A week quickly passed. The Duke's household showed great hospitality to
the two distinguished guests. The people of Whitestone Castle, who had been
tense while hosting the guests, gradually returned to their peaceful daily
routines.
In the knight's training grounds in the backyard of Whitestone Castle.
Thud! A knight was kicked hard and fell to the ground.
"Ugh!"
Russ stood triumphantly in the center of the training grounds. Around
him, several knights lay sprawled on the ground.
"Is that it, then?"
The fallen knight pushed himself up with his sword planted on the
ground.
"Not yet."
"Oh, you’ve got some spirit."
Russ gestured for the knight to come at him. The knight shouted a battle
cry and charged, only to be kicked down again.
A few days ago, the knights of the Bless family had heard of the
reputation of the Golden Button Knights and asked for some instruction.
However, they had picked the wrong person—Russ instead of Martin.
Russ, aware of their mistake, pretended not to know and accepted their
challenge. He then went wild, half out of pent-up frustration. Afterward, he
regretted it, thinking, "Oh no, I’m dead now."
However, the knights of the Duke’s household were not offended. Instead,
they were amazed by Russ's overwhelming skills. They begged him for lessons.
"I'm not a Golden Button Knight, you know? That's my brother."
The knights of the Duke's household were surprised but did not mind.
They said they trusted what they had seen more than any reputation.
"I don’t know any refined swordsmanship. Brawling is more my
style."
"Practical swordsmanship! I’d love to learn that!"
Russ, caught off guard, soon found himself serving as a temporary
swordsmanship instructor for the Duke’s knights, becoming a highly regarded
guest.
Sienna and Kuhn were each engrossed in their own pursuits.
Comparatively, Sienna was busier.
Sienna spent her days in the Duke’s office, engaging in discussions,
referencing materials, and debating. The Duke was an excellent teacher who
generously shared his knowledge. Sienna thoroughly enjoyed the new learning
experience.
Kuhn, on the other hand, spent day and night searching through the archives.
The first two days involved organizing the archives, and categorizing the materials
for easier reference, which took a lot of time and effort. After that, his task
became relatively easier—he only needed to browse through the neatly organized
books.
He still didn’t find the records he was looking for, and just as in the
archives of other ducal houses, he decided he might as well collect some
valuable old books. By the third day, he had been looking forward to spending
time together with Sienna, going on dates in the archives, and exploring Whitestone
Castle.
But his hopes were dashed.
"Where is Her Highness?"
"She’s speaking with the Duke."
A while later, Kuhn called the servant again.
"She’s still speaking with the Duke."
"...I see."
After the morning passed, he summoned the servant again in the
afternoon.
"She’s out with the Count."
"Out? Again today?"
Kuhn’s voice rose unconsciously. The servant responded hesitantly.
"Yes."
"Where did they go?"
"I’m not sure exactly where..."
"Did she take any guards?"
"Yes, two guards accompanied them."
The servant assumed that whenever Sienna left Whitestone Castle, she was
accompanied by Gilbert and Martin, whom he thought were her bodyguards.
At sunset, the red glow hung on the horizon.
The soldier guarding the iron gate of Whitestone Castle stretched his
neck and squinted his eyes. He raised his hand and shouted inward, and soon,
the massive iron gate opened.
Moments later, a group of riders appeared on the bridge. Leading the
group was a woman. Her silver hair, tied in a single braid, fluttered in the
wind.
The soldier stared blankly at the beautiful woman passing by quickly.
His head turned to follow her. A colleague beside him nudged him.
"Hey, get a grip. Be careful. Do you even know who she is?"
The soldier flinched in surprise and shivered. He knew he could get into
serious trouble for looking at her improperly. Still, he was thrilled to have
something to talk about for the rest of his life. He had never imagined he
would see a divine being with his own eyes.
Sienna rode through the open gate without slowing down and entered Whitestone
Castle. She pulled on the reins until she reached the front courtyard of Whitestone
Castle. The rest of the group also pulled on their reins and stopped their
horses.
