The Great Wish - Chapter 34: The Last Dream (2)

“Soon, the sun will rise.”

―It’s a dream!

Sienna’s heart screamed. It had been almost two months since her last dream, and the thought that this one might end abruptly made her anxious. She was surprised by how much she welcomed the faint feeling of disorientation that dreams often brought.

The Emperor’s gaze was fixed on the sky outside the window, where the first light of dawn was beginning to appear. It really seemed like the sun was about to rise, just as the Emperor had said. Sienna wondered if this dream would vanish with the sunrise, or if it would simply lead to the beginning of a new day.

―The great wish. What is it? Tell me.

In reality, she had found no clues. Even if the Emperor didn’t reveal what the great wish was, Sienna at least hoped for a hint about where to find such information.

Without turning to face the Sky King, the Emperor stood up.

“Leave.”

―No!

Sienna felt a deep sense of urgency. There were still so many things she wanted to ask. It couldn’t end like this.

The true nature of the relationship between the Emperor and the Sky King had yet to be fully revealed. Were they only a source of pain to each other? Was there really nothing between them?

“Your Majesty.”

“I have nothing more to say.”

“Your Majesty, are you sincere in that?”

The Emperor remained silent.

“Your Majesty, look at me.”

“…”

“I will keep my promise. I will leave the capital and never return. Unless Your Majesty comes to Blackmist Castle, we will never meet again. Is that truly what you want?”

The Emperor closed his eyes.

―You stubborn fool!

Sienna wanted to shout at her future self, furious at her own obstinacy. She knew her own personality, and if she was being stubborn, she wouldn’t back down, which only made the situation more frustrating.

“Your Majesty, look at me.”

―Look! Just turn your head!

“Your Majesty.”

―You can’t end it like this!

“Sienna, look at me.”

―Gasp.

Sienna’s breath caught in her throat. A wave of electricity seemed to surge through her body, and she could almost hear the sound of her own heartbeat, pounding loudly.

The Emperor flinched, then slowly opened her eyes and turned around.

―Kuhn…

Though he was older now, and though this version of Kuhn wasn’t exactly the man she knew, Sienna’s heart ached with familiarity. She mentally superimposed the Kuhn she remembered onto the middle-aged man before her. Was he doing well? Was he safe? She worried about him and missed him deeply.

“You never ask.”

There was a barely contained anger in the King’s voice. The Emperor looked at him without speaking.

“Aren’t you curious? Not even a little?”

“…”

“I thought you’d at least ask once. About how he’s doing, whether he’s healthy, how much he’s grown. Did it never cross your mind?”

―No, it can’t be…

“Do you even remember when his birthday is?”

―Please, don’t let it be true.

“There are only a few months left. He’s about to come of age.”

―Tell me it’s not true!

“Eckart is your son!”

―Ah…

“No matter how much you deny it! You carried him for nine months, gave birth to him, and even named him yourself. He’s our son.”

Sienna gasped for air, her breath coming in short bursts. If only she had hands, she’d pound on her chest to alleviate the suffocating pain. She finally understood the true meaning behind the King’s earlier words—when he had said, “I thought you would return.” He had never imagined she would abandon their child.

Through the Emperor’s eyes, Sienna looked at the Sky King, but she couldn’t gauge the Emperor’s expression. She wondered desperately what kind of face she was making.

“Your Majesty.”

The Emperor’s voice was calm, almost chilling in its indifference. Sienna could imagine that her expression was as cold and detached as her tone, and it made her heart sink.

“I’ve never married. How could an unmarried man have a child?”

The King glared at the Emperor.

“I’m not asking the Emperor. I’m asking the consort. Does that child mean nothing to you?”

The Emperor slowly blinked and opened her eyes again.

“The consort merely fulfilled her duty.”

The King let out a bitter laugh.

“A duty?”

“You asked me for an heir, and I gave you one. Why bring it up now?”

It would have been easier to bear if there had been some trace of resentment or anger in the Emperor’s voice. At least that would have meant there were lingering emotions. But the Emperor’s tone was cold, almost mechanical, as if she were speaking about someone else’s life.

“Are you serious…?” The King seemed at a loss for words, his expression mirroring Sienna’s own sense of disbelief.

“To you, he’s not your son. He’s just my heir.”

Sienna watched the man before her, through the Emperor’s eyes, feeling as though she were looking at someone who had lost all hope. His face was that of a man who was silently weeping, though no tears fell.

The Kuhn she knew in reality had always been strong, resolute, and unshakable. Even when he broke his alliance with the Iron King or abandoned the grand plan that held the hopes of his entire clan, his resolve never wavered.

She had never wanted to see him like this.

“Is that truly your answer?” The King’s voice had grown quiet, as if he were speaking to himself rather than to the Emperor.

Lowering his gaze, the King stood still for a long time, gathering his emotions.

“As a merchant, I’ve always known when to cut my losses. If you linger too long, you end up paying for it. But life isn’t a transaction, and there are some things you can’t let go of so easily.”

The King lifted his head. In just a short time, he looked utterly exhausted.

“That’s why I’ve bothered you for so long. But this is the last time. I promise.”

