《Reboot Sienna》


 Chapter 1: Live To Sienna

    <h4>Chapter 1: Live To Sienna</h4>


    ¡°Does His Majesty not consider this child his son!¡±


    Unable to contain her anger, the empress threw a teacup at the marble floor. The teacup collided with it, shattering into pieces. With only that, her unquelling anger wasn¡¯t yet satisfied. She immediately kicked arge ornamental vase, knocking it over. A broken piece rebounded off the floor, scratching the cleaning maid¡¯s cheek. However, Empress Sienna could not afford the leisure of caring about the maid¡¯s wound.


    She felt as though the vase was herself. The shattered pieces were the same as her heart, which was bursting with emotional torture.


    ¡°I-I can stand him neglecting me. But he cannot do that to Joseph!¡±


    Sienna covered her face hesitantly, sitting down in ce. The maiden, Hain, tried to soothe her by cradling her on her shoulders, but it was useless.


    Sienna recalled a story told to her by an ignorant woman. The imperial courtdies had been calling her ¡°The Powerless Empress by Title.¡± Sienna had just smiled a sad smile at those words that described her position exactly. Nevertheless, she desperately wanted her child, Joseph, to not be called ¡®The Only by Title¡¯ like herself....


    ¡°Joseph, like me, is going to die hoping fruitlessly for Carl¡¯s love.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Hain patted her on the shoulder.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Your Majesty? No matter what anyone says, the Crown Prince is first in the royal line!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the first empress and, yet, I¡¯m turning a blind eye to Joseph being treated the same as me... He didn¡¯t even give Joseph a name.¡±


    Hain was about to disagree by saying that it will not be the same for him, but a servant outside informed Her Majesty that the emperor¡¯s stepmother, Queen Arya, hade.


    Hain lifted Sienna¡¯s body while Siena struggled to put on a calm expression. If there was anything she¡¯d learned from her years of imperial experience, it was that she shouldn¡¯t easily reveal her feelings.


    ¡°Bring her in,¡± she said in a calm tone.


    The door opened, and Arya entered. Her ck hair, shining like the night, was rolled up nicely. Though she was a mother, her beauty didn¡¯t lose to Sienna¡¯s. Rather, the elegance and richness of her years overwhelmed Sienna. She looked at the pieces of ss lying on the floor once and said hello.


    ¡°I must havee for nothing.¡±


    Sienna blushed at her words. She tried not to reveal her feelings on her face, but failed to do so because of the evidence lying on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m afraid the new maid isn¡¯t used to the job...¡±


    The maid, Hain, stepped forward, making excuses for Sienna. Arya looked at Sienna without replying to the maid¡¯s words, ¡°My master should be teaching me a lesson by whipping this servant who hasmitted a great humiliation towards you, but Empress Sienna seems to have a big heart.¡±


    The queen had once wielded her whip in front of Sienna, stating that she would teach her how to deal with her servants. Sienna didn¡¯t agree with Arya¡¯s disciplinary acts, so instead, she said wearily since she could not afford to argue with her, ¡°I¡¯m still getting the hang of dealing with the people under me. Hain, prepare some tea for the queen, well-dried Milton if possible.¡±


    Afraid of getting whipped like before, Hain prepared the tea and brought it out in a hurry.


    Sienna picked up the well-dried Milton flowers with tongs and put them in Arya¡¯s teacup and then hers. She then carefully proceeded to pour an appropriate amount of hot water into the teacup. When the dried petals hit the hot water, they found their own shape, emitting reddish yellow colours.


    ¡°The scent of the tea is good. The production of our tea has gotten much better.¡±


    Despite Arya¡¯s praise, Sienna didn¡¯t answer her. Instead, she stared nkly at the teacup. She wasn¡¯t in a good mood because the petals, which were turning yellow, were reflecting and mocking her jealousy and her lingering feelings.


    Arya looked at Sienna, who hadn¡¯t answered, and said, ¡°Has Empress Sienna heard about Queen Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy?¡±


    Sienna worked hard to straighten out her frown. By looking at the pieces of ss lying on the floor, it seemed as though Sienna had already heard the news, but what was it that was keeping her from revealing that truth?


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the news. It¡¯s a blessing for the Imperial Family.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you know the story? There are rumors that the baby in Bluebell¡¯s belly may be a boy. The Head of the Family, who was apanied by a doctor, had a bright expression on his way back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is so...¡±


    Sienna already knew of the news. The fact that Carl had given Bluebell a ne that had been handed down only to the empress who bore a son meant that the child she was carrying was a boy.


    She looked at Sienna¡¯s hardened face and felt bad for her. However, Sienna wondered if she was very pleased by the situation because Arya¡¯s ck eyes were shining like those of a predator who had snatched up food.


    Sienna tried her best to console herself by distracting herself, saying that everything in sight seemed negative.


    Arya continued to talk.


    ¡°The Empress Sienna and the Imperial... Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know the name of the prince yet, so I don¡¯t know what to call him...¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Sienna blushed.


    The name was Joseph, which meant ¡°The Loved One.¡± That was the name of the child, and it was a name filled with her well wishes.


    ¡°...It¡¯s Joseph.¡±


    Sienna blushed with embarrassment while saying the child¡¯s name.


    ¡°You¡¯re using the name¡¯s old meaning for a loved one. It¡¯s a very good name. Anyway, considering the news about Queen Bluebell and the sapphire ne she received, it¡¯s a pity for Empress Sienna and Prince Joseph. The Crown Prince¡¯s position was taken away by the Queen Bluebell¡¯s child.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s expression hardened at her words.


    ¡°It is natural for the Bluebell¡¯s baby to seed Carl.¡±


    Joseph had yet to see the light of the world despite being the eldest son.


    ¡°The first prince in line for the Laifsden Empire was Joseph. It¡¯s natural that the the next heir should be Joseph, the eldest son.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡± Arya asked.


    Looking at Arya¡¯s face full of derision, Sienna grabbed her skirt with trembling hands. She tried hard to keep a calm face, but her face was distorted.


    ¡°As the empress knows, Laifsden has long chosen its sessor to choice and good fortune, not through the inheritance of the eldest son.¡±


    ¡°And yet...¡±


    ¡°The Emperor requested a sapphire ne, the Royal Gazette, as soon as he heard of Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy. It¡¯s a gift that has always been given when an empress produces a Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s....¡±


    ¡°The ne was supposedly called ¡®The Mother of the Emperor¡¯ back in the day. The Emperor passed the ne down to Queen Bluebell. You know what that means.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna bit her lower lip at her words. Who didn¡¯t know that? It was something you knew but couldn¡¯t do anything about.


    ¡°The life of a prince who cannot be emperor... I think you know what it means even if I don¡¯t exin it to you.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Sienna¡¯s eyes clouded over, forcing her to endure her desire to cry. Carl, the current emperor, had also lived through that type of hardship. Even if he wasn¡¯t that now, the miserable words of the prince-who-had-not-been-loved-by-the-emperor could be found easily throughout history.


    Joseph was Sienna¡¯s child, and she had no political power. Sienna bowed in despair as she thought of the difficulties ahead. Tears filled her eyes, falling down her face.


    ¡®If I hadn¡¯t fallen in love with you that day, if I had answered your request to divorce me on the day we met for the first time after our marriage, I wouldn¡¯t feel so miserable... No, it¡¯s certainly less than Joseph, who has lived a miserable life...¡¯


    Sienna recalled the time when she met Carl at her eighteenth-year ceremony.


    At theing-of-age banquet, he was leaning against the wall of the banquet hall. Even in the corner, he had stood out.


    The golden hair that glistened like sunlight had caught her eyes first. The olive-colored eyes, in the eyes of many women, had contained nothing, as if indifferent.


    Sienna had thought she would only have him in her eyes. It was definitely the moment she thought she had fallen in love with her destined love.


    That was why she had happily epted the offer from Queen Arya, who had asked her to be Carl¡¯s princess.


    It was not because she longed for a splendid royal life, nor did she want to sit in the best position as a woman. She had just wanted to stand by Carl and be in his heart. Sienna had thought he could also hear the bells of fate within himself.

 Chapter 2: Live To Sienna Pt.2

    <h4>Chapter 2: Live To Sienna Pt.2</h4>


    But whether she had been cursed by the Goddess of Fate, those were Sienna¡¯s one-sided feelings. Sienna, a peasant who had grown up in a corner of the North, had only found out after that wedding that Carl had already had a fianc¨¦e, and that their marriage had been nothing more than a political maneuver.


    Sienna had looked back on it hundreds, thousands of times.


    ¡®If I had known in advance that there was a fianc¨¦ named Bluebell beside Carl, would I have refused to marry him if I had known that it was just a political move? And would I have been hated by him for being hostile to Arya?¡¯


    Knowing that she could never go back to that time, Sienna would ask herself that over and over, but the answer was always no. Even if she could¡¯ve gone back to that time, Sienna would¡¯ve still chosen to marry him.


    ¡®I may havecked in effort. If I¡¯d done better... If only I had tried harder than I did to get closer and gain his trust when he tried to distance himself...¡¯ Even if she hadn¡¯t gotten his whole heart and mind, wouldn¡¯t she have been able to get a little piece of that person? Couldn¡¯t she have seen at least a piece of his true smile?


    Sienna still hadn¡¯t given up her lingering feelings for Carl.


    ¡®Why am I...¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t she think that she could be loved since she had Carl¡¯s child?


    She was troubled by the grief of the crown, thinking about the unfortunate life Joseph would face because of her lingering feelings and obsession. She could hardly bear her cry even though she knew that she had Queen Arya in front of her and that bursting into tears in front of others was an act that would damage the dignity of the Imperial Family.


    ¡°Empress Sienna,¡± Arya sang her name affectionately and moved to her side. Then, she grabbed the tip of Sienna¡¯s chin with her hand and made Sienna look at her. She spoke in a friendly manner, wiping away the tears that covered Sienna¡¯s cheeks with a purple silk handkerchief. ¡°What are tears? I¡¯ve told you before that the person sitting at the seat of the empress doesn¡¯t cry easily. Instead of tears, you have to smile and figure out how to admonish the person who has embarrassed you.¡±


    Even though she seemed to chastise Sienna, who was shedding tears, her voice was very friendly.


    Because of this, Sienna could not keep Arya away. The more she relied on her, the more she knew Carl would hate her, but she was the only one who cared about Sienna in that pce where no one cared about her.


    Arya smiled softly and said to Sienna, ¡°If you do me a favor, I promise I¡¯ll make Prince Joseph the next emperor.¡±


    Queen Arya gave her a confident smile, but Sienna stared at her nkly. Her words did not sound like an offer to make Joseph emperor, but one to make him Carl¡¯s favorite.


    ¡®You¡¯re going to make Joseph loved by Carl instead of resented by him?¡¯


    Arya¡¯s words seemed more absurd than the story of the extinct dragon falling to the ground with the moon. Nevertheless, Sienna just wanted to believe what she had said.


    ¡°By what...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Will you listen?¡±


    Sienna nodded, captivated by the words of the queen. She would nod her head even if the devil had asked, let alone Queen Arya. If Joseph couldn¡¯t live the life his title awarded him to live...


    ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare a dance for Prince Joseph¡¯s birth banquet. If the Emperor asks about him, please tell her that Empress Sienna called them in person to celebrate the birthday of Prince Joseph. I¡¯m sure it will be a big present for Prince Joseph.¡±


    How could Joseph be made the next emperor by her simply epting a small request? But Sienna nodded nkly, without asking Arya anything further.


    ¡°Also, if the Emperor asks about arge box ced between the dancers, tell him it¡¯s a cradle prepared for Prince Joseph by Prince Waters, Empress Sienna¡¯s father.¡±


    That day, the Empress¡¯ eyes felt like those of a venomous snake, but Sienna worked hard to dispel that idea from her head. Arya was the woman who always patched up the wounds Sienna received because of Carl, who didn¡¯t know her mind. Sienna had to trust her.


    *


    Prince Joseph¡¯s birthday banquet was arranged smoothly. Sienna chose a blue dress embroidered with lilies.


    ¡°Would a white pearl ne be good? Or do you want a red ne?¡±


    The handmaid, Hain, said, alternating nes around Sienna¡¯s neck.


    ¡°The pearl ne looks sweet and innocent, and the red ne will be provocative and attractive because it blends with the empress¡¯ red hair. Which do you like better?¡±


    Sienna gave no answer to Hain¡¯s question.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of ne I wear.... He won¡¯t look at me no matter what I do, so what do I need a ne for?¡¯


    Sienna looked at herself beyond the mirror. The reflection was beautiful. It showed her curving red hair flowing down to her shoulders and her eyes shining green. On the back of her nose were a pale freckles that made her look alive like the sun, but perhaps more subdued and clean than normal because Hain had carefully covered them with powder.


    But Sienna couldn¡¯t see herself in the mirror. A blue-eyed bird with no other color at all might look beautiful, but within it, was only despair and resignation.


    ¡°There was a time when these eyes contained hope...¡¯


    There was a time when Sienna had hoped that if she tried, she would be able to approach Carl. But when she tried getting closer to him, all she got was cynicism and disdain.


    No matter how hopeful she was, if she continued to fail, she would turn hopeless and be afraid of even standing up. That was what had happened to Sienna. She was tired and afraid of beingughed at and hated by Carl. She thought she¡¯d rather stay in that pce room as she did not want to be seen by him.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, the Crown Prince is entering.¡±


    At Hain¡¯s words, Sienna nodded.


    But now, she was the mother of a child. No matter how hurt she had been by Carl, she wanted to be able to give Joseph a happy life. Yet, that did nothing to rid her of her tears of despair.


    Hain brought Joseph, who had been handed over by the nanny, to Sienna. The child was so small and lovely that it felt strange to see him breathing. Every time Joseph breathed with that little nose of his, his palms twitched.


    ¡°Hain, I¡¯ll hold Joseph.¡±


    ¡°The dress will crumple.¡±


    ¡°The main focus today is Joseph. I¡¯m sure no one cares about my crumpled dress, my ne or anything.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    Hain had a worried look. She was also well aware that the empress she was serving did not receive the attention of the emperor. In a way, she felt more sensitive to it than Sienna.


    ¡°Come on, Hain!¡±


    Hain nodded and handed the child to Sienna¡¯s bosom. Sienna held Joseph, who was wrapped in red robes, in her arms. The child grinned, reaching out to her when he recognized his mother. The olive-colored eyes, which resembled Carl¡¯s, glistened.


    Hain said, ¡°He seems to recognize Your Empress because he is so intelligent. I am saying so because as soon as Her Highness cradled her grandson, he smiled at Your Empress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What an astute child...¡±


    Sienna was moved to tears as the child, who looked like her beloved Carl, had to grow up in the shadow of the Emperor. She said, holding back her tears.


    ¡°Hain, I won¡¯t do the ne, but could you bring me the most spectacr, out-of-the ordinary gangbo, please? Today¡¯s focus is Joseph, so I hope this child shines most of all at the banquet.¡±


    (Gangbo definition: Swaddling clothes or baby quilt.)


    ¡°You should shine like the Empress, Mother of the Crown Prince. In my thoughts, I think the pearl ne looks better...¡±


    ¡°Hain!¡±


    When Sienna called her name firmly, Hain nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°There¡¯s a gangbo I embroidered for the prince left. Would you like to see it?¡±


    When Sienna nodded her head, Hain, who had the other maid rush out to fetch it from her ce, spread it out to Sienna and bragged about it. The red gangbo was embroidered with arge golden dragon kicking off the ground. Sienna admired the sight of the famous painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s really cool.¡±


    ¡°Right? I worked very hard to make this. It¡¯ll look good on the prince, won¡¯t it?¡±


    Sienna smiled at her words and nodded.


    Sienna, who wrapped Joseph in the red gangbo, headed for the banquet hall. The soldiers guarding the entrance to the banquet hall saw her and opened the door.


    As they entered the banquet hall, the musicians started the entrance music. The aristocrats, who had been enjoying the banquet in advance, bowed to Sienna as they made way. She was headed for her seat above the podium.

 Chapter 3: Live To Sienna Pt.3

    <h4>Chapter 3: Live To Sienna Pt.3</h4>


    Carl and Bluebell were not present yet, but Arya, who hade early, weed her.


    Arya raised her skirt to greet Sienna, who bent at the knees in response because she was holding Joseph. Arya greeted Sienna before Sienna had even reached the top, making her look like she was at her feet.


    In Laifsden, where the emperor¡¯s authority came first, the empress¡¯ authority was higher than the queen¡¯s. Byw, Arya was not supposed to greet Sienna from a ce above her.


    ¡°He¡¯s the star of today¡¯s banquet, but he appeared too early.¡±


    At her words, Sienna looked at the empty seats of both Carl and Bluebell. It wasn¡¯t that Sienna hade out early. Carl and Bluebell werete.


    ¡°I guess I was in a hurry. Today is the Prince Joseph¡¯s official announcement so that all may know him. I wanted to be able to show my confidence as his mother as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Prince Joseph looks very healthy. He¡¯s the scarlet of Laifsden.¡±


    Sienna thanked her but tilted her head at the same time. Until now, Arya had called Joseph the Crown Prince, but today, she had called him Prince Joseph. The one in line for the throne was given the title of Crown Prince, which was an inappropriate title for Joseph, who hadn¡¯t even received his name from the emperor.


    Sienna recalled the conversation she had had with Arya not long ago. Arya had said that she would make Joseph the next emperor if Sienna could fulfill a very simple favor. Sienna had been so sad that she hadn¡¯t understood her properly, and had forgotten about it after that...


    ¡°Have you forgotten my request?¡± Arya whispered in Sienna¡¯s ear.


    ¡°But how can it...¡±


    When she tried to ask how the little request could make Joseph the emperor, Arya shook her head and prevented her from speaking any further.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know the reason soon. It¡¯s important for Prince Joseph, so please.¡±


    Sienna wavered, but she trusted Arya¡¯s words and nodded.


    The banquet resumed when the two women were seated. The noblemen danced in pairs to the merry music yed by the musicians.


    ¡°The Emperor and Her Majesty, the Queen II,¡± the door guard announced Carl and Bluebell in a loud voice. Soon, the door opened, and the two entered.


    Carl, with his vivacious golden hair, the symbol of Laifsden¡¯s royalty, looked around the banquet hall with hismanding light blue eyes, and those who seemed easygoing straightened themselves. He had been born to be king.


    Bluebell was next to him, as she should be. She was as beautiful as a fairy, with her blue, silvery hair wellbed and adorned with pearls.


    With her white skin and slender shoulders, she was almost leaning against Carl¡¯s arm. They looked very good together to Sienna, who smiled bitterly at the sight.


    ¡°Today and any other day, I wish you¡¯de out with me in hand...¡±


    After the couple¡¯s appearance, the people inside the banquet hall remained on edge, but that wasn¡¯t just because of their good looks. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Bluebell¡¯s white, slender neck, which was adorned with a ne. He didn¡¯t have to exin what the 227 shiny diamonds andrge sapphires meant.


    Having drawn everyone¡¯s attention, Bluebell changed her posture and supported her waist with one hand, as if her belly, which wasn¡¯t even been popping out yet, was very heavy.


    If the action was intended, it was a sess. People realized that the one next to the emperor of the country was not Sienna and the child in her arms wrapped in the gangbo, but Bluebell and the unborn child inside her belly.


    ¡°Prince Joseph¡¯s birthday celebration turned out to be a celebration party for Queen Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy,¡± Arya whispered in Sienna¡¯s ear.


    Sienna didn¡¯t reply to her words. She just looked at Carl¡¯s hand, which was supporting Bluebell, with envy.


    Standing at the top, Bluebell greeted Sienna.


    ¡°I wish the prince a happy birthday and a great celebration.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. By the way, I have to congratte you on something as well. I¡¯ve heard that Queen Bluebell is pregnant¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Bluebell carefully wrapped her belly with her arms and said, ¡°Thank you. It hasn¡¯t been that long yet, so I was going to wait a bit before informing you, but... I think news of it has reached all over already. The child in my belly is so picky that there isn¡¯t a singlefortable day. I waste again today because of the baby. Please understand.¡±


    ¡°Is... that so?¡±


    While answering Bluebell, Sienna¡¯s eyes turned to Carl. He hadn¡¯t looked at either Sienna or Joseph, who was in her arms, after entering the banquet hall. It was always Sienna who thought it was her fault that she had pushed him away, but this time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel resentment.


    Carl, who didn¡¯t even say hello to Sienna, said while assisting Bluebell, ¡°Your body must be feeling ufortable. It¡¯ll be better if you sit down.¡±


    Sienna bit her lower lip with misery. The red robes embroidered with golden dragons surrounding Joseph felt shabby. Inside the embroidered cloth, a child who had a close resemnce to his fathery asleep, unaware that his father had not even given him congrattion or a simple greeting. Yes, maybe it was better not to know...


    The banquet began in earnest when Emperor Carl entered the hall.


    ¡°What¡¯s that box in the middle?¡±


    Sienna looked at Arya with embarrassment. She had the answer ready at the tip of her tongue, so Sienna gave the answer Arya had hoped for.


    ¡°That is a gift from my father. It¡¯s probably a wooden cradle. Heidel¡¯s trees, which grow in the cold, northern wind, are famous for being strong and sturdy.¡±


    Carl nodded and looked down at the banquet hall, and Sienna looked at his profile. How long had it been since she had peeked at him like that?


    The girl, who had been just eighteen years old, whose heart had trembled at his straight nose and smooth lips, was now twenty-three. Five yearster, after bing the mother of a child, she was still peeping at his profile.


    ¡°The child¡¯s kicked my stomach.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha! You¡¯re a tough guy. I¡¯m sure he takes after me.¡±


    At Bluebell¡¯s words, Carl turned to look at her, and Sienna¡¯s vision was filled with his brilliant golden hair.


    ¡®When is it that I¡¯ll be able to face Carl¡¯s hazel eyes? Will the day evere when he faces my eyes with those eyes? Why is it so easy for Queen Bluebell? Facing him, listening to his friendly voice, and feeling the warmth of his touch. Howe something that is it so difficult for me is so easy for her?¡±


    ¡°Empress Sienna.¡±


    Sienna, who was lost in thought, didn¡¯te to until Queen Arya called her three or four times.


    ¡°Why are you so enraptured when this is Prince Joseph¡¯s banquet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°I think the banquet hall is a little hot.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Arya¡¯s mention of ¡®hot¡¯ was the signal to call the dancers and singers known as Muhee. Sienna nodded and told Carl, ¡°I¡¯ve called the Muhee for Prince Joseph. Their dance will further illuminate the banquet.¡±


    Carl nodded without looking at Sienna.


    Wearing exotic costumes, the all-male dancer troupe carried knives. When Carl saw them, he made a face and asked Sienna, ¡°Why are those dancers you called for wielding knives?¡±


    It was the first time Carl had looked at Sienna that day. She slowly opened her mouth while facing him and said, ¡°... It¡¯s a traditional dance from the southern part of the country called Homulus, a sword dance to pray for the child¡¯s long life. I called them in to wish Joseph well.¡±


    ¡°Is that what it means... Even if so, the act of recklessly taking up arms at the banquet hall should not be allowed, regardless of what empress calls for it.¡±


    Sienna became nervous at his words. Regardless of whether he resented her or not, he could use that as an excuse to get her dethroned under the pretext of safety. He couldn¡¯t kick her out and leave young Joseph all alone... How would the child live by himself in that stark castle?


    Sienna hugged Joseph and bowed before Carl.


    ¡°Please, forgive me.¡±


    Carl said with a look of annoyance, ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s a celebratory day, so let¡¯s just leave it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Her hands, holding Joseph, were soaked with cold sweat.


    With the emperor¡¯s permission, the dancers began to dance around with their swords. They swirled their heavy swords around easily, disying the dance deftly. Sienna eximed at the splendid sword dance.


    She was from the North. With more monsters than animals in its forests, the North was a ce where men and women learned the sword as soon as they learned to walk. Sienna hadn¡¯t learned the sword by herself because of her status as the duke¡¯s daughter. She had done it because she had been confident that her eyes were quite sharp.

 Chapter 4: Live To Sienna Pt.4

    <h4>Chapter 4: Live To Sienna Pt.4</h4>


    The fancy dance of the swinging swords did not look like a dance. The dancers felt like they were well-trained knights.


    It didn¡¯t seem like something that would be Sienna¡¯s idea, and Carl, sitting next to her, said admiringly, ¡°They¡¯re great. Although they¡¯re male dancers, I feel as if they were actually trained men. The swords they¡¯re spinning are also well crafted...¡±


    Interestingly, Carl jumped to his feet while watching the dance. At the same time, the Royal Knights of the Emperor, who was guarding Carl, drew his sword.


    ¡°Live!¡±


    As the knights drew their swords in unison, the dancers fired at therge wooden box in unison.


    Bang!


    The box broke into pieces, and smoke from the box filled the banquet hall.


    ¡°Strike the Emperor¡¯s neck first!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t live anyone alive!¡±


    ¡°Protect the Emperor!¡±


    The sounds of the knights mingled with the screams of the nobles. The smoke burned both eyes and nose, and Sienna coughed repeatedly. Her eyes were red and irritated from the hot smoke.


    Sienna looked at Arya sitting next to her. She was still as graceful as ever in thatmotion. Acting as though she had known about it beforehand, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and looked down at the blood-red banquet hall, dripping like salsa over food.


    ¡°Queen Arya...¡±


    Sienna turned to the banquet hall again at the sound of the screams and the soldiers battling. The smoke, which was blocking the view, gradually subsided. There was nothing but horror left in its ce.


    The servants who had been delivering the wine, the musicians who had been ying the instruments, and the servants who had been carrying the gifts were holding weapons in their hands. Red blood dripped from their gruesome des.


    On the floor, were familiar people falling with terror stricken faces. It looked like the ughter of cows and pigs, not people. The sight of them at the end of their lives sent Sienna into a frenzy. At the same time, she worried about Carl¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Do not forget the Emperor! Bring me the Emperor¡¯s neck!¡± Queen Arya shouted after watching the situation with her mouth closed.


    The voice was not loud, but to Sienna, it sounded as loud as a thunderbolt. Sienna said as she tugged on Arya¡¯s arm, ¡°What are you talking about?! What do you mean by ¡®Bring the Emperor¡¯s neck?!''¡±


    Arya turned away from Sienna¡¯s arm in vexation.


    ¡°Empress Sienna, we¡¯ve started this together.¡±


    ¡°Together! When did I do that?! This is treason!¡±


    Arya¡¯s eyes narrow as if she didn¡¯t like the word treason.


    ¡°The word treason is for losers. If this is sessful, this will be recorded in history under a different name.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Sienna¡¯s face turned pale.


    As time went by, there were more people lying on the floor like broken dolls than there were those standing. Sienna scanned for him inside the crowded banquet hall, hoping that Carl would be alive.


    Carl was picking up des from one corner. Fortunately, the Royal Knights were standing by him.


    However, their condition was not favorable.


    The Royal Knights didn¡¯t look well. Some were seen wielding knives with one arm, others were giving up their backs on behalf of the Lord when the assants flew toward Carl. She didn¡¯t know how long they¡¯dst.


    ¡°Kyah!¡±


    Then, she heard Bluebell screaming.


    ¡°Protect Bluebell! Not me! I said protect Bluebells!¡± Carl screamed out, but his retainers did not leave his side.


    ¡°I said protect Bluebell!¡±


    Hearing his shouts, Sienna looked back at Bluebell, who was crawling on the floor, making her escape.


    She was covering her belly to protect the child within even in that situation. Managing to crawl in front of Sienna, she said, ¡°Save me! Save me! I beg you, please!¡±


    Even at her words, Sienna held Joseph tightly, unable to do anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill my child. Please.¡±


    The shadow of a soldier holding a sword behind Bluebell, whose face was covered in tears as she begged for her child¡¯s life, came into view.


    ¡°No!¡± Sienna shouted as she stretched out one hand, and Bluebell turned around.


    ¡°Bluebell!¡±


    She heard Carl¡¯s voice in the distance. The swords of the assassins surrounding Bluebell were rained in unison, and her face twisted like ginseng.


    ¡°Bluebell!¡±


    Once again, she heard Carl¡¯s voice mingling with his cries. She couldn¡¯t stand to see it through to the end, and so she turned her head to the side. Sienna¡¯s face was covered in hot blood. It was Bluebell¡¯s blood.


    The smell of iron made my stomach queasy. She felt dizzy.


    ¡°The Emperor is running away!¡±


    Carl tried to approach Bluebell, but he was being dragged out of the banquet hall by his guards. His face, which had never been tearful, was in a mess of tears. The beautiful, light blue eyes were in despair, and even with his long battlefield experience, his two once hard and confident arms were now limp and drooping.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    Arya shouted as Carl walked out of the banquet hall, ¡°Don¡¯t let him go! Come on! Seize the emperor!¡±


    Those who picked up the bag of swords at her frostymand rushed to where Carl had fled.


    Sienna, panicked at the sight of Bluebell¡¯s death, began pleading against the wrongness in front of her body.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because of me. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t killed Bluebell herself or participated in Arya¡¯s rebellion, but Sienna knelt by Bluebell¡¯s body and begged for forgiveness.


    ¡°I was stupid.¡±


    The little request Arya had asked her to do... She shouldn¡¯t have told Carl that she had prepared the box for the de dancers. At the very least, she should have questioned how that would make Joseph emperor.


    ¡°Wah, wah!¡±


    At Joseph¡¯s cry, Sienna came to her senses. Although the emperor had left the banquet hall, the battle, or massacre, continued. Arya was relentless. All of those who stood by Carl¡¯s side fell before a sharp de.


    Sienna was afraid. She couldn¡¯t tell how far Arya¡¯s de would go. The tip of the knife might turn at her and Joseph.


    She crawled to the ground, looking for a ce to hide, but in that banquet hall, there was nowhere to hide, so she just crouched as much as she could behind her high-backed chair.


    ¡°Wah, wah!¡±


    Young Joseph, too, never stopped crying. It was as if he could smell death. Frightened, Sienna covered Joseph¡¯s mouth.


    ¡®Please, don¡¯t cry. If the queen finds us, she¡¯ll kill us, too.¡¯


    But Joseph, who didn¡¯t know Sienna¡¯s thoughts, couldn¡¯t stop crying. The banquet hall, from where Carl had escaped was quickly cleared up, and Arya finally came up to Sienna.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Empress Sienna, you have to keep your morals intact. Should the Empress of the Empire crawl on the floor like that?¡±


    Arya walked up to provoke Sienna. ¡®Smack!¡¯ Sienna hit her with the back of her hand, Arya¡¯s face turned cold when she the back of Sienna¡¯s hand turning red.


    ¡°To me, this.... This kind of discussion never happened!¡± Sienna said while staring at Arya.


    As powerfully as she had said it, her whole body was trembling like a wooden tree.


    ¡°What do you mean, Empress Sienna? I¡¯ve kept my part of the agreement.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, the... What.......¡±


    Arya took a step closer to Sienna. The bottom of her long skirt was stained with blood.


    ¡°I thought I said I¡¯d make Joseph the next emperor. With what I did today, Joseph will be the next in line, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve kept my promise.¡±


    Arya reached out to Joseph in Sienna¡¯s arms, and Sienna held him tighter so he wouldn¡¯t be taken away.


    ¡®Chang!¡¯


    Two knights standing guard by Arya thrust their des at Sienna¡¯s neck.


    ¡°What are you going to do with Joseph?¡± Sienna asked, still protecting Joseph in her arms.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to re at me like that. I¡¯m just trying to help.¡±


    ¡°What...¡±


    ¡°Seeing as how you can¡¯t even clean up after yourself, peeing and shitting, after bing Empress, it¡¯s no wonder no one is on your side to help you. I¡¯ll help the emperor choose hispanies better.¡±


    She meant that she would clean up the court by using Joseph.


    ¡°The emperor is alive. How can Joseph be emperor?¡±


    ¡°Carl won¡¯t survive.¡±


    ¡°Howe... How can you be so sure? His Majesty has survived many wars.¡±


    Arya turned to look at the banquet hall. She looked cynical when she saw the blood and the bodies filling the floor.


    ¡°Carl could only buy help when there were still people around to help. How can he survive when the men who helped him are strewn about the floor like that? No. Even if he¡¯s alive, can he evene back here?¡±

 Chapter 5: Live To Sienna Pt.5

    <h4>Chapter 5: Live To Sienna Pt.5</h4>


    ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s supporters were not political aristocrats, but knights who wielded swords on the battlefield As long as he survives and gets out of here, he¡¯lle back with those knights!¡±


    Sienna could not get the image of the emperor sobbing as if he had lost his own life with Bluebell¡¯s death.


    ¡°The cause lies not with you, the queen who revolted, but with the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Arya nodded with an exaggerated expression on her face, as if she had suddenlye to realize the truth. ¡°If that is so, then Carl died here.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?! Didn¡¯t Your Majesty see the emperor¡¯s image leaving this banquet hall?!¡±


    Queen Arya smiled at her remark and approached Sienna, ¡°Empress Sienna, no matter how hard it is, you have to wake up.¡±


    Sienna looked at Arya anxiously. Queen Arya held Sienna¡¯s chin up. Then, she wiped her face with the handkerchief she was holding. The dried-up blood didn¡¯te off easily.


    Arya, who gave up cleaning the blood off of Sienna¡¯s face when it did note out, threw her handkerchief on the floor and turned Sienna¡¯s chin to make her look at the banquet hall. Arya pointed her finger at the middle of the hall and said, ¡°There it is, isn¡¯t it? Carl¡¯s dead body.¡±


    ¡°What...¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see it? The body of His Majesty lying on the floor with its pierced?¡±


    She was sure she had seen Carl walk out of the banquet hall with her own eyes. It urred to her that Queen Arya was out of her mind. Does one be crazy when one tastes blood when blinded by greed?


    Arya rose from her seat and walked down the stairs one step at a time. That walk was no different from what the musicians had previously seen in the banquet hall, where the music had yed and the colorful chandeliers had lit up the room. Her straight waist, straightened shoulders, and her dazzling, soundless walk seemed to have a way to make one feel pleasant.


    It was the type of walk that Sienna had always envied, but now, Arya¡¯s demeanor seemed unlike that of a decent woman, but like that of a cruel conqueror instead. Sienna trembled with fear.


    Queen Arya stopped in front of a body under the throne. If Sienna¡¯s memory was correct, it had belonged to an aristocrat with a title of his ownposition.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it here?¡±


    Arya patted the body as she said so. It was certainly not Carl who was at her feet.


    ¡°Empress Sienna is saying that the owner of this body, Carl, is alive?¡±


    She didn¡¯t wait for Sienna¡¯s answer. Instead, she was handed a de by the knight standing next to her. Her upper body staggered, indicating that the sword was heavy. Arya straightened her posture with the tip of the de against the floor.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll check it out. I don¡¯t know if Carl¡¯s alive...¡±


    Arya raised the sword and stabbed the body in the chest. Her slender arms were having difficulty wielding the sword that she had ced on top of the darkened chest. Then, the knight next to her helped her cut the body¡¯s throat. She praised her retainer and turned to Sienna.


    ¡°You¡¯re not saying he¡¯s alive with his head rolling around like this, are you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Your Majesty there!¡±


    Queen Arya asked the knight who had given her the sword without batting an eye, ¡°Whose body is this?¡±


    ¡°Emperor Carl¡¯s.¡±


    She also asked the knights standing in a line behind the other.


    ¡°Emperor Carl¡¯s,¡± they answered in unison.


    She looked back at Sienna with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°If I say Carl¡¯s dead, then Carl¡¯s dead. Even if hees back alive, the emperor died here, and if anyonees to the capital saying that he is the emperor, he will be treated as a lunatic. And he¡¯s going to get caught and have his head cut off. None of those who favored the emperor should be alive in the capital by now.¡±


    Arya looked around the banquet hall and smiled. It was only she who stood firm on both legs at that moment. Those who followed Carl were lying on the floor, bleeding.


    ¡°As of this moment, if I see a rat in the pce but call it a dragon, there¡¯ll still be people around me who¡¯ll trust me. If I say that corpse over there is Carl, then it is Carl.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that...?¡±


    When did she nt so many of her people in the pce? Sienna couldn¡¯t understand. Carl was definitely in control of the army, but now, Sienna was wondering how many of those retainers had been under Arya¡¯s employ...


    ¡°And now that the emperor is dead, I will dere martialw in the capital under the pretext of catching the remnants of the rebellion. Even if Carl were to lead an army along the border, he wouldn¡¯t easily cross the capital to enter the pce unless there was a big enough hole for his soldiers to cross through to get that many of them in.¡±


    Sienna felt dimmed by her words.


    No matter how much Carl was called the God of War, he was at aplete disadvantage. If news of a civil war spread through Laifsden, the borders of other countries would be closed. Meanwhile, if he took charge of the troops along the border, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid war with the other countries. The n had been perfected to make him give up the Laifsden Empire.


    Like Arya had said, it was as if Carl had died there. He will not be able to find a ce as the emperor again.


    Arya shouted to the standing knights and at her nobles, ¡°The Peer Family tried to revolt, and the emperor died by the sword of Count Peer, the head of the rebellion. The loyal ck Eagle Knights cut Count Peer¡¯s head off and tried to capture his daughter, Bluebell Fair, but inevitably killed her when she resisted.


    ¡°Now that everyone here has confirmed the death of His Majesty, Prince Joseph, his only offspring, will be annointed emperor.¡±


    She raised her voice again.


    ¡°Now that we have confirmed the death of the emperor, those who im to be Emperor Carl in the future are to be executed for treason. Make a summary of this as soon as possible. Impersonating the emperor will never be taken as a light charge.¡±


    Arya med the Peer Family for all the sins she hadmitted and made it impossible for Carl to return to the capital.


    ¡°After seeing the tragedy caused by the evil Peer Family, the empress unfortunately seems to have lost her senses. You must need medical attention because you don¡¯t recognize your own husband, the emperor. Take her to the tower!¡± she said and took Joseph from Sienna¡¯s arms.


    So, the revolt by Queen Arya ended in her victory, leaving many casualties behind.


    *


    After climbing a small flight of meandering stairs, a small room with a bathroom revealed itself. It was all that was there. It was no different from a prison, and the soldiers at the door always watched her every move.


    Sienna prayed every day that the memories of that terrible day turned to dreams, but neither the day nor the memories ever did.


    The warm blood that had sshed on her face from when the tall, dark knight cut Bluebell¡¯s belly seemed to haunt her continuously. Sienna rubbed her face with a handkerchief.


    ¡®It won¡¯t rub off...¡¯


    Even though her dry skin had turned red and started peeling off, the feeling of the indelible blood was worse than the bitterness of her skin. The sounds of fighting and the screaming and the smell of blood that had filled the banquet hall, Joseph¡¯s cries, Bluebell¡¯s miserable end, and Carl¡¯s face when he saw it all, all of those things haunted her.


    Worse than that was Arya. She hade up to Sienna, who had been going mad in the prison, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Empress Sienna, this was what you wanted. Killing Carl and Bluebell and making Joseph emperor!¡±


    Sienna suddenly screamed and punched the flood. She would feel like she was going crazy if she didn¡¯t let things out like that.


    ¡°Arya!¡± Sienna hissed seethingly. ¡°God! If there is a God, it won¡¯t work out the way that wretch wants it to. With your bloodsoaked hands, the curses of those who have disappeared will not leave your years intact! Your blood will soak the earth! And it¡¯ll be a luxury if you live for four years. You won¡¯t liefortably on the ground! You¡¯ll be burned to oblivion so that even your ashes don¡¯t reach the ground!¡±


    Sienna cursed Arya with all her might. Having taken Joseph away from her and cornered Carl like Queen Arya had done, Sienna did what she could. She hurled the most terrible curse she could imagine at Arya.

 Chapter 6: Live To Sienna Pt.6

    <h4>Chapter 6: Live To Sienna Pt.6</h4>


    ¡°If God doesn¡¯t do it, that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    Eventually, she spread out on the bed, exhausted, and closed her eyes. Her face was wet.


    Months had passed since Sienna had been locked in the tower.


    Sienna, who used to curse Arya every day, was no longer able to do so and spent every day lying on her bed. All she could do was think about the past or worry about Carl and Joseph.


    ¡°By what means would he be able to get in here? Like Arya said, as long as Carl¡¯s army doesn¡¯t have a hole to go through, there won¡¯t be any open doors.¡±


    Suddenly, things turned noisy outside. The mor did not subside quick enough to dismiss it as just a mere disturbance. The two soldiers guarding Sienna also seemed nervous about the noise outside.


    A soldier went down to check on the situation, but even after a long time, the soldier who had gone down did note up. Only the screams and the heavy footsteps got closer.


    The seemingly anxious soldier checked on Sienna. Sienna, who hadn¡¯t had a good meal in a long time, looked tired. The soldier left the door. Whether he thought it was impossible for Sienna to flee even if he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    Sienna thought that Carl might be the reason for themotion.


    Once he returned, she expects Queen Arya¡¯s and her own head to be taken shortly after. She was sure he thought that she and Arya had joined hands in the rebellion, and that he resented both of them for Bluebell¡¯s death. In fact, Sienna herself had never dreamed that Arya would prepare a rebellion, nor had she wanted Bluebell to die in that way. She shook her head.


    ¡°Whoever saw it would¡¯ve thought Arya and me to be together. I was blinded by jealousy and tried to kill Queen Bluebell and make Joseph the emperor. That¡¯s what it should¡¯ve looked like.¡±


    Sienna smiled grimly.


    ¡°Rather, it¡¯s better this way. It wouldn¡¯t be too bad to die by his hands because I¡¯d be able to see Carl for onest time.¡±


    If he had entered that door and swung a knife at her neck, she would¡¯ve received it with a smile. That, of course, if it could put an end to that painful nightmare.


    ¡°But Joseph is...¡±


    What wrong had the child done?


    ¡°My ignorance and folly have led to the Arya¡¯s rebellion, and I deserve to die, but Joseph has done nothing. He¡¯s a toddler who can¡¯t even speak yet... At least, he won¡¯t kill Joseph with his own hands.¡±


    Joseph was now the only important heir to the imperial line of the Laifsden Empire. Of course, the child had been used in the rebellion to take the emperor¡¯s seat, but Sienna still believed Carl would spare him.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s your child... you should at least spare him that.¡±


    Sienna rose from her seat, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. And with trembling hands from theck of strength, she brushed her disheveled hair. It was funny that she wanted to look beautiful in that situation, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry that all she had was a white sleeping gown.


    She looked at her reflection in the mirror.


    There was a scar on one of her cheeks from the tears streaming down her face. Her pale lips already looked like those of the dead.


    There was nothing she could hide of her shabby self. In the past, maids had groomed her hair, dressed her in fancy dresses, and decorated her with beautiful jewels. Now, all she had was a woodenb.


    ¡°Obviously....¡±


    Even when she had met Carl in her full attire, he had not looked at her properly. She had put a lot of hard work into her dresses and essories to impress him, but that had not worked. He had done nothing else but care about himself.


    She stopped brushing and sat on the bed, staring at the door.


    If he went in there, he¡¯d cut her head off. She would congratte him with a pleasing expression. His revenge and the throne he¡¯d recovered...


    ¡®Koong, koong!


    She could hear the sound of a bunch of soldiers stepping in unison.


    Soon, the door opened.


    ¡°Ah, ah...¡±


    Far from saying congrattions, her mouth froze when the door opened and she saw him.


    Sienna had wanted to see him. Even if she died, even if she had died by his hands, she wanted to see his face and have him close her eyes. But the man now standing at the door looking at her didn¡¯t seem like the man she loved.


    He looked thin and tired, more than he had when she hadst seen him. No well-kept hair, no shining armor nor red velvet cloak could cover his weary face.


    Above all, his eyes.


    It was terrible to see his eyes. His eyes were no longer shining as before. They were the eyes of the dead. She couldn¡¯t feel any lifeing from him.


    Carl slowly drew his sword, and Sienna, who couldn¡¯t face him, bowed her head.


    The knights knelt her down in front of Carl. Sienna did not feel afraid to die even though the tip of his swordy on her neck. His eyes, which seemed to have given up everything, rather than make her afraid to die, choked her heart.


    Carl was a tough guy. He had lost his mother at a young age to grow up in the arms of his guardians, survived the numerous murder attempts perpetrated by Queen Arya in that vicious pce, and experienced the battlefield from the young age of eleven. In all those circumstances, he had never appeared like the way he was now.


    Even if he chopped the head of his nemesis, Arya, he was the one who had lost everything.


    ¡°You...¡± His voice cracked. It was not his original voice, which was heavy and soft, but a dry, split voice. ¡°Is there any reason why I should keep you alive?¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t give him an answer.


    ¡°Because of you... I lost my wife, my child was... lost.¡±


    Carl had a hard time trying to voice the deaths of Bluebell and the child within her belly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost both the people I trusted and those who supported me, so why should I save you? Will you be worth it?¡±


    ¡°....¡±


    ¡°Why the hell did you do that? Did you want to make your son emperor? So, what did you get? Getting locked up in this tower like a prison. Were you stillforting yourself with thoughts about Joseph, who became a puppet emperor in Queen Arya¡¯s arms?¡±


    Carlughed at Sienna to his utmost. What had she gotten from the blood of so many people?


    If she protested that she¡¯d never wanted to do it, that she had just been a tool yed by Arya, would she soothe his mind? Sienna closed her eyes tightly.


    ¡°Can I tell you a funny story?¡± Carl said sarcastically. ¡°Your child, I mean, the one you wanted to raise to be the emperor...¡±


    Carl was talking about Joseph as if he were dealing with a child he didn¡¯t know, as if he were not his own. Sienna, forcing open her parched mouth, said, ¡°It¡¯s Joseph. Though there was never a time you called him by his name, he has one.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, one side of Carl¡¯s mouth curled up.


    ¡°Huh, Joseph...That¡¯s right. Your son, Joseph... Do you know what happened to the child? The child you wanted so badly to make emperor?¡±


    Hearing his words, Sienna raised his head and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already killed him?! He¡¯s your child, too! Your blood is mixed!¡±


    When Sienna tried to stand up and run at Carl, the soldiers behind her pressed down on her shoulders.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him.¡±


    ¡°Then, Joseph... Carl... No, Your Majesty. Joseph did nothing wrong. He can¡¯t speak; he can¡¯t walk. He was just used as a tool in Arya¡¯s devious plot. So, cut me at the neck, but save Joseph. Please.¡±


    Sienna hit her head on the floor and begged him to spare Joseph. Her forehead open with the impact, and she started bleeding. Nevertheless, she could not feel any pain. If only his own child could be safe...


    Carl dropped to one knee and put a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to that.¡±


    Sienna looked up at him. The blood caught her eyes, the contrast of the red against the paleness of his face.


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll let Joseph live?¡±


    ¡°No. I couldn¡¯t do that even if I wanted to because there¡¯s no way to save a child who¡¯s already dead.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that...¡±


    He looked down at Sienna. His expression still bore a grudge against her, but there was a greater feeling ofpassion mixed into it, which made her even more anxious.

 Chapter 7: Live To Sienna Pt.7

    <h4>Chapter 7: Live To Sienna Pt.7</h4>


    ¡°The child was already dead. The crying child who had been looking for his mother apparently died of starvation because she refused to breastfeed. I don¡¯t know. Was it because the child didn¡¯t want to eat? Did he starve to death because he didn¡¯t want Arya, or did he kill get killed because he was noisy? Because what I saw was a baby¡¯s corpse wrapped in a steel cloth with gold embroidements.¡±


    ¡°Ah... ah...!¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t close her mouth from the shock. No screams or curses came out of her mouth.


    ¡®To have died... that Joseph is dead... for that young thing to have gone so miserably...¡¯


    Sienna shook her head, releasing a squealing cry. She couldn¡¯t believe Carl¡¯s statement about Joseph¡¯s death.


    She knew, of course, that the child would be exploited and used miserably, but she never imagined he would die. Arya needed Joseph, the emperor¡¯s blood rtive. That¡¯s why she had thought he wouldn¡¯t have been killed.


    ¡°The child¡¯s death must¡¯ve been unthinkable for Arya. She had obtained an infant with olive-colored eyes, but as you know, those olive-colored eyes are the only characteristic of the royal family of Laifsden, so she couldn¡¯t find them very easily.¡±


    ¡°Ugh... ugh...¡±


    Sienna¡¯s breaths seemed as though they wereing out as she was being strangled. Only a moan left her throat, which choked with her tears.


    ¡°Please, kill me... Please... Kill me,¡± she prayed on her feet. Sienna wanted him to take her life as soon as possible. ¡°Joseph... My child...¡±


    ¡°Did you think you would go to your son¡¯s side after spilling the blood of so many alongside Arya?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She had already given up on everything. Carl shook his head and raised his sword high into the air.


    ¡°This is the first and thest thing I will do out of consideration for you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna closed her eyes as soon as his ck sword fell over her neck.


    A New Beginning


    Sienna felt as if someone had been shaking her body. Had she not managed to die yet?


    She had definitely felt Carl¡¯s de sh over her neck, but she couldn¡¯t feel any pain. All she could feel was the numbness of her legs and the stiffness of her waist and neck.


    ¡°Ms. Sienna, please try to wake up.¡±


    She was forced to open her eyes to the familiar but friendly voice that woke her up.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see the castle soon.¡±


    ¡°... Nanny?!¡± Sienna called, startled.


    Chelsea was the nanny who had raised Sienna on behalf of herte mother. The warts on her left cheek and the pleasing wrinkles around her mouth proved it was definitely her.


    Thest time she had seen Chelsea had been at the wedding. Chelsea had helped her out in the wedding, and Sienna had heard that Chelsea had died in a chariot ident on her way back north. The news had spread throughout. For Sienna, meeting someone now who had died a long time ago meant that she, too, must have definitely died.


    ¡°Nanny!¡±


    ¡°Really, miss. I¡¯m not deaf yet, so you can call for me softly.¡±


    Siennaughed at her words, tears streaming down her smiling cheeks.


    ¡°Nanny! I can¡¯t believe I can see you like this...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    No matter how ignorant she had been of Arya¡¯s revolt, many people had died and had gotten caught up in her sinister ns, much like Sienna. Sienna had thought she would¡¯ve gone to hell for that.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d go to hell! What a sight to see nanny like this! A good nanny can¡¯t go to hell, so I guess this isn¡¯t hell. Nanny! Where¡¯s Joseph? Huh? Joseph?¡±


    ¡°My dear, what the hell are you talking about? Who the hell is Joseph? Did you have a nightmare?¡±


    Chelsea wiped Sienna¡¯s tears with her rough hand, and her hand started turning red.


    ¡°... Nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Because you said you¡¯d get nausea from the carriage ride, you didn¡¯t eat properly. You must have gotten motion sickness and lost your energy. When a person is on an empty stomach, they lose their minds and thoughts. I¡¯m going to get off before we get to the capital since the driver mentioned a break stop before our arrival, so I¡¯ll get you some light soup.¡±


    At that moment, the speed of the carriage was reduced as a rush of noise came from the front of the procession.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re going to take a rest now. One moment. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Chelsea ran outside as soon as the carriage stopped, but Sienna had so much to ask her.


    ¡°Is this a dream? Am I not dead? That time in the imperial pce was actually just a nightmare?¡±


    Everything was too vivid to dismiss as a dream. How could it all be a dream?


    She still missed the warmth of holding Joseph in her arms, and Joseph¡¯s death had been so heartbreaking... Had it all been a dream? Even her desperate grudge against Arya had been borne of a dream? A fancy? She couldn¡¯t believe that at all.


    Sienna searched her clothes with great ambition. She was wearing a coarse-grained brown dress. No matter how short her budget, she was the First Empress of the Laifsden Empire. In the royal pce, even thedies and gentlemen didn¡¯t wear that kind of material.


    ¡°What in the world... If it was a dream, when did it be a nightmare, and what was really the dream?¡±


    She felt sick to be inside a wagon that smelled like a narrow, damp tree, so opened the carriage¡¯s door and went out.


    The outside of the carriage was bustling. Those who had settled in the wide-open space had lit a fire and were boiling something. Some were feeding horses, while others were sitting in the shade, wiping sweat from their tired faces, and exchanging stories.


    And in the distance, the huge castle which was encircled by the capital of the Laifsden Empire looked like a mirage.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    She certainly remembered seeing that before. That had been when Sienna, who had only lived in the northernnds before, had been on her way out of hernds for hering of age at the capital.


    At that time, she had been excited, and her heart had fluttered just by her looking at the fortress in the distance. She had had no idea of the kind of dirty and shady thing the ce was behind all that mour.


    ¡°When one dies, apparently they think about the life they lived and end up reliving it... Is that it?¡±


    Sienna just couldn¡¯t see it all as a dream. For a simple half-a-day dream, the memory of those five years was too detailed, sad, cruel and horrible.


    She patted her neck. She clearly remembered the pain of Carl¡¯s cold de cutting in and out of her throat as he downed the de against her.


    ¡°Most of all...¡± Sienna looked down at both her hands. ¡°I can clearly remember the warmth of the times I held Joseph in my arms...¡±


    It was very clear to her when the little boy was crying,ughing and whining in her arms, and to think that was all a dream, Sienna couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°But this isn¡¯t like hell...¡±


    Sienna saw Chelsea holding the soup near the crowd by the fire. Chelsea could never have gone to hell, and the events were also too simple for hell. It was like she was in her past.


    ¡°Was it really a dream? Was it all a dream?¡± Sienna shook her head. The present might actually be the dream. ¡°No. Maybe, it would be more natural to think of this as the dream.¡±


    Sienna grasped her cheeks with her finger and pinched them.


    ¡°Uh-ugh!¡±


    The tingling of the cheeks followed the action.


    ¡°Miss! What are you doing!¡± Chelsea, who had brought the soup, called out to Sienna in a scream.


    ¡°It hurts... I guess this isn¡¯t a dream. Chelsea, I guess this isn¡¯t a dream. How is that possible?¡±


    Chelsea pointed at Sienna¡¯s forehead with a dumbfounded expression.


    ¡°Miss, are you really not sick? You¡¯re going to leave a bruise on your cheeks. Why would you do that when it¡¯s your first time entering the capital? What are you going to do if that leaves a scar? Making this old one heartbroken by it...¡± Chelsea took Sienna back into the carriage and said, ¡°First, eat this.¡±


    Chelsea grabbed a spoonful of soup and stretched it to Sienna as if she were feeding a child. She fed it to Sienna¡¯s mouth just like she would baby food. Sienna opened her mouth like a child and ate the soup she gave her.


    The soup was very nd, but it was warm enough for it to soothe her stomach. Just like Chelsea had said, she felt like her mind started to clear when she took the soup into her stomach.


    Above all, what was certain was that that reality was not a dream. Those vivid memories she retained had yet to happen.

 Chapter 8: Live To Sienna Pt.8 (A New Beginning)

    <h4>Chapter 8: Live To Sienna Pt.8 (A New Beginning)</h4>


    It was not yet known whether this was a visionary dream or a return to the past, but the important thing was that she was back in a time before Arya¡¯s revolt had ever urred.


    The terrible thing hadn¡¯t happened yet, and Sienna felt it was all an opportunity.


    *


    Chelsea looked around and took a piece a fabric out of her pocket. There was a crunching sounding from the crumpled cloth. It seemed like she apparently carried coins wrapped within it.


    She put a few silver coins on her palm, and the rest she rewrapped nicely and tightly before she ced the fabric deeply in the confines of her pocket.


    ¡°My dear, did you see me hide my money?¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t see who was watching them while watching Chelsea¡¯s behavior, but Sienna nodded.


    ¡°Whew, that¡¯s a relief. There are pickpockets in the capital, so it¡¯s said that if you lose even a little bit of your attention, they¡¯ll steal all your money as well as your undergarments.¡±


    ¡°Pickpocketing? Um... There might as well be some I guess. Where in the world did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°From where did I hear... When you read romances, pickpockets are always showing up. When an innocent family member and a miss go out to the market and get targeted by a pickpocket, a handsome prince will apparently appear to aid. A prince won¡¯t show up for this old woman, so I¡¯ll have to take care of myself and be cautious.¡±


    Chelsea said emphatically with a face full of vigor.


    ¡°This is the money you¡¯ll need to buy your dress, so you shouldn¡¯t lose a penny. The Duke has saved a lot of money to make ends meet even with the current financial difficulties...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind the dress, but...¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?! A dress is a must-have item! Who knows? At youring-of-age banquet, there might appear a prince that falls for you, thedy with the beautiful dress.¡±


    ¡°A prince that falls for me...¡±


    Sienna stopped talking as trying to tell Chelsea that her bloated, vain dreams didn¡¯t exist was impossible. She didn¡¯t want to shatter the old woman¡¯s dreams.


    ¡°You watch the luggage. I¡¯m going to pay for the carriage.¡±


    ¡°OK,e back soon.¡±


    ¡°You have to keep your luggage safe. This is the kind of ce where people snore even when they have their eyes open!¡±


    Chelsea didn¡¯t turn away until after emphasizing her request. They had to pay the usage fees at the transportationpany because they had used a horse carriage as transport.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it, so don¡¯t worry and go on your way.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Sienna burst outughing when she saw the old woman walking and grumbling as the hem of her skirt fluttered about while she headed for the merchant. Though she is old enough to have a grandson, Chelsea had a quirky and girlish side to her.


    ¡°... Am I really eighteen again?¡±


    So far, there had been no sense of reality at all. While talking to Chelsea, it had all seemed like a dream.


    ¡°No. Maybe it was all just a nightmare. In fact, the current prince may not be Carl, but someone else, and I may not be the empress either. If it was all just a dream...¡±


    What had happened so far had been too simr to the past to be dismissed as such.


    ¡°Was it really a visionary dream? No, five years worth of visions... Is that possible? It was so vivid.......¡±


    While Sienna was reflecting on those five years with a gloomy face.


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    ¡°Coco! I said wait up!¡±


    Next to her, she could see a priest running after a ck cat. The priest had reddish dark brown hair and brown eyes, but he looked only eighteen years old. Appearing very, he didn¡¯t fit with the image of priesthood.


    This situation at that moment had already been experienced. In the past, she had watched the priest who had chased the cat in a strangely intriguing way.


    ¡°Now that I think about it...¡±


    On the day Sienna first entered the capital, in a nearby area, a priest of the temple had been trampled to death in a nearby carriage ident. Sienna, who had heard the news of the terrible ident that had passed her by, had long felt bitter about that.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡±


    Sienna started following after the priest. If her memory was right, she was sure he had worn a brown cape inside out. He ran frantically after the ck cat, as if he hadn¡¯t heard her voice.


    She willed her legs to go as fast as she could. She was worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to speed up properly because it had been so long since she had been in fit shape, but fortunately, her eighteen-year-old body began to catch up to the priest. It was easier for her to run on a well-built road than through the snow-filled northernnds where she had been running all her life.


    ¡®Ba-bang!¡¯


    She could hear firecrackers going off nearby. Atst, Sienna grabbed the priest¡¯s cape and pulled it back with all her might.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± the priest screamed and fell back with Sienna.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Sienna, who was under him, was not in afortable condition either. She winced from the pain that was climbing up her tailbone.


    ¡°Neigh!¡±


    A horse was startled by the firecrackers. Had it not been for her, the priest would surely have been trampled by the fierce horse¡¯s hooves.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this horse!¡±


    ¡°Take the reins!¡±


    The horse could not easily be calmed down even though the caretakers took the reins of the jumping horse.


    ¡°Whinny!¡±


    The priest trembled as he saw the jumping horse right in front of his face. At that moment, he couldn¡¯t grasp that there was ady underneath him, an obvious result of the events. It was only natural that he could not calm down.


    ¡°Sir priest, could you....¡±


    But Sienna, whoy under his butt, could not remain crushed to the ground forever.


    ¡°Ack! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    The priest sprang to his feet. She raised her upper body up as he reached out his hand and asked, ¡°Are you alright? Are you not hurt?¡±


    Taking his hand and lifting herself up, Sienna said, ¡°Everything¡¯s fine except for the prickling sensation of my butt. What about the priest? Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Yes... I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Neigh!¡±


    The horse was still rampaging. Despite all efforts, the surprise from the explosion of the firecrackers prevented him from being easily calmed down. The priest, seeing that image, breathed a sigh of relief, a sullen expression on his face.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, miss, I¡¯d would have had a horse¡¯s hoof... I almost fell into the Goddess¡¯ arms. Really, thank you so very much. You¡¯re the savior of my life!¡±


    The boyish-faced man looked at Sienna, his good-looking dark brown eyes twinkling.


    She shook her head and said, feeling burdened by his gaze, ¡°No. All this was the will of the Goddess of the Earth. It¡¯s probably thanks to the fact that there are still many missions left to the priest.¡±


    At those words, he held her hand in both of his and looked at her with emotion, saying, ¡°You¡¯re being humble... I really think I¡¯m meeting an angel from the Goddess of the Earth. Oh, my introduction iste! I¡¯m Roy Whist.¡±


    ¡°I am Sienna, the daughter of the heritage from Waters.¡±


    ¡°I really owe you, Sister Sienna. I don¡¯t know what to do to reward....¡±


    At his words, Sienna shook his hand. She hadn¡¯t done it for any reward. She had just wanted to check on whether she would be able to keep the five years she had been through from repeating themselves, if she would be able to change things even just a little using her own strength and by herself.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t need a reward. More than that, I¡¯m worried about who might get hurt.¡±


    The horse still hadn¡¯t calmed down. The workers were trying to soothe the horse, but they looked to becking in manpower. Some people were likely to get hurt if they didn¡¯t calm it down soon.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the time for me to be like this. Just a minute.¡± The priest turned around and approached the galloping horse. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever want to get close to a horse...¡±


    Sienna looked at him with her head tilted, and the priest approached the horse with a bell.


    ¡°You have been very surprised! Calm down. No one here is trying to hurt you.¡±


    The ones who had been calming down the horse¡¯s galloping rampage looked at him as if he were a madman approaching.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous...!¡±


    Roy moved ahead to the unabated horse, which seemed very risky. Mindful of Sienna¡¯s worries, he approached the excited horse.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Shh ¨C You¡¯re kind.¡±

 Chapter 9: Live To Sienna Pt.9

    <h4>Chapter 9: Live To Sienna Pt.9</h4>


    The horse, which was running with its forelegs raised high, soon became calm. He was still excited, but he didn¡¯t raise his front legs again. Roy patted the horse on the cheek.


    ¡°You¡¯re a nice guy. You did that because you were very surprised, weren¡¯t you? It¡¯s OK. I¡¯ll pass it on to your master.¡±


    He really seemed to be acting as if he could understand the horse. Roy, who consoled the jumping horse with only a few words, said to the man in a brown hat, who appeared to be the master of the horse, ¡°You¡¯re the owner of this horse, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The man nodded, puzzled by Roy¡¯s question.


    ¡°Please stop whipping this guy. He said that even if you whip him, you won¡¯t get him to run any faster. He said that his leg, which was hurt previously, hasn¡¯t healed yet.¡±


    ¡°Neigh!¡±


    Roy¡¯s words were rough. It was as if he was acting for the horse.


    ¡°He¡¯s shock has yet to subside, so let him rest in a cozy stable. With that, I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    ¡°Ah... Yes. Thank you.¡±


    Roy returned to Sienna after humbly telling the man that he had done little to be thanked by him, acting as though he hadn¡¯t done much.


    Sienna was quite surprised to see his behavior and his actions. It was easy to see people talking to animals, but it was unusual to find a person who could understand animals. What¡¯s more, it wasn¡¯t an animal he had raised himself, but rather, an animal he had met for the first time that day, and he was able to calm it down with a few words.


    ¡°You¡¯re really something!¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s praise, Roy blushed with embarrassment.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just a small talent. Sister Sienna, I can¡¯t repay you for saving my life, but I¡¯d like to have a chance to repay you a little. If you don¡¯t mind...¡±


    ¡°Oh, my!¡± Sienna was surprised by the ck cat rubbing its cheek against the back of her foot. ¡°This cat must definitely be...¡±


    It was the cat that had been running away from Roy a while ago. That cat had almost caused Roy to have a big ident since Roy hadn¡¯t checked his surroundings properly because he was running after it.


    When Sienna picked the cat up, she felt better because of the soft fur and warm body against her.


    ¡°Coco!¡±


    ¡°Is this little rascal¡¯s name Coco?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a very troublesome rascal. Today, he scratched the back of the hand of a believer who had been visiting the temple, and when I scolded him for it, he tore up the letter I was writing in a huge fit and ran away.¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    That cry made Royugh, as if the cat couldn¡¯t have helped it.


    ¡°But still, at least you know you¡¯re sorry, right? Yeah, I¡¯m fine. This person saved my life.¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    ¡°He says thank you, miss Sienna.¡±


    To deliver an animal¡¯s words might have looked strange in other asions, but it seemed very natural for him. He actually seemed to be able to understand animals.


    She replied to Coco with a pat on the head instead.


    ¡°Miss Sienna!¡±


    When she heard Chelsea anxiously calling for her, Sienna, who had left all the luggage in front of the carriage and had left the ce where she had been waiting empty, realized that she had made Chelsea worried and had made Chelsea look for her with concern.


    She handed Coco over to Roy and said, ¡°It seems I have to be on my way. I think mypanion is looking for me.¡±


    ¡°Miss Sienna!¡±


    He caught her trying to turn around and asked, ¡°Could youe to visit the Goddess of the Earth temple? Please!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll drop by if I have time.¡±


    Holding the cat in one arm, he said, ¡°Then, Coco and I will wait until miss Sienna visits the temple. I¡¯ll wait in front of the temple every day with Coco!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll definitely drop by.¡±


    Sienna waved to him and Coco and ran to Chelsea, who was looking for her anxiously.


    ¡°Chelsea!¡±


    The old woman looked up at her with a tearful face and said, ¡°My dear, where have you been? Do you know how worried I was? I was really worried that something grave might have happened because only the luggage was left and I couldn¡¯t find you! I thought this old woman¡¯s heart would failpletely!¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I had to take care of a little errand over there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time in your life that you¡¯vee up to the capital. What errand would you have to run?¡±


    Chelsea¡¯s words were not wrong. There was no way that she would have made a prior engagement with anyone when it was her first time going to the capital, and no one would have known her here.


    Sienna couldn¡¯t tell Chelsea, however: ¡®I¡¯d been away for a while to save a priest who might have died today.¡¯ So, instead, she said, ¡°Sorry... I was in the wrong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re OK. Please, tell me if you want to go somewhere next time. You¡¯ll get in trouble if you just walk around alone like you do in Heidel.¡±


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll never do that again. Let¡¯s go before it¡¯s toote. It looks like the Sun is already going down? At this rate, we might have to stay at an inn for a day.¡±


    Aunt Kelly¡¯s mansion was in the capital, but it was her first trip. It was rude to visit after dark, so they would have to find a ce to stay. There was no time to dy.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t work! We never know how much an inn will cost in the capital. Whether we find out or not, you¡¯ll still need your sixty shillings. We¡¯ll have to hurry.¡±


    Chelsea chose to walk instead of riding in the carriage, saying they should save money that time, too. It was hard to carry the heavy load, but Sienna followed her words without ament. Aunt Kelly¡¯s mansion was not far away, so if they hurried, they could get there before sunset.


    While walking with the heavy load, Chelsea nagged constantly.


    ¡°When you meet Baroness Kelly Grinnie, you have to say hello as I taught you. Keep your back straight and lift up only a little bit of your skirt. And don¡¯t look around the mansion in awe just because everything seems intriguing. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think it¡¯s tacky.¡±


    She was worried that Sienna, who had grown up in the country without a mother, might beughed at by high-minded aristocrats.


    Noble daughters were usually educated by their mothers, and they entered society holding their mothers¡¯ hands. If a mother died early, like Sienna¡¯s, the daughter took her first step into society with a close female rtive. So, she decided to participate in the adult ceremony by the grace of her aunt, Kelly Grinnie.


    Aunt Kelly had lost her husband early and lived alone. Although Sienna¡¯s mother and her sister had been close, aunt Kelly hadn¡¯t visited much after her mother¡¯s death. Still, she said she would help Sienna make her debut.


    But, just as Sienna entered the capital, her aunt started feeling unwell. It was even hard for her to move. Maybe it was too much to expect her to attend the banquet with Sienna after all, and then, Sienna remembered that her aunt had died of a chronic disease in less than a week.


    ¡°Here it is,¡± Chelsea said after confirming the address.


    She knocked by using a lion-shaped knocker on the red gate. The old knight inside the gate opened the door and asked for the visitation request. When Chelsea showed him the invitation she had received from Kelly, he led them into the mansion.


    He said he¡¯d call the butler and asked that they wait in the drawing room. Sienna sat on the red sofa, and Chelsea looked around at the drawing room and admired it.


    ¡°Wow, that picture looks like there¡¯s a real bug sitting there. And this sofa! This is velvet, right? I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re using velvet as a sofa cover!¡±


    ¡°Chelsea, you told me not to act tacky, but...¡±


    ¡°Oh, my! I¡¯m quite...¡±


    Chelsea blushed at her words and stopped talking. Then, she stood next to Sienna anxiously.


    Soon, a woman came down the stairs. She was a young and beautiful woman, who greeted Sienna calmly.


    ¡°Come here, please. My name is Jane, the butler in charge of this mansion.¡±


    ¡°I am called Sienna Waters. My aunt, Kelly Grinnie, invited me here through the Invitation of the Baroness,¡± Sienna replied with the utmost sophistication.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you. My master wanted to greet the Duke of Waters in person, but because of her poor health, I¡¯vee to serve the duke in her ce. I¡¯ll take you to the room where you¡¯ll be staying first.¡±


    Sienna followed Jane and told Jane to call her by her name, instead of ¡®Miss Sienna.¡¯ She would stay there for a while and receive a lot of her help, so it would be ufortable to continue being called ¡®Miss Sienna.¡¯

 Chapter 10: Live To Sienna Pt.10

    <h4>Chapter 10: Live To Sienna Pt.10</h4>


    She showed Sienna and Chelsea the room. Though notrge, the room looked warm, and there was a window overlooking the garden. There was a hint of care to every little thing, such as the vase full of red flowers on the bedside table, the picture hanging in front of the bed, and the gold candlestick.


