Emma's wedding was
originally planned to be a modest affair, with only close family members
attending. However, when Sienna offered the palace hall as the venue, it
transformed into a grand event.
It wasn’t the main banquet
hall used for royal birthday celebrations or large parties, as only the emperor
could authorize its use. Instead, it was an outer hall of the palace, a public
building that any member of the royal family could use.
Every summer, the Red King
held a brief retreat here, inviting noblewomen. Her summer retreat was a highly
coveted social event, one everyone wanted to attend.
So, for the Silver King to
lend this venue for a noble’s wedding—especially for a relatively insignificant
baron’s family—caused quite a stir. Everyone wanted to know who Emma was and
what family her groom came from. Within no time, Emma’s name was known
throughout the capital’s social circles.
The wedding was grand, with
the hall packed with attendees. Sienna attended and offered her congratulations
to Emma.
"Thank you, Your
Highness. How can I ever repay such kindness?" Emma’s eyes glistened with
tears.
"Even being able to
continue drinking your tea isn’t enough repayment," Sienna responded
warmly.
People whispered as they
watched Sienna and Emma conversing affectionately. The guests crowded around
Baron Brill and his wife, Emma's new in-laws.
"You must be so
fortunate, Baroness, to have such a gem for a daughter-in-law."
"Ho ho ho, she's a
kind-hearted girl as well," the baroness replied, her nose in the air,
proudly watching her daughter-in-law chat with the Silver King.
But soon, another topic
overtook the wedding: the situation in the Rimone duchy.
"Have you heard? About
the Rimone duchy? What’s happening over there?"
"Oh, yes! I’ve heard
something as well. No wonder Duke Rimone has been absent for so long."
The rumors even reached Sienna's
ears.
‘It lasted longer than
expected,’ she thought. It had been over four months since Doug had left for
the duchy. For people to speak so openly now meant the news had already spread
to the sharpest ears.
Sienna didn’t stay long at
the reception. Many were eager to strike up a conversation with her, but she
felt it wasn’t her place to remain.
‘Today’s not about me.’
As she left the palace, a
man quickly followed behind her.
"Your Highness!" Sienna
turned to see Andre approaching.
"Are you
leaving?" he asked.
Andre had consistently
requested audiences with Sienna, and she usually granted them. The primary
reason was that he was the son of Duke Bless. Talking with Andre also felt
comfortable. Unlike other young noblemen, he never overstepped, tried to charm
her, or resorted to awkward humor.
"This isn’t my place
to linger. Thank you for attending today."
"It was my
pleasure."
"Please pass my
gratitude to Duke Bless as well."
"Of course, Your
Highness."
A few days before Emma's
wedding, Sienna had met with Duke Bless. The main purpose of their meeting was
to share information about the Rimone duchy. With Duke Bless’s support, Duke Rimone
had found a breakthrough, and the two dukes planned to meet once Rimone
returned to the capital.
Just as Duke Bless was
about to leave, he had asked:
"Your Highness, why
haven’t I received an invitation?"
"An invitation?"
"To the Brill baron’s
wedding, of course. The baron didn’t send one, and neither did you. What else
could I do but request one myself?"
Sienna had been caught off
guard by his unexpected request. Of course, the Brill baron wouldn’t have sent
an invitation to Duke Bless—they wouldn’t dare. Invitations to people of much
higher status without close ties were considered rude. The invitations Sienna
typically received were from prominent families everyone knew by name.
Sienna’s offer to let Emma
use the palace hall had not been a simple favor. To many, it was seen as a
social event hosted by the Silver King. If the guest list had been lackluster,
it could have affected the Silver King's reputation. Yet, Sienna hadn’t
actively gathered people for the event.
Had Sienna sent invitations
herself, it would have been an implicit command. Those who received them would
have felt obliged to attend, not wanting to fall out of favor with the Silver
King. It would have saved Sienna’s reputation but potentially strained
relations between the attendees and the Brill family.
Thus, Duke Bless’s request
for an invitation was essentially his way of saying, "I will gladly attend
to uphold the Silver King’s honor."
Sienna appreciated his
thoughtful gesture.
"I'm not the host, so
I don’t have the invitations. But I’ll make sure the baron sends one to you.
That said, it would be excessive for you to attend in person. It’s enough if
you send a representative."
"I’ll send my son
then."
And that’s why Andre had
attended the wedding in his father’s place.
"Your Highness, do you
have any urgent plans?"
"Not at the
moment."
"Then might I trouble
you for a cup of tea? The reception was full of nothing but wine, and I’m quite
parched."
His excuse was simple, but
it made Sienna smile.
"That can be arranged.
It’s no trouble at all."
Two carriages, one for
each, headed toward the Silver Palace. They didn’t hurry, as they were still
within the palace grounds.
‘Why does it feel like this
carriage is moving slower than usual?’ Andre thought, feeling unusually anxious.
He shifted his legs, crossing them first one way, then the other, clasping his
hands together and resting his forehead on them. He was nervous.
‘Today... I must...’
When they finally arrived
at the Silver Palace, the two sat across from each other in the reception room.
A maid placed tea on the table before leaving the room.
"I heard the lady who
married Baron Brill’s son is an excellent tea brewer?"
"Everyone praises
Emma’s tea."
