TGW Chapter 24 Part 5

 

The White Chip had docked at the pier. As the grand yacht appeared, a crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the impressive vessel.

As the sailors disembarked in a cluster, the onlookers whispered among themselves, commenting on the peculiar appearance of the visitors. All of the sailors wore robes draped over their upper bodies, with hoods covering their heads and half-masks that only left their mouths visible.

Had it been just one or two individuals, they might have drawn suspicious stares, but the sheer number of similarly dressed figures made them more of a curiosity than a threat. Being a dock frequently visited by ships bound for the capital, the local residents were accustomed to seeing exotic sights.

Among the sailors were four people moving discreetly: Kuhn, Sienna, and their guards, Gilbert and Us. The small group concealed themselves within the larger crowd—a well-coordinated disguise.

The sailors were not only accompanying their masters on a quiet outing but also taking the opportunity to replenish supplies from the market. The White Chip’s supplies had never dropped below half capacity; they always kept their reserves stocked to prepare for any potential emergencies.

The Red glow of the setting sun illuminated the pier at dusk, casting long shadows.

“I forgot to tell you in advance, but this area is directly governed by His Majesty the Emperor,” Kuhn mentioned casually.

“Directly governed? Which territory?” Sienna inquired.

“Haiman.”

“Haiman…” Sienna mentally mapped out the territories of the Empire she had memorized. It was located to the northwest of the capital.

'It’s good that I decided to come out.'

Though she had ventured out with the lighthearted intention of visiting a night market, she realized this was a direct domain of the Emperor. It was a fortunate coincidence. During her inspection of the lands bestowed upon her after her coronation, she had visited mostly deserted places, leaving her with little opportunity to observe the lives of the Emperor's subjects.

Sienna glanced at the crowd still lingering around the White Chip. The onlookers’ clothing was all tattered and shabby, far worse than that of the commoners in the capital.

“Is there someone in particular who caught your eye?”

Noticing Sienna continually glancing at the crowd, Kuhn asked.

Sienna shook her head. Something about the scene bothered her, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what.

The marketplace extended directly from the pier. As the evening darkened, the merchants began to hang lanterns in front of their stalls. The lanterns were of a unique design, made from woven thin sticks shaped like animal skeletons and covered in thin paper. When lit from within, they shone brightly in the shape of the creature they represented.

Once the sun had set, darkness quickly settled over the area. Soon, a series of variously shaped lanterns lining the winding market street created a breathtaking spectacle.

Merchants displayed an assortment of goods on stalls and tables, eagerly inviting customers. There were particularly many snacks for sale. The number of people gathering at the night market gradually increased.

“If there’s anything you want to buy, just let me know,” Kuhn offered.

Sienna nodded but continued to look around silently. Unlike the last time they had visited a market in the capital, where she had shown her curiosity openly, she was more reserved this time. The scale was smaller, and the variety of goods was limited compared to the capital. However, the local characteristics more than made up for these shortcomings, giving the market a unique charm.

Still, Sienna couldn’t enjoy herself purely. Her attention was more on observing the appearance and expressions of the common folk rather than the wares on display.

Kuhn did not urge her or try to make conversation. He quietly walked beside her.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the end of the night market. Sienna turned back and retraced her steps to the market entrance. They walked from end to end several times.

'There they are again.'

She noticed something unsettling. There were pairs or trios of men moving together. If she hadn’t walked back and forth several times, watching closely, she might have missed them entirely.

'There are several of these groups. Their behavior and atmosphere are similar.'

At first, she thought they might be guards. However, they only visited certain stalls while bypassing others, and the merchants greeted them with forced smiles.

One merchant who caught Sienna's attention was conducting business with the White Chip’s sailors. His stall was stocked with various beeswax candles. Although she couldn’t hear the conversation, it appeared to be a lucrative transaction, as the merchant beamed and bowed repeatedly.

After the sailor left the stall, the merchant hurried his staff to start packing the goods. The lively scene brought a smile to Sienna’s lips, but it quickly vanished as two men sauntered over. The merchant's expression soured instantly.

They exchanged a few words with the merchant. One of the men took a piece of paper from his coat and handed it to the merchant. The merchant stamped it with his seal and returned it. Sienna had seen this happen several times. Observing alone wasn’t enough to figure out who these men were.

Sienna tugged on Kuhn’s sleeve. She leaned in close and whispered, “Those two men over there—what are they doing?”

Kuhn followed her gaze and furrowed his brow, remaining silent for a moment.

'Was she observing something like that this whole time?'

He had been puzzled by her behavior, noticing how different she seemed from when they had toured the market in the capital. This outing was meant to be a diversion, and now he wondered if stopping here was a mistake.

Speaking quietly into her ear to avoid being overheard, Kuhn said, “It’s a long story to explain properly.”

Their masked eyes met.

Sienna instinctively sensed she was about to hear something significant, and it wouldn’t be pleasant news.

The surrounding noise was overwhelming, and there wasn’t a quiet place nearby to have a proper conversation.

“Let’s return to the ship,” Sienna suggested. She had already lost interest in the night market. Kuhn considered telling her it wasn’t urgent, but he kept quiet. There was no point in forcing her to continue exploring when she clearly wasn’t enjoying herself.