    ¡°This line is connected to the maid¡¯s room below, so if you need anything, you can pull it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your care. I wish I could¡¯ve visited to Aunt Kelly sooner. I don¡¯t know if she remembers me because it¡¯s been so long.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, Kelly will be happy to see you, too.¡±


    Jane took Chelsea out, saying that she would show her another room.


    Sienna sat on her bed without changing her clothes.


    She was now eighteen years old, but she couldn¡¯t act like she was eighteen. Five years. In that short, short period, Sienna had experienced too many things. Many things were certainly different from what they used to be.


    Although she was acting naturally, she was nervous about someone thinking that she might be acting strange. Chelsea, in particr, had been around since Sienna was born. It was obvious that Sienna¡¯s change would be the most acute for her.


    Chelsea, however, did not seem to have noticed, and that was because of all the excitement. But, how much longer could Sienna think of herself as the woman who had gone through those five years? Even if she seemed a little different from usual, others would think it was just the whims of an adolescent girl.


    ¡°Have I reallye back?¡±


    Sienna sighed deeply, alone in the room. She was d to be back before her marriage to Carl, but she was afraid that would all turn out to be an illusion, and that what she saw when she died by Carl¡¯s sword had been true.


    *


    Sienna followed Jane to Kelly¡¯s room. The candlestick in the room was red, but it was dark. Even the air was heavy and stuffy.


    Kelly was confined to her bed. There was a peculiar smell of sick people in the air, the smell of a woman tired of suffering.


    Come to think of it, Sienna seemed to have been extremely reluctant to go into Kelly¡¯s room because of the smell. She had only been eighteen years old at the time. For a girl standing on the threshold of bing an adult, it would have been difficult to ovee the instinctive fear she had felt when she had been with someone facing death.


    But now, it was different. She had the body of an eighteen year old, but she was not young as she was to fear it anymore.


    ¡°Sienna...¡±


    Kelly stretched out her hand helplessly. Sienna sat by the bed and held the woman¡¯s hand in hers.


    ¡°Hello, aunt Kelly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sienna. Do you remember me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember perfectly because I was so young, but I do remember that when I was young, I sometimes visited you with my mother when she was still alive.¡±


    After her mother died, Sienna had thought it to be because of the environment of the North that aunt Kelly never showed up, so she didn¡¯te to me her father for it, but...


    ¡°Looking at you and your red hair reminds me of Sera.¡±


    Tears streamed down her cheeks. Siennaforted Kelly by rubbing the back of her hand against her cheek.


    ¡°Do I look a lot like my mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You look exactly like her. Your lovely cheekbones and thick lips look very simr. Still, your forehead looks like that of your father, Duke Waters. Is your father healthy and well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is still healthy. Just like always, he goes out early in the mornings to train the knights and look over the soldiers who stay on guard untilte at night. My brother¡¯s still upset that he can¡¯t beat our father with swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a knight to the bone. He¡¯s not like the women who shout chivalry or the capital¡¯s knights. He¡¯s a real knight who stands on the battlefield. You must be proud of that kind of father.¡±


    Sienna nodded.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Maybe because she talked a lot, Kelly coughed. Jane, the butler who was standing next to her, grabbed a spoonful of water and gave it to Kelly. Sienna felt the need to do that for her aunt herself, so she got Jane to hand the spoon and the ss of water over to her, saying she would do it. Sienna carefully poured water into her mouth.


    Kelly seemed to want to talk about her father and brother some more. Only fifteen days had passed since she had left Heidel, but for Sienna, it had been quite a long time ago. Sienna retraced her memory.


    ¡°You remember my brother? Jamie Oliver. He¡¯s grown a lot. He goes around bragging that he¡¯s going to be taller than our father soon. His dream is to be a sword master like our father, but I¡¯m not too sure if he has talent for the sword. He¡¯s no match for Old Lord Kale. Sir Kale is said to be the senior sword expert, and the person who¡¯s held a sword for more than thirty years, but in my eyes, I see a grandfather who would find holding a sword difficult.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough! If he¡¯s a senior level sword expert, that¡¯s a big deal. These days, it¡¯s hard to find any sword experts in the Royal Knights.¡±


    ¡°Really? There are a lot in Heidel...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Heidel, so...¡±


    It was like she had said. With the town being located in front of a ck forest where people fought battles big and small every day, the swordsmanship of the knights there was bound to grow rapidly.


    I wonder what happened to Heidel after Arya¡¯s rebellion...


    ¡°Sienna. Cough, cough! Your facial expression doesn¡¯t look so good.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s words awoke Sienna from her daydreaming.


    ¡°Oh, I miss my father and my brother. I haven¡¯t seen them in about fifteen days, but I feel like I haven¡¯t seen them for five years.¡±


    ¡°Sienna...¡±


    In the past, Sienna hadn¡¯t been able to return to Heidel Castle because she had received a proposal by the Imperial Family as soon as hering-of-age banquet had ended. She had been missing Heidel quite a bit.


    The beautiful scenery of endless snow fields that stretched out from the windows. No, more than that, it was the people of Heidel who she missed even more. Sienna, who was the daughter of the Lord of Heidel Castle, missed the warm greetings, but more than that, she missed her father and brother.


    Sienna had missed that warm feeling that she did not get from the people of the Imperial Pce, who were colder than Heidel¡¯s snow.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s your first long trip. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll never see each other again.¡±


    This time, she was going to make a different choice from her previous one. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ept the proposal because she was not going to fall in love with Carl again. If she hadn¡¯t married Carl, those terrible five years wouldn¡¯t have happened. Sienna nned to go back to Heidel and live quietly after hering-of-age ceremony.


    It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t have the heart to take her revenge on Arya. What Arya had done was simply unforgivable, and Sienna wanted to tear her up and kill her.


    However, she was afraid that, if she involved herself with Carl like she had done in the past, the past would repeat itself. And for Arya, who was greedy for power, that, in a way, might be the greatest revenge. Without Sienna and Joseph, she wouldn¡¯t have the chance to make a y for the crown.


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t be so disappointed. You can go back to Heidel Castle after the ceremony. In the meantime, time will go by quickly if you look around. Is there a ce you want to go to?¡±


    There was one ce that came to her mind when Kelly said that. The ce of the ck cat named Coco and the priest who had called her his life¡¯s savior. He had asked her to absolutelye find him at the temple and had said that they would be waiting at the temple¡¯s gate until she came.


    ¡°I heard there is a temple inside the city. A temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Earth.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a small but beautiful ce. It¡¯s toote today, so go there tomorrow. Jane will guide you.¡±


    Sienna nodded.


    ¡°Other than that, aunt and Jane look very close. I feel affection when you call Jane¡¯s name. You know, Jane even calls you Kelly and not master...¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Kelly smiled softly. Her smile oozed affection for Jane.


    ¡°She¡¯s a very kind and loving child. She¡¯s the same as any child by blood.¡±


    Sienna nodded. It was clear that Jane had be a huge support for Kelly, who had lost her husband early and had lived alone in the capital with no children.


    ¡°Thanks to this child, the business has been able to continue without any problems...¡±


    At Kelly¡¯s words, Sienna asked with a tilt of her head, ¡°The business?¡±

 Chapter 11: Live To Sienna Pt.11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Live To Sienna Pt.11</h4>


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know. I inherited myte husband¡¯s business and I¡¯ve been running it since then. Now that my body is like this, Jane is the one actually working hard.¡±


    ¡°What kind of business is it is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a green business. The business association is not very well known, so you won¡¯t know it. It¡¯s mainly a ce to trade rubies or other jewelry.¡±


    Sienna nodded her head in silence while thinking that the name ¡°green business¡± sounded particrly familiar to her.


    ¡®I think I heard that somewhere....¡¯


    However, there was nothing that immediately came to mind. Sienna talked some more with her aunt Kelly and then returned to her room. Kelly wasn¡¯t fit enough to talk for too long.


    ¡°Chelsea, it¡¯ll be better if you just stay in the mansion,¡± Sienna said when she got to her room.


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Chelsea asked with a sullen look, ¡°Why? Miss, am I bothering you?¡±


    Even though she was at an age to have her own grandchildren, Chelsea was cute when she was sulking.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for less than a day. I¡¯m sure your fatigue isn¡¯t too relieved. Until tomorrow, I want you to just eat something delicious and sleep well at the mansion. If you get sick for no reason, your son, Carl, will resent me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a grandchild soon....¡±


    ¡°But still...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the city market the day after tomorrow. You¡¯ll need a lot of stamina to do that, so get some rest.¡±


    In the end, Chelsea decided to stay in the mansion.


    ¡°Are you taking the carriage?¡±


    Sienna saw the two horses in front of the mansion and asked Jane for directions.


    ¡°The Goddess of the Earth Temple is located outside the castle. It¡¯d take a long time to get there by walking.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t know where the temple was, so she got into the carriage like they suggested. The two-person carriage slowly strayed out of the driveway of the house.


    Jane asked Sienna carefully, ¡°Miss Sienna, may I ask why you want to go to the temple?¡±


    Sienna did not want to borate on her somewhat special encounter with Roy. If she was to exin how she knew him and how she hade to save him, she wouldn¡¯t be able to answer fully. Who would believe that she knew what would happen in the next five year?


    ¡°I thought it would be a good idea to go to the temple because aunt Kelly is not feeling well. I had heard about it beforehand. I heard that the temple also sells potions. I¡¯m not sure since Ie from such a remote ce, but it seems to be an item that helps the sick get better when they take it, right?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better not to expect much. The temple in the capital city doesn¡¯t sell potions. In fact, none of the temples in Laifsden sell potions.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Don¡¯t temples sell everything?¡±


    Sienna had never been to a temple before, so she thought it was a ce where people would go to get treated, where people would go to sell potions, or where people would go to give blessings to the earth.


    ¡°The Goddess of the Earth church is not the state religion of the Holy Empire, so they do not involve themselves in potion selling. There are other denominations, of course, but only those that are viewed as state religions sell potions at their temples.¡±


    Sienna was surprised. It urred to her that temples were indeed political institutions.


    ¡°What a shame. It would¡¯ve been good if they had potions. There is nothing I can do. I¡¯ll go and drop by to pray I guess.¡±


    Jane smiled softly when she said that, but Sienna felt embarrassed when Jane looked at her that way. She felt like it wouldn¡¯t matter even if she prayed really hard.


    Suddenly, Sienna remembered Roy talking to the horse and asked, ¡°What position would a priest hold if he had the power to talk to animals?¡±


    ¡°Talk to animals?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The ability to talk to a horse or a cat, for example.¡±


    Jane tilted her head at Sienna¡¯s question and said, ¡°I heard that the most important ability in the temple is the ability to heal, and the next one after that is the ability to control the weather. The third one is the ability to have an attack skill that can be used for war. I heard that other skills are ranked fourth.¡±


    ¡°Then, it must be thest thing to be ssified in the rankings, the ability to talk to animals.¡±


    She had thought it to be a pretty good ability, but...


    ¡®Indeed, if that priest had an ability that was considered of the utmost importance, he would¡¯ve been protected by the Holy Empire and would not havee to the Laifsden temple. Instead, he would¡¯ve stayed protected in the Holy Empire.¡¯


    The carriage drove a long way past the square in the center of the city. The rattling ride seemed to make Sienna sick, so she turned her gaze out of the window.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Sienna stepped down after taking Jane¡¯s hand.


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    Jane pointed to a small, white building. It looked more in than she had thought it would. It was even smaller than aunt Kelly¡¯s mansion. Only the symbol of the Goddess of the Earth on the door signified that it was a temple.


    ¡°It¡¯s small.¡±


    Jane replied nearly chuckling at Sienna¡¯s disappointed remark, ¡°Laifsden has a lot of regtions for temples to prevent the power of religion from threatening the imperial power. This temple has put a lot of effort in going through the process. Because of howplex the system is, there are many temples that have be inactive within the Laifsden Empire.¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter what it looks like.¡±


    Jane said that she had work to do nearby, and that she would return in an hour, so Sienna stepped inside.


    The temple was lined with long chairs. There was no sign of anyone inside. Priest Roy seemed to be away.


    ¡°I thought he¡¯d wait at the entrance of the temple every day...¡±


    She looked around inside and saw the prayer room. In front of the prayer alter, there were rooms. They looked like they only fit one person at a time and were probably made as private prayer chambers.


    She entered one of the prayer rooms. Now that she was there, Sienna would do like she had told Jane and pray for aunt Kelly¡¯s health.


    ¡°How do I do it?¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t know what to do because she had never practiced any religion before. In fact, even now, she didn¡¯t believe in the Goddess of the Earth. She just wanted to do something to soothe her confused mind.


    She couldn¡¯t figure out why she was back in the past. Still, she doubted it could all be a figment of her imagination.


    ¡®How do I pray?¡¯


    Sienna closed her eyes and gathered her hands together.


    ¡°I want aunt Kelly to have a speedy recovery. And... and...¡±


    What else was there for her to pray for? Sienna agonized. Should she ask for Arya to be given divine punishment?


    ¡®Please, make it so that he won¡¯t be unhappy. Don¡¯t let Joseph have to go through such a horrible death.¡¯


    Nheless, there was no need to pray to the Goddess for all of those things. It was a matter that would be solved cleanly if she didn¡¯t marry Carl. She¡¯d rather...


    ¡°Please, make it so that I don¡¯t love Carl.¡±


    If she didn¡¯t get distracted by Carl again, then those terrible things wouldn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Please...¡± Sienna prayed with all her heart. ¡°If you have given me another chance... Please, make it so that those events nevere to pass.¡±


    Sienna said her simple prayers and left the prayer room. As soon as she came out of the prayer room, she felt the warmth of a body gripping her ankle.


    ¡°It¡¯s mommy!¡±


    Sienna picked up her skirt and checked her ankle, and there, she found a very familiar ck cat. Sienna held the cat named Coco in her arms, and Coco rubbed his head in her arms, purring to indicate that he was feeling good.


    ¡°Miss Sienna! You¡¯re here!¡±


    It was Roy. He was wearing a priest¡¯s ck garb today today. His hands were covered with dirt, as if he had just finished some field work. Seeing his in face made her feel at ease.


    ¡°I came by to pray,¡± she said with a soft smile.


    ¡°May the Goddess answer miss Sienna¡¯s call...¡±


    He vowed his blessing to Sienna by putting his hands together. Sienna joined him by putting her hands together and bowing her head down.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you came, whatever your purpose.¡±


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve just gotten back from work, right?¡±


    When Sienna looked at Roy¡¯s hands and noticed they were stained, he put his hands against his clothes and rubbed them with ease, smiling boyishly.


    ¡°I was at the small garden next to the temple. Would you like to see it?¡±

 Chapter 12: Live To Sienna Pt.12

    <h4>Chapter 12: Live To Sienna Pt.12</h4>


    Roy took the lead, walking forward, before she could even give an answer. She followed him through a small side gate at the back of the temple and saw a small garden the size of a square room.


    All the nts there were of the same kind, grass with five leavesrger than her palm. Some were so thick that they came up to their waists.


    Sienna gave a loudugh as she looked at the garden awkwardly. It wasn¡¯t built well enough to be called a garden. It urred to her that it looked very much like Roy, the owner of the garden.


    ¡°Is it that much of a mess? It¡¯s actually my first time gardening. It¡¯s a shame that the priest serving the Goddess of the Earth can¡¯t even garden.¡±


    Contrary to what he had said, the condition of the nts was extremely good. Rather, because they looked so good, the nts looked more like colonies rising from the ground than nts that were being grown to cultivation.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s amazing. But, it¡¯s all one kind. What¡¯s the name of this nt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called hemp.¡±


    ¡°Why are you nting it? Don¡¯t you usually nt vegetables such as sd ingredients or tomatoes in a garden?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a stimting nt. At this time of the year, many children suffer from pneumonia or influenza in the back alleys of the city. They even lose their lives. That¡¯s why I nted it in advance. Hemp is often used as basic medicine, and some children can ovee their own illnesses while it supports their stamina and physical condition.¡±


    He was partly to me for his childish appearance, and his yful smile and light ent made her feel like he wasn¡¯t a priest at all, but listening to Roy¡¯s story made her feel great.


    Because of the existence of sses, some people were treated worse than animals, and sometimes, even five ves would cost less than a horse. It felt great to be able to understand and reach out to the poor in this ce.


    ¡°That sounds great, Priest Roy Whist.¡±


    After Sienna¡¯s words of admiration, he said, scratching at the back of his head, ¡°It¡¯s OK. It¡¯s only natural for a man of the Goddess. More than that, Sienna, please be at ease and call me Roy.¡±


    ¡°How can I dare call a priest by his name so indiscreetly?¡±


    ¡°Priesthood is not a position, it¡¯s kind of like a job. You don¡¯t have to worry about it that much... Well, if you feel ufortable, please take myst name off and just call me Priest Roy.¡±


    ¡°OK. Then, I will do so.¡±


    A small bird sat on his shoulder as he nodded. The bird with ck wings and gray plumage had a patch of orange plumage around its neck like a scarf.


    ¡°Chirp, chirp!¡±


    The bird ran around, jumping all over Roy¡¯s shoulders. Roy, as if familiar with the bird, put the grain kernels he had taken out of his pocket on his palm and stuck them out for the bird. The bird ate a few grains from his hand and flew away.


    ¡°Every time I see it, I¡¯m intrigued. You easily calmed down the rampaging horsest time, and you talked to Coco. How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha! It¡¯s just something I¡¯ve been doing since I was a kid... I could just read the animals¡¯ minds.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you read people¡¯s minds?¡±


    When asked that by her, Roy changed the subject, ¡°No. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because people¡¯s minds are moreplex than those of the little ones. More than that, I owe so much to miss Sienna...¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡±


    Sienna tly refused any debt he might feel toward her knowing that he would say he was paying back her kindness like before. How could he repay her kindness? There was no need for it. The priest of a small temple, who had few followers, could not have money, and even if he gave her money, she did not want to receive it.


    However, she could not let things go on as they were because, in his mind, he felt he was still indebted to her. She took a great liking to that temple. Though it wasn¡¯t like the Goddess of the Earth was really going to give her an answer, just entering that quiet, cozy space had given her peace of mind. That was why she wanted to return to that space from time to time.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard for me toe to the temple again if the priest¡¯s heart continues to feel like he owes me a debt. I want toe over often while I stay in the capital...¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s true that I owe you...¡±


    Roy had a troubled look. It was good for Sienna to start visiting the temple more often, but there were circumstances that made him unable to let go of repaying her kindness.


    Sienna reached an answer easily, however, ¡°Do you want to be friends with me, priest Roy?¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be friends. In friendships, there¡¯s no such thing as bing indebted to each other after helping each other out. This time, you were lucky that I was able to lend you a helping hand, butter on, I may end up asking for your assistance. Then, at that time, you can just help me. Friend¡¯s don¡¯t quibble over such stuff. I don¡¯t have to ask you for anything. Do you not like it?¡±


    He answered her loudly, ¡°No! I want to be friends with Sienna.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Then, from now on, you don¡¯t have to think of repaying my kindness or say anything on that matter.¡±


    Roy nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Then, miss Sienna wille visit the temple often. Normally, friends often go over to each other¡¯s homes to y.¡±


    She scratched her cheek at his words and said, ¡°Oh, is that so? Actually, I¡¯ve never had a friend.¡±


    ¡°Really? So, I¡¯m Sienna¡¯s first friend?¡±


    ¡°My hometown, Heidel, doesn¡¯t have anyone around my age... Come to think of it, Roy is my first friend. What about Priest Roy?¡±


    ¡°I have a friend who grew up with me in the temple when I was young. Embro Lillian. He¡¯s very energetic and quite the noisy rascal. If there is ever a chance, I¡¯ll introduce miss Sienna to him.¡±


    Sienna nodded and said, ¡°If I¡¯m good at this, I might make another friend thanks to Priest Roy.¡±


    He made a big affirmative statement at Sienna¡¯s words, ¡°He¡¯ll want to be friends with miss Sienna like me.¡±


    Sienna was about to ask him what kind of person Embro Lillian was, but she heard a voice calling for hering from outside.


    ¡°Anyhow, it seems mypanion hase to fetch me. I¡¯ll have to go on and head back.¡±


    After listening to Roy¡¯s request toe find him often, Sienna left the temple.


    *


    Sienna went and visited the temple every day after that day.


    In the past, she had gone to clothing stores or jewelry shops in the hopes of showing off at hering-of-age banquet, but now, she didn¡¯t feel the need to do so. Rather, she felt morefortable going to the temple to help Priest Roy. However, Chelsea seemed unhappy about it.


    ¡°The only thing I¡¯ve seen in the city is this small temple,¡± she said curtly as if she were stomping her way to work every day. ¡°It¡¯s not the time to be doing this. Instead, shouldn¡¯t we be going out to look for your ceremony dress? You need to buy one before all the pretty ones sell out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. You don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry.¡±


    In truth, she couldn¡¯t buy the best clothes even if she ran to the store to buy her dress at that moment. In the past, Sienna had been excited to shop around and buy dresses and jewelry. Even then, at her banquet, she wasughed at for wearing an off-season dress.


    I had been worth it to know. The garments of the aristocrats participating in the banquet had not been pre-made, but had been custom-made by their famous designers, who had also been invited to her banquet.


    The dresses sold at retail shops were not for the aristocrats, but for the richmoners. There were no aristocrats who bought clothes at shops unless they had juste from the country like Sienna or lived in obscurity.


    The luxury of thedies was beyond imagination, and the price of one of their dresses was more than that of a carriage.


    Those expensive dresses were difficult to wash and could hardly be worn more than a few times.


    Because of the abundance of skilled embroidery and attached jewelry, the dresses couldn¡¯t just be sent to theundry. The jewelry had to be removed, and that would tear part of the sewing. Then, the dresses would be washed and rebuilt. The cost of reprocessing those dresses was also astronomical.

 Chapter 13: Live To Sienna Pt.13

    <h4>Chapter 13: Live To Sienna Pt.13</h4>


    Sienna couldn¡¯t afford therge sum. Although her father was a duke, she was not wealthy enough to spend a lot of money on dresses. Not knowing that before, she had always been happy to wear a dress that was better than her normal clothes, but after she joined the banquet, she realized how shabby she really was inparison.


    Sienna would beughed at anyway, so she didn¡¯t want to spend any of her time on dresses.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be here than go around the shops exhaustively.¡±


    ¡°My preciousdy, you have green water in your hands. What¡¯s more, what do we do about that smell?!¡±


    Sienna and Chelsea were helping Priest Roy in the temple. Chelsea was fed up with the smell of the hemp he had grown as they had been grinding and boiling them for a while now.


    Just in the nick of time, Roy, who had ripped out more of the hemp, brought them another basketful of it.


    ¡°Thank you for your help. I was worried about what to do with so much.¡±


    ¡°Where in the world are you going to use all this stuff?¡± Chelsea asked graciously.


    ¡°Hahaha, this isn¡¯t enough. There are a lot more children in the capital who are not loved by their parents and have to roam around in the streets than you think. However, if we prepare these beforehand, before the epidemic breaks out, ording to the Goddess¡¯ blessings, many children¡¯s lives will be saved by the protection of the Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Children¡¯s lives?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There are a lot more children who lose their lives in the streets every year than you think. They have trouble getting meals by begging and they have to sleep on the streets, so they catch colds very easily. The streets are not a safe ce for children.¡±


    ¡°The priest must be familiar with the children of the street.¡±


    When asked by Chelsea, he answered with a cool smile, ¡°Haha, I actually originate from the streets.¡±


    ¡°Sir priest does?¡±


    Sienna and Chelsea were surprised. She had thought he had been raised with love because she couldn¡¯t find a hint of darkness in Roy¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯d been on the streets ever since I realized I existed. I¡¯d lived a simr life to the street kids, begging for help, avoiding the rain, and sleeping in the cracks of buildings. But, I was quite lucky. One summer day, I copsed from severe pneumonia, and a priest passing by just in time found me and treated me. And then, he took me to the Holy Empire and gave me an education. Actually, I¡¯m very lucky. Street children usually die before they reach adulthood, and even when they¡¯ve grown up, girls sell their bodies, and boys do use their fists to work.¡±


    Thinking he was lucky, Sienna was smiling brightly.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why you care about the street children?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m the only one who was lucky.¡±


    Next to him, Chelsea burst into tears.


    ¡°Was my story that depressing? I didn¡¯t mean for it to be.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s crying?! I¡¯m not crying!¡± Chelsea shouted. She said she wasn¡¯t crying, but her eyes and her nose were dyed red. ¡°It¡¯s because of the smell of the hemp. Did you wash it properly? There¡¯s soil everywhere. I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll have to wash it again.¡±


    She went outside holding the hemp basket that Roy had been holding. Apparently, she was using the pretext of washing the hemp again to go cry.


    ¡°I think miss Chelsea is a good person. She¡¯s able to cry for others.¡±


    Sienna nodded at his words. Chelsea was a person who knows what was precious and lived with gratitude.


    As for herself, even with her father and brother¡¯s unconditional care and love, she had only looked at Carl. She had thought everything to be worthless and useless as she had not won Carl¡¯s heart. At that time, she had felt sorry for herself for hanging on to him and abandoning everything.


    A few dayster, Sienna went to an established market near the temple. She went there to buy some medicine for Roy, but there was a lot more to see.


    ¡°Jane! Didn¡¯t you say you had some business to look at the market?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I just need to stop by the business that Kelly runs for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, be on your way.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you went with me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll quietly take my time sightseeing around here.¡±


    Jane thought for a moment and answered, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. It¡¯s the one at the end of the alley.¡±


    With urgent footsteps, Jane headed toward the end of the alley. The market was located in the capital city, so there was arge number of people passing through. Most of the stores were selling food and cooking ingredients.


    While she took her time slowly walking around the market, she stopped in front of a store. It was a pickled food store located next to a vegetable shop. She found the colorful fruits in ss bottles very pretty to look at.


    ¡°It¡¯s pickled mir.¡±


    Mir was type of fruit verymon in the Laifsden Empire. The yellow fruit the size of an apricot had a strong taste, and it came in salty, sweet and sour vors.


    Sienna didn¡¯t like the sweet, sour or salty pickled mir, but she knew someone who loved them very much.


    ¡°Carl.¡±


    Even after he had be the emperor, he had always had pickled mir present at the dining table.


    Mir wasmoners¡¯ food, and it was unusual for nobles to eat it, so it must have been something he had picked up on his long travels outside of the capital. Upon learning that, Sienna had once prepared the pickled mir herself and had it served at his table.


    That was the first time that Carl had smiled at her.


    He had enjoyed the taste of her pickled mir even with her poor cooking skills.


    In honesty, the taste of the pickled mire had been aplete mess. The silvery powder attached to the mir¡¯s peel had be washed away in salt water to reduce the saltiness, but Sienna, who hadn¡¯t known that had jumped straight to pickling it with salt. Moreover, it had not been the season for mir then, so it had tasted very green.


    When she saw Carl eating it so eagerly, without any thoughts to spare, she realized she had put some pickled mir into her mouth like him. Forgetting that she had been in front of the emperor, her face had immediately soured, and her forehead had crinkled. Seeing her reaction, Carl had burst outughing.


    Ba-bump!


    It had been a long time ago, but her heart still fluttered when she remembered his smile.


    ¡®You¡¯re such a frivolous heart! You decided not to love him again, and just thinking of him makes you jump like this!¡¯


    She stretched out her hand towards the pickled mir, ovee with emotion. The pickled mir, which was a strong yellow color, seemed to have been uniquely prepared.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As soon as Sienna grabbed the bottle, someone else¡¯s hand covered hers. It was the hand of a man covered in wounds. Somehow, she felt as if her heart was about to drop.


    ¡®It¡¯s not my first time holding a man¡¯s hand. What¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯


    Sienna couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the hand. The wounded hand, which seemed to have mastered swordsmanship skills, were strangely familiar to her.


    When the man removed his hand from the bottle, Sienna hurriedly put down the bottle and hid her hand. Nevertheless, she could not look up at the owner of the strange hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s voice, Sienna turned to him.


    Dark golden hair, Carl¡¯s symbol, fluttered in the wind. She felt dizzy looking at his olive-colored eyes.


    ¡°Ah, ah....¡±


    A groan of despair popped out of Sienna¡¯s mouth, and she strained to keep her legs up and her back straight.


    Instinctively, his name came out of Sienna¡¯s mouth, ¡°Carl...¡±


    ¡°Miss!¡±


    Even though Jane had called for Sienna, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of Carl. He also couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Sienna, who had called his name. Then, he put his finger on his lips and said, ¡°Shush!¡± It was a sign for her not to reveal his identity.


    ¡°Miss!¡±


    She turned her head to Jane¡¯s call and answered, ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing to be so out of it?¡±


    ¡°No, I was...¡±


    Sienna looked back to where Carl had been, but there was no one there.


    ¡®Was it just an illusion?¡¯


    Sienna looked back at the pickled mir, whichy in the middle of the stall stand.


    ¡°For it to be Carl...¡±

 Chapter 14: Live To Sienna Pt.14

    <h4>Chapter 14: Live To Sienna Pt.14</h4>


    Carl stood in front of the sign of the stand that sold the best pickled mir, remembering how a woman with red hair had recklessly called him by his name.


    ¡°It seems as though she knew me, but...¡±


    She was not in his memories. If there had been a time when they had gotten acquainted with each other, it would have been difficult to forget her with that hair color...


    ¡°What are you thinking about so intently?¡± Azrael, who was cleaning up Carl¡¯s bed next to him, asked.


    Azrael, who had short, bright scarlet hair, was a servant who had been serving Carl since he was very young. However, rather than staying in the castle, more often than not, Carl had been out on the battlefield instead, making his servant more of a knight than a servant.


    ¡°Just... There was a woman who recognized me, but I just didn¡¯t know who she was.¡±


    Azrael responded to Carl¡¯s woes as if they were nothing, ¡°How clever can you be to remember all of the people in the world? Maybe she¡¯s been to the banquet hall or something.¡±


    ¡°She seemed to know me well...¡±


    Azrael burst intoughter at Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°If we were to immediately announce who knows you, there would be a line reaching all the way out to the city gates right now. Wouldn¡¯t it be more suspicious if no one knew about the Emperor of Laifsden?¡±


    ¡°The nobles must be the only ones who know my face, and I should be acquainted with most of them and their families...¡±


    ¡°How can it only be the nobles? There are many more who know the lord¡¯s face, more than you think. Maybe she works in the pce, or maybe she¡¯s a noblewoman from the countryside with an introductory banquet soon to be held. The lord may not remember her, but she might be someone who might have found that encounter with you precious.¡±


    ¡°Is that so...¡± Carl tilted his head at Azrael¡¯s words. ¡°But why did it feel like she was going to cry right there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because, emperor, you have such a handsome face. I guess you look just like the prince of her dreams. Anyway, are you really not going straight to the Imperial Pce?¡± asked by Azrael.


    Carly down on his bed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you so many times, I need to go meet the nobles of Arya¡¯s side who secretly stood by me without her knowledge. I¡¯m sure some of them have changed and might have had a change of heart since I left my position unattended for a while now. I¡¯ll meet with them quietly and pat them on their shoulders to let them know that I care about them personally. If I stay still, everyone will be a part of Arya¡¯s following.¡±


    Azrael sighed deeply at his words.


    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m sure you know, but if the empress finds out that you are staying in the capital unofficially, she will surely send an assassin. It may be difficult to reach you the pce, but it¡¯s easy to do something like that in the market. If she sends an assassin and you get hurt or killed, she will not miss this opportunity to say that the prince, who had left the battlefield, had gotten into a small dispute that had led to his demise.¡±


    Carlughed at his worried words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re the only one who knows I¡¯m in the capital this time.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯ll be meeting with the nobles. Information can be leaked easily and from anywhere. Today, in the daytime as well, you said there was someone who recognized Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Well, even if Arya finds out and sends an assassin... Do you think I¡¯ll let myself be taken or be killed like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said you can even stab a dragon with a sword if you keep it away from his eyes.¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t want to hear Azrael¡¯s nagging anymore, so he put his nket over his head. When Azrael saw that, he sighed deeply again.


    *


    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±


    ¡°Arya!¡± Sienna screamed and woke up from her nightmare. Her pajamas were covered in cold sweat.


    Every time she slept, the horrible days she lived in the past repeated in her dreams. That day¡¯s dream was about the day Arya rebelled.


    Arya had said, while dragging a heavy sword, that the body sprawled on the floor was Carl¡¯s. Even though Sienna shouted in disagreement, Arya repeated evenly that the body was Carl¡¯s.


    The dream had been a little different from what Sienna remembered. Arya had waved the sword while saying the body was clearly Carl¡¯s, cut its head off and thrown it at Sienna.


    It was Carl¡¯s head that had rolled to Sienna¡¯s feet, like Arya had announced. It had not been the head of some noble whom she didn¡¯t even know.


    She knew it would never happen if she refused to marry Carl, but Sienna shuddered with anger.


    ¡°Arya...¡±


    She just wanted to tear her to pieces. Although Arya hadn¡¯t rebelled yet, she had surely started dreaming of treason when Carl became emperor, so she would inevitably try to repeat the terrible events from before.


    ¡°To get my revenge on her directly...¡±


    Sienna shook her head. She couldn¡¯t think of a way to get even with Arya in person. It was not as if she could report her for trying to cause a coup five years from now, nor could she visit Arya, who was protected in the Imperial Pce and under constant watch of her own guards.


    All Sienna could do at that point was not marry Carl and prevent the possibility of the events unfolding in five years. It had not happened without other people¡¯s help either, but as it was, it was too difficult to create an opportunity without greater funding and power.


    ¡°Dear miss Sienna, are you up?¡±


    Outside, Jane knocked on the door.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m up.¡±


    ¡°Shall I get breakfast ready for you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel up for breakfast today.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Jane said, ¡°I¡¯lle in,¡± and opened the door. She had a worried look on her face. ¡°Are you not feeling well? You haven¡¯t looked that good in thest few days and you haven¡¯t had your meals on timetely...¡±


    ¡°My body is fine. More than that, has my aunt had breakfast yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She just finished her meal a little while ago. Would you like to go see miss Kelly?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll get changed and go to her room. Can you get us some quick refreshments?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll boil some water. They be ready soon.¡±


    Sienna headed for Kelly¡¯s room. Kelly¡¯s room was thergest on the second floor. It was also at the very center of the mansion.


    Reflecting the owner¡¯s character, the room was filled with elegant decorations. However, instead of admiring them, when Sienna entered the room, her eyes turned first to the numerous piles of paper around.


    ¡°Did you have a good night¡¯s rest, aunt?¡±


    Kelly dropped the document she was looking at and greeted Sienna, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re up! Did the servant woman, Chelsea, go back to Heidel yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was in a hurry to send her back because she was expecting her grandchild would be born soon. Besides, Chelsea is the only midwife in Heidel.¡±


    In the past, Chelsea had been killed in a carriage ident on her way home after Sienna¡¯s wedding. So, Sienna had persuaded her to go back early and sent her on her way.


    ¡°You must be disappointed.¡±


    Sienna sat on a chair next to her bed and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Have you been working since morning?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to look at, so...¡±


    Sienna said as she was handed over the documents Kelly had been holding.


    ¡°You can just leave it to Jane. She can probably aplish anything.¡±


    The Green Business, of which Kelly was the owner, wouldter be known as the Dark Merchants. Apparently, after Kelly¡¯s death, Jane must have yed a significant role in growing it.


    ¡°Of course, Jane could fill in for me. No, I think she can do my work even better. But, I don¡¯t want to put too much pressure on that child yet.¡±


    Sienna nodded. Jane was older than Sienna, but she had also just recently reached adulthood. It would¡¯ve been too much to take on all the responsibilities of the business.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be of much help, but I¡¯ll read them for you instead.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, my eyes were beginning to tire.¡±


    Sienna read the papers she had in her hands aloud, ¡°To miss Klein, the first daughter of Count of Zebata and the Imperial Family...¡±


    Sienna could not read the sentence to the end.


    ¡®Why is Arya announcing a marriage with the Zebata family? Wasn¡¯t it me?¡¯


    Kelly tilted her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s strange. The second prince is already married, so if there is a prince who deserves a marriage, it should be the first prince. Count Zebata¡¯s family has been linked to the empress for a long time. Moreover, as far as I know, the first daughter of the Zebata family has fallen down some stairs and is unable to move. They won¡¯t be able to ept a marriage like that.¡±

 Chapter 15: Live To Sienna Pt.15

    <h4>Chapter 15: Live To Sienna Pt.15</h4>


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that this marriage announcement was doomed from the start?¡±


    Kelly answered Sienna¡¯s question with a nod and said, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s like it¡¯s a marriage announcement that¡¯s made for being denied. I think the empress has someone else in mind she wants for the bride.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Kelly coughed a few dry coughs as if talking too much was hard for her. Sienna gave her some water and apologized, ¡°I made you speak too much.¡±


    Kelly, who quenched her thirst, shook her head and said, ¡°No. This one¡¯s cough doesn¡¯t differentiate between day and night. What did you ask me just before that?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering how you can be so that the Imperial Family already has someone else they want in mind.¡±


    Kelly took another sip of water and exined to Sienna, ¡°ording to the circumstances, you are allowed to refuse a marriage proposal from a royal.¡±


    Sienna nodded. That was how she was going to refuse to marry Carl.


    ¡°But you can only refuse up to your second marriage. A third marriage proposal can never be rejected because if you are rejected three times, you¡¯ll lose your prestige as a royal. If yours is the third refusal to marrying a royal, the family will face the same punishment as contempt ofw and treason from the imperial court.¡±


    ¡°Such...¡±


    Sienna bit her lower lip. Her simple n of simply refusing to marry Carl had gone up in smoke.


    ¡°The fact that his name has been announced in a marriage proposal that is sure to be rejected means that he will have no choice but to ept the third marriage partner. It was made so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse.¡±


    Sienna now knew why Arya was trying to marry her and Carl off. The Waters were higher in rank than Bluebell¡¯s Fair White because the Fair Whites were spies. That would give legitimacy to pushing for a breakup between Bluebell and Carl and pushing for a new marriage.


    Moreover, since the Waters family was located at the end of the North, they had no political influence in the capital. It was obvious that Arya had judged that only the country Sienna grew up in the North coulde to her aid.


    The truth was that Arya was right. Sienna had been yed by her with such ease that she had even helped her start the coup.


    ¡®Arya!¡¯


    Sienna gritted her teeth. She had nned to stop Arya¡¯s coup by simply refusing to marry Carl, but she couldn¡¯t do that now.


    It felt as though her blood was rising to her head all at once. While thecency of trying to stop Arya¡¯s n without facing Arya wasmentable, anger for the serpent-like Arya, who had been orchestrating things meticulously, overcame her.


    It was no longer something that could be avoided. To deal with Arya, she would have to learn how to use poisons.


    ¡®You¡¯ll regret it! Stay under the illusion that you¡¯ve got a piece of country in your grasp. You¡¯ll soone to find out what a big misunderstanding that was.¡¯


    Sienna gritted her teeth and vowed vengeance. One way or another, she had to stop Arya from starting the coup she dreamed of.


    Knock, knock!


    Jane, who came in after knocking, informed Sienna that priest Roy hade to visit her at the mansion. Sienna forced the raging anger out of her mind.


    Bing angry like that alone did not solve the problems at hand. In order to deal with Arya, she had to control her emotions and stay calm. Sienna asked Kelly to excuse her and went out to the drawing room.


    ¡°Miss Sienna!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Priest Roy.¡±


    ¡°I was very worried. You haven¡¯te to the temple for days, so I was worried that you might be feeling unwell. You don¡¯t look very well even now.¡±


    After meeting Carl in front of the pickled goods stand, Sienna became exhausted from the constant nightmares she was living through at night and had not been able to go to the temple. Priest Roy had all the right to be worried because the person who had visited him every day had suddenly stopped without any warning.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t very sick, but I wasn¡¯t feeling well. If I had known you¡¯d be worried, I¡¯d have asked Jane to let you know. I¡¯m sorry to have worried you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Rather, it seems you haven¡¯t recovered your strength yet. Could I offer you some treatment?¡±


    Sienna tilted her head at Roy¡¯s words and asked, ¡°Roy, you can also treat people? Ah! You are knowledgeable about the hemp herb from before, right? Have you mastered herbal medicine?¡±


    When asked that by Sienna, Roy said with a puzzled look, ¡°I don¡¯t actually know much about herbal medicine or therapy. But, I have a little gift from the Goddess. Wait a minute.¡±


    When Sienna nodded, Roy touched her forehead. Soon, a light shining from his hand enveloped Sienna¡¯s entire body.


    Itsted a very short time, but she felt refreshed. All of the exhaustion left her body, flying away, and she felt better than usual.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Was Roy born with the capacity to heal?¡±


    ¡°At the moment, it¡¯s at an insufficient level.¡±


    Sienna still couldn¡¯t erase her look of surprise at Roy, who spoke with humility, from her face.


    Previously, Jane had said that there were only a few people in the Holy Empire who were born with the potential for healing. Those who could practice their healing powers were told to be cardinals, not just priests.


    ¡°Ah! Miss Sienna! It¡¯s a secret. If this gets known, I¡¯ll have to go back to the Holy Empire.¡± Roy added to his words, ¡°I¡¯d like to stay in Laifsden still.¡±


    It was surprising enough that there was a priest in Laifsden who could perform the power of noble treatment even outside of the Holy Empire. Sienna guessed that he was trying to stay there because he had been an orphan who had grown up in the Laifsden alleyways.


    ¡®If Roy had been struck and killed by that horse, the Holy Empire would have lost a great deal of talent.¡¯


    Sienna was proud that the person she had saved was special. She had done it simply because she had not wanted to witness death in front of her, but now, she had changed not only his fate, but the fate of those he was going to save as well.


    ¡°But, is it alright for you to tell me such a big secret?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s question, Roy said with a wink, ¡°Sienna and I are friends. There are no secrets between friends.¡±


    ¡°But still... And I feel guilty for using Roy¡¯s great powers to relieve me of my fatigue.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. In the Holy Empire, I used it every morning to restore my teacher¡¯s fatigue.¡±


    ¡°What?! Just to recover fatigue?!¡±


    Sienna had no choice but to bite back at her words. He had used his great ability to heal people on fatigue. It was simply a waste of power.


    ¡°I don¡¯t use it very much because it¡¯s not good enough yet. I don¡¯t have the ability to breathe life into the dead or treat hundreds of patients like the sages.¡±


    For Roy, hisck of skill embarrassed him, so Sienna consoled him, ¡°I heard from knowledgeable sources that a god¡¯s gifted power develops with both skill and age. Since Roy is still young, there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll improve. I¡¯m sure Roy will be as great as a sage.¡±


    ¡°Yes! My teacher said I have a lot of power over my age. He also said that after theing-of-age ceremony, my skills will double,¡± Roy said with a delighted smile after receiving Sienna¡¯s words.


    During the conversation, Jane entered the drawing room with a tray. That happened because the stairs to Kelly¡¯s room were in the drawing room.


    On the tray she was holding, there was a medicinal concoction for Kelly to drink. Roy, who smelled the medicine, asked Sienna, ¡°Is there anyone in the house who doesn¡¯t feel well?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s face darkened. There had been no change to her aunt Kelly¡¯s illness. Her life¡¯s end was less than a month away if it was the same as in the past.


    ¡°My aunt is very ill. So, as to say...¡±


    Sienna did not want to ask Roy to treat Kelly so readily. The reason for that was because Roy did not seem to be able to perform much of the therapeutic benefits that more seasoned healers could, so she was afraid that Roy would feel burdened by her request.


    Before she could even finish, Roy stepped up as if he had read Sienna¡¯s mind and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I offer your aunt a healing prayer?¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯d be grateful. But, will it be OK? It¡¯s a serious illness...¡±


    ¡°I can make my patients feel a little better even if my skills arecking and I can¡¯t heal thempletely.¡±


    ¡°Please, take care of her then.¡±


    Sienna led Roy to Kelly¡¯s room.


    ¡°Aunt Kelly, this is Priest Roy Whist. While the priest was visiting, he offered to pray for your health, and so, I brought him here.¡±


    ¡°A prayer of healing?¡±

 Chapter 16: Live To Sienna Pt.16

    <h4>Chapter 16: Live To Sienna Pt.16</h4>


    Kelly had a surprised look on her face. She knew that there were only a few priests who could perform prayers of healing.


    Roy approached Kelly¡¯s bedside and greeted her, ¡°I am Roy Whist, of the Goddess of the Earth.¡±


    ¡°I am Kelly Grinnie. I should be getting up properly to greet you...¡±


    At Kelly¡¯s words, Roy put his hands up and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. If you lie downfortably, I will try to cast my prayer of healing from the Goddess of the Earth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already an honor for this old one to have been offered a humble prayer of healing. There are very few priests who can perform the healing rites. But for such a precious person to be here...¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. The Goddess of Earth gave me this ability so that I could use it to help people. It is also the Will of the Goddess to have met miss Kelly and to pray for your health.¡±


    Roy gave Sienna a nod and took Kelly¡¯s hand. Roy¡¯s fingertips began to emit a bright light. The glow looked extremely sacred. Moreover, the light seemed to be moving with a sense of purpose and determination. Roy mumbled out a series of unintelligible words from anguage that did not sound like human words.


    The light that had begun at Roy¡¯s fingertips became more intense andsted for a long time. Sienna watched the rite, feeling as if Roy had been possessed.


    Suddenly, the light scattered all over the room.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Sienna could not even give a proper exmation after seeing that massive and incredible ordeal.


    By contrast with those who could save people from death¡¯s door, and those who could heal hundreds at a time, the priest had said that he could only offer a bit of constion through his power, but his words seemed to have been too modest. Though Sienna had not checked on Kelly¡¯s condition yet, sure enough, what she had seen with her own eyes had not been a small talent.


    ¡°Sir Roy, you¡¯re really...¡±


    Sienna tried to tell Roy of how amazing he was, but Roy staggered and dropped down to the ground on his butt, sitting as if strength had left his legs.


    ¡°Sir Roy!¡± Sienna ran to him and held him in her arms. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Roy opened his mouth with difficulty and said, ¡°With all due respect, I think I¡¯ll... If I fall asleep like this... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get up... for a while. I leave the temple to you... by request. The key in my pocket...¡±


    He closed his eyes atst, unable to finish his speech. He seemed to have passed out.


    ¡°Sir Roy? Sir Roy?¡±


    Even though Sienna called for him many times, he didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Miss Kelly! Miss Kelly?!¡±


    Jane approached Kelly and looked at her, so Sienna raised her head and asked, ¡°How is my aunt doing?¡±


    Jane scrutinized Kelly very meticulously and told her, ¡°Unlike before, the blood and jaundice in her eyes are gone. It¡¯s hard to say that she is still sick just by looking at your appearance. For now, it seems she has fallen into a deep sleep. He¡¯s really amazing... To do that for miss Kelly... She needs to wake up first for us to be certain of anything, but from what I can see of her condition so far... She seems to have made aplete recovery.¡±


    ¡°Is that really true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s absolutely amazing. When miss Kelly got sick, I went around asking for who could heal her illness, but most of the people who could do it were senior cardinals of the Holy Empire... I never imagined that the young priest Roy was hiding such an ability.¡±


    Sienna looked at Roy, who had fainted in her arms. While he was sleeping, she could see his long, brownshes and his gentle face. He looked like strong willed boy, and Sienna was amazed that he carried such huge potential within his young body.


    ¡°I really saved such a stupendous person...¡±


    Sienna moved Roy to a room next door and took care of him. Having said that he would not wake up for a long time, he slept as if he were dead.


    ¡°When is it that you¡¯lle around?¡±


    Sienna fiddled with a ring of keys she had found in Roy¡¯s possession. They seemed to be the keys for the Temple of the Earth.


    ¡°It seems to me that I have received a much too excessive gift from you...¡±


    Sienna sped the ring of keys in her hand. All she could do was take good care of the temple like he had entrusted her for a while.


    ¡°Lady Sienna, miss Kelly is awake.¡±


    Jane took Sienna to the drawing room instead of Kelly¡¯s room.


    ¡°Aunty Kelly! Is your body feeling OK?¡±


    ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s very well.¡±


    Kelly was sitting on the sofa, not on the bed. When Sienna came down the stairs, Kelly rose from her seat and approached her.


    Just that morning, it had seemed to her that she had been barely holding out in her bed. Now, however, there was no sign of any illness.


    Jane, who was standing next to Kelly, told Sienna, ¡°Just now, the doctor came and checked up on Kelly¡¯s great health.¡±


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d experience a miracle like this in my lifetime.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great relief!¡±


    Sienna hugged Kelly tightly. The warmth felt by her arms seemed to signal Kelly¡¯s newly renewed vitality.


    ¡°You said his name was Priest Roy Whist of the Goddess of the Earth, right? I need to give him a reward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t do it with any reward in mind, but when he wakes up, you guys can discuss it.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Kelly nodded.


    While the two were talking, Jane served some tea. The violet tea branched out nicely in the cup. Kelly took a sip of her tea and admired it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been able to enjoy this scent in a very long time. My sickness didn¡¯t allow me to smell anything, and I felt like I was chewing dry wood no matter what I ate...¡±


    Sienna also took a sip of the tea. It smelled really good.


    She hadn¡¯t known the true taste of tea back in Heidel. The northern part of the country was so cold that she had to slice the fat off of animals and mix the oil it made in the tea. For that reason, she hadn¡¯t been able to enjoy any of the smells because the smell of animal fat overpowered every one of them. But, after spending five years in the Imperial Family, she learned how to enjoy tea properly.


    Jane¡¯s tea was soft, full of sweet flower fragrances and a light in taste. Tea was something about which everyone had their own distinguished preferences and tastes, but Jane¡¯s skills were excellent.


    ¡°Jane¡¯s tea brewing skills is quite remarkable. There are only a few people in the Imperial Family who can brew tea as good as this.¡± When Kelly and Jane tilted their heads while looking at her, Sienna realized the slip of her tongue and hurriedly tried to recover from the situation, ¡°Ah! What I mean is I don¡¯t think there could be many in the Imperial Family who could brew like this. In any case, those are just my thoughts.¡±


    Kellyughed at her words and said, ¡°I feel the same way as you, Sienna. Rather than the Imperial Family¡¯s tea brewing skills, Jane¡¯s tea should be considered the best brewed in the world.¡±


    ¡°Both of you are overplimenting me too much. More than that, Kelly, do you have anything to say to Sienna?¡±


    ¡°Did you have something you wanted to say to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am grateful to the priest, Roy Whist, for treating me, but I should be thanking you with a reward as well.¡±


    At Kelly¡¯s announcement, Sienna immediately refused, shaking her hand and saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. I did nothing.¡±


    ¡°No. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to have my fateful meeting with priest Roy. I want to make amends to you, too.¡±


    Sienna said it would be enough for her to attend the debutante banquet as her guardian, but Kelly reciprocated and said that she would still reward her regardless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just say no, miss Sienna. Kelly is a business woman down to the marrow of her bones. She¡¯s always lived by the motto: ¡®Repay kindness in double and exact revenge by ten times the amount of wickedness done to you.¡¯ If miss Sienna continues to refuse, she will feel ufortable.¡±


    Sienna, who gave up trying to persuade the two, nodded when Kelly said that she would give her a dress and jewelry for her debutante banquet. Considering that the price of a dress worn by the nobility when attending a debutante banquet was sufficient to buy a carriage, it was by no means a small reward.


    However, Kelly¡¯s reward was much more than what Sienna could have imagined.

 Chapter 17: Live To Sienna Pt.17

    <h4>Chapter 17: Live To Sienna Pt.17</h4>


    ¡°As you may already know, I run a small business called The Green Corporation.¡±


    Sienna remembered what The Green Corporation was like. The Green Corporation was by no means a small business association. That businessmunity was to be more widely known as The Dark Society than The Green Corporation in a few years.


    The Dark Merchants was the group that had won the battle between the bosses, which would take ce two years from then, and had taken control of much of the market. Named for having both information and financial power, the identity of the owner of the association was shrouded in secrecy.


    Although the topic of the Society¡¯s control of associations was on many peoples¡¯ minds at the time, there was no further information released about the traders. Therefore, rather than being called The Green Corporation, the business¡¯ name changed to The Dark Society.


    ¡°I want you to seed me as the owner of The Green Corporation.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Sienna had no choice but to ask again. What Kelly was doing was essentially appointing Sienna as owner of The Green Business, and what would be The Dark Society.


    ¡°As you know, I lost my husband early and I have no children either, so I have no one to pass the business on to. So, I¡¯d very much like for you to take it over.¡±


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t do that,¡± Sienna tly refused.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but don¡¯t worry. Jane ispetent and will help you well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, miss Sienna. I¡¯ll take care of you by your side.¡±


    Sienna shook her head vigorously at their statements.


    In the past, Kelly had died shortly after Sienna had gone to her debutante banquet. Then, Jane¡¯s great contributions to the future fame of The Dark Merchants came to be. She couldn¡¯t just take Jane¡¯s ce as the real master of the business.


    Moreover, Sienna was soon to be chosen by the Imperial Pce and married off. She couldn¡¯t be the master of the business.


    She had a job to do. She had to take revenge on Queen Arya. Arya had to be stopped from wielding her de against the many innocent people she had killed before.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I know you¡¯re trying to repay me, but I don¡¯t think this is the way to go about it. I don¡¯t know anything about The Green Corporation, and I¡¯m aplete stranger to the people of the business. If you take me as your sessor, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get someints.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. You just have to study the running of the firm step by step...¡±


    ¡°This is too important to have me do it with just cursory knowledge.¡±


    Kelly nodded at Sienna¡¯s words and said, ¡°That¡¯s right I guess.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take over The Green Corporation. There is something else that I must do.¡±


    Kelly smiled at Sienna¡¯s words and nodded. It seemed to her that she had already known that Sienna would refuse.


    ¡®Despite proposing this to me, it must¡¯ve been done with the intent to pass the position on naturally to Jane.¡±


    ¡°What about Jane? I don¡¯t think anyone is as qualified for the position as Jane.¡±


    ¡°No, miss Sienna! How can I possibly...¡±


    As she jumped up in protest, Sienna shook her head and said, ¡°No. From the standpoint of the staff, you¡¯re better than me, Jane. I¡¯vee to grasp my aunt¡¯s knowledge of your skills and how much she relies on you.¡±


    ¡°But to be the sessor of The Green Corporation as amoner is too...¡±


    Sienna looked at Kelly and said, ¡°Aunt, at this point, how do you feel about getting a daughter?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Jane, if you don¡¯t mind, would you be willing to be my daughter? I¡¯m so old now that I¡¯m in need of someone to support me.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a hard thing to do. Bing my daughter and bing the sessor to The Green Corporation must be a big burden on you. Nheless, could you do it for me?¡±


    ¡°Miss Kelly...¡±


    Eventually, with Kelly and Sienna¡¯s insistence, Jane decided to be Kelly¡¯s adoptive daughter. Jane, who was so happy that she could not hide her tears, had to leave her seat to wash them away.


    ¡°My aunt is very naughty,¡± Sienna said after confirming that Jane had left the drawing room.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You were nning to do this from the beginning, weren¡¯t you? You wanted Jane in the position of being an heir because she¡¯s a woman foremost, she¡¯s young, and she must have made a lot of connections. But, if I were to be mentioned as your sessor just because I¡¯m rted to you, there would be a hugemotion from the people within the business who know Jane well and want her to seed you.¡±


    Kelly nodded her head with a satisfied expression and stretched out her hand to try to keep Sienna from continuing.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to get people to lean toward Jane while talking to me about being the sessor. Moreover, since I declined, you were able to ask her to be your adoptive daughter, naturally appointing her as you sessor under the pretext of rewarding me.¡±


    ¡°From the very beginning, I asked you to be my sessor. Not Jane. You could have been my sessor.¡±


    When Kelly said that, Sienna shook her head and said, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have changed much if I¡¯d be your sessor. You would have ced Jane as my advisor. Ignorant of the business, I would have be a puppet who would¡¯ve signed documents ording to Jane¡¯s decisions. Even if I had been the owner of the business, Jane would have been the real master.¡±


    Kelly burst into a loudugh, ¡®Ha, ha, ha!¡¯


    ¡°My goodness... I can¡¯t refute what you are saying, but I don¡¯t think you would¡¯ve simply became Jane¡¯s puppet as the owner of the business.¡±


    Sienna shrugged at her words and said, ¡°Anyhow, don¡¯t you think you were being a tad too excessive? You told me that you¡¯dpensate me when, in fact, you used me...¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. To say that I just used you... Although you have rejected the offer to seed me, ourpany will instead serve you as a benefactor.¡±


    ¡°A benefactor?¡±


    ¡°If youe appealing to the Corporation, we¡¯llply with anything you request. Whatever that may be.¡±


    At Kelly¡¯s words, Sienna, who was originally going to request for a dress to wear to her debutante banquet, had a change of heart. If an enormous business like The Green Corporation were to support her from the shadows, even after joining the Imperial Family, she would be able to receive tremendous aid in her revenge against Queen Arya.


    ¡°Anything? You mighte to regret those words.¡± Sienna had already thought of a n to diminish Arya¡¯s funding. The problem was that it would take a lot of money to implement it. ¡°You never know, I may soon ask The Green Corporation to lend me some money.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, you just need to say it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something as small as an allowance. I may need the entire financial power of The Green Corporation.¡±


    ¡°The Green Corporation has not yet been revealed to the public, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll lose to anyone in matters of financial power. You may not know how much you want yet, but I think you¡¯re underestimating the funds our business possesses.¡±


    Despite Kelly¡¯s confident words, Sienna shook her head and said, ¡°What I need is enough to pay for all of the wheat in the South.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s expression hardened with Sienna¡¯s words. What her niece had proposed was a huge sum even for her.


    The southern region of the empire was where the bulk of the wheat production of the Laifsden Empire took ce. Sienna¡¯s was essentially asking for enough money to buy all of the distributed wheat in the Laifsden Empire.


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha! You are definitely a daughter of the Waters Family. How vigorous!¡± Kelly burst out into a great, pleasedughter. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are trying to set in motion, but I¡¯ll do that for you. We¡¯ll try to garner The Green Corporation¡¯s funds.¡±


    Kelly had not asked Sienna for the reason for the amount she needed. Instead, she had promised Sienna that she would acquire the amount she wanted.


    Sienna felt reassured now that she had something on which to lean. Until recently, she had been filled with fear and trepidation about having to fight Arya alone. The reason for that was because Sienna had felt she had nothing whenpared to Arya.


    However, with the support of The Green Corporation, which had solid financial influence and remarkable trade secrets, the fight against Arya, which would have proved difficult before, felt much more like a job worth doing.


    A Back-to-back Encounter


    Since that day, Sienna had been going to the temple every day to fulfill Roy¡¯s request for her to take care of the temple.

 Chapter 18: Live To Sienna Pt.18

    <h4>Chapter 18: Live To Sienna Pt.18</h4>


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    As soon as the carriage stopped at the temple, Coco, the cat with smooth ck fur, jumped off from Sienna¡¯s arms. Then, he headed for the entrance to the temple as if that was the obvious thing to do.


    She couldn¡¯t leave the cat in the empty temple, so Sienna took Coco around with her every day. Fortunately, he was a gentle fellow, so there was no difficulty to it.


    Sienna saw something strange in front of the temple. A little boy was trying to steal Coco¡¯s rice bowl, so Coco got in a fight with him. Coco threatened the boy by raising his back and tail when the boy snatched the cat¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°Coco! You shouldn¡¯t do that to people!¡±


    Sienna approached the agitated Coco, chastising him. The little boy looked at her cautiously and tried to make a run for it into the alleyway next to her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just let it you go.¡±


    Sienna grabbed him by the back when he tried to run past her. Since she was from the North, she was used to running across snowfields, so she was physically fit, but the child was so small and skinny that she could lift him up easily. It was as if she had picked up a small animal, not a human child.


    The child struggled in Sienna¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Let go of me! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡±


    Sienna put the child, who had been struggling against her arms, down. Still, she kept a grip on the boy¡¯s wrist.


    The child red at her. His clothes were a mess, announcing the fact that he had been living on the streets, and he reeked. Due to his malnourished state, his lips were chapped and dark, and his skin looked rough, which made him look like he wasn¡¯t a child.


    ¡°Let go of my hand!¡±


    ¡°Stop struggling. I¡¯m not going to eat you up. Just listen to my request.¡±


    Even though Sienna had said that, the child remained vignt.


    The child had grown on the streets, and he had met more bad people than good people, so he knew there were people with pleasant faces who were also cruel. Therefore, even though Sienna seemed like a nonthreateningdy trying to make a good impression, she could not easily get him to put his guard down.


    ¡°What kind favor is that?¡± the child asked brusquely.


    ¡°Please, eat lunch with me.¡± The child rubbed his ear as if he had heard wrong, but Sienna shrugged and said, ¡°I feel lonely eating alone. It¡¯s always good to have someone around when you eat. The food tastes better that way.¡±


    The childughed at her and said, ¡°As if! You¡¯re an adult and you can¡¯t eat alone? To me, eating with someone makes me more nervous. It makes me scared that others will take my food away from me.¡±


    Sienna said, shaking her lunchbox, ¡°I¡¯ve packed plenty of food today. Even if the both of us were to eat it, there¡¯d still be leftovers.¡±


    The little boy slowly gave in when she said she had something for him to eat. It was an irresistible temptation for someone as hungry as him.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    The child pretended to act like he was thinking about it even though he had already fallen for it.


    Putting the child down, Sienna said, ¡°If a man ys hard to get for too long, he bes uncharismatic. So, stop worrying ande in.¡±


    She opened the door and entered the temple, and he followed her hesitantly.


    ¡°There¡¯s a little kitchen over there that Priest Roy uses. Let¡¯s eat there.¡±


    When Roy¡¯s name came out of Sienna¡¯s mouth, the boy asked with a look of relief, ¡°Do you know Father Roy?¡±


    Waving her set of keys, Sienna said, ¡°Well, Priest Roy gave me these.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Father Roy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s left his position empty for a while because of work. Until he returns, I guess I¡¯m the caretaker. Well, that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s left me with a huge burden. He told me to greet all those whoe to visit from time to time, like you.¡±


    Roy had only said that he would leave the temple to her, but Sienna was sure that he wouldn¡¯t have liked for her to chase a hungry child away. Roy had also been one born and raised on the streets. What would Roy, who worried constantly about the health of the street children and raised hemp to help them, have done to somehow fill the child¡¯s stomach?


    Now that Roy was away, it was her job to act for him and do his work.


    ¡°Father Roy?¡±


    As if moved by Sienna¡¯s statement, the child¡¯s eyes filled with tears. It felt sad to see a child¡¯s face like that, so Sienna put Jane¡¯s packed lunch on the table and sat the child down in a seat.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kevin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a cool name. How old are you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe eight years old, I think.¡±


    Because the child had been born and raised on the streets, he didn¡¯t know his exact age, but Sienna was surprised when he answered that he was eight years old because she had thought him to be six due to how small and skinny he was.


    ¡®The malnutrition is probably stunting his growth.¡¯


    Sienna put a ss of water and a fork in front of the child and opened the lid of the lunchbox that Jane had packed.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    It was a very impressive lunchbox for her too. It contained arge amount of food for one person, such as cooked vegetables, potatoes, and jjamppong (a type of Korean noodle soup with red, spicy seafood- or pork-based broth vored with gochugaru) and a dish that was sifted and thickened with a sieve. There was no ck, hard bread, but rather, a fluffy peach pie.


    Putting a fork and a spoon in the child¡¯s hand, Sienna said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I atete in the morning, but I still feel full. This won¡¯t do. You¡¯ll have to eat this all alone.¡±


    The child asked her again with a look of surprise, ¡°You want me to eat this by myself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So, take your time.¡±


    Eating fatty foods on an empty stomach was not good, but fortunately, Sienna did not eat red meat, so the lunchbox had been prepared with small amounts of wheat, vegetables, and fruits, so it was unlikely to burden the child¡¯s stomach.


    Despite Sienna¡¯s suggestion that he eat slowly, Kevin quickly emptied her lunchbox. The pie and the fruit on one side of the box remained untouched.


    ¡°Are you done with it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m full now. But... ¡±


    The child hesitated and looked at Sienna, who asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, do you want to take what¡¯s left? Jane will be sad if I leave anything uneaten. She might think even think I left it because I didn¡¯t think it tasted good.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re OK with that way?¡±


    ¡°Yes, unless you don¡¯t want to eat it because it doesn¡¯t taste good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that it doesn¡¯t taste good. I¡¯d never tasted anything this good in my life. It¡¯s more delicious than the food I get going through the trash cans of Miguel¡¯s restaurant.¡±


    It was strange for Sienna to hear Jane¡¯s food beingpared to waste, but Sienna did notugh at Kevin. From Kevin¡¯s point of view, the food he found in the restaurant¡¯s trash cans had been the most delicious food he¡¯d ever had.


    ¡°I¡¯m d it was delicious. Jane will be very happy as well. I have to return the bowl to Jane, so I¡¯ll wrap the rest in a handkerchief for you.¡±


    Sienna took out a handkerchief and wrapped the pie. The fruit had been packed whole, so she thought it would be OK to have the child put it in his pocket.


    ¡°Do youe to the temple often?¡±


    ¡°No. If I came often, I¡¯d get scolded.¡±


    Knowing that Roy was not one to get angry just because a hungry child showed up at the temple, Sienna asked Kevin why he would get scolded.


    ¡°Robin told me not to because Father Roy is starving because of us.¡±


    ¡°Roy¡¯s starving?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I used toe whenever I was hungry. Then, Father Roy cooked me some wheat porridge, but it turned out he gave me his own food.¡±


    She thought it was very much like Roy to help the children by using his own resources.


    ¡°At first, I used toe to the temple every day. Then, other people stoppeding because they said the temple smelled. They stopped donating as well. Father Roy told me not to worry about theck of money because the people who serve the Goddess of the Earth are farmers, but the farmers who used to bring things to eat stoppeding. Now, we¡¯re the only ones who want to sleep and eat here. So, brother Robin kicked everyone out. No matter how hungry we are, we don¡¯t embarrass ourselves by begging. Actually, if he finds out I was here today, I¡¯ll get scolded.¡±

 Chapter 19: Live To Sienna Pt.19

    <h4>Chapter 19: Live To Sienna Pt.19</h4>


    ¡°You won¡¯t be in trouble. Tell big brother Robin I brought you with me on an errand, so you are here by my request.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t anything really for him to do there, but Sienna thought she¡¯d just make something up at least.


    ¡°By the way, you and your friends starve if you guys don¡¯te here and eat. How do you stand that?¡±


    ¡°I usually go through trash cans or beg. Some of the older boys either pickpocket or rob people, but Robin doesn¡¯t let them do that. He says that if you antagonize people for petty things, you might get beaten senseless and die.¡±


    The one named Robin seemed very smart, so Sienna thought she¡¯d like to meet him someday.


    ¡°These days, it¡¯s even hard to go through trash cans. People were telling others not to put their trash cans on the streets because of the uing National Day Festival. Even though I wasn¡¯t really good at begging to begin with, nowadays, there¡¯s no one tossing me a coin. It¡¯s as if their pockets are going through hard times as well. So, my friends and I haven¡¯t had anything to eat for thest three days.¡±


    Those small children were starving and without any protection. She felt sorry for them.


    ¡°How many friends do you have?¡±


    There were not as many children as she had thought. Kevin said the number of children who had starved to death that year was also quite high. It was shocking that there were children starving to death despite the flood of wheat into the Empire due to the continuously booming harvest.


    She wanted to help those children somehow. At heart, she wanted to build a space for the children to stay safe, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do when she didn¡¯t have anything.


    Sienna calcted the amount she¡¯d need in her head. With the money that Kelly had given her for her dress and the allowance she got, she could buy enough wheat for the children for a while. Aunt Kelly¡¯s business connections would make it cheaper too.


    However, handing out unconditionally was not the answer.


    ¡®I think I should find them work...¡¯


    Sienna looked around at the temple. There were cobwebs everywhere, and many parts of the paint on the walls had peeled off. The chairs were very old too. It seemed that Priest Roy alone could not afford to repair the temple.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet the person you call older brother. I need some help with handiwork.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Kevin¡¯s round eyes widened.


    *


    Azrael looked worried when he saw Carl preparing to go out.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go alone? Wouldn¡¯t you rather move with me...?¡±


    Unstrapping his sword from his waist, Carl said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You go to the information guild in my ce. I need to find out what the hell¡¯s going on at the Peer Family estate.¡±


    Carl had arrived at the capital earlier than nned to avoid the watchful eyes of Queen Arya and to meet with the powerful aristocrats that backed her behind her back. The forces were being gathered for an event with the help of the help of the Peer Family, the family of his fianc¨¦e¡ªCountess Bluebell, and Carl had nned to attend that even in secret to find out what they were nning.


    However, Carl¡¯s n had fallen apart suddenly when Count Peer returned to his estate, so Carl decided to meet with Count Peer in person to find out why he had moved differently. If he had broken off ties with Carl to stand with Arya, things would be problematic.


    ¡°Then, you should at least wear your sword. You mighte up against an assassin on the way.¡±


    At Azrael¡¯s request, Carlughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going into enemy territory and I can¡¯t go to my fianc¨¦e¡¯s house wearing a sword. Only you, Count Peer and Pavenik know that I¡¯m here and my whereabouts, so how would Arya know where to send an assassin?¡±


    Azrael shook his head at Carl¡¯s response and said, ¡°You said so yourself, someone recognized you at the market not too long ago. Maybe that person is one of Arya¡¯s people.¡±


    Carl recalled the woman he had just met. The woman with the flowing red hair had called him by name. Above all, the emotion on her face had left a lingering feeling in his mind.


