Sienna was summoned by the
Emperor. As she entered the entrance of the Sun Palace, the chamberlain was
there to greet her.
She stood still, staring at
the chamberlain who was bowing his head. When she didn't move, the chamberlain
glanced up briefly, meeting her eyes, only to quickly lower his gaze again,
startled by the intensity of her stare.
"Your Majesty, please,
come inside," he said.
Sienna remained silent,
still not moving. Her gaze stayed fixed on the chamberlain, who felt the
piercing presence of the Silver King bearing down on him.
“Chamberlain,” she finally
said.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he
responded, his voice laced with fear. The tension in the air was palpable.
Sweat formed on his brow, evidence of his guilty conscience. Sienna likely knew
about his role in luring Marquis Raad to the villa.
If only she would confront
him openly, he could deflect or respond appropriately. But her silent
condemnation made him more anxious, reminding him of how the Emperor, a man of
few words, often punished those in disfavor. The resemblance in Sienna’s
demeanor made it even more unsettling.
When Sienna finally began
walking, the chamberlain breathed a sigh of relief. Whether out of guilt or
desperation to explain himself, he offered information unprompted.
"Marquis Raad is also
inside, having been summoned by His Majesty."
Sienna’s eyes flickered
with emotion. The Emperor summoned both her and the Marquis together meant
that she could now guess the likely reason for the audience.
***
The chamberlain led Sienna
not to the Emperor’s study but to his office. Standing in front of the door,
Sienna was filled with a wave of emotions. This place had marked the beginning.
If she hadn’t come to the office that day, if she hadn’t ventured into the
labyrinth garden, perhaps her relationship with Kuhn would have turned out
differently.
Sienna entered the office.
Having already been told Kuhn would be there, she wasn’t surprised to see his
back. She walked up beside him and stood.
“I offer my greetings, Your
Majesty,” she said.
“Rise.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Silver King.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I have heard unpleasant
rumors,” the Emperor said, his tone colder than usual.
“I don’t consider you to be
that foolish. Explain yourself. I will assume your words are the truth and
judge accordingly.”
Without hesitation, Sienna
responded, “I am aware of the rumors circulating.”
Ever since she heard from
the chamberlain that Kuhn was also summoned, she had been preparing herself.
She had already resolved to cover up what her mother, Patricia, had done. It
wasn’t out of a desire to protect Patricia personally—after all, the Red King
was outwardly part of Sienna’s faction. If Sienna gave the Emperor a reason to
punish the Red King, it would ultimately be detrimental to her own position.
Furthermore, she had no
intention of mentioning the chamberlain’s involvement. Cutting him from the
Emperor’s side wouldn’t benefit her as much as leaving him burdened with guilt.
Sienna had learned to
calculate these situations now. In the past, it wasn’t that she didn’t know how
to manipulate events, but she had thought it was morally wrong. Now, she saw
that using someone’s mistakes to her advantage wasn’t inherently wrong.
She had people she wanted
to protect—Countess Pope, Kuhn, the Iron King and Queen. She wanted to ensure
their present and future remained secure and free from misfortune.
“I have tarnished the
dignity of the royal family and brought shame to the imperial name. I am
prepared to take full responsibility,” Sienna continued.
“So, the rumors are true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You are admitting that you
acted inappropriately, lacked discretion, and caused a scandal witnessed by
many? That you are at the center of this disgrace?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Sienna
replied steadily, without a flicker of hesitation. The Emperor’s piercing gaze
shifted to Kuhn.
“Marquis Raad. Is her
account truthful?”
Kuhn sighed quietly.
Hearing her take all the blame left him drained. He would have been relieved if
she had tried to shift some of the responsibility onto him.
“Your Majesty, the Silver
King came to the villa because she believed the lie I told her. Her only mistake
was trusting me. It was my selfish desire to see her that caused this
situation, and I didn’t think it through.”
The Emperor looked between
the two before leaning back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest.
