TGW Chapter 18 Part 1

 

A small fast boat arrived at the capital’s pier. Kuhn and Russ disembarked.

When they departed with the envoys of the Allied Nations, there were many people, including attendants, so they took a slow regular ship. However, they used a faster boat to save time on the way back. It took longer than expected to escort the delegation almost to the edge of the desert.

As they walked along the pier, a young man carrying cargo, disguised as a dock worker, passed by Kuhn and dropped a note on the ground. Kuhn glanced briefly at the scribbles on the note and then walked past. It was a signal sent by Evita, the head of Olga. It meant they wanted to meet.

“Let’s head to the trading company. We should exit through the back door there.”

Russ understood and answered briefly.

Kuhn spotted a familiar face approaching from a distance. Russ, too, recognized his brother’s face, and his demeanor became quite fierce. He had spent the entire boat trip grinding his teeth, planning to make Martin suffer for having grown weaker.

Martin was not alone. Two people in robes with their hoods pulled down were with him. As they got closer, Martin bowed his head to Kuhn.

“Welcome back.”

“I told you there was no need to come out.”

Kuhn didn’t mind the two unknown people. Since they were with Martin, he trusted they were not suspicious.

Gilbert raised his head, revealing his face under the hood.

“Marquis.”

Kuhn was taken aback to see an unexpected figure.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m on guard duty.”

“Guard duty? For whom?”

Kuhn had a strange feeling. He turned his gaze to the other person in a hood. A delicate voice came from under the hood.

“Did you forget whose guard he is?”

A white, slender hand slipped out from under a sleeve and lifted the front of the hood. Sienna’s face, hidden in the shadow of her clothes, was revealed.

She thought he would be at least a little surprised. However, his eyebrows only slightly lifted; he didn’t show the reaction she had hoped for. Instead, with an expression she had never seen before, Kuhn spoke stiffly.

“I was planning to inform you soon. The matter you were worried about has been resolved.”

“…”

She couldn’t understand what he meant. Still, she sensed it wasn’t the right time to ask further.

“This is not the right place to discuss important matters. Martin, to the trading company.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kuhn offered a minimum polite nod and turned around. His back as he strode away was cold. Russ kept glancing back and, when the distance grew between them and Kuhn, hurriedly followed.

“Please come with me. I will escort you to the trading company,” Martin said.

Trying to hide her confusion, Sienna nodded.

Martin, Sienna, and Gilbert got back into the carriage they had taken to the pier. Inside the moving carriage, Sienna was sullen. As soon as she heard the news of the annulment, she thought of Kuhn. She wondered what he would say, given how he viewed Joseph as an eyesore.

She remembered his joyful expression when he received the button gift. The soft, fluttering feeling she felt then resurfaced, making her want to see him. On a whim, she summoned Martin to ask when Kuhn would return and left the palace to meet him.

‘That was unnecessary.’

It seemed he had urgent business to attend to. She understood, as she also had experiences where unexpected visitors were unwelcome.

‘Still, after such a long time, couldn’t he have been a bit happier to see someone who came to meet him on purpose?’

She felt a little disappointed.

---

Two carriages entered the main branch of Rad Trading Company. Shortly after the carriages entered, Rad Trading Company closed the front gate, even though the sun had not yet set.

Martin got out first, and Sienna and Gilbert waited in the carriage for a moment. Soon, Martin returned and guided them to a spacious room. Martin gestured for them to sit on the sofa.

“Please wait a moment.”

Sienna looked around the room. It was quite different from the typical guest reception room.

One wall was filled with built-in bookshelves packed with books. In front of the bookshelves was a large desk. On the desk, there were signs that the user hadn’t had time to tidy up.

‘It looks like a workspace.’

There was a knock on the door, and Martin, who had just left, poked his head in.

“Sir Gilbert, just a moment.”

Without waiting for an answer, Martin closed the door. Gilbert frowned. When calling a guard separately, one should ask for the master’s consent, not just the knight’s.

