The Great Wish - Chapter 40: I Can’t See an Inch Ahead (5)

“I don’t care about meddling in Kuhn’s personal life, and I’m not planning to tie family matters to her. I just need to confirm one thing.”

“What is that?”

“That’s for me to know. Just arrange the meeting, and I’ll handle the rest.”

Stephan had always felt something off about Kuhn. The Raad family and the elders all praised Kuhn as their savior, the one who would finally fulfill the family’s long-held dream.

But Stephan wasn’t born into the Raad family. He had grown up an orphan in a distant kingdom, wandering until his mentor took him in and brought him to the Rad family, where he now held a critical position.

Though he wasn’t of Rad blood, Stephan loved the family dearly. They had accepted him without prejudice, even raising him to one of their leadership positions. Such an opportunity was impossible in most other nations.

Yet, despite his love for the family, he couldn’t fully empathize with their deeply ingrained desire to fulfill their “great purpose.” And that detachment allowed him to see Kuhn from a different perspective.

He had watched Kuhn grow from a boy into a young man, bearing the immense burden of the family’s expectations. Kuhn was impossibly upright, astonishingly capable, and seemingly unbreakable.

Stephan often found himself wondering, How can anyone be like that? If he were in Kuhn’s shoes, he might have developed a split personality, gone astray, or gone mad from the pressure. The more he watched Kuhn, the more he felt an odd dissonance, and one day he realized what it was.

Kuhn lived as though he wasn’t truly grounded. It was as if his feet never touched the earth. His only goal was to fulfill the Raad family’s purpose, with no room for personal desires or even a life of his own.

Kuhn’s intense drive to achieve his family’s dream made him appear like a bonfire, burning himself to light the way for others, with nothing left for himself.

Stephan believed that when Kuhn inevitably hit a wall, a moment when no amount of effort could overcome the obstacle, he would let everything go without hesitation—even his own life.

And that was why Stephan began to meddle. He interfered, nagged, and kept Kuhn from becoming an untouchable, idolized figure.

The reason he insisted that Kuhn always have a guard wasn’t just to protect him. When pushed to the brink, Kuhn wouldn’t give up as long as there was someone else to protect.

Stephan had been intrigued when he first heard that Kuhn had begun a romantic relationship. When he learned that the relationship was dramatic and intense, he grew even more curious. And when he heard that Kuhn had risked an entire plan tied to the Rad family’s legacy for this woman, Stephan had nearly fainted from shock.

What did this imperial princess mean to Kuhn? Could she be the one to finally bring Kuhn down to earth?

***

Three days had passed since the ruling on Hysilo.

Kuhn had been busy with various matters. Although the judgment had been made, the Hoto tribe was doing everything they could to delay the execution. Kuhn worked tirelessly behind the scenes to prevent this. Even Zahoman, who didn’t want any loose ends, lent a hand.

In the end, within two days, they managed to banish Hisilo from Homan. It took another day to wrap up the follow-up actions. Hisilo was expelled into the desert with only a small amount of water and provisions.

However, Hysilo’s miserable condition wouldn’t last long. It was certain that the Hoto chieftain would secretly aid him—not out of extreme fatherly love, but because the tribe’s honor was at stake.

‘If it were up to me, I’d kill him on the spot.’

At least, while she was in the desert, he had no intention of touching that wretch. It could be a variable that might threaten her safety.

Soon, a battle for the vacant position of Hoto chieftain would begin. The internal situation of the Hoto tribe would become entangled and complex.

As time passed, interest in Hysilo would naturally wane. Once Sienna safely returned to the Empire, one day, the Hoto tribe would receive the tragic news that Hisilo had died after a misfortunate attack by desert demons.

On the surface, Hysilo’s death would appear as nothing more than a terribly unlucky accident.

Kuhn’s targets for punishment weren’t limited to Hisilo. Every warrior who had been part of the fake guide group would not escape death. Kuhn had already sent a few members of the Kaligo into the desert to track down Hysilo’s remaining subordinates, who were still hiding somewhere, waiting for an opportunity.

The first phase concerning Hysilo had been completed. Kuhn pressed the king to set a date two days later. In a meeting with the king, the Hotu chieftain, and the Rama chieftain, the special envoy would finalize the ownership of the sacred branch and deliver the Emperor’s letter, thereby completing the mission.

Kuhn went to meet Sienna to deliver the news. It had been hard to find time, so he’d taken a short break from their language lessons. He was excited at the thought of seeing her after three days. As he waited at the entrance of the inner palace, a maid came out and spoke.

“Chieftain, Alua is currently in the reception room with a guest.”

“I see.”

The reception room wasn’t far from the room they used for language lessons. As Kuhn made his way there, he was puzzled.

‘A guest? Did she have someone to meet?’

There were, of course, plenty of people who wanted to see her. Both the Rama and Hotu tribes had bombarded her with gifts and pleas for meetings. However, Sienna had firmly stated that she would not have any private meetings outside official functions to maintain the neutrality of her mission.

Outside the reception room, along with the usual guards, Russ and Gilbert were standing. Kuhn frowned as he approached them.

Gilbert straightened his posture and bowed respectfully. Ever since he’d witnessed Kuhn in action during the desert demon hunt, his attitude toward Kuhn had changed drastically. He now acted like a freshly disciplined soldier. It wasn’t just Gilbert; the entire delegation of knights who had come as envoys looked at Kuhn with a sense of awe.

Nodding to acknowledge Gilbert’s greeting, Kuhn asked Russ.

