The Great Wish - Chapter 40: I Can’t See an Inch Ahead (3)

Sienna, meanwhile, thought his concern was excessive. It wasn’t just her health—he seemed overly focused on her safety. The palace was heavily guarded, and Fatima had mentioned that Chief Raad was in charge of overseeing the palace’s security. The king’s trust in him was unwavering.

“To be honest,” Fatima had whispered to Sienna, “the king seems to trust Chief Raad more than the queen.”

Kuhn had swelled with pride upon hearing that he was so highly regarded.

Sienna, resting her chin on his shoulder, glanced at the maids standing quietly in the distance.

‘He even replaced all the maids here with his own choices,’ she thought.

Having the authority to control even the selection of maids was a considerable power. Even the emperor of the empire didn’t have that kind of control.

Of course, the empire and this desert kingdom were difficult to compare. In the empire, maids had more rights, but here, they were treated as nearly invisible. They didn’t assert themselves, and their presence was barely noticeable.

While Sienna hadn’t been particularly concerned about the maids at the imperial palace, here, they were more like furniture than people. The maids even stood guard overnight in her chambers, silently waiting in the corners. When Sienna expressed discomfort about it, Fatima reassured her.

“Think of them as part of the furniture. Don’t worry about them; they’re tight-lipped. If they ever speak of what they see or hear, they’ll be executed immediately.”

Sienna thought about disregarding their presence, something she only dared to do when she was alone with Kuhn. She decided to try something bold.

She gently pushed Kuhn away from her chest, then leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Not stopping there, she lightly nibbled on his lower lip and flicked her tongue across it, smirking as she saw the surprised flicker in his dark eyes.

The man who had been a wild beast in the cave, constantly pulling her close, had transformed into a proper gentleman since they had entered the palace. He hadn’t gone beyond a simple embrace. Sienna wanted to tease him, to shake him out of his composure. But before she could react, he swiftly turned her body, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

Her back was now pressed against the edge of the table, and Kuhn’s arm wrapped firmly around her waist, preventing her from falling. Instinctively, she threw her arms around his neck, holding on tightly.

Their faces were inches apart, and when Sienna saw the mischievous glint in his eyes, she suddenly felt flustered.

“Kuhn, wait a minute…”

Sienna’s eyes darted nervously toward the maids standing in the distance.

“You knew what you were getting into when you decided to provoke me, right?”

At that moment, Sienna realized her mistake. Kuhn was well accustomed to the desert’s customs. For him, treating maids like furniture was second nature.

The gentlemanly facade he had maintained vanished in an instant. His tongue invaded her mouth with an unrestrained intensity, brushing against her teeth, and exploring every corner. He sucked on her tongue, the sound of their mingling saliva echoing as he swallowed her essence. The sensual kiss ignited her, and her body, now familiar with the pleasures only a man could bring, trembled.

The thin fabric of her desert attire did nothing to shield her from the hard contours of his body pressing against hers. It was as if she were naked in his arms, feeling every inch of him.

After what felt like an endless, breathless kiss, Kuhn pulled back. Sienna, who had kept her eyes tightly shut, slowly opened them. Both of their gazes, locked on one another, were filled with heated desire as they panted.

In that moment, Sienna recognized her own vulnerability. She was just as susceptible to pleasure as anyone else. It no longer mattered where they were or who might be watching. She didn’t want him to stop.

But she didn’t provoke him further. Instead, she turned her head slightly and cast her gaze downward. As ridiculous as it seemed, a practical reason brought her back to reality—she had just started her period. She felt relieved, in a way, that it stopped her from being swept away by impulse.

Kuhn clenched his eyes shut for a moment before opening them again, his gaze sharpening. He pulled her tightly into his arms one last time before letting her go.

“I need to push the king harder,” he thought.

The trial needed to conclude soon. Sienna had to complete her mission as an envoy and return home as quickly as possible.

If she were gone, he could survive by missing her. But having her so close, within arm’s reach, was driving him mad. It felt like the priceless gem, which had always been protected behind layers of impenetrable defenses, was now right in front of him, just waiting to be touched.

Sienna had no idea. Several times a day, Kuhn was overwhelmed by the urge to take her away to someplace where no one could find them. It was a daily struggle to suppress his growing desire, a battle he fought just to keep his own impulses in check.