    Strange as it may be, Carl had felt guilt, joy, relief, fear and longing from her. Carl confided everything to Azrael, who had grown up with him from an early age, but he had not been able to tell him of those feelings honestly. Even as he thought carefully about them, he thought it was weird.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s one of Arya¡¯s people...¡±


    ¡°Oh, my! Did you know her already?¡±


    Carl shook his head when Azrael asked that.


    ¡°Then, how can you be so sure about that?¡±


    Looking down at his clothes, Carl said, ¡°Just. That¡¯s what I feel.¡±


    After pulling out a dagger and cing it into Carl¡¯s hand, Azrael said, ¡°Then, take this with you. No matter how much Your Highness is loved by the Goddess of War, you must not be careless. She will surely send an assassin from the castle when she finds out that Your Highness has sneaked into the capital.¡±


    ¡°OK. Anyway, your nagging is... This is why I hear people say you¡¯re my wife.¡±


    Surprised by Carl¡¯s words, Azrael asked, ¡°Who in the world is saying such things?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what everyone calls you. You¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Carl teased Azrael to his heart¡¯s content before escaping the inn.


    *


    ¡°Damn. I should have listened to Azrael...¡± Carl grabbed onto his side, which had been stabbed and was bleeding out, and asked, ¡°When in the world did you find out that I was back here....¡±


    He had tried his best to evade Arya¡¯s eyes. Presumably, he was supposed to be stationed at the front lines at that moment.


    Worried that he might be found out, Carl had had Pavenik sign in for him to make it appear as though he was still there. Because of the increased training, soldiers and knights at the frontlines wouldn¡¯t even have been able to tell that he and Azrael had left. That was why he hadughed Azrael¡¯s worry off as unnecessary.


    It had happened when he was walking toward the count¡¯s house unaware. There had been so many people in the market that he had felt rather buried in the crowd and at ease. At no point had he thought of the olddy holding a puppy in her arms as a hitman.


    But that old woman, who he thought would just pass him by like everyone else, stabbed him in the ribs with a dagger that she had taken out of her pocket before running away quickly. The wound wasn¡¯t deep enough to cause immediate death, but the problem was that things weren¡¯t over.


    ¡°You really think you¡¯re going to take my neck this time.¡±


    He felt his body be heavier and slowly dull, as if she had poisoned the tip of the knife. Moreover, a group of people, who appeared to be Parakhoro¡¯s minions, began to chase after Carl.


    Carl jumped into a narrow alleyway in a hurry.


    At that moment, Sienna was eating the liquino she had bought from the skewer¡¯s house. Liquino was a dish made by baking dough in the oven and filling it with vegetables instead of meat. Sauce apanied it. For her, it was good that there was no meat in the dish.


    ¡°This is really delicious.¡±


    Sienna sat down on the chair while eating her liquino and watched the children eating their liquinos happily.


    Due to the nature of the dish, liquino had to be eaten with mouths wide open. Even though the sauce would drip from the edges of everyone¡¯s mouth and make a mess, no one cared at all. It was not an act worthy of praise, but she, too, cared for nothing at that time.


    In the past, the etiquette she had learned at the Imperial Pce had been horriblyplex. There were still many things that she couldn¡¯t understand why they were found to be proper.


    Among them, was one edit: ¡°Women should not eat with their mouth open for more than a width of a finger, nor should they show their teeth during meals.¡± That was probably why the waistlines of the capital aristocrats were as wide as the palm of a hand.


    Sienna, who had be the empress in the past without knowing any of those things, had been severely reprimanded by Mrs. Minyu Kit, her former teacher of royal etiquette. Her hands had swollen up red sometimes from the fan Mrs. Kit used to swing at her.

 Chapter 20: Live To Sienna Pt.20

    <h4>Chapter 20: Live To Sienna Pt.20</h4>


    After eighteen years of living a certain way, it was difficult to change out of her bad habits. Even with that, Sienna thought Mrs. Kit, who taught by beating her back to the ground, could still have been better.


    When there was a banquet held at the pce, Sienna would be nervous about the livelyughtering from the aristocrats. It was very difficult for her to endure theughs at every mistake she made just because she was an empress who hade from the North.


    As a result, her bright and cheerful personality became more passive.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need for me to be like that now.¡¯


    Sienna took a big bite out of the liquino. She didn¡¯t care if anyone could see her teeth nor if the vegetables she dropped got on her clothes and made them dirty either. Chewing the peas, the vegetables and the bread with her mouth full felt refreshing and soothing.


    Once she entered the pce again, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do things like this for a while: sitting around with children,ughing and talking, or holding food in their hands and eating with their mouths wide open.


    It wasrgely because of Robin that Sienna was with the children.


    Robin was a fifteen-year-old boy with brown, curly hair and deep eyes. When the boy came to see Sienna at the temple, he came in clean attire. It was a set of old clothes, but she felt from him that he took his appearance seriously.


    It must have been painful to see therge drop in believers at the temple when the children started frequenting it in the past. Kevin, who was next to him, seemed to have washed clean too.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Robin. Kevin told me that you want to give us jobs.¡±


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Sienna.¡±


    He talked to Sienna facing straight and with eyes filled with focus. His posture was decisive, and he seemed to be a smart boy.


    ¡®If my father had seen him, he would have immediately dragged him back to Heidel to train as a knight.¡¯


    Robin was very thin because he had probably been starving for quite a long time, but he had a good posture.


    ¡°As you can see, the temple is so old that I¡¯m trying to make amends. It doesn¡¯t require a lot of manpower, but it¡¯ll take about ten people per day. The work doesn¡¯t all have to be done by the older children. You know, kids like Kevin can do the chores or help clean up.¡±


    ¡°What about the payment?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! It¡¯ll be ten shillings per person. We¡¯ll also include lunch and dinner. The working hours aren¡¯t that long. We¡¯ll use up about half a day at the longest. What do you think?¡±


    Ten shillings was about half of an adult¡¯s wage for a day¡¯s work. The terms were even better when she said she didn¡¯t care about their ages. It would have been very difficult for kids like Kevin to find a ce to work.


    Robin agreed to Sienna¡¯s proposition and starteding with the other children early the very next day. Not only did the boy always get the children to wash clean before they showed up, but he also brought different children every day. He did that to ensure that the benefits were equitable.


    Sienna also packed arge meal each time. They packed enough food to share, so even the children who couldn¡¯te could eat. As time passed, the children who used to be on high alert when they first went to the temple were now very close to Sienna.


    ¡°Lady Sienna.¡±


    May came up close to Sienna. May was Robin¡¯s younger sister. Because there were rarely any girls who survived the streets, having May there was very umon. Apparently, Robin had to endure many things to protect his sister.


    There were many boys on the streets, but unlike boys, girls were more coveted when they were young, so they would be taken into someone¡¯s custody early on. Those who were lucky would be maids. The others ended up being sold, most of them turning into sex ves or getting dragged into the red light district to fullfill the pleasures of the flesh.


    By Robin¡¯s wisdom, May kept the appearance of a boy. She had short hair and dressed in boy¡¯s clothes, but she was hitting puberty. The fullness of her chest had started to increase, and her skin was smoother than that of the other children. She had been dressed up as a boy, but the fact that she wasn¡¯t was starting to show.


    Even now, the world was harsh for May and Robin, but Sienna was worried about the future.


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Coco, who was sitting on top of Sienna¡¯s foot, looked at May¡¯s face and shrugged, returning to his seat. It felt like he was leaving them alone to have their conversation.


    ¡®Sometimes, I think he¡¯s actually a person and not just a cat.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure if I can ask you for a favor like this, but...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Be at ease and tell me.¡±


    ¡°Please teach me how to read and write words,¡± May said pleadingly.


    ¡°Writing and reading?¡±


    May¡¯s gaze shifted to the book next to Sienna¡¯s chair.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    In Heidel, where Sienna had grown up, learning how to read and write was natural. For those in the House of Waters, reading and writing was not something to be proud of, and the same could be said of those living in the northern holynds. They could also read and write. That was due to her family¡¯s philosophy that said, ¡°Because we are small in number, we have to make each and every person here into a decent person.¡±


    As a result, it had never crossed her mind that the children at the temple might be illiterate. In fact, even the English people in Heidel knew how to read and write, which was umon. The averagemoner could not read nor write, and even among nobles, there were quite a few illiterates. Teaching those children to read and write would surely help them in their future.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was too much of a request, I see,¡± May replied in a dead voice.


    I seemed that she had misunderstood Sienna¡¯s expression of embarrassment.


    ¡°No! Of course, it¡¯s not too much. Rather, I was feeling quite sorry that I didn¡¯t think of it first.¡±


    ¡°Then, will you teach me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll teach you how to read and write. It¡¯ll be hard to start at this very moment, so I¡¯ll figure out the best teaching methods to use to teach you first.¡±


    May¡¯s face brightened.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you very much!¡±


    Tears formed around the girl¡¯s eyes. Due to May¡¯s excessive reaction, Sienna scratched her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me over something like that, but what are you going to do when you learn to read and write?¡±


    Although Sienna was vaguely aware of the fact that literacy was recognized as a considerable skill in the small capital, it was not quite clear how it would actually help.


    ¡°I want to get a job. I can¡¯t be beholden to my brother for long.¡±


    ¡°Is it helpful to know how to read and write?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to work in restaurants, too, if you are from the streets. There are no guarantees, and there¡¯s the preconceived notion that I grew up on the streets as well. But those who need people who can read and write don¡¯t care that they¡¯re from the streets. And there are quite a few things you can do just by being able to read and write. You can be a scribe that reads and writes letters for others, you can work at the top, or you can work at the Imperial Pce.¡±


    ¡°At the Imperial Pce?¡±


    ¡°Originally, you could¡¯ve only worked for the Imperial Family if you were of a noble family or if you had an aristocrat backing amoner. Yet, there are not many who work for the pce who know how to read and write, so sometimes, there are notices that ask for applications that say that if you can read and write, you don¡¯t need a guarantor.¡±


    May¡¯s chubby cheeks blushed when she talked about the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°Do you want to work in the pce?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d be paid well, but most of all...¡±


    May bit her lower lip where there was a slight mark, looking as if she was embarrassed to say what she was thinking.


    ¡°If you work in the pce, you can see pretty princesses and handsome princes up close. I¡¯m very curious about the people living in the pce.¡±


    A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Sienna¡¯s mouth.


    Even though she had been older in the past, like May, a child was still a child. She had imagined a majestic castle, and like her, she had had fantasies about the princes and princesses living in that fancy pce.

 Chapter 21: Live To Sienna Pt.21

    <h4>Chapter 21: Live To Sienna Pt.21</h4>


    A normal adult would smile at those types of thoughts that any child would have, but Sienna, who knew how the cruelty thaty behind the glittering illusion of the Imperial Family, could not easily smile.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t actually get employed at the Imperial Pce, right? Since May is a smart girl, I should ask Jane if she can be used for work at the corporation.¡¯


    Knowing or not knowing her mind, May began to delve into her own fantasy of the pce with an increasingly excited voice, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s hard for a kid like me to work at the pce. I¡¯ve heard before that the headmistress who works in the pce only picks smart, pretty people for the jobs there. A child like me who¡¯s not very attractive would...¡±


    Sienna swept the strands of May¡¯s hair back, and the girl¡¯s sweet, young face was revealed.


    ¡°What do you mean unattractive?! You have such beautiful eyes. I¡¯d never seen such beautiful, shining eyes like these in my entire life.¡±


    ¡°But my eyes are yellow. That¡¯s a strange color.¡±


    ¡°No. Your eyes are as beautiful as a jewel called pumpkin.¡±


    May tilted her head to the word as if she had never heard it before and asked if it was an expensive gem.


    ¡°Well, a pumpkin this size can buy several carriages.¡±


    May rubbed her face against Sienna¡¯s skirt out of embarrassment for thepliment, and Sienna patted her hair as she did.


    ¡°Older brother! Robin!¡±


    Kevin rushed into the temple. That was not one of the days Kevin was working.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Kevin?¡±


    Robin ran to Kevin and asked what was going on, and Kevin tried to exin something while breathing hard. Sienna watched Kevin questioningly and then ran to him with her face filled with worry because the child¡¯s cheeks were covered in blood.


    ¡°Kevin! Are you hurt?!¡±


    ¡°Huff, huff... There¡¯s a man dying over there, not me.¡±


    ¡°A man is dying? Where?¡±


    Sienna and Robin followed Kevin. Kevin, barely breathing, shifted his feet and exined the situation after catching his breath.


    ¡ª


    As usual, Kevin was walking around the alleys as soon as the sun came up. Since he had been working at the temple for some time now, he didn¡¯t have to go hungry, but he couldn¡¯t just y.


    When he didn¡¯t work, he would go all around in search of leftover coins, or in search of things to sell. Sometimes, if he was lucky, he would find and pick up discarded iron or bird feathers and take them to the cksmith¡¯s shop in exchange for food or copper coins.


    Kevin went into a deserted alleyway because the crowded boulevard often created shes with the children from other areas. The older brothers would fight and win against those guys, but not Kevin. In fact, Kevin didn¡¯t even like to fight.


    The alleys weren¡¯t as quiet that day since there were many people out.


    ¡°Move out the way!¡±


    After the shout from behind him, Kevin¡¯s back hit the wall. When the man passed him by like that, Kevin saw that the man¡¯s condition did not look good at a nce.


    The man was tottering along, clutching his bleeding side. Judging by how he was looking around back and forth, he seemed to be searching for a ce to hide. Kevin instinctively pointed in a direction before he could even determine whether the person was good or bad.


    ¡°Come this way.¡±


    Kevin pulled at the door that was nearby. At first nce, it looked to be a locked door, but it would open when you pulled the groove at the bottom of it.


    It was a secret ce that the restaurant had used during the smuggling crackdown. The crackdown had taken ce during the bad years, so it wasn¡¯t in use now.


    ¡°Thank you, kid.¡±


    The man hid behind the door. There was a trail of blood on the floor, so Kevin kicked and rubbed his foot against the dirt floor to cover the tracks.


    When the bloodstains were wiped out, a suspicious group of people came running into the alleyway. They emitted a cold presence. It felt simr to the presence from the old folks in the alley that Robin told him never to get close to.


    In that ce, there were older sisters that would sometimes give them very tasty, sweet snacks. Because of this, many other children would go there to beg, but Robin never let them go. He said it was a very dangerous ce.


    Even in Kevin¡¯s eyes, it was a ce that spread an ominous aura, like a sharp knife, always giving him goosebumps. The expression on the old men¡¯s faces as they stood there was scary, so he could never get close to that alley. Now, standing right before Kevin¡¯s eyes, were people that gave off that same aura as the old men in the alley.


    ¡°Hey! Did you see anyone strange around here?¡±


    ¡°What? No. Nobody usuallyes here...¡±


    He ignored Kevin¡¯s words, seemingly not believing the boy, and ordered his men to search the area.


    ¡°Hey, kid. If you¡¯re lying, we won¡¯t let you be.¡±


    His blunt threat made Kevin hup. Kevin shuddered, hoping they wouldn¡¯t find the bleeding man¡¯s hiding ce. Luckily, they passed the door.


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in this alley.¡±


    ¡°OK. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    When the group of people walked out of the alley, Kevin sank onto the ground, his legs weak. He felt as if he had put his foot on the edge of death.


    After a moment¡¯s time, the child came to and opened the door with the man behind it. The man was sitting there with his back against the wall.


    ¡°Older brother, are you all right?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer Kevin¡¯s question, so Kevin suddenly became frightened. Was he dead? The child used his finger to touch the tip of the man¡¯s nose. He was breathing.


    Soon after, he rushed to the temple with the idea of asking for help.


    ¡ª


    After following Kevin, Sienna was surprised to find out that such a shady alleyway was right next to the temple. The alley connected directly to the temple.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna knew the man whoy unconscious behind the door. His eyes were closed and his golden hair was covered with muddy water and blood, but he was fully recognizable.


    ¡°Carl...


    At the sight of him bleeding, Sienna felt as if her breath was going to cease. Carl, whom she had known to always be strong and healthy except for when Bluebell was killed, was in a shocking state for her.


    It was easy to see from his old wounds that he had been on the battlefield since he was a child, and that he had been on the edge of dying multiple times, but it was her first time seeing his bleeding figure like that.


    ¡®Why is it that you are here right now like this?¡¯


    Sienna felt like she was in a nightmare at that moment. She was simply staring at Carl¡¯s pale face, so Robin shouted at her, ¡°Miss Sienna! Get a hold of yourself. We¡¯ve got to move quickly.¡±


    Having managed toe back to her senses because of Robin¡¯s shout, she helped Robin pick him up. Fortunately, the temple was not far away.


    Robin told Kevin, ¡°Kevin! You go into the temple and tell the children to clean the table up. We¡¯re going to have to put this guy on top of it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Sienna shouted to Kevin as he ran to the temple, ¡°Kevin! Tell them to boil some water, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Kevin disappeared with quick steps, and Sienna followed Robin while erasing the trail of Carl¡¯s bloodstains on the floor.


    ¡°Do you know him? You sounded like you were calling his name earlier.¡± Robin asked.


    ¡°Yes, I know him. Though he doesn¡¯t know me very well.¡±


    ¡°I should have told Kevin to call a doctor.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t! We were told that there were people looking for him. If they know he¡¯s hurt, they¡¯ll start by looking for doctors and apothecaries first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, how do we treat him? I think the wound is pretty bad.¡±


    Sienna was also worried about that. What was fortunate was that the alley was connected to the temple¡¯s backdoor, allowing Carl to be moved away from people¡¯s eyes in secrecy.


    She opened the backdoor of the temple and entered the dining room with Robin, who was carrying Carl. There were three children waiting.


    Robin evaluated the situation with finesse and sent the children away, asking them to finish repairing the temple chairs. It seemed he didn¡¯t want to show them a different part of himself. When Robin tried to follow the children out, Sienna stopped him.


    ¡°Stay here until you get clean clothes. Your back is covered in blood,¡± she told Robin while wiping the blood off of Kevin¡¯s cheek and passing him a note.

 Chapter 22: Live To Sienna Pt.22

    <h4>Chapter 22: Live To Sienna Pt.22</h4>


    ¡°Take this paper to Jane of The Green Corporation. You have to give it to Jane. If they say she¡¯s not there, tell them you¡¯ll wait until she arrives. You know who Jane is?¡±


    The children knew Jane because Jane would sometimes came to the temple. After Kevin was sent out, only Robin, Sienna, and Carl, who was on the table, remained.


    ¡°Then, what should I do?¡± Robin asked in a shaky voice.


    He always acted like an adult, but Robin was no less a child than the others. Fear came into y as they both were witnessing the sight of someone dying in front of their very eyes. Sienna¡¯s hands also started to shake.


    If Priest Roy had been there... Sienna shook her head to shake off her thoughts. It was true that he could perform miracles, but it was not without aftereffects. He, who had treated Kelly, was still asleep.


    ¡®Let¡¯s do what I can with my abilities. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t die. Is it really that easy for a man who is going to be the emperor to die from a situation like that?¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s settle down, stay calm...¡±


    In the North where Sienna was from, there were asional injuries from monster invasions. Those injuries were by no means simple. Knights would fall off the walls and break bones, or get their bellies cut through by monsters¡¯ ws.


    Although Sienna was the only daughter of the duke, she had also helped the medical staff when they were in a hurry to work. During that time, she had taken on the task of carrying clean, sterilized towels back and forth, but those were also years of watching and listening from the sidelines.


    ¡°Would you sterilize these scissors in boiling water? And boil those fabrics over there as well.¡±


    Sienna cut off Carl¡¯s clothes with the scissors Robin handed her. The damp cloth soaked in his blood was not easy to cut through.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Carl opened his eyes slightly. She didn¡¯t even notice he had woken up while cutting his clothes.


    ¡°Lady Sienna, the man has opened his eyes.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s and Carl¡¯s eyes met. He looked at her suspiciously and with a pained expression. Sienna avoided his eyes deliberately because she had a hard time facing him. If she were to feel uneasy now, he would not be able to get the necessary treatment.


    Carl grabbed Sienna by the wrist as she tried to turn her head away again and again. She felt a great deal of strength on her arm.


    ¡°What are you trying to do to me...?¡±


    Carl seemed to think that Sienna was trying to intimidate him, so she said determinedly, ¡°I have to see the wound.¡±


    Even as she said that, Carl held on to her wrist for a while.


    ¡°If I were trying to kill you, I wouldn¡¯t have dragged you all the way here. I would have just left you to die there. So, let me go!¡±


    Only then, did Carl release Sienna¡¯s wrist. He had held it so hard that her arm was numb. The ce where Carl had held on to had was stained by a bloody handprint.


    Sienna finished cutting and removing the clothes off of the wound. Carl groaned painfully as she raised his clothes slightly off the wounded area. The wound seemed to have been attached to the fabric, making the area even more sensitive to pain.


    The cut wasrge enough, but it didn¡¯t look deep. Of course, she wasn¡¯t an expert, so she couldn¡¯t be sure. She wiped the wound with a towel Robin gave her.


    ¡°I hope Jane can get someone soon.¡± Carl made a face when he heard her, but Sienna said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s reliable. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve lost more blood than what I¡¯m seeing.¡±


    When she helped Roy make hemp, she realized the procedure was very familiar to that of the creation of other conventional medicines.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the flopple?¡±


    A flopple was a pineapple-like herb that was used in conventional medicine, and it was proven to have miraculous medicinal effects. It had the side effect of inducing great pain and burning sensation to the injury, but they couldn¡¯t help using it rtive to what was readily avable. Sienna showed Carl a thin cloth with an herb inside for the pain.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never treated anyone with medicinal herbs before, so I¡¯m notpletely sure what the effects will be and if it¡¯ll work.¡±


    Carl frowned at her words and said with difficulty, ¡°What the...?! You were just a quack?¡±


    ¡°I am a quack, but I¡¯m the only one who can help you here at the moment,¡± Sienna replied in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the pain is terrible, so bite on to this painkiller herb. You never know, it might be better to pass out instead.¡±


    Sienna poured some of the minced flopples into his wound, and his upper body shook and spasmed from the pain.


    ¡°Robin! Hold him down, please. If he moves, the area from where he¡¯s bleeding could widen.¡±


    The blood loss had decreased inparison to before, so the treatment seemed effective, but now, she felt like she had to sew up the wound.


    Carl¡¯s face was covered in cold sweat. He seemed to have lost his spirit, but he was still showing pain. Sienna was sorry to see him suffer.


    ¡®You were a strong man. The man who took a firm stand against that venomous, snake-like wickedness that is Arya, and was able to sh her throat.¡¯


    She disinfected the needle and thread, but she became hesitant to sew up his wound. The use of medicinal herbs was also already a huge mental burden for her.


    ¡®If my assumptions are wrong, what should I do? What if I shouldn¡¯t have used the herb... What if he dies because of me?¡¯


    Her hands shook as all kinds of thoughts ran through her mind. It was too much for her to perform the procedure herself.


    ¡°Miss Sienna!¡±


    Fortunately, Jane rushed into the restaurant at that very moment. Her voice sounded like the voice of salvation to Sienna.


    ¡°Jane!¡±


    When Sienna saw Jane, she burst into tears of relief.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you OK?¡±


    Jane came up to Sienna, who had been so nervous during Carl¡¯s treatment that her legs finally rxed, so Jane assisted her to a chair.


    The old man who came with Jane went to Carl, looked at the wound and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing for me to do. The disinfection was done well, and the right anti-hemorrhaging agents were used too. It seems I just need to sew it up.¡±


    He sewed Carl¡¯s wound with the thread and needle that Sienna had disinfected. He was so good that he sewed up the wound in an instant and fixed a bandage over it.


    ¡°The wound is not deep, so he¡¯ll recover soon. I¡¯ll give you some medicine to help him heal, so when he wakes up, give it to him. I¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    When Janepensated him, she asked him to keep that event quiet. The doctor left, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Is he someone worthy enough of your trust?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Although he¡¯s in it for the money, his abilities are known for being the best of the best in the capital. In addition, he¡¯s someone who¡¯ll most absolutely keep a secret. More than that, who is this?¡±


    ¡°Carl. He is the first Prince of the Laifsden Empire.¡±


    Jane, whose expressions didn¡¯t usually change, opened her eyes wide with astonishment.


    *


    ¡°Lady Sienna, you should get some shuteye too,¡± Jane said when she entered the room where Carl was lying.


    On the night of the treatment, Carl had been quietly taken to Kelly¡¯s mansion. Three days had passed, and he still hadn¡¯t woken up.


    Sienna had left the temple to Robin, and Jane had assigned some people to protect the children, fearing that the people who had tried to kill Carl mighte looking for him and hurt them.


    Sienna looked down at the pale-faced Carl, who was not waking up. The man who had looked at her arrogantly and diminished any attempt she made was now lying almost dead on the bed. Sienna thought about what Carl might¡¯ve done before the ceremony.


    The first time she had met him had been at the ceremony. She had no idea what had happened to him before that.


    ¡°You were under continuous threat even way before we met, I see.¡±


    She had heard that when Carl was growing up, he had often been threatened by assassins sent by Arya, but it was the first time she was seeing it with her own eyes. Seeing him lying helpless, her hostility to Queen Arya grew even more.


    ¡®You wicked queen! In any case, why was Carl being chased by those armed men? Moreover, the Green Corporation, famous for its intelligence gathering, didn¡¯t receive any information that Carl was in the capital, so why is he here when he should be in the battlefield?¡¯


    She bit her lower lip anxiously. Then, she breathed a deep sigh.

 Chapter 23: Live To Sienna Pt.23

    <h4>Chapter 23: Live To Sienna Pt.23</h4>


    She had decided to take revenge on Arya, and the most important thing for that toe to fruition wasn¡¯t amassing power or gathering information. The key was to give up on Carl.


    But seeing him that weak again shook her mind. She wondered if she should remain by his side once more to protect him.


    Sienna shook her head. It was due to those kinds of thoughts that Arya had been able to take advantage of her so easily. It had been very simple to use Sienna by digging into her admiration for Carl.


    Of course, she wondered what power she had by herself, a little girl who would just have the title of empress, but no political power to back it. But if Carl had had just a little bit less to worry about, Arya would not have been able to pull off her n. Even his recent spection on the Bluebells had made him vulnerable.


    Sienna took her eyes off Carl¡¯s face and sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling.


    ¡°At this rate, it seems Aunt Kelly¡¯s mansion will turn into a hospital.¡±


    She had juste up with that joke to get Carl off of her mind, but her words ended up making her feel more depressed.


    Roy, as usual, couldn¡¯t be awoken and was still asleep. Since ten days had already passed, she began to worry that there might be something wrong with him. Sienna sometimes stopped by Roy¡¯s room and ced her fingers under his nose to confirm that he was still breathing. Even if he had saved Kelly¡¯s life, the owner of the mansion, and though he was being cared for, what good was all that if he wasn¡¯t going to wake up?


    ¡°Even the concerns I have about Priest Roy are enough to make me feel like I¡¯m dying here.¡±


    She looked Carl lying down peacefully. He was sleeping with a rxed expression on his face. Her heart ached suddenly for him. The peaceful man had looked so distraught before. So, she used her finger to press firmly against his stiff forearm.


    The wrinkles of Carl¡¯s brow narrowed, and surprised, Sienna hid her hand.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    He opened his eyes with a faint moan. Sienna seemed to be flustered and eted, and she struggled to keep her face calm. When Carl, who had opened his eyes fully, tried to lift himself up with difficulty, Sienna stopped him.


    ¡°The wound hasn¡¯t healed yet, so it¡¯s too early to move.¡±


    Sienna gave him a spoonful of the herbal water that had been previously prepared, but he raised himself up and took the ss of water from Sienna¡¯s hand, as if displeased with being treated as a patient, and drank it in a gulp.


    ¡°Are you the one who saved my life?¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna with suspicion, trying to understand why she would have saved him.


    ¡°If you want to thank someone, please thank Kevin and Robin. Not me.¡±


    ¡°Kevin and Robin?¡±


    Sienna told him that Kevin was the one who found him, and Robin was the one who carried him when he was hurt. Carl nodded and said that he would repay their assistance. Then, he stared at her face and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen you somewhere.¡±


    He took a good look at Sienna¡¯s face and snapped his fingers suddenly when it urred to him, eximing, ¡°You¡¯re that person from the pickled mir shop!¡±


    The truth was that he had remembered her immediately, as soon as he opened his eyes and saw her face.


    He remembered her being unsure of the efficacy of the herbs in her hands when she was holding a pair of scissors. As she had held the medicinal herb above his stomach, she had told him, at that moment, that the only person he could trust was her and that he had no choice but to do so. He couldn¡¯t easily forget her bright red hair.


    Yet, he had just pretended to recognize her after waking up. He kept wondering why she had looked at him that way that day, so he didn¡¯t want to tell her how many times a day he had been thinking of her.


    Sienna rose from her seat and greeted him formally.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce myself to you formally. I¡¯m Sienna, the only daughter of the Waters Family.¡±


    ¡°You knew my name that day. So, you really were from nobility.¡±


    Then, he tried to rise from the bed, but Sienna stopped him.


    ¡°Your body has not yet fully recovered. I thought you only had cuts on you, but you were exposed to poison. That¡¯s what has kept you asleep for thest three days.¡±


    Carl scowled at her words. Even if there had been blood loss, it had been strange for him to have lost consciousness that fast.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give you the wrong medicine, so you don¡¯t have to make that face. I was even praised by the best doctor in the city for my proper use of the flopple. The doctor said that there are sometimes cases of assassins using knives coated in poison. He said that extreme poisons that kill the targets as soon as the knives touch them are difficult to deal with and expensive, so most rather use drugs that cause their victims to lose consciousness quickly.¡±


    Carl hadn¡¯t frowned as an insult to her, but because he had been unconscious for three days, and Azrael and Count Peer would have been worried about him. But Sienna¡¯s extravagant response made himugh. He wanted to talk to her more, but he had to go back to Azrael, who was definitely worried.


    ¡°Where are my clothes?¡±


    ¡°The clothes... were covered in blood...¡±


    ¡°Ah... You mutted my clothes with the scissors. In the midst of all that chaos, I could see you ripping and tearing away at my clothes piece by piece.¡±


    Sienna became angered by his words. She felt sorry for herself that she had remained anxious and worried until he woke up.


    ¡®What did I expect. He has always been this kind of person. No, maybe he¡¯s like this only to me...¡¯


    In the past, she had thought he had hated her because he had been forced to marry her because of her and Arya. When Carl woke up, she had wondered if there was even the tiniest of possibilities that he might give a little bit of his heart to the person who saved his life.


    Even after doing that, she had still worried. She had worried that facing him would open her heart back up to him and make her heart waver for him again, or that she would be greedy again, but those things were nothing more than a pathetic delusion. He was never a man to give himself up.


    ¡°Why is Sir Carl always so cold only to me...¡±


    Sienna unknowingly spoke her mind. She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, shutting her mouth midway, but it was already toote.


    ¡°Always?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was a slip of the tongue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. I thought that we first met at the market, but I get the impression that you know me well, or why else would you call me ¡®Carl¡¯ as you please, and not ¡®Crown Prince?''¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. To me, Carl is also... No, the first time we met, Your Highness, was indeed in front of that pickled mir store. I lived my whole life in Heidel. It¡¯s at the end of the North. How could I have known you? I called Your Highness informally... because I¡¯m ignorant of the manners of the nobility. I apologize if I was in any way offensive.¡±


    Even with her exnation, he still had a doubtful look on his face.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much that is suspicious in that statement. You said you didn¡¯t know me because you¡¯ve only lived in the North. So, howe you recognized me at once that time?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯te up with a good excuse, but she couldn¡¯t tell the truth. Having been married to him for five years, she could not say that it was more convenient to call him by his name than to call him Crown Prince.


    ¡°... It was just a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As expected, looking at his expression, he did not seem to have believed her.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to question you further, but I don¡¯t have the time, along with the audacity to me the person who saved my life...¡±


    He rose from his seat then.


    ¡°Are you going to leave? Your body won¡¯t be able to take it yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got someone who is worrying about me, so I¡¯ll have to take my leave. I¡¯ll pay you the reward you deserve for saving my life soon. Do you have anything special you want?¡±

 Chapter 24: Live To Sienna Pt.24

    <h4>Chapter 24: Live To Sienna Pt.24</h4>


    When Sienna failed to answer, Carl said, grinning, ¡°You already know who I am. I¡¯m not sure I can trust you because I¡¯m struggling here, but I¡¯m still the crown prince of this country. If you want anything, tell me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly do this to receive anything.¡±


    ¡°Whether you did this in order to receive something or not, I can¡¯t let it go unrewarded. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Will you listen to any request of mine then?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Anything.¡±


    Sienna had one thing that hade to mind, but she couldn¡¯t tell Carl now. When he heard about it, he would ask for the reason...


    ¡°It¡¯s so sudden, I can¡¯t think of anything at the moment. The crown prince himself said that he could fulfill any request of mine, so I can¡¯t simply ask away freely like the blowing wind. Give me a little more time to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll look forward to seeing you again.¡±


    When Carl tried to go out, Sienna caught him with urgency.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s good and all... but are you really going to leave like that?¡±


    There was nothing on Carl¡¯s upper body, which had been done to make recing the bandages easier and also enabled his injuries to be checked more quickly. That was why he had asked for his clothes as soon as he got up, but to try to leave in that state, half-naked, made Sienna smiled, and she said, ¡°I won¡¯t stop you, but...¡±


    Carl¡¯s face turned red. Sienna had never seen him blush, even up to his ears. He said with a cough, ¡°Uh-hum! I was going to get dressed... There should be some clothes for me to wear...¡±


    Sienna keptughing at his embarrassed excuse and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure there are. Or would Sir Carl really rather go like that?¡±


    Sienna took a shirt and a coat out of the drawer and handed them to him. Carl¡¯s face was still dyed red, so he dressed hastily in the clothes he had received from her.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing that again...¡±


    ¡°What? Doing what again?¡±


    Carl tried to say, ¡°You called me Carl again,¡± but he shut his mouth when he saw her smiling. Apparently, he thought that if he had said that, she would return to calling him ¡®Crown Prince¡¯ and not ¡®Sir Carl.¡¯ He didn¡¯t point it out because he didn¡¯t dislike it when she called him by name.


    As Carl approached the window, Sienna pointed to the door and said, ¡°Sir Carl, the door¡¯s over there...¡±


    He turned around and, with a pale face, he smiled at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out quietly so that nobody finds out that I was here.¡±


    Then, he jumped out of the window, and Sienna burst intoughter at the sight.


    It was cool to see him jump from a three-story building without any qualms, but he looked like a bumbling adolescent boy when she saw him strike a pose before jumping out.


    It was amazing for her how attracted to Carl¡¯s beauty and strength she had been in the past. She thought that person back then had been very young, but even now, when counting her experiences before dying, she was only twenty-two. To stand at the pinnacle of the empire at that age, she was certainly too young.


    ¡®You were very young too.¡¯


    The weight of that seat would have been too heavy for anyone to bear. As high-ranking as aristocrats might be, every little action or statement that came from the Imperial Family had huge repercussions. Though they were young, the responsibility of it all was certainly not for the young.


    ¡®What would it feel like to live with that weight for the rest of my life?¡¯


    *


    Since Roy had not awoken yet, Sienna, as usual, spent time with the children at the temple. He hadn¡¯t regained consciousness for nearly fifteen days. Although he said he would be asleep for a long time, Kelly, Jane and she were all concerned that fifteen days had already passed with no change.


    Even though they had called a doctor to examine him, the only thing the doctor had said was that he was merely sleeping. All Sienna could do was wait patiently while she cared for the temple until the day he woke up.


    ¡°There¡¯s a hugemotioning from out there.¡±


    Outside, she heard drums beating, so Sienna said mostly to herself, ¡°They are celebrating the Summer Solstice Festival.¡±


    ¡°The Descendant of the Sun? Oh,e to think of it, the National Day Festival is just around the corner.¡±


    At every national holiday event, Laifsden held a big festival.


    The Day of the Sun was an important national holiday in Laifsden. On national holidays, part of the Imperial Pce was opened, and a market was set up. Also, knights and military bands marched across the city, and the citizens followed them to listen to the music and dance.


    There were national holidays when the Imperial Family and the nobles participated in parades, but on the Day of the Sun, there were no parades. Instead, what they did on that day was lightnterns and send them off to the sky.


    The Lantern Festival symbolized thest battle in the war that brought the Kingdom of Laifsden back into the Empire. At that time, Emperor Rhyoli flew numerousnterns into enemy territory tomemorate the victory achieved in the night battle.


    The Laifsden calendar used that day to denote a new year, so because they counted age from the change in the calendar, the children would all be one year older that day as well.


    ¡°Robin!¡± Sienna called.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Sienna.¡±


    ¡°We are closing the temple tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You are doing that because of the Solstice Festival, right?¡±


    Robin understood it immediately, so Sienna held out a pocketful of coins to him.


    ¡°What is this...?¡±


    ¡°The kids are all bing older tomorrow, which is why I¡¯m giving you this.¡±


    On the Day of the Sun, adults usually went around giving celebratory gifts to the children that were essentially bing older.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just ept this much money.¡±


    While patting Robin on the back, Sienna said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but children should have a day they can have fond memories of when they be adults. I hope this year¡¯s Day of the Sun remains a good memory for the children. And it won¡¯tst long if you share it with the other kids. Just tell them to buy street food and try buying trinkets for once that day because you¡¯ve all had been through a lot.¡±


    ¡°But still...¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re really worried, when you all be adultster and find children who are hungry, you should be the kind of adults who can buy them some bread. Well, it¡¯s not for me to say what you should do. You¡¯re already doing very well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Robin ended up receiving the stash of coins, but Sienna was rather sorry that she could do nothing more than that.


    At first, she had started out with the idea of taking care of the temple on Roy¡¯s behalf and doing what she could, but while taking care of the children, Sienna had be attached to them.


    In her heart, she wanted to provide them homes, protection, and education so that they could stand on their own feet as adults, but that was not the case since the temple was not her own, and the monthly pay she gave the children came from the allowance she received from her father and Aunt Kelly. She couldn¡¯t help the children the way she wanted when she was beholden to others.


    ¡®They¡¯re obviously good kids who can grow up to be cool, well-rounded adults...¡¯


    But on the day of the festival, Sienna, who had given the children pocket money to enjoy the Day of the Sun, could not get out of the mansion. That was because it was too dangerous. Jane had said that people from other parts of the country flocked to fill the capital on that day, causing a huge number of people to die each year, trampled by the crowds.


    After hearing that, Sienna got scared and decided to stay in the mansion like they told her to. She was afraid that the children, who had gone to the festival, might get hurt.


    Kelly and Jane, who had frightened Sienna into staying home by saying that the festival would be dangerous, went to the store early in the morning for work. Most of the people who worked in the mansion were given the day off, so the mansion was deserted.

 Chapter 25: Live To Sienna Pt.25

    <h4>Chapter 25: Live To Sienna Pt.25</h4>


    During the day, she sat down in the garden, drank tea and ate the cookies that the maid brought her. She was bored because she was alone, but she thought it was quite the luxurious pic she was having. It was almost impossible to eat outdoors like that in Heidel because of how cold the area was.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve enjoyed it more if someone was with me at least...¡¯


    Darkness sank in the garden as the sun went down. When darkness fell and the Lantern Festival began, she became disappointed that she wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy it properly.


    ¡°That would¡¯ve been great.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s eyes caught the big tree in the garden then. The tree was taller than the third floor of the mansion, appearing to have been raised diligently. Because of itsrge limbs, it did not seem like it would be too difficult to climb it.


    She looked around and back and forth. Fortunately, there were few people in the mansion that day, so no one was likely to see her climb the tree.


    Sienna picked up her skirt and tied it to her waist, revealing her pantaloons, which looked simr to a pumpkin. She thought that others would probably say they were ugly, but no one had seen her.


    ¡°A tree like this would¡¯ve burned fast.¡±


    Sienna sometimes climbed trees like that one in Heidel. It was hard on cold days with blizzards, but when summer came, she used to climb thergest tree in thend and watch the knights train from afar. Even in the summer, the amount of snow and ice on the tree was the same, but it did not matter to her.


    She calmly climbed the tree and sat down where she could see the lights.


    ¡°It¡¯s a first for me to witness the Lantern Festival, so I¡¯m excited. No, that¡¯s not right. This isn¡¯t technically my first time, to be precise.¡±


    In the past, Sienna had watched the Lantern Festival every year, all alone in a remote part of the pce.


    Though she had stood alone in that dark and deadly ce, she had felt even greater loneliness when she had thought that those who had flown those countlessnterns had done so with their loved ones. Nheless, the colored paper and the me lights covering the ck night sky made for a spectacr scene. It was a waste to see it alone.


    ¡°But now that I think of it, I¡¯m alone this time as well.¡±


    ¡®Is this my destiny? Is it my destiny to stay alone all the time?¡¯


    Sienna felt lonely, so she shook her head to send those thoughts away.


    ¡®Me fated to be all alone? As if! I¡¯m not an adolescent to mope like that.¡¯


    Currently, she was eighteen years old, so she was in fact a teenager, but she had spent more time and had lived way past that age to be exact. Rather, she was at an age in which she was morefortable being alone. What¡¯s more, she thought she was lucky to see that beautiful sighte to fruition.


    ¡°I should have prepared for it and brought a bottle of wine with me.¡±


    Sienna wanted to drink.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t touched a drink sinceing here. In cold Heidel, I drank a lot to heat up my body.¡±


    Rustle, rustle.


    She could feel someone climbing up the tree, so Sienna looked down, startled.


    People who knew how to climb trees used the momentum of their arms to climb up more easily. She was too afraid to keep looking. Grabbing on to the branch, Sienna wondered if it was a thief. Who else would climb up a tree in a mansion in the middle of the night?


    ¡®If need be, should I stretch out my foot and kick the person?¡¯


    But just before kicking out, she figured out who hade up.


    ¡°Sir Carl?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    After Sienna called his name, he climbed to her level and beckoned her to move sideways. She gave him room to seat, but he sat close to her, as if it was obvious.


    ¡°What brings you here...?¡±


    ¡°Rather than me, what did youe all the way up here for? And in that kind of outfit.¡±


    Carl pointed to Sienna¡¯s skirt with the tip of his chin. Sienna had her skirt up and tied to her waist to make herfortable while climbing, so her pantaloons were exposed.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because she was usually alone that she had not felt embarrassed before, but when he pointed it out, her face immediately turned bright red. She hurriedly untied the hem of her skirt and put it back down.


    ¡°Yourdyship is quite unconventional.¡±


    ¡°I thought no one was around...¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re only mannered in the presence of people, but when there are no others around, you walk around in that kind of outfit?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    He squinted at her denial and made a face of incredulity.


    ¡°More than that, what is your reason foring all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see you and I saw you sitting on this tree. But why are you up here?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see the Lantern Festival. They told me it was dangerous to go out and didn¡¯t let me.¡±


    ¡°It seems more dangerous to climb such a tall tree. Well, I¡¯m d I brought this with me.¡±


    He took a bottle out of his coat. She didn¡¯t know much about alcohol, but the bottle he brought out seemed to be quite fancy by how luxurious thebel was.


    ¡°It looks like a very expensive drink.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s Carbonic, a drink that the emperor himself drinks only sparingly.¡±


    ¡°Is it OK to bring something so precious?¡±


    ¡°Well, we still have twenty-five bottles left.¡±


    His words sounded as if he was saying that there were only twenty-five bottles left in the world. Sienna wanted to ask how he could drink such a precious thing, but she did not do so. If it was really that precious, she wanted to try tasting it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bring a ss?¡± Sienna asked quickly. He gave her a look that told her not to expect the impossible, so she added with a shrug, ¡°If there aren¡¯t any, so be it.¡±


    Then, she took the bottle of liquor from him. She tried to open the bottle, but the bottle was corked, and the cork was sealed with candle wax.


    ¡°Did you bring the opener?¡± Carl gave her an obstinate look, and she asked, ¡°What is it? Is this your first time stealing alcohol to drink?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean steal?! I just brought it with me.¡±


    Carl¡¯s face turned red, and Sienna felt a tingling sensation from seeing him like that. It urred to her that Carl wasn¡¯t everything she knew him to be.


    The Carl she knew had been a tough guy, overwhelmingly beautiful and cold. In the past, he had not been the kind of person who could smile that softly in front of her, but rather, he had seemed more fit to reign alone over everyone.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that because, maybe, I just saw what I wanted to see?¡¯


    It was she who had ignored Carl¡¯s pain and hurt while she had argued about why he hadn¡¯t given her any love. She had forgotten about the very fact that he, too, was a person who had been hurt and also wanted a person from whom to receive affection. She thought it was her fault, and not his, that he had not epted her twisted love.


    ¡®How could I have only paid attention to him as prince and emperor, but not as a person? Did I only see the things I wanted to see and then define that as love...?¡¯


    She questioned the feelings she had had for him.


    ¡®Did I say I loved him only because of his appearance?¡¯


    ¡°What is it? Are you making that look because I didn¡¯t bring the opener? It looked like you were extremely shocked about something.¡±


    Sienna said with disgruntled look, ¡°... It¡¯s something worth being shocked about. I was very pleased to hear you had brought a drink along with you, but what use is it now? We can¡¯t even drink it now. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m fantasizing about some imaginary bottle of alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me,¡± he said.

 Chapter 26: Live To Sienna Pt.26

    <h4>Chapter 26: Live To Sienna Pt.26</h4>


    He took the bottle from Sienna then broke off a branch and began to drill the cork in.


    ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Unlike if he were making a ruckus, the sight of him acting stealthy while opening the bottle made herugh. Carl, who heard herugh, told her not to, but his grumpy words made her unable to stop giggling.


    ¡°What the hell is so funny? Look at this! I opened it.¡±


    Carl handed the bottle of liquor he had opened to Sienna, who held it in both hands and drank from it. It was a very good drink, like he had said. There was a deep vor of expensive alcohol, followed by a sweet, fruity scent.


    Her mouth not only weed the wine, but also some of the pieces of the cork. It was disappointing to have such a good drink like that in that state now, but it still tasted good. Sienna handed him the bottle and pulled the pieces of the cork from her tongue. His clumsy actions were pleasing to her.


    Carl, who drank next, also took the cork pieces off of his tongue. When Carl and Sienna saw each other holding their tongues with their fingers to remove the cork powder, they burst intoughter. Neither of them had had to say anything first.


    ¡°Oh! Look at that.¡±


    Sienna pointed at the night sky. The lights started toe into view one by one.


    ¡°It¡¯s really beautiful,¡± Sienna and Carl said together. Then, they looked at each other and burst intoughter again.


    ¡°This is good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    They exchanged turns drinking from the bottle while watching thenterns hovering through the dark night sky. There was no smile on Sienna¡¯s face.


    It was her first time watching the Lantern Festival with someone else. It was Carl at that too. Sienna turned her head in Carl¡¯s direction.


    A light from the sky lit up Carl¡¯s face, smooth nose and smooth arced lips. Her heart thumped as she looked at his face.


    ¡®My eyes are just too weak when I look at his handsome face.¡¯


    Sienna worked hard to get those thoughts out of her mind. She stopped looking at him and turned her head to the sky of lights rising to heaven.


    ¡®You can¡¯t fail this time. Don¡¯t let this man ruin your work! The reason I¡¯m here is to make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡¯


    To do so, she had to push Carl away even now.


    ¡®But, at least for today...¡¯


    She thought it would be better to let it go today. When she saw him earlier, she was going to tell him her wish, but she wanted to put it off until the next time they met. She knew she shouldn¡¯t be doing it, but...


    ¡°What...?! Are you crying? Are you drunk?¡± Carl asked when he saw her crying out of the blue


    Perhaps due to her having conflicting emotions while in a drunken state, tears gathered around Sienna¡¯s eyes.


    She said, wiping her tears with the back of her arms, ¡°I was overwhelmed by how pretty they are. And when ady shows tears, it¡¯s good manners to pretend that you have not seen them, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    He covered the back of her hand with his hand. That was how Carlforted someone. Feeling his temperature through the back of her hand, Sienna began to cry again.


    ¡®You¡¯d never done this before...¡¯


    ¡°You said before... that you would grant any wish of mine,¡± Sienna said bitingly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Please listen to it.¡±


    ¡®So that I may not remain greedy...¡¯


    ¡°Go ahead and tell me. I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    ¡°Not today. I¡¯ll tell you when I meet you at my debutante banquet. Whatever I say then, please listen to it. And please, keep that promise.¡±


    Carl was very curious about what Sienna wanted him to promise her. However, he couldn¡¯t ask her to tell him now. He felt like he was going to have to wait until that day came.


    As her tears stopped, he said, ¡°You must have a drinking habit since you¡¯re drunk. That¡¯s a bad habit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that habit. And I don¡¯t get drunk from this much. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten drunk even if I¡¯d drunk it all by myself.¡±


    While Sienna kept insisting that she had not drunk enough to be drunk, she started to lose her bnce and senses slowly. Carl was anxious about her falling from the tree. She was insisting that she was fine, but she seemed to be drunk and unaware of the danger of her location.


    ¡°Shall we go down?¡±


    ¡°No. When would I be able to see the Lantern Festival again?¡±


    ¡®There won¡¯t be another time like this, where we¡¯ll watch the Lantern Festival together again.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here until all thosenterns reach the top of the sky.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to be like this... Then...¡±


    Carl pulled Sienna¡¯s back down to where he was sitting. Surprised by his sudden action, Sienna dropped the bottle she was carrying on the ground.


    ¡°What is this!? I dropped the wine! What a waste!¡±


    ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s my fault? I caught you because you seemed drunk. Seeing as how the bottle dropped to the ground, I think it¡¯s rather good that I did.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t drop it because I was drunk, but because Sir Carl suddenly...! That¡¯s what that meant!¡±


    ¡°Why are you protesting so much? You are certainly already drunk. Otherwise, you shouldn¡¯t have let me worry and gone down instead. You¡¯ll get hurt badly if you fall from here.¡±


    As he pressed on furiously, Sienna pouted but remained silent. The night sky was embroidered with more and morenterns.


    ¡°That one! Where do you think all thosenterns are going?¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t they all different? There will be some that¡¯ll fall on roofs and some that¡¯ll go farther with the wind.¡±


    ¡°I hope every one of them goes very far away so that many more people, and not just those in the capital, will be able to see them. A lot of people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I wish for them to go far away.¡±


    ¡°I hope everyone is happy today.¡±


    As happy as she was. Because she was happy to see him and that beautiful scene, she hoped others were happy too.


    ¡®And Carl, I hope you¡¯re happy at this moment. So, I hope I can remember this day and smile. I think that¡¯s enough for me to remind myself of this you that I was able to see under this beautiful scene together.¡±


    The time they had left together wasing to an end, something she didn¡¯t want to happen ever. The number ofnterns climbing the sky had diminished visibly. The mor from the throngs of people that had beening from beyond the mansion disappeared, and the night became quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    There was a sense of regret in Sienna¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Do you think you can go down?¡± Carl asked in a worried tone.


    ¡°Of course. If I was able to get up here, why would you think I wouldn¡¯t be able to get down?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I go down first, you jump for me, and I¡¯ll make sure to catch you?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s suggestion, Sienna replied loudly, ¡°I can definitely get down on my own! Don¡¯t make me crazy. Go down first, and I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡±


    He grabbed her by the arm and tried to help her, but she pushed him and said, ¡°It¡¯s more dangerous for the two of us to go down together. If you go and wait for me down there, I¡¯ll be down in a sh.¡±


    Carl went down first because of her stubbornness. Going up had been easy for him, so he took the same path down the branches and got down just as easily. Sienna grabbed the tree and climbed down while Carl looked up, anxious that she might fall.


    ¡°That branch there seems weak, so hold the one over there.¡±


    Sienna turned her head and looked down, saying, ¡°Stop staring! I¡¯m going down in a skirt.¡±


    ¡°The woman who had originally tied her skirt up around her waist and had not noticed it enough to feel embarrassed, now feels some embarrassment?!¡±

 Chapter 27: Live To Sienna Pt.27 The Gained and The Lost

    <h4>Chapter 27: Live To Sienna Pt.27 The Gained and The Lost</h4>


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought when I still thought I was alone... Ah!¡±


    Sienna¡¯s hand slipped. The more she struggled to keep her bnce, the faster she fell.


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Carl, who opened his arms to receive the falling Sienna, fell back hugging her. Sienna looked like she wasing straight for him. When she raised herself, her face hovered above his closely. Carl¡¯s face was shining brightly even though only the light of the mansion was illuminating the garden.


    They had been facing each other for a long time when Sienna turned her head away first and said, ¡°So, it¡¯s because you kept making me speak that this happened.¡±


    ¡°I looked at you because I was nervous. Look at you! You just fell off like I said you would.¡±


    ¡°It would¡¯ve been OK if you hadn¡¯t spoken to me.¡±


    They argued about each other¡¯s faults with their faces a palm away from each other, so he said first, ¡°Fine. Even if it¡¯s my fault, how long are you going to keep me down like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    When Sienna tried to pull herself up, he pulled on her arm.


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    Sienna fell into Carl¡¯s arms, and he hugged her. He pivoted them with her still in his arms. Unlike before, now Sienna was the one looking up with her back on the ground. All the boyish teasing that had been on Carl¡¯s face before was gone now, and there was no embarrassment from her staring at his serious face.


    ¡°Lady Sienna!¡±


    At that moment, she heard someone¡¯s voice calling for her in the distance.


    At the sound, Carl let Sienna¡¯s arm go. She quickly pulled herself up, and he followed suit.


    ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ll see you at the Debut Ceremony for the Esteemed Daughter of the Waters Family.¡±


    He shook her hand and climbed back up the tree. Then, he disappeared over the wall of the mansion without any hesitation.


    She tried her best to contain the sight of his leaving appearance in her mind. If possible, she wanted to keep all records of that day as it had happened in her memory.


    ¡°Miss!¡± Jane found Sienna and ran out to the garden. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No. I just...¡±


    ¡°Why are you lying here?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see the Lantern Festival, so I went up the tree...¡±


    ¡°No matter how much you wanted to see the Lantern Festival, for heaven¡¯s sakes, does it make sense to put yourself in danger by climbing trees? Miss, you are really...¡±


    Jane nagged at her, but nothing was going in Sienna¡¯s ears. She murmured on while she kept staring at the tree from where he had jumped away.


    ¡°At this rate, what if I get greedy again?¡±


    What should she do if she ended up falling in love with Carl again and became unhappy with her foolish choice? Sienna was terrified of it.


    *


    ¡°The priest has awoken,¡± a maid informed Sienna during her breakfast.


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    She stopped eating and went straight into Roy¡¯s room.


    ¡°Roy!¡±


    ¡°Lady Sienna!¡±


    Sienna felt like she was approaching him about a monthter. Roy still looked pale, but he smiled and weed her.


    ¡°How long have I been asleep for?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for over ten days. You weren¡¯t waking up for so long that I was very nervous about what happened that day. Is that what happens to you when you use your healing powers?¡±


    Roy nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m still weak, so if I push myself more than I¡¯m capable, I fall asleep for a long time. Did Kelly got better after that?¡±


    Sienna replied with a bright expression, ¡°She¡¯s perfect! The doctors said she¡¯spletely cured. No, he said that it¡¯s like she¡¯s someone who¡¯s never gotten ill before. He said it¡¯s a miracle. Thank you very much, Roy. You saved my aunt¡¯s life...¡±


    ¡°No, Sienna and I are friends.¡±


    He gave her a boyish smile and asked if anything had gone amiss with the temple while he had been asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been taking care of the temple, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°But, it hasn¡¯t been easy taking care of the temple alone...¡±


    Sienna shook her head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s the work you¡¯ve always done alone. But, I haven¡¯t actually been taking care of it by myself.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°The children, who have beening to visit the templetely, have been helping me a lot. We cleaned up the ce and fixed the old, run-down chairs...¡±


    Sienna told Roy in detail what had happened at the temple. He seemed excited just to hear the story from her.


    ¡°I really think it was a great blessing from the Goddess of the Earth that I met Sienna,¡± Roy said in a low voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one blessed. If it weren¡¯t for Roy, Aunt Kelly would be... I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t have lived long.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all thanks to Lady Sienna for saving my life.¡±


    Roy put his hand over Sienna¡¯s hand and looked at her with clear eyes for a long time. Sienna, embarrassed by his gaze, turned her head away.


    ¡°I feel that it¡¯s because of the Goddess of the Earth¡¯s grace that I was able to meet Sienna.¡±


    At Roy¡¯s words, Sienna just gave him a shy smile.


    The Gained and The Lost


    ¡°What a lovely thing!¡±


    Kelly was admiring Sienna happily when she walked out in her dress.


    ¡°Thank you for giving me this pretty dress, Aunt Kelly, but I think this gift is too much. I¡¯m sure a dress like this would have been expensive...¡±


    Sienna was unable to buy a decent dress because she had spent the money to buy it to help the children who came to the temple. Luckily, Kelly gave her a dress as a present.


    The dress was very colorful. The sight of the rich folds on the hem of the skirt on her voluminous petticoat was pleasing. It was a dress that seemed expensive at a nce, made of a soft, bright blue cloth and embroidered with colorfulce. It would have certainly cost about two carriages.


    Sienna thought she had received a gift that was too expensive and burdensome. So, Kelly said to her, ¡°You¡¯re Kelly Grinnie¡¯s niece. You need to do this much so that my reputation remains.¡±


    Sienna burst outughing at her words. She liked her aunt, who had recently had her health restored and was now able to speak confidently.


    Knock, knock!


    She heard knocking.


    ¡°Can Ie in for a second?¡±


    It was Jane¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Soon, the door opened, and Jane entered the room. Sienna and Kelly burst into exmations. Jane looked very beautiful.


    ¡°You¡¯re truly beautiful!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought Jane was pretty, but today she¡¯s stunning!¡±


    Sienna was wearing a dress that was lovely and beautiful too, but Jane had a beauty that overwhelmed her opponents.


    Her white skin and clear-cut features contrasted with her coveted brown hair. Moreover, her peach-colored dress, which set off her white skin, caught the gazes of others.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful. I¡¯m sure no one will be prettier than you at the banquet hall.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s praise made her blush with embarrassment.


    ¡°No, miss.¡±


    Jane had been officially admitted as Kelly¡¯s foster daughter just before the ceremony. To be recognized as a noblewoman, she needed to participate in a debut ceremony, so she decided to join the ceremony with Sienna.


    Jane still felt awkward and called Sienna dy,¡¯ as though she didn¡¯t think it real to be a noblewoman yet.


    ¡°Sister, you shouldn¡¯t call medy anymore. Just call me by my name, Sienna. I¡¯ll call you sister from now on. I¡¯m very happy to have such a pretty sister.¡±


    Jane, who was twenty-one years old, waste in holding her ceremony, but under imperialw, she was able to participate in one until the age of twenty-three.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy, too.¡±


    ¡°Come on, sister. You have to talk using informal speech now. People willugh at you when you go out to the banquet hall like that, but no matter what anyone says, you are part of the Grinnie Family now.¡±


    Kelly was originally from the Jaint Family, but her husband¡¯sst name was Grinnie. So, when he died without anyone to pass his family name on to, his wife, Kelly Jaint, inherited the surname Grinnie. Now, Jane had inherited that heritage and be Jane Grinnie. She had be an imposing member of the Grinnie Family.


    Kelly approached Jane, put her hands on her shoulder, and looked into her eyes and said.

 Chapter 28: Live To Sienna Pt.28

    <h4>Chapter 28: Live To Sienna Pt.28</h4>


    Kelly approached Jane, put her hands on her shoulders, looked into her eyes and said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re my daughter now, no matter what anyone says. You must stand tall and with confidence for me, who have taken you in as my adoptive daughter. You are a noble now and should not let anyone tarnish our family name. So, always keep your back straight and be confident. You can do well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    Jane¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, so Kelly wiped them away with a handkerchief.


    Sienna watched them lovingly. It had only been a few weeks since they had formed the bond of parent and child, but their rtionship had been a long and deep one. Those two people, who treated each other caringly, seemed to have already had the strong bond of a mother-daughter rtionship, no matter their circumstances.


    Sienna, Jane, and Kelly got in the carriage that was parked outside. It was not their usual carriage, but a fancy carriage led by six white horses. The outside of the carriage was painted with a shield symbolizing the Grinnie Family, and around it there was an engraving of two lions carrying the shield.


    Sienna took the horseman¡¯s hand first and boarded the carriage. After that, Jane and Kelly did the same. While the three chatted amicably, the carriage slowly headed toward the pce.


    Jane¡¯s hands trembled nervously. That was also the day where she would go from being amoner to formally bing an aristocrat.


    Sienna had shuddered just like her when she had first gone to her debutante ceremony in the past. She had been so nervous that she hadn¡¯t been able to drink a sip of water at the time, and so, she had ended up going to the pce with a paleplexion. Although she had been very nervous, she had certainly held expectations for her banquet since it had been held at the Imperial Pce.


    But the debutante banquet she had experienced had been terrible. She had beenughed at by the other high ss, aristocratic girls, who had worn stylish dresses and expensive cosmetics. She had been repeatedly teased by them, being constantly called a ¡°countryside hick.¡±


    Sienna had not been able to refute the remark because she had felt very shabby byparison in that rustic dress. All she had been able to do was hide herself in a corner of the banquet hall and swallow her tears.


    ¡°Sister, if there are people at the banquet who are disrespectful to you...¡±


    Sienna gave her calm advice, recalling the tricks that had disgraced her at that time, when she had known nothing. Jane listened silently to Sienna¡¯s words, a tense expression on her face. Kelly, beside them, listened to Sienna and burst intoughter.


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s amazing! Who would believe you if you were to say that this is your first time attending a debutante ceremony today? Sienna, where in the world did you learn those things?¡±


    Sienna seemed to have unintentionally said too much. Like Kelly had said, it was not something a girl from the outskirts of the capital who had never participated in a banquet should have actually known.


    ¡°Chelsea told me.¡±


    Sienna used Chelsea as her excuse. It was strange that Kelly, amoner who had lived in Heidel for a long time, would have known of such information, but she had no proper excuse. Luckily, Kelly didn¡¯t keep prying.


    The carriage, which had passed through the front gates of the Imperial Pce, had toe to a full stop well across the garden that the gardeners had arranged for the asion. At the front of the pce, the nobles stepped off their carriages and entered the banquet hall.


    The Sun was sinking. Full-scale banquets were better at night.


    Sienna and Jane followed Kelly into the banquet hall. Kelly knew how to walk with grace, though it was her first appearance at a banquet in a long time ago. Jane¡¯s steps resembled hers.


    Sienna could walk in line with aristocratic manners like them, but she strode without caring about her steps. Having been in the city for nearly five years, she could have done as well as the etiquette teacher had taught her, but she didn¡¯t.


    The gatekeeper opened the door to the banquet hall. As soon as he did, she heard the sound of music being yed by musicians and theughter of those who were enraptured by those telling stories.


    As they entered the hall, the splendid interior decoration caught their attention. While any banquet hosted by the Imperial Court was equally sumptuous, the debutante banquets were held on a particrly colorful andrge scale. Usually, only aristocrats from the capital were allowed to participate in gatherings at the pce, but the debutante ceremonies were even grander because even the children of far-off aristocrats were allowed to participate.


    Nobles were obligated to hold a debutante banquet only once to show themselves to the emperor. Only then, were they recognized for their status as nobility.


    That was the tradition of the Laifsden Empire, though it served more as a way to disy the power of the emperor and strength the empire. It was a rite of passage that moved one into adulthood, where one was not protected, but rather, was able to start a strong family.


    In the past, men who attended debutante ceremonies used to fight knights, while women used to wear goats¡¯ blood, but now, attending a debutante ceremony has be much simpler. The focus was meeting other aristocrats and being recognized for stepping into high society.


    Kelly led Sienna and Jane around and introduced them to people. In the past, it had not been easy to be introduced like that due to Kelly¡¯s failing health, but now, many people had been introduced to to Sienna.


    Many people to notice of Jane, partly due to her unusual circumstances in rising to nobility by bing the daughter of Kelly Grinnie. However, her beauty was ying an evenrger part.


    Male or female, she easily blinded the eyes gazing upon her. Jane had a charm that attracted others to her.


    There were people who were naturally born with such things. People who attracted others¡¯ attention even if they didn¡¯t have something visibly special about them. Sienna looked at Jane and remembered Carl. He was also one of those people with that ability.


    By the time the banquet ended, Empress Arya and Prince Valore entered the banquet hall.


    Sienna watched Empress Arya¡¯s gait, which was as graceful as always. Her desire to break her white, slender neck, which was raised upright, burned within her hands.


    ¡®Should I put aside all thoseplicated thoughts of revenge and instead, strangle that neck to death with my hands right now, at this very moment?¡¯


    Sienna could not ovee the desire boiling within her heart, so she took her eyes away from Arya, fearing that she might cause an incident. Sienna sent her gaze to the feet that followed behind her, to the prince.


    Prince Valore looked really weak. He had dark brown eyes and in brown hair. At first nce, his mother, Empress Arya, seemed very intimidating.


    It didn¡¯t seem easy to live as Arya¡¯s son, for Sienna knew just how terrible her desires. Sienna felt pity for Arya¡¯s rtives. Sienna knew that the prince was not at all interested in politics. His delicate and sensitive personality was more in touch with the arts than matters of state, and Arya disapproved the point.


    As Empress Arya sat at the top, Valor headed to the musicians. He looked at the musicians with envious eyes. There was something she remembered when she saw that scene, so Sienna turned to Arya sitting at the table.


    ¡°As I suspected.¡±


    Although she had a benevolent smile, Sienna could see, at a nce, how ufortable she was. Arya was scratching her armrest with her fingernails.


    A smile crept up on Sienna¡¯s mouth when she saw it. She couldn¡¯t break Arya¡¯s neck, but at least, she thought of a way she could upset her. Sienna mumbled to herself, estimating her skills.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, so I don¡¯t know if I can pull it off well.¡±


    While the piano yer was away, Prince Valore settled in front of the piano and caught up with the musicians¡¯ performance with dexterity.


    The expression on the face of the empress, who had been trying hard to keep her facial expressions intact, copsed. Her bright face turned red with fever.


    In Laifsden, the piano was a woman¡¯s instrument. The act of standing upright and ying a white keyboard with a slender figure was a symbol of aristocratic spirituality.

 Chapter 29: Live To Sienna Pt.29

    <h4>Chapter 29: Live To Sienna Pt.29</h4>


    The prince ying an instrument in front of people was a disgraceful act, which would cause others to gossip. What was more was that it just had to be a piano. The act was uneptable for her, who wanted to wield power by setting her son up as emperor.


    In the past, Arya had chased the musicians away. Valore, who had ended up ying the piano alone, had finally quit ying under her cold eyes and left. It was the same again this time. As he yed the piano to the tune of the band, Arya ordered the band to step down.


    The band members began to leave their seats with their musical instruments in tow, but Sienna approached one, who was holding the violin, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just borrow this for a moment.¡±


    She knew that a musical instrument was like a lover to a musician, so they wouldn¡¯t lend it to others, but she couldn¡¯t help it. Sienna told the musician she would use the instrument with the utmost care and return it soon, supporting the violin between her chin and shoulder.


    Valore¡¯s performance slowed down as the other instruments stopped ying. He seemed to be starting to wonder if he should stop ying there, but Sienna stood by the piano before his eyes moved to Arya. Then, she began to y the violin to his music.


    As Valore¡¯s eyes met hers, Sienna faced him and smiled. She wished he had heard her voice saying, ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t be scared of those cold eyes.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s performance matched the pace of the tempo that had already slowed down. She knew the music being yed, so she yed the violin ordingly.


    She hadn¡¯t yed the violin in a long time, so it was far beyond her ability to keep up with him at first. But soon, the sounds of the two instruments began to blend well, beginning to sound like the sound of one instrument. Valore led the notes with dexterity. Had it not been for the prince¡¯s status, he might have made a great name as a musician.


    People in the banquet hall began to rush in and around Sienna. Although some might have thought that they couldn¡¯t miss the rare sight of the prince, who was not a musician, ying the piano, his skills were far superior than anybody realized. Whatever his status was, his feat of drawing people¡¯s attention was amazing.


    Although Sienna jumped in to pick on Arya, ying along with the notes he yed was really pleasant. So eventually, she forgot why she had joined the performance in the first ce and enjoyed hispany.


    Valore¡¯s ying was different from what she had seen before. That young man who had always looked at Arya with his shoulders hunched while staying alert of her presence was nowhere to be found. His piano-ying skills as he led the notes seemed more courageous than anyone else and contained more masculinity than ever before. Unlike the soft notes he was ying, his bright smile seemed more vigorous than anyone else¡¯s.


    The performance wasing to an end, so Valore winked at Sienna to announce the end of the song. The finishing part was yed fast with more colorful techniques. The sound of the piano and the violin¡¯s performance exploded, shaking the banquet hall, and it ended in splendor.


    After a brief pause, one by one the people around them started to apud. The sound soon filled the banquet hall. Sienna found Carl staring at her and Valore with a stiff expression among those pping. She questioned his angry-looking face, but soon, he smiled and shook his head from side to side.


    ICarl¡¯s angry face wasn¡¯t new. What had been rather unfamiliar for her had been the times she had seen him make expressions of pain due to his injury while he was passed out at the temple, him sweating cold while sleeping, and him smiling at her mischievously while shaking a bottle of wine. Carl¡¯s face Sienna knew had always held contempt for her.


    Aside from that, Carl didn¡¯t show anything else to her, except a smile sometimes when he and Bluebell were seen together. Nevertheless, she thought he was the most beautiful, most eye-catching, most noble man in the world.


    As she stood eye to eye with Carl, she imagined and felt the warmth of grabbing his fingertips. When she turned around, she saw Valore and gave him a nod. It was a sign that they should say hello together. Still, the apuse did not abate. They greeted the crowd while Valore held Sienna¡¯s hand, and Sienna curtsied ordingly.