“Why are the guards outside?”

“Her Highness requested it.”

“Who’s the guest?”

“Well…”

As Russ hesitated, a maid came out.

“Chieftain, Alua has asked you to come in.”

Without pressing Us further, Kuhn followed the maid inside. The moment he entered, he froze in surprise.

Sitting across from Sienna at the table was Stefan, who stood up as soon as Kuhn walked in. Stefan spoke to Sienna.

“Your Highness, it seems my time to leave has come. Staying any longer would only make me feel awkward between the two of you.”

Sienna smiled and replied, “Thank you for the pleasant conversation again today.”

Kuhn stared in confusion, alternating his gaze between Stefan and Sienna.

Why was Stefan here? And why did they seem so familiar with each other? The phrase “again today” implied this wasn’t their first meeting.

A flurry of questions swirled in Kuhn’s mind.

Stefan nodded briefly to Kuhn as he passed by.

“Stefan.”

Stefan stopped and turned around.

“You came to see Her Highness, didn’t you, Kuhn?”

Kuhn didn’t stop Stefan from leaving. As Stefan had said, right now, delivering the news to Sienna was his priority. Kuhn sat down in the chair Stefan had just vacated. As Kuhn sat, contemplating how to broach the topic, Sienna smiled at his curious expression.

“Is there someone I shouldn’t be meeting?”

“…No, but he didn’t say anything strange to you, did he?”

“Strange? Like what?”

“Anything that might have upset you.”

“Not at all. He’s knowledgeable in many areas, and I enjoyed hearing his stories.”

Kuhn studied Sienna’s face. She seemed genuinely in good spirits. The tension in Kuhn’s expression relaxed slightly.

“The meeting with the chieftains is set for two days from now. After the founding of the United Nations, the Tuisan chieftain became king, and the chieftains’ council was dissolved. But this time, it will be temporarily reinstated. On that day, the king will attend in his capacity as the Tuisan chieftain, equal to the other two chieftains…”

“Are you upset?”

“What?”

“Stefan is your subordinate. Yet, he met with me without your permission.”

“Why would he need my permission to meet you?”

“Aren’t you curious about what we talked about?”

“If you tell me, I’ll listen, but I don’t have the right to interrogate you about it. It was a conversation between the two of you.”

Sienna smiled faintly as she looked at Kuhn.

“Would you like to make a bet? Kuhn won’t be angry that I met you without his permission. He won’t even ask what we talked about. You may not realize how surprising that is, Your Highness. Most people try to control those beneath them.”

Stefan was the most unusual of all Kuhn’s subordinates that Sienna had encountered.

The Kali brothers, Levan, the butler of the Ivy Mansion—they all, whether in their words or actions, subtly showed that they viewed Kuhn as their master.

But Stefan gave off a different feeling as if he genuinely liked Kuhn as a person. It felt more like affection than loyalty.

“He doesn’t look down on others with a sense of superiority, nor does he envy those who excel. Even if you searched the entire world, you wouldn’t find another man like Kuhn. I can guarantee that, having met countless people. So, Your Highness, you’ll regret it if you let him go.”

Stefan’s expression had been extremely serious. It was hard to tell if it was a piece of advice or a veiled threat. Sienna couldn’t help but laugh, finding it both absurd and amusing.

“I understand that there are practical issues between the two of you. If it becomes too difficult for you, Kuhn will likely step back. So, please don’t let him go. Despite how I may appear, I have quite a way with words. I’ll do everything in my power to help you, so don’t listen to the old men—uh, I mean, no matter what anyone says, don’t take it to heart.”

Sienna had seen even the brash Russ become subdued in Stefan’s presence. “Quite a way with words” was an understatement. It seemed she had gained a reliable ally.

In her dream of the future, the Emperor had said that everyone around the Duke rejected and didn’t accept her. Even in the dream, Russ’s attitude reflected this strong resistance to the Emperor.

But things had changed.

Levan sent all the supplies needed for her desert journey after receiving just a single letter. Even when visiting an empty mansion, the butler had led her directly to Kuhn’s bedroom. Russ had volunteered to guard her and faithfully stayed by her side.

Sienna truly felt that everything had changed. Yet, a sense of unease lingered, the fear that an unpredictable future might unravel all her hopes.

Now, however, she was certain. Everything would turn out well. Her heart swelled with hope.

“Kuhn, after delivering the Emperor’s letter, I plan to return home immediately.”

After learning about her mother’s plan to kill the Iron King, Sienna becomes worried about Violet.

Since Sienna had come to the desert instead of the Iron King, her mother would be shocked and anxious that her plan had gone awry. There was a high chance that her anger would be directed at Dian and Violet.

“I’ll make sure everything’s ready for your departure.”

“When will you come?”

“Hm?”

“Once the royal authority of the United Nations stabilizes, you won’t have any reason to stay here any longer, right?”

“…That’s true.”

The elders were already on their way to Homan. Soon, an elder council would be held to discuss the future of their people. A new vision was necessary.

There was no telling when the elder council would end. It could take ten days, a month, or even longer.

“I’ll finish everything as quickly as I can and come.”

That was the best answer Kuhn could give at the moment.

No matter the outcome of the elder council, it couldn’t bind Kuhn. The final decision was entirely in his hands.

However, Kuhn had never once disagreed with the elders before. Perhaps this would be the first time.

What would he do when the moment came to choose between her and his people? The weight of that thought pressed heavily on her heart.

***