance.

“Lady Schultz.”

Violet approached her friend, who kept isolating herself.

“Come join us over there.”

“I prefer staying here. I’m not good at putting on a brave face like them.”

In the direction Emily pointed, the Silver King, the Iron King, and several nobles were having a conversation.

“I’m afraid I might make a mistake in front of the Silver King.”

Violet nodded understandingly.

Just yesterday, the Red King had announced the annulment of the engagement between the Silver King and Joseph Rouk. And the Duke of Rouk’s family accepted the annulment. It was an unusually swift decision. Even when it came to breaking engagements between noble families, it usually took several months to finalize the process.

What could the Silver King be thinking, appearing at the Iron King’s birthday party today, just a day after the annulment? No one dared to ask, but everyone was watching the Silver King’s expression closely.

“Are you all right?”

There was only one person who asked directly. Taking the opportunity when they were alone, Dian asked.

“Not pleased.”

Sienna answered lightly to his light question.

“Why didn’t you just not come today?”

“Because I have no reason to hide.”

“That’s true. In a way, this is better. Lord Rouk wasn’t a good person, anyway.”

“I didn’t know the Iron King thought so poorly of Lord Rouk.”

“It’s not personal… Anyway, I’m glad you don’t seem too upset.”

“Upset?”

Sienna smirked.

“Iron King, this is a marriage within the Imperial Family. Personal feelings have nothing to do with it.”

“Ah… that’s true.”

Dian thought of Kuhn and muttered, “Poor guy. Your future is bleak.” His animosity towards the one always watching his sister eased. He couldn’t quite grasp how Kuhn planned to win over the princess.

Dian still found Sienna difficult to deal with.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Already?”

“I think I should leave so the atmosphere of the party can lighten up. Everyone’s too busy watching me.”

“The Silver King doesn’t care about things like that.”

It wasn’t a criticism or a jab. It was a straightforward acknowledgment that she didn’t pay attention to public opinion.

If someone else had said the same thing, she might have doubted their sincerity. But Sienna took the Iron King’s words at face value. It wasn’t because she trusted him. Just as she didn’t think of him as a bad person, she didn’t think of him as a good one, either.

He was someone aiming to push her aside and become Emperor himself. How could he not have any hypocrisy or deceit? However, Sienna didn’t think the Iron King was the type to engage in a war of nerves or provoke emotions with a few words. It wasn’t trust; it was understanding.

“Have I come to understand the Iron King a little?”

She was curious why the Iron King acted as he did in the future she saw in her dreams. She wanted to know what kind of person he was.

“I never intended to stay long. I came because I promised Lady Grossi I would attend. I plan my daily schedule at least a few days in advance. I don’t intend to change any plans today.”

If Sienna stayed secluded in her room today, people would freely speculate about the emotional state of a princess affected by the broken engagement.

On the other hand, if she went about her schedule as usual, people might whisper about her being an “emotionless princess,” but they wouldn’t be quick to view the broken engagement as her flaw.

“What would the Iron King do if he were in my position?”

Dian was silent for a moment. The smile disappeared from his face.

“I’d probably stay in my bedroom for a few days. I might even act to garner sympathy since I’m the victim.”

“So that’s the Iron King’s approach.”

“And the Silver King’s approach is different from mine.”

“The Emperor should be like a god. So they must not have any weaknesses.”

“But the Emperor isn’t a god. He’s a person and cannot live alone.”

Different. But being different isn’t the same as being wrong. Sienna vaguely understood the difference.

Though he appeared composed on the outside, Dian was actually nervous. The conversation they were having was quite sensitive. He couldn’t figure out the princess’s true intentions. However, he didn’t shy away and confronted her directly. He wanted to open up to her.

Dian believed without a doubt that Sienna could be an excellent debating partner and advisor. Kuhn played a similar role, but Kuhn was not an imperial citizen. Dian and Kuhn had different people they needed to care for.

In that regard, the princess was the only person who could see the world from the same perspective as Dian.

Dian regretted the lack of trust between himself and the princess. And he lamented that there was almost no chance to close the distance that felt like a parallel line between them.

