The Great Wish - Chapter 33: The Present and Future Intersect (3)

Kuhn walked through the dark streets after leaving the general store.

“A traveler…” Lindy’s words echoed in his mind.

His ancestors, and even Kuhn himself, never stayed long in one place, unless it was an attempt to settle the clan. They had never intentionally planned to move around frequently, but circumstances always forced them to leave. Kuhn had inherited the wandering fate of his predecessors. Even after arriving in the Empire to support Diane, he had to leave the capital intermittently.

“I always found myself leaving the Empire for one reason or another.”

Just last year, he had spent several months in the desert. Now, it had been almost nine months since he returned from that trip.

“Three more months, and it will have been a year. That’ll be a record.”

Now, more than ever, he wanted to stay in one place. He wanted to settle down by her side.

Kuhn looked up at the dark night sky. His ancestors had been bold, sometimes even reckless. They had even left behind a guiding principle: “Don’t overthink. Act.” Kuhn had inherited that spirit, boldly pursuing her with all his might.

When he first set out, he hadn’t considered the circumstances surrounding both of them, nor the consequences. Some might call it irresponsible.

But he had no choice but to move forward. Nothing else mattered—she was all he could see.

He had never been so drawn to someone so recklessly before. She was like an oasis discovered in the middle of an endless desert, something he couldn’t pass by.

In the end, a project that had taken vast amounts of time and resources, one that held the future of his clan, was dismantled by his own hand. Yet, he had no regrets. The only frustration was that despite the sacrifices he had made, the path ahead remained unclear.

As he walked toward Rad Trading Company, Kuhn veered toward the Ivy Mansion instead. The loose ends could wait. Dawn was approaching, and his head felt heavy. He needed rest.

Upon returning, Levan was there to meet him.

“What’s going on?”

For Levan to be waiting for him at this hour was never a good sign. His expression was serious.

“Kuhn, the king of the Peroh Confederation has passed away.”

Kuhn frowned. He had already heard rumors that the king was on his deathbed.

“But just before he died, the king named Ahin Tuisa as his successor,” Levan continued.

“Ahin? Who is that?” Kuhn asked.

“He’s the king’s twelfth son. He’s seven years old,” Levan replied.

Kuhn muttered a curse under his breath. Had the old king lost his mind before dying?

The Peroh Confederation made up of three desert tribes, had been unstable from the start. The Tuisa chieftain had been elected king, but the other two tribes had likely been biding their time, expecting that their turn would come next.

Queen Reka, the king’s primary wife, had worked tirelessly to strengthen the monarchy and ensure that her adopted son would ascend the throne. Reka was a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

Kuhn had neither opposed nor allied himself with Reka. He didn’t want to get close to her personally, but he acknowledged her abilities. Without her, the Confederation wouldn’t have solidified so quickly in such a short time.

If Reka’s adopted son had taken the throne, the chaos following the king’s death could have been kept to a minimum. But instead, the crown was passed to an unknown child.

Kuhn sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

“There must be chaos. …So, what now?”

“You should hear the details directly. Yudan is here,” Levan answered.

“Yudan? Don’t tell me something’s happened to Princess Fatima…”

“From what I’ve gathered, the princess is safe. The concern is Yudan. He was severely injured by the time he contacted us.”

“Where is he now?”

“At the meeting point. His injuries were too severe to bring him here. It’ll take half a day by ship.”

“And the ship?”

“It’s waiting at the dock. You can depart as soon as you’re ready.”

“Then let’s go,” Kuhn said, immediately turning back and heading out of the mansion once more

***

It was considered improper to visit someone’s home after sunset, a social etiquette that extended even to the imperial palace. Yet, despite the late hour, Sienna and Violette sat across from each other in the reception room of the Silver King’s palace. Beth, having been caught just as she was about to leave for the night, was there, personally serving tea for the unexpected guest.

Beth had intended to leave and return in the morning, but upon running into Violette at the entrance, she decided to delay her departure.

“I’m so sorry for intruding at such a late hour, Your Highness,” Violette said, her voice tinged with embarrassment, though she smiled through it. She was clearly struggling to maintain her composure, her face betraying the tears that were threatening to spill at any moment.

“It’s alright. I told you, you can come by anytime,” Sienna reassured her.

“Thank you, Your Highness. You’re always so kind,” Violette replied with a shaky smile. But as she lifted her teacup, tears began to fall, dripping into the tea. Sienna’s expression stiffened in alarm.

“Please, put the cup down and calm yourself, my lady,” Beth gently soothed her, offering a handkerchief. Violette took it and pressed it to her eyes, wiping away her tears.

“Have your emotions been unstable lately? It’s normal to feel up and down, sometimes happy and then suddenly sad,” Beth continued softly.

Sniffling, Violette nodded.

“It’s natural when you’re expecting a child,” Beth added.

“Did you experience that too, Countess?”

“Of course. When your body is changing every day, people around you just say it’s part of becoming a mother, but they don’t understand how difficult it can be,” Beth said with a sympathetic smile.

“Yes, that’s exactly it,” Violette replied.

“And sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night, terrified for the safety of your baby.”

“Yes, yes,” Violette said again, tears streaming down her face.

“Have you had any morning sickness?”

“Yes, I can barely manage to eat a little fruit,” Violette admitted.