“Marquis Raad.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Your improper conduct has
caused quite a stir. Until I summon you again, remain confined to your
estate. Your deputy will take over your duties as an investigator during your
period of reflection.”
Sienna lifted her head. The
Emperor’s punishment was too harsh. Scandals alone rarely justified such strict
measures. After all, both she and Kuhn were unmarried, so they weren’t even
subject to serious moral condemnation.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I
accept your command and will reflect deeply at my estate,” Kuhn responded
quickly and firmly, almost as if he was preventing Sienna from voicing any
objection.
Sienna glanced at Kuhn,
biting her lip before lowering her head once again.
The Emperor, having only
sentenced Kuhn to house confinement, coldly ordered them both to leave.
Sienna and Kuhn exited the
office together. As they stepped outside, Kuhn addressed the chamberlain who
had followed to see them off.
“Chamberlain. I have
something to discuss with the Silver King. Could you find us a discreet location?”
The chamberlain couldn’t
refuse Kuhn’s request.
“Please, follow me.”
The chamberlain didn’t know
the full extent of the Red King’s plans. He had only heard vague details about
fabricating a scandal involving the marquis and another woman. He had thought
that luring Marquis Raad to the villa would be a simple way to repay the debt
he owed to the late Duke Rimone. Since the Emperor usually paid no mind to
court gossip, the chamberlain believed he wouldn’t get involved and thus
assumed he wouldn’t be implicated.
But the Silver King’s
involvement had caused the Emperor to take notice. When he heard that the
Emperor had summoned the Silver King and the marquis, the chamberlain had
resigned himself to the idea that his role would be discovered.
There was no direct evidence
against him, but the chamberlain knew the Emperor well. The Emperor would not
ignore the marquis’s accusations. Having served the Emperor for many years, the
chamberlain knew how relentless the Emperor could be, despite his calm exterior.
And the chamberlain was
acutely aware of the Emperor’s most sensitive point. Being deceived by the late
Duke Rimone had been a deep source of humiliation for the Emperor. Anyone who
reminded him of that betrayal, even in the form of a small lie, would never be
forgiven. No one, not even a long-serving, loyal attendant, would be exempt
from that wrath.
Leading Kuhn and Sienna
down the palace’s rarely used passages, the chamberlain took them to an
isolated room. He knew the Sun Palace like the back of his hand and made sure
to avoid any areas with staff or other visitors.
“I will wait outside the
door. Please speak privately and, when finished, leave one by one,” the
chamberlain said.
“Chamberlain,” Kuhn called
out just as he was about to leave.
“Yes, my lord?”
“May I ask why you did it?”
The chamberlain let out a
long sigh before responding.
“The only person I serve is
His Majesty, the Emperor. However, there was a debt I needed to repay.”
“Has that debt been settled
now?”
“Yes, it has.”
“This matter will be
forgotten. Forget about the chamberlain as well,” Kuhn said.
The chamberlain was silent
for a long moment before bowing deeply and leaving.
Sienna stared at the closed
door and muttered to herself, “At least that’s a relief.”
“Yes, it is,” Kuhn replied.
Sienna whipped her head
around. “The Emperor’s punishment was unfair. Why did you accept it so easily?
And what you said... you could have come up with a better excuse.”
“You were the one who took
all the blame, saying it was your fault. What was I supposed to say? That was
the best I could do.”
“Kuhn!”
“What’s the point of
arguing over what’s already done? Who knows when I’ll be allowed back in the
palace—could be a few days, or weeks. I can’t leave without holding you at
least once.”
Kuhn opened his arms wide
toward Sienna, a playful smile on his face. Sienna, folding her arms, turned
halfway away from him, feigning indifference.
“Hug me, please?”
His disarming smile
softened her heart instantly. As he had said, what use was there in dwelling on
something that couldn’t be changed? Every moment spent laughing together was
precious.
Sienna threw herself into
his arms. She collided with him with surprising force, but he didn’t waver,
catching her firmly.