“Go and see.”

“But, Your Majesty, even if he is the Knight of the Golden Button, this is impolite.”

“Sir Kali is not of noble birth. He may have made a mistake out of ignorance.”

“I cannot leave your side, Your Majesty.”

“Both the Marquis of Raad and Sir Kali are trustworthy. There’s no need to worry about my safety. Go and check.”

After Gilbert left, Sienna was alone. A moment later, there was another knock, followed by a deep voice.

“I’ve brought tea.”

Seeing the person who entered, Sienna’s eyes widened slightly. From the voice, she had guessed it was a middle-aged person, but it was an elderly man with gray hair.

The elderly man, who brought in the tea cart himself, didn’t seem like a servant who did menial tasks. Unlike hired servants who were accustomed to bowing their heads, his posture was upright, and his expression was relaxed.

“I am Mason. I handle various affairs for the trading company.”

As the old man placed a teacup in front of Sienna, he introduced himself. Then, he naturally sat on the sofa across from her.

Sienna had never seen the old man before, but his name sounded familiar. Most of the Empire’s nobles probably knew his name.

“…The general manager of Raad Trading Company?”

“It’s a grand-sounding title only in appearance.”

“The general manager is personally serving tea?”

“We must treat special guests appropriately.”

She couldn’t understand why he was looking at her with such a pleased smile. Feeling a bit awkward, Sienna picked up her teacup. She took a sip and was surprised. The bitter taste was gentle and not overwhelming.

“This is good tea.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

Mason remained quietly seated until she finished her cup of tea. Sienna found it curious that she didn’t feel uncomfortable with the silence of a stranger.

“Mason!” A voice called urgently, and at the same time, the door swung open. Kuhn stepped in but froze in place. Mason rose leisurely.

“Kuhn, how can you be late when a lady is waiting?”

Kuhn approached with a frustrated expression. He checked Sienna’s expression, then growled quietly at Mason.

“You said it was the reception room.”

He had searched all the reception rooms in both the main and annex buildings. Only Mason could have sent him on a wild goose chase.

Mason smiled broadly. It was the first time he had seen Kuhn looking out for someone else.

“Oh dear, it seems my message was misunderstood.”

“Mason!”

“If I hadn’t greeted her this way, who knows when we’d meet. Now, take your time with your conversation. Kuhn, if you have something to say to me, we’ll talk later. My lady, it was an honor to meet you.”

Mason bowed to Sienna with great courtesy. After Mason left, Kuhn sat next to Sienna.

“Mason didn’t offend you, did he?”

“Not at all. He just served me tea.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“Is the general manager related to you?”

The way Mason treated Kuhn was polite, but it didn’t seem like a simple superior-subordinate relationship.

“He’s not a relative, but it’s similar.”

Kuhn looked at Sienna and raised his hand, brushing his fingers across her cheek as if caressing a delicate gem.

“I can’t believe it. That you’re here, in my space.”

His demeanor was entirely different from the cold attitude at the pier.

“Was my visit inconvenient?”

“Yes, I was. Trying to maintain a straight face.”

“If it’s because of Sir Gilbert, don’t worry. He’s a man who keeps his mouth shut.”

Kuhn smiled.

“Good thing I sent Sir Gilbert so many gifts.”

“What do you mean?”

“I knew Sir Gilbert would be on your side.”

“Sir Gilbert has always been my guard.”

“Just because someone is nearby doesn’t mean they’re on your side. When you first took in Sir Gilbert as a guard, you didn’t trust him as much as you do now.”

“….”

She hadn’t realized her own feelings. Instead of feeling caught, she thought, ‘He understands me.’

“Sir Gilbert was quite troubled by your gifts.”

“Should I stop sending them?”

“No. I told him he could ask you for something costly. But your bribes won’t work on Sir Gilbert.”

Kuhn chuckled with admiration.

