The Great Wish - Chapter 37: The Great Wish (2)

Dian sat at his desk in his office, burying his face in his hands and letting out a heavy sigh. He had been assigned a special envoy mission. The first group of dispatched soldiers had already left, and in two days, he was supposed to leave with the second group.

When Violet heard the news, she broke down in tears. She cried endlessly, as if her tear ducts had broken, and he had to comfort and calm her before taking her to the Duke of Grossi’s estate. He left her there so she could relax, reconnecting with the family and resting at ease, and returned to the palace alone.

On his way back, he stopped the carriage in an isolated area to meet with his uncle.

“Tell His Majesty you can’t take on the mission. If you say you can’t do it, His Majesty will revoke the appointment. He said so himself, so he won’t go back on his word.”

“What? What did you say to His Majesty?”

“I couldn’t let you go.”

“So if I refuse, does that mean there won’t be a special envoy sent?”

“There are others who can go.”

“Who? … Don’t tell me it’s the Silver King?”

“Argh!”

Dian ruffled his hair and let out a scream. His stomach churned every time he recalled the conversation with his uncle.

“Am I supposed to run away and push the Silver King into that position? I won’t do that.”

“Dian, stop being so foolishly stubborn.”

“It’s not foolish stubbornness; it’s refusing to be cowardly. I’m the elder brother. I can’t push something I don’t want to do onto my younger sister. I won’t do it.”

“Sister? Who are you talking about? The daughter of Red King is your sister? Get a grip! That woman is your enemy, a knife held to your throat!”

“Uncle, the Silver King is not Red King.”

“You spineless fool! You should be thinking about your wife and child first!”

Violet, and the child growing in her womb—his child.

He had no argument against his uncle’s claim that he should be willing to fight the entire world to protect them. The thought of leaving behind his heavily pregnant wife for an indefinite journey drove him mad.

The imperial palace wasn’t a safe haven where he could leave his wife before childbirth. It was a place where something terrible could happen at any moment. He could no longer rely on the Rad family, and his close associates were panicking now that the money flow had dried up.

‘What should I do?’

But who could he blame? He himself was unable to make a decision.

‘Why am I like this?’

He loathed his own indecisiveness. He didn’t want to be the bad guy to either side. He wished no one would get hurt, but all he did was dream of an outcome he lacked the power to achieve.

There was a knock on the door. Dian didn’t answer. After a moment, there was another knock, and a voice called out, “Your Highness.”

He felt a surge of irritation. He had specifically told them not to disturb him.

He ignored it, but the knocking came again.

“What!”

He yelled, and the door opened just a crack. A servant cautiously peeked in from the threshold and spoke hesitantly.

“Your Highness, the Silver King has arrived. What… shall I do?”

Dian’s expression softened.

“Understood. Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After the servant left, Dian closed his eyes. He silently counted to ten, then took a slow, deep breath before opening his eyes again. His expression brightened, as if he were about to face something pleasant. Hearing that the Silver King had arrived seemed to clear his mind.

‘It’s fine. Everything will be fine.’

He repeated the words to himself like a mantra. It was that mindset that had allowed him to survive until now.

***

Dian thought Sienna had come to comfort him.

‘At least that’s a relief. The Silver King is here.’

Violet wasn’t alone. Knowing that the Silver King would do his utmost to protect her brought Dian peace of mind.

It was strange. He couldn’t remember when he started trusting the Silver King. In the past, this wouldn’t have even been a dilemma. He would’ve pushed the Silver King into the situation without a second thought. After all, his wife and child’s safety would have outweighed the Silver King’s well-being.

Still, for Dian, Violet remained his top priority. If he had to choose between Violet and the Silver King, there wouldn’t be any hesitation. Yet, he genuinely hoped the Silver King wouldn’t get hurt.

“I owe the Iron King an apology.”

“An apology to me?”

“I met with His Majesty. I decided that I would go to the Confederation. I didn’t seek the Iron King’s consent beforehand.”

Dian froze with the teacup still in his hand. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The Silver King wasn’t someone who would joke about such matters.

“…Are you saying you’re taking on the role of special envoy?”

“Yes.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

Dian blurted out before immediately apologizing. “I’m sorry. That was too harsh.”