    After greeting the crowd, Valore kissed the back of Sienna¡¯s hand and asked her name. Before Sienna could answer, Arya pierced between them.


    ¡°Prince Valore.¡±


    The cold voice hardened Valore¡¯s body. His eyes, which had just given off an intelligent energy, were clouded once again. He walked out of the banquet hall alongside Arya with his shoulders dropping. Sienna¡¯s wrist was captured by someone while she was looking back achingly at Valore.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Prince!¡±


    Without an exmation from him, Carl led Sienna to the balcony.


    The first prince leading the way while grabbing onto a person of nobility whose name wasn¡¯t known drew lots of attention. Naturally, many people turned their gazes to them. Sienna covered her face with her hands to avoid the prickly nces.


    The fact that she had been led by Carl¡¯s hand would certainly get to the Empress¡¯ ears. Those who wanted to make Valore the emperor would tell her even the smallest things rted to Carl.


    What Arya wanted next to Carl was a powerless, rural girl who knew nothing about politics. Sienna was worried that what happened might affect her marriage to Carl.


    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it. There¡¯s no substitute for me.¡¯


    Arya couldn¡¯t bring in any of the irretrievabledies who knew of nothing and ce one of them by Carl. Since he already had a fianc¨¦e named Bluebell Fair, she had to have someone else to put forward rather than have Bluebell be presented as Carl¡¯spanion. She couldn¡¯t find a recement that would measure as well as ¡®the only daughter of a duke.¡¯ At least, she couldn¡¯t one within the Laifsden Empire.


    Carl didn¡¯t much want to be part of the banquet. However, it was hard to miss a debutante banquet. That was to be the biggest banquet of the annual events, and it was a good opportunity to attract young talents who were not yet part of the powerhouses backing Empress Arya.


    In particr, he had to draw in the children of the local forces. There were no new figures in the capital to draw to his side as of yet.


    Therefore, he participated in the banquet early on and talked to those who dreamed of writing about the Imperial Family and instilled hope in them. Having been busy recruiting them, he hadn¡¯t even known that Sienna had entered the banquet hall.


    It was the Valore¡¯s performance with her that enabled him to find her. People crowded in to see Valore ying the piano in the midst of the musicians. It was a pathetic act in the eyes of the nobility for a prince to y an instrument in public, and it was also not a virtue as an aristocrat.


    It was like he was ying with white, delicate hands, as if those hands had never held a sword before, making it seem impossible to find any calluses on those hands of his. Even his performance was hesitant since he yed conscious of his mother¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Ignorant fool!¡±


    As the band members packed up, people left their seats one by one after the increasingly dull performance. It was also time for Carl to turn around, but then, he saw a familiar figure going toward Valore. It was Sienna, lit up by a chandelier and with gold-lit red hair and provocative bird-blue eyes.


    She looked different than usual. All the times they had met before, Sienna had looked messy. When he had been hurt, her clothes had been stained by the medicine she had concocted, along with some of his blood that had sprayed on her. When he had opened his eyes from sleeping, she had seemed disheveled. At the National Day Festival, she had been wearing a skirt that she had tied up to her waist, so he had seen her undergarments.


    Carl was a little surprised to see Sienna dressed up for the day. She was wearing a beautiful, blue dress with her hair neatly tied up, which entuated the characteristics of her white neckline and even the pale freckles on her nose, which was not covered in makeup.

 Chapter 30: Live To Sienna Pt.30

    <h4>Chapter 30: Live To Sienna Pt.30</h4>


    That was when Carl tried to call her name, but she suddenly grabbed the instrument from the performer and began to perform with Valore. They were both so friendly to each other that it gave them the appearance of having yed together for a long time. Carl¡¯s fist started overflowing with strength then.


    ¡°I guess the capital sure is different. I get to enjoy a lot of rare sights.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I was able to watch ady who resembles a violin y one. Interesting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something never seen before. The prince ying a women¡¯s piano, and a nobledy ying the violin, the instrument of men!¡±


    The men were looking at her with hunger in their eyes, as if they were choosing a whore. Even though they were the first ones to talk to herter, Carl had the thought of wanting to rip them apart piece by piece right away.


    ¡°I knew that the second prince was very artistic and good at arts, but I didn¡¯t know that the second prince¡¯s artistic prowess was that deep,¡± one of the people in the crowd said as if she¡¯d known all along.


    Out of the blue, Princess Marie got mentioned. Marie Panacio was Prince Valore¡¯s wife, with whom he had had a very extravagant wedding the year before. Sienna was being mistaken for her, so Carl opened his mouth then, unable to allow such misunderstanding any longer, ¡°She is not the wife of the Second Crown Prince.¡±


    The men, who were surprised by Carl¡¯s response and wanted to know more, asked again, ¡°Then, who is that woman?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl couldn¡¯t bring himself to answer that question. It was then that Valore had kissed the back of Sienna¡¯s hand after the performance, which caught everyone¡¯s attention, leading their conversation to a halt. If Arya hadn¡¯t stepped in, he might have stepped up first.


    Carl started to be very upset when he saw her looking at the sad Valore, who was being led away by Arya¡¯s hand. Without thinking twice, he grabbed her wrist and brought her out to the balcony.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Sienna, who was gued by other thoughts, made a thoughtless, surprised sound.


    ¡°I¡¯m at a loss for words.¡±


    Carl¡¯s expression after leading Sienna to the terrace was indescribably distorted. As if having yed the violin in a performance with Valore at the banquet hall wasn¡¯t enough, she was still able to have other thoughts.


    ¡°Miss Waters.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Carl called her name that Sienna came to her senses in a hurry. She gave him a small curtsy.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to give my greetings to the First Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say hello to me like that. Since when are you so polite to me? It¡¯s alright to stay rxed.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Sienna took off her shoes as soon as she heard Carl say those words. The shoes, which were high-heeled, were quite stiff and heavy because of the poor cushioning within them, so the mere act of wearing them was difficult.


    The cool texture of terrace marble was transferred to the soles of her feet. Her skin, which had been reddened by the rough leather texture, seemed to have calmed down a little.


    It was a pleasure to receive a dress as a gift from Aunt Kelly, but wearing a dress that straddled the waist and emphasized femininity with its voluptuous skirt, which was now in vogue in the capital, was nothing short of torture. Even though the banquet had started just after sunset, she had had to go without water since the beginning of the morning to have her corset tightened.


    Moreover, she had had to keep her hair in line with thetest fashion, so she had put it on an iron rod heated in a brazier when her auntmented that hairstyles could not be normal. She had been very anxious that they might burn her face that she had sweated through the whole process.


    The fancy dress was as ufortable as it was beautiful. Moreover, the clothes were very heavy due to the hanging jewels. She wanted to take off not only her shoes, but also the dress and the corset that were tightening her body, but she was not yetpletelyfortable in front of the opposite sex.


    The only things she took off were her shoes, but she finally looked at Carl. It was not until she saw his astonished gaze that Sienna thought she was being too much.


    The capital was also a ce of etiquette, even when it came to drinking water. It was OK to expose a woman¡¯s shoulders or wear deeply plunging clothes, but the act of showing her feet to the opposite sex not to be considered in that ce.


    Even more so in front of men and in the presence of the prince of this empire. It was natural for him to be rmed.


    ¡°The new god is so hard. It¡¯s because my feet hurt so much.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s voice dwindled because even she thought that excuse wasn¡¯t enough to justify her act and exin her taking off her shoes.


    She thought he¡¯dugh at her for being a little rustic, but there was no big change in his expression. He bent to one knee under Sienna¡¯s foot. Surprised by his sudden action, she took a step back.


    Carl took a handkerchief out from his chest andid it on the floor.


    ¡°The floor is cold, so...¡±


    ¡®Oh, my goodness.¡¯


    Sienna was at a loss for his strange behavior. Carl was on his knees. Now, a prince, but in the future, the emperor. He was the noblest man in Laifsden. He, who had no need to bow to anyone, was kneeling in her presence.


    Carl rose slowly. He reached out to Sienna with a soft smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand on the floor. Get up on it.¡±


    Sienna gently put her hand on his palm. The warmthing from his own palm passed onto her hand as both hands came into contact.


    As she took a step toward him, she felt the soft silk he hadid under her feet. It felt cozy andfortable, as if she was on a cushion with a thin cloth on it.


    A cool gust of wind blew. The sound of the rustling of leaves from the trees nted in the garden was like the sound of waves. The cool wind chilled Sienna¡¯s chest.


    He was such a kind person now, but she asked herself why he had been so cold and distant to her in the past. Out of the blue, Sienna felt emotional and choked up. She turned her gaze out toward the terrace, not knowing what harsh words mighte out her mouth after gazing into his eyes.


    Her mind had beplicated, and the word ¡®if¡¯ had taken over her head.


    If in the past, he had treated her¡ªno, things now weren¡¯t going the way they had in the past¡ªif he had treated her with a little bit of affection, if he had admitted that he was hispanion, then she wouldn¡¯t have unintentionally joined Queen Arya¡¯s side... But, would she have still made that terrible choice? If he had also given her the friendly looks he used for Bluebell, she might not have soaked in that terrible sense of defeat.


    She knew how futile ¡®if¡¯ was. She knew he had had no choice but to act so.


    It had been a wedding that he hadn¡¯t wanted, the wedding that he hadn¡¯t even wanted to be present for. He had already had a fianc¨¦e, so even the wedding had been arranged by Empress Arya. The woman who had tried to take Carl¡¯s life many times, and who had been the culprit in expelling him to the battlefields of war.


    So, it had been natural for Carl to distance himself from Sienna, thinking she might be on Arya¡¯s side. Considering herst choice of epting Arya¡¯s offer to make Joseph the emperor, that perception was not that wrong, though she hadn¡¯t known anything of what might follow. Still, she had mixed feelings.


    She knew how irrational she was even now, but herplex feelings toward Carl could not be easily sorted out. She wished she hadn¡¯t found out that he could be warm to others like this. If he had only been kind and friendly to his beloved Bluebell, she wouldn¡¯t have felt this way.

 Chapter 31: Live To Sienna Pt.31

    <h4>Chapter 31: Live To Sienna Pt.31</h4>


    She looked down at her hand. It was still in contact with Carl¡¯s hand, so he slowly let go.


    ¡°Do you remember?¡± Sienna hoped that her voice would not be filled with herplicated feelings. ¡°You said you¡¯d grant me any wish of mine, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I remember. Tell me, what¡¯s your wish?¡±


    ¡°Please, divorce me.¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna, wondering if he had heard her wrong. His face filled with questions. He couldn¡¯t believe that she was asking for a divorce.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Please, divorce me in five years. That¡¯s my wish.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    It would have been less ridiculous to ask for a Royal Gazette or to say that she wanted to see a dragon who had now be a deluded god. To talk of divorce so abruptly...


    ¡°Is there another meaning to the word divorce that is not to my knowledge? Or, do you really not know the word divorce?¡±


    ¡°I know that divorce leads to the end of a marriage between two people.¡±


    ¡°If you really want a divorce, I think you are missing the problem that you and I need to be married first in order to do so. Rather, you should have just told me that your wish was to be my princess.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t have to wish for that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re speaking as if it¡¯s only natural that you will be my princess.¡±


    The moonlight clouded over. Carl¡¯s face was also shaded, but curiosity crept over his face covered by shadows. She pressed on as if they would get married no matter what, but also demanded for a divorce for a marriage which hadn¡¯t happened yet. He was sure that no one in his life had ever attracted as much attention from him as she had done so far. He was also sure that he would never meet another person who would draw him in so closely.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it¡¯s going to turn out.¡±


    Carl was left speechless by Sienna¡¯s confident response.


    Sienna headed toward the railing. She could feel the touch of the cold marble, not the handkerchief he hadid down. The cold from the tips of her toes cooled her head.


    ¡®Yes. My choice won¡¯t be wrong. This is the best I can do.¡¯


    She leaned her upper body against the railing. Even though it was a low railing, at three stories high, the whole garden was visible at a nce. The trees nted in time looked the same as each other, appearing as twins. There was not a single fallen leaf in the walkway surrounded by the trees.


    ¡®How many people manage this vast garden?¡¯


    Sienna tried to contain different thoughts within her. Otherwise, she felt like she was going to spit out another word. She wanted to tell him that she took back her wish for divorce. She still had lingering feelings for him. There was no way to know whether her foolish feelings were a remnant of the past or part of some present greed. But, she knew she shouldn¡¯t be with him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t forget that the person he loves is Bluebell, not you.¡¯ She shouldn¡¯t be greedy this time. If she was greedy again, she would have to live her terrible life again. She knew better than anyone what terrible choices her greed and jealousy could spawn.


    Carl broke the silence first when Sienna kept her mouth shut for a long time, ¡°Why are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m saying. There¡¯s also Duchess Fair, who is already your match. I¡¯m sure you think the Peers will somehow proceed with the marriage between Your Highness, the Crown Prince, and Lady Fair.¡±


    The Peers were thergest group of Carl¡¯s supporters. They were an emerging family, who had grown in capital and power through trade. Although their history was not extensive yet, the Peers were wielding great power due to their enormous financial resources. That is why Empress Arya was the most in checkable family.


    As Sienna remembered, the owner of Liquid had failed toe to his senses due to old age. He needed to choose a sessor from his two sons¨CGarrite and Kenyon. Kenyon, the eldest son and Bluebell¡¯s father, took control of the castle and the business when his brother failed to make the correct judgments while in the capital. Upon learning of the matter btedly, Count Peer must have hurried back to his estate. The two brothers¡¯ session battle, which began after that, hadsted for two years, leaving Peer unable to afford to care about Arya¡¯s push for the marriage between Sienna and Carl.


    It would not be until a few yearster that the second son, Garrite, would be known to have prepared the rebellion under the influence of Queen Arya. In the past, before Sienna returned to the present, Lady Fair had protested to Empress Arya, but Arya had simply asked for some money, which Lady Fair didn¡¯t know would be used to fund the rebellion. On the contrary, Count Peer made a fuss, saying that the money she was lent was lent under the Peer Family¡¯s name (oath), and that she had to pay that money back.


    This Empress plot had already begun, so Sienna had no time to waste.


    Count Peer should already be back at his own estate. Unaware of this, the Peer brothers, Kenyon and Garrite, should have already started their war. News of it did not spread quickly because they kept it within the family.


    ¡°At this point, Count Peer should have returned to his estate. While he¡¯s away, she won¡¯t be able to marry Carl. As you know, without Count Peer, there is no pir to keep Empress Arya in check.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you heard about Count Peer leaving the capital, but how can you be sure of our marriage?¡±


    ¡°Count Peer will not be able toe back to the capital for at least two years. He went back to his estate due to a family inheritance dispute.¡±


    Carl thought Sienna kept on saying things that hadn¡¯t urred to him. She was just too sure for him to ignore what she was saying, as if she had seen the future.


    ¡°A few years ago, while Peer was away, there were frequent deaths and lots of bodies being brought in for medical treatment. Most of them were from old age, but in such a short period of time, there was no reason why as many as five elders would die from the same cause. What¡¯s more, if all the elders who were reced after their deaths came from knighthood, that would be all the more doubtful.¡±


    Kenyon and Garrite were brothers, but they had different names. While Kenyon was a politician, Garrite, who had a delicate character, had been awarded knighthood for his generous character. That was why Kenyon was supported by tattoos (thugs), and Garrite by knights.


    ¡°And ording to the information I have, a lot of mercenaries are staying there. Isn¡¯t it strange that they¡¯re recruiting mercenaries now when they didn¡¯t even in times of monster attacks?¡±


    Since monsters oftene down from the mountains to attack the private estates when they ran short of food, the tobeol usually happened inte autumn, before winter began. Even though there were knights and soldiers in each of the castle estates, it often took mercenaries to fill a small minority ofnds. Nevertheless, they required a lot of money to keep them stationed there. (Trantor¡¯s note: tobeol ¨C no specific term for this word, which means it was made up. In my opinion, it¡¯s the name they use for when monsterse out more often in hunt for food before their hibernation)


    But the Peers did not need any mercenaries. They had enough knights. Moreover, as Sienna said, it was not the right time to hunt monsters.


    Carl was inwardly impressed by Sienna¡¯s remarkable intelligence. She knew exactly what she was saying.


    ¡°Even if Count Peer stays far away for a long time due to family problems, wouldn¡¯t that be even more reason for us not marrying?¡±


    ¡°The reason I can speak so confidently is because of the conditions that Empress Arya wants.¡±


    Carl¡¯s eyes narrowed when Arya¡¯s name came out of Sienna¡¯s mouth. That was how much Carl was careful about the empress.

 Chapter 32: Live To Sienna Pt.32

    <h4>Chapter 32: Live To Sienna Pt.32</h4>


    ¡°What kind of conditions does Empress Arya want?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t show you the evidence, but I understand that the source of the money that went to Garrite Fair the overflow of a boon connected to the Panicios, a family close to Empress Arya.¡±


    Carl raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°So, what then?¡±


    ¡°The reason why Empress Arya even gave Garrite Fair money to have Count Peer go away was to prevent the marriage between you, the Crown Prince, and Duchess Fair. The time-consuming efforts of the empress would otherwise be wasted. Because you¡¯re young and she¡¯s young, it wouldn¡¯t matter if your marriage was dyed. The best way to stop you is to marry you to someone from another family. Someone who¡¯s also disconnected from her family, who would be easy to grab and twist around, because that kind of marriage wouldn¡¯t give you any political power.¡±


    Carl, who was listening to Sienna with a stiff expression, asked, ¡°Is that what you say?¡±


    Sienna nodded. Seeing her confident face, Carl¡¯s expression hardened even more.


    ¡°But they can¡¯t just bring any kind of girl as a marriage partner for you. Because Empress Arya won¡¯t be able to find a target to easily control and wield power over, the question is not finding someone close who can take the ce of Duchess Fair. There¡¯s no one like that. Butl, there is a noble family that is by far the furthest away from the capital, and my father, who is the head of that family, is unable to leave Heidel due to the nature of the manor. Its ce and position hold no political authority, but he still retains the title of duke. On the surface, his rank is even higher than Count Peer¡¯s. Even if the empress were to continue with her ns to marry me with you, even against the emperor¡¯s authority, you would still have the authority to oppose it. You could argue that you need to be married to someone of much higher rank for the honor of the Imperial Family.¡±


    ¡°You have a point. But as you said a little while ago, I¡¯m not in a hurry to get married, so it should be enough to refuse the marriage.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know better than anyone that you can¡¯t do that, Your Highness?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl closed his mouth.


    ¡°I was expecting that, but after attending today¡¯s banquet, I was made even more certain. The emperor¡¯s health is in critical condition right now. Debutante banquets are one of the biggest events in the empire. There¡¯s a lot of meaning behind the emperor¡¯s absence. It means he couldn¡¯t show his face for even a moment at such a big event. Since he has been absent from many of the political meetings for a long time, it has been a while since Empress Arya reced him, so many nobles must be concerned about the emperor¡¯s well-being.¡±


    If the emperor died, then a sessor had to be chosen between Carl and Valore. If so, imperialw stated that, if there were multiple, the Crown Prince who was married would inherit the throne.


    Valore had held a wedding ceremonyst year, but his older brother, Carl, was still unmarried. So, Carl¡¯s faction would put pressure on him to marry quickly, and Valore¡¯s faction would use that as an excuse to pressure him politically. In other words, Carl would no longer be able to postpone his marriage.


    Carl nodded. In fact, he was still under pressure to marry. However, he could not proceed with his marriage with Bluebell because she had yet to hold a debutante ceremony.


    Although the power of the Peers had been strong enough to dy the decision until now, like Sienna had said, if the political position of the Peers was undermined, the issue of marriage would be raised yet again.


    Even Carl thought Sienna¡¯s words were quite logical. If it turned out to be like how Sienna had insisted it would be, then he was sure she would be his queen. If he opposed it, he might be able to drag the clock, but it was almost impossible to stop it at the source. Arya had both great support from her powerhouses and a good justification.


    ¡®A marriage with Sienna.¡¯


    To be honest, it didn¡¯t sound bad to him. Arya might think she¡¯d found a pushover, but in his eyes, Sienna was anything but easy to sway.


    Sienna, with that much insight into the situation, could not be Arya¡¯s puppet, to swing around in the direction she wanted. Moreover, rather than marrying a total stranger, marrying Sienna didn¡¯t sound terrible to him.


    He did not have any foolish ideas of marrying a loved one, for his seat could not bear the weight. The engagement with Bluebell had been a choice to gain himself some political advantage. Of course, he had known her for a long time, so he didn¡¯t hate her.


    However, Carl still couldn¡¯t understand what she had meant, even after Sienna¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°Why the divorce?¡±


    Even if their marriage was going to happen like Sienna had stated, he couldn¡¯t understand how her wish was to get divorced from him.


    ¡°...¡±


    She couldn¡¯t answer his question easily.


    ¡®What should I say? That I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to fall in love with you? That I¡¯m afraid of falling in love once again, and that blinded by that foolish love, I¡¯m afraid to bring about shockingly terrible urrences. Or that I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to be greedy and blow away my hard-won opportunity for revenge.¡¯


    Sienna couldn¡¯t bear to open her mouth. She just looked at his warm, olive-colored eyes.


    Carl¡¯s olive eyes were dark brown because of the darkened sky. The darkness could not take away all of his charm, even though his blond hair had also lost its shade and glow for there was no Sun. Every time Carl blinked, his long eyshes moved in a flutter.


    Carl was a beautiful man even with the dark shadows that formed under his eyes. It might have been natural for the eighteen-year-old, young Sienna to have fallen in love with him. It seemed more difficult not to fall in love with him now than to defy natural events.


    No longer confident in facing him, she turned her back toward him.


    ¡°Is there someone you love?¡±


    Sienna held back augh from Carl¡¯s wild question. Because she kept pushing for a divorce, did he think of it as an expression of dissatisfaction with an unwanted marriage because he thought she had someone else she loved? Well, she had already told a man with whom she wasn¡¯t married yet to divorce her.


    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s a love that can¡¯t be achieved with that person? Does he have someone else? Or is it because there¡¯s a wall between you two because of rank? Is he amoner or a ve, or a priest who can¡¯t marry?¡±


    Sienna released a dishearteningugh at his question. After hearing the smolderingugh, Carl grabbed her arm and set her forward. She opened her eyes wide in surprise after being turned around with such force.


    He grabbed her arms and asked, face-to-face, ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? Why don¡¯t you answer?¡±


    Carl growled like a ferocious beast trying to bite off her neck at any moment. The hand holding Sienna¡¯s arm was so strong that she made an expression of pain.


    ¡°It hurts. Let me go, please.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Siennained about the pain that he pulled his hands off her arms. Carl¡¯s expression clouded over when he saw his handprints remained on her skin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it hurt.¡±


    An apologetic Carl was indeed unfamiliar to her.


    ¡°You said you would fulfill my one wish. You didn¡¯t say that I had to state the reason for it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t promise not to ask either. Answer me. Do you have someone you love?¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t see why he was so insistent on that question.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to say. Please, keep your promise to me anyway. I¡¯m sure you made the promise in the name of your status as prince. If you know of honor, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll keep that promise.¡±


    ¡°What if your mind changes? What happens if your mind changes about that person, and you don¡¯t want a divorce?¡±

 Chapter 33: Live To Sienna Pt.33

    <h4>Chapter 33: Live To Sienna Pt.33</h4>


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any chance of that.¡±


    ¡°What a sure answer you have.¡±


    ¡®Because I shouldn¡¯t.¡¯


    That was why Sienna was able to answer firmly that there won¡¯t be a change. Because those incidents could not repeat themselves. The pain of a one-sided love was enough for her as well.


    ¡°If by chance I change my mind and forget our promise, then please remind me. Push me away. Please, tell me over and over again to divorce you.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be difficult. He had done it before. He could do it again just like that. All he had to do was to treat her like the person he didn¡¯t love while ignoring her, not looking at her, and continue to love Fair, whom he had loved so much. She had realized that even if she were to be reborn again, she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold onto him with only her feelings of love, so she decided to throw away the lingering feelings she still had for him with sorrow in her heart.


    ¡°Why do you want a divorce so much?¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t understand why he looked so bitter. Carl looked at her with even more pressure when she didn¡¯t give him an answer. He gazed at Sienna as if he had no idea.


    There was a long, dark shadow under his feet. He stared at Sienna as if to say he couldn¡¯t understand her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do that for sure. As you wish. I promised you in my name, so I¡¯ll keep the promise.¡±


    After seeing Carl¡¯s hurtful look, Sienna felt an instinct to catch him. She reached out and grabbed his sleeve.


    Not throwing her hand away, Carl stood still and asked, ¡°Why are you holding me back? Do you have any other wishes?¡±


    Her actions had risen out of thought for her having caught him had been just a reaction. She had done so instinctively. That was why Sienna didn¡¯t answer his words quickly.


    ¡°I wonder what your wish will be this time.¡±


    ¡°...I have a proposal to make, not a wish.¡±


    ¡°Proposal?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me?¡±


    Carl looked at her hand holding his sleeve, unaware of what Sienna meant.


    ¡°....¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s unite, you and me.¡±


    Carl had no choice but to bite back again this time. To unite? His face hardened.


    *


    At the time of theing-of-age ceremony, the cold presence of winter had still lurked about, but now, it smelled quite like spring. The streets looked bright thanks to the flowers that were showing their bright faces everywhere.


    ¡°I heard you had a debutante ceremony a while ago. Congrattions on youring of age!¡±


    Roy gave Sienna a congrattory greeting with a flushed face. He looked like a boy when she saw his cheeks dyed apricot. It was amazing that he could perform healing as young as he seemed.


    ¡°Please, take this.¡±


    Roy shyly held out a bouquet of flowers. A variety of colorful wildflowers were grouped together to show off their voracious light. Sienna thanked him with both hands. She dipped her nose into the bouquet of flowers and inhaled the fragrance to the full. A soft smile formed around her mouth.


    ¡°It really smells good. I think I¡¯ll have a good dream if I leave it by my bedside.¡±


    He scratched the back his head shyly when he saw she was pleased.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal...¡±


    She called a maid in to bring a vase and ordered her to leave it on the table in her room.


    ¡°I have something for you too.¡±


    Sienna held out a well-made, brown-colored robe to him.


    ¡°Are you giving this to me?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to prepare a colorful robe, but I heard that only dark brown and ck robes can be considered priestly garments for the Goddess of the Earth faith.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s so cool! I like it!¡±


    The robe given by Sienna as a present appeared no different than the one that Roy was wearing now since the clothes were of the same color, though of different sizes and materials. Nevertheless, he was very happy.


    Sienna was d that Roy liked the priestly garment. In fact, she wanted to give him a bigger present. She was worried that it would be too shameless to give him a robe as a gift after two weeks of unconsciousness because of her request of him to save her aunt Kelly, but his joy made her feel much lighter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try it on right away.¡±


    Roy flung his robe off on the spot and changed his clothes.


    The buttonless robe had to be lifted up and taken off from the head. It was different from a cape that could be worn lightly. It was never something to be changed out of in front of others. Roy, of course, did not reveal his naked body because he was wearing a white tunic underneath the robe.


    Sienna burst outughing when she btedly realized how awkward she felt with his actions, which were very natural. Roy, who only realized what he had done after hearing herugh, had his ears tinged with red.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s... I was so happy to receive the gift that I wanted to show it off. I was going to wear the robe that Sienna bought me. I wanted to take the longest way to the temple and show it around. I wanted to show it off...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. No, I¡¯m rather happy that Sir Roy likes it so much.¡±


    ¡°I really like it,¡± he repeated, rubbing his sleeves against his cheeks while saying that it was smooth and fluffy.


    ¡°Are you leaving today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m feeling well now and I¡¯ve been away from the temple for too long.¡±


    Sienna said she was sorry that he had to leave the temple empty for such a long time because of her.


    ¡°What do you mean? On the contrary, I¡¯m grateful to Lady Sienna. You took good care of the temple and the children for me. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It was easy. They yed well with me. They are lovely children.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re lovely kids.¡±


    He rose from his seat, saying that he had to leave before sunset. She saw Roy off to the gate. At the gate, Kelly¡¯s carriage was waiting to take him to the temple, but he refused.


    ¡°I feel like I just received a gift from my mother, so I¡¯m going to walk slowly and brag about it here and there.¡±


    Roy waved to Sienna and went on his way. Sienna did not reenter the mansion until he was out of sight.


    It was always a well-organized garden. In the corner of the garden there was a giant disy of his presence. The clear, light-green leaves had thickened over his shape.


    ¡°He¡¯s noting again today. I should have decided on a time and day for him toe back.¡±


    Sienna had told Carl on the day of the banquet toe to her mansion if he was interested in her offer. She didn¡¯t think he¡¯de to see her the very next day, but it was taking him longer than she had thought. It had already been a week.


    ¡°Was he not interested in my offer?¡±


    ¡®If he doesn¡¯t ept the offer...¡¯


    Sienna went up the stairs while thinking of the second n. There was silence in the mansion. Kelly, who didn¡¯t like to have people inside the mansion, didn¡¯t have many employees managing the ce. They usually didn¡¯t show up, only appearing when necessary.


    Sienna liked the quietness of those within the manor, who minded their movements. But the deserted mansion made her feel lonely sometimes.


    Perhaps after Roy, who had warmed up the air just by being there, left, the sense of silence became even greater. As soon as Sienna entered her room, shey down on the bed and closed her eyes. She had a lot ofplicated thoughts in her head.


    ¡®Did I tell him to join me in vain?¡¯


    Although she had asked for help in keeping Arya in check, the remark had not actually been intended. The words had unintentionallye out of her mouth to catch Carl¡¯s attention after he had turned his back on her on the balcony.


    ¡®To keep Arya in check, I said let¡¯s join hands...¡¯


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t wanted to get back at Arya. However, it was not something for her to have been able to immediately reach out to Carl for help.

 Chapter 34: Live To Sienna Pt.34

    <h4>Chapter 34: Live To Sienna Pt.34</h4>


    Of course, if he helped, she would be able to more actively prevent the rebellion that Arya was to causeter, but how could she have exined that to him? How could she have told him that she wanted to keep Arya from revolting in five years? Otherwise, could she have told him that she wanted him to chop her head off to remove a bad seed?


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to kill Arya, but she kept her thoughts only in her heart. If a personmited a murder just because she felt murderous, those of their family, left behind in their hometown, would be disgraced and in danger.


    Sienna intended to get revenge on Arya, but she did not want the type of revenge that would take her own life. It was a terrible thing to think of people losing their lives because of their own selves. It was ridiculous to ask Carl to kill her. A requested murder was still murder.


    ¡®If Carl says he¡¯s going toe and help, what can I do for him?¡¯


    She pulled herself out of bed before she could put away the fleeting thoughts because she felt a foreign air floating in her room. There was a mixture of breaths and sounds other than her own. Sienna scanned the room tensely.


    She caught her breath when she saw Carl standing next to the curtains by the window. She felt a sense of pressure from him as he stood against the sunlight entering the room. Sienna said, calming her surprised heart, ¡°How long have you been there?¡±


    ¡°Who is the priest?¡±


    Had he meant Roy? If he¡¯d seen her seeing Roy off, he was, at the very least, in her room before she entered it.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve announced yourself. Rather, how did you even get in here?¡±


    ¡°Is it that priest? Your unattainable love?¡±


    ¡°That misunderstanding is impolite. He only came to offer his blessing to my aunt. How did you get into this room?¡±


    Carl pointed at the locked window, as it should have been, at Sienna¡¯s words. The room was getting dark because it was near sunset.


    ¡°The windows are not for people toe in and out.¡±


    Siennashed out at him by lighting candles.


    ¡®He left through the window thest time, too...¡¯


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll let the servant know that you¡¯re going to visit the mansion. Come in through the front gates and the door.¡±


    It was a natural step for a typical visit. But right now, his visits had to be kept secret. So, Carl made a sarcastic remark when Sienna responded that way.


    She said with discontent, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if you could have at least released some of your charisma.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been standing in front of the window facing the door the whole time and I think that¡¯s enough to say that was I showing myself. On the contrary, it was your fault to lie down on your bed without noticing that I was there.¡±


    Unable to find a rebuttal to what he had said, she turned the subject around, ¡°Can I take it that you have epted my offer since you are here?¡±


    ¡°The suggestion to join hands to threaten Empress Arya?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to threaten her, but to keep her in check. Though, there¡¯s not much difference in the meaning of the two. So, does that mean you¡¯re working with me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty is in a position to keep Arya in check. Why do you say no?¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you?¡±


    Not too long ago, she had asked for a favor that she hadn¡¯t needed. When she heard the words of rejection from Carl¡¯s mouth, she got goosebumps.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe I have the ability to keep Empress Arya in check. I¡¯ll show you my skills step by step, slowly. It won¡¯t be toote to turn down my offer after checking my abilities.¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you? You may be in league with the empress.¡±


    ¡°If I were on Arya¡¯s side, would I have so easily informed the prince of her ruse? If that were the case, why would I have saved Your Highness¡¯s life? It would have been easier to leave you in that alley.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the situation I was in at that time was a trick to draw my attention. Maybe you¡¯re trying to get me to trust you by talking about plotting against Empress Arya and,ter, drag me into a very big trap.¡±


    Sienna bit her lower lip at his words. It never urred to her that he would refuse her offer just because he didn¡¯t trust her. That was so stupid. She had only thought of her hostility toward Arya.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°You know...¡± he muttered with a worried face. ¡°Why on earth did Ie all the way here for? What is it that I wanted to confirm so badly?¡±


    Carl¡¯s question was not asked for Sienna¡¯s answer. That was why she kept her mouth shut.


    ¡°Why do you want to join hands with me to try to keep Empress Arya in check? I know you both have never associated with each other before.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Moreso, how in the world did you know that Arya would designate you as my crown princess? You said it was just a guess, but guessing is basically making uncertain judgments about what¡¯s going to happen in the future with some information. But how were you able to get information even I couldn¡¯t get a hold of when you¡¯d never left Heidel? In what way? You were so confident even as you assured me that it was just a guess. Why were you so sure of what you were saying?¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t answer his question. How could she tell him that she knew what would happen in the next five years? She knew it because it was something she had already experienced.


    She just couldn¡¯t tell him the truth. Even she thought it all sounded crazy.


    ¡°My aunt, who is a businesswoman, has information, so I only made an assumption based on those foundations.¡±


    ¡°Huh!¡± Carl said with a sneer. ¡°Why? Are you a prophet who has seen the future?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I care about. If you¡¯re truly on Arya¡¯s side, you¡¯d better tell me the truth and ask for forgiveness now.¡±


    ¡°No. Never with Arya...¡±


    Sienna felt she was being treated so unjustly that she was speechless. How could she join hands with Arya? Arya had used Sienna to kill many and had taken her son, Joseph, and killed him. She couldn¡¯t be in collusion with Arya, the one who was worse than the devil.


    However, whatever she said about Arya would sound like excuses to him.


    ¡®It was a big deal...¡¯


    She shouldn¡¯t have reached out to Carl like that. She should not have approached him that way. Now, it was clear to her that even though she had saved him, he would constantly doubt her henceforth. Sienna med herself for not being wiser.


    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t even give him a proper excuse, Carl turned around, facing his back to her in disappointment.


    ¡°Your Highness...¡±


    Sienna held Carl¡¯s hand. Of course, she thought he would resist, but he just looked down at her hand.


    ¡°When you went to the frontlines, were you apanied by a servant named Azrael, who should¡¯ve alsoe back with you to the capital?¡±


    He looked at Sienna as if trying to read her face, thinking, ¡®How in the world does she know this?¡¯


    ¡°If that¡¯s so, be careful of Azrael.¡±


    Heughed coldly at her remark.


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. Azrael is my close friend and servant.¡±


    Sienna had already known that he would be even more suspicious of her if she said that.


    ¡°No. He¡¯s not your friend, but Empress Arya¡¯s puppet. He¡¯ll certainly attack you when you¡¯re most rxed and have your guard down on the way to the frontlines.¡±


    Carl¡¯s eyes burned fiercely.


    ¡°Is this also one of your guesses? That Azrael will attack me?¡±


    ¡°Not conjecture, but... I¡¯ve been informed by chance.¡±


    ¡°From?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So, you got some advanced information that Arya had nted my servant as a spy, just by chance, without any source? Do you want me to believe that?¡±


    ¡°...I know you can¡¯t easily believe what I¡¯m saying.¡±

 Chapter 35: Live To Sienna Pt.35

    <h4>Chapter 35: Live To Sienna Pt.35</h4>


    Even knowing that Carl was already suspicious of her and would be more so, Sienna had no choice but to say this. In the past, Carl had been considerably hurt by that revtion.


    Azrael was a servant for whom Carl cared very much. She could not ignore the sharp de-like betrayal he had received from the man he had trusted so much while knowing that it was going to drive him through the ground.


    ¡°I know that Your Highness will only grow to hate me more by my saying this. Nevertheless, I beg of you, watch out for Azrael.¡±


    ¡°Why should I suspect Azrael while believing only your words, whose source is unknown?¡±


    ¡°There is no harm for you, Your Highness. You¡¯ll know when you go back to the frontlines. If nothing happens by the time you get there, you can validate your doubts toward me and punish me, but if you think he seems strange, then you¡¯ll have to settle the problem of the spy that Arya nted.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl left her room through the window without telling Sienna that he would do so because he believed in Azrael. Watching him sadly from behind, Sienna sighed and muttered, looking at the window from which he had left, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, windows are not for people toe in and out of.¡±


    She had said it as a joke, but her face was stiff. She felt sorry to have delved into his mind with her own words, but she couldn¡¯t help it. It would be better just to wring his heart out with words than for a sudden knife to do it.


    After leaving the mansion where Sienna lived, Carl sighed heavily against the wall.


    ¡°I went there in vain...¡±


    He had told Azrael that he had been able to return without dying because of her help. Since then, Azrael had told Carl repeatedly that Sienna was suspicious.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too coincidental? Obviously, only you and I, and the Peer family knew that Your Highness had entered the capital. Aftering face to face with that woman, Sienna, who recognized you on the streets, weren¡¯t you attacked right away? Moreover, it was she who saved your life. Can a coincidence be so repeated?¡±


    Thinking rationally, Azrael was right. She had too many things about her that were suspicious.


    Still, Carl had had a feeling that she was not one of Arya¡¯s people. He thought it was foolish to follow grains of salt when judging important things, but this time, he wanted to believe his own feelings.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I wish it weren¡¯t so, but I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s not so.¡±


    He had only met her a few times, but strangely, he felt the need to lean on her.


    ¡°Be careful of Azrael.¡±


    Carl thought of what she had said and shook his head with a wistful expression.


    ¡°Be careful of Azrael. How could I ever doubt Azrael?!¡±


    He was Carl, the person who couldn¡¯t trust people easily. He was someone who¡¯d return greater hostility to those who showed him hostility. He would contemte the goodwill he received from others, thinking about what the real intentions behind them were. That kind of person had never suspected or questioned Azrael, the only one he had trusted and relied upon. Carl¡¯s doubts toward Sienna, who asked him to suspect such a man, were bound to grow even more.


    Azrael was the servant who had been by his side since his mother¡¯s death. He had stood by Carl, who had had to fight on the battlefield from an early age. How could he doubt him after more than a decade living together and staying by each other¡¯s side?


    ¡°But...¡±


    In this situation, it was natural to believe in one¡¯s own self, but at no moment it urred to him that she had lied to him.


    When Carl went to the frontlines, as Sienna had said, it would be clear who would be found to be a true friend and who would be a traitor. But she didn¡¯t want him to go to that extent. Whether Azrael did harm to him or not, Carl had nothing to gain. No, rather, he would end up losing something very important.


    ¡°As I thought, I said some useless words for nothing.¡±


    She had told Carl to be careful with Azrael, but not because she had had clear information. She had once felt strange when she had seen the long scar across his back when Carl had been asleep.


    She knew the physiology of knights better than most because she had grown up in a special environment, one with more knights and soldiers than farmers. She had thought Azrael had stabbed him in the back. Many considered it the ce to easily hurt someone since it was difficult to defend, but in fact, it was the most difficult ce to get to normally. Sometimes, soldiers in battle would get their backs shed, but that was notmon. Knights had their backs hurt even more rarely.


    The first thing one did when one learned to use the sword was not learn how to grip it, but learn how to turn their bodies in the direction of their opponents and learn to tell the trajectory of the sword across the air. Those who knew how to wield a sword would not do something so foolish as to show their backs to an enemy. That was why most people got injured across their arms, abdomen and sides.


    She had not been able toprehend how the prince could¡¯ve have gotten the old scar across his back, not unless it had been made by someone he trusted enough to turn his back to...


    She had been able to solve the mystery with some difficulty through her maid-in-waiting. Carl¡¯s only and favorite servant had attacked him, causing him to suffer a major trauma.


    There had been rumors that it had been because of sudden bout of insanity, and that Carl and he had fought over a woman. There had been many rumors, but nothing had been known with precision. That had been because Carl, the person involved in the case, had kept silent.


    Sienna had heard the story and wondered why he had done such a thing when he had gained Carl¡¯s faith. But, it had been easy to answer that question when she had found out that the timing of the betrayal had coincided with his wedding. If Arya had nted a spy at Carl¡¯s side from the very beginning, she must have used him at the most opportune time.


    If Carl had been in good health, the wedding with Sienna could not have been held. No matter how much Arya had wanted it, if the person in question had refused to marry her, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get married.


    Sienna, who remembered that Carl would be attacked by his servant Azrael, wondered whether she should let him know.


    She knew better than to tell him immediately because that would have incurred suspicion. But, she couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut knowing he was going to get hurt.


    ¡°But... if Azrael doesn¡¯t attack Carl, he¡¯ll suspect I tried to drive a wedge between the two. Even if Azrael attacks Carl, he¡¯s going to ask me for the source of the information.¡±


    Sienna sighed.


    ¡°I know I can¡¯t win over Carl¡¯s heart, but rather, I think I¡¯ll be hated at this rate...¡±


    She had long abandoned the desire to win his heart.


    Knowing the future in the fight against Arya would certainly work out very well, but other than that, Sienna didn¡¯t have many cards to y.


    Arya had many things, including the support of high-ranking aristocrats, the imperial chieftain and the guards, and the huge financial power of the Southern Region. But, Sienna had to face her doubt while giving up on trying to get help from Carl.


    Of course, she thought it was her job to do, but there was no way to hide her frustrations. In the hope of relieving such frustrations, she visited the temple of the Goddess of the Earth, but things were not easily resolved.


    ¡°Sigh...¡±


    As Sienna breathed a deep sigh, Roy asked with a curious expression, ¡°What are you worried about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°You just sighed. If you¡¯re worried, let it out. If you share your worries, the weight of them will be half as heavy,¡± Roy said with closed eyes.


    Looking at him, Sienna smiled and said it was no big deal, so he turned to finish filling out the paperwork without hesitation.


    Sienna found familiar names in the documents he filled out and asked him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making a list of believers.¡±


    ¡°A list of believers?¡±

 Chapter 36: Live To Sienna Pt.36

    <h4>Chapter 36: Live To Sienna Pt.36</h4>


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to put the children¡¯s names on the list this time and apply for relief work. I think I could run an orphanage with the small donation from Mrs. Grinnie.¡±


    Aunt Kelly had donated arge sum of money to the temple, though Sienna did not know the details. Kelly, the owner of the Green Corporation, could not have made a simple bargain for her life. Roy was excited to use the money for the children as soon as he received the donation from her.


    Were all priests like Roy? She was sure they weren¡¯t.


    She wasn¡¯t talking about the fall of religion. Those who served a god were also people. Humans were multifaceted beings, so one would not think and act the same way as another would, even when in the same position.


    ¡°Are you registering all children entering the orphanage as believers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to do so for now. If you¡¯re registered as a believer, you¡¯ll be recognized as a person of the Holy Empire. From then on, you¡¯ll be protected as a member of the Holy Empire. asionally, if you are subjected to external oppression or irrationality, you are protected by the Order of the Holy Knights. And most of all, children who are recognized for their abilities are given the opportunity to join the Knights or be priests. Unlike with countries with distinct hierarchies, they can be recognized for their abilities regardless of their status. I¡¯m one of those examples.¡±


    The opportunity to be recognized was a blessing for the children. Such opportunities were not readily avable, even for men of the Holy Empire.


    In the case of the Holy Empire, there were vested interests who held power. Though a system of status did not exist, those who held power were running the Holy Empire.


    It was very rare for people of low status to be inducted into establishments within the Holy Empire. Roy could have been given a chance because of his outstanding sanctity.


    Still, it was definitely an opportunity for the children. In Laifsden¡¯s case, there was a distinct hierarchy system, which limited job opportunities ording to status. There were jobs that you couldn¡¯t do, however capable you were, even if you wanted to.


    However, by bing citizens of the Holy Empire, the children would have a slight chance. Having the opportunity to join the Order of the Holy Empire should have been as difficult as a camel passing through the eye of a needle.


    ¡°A citizen of the Divine Empire...¡±


    His words made Sienna feel like she¡¯d been struck in the back of the head.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of that?!¡¯


    ¡°Roy, can you put me on the list?¡±


    ¡°You mean you, Miss Sienna?¡±


    If she couldn¡¯t join Carl, she could attract other forces that Empress Arya wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore. Thinking that way, the Holy Empire was a very suitable opponent.


    In the case of the Laifsden Empire, religion was not forbidden, but the empire did not support any one religion either, so the Church of the Goddess of Earth was limited in power within thend to prevent the expansion of religious forces within the Laifsden Empire.


    If Sienna became a member of the Imperial Family after being registered as a believer, the Holy Empire would view that as an opportunity to expand their presence within Laifsden, and they might somehow raise her and give her a boost. No, even if the Holy Empire did not help at all, Sienna could always borrow their name.


    It didn¡¯t matter how she had been swayed by Aria, who had told her what to do, in the past. This time, she would rebel and confront the empress. There was no way of knowing what mean tricks Arya would use if she perceived Sienna as her enemy however.


    If Sienna used the Holy Empire as a shield, Arya would not dare frame or kill her. If she did, it could be a rift and a seed for war against the Holy Empire.


    A satisfied smile appeared in Sienna¡¯s face.


    ¡°Are there any conditions to put my name on the list?¡±


    ¡°No. Anyone who believes in the Goddess can register, but most of the nobles don¡¯t want to be listed on the Holy Empire¡¯s list.¡±


    Like Roy had said, even though nobles believed in a god and went to temples, they did not feel the need to be listed anywhere. She had already been assured of her identity within Laifsden. In addition, in the case of Laifsden, which had a lot of sanctions against religious institutions, many feared they would be viewed as wed after being put on a list.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Please put my name on it too.¡±


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll have to put Sienna¡¯s name down right away. The Goddess will be very happy as well.¡±


    Unaware of Sienna¡¯s scheme, Roy put her name on the list with a clear conscience. The handwriting was as neat and clean as Roy¡¯s demeanor.


    *


    Every now and then, the sound of the hooves of six horses leading the carriage rang on the stone floorings.


    Sienna looked out the window at the busy passers-by in the city. Most people were walking along the streets in clean clothes.


    The sight of the capital seen from inside the carriage was peaceful, even though hungry children were wandering the streets and hungry women were smiling nkly at nameless men in the small alley behind a bustling building.


    The masked city resembled the Imperial Pce, which covered people? desires in colorful costumes and smiles. Sienna also thought that she had been changing, smiling pretentiously like them while she sharpened the knife she would use to stab Arya¡¯s back. When Sienna thought of it, she felt sick and covered her window with a red shroud.


    A few days prior, a letter had arrived at Kelly¡¯s mansion. It was an invitation for Sienna from Arya on behalf of the Imperial Family. That day was the day of the appointment.


    The carriage sent by Empress Arya was as splendid as her power. The interior was made of red velvet cushioning embroidered with gold threads.


    It wasmon for the empress to invite others to the pce to enjoy refreshments. It was a kind of job for Arya to constantly call thedies in the capital to the pce and hold banquets to maintain her power.


    The only thing that made that days¡¯ meeting special was that its purpose was to see who would be Carl¡¯s wife. Arya seemed to have already been ready to use and ce Sienna as the Crown Princess to bring Carl down.


    Even as Sienna thought of it, there was no one as suitable as her for him. One who was foolish and greedy enough to y in Arya¡¯s hands, and who was not strong enough, or did not have the power to dare rival her. At the same time, she needed a more prominent title than that of the Peers


    No matter how much she was favored by the emperor, she could not be announced as Carl¡¯s Crown Princess with only her own determination. She had to be someone who would bow to fate, like Carl¡¯s cement at the frontlines. With the growing influence of Valore supporters, Carl¡¯s supporters couldn¡¯t easily ept Arya¡¯s kin as Carl¡¯s Crown Princess.


    Although she had briefly met the empress after her coboration with Valore during thest debutante ceremony, this was the first time she would be seeing Arya by herself. Sienna was worried that her anger might re up against her. The carriage passed through the gates and stopped in front of the Imperial Pce. Sienna pped her cheeks with her palms before getting off.


    Facing Arya there was an important moment for her. It was the time to explore each other before the war. Sienna pped herself on the cheeks once again. Her cheeks were reddened. Only then, did Sienna, who had gotten off the carriage, entered the pce under the guidance of the King¡¯s Guard.


    The Imperial Pce was located right next to the main ptial building, where the emperor stayed. The three-story structure might have seemed small for a royal pce, but it was quiterge considering that only the empress stayed there.


    As she crossed the entrance, her vision was overwhelmed by the colorful interior. On the right, wererge arched windows arranged at regr intervals, and on the left, there were mirrors that resembled those windows, lined up like d¨¦caanie. Colorful chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the empty space had a series of paintings rted to the myth of the Goddess of Beauty. The dark ck background contrasted with the white skin of goddess intensely, and the lighting shone on the gold-ted wall decorations, adding mour to the interior.

 Chapter 37: Live To Sienna Pt.37

    <h4>Chapter 37: Live To Sienna Pt.37</h4>


    Sienna walked around the room, followed by silent footsteps. The reason could¡¯ve been to admire the interior architecture, but she was putting on an act for the sweating soldiers as a girl who had grown up a military area far from the capital. She was now ying the eighteen-year-old Sienna. Not to mention royal court etiquette, she wasn¡¯t even supposed to know the basic etiquette as a noblewoman.


    Sienna walked around and stopped in front of a mural. A snake was ying on the legs of the Goddess of Beauty. The yellow-eyed, elongated, long-spaced pupils were appalling. The fine-grained painting was so vivid that it was thrilling.


    What did Empress Arya think of when she looked at that painting? Did she think she looked like the snake? Or did she ce herself as the Goddess of Beauty, who was caught by the ankles by the snake and was unable to return to the paradise?


    If Arya was the Goddess of Beauty, Sienna would turn into a snake and sink her venomous fangs into her ankles. It would not be paradise. She would drive Arya into a snake pit and make her curl up in fear and pain. Like Arya had done to her, she also wanted to put Arya through hell.


    She ran to Arya¡¯s servant, who had fallen away while she was looking at the painting. Her mind was heavy, while his steps were consciously light.


    ¡°Sienna of the Waters,e on.¡±


    Arya was waiting for Sienna in the drawing room.


    When she had been young, she had been praised by rich men for her beauty that it would go down in history. Even though she now had a grown-up son, her beauty had never withered. Rather, time had added even more beauty to her, like a bloomed flower.


    But, Sienna was not impressed by her appearance because she knew how ugly and cruel Arya was.


    ¡°Thank you for your invitation.¡±


    Sienna curtsied without bowing. She then sat down on the sofa in the middle of the drawing room.


    Arya¡¯s facial expression remained unmoved by her behavior. The custom was for the highest ranked in the room to sit down first. Originally, Sienna should¡¯ve sat down after being allowed to.


    What was she going to do about it? Sienna didn¡¯t mean to be polite to Arya, so now, it was time to y the country bumpkin. Sienna looked inside the drawing room with an exaggerated expression.


    ¡°Everything is so morous, and it looks so expensive!¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t know how much Arya must have spent trying to decorate the ce while wielding the emperor¡¯s seal around like a corpse.


    Arya epted her words ofpliment and replied thankfully, ¡°I saw you y the violin well at the Holy Cognition Banquet. I really wanted to meet you because you were very memorable. Thank you for epting the sudden invitation.¡±


    Even though she was the empress, Arya spoke to Sienna in the most polite manner she could. It was her habit of gently loosening the conversation and courting her opponent. In the past, Sienna had easily given up her heart to her smile and her speech on the first day they had met.


    ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯ve been able to see the pce because of it.¡±


    Arya picked up a teapot and poured tea into Sienna¡¯s cup. It was only a simple move, but it was full of style. With a soft smile around her mouth, she looked very benevolent. If Sienna had not known about her, she would have thought Arya was the most beautiful and sweet person in the world.


    This was the scary thing about Arya. Like a snake good at camouge, she was adept at showing what her opponent wanted to see to gain favor.


    Sienna smiled at her. She could not see herself in a mirror, but it must have been an awkward smile. A smile like Arya¡¯s wasn¡¯t made overnight, so a clumsy imitation would not make her look odd.


    Sienna took the teacup she had been handed and savored the aroma. Arya wanted the best of the best, and the soft, mellow scent told Sienna that she could not have been better served.


    ¡°I was surprised by how good you were at the violin. Who did you learn from?¡±


    ¡°There was a soldier in the castle who was a musician. Unlike in the capital, where there¡¯s only one interesting thing to do, Heidel is very free. I learned from him every once in a while.¡±


    ¡°I see. You just learned it from a soldier, but you sounded more like a musician. The guy must have been very good at it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too excessive.¡±


    ¡°On that day, I heard that you spent time with Prince Carl on the terrace. Do you know each other?¡±


    There had been many people in the banquet hall who could¡¯ve been Arya¡¯s eyes and ears, so Sienna had expected her to get the information to her ears somehow, but when Arya asked her directly, Sienna became nervous. It was better not to tell ame lie. Otherwise, Arya would try to verify the information, which would be awful because she could not have any suspicions about Sienna. Not yet.


    ¡°Yes. We have a deep connection.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what your rtionship is?¡±


    Sienna wanted her cheeks to redden like that of the girl in love she used to be.


    ¡°It happened when I was at the temple of the Goddess of the Earth. I found the prince groaning at the backdoor of the temple, by the Goddess¡¯ blessing.¡± Sienna added, ¡°I thought he was so mysterious and beautiful that I thought he was a Lion of the Goddess.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was the First Prince. Anyway, as a believer in the Goddess, I was obliged to take care of the weak who came to the temple, so I brought him into the temple. Fortunately, we learned to take care of wounds using our own medicine from our soil. That¡¯s why I was able to help him. When he woke up, he said he would grant me one wish in return for saving his life. So, at the banquet... I was very surprised. I couldn¡¯t believe that he was the Crown Prince. It was exactly as Chelsea had said it happens in her fairytale books. Oh, Chelsea is my nanny.¡±


    Arya listened attentively to Sienna, as if she were hearing a rare story. Whenever Sienna met her eyes, it seemed like a fire was going to burst forth from her chest. She didn¡¯t know if she was saying all that to satiate Arya¡¯s hunger.


    Every time Sienna spoke, there was excitement in her voice, but fortunately, it gave the impression of a girl in love. Arya looked excited.


    ¡®Yes, ask. Take the bait that¡¯s shaking in front of your eyes. You may want a ything to move around on your palms, but you don¡¯t know that the toys in your hands are actually toads full of poison. I¡¯ll watch your hands turn blue with a smile.¡¯


    ¡°So, what did you wish for that day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say. Do I have to say it?¡±


    ¡°Did I ask you a difficult question? I apologize. I was just so curious about the story between Miss Waters and Prince Carl.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll tell you. So, that is... I asked him to remember my name.¡±


    It was a lie. What Sienna had told Carl had not been for him to remember her name, but to give her a divorce in five years.


    ¡°Your name?¡±


    Sienna spewed lines like those of the heroine who had fallen in love with the prince in popr novels.


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t need any material rewards, and that I just wanted him to remember my name. I wanted to be someone unforgettable for the First Prince.¡±


    She thought a lie of that degree would be alright. It was hard to tell lies from truth when they were mixed properly.


    It was true that she had saved Carl and that he would grant her one wish. However, there was no way Arya could confirm that her wish had not been for him to ¡®remember her name¡¯ but to ¡®divorce her.¡¯ Unless Arya could ask Carl himself to find out, both were not materialistic wishes, so there was no way to verify them.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very romantic wish.¡±


    ¡°I wish the prince felt the same way.¡±


    Sienna reached out to the cookie tray on the table. The dishes on the table were beautifully baked, and the cookie seemed more decorative than edible, but after putting it in her mouth, she found out that the taste was excellent. The sweet smell of butter pervaded her mouth.


    From then on, the conversation between Sienna and Arya had been no difference from the past. After finishing the meaningless conversation, Sienna stepped out. She told the servant who tried to guide her to the carriage that she could find her way back by herself. A glimmer of conflict appeared in her eyes time and time again.

 Chapter 38: Live To Sienna Pt.38

    <h4>Chapter 38: Live To Sienna Pt.38</h4>


    ¡°Are you sure you can go alone? If you take the wrong path, you¡¯ll be in trouble...¡±


    The little boy, who looked about ten years old, looked like Kevin¡¯s age. Sienna spoke while patting the boy on the head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been here before. You should be busy, so you can go.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye then.¡±


    The servant greeted Sienna to see if she had any business, and then went away with hurried steps. Sienna moved slowly out of the splendid hall and then out of the pce of the Empress. While walking to a carriage, she stopped at one ce.


    There was a fence tangled with vines. It was a ce that didn¡¯t fit in with the pce and was neat enough to not have a single leaf anywhere.


    ¡°Is there a ce like this in the pce?¡±¡®


    While looking at the fence, she found a small door. There were weed lying under the door where the paint had been peeling off. It had traces of someoneing in and out. She opened the door, unable to resist her curiosity.


    It was a garden that no one cared for or had ever been groomed. Nevertheless, unknown wildflowers were settling down, exuding simple beauty. Sienna walked carefully along the traces of someone who had passed by here so as not to step on the flowers as much as possible.


    As she walked carefully, her feet began to tingle¡ªshe found Carl lying in front of her. He was always under threat of assassination. It wasn¡¯t long ago that she had helped him when he had fallen down due to someone¡¯s attack.


    ¡®No way! Azrael hasn¡¯t done anything yet, has he?¡¯


    Thinking about it a little rationally, Arya would not use her own hands and feet in the pce, but thinking about it made her heart pound to the ground.


    ¡®Arya¡¯s not that crazy. She wouldn¡¯t attack Carl in the pce. If Carl gets hurt, she¡¯ll be the recipient of the most suspicion...¡¯


    She tried tofort herself in her heart that he wouldn¡¯t be hurt, but it wasn¡¯t easy. Her hands were numbed with apprehension.


    She sat next to him and examined Carl¡¯s condition. He had his eyes closed with a serene face. She brought her ears to his chest to make sure he was alive. His heartbeat was a little faster, but it was in the normal range. She stared at him with her eyes in a strange way. There was no sign of struggle from his body.


    ¡®As suspected, he didn¡¯t get hurt. So why are you sleeping in a ce like this?¡¯


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    A short whileter, Carl pulled her wrist. Suddenly, his posture reversed and Siennaid on her back as Carl looked down at her from above.


    Carl left his room in frustration. Normally, he would have talked to Azrael about military operations or would have had a drink with him, but he hadn¡¯t felt like doing sotely. Because Sienna¡¯s words to watch out for Azrael kept hovering in his head.


    He listened to her through one ear and had to let it out of the other, but it kept going on continuously in his head. As a result, he couldn¡¯t look at Azrael as usual. This was a good way if Sienna was actually one of Arya¡¯s people, so as to drive a wedge between himself and Azrael.


    He had recently begun to pay attention to Azrael¡¯s every move. He had begun to see things that he had never doubted before. He wondered why Azrael¡¯s clothes emitted cold air when he had never been outside, and why he looked at himself with aplicated face.


    At the same time, it was rming that he did not reveal his worries to himself.


    He went out for a walk because he felt ufortable in the same room with Azrael. At the moment, his two most unwilling people to bump into with were Azrael and Sienna.


    As winter passed, the trees in the garden began to sprout. The diligent flowers had not looked stark in bloom. During the winter, the fallen leaves rolled in the wind, uncluttered. Regardless of the season, it was unbelievable that it was one of the gardens of the imperial pce where flowers did not bloom even in the middle of winter.


    It was a garden cherished by his birth mother, Empress Isabelle, who sometimes visited Carl when he was upset. When she was healthy, this ce was full of four seasons of flowers, and the chirping of small birds who came to see the flowers never stopped. With its owner gone, it became a ce that no one could look after.


    Carlid down on the untidy grass. Lying in the grass like this and closing his eyes reminded him of the past.


    On a sunny day, Empress Isabel liked to spend timeying nkets in her beloved garden. Little Carl would lie down on her knee and take a nap on her. He enjoyed her warm hand sweeping away on his forehead.


    All of a sudden, he heard footsteps.


    ¡®Who is it? Has the new maid lost her way?¡¯


    Carl didn¡¯t open his eyes. A properly disciplined woman could not interfere with the prince¡¯s time. He believed that the maid would take a quiet turn after checking his face. But contrary to the idea, she increased her pace as she approached him.


    ¡®No, no trained assassins can¡¯t run like this. Moreover, this is the pce. No matter how confident an assassin is, he can¡¯t easilyunch an attack at the pce...¡¯


    Carl was very embarrassed by his opponent, who put her head on his chest in no time. She quietly examined her heartbeat. He would not have been so surprised if she had taken out a dagger.


    He quickly snatched the person¡¯s arm and switched their positions, going on top of her. His face hardened when he saw the person¡¯s face. The person was now Sienna, one of the people Carl didn¡¯t want to meet the most.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    When asked by Carl, Sienna didn¡¯t answer properly and only gave a mouthful. He looked very surprised. She soon came to her senses and said with an impression, ¡°Please move out of the way.¡±


    He stared at her with a crinkled impression and then raised himself off of her. Shey on the floor like that for a while, even though he had already made way for her. Carl asked to her, ¡°How long are you going to stay like that?¡±


    She red at Carl with a face that said, ¡®Who¡¯s this cute guy?!¡¯


    Carl burst intoughter as he looked at Sienna¡¯s face and reached his hand out to her.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness!¡±


    Sienna looked at his hand with a worried look.


    ¡°Hold onto me, unless you¡¯re going to keep lying down there like that.¡±


    She still had a discontented expression and pondered before taking his hand and standing up to shake the dust off her dress.


    ¡°Sienna Waters, I didn¡¯t expect you to have a taste for men.¡±


    Carl¡¯s words raised her voice with sincerity.


    ¡°What a shock. I was just trying to make sure you were safe.¡±


    ¡°Safety?¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to make sure if you¡¯re dead or alive since you were lying there like you had passed out.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pass out, I was simply lying down. More than that, how the hell did you get in here?¡±


    ¡°There was a door open. I didn¡¯t know there was a ce like this in the castle. Is this the garden of the previous Empress? Her Majesty Isabelle loved to take care of... Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He tilted his head at her apology.


    ¡°You are quite a weird woman. What you just said along with your reaction shows you¡¯re pretty used to the imperial family.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no possible way. It¡¯s the first time a country bumpkin like myself has ever seen the royal pce at an adult ceremony. I¡¯m not familiar with the capital, let alone the imperial pce.¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t believe that remark. Sienna knew so much that she didn¡¯t seem to havee from the periphery. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t get rid of his doubts about her. Even so, he couldn¡¯t understand himself for why he couldn¡¯t push her away.


    ¡°Why did youe to the pce? Unless you¡¯re here to wander around the garden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been invited by Queen Arya.¡±


    ¡°Is the work under way to really make you my bride?¡±

 Chapter 39: Live To Sienna Pt.39

    <h4>Chapter 39: Live To Sienna Pt.39</h4>


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve had an interview like this today, so I¡¯ll be married off soon. How do you feel about getting married soon?¡±


    When Carl didn¡¯t answer and only frowned, Sienna shrugged and said it was a joke.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t forget what I saidst time, did you? Watch out for Azrael.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. Why should I listen to you and watch out for Azrael? He¡¯s a close friend I¡¯ve been with since I was a kid. He¡¯s one of the oldest, closest, and trusted few people for me. I can¡¯t doubt our friendship after hearing what you¡¯ve said to me when we¡¯ve only seen each other a few times.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m envious of the man named Azrael. After all, I¡¯ve heard you tell me so many times that you can¡¯t trust me. I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not. Anyway, you¡¯d better pay close attention to Azrael.¡±


    Her expression of ¡®envy¡¯ seemed strangely lonely.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the capital for a while. So, I don¡¯t have to go to the frontlines for now...¡±


    ¡°No. Sir Carl will be heading over there sooner than you think. Then, shortly after, I¡¯ll end up marrying Sir Carl.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? You and l can only get married if I go to the border?¡±


    ¡°If Sir Carl is in the capital, you¡¯ll oppose our marriage. That¡¯s also what Arya will think. So, somehow, she¡¯ll try to send Carl to the border. There¡¯s going to be provocations from the Castro Empire on the border.¡±


    She was speaking confidently of other countries¡¯ provocations. It was strange for her to say this for certain, especially for an event that had yet to ur.


    ¡°Are you saying that Arya is going to join hands with the Castro Empire and provoke us?¡±


    His question embarrassed her for a moment and she couldn¡¯t answer it easily.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even if you deduced and came up with what Arya would n next, how do you know about the provocations along the border?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just my guess. Even if there are no provocation along the border, I think Sir Carl will somehow end up vacating from the capital. You know, what a persistent, terrible human being Empress Arya is.¡±


    Carl nodded his head. He knew that better than anyone. He had been feeling it with his entire body.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re holding a wedding by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It would be an honor to be the first mausoleum to have a husbandless wedding in Laifsden. Why? Do you feel pity for me?¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t answer Sienna¡¯s question, but his expression seemed to be enough. She shrugged and said, ¡°I feel sorry for myself to have a private wedding, but in my eyes, Sir Carl is in a situation that doesn¡¯t have much indifference. You have to date me, someone you don¡¯t know, and your wife, whom you do love.¡±


    Carl made an impression from Sienna¡¯s words. She had actually affirmed that he was in love with Bluebell. It was strange that her face looked very depressed when she said it. Looking at that face, Carl shut his mouth tight.


    *


    Since herst meeting with Carl, Sienna, as always, had traveled back and forth between Kelly¡¯s mansion and the temple of the goddess of the earth. But it wasn¡¯t just for ying.


    The Green Corporation, which Kelly was the owner of, had great intelligence¡ªso much information was readily avable in her mansion.


    Unlike others, though she knew the events in the next five years, that was the only reality that had been revealed. Sienna, who spent five years as a princess and empress, did not have much information to grasp.


    Therefore, Sienna reflected on the information the diligent Green Corporation had and could offer her.


    Even now, she was looking at documents containing information.


    ¡°Also, a letter has arrived in the capital, as in the past, announcing the provocations of the Castro Empire.¡±


    The bottom of the document had stated the day after the letter had arrived that Carl and his knights were on the front lines.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything big to happen...¡±


    She gave Carl advice, but she was still worried. At that time, when she was clutching the papers, the maid informed her of a guest¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Your guest is here.¡±


    ¡°Not Aunt Kelly¡¯s guest, but my guest?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯ll get the tea ready right away.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    Sienna arranged the documents she was looking at and left the office.


    ¡®Who is it? There¡¯s no one who woulde to visit me...¡¯


    Following the maid¡¯s guide down the stairs, she found out who was waiting for her in the drawing-room and ran down at a rapid pace.


    ¡°Jamie brother!¡±


    ¡°Sienna!¡±


    Sienna was held in by his arms. The man with a big build and reliable shoulders was her only brother, Jamie Waters. His weeping face was unbing for hisrge size, and when she saw it, she also burst into tears.


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    She snuggled up harder into his arms. It had been a little more than three months since she had been away from Heidel, but the time she experienced away was much longer than that to be precise.


    When their mother died as she was still a child, Jamie always kept the young Sienna by his side. The child, who lost her mother at a young age, feared that her brother would disappear so suddenly, too. That¡¯s why Sienna stayed with him when he was eating, practicing swordsmanship, and training.


    Tired of watching the training, she tried to find other fun things, but whenever she did, Jamie coaxed her into staying next to him.


    As they had spent a long time together, the bond they felt with each other was unique enough to be iparable to other normal siblings. Jamie, who had emotions and sensibilities like girls, managed to shed tears in the end.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown more over the time we haven¡¯t seen each other. It seems like it¡¯s time for this brother¡¯s heart to let go of you although it breaks me.¡±


    He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.


    ¡°What do you mean bigger? More like brother¡¯s gotten bigger. How much bigger do you intend to be? At this rate, aren¡¯t you going to be as big as Heidel¡¯s trees?¡±


    Tears flowed out of her eyes as well as she made jokes.


    ¡°If anyone sees us like this, they¡¯ll think this is first blood-tie meeting in over decades.¡± After hearing of Jamie¡¯s visit, Kelly, who came to the drawing room, looked at them and spoke.


    Jamie used the same hand he had used to rub roughly and kissed the back of Kelly¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Aunt Kelly, long time no see. I hope there hasn¡¯t been any rough times for you.¡±


    ¡°There were some rough times, but I¡¯m feeling better thanks to Sienna.¡±


    ¡°Because of Sienna?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and talk about the details. Seeing that you¡¯re here all of a sudden, I think you¡¯ll have a lot to say, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    They settled down on the sofa in the drawing room. Kelly told the story of what had happened so far. Although she was in poor health, at the request of Sienna, the priest Roy gave her medical treatment and how the story was told at the adult ceremony.