“Bribes? Think of them as sincere gifts of goodwill. I’ll try to make Sir Gilbert famous among collectors as a rare quill owner.”

Sienna took his words as a joke.

“What was so urgent that you had to come to the pier? I kept thinking about it on the carriage ride to the trading company, but I couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t ask at the pier. From the moment I stepped off the boat, eyes must have been on me from everywhere.”

“Are you being watched? By whom?”

“I don’t know. There must be many in the capital who want to know what I’m doing and who I’m meeting.”

Goodness. Sienna mentally screamed. Why hadn’t she thought of that? He was practically an investigator, a commissioner. Although officially, his mission was to investigate a 25-year-old case, he could use that as a pretext.

Anyone with something to hide from 25 years ago, or with a scandal they wanted to keep hidden, would find Marquis Rad very uncomfortable. And any powerful noble probably had at least one such secret.

Sienna’s face felt hot. Leaving the palace to meet him on a day like this without considering the situation around her—she was disappointed in her recklessness.

At least they had met Martin outside the palace and immediately taken a carriage to the pier. She was disguised in a knight’s uniform and covered her face with a hood. No one would have recognized her.

“This room doesn’t look like a reception room.”

Kuhn looked at her closely, then smiled faintly.

“It’s a study. Mostly Mason’s, but I use it sometimes too.”

“Then it’s not a place just anyone can enter. Why did he bring me here?”

“You’re not just anyone, so it’s fine.”

She was at a loss for words. When he spoke like this, she couldn’t think of a response.

‘Ah, but his way of speaking….’

She realized belatedly that his tone had become more relaxed. She hadn’t noticed because it felt so natural. Maybe it was because neither the setting nor their attire was formal. It felt as if it had always been this way.

She had already been speaking casually to him, so it felt awkward to suggest being formal now. When they were in public, they kept it formal, but when they were alone, they were informal. Sienna liked that gap. It felt like a secret only they shared.

‘Kuhn is no longer in a position where he must speak formally to His Majesty, either.’

She pretended not to notice. It didn’t bother her.

“Is that a portrait?”

From where she was sitting, she noticed a framed painting on the diagonal wall. Because of the distance and angle, she could only vaguely see the outline of an upper body.

“Hmm.”

“Can I take a closer look?”

“As much as you like.”

She got up and walked over to the portrait.

‘Oh….’

As soon as she saw the portrait, she sighed. The middle-aged Kuhn she had seen in her dream was in the painting. At first glance, she thought they were exactly alike. But the more she looked, the more she noticed something different. It wasn’t Kuhn. Yet, it resembled him strikingly.

‘It must be the other way around. It’s not that he resembles Kuhn, but Kuhn resembles him.’

“The founder of Rad Trading Company. My great-great-grandfather… Well, an ancestor of mine, a few generations up.”

Sienna looked up at him, standing beside her.

“You look so much alike; I thought it was your father or grandfather.”

“That’s what everyone says. It’s like he’s been reincarnated. Thanks to that, I’ve benefited. People treat me like they treated him.”

Sienna sensed a faint resentment in his words.

“Is looking like him a problem?”

“He… He’s a legend in our family. They say that his time was the most glorious. I wasn’t alive back then, so I wouldn’t know. But human memory tends to work that way. The past is glorified, and old glory is infinitely bright. And I’m supposed to bring that glory back.”

“...Because you look like him?”

“Because I look like him.”

‘I think I understand.’

Sienna understood the burden he carried. She felt a similar weight all the time.

She had to be a descendant worthy of the ancestors who founded the great empire. She had to be different from ordinary people, befitting her special status as a descendant of the divine.

Even with her exceptional looks and talents, she couldn’t escape the pressure. She worked as hard as her talents—if not harder. She was strict with herself. She strove to be perfect.

“Do you hate the expectations placed on you?”

“It’s not that I hate them, but… It’s scary.”

‘Fear.’

