The Great Wish - Chapter 33: The Present and Future Intersect (6)

Sienna blinked even faster, feeling tears begin to well up.

“And this is the most important thing,” he continued, and she held her breath, waiting for his words.

“Don’t smile at any other man,” he said, his expression completely serious.

“…”

“Don’t meet with them, don’t talk to them…” he added, his tone intense.

Sienna pulled back slightly, releasing her hold around his neck, surprised by his earnestness.

“There are too many men who would jump at the chance to get close to you. They’ll approach you with nothing but sly intentions,” he explained, misinterpreting the look on her face.

Sienna narrowed her eyes, annoyed.

“Not because I don’t trust you, but because I don’t trust them. With your audience schedule growing, you’re meeting more people than ever. They’ll try to take advantage of that,” Kuhn added quickly.

“No one’s ever dared pull anything like that with me. Who would even try?” Sienna asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

“I did, didn’t I?” Kuhn replied, his face a mix of seriousness and sheepishness.

Sienna let out a small laugh.

“So you’re worried another man like you might come along?”

His expression tightened like a child throwing a small tantrum. Sienna gently patted his cheek.

“Stop worrying about the sky falling and just go. You said you’d see the emperor at dawn, didn’t you? The maids will be coming in soon,” she said, trying to usher him out.

“I won’t go until you promise,” Kuhn insisted.

“Kuhn…” she sighed.

“Promise.”

He stood there stubbornly, refusing to budge without her word. Sienna found his insistence ridiculous, especially in light of the serious situation he was about to face.

“Alright. Even if ten men like you try to talk to me, I’ll ignore them,” she said, exasperated.

“I don’t like that example,” he muttered, grumbling.

With a playful push, Sienna guided him toward the balcony.

They stood facing each other, the open balcony door between them. Both knew the other would stay in their thoughts long after they parted, and neither could tear their eyes away. The moments felt precious, as if they could stop time if they tried hard enough.

“I’ll be back,” Kuhn said softly.

“Be careful,” Sienna replied, her voice gentle but firm.

Kuhn turned to leave but stopped mid-turn. He reached out, cupping the back of her neck, and pulled her in for one last kiss. Their lips met, soft and lingering, each breath shared between them. The kiss stretched on, full of unspoken emotion.

Sienna finally placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away. She couldn’t hold him back any longer. If she did, she might never let go.

“I love you,” he whispered.

By the time she lifted her head, he was already gone. Panic surged through her, and she rushed to the balcony, leaning over the railing to catch a glimpse of him. Her bedroom was on the second floor, and from there, she saw his figure already walking far off into the distance.

Opening her clenched fist, Sienna looked down at the gemstone. It glimmered in the early morning sunlight, casting iridescent colors across her palm. She remembered the emperor from her dream—how he had secretly taken this stone with him when he left the fortress of darkness. The more she thought about it, the more she understood the depth of the emperor’s hidden feelings.

In the future she had dreamt of, she didn’t know if they had been in love, but they hadn’t been enemies either. Clutching the stone to her chest, she silently prayed.

Please, let nothing happen to him. Let him return to me safe and sound. God, please watch over him.

For the first time, Sienna prayed not for the empire, but for her own personal hope.

***

A few days later, Sienna received a thick envelope. Beth, who had returned home and entered the palace early in the morning, brought it to Sienna.

“A stranger came by early this morning and left it. He said His Majesty would know if I handed it to you.”

“Thank you. You might have to act as a middleman and deliver things like this more often in the future.”

Beth smiled.
“Gladly, Your Majesty. Shall I bring some fresh tea?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll call if I need anything.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After Beth left the study, Sienna opened the envelope and took out the contents. It was the report on the status of the Duke of Rimone’s duchy, which Kuhn had mentioned. Some of the information was familiar to Sienna, but there were also new details. She meticulously read through the thick document, which was the size of a book.

It had been a month and a half since the Duke of Rimone left for his duchy. Except for the Duke of Bless, all the heads of the ducal families resided in the capital. The Duke of Rimone’s prolonged absence was unusual.

‘People will start to think it’s strange soon.’

Though the Rimone family might try to keep things quiet, there were limits. Rumors would soon spread about what was happening in the Duke’s territory, and people would watch the spectacle with great interest, as if observing a fire across the river.

The situation in the Duke of Rimone’s territory had escalated to an extreme level, nearing a state of war. The attacks by those plundering the duchy had become more sophisticated, employing hit-and-run tactics that mocked the Duke’s knights.

The report included a note stating that the Emperor was secretly supporting these attackers.

‘The Emperor is behind it.’

She pushed the finished documents aside and leaned back in her chair, lost in thought.

‘Did His Majesty already know about the tragedy of the Acheron family to some extent?’

The Emperor’s love affair with the Acheron family’s young lady was truly unexpected. It was hard to believe that the cold and aloof Emperor, who never allowed anyone close, had once fallen deeply in love.