    ¡°Paul must be very pleased to hear that you yed with the Prince at theing-of-age banquet. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s interested in musical instruments or music at Heidel. You must have felt so sad that I wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t Mikey say he¡¯d learn to y the instrument from Paul, too?¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯d be able to learn quietly and calmly with his personality? Two days after he started learning to y the violin, he quit because he said his fingers hurt.¡±


    Paul liked it so much that he had gained a pupil after so long. Sienna burst outughing loudly when she remembered Paul, who would jump around whenever he got angry. Jamie liked having such a cute younger sibling that he patted her head with his hands often. She didn¡¯t care if her hair got tangled or not.


    ¡°By the way, for what reason are you in such a hurry to the capital? Now that you¡¯ve arrived, I can tell from your state that you left around fifteen days ago toe here.¡±


    Kelly asked him.


    ¡°In fact, I left 10 days ago. I had to run day and night. I lost two horses on the way.¡±


    When Sienna saw his wet hair, she nodded and said, ¡°No wonder your head is wet all over. Did you wash up somewhere else before you came to the mansion?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wasn¡¯t in the best shape toe find you guys. I haven¡¯t seen Aunt Kelly in a long time, and I couldn¡¯t see her in that state.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m even more curious now that you say those things. The reason you had toe up to the capital in such a hurry.¡±


    When asked by Kelly, Jamie had a gloomy expression on his face...

 Chapter 40: Live To Sienna Pt.40

    <h4>Chapter 40: Live To Sienna Pt.40</h4>


    ¡°There has been a marriage request for Sienna.¡±


    Kelly was delighted by Jamie¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s something to celebrate. So, which family is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... the imperial family.¡±


    Kelly tilted her head, wondering if she had heard the wrong thing.


    ¡°What family did you say it was again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from the imperial family.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna nodded. It was just as she thought. But Kelly, who didn¡¯t expect it, couldn¡¯t talk for a while. After a long period of thought, she managed to broach the subject.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one member of the royal family who¡¯s not married... is Sienna¡¯s wed-to-be the First Prince?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I had to rush up to the capital. As soon as our father heard the news, he told me to go to the capital to refuse the marriage and return.¡±


    In the past, it was Sienna who opposed the idea of her father and her brother that they would refuse her marriage to him. She longed for the royal family, and she fell in love with Carl at her adult banquet, so it was like a dream to have marriage discussions about him. Though her father and Jamie strongly opposed it, they failed to break Sienna¡¯s stubbornness.


    Things were different this time. It was only after she learned that even if she had refused in the past, it would not have been epted anyway. As such, she was prepared to fight this time. Kelly spoke the truth in a somber voice, ¡°Oh my... it¡¯s toote.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯mte today, so I¡¯ll enter the pce tomorrow...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. As far as I know, besides Sienna, the two previous daughters from their respected families refused the marriage requests.¡±


    ¡°That means...¡±


    ¡°Sienna¡¯s their third marriage request. You know, the third one doesn¡¯t have a veto.¡±


    Even if the royal family asks for marriage, it does not necessarily proceed with marriage. Marriage does not proceed if the other party expresses rejection. The problem was that it was not always possible to resist it.


    When daughters from nobility are offered a marriage for the first or second time, they are able to refuse. But she could not reject if she was requested as the third marriage request. If a royal person is denied marriage more than three times, it affects the prestige of the royal family.


    When Sienna said she had no choice but to marry Carl, Jamie wrapped his head in frustration. Sienna, who already knew this, consoled his brother.


    *


    On his way to the border with Castro, Carl had to spend most of his time on horses. It was not until the sun went down that he couldy his sleeping bag on the ground. As they had to arrive at their destination as soon as possible, they had more days to sleep on the roads than to spend the night at the castle in thend.


    It was ufortable to sleep with sleeping bags on dry leaves, but Carl didn¡¯t express anyints. It was familiar to him. Sometimes, the cold road floor felt morefortable than the imperial pce, in which he could sleep in a soft bed without worrying about the rain and wind.


    ¡°The Bellhorse of the Baroness Louise is just around the corner. Would you like to stay there today?¡±


    Rufus Kissinger, the captain of the knights who followed him, asked, running his speed side by side with Carl.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. The sun will be going down soon. It¡¯s been a while since I could soak myself in hot water.¡±


    Above all, what he liked was that he could take a bath. Having been homeless for three days in a row, it was more inconvenient to live without washing rather than staying in ufortable bedrooms. Although they were used to each other¡¯s smells, the smell of sweat produced by men was never sweet.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the soldiers not let us in? Look at this skew. Who would believe he¡¯s a Knight of the Imperial Household?¡±


    ¡°But Azrael, when you look at your face, it makes sense to say you¡¯re a thief rather than a knight.¡±


    Azrael counterattacked Carl¡¯s joke.


    ¡°Your Lord is formidable. If you don¡¯t know it, you¡¯ll think it¡¯s not the first prince of Laifsden, it¡¯s a traveling band of musicians. It¡¯s really worth seeing that you¡¯re covered with dust.¡±


    Azrael, without fear, gave a joke to Carl, the prince. Carl wasn¡¯t offended by his jokes. They had no qualms about having such a silly conversation.


    ¡®Be careful of Azrael.¡¯


    Her voice rang in his head. Carl let a slip of his face. If you want to lie, you¡¯ll tell a story that¡¯s reasonably believable. Watch out for Azrael.


    Azrael was a servant who had been with Carl for fifteen years. There were people he cared about, such as Pavenik and Kissinger, but none of them have shared a friendship for that long. In a way, he knew him better than Carl himself. His title may be poetic, but Carl was thinking Azrael was his best friend.


    Azrael learned the sword under the same teacher and followed him around the battlefield together. Though he cannot be a knight because of his humble status, he was more trustworthy and courageous than anyone else.


    Carl thought Sienna said it because she was not sure of her rtionship with Azrael.


    ¡®It¡¯s just a trick to make Azrael a suspect.¡¯


    At the same time, a small sound was heard from the other side of the floor.


    ¡®What if she¡¯s right about Azrael?¡¯


    What she said to him brought the seeds of doubt into his mind. Carl thought it was an act of betrayal to suspect his friend, Azrael, and struggled to dispel his thoughts.


    ¡°Anyways, it seems we¡¯ll have to rent a lodging house somewhere and take a quick shower before visiting the castle of Baron Louise. Regardless, you will be the emperor soon. So, you have to keep your dignity intact.¡±


    Pavenik broke in between Carl and Azrael and interceded. Carl said with a yful face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter in quality? Don¡¯t you think he should kiss my feet even if I go in pants I pooped in?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It doesn¡¯t make any sense that the Crown Prince should take a shower for a small lord or something. Look at me, even though you have a terrible smell, you¡¯re not frowning at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also holding back the terrible smell of my mouth for the honor of my servant. So, don¡¯t ever catch our lodgings! I can¡¯t allow myself to take a shower for just one lord.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Lord Pavenik, the future Chancellor! Let¡¯s go straight to the castle of the lord.¡±


    Azrael and Carl exchanged words like well-matched cartoonists. Pavenik, who was listening to the two men, was furious. Kissinger, who was next to him, shook his head. It was only natural for Pavenik to get angry at Carl and Azrael¡¯s teasing.


    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me again this time! I¡¯m sure if I follow your words and ask you to meet with the Baron Louise right away, you¡¯ll find fault with the fact that you¡¯ve disgraced yourself the prince by your own stupidity rather than dreaming of a future with the Chancellor!¡±


    At Pavenik¡¯s words, Carl and Azrael caught each other¡¯s eyes and shrugged.


    ¡°Hey, Azrael. I don¡¯t think our future prime minister here is without a head at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought you were wearing your hair as a decoration. I¡¯m disappointed, by the way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a loss.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very disappointing.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am.¡±


    They repeated the words of disappointment, examining Pavenik¡¯s reaction. It was obvious that he was still being teased.


    ¡°What¡¯s disappointing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the taste of making fun of you anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When will I ever be able to make fun of you in the future? By the way, I thought you¡¯d look even more stupid in a few years, but I think Lord Pavenik has grown a lot bigger now.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, too, Azrael, you know you¡¯re a bad person, right? I¡¯ve been following you for three years now! I don¡¯t mean to be swayed by two people forever.¡±


    Pavenik raised his voice.


    Azrael and Carl called him a nuance that teased him as a ¡°future Chancellor,¡± but it wasn¡¯t just aplete joke. The two were acknowledging Pavenik¡¯s extraordinary head. Carl had a reason to keep a man whose family was destroyed due to treason. Making fun of him was also a love-based joke.


    Pavenik knew it well, so he would pass by without knowing the puns of the two. But it has already been three days. ¡®I ran down the road with a retardedly hard saddle! Days when I had to sleep ufortable listening to the animal¡¯s cries on the bare ground, not in a safe wall and a roof over my head!¡¯


    Pavenik¡¯s patience was running out. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t get over their jokes with a smile as usual.


    ¡°You¡¯re really mad, aren¡¯t you? So why don¡¯t you make a good joke?¡±

 Chapter 41: Live To Sienna Pt.41

    <h4>Chapter 41: Live To Sienna Pt.41</h4>


    ¡°Azrael, I think you¡¯re making fun of me a little too much?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Your Highness throw a spider into Lord Pavenik¡¯s face the other day?¡±


    ¡°You also oiled Pavenik¡¯s horseback the other day. It made meugh so hard to see his butt sticking out and shaking for fear of falling off his horse. It¡¯s definitely a shameful history for Pavenik to remain in his lifetime.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when the Lordughed out loud.¡±


    ¡°How can I notugh at that? Seeing a grown man hanging from a horse and shouting for his life.¡±


    In their response, Pavenik breathed a deep sigh as if he had given up. He knew it was useless to be angry. Ignorance was the answer. He just hoped to get to the castle of the Baroness Louise in the Bellhorse.


    The castle of Baron Louise, the lord of the Bellhorse, was simple but well managed. Carl was greeted with his hospitality.


    Baron Louise introduced his sons and daughters to Carl. asionally, local aristocrats pushed their daughters into his bedroom to carry favor with the prince, but fortunately, his daughter was only five years old. He thought he could go to bedfortably tonight.


    The baron boasted of his son¡¯s skill in swordsmanship. Carlmended his son for having good physical conditions for catching the sword ordingly, saying, ¡°If he trains as hard as he does now, he will surely see good results.¡±


    The baron¡¯s son, unlike his built-up physique, blushed at Carl¡¯s praise and bowed his head. He thought he would put his nose on a te if he could give it a little more praise.


    Even a small aristocrat with no power needed to win their favor. He had to gather even a small amount of strength topete with Empress Arya, who had taken over he southern aristocracy and many nobles in the capital, inparison, to a baron who only owns a small castle.


    When Carl, who had finished his meal with Baron Louise, came into the room, Azrael familiarly listened to Carl¡¯s navy ramblings.


    ¡°Shall we prepare a bath?¡±


    Carl nodded because he wanted to soak himself in hot water.


    Azrael¡¯s hands were icy cold. He covered them with the bathrobe while saying he had heated the water. It wasn¡¯t that cold. Carl was bothered by the temperature of his hand.


    ¡°Be in the bathtub before the water cools down.¡±


    He followed Azrael into the bathroom set aside by the room. The hot steam rising up from the pot hung on the firece for a long time. Azrael pumped the water heated with a ripper and poured it into the bathtub. He then mixed the cold and hot water moderately and put his hand in to check the water temperature.


    ¡°Lord, Prince Carl.¡±


    Azrael¡¯s voice calling him was somehow different from usual. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. Carl thought his voice contained guilt and hesitation. He has seen him around for a long time, so he noticed the subtle difference. Sienna¡¯s words to watch out for Azrael filled Carl¡¯s mind withplexity.


    Azrael leaned against the wall next to the bathtub and said to Carl.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? We¡¯re not in a rtionship to say that, are we?¡±


    Azrael¡¯s expression remained firm despite Carl¡¯s reaction that he didn¡¯t need to say thank you.


    ¡°I just wanted to say that.¡±


    Shoot it.


    The air was heavy today, and a thick stream of water fell from the sky. Azrael¡¯s biting voice was buried in the sound of the rain.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I mean it.¡±


    ¡°What is this nonsense all of a sudden? Do you know that? You¡¯re the only friend I can trust, and you¡¯re the only one I can give my heart for. If anything, I¡¯ll thank you. You¡¯re the only person I can trust while I have to look at the world with distrustful eyes. You¡¯re the only person I can show myself to defenseless like this, not wearing or having any weapons equipped on me as I am now.¡±


    Carl was sincere.


    The only one whose hands he could hold in a world where no one could believe him was just him, Azrael. He had never expressed his gratitude to him.


    Carl approached Azrael and tapped him on the shoulder. Azrael, who leaned over and checked the water in the bathtub once more, said.


    ¡°The water temperature is reasonable. Please enter the bathtub.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Carl pushed his leg into the bathtub. The water was lower than usual. He enjoyed a bath in the usual hot temperatures. Azrael always correctly picked up the temperature. It was not sour water but hot water.


    Carl pushed himself into the bathtub without saying a word to Azrael. He instinctively identified the iron potter next to the bathtub with his eyes.


    The iron grating for use in the firece looked hard. Enough to stop a sword. He closed his eyes and spoke in a low voice while leaning against the bathtub.


    ¡°Fifteen years? The years I spent with you.¡±


    ¡°Fifteen years. Has it already been so long?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. It was enough time to give you my heart.¡±


    Azrael did not answer Carl¡¯s words but instead looked at him.


    ¡°Has there ever been a time I said that? What my mother¡¯s will was?¡±


    Carl was six years old. The change of his mother, who was smiling mildly...


    The young mother, who was supposed to exude beauty, was as dry as an old tree. She swung her fingernails at thedies who were trying to feed her food. Then she held Carl in her arms and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°They poisoned our food. They¡¯ll kill me and take my ce.¡±


    Carl thought his mother was strange even at a young age. Whenever she said such a thing, the maids had an unfair face. Father Rodbius, the Emperor, shouted ¡°Leave herself to me¡± and ¡°Crazy.¡± Then. his mother shouted ¡°Someone is trying to kill me so she can sit next to you¡± as she threw up blood.


    My father gradually reduced the number of visits from about once every two days to once a week and once every fifteen days. Eventually, he did not go to find her anymore.


    ¡°Carl! You have to believe me. That they¡¯re trying to kill me. You have to trust me! Because you¡¯re my son!¡±


    Isabel pped away the bread from Carl as he was trying to put it in his mouth and prevented him from eating. The maids struggled to bind her limbs and shouted. Even in his eyes, his mother seemed like a madwoman, not the Empress of the Empire.


    Even though he was afraid of his mother¡¯s appearance, Carl slipped the bread lying on the floor into his pocket. It was bread that she said not to eat because it was poisoned. When he returned to his room, he threw a piece of bread at a canary that he had been raising. The canary, who was pecking at the pieces of bread, perished after three or four hours.


    At the tender age of six, Carl realized that Isabel¡¯s voice was not just crazy.


    He knew his mother¡¯s words were true, but he hadn¡¯t visited her for quite a long time since. He didn¡¯t want to see her turn into a demon. He only dreamed in his heart that his mother would hug him with a benevolent smile as before.


    It was an exceptionally rainy dawn. Carl opened his eyes early in the thin air. He couldn¡¯t remember the dream he hadst night, but maybe it was a nightmare, his bedding was soaked with sweat.


    He felt he had to see his mother suddenly, so he hurried to her ce without changing his pajamas.


    Shoot him. Shoot him.


    It was raining hard as if a hole had been drilled into the sky. Little Carl ran with the rain all over him. Every time he ran through the corridors of the Imperial Pce, he found a puddle of water from the rain that fell from him.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    As he hurried into the door, Isabel called in a soft voice. She didn¡¯t wear an alligator as she didst time, nor did she look at the maids with a spiteful look. As if she had gone back to her old days, as if she had been when he was young, she had a pretty smile.


    ¡°At this time... Did you have a nightmare? You¡¯re soaked in the rain.¡±


    Carl dived into her arms, not caring about his wet clothes. Isabel drew the quilt over him with her polished, parched hand and wrapped him up.


    ¡°I had a scary dream.¡±


    He whined like a child and dug into Isabel¡¯s coquettishness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a dream.¡±


    She patted Carl on the cheek. Her hands on his face were as cold as ice. It was colder than him, who was deprived of warmth by the rain. He got goosebumps on the back of his neck.


    ¡°Carl.¡±


    She called his name over and over again.

 Chapter 42: Live To Sienna Pt.42

    <h4>Chapter 42: Live To Sienna Pt.42</h4>


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust anyone. No one. Even the father of yours.¡±


    In a soft voice, Isabel told her son a terrible story.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust anyone.¡±


    She had repeated the same words so many times, as if she was afraid her son would forget these words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust anyone, cough¡±


    His mother, who repeatedly told him not to trust anyone enough to give up counting, shook her chest and coughed violently. Her cough was mixed with dark red blood. She vomited blood and said it over and over again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust anyone.¡±


    That was thest thing she said to Carl. Her death was promulgated as a result of pneumonia, but Carl knew it was a lie.


    The puppy, who was licking his cheek as ifforting Carl, who was in a motherless grief, died with a wild sigh. His cheeks were covered with blood from her dying breath.


    Azrael said nothing when Carl¡¯s story was over. He didn¡¯t even offer words of constion. He didn¡¯t feel sorry because he didn¡¯t say it tofort him.


    ¡°The water has cooled down.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Azrael did not answer. The water in the bathtub was still warm, but for Carl, it felt as cold as ice. Like a mother¡¯s hand that swept away his face that night.


    ¡°O Lord, don¡¯t forgive me.¡±


    Even before Azrael had finished speaking, Carl stood up with a pail beside the bathtub. The sudden movement of him caused the water in the bathtub to ssh in all directions.


    Chang! The sh of Azrael¡¯s sword and a dune held by Carl produced a cold, metallic sound. The two men¡¯s eyes were on each other.


    While wielding a sharp sword, Azrael¡¯s eyes were full of guilt. Carl asked him with a heartbroken face, ¡°Why? I¡¯ve believed that you are one of my people.¡±


    ¡°Never before have I been your man.¡±


    ¡°Why. If you¡¯re not my man, why did you protect my back in the Battle of Calfion ins?¡±


    He thought of Azrael, who had to cross life and death, being hit by a de flying from behind his back in a fierce battle where it was difficult to distinguish between enemies and allies.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t my person then, why did you risk your life to protect me?¡±¡®


    Azrael¡¯s feet kicked his chest. Carl of the gods rolled about behind the bathtub. He rolled on the floor and didn¡¯t miss a fly.


    Azrael¡¯s de flew over Carl¡¯s head, which was falling. Carl rolled over, avoided the sh, and kicked Azrael¡¯s thigh.


    Fifteen years.


    Two people who watched each other were also the closest to each other for a time that was never short. Their struggles were fierce because they knew each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses as well as their own.


    Carl hit Azrael on the wrist with a piece of dirt he was holding. Azrael¡¯s wrist crashed into a heavily-powered iron bar, and there was a dull noise. ¡®Tuck!¡¯ He missed yet another sh as his face twisted in.


    Quickly grasping at his waist, Carl gave himself strength to push him over. Azrael¡¯s back and head hit the floor.


    Carl threw his fist over his head. Every time his fist hit Azrael¡¯s face, there was the sound of hitting the torn leather. The joints of his fingers felt Azrael¡¯s hard jawbone and hot blood.


    The pace of Carl hitting Azrael¡¯s face gradually slowed down. He soon stretched his arms helplessly. Only their harsh breathing sound was left in the bathroom.


    All of their muscles were trembling. The steam rose like a mist over Carl¡¯s nude body.


    ¡°Ah! Crack! ¡±


    Azraelughed, twisting his disheveled face. Carl stared at him with a grotesque smile. His blue eyes were as clear as ever.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t youugh when you¡¯re all naked and on top of me?¡±


    ¡°Crazy boy!¡±


    Carl raised himself up. He flopped down on a chair beside the fire. They were not like those who fought for each other¡¯s necks until just now. The tension between the two disappeared.


    ¡°When did you start?¡±


    ¡°Where should I begin? It was from the beginning.¡±


    Carl smiled with a look of despondency.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me? I was going to kill you when I was given the orders from Arya.¡±


    ¡°False. If you really tried to kill me, you shouldn¡¯t have told me not to forgive you.¡±


    ¡®If you really wanted to kill Carl, you¡¯d better find another way. You can drug his food, stab his heart while he¡¯s sleeping. The way to have a direct armed conflict with Carl was by no means a good choice.¡¯


    They learned together under the same sword master. There might be some differences, but they were not so different as to have one-sided dominance. If he had kept his mouth shut and wielded his sword instead of saying sorry, he could have done at least a great deal of damage, if not killed Carl in a single shot.


    Azrael struggled to pull himself up and leaned his back against the wall near him.


    ¡°I would have lost it if I wielded a sword without saying anything. The king recognizes you as quickly as he can live.¡±


    His words made Carlugh with a hard face.


    ¡°Why today? I¡¯ve been around for fifteen years.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. For fifteen years, you¡¯ve been leaving me alone, and I thought they¡¯d forget about me... Ipletely forgot the reason why I had to stay with you.¡±


    ¡°Crazy bastard.¡±


    Carl was now desperate for alcohol.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Prince, remember that day. In the Battle of Calfion ins...¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t forget it.¡±


    It was a battle with the Fury Zone tribe. The Fury Zone was only a small tribe, but their men, women, and children were all warriors who could fight with swords regardless of age. War against this kind was terribly difficult.


    The battle was fierce every day. Carl wielded his sword, tangled to the point where it was difficult to distinguish between friend and foe. They had to fight with their thin lips in celebration of blood. In the battle, Carl went back and forth beyond count. His guardians also declined in number.


    Even waking up in days and nights of fighting was a daunting day. His mind was half blown away when it was mechanically wielding a sword.


    ¡°Today will be thest day of this battle.¡±


    It was when I felt positive that the battle would end in a victory for our troops.


    ¡°The Lord!¡±


    Azrael¡¯s voice sounded like a scream. Looking back, Azrael was looking up at himself with a full smile.


    ¡°Azrael.¡±


    Azrael vomited a mouthful of blood and then crouched down and fell. His back was struck with a hatchet.


    ¡°Azrael!¡±


    Carl, screaming his name, shed the neck of the man wielding a sword at Azrael.


    The battle was barely over, but Azrael was unable toe to his senses. The doctor shook his head when he saw the deep wound in his back. Their words of ¡®preparing for death¡¯ filled Carl with grief and anger.


    ¡°You useless people. If you don¡¯t save Azrael, I¡¯ll rip your heads off of your bodies.¡±


    Despite Carl¡¯s threats, they found no other way. Fortunately, he was able to save his life with the help of a therapist who was miraculously close to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s the day you saved my life.¡±


    Azrael burst outughing and immediately made an impression as to whether his mouth was torn.


    ¡°I often wished I hadn¡¯t met the old priest that day.¡±


    ¡°Good. If it weren¡¯t for that old man, you¡¯d have left for the afterlife that day.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had. Then at least he could have died from his own brother,¡± said Carl with a solemn face.


    ¡°You¡¯re still my close friend. It¡¯s the way it¡¯s going to be.¡±


    He hoped his true heart would be conveyed to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re too slow. That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying. Who do you think was the one who wielded a sword against you just now?¡±


    Azrael seized the pir and raised himself. Maybe he hurt his ankle in the fight with Carl, but he walked by dragging his left leg. He walked toward the sword he had dropped. Carl closed his eyes when he saw him pick up the sword.


    ¡°You said thest words of Queen Isabel were ¡®don¡¯t trust anyone¡¯.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡ªyou have to listen well to your mother.¡±


    He spoke in a voice mixed with grotesque groans, neitherughing nor crying. Carl opened his eyes slowly. Azrael was already standing in front of himself. Tears welled up in the eyes of Carl, who smiled with a muddled face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust anyone.¡±

 Chapter 43: Live To Sienna Pt.43

    <h4>Chapter 43: Live To Sienna Pt.43</h4>


    ¡°Lies. You trust people too easily. You say you¡¯re wary of people, but if you cross the line you¡¯re drawing, it¡¯s easy to give your heart and your faith. It¡¯s terrible that you don¡¯t trust everyone. I¡¯d like to find someone I can trust, and I¡¯m sure everyone wants to have one. But you can¡¯t trust anyone. That¡¯s the only way to live.¡±


    Azrael held the sword high in his hands. Carl looked at him in the eye without any agitation. There was no defensive action against Azrael¡¯s actions.


    ¡°So, here¡¯s what happens. It¡¯s so easy to believe.¡±


    ¡°Lies. You don¡¯t want to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t want to kill you. But someone has to die here today.¡±


    Azrael burst out with a grotesque smile once again. He sped the handle of the sword. Then he closed his eyes tightly and swung the sword. Carl followed him and closed his eyes.


    ¡°But I hope that someone you can trust will show up. Life is horrible that there¡¯s no one you can trust.¡±


    He could hear the sound of a pit bull and a sword¡¯s tip tearing through the muscles. Still, Carl felt no pain at all. When he opened his eyes, Azrael was lying under his feet. The sword was embedded deep in his abdomen.


    ¡°Azrael!¡±


    Azrael smiled faintly at Carl, who called his name.


    Drip, drip. The tip of the sword might have touched his lungs, and there was blood in his mouth.


    Carl hugged his head. Azrael grabbed him by the wrist when he tried to call someone¡¯s name for help. It was such a deafening force that one could not believe he was standing at the crossroads of death.


    ¡°Gurgle, cough I... to save me... don¡¯t... please.¡±


    ¡°Azrael...


    ¡°Death... as... your... friend... I want as... my death...¡±


    Carl covered the back of Azrael¡¯s hand and held it tightly. ¡°Azrael, you are my close friend.¡±


    A close friend who has taken faith in me.


    Afortable smile spread around Azrael¡¯s mouth. His ck pupils were erged.


    ¡°Carl... I...¡±


    He died before he could finish hisst words. Tears streamed down from Azrael¡¯s eyes.


    Carl hugged him and called his name several times. Azrael didn¡¯t answer anymore.


    *


    In the days following Carl¡¯s departure from the expedition, there was a tense confrontation between proponents and opponents of the marriage of Carl and Sienna. But public opinion of the opposition soon faltered. When it was told that Carl was attacked and life and death were unclear, the opposition could no longer just oppose it.


    In Laifsden, if he died without bing an adult, he would not be recognized as a member of the imperial family. It was a great disgrace. For the sake of Prince Carl¡¯s honor, the wedding had to go ahead before his death.


    The news of Carl¡¯s injury was not announced by the public, but Kelly had been informed of it through a high-ranking aristocrat with a line at hand. Kelly¡¯s voice was filled with grief as he reported that his life and death were unclear.


    This was why Sienna¡¯s wedding preparations went very fast. Today, she was busy taking measurements and choosing a dress design for the wedding, surrounded by tailors and maids who came from the imperial family.


    Gerald, the one-eyed tailor, made a song about how splendid and beautiful the wedding dress would be, but Sienna couldn¡¯t hear a word from him.


    ¡®As I told you, be careful of Azrael.¡¯


    In the past, Carl was also badly wounded by Azrael¡¯s sword. A long red scar across his back from his right shoulder to his left waist made it clear how much he had been hurt by it.


    ¡®Is he hurt that much again this time? He¡¯s not going to die. He¡¯s a man who¡¯s lived with such severe wounds in the past. But...¡¯


    She tried to cate herself that he wouldn¡¯t have died, but she was still not relieved.


    ¡°I want you to tell me more precisely.¡±


    However, Sienna did not know exactly what was going on at the time because she heard the story.


    ¡®No, I should¡¯ve told you not to go. You wouldn¡¯t have listened to me, but...¡¯


    No matter how much she thought about it, it was the best thing she could do to warn him. Still, she couldn¡¯t wake up with anxiety and worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll stop here today.¡±


    They checked Sienna¡¯s pale face and withdrew, saying they woulde back tomorrow. After rejecting Kelly¡¯s offer to boil the warm onion soup, she returned to her room.


    The wooden door sounded unusually stiff today, but she didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to it. Inside the room, a familiar type of man stood with his back against a sunny window.


    Sienna was so surprised that she almost copsed in her seat¡ªshe had never thought he would be here. Sheshed out at the person who was in the room with her chest on his back.


    ¡°So you can pretend to be popr. Isn¡¯t that surprising?¡±


    Anger and happiness appeared in her face. Until just a moment ago, the person whose life and death she was worried about was now standing in front of her.


    But Carl criticized herck of poprity, saying, ¡°You just stood there without saying a word.¡± He hadn¡¯te back for a while, but he seemed to have returned as a ghost.


    ¡°Did youe through the window again today? I told you that¡¯s not a ce for people toe and go from.¡±


    Sienna closed the door carefully and looked hard to see if he was hurt. After further observation, there seemed to be no major injuries or illnesses. He had a wounded face, though. From his expression, Sienna realized that Carl¡¯s servant had betrayed him as before. His body might be fine, but the pain he felt in his heart... should be severe.


    Sienna wanted to reach out and soothe his shoulders, but she couldn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t her role.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Did you want me to get hurt?¡±


    She spoke to him in a harsh yet friendly voice, ¡°Of course, something like that¡¯s not going to happen. I¡¯m d you¡¯re back safely.¡±


    She perched herself on the bed. Then she beckoned Carl to sit in the chair. He stood leaning his back against the wall opposite to Sienna. He looked wary of Sienna like a wounded animal.


    ¡°The house was busy.¡±


    ¡°I sent a man from the imperial family to prepare for the wedding. We have to get married.¡±


    Her words didn¡¯t respond much to Carl. She felt like she had to say something under the awkward situation. But when he was in a bad mood, she didn¡¯t know what to do or what to say. She wanted to cheer him up by giving him an awkward joke.


    ¡°The tailor made a fuss about the beautiful wedding dress, but it was funny to me. The white dress and all kinds of jewelry were so heavy that I couldn¡¯t even fit them into the house. It was so funny that it was uglier than a clown costume. If you had seen it, you would have mistaken me for an entertainer.¡±


    She could only sigh inwardly after seeing his sad and lonely expression.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°... You don¡¯t have to worry. I don¡¯t have to wear that ridiculous wedding dress at least this time.¡±


    Again, it was no use. She said it as a joke, but he didn¡¯t look good. He was in a bad mood, too. She thought he would go to attend the wedding with Bluebell even if he didn¡¯t have to show up at their wedding.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Sienna knew what he was asking. He was asking how Azrael, who has been with Carl for a long time, was one of Arya¡¯s people, and how she knew he was going to try to assassinate him.


    ¡°It just happened. Your henchman Azrael is a spy that Arya nted a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°By chance? Who did you hear that from?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel like answering. Okay, I¡¯m not going to ask who that informant is. Then how did you know he was going to attack me? How did you know that Azrael, who had been sitting by my side for fifteen years, would bring out his sword at me at this crucial time?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be in the capital.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°As you know, there¡¯s a great deal going on in the capital right now.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about our wedding?¡±


    ¡°Our wedding is just a part of the lyric. You know that this whole act of Arya trying to separate the Crown Prince from the Peer family and trying to marry me to a humble man is just a means for one thing.¡±


    Carl muttered, ¡°To make Valore the next emperor!¡±


    Sienna nodded.

 Chapter 44: Live To Sienna Pt.44

    <h4>Chapter 44: Live To Sienna Pt.44</h4>


    ¡°Now the Emperor may be closing in onto his death bed soon. No, there¡¯s no way to even make sure he¡¯s alive. Empress Arya is hiding the Emperorpletely. I¡¯ve been able to take over the state affairs from him, but I can¡¯t do it forever. There¡¯s already a rumor going around among the nobles that the Emperor may have already passed away.¡±


    Carl nodded his head. Not even himself, the son of the emperor, could meet the emperor. It was only Queen Arya who conveyed the emperor¡¯s sentiments. There was no way to confirm whether the emperor¡¯s meaning really came through and out of the emperor¡¯s mouth for certain.


    ¡°Then we can promulgate the emperor¡¯s death and put Valore on the throne.¡±


    Sienna gave Carl a nasty smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s why King Carl is so good.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke. No, it¡¯s not just a joke.¡±


    Sienna shrugged and carried on.


    ¡°First of all, there¡¯s a reason that your father-inw is a father-inw and an enemy. There¡¯s not a principle of longevity in Laifsden, but if you don¡¯t have a sessor, you¡¯re generally following the father-inw. And Empress Arya has sent you to war in the name of your duty as a prince.¡±


    Because of her ridiculous ims, Carl had to turn to the battlefield to fight since he was around eleven years old.


    ¡°Empress Arya may have hoped that Prince Carl would be severely wounded or killed in the battlefield, but you have safely fulfilled your duties for more than a decade. In contrast, the Prince of Wales did nothing again and again on the pretext of being the second child. Already, Prince Carl is gaining a lot of public support as a war hero. Byparison, people¡¯s perception of the prince¡¯s charge, which is not very wellid out in the pce, is blurred. I¡¯m sure the public will want to and try to appoint Prince Carl to the throne. That¡¯s not what the Empress wants.¡±


    Carl nodded his head.


    ¡°No matter what the public sentiment is, if it were against the power of the Queen Arya today, they could force Valore to sit on the throne.¡±


    It was bitter but true. It was her, who had long won the hearts of central nobles and wielded power in the shadow of the emperor. Carl won the hearts of the army, some nobles, and the people. However, it was not enough to keep Empress Arya in check.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but there¡¯s a big weakness the Crown Prince has overshadowing yourself.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The suspicion that it may be after the emperor¡¯s blood.¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna with a surprised face this time. Maybe it is after the emperor¡¯s blood?


    ¡°Not long after the death of your mother, Empress Isabel, the Emperor weed Arya to the throne. She had a five-year-old child at the time. Of course, the Emperor recognized the prince as his bloodline, but there is still some doubt in people¡¯s minds. The Prince of Wales is not a child born in the imperial family, and most of all, he does not resemble the Emperor at all.¡±


    The symbol representing the royal bloodline is dark golden hair and green eyes. Carl also had golden hair and green eyes that looked exactly like Emperor Rodbius.


    ¡°Of course, there were cases of yellow-hairless royals in the imperial family with different colors of hair or eyes. In this case, far down the whole royal family line that is to say. But his brown eyes and hair doesn¡¯t look like that of Empress Arya.¡±


    Carl was so ovee by a sense of betrayal that he felt about his father, who had brought over a brother so suddenly into the family as soon as his mother, Isabel, died.


    ¡®Valore, I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s my brother...¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that.¡±


    Sienna nodded.


    ¡°When Empress Arya entered the imperial pce, Prince Carl was young, too. Moreover, no one would have tly denied what His Majesty had acknowledged. But now things are different. In the event that Prince Carl and His Majesty as well as the Second Prince fight over the throne, the matter will be brought up through anyone¡¯s mouth. The question is whether the prince was actually born in the royal family. What¡¯s more interesting is...¡±


    Carl made a curious impression when Sienna didn¡¯t speak right away. She said, drawing up one side of her mouth.


    ¡°There was a spleen that had been trying to stop the Panacio family¡¯s estate. It¡¯s about a deft minstrel from Castro who Empress Arya sponsored. It¡¯s a guy who had glossy brown hair and eyes like a ripe night in autumn.¡±


    ¡°You mean the father of Valore is the minstrel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. However, since the night the emperor stopped at the estate of the Panacio family under the pretext of a hunting trip, there has been a rumor that the minstrel¡¯s hair has not been seen around. It was only a short time ago. After the unprovoked death of the innocent, the story has never been said out in the territory. But now, I think it¡¯s a secret story.¡±


    It wasmon for wandering minstrels to disappear. However, it was certainly strange that those who had the secret message died.


    ¡°So, Empress Arya wouldn¡¯t have been able to see her two princes, Her Majesty, and Carl, as he was joining in on the fight against the empress in the capital. One way or another, she had to create a situation where Prince Carl couldn¡¯t be in the capital. So, she just thought she¡¯d use a tool that she had nted and worked on it for fifteen years. It was just a guess. I was lucky. Your henchmen, Azrael, became known to have been nted by the Empress in the end.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a guess...¡±


    Carl chewed up Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡®Is she simply saying she made such a guess based on the fact that Arya nted Azrael as her hidden card? Where in the world did she get that kind of information?¡¯


    It was not easy for a girl who had lived in a small estate way up in the north to get ess to that kind of information.


    Sienna said, bobbing her ankle.


    ¡°I guess I wasn¡¯t wrong by the look on your face.¡±


    Sienna read out the distrust in Carl¡¯s face. It was a story that he couldn¡¯t believe. But she couldn¡¯t tell him she knew because she had already experienced the future.


    Still, he was partly right when he said she had guessed it all. Because she was right to recall, deduce, and filter the information out of the past.


    ¡°You must be satisfied that your reasoning is right.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna wanted to say no, but her mouth wouldn¡¯t budge. Although he said his henchman Azrael wouldn¡¯t betray him, she also hoped that he would not betray him. She didn¡¯t want Carl to get hurt. He may get better, but she knew that the heart¡¯s wound stays deep and never get erased.


    Sienna rose from her seat and took a step toward Carl. It was funny to feel far away even though it was three or four feet away.


    She stepped out again. She looked up at him from just a step away. She wanted to console him by sweeping down his seemingly hurt face, but it wasn¡¯t her role as she made the initial pledge.


    Carl looked at Sienna. A faint freckle or red hair nestled on the back of the nose just gave the impression of a sunnier girl. She looked the same age as Bluebell, who had yet to perform an adult ceremony.


    In fact, Sienna and Bluebell were only two years apart. However, Bluebell and Sienna seemed to have a difference in decades, not two years.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Carl retorted it like a spell. Otherwise, she would bury his face in her arms and beg for constion.


    How many times had he met her so far? What¡¯s more, she¡¯s full of doubt. Still, Carl was afraid he would end up trusting her. That¡¯s why he repeated this process over and over again to finally say If he had trusted her and she ends up betraying him like Azrael, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it...¡±


    ¡°...I know.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s voice was stained with water. Because his words of disbelief became a dagger and distrust.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll take that offer any other day.¡±


    ¡°Proposal?¡±


    ¡°The offer to join hands to keep Arya in check. I don¡¯t believe you, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s hold hands, not trust each other.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen this time instead. Why are you trying to keep Arya in check?¡±


    ¡°Why are you trying to keep Arya in check? To be honest, it¡¯s not to keep her in check, it¡¯s revenge.¡±


    ¡°Revenge?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Doesn¡¯t Your Highness also wish the same, don¡¯t you? That heart that wants to break the neck of Empress Arya.¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna as if he didn¡¯t understand her.

 Chapter 45: Live To Sienna Pt.45 The Disappearing Past

    <h4>Chapter 45: Live To Sienna Pt.45 The Disappearing Past</h4>


    Of course, he also wanted revenge on Arya. He even thought he¡¯d rip off her neck if he were to be the emperor. But, why does she feel like that too?


    Unlike himself, who had a clear reason, he found it difficult to find any connections between Sienna and Arya. But he couldn¡¯t figure out why she wanted revenge.


    Sienna turned to the vase to avoid his gaze. Patting white and coveted Asta flowers, she opened her mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°Important...¡± Oh, no... it¡¯s because Empress Arya has cut off the funding to Heidel.¡±


    ¡°Only that?¡±


    In Carl¡¯s response, she spoke in a slightly angry tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. It¡¯s been ten years. Due to the local nature in Heidel, it is difficult to operate without any help from outside. It¡¯s and that hasn¡¯t stopped snowing all year round, and monsters invade every day.¡±


    Carl nodded his head. He had never known that they had lost funds to Heidel, but he knew that it was an economically difficult ce to stand on its own feet.


    ¡°How did you survive ten years of financial loss?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve managed to keep it afloat by selling the by-products of the hunted monsters.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    While it was generally believed that the government has been able to sustain the operation of thend by replenishing the funds in that way, and that this was enough to reveal potential means of vengeance against Arya. Sienna sighed and said whether his thoughts that had been revealed on his face had been answered yet.


    ¡°You may not be able to sympathize, but it¡¯s a good reason for me to get back on my feet and see my father grieving for not being able to properlypensate the rest of the families of the soldiers who died.¡±


    Not only Heidel but also many other districts that had an antipathy to Arya. As Arya¡¯s main forces were concentrated in the South and the capital, the rest of the region has been politically and economically marginalized and isted. It was natural in a way for her to be vindictive of Arya, who grew up in Heidel, who had not received the necessary funds for ten years.


    However, Carl thought Sienna might have another reason to seek revenge on Arya. It was much more of an emotional reason...


    The Disappearing Past


    The news of their marriage finally came known throughout the whole capital.


    Citizens were excited by questions and expectations about the scale of the wedding. It wasn¡¯t just a royal wedding. It was the wedding of Prince Carl.


    With many records of victory, he was a prince loved by citizens. People were busy guessing who would be Carl¡¯s crown jewel.


    Contrary to this festive mood, Sienna, who was the marrying party, was calm. Busy days persisted, fitting dresses, practicing ceremonies, and taking lessons in imperial etiquette.


    She also had a break after a long time. She left Kelly¡¯s mansion and headed to the temple where Roy was.


    There was a rough building next to the temple. It was a dormitory that would serve as a home for children. White paint was being applied to the gray walls.


    ¡°Miss Sienna!¡±


    Kevin got into Sienna¡¯s skirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    She said, patting the child on the head.


    ¡°I missed you, too. Are you building all the dorms?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been living in a dormitory since then, not on a long chair in the church anymore. There¡¯s a bed and a nket inside.¡±


    Kevin led her into the dormitory. The children who were painting the wall waved to Sienna and she responded with a bright smile.


    The child pushed open the red door with his shoulder. The door opened smoothly and she could see the inside. Inside the dormitory, thirty wooden two-story beds were listed on both sides, with huge tables and chairs lying next to them. It was a space enough for sixty children.


    While it could not benefit every child on the street, at least sixty children had ces where they didn¡¯t have to shiver out in the cold with hunger. Moreover, it does not end there. When the children who were able to stand on their own feet gets a job, the position will be filled with another child, giving more than sixty other children a chance.


    ¡°My seat is here.¡±


    Kevin flopped down on the bed at the end and said,


    ¡°The pillow here is very soft, too. It¡¯s clean, right? I wash it clean every day for fear of getting it dirty. And I got clothes, too.¡±


    Come to think of it, the children were all wearing navy vests and shorts.


    Sienna sat next to him. She swept away the new bedding¡¯s fluff and the hair of the child who showed off his new clothes.


    ¡°You look great. Kevin, you look like a rich master in this outfit?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It really suits you.¡±


    ¡°Lady Sienna!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Roy said it was because of Sister Sienna and Baron Kelly that my friends and I are able to live in a ce like this right now.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s all thanks to Father Roy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to tell you since the day I first met Sienna when you gave me your lunch box. Thank you.¡±


    Sienna pulled Kevin¡¯s shoulder without saying a word and swept the child¡¯s back with her arms in her arms. The child said thank you, but she also gained a lot offort through this child.


    After talking to Kevin, she found Robin painting the wall outside.


    ¡°Robin.¡±


    ¡°Lady Sienna, you¡¯vee here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you have a minute? I¡¯d like to talk to you quietly.¡±


    ¡°Anyway.¡±


    Robin, who climbed up thedder and was painting the wall with a long stick with a brush at the end, jumped down. The boy put the stick over thedder and ced it on the side where the shade of the tree lied. Whether painting in the sun was hard or not, his face was tanned, and beads of sweat were hanging over his forehead and neck.


    Robin sat with his back against a wooden post. She sank beside him, too. She would get dust on her clothes, but she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Look, Robin, you know...¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a favor you. It might be a difficult request...¡±


    ¡°Any request is fine. If it¡¯s something I can do.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m better than anyone else in my ability to avoid danger.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to start a rumor.¡±


    It was a lie to Carl, though she told him stories about Arya and a minstrel were leaking out. It was a story that would be known quietly after a few years. Sienna wanted to speed up the pace a little.


    A voracious ck-haired woman of a family with a huge territory falls in love with a brown-haired minstrel from Castro, who goes beyond her status but faces family opposition. The family banishes the man. But life was already in the lover¡¯s boat.


    A high-ranking official with golden hair came to theirnd, which they had been agonizing over because they could not have children from humble origins, and she visited his bedroom that night.


    Sienna, who was embarrassed because it was an embarrassing story to tell young Robin, coughed several times.


    ¡°I know a guy who talks to others and likes to drink. He¡¯s such a broad-footed person that he can make a name for himself in no time.¡±


    ¡°The most important thing is that no one should know the beginning of this story. My identity, your identity, shouldn¡¯t be revealed.¡±


    Robin shrugged as if it had been no big deal.


    ¡°He¡¯s a man who¡¯s lost his head in the morning. If you leave a story at his bedside, he won¡¯t remember where he heard it. He won¡¯t even know who he heard it from, but he¡¯s just going to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Please take good care of it for me.¡±


    Sienna got up from the scene when she put a pair of silver coins in Robin¡¯s pocket, which he refused to ept.


    Roy looked at the documents with a serious expression in the corner of the temple and soon looked away from the window. Sienna approached him with care.


    ¡°Roy.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Lady Sienna?¡±


    She only called in a small voice, but Roy stood up in a fit of rage. The chair crept to the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Were you surprised when I suddenly talked to you?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. I was just thinking about something else. Long time no see, Sienna.¡±


    He smiled with his characteristic yful face. Sienna had been busy preparing for her wedding, so she had no time to visit the temple.


    ¡°How¡¯s the children¡¯s dorm going?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Kelly helped me so much that I could get things moving quickly. Your Holiness was very happy, too. He wrote me a letter full ofpliments, too.¡±

 Chapter 46: Live To Sienna Pt.46

    <h4>Chapter 46: Live To Sienna Pt.46</h4>


    ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s all thanks to Roy.¡±


    ¡°What would I have done? It¡¯s all because of the grace of God.¡±


    He answered with a sign that looked quite priestly. Although he was young, he looked so young that he felt more like a student than a priest, but the graceful gesture of carefully painting the sign made him look different.


    Roy advised Sienna to drink his own dried petal tea.


    ¡°It smells good.¡±


    A purple petal in the cup came up to the surface. Sienna clutched a rough brown teacup with her hands. Mild warmth passed through the palms.


    For a while, there was no word between the two. Roy shook his mouth several times to find out what he wanted to say, but soon closed his mouth with a resigned face.


    ¡°There...¡±


    ¡°There...¡±


    They spoke at the same time, no matter who was first. Sienna winked at Roy to tell him to go ahead first.


    ¡°Well, yesterday I heard promations all over the street. It was a promation marking the wedding of the First Prince of Laifsden to someone, and she had the same name as Sienna. So, is it possible that...¡±


    He rolled his eyes back and forth as if it was hard for him to ask her. So she said first.


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    Her answer made him look surprised.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it turned out.¡±


    Silence settled between them again.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little surprised. Lady Sienna is going to be the queen of the Empire... it¡¯s amazing. Oh, can I attend the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Are youing on behalf of the Divine Empire?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Sienna is a believer in the Goddess of the Earth. I¡¯ll represent the parish. I¡¯m going to wear a very fancy attire and give you a wonderful blessing.¡±


    The wedding was a surprise, so there were no outside envoys. It would be a great help for Sienna toe on behalf of the Holy Empire. She seemed willing to smile and enter the wedding hall if Roy, whom she knew, stood by her, even if she didn¡¯t want anyone to marry.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°May the blessing of the Goddesse to you in every step.¡±


    He gently brought his lips to her forehead and offered words of blessing. She closed her eyes. A soft, warm energy hovered.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Goddess¡¯s blessing. I¡¯m going to keep you out of the bottle for a while.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯re not worried about catching a cold?¡±


    Roy nodded his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I feel energized for some reason.¡±


    ¡°Oh, after the wedding, I won¡¯t be able to see Lady Sienna again, will I? Sienna¡¯s wedding is something to celebrate, but frankly, I can¡¯t help feeling sorry for you.¡±


    He said, sighing with a gloomy face.


    ¡°I can call on you, Roy.¡±


    ¡°But how could you possibly...¡±


    ¡°Roy, have you forgotten? I¡¯m a believer in the Holy Empire. You cane here to bless me or on behalf of the Holy Empire.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡±


    He spoke with his eyes fixed on the teacup.


    ¡°It must be a weird feeling. It¡¯s not that we can meet and chatfortably, but that I can only meet Sienna only when I represent the Holy Empire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, now we have to meet not just Sienna and Roy, but as envoys of the goddess of the earth and the Holy Empire. That¡¯s not good enough to say.¡±


    They nodded with a sad face.


    ¡°And yet...¡±


    Roy spoke with much difficulty.


    ¡°Are we still friends after Miss Sienna¡¯s wedding?¡±


    Sienna nodded with a bright smile at his words.


    ¡°Yes, Roy is my only friend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Roy nodded with a bright smile.


    ¡°I said I¡¯de back and...¡±


    Carl didn¡¯te even the night before the wedding. Sienna sat by the window and looked down at the garden. Not long ago, the tree, where flowers hung coveted, was shattering all the petals and filling the branches with dark green leaves.


    knock, knock


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Jamie. Can Ie in?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Come in.¡±


    Jamie came in through the narrow door, with his head drooping because of hisrge size. He had a soup in his hand that was steaming.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can eat dinner properly.¡±


    She thought she wouldn¡¯t mind it because she had already experienced it once, but as the wedding day approached, she felt stuffy and lost her appetite. Finally, she skipped dinner because she couldn¡¯t eat anything at all tonight.


    Jamie put the soup on the table.


    ¡°Thank you, brother.¡±


    There was a savory smell. It was an onion soup that boiled with vegetable stock on a sweetly fried onion.


    Originally, it used chicken broth but did not eat meat such as pork, beef or chicken. Instead of chicken, the soup was loaded with mushrooms, adding vor. The side was full of butter and the baked bread showed off a pleasing color.


    Sienna spooned the soup and stuck it in her mouth. She felt as if thefort reaching her stomach, which had the feeling of being twisted and ufortable.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get married. Of course, it¡¯s not something that can be reversed now.¡±


    He said in a somber voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t stop this marriage on my own.¡±


    ¡°Jimmy, this marriage is not about being pushed around. It¡¯s my choice. It was the wedding I wanted to do.¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. I know how cold the imperial family is, how full of peopleughing and carrying knives in their hearts, and I know my husband won¡¯t wee me because it¡¯s a loveless marriage.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to do it even though you know that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯ll be able to do well. Even if it¡¯s a cage full of predators who want to bite my throat, I can do well. I¡¯m the daughter of the North. You don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be able to survive among the royal people when I have grown up in the cold north wind with our backs on the ck forest?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up. She was like a child, but she grew up in a few months.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re sad?¡±


    When asked about Sienna¡¯s joke, Jamie answered with sincerity,


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a great pity.¡±


    She smiled softly, knowing well that his words of regret were sincere.


    ¡°Sienna, do you remember our mother?¡±


    Her mother, Sarah Jaint, died of an illness when Sienna was only four years old.


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°She was such a beautiful woman. She loved you when she gave birth to you. A bright little girl was born in Heidel, which is full of men. When you were whining, she held you in her arms and sang you a song.¡±


    ¡°What song was it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sing, so... I wish I could tell you. Our mother said Heidel was a folk song that came down from the old days.¡±


    ¡°Sing it to me.¡±


    Sienna whined to Jamie to sing it for me even though he kept persisting he was tone-deaf. Jamie opened his mouth pretending he couldn¡¯t win her.


    ¡°The white snow falling in the deep forest


    If you try to touch it, it disappears from your fingertips.


    Like you can never catch¡±


    Jamie sang a line from the folk song with a trembling voice and felt embarrassed as his ears were red.


    ¡°It was so beautiful when our mother sang it, but as I suspected, it doesn¡¯t quite work out well with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to hear you sing with your voice.¡±


    A soft smile spread around Jamie¡¯s mouth at Sienna¡¯s praise.


    ¡°I wish our mother were alive.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Our mother loved the job of dressing you in pretty clothes and tying your hair. She would have loved it if she saw you wearing your dress at your wedding. I¡¯m sure she wanted to do your own dress, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure she did. I wish our mother were alive. But I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be watching from the sky.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Jamie wanted to talk a lot, but she sat face to face and didn¡¯t speak. If Sienna were to get married, it would be hard to meet her after the wedding.


    ¡°Now that I think back about it, brother and I were really glued together. No, would it be correct to say that my brother dragged me around? You dragged me around even during your knight training. To believe you even took me around with you when you were on patrol and got scolded by our father.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I dragged you around even when you said you didn¡¯t want to. You didn¡¯t want to take one step out of the castle because you hated the cold.¡±


    ¡°Why did you take me around with you so much?¡±


    Jamie said, scratching his nose,


    ¡°Our mother loved you very much. So she would take you out with her wherever she went.¡±


    ¡°What? So, you did that out of jealousy?¡±

 Chapter 47: Live To Sienna Pt.47

    <h4>Chapter 47: Live To Sienna Pt.47</h4>


    ¡°There¡¯s that too. But after our mother died, I felt uneasy if I didn¡¯t see you in front of my eyes. I thought about what I would do if our mother was to take you away.¡±


    Sienna, who was only four years old when her mother closed her eyes, was fine because she was too young to remember her mother, but not Jamie.


    ¡°Because I was young then. It was onlyter that it became a habit that I felt sorry for myself if I didn¡¯t keep you around me.¡±


    ¡°You should have adorned me a little more then. You¡¯d always annoy and bother me instead.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean bother you? I lifted you up around on my shoulders because you were so pretty.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you¡¯ve been carrying around on your head? In the summer, you would throw it into ake in the middle of nowhere and tell it to swim. And if you got bored, you would put it on top of a tall tree. Although I finally came to like climbing and standing on top of treester on, but when I was hanging from the top of the tree the first time, I thought my real heart was falling.¡±


    He shook his head at her words.


    ¡°How did it bother you? I was afraid you would be in danger when I¡¯m not there for you.¡±


    ¡°Who teaches that to a girl!¡±


    ¡°Are men the only ones who fall into the water? Do monsters onlye out and fight men? I can protect you if I¡¯m by your side, but I¡¯m afraid something might happen when I¡¯m away. I couldn¡¯t even teach you things for real because you were so pretty. You¡¯ve seen how soldiers train.¡±


    Sienna could not refute Jamie¡¯s words. In front of his only sister, her brother often acts like a screw loose, but he was a harsh and charismatic leader in front of knights and soldiers. When she watched him closely, she wondered if he was the same person.


    There was a reason why the soldiers called him ¡®the foolish brother¡¯ and ¡®the captain of the hell¡¯s squadron¡¯. She didn¡¯t really know too much about the nickname.


    ¡°By the way, after hearing about a novel that Chelsea has been reading, she asked me to buy you a dress because you were going to marry the prince and would start whining for one... It¡¯s not a prince, but rather, you¡¯ll get married to the Crown Prince and be his princess.¡±


    As a child, Sienna unnecessarily developed fantasies about being the Empress by reading novels that Chelsea had given or read to her. She had the girlish idea that she would be able to marry herself away to the eyes of the prince as long as she bought a pretty dress right away.


    The immature girl¡¯s dream really came true. She got married to the Crown Prince. Of course, she had to face a different ending than the main character in the novel, who married the prince and lived happily ever after for the rest of her life.


    *


    ¡®I¡¯m so sleepy...¡¯


    Sienna couldn¡¯t sleep yesterday, so she just tossed and turned on the bed. People came from the imperial family, barely falling asleep at dawn. It was because she had to prepare for the wedding.


    She painted her face with powder and trimmed her hair with hot, red iron. She couldn¡¯t stand her heavy eyelids and sat down in a chair, nodding off. Whenever her head lost its bnce and moved, her hair was pulled and heated by the cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to move recklessly when we¡¯re doing your hair.¡±


    ¡°I know, but... Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sienna! Can I get you a cup of tea?¡±


    Jane asked. Jane, who used to be Kelly¡¯s servant, became Sienna¡¯s cousin as she entered the Grinnie¡¯s House as a foster child. At first, she was confused by how their titles changed between Sienna and Jane, reversing in order, but now she was quite ustomed to it.


    ¡°Sister, please. If it¡¯s that one, please make it very dark and cool for me.¡±


    Jane and Kelly were also attending the wedding, and both had already been prepared. The main character, Sienna, had to have aplicated wedding dress, so it took more time.


    ¡°Every morning you¡¯re so drunk on tiredness that you can¡¯t beat yourself awake until the day you get married.¡±


    ¡°Brother! When exactly did I do that? And how can it be morning now? The sun hasn¡¯t even dawned yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Today, the skies are clear and the stars are nice so it¡¯ll be a sunny day.¡±


    When the sun came up, the living room was filled with sunlight, as he said. The morning seemed to havee early because it was approaching summer.


    ¡°Fortunately, the sky is clear and the sun is fine today.¡±


    ¡°It seems so. By the way, brother is very good at observing that.¡±


    Jamie was also wearing a tailspin. It was always easy to wield a sword, but today it was neatly tucked and dressed in ck robes. Such a tall frame and broad shoulders made the clothes look better together. In particr, the red cape on his shoulders was making his appearance stand out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m getting married before brother, but I think I¡¯ll have the chance to meet my new sister-inw today if I¡¯m lucky. It seems I¡¯ll have to prepare a number table for you. I think there¡¯s going to be a line-up ofdies who¡¯ll want to marry my brother.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense about a line?¡±


    Jamie blushed and shook his hands, but his mouth was filled with smiles as to whether her praise was not really all that bad. He was in a state where his marriage requests were packed full. But a wife wouldn¡¯te in so easily. There was no aristocrat to send hawks to families with no power or money in the northern corner, even though their father was titled as a duke.


    ¡®It¡¯s not just the bad conditions...¡¯


    If he doesn¡¯t stay in the northern town of Heidel and just spends his time in the capital and attend a banquet, he will surely find his partner much easier.


    Objectively, Jamie had a likable face and a solid body, not because she saw her brother with the eyes as his younger sister, Sienna. Moreover, he was the sessor to the Duke of Waters, who was considered to be the greatest warrior.


    Of course, it was now politically marginalized, but it was once such an aplished family that the emperor felt threatened. The lineage had melted away to Jamie. Although not officially known, he began to master swordsmanship at fifteen years old and was probably the youngest swordsman.


    He was also a kindhearted man who could save his own people. No one really disliked Jamie, though he said the soldiers or knights trained by him were more vicious than the monsters running around in the north and that they were tougher than trolls. A man must be a charming man, even when he¡¯s roughed up.


    He¡¯s a man with no real drawbacks... well, the biggest problem was being stuck in the northern Heidel, far from the capital.


    ¡°When¡¯s brother going back to Heidel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going right after your wedding. There¡¯s nothing to do in the capital and I should go back to get stronger too. I don¡¯t feelfortable staying here either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay a few more months and leave.¡±


    ¡°In how many more months are you going to stay and then leave?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to look for brother¡¯s future wife. Until when will you live alone? It¡¯s because I feel sorry for going off and getting married first is all.¡±


    ¡°No need to be sorry...¡±


    ¡°So, let¡¯s stay in the capital and attend a banquet with me and see if there are any girls you like.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with a girl who falls in love with me?¡±


    Jamie turned his head and slyly smiled. Still, he did not say no, so she seemed determined to find him a wife.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re done with your makeup and hair, you can wear this.¡±


    Sienna and thedies, who were holding her dress up, stepped down and waited as she brought the dress onto the stairs. The dress was so long that sixteen maids held onto it.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve finally prepared yourself and finished wearing that dreadful thing.¡±


    Gerald, the one-eyed tailor, bragged that it was beautiful, not terrible, but it felt terrible to her.


    This wedding dress, however beautiful it was, was no different from just a pretty torture device. What¡¯s more, they even had to wear a corset that was made up of twenty whale bones, a very expensive one that the tailor boasts.

 Chapter 48: Live To Sienna Pt.48

    <h4>Chapter 48: Live To Sienna Pt.48</h4>


    Sienna thought it must be a pervert who invented that corset. She sighed deeply and gave herself away.


    The tailor put the corset around her waist and began to pull. She had to hold back her screams, repressing the tailor¡¯s desire to pull the ropes out over and over again.


    All she hadst night was the onion soup so it was the tailor¡¯s fault for making the wrong measurements since it was tightened to this level.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Sometimes brides eat a lot of sugary things before they get married, and the Duchess doesn¡¯t have much change in size. On the contrary, the waist size has decreased a bit. It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    The tailor said so by bouncing his fingers around in the air satisfactorily as she poked at her lips in disapproval. It¡¯s hard to breathe and her ribs were tightened, but this was the right fit. She thought if this was really an attire meant to be worn by people at all. She thought again that the man who made this corset, or that tailor, must be a pervert.


    The dress was lined with transparent jewelry along the sewing line with a clear-cut design of shoulders and chests. While the waist was tightened, the hips covered the fabric inyers to make it look luxurious. The smooth silk glowed whenever the light touched it.


    ¡°I think a white dress was an excellent choice, too. The red hair of Water¡¯s Duchess stands out very well in this color.¡±


    The male tailor praised Sienna in a ticklish voice.


    The color of the dress to be worn at weddings was to be chosen ording to individual tastes, and in the past, Sienna wore a blue dress. But she didn¡¯t want to wear the same clothes so she had to choose a different color. Not wanting to invest much thought in the dress, she chose white when the tailor asked for color, thinking of the white snow filling Heidel.


    Although the tailor was embarrassed to find white cloth, he realized a beautiful dress that was as bright as snow. A tight corset and an ufortably long skirt were unsatisfactory, but surely the tailor¡¯s ability was worth living high.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. It has only been a short time, but I can¡¯t believe you could implement such a beautiful dress for me. Your ability is great.¡±


    Tears welled up around the tailor¡¯s eyes, perhaps to the surprise of her praise.


    ¡°You know that. It wasn¡¯t easy to make a white dress. It started with getting the cloth. And the jewelry that goes with the dress. Every single pearl egg...¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s praise, Gerald, the tailor, began to talk about his hard times when making dresses. Sienna nodded halfway behind her ears.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop for here now, Mr. Tailor. It¡¯s been a long time. The Duchess must leave soon.¡±


    If the maid hadn¡¯t stopped him, she would have stayed up all night talking. Sienna thanked the maid for stopping him.


    ¡°Then shall we go?¡±


    Jamie reached out to Sienna on behalf of her father, who was unable to attend today.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sienna sped Jamie¡¯s hand and held her hand looking at her face to face.


    ¡®Now, it¡¯s really irreversible. There¡¯s only one path to keep moving forward...¡¯


    The royal ceremony began with a parade. From Kelly¡¯s mansion, she got into a carriage led by a dozen horses and walked around the square into the imperial pce. This was to introduce the new imperial ranked person to the people. It was also meant to disy the authority of the imperial family by showing a splendid ceremony.


    Crowds filled the entrance to Kelly¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡±


    Jamie said, standing next to Sienna. She could barely hear his voice, distracted by the noise of the huge crowd.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big event. Everyone¡¯sing out because they want to celebrate this time. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be looking forward to having a drink after the parade, rather than a parade.¡±


    ¡°You talk like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s business.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s voice trembled. He was curious and a little afraid of being buried in such a crowd. This was the first time he¡¯s ever experienced this, as he used to live in an area where there were more monsters than people in thend.


    All of them, filling the streets, shouted and waved at them. It was strange that she wasn¡¯t nervous.


    Sienna was different during her past wedding. Her lips were fluttering and her whole body was trembling like a sash tree. Far from being able to hold a proper smile, the parade had to be held for more than an hour with a face that seemed like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. Eventually, after the long wedding, she vomited sour stomach fluid onto her dress after entering the room.


    Due to the marriage tradition of the Laifsden Empire, the bride had to wait alone in her room for the groom. Carl, who didn¡¯t attend the wedding, couldn¡¯t havee.


    She wore a dress with vomit and cried until the maid came in in the morning. It was a moment when her fantasies about the imperial life were shattered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re nervous at all.¡±


    She smiled at Jamie¡¯s words. Although the crowd watching her here was huge, they were just curious about who would be the princess.


    She was also familiar with the way people gazed at her with various desires, including jealousy. They were better than wasps, who wander around and shoot out dark venom. The gaze of pure yearning and curiosity just felt light.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to lose. I¡¯m not guilty. Don¡¯t shiver as well, brother. Someone who wasn¡¯t once been afraid to be in front of a swarm of monsters beyond the walls is acting like this in front of a crowd of people. At least those people over there are less ugly than monsters.¡±


    He shook his head at her joke and answered in a meek manner,


    ¡°No. Some of them look more like monsters.¡±


    ¡°Pwuhaha!¡±


    Sienna burst outughing at his joke. Jamieughed aloud, too, whether she liked his joke. He smiled leisurely, perhaps rxed.


    She waved at the crowd.


    ¡°Give them a wave, too. We¡¯re representing the Waters Heritage. You¡¯re going to let them know that the sessor to the Waters family, who is guarding Heidel, is such a fine man.¡±


    At her words, Jamie smiled leisurely and waved at the crowd. His red cape fluttered in the wind. He was as confident as an improvement general, who led a big battle to victory.


    ¡°One monster, two monsters, three monsters...¡±


    But unlike his imposing figure, Sienna, who was standing next to him, was having a hard time holding back herughter as he counted monsters.


    Their wagon followed the knights around the central square and headed for the imperial pce. The wind whistled paper petals.


    The front door of the imperial pce opened and a carriage entered. The noise outside faded away. Inside the imperial pce, there was a totally different atmosphere. It was very quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯s depressing.¡±


    Women dressed in red on either side of the carriageway were sprinkling petals, but they felt as if they were somehow in remembrance.


    ¡°I guess the atmosphere is different from the outside since it¡¯s inside the pce.¡±


    Sienna said.


    ¡°It¡¯s still too quiet anyway.¡±


    The carriage stopped in front of the banquet hall.


    The knights, dressed in ritual, greeted her in line. The captain of the knights reached out his hand so that Sienna could get out of the carriage. Sienna knew who he was.


    He was the leader of the Phoenix Knights. It was a polite body movement, but she could read enough the light contempt in his eyes. The Phoenix Knight was soon a knight for her to bequeath.


    Jamie was escorted into the dining room. From that point on, she had to enter alone. Sienna looked up at the huge door lying in front. The arched iron door was mosaic-like between.


    ¡°Pleasee in.¡±


    The maid said to her, who pulled her long skirt down from the carriage and had finished cleaning it up. Sienna led her heavy dress up the steps in front of the door. The gatekeepers opened on both sides.


    A bright light seemed to burst from the inside. The colorful chandeliers and ss decorations reflected the light. Heavy organ sounds came from the inside.


    Sienna took a slow step. She straightened her shoulders out with confidence and faced the eyes of those who were watching her from the inside. She didn¡¯t want to be shabby at her wedding without a husband.

 Chapter 49: Live To Sienna Pt.49

    <h4>Chapter 49: Live To Sienna Pt.49</h4>


    Stepping on the red carpet, she walked inside. As expected, the seat for Carl, the groom, was empty.


    It was a certain thing, for sure. Now that he was officially wounded near the border of Castro, he was threading to his death. Moreover, it was a wedding that Carl apparently did not recognize.


    A wedding that can only be held without him. Even though she had already experienced it, when she checked Carl¡¯s quarters, she felt as if a cold breeze was hitting the pit of her stomach.


    The ceremony proceeded quickly. In the Laifsden Empire¡¯s case, one of the nobility representatives read a poem of blessing on behalf of the aristocracy, for they did not mandate a state religion. It may seem like a splendid royal wedding to the eyes of a stranger, but in fact, it was a half-baked wedding with nothing in ce.


    Of course, it was a wedding made for them. Nevertheless, her partner was not apanying her while they gave a blessing through a poetry reading of the noble emperor, not what representatives mainly had to do. The seat delegated to celebrate people from another country was empty. It was an urgent marriage, so they didn¡¯t have time to tell other countries the news. Even if they were to release a statement, the foreign visitors wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it on time.


    Still, there was something different about it. Roy was the priest who held the mission in his lonesome.


    He had dressed in unusual clothing: a white gown and a funny big hat with gold thread and a symbol of the goddess. Roy is now the representative of the Holy Empire.


    When Sienna smiled at Roy, he bowed to her.


    ¡°You must get on your knees.¡±


    The maid whispered, who helped the ceremony proceed. Before Sienna¡¯s gaze from the stairs, Empress Arya was looking down at her. Sienna didn¡¯t like the way she had to look up at her.


    ¡°You have to kneel.¡±


    Then Sienna bent her knees as the maid whispered again. This was originally an act where the emperor would confer a knighthood onto someone. Arya stood before him on behalf of the emperor.


    ¡°You know, Sienna Waters...¡±


    None of Arya¡¯s words were entering her ear. After hearing her long officiating, the delegation¡¯s gift-giving ceremony began.


    Although they considered this as the typical way in which they held the traditional ceremony, the position of the delegation was still empty. Thus, the failure to skip this segment was only done to cause trouble.


    ¡®Clearly, Arya led it.¡¯


    The woman had hurt Sienna mentally as she has done before and tries to reach out to her as if this woman were the only person she could trust.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to salute the delegation.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The guest room grew quiet. Somewhere in the background, some people could not hold back theirughter, ¡®scoffing.¡¯ Sienna¡¯s face turned red with impudence, even though she had already expected this.


    Jamie¡¯s image came into her eyes. He was gnashing his teeth. It was clear that the blood that stood on his lip was his way of bearing this insult. Jamie would never have thought about how Sienna¡¯s wedding would go.


    If her brother had known, he would have stopped Sienna from attending the wedding without caring about the honor of the imperial family. When Sienna saw Jamie, who could barely endure the insult, she regretted having told him the situation in advance. She felt uneasy about his unexpected behavior, but she then heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡±


    It was a small voice, but it caught people¡¯s attention. It was Roy. He raised his hand with a stiff face.


    ¡°My name is Roy Whist. May I offer a blessing for Sienna saint who was named the daughter of the goddess on behalf of the Holy Empire?¡±


    He spoke in a soft voice as his servants guided him to Sienna¡¯s side. A yful smile then hung over his mouth.