As soon as he said “scary,” Sienna muttered the word that meant the same thing inside. It was fear of facing one’s own limits, a fear of not knowing when it might happen. So far, she had fortunately met everyone’s expectations, but she was always anxious that one day she would reach her limit.

Sienna felt a chill. She had thought no one in this world could understand her loneliness. It was the first time she had an experience where she felt empathy—understanding another’s thoughts and feelings as if they were her own. It was like wandering in a foreign world and meeting the only person who spoke her language.

“Will you not tell me? What’s going on?”

Kuhn guessed it was a serious matter.

‘...Strange.’

Looking at his serious expression, Sienna murmured. Something had changed. Previously, seeing him made her happy. Conversations with him were enjoyable, and sometimes, she felt the excitement like the anticipation right before drinking sweet tea.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like him anymore. It was a feeling much deeper than simple likes or dislikes. A dull, sweet pain throbbed deep inside her heart. Conflicting emotions were intertwined and inseparable. She didn’t know how to define this feeling.

“I broke off the engagement.”

“...I know.”

“Already?”

“Just because I’m not in the capital doesn’t mean I’m deaf to the news here.”

He had received real-time reports. He was pleased that things had gone smoothly. But seeing her face, he felt guilty as someone who had planned and orchestrated the breakup. He had only focused on the purpose of the breakup, not considering her wounded pride.

“You’re okay… right?”

Sienna frowned.

“Don’t ask me such trivial questions, too.”

She turned around sharply, but he caught her and turned her back.

“I’m asking what’s going on.”

“I broke off the engagement.”

Kuhn furrowed his brow.

“There’s nothing else. I just came to greet you because you were returning.”

He mumbled, stunned.

“…Greet me? I didn’t even think about that.”

“I guess I put you in an awkward position by showing up on a whim.”

“No. At the pier, I acted like I didn’t know you so that you wouldn’t have any trouble. Greet me? You…?”

Kuhn spread his arms wide and pulled her into a tight embrace. He muttered as if sighing.

“Because of you, my life is getting shorter.”

Sienna, her face pressed against his chest, slightly raised her chin.

“Why?”

“What do you think I thought when I saw your face earlier? I wondered what kind of a bombshell could bring the Silver King here personally. I thought my head was going to explode trying to figure it out in the carriage.”

Sienna chuckled.

“Are you laughing? After making my heart burn black? So… did you only bring Sir Gilbert as your guard?”

“Yes.”

“Who knows you left the palace?”

“The guards know.”

“Do they know whom you’re meeting or where you’re going?”

“I told the Countess.”

She answered, expecting him to nag about safety, but he murmured regretfully.

“If the Countess knows, then it’s no good.”

Sienna looked at him, puzzled, while gently pushing him away.

“If no one knew, I thought about taking you away from the capital right now.”

Sienna scoffed.

“That’s too much of a joke.”

“I’m serious.”

“Don’t say irresponsible things. What about the mission you received from His Majesty the Emperor?”

“The main branch of Rad Trading Company is also in the capital. Considering that, is it really a crazy idea?”

“Of course.”

“I might do something crazy.”

Sienna couldn’t understand why he was saying this. She tilted her head in confusion.

“You’re not the kind of person to do that.”

Kuhn smiled with a peculiar expression.

“If you say so, then it must be true.”

Kuhn was rumored to be the reincarnation of his ancestor not only because of his similar appearance.

The founder of the trading company, the progenitor of his clan, was known for his reckless adventurous spirit. He was said to have repeatedly done things that people around him considered insane.

Kuhn had inherited his ancestor’s temperament. While he liked to meticulously plan everything from start to finish, leaving no gaps, he also often acted recklessly without a plan.

But if there was something about himself that she didn’t like, he would hide it. He wanted to be remembered as a good person in her eyes. He wanted to appear as a good man.

“Why are you alone? Where’s Sir Gilbert?”

“Sir Kali called him out, but I don’t know why he’s not coming back.”