They exited the market and returned to the pier. As they boarded the ship, Martin, who was on deck, looked surprised.

“Back already, sir?”

Kuhn only nodded. As he was passing by, Martin caught his attention.

“Kuhn. I need to speak with you.”

Kuhn stopped. Sienna figured he would join her once his business was finished, so she headed to the cabin with Gilbert.

After waiting cautiously for a moment, Martin conveyed his message to Kuhn.

“He wants to see you.”

“Now?”

“He didn’t say it was urgent.”

“...Understood.”

Kuhn turned and went in a different direction from where Sienna had gone. He felt it was better to hear what Jeffrey had to say first, rather than leaving any unresolved issues hanging over him. The two brothers remained standing on deck, looking perplexed.

“Hey,” Martin called out.

Russ replied sulkily, “What?”

“Wasn’t the night market any good? Why are you back so soon?”

“…”

Russ’s expression was thoroughly disgruntled. Martin wondered why he was in such a foul mood. Was it because he didn’t get to enjoy the night market to his satisfaction?

“What’s with her?”

“Who? …You mean the Silver King?”

Seeing Russ clench his lips shut, Martin clicked his tongue.

“Watch your mouth. You’ll get in trouble.”

“Did Kuhn commit a crime or something?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I just don’t understand why he’s tiptoeing around her!”

Russ erupted like someone who felt incredibly wronged. Martin looked at Russ, who was fuming and then chuckled. He understood now.

The clan members had two main views on Kuhn. Some saw him as a leader to trust and follow, while others almost idolized him. Us was closer to the latter.

That was one of the differences between the two brothers. To Martin, Kuhn was the "master," while to Russ, he was the "lord." If Kuhn gave an unreasonable order, Martin would obey but with questions in his mind. Russ, however, would follow without question.

Russ viewed Kuhn as a perfect being. No one was higher than Kuhn in his eyes. Therefore, it was hard for him to accept Kuhn diligently trying to appease the Silver King.

Martin clicked his tongue in disdain. “You naive kid.”

“What?!”

“What do you know about the complexities between men and women? Let me explain it in terms you can understand. The Silver King is stronger than Kuhn.”

Russ flinched.

“Weakness bows to strength. That’s just how it is, isn’t it?”

Russ’s eyes wavered in confusion.

“…Really?”

Martin nodded gravely. “Yep. Even Levan acknowledged it.”

Russ’s eyes widened further in shock. Even though they bickered like cats and dogs whenever they met, they had a deep trust in each other in certain respects. Russ trusted Levan's judgment, just as Levan trusted Russ's instincts.

Next to Kuhn's orders, “Levan said so” was the most effective way to influence Russ. If Russ casually mentioned, “That guy seems suspicious,” Levan would immediately beat up the suspect.

Leaving Russ behind in his state of confusion and shock, Martin chuckled quietly to himself.

‘Think it over, kid. Your simple mind is going to hurt trying to figure this out.’

Martin, knowing his brother well, tailored his explanation accordingly. Russ would never dare to challenge the Silver King, whom he now believed to be stronger than Kuhn.

Russ was the type to express his thoughts freely, often causing misunderstandings. Martin worried that Russ might get on the Silver King's bad side if he acted out. Life would be tough if he ended up on the wrong side of their future mistress.

 

***

 

The cabin assigned as Jeffrey's quarters was originally an isolation room for patients. It was used to treat patients with infectious diseases during sea voyages, keeping them separated from others. That’s why the entrance was separate from other cabins, and its orientation was different.

Kuhn knocked on the door, waited for a moment, and then entered. Jeffrey was sitting on the sofa, reading a book. When the door opened, he looked up and closed the book. Kuhn greeted him and sat down in the seat opposite.

“Are you feeling uncomfortable in any way?”

“Everything is fine. The ship is so large that there’s hardly any rocking. Sometimes I forget that I’m even on a ship.”

For someone who had been confined to a cabin all day, Jeffrey looked bright. He seemed better than when Kuhn occasionally visited him at the Black House.

“Aren’t you feeling cooped up?”

“If I said I was, would I be allowed to walk around the ship?”

Wouldn’t you prefer to keep me hidden? So that I won’t be seen by another distinguished guest aboard this ship. Jeffrey, probing Kuhn’s intentions, threw out his words in a joking manner.

“The ship is docked. We won’t be departing immediately, so feel free to get some fresh air for a while.”

Kuhn’s answer slightly dodged the point, but there was nothing to criticize. Jeffrey concealed his cynical thoughts with a faint smile.

“Of a similar age, yet so different.”

He often found himself comparing his nephew, Dian, with the young man before him. Dian resembled his mother—gentle and optimistic.

“That boy trusts people too easily.”

Dian believed in Marquis Raad without a shred of doubt. However, the stronger Dian’s trust grew, the more wary Jeffrey became of Kuhn.

In truth, he had been uneasy from the very first time he saw him. Kuhn Raad, head of the Raad family, was already at the stage of being a complete ruler. He was not someone who would bow down under another.

