TGW Chapter 26 Part 3

 

Sienna sat on the sofa in the bedroom, waiting. Kuhn didn’t follow her in right away. After a few moments, there was a knock on the door. When Kuhn entered the room, he was carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses in his hands.

He sat down across from Sienna, opened the bottle of wine, and poured it halfway into each glass.

“Do you drink?” he asked.

Sienna shook her head.

“I brought something light. Just one glass should be fine. I’m not a big fan of wine myself; it feels more like a beverage than alcohol, but wine is still wine, after all.”

Kuhn suddenly chuckled.

“Dian… I once drank properly with the Iron King. It was quite an experience. It was the first time I got drunk before my opponent. The Iron King was completely fine the next day, without a hint of a hangover.”

“I suppose… I’d be the same. It’s a trait of the divine bloodline,” Sienna mumbled absentmindedly. She had a similar conversation with him before, in a dream. The lines between dream and reality blurred. Here they were, again, sitting across from each other with a bottle of wine, ready for a long conversation.

What if the Emperor and the Duke in her dream had taken the time to sit down like this and have an honest discussion earlier on? If they had tried to understand each other through genuine conversation, might their future have turned out differently?

“Is that so? Quite a remarkable lineage. Then I’d better never challenge you to a drinking contest,” Kuhn said, swirling the wine in his glass with a contemplative look.

“It must have been around this time of year… spring, I think.”

Kuhn began his story from the day he first met Dian. He had saved Dian from a dangerous situation by chance and traveled with him for a while. Growing close to the good-natured Dian, Kuhn eventually became his ally through a mutual deal. He laid out the sequence of events in a straightforward manner.

Sienna listened intently, intrigued by the story of how the two men met and became friends—something she hadn’t heard in her dreams.

Kuhn wrapped up the story of his connection with Dian concisely. There was much more to tell, but he couldn’t reveal everything without Dian’s consent. He then shifted to telling his own story in earnest.

“The Raad Clan… I think this is the first time I’ve mentioned that word to you.”

Sienna nodded.

“The word ‘Raad’ itself isn’t particularly noble. We use it as a way of humbling ourselves, or sometimes even to demean ourselves. The origin of the term is a complex accumulation of emotions, but there’s no need for you to know all that. Under the name of the Rad Clan, we wander without ever settling down. Eternal wandering, the eternal curse of the Rad Clan. We have a longing: to settle down, to have a land where our descendants can live for generations. Anyone who bears the surname Rad carries the duty to lead the clan to fulfill that longing. This duty was passed down from my grandfather, my father, and now to me. That’s why my name is Kuhn Raad. As I mentioned before, my son would be called Shaka. But he wouldn’t be Shaka Rad; he’d simply be Shaka. There’s always only ever been one Kuhn Raad in my family. No one else.”

A land to settle on.

‘Ah… so that’s what it is,’ Sienna thought, finding a missing piece of the puzzle. In her dream, he gained an independent territory and was granted the title of Duke. The title "Duke" itself carried a sense of partial submission to the Empire.

It was probably the best compromise that could be reached. Acknowledging a part of the Empire’s land as a fully autonomous and independent state would have faced significant opposition.

“So, the Rad Clan has never settled down?” Sienna asked.

Kuhn’s eyes flickered as he looked at her with a curious expression before he answered.

“There have been a few attempts. The most recent was during my great-great-grandfather’s time. Let’s just call him my great-grandfather for simplicity.”

They had tried to claim a portion of land in a kingdom on the continent, getting involved in the fight for the throne. The heir that the great-grandfather supported and backed eventually overcame the other contenders and seized the throne.

The new ruler of the kingdom, in accordance with the promise made with the Rad Clan, granted them the land. However, it didn’t match the original agreement. From the beginning, things went wrong.

“In what way?”

“It wasn’t as promised. The location and the size were different. The kingdom was also supposed to relocate the original inhabitants of the land at their expense, but they kept postponing it.”

“There’s no honor in that. If a king made a promise, he should keep it.”

Kuhn chuckled.

“If everyone thought like you, why would conflicts arise?”

“What happened then?”

“My great-grandfather couldn’t let go of that land. He must have felt that he had to fulfill the clan’s dream during his time. It wasn’t just the clan’s dream; it was also the glory of the reigning Kuhn.”

The great-grandfather concluded that maintaining control of the land required power. He actively engaged in the kingdom’s politics, playing a balancing act in the political battles at the center while building a foundation for the future of the clan’s settlement.

