Sienna frowned. The name
"Glynn" sounded familiar.
‘Glynn. Glynn. Where have I
heard that name before?’
"I remember the day
Blackstone Castle was shrouded in sorrow. Sir Glynn, wasn’t it?"
It hit her.
‘Sir Glynn was Levan?’
A chill ran through her
body. Levan was the subordinate who, in the future she had seen in her dreams,
died in place of the prince, caught in her mother’s schemes. Although it was an
event that hadn’t occurred in reality, the thought of it still shook her
deeply.
Kuhn had gone to his desk
to retrieve Stus’s investigation report. Returning with the envelope, he sat
down beside her, studying her tense expression.
"How long have you
known about Levan?" he asked.
"Since I saw him
during the journey, by the carriage," she replied.
Kuhn sighed after hearing
her explanation.
"I should’ve told you
sooner. I just didn’t know how to bring it up and kept putting it off. In the
end, you figured it out on your own. I've never been so relieved that you’re
not an emotional person. Ah, I feel like a weight’s been lifted. It really
doesn’t pay to live with guilt."
Sienna scoffed, amused by his
dramatic tone.
"Kuhn, does Sir Glynn
have any siblings?"
"Sir Glynn?" Kuhn
found her use of the title amusing. Levan was neither a noble nor an official.
"Not that I know of.
He grew up as an only child with his mother."
With no father or siblings,
it confirmed her suspicion. In the dream, Sir Glynn must have been Levan.
"Is Levan to you what
the Kali brothers are?" she asked.
"Hmm, something like
that. He’s someone I can discuss things with when I need to. He’s talented in a
lot of areas."
Sienna knew Kuhn’s praise
was modest. She had seen Levan’s competence firsthand during the months he
served as her assistant. Levan was more than just a trusted subordinate to Kuhn—they
had an emotional closeness, similar to the bond she shared with Countess Pope.
"Your Majesty, I can
never forgive your mother."
Sienna recalled the anger
the prince had shown in the dream. She understood it—if she were in his
position, she would never forgive such a betrayal either. At the same time, she
now understood the pain the emperor must have felt in the dream. Out of guilt
for his mother’s sins, he had pushed the prince away.
"…Sienna?" Kuhn’s
voice brought her back to the present.
"Sienna, your mother
is going to be even more relentless in her attacks on you."
Kuhn's face, which had
grown serious in response, softened.
"I thought it was
something serious. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it."
"Don’t underestimate
her. If it hadn’t been for me this time, you would’ve fallen right into her
trap."
Kuhn gave a bitter smile.
He dismissed it as a crude ploy, but the truth was, he had indeed fallen for
that crude ploy. Even the most agile beast can sometimes be caught in a simple
trap.
"What do you think
your weakness is?" Sienna asked.
"My weakness...?"
"Your vulnerability.
Something that, even knowing it’s a trap, you can't help but fall into."
Kuhn paused, then answered,
"You."
"Kuhn, I’m
serious."
"So am I. You’re my
weakness."
"I don’t want to be
anyone’s weakness."
"I’m honored that you
are mine," Kuhn said, kissing her hand softly. Sienna, who had been
frowning at him, couldn’t help but smile as she watched his carefree grin.
She couldn’t tell him about
the dreams, and besides, the events involving the crown prince hadn’t happened
yet. There was no immediate danger, but it still felt odd to keep asking about
his weaknesses. Instead, she pressed her fingers against his chest, emphasizing
her point once more.
"Think about it
seriously. I know you’re not someone who would easily be defeated. But if you
were ever attacked, it would be because of a weakness like that."
Sienna then opened the
envelope on the table and pulled out the report on Ben Stus. While she read
through the documents, Kuhn thought deeply about what she had just said.
‘My weakness... something
that I’d walk into knowing it’s a trap.’
Before he met Sienna, the
most important thing to him had been the Raad tribe. For a nomadic people like
his, the greatest treasure was its people. Protecting them, providing a central
leadership, was more crucial than finding land to settle on.