“Hm.”

“Is there something…?”

“Nothing could happen at my trading company.”

As her body was suddenly lifted, Sienna was startled. He picked her up and walked over to the sofa. He sat her down and leaned his upper body towards her.

Sienna’s back gradually leaned back. She ended up in a half-lying position under him.

“Now that there’s no fiancé.”

He quickly gave her a short kiss on the lips.

“Don’t push me away. No other excuse will work.”

Sienna blocked his approaching mouth with her hand.

“Sir Gilbert will be back soon.”

Kuhn kissed her palm while holding her wrist. He spoke in a low voice as if threatening.

“Sienna. As I said before, you need to be more cautious. This isn’t the palace. I am the master here. You’re in the tiger’s den now.”

Sienna blinked and looked at him. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She reached out and grabbed his neck with both arms, pulling him sharply. He lost his balance and fell forward towards her.

She bit his lower lip. Watching his wavering eyes, she said proudly,

“I can hunt a tiger.”

Kuhn burst into laughter. Adorable. This woman made him want her desperately. He wanted to leave marks on her body, kissing every inch to claim her as his.

Kuhn lowered his head. She slightly tilted hers so that their lips met without any gaps. In these small gestures—her reciprocating, not refusing, sometimes even actively responding—Kuhn felt touched and overjoyed.

Before she knew it, Sienna’s back was fully against the sofa. Under his body pressing her down, she couldn’t move at all. Feeling the weight of his firm body pressing down on her gave her a strange sense of pleasure.

Their tongues entwined passionately. They tasted each other’s lips and the soft flesh deep inside their mouths, heating up quickly. Their excited hands roamed over each other, and their bodies pressed together as if in a caress.

‘Ah!’

Her body flinched. His hand slipped under her shirt, brushing her bare skin up her waist. As she was dressed as a knight, she had wrapped her chest tightly with cloth. As his hand moved up under the cloth, the tightly bound fabric rolled up. His hand grasped her bare breast. Her fingers clenching his shoulder twitched.

Sienna focused back on the kiss that wasn’t over yet. The hand grasping her breast gently rubbed her nipple with its fingers, feeling it harden from the stimulation. A tingling pleasure shot up her back.

However, there was something that bothered her more than her chest. Between her legs, his body was fully pressed down in a way that felt like a restraint. She had been feeling something hard poke her lower abdomen for a while. She thought it might be a dagger but suddenly realized what it actually was.

Startled, she pushed Kuhn away with all her might. He released her lower lip from his mouth and raised his head slightly. The desire in his eyes was blatant.

“Your hand…”

“My hand?”

“Your hand.”

She gave an excuse, though the real reason for her surprise was different.

“Ah…”

Kuhn checked the position of his hand and murmured as if he had just realized. Instead of pulling his hand out immediately, he paused for a moment. He hesitated, relishing the fantastic feel of her breast in his hand. He gave a slight squeeze, and she took a sharp breath. Her reaction made his eyes flicker.

“Do you want to continue?”

Surprised by a different reason, she had used her hand as an excuse. She asked calmly.

“If you do more, I won’t be able to stop. I don’t want our first time to be like this.”

He kissed her lightly as a finishing touch and stood up. He grabbed her hand and helped her sit up from her reclining position on the sofa.

Sienna turned her gaze away, trying to avoid looking at his lower body, and said,

“Call the maid.”

“Maid?”

He hesitated. If he called someone to fix her clothes, the rumor would quickly spread among the clan. A wedding date would be set. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

“I’ll help you.”

Kuhn fixed her disheveled clothes. The daughter of a duke used to having attendants did not seem to mind being touched here and there while he fixed her clothes.

Then he remembered there were attendants in the palace. Suddenly, he felt very self-conscious.

“Do the maids attend to you in your bedroom?”

“Sometimes, another person does.”

“Who?”

“The Countess.”

He exhaled a breath he had been holding.

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