Central politics were like walking a tightrope, precariously balancing with each step. Allies today could become enemies tomorrow, and those who had sworn solemn oaths together might stab you in the back.

While the great-grandfather was busy with the grueling political battles, the clan’s settlement flourished. Everyone in the clan was both an owner and a worker, sparing no effort for their descendants' future. Their mindset differed from the kingdom’s citizens, who felt powerless and let time slip by.

The kingdom's nobles were too busy fighting over their privileges in the capital to care about the common people’s livelihood.

After about ten years, the clan’s settlement had made remarkable progress. Fertile lands produced bountiful crops, and sturdy houses formed a village. Well-maintained roads facilitated active trade and distribution of goods.

The great-grandfather’s hard-fought battles also bore some fruit. He established himself as a powerful figure in the kingdom’s political landscape.

But then the king died. His sudden death left them unprepared. The new heir who ascended the throne was hostile toward the Raad Clan.

A weak royal authority, power struggles among the nobles, and several years of poor harvests.

With all these unfavorable conditions combined, the kingdom’s situation was dire. People were dying of starvation, and peasant revolts were breaking out everywhere.

Only the Raad Clan’s settlement seemed like a different world. Rumors of a paradise among the kingdom’s citizens spread quietly. Naturally, people flocked to that land.

The new king tried to use the Raad Clan’s settlement as a stepping stone to strengthen his royal authority. He proposed that the Raad Clan become subjects of the kingdom. It was more of a threat than a proposal.

When the great-grandfather refused, the king accused the clan of occupying the land unlawfully and mobilized the army.

“The clan didn’t have the strength to face the kingdom’s army head-on. Even if they could hold out for a while, it would have required great sacrifices. The clan’s most valuable asset was its people. If they lost their people, they’d have nothing left. In the end, my great-grandfather gave up everything and led the clan away from the kingdom.”

Sienna could imagine the frustration Kuhn’s great-grandfather must have felt. To see a lifelong goal within reach, only to have to turn away from it. How despairing must that have been?

The king’s soldiers didn’t pursue the clan. The clan had left everything they had achieved in the settlement behind. The king and the nobles were too preoccupied with the substantial spoils, practically handed to them, to bother chasing after the clan. They soon started fighting among themselves over the newfound riches.

The kingdom didn’t last much longer and eventually collapsed. Forces that rose up everywhere declared independence and proclaimed themselves kings, leading to prolonged chaos and conflict.

‘Serves them right for being too greedy,’ Sienna thought, feeling a sense of justice.

“Kuhn, wasn’t there another way? For example… buying land with wealth?” she asked.

Kuhn looked at her with a bewildered expression before mumbling, “I can’t figure you out… Sometimes you seem so rigid, and other times you’re incredibly flexible.”

The suggestion to buy land with money and establish a country coming from her was surprising.

He hadn’t expected to have a conversation like this with her. He had anticipated a negative reaction when he talked about the Raad Clan.

After all, she was a princess of the Empire, at the very top of the ruling class that governed it. In contrast, the Marquis of Raad, who led the Raad Clan, was a complete outsider who could never integrate with the Empire’s people.

He had considered himself fortunate if she would merely stay and listen to his story without storming out. He wasn’t sure whether he should be pleased or anxious about this unexpected situation.

“They tried that too. It was even before my great-grandfather’s time.”

The outcome was obvious, even without asking.

“We document our failures and learn from them. Buying land with wealth wasn’t the way. So, my great-grandfather tried a different approach. That failed too. The lesson learned then was not to get too involved in another country’s politics.”

“But you’re trying to put the Iron King on the throne. Isn’t that involving yourself in politics?”

Kuhn stared at Sienna, at a loss for words. He let out a small, incredulous laugh and rubbed his forehead with one hand.

“Wow… That’s a direct hit. You wouldn’t speak so bluntly even about someone else. You’re something else.”

Kuhn found himself chuckling. He had spent a lot of time carefully selecting what to say and what not to say, but it all seemed pointless now. He had known she wasn’t a person with sharp edges, but she was surpassing his expectations.

Kuhn felt like he was sitting before a vast, deep lake with no visible bottom. No matter how many stones he threw, the surface remained calm.

“I don’t intend to interfere with the Empire’s politics. That’s all I can say for now.”

‘Hmm…’ Sienna thought, her confusion clearing up. His ambiguous attitude now made sense. It seemed odd to label him the force behind pushing the Iron King onto the throne.

When Kuhn had appeared at social gatherings, the reactions of the Iron King’s inner circle had been particularly unusual. When figures like the Red King or the Duke of Rimone appeared, sycophantic followers always swarmed around them.