Setting down the teacup, Dian let out a long sigh. A wave of shame and self-loathing washed over him. He hung his head, embarrassed to show his flushed face. It felt like all the inner turmoil he’d been agonizing over had been laid bare. He couldn’t lift his head.

“When did you meet with His Majesty?”

“This morning.”

“There’s still time to fix this. I’ll meet with His Majesty and explain.”

Dian stood up, looking as if he was about to rush to the Sun Palace, but Sienna spoke up.

“You’ll only incur His Majesty’s wrath. If we both go and change our minds now, he’ll wonder if we’re playing some kind of game. It won’t be good for either of us.”

Dian, looking bewildered, slumped back onto the sofa.

“Silver King, what are you thinking?”

“I overstepped and took the Iron King’s role. That’s why I’m apologizing.”

“No, no. You don’t need to apologize to me. Everyone, including me, you, and others, knows that the role of special envoy comes with more risks than benefits. Don’t make me feel more ashamed.”

Sienna was taken aback. She hadn’t expected this reaction from Dian. She thought he would be relieved and thankful.

“To be honest, yes, I didn’t want to go. But I never intended to dump the responsibility on you.”

“You didn’t dump it on me. I made the choice.”

“Silver King.”

“I chose the best course of action. I don’t think the mission itself is that dangerous. The situation is different from when the Iron King went to the desert. Now that the Confederation has been founded, there’s order, and they’ve willingly submitted to the Empire as a vassal state. They’ll make every effort to protect the Empire’s envoy because it would be a huge problem for them if anything happened. The Confederation isn’t the real issue here. You and I, Iron King, are worried about Violet.”

“…”

“I can’t protect Violet completely. Without you, her protectors will be His Majesty and the Empress.”

Dian’s eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape. He hadn’t considered that. Red King as Violet’s protector? The thought sent a chill down his spine. It was like offering up a small animal to a predator.

“Let me handle this, Iron King. Right now, we should only focus on ensuring the child is born healthy and safely.”

“…Why are you going to such lengths to protect Violet? Has she really earned your favor?”

Sienna frowned slightly.

“Violet is a good person, but that’s not why I’m doing this. I’m acting because she’s the Iron Queen. Ultimately, the person I want to protect is you, Iron King.”

Dian remained silent for a long time, his gaze slowly lowering.

Since getting married and starting a family, he had found a sense of stability but also felt the heavy weight of responsibility. At times, it overwhelmed him. It was as if he had been thrown naked into a battlefield. What would happen to his wife and child without his shield of protection? Just thinking about it was paralyzing.

‘So, this is what it feels like.’

Unconditional goodwill, the family affection he had always yearned for, and the sense of a strong, protective barrier surrounding him filled his heart.

It made him feel both awkward and deeply touched. It was as if the mysterious void that had always gnawed at him was finally being filled.

“Iron King.”

Dian raised his head. Sienna’s expression was stern.

“Stop being stubborn. You’re about to become a father. Are you really going to argue with me over a decision that’s already been made? Does accepting my help hurt your pride?”

Dian smiled and shook his head.

“I’ll do as you say. Why don’t you just tell me how I should live from now on? I’ll follow your instructions.”

“We’re having a serious conversation. Don’t joke around.”

Chastised, Dian burst out laughing, but seeing Sienna’s piercing gaze, he quickly stopped and composed himself.

He still found it difficult to deal with his younger sister.

For a while, they chatted about Violet. Then they began discussing the details of the special envoy mission.

“The change in the envoy won’t be announced. I’ve already informed His Majesty, and he said to handle it as I see fit.”

Sienna outlined her plan. As originally scheduled, Dian would leave the palace for the envoy mission, and Sienna would see him off at the dock. But when the time came, it would be Sienna boarding the ship, while Dian would return to the palace.

“So, you need to keep this secret too. Don’t tell Violet.”

“I understand. But the preparations for the long journey are all being made for me.”

“I’ll take care of that.”

The journey by ship alone would take over ten days. While most issues weren’t a concern, it would be inconvenient without a change of clothes. All the luggage would be packed with men’s items, so Sienna planned to get help from the Rad Trading Company.

Dian nodded without saying much. He trusted her implicitly.

“What did His Majesty say when you told him you were going instead? Did he ask for a reason or say anything special?”

“He did ask for a reason. I told him the Iron Queen’s childbirth was near and that you needed to be by her side. He agreed.”