The Great Wish - Chapter 40: I Can’t See an Inch Ahead (2)

-“Have you received it?”

A voice echoed from all directions. It was impossible to tell where it came from.

“Received what?” Sienna shouted in response, but she wasn’t sure if she had spoken aloud or if it was just in her head. Her senses were completely jumbled. She couldn’t tell whether her eyes were open or closed, nor did she know where she was.

-“Have you received it?”

“What exactly are you saying you gave me?” Sienna couldn’t be careless with this mysterious voice. There was an overwhelming power in it.

The voice, indistinct as to whether it belonged to a man or woman, reverberated all around her. Despite the low, echoing tone, it was strangely clear, as if the words were sinking deep into her mind.

-“I gave it to you!”

Sienna jolted awake, blinking at the unfamiliar bedroom she had somewhat gotten used to over time.

‘What was that?’

Was it a dream? But she hadn’t had any dreams since the last one. And this dream was different. She had only heard the voice, not seen anything.

The grand, mysterious voice lingered in her ears. It felt magical, but with just two short sentences, she couldn’t deduce any meaning. She tried to sit up, but something felt odd, so she lifted the blanket.

“Oh…”

She sighed at the sight of the red stain. A wave of subtle disappointment washed over her.

Her last period had occurred early in her journey across the desert. Her cycle was always regular, yet this time, despite the expected date passing, her period hadn’t come.

She had cautiously thought, “Maybe…” but waited patiently. Though it was a week late, today, it had finally arrived.

After spending nearly fifteen days alone with him in the cave, she knew pregnancy was a real possibility. In fact, while Kuhn had been cautious, she had taken the initiative and encouraged him.

She blushed at the memory of wrapping her legs around him, refusing to let him withdraw. It was bold, perhaps even too forward, but she didn’t regret it.

She believed that, in their uncertain future, a child could be a decisive turning point. So, she thought it would be fine if she got pregnant—perhaps even secretly hoped for it.

‘If I had a child, would it be a son?’

There was no guarantee the boy from her dream would be born again, but she wanted to believe in miracles. If she had a son, she already had a name in mind.

“Eckhart…”

The name felt bittersweet as she murmured it under her breath. She chuckled softly and shook her head. It was silly to get emotional over something that might never happen. She called for a maid and told her to prepare for the day.

Sienna had been staying in the palace of the Allied Kingdoms for just over two weeks. She was treated with great respect, given the former queen’s chambers—though she had refused at first, it was the custom to offer such hospitality to distinguished guests. She even had thirty maids attending to her.

Every night, the king hosted lavish feasts in her honor, presenting her with delicacies and different performances. The two other tribes also sent her extravagant gifts daily, vying for her favor.

The mission to determine the ownership of the sacred tree’s branch had been delayed, as the trial of the criminal who had tried to harm the envoy took precedence. The trial of Hysilo was still ongoing.

The king sought to tie Hysilo’s crimes to the two other tribes, while they desperately tried to distance themselves from him. Each time unfavorable evidence was presented, the parties involved sought to stall the proceedings.

After breakfast, Sienna leaned back into the netted chair and closed her eyes. Perhaps it was because her period had started, but her body felt unusually sluggish today.

“Alua.”

Sienna opened her eyes. The maids called her “Alua,” which meant “noble lady.” One of the maids knelt before her and spoke.

“Chief Raad has arrived.”

“I understand.”

During her stay, Sienna found relying on interpreters tiresome, so she began learning the local language. While not yet fluent, she understood basic words and could give simple commands.

The language of the desert was entirely different from the imperial language, making it difficult to master. However, Fatima had been amazed at how quickly Sienna picked it up.

Kuhn was Sienna’s language tutor. He visited her every morning or afternoon.

Sienna’s quarters, formerly the queen’s, were located deep within the inner palace, where men’s access was strictly forbidden. If she wanted to meet Kuhn, she had to go to the outer palace.

The kingdom was divided into separate living spaces for men and women, so unmarried men and women rarely crossed paths unless they planned it.

When Sienna expressed her desire to learn the language, Kuhn eagerly volunteered as her tutor. This allowed them to meet daily under the pretext of language lessons. Their study room was near the entrance that connected the inner and outer palaces, originally used as a meeting room.

Two maids lifted the long curtains at the door, allowing Sienna to enter. Kuhn, who had been sitting, rose to greet her. Their eyes met, and they shared a warm glance.

Sienna sat down at the table, and Kuhn did the same. The maids stood at a distance, awaiting orders. Kuhn opened the book and began to speak.

“The trial should end soon. It shouldn’t last more than three more days.”

“Will he be exiled, as expected?”

Although there were maids in the room, the two spoke casually. After all, the maids didn’t understand the imperial language.

“That seems likely. He’s the son of the Hotu chieftain, so it’s hard to hand down a harsher sentence.”

Sienna frowned in disapproval.

“…Well, there’s nothing we can do. I don’t want the trial to drag on any longer. Besides, we didn’t suffer much damage on our side.”