But there was no one around the Marquis of Raad.

The Marquis’s popularity seemed more like admiration for his personal charm, not something that formed a political faction around him.

The most notable of the Iron King’s close associates recently was Count Miller. Yet Count Miller seemed distant from Kuhn. She had even seen Count Miller quietly drift away when the Iron King approached Kuhn.

‘So it’s a bit different from what I thought.’

Sienna had believed Kuhn to be the puppet master controlling everything, the mastermind behind putting the Iron King on the throne, destined to become the most powerful figure in the Empire and eventually the Duke of an independent state.

But if that wasn’t the case…

‘Then the Duke didn’t have much influence in the central government.’

If so, the Iron King, once he became Emperor, wouldn’t have seen the Duke as a significant power. The Iron King would have struggled against the Rimone family. Instead, the emergence of the principality could have become a political mistake that opened him up to attack.

‘I think I understand how the future played out.’

The Iron King in the future had a weak political foundation. Without a successor, Sienna’s existence must have been a considerable burden to the Iron King. Hence, she was married off to the Duke, stripping her of her right to succession.

‘The Iron King was quite clever.’

A remarkably astute move.

Kuhn watched Sienna in silence as she crossed her arms, lost in thought. When she suddenly lifted her head, Kuhn flinched.

"Then, becoming a diplomatic agent for the Allied Nations? That’s definitely political," Sienna said.

Kuhn let out a sigh.

“...That was because of you.”

“Because of me?”

“I wanted to look good in your eyes.”

Sienna's eyes widened.

“I thought you wouldn’t even glance at a nobody hovering around. I figured I needed at least one impressive title for you to even consider me.”

Sienna's mouth slightly opened.

“Because of me… your future changed?”

Her gaze fell again. Her mind was in turmoil. Her heart was pounding. She had thought she was just an observer watching a storm from afar, but to find out that she was the very core of that storm?

Sienna lifted her head again. Kuhn was visibly tense.

“Then where does the Rad clan live now?”

Kuhn replied with a drained expression.

“Here and there.”

“How many of them are there?”

“Around a million.”

“That many? Where do so many people live?”

“They’re scattered across the Empire and various countries on the continent. They maintain their clan identity but live as part of the nations they reside in.”

The clan had mostly thrived wherever they had settled due to their unique tenacity. Most of them lived as middle class or higher, engaged in a wide range of professions—merchants, scholars, teachers, doctors, and so on.

The clan's leadership maintained a network to connect members with each other. They actively provided assistance if anyone faced difficulties in their area.

Kuhn didn’t go into such details. It was a secret of the clan.

“So, if you find land to settle and call them, they’d all gather?”

“Not all of them. Some have already made their new homes where they currently live. Maybe half would gather?”

“Even half is impressive. Then…”

“Sienna.”

Sienna closed her mouth in surprise.

“Sorry. I’ve been asking too much.”

Kuhn shook his head.

“Ask whatever you’re curious about. But do you understand why I brought up the Rad clan? I mean, do you get why I’m helping the Iron King?”

“You want to build a country, right? You’re probably hoping the Iron King will grant you land if he becomes Emperor.”

Kuhn gazed at her intently for a while.

“I…”

It seemed like he was about to speak, but Kuhn’s lips shut tight again. He covered his face with his hands and let out a long sigh. He muttered like he was complaining.

“I have no idea what you’re thinking.”

Kuhn lifted his head. His feelings had been fluctuating between heaven and hell. He had felt excited, thinking, “She likes me too,” then suddenly anxious, wondering, “Am I just imagining things?” He wondered if her feelings for him were vastly different from his feelings for her.

“I’m an ally of the Iron King. You know that clearly, right?”

“Yes.”

“But you’ve never asked me about it.”

“You’ve never asked me anything either.”

“...My situation is different from yours. What could I possibly ask you? I’m just grateful you don’t push me away.”

“…”

Sienna didn’t realize he thought like that. He always seemed so confident.

“What am I to you? Just someone passing by? Is that why you aren’t curious or wary about what I’m doing with the Iron King? Because I’m not even worth that much?”

Sienna frowned.

“What are you saying? I…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t know what to say. Sienna had never given much thought to how people around them defined their relationship or the significance of the word "silence" they used.

She had seen the future. In the coming future, the Iron King would become Emperor. She thought it was divine will. Since Kuhn, who helped the Iron King, was following the natural order, she had no reason to oppose him.

Sienna realized her mistake. She hadn’t considered how the unconscious actions of someone who knows the future might look to someone who doesn’t.