    Not everyone here is an atheist just because Laifsden has no exclusive state religion. Inside the wedding hall, some believed in the goddess of the earth. The Holy Empire was not a negligible country. Thendmass was small, but it had held significant influence among its neighboring countries.


    People seemed curious about the identity of the envoys from such a divine empire. The room grew agitated with the anticipation of seeing Roy as he descended from the podium and stood, facing Sienna. Then he whispered to Sienna.


    ¡°I don¡¯t look good with my legs shaking, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It seems to me that you¡¯re the prince on the white horse who came to save the damsel in distress.¡±


    Roy drew the sign on Sienna¡¯s horse with a smile and began praying to the goddess. His fingertips stayed on her forehead and shoulder as the fire broke out. Those who watched them were so dazzling that they could not see clearly for a while, even though they closed their eyes. Roy whispered in Sienna¡¯s ear.


    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s gorgeous, but it doesn¡¯t work well. It only works to make brilliant lights, so we use them for events in the Holy Empire. The priest who taught me this said it was a prayer that made it look like something magnificent was happening, and he loved it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Roy put his lips on Sienna¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°May the Goddess always bless you wherever you may go...¡±


    *


    After a long, tiring ceremony, Sienna moved into the Crowned Princess¡¯s room.


    A corset made of whalebone was tightening her ribs and waist, while a massive, loose dress wound the ankles of her dress. Several maids lifted Sienna¡¯s skirt as if to carry a load, so she could walk into the room.


    There was a red cushion in the middle of her bedroom. She meant to sit on it and wait until her husband, Carl, toe.


    ¡®I¡¯m not being punished; it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t have a husbandless wedding, and I¡¯m not allowed to do it either. I don¡¯t have anypassion left anyways.¡¯


    ¡°You can¡¯t take off your clothes alone. It¡¯s not something you can take off by yourself anyways.¡±


    ¡°Can you bring me a ss of water before you go?¡±


    Her question put the maid in a quandary.


    ¡°I can bring it to you, but...¡±


    Sienna realized what she was saying. She can give herself water, but she was worried if what she could do after drinking the water. She couldn¡¯t take it off alone or move around with it easily without someone¡¯s aid. Besides, it¡¯s not like her husband coulde over tonight.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll just stay like this.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll step back. I hope you have a good night.¡±


    They walked out of the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s that ¡®good night¡¯ farewell greeting for?¡±


    How could one have a good night when they were treated this way? She then heaved a deep sigh. Thereafter, an expensive whalebone corset poked at her ribs.


    Still, she feltfortable without the maids. She turned her head back and saw that the hem of her skirt covered the room.


    ¡®Filling this spacious room with a skirt already made it dirty.¡¯


    Sienna wanted to take off this skirt for a moment, thinking that she would have swept the floor with it if she hadn¡¯t done it otherwise. Now, she didn¡¯t know what was missing. She thought she¡¯d lie down and try to get some sleep instead, but she had to rest with her back full because of a corset tightening her back.


    ¡°I must discover who in the world invented these wretched corsets and go to their grave to find out more about it!¡±


    Sienna burst intoughter when she thought about how having to take off her corset had anything to do with her revenge against Arya.


    ¡°Haha. Ow! Oh, I shouldn¡¯t beughing, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Ow!¡±


    Her hard corset had then continued to prick her chest and waist every time sheughed. Thus, Sienna continued her bizarre behavior wherein she looked irritated whileughing at the same time. As she moved about, she found a decent posture.


    She began to doze off with her arms folded and her head bowed. She would definitely suffer from a sore throat tomorrow, but she hadn¡¯t gotten enough time for sleep. Sienna, who had been dozing off for such a long time, suddenly opened her eyes to something.


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    She screamed at the teddy bear, which was closer than she thought.


    ¡°I was surprised. Why are you screaming?¡±


    It was from Carl. He was standing on her dress and looking down at Sienna. She spoke nervously, sweeping down her chest.


    ¡°So why are you standing so close to me like that? You almost sank my heart.¡±


    ¡°The mor.¡±


    Sienna said as she shoved him off her, for he was stepping on her skirt.

 Chapter 50: Live To Sienna Pt.50

    <h4>Chapter 50: Live To Sienna Pt.50</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s big enough to look like a floor rug, but it¡¯s definitely a garment. Still, you¡¯re stepping on a woman¡¯s skirt, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Maybe he didn¡¯t know that it was a real skirt, but Carl stepped back a couple of feet. His footprints were clearly stamped on her white dress. He examined her mood as she sighed. The act now was his fault, and he had to look at it.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going toe to see me soon, then howe you¡¯re here already?¡±


    Sienna said nervously. Carl didn¡¯t even say he¡¯de today.


    ¡°Why? Did you want me to show up at the ceremony and hold hands with you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that possible? I¡¯ve never thought of joining hands with you or have the prince enter the ceremony with me, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s terrifying to know that someone who¡¯s going back and forth between life and death on the Castro border shows up at the ceremony to marry me. If that had happened, then the look on Queen Arya¡¯s face alone would have been worth seeing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I guess you must have really hoped that I¡¯d show up at the ceremony to see her crumpled face.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s regretful, but you¡¯ll have to promise me to do that next time. Could you bring me that ss of water over there, please?¡±


    Carl looked at her with a puzzled look. As a prince, he had never had to run someone¡¯s water errand. There was a twitch in his attitude as heughed out since she was asking for it as if it was nothing.


    ¡°There must be a dragon nted into your heart. I thought it was weird since you were just sleeping on a day like this.¡±


    It was a long time ago that he arrived in this room. Stepping up on the edge of Sienna¡¯s skirt was also done by watching her sleep in a strange position. He handed her a ss of water, even though he was grouchy.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a good sip of water since this morning because I had to wear this crappy dress.¡±


    Before the parade began, Jane tried to pass her some tea, but her tailor deprived her of that tea. For half a day, she literally couldn¡¯t drink a sip of water, so she took the ss from him and gulped it down. She swallowed the ss of water so pleasantly that she looked as if she was a satisfied general.


    There must have been a reason why the tailor wouldn¡¯t even let her drink water. The corset tightened so hard that the water seemed to have stayed up within her chest.


    ¡°But I¡¯m d you¡¯re here, Your Majesty. Ah! I guess it¡¯s okay to call you Carl now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re used to calling me Carl anyway.¡±


    ¡°When did I ever got used to it? I called you the Crown Prince over and over again, tediously.¡±


    ¡°You mixed my name, Carl, around with your lord, your king, and your prince.¡±


    ¡°Oh... did I do that? If I did, please forgive me.¡±


    Since she was a part of the royal family now, she didn¡¯t have to attach formal titles to the royal family. Sienna was married to Carl. Currently, she is an imperial nobility, which had given her the right to call him morefortably and to sing about like this.


    ¡°I was desperate for Carl¡¯s help anyway.¡±


    ¡°My help?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please take off this wedding dress!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When he had given no answer, she continued, thinking no.


    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s my husband¡¯s duty to strip me of this torture outfit. I know quite well that you didn¡¯t want this wedding. Who would like it? Honestly, you didn¡¯t even show a booger at the wedding, so do you think I felt great as well. I had a hell of a hard time. I¡¯m so tired after the wedding and the imperial wedding ceremonies.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want this marriage?¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, why would you even want to marry me?¡± Sienna added as an excuse. ¡°It was a marriage Carl didn¡¯t want. I don¡¯t want to impress someone who doesn¡¯t like me. I mean... more than that, are you sure that you¡¯re really not going to take this off for me?


    ¡°How do you take it off?¡± Carl said with a deep sigh.


    ¡°Please unbutton the back. I can¡¯t reach it because of my hands.¡±


    Carl looked at her awkwardly. Sienna noticed that he was agonizing over how to unbutton her skirt without stepping on it. She then spoke with her head lifted.


    ¡°You can step on my skirt ande closer. If you just untie the shackles of my back, I won¡¯t me you even if you spit on it, let alone having your footprints on my skirt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no rascal, and I don¡¯t go around spitting as I like.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a metaphor. Jeez!¡±


    At her urging, Carl took a seat behind her with a helpless expression. He reached out and handed Sienna¡¯s drooping hair forward.


    ¡°Why would you think that I don¡¯t want this marriage?¡±


    Carl was curious as he arranged her hair. He never said he didn¡¯t want this wedding, but Sienna always said it as if it were obvious.


    She brought up such a remark before.


    ¡®I feel sorry for having to hold a wedding alone, but I think Carl is not in afortable position either. Even though you have your beloved Fair Duchess, you need to tie the knot with someone like me whom you don¡¯t know much about.¡¯


    Carl felt strange when she said those words.


    ¡®Why does she keep pressing on that I obviously love Bluebell? She could argue that it¡¯s purely for political reasons? Then again, how can she be so sure? No, does she want me to have feelings for Bluebell, so she¡¯ll think I¡¯ll keep my promise in five years?¡¯


    Carl straightened Sienna¡¯s hair with aplicated-looking expression. As his cold hands touched her back, Sienna squirmed in her spot immediately and let out a sharp sound in surprise. Carl felt sorry for her reaction. Sienna then spoke as an excuse.


    ¡°Have you been outside for a long time? Your hands are like ice.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    He then lifted his hands to touch his cheek. Still, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was cold or not.


    Sienna heard a sarcastic sound. She looked back, and Carl was rubbing his hands like he was trying to start a fire. She spoke in a soulful voice.


    ¡°Sir Carl is a person I can¡¯t figure out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one whom I can¡¯t make out, let alone try to grasp.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Carl turned Sienna¡¯s hair forward again to see how hot his hands were. This then revealed her pale nape.


    Behind her were buttons tightly sped on her back. The buttons were so small that it slipped through his fingers. As Carl moved his wrists, Sienna turned her head to see what the itchy sensation climbing up her spine was.


    ¡°Stay still.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should stop wiggling about and take it off quickly.¡±


    ¡°What on Earth?¡±


    Carl focused on the small buttons as his breath swept Sienna¡¯s back, tickling her neck.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot attached.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What in the world was the person who invented this thing thinking? Why would he think that a person could wear this?¡±


    Sienna had no reason to grumble. Still, her nerves were all over him as he unbuttoned her dress.


    Carl was also wary of this situation. After less than ten minutes, they felt like they were being intimidated.


    ¡°I¡¯ve undone all of it!¡±


    When Carl tried to get up, Sienna grabbed him.


    ¡°Please untie the strings inside, not just the buttons.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The dress is fine, but there¡¯s something even more terrible within it.¡±


    She med the corset for still tightening her breath. When Carl untied the cord of the corset with a solemn expression, Sienna started taking a few deep breaths and lowered her head.


    ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯m going to live.¡±


    He glided cautiously down the hem of her dress.


    ¡°Sir Carl!¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s call, Carl peered at her with an agitated gaze, ¡®What now?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you look for a change of clothes?¡±


    He looked everywhere in the room, even though he was grumbling about as he did it. However, no matter how much he searched, there seemed to be no clothes around.


    ¡°There¡¯s none. Like, at all?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s those curtains and tablecloths.¡±


    It was true. Usually, following the right ways, the maids did not have to set aside a set of clothes in this room, to be exact. Sienna sighed again. She couldn¡¯t stay like this forever. Thus, she asked Carl to bring her a tablecloth.

 Chapter 51: Live To Sienna Pt.51

    <h4>Chapter 51: Live To Sienna Pt.51</h4>


    Carl gave her a tablecloth with a disapproving look. It was a cloth the size of a bath towel.


    ¡°Go over there and face the other direction. Don¡¯t you dare look here!¡±


    Carl turned from her with a sigh of discontent, then she hurriedly slipped out of the dress. Rather than using the expression ¡°took off,¡± it seemed that ¡°slipped out¡± was more appropriate in this case.


    She took off her corset and iron-rimmed vest until all she had left underneath was her underwear. Sienna wrapped the tablecloth around her body and called Carl.


    ¡°You can turn around now.¡±


    Sienna went to the table with an energetic look. There were cookies and cakes on the table that would serve as a tempting treat. She felt hungry when the ones that were weighing her stomach had disappeared. She then took a butter-vored cookie.


    ¡°Are you just going out like that?¡±


    Carl asked with a reddened face.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    She looked at Carl while she was holding on to tablecloth that was drooping down in one hand and a cookie in the other. He dodged Sienna¡¯s gaze in embarrassment.


    Sienna looked at her clothes. An embroidered cloth covered her upper body down to her knees.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She only covered his upper body with a tablecloth because she was busy covering up her chest. Her legs, as well as her thighs, were exposed.


    Sienna¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. The imperial family was a ce where women felt shame about showing their feet in front of men, let alone their knees. Of course, she was married to Carl, but it was only on paper. They were not in a rtionship where she could go off, showing her bare thighs.


    She felt ashamed to death. She began to flutter to cover herself up somehow. She was so embarrassed that she stopped rationalizing her thoughts.


    Sienna¡¯s eye saw a bed beyond Carl. Thinking that a quilt that size would cover up her body, Sienna hurried toward the bed.


    Carl was at a loss on what to do when he saw her running suddenly towards him. He opened up his arms slightly to catch her as if he was expecting that she woulde to him, so she would hug him. Sienna then jumped with a thrust onto the bed as his hands caught her waist.


    ¡°Uhhhh...¡±


    Sienna buried her face deep in the bed. The tablecloth, which had been stripped off of her barely sustained in ce and rolled around the floor. Sienna¡¯s pale, nude body was lying on the bed. Carl then turned his eyes.


    ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t look at me. Hold on a second!¡±


    She screamed with a thud. Then she crawled with her arms, covered herself with the nket to the end of her neck, and buried her face in the pillow.


    ¡°Uhhhh!¡±


    There was a grotesque groan of embarrassment around. Carl, who witnessed this scene, eximed, ¡®Huh!¡¯


    Sienna, who looked like a scared rabbit, buried her head under a nket, unable to raise her head. Carl shook his head and began unbuttoning his shirt.


    In the still silence, Carl¡¯s exposed figure slowly came into Sienna¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing!¡±


    By the time she finished speaking, Carl had already taken off his shirtpletely. His well-knit muscles were then exposed. She forgot what she had just been ashamed of and looked over to him with admiring eyes.


    Carl shook his head and threw his shirt at Sienna. The white shirt then slipped onto her face.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Put it on.¡±


    ¡°Did you take it off for me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than showing that ugly body.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad of a body, but thank you anyway.¡±


    She clenched her shirt buttons in the quilt. After wearing the shirt and tying a tablecloth onto her waist, she leaned out.


    Carl sat on the bed. Sienna felt strange. Whether he wanted it or not, it was now his first night with her. Her lungs seemed to be filled with air, and she felt as if her embarrassment had made her itchy. The strange feeling continued as the silence prevailed between them.


    Sienna stood up with the tablecloth around her waist. Then she headed towards the table. Carl just watched what she was doing. She picked up a muffin on the table, took a mouthful, and asked Carl.


    ¡°Are you not hungry?¡±


    After hearing her question, Carl got up and went to the table.


    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t look so sweet.¡±


    Sienna handed Carl a sandwich full of vegetables and ham.


    ¡°I¡¯vee up with a good idea to tie up the funding against Empress Arya. Do you want to hear about it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Listen and join us if you like it. Well, even if Sir Carl doesn¡¯t join us, we¡¯ll proceed, but...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hear it.¡±


    Sienna then arranged the bread and cookies. First, she lined up threerge loaves in the middle of the table. She then poured chocte, which had been neatly ced on the te and put the empty te on top of the boundary. On the left side of the border was a long line of flowers taken out of the vase.


    ¡°You know, the Panacio family is now a wealthy and powerful family based on the proceeds from the wheat sales from the huge farnds in the south.¡±


    Carl nodded and said.


    ¡°The Laifsden Empire has arge concentration ofnd in the south that is structurally capable of farming wheat. The south has a stable funding structure since it does most wheat production.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Before Laifsden became an empire, the southern part of the country differed from Laifsden along the border of the Marl mountains. The southern region was a country called Abecia. Laifsden was a country raised based on trade with other countries instead of having no suitable wheat farming. Abecia was so focused on farming that its national power came from farmers.


    Three hundred years ago, when the prince of Abecia and the princess of Laifsden ran away in love, the country¡¯s rtionship quickly deteriorated. It eventually led to war. Written in history as an eighty-year-old war, it ended up being a victory for Laifsden while Abecia was destroyed. Laifsden, who expanded its territory through the war, was reborn as an empire.


    ¡°I¡¯ve recently learned that there¡¯s an unusual way of doing business with the south. You don¡¯t go straight for a deal in kind, but it¡¯s a deal where you must purchase a ticket before farming.¡±


    Sienna learned many things that she had never known before by helping Kelly with her work. This is also what she learned from her.


    ¡°The secret purchase ticket? I¡¯ve heard of it. It¡¯s a way for buyers to get supplies at stable prices at harvest time by paying the price in advance before the wheat is produced.¡±


    It was a way to make deals without significant price changes, even if it was a bad harvest or a good harvest since the contract was established early.


    ¡°In the case of Southern aristocrats, many people sign contracts because they can get paid in advance and y with money. However, when the contract expires, you have to spit out the penalty, which is usually double or even three or four times more than the original. What I find unusual is the fact that the time when the contract would reach itspletion is when the wheat is brought to a warehouse in the capital.¡±


    ¡°To get buyers to take advantage of the Southern Merchant?¡±


    The Southern Chamber of Commerce was headed by the patriarch of the Panacio family. When the wheat distribution stage was expensive, the Southern aristocrats funded it to control it to the administration stage. Now, with a total monopoly system, wheat distribution in the south was only in charge of southernmerce.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You know it.¡±


    ¡°I already know how southernmerce works. Still, I don¡¯t know how that would hurt them.¡±


    ¡°The Southern businessmunity is a local peculiarity.¡± She said, pointing to a gap between the loaves of bread.


    ¡°This is the only road that connects the capital to the southern city of Sangmu. If these two ces are blocked, they won¡¯t be able to keep their contracts with the Southern Merchant. The contract includes the transfer of wheat to the capital.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to block these two roads?¡±


    ¡°Many people don¡¯t care because wheat farming has been doing great in the south with the help of the Hegea River. Nevertheless, the ground around the Marl Mountains has been weakened by the absence of rain for over five years. Heavy rain will inevitably causendslides, causing roads to be lost.¡±


    ¡°Your n is only possible with heavy rain. It hasn¡¯t rained in five years, and there¡¯s no way it will rain this year.¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t rained in five years, so it will rain this year.¡±

 Chapter 52: Live To Sienna Pt.52

    <h4>Chapter 52: Live To Sienna Pt.52</h4>


    Towards the beginning of the year of Sienna¡¯s marriage with Carl, heavy rain fell on every part of Laifsden. Perhaps it was unfair since it had not fallen for five years, and the downpour continued for three months. Thus, after finding out that Sienna had a way to buy a ticket to purchase wheat, she could n the job.


    ¡°It¡¯s natural to have some heavy rain.¡±


    ¡°....¡±


    Sienna nned the job because she knew that it was going to rain but could not exin why it was going to rain.


    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s no heavy rain, we can find another way. It¡¯s a way to block two roads that aren¡¯t big. There¡¯ll be a lot to look for, and we can use explosives.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, we can make as many contracts as we can, and we can lose the road. I¡¯d rather put thend as coteral. As long as they own the big farnd, they¡¯ll soon recover their losses.¡±


    ¡°It will not only hurt Empress Arya¡¯s financial strength, but we will also gain a lot. Wheat prices will rise in the capital because the southern businessmunity won¡¯t be able to sell wheat if the roads are lost. In the south, where there¡¯s so much wheat, the price will drop because we can¡¯t sell it outside. If there are rumors in the south that they are fixing the price of wheat for a bigger profit, then they will lose public support no matter how much they use the road loss as an excuse. This could turn the neutral forces away from them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you think they¡¯re not releasing wheat to expand their power, and I¡¯m going to antagonize them. If you really nned to do that to expand profits and power, then you could selectively supply wheat, but you wouldn¡¯t bring wheat to buy the hearts of neutral forces. I¡¯m sure neutral forces will turn around.¡±


    Sienna admired Carl all the time. While agonizing over the matter for a long time, she only thought of hurting Arya¡¯s funding. Nevertheless, Carl thought of it as short time and political advantage.


    ¡°One more thing!¡±


    Sienna said, pointing to the flowers acting as the Hegea River on the table.


    ¡°If the road gets blocked, then there will be an attempt to send the wheat up somehow. The best way is to use the waterways. The tax rate is 50 percent, but it¡¯s a lot more profitable than a penalty.¡±


    One of the unusual taxes in Laifsden was the calction of numbers. If they use the waterway, they would have to pay fifty percent of the shipping tax as well as fifty percent of the goods they carried. In the past, there had been a clever restriction on what they originally intended in the toxic usew or official documents designed to discriminate against the southern region.


    The use had not been a problem in the south because there were not many ships, and there had been no inconveniences in ovend travel. However, if they blocked both roads ording to Sienna and Carl¡¯s n, then the Southern aristocrats would use the waterway, even if they pay a lot of taxes.


    ¡°And then, Carl...¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me to use my hand to attack the ships?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but you can¡¯t take advantage of them brazenly. Why don¡¯t you control Hegea River through the floodgates?¡±


    ¡°Numeric?¡±


    Carl asked suspiciously. It seems that they have not yet received any information on the waters located in the Hegea River.


    ¡°To give you a clue, there¡¯s only one person in charge of the floodgates around here. Red Cabillion. He tried to be a royal knight as a descendant of a small baroness, but he failed. It¡¯s time to save money rather than merit to join the Knights. After failing the Knights¡¯ Test and failing to seed the baroness, he jumped in and became their leader. He¡¯s got a big head, and he¡¯s admired by his enemies. If he set his mind, then it would be easy to move his enemies.¡±


    If Sienna didn¡¯t step in two yearster, then Carl would lead the army to clean up the increasingly notorious bandits and met Red. After facing Carl and the sword, Red swore allegiance to Carl and went under him. In the process, Red loses his wrist.


    He had the most admirable ability. She couldn¡¯t understand vowing allegiance to a man who blew his wrist. Still, Red, who remembered if he was serious about going under Carl, escorted him to the end for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s where he is. I heard that it¡¯s forming a hill at the end of the Marlins.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great if it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Great. He¡¯s a man who unifies his enemies on his own. Given the right time, he would have be a great war hero. I¡¯ve heard that his backbone wields a huge iron rod. His strength is so great that if he wields a stick, then three or four people will fly away. Of course, I¡¯ve never seen it in person, so I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s real.¡±


    ¡°No, a guy named Red Cabillion is great, but your intelligence far exceeded that. This information, like before, wouldn¡¯t be something you could get even if you bought it with money.¡±


    Carl¡¯s eyes shed. He also had an intelligence team. Information was essential to the current political situation wherein people are risking their lives to fight for the imperial throne.


    Unlike such value, quality information was not easy to obtain. Every high-ranking aristocrat had their own intelligence group, but gathering high-quality data had always been difficult.


    Sienna could not tell him that she was the real person behind this information. She also couldn¡¯t say that the reason why she became aware of it was that she had experienced the future firsthand. She held out a citrus fruit called tria to him, who looked at the prey like a hunter.


    ¡°No matter how much you look at me, I can¡¯t tell you who my informant is.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Carl took up the tria that Sienna gave him and looked at it for a while.


    ¡°Did you get this information from that source?¡±


    She understood what he was saying and felt sorry for him. The sandwich she gave him a while ago, and the tria, too, were pinpointing Carl¡¯s taste. For Sienna, it was an act of knowing that he didn¡¯t like sweets and liked something sour, but he was also suspicious of it.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I just gave you something from the table.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true about the sandwich, but what about the tria?¡±


    Trias that had sour and salty tastes were not popr among the nobles. It was a fruit that had a strong, pungent smell, kept together with other fruits to prevent insects from sitting on the rest of the fruits in the basket. However, it was usually not eaten. Sienna had no good excuse.


    ¡°By the way, we need to draw as much money as we can.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already talked to a merchant.¡±


    Sienna said she would give any help to Kelly.


    ¡®What I need is enough money to pay for the entire wheat in the south.¡¯


    She said this because she had some serious thoughts about it. If she refused, she thought about how to persuade her, but it was unnecessary.


    She replied that she would do so with great pleasure. Turns out, Kelly had made initially great efforts to expand her business by selling wheat. The Southern businessmunity was so big that it was hard to squeeze through the cracks. Nevertheless, if the n seeded, then it could bring arge proportion of their interests.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of the bosses are big enough to handle.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it because it¡¯s as good as the top five.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an association with that kind of financial power. If you¡¯re talking about Merpil, then...¡±


    Aunt Kelly¡¯s Green Corporation was not known to the public. Thus, in the past, she didn¡¯t even know that she had a business meeting. Only a few years after entering the imperial pce did she found out about it.


    The Green Corporation was inherited upon Kelly¡¯s husband¡¯s death. Kelly¡¯s husband was known only to maintain the capital. In fact, he had amassed considerable wealth through the secret trade. It was unknown because the deal was not carried out with the government¡¯s permission, so it had been secretly established.


    Kelly took over the business and was pondering legal means of doing business one step at a time. She repeatedly challenged the trafficking business but eventually failed to intervene in the smuggling business that the Southern Merchant monopolized. Instead, it wouldter make a big name for itself as the top seller of jewelry and paintings in the capital.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Merphil Corporation. The Merpil Corporation doesn¡¯t have that much money.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±

 Chapter 53: Live To Sienna Pt.53

    <h4>Chapter 53: Live To Sienna Pt.53</h4>


    ¡°Are you going to participate in this?¡±


    ¡°All right then, but I¡¯m not holding hands with you. I¡¯ll just help you with this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, eh-hem!¡±


    Sienna yawned his gratitude. She didn¡¯t get enough sleep the previous day, but she spent a lot of time talking to him. In a blink of an eye, a day was already breaking out of the window.


    When he saw her, who had forgotten her current situation and managed to yawn in front of him, Carl took his coat and put it on his bed.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done. Do you want me to sleep here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that.¡±


    Carl flung himself through the window as usual. Sienna shook her head as she saw him leave.


    ¡°He¡¯s not even a night owl, but it happens all the time.¡±


    Thinking that his calling was, in fact, more of an assassin or a thief than a prince, Sienna strolled to the bed.


    ¡°Eh-hem, I¡¯m so sleepy to death.¡±


    She finally fell onto the bed, but she couldn¡¯t sleep.


    *


    ¡°Oh, my God! Your Royal Highness, you can¡¯t stay like this!¡±


    A tearful scream forced Sienna to lift her heavy eyelids.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°What, did you take off your robes by yourself? It¡¯s a big disgrace if this thing leaks out.¡±


    ¡°Uh... eh? Hain?¡±


    Sienna opened her eyes. She was flustered at the familiar voice. Hain, who is tightly bound with curly brown hair, was a maid-inw who was here to support Sienna firmly. She was very mature, as evident with thergeness of her bust.


    Hain kicked her arms up and raised Sienna up.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness! You have to get up. What in the heavens happened. What did you do to your wedding dress?¡±


    ¡°Wedding dress?¡±


    Sienna was then awakened. She then started thinking that she should have asked Carl to help her put that dress back on before he left. She didn¡¯t even think about it. If anyone found out that she¡¯s not wearing the dress...


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    A shrill voice rang in the room. Sienna¡¯s face was young with dismay. Hain spoke in a frightened voice.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress.¡±


    Why didn¡¯t she think of this?


    In the original imperial court, no matter how empresses were, they did not enter the bedroom of another royal family. Even servants couldn¡¯t go into their bedroom unless their owners allowed it. That¡¯s because it¡¯s a private space.


    However, there¡¯s an exception, which was the day after the wedding. On that day, the empress had to ensure the bride¡¯s safety. This was done to know if she had adapted to her new environment or not. If she stayed up all night alone, for her husband hit her with a hailstorm, then she wouldfort her and strip her dress instead.


    Thus, it was only natural that Empress Arya came into Sienna¡¯s bedroom early in the morning.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Queen Arya¡¯s sharp gaze was directed at Hain, but in substance, she was asking Sienna. She would criticize her for taking off that dress by herself without a husband.


    Arya examined the wedding dress on the floor. It¡¯s also amazing that the princess, who stayed up all night without her husband, took off her robes. Still, what intrigued her was that there were traces of shoe prints of an adult male on her white robes.


    ¡®I thought she¡¯d be a gentle cat, but I see that she has a fun side.¡¯


    Hain fell t in front of the empress and asked for forgiveness.


    ¡°I have sinned, Your Majesty. This is the fault of a meager woman. I didn¡¯t know that the First Prince will note, so I took her dress off because I felt sorry that she would stay up all night while wearing such ufortable clothes alone. Her Majesty refused, but I insisted.¡±


    Queen Arya¡¯s eyebrows wriggled. She didn¡¯t like hearing such ame excuse to cover for her master. She reached out her hand to the woman whom she had forced to marry beside her.


    A woman who¡¯s wearing a light green dress, not a maid¡¯s dress, handed a ck leather whip to Arya in a polite gesture. It was a short ck stick with several leather straps, used by the nobles to discipline their subordinates. Although it may look like an ornament because of how it looked, it was still a tool designed to hurt people.


    When Sienna saw it, she sprang up from her seat. Without giving Sienna a chance to stop her, Arya swung the whip.


    The ttering sound of leathers was frightening. The whip went past Hain with a p on her shoulder and back. The force was so strong that it left a red mark over the maid¡¯s neck, who fell sideways.


    As soon as Empress Arya tried to wield the whip again, Sienna ran to stop her.


    ¡°It was me!¡±


    Arya¡¯s forehead was brimmed as if she was not happy with her actions.


    ¡°I took it off! I did it alone! She was just trying to cover up my faults since I am her superior. Hain has done nothing wrong!¡±


    Sienna said as she breathed out her breath. Arya asked, looking straight into her eyes.


    ¡°You took off that dress alone? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Sienna nced at the dress she had taken off. It seemed like a dash of disbelief was painted onto her when she said, ¡°I took it off all by myself.¡± However, it was actually her husband, Carl, who took it off for her. She smiled with an embarrassed look as she twisted her arm behind her back.


    ¡°Me! I¡¯m very flexible. I took it off with my arm like this. It wasn¡¯t so hard, but I could take it off.¡±


    She clearly pictured in her mind how funny she would look. Nevertheless, she could not just watch others suffer for her own mistakes. She thought some people wouldugh at her appearance, but fortunately, they didn¡¯t because they were well-educated servants.


    ¡°Really? Even so, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you didn¡¯t serve your superiors properly. Get out of the way.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t move.¡±


    Sienna said, ncing at her, not taking her gaze off the flustered Arya.


    ¡°Move out of the way, or I can¡¯t guarantee that you won¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°If you discipline your underlings, then you have to be strict with it! If people saw you dragging others around withpassion, then how would you fix the hierarchy?¡±


    ¡°Discipline can be achieved with words as well. How would you call whipping people as a form of discipline?¡±


    Arya smacked her lips tightly together. She was furious, but she still gave a strong front. Nevertheless, Sienna had no intention of backing down.


    Arya pushed Sienna roughly and swung her arm up. The moment the whip was about to hit Hain¡¯s back, Sienna grabbed her wrist. Arya then looked at her wrist and stared at Sienna. Her willpower was so fierce that one of the servants beside her was surprised and breathed in, ¡®oh!¡¯


    Sienna tightened her grip to prevent Arya from wielding the whip at Hain again. Arya tried to pull her hand out of her grasp, but she could not escape the strength of her grip. She was a descendant of the Waters family, even though she looked like a normal-looking girl. She had much superior physical strength andpared to the general public.


    She was Sienna, although she couldn¡¯t even fight a knight, she had the stamina topete on equal footing with an average, ordinary person. Though her body was born of natural strength, her stamina grew exponentially after following Jamie around everywhere.


    The only heavy thing Queen Arya had ever heard of in her life was a teacup. She fluttered her chest before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to see if she could win by force.


    ¡°Princess Sienna!¡±


    Arya called Sienna in a calm voice to show that her actions had offended her. Sienna admired that grace of hers and how she could quickly regain her calmness.


    ¡°If a person does something wrong, they should be lectured. That¡¯s the duty of a superior. It¡¯s not like they are three-year-old children.¡±


    ¡°I agree that discipline is necessary, but Hain is someone under my care. No matter what you say, Your Majesty, you have no right to punish my servant. You¡¯re going too far.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so? I must have acted presumptuously.¡±

 Chapter 54: Live To Sienna Pt.54

    <h4>Chapter 54: Live To Sienna Pt.54</h4>


    Arya asked for the release of her arms with a wink. Sienna let go of her arm.


    ¡°Yes, I have no reason or right to discipline her. Instead!¡±


    With a p! Empress Arya struck Sienna in the face with her palm. Her behavior shocked the faces of those in the room because no one expected it. Sienna also stood absentmindedly, unable to say anything to the pain and insult that suddenly came to her face.


    With a p! Empress Arya¡¯s palm struck her opposite cheek before Sienna could evene to her senses. Sienna held onto her hot-tempered cheeks and stared at Arya.


    Her cheeks were so hot that water formed in her eyes. This was a physiological phenomenon that reacted to pain to every degree. Sienna looked up because she didn¡¯t want to show tears in front of Arya. It was insulting enough even now.


    ¡®Who are you crying for their enjoyment?¡¯


    ¡°I have no choice but to teach you, the crown princess of the crown prince. I thought you would be like this, so I brought your etiquette¡¯s teacher with me.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s a mountain after a mountain.¡¯ (Trantor¡¯s note: This is a Korean idiom meaning hardship after hardship.)


    Sienna found someone she had never seen before in Arya¡¯s presence. She was the one who handed Arya the whip. When she saw the etiquette teacher twinkling his sharp cat eyes, a sigh came out of her mouth.


    The etiquette teacher, Minyu Kitrol, was a nightmare for Sienna.


    ¡°I¡¯m called Minyu Kitrol. This is my first time seeing you, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    She greeted her politely with a light green skirt on.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Sienna was so surprised that she couldn¡¯t respond properly to her greetings. Arya saw such a sight of Sienna and said to Kitrol,


    ¡°As you can see, Princess Sienna is like a thunderbolt. Since you¡¯ve been stuck in a mountain valley in the north and learned nothing, you¡¯re going to have to train more carefully. Otherwise, it would be a big shame for the imperial family.¡±


    To neglect herment of having grown up like a thunderbolt, Sienna struggled to contain the nasty curses from her mouth. She wished she could pull her hair out and release everything on her mind from curses to trash talking her, but now was the time for her to have to put up with it.


    ¡°Then get ready ande out. We¡¯ll wait outside. Let¡¯s go, Mrs. Kitrol.¡±


    Sienna stamped and shouted, only after confirming that the door was properly closed.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    She felt like she lost to Empress Arya from the first day already. Originally, her goal was to lower her guard by giving Arya the perception that she was as easy to y with as before and to put a dagger in her throat when the appropriate time was near.


    ¡°I¡¯m doomed.¡±


    ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Sienna looked back at the sound of herself being called for. Hain was standing there. She had a look of ten years old during that meantime.


    ¡°Because of me...¡±


    She replied with a wave of her hand.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m the one who took off my wedding dress. More than that, are you okay? It¡¯s so red. Ugh... there¡¯s blood formed here, too.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty also has a red face.¡±


    Sienna answered her words, rubbing her cheek.


    ¡°Well, this is nothing. It¡¯ll be back and sink in a minute. I think it¡¯ll be better if Hain goes to rest.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. You shouldn¡¯t make the two of them wait outside so long, so you¡¯d better change your clothes right away. Also, you never know, you might get on the nerves of the Empress again and get in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Clothes?¡±


    Sienna looked at herself with something to say. Carl took off his shirt for her yesterday and so she was wearing his shirt¡¯s undergarment.


    ¡°What¡¯s this... I¡¯ve been like this the whole time?¡±


    ¡®Somehow, Arya¡¯s expression of derision, emphasizing her like a thunderbolt.¡¯


    ¡°I want to die because I¡¯m ashamed. Ah!¡±


    Sienna struggled with her face on the bed.


    She managed to pull out of herself out of her mental distress and into some clothes, exiting out of her room. Kitrol was sitting on the couch drinking tea. Sienna smiled even more brightly to conceal her earlier disgrace. Her left cheek was so sore that she had a strange smile.


    She sat opposite to Kitrol. Kitrol deftly poured tea into the ss in front of Sienna. Originally, it was manners for Sienna, the owner of the room, to personally make the tea and serve it, but she seemed to think that Sienna was still not enough to do that.


    ¡°What you did a little while ago...¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I did it wrong.¡±


    She thought she had done nothing wrong, but she replied in a sulky voice. If she asked her what she did wrong here, it¡¯ll be a lot of nagging from Kitrol.


    Kitrol was as tough as she looks. It was really difficult to be an example of courtesy. It was never an easy task for Sienna to learn imperial etiquette from Kitrol when she came straight into the pce without any socializing. If she had even just made a few mistakes, it was a matter of time before she would go straight to the back of her hand without any remorse in the attack. Sienna crept under her skirt and hid the back of her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the knowledge of it yourself, I see. It is wrong to stop the Empress, who trains her herself. Discipline is not a bad thing. This is an education that makes sure that your subordinates don¡¯t make the same mistake again. It¡¯s an act of generosity that our superiors should have.¡±


    How can it be education and generosity to wield a whip in the face of others not be a mistake? Sienna wanted to refute what she said, but she kept her mouth shut.


    Sienna knew. Today¡¯s events were not about Arya but on her behavior rather that would condemn and ridicule her actions. As she had failed to keep one¡¯s dignity as a noblewoman.


    ¡°But even so.¡±


    Kitrol quietly put the teacup she was holding down on the pedestal and pulled out her words.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about discipline. It is also discipline and dignity that one behaves worthy of respect in the presence of one¡¯s superiors. The actions of the Crown Princess are highly respected, as you tried to prevent her subordinate from being punished for her fault.¡±


    Kitrol¡¯s sharply torn eyes gently painted arcs. She thought she looked fierce, but she was the one with a pretty smile. For a moment she said to Sienna, with her expressionless face,


    ¡°Most of all, it¡¯s all the more important that we don¡¯t let this happen in the first ce. It wouldn¡¯t have happened if your Royal Highness had observed the royal tradition properly and hadn¡¯t taken off your wedding dress.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She was sure the ending ends with a nagging sound.


    ¡°Education...¡±


    Sienna expected her inner education to begin tomorrow. She couldn¡¯t sleep well, and she had a fight with Arya from the early morning rush, and she was very tired. She felt like she could fall apart if she leaned her head onto something somewhere. But her wishes did note true.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start today. Your Royal Highness will have to eat breakfast, so let¡¯s start with table manners.¡±


    She thought she¡¯d get a stiff stomach for her breakfast this morning.


    ¡°Should I tell Hain to prepare some medicine in advance?¡±


    *


    She thought it would be easy because she had already received the training once, but she was not imbued with it, so every time she moved, Kitrol wielded ash towards her.


    Sienna¡¯s hands were red hot.


    ¡®You said discipline isn¡¯t just discipline itself!¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. You have to be softer and more feminine. You have to be the shadow that follows Carl more gracefully.¡±


    When Kitrol winked, Hain reced the teacup in front of Kitrol and the teacup held by Sienna. It was already the sixteenth time they¡¯ve changed teaware on this table.


    The tabletop should be used from the outside, the used table should be ced on an empty bowl, or the leftover bread should be left on an empty te in front of the right hand, if the bread should be torn open by hands, with no arms on the table. It was annoying that there were all kinds of rules for a sip of water, but it was okay because it was something she had remembered.


    The problem was this.


    ¡°You have to move your hands like a bluebird pping its wings. But at the same time, it has to be like wildflowers swaying in the wind.¡±

 Chapter 55: Live To Sienna Pt.55

    <h4>Chapter 55: Live To Sienna Pt.55</h4>


    What does that even mean, like a bluebirds¡¯ wings and wildflowers swaying in the wind? None of the vague examples from Kitrol were helpful at all to her. It would be understandable if she could exin rather how to bend her arms at a certain angle and give a clear figure of what speed they should move at instead.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good. Do it like so, not too urgently or too slowly...¡±


    Sienna sighed with relief at the news that she had received from her now, but was still told by her teacher that her habit of sighing was not a good habit. She spent the whole morning learning how to follow through with her actions based on what cup of tea she had, but it was strange in her perspective if a sigh didn¡¯te out after all that time. But this was a good woman.


    It took her a week to teach table manners, which started on the very first day. Even though she sat at the table all day long, there wasn¡¯t much food that went into her mouth. She couldn¡¯t tell for a week whether she was eating or being punished all day.


    ¡°It¡¯s a relief, though.¡±


    ¡°What exactly?¡±


    ¡°I was very concerned when the empress said that she would choose your date a monthter for your debut banquet.¡±


    ¡°In a monthter?¡±


    Imperial court etiquettes were so vast andplex that it usually takes three to six months to be educated on fully. She couldn¡¯t meet with anyone from outside the pce until she got ustomed to the etiquette because it was a huge matter not to be humiliated as a member of the imperial family. During that time, no matter how unrted you were, you will not be able to meet anyone outside unless you had your manners learned respectively.


    When a member of the royal family finished their proper education ssespletely, they would hold a banquet to celebrate their debut, which was then a sign that he or she had proudly be a member of the royal family.


    In the past, Sienna took nearly six months because she didn¡¯t even have the basic aristocratic manners. No matter how fast a royal member was to prepare for it, it takes about three months still.


    Holding a debut banquet after only a monthter was proof that Empress Arya had held a grudge against her and would prove to give her a hard time of misgivings. In short, she was asking her to be humiliated.


    ¡°Though I¡¯ve told you the time given is nonsensical, however... it seems Her Majesty wants to quickly introduce me to the people.¡±


    She was sure that she just wanted to humiliate her.


    ¡°I think I was worried about nothing. I¡¯m d your Royal Highness is learning so quickly that we can get you ready in time.¡±


    ¡°Will I be okay in a month¡¯s time?¡±


    ¡°The royal etiquette isplicated and has a lot to memorize, but I think it¡¯s possible because you¡¯re learning so quickly. Of course, you¡¯re still immature for your elegant behavior, but that¡¯s something to be supplemented if your Royal Highness is willing to work so hard for the rest of your time. From the next time on, we will focus on what we need at the banquet. Before that, I¡¯ll give you a day off.¡±


    Sienna was delighted to hear that she would give her a day off. She thought she¡¯d be in ss for a full month without a vacation. Kitrol told her to get enough rest for a day. Adding to that, she stated the next education sses will be more difficult.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Sienna was immersed in a bathtub full of hot water. At her bedside, the little maid washed her hair. Inside the bathtub, fragrant flowers were floating.


    When she had entered the fancy-decorative pce wearing that expensive dress, she felt totally unexcited, but she felt like she was having a more enjoyable time spent in a bath like this.


    To enjoy the one-day vacation given to her by Kitrol¡¯s permission, Sienna only got up when the sun rose in the middle of the stream. After a brief drink of the soup Hain handed over, she soaked herself in a bathtub full of flower scent, and it seemed as if she had been relieved of her fatigue.


    Sienna saw a young apprentice handing herself a towel. The child looked very small and young. If she had to guess her age by how old she was, it seemed she was about thirteen years old.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Shaylin.¡±


    ¡°When did you start working here?¡±


    ¡°I entered the pce five months ago.¡±


    It must have been hard for her to adjust to the pce.


    ¡°You have many hardships.¡±


    Shaylin gave Sienna a bathrobe. Sienna swept her hair gently and replied thank you.


    When Sienna came out of the bathroom, Hain rushed for her.


    ¡°There¡¯s a guest for you here.¡±


    ¡°A guest?¡±


    No outsiders were allowed to meet her until her debut banquet. Being a guest to her, Sienna wondered who it was. Hain hurriedly wiped Sienna¡¯s head with a towel and said,


    ¡°The Prince of Wales has asked you to meet him.¡±


    ¡°His Highness, the Second Prince?¡±


    It was an unexpected guest for Sienna.


    She was barely washed out, so she needed to get ready to meet him. However, she could not have kept Prince Valore waiting. She forced her wet hair up and wore a dress. It was a sky-blue dress with thick blue jewels in its breast decorations.


    Sienna followed Hain¡¯s guide to the living room.


    ¡°His Highness the Prince.¡±


    The footer that was sitting in the guest room rose from his seat. Sienna held the hem of her skirt and bowed slightly to her knees. He also greeted her with a gentle gesture.


    ¡°You can call me by my name. Now you¡¯re a descent of the royal family line. That way, I can call you Lady Sienna, not a princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will. So, Your Highness or I mean Sir Valore, please call me by my first name as well.¡±


    Valore looked very happy with Sienna¡¯s permission. Sienna urged him to sit opposite of herself in ordance with established etiquette.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already gotten used to etiquette.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still on an immature level. I¡¯m only able to escape embarrassment because I have a good teacher.¡±


    She humbly answered and following her answer, Valore¡¯s face brightened with a kind smile.


    ¡°I beg your pardon for the sudden visit.¡±


    As he was handed the teacup from her, Valore drew up an apology.


    As he said, it was too sudden for a visit. The timing was not good either. He was also the Empress¡¯ son and was not sanctioned foring to Sienna, but it was enough for gossip to start spreading.


    He said, ¡°I am now a member of the royal family,¡± but it was not desirable to visit the wife of a brother who has yet to meet her husband. But it¡¯s not like she had a warning and could tell him not toe.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that today was a day without Mrs. Kitrol¡¯s manners ss. Today was a good time unexpectedly, but you had the perfect timing toe to visit me.¡±


    Valore¡¯s face was greeted with a bright smile at Sienna¡¯s answer.


    ¡°In fact, I was surprised when Lady Sienna came into the wedding hall. I think I was even more surprised because our first meeting at the banquet was quite impressive. What joy it is to be meant to be. I never dreamed that Sienna would appear before me as Carl¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor that you¡¯ve been remembering me. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d remember me. I met Valore only once, that day.¡±


    ¡°Every time I remember it. It was an impressive performance. I haven¡¯t forgotten about Sienna since that day. Even in my dreams, I saw Sienna.¡±


    She chose Valore¡¯s words, which seemed like a love confession because she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°That day, Valore was so good that I thought you wanted to participate in the performance together. So even though I was not good enough, I got involved in Valore¡¯s performance. I was worried that I would be a nuisance to you.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a nuisance. It was a performance I¡¯ll never forget. I¡¯ve seen the performers join, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve done it myself.¡±


    ¡°It was my first time that day, too. It was a pretty intense experience.¡±


    Valore, no matter what politics mighte, he was certainly a genius in music. If it wasn¡¯t for him being the prince, he would have definitely been a big hit in music history.

 Chapter 56: Live To Sienna Pt.56 The Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 56: Live To Sienna Pt.56 The Banquet</h4>


    The experience of ying with such a person was great. Even though she did it to get on Arya¡¯s nerves, she hadpletely forgotten her existence there and turned as one with the violin after the performance began.


    ¡°I think my brother Carl is very blessed to have a wife like Lady Sienna.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for saying that. But I¡¯m sure he, himself, would think otherwise. Valore is a blessed person. You have a beautiful partner, Princess Marie, as your wife. I¡¯m from Heidel, far north of the capital, but I could hear from farawaynds about her beauty.¡±


    Valore¡¯s wife was of the Panacio family. Marie was quiet and had little outdoor activity. She attended the banquet steadily along Arya but was a woman of faint presence. Although her appearance was beautiful and bright like a fairy, it did not attract people¡¯s attention to a surprising extent.


    ¡°Yes, she is a beautiful person.¡±


    Valore¡¯s expression was not as good as Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°My wife... No. She¡¯s a good woman. She¡¯s quiet and she¡¯s like a mother to me.¡±


    He seemed to answer grudgingly, but she didn¡¯t say much.


    ¡°I have prepared a wedding gift for Sienna.¡±


    He beckoned and the door opened and the servants entered. They moved arge piano into the room.


    ¡°I was going to prepare a violin, but I thought Sienna might like to y the piano, so I prepared it.¡±


    The piano was really beautiful. It boasted a smooth white surface, but it seemed it was made of white marble, not wood.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been airlifted by the father-inw of Arcacin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a two-day workpiece.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve spent fifty years trying to get this done. It was a very difficult rescue because there were a lot of aristocrats who wanted it.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me something so precious?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like you to ept it.¡±


    Sienna swept the keys. There was a clear sound. She was not interested in the piano, but it was shared. Just it being there was like a piece of art. The notes on the piano were wonderfully clear. She was not good at ying the piano, but she wanted to y with the keys down.


    ¡°If it¡¯s something like this, it¡¯s just...¡±


    His gift was so great that she was reluctant to ept it.


    ¡°Then will you y a song in return? I¡¯d like to hear the sound of the piano yed by Lady Sienna.¡±


    Unable to ignore the big gift, Sienna got up from her seat and approached the piano.


    ¡°I¡¯m not confident in ying the piano, but if Valore asks me to y it, I¡¯ll y it with a great heart. It may be too humble for a gift in a gift in return, but please listen with generosity.¡±


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t y the piano at all. The piano is the base instrument to learn out of all the instruments before learning them. She thought about what sheet music she had memorized. It¡¯s been so long since she hasn¡¯t yed the piano, so she didn¡¯t have much to y without music.


    She thought of something that could beposedly euphemistic. Fortunately, there was one thing that came to mind. It was a song that she enjoyed ying in harmony with the atmosphere of Heidel. Sienna pressed the keys down carefully.


    The song, ¡°Winter Wind,¡± was a sudden change of pace, like a storm that first flowed gently and then stormed. It was good to be able to show various tricks to her listener.


    Sienna¡¯s fingers began to move glibly on the keyboard. The song, which started out lightly like dripping water, quickly produced a rapid ringing and then went on in a sh. There were some mistakes in between, but she still managed to y something that could be heard in nice tones.


    p, p, p! When Sienna finished ying, she kicked and pped. She thanked him with an exaggerated gesture.


    ¡°It was a great performance. Sienna is very good at the piano as well as the violin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°Did you write your own song for the first time?¡±


    She gave her hand in a hurry so that he wouldn¡¯t misunderstand.


    ¡°Is that possible? Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°It was a great song. Can I know who theposer of this song is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the song¡¯sposer. I only heard that my master got this song when he had gone for some drinks.¡±


    ¡°It must have been a huge drink. I can¡¯t believe he got this song from a drink.¡±


    ¡°He used to say he was really lucky. I was curious about theposer, so I asked him in detail, and he said he didn¡¯t know. He said he couldn¡¯t remember the face of the person who yed this song because he was really drunk.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame. I wish I could have met that person once in my life as a musician in our country. But I¡¯m d I got ess to this song through Sienna.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful to Valore for such a generous gift.¡±


    ¡°Well, Lady Sienna...¡±


    He stepped on and opened his mouth hesitatingly.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I visit you once in a while to listen to the songs yed by Lady Sienna?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If possible, I ask Sir Valore to y for me as well.¡±


    The words were sincere. Valore¡¯s performance had a great power to make any listener cry. She thought he was a genius who would have appeared once in a century.


    The Banquet


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡±


    ¡°Hain, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°This is a huge issue. You haven¡¯t improved so far. The banquet is tomorrow.¡±


    Kitrol said anxiously. The month-long royal courtesy special event came closing in fast.


    Since Sienna¡¯s learning speed was fast, Kitrol has not been worried at all. Rather, she was optimistic that all etiquette sses would probably be over in fifteen days, not a month. But at the end of the day, as she practiced dancing, she realized how foolish her idea was.


    ¡°Uh! Your Highness, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hain... I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Because she couldn¡¯t practice ballroom dancing with a man, Hain, the tallest out of them all, together with thedies and maids, became her dance practice partner. Once into a verse, Sienna¡¯s foot continuously fell to the foot of Hain.


    They were all dressed up in the same dresses and the same shoes because they said they all had to be dressed in the same manner. The shoes Sienna was wearing were wooden shoes with hard soles. Feeling sorry for her continuous blunder, she asked if she could practice barefoot, but Kitrol refused.


    It¡¯s been fifteen days since she¡¯s been practicing like that. Even though it was the fifteenth day, her dancing skills did not improve at all, and the heels of the Hain were so swollen that her usual shoes did not fit.


    ck!


    ¡°Don¡¯t look down! Send your eyes over the opponent¡¯s shoulder.¡±


    Kitrol¡¯s whipping hit her back as Sienna tried to look at the floor for fear of stepping on Hain¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move like a charred calf in a saury, and move gently as the brook skips through the rocks, Your Highness.¡±


    Her voice recoiled. This time, there was no doubt that she would have a whipping.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote. Let¡¯s stop here today.¡±


    She was so d to hear it, but she was worried. Tomorrow¡¯s debut banquet will be a great embarrassment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to dance too much with your head. It is most important to leave your body to the other person. His actions are like a warrior who goes alone to kill the king. It¡¯s too energetic.¡±


    At her words, Hain nodded furiously. Sienna¡¯s brisk foot hurt so much.


    ¡°I hope you will be the flower that blooms on the walls tomorrow. It¡¯s a shame you can¡¯t be asked for a dance at the banquet when you¡¯re the main character, but if you show those kinds of dance skills, you¡¯ll be literally humiliated.¡±


    It was insulting, but Sienna could not refute Kitrol¡¯s words. Because there was nothing wrong with what she said. Sienna, who saw off her teacher, headed to her bedroom as Kitrol left the pce with a worried face.


    ¡°Your Majesty, may I help you change your clothes?¡±


    Sienna answered, opening her bedroom door.


    ¡°No, I can do it by myself. Rather than that, Hain, we¡¯d better start with a steam on your feet.¡±


    She said, unable to look at her face as she held much regret. Sienna closed the door and leaned against the door and sighed deeply at the ceiling.

 Chapter 57: Live To Sienna Pt.57

    <h4>Chapter 57: Live To Sienna Pt.57</h4>


    ¡°Ha...¡±


    There was no time to breathe out in this ce. She leaned against the wall with a worried look.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Suddenly there was a slight aura next to her, and there was Carl. Unexpectedly, Sienna held her heart and shouted, ¡°Mommy!¡±


    ¡°Your Royal Highness! What¡¯s going on?¡±


    She heard Hain¡¯s voice outside. Carl put the index finger on her lips and indicated to be quiet.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just, it¡¯s a sigh. Sigh!¡±


    ¡°You must have been tired today. Can I get you some hot tea?¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m sleepy today, so I¡¯m just going to sleep. Go home early and take a rest I¡¯m going to sleep like a log from now on, so please don¡¯t wake me up until tomorrow morning!¡±


    She heard an answer from outside that she knew. No matter how old she was, the bedroom was a no-one else¡¯s ce except for scheduled cleaning time, so it almost became known that Carl had returned to the capital.


    ¡°I was surprised! How can you surprise someone like this every time you show up? It¡¯ll be better if you could pretend to be there physically sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Should I havee in politely knocking in the room where no one was?¡±


    ¡°At least, you shouldn¡¯t surprise me like this. You could let me know you¡¯re here by coughing or something.¡±


    She grumbled and sat on the green sofa embroidered with gold thread.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, by the way. Where have you been? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been to the River Hegea already...¡±


    ¡°There are things to be prepared for before we get to work.¡±


    ¡°You bought a secret purchase ticket?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer her sharp question, but he just smiled.


    ¡°I believe you, but I don¡¯t believe you,¡± he said, ¡°and you¡¯ve lost your temper. Shouldn¡¯t you give me amission if I make a lot of profit from the purchase?¡±


    Carl looked at her with a stiff look. He looked at her in a funny way and she felt embarrassed.


    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m just joking, so don¡¯t stare at me like that. I have to buy a lot of buy-in tickets at any rate.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t stare.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t stare. I was just thinking about how much I should give to you if you can do as you say.¡±


    In an unexpected answer, Sienna asked with her eyes wide open.


    ¡°Are you really going to give me amission?¡±


    ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°How much did you buy to ask that?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do as much as I thought, so I signed about thirty gold bars worth of contracts.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God. Thirty gold bars worth of contracts isn¡¯t a lot already? In case of breach of contract, the penalty is usually twice the principal...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve signed it three times. I was afraid if I called the shots too high, it would seem suspicious.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s three times from thirty gold, ny bars...¡±


    Sienna¡¯s jaw dropped at the unnoticed amount.


    ¡°That¡¯s the amount I signed personally, and it¡¯s more than that in the name of the military.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really nning to let the South go bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be ruined right away if it¡¯s funded properly there. It¡¯s going to be a pretty big blow. How much should I pay for it? Do you mind if I give you ten gold pieces?¡±


    ¡°No thanks. I was joking. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get hurt if you take such arge sum of money. If you really want to reciprocate, just buy me a gift.¡±


    ¡°Gift? What do you want?¡±


    She shouted reflexively at his words.


    ¡°The sapphire ne...¡±


    She felt sorry for what she said. If it was the blue sapphire ne... It was the ne that Carl had given to Bluebell as a baby shower gift. She didn¡¯t think much of it really, but had she been feeling jealousy due to Bluebell?


    ¡°The sapphire ne?¡±


    ¡°No! I said it wrong. Sapphire, you¡¯ve heard it wrong. I don¡¯t need a gift either. I was just joking, so never mind it. And what do you mean about a fee? I¡¯m making a big profit just by making Queen Arya¡¯s financial power flourish downwards.¡±


    Carl said with a strange look at her words.


    ¡°The rumor has been circting in the capital recently.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t answer but moistened her dry lips.


    ¡°About the brown-haired minstrel who stayed in the Panacio family. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve heard in every bar. It¡¯s a fascinating story to becent with. But it¡¯s weird. This story without a source is spreading too fast. High-end information that didn¡¯t evene and go among the information merchants. Of course, no one¡¯s saying this is the story of Queen Arya of the Panacio family, but everyone knows it. Who is the woman who has a huge farm in the south and has taken over the position of ady in the real world for the first time in four years?¡±


    Sienna was a different woman, and Carl followed the horse, thrusting his face into hers.


    ¡°But it¡¯s too much of a coincidence for this time. It wasn¡¯t long after I heard the story from you that the rumor spread.¡±


    When he stared at her, she could not see her as she lowered her eyes.


    ¡°Indeed, you are the source of the rumor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say that I¡¯m the source, but it¡¯s true that I helped the rumor spread quickly.¡±


    ¡°Why? This rumor could provoke Empress Arya, but it wouldn¡¯t get any bigger. It was hasty. It would have been better to hold onto this information and strangle her at the right time.¡±


    What Carl meant was that after the emperor¡¯s ession, this would have been a great advantage over theing battle of Valore against the emperor and Carl and that it would have been a big weapon in the situation where he would be fighting over the throne. If a team picks up their cards too early, it would give the opponent time to prepare for a counterattack, which meant it would have been better to use them as a dagger when the time came instead.


    Sienna shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good for Carl to bring this up. Carl is more in the position of power than anyone else. In the eyes of the public, it is possible that Carl might be using the rumor to persecute the king by kicking Empress Arya out of the way.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°More than that, His Majesty has already hit his finish line. If Carl brings up the story, it may seem as if you are going against the emperor¡¯s will.¡±


    Carl nodded his head. In fact, he didn¡¯t intend to take advantage of the rumor. Such things were not suitable for his own taste. He intended to take over the throne in a dignified manner, not in a cowardly way.


    ¡°More than that, Sir Carl!¡±


    As Sienna sang in a desperate voice, Carl tilted his head and looked at her.


    ¡°Please help me figure out how to save people. I¡¯ll be greatly humiliated if I keep going on like this. And in front of Empress Arya... I really don¡¯t want to die for that.¡±


    Carl, who offered to help her with her earnest request, had no choice but to ask back at the wrong request.


    ¡°Is this what you want me to help you with?¡±


    Carl grabbed Sienna¡¯s waist with his hand and her hands were on his shoulder.


    ¡°Tomorrow is my debut banquet.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    It usually took three months or as much as half a year, so Carl thought Sienna had a long way to go before her debut.


    ¡°I had a little argument with Arya, and she was so cheaply revengeful about it. I¡¯ve been familiar with another etiquette, but I¡¯ve never improved enough to dance.¡±


    Carl pulled Sienna¡¯s waist into himself tight and closely. Sienna, who was trying to count the beat, breathed and hummed, ¡®oh, da, da-!¡¯ and on the third beat, she would breathe out, ¡®humph!¡¯


    She begged him to teach her how to dance with a straight posture to keep her from being humiliated, but when she tried to stay close to him, she felt strange. As Sienna tried to pull her butt out, Carl gave more strength to pull her in even more.


    ¡°When you dance, the closer you are to the opponent, the more stable your posture is. If you pull your butt out and dance like you do, you¡¯ll beughed at for being like a hunchback.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I got it.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡±

 Chapter 58: Live To Sienna Pt.58

    <h4>Chapter 58: Live To Sienna Pt.58</h4>


    Starting with Carl¡¯s lead, she began to move with him. She tried to adjust her waltz to his footwork by counting it in her head, but she was worried, ¡®What should I do if I step on his foot?¡¯ That idea made her legs dull and led her to step on Carl¡¯s feet.


    Looking down, she couldn¡¯t see his face, but she thought he was angry. Hain said that getting stepped on the feet feels like she¡¯s getting hit by a hammer.


    Later, her feet twisted as she struggled not to step on his feet. The more she was careful, the more she stamped his foot. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t bear to be sorry, and Sienna shouted,


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry! Not much of a ballroom dancer! I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m beyond redemption. I¡¯d better be the flower on the wall, as Kitrol says.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not good at dancing.¡±


    Carl looked down at the back of his foot. He didn¡¯t groan when he was trampled on his foot, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t feeling hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It hurts a lot.¡±


    She flopped down on the bed. She felt as if she would be humiliated tomorrow as Empress Arya had hoped. Well, she was sure as she had already built up a bad image for her.


    She married without the permission of her husband and took off her wedding dress on the first day. Moreover, it was clear that Arya would have been rumored everywhere, even to have been born and raised in the northern outskirts of society. Even if another rumor was to be added, one w to her poor dancing skills, what would be the matter in contrast?


    ¡°Here!¡±


    Carl reached out to her, who was upset.


    ¡°If it¡¯s with this King, it¡¯d be better for you to take your shoes off now.¡±


    ¡°Would you be alright?¡±


    ¡°Dancing varies greatly depending on how good a man is at the lead. Your skills are so messed up that you can¡¯t overlook them, but my skills are so great that they outweigh your shorings.¡±


    He was showing off his pride in a dignified manner, but she couldn¡¯t introduce what he said. She was sure Carl was good at dancing.


    Sienna took his hand and stood up again.


    ¡°I think I should take off the goods first. My shoes are so tight that no matter how good you are, you won¡¯t be able to leave your feet running from mine.¡±


    As Carl said, his dancing skills were of a high standard again this time. The problem was Sienna. She was too much of a build for her opponent¡¯s excellent expertise. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t have the beat memorized, but her feet would always move strangely and was hard for her.


    ¡°Kwahaha!¡±


    Carl burst outughing as he danced with Sienna at the waist. He buried his face in her shoulder and smiled.


    ¡°What is it?! Acting as if a person that¡¯s suddenly gone mad.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, continuously living as I have until now, I¡¯ve never seen anyone with body moves just like you.¡±


    At his reaction, Sienna stuck out her lips, pouting andining. Carl pretended not to see her expression.


    ¡°Even if I was to hold monsters and dance, they¡¯ll move more smoothly and enviously than you. I don¡¯t think your body is made of stone. I don¡¯t know how you can¡¯t find the beat properly and move the hands and feet separately.¡±


    Sienna was still unable to refute what he said.


    ¡°I thought you had a good head, but when we danced together, I realized that you¡¯re only smart. At least, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no need for smarts in dancing at all¡±


    ¡°Even if I can¡¯t dance, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too harsh. About monsters and being a stone. And even making of my hair for that too. What¡¯s the big deal about dancing? Don¡¯t you look down on people just because they¡¯re not good at it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big deal. It¡¯s weird that you can¡¯t do this much if it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Unable to find a rebuttal to Carl¡¯s words, Sienna gasped and stared at him.


    ¡°No thanks. I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not good at dancing and you¡¯re not very tenacious.¡±


    ¡°Even if you say anything, I¡¯m not doing it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,e here. Because I don¡¯t want to see my wife be humiliated by Empress Arya.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that. I¡¯ve memorized all the steps but my body just doesn¡¯t follow me. If I step on the other person¡¯s foot while dancing, my head goes white and I can¡¯t remember anything. It would be better for everyone if I give up rather than to injure a stern person¡¯s foot tomorrow.¡±


    Carl strode to Sienna, who stepped back and pulled her back. Sienna looked into his eyes and was surprised by his sudden action.


    ¡°Step on my foot and look up.¡±


    ¡°Sir Carl¡¯s foot?¡±


    ¡°The most important thing in social dance is to act like you¡¯re one with the other. Just like the toes touch each other and don¡¯t fall off.¡±


    Carl¡¯s suggestion didn¡¯t put her on her feet.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t keep up with me, it¡¯ll be a way for me to carry you.¡±


    Sienna remembered Kitrol¡¯s words. His dance was like a warrior who goes to battle the king alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that one person can dance well. It¡¯s important to lean on the other person instead of trying to do it alone. The more we depend on each other, the movementes out better.¡±


    His words gave her a throbbing heart. He was just asking her to dance together.


    Has she been feeling lonely?


    The thought of fighting alone must have been too hard for her. It was just the beginning, but she was already exhausted.


    But now it wasforting that he seemed to say, ¡°Let¡¯s fight together,¡± and that she could rely on him. His words were like the cold winter when the sun bursts at dawn past the end of a long night.


    Sienna climbed onto his foot, as Carl said. Carl¡¯s feet moved, so did her feet. The fear of stepping on his foot or how to move the next step was lost. She relied on his steps to move.


    Music flowed into her head even though she didn¡¯t count the beat with her mouth. In the daytime alone, thousands of piano pieces, which had been heard and felt sick and tired, were fluttering like bright petals.


    It was not until he finished singing one song to his feet that his feet stopped moving.


    ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s not as bad as you thought, is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been good at teaching someone. I taught Bluebell a ballroom dance before. Once the boy finishes his adult life and makes his social debut, he¡¯ll make a name for himself with his dancing skills. It¡¯s all thanks to my good leadership.¡±


    Bluebell. Sienna felt her heart beating cold.


    ¡®What did you expect?...¡¯


    She came down on his foot.


    The sound of the midnight bell seemed to have made her be Cindere. Dancing in the prince¡¯s arms in a fancy dress, she was actually just a girl in rags. When the fairy¡¯s magic unraveled, it was nothing but a lump of a cocoon.


    In fairy tales, the prince visitster, but it was only a fairy tale. The reality was not as beautiful as fairy tales.


    Such a magical story that the prince came to visit and puts on the ss shoe would not happen to her. The reality was to look at the prince, who marries another princess with pumpkins and mice rolling under her feet in rags. The prince was oblivious to the fact that there was a beautiful and good princess named Bluebell.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s going to be a one-time thing? We should practice a little more.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t do me any good to practice. It¡¯s not Carl who¡¯s going to dance with me tomorrow, but I really shouldn¡¯t be getting on your feet.¡±


    Sienna looked down at the floor, looking dead and talking. She didn¡¯t notice Carl¡¯s face hardened.


    ¡°Who are you going to dance with tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Tomorrow, Carl won¡¯t be able to participate in the banquet, so I¡¯ll dance with someone who offers me a dance. If they don¡¯t have a crush on me, wouldn¡¯t one of the Phoenix knightse forward and ask me instead?¡±


    What was it like before? She couldn¡¯t remember clearly who she danced with, but it certainly wasn¡¯t such a pleasant memory.


    ¡°I¡¯ll dance with you.¡±


    ¡°Sir Carl?¡±


    Sienna asked back because she thought she heard it wrong. When he looked up, he seemed to assume that she had heard the right thing to look at him.

 Chapter 59: Live To Sienna Pt.59

    <h4>Chapter 59: Live To Sienna Pt.59</h4>


    ¡°You¡¯reing to the party?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your debut. It¡¯s a natural duty to attend as a husband.¡±


    ¡°Why are you saying something like a duty? That¡¯s not what Carl is doing right now. Officially, it¡¯s just another event thates and goes, and unofficially, we have to grab the number in favors to get ready to hit the back of the Aryan forces.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was not going to move on with your n. Whether Valore advances the time to be emperor or agitators, it¡¯s just your n. All I¡¯ve decided is to participate in the rtions regarding the rights to buy wheat.¡±


    Of course, all he had to do was block the roads and waterways of the wheat.


    Sienna seemed to have developed a burning sensation in her stomach. This was a far cry from the n. Of course, she knew very well that it would not go as it had been in her previous life. Each little action would have been a butterfly effect and twisted destiny otherwise.


    Still, she didn¡¯t expect Carl to act so quickly. He still had to be in the doctor¡¯s service as usual. The wound that was betrayed by his believer was so deep that he only returned to the capital after recovering from his feet andter ascending to be the emperor.


    She tipped him off in the hope that she didn¡¯t want to hurt him, but he might get even worse.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so scary.¡±


    ¡°You were joking, weren¡¯t you? I was surprised. I don¡¯t know what kind of ruse Empress Arya would use if she found out that Carl was in such good shape...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be dawn soon. I¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    ¡°Then when are youing again?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you going to wait?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m always surprised when you show up. So, to be prepared in advance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I am a surprise to you, it¡¯s that you are horrified at nothing. With such a frail heart, how will you be able to stand up against Empress Arya?¡±


    She tried to tell him that she was confident that she would eat Arya steamed if she had fought purely in the flesh, but she remained silent because she was afraid she would beughed at by Carl. She couldn¡¯t wrinkle herself in front of him who was called the Battlefield God.


    *


    ¡°You said you were going to bed early yesterday, and...¡±


    Hain was ashamed as she touched Sienna¡¯s head.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t sleep, Hain.¡±


    She yawned profusely, answering Hain¡¯s words.