She pressed her face
against his chest, closing her eyes. No matter what happened, he always stood
solidly beside her, as unshakable as ever. She wondered if he knew how much his
presence calmed and reassured her.
“Stus,” she said after a
moment. “The investigation into that man you asked about should be finished in
a few days. I’ll send the documents to the palace.”
“Alright,” he replied.
After a brief pause, Sienna
shook her head. “Actually, I think it’s better if I come to your estate and
pick it up in person.”
“You? But I’m supposed to
be under house arrest.”
“You’re under house arrest,
yes. But the Emperor didn’t say I couldn’t visit you.”
“Well, that’s true, but…” Kuhn
gave a reluctant smile.
“When did you stop being
such a rule-follower?”
“I haven’t changed. I’ve
just learned that there is more than one way to navigate the rules.”
Kuhn laughed, pulling her
tightly into an embrace. He rested his chin on her shoulder, hiding his
expression from her.
“Sienna, I don’t have time
to explain everything now, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ve been thinking long and
hard about this.”
Sienna tried to look up at
him, but he tightened his hold, making it impossible for her to move.
“The way I’ve handled
things from the beginning was wrong. I’ve tried to keep everything I had while
also keeping you. If you criticize me for that, I have no defense.”
Kuhn had spent countless sleepless
nights reflecting. He couldn’t change the past, but he realized that moving
forward, he couldn’t continue with one foot in two different worlds. Helping
Dian meant constantly threading the line, unable to fully commit to either
side.
Eventually, he came to a
conclusion: to gain something, he had to give something up. That was the way of
the world. He resolved to unravel the knots, one by one, starting from the
beginning.
“From now on, I’ll hide nothing
from you. I plan to tell the Iron King everything as well.”
“You’re saying you’ll
betray the Iron King?” Sienna asked, her tone cautious.
“Well, if the Iron King
calls me a traitor, then yes. But I don’t know how he’ll react yet.”
“Kuhn, I don’t care if you
continue to help the Iron King,” Sienna said, her voice soft.
“I know what you think. But
this isn’t a decision I’m making for you. I don’t want to be the kind of man
who lives deceitfully. I want to stand beside you with pride. I can’t give you
up, so I’ll do my best. I don’t know how it will turn out, but I promise never
to do anything that will hurt you.”
Sienna felt his arms loosen
around her, and she pushed him away gently. This time, he let her go. She
looked up into his eyes, and they met hers with unwavering sincerity.
“Just as I can’t escape my
duty as royalty, you have an obligation to protect your family. Don’t give that
up because of me.”
She had a sense of what had
kept him up at night. His struggle to maintain their relationship touched her
deeply, and she empathized with his dilemma. Sienna understood the weight of
the burdens they both carried.
Compared to his earnest
efforts, she felt ashamed of herself. She had been trying to go with the flow,
accepting whatever came without putting in the same amount of effort.
Just as his family was
important to him, the empire was of absolute value to her. Achieving the
empire’s glory was far more important than any personal ambition for the
throne.
Because she knew the
future, she understood that Kuhn’s presence was not a threat to the empire. If
she hadn’t foreseen the future, she might have opposed him like the Emperor in
her dreams. But knowing the outcome allowed her to believe that loving him
wasn’t defying the natural order of things.
“Kuhn, I’m not worth the
sacrifices you’re willing to make.”
Kuhn smiled softly and
kissed her lightly on the lips. “You’re the only one who doesn’t realize how
amazing you are.”
He gently turned her by the
shoulders so that she faced the door. Kuhn stood behind her, his hands still
resting on her shoulders.
“The chamberlain is
waiting. We can’t have a long conversation here.”
Sienna turned slightly,
glancing back at him. “I’ll come to your estate, and we can talk more then.
Until that time, don’t say anything to the Iron King.”
Kuhn nodded slowly in agreement
when she asked, “Promise?”
Sienna left the room with a
heavy heart. The chamberlain, who had been waiting at the door, bowed his head
as she exited. Walking down the long corridor beside him, Sienna couldn’t shake
the complicated emotions swirling within her.
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