‘The population register.’
A list documenting where
the Raad tribe members lived, what status they held, and their identities. It
was both a priceless treasure and his greatest vulnerability.
The wealth of the Raad
tribe was well known. This was why many kingdoms on the continent sought to
subjugate them. If someone were to get their hands on that register and take
many of his people hostage, Kuhn would be powerless to ignore it. He would
likely meet even the most unreasonable demands.
‘I need to make sure the
register is being properly secured.’
Sienna finished reading the
report on Stus and placed it down.
‘A forged identity. That’s
his weakness.’
While the Empire didn’t
legally distinguish between commoners, the reality was different. Those
involved in crime or lowly occupations were treated as lower-class, and those
from the slums were even more despised.
Sienna had discovered this
through her investigation into the lives of the impoverished after visiting the
back alleys with Kuhn.
And now, a man from the
slums was pretending to be a noble? If exposed, execution would be the kindest
outcome. The aristocrats who felt insulted by his deception would clamor for
him to be cruelly punished.
In the dream of the future,
Stus was seen leading the palace guards, seemingly the captain of the imperial
guard—one of the highest ranks a knight could achieve.
The higher Stus rose, the
more his background would become a noose around his neck. The more he had, the
greater the fear of losing it all.
‘He must be loyal to my
mother because she holds his weakness.’
It seemed that in the
future, the emperor hadn’t uncovered Stus’s secret. Despite his clear
displeasure with Stus, he had kept him close, unable to dismiss him.
"Though it’s not in
the documents, I have some additional information," Kuhn said, bringing
her attention back. "The Rimone family hired an information broker to
investigate your fiefdom, and the one who retrieved the results was Stus."
Sienna smiled faintly. It
was no surprise. She hadn’t expected Stus to handle such a mission on his own
when she sent him. She had anticipated he’d receive help from either her mother
or the Rimone family.
"So, the Rimone family
is behind him?" Kuhn asked.
Sienna shook her head.
"No, it’s my mother.
The Rimone family likely acted at her request."
If Stus had infiltrated the
Silver Palace much earlier, she might have suspected the Rimone family. Sienna
remembered how her maternal grandfather, the previous Duke Rimone, had always
kept a respectful distance from her when he was alive.
The only person Sienna had
wanted to emulate as a child was the emperor. He had been aloof from his own
maternal family, the Schultz family, and so Sienna had also kept her distance
from her maternal grandfather.
The former Duke Rimone had
been a clever man. Whether he respected Sienna’s wishes or feared the
consequences of offending her, he had always maintained the proper boundaries.
The late duke’s thoughts
were the thoughts of the Rimone family. While they could have acted behind her
back, she doubted they would have planted a spy directly in the palace.
‘Besides, before, my entire
schedule was public. There wouldn’t have been a need for a spy.’
It was around the time she
started tightening control over her inner circle that Stus entered the scene.
"What will you
do?" Kuhn asked. "Now that you’ve caught the spy, are you going to
remove him?"
Sienna, rather than
answering, posed the question back to him.
"If it were you, what
would you do? Would you get rid of him?"
"No, if it were
me..." Kuhn trailed off.
"My opinion does
matter," she encouraged.
Kuhn sighed, uncomfortable
but willing to share.
"I’d use his weakness
against him."
Sienna smiled. "That’s
what I plan to do too."
Sienna had considered
respecting Ben Stus’s honor if he had proven to be a loyal knight, but after
the recent betrayal of Patricia’s maid, she doubted his sincerity in serving
the Red King.
“I’m going to show him this
report,” Sienna said. “I’ll offer to cover up his impersonation of a noble in
exchange for him working as a double agent for me.”
“You’re going to blackmail
him?” Kuhn asked.
Sienna frowned. “Why do you
keep calling it blackmail? Like last time, I’m not forcing him without options.
I’m offering a deal. If he doesn’t accept, I’ll just expel him.”