"Do you think I might
join that praise one day?"
"I’ll invite you the
next time Emma comes to visit.
"You’ve made a
promise," Andre said with a smile as he and Sienna engaged in light
conversation about the wedding.
Lately, Sienna had grown
more adept at conversing with people, especially through her audiences. Where
she once mostly listened, she now knew how to interject and respond skillfully.
"I’ve heard there will
be a grand palace banquet at the end of this month. People are quite excited
about it," Andre remarked.
Sienna gave a slight nod.
"It's especially
notable since the Red King will be hosting."
Normally, around this time
of year, the royal hunting competition was held. However, it had been canceled
this year because the Iron Queen was pregnant. Holding an event that involved
killing animals was considered inauspicious when an heir was expected—a
long-standing tradition.
After the emperor announced
there would be no hunting competition this year, the Red King revealed plans
for a grand palace banquet instead. Since the Red King hadn’t been active in social
events recently, this news had everyone buzzing with excitement.
"Your Highness...
about that day..." Andre hesitated, taking a deep breath before
continuing. "May I escort you to the banquet?"
The hunting event was
usually more of a festival than an actual hunt, given that most noblemen didn’t
participate in actual hunting. It was a chance for men to show off their
masculinity, while noblewomen proudly displayed fox pelts as tokens of their
popularity. Last year’s hunt had been replaced by a deer hunt, and with this
year’s cancellation, many were likely disappointed. Patricia had seized the
opportunity to fill the gap with her grand banquet.
Sienna thought the
situation felt similar to when Patricia had scheduled a grand event on the same
day as the Ivy Mansion party. It was typical of Patricia to not tolerate
attention being focused elsewhere for too long. Sienna had no intention of
indulging in her mother’s unnecessary display of grandeur.
Instead of explaining all
this to Andre, Sienna simply looked at him in silence. She realized that Andre
wasn't just offering to be her partner at the event—he was carefully asking for
permission to stand by her side.
"Sir Bless."
"...Yes, Your
Highness?"
Andre’s expression
darkened. He could sense her answer even before she spoke.
"I’ve already received
your proposal."
"My... proposal?"
"Though it came from
your father on your behalf."
Andre’s mouth fell open
before he clenched his teeth. He cursed his father inwardly.
"Your Highness, that
wasn’t my intention at all. What I mean is, I didn’t approach you for political
reasons. I’ve been following my heart. I want to get to know you better and to
talk about our future together. I have no interest in your title or status.
What I admire is your kindness, like how you lent the wedding venue for someone
you care about and attended the event to express your gratitude. That’s the
side of you I cherish."
Sienna paused, a thoughtful
expression crossing her face before she gave a faint smile.
"Sir, if we had met
earlier, things might have been different. You might have thought me a cold
person. You might have run off after a single cup of tea."
Andre furrowed his brow.
"I would never do that."
"And I might have
laughed at your words even if you had said the same thing back then. I would
have thought you were just cleverly disguising your ambition for the
throne."
"Your Highness! I
would never—"
"I know. I believe
your sincerity."
Andre’s expression became
even more confused. Did she want him to try harder? He wasn’t sure what to make
of it. But Sienna’s next words made it clear.
"I was able to
recognize your sincerity because someone once showed me their true self. If my
heart seems warm now, it’s because that person awakened something in me,
something even I didn’t know was there."
Hearing this, Andre
realized that no more perfect words could express a rejection.
"Is that person... the
Marquis of Rad?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"I have no intention
of accepting anyone’s escort other than Lord Rad’s," Sienna replied
firmly.
Andre was disappointed. The
Marquis had been gone for over two months, traveling through the desert. Andre
had been hopeful during his absence, frequently requesting audiences with Sienna.
Some people had mocked him
for it. One day, at a social club, someone had sneered that he was “looting an
empty house.” But Andre hadn’t cared.
Sienna never rejected his
requests for an audience, and he believed she had at least some affection for
him. He had never gotten the sense that she missed the Marquis.
‘So, it wasn’t that I had a
chance... it was that her feelings for him never wavered,’ he thought, his
shoulders slumping in defeat.
But Andre couldn’t bring
himself to give up. The Marquis was still away, and Sienna and the Marquis’s
future remained uncertain.
"Your Highness,
I..."
Andre was about to say he
was willing to wait, but before he could, there was a knock at the door. A maid
entered after Sienna gave her permission.
"Your Highness, I
bring urgent news."
The maid’s vague wording
was a signal: Levan had arrived. Sienna excused herself, and Andre reluctantly
stood to leave.
"Your Highness, may I
come to visit again? Please don’t refuse me. Surely you wouldn’t mind having
one more friend like me?"
As Andre spoke, Sienna
thought of Kuhn. Every time she mentioned having tea with Sir Bless, Kuhn would
pretend to be indifferent but was clearly displeased. It amused her. How far
would he go in pretending to be unaffected? She often brought up Andre just to
gauge Kuhn’s reaction.
If she told Kuhn what Andre
had just said, how would he react? He’d probably explode, accusing Andre of
making a predictable move.
Her chest ached slightly.
She missed him. Today, she missed him more than usual.
"Friends are always
welcome."
Andre studied Sienna’s
expression for a moment, then, realizing his defeat, bowed and left quietly.
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