Everyone dismounted, and the servants took the horses to the stable.
"It was another good experience today, Lord Bless. It greatly
helped broaden my knowledge."
"I’m glad to hear you were satisfied."
Sienna had just returned from inspecting a special crop cultivation site
with the Count. Today marked the fourth day.
The Duke had introduced several ongoing policies, and among them, the
special crop project caught Sienna’s eye. When she expressed her interest in
seeing it for herself, the Duke readily agreed.
However, due to his leg condition, the Duke could not accompany her.
Regretfully, he entrusted the task to his son. It was a simple group composed
of Sienna, the Count, and her guards.
As Sienna was climbing the stairs with the Count, she paused.
"Ku... Marquis Raad."
She nearly broke into a smile but quickly composed herself.
Kuhn, who had been leaning against a pillar, unfolded his crossed arms. Kuhn
and the Count exchanged respectful nods. Kuhn spoke to Sienna.
"Your Highness, I have something to discuss with you."
The Count looked back and forth between Sienna and Kuhn before excusing
himself. "I’ll inform you when dinner is ready," he said as he left.
"What is it?"
"It’s best if we move to another location."
Kuhn led the way, and Sienna followed. Gilbert naturally moved to follow
them, but a hand grabbed his clothes. Gilbert turned his head to see Martin’s
hand holding his sleeve, then looked at Martin’s face.
Martin let go with an embarrassed smile and slowly shook his head.
Although he didn’t say a word, his gesture conveyed a lot.
Gilbert could only watch his master’s retreating figure.
"Sir Gilbert, let’s go inside."
"I need to know where they’re going..."
"Are you worried they’ll get lost?"
"They’ll be serving dinner soon..."
"They won’t die if they miss one meal."
"..."
Gilbert sighed in resignation. His responsibility as a bodyguard was to
ensure his master’s safety. Regardless of how worried he might be about his
master’s love life, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
"...I don’t know anymore."
Martin managed to catch Gilbert’s muttering, feeling the same way. He
smiled and patted Gilbert on the shoulder.
Kuhn didn’t go inside but instead walked around the perimeter of Whitestone
Castle. He stopped in a secluded area between the front and back courtyards
that wasn’t used for anything.
Around this time, everyone was busy preparing dinner. It was already a
place people rarely passed by, and it was especially deserted now.
"How long has it been since we last met?"
Sienna tilted her head.
"We saw each other at lunch today."
"Did we? Why does it feel like it’s been ages?"
"It’s because you’ve been holed up in the archives for too long.
You should take a break now and then."
Kuhn stared at her for a moment, then rubbed his face with his hand in
frustration. Her expression was as fresh as a flower blooming early in the
morning. It sharply contrasted with his own weary state.
"Where have you been these past few days?"
"Today, we visited the sugar beet fields."
"Sugar beet?"
"Yesterday, we went to the mushroom forest, and the day before
that..."
Sienna explained the special crop cultivation sites she had visited over
the past few days. She described the impressive scenes she had witnessed and
added her own reflections.
Even though Kuhn hadn’t asked, she talked a lot. Kuhn realized that
Sienna was quite excited.
"Are you interested in special crops?"
"I’m thinking of encouraging their cultivation on my southern fief.
The soil there is rough due to the nearby salt mines, so grain farming doesn’t
do well. Duke Bless recommended several special crops that grow well even in
harsh soil."
Kuhn’s lips gradually curled into a relaxed smile. She left him
speechless. He felt embarrassed about his petty feelings of resentment toward
her.
Her golden eyes sparkled beautifully. At the same time, he couldn’t help
but feel a tinge of sadness, thinking, 'I might always be second place in her
priorities.'
"I’m particularly drawn to a medicinal crop called Scented Hemp. It
grows well even in poor soil but requires a lot of care. However, it promises
good returns for the effort put in."
"Scented Hemp. That’s a good choice."
"Really? You know about it?"
"It’s a valuable medicinal herb. But like you said, it requires a
lot of care—almost like raising a newborn."