Kuhn remained silent, but
Sienna noticed his expression and tilted her head.
“Is something wrong?”
“I just... I’m worried
about you. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Are you worried about me
fighting my mother?”
“...”
“After what she did to you,
aren’t you angry?”
Kuhn mumbled his response.
“She’s still your mother.”
Sienna’s eyes widened
before she smiled and gently stroked his cheek.
“You’re softer than I
thought,” she said.
Kuhn placed his hand over
hers, smiling. He never imagined he’d hear someone call him soft. She didn’t
know it, but the mercenary leader of the Kaligo Company had earned quite the
reputation. Yet with her, he wanted to be remembered as a good man. He felt
like he was changing when he was with her—he could be endlessly generous or
intensely possessive.
“So, what happened with the
investigation into how the poisonous plants got into the palace?” Sienna asked.
“No progress yet. It’s
going to take time. Whoever brought them in didn’t do it carelessly.”
“Kuhn, I’ve found something
out,” Sienna said. She told him about her theory that the plants weren’t
brought in but grown in the palace’s greenhouse.
As she explained, Kuhn’s
expression grew more serious. There was no concrete evidence, only speculation,
but it made sense. If her theory was correct, it could explain the emergence of
the unheard-of drug.
“No one can access the
greenhouse, can they?” he asked.
“No. Not even the Emperor
can enter without permission. We’d need clear evidence for the Emperor to order
a search, but that process would take time.”
“By then, the evidence
would be long gone.”
“My mother would’ve
prepared for such an eventuality.”
“There’s nothing we can do
for now but be cautious.”
“I could tell the Emperor,
even without solid proof—”
“No,” Kuhn interrupted her.
“The conflict between you
and your mother needs to stay between the two of you. The Red King is your
closest blood relative, and her actions could reflect badly on you. You need to
handle this carefully.”
Sienna stared at him.
“I know you’re a righteous
person, but sometimes, going head-on isn’t the only way. Don’t use the
Emperor’s power to attack the Red King. Understand?”
Sienna lowered her gaze and
nodded quietly. Her throat tightened as she swallowed.
Kuhn had nothing to gain
from advising her like this. The Red King was an obstacle to him, not only
because she supported the Iron Emperor but because she was part of the
established order, while Kuhn represented new power. Overthrowing the Red King
would benefit him, yet his advice was purely for her sake.
‘I’m not as righteous as
you think I am,’ she thought.
She had already played her
cards carefully, keeping the Red King’s involvement in the incident at the
secondary palace from the Emperor.
When they had been summoned
by the Emperor that day, she had been grateful Kuhn hadn’t brought up her
mother. Now, she realized it wasn’t just that he had passively ignored it. He
might have actively stopped her from mentioning it if she had tried.
Sienna hugged him, resting
her head against his broad chest.
‘It’s such a strange feeling.
Why is love so complicated?’
Her feelings for him had
grown so much that they were starting to scare her. What if he became her
absolute standard, the measure of all her values? The principles that had
guided her life could be shaken to their core.
“Kuhn.”
“Hmm?”
“That thing you said before,
about talking to the Iron Emperor—do you still plan on doing that?”
“Yes, I do,” he answered
firmly.
Sienna had been preparing
to persuade him otherwise, but she changed her mind.
“Then, after you meet with
the Iron Emperor, set up a meeting for the three of us. I’d like to join.”
Kuhn hesitated slightly
before answering, but he didn’t question her.
“All right. I’ll do as you
ask.”
They held each other in
silence, exchanging warmth. They could have stayed that way all night without
getting bored. But as time passed, Kuhn grew more aware of it slipping away.
“Did you come with Sir
Gilbert?”
“Yes.”
“He must’ve been waiting a
long time. You should head back—it’s late.”
“I sent him away,” Sienna
said.
Kuhn gently pushed her back
to look into her eyes.
“Sent him away?”
“I told him to come pick me
up in the morning.”
“You plan to go back
alone?”
Sienna let out a chuckle.