She was the heir to the Emperor. Yet a man appeared who wanted to elevate someone else to Emperor instead of her. Logically, the two of them couldn’t be on the same side.

Yet she accepted the man’s courtship. She became his lover, embraced him, kissed him, and slept in the same bed with him. She didn’t demand he switch sides.

‘Hmm. It certainly is an unconvincing relationship.’

Probably, many nobles wouldn’t believe the scandal between them.

‘So, what this man means… In short, he’s not sure about my feelings.’

Then, what were all those intense confessions and the dramatic rules they made together? His confusing behavior made her a bit disappointed, but she understood.

Sienna had undergone intense internal conflict before accepting Kuhn. The information she saw and heard in her dreams played a significant role. She judged him to be a decent man after seeing his future. That judgment likely influenced her in reality as well.

But that was all in her head. Sienna had never shared the process of understanding and getting to know him with Kuhn.

It was a complicated journey, but from Kuhn’s perspective, it must have seemed sudden and straightforward.

“I…”

She couldn’t talk about her dreams. She believed that God conveyed messages through her dreams. She felt she shouldn’t speak carelessly about them. If she spoke recklessly, she feared she might stop dreaming altogether. She still had much information she wanted to gain through her dreams.

And she had recently learned that not everything in the dreams was true. The Iron King's birth she heard about in the dream was a lie. Her faith was shaken, leaving her confused.

“I… thought there was no need to be wary of you. The laws of the Empire are different from those of other kingdoms. The line of succession is absolute. Politically maneuvering to ascend to or remove from the throne is impossible in the first place.”

“That means you thought I would fail anyway?”

“Um… that’s not it.”

She pondered how to explain naturally without bringing up the dreams.

“You’re not the type to jump into something bound to fail. The Iron King’s birth status… I thought maybe you held the key to that.”

“…What?”

Kuhn’s eyes wavered.

“The uncertain status of his biological mother is the Iron King's limitation. But if his mother were from a noble family, enough to raise his line of succession…”

As she spoke and lifted her gaze, Sienna was startled. He was leaning over the table, hands placed on it, staring intensely at her.

His calm, dark eyes were deep. They looked fierce and cold, like a hunter targeting its prey. Sienna felt uneasy; his appearance was unfamiliar to her.

“Why…?”

“Is that your own thought?”

“Huh?”

“Are you saying you came to that conclusion just by thinking it through?”

“Yes…”

Kuhn let out a hollow laugh, then suddenly stood up. He ran his hand through his hair roughly and stared into space. His gaze, wandering with a complex expression, returned to her.

“Unbelievable. Do you know how I feel right now? I’ve been running and running with all my might, only to find out I’ve been running in circles in your palm.”

Kuhn muttered “Oh my god” as he fell into thought, occasionally breaking into laughter.

Sienna watched him silently, unsure if he was angry or amused.

“Amazing.”

Kuhn, seemingly having calmed down, sat back on the sofa. He looked at her with eyes full of admiration.

“Compared to you, Dian is… No, I was the foolish one. To think I mistakenly thought the two of you were on par.”

“…”

Sienna thought he seemed somewhat excited.

“Tell me more. I want to hear your thoughts.”

“Well…”

“Yes?”

“To be at least on a similar level with me, the Iron King’s biological mother’s lineage would have to be from a ducal family, wouldn’t it?”

Kuhn’s jaw dropped.

“You’re a real genius. Of course, I knew you were smart, but not to this extent. I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me you could read the future.”

His eyes were filled with awe as if he was ready to kneel and sing her praises. Sienna felt a pang of guilt. When he mentioned the future, her fingertips twitched.

She averted her gaze slightly, avoiding his intense stare. She hadn’t thought of everything herself. It was thanks to her dreams that she saw glimpses of the future. She only pieced things together based on the hints that were close to the right answers.

Feeling awkward, she cleared her throat unnecessarily and shifted the topic.

“Since we’re on the subject, let me ask you something. Just answer yes or no. Is the Iron King’s biological mother from the House of Bless?”

Kuhn immediately shook his head.

“No.”

“What?”

Sienna’s eyes widened. His expression was clear. He didn’t seem to be lying.

“Really, no?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m really sure. Did you hear something?”

“From Duke Bless… I heard he had a younger sister who died young, so I thought maybe…”

“I see. I didn’t know that.”

As he replied, Kuhn felt a bit uneasy. There was something troubling him.

Originally, Dian intended to acquire the status of his biological mother through a deal with the Emperor. Dian had demanded the Emperor pay back his mother’s debts. He wanted to restore the honor of his biological mother, who bore the stigma of being of low birth.

