The Great Wish - Chapter 35: The Pathway to the Future (5)

“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 Raad’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.

***

Levan entered in yet another disguise, this time appearing as a plump middle-aged man. This was his third visit, and each time, his appearance had been completely different—only his gender remained consistent. His face, body, and even his age had changed with each visit.

He had passed the secret code that he and Sienna had agreed upon to the maid, who led him in. The maid likely had no idea that the man she had seen three times was the same person.

“The item you sent last time was nothing more than an ordinary hairpin,” Levan said, handing over a report. It concluded that there was “nothing suspicious.”

Since sending Violet a tea that was supposed to ease her morning sickness, Patricia had followed up with various gifts: tea leaves, fruits, a waist belt, and hairpins. On the surface, Patricia appeared to be a caring matriarch, looking after a family member who was with child. But Sienna didn’t trust her mother’s intentions.

Violet had sent all the items to Sienna, and Sienna had, in turn, passed them to Levan. So far, nothing suspicious had been found in any of the gifts Patricia had sent.

“What do you think? Do you see any significance in these items?” Sienna asked.

“I have two theories,” Levan replied.

“Two? Let’s hear them.”

“First, it could be to lower their guard. There was a famous case in a royal family on the continent. The queen, after winning the king’s favor, began sending daily bouquets to the favored concubine. At first, the concubine refused to accept them, but later, she grew accustomed to receiving them and placed them in her reception room. Eventually, she even decorated her bedroom with them. The concubine died, slowly poisoned by the flowers. To this day, gifting flowers is taboo in that kingdom.”

Levan’s eyes remained steady as he continued. “The second possibility is a distraction. Sending seemingly innocent gifts may cause the recipient to spend time analyzing them while the sender carries out another plan unnoticed. It’s a common tactic.”

Levan knew the items he was investigating came from the Red King and were sent to Violet. Sienna had shared her suspicions about Patricia’s intentions, thinking it would help his investigation. But even after hearing the details, Levan remained unfazed, calmly discussing past instances of “flower poisoning,” demonstrating that he was no ordinary man.

Sienna appreciated Levan’s directness. She had no one else in her circle who spoke as openly as he did.

Sienna crossed her arms and fell into thought. There wasn’t anything urgent that needed addressing just yet. Patricia hadn’t made any overt moves so far.

‘Should I warn Violet?’ she pondered. But if she warned her and nothing happened, Violet’s vigilance might wane. With Violet’s temperament, she wouldn’t be able to tolerate living in constant suspicion of everything around her.

“This, however, yielded some results,” Levan said, handing over another report. This one was an analysis of the mysterious herb Sienna had been given when she had a high fever.

“I struggled to find anyone who recognized the plant with the properties you described. But I took a different approach and found a lead.”

Sienna scanned the report.

“It doesn’t exist in the wild?”

“Correct. It appears to be a hybrid species, artificially bred. It likely requires a controlled environment to grow, and there’s doubt that it can produce seeds that retain its full traits. Large-scale cultivation would be impossible.”

“Doesn’t the Raad Trading Company also run greenhouses? Haven’t your people tried something similar?” Sienna asked.

“Of course. Everyone in our line of work attempts hybridization to improve crop yields. However, we avoid focusing on plants with toxic properties.”

“Why?”

“You need test subjects to understand the effects of toxins, and it’s difficult to acquire them,” Levan replied.

Sienna’s expression hardened as she tightened her grip on the report. She wondered how many people had been sacrificed to create the poisonous plants that thrived in Patricia’s greenhouse.

“The most important factor is cost,” Levan added.

“Cost?”

“Yes. The resources and time required outweigh the potential gains.”

“Even for an organization like the Raad Trading Company, you’d still worry about money?” Sienna was surprised.

“No matter how wealthy, no one has unlimited funds. Even the richest sea of gold will eventually run dry.”

“It costs that much?” Sienna remarked. “But the fact remains that this plant exists. So it’s not impossible.”

“You can produce a few of them, but unless the costs are carefully balanced with returns, it’s little more than an expensive hobby.”

An expensive hobby.

‘That’s exactly it,’ Sienna thought. There was no better way to describe Patricia’s greenhouse filled with poisonous plants. But if that was the case, where was Patricia getting the funds for her greenhouse? The budget allocated to the Red King had its limits.

‘It must be the Rimone family,’ Sienna realized. She understood more clearly than ever that she needed to sever the connection between her mother and the Rimone family.

“What you’re saying is that these plants aren’t productive, but if it’s a colorless, odorless poison, it could still be useful,” Sienna speculated.

“Your Highness, it’s not a lack of deadly poisons that’s the problem. It’s getting someone to ingest them that’s the challenge,” Levan responded with a smirk.

Sienna chuckled lightly and nodded.

“And now for some news from the desert.”

Sienna, who had been reading the herb analysis report again, immediately looked up.

“The troops sent from the empire to the United Nations will soon return.”

“Return? Why?”

“The United Nations has split into two nearly equal factions,” Levan explained.

On one side were the former Queen Lecca and her adopted son, Yota, supported by the Tuisa tribe. On the other were the young prince Ahim, the rightful heir as per the late king’s will, backed by the Rama tribe.

Lecca’s faction controlled the palace, while Ahim’s side held the moral high ground of the king’s will.

By tradition, Ahim shouldn’t have been able to inherit, as he wasn’t born of the recognized queen. However, his supporters argued that the customs of the desert didn’t apply to the United Nations, where the king’s word was law, and his will was absolute.

Things initially favored Lecca’s faction. However, the Houtu tribe, which had been neutral, stole a sacred branch from the royal treasury and joined forces with Ahim. The sacred branch symbolized recognition from the emperor, and whoever possessed it was considered the legitimate ruler.