***

Kuhn was staring at Sienna, who sat across from him, eating her meal. His hand, still holding his drink, was suspended in midair. Sensing his gaze, Sienna looked up with a puzzled expression. Kuhn asked, “How’s the food? Does it suit your taste?”

Sienna glanced down at the dish in front of her. It was a traditional dish from the desert tribes—marinated and grilled meat.

“Yeah, it’s good. The flavor is different, but I like it.”

Kuhn silently thought to himself, I spit it out after my first bite the day I tried it. The dish was seasoned with a unique spice that many outsiders found too pungent to handle, requiring time to get used to. He was amazed at how well Sienna ate it without any hesitation.

She had been raised in the imperial palace, pampered and shielded from hardship. Yet, he had never seen her complain about food or be overly picky about her sleeping arrangements. Even when the rest of the envoy had been struggling with the unfamiliar environment, falling sick, Sienna had remained robust—vibrant even. Her resilience was comparable to that of a wild desert stallion.

Each time Kuhn witnessed her adaptability and endurance, he couldn’t help but feel that there was something special about her, as the legends of the “divine lineage” suggested.

After the meal, the maids brought out a fermented milk drink for dessert. In the desert, people traditionally drank fermented goat’s milk after meals, much like the way imperial citizens drank tea. The sour and tangy flavor was another thing that most outsiders found unpalatable, but Sienna drank it without complaint. She actually enjoyed the creamy aftertaste that lingered on her tongue.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind, and she asked, “Is there any progress on investigating the appearance of the desert wraiths?”

While they had been staying in the cave, Kuhn had mentioned that the appearance of the wraiths was unusual and that someone was likely behind it. He had vowed to look into who might be orchestrating the attacks.

Kuhn’s eyes flickered, betraying a moment of hesitation. But he answered calmly, keeping his tone neutral.

“There’s a group of bandits known as the ‘Red Hoods.’”

He briefly explained about the bandits who roamed the desert and how the Red Hoods had conspired to steal the relic, luring the desert wraiths to attack the envoy.

“It seems the gift I gave you ended up putting you in danger. I should’ve warned you more clearly.”

“This isn’t your fault. I’m the one who decided to bring the relic. But… the fact that they lured the desert wraiths—how is that even possible?”

“I was curious about that too, so I investigated. It turns out it’s through sound.”

“Sound?”

“They said if you process the fruit of a certain plant in a specific way, it makes a sound like a flute when blown. The wraiths respond to that sound. I’ll need to do more research to figure out exactly why.”

Kuhn had received a full report from Martin, who had extracted every bit of information from the bandit leader. Martin had added a chilling note:

“The leader was tougher than expected. It took five days, but we got everything out of him.”

Sienna listened intently, then tilted her head in thought.

“But how did the bandits know I had the relic? I was attacked within a day of arriving in the desert, so they must have prepared in advance.”

“Some of their scouts crossed the imperial border. The desert’s border control is lax, so they managed to gather information. Apparently, you took a walk with the relic while the ship briefly docked the day before it reached its final port?”

“Oh… that’s right. I did.”

She thought for a moment, then frowned.

“That makes it even stranger. They would’ve had to know I was on that ship and sent scouts in advance. How could they have known so early?”

Sienna stared at him, waiting for an answer.

“Were they targeting me from the beginning? Why would desert bandits care about me? Or is it possible that a faction hostile to the United Kingdoms has allied with these bandits?”

“No. The United Kingdoms aren’t involved.”

“If the United Kingdoms aren’t involved, then who is?”

Martin had learned more than just the method for luring the wraiths. The bandit leader had also revealed the reason they attacked the envoy.

Kuhn had been deliberating over whether or not to tell Sienna the truth. After hearing the shocking report, he’d been torn about whether to let her in on the details or feign ignorance.

But he knew better than to think he could deceive her with half-truths. She was too perceptive for that.

“They weren’t targeting you specifically. Their target was the envoy’s special envoy.”

Sienna’s frown deepened, and the lines on her forehead grew more pronounced.

“Tell me clearly. Were they after the envoy itself, or were they targeting the Iron King, who was originally supposed to be the envoy?”