It was true that Dian’s biological mother was the daughter of a duke. However, the Acheron family had been branded as criminals and had already vanished. Therefore, the Emperor had promised to use a loophole to announce that Dian’s mother was of noble ducal blood.

However, after Jeffrey met the Emperor, the original plan was scrapped. The plan changed to restoring the Acheron family and revealing that Dian’s biological mother was the daughter of Duke Acheron.

So Kuhn didn’t know which duke’s house Dian’s biological mother would have been disguised as if the original plan had proceeded. Dian himself didn’t know either.

“If Duke Bless had a younger sister, then perhaps she would have been Dian’s fake mother if the original plan had gone through.”

That would have been a perfect fit. Kuhn looked at Sienna with even more admiration in his eyes.

“So, you went with me to the Duke of Bless’s territory to confirm that?”

“Well, yes…”

“She’s not from the House of Bless? Has the future changed again? Since what I heard in the dream isn’t true… Has the incorrect future been corrected?”

She thought she understood, yet she didn’t. God’s words were truly unkind. She couldn’t grasp the profound meaning he was trying to convey.

In any case, it was a relief that the Iron King wasn’t trying to become Emperor through deceit. Her sharp-edged heart softened once more.

“When did you start thinking like that? Since Dian appeared at the palace?”

“No, it’s recent. After I met you.”

Kuhn marveled once again, letting out a sigh. Her insight, which seemed to see through everything, was astonishing. Even now, she could see this much—how much more would she be able to see when her world expanded further?

She was the designated heir to the Emperor. She was set to become the ruler of this vast empire, the master of the world. Although she was born into her position, she was more than qualified.

In a world full of people who would fight tooth and nail over a single gold coin, her noble spirit was hard to believe. Even when her position as the successor was threatened, she showed no signs of agitation.

“If it wasn’t for Dian, or if it wasn’t for me…”

It was true that if Dian shed the stigma of being a half-blooded royal, his position in the line of succession would rise above hers. However, if the Rad clan hadn’t helped Dian, he probably would have had nothing but his name engraved on a tombstone long ago.

“Have I been harboring an unreasonable ambition?”

Was he desiring a treasure beyond his means? Was he trying to drag down a woman destined to ascend to the throne and rule the world? Was that something he should be doing?

“Am I destroying this woman’s brilliant future with my own hands?”

If he truly loved her, should he give her up? Should he let her go? He felt like the ground beneath him was crumbling away. Noticing his suddenly darkened expression, Sienna spoke up.

“Kuhn, I’ve never thought of you as someone just passing by.”

“…”

His eyes trembled as he looked at Sienna.

“Why…?”

His throat tightened, and he couldn’t speak clearly.

“You didn’t reveal what you found out to those around you, right?”

If they knew, things wouldn’t have been this quiet until now.

“Around me? Who?”

“…”

“My mother? Duke Rimone?”

Kuhn nodded stiffly.

“The Iron King reclaiming his mother’s status is restoring things to their rightful place. If those around me knew, they would undoubtedly try to interfere.”

Seeing that his gaze had fallen and his expression was still grim, Sienna got up. She approached him and stood before him.

“Kuhn, look at me.”

Like an obedient child, Kuhn raised his head. Sienna looked down at him and cupped his face with both hands.

“I told you I like you, didn’t I? Don’t you believe me?”

“…I believe you.”

“Why does a man who’s so good at acting confident look so down?”

As Kuhn pulled her waist tightly with his arms, Sienna found herself in a position where she was embracing his head.

Sienna chuckled and ran her fingers through his hair. It felt quite nice to indulge his playful behavior. She could feel the dampness of his still-drying hair between her fingers.

“Sienna.”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“…Yes.”

Kuhn tightened his arms around her, holding her tightly. He closed his eyes, feeling a dizzying sensation. Two conflicting emotions fiercely clashed within him.

He wanted her. He had never desired or longed for someone so fervently. He felt like he would die if he couldn’t have her.

But he was afraid that she might lose her sparkle and wither one day, having been forced into a path not her own. He feared that he would regret it deeply, hitting his chest in sorrow if she ever resented him. The misery of the woman he loved would be unbearable pain.

It was too late to turn back now. Life flowed like a mighty river. One could change its course slightly but never swim against it. The restoration of the Acheron family would happen. How could anyone stop what the Emperor was so determined to push through?

He was lost. No matter which direction he chose, there was no right answer.

“What should I do?”

He had come face to face with the greatest dilemma of his life.

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