“I thought you looked a bit pale. You should try to find something your body can tolerate and eat a little more. Oh dear, I wasn’t thinking. The tea—does the scent bother you?”

“The tea is fine,” Violette reassured her.

Sienna silently observed their conversation, unable to relate to any of it. She hadn’t experienced anything like it yet.

“My husband’s been walking on eggshells around me because I’m so sensitive, but he doesn’t really understand what I need. Sometimes, I can’t even stand the sight of him,” Violette confided.

“I keep getting annoyed with His Majesty. He’s always so patient and kind, but I can see he’s confused sometimes. And when I see that flicker of confusion in his face, I feel so hurt for no reason. Earlier, I heard him sigh quietly, and I got so upset that I just left. I didn’t know where to go, so I ended up here.”

Violette’s erratic emotions, swinging from laughter to tears, made her seem almost unhinged to Sienna. But Beth calmly comforted her, nodding along and offering soothing words.

‘I’m so glad the Countess stayed,’ Sienna thought. If she had been alone, she wouldn’t have known how to comfort Violette at all. Shortly after, King Dian arrived, his face a mix of gratitude and awkwardness, as he came to collect Violette and take her home.

After they left, Sienna turned to Beth.

“Is it normal for a pregnant woman to go through such changes?” she asked, amazed at how much Violette had transformed. She had always been so gentle, the kind of person who would smile even when faced with harsh words. Yet, judging by how flustered King Dian had been, it seemed Violette had been quite difficult to handle.

“It varies from person to person, but the queen seems especially sensitive. It also seems her morning sickness is quite severe. If she could relax more, I think it would help.”

Sienna winced at that, knowing she was likely part of Violette’s anxiety. Upon hearing of the queen’s pregnancy, she immediately met with Violette to issue a stern warning to be cautious.

“Never consume food from an unknown source. It’s not just about food—anything with a scent, like perfumes, could be dangerous. And don’t touch anything that comes from outside without being sure it’s safe.”

She recalled how Violette had nodded, her face pale as she absorbed the warning.

‘I was just trying to protect her, but I suppose it could have sounded alarming.’ Sienna thought, feeling a twinge of guilt. ‘Maybe I wasn’t as gentle as I should have been.’

But Violette wasn’t the type to pick up on subtle malice from others. If Sienna hadn’t been direct, Violette might not have taken the warning seriously.

After Beth finally left the palace to go home, Sienna prepared for bed. Her attendants had all retired, leaving her alone in the room. But instead of lying down, she sat on a sofa, deep in thought.

‘Mother must have heard the news by now.’

Sienna worried about what her mother might do next. While she was certain Patricia wouldn’t act overtly for now, the real danger would come if the truth were ever exposed.

‘If Mother finds out that Dian’s heir could surpass me in the line of succession, she’ll do everything in her power to ruin his chances.’

In the future she had seen in her dreams, she never would have ascended to the throne if King Dian had an heir. Violette’s pregnancy had proven that the royal couple was not infertile, solidifying Sienna’s growing suspicion that her mother had played a role in preventing Dian’s child from being born in the past.

The royal family was naturally resistant to poisons, but a pregnant mother was more vulnerable. If Violette had miscarried and suffered complications that left her unable to bear children, Dian’s loyalty to his wife would have prevented him from seeking another heir.

‘Even when I left the palace to become the Crown Princess, Mother kept a tight grip on that greenhouse. I can only imagine what kind of dangerous things are hidden inside.’

Sienna hated leaving it unchecked. She wanted to go to the emperor and demand that the greenhouse be cleared out. But Kuhn’s advice to avoid involving the emperor had been wise.

‘Why didn’t Kuhn come to the palace today?’

Her thoughts drifted to Kuhn. Ever since Jeffrey had been appointed as an investigator, Kuhn had visited the palace every day without fail. But today, he hadn’t come, and she hadn’t heard from him at all.

‘Did something happen?’

Worry and curiosity gnawed at her, her thoughts spiraling. She sat there for a long while, arms crossed, lost in thought.

‘I should just go to sleep,’ she finally decided.

Sienna let out a long sigh as she stood up. Her sleep schedule had become unpredictable lately, with restless nights filled with swirling thoughts. The real culprit, though, was her increasingly frequent late-night outings. Every time she visited the Ivy Mansion, her routine was thrown off.

When she was with him, she found herself talking endlessly. It baffled her that despite seeing him so often, she always had so much to say. But it wasn’t just conversation that filled their nights.

Their talks inevitably led to kisses, and from there to deeper, more intimate moments. Their encounters often stretched past dawn, leaving her exhausted but satisfied, drifting into sleep from his relentless, tireless desire.

Once they were fully unclothed and their bare skin touched, it felt as though Kuhn became a different person. The gentle, smiling man who never raised his voice turned into someone utterly unyielding when they were together in bed.

It could be overwhelming at times, but she had never truly disliked it. Even the moments when she was pushed to the brink of tears by the intensity of pleasure were exhilarating.

Sigh…

Sienna let out a soft, languid sigh, her body already warming at the thought of him. She wanted to feel the firm muscles of his body under her hands. The mere thought made her lower abdomen tingle. Her body, having grown accustomed to pleasure, was becoming more sensitive with each encounter.

Should I send Sir Stus tomorrow?

It had only been three days since her last visit to the marquess’s mansion.