    ¡°You deserve to be nervous. By the way, I¡¯m worried about the dance.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s not going to be good.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress has sent you a dress.¡±


    The youngdy-inw, Shaylin, entered with arge paper box. Because of her small size, the box of dresses looked unusuallyrge.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I was afraid I didn¡¯t have the right dress. I got my debut date so suddenly that I couldn¡¯t find a good tailor.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Although she was skeptical about the gift Arya sent her, she couldn¡¯t show it in front of the maids.


    ¡°Shaylin, will you open it and show me the dress?¡±


    She thought she should check carefully in advance because she was afraid that it would be torn if she wore it.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    Hain sighed. Sienna held back her profanity from beyond the sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ck dress.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a ck dress.¡±


    The reason they were surprised was the symbolism of the ck dress. ck dresses were usually worn by people who sold themselves in the back alleys.


    They say they wear ck dresses, which means they are already dirty, but they prefer ck dresses that are easily untainted and bloodstained because they cannot change as they are bought so often.


    So, the perception was that the ck dress was a whore¡¯s costume. It was never a dress worthy of the nobility¡¯s love.


    ¡°You must have been confused whether the Empress should send clothes to the Warden or other.¡±


    ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s words made Shaylin cry because of embarrassment.


    ¡°Shaylin, I¡¯m not mad at you. First of all, can you show me the dress? I¡¯d like to take a closer look.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better wear another dress.¡±


    Hain stopped her from looking at the ck dress.


    ¡°No, but she brought it for me to wear it. Should I ignore her sincerity?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Hain tried to dry it, but Sienna scrutinized the dress. To put aside the meaning, it was a dress made quite beautifully.


    Transparent gems were embroidered like gxies on the chests of dresses. A ck velvet ribbon sat smoothly on the waist, followed neatly by a patternless fabric of translucent material. The rich spread of skirts was quite cute. To be honest, it was a design that she liked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wear this.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, what are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Please put my hair up so that it¡¯s not as morous as the dress. I can¡¯t have it down because my hairstyle will just make me look like a whore.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Hain, I¡¯m going home. I know why you¡¯re drying it, but it¡¯s a gift from the Empress, isn¡¯t it? She sent it to me to wear it, but she¡¯ll be mad if I don¡¯t wear it. I can¡¯t ignore her sincerity.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Paint my lips with something very red.¡±


    Bite Empress Arya with her red lips. Her eyes shone fiercely.


    ¡°That¡¯s a real deal.¡±


    Sienna tried to pass her hair nervously but dropped her hand after being sanctioned by Hain. She couldn¡¯t ruin her carefully done hair.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left. I can¡¯t wait any longer...¡±


    Hain said in an uneasy voice,


    ¡®Did you do that before? But at a time like that, you didn¡¯t even know you were being ignored. It was foolish of you to not know of such a situation. You deserved to beughed at then.¡¯


    ¡°What do I do?¡±


    Originally, when a member of the royal family enters a party, knights were to escort them in and out of the event. It was basic for the imperial family to move with a minimum number of people even when they moved across small distances. It was an important basic guideline for safety and for maintaining dignity. That¡¯s why the first thing she did before her wedding was; she had been given a knighthood unto her.


    She received the knighthood. The Phoenix of the Knights was given to her name because of her red hair which was as colorful as her name. But today, of great importance to Sienna, there were no knights to escort her.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been so distracted by my etiquette education, but I see they¡¯ve never made an appearance once before me. I haven¡¯t even said hello once.¡¯


    She was very angry that the humans who were supposed to be her own kind did not even have the decency to show their presence on such an important day.


    ¡°Lady Sienna, I think we¡¯re going to be toote.¡±


    ¡°All right. Hain, I¡¯ll let you take the lead.¡±


    Sienna was forced to take the lead of the poet-daughter Hain to the banquet hall. She thought today would be a bad day because she had been pouting like this from the start.


    ¡°The first Royal Highness, the Princess, is entering.¡±


    Introduced by the gatekeeper, Sienna entered the banquet hall.


    ¡®Whenever I see it, It¡¯s always gorgeous. Is Arya trying to imply this is still an empire even though it is rusty.¡¯


    Sienna was amazed at the spectacr interior that was visible.


    She came down the stairs, staring as far away off into the distance as possible while descending at a speed that is not too urgent or too slow. It was the moment when Kitrol¡¯s education started shining from her.


    Seeing many people paying attention to themselves, Sienna had a soft smile around her mouth. Her eyes caught Arya sitting on one side of the banquet hall. There were many women around. Sienna headed there.


    She felt more eloquent than the sound of the entire hall. That¡¯s why Sienna was so unconventional in her ck dress. The one in the ck dress that symbolizes a whore...


    After reading their eyes, Sienna drew up her waist more upright.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see the Empress.¡±


    Empress Arya nodded her greetings. A sarcastic smile spread around Arya¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ck dress.¡±


    Arya opened her mouth, unaware that it was a gift from herself.


    ¡°Yes, a ck dress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone in a ck dress.¡±


    At the words of Queen Arya, the women around her mimic her echoed words like a parrot. Some smiled unpleasantly, covering their mouths.

 Chapter 60: Live To Sienna Pt.60

    <h4>Chapter 60: Live To Sienna Pt.60</h4>


    ¡°I should wear a dress that my empress has sent me. I¡¯m just thankful for the beautiful dress as a gift.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a gift from Her Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Arya said, smiling at the aristocrats who were tilting their heads.


    ¡°ck. Isn¡¯t it a good color for Princess Sienna?¡±


    She whispered in Sienna¡¯s ear,


    ¡°To you who was wearing someone¡¯s shirt without a husband on the first night. I wonder whose footprints were on that white dress.¡±


    ¡®Oh, my God!¡¯


    Sienna was so absent-minded that day that she didn¡¯t even think of Carl¡¯s footprints on her dress or his shirt on herself. However, the owner of the footprints could not be Carl. She pulled up the stiffening corners of her mouth and smiled instead of answering.


    ¡°It looks really good on you.¡±


    ¡°It looks so good on you that I think it would be better for another position rather than this one.¡±


    ¡®Shut up!¡¯


    Sienna was likely to be cursed because of Arya, who used the word ¡°street whores,¡± and the aristocratic wives who followed her. She certainly didn¡¯t swear very well, but ever since she came to the imperial family, her desire to curse frequently has been aroused. She thought that imperial life was never having a good effect on her mental health.


    ¡°Thank you very much. I was very surprised when I thought about why Her Majesty gave me this dress.¡±


    Arya listened quietly to what Sienna was going to say.


    ¡°You¡¯re interested in the history of the Empire, so you sent me this suit to look like Empress Dijane? I¡¯ve read the record that Empress Dijane, the wife of Emperor Rioli, who led the war against Abecia to victory and made Laifsden an empire who enjoys wearing ck dresses. I will ept your wishes and work hard to help King Carl do the right thing as a member of the royal family.¡±


    The whole area became quiet. Sienna said, calling out the name of one of those who treated her as a prostitute.


    ¡°Oh, I heard that Count Kemion is also well-versed in history. Then you must know that. Empress Dijane liked to wear a ck dress when it mattered. The Empress said that if the sun was shining brightly during the day, she would rule the people like the moonlight that lit the deep night. I¡¯m sure the wife knows better if she hasn¡¯t beenzy in studying history.¡±


    ¡°Of... Of course, I do. I heard that Empress Dijane wore a ck dress at every banquet. I know it¡¯s probably a painting.¡±


    Sienna praised her, struggling to contain a burst ofughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re also well-educated Countess Kemion. History is called the mirror that reflects the present. You should also try to learn the wisdom of our ancestors by studying history hard, taking after Countess Kemion into consideration.¡±


    ¡°Of... of course. History is important.¡±


    ¡®History is important! That¡¯s funny.¡¯


    It¡¯s true that Empress Dijane was the wife of Emperor Rioli, but the fact that she enjoyed wearing ck dresses was a hoax she had just made up. She must have been busy writing the work of Emperor Rioli in his history books, for there was not a sufficient record of his wife.


    Countess Kemion, who was perplexed or sweating, doubted whether she could read even the words, let alone the art of history.


    The illiteracy rate was quite high in this era, and in the case of male aristocrats, illiterate people were quite well established. It was even harder to find noblewomen who knew how to write, as the male aristocrats looked like it. In Sienna¡¯s case, although she was taught because of her father¡¯s education officer, it was not a wed era for women to not know how to write and read.


    ¡°I think Countess Faron is great, too. I was surprised to hear that some of the aristocratic wives couldn¡¯t read and write and that they couldn¡¯t even write their own names, and even when they sign for things, they have to have their representatives with them or reced at times. A noblewoman that can¡¯t read and write. They can¡¯t be called nobles, can they? It¡¯s like middle-ss or working-ss people who don¡¯t know what to say. No, the wealthy middle ss is better off because they know how to write and count. It would be worse not to be better than them.¡±


    It was only natural that middle-ss merchants, who had to sign contracts and draw up books, knew writing, reading, and counting. She said as if the middle ss with their abilities was better than the upper ss, the dumb aristocrats.


    ¡°However,paring them... But the nobility is decent...¡±


    Someone gave an excuse. Sienna spoke to her with a stern face,


    ¡°Queen... If a monkey from across the sea wears a pretty dress and is dressed up like a jewel, it will make you feel as if you¡¯re a human being and pretend to be gentle-like. Just because you¡¯re so stylish doesn¡¯t mean you should call it out in decency.¡±


    The women around her blushed and fanned their hands. Sienna opened her eyes as if she knew nothing and said, looking back at them,


    ¡°No one can¡¯t read, can they? If that¡¯s the case, I should apologize for making a big mistake. It¡¯s not a crime to be ignorant...¡±


    Sienna asked, eye-to-eye with them,


    They responded to Sienna in a trembling voice, saying, ¡°Why would there be such an aristocrat?¡± and ¡°It¡¯s a matter of course for us as a noblewomen¡± in fear of exposing themselves to illiteracy.


    ¡®Ah! I¡¯m so cool.¡¯


    As she kept holding on to Kemion, she was worried if she was making too many enemies, but soon she changed her mind. They look like hyenas, and they were anxious to bite at any moment. If she were to be strong, she would not rush herself for fear that she would be humiliated.


    ¡°Princess Sienna.¡±


    Arya opened her mouth when she saw Sienna holding the upper hand and wielding people around.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been rumored from time to time that there are men in and out of Princess¡¯ room.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, the woman shouted, ¡°Oh my, oh my!¡± Still, no one was as quick as before to repeat or condemn her. This is because they didn¡¯t want to be seen like Kemion and antagonize Sienna.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t believe that. What kind of woman would you ever hold another man¡¯s hand if you hadn¡¯t even met Prince Carl?¡±


    Arya criticized her wedding without Carl, sneering into the nuance that she was cheating.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s a crazy rumor. The only man I¡¯ve ever met since I got married is Valore, the Crown Prince.¡±


    When Sienna suddenly took out Valore¡¯s name, Arya wriggled her eyebrows as if she didn¡¯t like to hear that. As she vented her difort, Sienna immediately continued,


    ¡°Of course, you shouldn¡¯t misunderstand. His Royal Highness Valore stopped by to deliver me a wedding gift. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to lose my reputation because of the spread of some strange rumors.¡±


    ¡°No one would have such a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°No one believes it, but it¡¯ll upset you if it¡¯s talked about it like this way. It¡¯s okay because I¡¯m a piece of jewelry with no ones¡¯ interest, but isn¡¯t His Highness, Valore, the heir to the throne? Ah! I hear there¡¯s a very interesting rumor going around in the capital these days.¡±


    ¡°A rumor? What do you mean, Princess Sienna?¡±


    Arya asked sarcastically,


    The word ¡°rumor¡± brought out by Sienna, the aristocratic women around her pretended not to care but listened to her. They seemed curious because they were so fond of gossip.


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t hear of it? I heard that every bar in the capital is making a lot of noise because of it. The story of a Southern aristocrat who fell in love with a minstrel from the brown-haired coveted Castro. The story begins with ¡®The woman¡¯s ck hair and eyes were darker and more mysterious than the night.¡¯


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Arya¡¯s face was visibly pale,


    ¡°Speak it out. What kind of rumor is that?¡±


    Someone couldn¡¯t bear it and had to ask.


    ¡°I thought everyone knew about it because it was a rumor going around the capital from what I¡¯ve heard...¡±


    The faces of those around her were full of curiosity.


    ¡°Do we need to hear something that¡¯s unclear?¡±


    Arya stopped Sienna. But Sienna didn¡¯t intend to stop talking.


    ¡°When you move around with people¡¯s mouths and ears wide open, the source bes unclear. But just because the source is unclear doesn¡¯t mean the whole story isn¡¯t true. Of course, I¡¯m not saying that this rumor is true. It¡¯s just a story that I¡¯ve heard so far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious, so please tell me.¡±

 Chapter 61: Live To Sienna Pt.61

    <h4>Chapter 61: Live To Sienna Pt.61</h4>


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, First Princess, please tell me. Whether the story is true or not, it¡¯s not something we should listen to and think about ourselves.¡±


    Sienna talked helplessly at their urging.


    ¡°It is said that a half-hearted girl from a family that ownsrge farnd in the south fell in love with a minstrel from the Castro Empire. I don¡¯t know if the minstrel¡¯s singing was beautiful or because of his glossy brown hair and dark brown eyes. They sang each other¡¯s beauty day and night for days, but there was a wall between them that they couldn¡¯t cross.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°Sure...¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t ask for a single song today, can you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a debut banquet for the First Princess, but it¡¯s ridiculous that the main character isn¡¯t offered a dance.¡±


    There was a rtive sense of superiority in her face, though Sienna spoke in a tone of pity. She had been prepared for today, but she felt ashamed. Sienna struggled to smile with an indifferent face.


    It was then. The voice of a clean man prated between them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you during the conversation, but...¡±


    It was a footer in a white tailcoat. He asked them to forgive him with a soft smile. The aristocratic wives looked at Arya as he greeted her. The Empress was, of course, a prickly face.


    Normally, he would have boasted of his son, but the conversation just happened to have been inappropriate. Now his appearance was like giving evidence to the story of a bastard with brown hair and brown eyes.


    Sienna avoided Valore¡¯s gaze. It is to embarrass Empress Arya, but she is also embarrassed by her own self. Empress Arya hated it, but her feelings for Valore were not. On the contrary, there was a sense of regret.


    Valore reached out to her without noticing Sienna¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Would you like to dance to a song if you don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°As Carl can¡¯t attend today, can I have the honor of dancing with Lady Sienna?¡±


    The women around her roared, and Arya sang to Valore in a cool tone.


    ¡°Valore!¡±


    He gave Sienna an eye, pretending not to hear his mother¡¯s call. He seemed to say that he would stand like this forever if she didn¡¯t allow it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not good at dancing...¡±


    Sienna wanted to refuse anyway. She was worried about her steps and she felt ufortable about what happened earlier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m a lot of trouble in dancing, too.¡±


    She flew like an arrow, unable to bear the eye of the striking surroundings, and ovepped her hands on Valore¡¯s hands. Valore led her hand toward the hall. The two stood side by side to look at those who were dancing and had a desire to dance together when the next song started.


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    A deep sigh came from Sienna.


    ¡°Do you hate dancing with me so much?¡±


    She made an excuse when she realized that she had behaved rudely to Valore.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m nervous to see so many people dancing together.¡±


    It was not because she didn¡¯t like him, but just because of the tension that she had to dance.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can dance right between the cracks where everyone is moving in one movement. Mrs. Minyu Kitrol, who says I can¡¯t keep up with imperial etiquette dance sses, thinks of me so poorly that she can lift up both hands and feet in defeat. During those times, It was a mess in a quiet space without anyone else, and I think my poor dancing skills will get more attention if I¡¯m in a crowd as such.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay because no one¡¯s going to realize a little mistake from Sienna.¡±


    ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be a small mistake.¡¯


    As the song neared its end, Sienna became tense and stiff. Valore whispered softly in her nervous ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯re going to have a great performance like our ensemble at that time.¡±


    His smile was quite believable, but not all of her tension went away. It was when the song that was ying was over and a short break was given until the next one.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, the First Prince is entering.¡±


    The gatekeeper announced the appearance of a figure that people had never expected.


    Carl descended along the red-carpeted stairs. The sight of him wearing a ck lotus suit decorated with gold wine fascinated everyone. Some werepletely blinded by his beauty, but the question of how he turned out to be so fine physically was being brought up everywhere as he was supposed to be treated near the border with a serious injury right now.


    In particr, it has grown in grandeur among male aristocrats. There were many predictions and worried voices about the future of Prince Carl as he appeared here now.


    Carl came straight to Sienna, ignoring the gaze of such people. Sienna and Valore were still holding each other¡¯s hands. Carl said, approaching Valore,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but won¡¯t you give me this song? Still, it¡¯s my wife¡¯s debut day, and I can¡¯t leave my first ballroom dance to her with someone else.¡±


    Valore moved Sienna¡¯s hand to Carl¡¯s palm with a look of regret at his words.


    ¡°Then have a good time, older brother.¡±


    He greeted the two and disappeared among the crowd. The back of Valore somehow looked bitter.


    ¡°I have good skills. Did Valore take over while I was away?¡±


    ¡°Take over what. What kind of profanity are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°If not, you don¡¯t have to stare at Valore like that. I¡¯m in front of you like this right now.¡±


    ¡°I just mean, Lord Valore looked kind of down...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. Wasn¡¯t it you who said that you¡¯d take revenge on Empress Arya. But her blood tie looks pitiful to you?¡±


    ¡°What wrongdoings does Valore have? He doesn¡¯t have any ambition, but I feel sorry as to how he¡¯s swept around by the hands of Queen Arya.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no man without ambition. They just can¡¯t reveal their ambitions because of their poor abilities.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Carl is quite ambitious and he¡¯s also big at that. It¡¯s not that big. No one has a greater dream than Carl¡¯s ambition to be an emperor.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not an ambition for me to be emperor. It¡¯s not a dream or hope, it¡¯s my right to have and find. So, I shouldn¡¯t describe my desire to be an emperor as ambition.¡±


    There was nothing wrong with the remark, but it was quite brazen to say it himself.


    ¡°Your costume today...¡±


    Sienna was nervous at the thought of what to say. For the aristocratic women, the emperor Rioli, empress Dijane, and how she stretched out her absurd facts on what she mentioned earlier, made her feel embarrassed for having to wear a ck dress that symbolizes prostitution in front of Carl. She didn¡¯t want to hear him say he was a whore through his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a ck swan among a flock of ducks.¡±


    Come to think of it, she saw a lot of girls in white dresses in the banquet hall today. A clean white cloth was harder to get than a cloth dyed in other colors It was an unusual case for her to be in a white dress at her wedding. White dresses weren¡¯t made or tailored that well.


    Surely not, had he matched his attire with her dress and worn a suit matching hers, had he? If that were to happen, it would really be worth seeing the face of Queen Arya¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it as apliment. Why the hell are you here?¡±


    As Sienna was about to question Carl, she heard a sound signaling the beginning of a new song. Carl pulled her close to him and told her to put her foot on top of his foot.


    Sienna¡¯s shoes were carefully oveid over his shoes. With the music, Carl held Sienna in his arms and began to move vigorously.


    ¡°Why the hell did you show up here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to put you on my feet and dance. Can you postpone your nagging so I can concentrate?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl smiled contentedly as Sienna closed her mouth. They danced and immediately returned to the Pce of Sienna. Although Sienna was the main character of the banquet, it was also thest of the banquet anyway, and she was not in the mood to be in the banquet hall any longer.


    It was the first time Carl and Sienna were married and spent the night in the same room, and when the atmosphere of Sienna was chilly, Hain looked at her. Carl smiled unexpectedly and went into the room as if it were familiar.


    ¡°Do you want me to water you two for a bath together?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need for that.¡±

 Chapter 62: Live To Sienna Pt.62

    <h4>Chapter 62: Live To Sienna Pt.62</h4>


    When Hain said that she would bring tea, Sienna ordered that no one shoulde in and that nothing was needed. Carl was lying on her bed and repeated the act of throwing a light green fruit into the air over and over again. Sienna has been heartbroken by his easygoing appearance.


    ¡°What on Earth is going through your head!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why did you attend the banquet today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural for a husband to be with his wife on her first debut day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for a joke. I¡¯m sure you said you wouldn¡¯te yesterday.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I said I¡¯d definitely go.¡±


    ¡°You said it out loud.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t answer your question asking me if I were joking. I¡¯m not a stupid person who¡¯s just joking.¡±


    ¡°What on earth, so you showed up for today¡¯s banquet to prove you what you¡¯re getting?¡±


    Rather, it only raised Arya¡¯s alertness. Of course, he can extend his influence and grant his own power by informing others of his safety, but it was not a profit to be gained by cing himself to be in danger. She was sure Arya will do her best not to let Carl stay in the capital.


    ¡°I wanted to embarrass her. When I appeared, her face was very impressive.¡±


    ¡°She already had a dirty face before Sir Carl even showed up, I¡¯m sure? Because I¡¯ve been scratching at her guts very hard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s verymendable of you.¡±


    He patted her hot head and praised her. Like an adult who soothes a child¡¯s fighting spirit.


    As a child, Sienna was even more energetic.


    ¡®What do you want me to do?!¡¯


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Sienna was furious and let her anger rain down but at that moment, she heard a voice from outside.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared some clothes to change in to.¡±


    Carl told her toe in first as she was about to tell her that there¡¯s no need again. Hain and the servants of Carl came into the room.


    ¡°What is this? Is Sir Carl going to change his clothes as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Won¡¯t I need to have to change clothes to sleepfortably?¡±


    When Sienna asked Carl, ¡°You¡¯re going to sleep here?¡± The servants and Hain, who were listening to them very closely, opened their eyes wide and looked at her as if they had heard the dumbest thing in the world.


    Reading their eyes, Sienna left the room with an ufortable face. She said she¡¯d change her clothes in the dressing room.


    ¡°Your Majesty, no matter how nervous you are, how in heavens¡¯ name can you say that to your prince?¡±


    As soon as she entered the dressing room, Hain¡¯s nagging began. She then asked if she had been educated about the first night with her recalled face.


    ¡°What are you talking about first night education?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed. You don¡¯t have to know anything. At first, you can just take care of yourself as you please. You don¡¯t have to be scared. I¡¯m sure you can do well. And don¡¯t worry about tomorrow. I¡¯ll wake you upter than usual. You might have a backache, so I¡¯ll have to get a warm wet towel. Something to soothe your back.¡±


    She blushed at Hain¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hain!¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re embarrassed like this now, you won¡¯t be able toe to your senses after you¡¯ve done it. When you put your lips together, it¡¯s said that it feels like thousands of stars are falling from the sky. It¡¯s said even more so that you won¡¯t be able toe to your senses with ecstasy.¡±


    Rather, it¡¯s not getting killed by a shooting star? Sienna, who was dumbfounded by Hain¡¯s words, asked her in a low tone,


    ¡°Hain! You¡¯re still a virgin. Where the hell are youing from and where have you heard that nonsense from?¡±


    ¡°How did you know I was a virgin? Is it that obvious?¡±


    Hain asked in a worried voice.


    Sienna, who couldn¡¯t say, ¡°I heard it from Hain¡¯s own mouth,¡± found an excuse to say something instead.


    ¡°Hain¡¯s skin is so good, rather than smelly. And something about you... just feels like a fresh wildflower. That¡¯s why I thought you might be a virgin because you¡¯re so pretty, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no...¡±


    It was cute to see her blushing and showing her shy actions. Hain had a big chest and a slim, sensual figure, but her face was cute because of the cute flesh under her eyes. Especially, it was the prettiest when she squinted her eyes andughed so hard because she couldn¡¯t see her eyes as she did now. She was such a beautiful woman, but she lives only in the royal family. So, she had no experience in dating.


    ¡°Hain, where the hell did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Not listened. I read it in a book. It describes how fascinating it is to kiss someone. Would Your Highness, the Princess like to take a look at it? I have ¡®The Knight and the Lady,¡¯ ¡®The Dancing Red Flower,¡¯ and ¡®The Prince of Gold Hair,¡¯ so I can lend them to you if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Sienna confirmed that Hain¡¯s taste was the same as her nanny, Chelsea.


    On their first night together, she was supposedly thought to wear a sexy gown as Hain stated, but she changed into casual pajamas that looked like the most casual attire, disregarding Hain¡¯s insistence that she should wear an alluring dress. Whether she still had lingering feelings, Hain held up a one piece mesh outfit and put on a regretful look.


    When she came back into the room, pretending not to know Hain, Carl had already changed his clothes and was standing by the table with a bottle of liquor.


    ¡°Are you really going to sleep here and then leave?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me about an obvious thing.¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t figure out how to interpret the situation so different from the past. In the past, they could barely face each other even two years into their marriage.


    ¡°You could sleep in your pce, Sir Carl...¡±


    ¡°You want fingers pointed out at you that you¡¯ve been humiliated on your first night as well? You have some weird tastes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that my taste is strange.¡±


    ¡°Would you like a drink?¡±


    In the midst of this, she refused, for the fear of bing drunk.


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll drink it alone. It¡¯s just a carbonic drink and there¡¯s not much left...¡±


    She knew it too. It was a drink shared with Carl while watching the Lantern Festival on Sun Day. It had a sweet fruity aroma, a bitter end voring, and an excellent aftertaste. It seemed even more special because of the saying that there were only twenty-five bottles left in the Empire. She was sure it was twenty-four now.


    ¡®So, when was thest time I tasted a drink? Was that thest day of the Sun Day?¡¯


    Having not had a sip of alcohol since entering the imperial family, she was filled with remorse.


    ¡°I should ask you twice anyways. It¡¯s usually right to receive just a polite refusal for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Then, would you care for a drink?¡±


    ¡°Just one drink, please.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl gave her a drink with a look of indecision. Feeling better after seeing the drink, she banged her ss into his ss, shouted ¡®Cheers!¡¯ and drank. And she admired the deep vor that filled her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s so delicious. I feel like I¡¯m losing my mind even though I haven¡¯t nned how to cope with the soon-to-be-started Arya¡¯s scheme. But why did you reallye here? What would you do if you were threatened by the Empress?¡±


    He spoke with an impression on Sienna¡¯s bruise,


    ¡°I know you have a good head. I don¡¯t understand all that n, but I also admit it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    In a suddenpliment, she stopped drinking and looked at him.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not going to let you do what you want. No matter how much you and I aim the same.¡±


    Sienna shut her mouth tight.


    ¡°I¡¯m notpletely convinced of you yet, so...¡±


    Sienna took a breath when he said he couldn¡¯t believe it. It was a pleasure to be in the same boat with him, but she wasn¡¯t epted as Carl¡¯s person yet. He was only a man who was together with her but not trustworthy for the same purpose.


    ¡°Sometimes, I think that you think of me as too easy. I don¡¯t like that attitude, which is as if a living old woman is looking at her grandson.¡±


    He was right. She thought only of her own ns because she knew the future. Even if he was not confident of knowing the future, Carl was the man who would be the powerful monarch of this country and was still revered by many as a hero.

 Chapter 63: Live To Sienna Pt.63

    <h4>Chapter 63: Live To Sienna Pt.63</h4>


    He was born a predator. Pride was more natural than breathing and had the ability to make such arrogance feel natural. Just because she got another chance, he wasn¡¯t someone she could be ignorant of.


    In a way, the idea of avenging Queen Arya on his behalf might be ridiculous in itself. He¡¯ll cut off Arya¡¯s throat by himself. Even if he is not exploited by Arya, he will never fall into despair.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so demure about it. You may be annoying sometimes, but I don¡¯t hate it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl came up to Sienna and held her chin up with his fingertips and faced her closely.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m having fun with you answering my words with your chin up like this.¡±


    She swallowed her saliva.


    His close-up pale eyes glowed yellow. The eyes, like the eyes of a lion, zed like predators. The fear that he would bite off his neck at any moment has gripped the country.


    As Sienna narrowed her pupils into small pieces and shook herself, Carl stepped back.


    ¡°As I suspected, you¡¯re very funny. Even though I look straight into your eyes as you talk like a child who has never felt fear before, if I step up this close, you¡¯ll suddenly be on alert like a rabbit in front of a beast.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. I don¡¯t mean to do anything to you.¡±


    Sienna felt that the words ¡®for now¡¯ were omitted from Carl¡¯s words out of generosity.


    He brushed past her to the bed. Then hey down on the right side of the bed and took his seat. Sienna looked at him.


    ¡°Are you going to keep standing like that? We need to go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Please go to sleep first. I have something to do.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°If you ask me so suddenly...¡±


    Sienna peered around the room and looked for something to do right away. There was nothing to do in the bedroom that only cared about the function of sleep. She said she would drink with the still-remaining carbonic. He spoke with an impression on that,


    ¡°Was it a lie to me that you¡¯d only have one drink?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie, it¡¯s... it¡¯s a really good drink, but it¡¯s a waste to leave it as such. I heard you only have twenty-five bottles. Except for this, there¡¯s only got to be twenty-three more.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to have enough sleep so you can eat with Empress Arya tomorrow morning? You can¡¯t deal with her in a foggy condition. So, try to sleep early.¡±


    ¡°Dining with Empress Arya?¡±


    She told him that she hadn¡¯t heard such a story. He spoke with a look of conviction.


    ¡°Remember, I¡¯ve returned now. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be inviting us to dinner tomorrow because she¡¯ll want to see what I¡¯m thinking about and why I havee back to the capital. Well, there¡¯s a lot of excuses to use, isn¡¯t that right? It¡¯s the first family dinner we¡¯ll have together since we got married...¡±


    Breakfast with Arya?... She hadn¡¯t even thought of that. She felt as if the food would have already begun to go stale, thinking of how ufortable the meeting would be at the table.


    ¡°So why don¡¯t youe here instead of spending your time doing stupid useless things. I¡¯m tired, too. I don¡¯t mean to do anything special, so just sleep next to me.¡±


    Sienna squealed to the bed at Carl¡¯s words. She sat on the edge of the bed. Carl pulled her arm and led her into his arms. Suddenly, in Carl¡¯s arms, she stared at him with her eyes gouged.


    ¡°What is this...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying it for the second time, but I won¡¯t do anything to you, so get some sleep. Don¡¯t waste your energy.¡±


    Seeing as to how he already repeated himself the second time, It seemed like he would get angry if she made him repeat any further. His distance was so close to her that she felt burdened and turned her back in a hurry from him. Then he pulled Sienna¡¯s back from her waist and hugged her. She could feel his breath behind her neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep my promise to you to divorce you in five years. But I hope you won¡¯t forget that you and I are a couple until then.¡±


    Sienna opened her closed eyes. She couldn¡¯t believe he said this when he was nning on going to sleep. She felt like tonight was going to be hard for her to fall asleep.


    *


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    Sienna forced her heavy eyes to open in the sun, which sank over her eyelids. She was startled and almost screamed. Because she could see Carl¡¯s face up so close.


    ¡°You fell asleep way too fast for a nervous person, even snoring to add...¡±


    Carl spoke to her as he looked like a person that hadn¡¯t just gotten up. Being in bed with him was stifling and stuffy, she couldn¡¯t seem to get a wink of sleep, as he said, and she felt like she had snoozed away. She practiced dancing all night the previous night, and she guessed she was very tired because of the nervous war games with Arya and Carl¡¯s unexpected behavior.


    No matter what and how much. To have snored in front of him.


    ¡°Did I really snore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding. Well, you didn¡¯t really snore, but I¡¯m sure you fell asleep.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna said with her mouth pouting,


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t the type of person to fool around with jokes...¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll correct it. It wasn¡¯t a joke, it was an idiomatic expression.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sure. Sir Carl never jokes.¡±


    She leaned up and pulled the rope by the bedroom. It was a cord connected to a bell hanging from the living room of the servants. Hain opened the door and came in with a cautious move.


    ¡°Would you like me to prepare for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll wash and get ready.¡±


    As he said yesterday, they would hear from Arya soon.


    ¡°Shall we prepare the bathtub for both of you to enter together?¡±


    Next to her, Carl giggled andughed, and Sienna thought she¡¯d have to put a leash on Hain¡¯s imaginations from ¡®The Knight and the Lady,¡¯ ¡®The Dancing Red Flower,¡¯ and ¡®The Prince of Golden Hair¡¯ and hide them somewhere.


    Momentster, as Carl said, there was a call from Arya to join her for a meal. Hain had been working on Sienna¡¯s head in an air of excitement.


    ¡°Hm, hm, Your Highness...¡±


    As if she was trying to say something, Hain made a chirping sound and called Sienna.


    ¡°What is it, Hain?¡±


    ¡°Do you know who is the most famous person in the city these days is?¡±


    ¡°Sir Carl or Empress, as always.¡±


    Carl, who was called the god of war, and Arya, who has a beautiful appearance that will never fade over the years, have always been on the lips of many.


    ¡°They are always, but... there¡¯s a new person that¡¯s beening up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡±


    She squinted at the thought of a chance.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s you, your Highness, the Princess!¡±


    Damn it. She closed her eyes tight.


    It was worth knowing. How much would the rumors be spreading about by now? It was the same in the past. Maybe it was because of how high up and important a princess¡¯ ce must have been to be in the spotlight of many people, and even one little thing for anything would result in her being cursed at for.


    Some even said that they would believe it if they were descendants of serfs, not aristocrats. She was not used to talking to aristocrats, so she told them that she wasn¡¯t as good at speaking as they were.


    No one told the story, so she didn¡¯t know what insult she was being subjected to. She didn¡¯t think the maids could have told Sienna that story in person...


    When she btedly learned that stories were circting around that were insulting her, she wondered if she should bite her own tongue and die due to her immense feeling of embarrassment. She thought it was no different this time. No, it would and could have been a lot worse than she had thought. It was the same thing inparison of having a glove from Arya being thrown at her face and the servants or anyone at all, and that wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything in defense against the face of the socialite¡¯s most powerful queen. She wondered how much did thedies gossip about her behind her back?

 Chapter 64: Live To Sienna Pt.64

    <h4>Chapter 64: Live To Sienna Pt.64</h4>


    ¡°There are many stories about the dance you performed with your First Prince yesterday. I heard that the both of you dancing in ck side by side looked like a pair of ck swans floating in the middle of a white blister. Oh, I wanted to see you in person.¡±


    Hain stopped the movements of her hands and said.


    ¡°Oh! And I heard yesterday¡¯s war of nerves with the Empress was great?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Ugh. There¡¯s no such thing as a war of nerves, but it happened.¡±


    Sienna was at a loss for words, wondering why Hain said such a reckless thing.


    ¡°There haven¡¯t been a lot of people who have been proud of her. They were all acting like they were tongue-in-cheek. But yesterday, Your Highness, the Princess, was not defeated by the Empress, so you are revered as a new symbol of society among youngdies.¡±


    ¡®What symbol, this news hasn¡¯t even been more than a day old. Where the hell did Hain hear this? She¡¯s been right beside me all day?¡¯


    ¡°The kids who went out to help with their hands at the banquet hall yesterday said it. Working at the banquet hall, you hear the nobles talking. You can hear all kinds of stories when you go to the postedundromat areas in the morning. Well, there¡¯s a lot of dirty talk, but...¡±


    Sienna nodded. She thought it was the pleasure of thedies working in the imperial pce. Hain went on and on.


    ¡°In fact, older wives and nobles who were close to the Empress had a lot of bad things to say. They said a lot of bad things about that ck dress, too. But all the young girls wondered about the origin of the dress. No one could find any white cloth after your wedding to the Crown Prince, so I¡¯m sure this time, likest time, all the ck cloth in the capital will run out again. I can assure you.¡±


    ¡°Really? If I knew ahead of time, I should¡¯ve bought some ck cloth? It would be toote to put in an order right now, right?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    In Sienna¡¯s response, Hain tilted her head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m kidding. Oh, did you pass on the message to the empress¡¯ cook? Did you tell him to prepare the food without any red meat like beef or pork?¡±


    Sienna was simply unable to eat red meat because of the treachery Arya caused, the terrible memory of the day. As a result, she naturally ate vegetables and seafood-oriented foods. Her maids and chefs knew about it and prepared her meals as so, but Arya¡¯s chef didn¡¯t know about it, so he needed a notice in advance.


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Ah! The most interesting story is left.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can talk to you about it.¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to tell me, you wouldn¡¯t have said that. You¡¯re going to tell me anyway. Don¡¯t try to melt my baby¡¯s ass and tell me.¡±


    ¡°The hottest concern among thedies and gentlemen of yesterday¡¯s banquet was the incident in which the First and Second Prince fought over mdy in the middle.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s fighting with who? What about that?¡±


    Sienna shrieked at such an absurd story.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that they really hit and fought with each other. It¡¯s just that when His Second Prince offered you to a dance, His Majesty, the First Prince suddenly entered the banquet hall with a ¡®ta-da!¡¯ and apparently, he said that one shouldn¡¯t recklessly ask his woman for a dance. I heard their ring contest was so intense that if you take a piece of paper in between them, it would have burned up right away.¡±


    ¡®Would a paper really burn up because of Sir Carl and Valore who aren¡¯t actual fire?¡¯ Sienna thought while thinking as she continued to listen to Hain with a dazed face.


    ¡°I heard you finally danced with the First Prince. His Royal Highness, the Second Prince turned his back away lonely when you couldn¡¯t be with him. Then he stood in the corner of the banquet hall, staring with jealousy at the sight of the First Prince and the Crown Princess, and it is said that he had been drinking a lot.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to begin to tell you no, actually because the subject is so unspeakable and sensitive.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t everything I told you true? Gloria told me so vividly. She was carrying drinks right next to him, so he saw it clearly with her eyes and heard it clearly with her ears. Minty was next to her as well. She saw it, too. She also told me that the emperor was persecuted by the empress, and that the prince appeared like a real prince and asked you to dance.¡±


    Sometimes, she wondered if Hain might have mistaken the prince status as higher ranking in terms to king status. It is apliment to say that the prince of the empire is higher than the king of the kingdom, and that he is like a prince to the prince.


    ¡°Hah. Minty or Gloria, it¡¯s absolutely not like that. Valore knew Carl wouldn¡¯t be able to attend the banquet, and since the Phoenix Knights didn¡¯t attend either, he showed generosity in asking me to dance. Carl came and he gave up because he didn¡¯t have any reason to dance with me anymore. Don¡¯t go around saying any weird things now. You know how scary the Empress is. If this story goes into her ears for nothing, I¡¯m going to get hit by her.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Hain opened her eyes wide as if surprised. She still ached in her back when she remembered how Arya¡¯s whip fell down onto her back. She didn¡¯t want to be whipped again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything strange about that incident either, Hain. If the Empress shows up with a whip again, I can¡¯t stop her either. Honestly, the Empress¡¯ hands are so hot. I don¡¯t want to be pped again.¡±


    At her words, Hain began to hup with astonishment. Sienna looked at her with a suspicious face.


    ¡°What is it? What have you been going around doing? What are you so surprised at for?¡±


    ¡°Hup!- I didn¡¯t say anything, hup!- I didn¡¯t! Hup!- And at theundry posts, Your Majesty, Hup! The maids don¡¯te very often. They, hup!- go somewhere else. Hup!¡±


    ¡°Just be honest with me. What in the world have you been you been going around talking about?¡±


    Hain managed to stop the hups and say.


    ¡°I just said what a beautiful and expensive gift Prince Valore gave you. That¡¯s really all I¡¯ve said!¡±


    As Sienna looked at her, she still seemed suspicious and she added an excuse.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m not the one who started the talk that the First Prince had loved you even before you got married. Besides, it was a bit too much of a novel about what Jessie thought and said about the second Prince.¡±


    Sienna was astounded. How many people in theundromat are chatting like this...


    ¡°What did Jessie say?¡±


    It was only then that Hain looked at whether she thought she had talked too much. Sienna was also of the royal family, though she wasfortable with her. It was no wonder that she and all of those she was talking about were thirsty for details when she was charged with desecrating the royal family.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying reprimand you or punish you, so don¡¯t worry and tell me. I need to know what kind of rumors are going around about me.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the Second Prince and Your Royal Highness, the Princess have joined together.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only been that one time at my adult banquet.¡±


    ¡°Since then, apparently, you two have been secretly in love and secretly growing more affectionate of one another, and the Empress has learned of this so that is why she married you to the First Prince in order to separate you two, well that¡¯s what is being said. A rtionship where both have grown feelings of love for each other, but cannot be close to each other...¡±


    At this point, Hain looked the other way, regarding her in a careful way.


    ¡°His Majesty the Second Prince asked you to abandon all of your things and run away with him together, but His Majesty the Second Prince was deeply wounded in the heart because you said you could not betray your First Prince... but he still couldn¡¯t keep his mind clear off of you, so Prince Valore has been hovering around the First Prince for this reason. So, I said this is absolutely not the case.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well done. It¡¯s absolutely never like that. To talk such nonsense.¡±

 Chapter 65: Live To Sienna Pt.65

    <h4>Chapter 65: Live To Sienna Pt.65</h4>


    ¡°The Princess has no heart for his Second Prince. Thest time you visited the prince, the way you looked at him wasn¡¯t the way you looked at your loved one.¡±


    Sienna shut up because she didn¡¯t know what to say to her.


    ¡°So, I made it very clear. You have no feelings for the prince, but he has a one-sided crush on you.¡±


    ¡°What? Hain! Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Sienna screamed with fright. Hain spoke in a rather exaggerated voice, unconcerned with her astonishment.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bad liar. To be honest, that¡¯s when your eyes were on the Second Prince... you wanted to grab his back and run out of the castle at that moment. What¡¯s more, that piano? I¡¯ve never heard of such a huge gift from the Second Prince to His Majesty the First Prince¡¯s wife. I¡¯m sure of my senses!¡±


    ¡°Hain! Are you crazy? What the hell are you talking about!¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Everyone was curious about the first night of the First Prince and Your Highness the Princess, but I didn¡¯t say one word. That¡¯s your personal life! I never told anyone about the hot night you two had, enough for your face to still be burning red, and how you both got upte because of it.¡±


    A hot night isn¡¯t a big face, it¡¯s a big night. Seeing Hain looking at her with pride on her face as if she was expecting her to praise her, Sienna covered her eyes with her hands.


    ¡®The back of my head hurts.¡¯


    She gave Hain a long lecture about how dangerous it was to go around telling such a story. When she kept her mouth shut, she thought she was apetent maid of honor, but the more she got to know her, the more she looked like an immature child. One way or another, she was a lot like Chelsea.


    Siennamented, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know this temper before?¡± and strongly warned her that Valore and her was never in that kind of rtionship. If Empress Arya were to hear of this nonsense, there would be so much blood spilled.


    After many twists and turns, Sienna got out. Carl was sitting at the drawing-room table drinking tea. He put down the teacup he was holding and came up to her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look well.¡±


    ¡°I just heard something that I¡¯d never think to imagine.¡±


    She said, rubbing the temples of her throbbing head. But behind Sienna, Hain looked at her face with a flimsy look.


    ¡°What was it exactly about?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t important. I think it¡¯ll be a lot more effective if you organize information going around with thedies and gentlemen in the castle. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s credible, but the speed of information won¡¯t beat the information organization anywhere in the capital.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. Because not many people care about them when they talk.¡±


    It was just a joke, but Carl took it quite seriously.


    ¡°It was a joke.¡±


    If they form an intelligence organization, they would be spending a lot of time and manpower trying to tell what to believe and what not to believe. Carl stared at her and she shrugged.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a stupid woman who¡¯s just joking. Unlike someone who never jokes.¡±


    She nodded and looked at him with a discontented look.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the appointment.¡±


    Hain said in a trembling voice. Her lips were flustered, perhaps too frightened. Still, it was necessary to alert them to such a strong warning for one time or so. At least before a huge temper rained down from anger...


    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±


    Carl took a watch out of his arms, checked it, and said, ¡°If it¡¯s a Phoenix Knight, it¡¯s better not to wait...¡±


    At that time, she could hear a rumble outside the door.


    ¡°You must be here.¡±


    Knock, knock! The door soon opened, and the captain of the knights entered. It was the captain who escorted Sienna off the carriage at her wedding.


    When Carl shot him with an expression he didn¡¯t like, he sweated and said he was sorry, but every time he opened his mouth, the smell of alcohol pricked her nose. Carl was going to say something when Sienna grabbed him by the arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job to do so don¡¯t step in.¡±


    ¡°Howe this is your job? A knight of the imperial family! Add to that a knight reeking of alcohol can just walk in to the Princess¡¯ room like this so easily. This knight showed upter than promised, and messed up my wife¡¯s room with his dirty, muddy feet! Even though you¡¯re your own woman, you want me to put up with the way he is spheming against the royal family like that?¡±


    Every time Carl spoke in a flustered voice, the captain¡¯s body trembled. Not only did he smell like alcohol, but he was also poorly dressed in knighting wear, and his feet were covered with mud or dirt. It was truly a shabby look, not of a royal knight.


    ¡°It¡¯s my knight, anyway. I¡¯m responsible for the Phoenix Knights¡¯ appearance. So, let me fix it.¡±


    Carl was still angry at Sienna¡¯s dissuasion. It seemed as if he had to cut off the head of the Phoenix Knights.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to hide behind my husband and make me a stupid woman who just waits for things to be resolved, just let it go for today.¡±


    He impressed her and said nothing more. Knowing that it meant permission, Sienna smiled at the corners of her mouth and said to the captain of the knighthood.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me today. I think it would be less insulting to hear that you were not able to apany the Knights. So, go back and rest today. Sooner orter, I¡¯ll go to the training grounds of the Phoenix Knights myself.¡±


    She spoke in a soft voice, but the frosty purple de hidden in the tenderness made the knight¡¯s breathing faster. From this space, Carl¡¯s man was looking at Sienna with a satisfied face.


    On his way to Queen Arya¡¯s room, Carl suddenly stopped walking. Sienna stopped after him and made a curious face.


    ¡°A little while ago...¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You hid behind your husband and said, not the stupid woman who wanted things to be done, did you?¡±


    Sienna listened with her mouth shut, wondering what he was going to say.


    ¡°There¡¯s no man as pathetic as one may be to pretend to not know about his wife¡¯s affairs. So, don¡¯t make me into a pathetic man.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re very proud of yourself, but please don¡¯t take away my ce. Unless you really think I¡¯m a stupid guy and you want to ignore me.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re doing this because of what happened a while ago, it¡¯s because it¡¯s not a big enough issue to ask Sir Carl to resolve. It¡¯s not because I¡¯ve never ignored it Sir Carl.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how big it is, but I know you can solve the problem on your own. But shouldn¡¯t we have to rely on each other for little things? Because we¡¯re a couple.¡±


    She smiled on his words with a hint of helplessness.


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be a virtue to say that we should rely on each other for even small things? It¡¯s not the virtue of a couple who started to know about the end.¡¯


    Carl told her to reach out, but Sienna decided she would never do that again. So that when she sees him standing next to Bluebell, she may leave him in blessing of the two of them.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t lean on you.¡¯


    She made up her mind.


    Entering the Imperial Pce, the two men that followed behind the couple had instructions to set the table with meals. At the table, Arya and Valore were waiting.


    ¡°Good to see you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your invitation.¡±


    Sienna greeted Queen Arya and Valore, and then sat down in a chair pulled out by Carl.


    It was not easy to say that this was a family dinner after a long time. As usual, Arya had a pretentious smile, and Valore sat with a firmer look than usual. Maybe Hain¡¯s statement that he drank too much was true, but his eyes had burst red in color.


    More than anything else, it was Marie¡¯s appearance that surprised Sienna. She didn¡¯t feel it before, but Marie had a look that even the daughter of Queen Arya could be trusted just because of her looks.


    It was just polite to tell Valore before that Marie¡¯s beauty was famous up to the North. But now that she faced her, she felt that she was indeed very beautiful.

 Chapter 66: Live To Sienna Pt.66

    <h4>Chapter 66: Live To Sienna Pt.66</h4>


    It was also surprising that such a Marie had no presence still. Since Arya, who looks like her, wields enormous influence, she seemed to receive rtively less attention from people.


    ¡®By the way, they look so alike. Are the Panacio ns blood genes stronger?¡¯


    The Empress Arya and Marie¡¯s tusks resembled curly ck hair. Especially, the tip of their noses was very simr.


    ¡°My wife looks like my mother...¡±


    She knew there are men who say their mother is their ideal type, but it must be symbolic. It may be a wish to meet a woman who forgives and loves whatever he does like their mothers usually are like. But she doesn¡¯t seem the same as his mother.


    She knew it was rude to Valore, but Sienna felt strange to see her mother look just like his wife. She felt like she was facing something she couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°It would be the first time for the princesses to face each other in private.¡±


    Marie nodded and smiled shyly. Unlike her looks, she seemed shy.


    ¡°I think this will be a meaningful asion in many ways.¡±


    When she finished speaking, the servants, who had been standing behind her back, put the bowl on the table in one movement. It was a soup with a bowl of porridge on top of the yellow broth.


    ¡°I prepared seafood because Princess Sienna can¡¯t eat red meat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know if I did anything useless. Princess Sienna, who grew up in the north, has less experience with seafood.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be ufortable to eat for the first time. The cod meat on the potato soup is prepared carefully by the chef, so it doesn¡¯t taste fishy. So, take it easy.¡±


    Valore answered. Arya raised her eyebrows to make sure to express that she didn¡¯t like Valore¡¯s actions. He acted as if she cared about Sienna and pointed out theck of quality, but this was not something Arya had wanted to do, but he had gotten dibs first on Sienna.


    Sienna looked toward Carl. For some reason, Carl¡¯s facial expression wasn¡¯t as good as hers.


    ¡°It¡¯s very delicious.¡±


    ¡°The new chef is pretty good. It¡¯s amazing. The northern part of the country must have an easier to ess meat than vegetables or seafood because of its natural environment, but you can¡¯t eat it.¡±


    When Sienna was young, she loved eating red meat. It was only natural that something that had been eaten so much would settle down to one¡¯s taste. Sienna replied with the most usible words, ¡°I¡¯m trying to control red meat by following the doctrine of the goddess of the earth.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    When the soup was removed, the next dish was served. It was a crustacean shaped like a goblin. A fork alone seemed to make it difficult to apply. Sienna cursed Arya in her heart.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure she prepared this dish to humiliate me.¡¯


    It was a dish that was difficult for her to be courteous, as she grew up in the North and had never had ess to a variety of seafood. Arya¡¯s obvious behavior made herugh. But contrary to Arya¡¯s expectations, it was a familiar dish for Sienna.


    In the past, she had a meal with Carl and Bluebell, and this was the first ingredient dish she had encountered. In contrast to Bluebell, which held the food with tongs with graceful hand movements, she grabbed the hard-shelled food ingredients with clumsy-like movements with her tongs and was humiliated as her te also slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor.


    Bluebell and Carl, who had been sitting at the table together, didn¡¯t show much concern, but she, who had jealousy and qualms about Bluebell, returned to her quarters and ate only that dish for a whole month.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough...¡¯


    When Sienna was about to pick up the tongs, Carl took her te. Everyone¡¯s eyes around the table turned to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll peel it for you because it¡¯s not easy to eat.¡±


    His attentive voice changed everyone¡¯s expression. Arya¡¯s eyes were thin and Valore tightened his mouth. Above all, Sienna felt embarrassed by Marie¡¯s eyes looking at her enviously.


    ¡°I can do it, but...¡±


    ¡°I know you can do it well. But it¡¯s because I want to do it for you. Don¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    Marie, across from her, looked at Carl with a rapture look. Sienna shouted in her heart, ¡°Why are you doing something out of ce to me, Carl?¡± When she tried to open the door of her heart, she would say she couldn¡¯t blindly believe it and try to build walls up instead. But when she tried to build walls in her heart, he would tear it down in an instant. He was a man who she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes away from.


    Heid a te of flesh before Sienna to make it easy to eat. Sienna felt bitter in her mouth and took a sip of wine.


    Just in time, Arya raised her ss and said, ¡°I¡¯m d Prince Carl is back in such good health. I heard you were seriously hurt by the assassin¡¯s attack, but I think the rumor is wrong.¡±


    ¡°I was hurt by the attack, but it wasn¡¯t life or death. I was injured when I heard of my wedding, but I had toe. I gained a wife, something that I didn¡¯t even think to imagine yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was unclear whether Prince Carl was alive or not. Even before Prince Carl, who is respected by many, was recognized as an adult, so we were all worried that you were wandering in between life and death and whether this would not be recorded down in the imperial history.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, no matter what. I haven¡¯t gotten a letter from my marriage partner at all during the time away. The news that I was killed by an assassin was delivered to the capital city surprisingly quickly.¡±


    ¡°Well. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve sent a steady stream of wedding-rted letters there, but you must have made a mistake somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the rapidmunication between the front lines and the imperial pce is also very important militarily. If we don¡¯t get the information in the hands of the enemy, or if we don¡¯t get the important information at all, it¡¯s a big deal, so we¡¯ll have to track it down and make sure there¡¯s nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate, by the way. Prince Carl has not been able to marry his beloved Bluebell Fair Duchess. You¡¯d love to be with someone you care about, but, you know, Duchess Fair hasn¡¯t grown up yet. Did she say she was going to hold an adult ceremony next year?¡±


    ¡°I love Bluebell, but I don¡¯t have anyints about this wedding. Rather, I should say thank you to the Empress. Thanks to you...¡±


    Carl ovepped his hands over Sienna¡¯s left hand.


    ¡°Because I was able to tie the knot with Sienna.¡±


    ¡°So, you said previously that Sienna and Prince Carl knew each other before they got married, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sienna is my life-saver.¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna with his deep eyes. Sienna rolled her eyes with a nervous expression. It was because she had no idea what he was up to.


    ¡°I guess you two are meant to be. When you look at it, it¡¯s like this.¡±


    Sienna took her eyes off Carl and looked ahead. In front of her, she was looking at herself with a heavy face. With no ce for her eyes to settle, she lowered her head and brought the transparent wine to her mouth. Even though it was a delicious drink, she didn¡¯t know whether it was going through her nose or through her mouth.


    ¡°Then the man who came to the room on the first day of Princess Sienna¡¯s wedding must have been Prince Carl.¡±


    Carl and Sienna¡¯s face froze at the same time. At the thought of it, Arya followed with a smile of intent.


    ¡°Well, I must have made a slip of the tongue. Do act as if you haven¡¯t heard.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a slip of the tongue, but it was definitely a call for Carl to listen.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why did youe up with that?¡±


    ¡°I saw the footprints of a man in Sienna¡¯s pce, so I thought maybe I misunderstood. It must have been a footprint of a maid with big feet.¡±


    Siennaughed at Arya in her heart. It must have been a remark to embarrass her. It would have been aimed at making Carl think she had another man.


    The problem was that the person who visited her that day was really Carl. So, Sienna didn¡¯t have to be embarrassed. Then suddenly, he stepped in.

 Chapter 67: Live To Sienna Pt.67

    <h4>Chapter 67: Live To Sienna Pt.67</h4>


    ¡°If you¡¯ve seen footprints, I¡¯m sure that those are my footprints.¡±


    ¡°Valore!¡±


    Arya called his name low shrill. Valore held a poker face in a teasing manner as if nothing had happened. Arya asked him in an urgent voice.


    ¡°Why are there footprints of the Prince left inside of the pce of Princess Sienna?¡±


    ¡°I had gone there to give a wedding gift to older brother Carl and Lady Sienna. I apologize for causing this misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°A congrattions gift you say...¡±


    Carl muttered cynically.


    ¡°I really wanted to give my brother a wedding gift. It¡¯s my only brother¡¯s wedding, and I wanted to give it to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll thank you, then. I just want you to refrain from visiting Sienna¡¯s pce while I¡¯m away. What if I had misunderstood because of something like this? I don¡¯t want my wife to be hurt by insulting rumors.¡±


    Valore replied in a bitter tone to Carl¡¯s words, ¡°When will Prince Carl return to the front? I heard that Castro¡¯s recent provocations have been frequent. Without Prince Carl, there would be problems with themand lines.¡±


    ¡°If the front lines are going to copse that easily because there¡¯s no one inmand, then they are not worthy of being called the front-line units. Fortunately, themanders under ourmand are excellent, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that power varies considerably depending on the existence of the Prince. The fact that Prince Carl is on the battlefield makes his soldiers highly motivated and tactical enough to deal with arge number of enemy troops with even a small number of allies. I think it would be better for Prince Carl to be there to soothe the uneasy public at a time when an all-out war with Castro will break out. I¡¯m sure your emperor thinks so, too.¡±


    It was such a heart-wrenching story. Everyone sitting at this table knew it was a sound of trying to keep Carl away from the capital somehow.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going back soon, though. I¡¯m sorry to Sienna, but I can¡¯t leave the battlefield empty for long.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    The face of Queen Arya was flushed. Sienna, who was anxious to see if he was going to stay in the capital until the end, was also relieved. Withoutpromising Arya¡¯s power first, she was not confident of him leaving her before doing so and heading straight for the ongoing full-scale war. Of course, as Carl said, he could do well on his own, but she didn¡¯t want him to get hurt.


    The meal time, which seemed quiet and well-behaved, was filled with conversations with hidden des, was long over. Sienna left the pce with Carl and asked him, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re asking.¡±


    ¡°In there, you treated me like you really love me. I was so embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°Why is that something you¡¯re going to be embarrassed about? I think I only did what was perfectly natural for my wife.¡±


    ¡°Well, because you weren¡¯t acting as your usual Carl-like self...¡±


    ¡°Act as my usual self you say... I¡¯m not sure what you think of me. But I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve said this to you before that I¡¯m going to lead a proper marriage life with you. I¡¯ll fulfil my duty even if there¡¯s an end to it in five years. I¡¯m also hoping the same from you, too.¡±


    Sienna seemed as though she was going to lose her mind from the rapidly beating sound of her heart due to Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡®What a madman!¡¯


    ¡°Ha-ah.¡±


    Sienna sighed deeply. It was the third day since Carl left the pce under the pretext of war. In fact, he didn¡¯t go to the east side of the border with Castro, but instead to the south side of the Hegea River.


    It was short, but the time she stayed in the pce with Carl seemed as though they were really like a couple. A good couple in fact. She was bewildered by the distinctions from the past.


    Carl and Sienna spent their times leisurely eating breakfast together and taking walks in front of the pce gardens. Of course, those times were not awkward. But she felt like she was building a sand castle to tear down.


    It was uneasy. It was iprehensible to know whether he really loved Duchess Fair or not. What does it mean to be nice to her?


    ¡®Is he aware of how cruel this is? How scary it is to make one have useless hope like this...¡¯


    When the time came when Carl had to put a halt to the warm affections he was giving away and had to leave her side, she was afraid of making the same foolish choices as before.


    ¡®I will treat you as cold and cruel as before.¡¯


    ¡°Ha-ah.¡±


    ¡°What is it? It hasn¡¯t been that long since you¡¯ve gotten married, but you¡¯re already letting a sigh out, I see?¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me toe to the pce, but you¡¯re breathing out a sigh all your own. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    She burst outughing at Jamie¡¯s half-baked remarks.


    ¡°What with that, that strange tone?¡±


    Jamie sat in the chair opposite of her with a disgruntled face. Then Hain looked at him with sharp eyes. Jamie said, poking his mouth, ¡°How dare I speak to Her Majesty, when I am just a lowly article of the periphery? I have to be polite. You may have been born and raised in the Waters family home, but you are now part of the noble royal family of the Great Laifsden.¡±


    She burst outughing at Jamie, who was talking with a disgruntled face. It was because he looked very awkward like a man in a dress that didn¡¯t fit him.


    ¡°Just rx. Because it¡¯s awkward to listen to.¡±


    ¡°How can a knight who has not been given a title yet have the ability to so easily speak to Her Majesty the Crown Princess?¡±


    He said while keeping in mind of Hain¡¯s presence. It seemed clear how much Hain would have warned him to be polite. Her brother was apparently rather annoyed by excessive etiquette education. Sienna said in a voice full ofughter, ¡°Just speakfortably. It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve married into royalty now, but I am still from the Waters family anyway. I¡¯ll be sad if we end up creating a distance from each other if you continue being like this.¡±


    At the end of the conversation between the two, Hain came forth and said, ¡°It is true that you were once the Duchess of the Waters Family and her brother, but you are now a member of the imperial family. You can¡¯t tell a nobleman to speak informally to you. It could be seen as an insult to the imperial family.¡±


    Hain¡¯s words were not wrong, but she could not talk in such a manner with her brother for such a reason.


    ¡°Then you can use honorifguage in someone else¡¯s presence and talkfortably when we¡¯re alone.¡±


    Jamie, who was sitting next to Sienna, nodded to her words with a satisfied face.


    ¡°That¡¯s brilliant.¡±


    ¡°Puhaha, that tone is really awkward. Don¡¯t talk like that in public. That sounds more funny to say it like that.¡±


    Jamie didn¡¯t answer Sienna¡¯s words but just shrugged. Hain, who saw those two, said with a look of helplessness, ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to do... okay. However, be careful when you have eyes from outside. Then I¡¯ll prepare some simple refreshments.¡±


    ¡°This king right here likes things with a lot of butter, so I¡¯ll leave this request to you, please. My brother likes them greasy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Hain sometimes looked out of ce, but she was doing her part as a maid of honor. If it weren¡¯t for her advice, Jamie and Sienna would certainly have used afortable way of speaking without paying attention to other people¡¯s eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t until Hain left the drawing room that Jamie ¡°heated¡± and puffed up.


    ¡°That maid, the girl named Hain, is really fastidious. I¡¯m just here to see you, but she¡¯s been exining for an hour about the etiquettes I should show in front of you. I know aristocratic etiquette, and when I said I¡¯d look at you, I¡¯d have done that, so I opened my eyes up and stared at you. But I¡¯m a nobleman, and I¡¯m not afraid to...¡±


    ¡°Brother, she¡¯s a noble. In terms of morals, she¡¯s in a higher position than you, brother, who has no title yet.¡±

 Chapter 68: Live To Sienna Pt.68

    <h4>Chapter 68: Live To Sienna Pt.68</h4>


    ¡°What? Isn¡¯t she just a maid who works in the imperial family, right?¡±


    ¡°Hain isn¡¯t just a maid, she¡¯s a maid-in. In the Imperial Pce, you have to be supported by a native in order to be a maid-ofw. Usually, many of the children of fallen aristocrats support those positions because they get the title of baroness when they be maidens. In a way, it¡¯s more than just sitting back and inheriting titles from your parents. It¡¯s self-proimed.¡±


    ¡°It sounds great to hear. That¡¯s why she¡¯s meticulous. By the way, if it¡¯s not so hard to meet this brother of yours, can youe see me often?¡±


    Beforeing to the pce, Jamie grumbled, ¡°I spent a considerable amount of time doing all kinds of identification and write ups for visits.¡±


    Normally, in case of visits from families of the royal family members, the gatekeepers already have them identified ahead of time themselves so they do not have to go throughplicated procedures. Still, it must have been the work of Empress Arya who had him struggling to get in.


    Sienna left it alone and did not exin to him. She just said that the imperial pce wasplicated to get in and out of.


    ¡°Are you still a beginner at the expert stage?¡±


    ¡°Are you making fun of me? It¡¯s a huge deal that I haven¡¯t improved at all. I have to go and train. There¡¯s not one single vacant lot to practice in the capital city that¡¯s good enough. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can go to the park with my sword around, either. I think I¡¯ve already built up some useless flesh on my body.¡±


    Hain brought her maids with her and brought them to the table. What was served was too big to be called refreshments. There were thick smoked ham and cheese as well as bread and cookies. Jamie¡¯s eyes saw joy rising from them.


    He slotted the thickly sliced ham in between the bread and took arge bite out of it. Sienna poured some tea for him and told him ]to eat them slowly. After his mouth was full of them, he said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t even eat lunch properly. Those gatekeepers were really persistent. If I truly had the heart for it, I could¡¯ve defeated them down ande straight barging to here. ¡±


    ¡°But then you¡¯d be charged with treason...¡±


    To her words, Jamie asked how she could say such a terrifying thing with a straight face.


    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t tell me you really did that. It¡¯s just a figure of speech as they say. ¡±


    Sienna burst outughing as she watched him crumple the bread he had already been eating and forced it down his throat.


    Jamie¡¯s muscle mass was significantly at arge amount. As the intensity of his daily training was enormous, the amount of meals he ate exceeded that of ordinary people. Moreover, he always hurriedly ate them because he was worried that he mightck time for training. Sienna thought he must be as developed as his stomach muscles were.


    Heidel had never cared about etiquette or worried about the outside eye, as he was the only nobleman in the area. No wonder Jamie¡¯s body was infused with a diet that was more urgent than a polite attitude.


    ¡°Really, I¡¯m going to have to get brother an etiquette teacher. If I leave you like this, you¡¯ll be humiliated for sure. I can¡¯t just stand around and wait to see my own brother, the first born son of the Duke of Waters, beughed at by others. If you do something wrong, you¡¯ll certainly damage our family¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°What about ruining... I¡¯ll be back in Heidel in a sh, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You can¡¯t just leave until you find yourself a bride.¡±


    ¡°A bride, ha-ha. I need to hurry and go back. You know it too. Heidel is always short of hands.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like one or two pairs of hands short-handed. Just because brother isn¡¯t there doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll be destroyed, either. And I¡¯ve already sent a letter to father.¡±


    Jamie, who was eating aggressively, stopped all movement with the word ¡®father.¡¯


    ¡°I told him that if he keeps leaving my brother in the periphery of Heidel, he could lose the Waters family heritage at this rate, and if he wants to see his grandson, he should let him stay in the capital. Soon, if you don¡¯t find someone to marry, he¡¯ll hear back from my brother and tell him not toe back to the castle.¡±


    ¡°When did you send that letter?¡±


    She spoke in a lively voice to the question, ¡°The day my brother arrived at Aunt Kelly¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite quick to act, I¡¯ve got to say.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course, whose younger sibling am I.¡±


    Jamie focused on eating again. He had thought that if he stayed in Heidel, he would have lost his fortune. As Sienna said, staying here and interacting with pretty girls seemed to be a good idea, so he quickly adapted.


    ¡°Our Aunt Kelly asked me to bring you this. It¡¯s what you asked me to do.¡±


    Jamie handed over a bunch of leather-wrapped papers to Sienna and then immersed himself in the meal again. Sienna filled his teacup and checked the papers.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    What Sienna asked Kelly for was information about the Phoenix Knights. She was busy with one thing after another, so she left it be, but she was thinking about organizing it even before Carl spoke to her.


    Unlike the solemn image of the imperial knights, the discipline of the Phoenix Knights was a mess. As the emperor became ill and Empress Arya began to take power on his behalf, many of the remaining figures in the imperial family were mutted. It was the imperial knighthood that was most affected by him.


    As one of the ways to limit the number of nobles, there is a system of lowering the ss by one step.


    For example, if the Marquis had three sons, the first one would receive a count status. But the second and third sons could only receive baron status. For the next generation, the gentry status, rather than the nobility, which wouldter on continue to be reduced to the semi-male status (lower ss to be more precise). Eventually, they will be a part of the civil ss.


    This was why only the Waters family remained operative in the present Laifsden Empire. The best way to set a ball is through war, which has always been steadily carried forward by the nature of the region that has to fight against monsters in the north.


    However, it was not like there was actually no way to prevent him from bing a gentry member without inheriting any of his rank. One of the ways to build a ball is through bing a knight. It was not a way of inheriting sses, but a way of getting a new one.


    In the case of general articles, gentry status was given, but starting with imperial guard articles, a minimum of baron rank was granted. Also, depending on his position or merit, he could dream of rising to the rank of Count. Because of this, the nobles wanted to put their children in the imperial knights as well.


    He had to be at least an expert beginner to join the Knights¡¯ squad, but the problem was whether there was any room left. In order to expand her power, Empress Arya fired arge number of existing knights and reced them with her own. At first, it drew a lot of bacsh, but the articles were eventually forced to shut up about the issue because many high-ranking aristocrats were intertwined in the doing of so.


    As Sienna arranged the Phoenix Knights, she nned to bring the current problems of the imperial knights to the surface.


    ¡®In the past, while Carl was driven to war, the Emperor died and Valore ascended to the throne. Although he died of ill health soon as his fate supposed him to... Not Carl, but rather Valore will end up taking the throne for the next two years, so I¡¯ll have to figure everything out quickly in order to have less problems in the future...¡¯


    Sienna identified a familiar name in the document. He was the head of the Phoenix Knights who came to see her as if he would escort her with a drunken stupor.


    ¡®Oh, you look like an expert.¡¯


    Sienna reviewed the qualifications of the imperial knighthood at the back of the document.


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s your grade for the ranking test if you can keep the sword in your hand for fifteen minutes?¡±


    Asked by her, Jamie put down the sandwich he was about to cram into his mouth and said, ¡°If it takes more than fifteen minutes, it¡¯s intermediate level.¡±

 Chapter 69: Live To Sienna Pt.69

    <h4>Chapter 69: Live To Sienna Pt.69</h4>


    ¡°No, not in the form of a trooper evaluation. In the case of fifteen minutes as you stand still and hold your ground?¡±


    When asked by Sienna, Jamie made a crinkled impression.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have to fight and just stand there when there¡¯s a battle in front of you, what are you counting it as?¡±


    ¡°Anyway. Tell me, what it would be then?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no use for someone like that anywhere, so it would be at least just a beginner¡¯s level then. Well, no, I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s beginner since it¡¯d be like less than a week since one learned toe and run. I think I did it after three days... but, why are you asking about this?¡±


    ¡°To make sure I remember this correctly. So, the expert superannuation mayst fifteen minutes if you¡¯re standing still and holding a sword, but not fifteen minutes when you¡¯re inbat, right?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Jamie nodded with a dead face. He seemed unhappy that he could not get out of the starting line of an expert.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that I¡¯m going to take too long to move on to the intermediate level. I have to go back soon and train...¡±


    Jamie always wanted to beat their father. Jamie¡¯s goal was to break his youngest record. The first-time expert surpassed him by six months, but in the middle-ss case, the time was short, as his father made it in the twenty-third and second month. It was natural for him to be impatient.