“You can reach Sir Kali, right?”

Suddenly, the topic changed, and Dian was caught off guard.

“Kali? Sir Kali, the knight?”

“Can you tell him to come and see me?”

“…”

“I have something to ask Sir Kali. Is that difficult?”

“No, I can pass on the message. But is there any reason to go through me? You could contact Sir Kali directly.”

“Sir Kali is a well-known figure. If he comes to see me, the Iron King would soon hear of it too.”

“I don’t spy on the Silver King’s movements…”

“I don’t suspect that. I mean it would become known because rumors would spread.”

Dian nodded awkwardly.

“Sir Kali is one of the Marquis of Raad’s men, and the Marquis is close to the Iron King. I don’t want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“...You think I might suspect the Marquis of Raad? Why?”

“Because I don’t intend to sow discord. That’s my way, Iron King.”

Dian stared at Sienna for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh, as if he had taken a hit.

“I’ll be going now.”

Sienna bowed her head. Dian responded with a nod. He watched as the princess walked away toward Princess Fatima.

It’s truly strange how the world works. That princess is the daughter of the greedy Patricia. She’s upright. Clean. And firm. When he thought about how she had been rushing around helping her chief maid, she even seemed human.

“Have I been judging her too hastily? Even if the Silver King becomes the Emperor, she might not be swayed by the Red King and the Rimon family.”

“Your Highness.”

Dian turned his head. Violet had approached him without him noticing.

“You weren’t having a disagreement with the Silver King, were you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You both looked so serious. I didn’t dare approach. I’m sure the others felt the same.”

“Serious?”

Dian smiled and shook his head.

“We were just having a brief serious conversation.”

He looked around again and saw that the princess had already reached the entrance after finishing a short conversation with Princess Fatima. Violet, saying, “I’ll escort Her Highness,” hurried after her.

Like the others, Fatima’s gaze was also on the princess’s back. Her dark eyes trembled, and she bit her lip.

“A broken engagement, huh?”

The engagement of the Silver King had been a psychological shield. Now it had collapsed. Anxiety overwhelmed her.

The Silver King had kindly informed her personally that the procedures for the library pass she had requested were completed and that she would soon receive it.

But the Silver King’s words didn’t register well in her mind. She wasn’t excited about the pass she would soon hold in her hands. All her attention was focused solely on the fact of the princess’s broken engagement. She had a bad feeling. An inexplicable anxiety crept over her.

“When will Lord Kuhn return? He should have arrived by now.”

Fatima was disappointed that Russ had left with Kuhn and was not in the capital. She didn’t know whom to ask.

“Does Violet know? The Iron King would know. I should ask Violet to… No, that would be too obvious. I’ll have to go to Lord Kuhn’s residence later.”

 

 ***

Beth knocked on the office door and then entered.

"Your Highness, Sir Kali requests an audience. He said he has come at your command."

Sienna, who was sitting at her desk, looked up.

"It was a good idea to ask the Iron King."

It had only been a few hours since she asked Dian. If Sienna had tried to contact him herself, it wouldn’t have been this quick.

"Bring him in... No, have him wait in the reception room since he is a guest."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Sienna observed Beth’s slightly excited expression and asked,

"Is something the matter?"

"Pardon? Oh, no, I was just a bit surprised. Seeing the Knight of the Golden Button in person—he is indeed like a giant."

"His height is not much different from Kuhn's."

"I heard he is the strongest knight in the Empire. They say he defeated ten of the Emperor's personal guards in an instant."

"It wasn’t instantaneous, and he benefited from wearing special armor. Kuhn’s skills are probably on par with Sir Kali’s… maybe."

"I didn’t know the Countess was so interested in knights."

"Strong knights are always admired, aren't they, Emma?"

"Yes, absolutely."

Emma nodded enthusiastically from behind Beth’s chair. Her face was flushed, as if she were feverish.

When the Marquis of Raad visited, both women were calm. Compared to their current excited reactions, Sienna felt uncomfortable. She didn’t realize that to them, the Marquis of Raad was such a lofty figure that they couldn’t even think of him as someone to gossip about.

"Isn’t Kuhn better?"

