The Great Wish - Chapter 37: The Great Wish (3)

Dian wondered what the emperor’s expression had been at the time. Was he interested, or did he not care at all?

His uncle had expressed his fury at the emperor in their conversation in the carriage.

“How could my sister have died so miserably because of that man? Mark my words, that man will never escape his own personal hell for the rest of his life. He’s empty inside. He’s not even truly alive.”

Jeffrey had cursed the emperor, shocking Dian. Even inside the carriage, Dian had instinctively glanced around to make sure no one could overhear.

“Uncle, that’s too much.”

“Dian, don’t trust the emperor. He only cares about himself. People say the Silver King is just like him. I’m actually glad you didn’t grow up in the imperial palace.”

‘Uncle, the Silver King isn’t like His Majesty or the Duke of War. He’s completely different.’

Dian looked down at the object Sienna had placed on the table. He’d been curious about it since earlier. When he first arrived in the reception room, there had been a mysterious item wrapped in silk beside Sienna on the sofa.

He glanced at Sienna, then pointed at the object and himself. Sienna nodded, so Dian unwrapped it.

“A book?”

It was a leather-bound book. Dian held it up, turning it over in his hands.

“It’s no ordinary book. It’s a holy scripture. A sacred artifact that holds the true power of the gods. It’s also called the Great Wish.”

“The Great Wish?”

“Yesterday, the late emperor’s chief attendant came to see me.”

“Oh, I met him too.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Not much. He said he was leaving soon and wanted to see the imperial palace one last time. He said he wanted to see the descendants of the late emperor.”

“His real purpose was to give me this.”

Sienna explained her conversation with Pan. Dian listened attentively, realizing it wasn’t just a casual story.

“Pan didn’t give me the artifact directly. He only told me where it was.”

When Pan had left the imperial palace long ago, he couldn’t take anything conspicuous with him. So he had hidden the artifact in the royal library. He had chosen to conceal the sacred item inside another book.

It was a clever choice. The royal library was only accessible to royalty, so no ordinary person could enter. Even if Pan failed to fulfill the late emperor’s last will, the artifact would still remain in the palace.

There was an entire bookshelf in the royal library dedicated to holy scriptures. These scriptures were originally a single volume, but over the years, many copies had been made. So, among the countless volumes, these held the least significance.

Sienna had never bothered with those books despite going through many others in the library. She had never imagined that a treasure was hidden among them.

Following Pan’s instructions, she had gone to the library and retrieved the sacred item hidden among the scriptures. It was a book that wasn’t listed in the library’s inventory. Since it wasn’t cataloged, she was able to remove it.

“There’s no record of the sacred artifact anywhere. It’s been kept secret, passed directly from one emperor to the next.”

Dian, who had been engrossed in the story, quickly set the book down. Somehow, he felt it wasn’t something he should handle carelessly.

“What’s written inside?”

“Go ahead and open it. According to Pan, he couldn’t open the book himself. Only a member of the royal family can.”

“That’s interesting. Did you open it?”

Sienna nodded.

Dian carefully opened the thick leather cover. The first page contained a few lines written in an ancient language, known as the language of the gods.

―The great Ar will bless the sacred wish. Wish, and it shall be granted.

Dian turned to the next page. It was blank. He turned another page—also blank. He kept flipping through, but all the pages were empty.

“There’s nothing here. Could it be that only I can’t see it?”

Sienna smiled and shook her head.

“It’s not a scripture meant to impart teachings. It’s a medium to connect directly with the gods. That’s why it’s a sacred artifact.”

Pan had explained how to use the artifact. To ensure he wouldn’t forget the late emperor’s will, he said he recited it ten times a day.

“On the eve of the coronation, write your name in the language of the gods to make your existence known to them. If your voice reaches the gods, they will answer when you wear the Crown of the Sacred Tree.”

“So, I’m supposed to write my name in here?”

Dian flipped through the pages again.

“But surely past emperors must have written their names here too. Why is there nothing?”

“I’m not sure. Pan only relayed the late emperor’s will; he didn’t have any answers. If only we could have asked the late emperor directly…”

“So, to summarize, I write my name here and make a wish, and the gods will grant it? Sounds like a divine suggestion box.”

Sienna’s eyes narrowed in displeasure. Dian gave a sheepish laugh.

“I meant it’s amazing.”

“It’s a sacred artifact of the gods. Show some reverence.”

Dian, deflated, responded meekly.

“Yes.”

“The Great Wish isn’t something just anyone can achieve. The fulfillment of the wish is up to the gods’ judgment.”

“And what exactly is the Great Wish?”

“The Flower of the Sacred Tree. It’s the blessing of the great Ar.”

Sienna’s gaze turned skyward, as if she were envisioning an overwhelming dream. Dian had never seen this side of the Silver King before. He suddenly realized that Sienna, too, possessed a passionate zeal.

‘Is it really that incredible?’

Dian couldn’t relate. Perhaps it was because he had grown up outside the palace. He had little religious faith, and the idea of referring to the imperial family as the divine lineage gave him hives.

He knew the legend surrounding the Flower of the Sacred Tree. It was said to bloom when a truly great ruler ascended the throne.

‘But if it’s something you have to wish for, isn’t the chance of it happening pretty slim? If it were me, I’d wish for something more practical. I doubt the Sacred Tree would bloom for me.’