Kuhn had already made plans to deal with Hysilo once he was exiled, though he had no intention of sharing those details with Sienna. He didn’t want to show her the more ruthless side of himself.

The two continued with their lessons. Midway through, Sienna asked a question that had been on her mind for a while.

“I’ve been meaning to ask for a while, but kept forgetting. What does ‘Nahash’ mean?”

Kuhn’s expression turned slightly awkward as he answered.

“There’s no exact equivalent in the imperial language, but if I had to translate it, it means ‘enough’ or ‘stop.’ It’s a rude way to say, ‘What you’re doing and saying is annoying, so stop.’ Where did you hear it?”

“Sir Kali said he uses it when dealing with maids.”

“Are you kidding?”

Kuhn frowned.

“That’s a very harsh expression. You shouldn’t use it.”

“Got it.”

Kuhn clicked his tongue inwardly. He had softened the explanation, but the word was more akin to “shut up” or “stop being a nuisance.”

“What about this phrase?”

Sienna looked up to see that Kuhn hadn’t responded. He was staring at her intently.

“Are you feeling okay? Any discomfort?”

Sienna shook her head.

“No, I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

“How is your… body?”

“There’s nothing wrong. Why?”

“No, I mean…”

Kuhn let out a deep sigh, struggling to find the right words. Finally, he managed to speak, albeit with difficulty.

“We’ve been in that cave together for a while… I was wondering if… maybe your body might have… changed somehow…”

Understanding his awkward, roundabout question, Sienna couldn’t help but laugh. She replied bluntly.

“I’m not pregnant. I found out for sure this morning.”

“Oh…”

Kuhn remained silent for a long while.

“That’s good. Having a child would be a huge burden for someone who isn’t married yet.”

But Sienna noticed that his expression didn’t match his words. He seemed more disappointed than relieved. Wanting to tease him, she smiled mischievously.

“Why the face? Were you hoping for something?”

“…No.”

Truthfully, he had hoped. After all, it had been nearly fifteen days, not just a day or two.

‘It’s for the best,’ he thought. ‘Her reputation matters. If she became pregnant before marriage, people would gossip endlessly about her.’

“Shall we have lunch together?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Yes, that sounds good.”

As Sienna stood up from her chair, a sudden wave of dizziness made her grip the table for support. Kuhn, alarmed, quickly rushed to catch her.

“Are you okay?”

Sienna closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again. The brief spell of dizziness passed quickly.

“I’m fine.”

“I’ll call a doctor.”

“It’s nothing serious. I just stood up too quickly after sitting for a long time.”

Sienna brushed it off, but Kuhn’s face remained serious. He couldn’t just let it go as easily as she did.

“Are you sleeping well? How’s your appetite? Any fever or discomfort in your stomach? Even the smallest symptom—no, you know what? I’ll just call a physician.”

He turned his head towards the waiting-maid and started to give instructions.

“Right now—”

“Kuhn,” Sienna interrupted, grabbing his arm, alarmed by his sudden urgency.

“I’m really fine.”

“You know I wasn’t exaggerating when I warned you to be careful of diseases here.”

During their journey to the palace, Kuhn had advised the imperial envoy on the dangers of desert living, with particular emphasis on being cautious of endemic diseases.

Most outsiders to the desert fell ill at the start of their stay. The causes varied—some caught colds due to the extreme temperature changes, some suffered heatstroke from underestimating the desert sun, and others had digestive troubles from unfamiliar water. Often, weakened bodies became more vulnerable to the desert’s endemic diseases, which could even lead to death. In fact, most of the imperial delegation had needed treatment for various ailments, though some were more serious than others.

Gilbert, in particular, had been bedridden for days due to severe stomach problems, leaving the task of guarding Sienna entirely to Uzga. By the time Gilbert recovered, his face had thinned dramatically. But one person—Sienna—had remained perfectly healthy.

“You said yourself that these endemic diseases usually hit when the body is weakened by other conditions. I’ve been fine this whole time and I’m still perfectly healthy.”

“There’s still a chance symptoms could appear in a healthy person…”

“Really?”

“…”

“You see me every day. You know how well I’m doing.”

Kuhn remained silent for a moment before exhaling deeply.

“If I call for a physician, it’ll cause a fuss, and I hate the commotion that comes with it.”

“If I feel even a little worse, I’ll definitely call for one. Okay?”

“Alright. You worry too much,” Sienna replied with a lighthearted smile.

Kuhn looked at her for a moment, then gently pulled her into his arms, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. Sienna smiled and leaned into him, resting comfortably in his embrace.

Despite the warmth of their moment, Kuhn’s expression remained somber. He wanted to send her back as soon as possible. While spending time with her brought him immense joy, there was an undercurrent of constant anxiety. Being able to see her every day, to talk with her and be near her, felt like a daily gift. But the dangers lurking around them weighed on him.

‘The trial needs to end soon,’ he thought.

Although the trial had been progressing more quickly than usual, thanks to some strings he had pulled, it wasn’t fast enough for his liking.

‘I don’t know why I feel so uneasy.’