She felt a twinge of jealousy.

 

 ***

When Sienna entered the reception room, Martin, who had been waiting inside, bowed his head. Sienna sat on the sofa and called Martin over.

"Come and sit."

"I'm fine, Your Highness. I heard you called for me. Please, ask your questions."

When Sienna insisted again, Martin reluctantly sat down.

Martin had been wondering if he should go to the Silver King’s Palace or delay until Kuhn returned. He was still protecting the woman and child he had taken from the Duke of Rouk’s party.

He had laughed off the Duke of Rouk’s family’s attempts to pressure and coax him into giving up the child, but if the Silver King demanded custody, he wouldn’t know how to respond. Kuhn hadn’t given instructions on this matter.

Yesterday, the Silver King and Joseph Rouk had ended their engagement. Since the engagement had been broken due to such a scandal, the Silver King’s pride must have been severely hurt.

There was a possibility she might take out her anger on the woman and child who had caused the scandal. So far, in Martin’s experience, no royal or noble had ever simply let an affront to their dignity pass.

"Sir Kali."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I owe you a debt of gratitude, and I haven’t properly repaid you."

"Please, don’t worry about it. I was merely following orders."

"If it weren’t for you, I might have faced a difficult situation. If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to ask."

"I am honored, Your Highness."

"And there’s something I want to ask you."

Martin tensed up.

"Do you know when the Marquis of Raad will return…?"

The unexpected question caught him off guard.

"...I received word that he will return in two days."

"When exactly in two days?"

"In the afternoon."

"I would like to meet with the Marquis of Raad."

"Yes, I’ll convey your message."

"No, on that day two days from now, you’ll go to meet the Marquis, won’t you?"

"Yes, I will…."

Martin hesitated.

"Are you saying you want to go with me to meet him?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Oh, no, not at all. Yes, that's fine."

At that moment, Martin felt a newfound respect for Kuhn. While being involved in the princess's plan to break off her engagement, he had worried. It seemed clear that Kuhn was quite eager about the princess, but he wondered if it was even feasible.

"So Kuhn isn’t the only one trying hard."

"It's an unofficial outing, so there's no need to make a big deal out of it. You don’t need to come to my palace that day. Just leave your contact information with my maid on your way out. I’ll send someone to set the time and place."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As he left the Silver King's Palace, Martin felt dazed. After walking for a while, he turned back. The Silver King's Palace was visible in the distance. The Silver King hadn’t asked him anything about the woman and child he was protecting. His predictions had been wrong, but he felt surprisingly good.

The carriage he had hailed after leaving the palace arrived in front of the Ivy Mansion. He paid the fare and got out.

"Sir Kali."

Martin turned his head. A woman wearing a cloak was approaching. When she removed her hood, he recognized her face.

"Princess, what brings you here?"

Martin had met Fatima at the Duke of Rouk's party. On that day, so many people had crowded around him that he couldn’t tell who was who after a while. But he couldn’t forget Fatima, who had greeted him with, "You really look just like Lord Russ."

Martin looked around.

"Surely you didn’t come alone without an escort?"

"I often go out alone. It's more convenient that way."

Martin frowned. She was a princess of the Allied Nations. Kuhn had a responsibility to protect her.

"What brings you here?"

"I have an urgent matter to discuss with the Marquis."

"He hasn’t returned yet."

"When will he be back?"

"Why don’t you come inside first? You can tell me, and I’ll relay the message to him."

"I need to speak with him directly."

"Is it urgent?"

"Yes."

Martin noticed a brief hesitation before Fatima answered.

"I’m not sure when he’ll be back."

Martin didn’t tell her “in two days” even though it wasn’t a secret. He didn’t know why, but it felt better not to mention it.

"I’ll let you know when I find out. You’re staying at the Count’s residence, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll take you there."

"Please be sure to let me know."

"Yes, understood."

Martin escorted Fatima to the Count's residence and made sure she was safely inside.

"I need to make sure Princess Fatima doesn’t travel alone anymore."

Martin wasn’t worried about Princess Fatima but rather about Kuhn, who would be troubled if anything happened to her.

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