The Great Wish - Chapter 40: I Can’t See an Inch Ahead (9)

Sienna visited the Iron King’s palace, where Dian came running out to greet her at the entrance.

As they moved into the drawing room, Dian didn’t immediately invite her to sit. Instead, he circled around her, closely examining her from head to toe.

“What are you doing, Dian?” Sienna asked, bemused.

“Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt during the journey, or fall ill while in the desert…?”

“I’m fine. I made it back without any issues.”

Dian clasped his hands together, raising them to the sky like a comedic actor, exclaiming dramatically, “Oh, thank the gods! Truly, I’m so relieved!”

Sienna ignored his theatrics and sat on the sofa, while Dian quickly sat across from her, speaking with the words that had weighed on his mind for some time.

“Sienna, let’s not do this again. Even if the mission is dangerous, let me go in your place next time. I didn’t get a single night of restful sleep while you were gone.”

Sienna stared at him, causing Dian to flinch slightly. He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“I know it’s all over now, and it’s pointless to say this, but I was really worried.”

As he spoke, Dian felt a sense of awkwardness. While Sienna had been away, his uncle had claimed Acheron’s legacy for himself, leaving Dian with no valid excuses.

If he were in Sienna’s shoes, his affection would have cooled considerably. Feeling like it was better to face the inevitable, Dian admitted something important.

“You may have already heard, but the Acheron family has been restored. My uncle publicly declared that Acheron is his maternal lineage.”

“So, have you regained your position in the line of succession? The Emperor hasn’t made any specific announcements.”

“No!” Dian quickly denied it.

“It hasn’t been officially recognized.”

“Well, it would make sense to announce your restored succession rank at the year-end banquet. Most of the nobles will be there, so it would make a great topic of discussion. It would be a memorable way to close the year.”

“…What?”

“The timing would be perfect after your queen gives birth, wouldn’t it? It’ll make for a year-end that no one will forget.”

Dian stared at Sienna, watching her nonchalantly discuss the future like she was planning a casual outing. His lips twitched slightly before he sealed them shut again, realizing he would need to modify his own plans.

‘Sienna, you didn’t ask for my opinion before taking the envoy mission, so I won’t ask for yours either. You started this, so don’t get too angry later.’

While Sienna had been away, Dian had reflected deeply. Did he truly want the Crown of the Sacred Tree? Did he have the strength to bear it? Was he worthy of it?

The two months had given him plenty of time to think.

At first, Dian had sought the throne purely for survival. But the closer he got to the imperial crown, the more he had felt a growing desire for it, along with the confidence that he would be better suited than Sienna, who knew nothing of the world outside the palace.

Now, he realized just how arrogant and deluded he had been.

The reasons he had once used to justify his claim to the throne had evaporated. He no longer needed to fight for survival, for he was certain that if Sienna became Emperor, she would protect him, his wife, and their child completely.

Dian had also come to understand how foolish his ambitions had been. Reaching beyond his limits would only bring divine punishment.

His confidence that he could do better than Sienna had long since vanished. He had only harbored such illusions because he hadn’t truly known her. Sienna was not someone to be compared to him. They may have shared the same father, but their abilities were worlds apart—and he didn’t even feel any resentment about that.

He knew with absolute certainty that the throne would be too much for someone like him. If he ever took that seat, he would only bring misery upon himself.

The only thing that still bothered him was Kuhn Raad. That guy.

The closer Sienna got to securing her succession, the more difficult things would become between Kuhn and her.

‘But that’s not something for me to meddle in.’

Dian knew that Sienna and Kuhn’s feelings for each other, and how much they were willing to sacrifice for one another, were matters only the two of them could resolve.

“How is Violet?”

“She’s doing well.”

“She’s been staying at the Duke’s estate for quite some time now, hasn’t she?”

“Violet feels more comfortable there than in the palace.”

“That’s the only reason? If something happened, you should tell me.”

“Um…”

Dian hesitated. Violet had been healthy, and her expression had become more relaxed since she left the palace. Over time, Dian had begun to wonder if he had been overreacting. He didn’t want to make baseless accusations against the Red King in front of Sienna.

Sienna’s eyes narrowed slightly. She didn’t miss his reluctance to answer.

“Dian. If this involves my mother, don’t hide it.”

Dian flinched at her sharp tone.

“Dian.”

“It wasn’t anything serious…”

Reluctantly, Dian explained that Violet had felt unwell after drinking tea with the Red King. He tried to downplay it, as if it had been a minor issue.

“I was probably just being overly cautious.”

“No, you were right to be concerned.”

Sienna was now certain that her mother had tried something underhanded, though she couldn’t yet determine her motives. That was something she would need to figure out over time.

“The Duke’s estate is secure, I assume?”

“Of course. It’s under heavy guard. Oh, and while you’re here, I should tell you something.”