Sienna nodded enthusiastically. Hearing Kuhn repeat what the Duke had
said made her happy to have a conversation on a topic she knew well.
"But it seems Duke Bless didn’t mention the most important thing. Scented
Hemp seeds are expensive. You’ll need a significant amount of capital for the initial
investment, and obtaining the seeds isn’t easy."
"Ah..."
Sienna’s expression turned gloomy. Her shoulders slumped.
"I see. That’s why it was the last item on Duke Bless’s
recommendation list."
"I can get them for you."
Sienna’s head snapped up. Her eyes were bright with anticipation. Kuhn
barely held back a burst of laughter. It was endearing and a bit pitiful to see
her, who usually kept her emotions in check, so visibly disappointed and
hopeful.
Whatever lingering frustration he had completely melted away. What did
it matter if he wasn’t her first priority? He’d be fine with always being
second if he could witness these moments that only he got to see.
"I’m not asking for a freebie. I’ll pay a fair price."
"It’ll be quite expensive..."
"Do you think I can’t afford the price of some seeds?"
Sienna, who had been brimming with confidence, couldn’t hide her
startled expression when she heard Kuhn name the price. Seeing her eyes widen
in shock, Kuhn stifled another laugh.
'This could become a habit.'
"Let’s do this. I’ll invest in it."
"...How?"
Right there, they put their heads together and started planning a
business venture. The conversation went on for a while, and by the time they
had roughly agreed, quite some time had passed. No one came looking for them to
call them for dinner.
It was still chilly outside to be standing still, only talking.
Kuhn placed his hands on her face, which had turned red from the cold
wind. Her cheeks felt cold against his palms. Sienna closed her eyes briefly,
enjoying the warmth, then opened them.
"Your hands. They’re so warm."
She covered the back of his hand with her own. Even the back of his hand
felt warmer than her palm.
"My hands are cold. I guess you have a high body temperature."
"Do I?"
"Yes. I’ve felt it many times."
"When?"
"Even now... and before..."
When they kissed. When her bare skin touched his. Sienna couldn’t
continue speaking and looked down.
Kuhn leaned down toward her. As soon as their lips met, Sienna closed
her eyes. His lips were as warm as his hands. His hands, which had been
cradling her face, moved to her waist. He pulled her close with a strong grip,
pressing her body against his.
"Mm..."
When his tongue slipped inside and brushed against the sensitive tissue,
a moan escaped from her throat. It was their first kiss since getting off the
White Chip. His hot tongue quickly warmed her up.
During their time on the White Chip, their kisses had never ended with
just a kiss. Her body, anticipating further stimulation, quickly became
aroused, and a throbbing sensation spread through her lower abdomen. He held
her tightly as she burrowed deeper into his embrace.
Wet sounds filled the air as their intense, intertwining kiss continued
for a long time. Kuhn pulled away not because he was satisfied but because it
was becoming too risky. He felt like he might forget that they were still
outside.
He planted a few more light kisses on her lips. There was a lingering
sense of reluctance and longing. He fully wrapped his arms around her back and
rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Sienna."
"Yes."
"Are you going out again tomorrow?"
"I’ve visited all the places I wanted to see by today, so I don’t
have any plans yet."
"Shall we head back?"
"To the capital?"
"Yes."
"Are you done with your work?"
"Mostly. I should be finished by today."
Sienna had set aside about a month for this trip. Considering it took
ten days to get to the Duchy and another ten days to return, she still had a
few days to spare.
Honestly, she wanted to make full use of the month. This trip had been
enjoyable. She had learned and experienced a lot.
"Do you want to stay longer?"
"No. If the work is done, we should go back."
"But I should tell you in advance. The return trip might take
longer than the trip here."
"How much longer?"
"It’ll take an extra three or four days by ship."
"Why?"
"The wind isn’t expected to be favorable."
Sienna thought about his words for a moment before realizing his
intention. She playfully punched him on the shoulder. Kuhn chuckled and hugged
her even tighter.
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