His voice was steady, but it made Sienna’s chest tighten with pain.

―How cruel.

Sienna felt a deep resentment toward her future self, the Emperor. How could she remain so indifferent when the man standing before her spoke with such pain?

“I had no plans to use our child as leverage.”

―I know. You’re not that kind of person.

If only she could convey her thoughts. If she could speak in the Emperor’s place, she would say what the silent monarch refused to say.

“If only… if only things hadn’t started this way. But what use is there in saying that now?”

The King muttered as if speaking to himself. He placed something on the table in front of the Emperor, and Sienna let out a small gasp.

It was the gemstone she had given to Kuhn in reality, not long ago.

“I won’t take anything from this room with me, Your Majesty.”

His words sounded like a vow to leave without any regrets.

The King bowed deeply, slowly raising his head. His eyes showed no bitterness, only a hint of sadness that quickly faded away.

“May you live in good health, and may your empire be blessed.”

The King opened his mouth as if to say something more but closed it without a word. For a brief moment, he met the Emperor’s eyes, then turned away.

Sienna stared in disbelief as he walked toward the exit.

―No…

Could it really be the end? Was he truly leaving?

The King didn’t hesitate or look back. Despite the vastness of the reception room, it only took a few strides for him to reach the door. As he left, the door slowly closed behind him, swallowing his figure.

―He’s gone…

Sienna stared at the closed door for a long time, unable to look away, following the Emperor’s gaze.

“Four months and ten days,” the Emperor muttered to herself, words that seemed to carry an unknown weight.

“How could I ever forget that day? How could I….”

―She’s talking about the birthday… of that child?

The Emperor walked to the sofa and picked up the gemstone from the table, holding it in the palm of her hand. She stared at it for a long time, and Sienna found herself compelled to do the same, though she shared only the Emperor’s vision, unable to access her thoughts.

She felt a deep frustration. What was she thinking? What emotion filled her as she looked at the gemstone?

The Emperor raised her head and moved toward the bedroom. She opened the door, entered, and once again unlocked the hidden vault she had opened earlier. With slow, mechanical movements, she placed the gemstone inside and shut the vault, her actions steady, devoid of any visible emotion.

Standing in front of the closed vault, she remained still for a long time before murmuring again, “He’s almost of age. He’s all grown up.”

Her voice trembled faintly, a strange mix of sadness and joy.

The Emperor then moved to the bed. Sienna wondered if she was finally going to rest, but instead, she sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly into space. Watching her, Sienna began to understand a little more. The Emperor didn’t know how to express her sorrow. She had learned only to bury it deep within herself.

“He must look just like his father. He did when he was young, too.”

―You haven’t forgotten, so why did you say those things to the Sky King?

“You’re lucky your father is with you. You won’t have to get caught up in this mud.”

―You could have been honest with him. Asked for his help….

Sienna sighed, interrupting herself.

―But you couldn’t, could you? You’re me. Of course, I understand how you feel.

She thought she could almost grasp the reasoning behind the Emperor’s choices, trapped as she was in a corner of her own making. The Emperor’s pride must have been one of the last things left to her.

The idea of seeking help from anyone, admitting that she couldn’t escape the trap on her own, was utterly intolerable.

―I can do it now, though.

Sienna thought of Kuhn. It wasn’t embarrassing to show weakness to him or ask for help. She loved him, and revealing her flaws to him didn’t make her feel ashamed.

But it seemed that such an emotional bond had never existed between the future Emperor and the Sky King.

―Could things really turn out this way?

The future versions of the two were so different from their present selves. It was dizzying to imagine that reality could follow the same path as this future.

The Emperor opened the drawer of the bedside table. She pulled out something wrapped in velvet cloth. Carefully, as if handling the most precious treasure, the Emperor unwrapped it, revealing a small, round pocket watch.

The watch’s hands weren’t moving. The Emperor pressed the button at the top, and a soft click sounded as it opened.

Inside was a small portrait—a silver-haired woman. It was Sienna. She stared at the image, perplexed by the idea that the Emperor would cherish a pocket watch with her likeness.

―Was this a special gift?

The Emperor closed the watch, pressed the button twice, and it opened again. This time, the portrait had changed. The inner structure of the watch was double-layered. The new portrait showed a child, his hair dark.

―Ah…

Sienna immediately realized who the child must be.

Her vision blurred as tears streamed down the Emperor’s face. Sienna wanted to see the child’s face more clearly, but the tears distorted her view, making the already small portrait difficult to discern.

“Eckart…” the Emperor whispered the child’s name, kissing the pocket watch as she wept.

Sienna listened to the heart-wrenching sobs of the Emperor. The sorrow echoed through her, lingering until the dream slowly faded.

When Sienna opened her eyes, tears spilled down her cheeks.

It’s over, she thought.

The day in the dream had ended, and she knew, somehow, that the dreams themselves had also come to an end. She couldn’t explain why, but a deep, intuitive sense told her this had been the last.

Sienna rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Her shoulders began to shake, and her quiet sobs grew louder.

The tears wouldn’t stop. It felt as though someone was tearing her heart apart, and the pain was unbearable.

***