The Great Wish - Chapter 35: The Pathway to the Future (4)

“Your tea is truly unique. Why is it that no one else can replicate this taste?”

Emma had returned to the palace after a long time. Sienna felt pleased as she sipped the tea Emma had brewed, something she hadn’t had in quite a while.

When Emma left the palace to prepare for her marriage, she had taught the maids at the Silver Palace the secrets of brewing tea, but none of them could perfectly recreate the flavor.

“You flatter me, Your Highness. It’s been a while since I handled the teapot. I’m just relieved I didn’t make any mistakes.”

“You’ve mastered it with your own hands. How could you possibly make a mistake? The wedding is in a month, right?”

“Yes.”

“Is everything going smoothly?”

“Yes. The countess has been looking after everything, as kindly as if she were my own mother.”

“I heard your future husband is quite fond of you. The countess mentioned that.”

Emma blushed and smiled.

“How do you feel about the upcoming wedding?”

“I suppose I must be unusual. Most people feel nervous or melancholy, but I’m just happy.”

“What makes you happy?”

“Albert… I’m about to start a new family with him. And his mother has set up a separate house for us, saying we should enjoy our newlywed life. The idea of having our own home makes me so excited.”

Sienna smiled as she lifted her teacup to her lips.

“And the best part is… if anything happens to him, I’ll be the first person notified. Not his parents, but me.”

“I see.”

Sienna felt a sudden admiration, like a scholar discovering a profound truth. She instantly grasped the true meaning of marriage and becoming a family—gaining the right to be the first to know everything about your partner.

“Your Highness, Beth is here.”

Beth knocked from outside, and after a moment, entered the room.

“I have something to report.”

Sensing the situation, Emma quietly excused herself. Beth then shared her visit to the Red Palace and recounted the conversation she had with Patricia.

“Is even a formal apology better than none at all? What do you think, Countess?”

“For her, it’s a significant concession. It’s a gesture that she wishes to improve her relationship with Your Highness.”

Beth sincerely hoped for a reconciliation between mother and daughter. In her eyes, the Red King remained a crucial pillar supporting the Silver King. For the sake of the Silver King, Beth was willing to overlook past grievances and appease the Red King.

Sienna sipped her tea without comment. Recently, she had met with Ben, who shared his experience visiting the greenhouse.

Patricia had revealed the secret greenhouse, long kept hidden, for Sienna’s recovery. Had it not been for recent events, it might have taken much longer for Ben to step inside that place.

Yet Sienna wasn’t moved. Her heart toward her mother had long since turned cold. All she could think about was how to protect Violet from her mother’s schemes.

She had instructed Ben to describe the appearance and characteristics of the herbs he saw in detail and sent that information to Levan.

“Countess.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“If my mother asks you about today, tell her that I’m responding positively to her change.”

Sienna’s voice was emotionless. Beth, observing her for a moment, finally replied.

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

For the first time, Beth found herself thinking that Sienna was indeed a very cold person.

***

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.