Dian stood up, telling Sienna to wait a moment. When he returned, he was carrying a book, which he placed on the table.

Sienna frowned at the sight of the old, leather-bound book. It was the sacred artifact, The Great Wish, that she had given to Dian before she left for the desert. Dian now had the expression of someone confessing to having caused trouble, bracing himself for the consequences.

“Sienna… I did a bit of an experiment with this book…”

As Sienna’s expression darkened, Dian quickly added, “I didn’t do anything weird! I didn’t break it! I figured out one of its mysterious functions. What’s the point of holding onto something without knowing its use? We have to understand its purpose.”

Sienna’s cold glare softened slightly.

Encouraged by her unspoken permission, Dian opened the sacred book. He flipped to a random page, which, like all the others, was blank. He then took a quill he had brought with him and drew a line across the blank page.

Before Sienna could protest, the black line on the page faded away, vanishing completely. Sienna’s eyes widened as she stared at the once again blank page.

“See?” Dian said, smiling.

Dian confidently continued drawing lines across the blank pages, watching as the ink disappeared.

“No matter what you write, it all vanishes.”

It was a type of experiment only someone like Dian would attempt.

The sacred book, The Great Wish, had been passed down through generations of emperors, known only to them. It was a secret treasure of the empire, revered as a relic. Most emperors treated it with the utmost reverence, barely daring to turn its pages.

But Dian wasn’t swayed by the book’s sacredness. To him, it was simply a curious object with mysterious properties.

“Everything written disappears, but there’s an exception. When written in the language of the gods, the reaction is different.”

“Different?”

Dian had tried writing various things, including the names of past emperors, but it was no different from scribbling. Then he remembered something Sienna had once mentioned—the last emperor’s will.

“Write your name in the language of the gods, and let the gods know your existence.”

At birth, imperial family members receive an unofficial name, a single letter from the ancient language known as the “language of the gods.” It was a long-lost tongue, with few able to learn it. According to the late emperor’s will, that language had to be written in the sacred book.

“Watch this.”

Dian decided to show Sienna instead of explaining further. He carefully wrote a character in the ancient language on the blank page.

The language of the gods had symbols distinct from the empire’s written language. It looked more like geometric shapes or images rather than traditional letters.

The character Dian wrote represented the name of the empire’s first emperor. As he had promised, the book reacted differently. A faint light radiated from the edges of the symbol, gradually growing and engulfing the entire character. Though the symbol eventually disappeared, the process was markedly different from ordinary writing.

After the symbol vanished completely, a short phrase in the ancient language appeared in its place.

“Wish.”

Moments later, the phrase disappeared, leaving the page completely blank once more.

Sienna stared at the blank page for a long time, contemplating what she had just seen.

“Have you tried writing other names?”

“Only up to the previous emperor.”

The language of the gods had 93 characters in total, far fewer than the number of emperors in the empire’s history. Each emperor had been given a unique letter. Dian’s statement meant that he had written the name of the late emperor but hadn’t yet tried writing his own name, Sienna’s, or any other unused character.

“I don’t know much beyond this. But I have a feeling that this book’s purpose might be different from the late emperor’s will. There’s something more intentional behind its existence than just wishing. What do you think?”

“…”

Sienna remained silent, deep in thought. Dian gently pushed the book towards her.

“You should take it with you, Sienna.”

Sienna looked up at him.

“This is as far as I’ve gotten after two months. Maybe you’ll discover something new with a fresh perspective.”

Reading her hesitation, Dian pressed on with his argument.

“If I keep it, I might end up damaging the book by being too reckless. If you figure anything out, just let me know.”

Sienna sighed softly and nodded. Dian smiled slightly, pleased that he had successfully handed the book back to her.

Sienna stood, taking the sacred book with her.

“You’ve been visiting the Duke’s estate every day, right?”

“I’ll tell Violet tomorrow morning that you returned safely. She’s been worried about you.”

“When does Violet plan to return to the palace?”

“She’ll come back once her due date is closer. There’s still more than two weeks left until then.”

“Mind if I go with you tomorrow?”

“Of course not. It’ll cheer her up to see you. Lately, she’s been complaining about having to eat oatmeal all the time.”

Sienna let out a small laugh but then paused.

“Oatmeal?”

“Yeah, you know, the bland stuff.”

“I know what it is. But why is Violet eating oatmeal?”

“I didn’t know this either, but apparently, oatmeal is considered really healthy for pregnant women. They say it’s essential as the due date approaches.”

Sienna asked for clarification, her voice tinged with suspicion.

“Oatmeal… what’s it made of?”

“Oats. It’s really not a tasty food. Violet had a lot of health issues when she was young, so she used to eat quite a bit of oatmeal. She hates it.”