By the time imperial forces arrived, the sacred branch was already in Ahim’s hands. Lecca’s faction demanded that the branch be retrieved, while Ahim’s side claimed rightful ownership. The empire’s soldiers found themselves unable to intervene, as they had no authority to determine who the true owner of the sacred branch was.

“So, both the troops and the leaders of each faction will return to the empire?”

“Yes. They’ll likely seek the emperor’s decision on who the rightful ruler is.”

“Does that mean Kuhn might return as well…?” Sienna asked, a note of hope in her voice.

Levan shook his head.

“No. If Kuhn leaves, the balance will tip. Ahim’s faction currently has the upper hand militarily, especially with the Rama and Houtu tribes allied.”

Sienna’s heart fluttered with excitement at the thought of Kuhn returning, but she quickly masked her disappointment when she realized he wouldn’t be coming back just yet.

“So, the leaders are coming to ask the emperor to decide which side to support?”

“Yes. Neither side can afford to give up the sacred branch.”

“Of course,” Sienna agreed.

Although the Empire did not formally interfere with the internal affairs of its vassal states, a relationship of equality between nations was impossible once a kingdom declared itself a vassal. In the Empire, the nobility of a vassal kingdom was inevitably ranked lower. For instance, a duke in a kingdom would be considered only an earl within the Empire. This disparity applied not just to nobility but also to the citizens of vassal states, who faced discrimination in the Empire.

A vassal state could always reclaim its independence by returning the sacred branch. But no nation that had experienced the branch’s power was ever willing to relinquish its status as a vassal.

The sacred branch kept the desert spirits at bay. The palace and its surrounding area, where the branch was stored, were safe from the attacks of monsters. Consequently, the capital, where the palace stood, flourished, attracting people and creating a privileged class of residents.

Who would willingly give up such power? Any king attempting to return the sacred branch would face fierce resistance, possibly even rebellion.

“The emperor will have to make a decision,” Sienna remarked.

“The outcome is already clear,” Levan responded without hesitation. Sienna gave him a curious look, and he simply shrugged.

“The Tuisa tribe will get what they want and return home. After all, Kuhn is there. Their representative will undoubtedly present an offer the emperor can’t refuse.”

Levan’s confidence was unwavering. Sienna’s eyes widened, and then she let out a soft laugh.

“Will the United Nations stabilize after that?”

“Assuming the Ahim faction surrenders the sacred branch peacefully, yes.”

“That’s… a difficult assumption.”

“Indeed. They may decide to destroy the branch rather than hand it over. But Kuhn will take care of that.”

Sienna found Levan’s trust in Kuhn fascinating. Levan was typically pragmatic and analytical, someone who meticulously examined every detail. Yet here he was, speaking about Kuhn with the faith of a priest in a deity. If even Levan could speak of Kuhn in this way, it made Sienna wonder what kind of impact Kuhn had on others.

It filled her with pride to know that Kuhn was a figure of such respect, but at the same time, she felt a pang of sympathy. How difficult it must be for him, always walking ahead, bearing the weight of people who looked up to him with such faith. She wished for his safe and swift return to the Empire, hoping to embrace him after all the hardship he had endured.

“Lastly, I have news from the Rimone duchy,” Levan said.

“I don’t recall asking you for information on that,” Sienna replied coldly, her gaze sharp. Levan stiffened at the shift in her tone.

“Yes, but before he left, Kuhn instructed me to inform you if anything significant happened in the duchy. If you prefer, I won’t look into it any further.”

Sienna’s expression softened.

“No, go ahead. Tell me.”

Levan thought to himself that if Sienna married Kuhn and became his superior, Kuhn’s life might become quite tough. Kuhn was lenient with his subordinates’ oversteps, but Sienna seemed to leave no room for even a needle.

“The Duke of Rimone is on his way to the capital. When I heard the news, he had already left, so he should arrive soon.”

“Is that so? The duke is coming…” Sienna murmured to herself, lost in thought.

‘For him to leave the duchy, things must have settled down there,’ she reasoned.

Levan, sensing the shift in Sienna’s mood, spoke cautiously.

“Your Highness, I will take my leave now.”

Sienna looked up.

“Yes, go. You’ve done well. If any of my requests ever trouble you, don’t hesitate to let me know. Are you sure you don’t need any compensation?”

“Oh, no, Your Highness. It’s just a bit of legwork. The investigations and the information I gather are things I would have done anyway.”

Levan stopped and turned back to take one last glance at the Silver Palace as it grew smaller in the distance.

Before Kuhn left for the desert, he had called Levan to his side and given him an important directive:

“If the Silver King asks for your assistance, do everything you can to help her.”

“How far should I go with that, sir?”

“As long as it doesn’t endanger the clan irreparably, do whatever is necessary.”

Levan hadn’t missed the significance of Kuhn’s words. He knew Kuhn didn’t use meaningless phrases. Kuhn had essentially said to help Sienna even if it caused harm to the clan, as long as it wasn’t catastrophic.

The more Levan thought about it, the more he realized how monumental this was. For Kuhn, the clan had always been everything. It had been the only value that truly mattered to him. But now, someone as important—perhaps even more important—had appeared in Kuhn’s life.

It was an incredible shift, one that felt as if the world itself had turned upside down. Levan mused to himself, ‘The elders would be shocked if they knew.’

Levan was part of the younger generation often scorned by the elders for being “too individualistic.” He believed in balancing personal value with the collective good and didn’t find Kuhn’s change of heart alarming.

‘Love, huh?

Levan couldn’t help but ponder how fickle the human heart could be. He wondered just how far those two would be able to go together. Could they overcome the many real-world obstacles that stood between them?