It was amusing to see Kuhn, usually so perceptive, completely miss the point.
"I'm staying until
tomorrow," she repeated.
Kuhn blinked a few times in
silence before finally muttering, "Ah..." His baffled expression made
Sienna burst into laughter again.
"If there’s no room, I
guess I’ll have to—"
"No! We have plenty of
rooms!" Kuhn shot up from his seat.
"Wait here for a
moment."
Suddenly anxious, Kuhn
rushed to make sure everything was ready for her stay. The Ivy Mansion had
never hosted overnight guests before, and he wanted to ensure her comfort. As
he moved toward the door, he called out loudly, "Walter! Walter!"
Walter was an exceptional
butler. Despite the sudden need to host a guest, he didn’t lose his composure
and immediately began organizing everything with efficiency. Lately, Walter had
taken to cleaning every nook and cranny of the mansion as a hobby, so there was
no need for a late-night cleaning spree. He quickly arranged a room suitable
for such an important guest.
The only issue was the lack
of extra clothing that would fit a lady of Sienna’s stature. Walter, ever
resourceful, solved the problem by arranging for the best items from a luxury
boutique run by the Raad Trading Company to be brought in.
Display garments, designed
to accommodate a range of noblewomen’s figures, were made with ample room. Even
if Sienna’s build was slightly larger than average, the clothing would fit with
minor adjustments.
However, some finishing
touches were still required to tailor the garments perfectly, and Walter
ensured that the seamstress was handsomely compensated to complete the work by
morning.
“How’s the bath water
coming along?” Walter asked one of the staff.
“It’s almost ready, sir,”
came the response.
“You two will attend to her
bath,” Walter instructed two of the maids.
“Yes, sir.”
“Chef, prepare something
light for the guest, in case she’s hungry.”
“Yes, sir.”
Walter was in high spirits.
Organizing the household staff and overseeing preparations was invigorating for
him, and his face glowed with excitement. He was finally getting to fully
exercise his skills as a proper butler. Not forgetting his duty to maintain
discretion, he made sure everyone knew to keep the night’s events quiet.
Sienna soaked in a fragrant
bath filled with floating petals, finishing her bath in a contented mood. The
maids who had been attending to her withdrew after completing their tasks.
Left alone, she stood in
front of the mirror. The nightgown, shaped like a dress, was not just a bit
loose—it was far too large. It must have been prepared in a hurry, without time
to tailor it to her measurements.
Sienna found herself
laughing. The reflection staring back at her felt unfamiliar. It was as if she
was draped in the garment, rather than properly wearing it. She had always worn
perfectly fitted clothes, so the oversized nightgown felt strange and awkward.
She turned her head at the
sound of a small noise. The smile vanished from her face. It was the sound of
the door closing. Her eyes met Kuhn’s, who was leaning against the door. His
gaze, which at first glance seemed fierce, conveyed a clear message. It was the
look of a man who could no longer contain his desire for her.
And once a man’s gaze
changed like that, he became ruthless. Sienna had a premonition that tonight
would be very long and difficult. Yet the emotion that made her heart race was
not fear but anticipation.
As he strode toward her,
she instinctively stepped back. But he was much faster than her retreat. His
arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in forcefully. Sienna let out a
sharp breath. It was as if she had been running, her breath suddenly coming in
short gasps.
His hand moved over her
back with no hesitation. The man who normally maintained a polite demeanor had
no reservations when it came to expressing his desire.
As his face neared hers,
Sienna closed her eyes. But instead of a kiss, her body was suddenly lifted
into the air. Her back soon met the softness of the bed. Immediately, his lips
pressed down upon hers.
His kiss was greedy, as
though all the suppressed emotions were rushing in at once.
"I need you to
understand just one thing," he murmured in a low voice, almost like a
whisper. Sienna opened her eyes. His gaze, looking down at her as he held her
down, resembled that of a predator about to pounce.
“I didn’t get a chance to
take the Rusa fruit in advance.”
Pleasure Tea.
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