Sienna’s grip on the book tightened. Her heart raced, pounding in her chest. She mentally reviewed the report Ben had given her earlier about the oats being taken out of the greenhouse. She quickly calculated the timeline.

The oats had been taken from the greenhouse five days before Violet had left the palace. Could that be a coincidence?

No. It couldn’t be.

Sienna clenched her teeth, the realization hitting her hard. There was no way this was accidental.

***

 

The next day, Sienna accompanied Dian to the Duke’s estate, arriving just before Violet’s breakfast.

“Oh my, Your Highness, Sienna! I heard you had returned,” Violet said with a bright smile from her bed as Sienna and Dian entered. She attempted to sit up with the help of her maids, but Sienna gently stopped her.

“Don’t get up. You must be feeling heavy,” Sienna said, unable to take her eyes off Violet’s belly. The last time she had seen Violet, her stomach had already been quite large, but now it appeared nearly twice as big.

Could it be the oatmeal? Sienna wondered, though she didn’t know enough about pregnancy to say for certain.

Soon after, the maids brought in Violet’s breakfast. Despite the visitors, Violet’s mealtimes were strictly regulated due to her pregnancy.

“I’ll serve her breakfast myself today,” Dian said, dismissing the maids. As they left, Dian exchanged a glance with Sienna, and Violet, sensing the unusual atmosphere, asked hesitantly, “Is something wrong?”

“Violet, listen carefully, but don’t be too alarmed,” Dian began.

He and Sienna had discussed the matter extensively the previous day and agreed that it was time to tell Violet the truth. They couldn’t keep it hidden from her forever. She needed to know about the danger surrounding her to protect herself and the baby.

“Poison… you’re saying there’s poison?” Violet murmured, repeating the words in disbelief. It took a few moments for her to absorb the news. To Sienna’s relief, Violet, now a mother-to-be, showed remarkable strength, quickly regaining her composure despite the shock.

“Alright, then. Let’s discuss what to do next,” Sienna said.

The three of them agreed that suddenly changing Violet’s meals would alert the spy—whoever they were—and risk tipping off the Red King. Investigating the source of the tainted food and identifying the spy would become even more difficult if they weren’t careful.

Until they had time to investigate the ingredients brought into the Duke’s estate and track down the culprit, Violet would have to continue her routine as if nothing had changed.

“What should we do about this oatmeal, then?” Violet asked, glancing at the bowl in front of her.

Dian picked up the dish and smiled. “Starting today, I’ll eat it.”

“Your Highness, but… you said it could be poisoned.”

“I can’t be poisoned, remember? It’s fine.”

With that, Dian scooped a large spoonful of oatmeal and ate it. Violet watched him anxiously as he continued to eat until the bowl was clean. Then, with a grimace, he looked up at her.

“Violet, from now on, I truly respect you. How have you been eating this?”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the three of them couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

 

***

 

As Sienna read through the investigation report, a cold fury gripped her. Though she had anticipated this outcome, the confirmation filled her with a rage that made her hands tremble.

She had passed the oats Ben had retrieved from the greenhouse to Levann for analysis. The report had come back to her in about ten days. If they hadn’t had any clues, the investigation might have taken much longer, but by narrowing the scope to toxins harmful to pregnant women, they had arrived at the results quickly.

—Resembles oats, but a completely different species. Induces premature labor. Depending on the stage of pregnancy, can cause miscarriage or stillbirth.

With a resounding slam, Sienna brought her hand down on the desk.

You carried me in your womb and gave birth to me. How could you do this, knowing a mother’s desperate love? she thought bitterly.

It was now undeniable. In the vision of the future from her dreams, Violet had likely fallen victim to this same method. Without realizing it, she had slowly been poisoned, losing her child, and perhaps even her life, before anyone could understand what had happened.

Thank the gods I told Dian, Sienna thought with a sigh of relief. Violet had only been spared because Dian had consistently given her his blood, as Sienna had suggested.

But even though Sienna had been the one to advise Dian, it didn’t ease the devastation she felt. How could she even face Dian and Violet, knowing the danger they had been in?

“Don’t blame yourself, Sienna. It’s not your fault. In fact, Violet is safe because of you,” Dian had reassured her.

Rather than feeling gratitude, Sienna had been struck by the unfairness of it all.

I have to do this. Dian can’t.

If Dian became emperor, things would only worsen. He wouldn’t take action against Patricia. He wouldn’t confront her or hold her accountable.

In her dream, Dian had allowed Patricia to continue using the greenhouse, even after becoming emperor. Violet, as the rightful Red King, should have taken control of it, but Dian had shown mercy to his political enemy, Patricia, leaving the door open for further harm.

I have to bind my mother’s hands so she can’t do anything anymore.

Sienna felt a bitter sadness settle over her. There are those who turn forgiveness and mercy into weapons of malice, and she had come to realize that her mother was one of those people.