‘If the Rimone family was heavily involved in the destruction of the Acherons, why has the Rimone family thrived until now?’

The former Duke, who was directly involved, was already dead. Why had the Emperor, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly drawn his sword against the Rimone family now?

‘Did His Majesty learn something after meeting the Acheron investigator?’

She shook her head. It hadn’t been long since the Acheron investigator appeared.

‘It takes time to prepare. Judging by the fact that Duke Rimone is struggling, His Majesty must have been working meticulously on this for a while. It’s not a spur-of-the-moment decision.’

If there was a crime, the Rimone family should be punished through proper procedures. Stirring up chaos from behind the scenes was something the Emperor should never do.

The ones who suffer the most are the powerless commoners. The subjects of the duchy were also citizens of the Empire.

‘His Majesty has lost his balance.’

She felt a bitter taste in her mouth. The Emperor had always been someone she looked up to. Her idol was crumbling before her eyes.

‘It’s not right. But….’

While her mind criticized the Emperor, her heart understood him.

‘If I were in his shoes….’

If Kuhn were to die, caught in someone’s conspiracy…

Sienna furrowed her brow. Her hands clenched involuntarily, and her fists trembled. The mere thought made her insides churn.

She wouldn’t be able to forgive the culprit. She would do whatever it took to find and punish them. When she herself was burning with rage, would she really care about the people’s suffering or the proper procedures?

“An Achilles’ heel….”

Sienna muttered the words she had once said to him.

‘Kuhn is my weakness.’

They had become each other’s Achilles’ heel. She felt powerless because of him, yet for him, she would do anything.

Sienna opened a drawer. She placed a small wooden jewelry box on her desk and pulled out a gemstone, raising it high into the air and turning it in different directions. The stone reflected a variety of colors depending on the angle.

‘I miss you.’

It had only been a few days. He probably hadn’t even reached the desert yet. And yet, she already missed him.

As soon as she left the study, a maid approached, as if she had been waiting.

“Your Majesty, a guest has arrived. His Majesty the Iron King is waiting for you.”

“When did he arrive?”

“He has been waiting for about an hour.”

“Where is the Countess?”

“She went out, Your Majesty. She told me not to disturb you, as you were handling important affairs.”

Sienna clicked her tongue briefly. So inflexible. If the Countess had been here, she would have relayed the news of the Iron King’s visit.

Sienna entered the reception room, where Dian stood up.

“I kept you waiting, Iron King.”

“No, not at all. I came unannounced, and there’s no rush.”

Sienna sat down across from Dian.

“Thank you for helping with Violet the other day. She’s been much more stable since visiting Silver King’s Palace. She said your comfort was a great help.”

“I didn’t do much. I just listened while the Countess spoke with her.”

“Violet was deeply moved that you didn’t scold her or kick her out, despite her sudden visit and rude behavior.”

Sienna frowned.

“I’m not that harsh.”

Dian chuckled.

“That’s not what I meant. Violet is completely smitten with you. She probably would have been happy even if you had gotten angry.”

Feeling a little embarrassed, Sienna cleared her throat.

“I like the Iron Queen too.”

“Oh, if Violet hears that, she’ll be overjoyed.”

“Tell her she’s welcome anytime.”

“She’s been sleeping a lot during the day lately and staying up late at night. She might show up at some odd hour.”

“Late-night visits are actually better. I’ll be in the palace anyway.”

Dian smiled, gazing at Sienna for a moment.

“I’ll pass that along to Violet.”

“How is she doing? I heard she was struggling with morning sickness.”

“It’s not something that can be treated with medicine. Some people improve with time, but I’ve heard others suffer from it until just before giving birth. She hasn’t been able to eat much, so I’m planning to give her some medicinal supplements. I asked Lord Rad to prepare a tonic for her, and I received it today, but….”

Dian hesitated for a moment before asking.

“I haven’t seen Lord Raad around lately. Is he not in the capital?”

“Ah….”

Sienna mumbled in surprise. She hadn’t expected the Iron King to be unaware. Soon, the situation in the desert would be known throughout the Empire. It wasn’t exactly a secret, so Sienna briefly explained the situation.

After listening, Dian chuckled in disbelief.

“No matter the circumstances, to cut him off like that… wow, that’s ruthless.”

“What do you mean?”

“Iron King, Kuhn and I have known each other for years. Even though we agreed to go our separate ways, he left the capital without giving me any notice. Don’t you think that’s too much? The guy’s really heartless, I’m telling you.”

“…”

“Don’t be fooled by how he looks on the outside. He’s actually a cold, calculating guy.”

Sienna didn’t feel good hearing Dian downplay Kuhn like that. She averted her gaze slightly.

“Think about it. Haven’t you ever felt something off about him?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Dian hadn’t meant any harm with his criticism. He was just looking for a casual agreement, something like, “Yeah, he does have that side to him.”

People often bond over shared complaints, after all. But Sienna’s refusal to join in left Dian looking dejected.