TGW Chapter 18 Part 4

 

“It was probably on the day of the late emperor’s wedding.”

The emperor in the dream spoke, gazing at Kuhn, who was also in the dream.

“That was the day we first met. Am I correct?”

—Huh?

She had heard that the Iron King was getting married this spring. There was nearly a one-year gap between when Sienna met Kuhn in the dream’s future and when she first met Kuhn in the present.

Sienna had spent a lot of time with Kuhn. They had met at a masquerade ball, strolled through the market together, and had tea when he visited the Silver Palace. Many other things were too numerous to list.

Yet, in the dream, she claimed that she didn’t know a man named “Kuhn Raad” during this period. Her heart sank, feeling a hollow void as if an important memory had been stolen from her.

“Yes, that matches my memory as well.”

“The late emperor introduced you to everyone as the head of a merchant guild. I should have paid more attention to you back then. It seems I lacked the ability to judge people.”

“I was merely a merchant.”

“Disguised as merely a merchant, I suppose.”

The man responded with silence.

—Truly... so much has changed.

Sienna sighed. Currently, Kuhn was the Marquis of Raad. Appointed by the emperor as an investigator, he held immense power. His status as the owner of the Raad Merchant Guild had become secondary.

—Why has everything changed so much?

She didn’t know what caused the divergence. Clearly, at some point, the paths of the dream’s future and the current future had diverged.

—Is there any meaning to the future I see in this dream?

The future that had already changed had lost its power of foresight. Whatever she saw in her dream, the present would flow toward a completely different future.

—Could it be that this dream... isn’t a divine message?

For the first time, Sienna began to have doubts. She had always believed that the dream was a prophecy that foresaw the future. But maybe it wasn’t.

“Somewhere in my heart, I looked down on you for being a merchant. That’s why your people couldn’t help but dislike me. It’s only natural to despise someone who disrespects their master.”

“You’re drunk, Your Majesty.”

“Am I talking too much?”

“You’re being too honest.”

The emperor burst into laughter.

“Why was I unable to brush things off like this in the past? I really disliked your way of speaking.”

“I know. And to be frank, I spoke that way all the more because you disliked it.”

Listening to their conversation, Sienna couldn’t help but chuckle.

—You haven’t changed, even in the future.

She felt a sense of disconnect, to the point where she couldn’t believe the emperor and herself were the same person. However, the man in front of her was undeniably Kuhn. His words were still as bold and unfiltered as ever. Just looking at him made her heart race.

“If you felt alienated, that was certainly my fault. At the time...”

He hesitated.

“It’s alright. Go on.”

“...I couldn’t accept you as part of my family. The late emperor’s order for the marriage was half a suggestion, half a command.”

“Family... is it.”

“I should have tried harder. I was severely reprimanded later on.”

“Is there someone who could reprimand you?”

“The person who raised me in place of my parents. Because of managing the Rad Merchant Guild, they couldn’t leave the capital, so Your Majesty likely never met them.”

The image of General Manager Mason flashed before Sienna’s eyes.

—But I’ve met him.

Feeling a strange sense of superiority over her future self, Sienna found herself amused by her own arrogance.

The emperor sighed. Their conversation came to a halt, and a long silence ensued.

“I have something for you.”

Her gaze shifted upward, then abruptly wavered.

“Are you alright?”

The trembling stopped. The emperor turned his head. Sienna held her breath as she looked at the man standing right in front of her. He was holding the emperor’s arm.

“I’m fine. Just a momentary dizziness.”

“Your Majesty, it seems you’re drunk, and it’s late...”

“No, not yet. Don’t go. Wait.”

The emperor brushed off his hand and slowly walked toward the bedroom. As he walked, he shut his eyes tightly a few times and then opened them again. It was evident he was stubbornly trying not to show any weakness to the man behind him.

The emperor entered the bedroom and approached a painting with a landscape. He slipped his hand inside the corner of the frame, feeling around. There was a soft click, and the painting swung open like a cover. Behind it, there was a handle. The emperor pulled it.

Sienna watched with interest as the emperor revealed his personal safe. Inside, there were several yellow envelopes. If they were kept in the emperor’s safe, they must be highly important documents.

The emperor reached deep inside and took out a small pouch. He closed the safe and then the disguised picture frame. He emptied the pouch into his hand. A small stone rolled out.

It was an unrefined mineral fragment, shimmering with rainbow hues. The emperor stared at it for a while, holding it in his hand, then left the bedroom. The man was still standing there. The emperor walked over to him and extended his hand.

“Take it.”

The emperor placed the stone in the man’s outstretched palm. The man’s expression was peculiar as he examined the item he had received.

“It must be something precious to you.”

“...”

“When I left the Dark Castle that day, it was the only thing I took that didn’t belong to me. I apologize for touching your possession without permission.”

“Do you know what this is?”

“I do not.”

“Why did you think it would be valuable to me?”

“There was a time when I saw you sigh while looking at it. I thought it must be... an object that held memories of a lover.”

The man’s expression showed disbelief.

“No. This belonged to my father.”

“Oh...”

“You misunderstood. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about it until you gave it to me.”

“So, you were reminiscing about your father while looking at it?”

“I don’t remember when that was. But if I looked at this and thought of someone, it wouldn’t have been a dead lover or my deceased father.”

The man’s eyes grew misty as he stared at the stone.

“For various reasons, this stone was once owned by an information organization operating in the shadows. The information they sold became a lethal dagger that was used against me. At that time, one of my people took the blow in my place and died. I later annihilated that organization with my own hands and, instead of beheading the leader, took this stone.”

“Was the buyer of that information... my mother?”

The emperor’s voice quivered. The man’s dark eyes gleamed like cold obsidian.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The emperor let out a sigh that sounded like a moan.

“I know who it was. I remember the day the Dark Castle was engulfed in sorrow. Lord Glyn, wasn’t it?”

“...Your Majesty. I must say something that is both disrespectful and impertinent.”

There was a suppressed fury in the low voice of the man.

“I cannot forgive your mother.”

 

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