“…”

“It was the Iron King, wasn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

Sienna clenched her teeth, her hand tightly balled into a fist on the table. Only one face surfaced in her mind as she pieced everything together.

‘Mother.’

The despair that surged within her went beyond disappointment or anger. It churned inside her like a violent storm.

“Did you plan on never telling me?” she asked quietly.

“I was considering it. In the end, no one was hurt,” Kuhn replied cautiously.

“You didn’t know I was the envoy when you came to meet us. If the Iron King had been the envoy as originally planned, you would’ve moved more slowly, wouldn’t you?”

“…Yes, probably.”

“Then the Iron King and the entire envoy would have been slaughtered by the desert wraiths. The fake guides would have used them as bait to escape, just like before.”

“Sienna, it didn’t happen. Let’s not dwell on things that didn’t come to pass.”

Sienna let out a bitter laugh. She understood Kuhn’s struggle to keep the situation from escalating, to downplay what had happened. The Red King had aimed to kill the Iron King, but in the end, it was Sienna who was attacked. Her mother had tried to kill her own daughter.

Despite everything that had happened, some small part of Sienna still held a lingering attachment to her mother. Perhaps, deep down, she had hoped Patricia could be stopped before committing irreversible sins, that there was still time to save her from herself.

If Sienna had only hated her mother, she would have let her spiral into ruin. But now, she realized that all her efforts were in vain.

‘Mother is… that kind of person. She won’t change.’

The realization hit her like a cold wave. The horror of knowing that her own mother, her flesh and blood, was such a deeply malicious person made her skin crawl.

“Sienna,” Kuhn’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see him standing beside her. He gently wrapped his arms around her head, pulling her into his chest. Sienna leaned into him, closing her eyes. Her throat tightened, and her eyes stung with unshed tears.

“Attempted regicide is a crime punishable by execution,” Sienna whispered, her voice thick with suppressed anger. Kuhn let out a heavy sigh but said nothing.

“You once told me not to drag others into my fight with my mother. Do you think this shouldn’t be made public either?”

“I’m not asking you to forgive her. But no matter what the Red King does, don’t make it bigger than it needs to be. Use this as leverage against her, nothing more.”

He wasn’t asking her to let it go. He simply knew that publicizing Patricia’s crime would make Sienna vulnerable. The emperor wouldn’t protect her; instead, he would use her mother’s betrayal as a weapon against her. This wasn’t unique to the Empire. Kuhn had seen it across many nations during his travels: blood ties meant nothing in the face of power. He felt a deep sadness for Sienna, knowing her own mother was a threat and her father couldn’t be trusted.

Sienna kept her eyes closed, focusing on the sensation of Kuhn’s fingers gently combing through her hair. His quiet comfort slowly calmed her turbulent emotions.

“Do you have any proof?” she asked after a moment.

“There’s no documented evidence. The trail goes through several intermediaries. We’re still tracking down those involved.”

Sienna let out a dry, bitter laugh.

“Of course. She wouldn’t leave anything behind. Even if we got close, she’d cut off anyone involved, leaving nothing but circumstantial evidence.”

“That’s likely.”

“If you find someone from the House of Rimone involved, tell me. I don’t care if they played a major role or were just a messenger. As long as they’re from Rimone, I want to know.”

Kuhn hesitated, understanding her plan. She intended to attack indirectly, using Rimone’s involvement to pressure her mother without directly confronting the Red King.

He smiled faintly. He felt relieved, yet there was also a pang of sadness. Sienna was strong—unyielding, like a towering tree that stood firm through any storm. She wasn’t a fragile branch but a mighty oak.

“The Duke of Rimone would find that unfair, wouldn’t he?” Kuhn said with a hint of irony.

“Unfair?” Sienna scoffed.

Doug was keeping a low profile for now, but she didn’t believe for a second that he had truly repented for the Rimone family’s past misdeeds. He was probably just trying to buy time, hoping to put out the immediate fires threatening his house. The sly look Doug had worn in her dream had revealed his true nature.

The enormous conspiracy orchestrated by her mother would be a perfect card to control her uncle. Even if Doug had nothing to do with this particular incident, it didn’t matter. Out of ten accusations, one might be false, but the other nine would still hold

***