He kept these thoughts to himself. If he voiced them, Sienna would surely chastise him for blasphemy, glaring at him with those terrifying eyes. And that scared him. He was more intrigued by the strained relationship between the emperor and the late emperor.

“His Majesty and the late emperor… their relationship must have been pretty bad.”

Dian noted the fact that the late emperor’s will hadn’t been passed down to the current emperor.

“This is a truly priceless treasure. But the late emperor didn’t want to give it to his son. What must have happened between them?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Dian muttered, “That old man must’ve had a pretty foul temper,” then glanced at Sienna for her reaction. She frowned but said nothing.

Dian rewrapped the book in its silk covering and pushed it toward Sienna. However, she didn’t take it.

“The sacred artifact belongs to the Iron King.”

“Me? Why?”

“Pan came to deliver the sacred artifact to the emperor’s successor. The emperor’s successor is you, Iron King, so it’s only right for you to have it.”

“What? That’s ridiculous. The one who receives it should keep it. Besides, right now, you are the emperor’s successor.”

Sienna stood up.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Sienna…”

Dian, flustered, stood up with the sacred artifact in hand.

“Wait, Silver King.”

Sienna, who had been heading straight for the door, stopped and turned around. One look at her expression, and Dian gave up. For now, it seemed like everything had to go according to her will.

“Silver King, be careful. You need to return safely.”

Sienna gave a faint smile before turning away again. After she left, Dian stared at the closed door and muttered to himself.

“For my sake, please come back safely. If you get hurt, Kuhn… that guy will try to kill me.”

He looked down at the sacred artifact in his hands and sighed. It was a troublesome item to be responsible for.

‘I’ll just hold onto it for now.’

At least until it is returned to its rightful owner.

***

The Empire’s dispatched soldiers and the special envoy were scheduled to board the morning ship. From early in the morning, both the Iron King’s and Silver King’s palaces were bustling with activity. At the Silver King’s palace, everyone believed the Silver King was simply going to the dock to see off the Iron King.

Sienna hadn’t even told Beth about her plan. Knowing that her mother would certainly make a fuss after she left, it was better for Beth not to know anything, for her own safety.

However, not everything went smoothly. When she contacted the Rad Trading Company, she found out that Levan was not in the capital. She had no choice but to leave a letter for him.

‘He’s supposed to return in two days. The Rad Trading Company has a fast ship, so even if we leave later, we should be able to catch up to the regular ship.’

The fact that she wouldn’t have clothes to change into for a few days wasn’t a big problem. She could wear men’s clothes if necessary. Sienna thought little of it.

Just before leaving, she went to see Rit. She spoke in a quiet voice so no one else could hear.

“Rit, I’m going far away for a while. I don’t think we’ll see each other for some time. Don’t cause trouble while I’m gone, okay?”

As Sienna walked away after saying her goodbyes, the beast’s blue eyes followed her intensely.

The carriage carrying Sienna set off, making its way through the palace towards the front gate. Sienna had no idea about the commotion unfolding behind her. The Silver King’s unicorn had broken loose, putting everyone on high alert.

Normally, Rit wasn’t tied up and was free to roam around the palace. Wherever Rit went, stable hands and knights followed at a reasonable distance. Despite its freedom, Rit never ventured far from the Silver King’s palace.

But today, Rit crossed the usual boundary, galloping through the palace grounds.

“Bring the horses, now!”

“Chase it! Don’t let it get away!”

Panic-stricken, people chased after Rit, but once the unicorn decided to run, no one could keep up. It easily leapt over the human barriers trying to block its path and deftly avoided the traps set by the stable hands.

Not long after the royal carriage carrying Sienna exited the palace gates and sped along the road, Rit also broke free from the palace. The unicorn paused, stretching its neck and turning its head in different directions before picking up speed and galloping once more.

The news of the unicorn’s escape soon reached Patricia’s ears.

“So, you lost it?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Patricia clicked her tongue.

“That creature is greatly cherished by the Silver King. And?”

“It seems the creature is following after the Silver King, Your Highness.”

“Hmph. The Silver King didn’t go far, so there’s no need to be so dramatic. Still, it’s quite touching that the creature is so loyal to its master.”

Patricia had yet to see the unicorn in person. She decided that once the Silver King returned, she would take the opportunity to see it.

But two hours later, Patricia turned pale when a maid rushed in with shocking news.

“What do you mean the Iron King has returned? Where is the Silver King?”

“His Highness the Silver King has taken on the special envoy mission…”

“The special envoy mission? The Iron King was supposed to go, so why is the Silver King suddenly the one going?”

“It was already approved by His Majesty. A government official specifically mentioned the Silver King’s name and presented the imperial edict.”

Patricia jumped up, only to have her legs give out, causing her to collapse back into her seat. She brushed off the maids who tried to help her.

“No…”

Her vision blurred as if the world had been swallowed by darkness. Her eyes darted around in shock.

“Prepare… for departure. I’m going to the Duke of Leman’s estate. Now!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The maids quickly left. Patricia, taking only a minimal escort, hurried to the Duke’s estate. The only person who came out to greet her was the Duchess, which Patricia attributed to the lack of prior notice. She didn’t even notice the Duchess’s expression stiffen subtly.

“I need to relay an urgent message to my brother through the butler.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The Duchess promptly escorted Patricia to the drawing room and sent for the butler.