Dian called Kuhn a friend. Jeffrey did not show it, but inwardly he was baffled. A friend? Such a relationship was out of the question. What his nephew needed was not a supportive friend but a loyal subordinate.

“Going out is fine. I assume you’re curious about why I called you here, so I’ll get straight to the point. I have something to ask. I heard you told Dian an interesting story.”

The more Jeffrey thought about it, the less he could understand the relationship between Marquis Raad and the Silver King. His thoughts tangled into a web. He recalled a conversation he had with Dian, which left a chilling feeling.

“You told him to build a happy family?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I just don’t understand the intention behind those words.”

“Intention? What do you mean?”

“That foolish boy mentioned getting along well with his wife, which I have no reason to oppose. But he also mentioned he doesn’t plan to set the Iron Queen against the Red King. I heard you even encouraged that absurd idea.”

“……”

Dian wouldn’t have distorted the conversation he had with Kuhn when reporting it to his uncle. If that’s the case, the problem lies with how it was received.

Rather than defending himself, Kuhn listened silently.

“Don’t underestimate the role of the Red King, who controls the social world. If the Iron Queen is not suitable, shouldn’t we find someone else to take that position? We should have followed the original plan.”

The original plan was to have Dian’s mistress take control of the social world.

“Did you perhaps influence him to abandon the original plan?”

Kuhn chuckled softly.

“Why would I have a reason to do that?”

“Maybe you didn’t want to provoke the Red King.”

Because the Silver King is the Red King’s daughter. Jeffrey did not add the last part, but he believed Kuhn certainly understood it.

“I just gave a general piece of advice. You don’t need to overthink it.”

When Kuhn responded nonchalantly, pretending not to understand, Jeffrey let out a faint laugh. As expected, Kuhn was not someone to be taken lightly. Even though he subtly hinted that he was suspicious of him, Kuhn showed no signs of displeasure.

“If you say so, then it must be the case. It’s just the anxious thoughts of an old man. Being alone makes one overthink.”

Jeffrey spoke with a light expression. However, his inner thoughts were still not clear. He believed that there was certainly a scheme involving the scandal with the Silver King. It was a misunderstanding born from his lack of understanding of Kuhn.

Jeffrey thought Kuhn was a cold, calculating person. He believed Kuhn acted according to a thorough plan from start to finish.

That was part of Kuhn, but only a part. Kuhn was often impulsive and had a sentimental side. He clearly distinguished between those he dealt with while wearing a mask and those he didn’t. Once Kuhn trusted someone, he trusted them to the end.

Dian knew many sides of Kuhn. Contrary to Jeffrey’s concerns, Dian wasn’t just a naive person who liked people.

The conversation ended ambiguously, and Kuhn left. He stood outside the door for a moment and let out a bitter laugh.

“There’s no helping it with him, I suppose.”

Jeffrey was exactly the kind of noble Kuhn disliked—stubborn and obsessed with righteousness.

While living in hiding as a fugitive, he must have concealed himself, but he was born and raised as a duke’s heir. He was a noble among nobles.

And yet, that was the typical case. Dian, who readily understood his relationship with her, was the outlier. That’s why Kuhn liked Dian. He was an unusual character.

He recalled his first meeting with Dian. After saving the boy’s life by chance, they spent some time together until they got out of the desert. In the middle of this, a significant deal took place, and after seeing the gold exchange, Dian suddenly asked.

“Do you have a lot of money?”

“What if I do?”

“Why not invest in me?”

“What reason do I have to trust you?”

“I have a secret about my birth. To reveal it, I need power, which I don’t have right now. But I feel like I could manage if I had some money.”

Their alliance began with a conversation that seemed like a joke.

Dian casually revealed the secret of his birth. At first, Kuhn thought it was some nonsensical chatter, but it turned out to be quite significant.

“How can you talk about such things so easily? What if I sell that information to those who want your head?”

Dian shrugged and gave a sly grin.

“If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead already, and they wouldn’t even have found my body. Either way, dead is dead.”

Kuhn thought he was quite a crazy fellow. But somehow, he didn’t dislike this crazy guy. Thinking back to that time made him smile.

“He said all he needed was money.”

Before he knew it, Kuhn wasn’t just supporting Dian financially, but also providing information, people, and support in various areas. That’s why Stefan would grind his teeth every time Dian’s name was mentioned, calling him a swindler.

As Kuhn walked down the passage leading to the deck, his smile faded.

Jeffrey Acheron. If not for a tragic event, he would have been a duke. He was also the only blood relative Dian relied on.

“If his thoughts are continuously instilled in Dian, Dian might gradually change.”

While concerned, Kuhn was also grateful to Jeffrey. He reminded him of the harsh reality. Feeling like he was walking on clouds, his feet were finally back on the ground.

Until now, he had ignored the complicated issues surrounding him and focused solely on pursuing her. Just because he had won her heart and spent the night together didn’t mean it was the end. It was only the beginning.

It seemed like he needed to have a serious, heart-to-heart talk with her soon. Though they were close, there was still a distance between them. They had never really discussed anything truly important.

Kuhn sighed. Honestly, he was scared. He wanted her as his life partner, but she might not feel the same way.

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