    ¡°You can do it here.¡±


    ¡°The water is too narrow. There¡¯s no vacant lot for buildings, and Aunt Kelly¡¯s house has a garden, but training doesn¡¯t mean you can blow up a well-managed garden. There¡¯s no one to share a sword with to practice, either. How do they train for swordsmanship here? There¡¯s no ce to swing a sword.¡±


    ¡°I have a knighthood, how about the captain?¡±


    Whether he was interested in what she said, he said with a bright expression, ¡°That¡¯s right, you had a knighthood, too, didn¡¯t you? Was it the Phoenix Knights? How¡¯s it going? Are they all right?¡±


    ¡°Three expert mid-ss ranked levels and twenty beginner levels.¡±


    ¡°Indeed as I thought, the capital sure is different. To say you have three expert middle-ss men. Can¡¯t I go and warm up there, too? You said it was your knighthood. Don¡¯t you have that much authority?¡±


    Jamie¡¯s eyes glistened. Since he was a knight in nature, he was frustrated that he could not train properly. Moreover, he was on the verge of sess, having three expert mid-levels to practice with him.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll make it so that I can let you use the training grounds every day.¡±


    ¡°Really? Can I do that? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little bit too much to visit every day? The Phoenix Knights will have to train as well. I just need to rx when they rest. Just to the extent that my muscles aren¡¯t firm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you visit me every day, but there¡¯s a condition.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Beat the Phoenix Knights for me.¡±


    ¡°Who do you want me to beat? Well, it¡¯s not going to be easy beating a mid-ss expert, but I¡¯ll figure it out. If I¡¯m with Lord Kale, I win one out of thirty times.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words, Sienna shook her head and said,


    ¡°Not one person, but you have to beat them for me.¡±


    Jamie looked at Sienna, wondering if he had heard it wrong.


    ¡°Give me the win. Please.¡±


    One also needed a lot of luck to deal with one mid-level expert. To remark, she has three middle-ss experts and twenty beginners. It was an impossible request. Still, Jamie said with a bright face, ¡°Ah, what the hell. That¡¯s right! Of course, I have to do it, it¡¯s a request from my younger sister. If I don¡¯t die, I¡¯ll probably just pass out then, am I right? Who knows, I¡¯ll get an epiphany to move on to the expert mid-ss.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but if I want to fight tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to leave our aunt¡¯s house really early to deal with all those articles. It took me three hours to get here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll do something so you cane and go as you please¡±


    ¡°Really? As I suspected, it¡¯s totally different because you¡¯re of royalty now. You can also solve things like this so easily.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Do you think I¡¯ll let them block my brother¡¯s way. I¡¯ll make sure to go over there with a very scary face and scold them to the point their tears dry out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, then, I look forward to it.¡±


    Sienna smiled.


    ¡®Although I¡¯ll end up leaving a scratch on Arya¡¯s temper for nothing, but I need him to finish off the Knights...¡¯


    *


    From the next morning, Sienna was staring at the door.


    Knock, knock. She waited for someone toe in through the door, hammering the handle of the chair with the tip of her fingers frantically.


    ¡°So, the Knights standing at the South Gate are Lord Panacio¡¯s Giant Knights?¡±


    Hain answered her question.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but will it be okay? Sir Panacio is the nephew of Her Majesty the Empress and the brother of Her Majesty the Second Prince. Isn¡¯t it just a little bit more upsetting?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s rather good this way. It¡¯s going to be easy.¡±


    Deli Panacio was Arya¡¯s nephew, but he wasn¡¯t clever. Since he was a simple person and had a bravado figure, she could easily solve things if she took advantage of the situation right now.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Then the door opened and Shaylin, the maid-inw, came in swinging her skirt.


    ¡°Pant-pant, the south gates. At the south gates!¡±


    ¡°Really? Hain, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Sienna stood up, Hain took the lead. As determined as Sienna¡¯s face was, they hurried to the south gates.


    ¡°What more do you mean you need to check me out?¡±


    ¡°How do we know if you¡¯re really a real Lord of the Waters family or a spy trying to do something bad?¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why I gave you my identity card!¡±


    It was Jamie¡¯s voice. He was quite angry, but he was forced to bear it because this ce was the pce. He couldn¡¯t hurt his younger sister Sienna by making a false noise.


    ¡°We¡¯re just saying that because this identity card seems fake.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you looking at and iming that it might be fake? Do you dare to insult me, Jamie Waters, the eldest son of the Waters family?¡±


    After all, Jamie, who couldn¡¯t stand it, strode up to the gatekeeper and raised his voice. As Jamie, a tall man with a bigger head than himself, approached, the scrubber stepped back and called for the knights.


    ¡°Here! This guy over here needs to be sanctioned. He is threatening me, the gatekeeper of the royal family.¡±


    Usually, articles that would not move on the gate keeper¡¯s words surrounded Jamie in heavy armor as if this was nned all along.


    The doorkeeper signed the order of His Majesty the emperor the Imperial Pce under the bed to protect. Threatening him to do the king¡¯s orders will put him in charge of his crimes and treason.


    ¡°What do you mean treason! Didn¡¯t you just see now how this stupid guard treated me like a con man saying my identity card is forged and giving me humiliating treatment. Are you telling me to stand still and watch as that happens?¡±


    ¡°I ask you how is that insulting at all. You looked suspicious and so that¡¯s why it happened. The gatekeepers are merely doing their jobs. ¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that this gatekeeper is also an expert at differentiating between a perfectly good identification card as this one right here and a forged identification card, and that¡¯s also a part of his job?¡±


    ¡°It seems words won¡¯t cut it anymore.¡±


    As soon as he winked, the knights turned the windows they had been setting in unison toward Jamie together. Jamie¡¯s face went from red to purple from the insult.


    Sienna arrived just in time as she walked toward them. Hain stopped her.


    ¡°Your Highness, I think it¡¯s better if you stay away for a while or ask someone for help instead.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one in this pce who can help me.¡±


    ¡°But those knights over there are holding up spears...¡±


    When Sienna vowed to scold those who ignored her brother, she cheered for him. The imperial family was a ce to be reckoned with if they were good. His rights had to be self-assertive.

 Chapter 70: Live To Sienna Pt.70

    <h4>Chapter 70: Live To Sienna Pt.70</h4>


    But when Hain followed Sienna atst, she felt scared after witnessing the spears of the knights. She was worried that Sienna might hurt herself by the ends of the whip.


    ¡°You make sure you stay here.¡±


    ¡°Your Royal Highness!¡±


    Sienna approached the soldiers. Jamie, the gatekeepers, and the soldiers were still at odds. She stepped into the ranks of the knights. A soldier went out to sanction the woman for her sudden appearance and she roared, ¡°What the hell are you doing. How dare you block someone¡¯s way?¡±


    ¡°Who are you...¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you I say? Standing there in a knight¡¯s costume with a rattling sound. How can you keep the pce in one piece if you don¡¯t recognize me?¡±


    He looked at her with a bewildered look.


    ¡°Is that just a decoration that you fished out and ced on your neck? Why are you standing there so stupidly? Who¡¯s your boss, who didn¡¯t even have the mentality to educate his soldiers on how to treat the royal family and let you all run wild in the pce as such anyway?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s roar brought silence around her. The sudden appearance of the Crown Princess, who made a big fuss, must have been a figure who shouldn¡¯t have appeared in the y they prepared. She tried not to show nervousness. How much did she practicest night? For this scene today!


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The man stood in front of Sienna and asked. It was Deli Panacio, the Knight Commander who was just driving Jamie away. Sienna raised her head, looked at him, and made an impression.


    ¡°I was wondering how that article didn¡¯t learn anything, but I think I found the answer. You mean that the knights of each of you are not fully acquainted with the royal etiquette? If you met the royals, it would be basic to show respect and state your identity. You don¡¯t know the etiquette more than I who have been in this pce for only a month. If you didn¡¯t make it to work for the first time today, you must have gambled on the job, Captain Panacio.¡±


    Deli¡¯s expression crumpled up, looking at her, as if he didn¡¯t like Sienna¡¯s sarcastic remarks. Still, he could not refute that what she said was wrong. He bowed to one knee with a reluctant expression of courtesy.


    ¡°Giant Knight Commander Deli Panacio, I announce myself to Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Sienna looked around without answering his greetings immediately. Only then did the knights, who had been watching, kneel down and greet her.


    It was only after everyone standing around knelt down that she told Deli to stand up. He looked at her with a muddy face from the insult.


    ¡°Why did youe to this ce...¡±


    Sienna raised her hand to stop him from speaking.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I need to say about your mistakes, but I have a lot to do first.¡±


    Sienna passed him and went to Jamie and the gatekeeper. Standing next to the doorkeeper, Jamie looked surprised, with his big eyes lifted up. Sienna felt as if she would burst out intoughter from the look on his face. However, if she burst outughing in this situation, she would appear to be a crazy woman, so she put up with it.


    She grimaced one eye and said to her brother, ¡®Please don¡¯t lift me up,¡¯ in the shape of your mouth. He nodded as if he understood her words.


    As the situation turned strange, the gatekeeper¡¯s face turned pale. He knelt down and bowed as Sienna stood near him.


    ¡°The gate... keeper that guards the south gate, Jake, I am. I announce myself to Your Majesty the Crown Princess.¡±


    She ordered the gatekeeper to get up. He rolled his eyes and stood up.


    p-


    Sienna hit the face of the gatekeeper with her palm. The sound of the p on the cheek made some people close their eyes in astonishment.


    -ap-


    Once again, a loud noise echoed through the south gates.


    She could hear someone swallowing their saliva. No one would have expected it. How Carl¡¯s queen would show up at the south gate and hit the gatekeeper in the face like this so suddenly.


    -ap-


    Her palm fell to the face of the gatekeeper for the third time. The gate keeper¡¯s left face glowed brightly.


    It was time for Sienna¡¯s arm to make a big line downward and try to strike him in the face again, perhaps three times seemed too few. The gatekeeper raised his hands to block her arm. It was an instinctive act from the fear of pain.


    Sienna had a pretty satisfyingugh. If the gatekeeper hadn¡¯t stopped her with his hands, she intended to hurt them herself continuously, but she didn¡¯t have to do so. The gatekeeper, who saw her smile, trembled as if he had seen something scary.


    ¡°Ho-oh! How dare you act this way when the pain hasn¡¯t even started yet! Are you threatening the Crown Princess right now with your hands up?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not...¡±


    Sienna shouted out in a huge voice, ¡°Captain Panacio!¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you got the knighthood for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Am I not being persecuted in front of your eyes right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes? What do you mean by that...¡±


    The Giant knights watching Sienna thought, ¡®Then you¡¯re persecuting the poor gatekeeper!¡¯


    ¡°Are you implying you can¡¯t see him touching the body of the imperial family like this right now when he¡¯s just a gatekeeper?¡±


    The gatekeeper hurriedly moved his hands away at her words. Deli looked nk as if he didn¡¯t understand it. Sienna said, frowning at the brows.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this not enough to insult my family? An act of threatening me, the Princess? Threatening the Imperial Family is a sin of treason. Why are you standing there like that and just watching? If anyone sees this, they¡¯ll think it¡¯s because of you that this gatekeeper is so arrogant. Are you sure this gatekeeper is of Lord Panacio¡¯s man?¡±


    It was only then that Deli got to grips with the situation. The Crown Princess was asking whether the gatekeeper¡¯s threat to her older brother was made up of Deli¡¯s own orders.


    It was true that if Waters¡¯ sessor, embroiled in a ridiculous dispute, became angry with the gatekeeper, she could get the knights to arrest him. But he couldn¡¯t put his finger on her. If he did so, he could havemitted treason, which was the guilt of the gatekeeper. He jumped up and down, saying that he was guilty of his actions and that he was conscious of them.


    ¡°No! No, that¡¯s not it. You son of a b*tch! What are you doing to Her Majesty the Crown Princess!¡±


    The gatekeeper flopped forward in Deli¡¯s roar.


    ¡°Oh, my God! I have sinned to death.¡±


    Sienna stroked her wrists she had been holding and ordered Deli.


    ¡°What are you doing? Please call in all the references who rmended the gatekeeper, those who guaranteed him, the manager who was in charge of the gates, or those who were in charge of the gates.¡±


    ¡°Why are they?¡±


    She looked at him with keen eyes. Deli refused to ask any more questions and asked his men toe to him, fearing that the Princess would gamble away his position.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please prepare a chair. I feel dizzy because I¡¯ve been so insulted.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    Some tactful articles quickly brought a chair. Where they came from was not an outdoor chair, but a chair decorated with ck velvet cloth. Siena lined up many of the people who were there before her.


    Hain, who was watching the scene, came quickly and bandaged her wrist. She also did not forget to wind it up thick as if she had been seriously injured.


    ¡°What a slow way to handle things. I¡¯ve heard that the Giant Knights are capable knights in the Imperial Household, but they must have been false rumors.¡±


    Sienna constantly scratched the knighthood¡¯s honor away until he did what she had asked her to do. Jamie stood next to her and red at Deli with a scary face. Deli looked in front of Sienna with his head tightened.


    Such things should be attacked without giving time to think about them. It wouldn¡¯t work if the other person asked, ¡°How much authority do you have to order me to do so?¡±


    However, if she continued to point out what he did wrong, everyone will think. ¡®Did I do something wrong?¡¯ If she continued without stopping there, he would have to say sooner orter that, ¡®I must have made a big mistake, too.¡¯

 Chapter 71: Live To Sienna Pt.71

    <h4>Chapter 71: Live To Sienna Pt.71</h4>


    One of the most effective ways to make a person impoverished is to continue to make self-respecting remarks. Her actions were by no means morally sound, but Sienna constantly beat him up to achieve the goal.


    ¡°It¡¯s great you kept me waiting in such a hot ce. It took so long to capture the remnants of the imperial family¡¯s plot to kill...¡±


    The gatekeeper, who had his head in front of Sienna at the word of treason, raised himself and protested actively to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. You are right to say it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you son of a b*tch! Where do you think you are making a fool of yourself? Quiet.¡±


    This time, even though Sienna didn¡¯t order anything, Deli cried out with a sword on the gatekeeper¡¯s throat. The gatekeeper did not stop talking in the meantime.


    ¡°This was all issued from up there, not what I¡¯ve done by myself...¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness! I just said it was an order from above!¡±


    Deli¡¯s sword was lowered over the gate keeper¡¯s neck in a big arc. Sienna shut her eyes at the sight and regretted it. She didn¡¯t mean to make him die in front of her eyes.


    ¡°Put it down!¡±


    At the sound of his voice, Sienna opened her eyes. Her hands trembled as she imagined the terrible scene about to unfold before her eyes.


    Fortunately, there was no red blood in sight. Instead, Jamie was seen holding Deli¡¯s arm. It was as if Jamie had restrained himself before his de touched the gatekeeper¡¯ neck.


    ¡°Are you really interrupting the work of the imperial knights?¡±


    Deli raised his voice against Jamie. Jamie spoke to him in a low, heavy voice, with an unusually fierce face, ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to kill him without the permission from the Crown Princess, Sienna, before Her Majesty? No matter how badly the criminal may have acted, how dare you act irreverently without her permission!¡±


    He always acted like he had a few screws loose in front of Sienna, but that was how she usually pictured her beloved brother. Jamie was themanding officer of the soldiers in Heidel, where monsters and battles were fought every day. In a way, it was more natural to see such a glow in his eyes and yell at Deli.


    ¡°Huh...¡±


    The gatekeeper, who had just nearly dropped his neck, trembled with a curious moan. The front of his trousers was damp, and the smell of the weariness spread, but no oneughed at him.


    The standoff continued with Jamie holding the knights¡¯ wrist. Sienna struggled with surprise and said, ¡°What are you both doing in front of me? Sir Waters, please let go of his wrist. Sir Panacio, please refrain from taking out the sword without my permission again. It is true that any act of murder in front of the Imperial family should be ruled with a punishment, but it is not toote, at least after he is cleared of his faults.¡±


    Scary of falling off Sienna¡¯s words, some people were drawn into the hands of knights. They fell to their knees in front of Sienna.


    ¡°Lord Panacio! What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°What the hell am I supposed to be held here for?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re familiar with it. What kind of friendship I have with your father!¡±


    He called Deli¡¯s name out loud.


    Sienna called him quietly, ¡°Lord Panacio.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    He listened in obedience to Sienna¡¯s words, with his arms in close range.


    ¡°From what he says, he seems to be close to you. Are you part of the group that tried to kill the Imperial family?¡±


    Sienna spoke with emphasis to the words ¡®imperial family.¡¯ She hoped he would be weighed down by her words.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. I just work in the royal pce, and I have good acquaintance rtions. He doesn¡¯t even have any friends.¡±


    Sienna smiled a bitter smile. Deli was now afraid to look bad. If rational thinking had been possible for this guy, he would have known that there was a mistake in the gatekeeper and that he was not guilty of treason. Deli, however, couldn¡¯t seem to think properly because of the unthinkable situation at hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. I think those heinous groups are trying to embarrass you. They¡¯re very scary people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are.¡±


    ¡°Then, I hope Lord Panacio, the head of the Giant Knights¡¯ Order, who protects the imperial family, will help us deal fairly with those uncivilized criminals based on imperialw.¡±


    Sienna emphasized the word ¡®fairly¡¯.


    ¡°Of course. Please give me your order.¡±


    He was so loyal that one might think the Knights of Sienna were actually the Giant Knights, not the Phoenix Knights. She smiled contentedly at his straightness. Deli spoke with a rather dignified face, ¡°Now that we¡¯re all in, let¡¯s go. Did you say Jake is the gatekeeper¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He managed to answer with a murmur.


    ¡°Get up and check over there. Is there your boss over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°I want you to point it out with your hands.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s him. That man, Mr. Willis, has directed me.¡±


    The man with the shaggy beard, Jake, pointed at him fiercely. Still, Jake, oppressed by the crime, answered Sienna¡¯s questions with a rattling gesture.


    Sienna asked Jake to name the people who helped him get a job with his boss and the pce, the ones who guaranteed him, and the ones who allowed him to get to this point.


    ¡°You specially told me that what you did was ordered from above, am I right?¡±


    ¡°That is...¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to lie in front of me? I¡¯m sure my two ears heard you say everything properly! Do you take me as an idiot who is deaf!¡±


    ¡°No, I certainly said so.¡±


    Sienna said, looking at the people being dragged away.


    ¡°Although I want toin about why you all are being dragged away out of the blue, but it¡¯s because you told me that you guys were asked to do such things to me.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. It is too much for you to bring us here like this and insult us, no matter what. I will make sure to deliver this news to His Majesty the Emperor!¡±


    When one of them shouted so loudly, those next to him nodded violently and expressed their consent to the remark.


    ¡°Huh, howe there are people who are so rude? You dare to try to bring up His Majesty¡¯s name over something so trivial? Are you trying to insult His Highness in such a matter? If anyone hears about it, the Emperor will think that one of the members of the imperial family might have ordered this to humiliate me. There must be more disloyalty to this than meets the eye. No, isn¡¯t that so, Lord Panacio?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Deli nodded furiously. He thought she should not somehow know that Arya was behind this.


    ¡°Yes, they are very vicious. He must be hanged here instead and be severely punished.¡±


    Sienna forced herself to grin. It was obvious that Deli was acting wilder to hide his and Arya¡¯s involvement in the affair. It was a good thing for Sienna.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be toote to wake up those stupid people from their fantasies first and then cut all their throats off after.¡±


    She gathered her neck and looked around at the people who were lined up at the south gates. There was a loud noise and knights running about, and there were quite a few nobles who stopped by the pce servants and the south gates. Sienna spoke aloud so that everyone in the vicinity could hear.


    ¡°I came here this morning to hear that my brother, Sir Jamie Waters, is suffering from a gatekeeper in the south gates. The gatekeeper was unafraid of insulting Lord Waters in front of me, how dare he! He insulted the nobleman, the descendants of the Duke, calling him a fraud who forged his identity. I was really angry at the absurdity of his appearance. I went out to lecture him about insulting my immediate family, which I am of the royal family, and he dared to attack me and hurt me like this.¡±


    To a certain extent, it was only interpreted from the point of view of Sienna. Still, no one could dispute her words.


    ¡°Fortunately, Sir Panacio here, the Giant Knightsman, bravely stepped up and corrected that monstrous misdemeanor. It could have been a big deal.¡±


    Sienna rose from her seat and bowed gracefully to the knighthood.

 Chapter 72: Live To Sienna Pt.72

    <h4>Chapter 72: Live To Sienna Pt.72</h4>


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to thank you because I was in such a hurry. Thank you very much for saving my life, Lord Panacio.¡±


    Just a moment ago, he was criticized, but after Sienna praised him with such courtesy, he seemed to feel puzzled.


    ¡°I would like to thank you, too. Thank you for protecting my only flesh and blood, Her Royal Highness, from the assassins.¡±


    Jamie also showed courtesy next to her. The gatekeeper, who just tried to tie Jamie¡¯s feet, was treated as an assassin.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like I really did anything...¡±


    p! As Hain, who was beside Sienna, pped, the people standing around began to p along. Theters, who went to see the show, looked at Sienna as if she were a hero.


    ¡°Lord Panacio is brave and even modest. He¡¯s the leader of the Giant Knights, the highest order of knights in the imperial family.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m honored to be able to help you, the beautiful Princess, Her Majesty.¡±


    He was intoxicated by the cheers of the people and showed off the articles they had hoped for.


    ¡°What is the crime of that Jake gatekeeper who knew I¡¯de here if he insulted Lord Waters, and who attacked me with deliberate actions?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be treason against the royal family. In the Laifsden Empire, the imperial family is precious, and any act of harming toward the royal family is subject to the same treasonous punishment as any attempt to harm the country.¡±


    Sienna made Captain Deli tell of his guilt.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the punishment?¡±


    ¡°In this case, they are summarily executed, and their families will get involved in this matter, forfeiting properties and their sses, reducing their statuses to waste.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the people who participated in the act of treason against the Imperial family? For example, a grown-up that made an unsolved assassin work for the imperial family...¡±


    ¡°The person working together with the criminal will bear the same sin as the one who tried tomit the treasonous acts even if said person did not directlymit those acts like the criminal who did notmit the murder.¡±


    In defiance to her abusive mother-inw, she felt more hateful for her sister-inw rather than her mother-inw. Those who were caught sympathizing with Sienna while cursing at Deli spoke of his past treasonous acts toward the imperial family.


    ¡°How can Lord Panacio do this to me!¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can punish them by listening to their nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet. How dare sinners make unbelievable remarks out of your mouths!¡±


    Deli bawled at them.


    The sophistry was clear. Sienna knew it well. But if the sophisticated are men of power, it bes a logical argument, not just an argument. That was the power of power. That¡¯s why Empress Arya would never let this go.


    ¡°I know Lord Panacio wants to behead them, but I don¡¯t want to see blood on such a good day. But it¡¯s a big deal because we can¡¯t just leave the unknown criminals hidden.¡±


    She drew her words as if she were agonizing.


    ¡°Ha-ah, although I had gotten hurt...¡±


    Sienna looked at her bandaged arm and pretended to be agonizing. She acted as though she seemed badly injured due to the bandagesid out around her arm. No one here seemed to know or think that there was actually only a little red mark under thoseyers of bandages.


    ¡°To anyone, even a sinner, their lives are a precious thing. Moreover, I cannot take their lives away because I serve the goddess of the Earth. I think it was the mistake of a dumb person who didn¡¯t do the right thing today. But that¡¯s not without the perpetrator¡¯s guilt to pay for. I must ask him to identify the nobility that goes in and out of here so easily, trying to put the royal family in harm¡¯s way. There needs to be more awareness of strangers not doing their jobs properly or acting out of ce, and for the one who dared to insult a high-ranking aristocrat as a fraud.¡±


    Sienna said this time, looking at those who were dragged like dried out fish.


    ¡°When you¡¯re bringing people into the imperial family, you have to think hard. You need to put people in the right ces and educate them to do the right things. I¡¯m not going to ask you to atone for any crimes you¡¯ve all attempted to do, but you¡¯re going to have to take responsibility for this. Sir Panacio, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ve started it, so you¡¯ll be responsible until the end and get rid of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your title for it.¡±


    Sienna said with a spurious smile.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go now. I¡¯ve had a lot of hard work today, and I think I need a break.¡±


    She turned down Deli¡¯s offer to escort her to the pce and stood up with Jamie.


    On the way to the training grounds of the Phoenix Knights, Jamie walked silently beside her. Sienna looked at him and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    Jamie didn¡¯t say anything until she realized that no one was walking around.


    ¡°Hu-woo, I feel awkward talking to you ording to etiquette. When we were with people, I thought I¡¯d rather keep my mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with that.¡±


    ¡°Our Sienna grew up a lot. You also came out appearing dashingly, trying to help your brother out. But isn¡¯t this because of me? Not only the gatekeepers, but those who work in the pce are only told what to do by noble aristocrats unless they don¡¯t want to be carrying ashes. I¡¯m worried if I uselessly opened my mouth.¡±


    Jamie said with a worried look, ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡®You look as bad as you already are.¡¯


    It must have been because of Queen Arya¡¯s words that the gatekeeper was unafraid in stopping Jamie.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure they were trying to scare me by embarrassing Jamie.¡¯


    That¡¯s why the Giant Knights came out at once upon the issue of the gatekeeper. Moreover, the Giant Knights¡¯ training grounds was not even close to the south gates. There were many doubtful points of coincidence. So, Sienna bit at Deli more.


    If the scenario was truly prepared by Arya, it would have been a good shot. Her nephew stopped what Empress Arya had told him to do. The figures who were dismissed for this incident would have doubts that the situation earlier was a trap for the empress. Arya would be forced to be even more troubled if there was a rumor that the Panacio family was going to leave their family.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. What if they¡¯ve developed a bad feeling for you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m worried. But no matter how much you¡¯re the royal Crown Princess, you can¡¯t kick out people from the pce at will?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not authorized to give someone a seat, but I have the right to evict them. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m used to it yet, but I am of the royal family now. I¡¯m the Crown Princess.¡±


    Jamie smiled warmly as she spoke proudly.


    ¡°But I looked very fierce.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look fierce, you just looked cool. Where you need it, you¡¯ll need to be like that again. It¡¯s important to show generosity when dealing with your subordinates, but sometimes, you have to step on those who don¡¯t know what to do. That way, you won¡¯t climb up without fear again.¡±


    Sienna thought Jamie was lucky to understand her behavior. She always wished he would be on her side.


    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it toote for training time? It takes a lot of time to deal with twenty-three soldiers.¡±


    Jamie said in an excited voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Also, don¡¯t let them go easy on me. I need to step all over them properly by my own power. The Phoenix Knights are looking at me as if I were a joke.¡±


    ¡°What? The Phoenix Knights are your knights. How can I make a fool of you, their owner?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Until now, there¡¯s never been a time they¡¯ve even showed their faces to me. I¡¯ve never met them, not even at the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Just like a bunch of assholes that are no better off than dogs!¡±


    Jamie burst into a fit of rage. It was right for articles that did not serve their Lord to be reprimanded and be cursed at. Moreover, the Knights of Sienna, his younger sister¡¯s, filled him with anger.


    They came near the training ground before they knew it. Jamie suddenly looked around Sienna and asked, ¡°Now that I think about it, where¡¯s your maid? You said her name was Hain. I thought she was next to you at the south gates.¡±

 Chapter 73: Live To Sienna Pt.73

    <h4>Chapter 73: Live To Sienna Pt.73</h4>


    ¡°Hain said she had some work to do, so I sent her to theundromat for work.¡±


    ¡°Washing ce? The maid goes to theundry, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She has a very important job to do, notundry.¡±


    Hain made quick steps towards theundromat.


    She was told in advancest night what story to tell from Sienna. It wasn¡¯t that hard to add to the fact that Sienna, who found out in the morning that the Knights of the southern gates were the Giant Knights, should focus on Deli¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Hain!¡±


    Perhaps she has already heard the news, but Lona, the head of the kitchen at the main pce, called out to Hain. Hain pretended not to hear it and headed for theundromat. Then she said,


    ¡°Wait!¡± And with a loud pattering of steps, Lona ran up to her and grabbed her arm from behind.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you. You didn¡¯t even notice me when I called for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t hear you because I was thinking about something else.¡±


    Lona pretended to be close, but in fact, Hain and she were not close. Rather, it was a bitter rtionship. Lona often pretended to be proud of herself because she was in charge of the imperial pce. Furthermore, when Hain took over the first princess, sheughed down at her face.


    Also, there was a time when she mentioned in a mocking tone if her master should really have a wedding ceremony without a husband, which, in a turn of events, ended with her pulling out strands of hair in a cat fight from it. Looking at Lona¡¯s hair, which seemed so small, Hain smiled from content.


    ¡°By the way, I heard something terrible happened at the south gates?¡±


    ¡°There was something that indeed happened.¡±


    ¡°Tell me! I¡¯m sure you witnessed everything from the side lines. The other girls keep telling the story in different ways every time, I¡¯m not sure that I can pinpoint them as the real story or not.¡±


    ¡°In fact, it would be me who knows it better than anyone else in the castle. Because I was so close to Her Majesty the Crown Princess. I could watch everything from start to finish, not missing out one breath.¡±


    In no time, the two arrived at theundromat. Theundry was always crowded with maids because they had to wash dining clothes, tablecloths, curtains, beddings, and clothes every day.


    There were washing machines in the south and one by the north along the stream that passed through the imperial pce. Most of the maids used theundromat areas by the south gates because in the case of the ones by the north gates, it was upied by the maids of Queen Arya. There were always many maids, so conversation never stopped around the areas.


    Some people came to doundry, but many people visited those ces because there was no ce to rest. The artisans who didn¡¯t have to do theundry like the maid, Hain, came there looking for simr reasons.


    Hain went over to therge tree and sat under it where it was just a little beyond the washing areas. Other maids who had already heard the news approached, pretending to know. Unable to talk to the maid, the maids hovered around and kept their ears wide open.


    ¡°Hain, stop beating around the bush. What the hell happened at the south gates?¡±


    ¡°As you all know, I¡¯m not the type to go around talking about the Imperial Crown Princess. How can I so much as dare go around talking about my master in a wretched way?¡±


    ¡°I know you have a heavy mouth, so just let it go. I¡¯m going to end up losing my breath over this.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re so curious, I¡¯ll tell you. Before that, Tale! I didn¡¯t really like the stuff you put in our pce thest time...¡±


    Tale worked in the food management department. She could affect the quality of the food that went into each of the pces. She would send nice things to the pces that were nice to her or bribed her with money first.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take care of the pce for you next time. So, tell me quickly. I¡¯m freaking out because I¡¯m curious.¡±


    That funny incident involving the Crown Princess has drawn the attention of many in the Imperial Pce and was being watched closely by them. It was a case that has never happened before in a decade.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll deal with getting it into the Imperial Pce, so tell me!¡±


    It was only after Hain took the profits from what she had to gain that she opened her mouth. What came out of her mouth was a distinct distortion of what had happened in the south gates.


    She started the story during the time when the crown princess ran to the south gates after hearing the story that her brother was in trouble. She said the princess was attacked by a diabolical gate keeper. Sir Deli Panacio, the giant knight who happened to pass there, pulled out the sword and stopped the gatekeeper from attacking the person in charge of the scene.


    He reprimanded the gatekeeper to find out who was behind him, and at Lord Panacio¡¯s rebuke of the serpentine, the criminal reluctantly told him who was behind the crime. It was Willis of the Mansou family.


    Sir Panacio, who was of great ability, caught the perpetrator right behind it. Then he had them settle the crime of treason. The messenger, who raised her voice but did not want to see blood because of her, urged them to end up being fired, holding them responsible not for attempted harm but for dereliction of duty.


    Lord Panacio said, ¡°We should punish the assassins of the royal family greatly.¡± She urged them to settle the matter at a proper level because they were close to the House of Panacio and the House of Mansou. He shouted, ¡°The Panacio are not close to the dirty Mansou, who make money by smuggling.¡± However, we will solve the problem ording to your order, saying, ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about it when the Crown Princess is in trouble.¡±


    It was only after Hain spoke with vivid vocal mimicry that those who listened to her as if in a daze began saying to her.


    ¡°Wow! Lord Panacio, I didn¡¯t see that onceing, but it¡¯s really cool. It¡¯s a real example of a living knight.¡±


    ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t the royals close to the real Panacios and the Mansous? I think they have a blood rtionship.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more shocked that the Mansous made money from smuggling. That¡¯s illegal. Isn¡¯t smuggling a big punishment if you get caught?¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s a hell of a sin. But if Lord Panacio said that, I think it¡¯s real.¡±


    The maids looked at Hain with curious faces. She got up from her seat and brushed her butt off without answering back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just said what I heard. By the way, I have to get back. It¡¯s time to prepare lunch.¡±


    Even after she left there, the story at the south gates circted through the mouths of the maids. As she had spoken, the story of Deli Panacio¡¯s bravery and the Mansou family¡¯s smuggling began to flesh out little by little.


    *


    Jamie was in great admiration when he saw the training ground.


    ¡°Oh-ho! The training grounds are wide. I¡¯ve been wondering where all the soldiers train, and now I see they do their training in the castle. But, why is it so empty? Isn¡¯t it way into training period already?¡±


    As he said, there was no one on the training grounds. Sienna strode ahead of Jamie to a wooden warehouse next to the training camp. Usually, it was used to store weapons or take a rest for training. As she approached, she heard a tter.


    ¡°That girl¡¯s bosoms were so enticing, it was hard to hold back. If you guys were there, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d understand.¡±


    ¡°So, what happened? If a man takes out the goods, he has to be able to swing it. I¡¯m not going to go out with you again if you¡¯ve just smacked your lips.¡±


    ¡°Sure. If you didn¡¯t use it, you¡¯d better cut it off. Why do you have something on you that you won¡¯t even use?¡±


    Jamie approached the men who were making lewd remarks and spoke. The conversation they were having was too bad for Sienna toe forward.


    ¡°Hey, look here, is this the training grounds of the Phoenix Knights?¡±

 Chapter 74: Live To Sienna Pt.74

    <h4>Chapter 74: Live To Sienna Pt.74</h4>


    The sudden appearance of a stranger gave them a wary look, but the glint in his eyes did nothing to them. Some of their bodies that was pressed against the floor with the tops off still didn¡¯t move an inch. Some had dark purple faces, and it seemed that they had been drinking since early hours. The smell of alcohol and the stale smell in the air mixed up, and Jamie couldn¡¯t help but stop and rub his nose.


    ¡°What, who are you. Oh! The woman next to him...¡±


    A man shut his mouth before he could speak. The look of surprise made it seem that he had recognized Sienna.


    ¡°What, why are you keeping your mouth shut? You¡¯re so dirty.¡±


    The man ignored his friend¡¯s words and came out to Sienna to greet her.


    ¡°The Knight of the Phoenix Knights, Milton Taylor. I¡¯d like to say hello to Your Highness the Crown Princess, Your Grace.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until he said hello that the knights who knew who Sienna was fell to their knees one by one. They made ugly faces, shing each others¡¯ knees and hips while attempting to salute in such a narrow space. One of the men even fell over because they were still under the influence of alcohol.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this at that. I don¡¯t want to extend our greetings in this ce where it¡¯s so rotten that I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a pigsty or a knight¡¯s ce. I¡¯ll be out there waiting.¡±


    As Sienna turned around and went out, Jamie observed them with eyes that seemed to be staring at the most pitiful trashe in the world and followed her out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re the Phoenix Knights?¡± Jamie asked her in a voice full of doubts.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure because I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m in the wrong ce. Like I said, it¡¯s my first time seeing the Phoenix Knights. Let¡¯s ask them ourselves when theye out.¡±


    Sienna waited for them in the middle of the training camp. Those who changed into training suits came out of the building, dressed over their clothes. Some of them were in a hurry, but as they came outside, they were also seen tying up their pants.


    ¡°That¡¯s pathetic. You¡¯re saying they¡¯re experts? Isn¡¯t the document wrong? At least the real knights must have note to work yet.¡±


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re suffering, they¡¯ll get beaten up anyway because they¡¯ve been notarized by the imperial family.¡±


    All those who came out of the building lined up in front of Sienna. It was said to be a steal, but even standing in line was a mess. Jamie looked at Sienna whose disappointment was written all over her face. She furrowed her brows because she didn¡¯t like the way they looked as knights.


    ¡°What is Your Royal Highness doing here?¡±


    Milton, who was the first to recognize Sienna in the warehouse, asked. He was wearing the most decent clothes of all.


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than two months since the Phoenix Knights joined me, but I didn¡¯t see you once, so I came to see you. I was worried that everyone might have died of an epidemic.....¡±


    Sienna looked at them one by one, carefully examining them and continued, ¡°If you haven¡¯t died, you must have been suffering from a major illness as a group.¡±


    A man in the back sank to the floor before she was finished speaking. He drank so much that he couldn¡¯t seem to hold himself back. Sienna continued to talk without even looking at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are twenty-three Phoenix Knights, including the captain, but there are only seventeen people here. Where¡¯s the knighthood? I can¡¯t see them anywhere.¡±


    This time, Milton made excuses on behalf of the members.


    ¡°The boss is away on business.¡±


    Sienna snorted at his excuse.


    ¡°I understand that the Phoenix Knights¡¯ job is to escort me.¡±


    She looked around with an exaggerated gesture and said. ¡°I thought Sir Simon¡¯s specialty was using the long sword, but now that I see, his main feature must be hiding as he¡¯s very good at it.¡±


    When Jamie heard the words, he burst into a ¡°Puhaha¡±ugh. The lined-up knights stood with disheartened faces, unable tough, looking at Sienna¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Everybody seems to be embarrassed by my surprise visit, so I¡¯lle back tomorrow. I¡¯d like to meet the real Phoenix Knights then. Not some drunk-ass city junkies like this.¡±


    Sienna quickly turned around. Jamie was with her. After crossing some distance between them and the Phoenix Knights, Jamie opened his mouth. ¡°I thought you were still a child, but you seem a lot different today.¡±


    Jamie was proud of Sienna who spoke all the things he wanted to say in anger to those articles.


    ¡°Why? Were you surprised by my badnguage use?¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha, only that much isn¡¯t considered as a lot. You know it, too. What kind of curses get thrown out of mouths when battles in the north go on. When the swearing begins, it starts from monster ¡®bitches¡¯...¡±


    When Jamie began to list all the unimaginable types and phrases of swearing, she could not bear him anymore and she hit him on the back.


    ¡°Brother, do you know how many ears are listening around here! How could you say those things!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it bes a habit, you see. You know, my lips are rough. It¡¯s not a good idea to talk so chummy like the capital guys do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to put you on some courtesy sses if I¡¯m really going to get my brother married off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a warm-hearted man, even though I talk rough. I¡¯m sure the aristocrats will fall for my charms when they meet me. This kind of face won¡¯t lose so easily, and I have a good body, too. If I stand next to those sardines over there, they¡¯ll all look at me.¡±


    ¡°I think brother has a real misconception. The aristocrats here don¡¯t like tough guys because they grow up to be nice. They like guys who look gentle like those people that brother called sardines. If you act like a bandit, brother, no matter how handsome and fit you are, they won¡¯t even look at you.¡±


    ¡°What do they like about a man who makes his mouth flutter without substance? Well, it¡¯s to do with skills.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a beginner at expert, brother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m upset because I¡¯m not getting better. But are you sure those stupid guys are at middle-ss expert? Even if there weren¡¯t any middle-ss people there, they looked too weak. They looked as though they wouldn¡¯t even be able tost half a day, as if they¡¯ll end up going into the mouth of a white-haired monster.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Sienna and Jamie went into the pce.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just have lunch together.¡±


    At her suggestion, Jamie gave a brief thought and soon nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, you know. Thanks to you, I¡¯ll get the opportunity to try some pce food for once.¡±


    As Sienna and Jamie entered the pce, a maid looked for her urgently.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Crown Princess! Why are you here now?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The Second Prince is waiting inside now.¡±


    ¡°Valore?¡±


    ¡°If you say it¡¯s Valore... I don¡¯t think I can do lunch with you... I have to go...¡±


    Before she could finish her speech, the door opened and Valore walked out. Sienna said hello to him, and Jamie followed suit after her. Valore examined Sienna¡¯s arms with a cursing look at the greeting of the two. Her wrist was bandaged by Hain in the morning.


    ¡°Are you seriously hurt? When I heard that Sienna had been attacked by a mysterious man at the gates, I was worried and ran here. You¡¯re wearing bandages, so it doesn¡¯t seem to be a small wound, I see.¡±


    Valore¡¯s lips werepletely dried out. He gnawed on his lips while he carefully examined the arm of the Sienna and the bandages.


    ¡®Not a wound but rather a bruise....¡¯


    Looking at Sienna¡¯s bandage made it seem the Second Prince was flustered and worried. Sienna waved her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m very fine. Mydy-in-waiting, who worried too much for me sincerely, did an over-exaggerated treatment and bandaging. Because Sir Panacio was there at the scene, he was able to handle and take over the situation quickly and precisely. The assassin was overpowered and apprehended swiftly.¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that it¡¯s just a minor injury, what if a scar forms because of it. I ordered the imperial family doctor toe over here, anyway. He is old, but his skills are no doubt the best. His name is Topelius Simon...¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine!¡±

 Chapter 75: Live To Sienna Pt.75

    <h4>Chapter 75: Live To Sienna Pt.75</h4>


    Sienna fiercely put her hands up as soon as she heard the name and refused. If it was Topelius Simon, he was the top doctor in the entire imperial pce that had studied and mastered one-thousand-two hundred different methods on herbal use and efficacy as a medical botanist. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to show her arm to such an aplished man.


    Far from being injured or having any remnants of a bruise left anymore, she couldn¡¯t reveal her arm even more so because she was sure they¡¯d make a mockery out of her. She said quickly,


    ¡°It¡¯s only a minor injury so there¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with my arm. Rather, I¡¯m more hungry than anything else. It seems without a doubt I¡¯ll have to go for some lunch.¡±


    Valore rolled his eyes and looked at Sienna with caution. He did so because it felt like she had used a citation to go back on the terms that she was hungry. A moment of disappointment shed over him, but he suddenly said in an excited voice,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it before. Then, why don¡¯t we have a meal together? Let¡¯s go to my ce.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for inviting me to dinner.¡±


    Sienna epted his invitation with pleasure.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I had a previous engagement with Lord Waters... If you don¡¯t mind, could Lord Waters join us together?


    Jamie, who stood behind her with as much guile as he could, was surprised when his name was mentioned.


    ¡°Oh, my, I was so surprised that I didn¡¯t know Lord Waters was here with us.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s because I acted as though I didn¡¯t seem to be here. Don¡¯t worry about it. Don¡¯t pay attention to me and you two continue your conversation. I think I¡¯d better go back today.¡±


    Valore took Jamie¡¯s hand as he tried to slowly take steps back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet Sir Waters, Sienna¡¯s brother. If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t we have lunch together?¡±


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s an honor. But, I¡¯m not good at manners... I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to make a mistake, rather, I¡¯m much stiffer.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t care much about etiquette. Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    Valore ordered his servant to prepare the meal in advance. And he asked her to tell Princess Marie to join his pce if she hadn¡¯t eaten yet.


    Jamie was moaning at Sienna as he looked ahead where the knights of Valore took lead with him.


    ¡°I guess I should¡¯ve just gone back. What shall I do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to learn some manners earlier. Let¡¯s just leave it at that, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it now. Don¡¯t cause any ident while trying to be mannered and if ites to it, just confidently get on your knees. Just be confident, brother is the only son of Howard Waters, the duke! Just think you¡¯re going to start acting like father from now on. When you eat, in a case where food gets on your face, wipe it off immediately, and make sure to swallow all the food in your mouth first before speaking, and for the order of the food, just watch and follow what I take first. Brother, your copying skills are amazing. You can just think you¡¯re being trained in swordsmanship and that you¡¯re just going to do the same thing.¡±


    ¡°I think I can do that much.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s hard, just do what¡¯s convenient for you. Prince Valore is a generous person, so you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Sienna followed Valore, thinking there would be a small chance of a big ident happening.


    To get to the pce of Prince Valore, they had to pass through the main pce. If the first royal pce where Sienna stayed was located on the south side, the second royal pce where Valore stayed was located on the north side. He seemed to be worried about herself a lot, seeing that he hade all that way, which is quite a long way.


    His pce was covered with vines on one side of the wall. There was a sweet breeze from the vine, and it was mixed with red and green, and it was quite beautiful.


    Jamie and Sienna were led to the restaurant.


    ¡°I was thinking about getting ready for the banquet hall, but I thought it would be a burden for both of you, so I prepared the restaurant instead. Don¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    In the case of the royal family inviting them to eat, they used a small banquet hall attached to their respective residences. The small banquet hall was spacious and colorful, requiring a lot of servants to prepare. In other words, it was used to show off. It was a very ufortable ce for Jamie, who had awkward manners.


    Inparison, the restaurant was a ce where people usually eat on their feet. The fact that the owner of the pce served meals at a restaurant was an expression of friendliness. In a way, it was a bigger treat than the reception in the banquet hall.


    Sienna said to Valore with courtesy,


    ¡°Thank you very much for your consideration.¡±


    Entering the dining room, the first arriving princess weed them.


    ¡°I was in the thought process of whether I should have a meal by myself or not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to be able to have the chance to eat dinner with Marie, too. Marie, this is my brother, Sir Jamie Waters.¡±


    Marie greeted Sienna with graceful movements. Jamie, who saw her, stood nkly with a dazed face. He bent one knee in front of Mary when Sienna whispered to Jamie, ¡°Confidently.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m called Jamie Waters.¡±


    Then he held her hand on the back and kissed her.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s behavior, Marie, as well as the feet that were standing beside her, Valore, looked astonished. Sienna immediately put her hands on her chest and gently bent down and straightened her waist back up seeking understanding from them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir Valore, Miss Marie. Sir Waters seems to have made a big mistake because he is not good at etiquette. Please forgive him with a broad sense of generosity.¡±


    Jamie just blinked at Sienna, who was apologizing to both of them for not knowing what had happened. He seemed to have no idea what he had done wrong. Valore burst outughing and said to Sienna,


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s something that could, of course, happen. It¡¯s not like Sir Waters did it, knowing it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, too.¡±


    Marie and Valore said it was okay, but Sienna rebuked Jamie.


    ¡°Sir Waters! Kissing on the back of a hand is an act to show you have a heart for ady who is still single. How can it be done to Her Majesty the Princess, and in front of His Majesty the Prince? They both forgave you with a broad generosity, but it was still very rude!¡±


    Only then did Jamie, who found out about his mistake, apologize.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought that in the capital city, it was speaking in a way to say hello to all the women.¡±


    Sienna seemed to already know who the main culprit for this at the word was. Chelsea, she was sure she had given Jamie that advice. Like her favorite novel, in which the princess and the knight fall in love.


    Marie said with an unabated smile whether the situation was funny,


    ¡°I¡¯m d you know it now. Lord Waters will never kiss the back of every woman in the city now. I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t make it out to be the greatest scoundrel of all time.¡±


    Perhaps because of Jamie¡¯s mistake, the four of them quickly sat around the table.


    Sienna was worried that Jamie might have a bad ident again, but fortunately, he looked quite natural at the dinner. Of course, the speed of a quick meal and the behavior of eatingrge portions of food were not proper to etiquette, but it was not very ufortable to look at. On the contrary, Marie showed a favorable impression on his cool-headed behavior.


    ¡°I¡¯m d the meal is to Sir Waters¡¯ liking.¡±


    Valore said to Jamie, who was quickly emptying the te.


    ¡°It¡¯s really delicious. In all my life, I thought the most delicious dish was when a thick piece of meat was roasted on fire, but rather this thick white fish flesh is also very delicious. As soon as you put it in your mouth, it melts like snow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°I heard Lady Sienna almost had a big ident today? I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Marie has spoken with sincere eyes. Although she looks like Empress Arya, she has a very different personality from her. Even in the memory of Sienna, Marie was a very quiet person.


    ¡°Your rtive, Lord Panacio, helped me out a lot today so I was able to get away safely.¡±

 Chapter 76: Live To Sienna Pt.76

    <h4>Chapter 76: Live To Sienna Pt.76</h4>


    Deli was Marie¡¯s two-year younger sibling.


    ¡°Since he grew up receiving lots of freedom and love in our home, I wondered by what means he was able to get into the Royal Knighthood... I¡¯m d to hear that he was able to be of help to Lady Sienna.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank you, too.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. He just did what he had to do as a knight. Even if he didn¡¯t get a reward, I¡¯m sure right about now that he¡¯s smiling to a point where his mouth might rip open. My brother, Lord Panacio, has loved talking about himself since he was a child. I¡¯ve been worried about hisck of discipline, but I¡¯m looking forward to this opportunity as it seems he¡¯ll be able to prove himself as a real a knight.¡±


    ¡°Is that so. But I¡¯m surprised Lady Marie already knows about this news as it happened early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°My mother-inw told me she heard it from theundry areas. I¡¯m sure Lady Sienna doesn¡¯t know this yet. Theundry areas are the resting ce for the maids, and all the stories are told there. It¡¯s embarrassing, but I often hear stories from my maids in droves about how interesting they are.¡±


    ¡°Ah... is that so.¡±


    Sienna felt as if she was in the middle of nowhere.


    ¡®By chance, did she hear that rumor?¡¯


    She recalled the rumors of Carl and Valore and their love triangle that Hain had just told her. It was not her fault, but she became ufortable to see Marie¡¯s face.


    As the embarrassed Sienna tried to concentrate on the meal, Valore asked Jamie in a friendly voice.


    ¡°The Waters family has been making a name. I¡¯m sure Lord Waters is on the sword¡¯s path because he¡¯s a legend called the spear in the north.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m training hard under my father.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what Lord Waters is capable of. The Waters¡¯ blood wouldn¡¯t go anywhere, so I think you¡¯ll be able to do it even without blinking an eye.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just an expert beginner. I¡¯m worried about who will be able to uphold my father¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an outsider for knowledge on this, but at the age of Sir Waters, it¡¯s already a big deal being at a level like that. I¡¯d like to take a look at Lord Waters¡¯ skills.¡±


    At Valore¡¯s words, Sienna was at this point.


    ¡°Tomorrow, Lord Waters will have a friendly match with the Phoenix Knights. Would you like toe and watch it? It¡¯s a friendly match, but we¡¯re not going to do it grandly, they¡¯re going to spar with swords just for training.¡±


    Sienna was definitely going to invite Valore. The cleanup of the Phoenix Knights was to show Valore the problems of the imperial knights and to make him aware that she needed to reform them in the future.


    It was better for Carl to be there with her than Valore because the Knights¡¯ problems were caused by Arya. If Carl was to take care of the matter after he takes over as emperor, it could look like he¡¯s putting pressure on the empress politically, which wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I really want to go.¡±


    Fortunately, Valore epted the invitation with pleasure. Sienna said with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll send someone tomorrow to pick up His Majesty the Prince. You¡¯ll be apanied by Lord Trint tomorrow.¡±


    Asen Trint. He was the Knight Commander of Valore¡¯s knighthood, a man of honor respected by all knights. She thought if he could handle the matter without any noise if she left him to mediate tomorrow.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Would it be alright if older sister... I mean Princess Marie apanies me to go sightseeing tomorrow?¡±


    As Valore asked, Sienna nodded.


    ¡°Of course. If you bothe, it will be an honor for the Phoenix Knights and Lord Waters.¡±


    Marie said in a careful voice.


    ¡°Thank you for inviting me. I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing the juxtaposition between the knights. In the past, it used to bemon for knights to sign up for fights, but now I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s not easy to see those anymore.¡±


    Valore said.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped because there are so many aristocrats who easily throw their gloves off at small matters and take out their swords, losing lives even. But rather, I heard if you have simr skills to one another, there will be a lot more idents. Are you okay with that? Most of the Phoenix Knights should be at expert beginners.¡±


    Sienna answered with confidence,


    ¡°It¡¯ll be all right.¡±


    After eating in a rxed and warm atmosphere, Sienna and Jamie came out of the pce. As soon as Jamie got out, he took a deep breath.


    ¡°I got scolded for being nervous. I didn¡¯t even know if the food went through my nose or mouth.¡±


    ¡°You ate too well for that.¡±


    ¡°It was delicious, ha ha ha.¡±


    When Jamie burst into a fake smile, Sienna smiled and shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a rumor that they¡¯re thinking of getting a divorce because they¡¯re not getting along with each other, but after today, I¡¯m quite relieved to say the rumors were false and a waste of time.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Jamie opened his big eyes and gave a surprised look.


    ¡°Divorce?¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s what the rumor is about because there¡¯s no future between them. I¡¯m sure only the two of them know the problem, but they looked pretty close today.¡±


    ¡°They seem to have affection for each other. But...¡±


    Jamie did not readily say out what he was thinking until Sienna poked him on his side and she asked,


    ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Those two people to say, rather than a couple, aren¡¯t they more like brother and sister? Although it was for a split moment, the Prince called the Princess ¡®sister.¡¯ When I identally kissed the back of her hand, he seemed to really enjoy the situation, let alone be jealous.¡±


    After listening to what he had to say, he seemed to have, in fact, been right. There must have been some false rumors about her and Valore in the stories that the maids told her, but Marie greeted her with no difort at all.


    Sienna said, squaring her shoulders,


    ¡°Well, in effect, both were pretty close to each other and probably due to their blood-tie rtionships as well, so that could be the matter. Marie¡¯s mother-inw looks very simr to Empress Arya, who is Valore¡¯s mother. ¡±


    ¡°Her Majesty the Empress must be quite stunningly beautiful as well then.¡±


    Sienna hadn¡¯t thought so because she had bad feelings for Empress Arya but, yes, objectively Arya had a very beautiful appearance. It was enough to say at this point in history already that she will be considered the most beautiful Queen.


    Her eyes, her nose, and her cool mouth, which are always sharp like a cat, were clearly beautiful. The same was true of Marie, who looks just like Arya. If there was a sharp aura on Arya, Marie¡¯s eyes were more round and her impression was more tender. Arya and her atmosphere were different, but Marie was definitely a great beauty, too.


    Jamie said, turning his arms around to rx his shoulder muscles,


    ¡°I¡¯m nervous to hear that His Majesty the Crown Prince and Her Highness are also going to visit the training grounds tomorrow. What if we invited them for nothing?¡±


    At his words, Sienna asked with a yful smile,


    ¡°Why? Are you afraid of losing in front of the two?¡±


    ¡°Whether I win or lose the fight to the Phoenix Knights, it¡¯s still a loss for you. If the Phoenix Knights win, it¡¯s a disgrace to the Waters family, and if I win, it proves the Phoenix knights to be a misconception.¡±


    At his words, Sienna shook her head and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I think I¡¯ve been humiliated enough by the Phoenix Knights already. So, you have to win. I don¡¯t want our family to be disgraced either. I want you to show them at the right time why the Waters Heritage is called the northern spear.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Jamie nodded with a nervous face. No matter how much so, the match against the expert¡¯s middle ss seemed to be tense.


    *


    The next day, as soon as breakfast was over, Sienna and Jamie arrived at the Phoenix training camp earlier. Perhaps thanks to yesterday¡¯s visit, the knights were waiting for the two, warming up in the training grounds. They lined up with the leader. The leader greeted them as the representative.


    ¡°I, Clorel Simon, the leader of Phoenix Knights, give our greetings to Your Highness, the Crown Princess.¡±


    ¡°This looks better than yesterday¡¯s mess. At least, it looks like the dirt was drained out of your clothes. But I guess we¡¯re running out of time, though.¡±

 Chapter 77: Live To Sienna Pt.77

    <h4>Chapter 77: Live To Sienna Pt.77</h4>


    Sienna looked at Clorel with scary eyes and said,


    ¡°Even if you took the dirt out of your clothes, the smell of the alcohol has not faded yet. Whenever Sir Simon opens his mouth, I get headaches from the smell of the alcohol.¡±


    Clorel¡¯s face was crushed to the bone.


    ¡°I came here because I have something important to say today. Let me introduce you first. This is Sir Jaime Waters. He¡¯s been recognized by Heidel as the first expert.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s introduction, Jamie greeted them with courtesy as he had practiced. As soon as his changes with his personnel were over, Sienna did not hesitate to bring up the subject.


    ¡°From today onward, the Phoenix Knights will be revamped.¡±


    The leader opened his mouth when she said a new shakeup would be made. Sienna first opened her hand up and stopped him.


    ¡°You have to listen to what I say. How dare you stop me in the middle of what I was saying¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but...¡±


    ¡°First of all, instead of Sir Simon, the Knight Commander, Lord Waters here will be temporarily serving as the Chief Executive.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? No matter how much he is of your father¡¯s blood, you can¡¯t just give him a job as a leader to the first ss of experts.¡±


    Sienna frowned at his words.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to give you a chance. That¡¯s why I offered Lord Waters a temporary job as head of thepany. The winner of today¡¯s contest with Lord Waters will be the new leader of the Phoenix Knights. Of course, there will be a chance to challenge not only Sir Simon, who was the former leader, but also for everyone here.¡±


    The knights fluttered. It was shocking to see anyone suddenly change their leader, but the opportunity to be one had taken them back. Moreover, their opponent was a first-time expert. He was never a difficult opponent.


    ¡°The one who wants to hide in his sister¡¯s skirt and be a knight...¡±


    Clorel said in a loud voice. Jamie ignored him. He judged that he didn¡¯t have to get angry because he had a chance to show his skills. Sienna also continued to speak in defiance of Clorel¡¯s provocation,


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the change in the leader¡¯s position. Starting tomorrow, those who fail to keep up with the training, and those who fail or arete for training, will be forced to quit the knighthood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting more drunk than before,¡± Clorel replied.


    ¡°Regardless of being the Crown Princess, no one can cut the knights at will as they please.¡±


    ¡°No, it can be done. Also, I¡¯m not just going to let anyone quit, either. They¡¯re going to be expelled for being dishonorable.¡±


    ¡°Your Royal Highness!¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken, the Phoenix Knights are my Knights. These are the knights I received from the imperial family, the people who represent my face, the people who are supposed to be my hands and feet.¡±


    As she spoke to each of the knights with a wistful, purr-faced nce, the knights lowered their heads to avoid eye contact.


    ¡°If I¡¯ve been waiting for two months, I think I¡¯ve given you all a lot of opportunities. I have never seen a glimpse of any of your faces in such a long time. Those who were supposed to escort me and guard my pce never said hello to me. That¡¯s not all. When my husband, Prince Carl, was present, the captain of the Phoenix Knights entered my pce in an unkempt manner, soaking the floor with dirty mud feet. I¡¯ve never experienced a bigger insult in my life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Clorel opened his mouth for an excuse, but Sienna cut him off.


    ¡°I had to work hard that day to appease Prince Carl, who had wanted to hit the knights in the head and use them of contempt.¡±


    Her words gave the knights a luster. It was in her belief that Carl would have been left with enough guilt to cut his throat off.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve put up with this a lot more than you all think. I¡¯m not going to continue giving leeway forever to some sons of bitches who don¡¯t think they need to pamper up to their owner. That is to say if one doesn¡¯t know who their master is, and they don¡¯t have the ability to prove themselves.¡±


    Whether he had felt insulted by what Sienna said about the word ¡°bitch,¡± Clorel spat on the floor with a ¡®Ka-ak¡¯ sound. It was not the act of an article of the imperial family, but an act like a city councilman rather.


    ¡°I have no thoughts of putting up with this even after hearing you say son of a bitch. I¡¯ll quit first.¡±


    Not only did the leader of the knighthoods do so, but also, all of the knights stepped forward saying they would quit.


    ¡°If you quit now, I won¡¯t stop you. But I¡¯m not going to let any of you go so easily because you¡¯ve insulted me like this. I don¡¯t have to cover for the people who aren¡¯t of the Phoenix Knights. If you want to quit, please quit. But what all of you need to know is that you have not given up on your own ord but will be exiled in disgrace.¡±


    ¡°Exiled in disgrace! That¡¯s too much.¡±


    The knights¡¯ resistance grew stronger. If the knighthood was dishonored by the knighthood, the baron should be returned to his position and should never be awarded again. Disgraced expulsion made it impossible to even be an article on othernds, not an imperial knight. In short, it was the act of drawing a red line in a knight¡¯s life and giving up his aristocratic status.


    ¡°Hain!¡±


    She handed over a bunch of papers when Sienna called Hain. It was from Kelly. Sienna began to read aloud what was written on the document.


    ¡°Lord Cloel Simon fifty-seven. Sir Patricia Phillips forty-two. ...Tayron Falcon sixteen.¡±


    When the names of the knights were listed one by one, the voices of the knights died down. However, Sienna was still whispering to figure out the number she was adding.


    ¡°The numbers I¡¯m calling you now are a record of the dates you didn¡¯t enter the pce after you became a Phoenix Knight. This document was obtained directly from the gate keepers. It¡¯s a collection of records of those whoe in and out of the gates, so no one would doubt the authenticity of the data.¡±


    Her words calmed the knights.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been three months since the Phoenix Knights were created, and it¡¯s a mess. One person picked out the day he got his paycheck, and he only went to work on the day he got his paycheck. It¡¯s impudent of you to get a full paycheck while not doing your job properly. Some people even borrowed money by selling their names as the Phoenix Knights. Of course, I also paid for it and brought the contract.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, most of the knights had their heads down.


    ¡°If you think this is too much for you, pleasein. But I¡¯m not going to let it go. You will be guilty of defaming me but not my name. As you know, the imperialw states, ¡®Anyone who defies my master¡¯s honor will be put to death.''¡±


    Of course, there were very few cases in which thew was actually applied and put to death, but it certainly existed.


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do it, that match. So, what happens if any of us wins, Lord Waters?¡±


    ¡°As I said, from then on, the winner will be the leader of the Phoenix Knights.¡±


    ¡°And what we did before will all be forgiven?¡±


    Questions popped up from here and there, Sienna nodded slowly.


    ¡°I will. If any of the knights beat Sir Waters here, I will. I¡¯ll burn this contract here and make it a debt-free one. But I don¡¯t know if anyone who hasn¡¯t trained properly for months will be able to do that.¡±


    Then Clorel, the leader of the team, said with an air of indifference.


    ¡°The difference between the first and the middle sses of the expert is far more distant than the earth and the sky. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    ¡°He looks too young. It doesn¡¯t seem it¡¯s been that long since he¡¯s entered elementary school?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s not an ordinary soldier, and from the expert ss, he¡¯ll need the skills and the stamina to be one.¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t the one who will be the captain, the one who goes first?¡±


    There was a flurry of articles that took Sienna¡¯s offer as an opportunity. Clorel red at them. Still, seeing that no one cared, the captain seemed to have found no trust in them either.

 Chapter 78: Live To Sienna Pt.78

    <h4>Chapter 78: Live To Sienna Pt.78</h4>


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the order of the match? The first person to go may have an advantage, and the person to go on the third or fourth may have an advantage... If Lord Waters were to go against us alone, then the order would be important.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Whether Lord Waters wins or loses, he has plenty of chances to covet the position. Anyone can try for a single job for three months from today. If you challenge the leader and win at any time other than training, the leader will be the winner from then on. In case too many people try for it, we¡¯ll limit the number to five a day. If the leader allows it, more people can be challenged.¡±


    The knight, Patricia, asked,


    ¡°Then who¡¯s going to judge the match today?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Honestly, even if the skills are even, the one that lifts up their hand for the match is the one who will be named the victor.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be judged one-sidedly.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be the one judging. If I¡¯ll be the judge, you may misunderstand that I am on Lord Waters¡¯ side. So, it doesn¡¯t matter if any of you do it.¡±


    ¡°Then what would you do if we were to weave and side together against you?¡±


    ¡°If you want to, go ahead and try it. For your information, today¡¯s match will also apany the Second Prince and the Second Princess.¡±


    Just in time, she could see two figuresing from far away under the escort of the knights. They were also apanied by the Giant Knights and the Falcon Knights.


    ¡°What is this. You want us to spar in front of all those people?¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be humiliated even if we win.¡±


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to spar with all of them. Why don¡¯t you all just embarrass him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no way no one out of us twenty-three can¡¯t beat him.¡±


    ¡°Is it important to win or lose? What matters is who wins.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. I¡¯m first!¡±


    The knights fought like they were going to eat at a table before their eyes. When the Prince and the other knights arrived, they were busy deciding the order rather than setting examples.


    Sienna was going to sort out about half of them. Especially, she was going to cut off the character of Queen Arya, who was led by Clorel Simon. But now that she looked at them, she thought it would be better to rece them without leaving a single person out.


    ¡°I give my greetings to Your Majesty the Prince and Her Highness the Princess.¡±


    Jamie, who was standing behind Sienna, also followed suit.


    ¡°Thank you for inviting us like this. But it was only after you left the pce that I learned that it was not polite to observe other knights¡¯ training. May I observe the Phoenix Knights and Lord Waters¡¯s regiments?¡±


    The old knight, who was standing next to him on foot, stepped up.


    ¡°Asen Trint, the Knights of Falcon, gives his greeting to his Highness the Crown Princess. I didn¡¯t give my greetings to mdy untilte. If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll leave the grounds with a minimum number of people before the battle begins.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯d like you all to observe. The same goes for the Giant Knights. You may also observe, Lord Panacio.¡±


    Sienna said to Deli, who was standing next to Marie. He looked at Sienna and thanked her for her permission.


    Asen said to her,


    ¡°On my way, I heard what Your Highness the Crown Princess said to the Phoenix Knights. You must be doing something very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear it from that far of a distance? If you were able to hear it from that distance, it means you should be at an expert level.¡±


    ¡°This old man has a very good ear. I¡¯m quite familiar with Waters, the spear of the North. I happened to see Duke Waters¡¯ swordsmanship fifteen years ago, and it was great. It¡¯s so much more than just looking.¡±


    Valore, who was listening to their conversation, stepped in.


    ¡°As far as I know, Lord Trint is the most skilled in the city. I¡¯d like to meet the Duke of Waters, whom he admires so much.¡±


    Sienna led Valore and Marie to the pre-arranged stands. The knights rounded up the training grounds. The referee was decided to be Asen. Asen was a respected article by many imperial knights, so no oneined about his judgment.


    ¡°I¡¯m very excited.¡±


    Marie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m rather afraid if you¡¯ll end up being disappointed.¡±


    ¡°What disappointment are you talking about? I¡¯m already nervous just from waiting. It¡¯s been a long time since my heart started beating like this.¡±


    Mary was sping her hands as if she were praying because she was really nervous. At the center of the training camp, Asen had settled down. On his left was Jamie, and on the other side stood Clorel, the leader of the Phoenix Knights. She said loudly so that Asen could hear her clearly as well as the audience.


    ¡°The rules of the contest are simple. Exclude the face and neck for the area of attacks. And I will not tolerate fatal injuries or amputation of body parts to the point of death. Please note that this is a sparring match, which is the purpose. I will ept dropping the sword during the game as an act of abstention. If you don¡¯t think you can proceed with the game, you can throw away your sword.¡±


    Since the contestants would not be using a wooden sword but a real sword, strict rules ofpetition were applied to reduce injuries as much as possible.


    ¡°The game will start after I count to three.¡±


    Everyone looked at the training camp where Jamie and Clorel stood opposite each other. The Knights of the Giant and Falcon, as well as the Knights of the Phoenix, kept their eyes wide open because they have a chance to watch other knights.


    ¡°One, two, three!¡±


    Two billion!


    ¡°...¡±


    As soon as Ashen¡¯s count of ¡°Three!¡± was over, with a dull sound, the area around the training camp was quiet. Because Jamie¡¯s foot struck him in the chest before he could even take out the sword. Whether his force was strong, the knight was stuck onto the ground, unable to breathe properly. The sword he had dropped and rolled over the floor.


    ¡°Sir Waters!¡±


    Asen shouted Jamie¡¯s victory.


    Since then, the second and the third games have ended in such vain. All fell on Jamie¡¯s feet without being able to get the sword out of her checklist. It was a simple attack in the same way, but no one could avoid his kicks.


    One of the Phoenix Knights protested when the fourth game ended in the same way.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it against the right of chivalry to attack someone who hasn¡¯t even brought out a sword yet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is a sword fight, and attacking while the other person hasn¡¯t taken his sword out is an insult to him.¡±


    Everyone echoed at the knights. Simr words poured out not only from the Phoenix Knights but also from the Giant Knights and Falcon Knights. It was because the sparring match, which had been expected, ended in a nd way, and there was nothing to see.


    ¡°Oh my, I don¡¯t know who¡¯s putting me on who for their slow burst of footwork. It¡¯s not like the sparring match is children¡¯s y.¡±


    Jamie muttered. When Asen heard him, he burst out ofughter. But he also stepped up to mediate because he had no intention of continuing to see the nd sparring match.


    ¡°Lord Waters, there¡¯s nothing you have done wrong, but there are people who¡¯d like to watch some more, so would you be kind enough to show a little consideration?¡±


    ¡°If Lord Trint says so, I will. After the sword is drawn, I shall receive just ten attacks from the sword.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for listening to the favor of this old man.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s words enraged the Phoenix knights.


    ¡°Huh! How dare you be proud of yourself for winning a few games! So far, there has been no time for your flimsy tactics. I¡¯m going to take your colleagues¡¯ ce and show them what the real sword is.¡±


    A big man stepped up. Jamie had quite the size, but the man standing in front of him made him feel like a child.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. I¡¯ve been looking forward to working with expert¡¯s powers.¡±


    ¡°What a piece of shit! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡±


    This time the man drew his sword first and ran toward Jamie. It was a quick movepared to arge size.


    Some of the Falcon Knights, who were watching the scene, were talking gibberish.


    ¡°That article, didn¡¯t you say Equal Spencer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think I did. Why? You know him?¡±

 Chapter 79: Live To Sienna Pt.79

    <h4>Chapter 79: Live To Sienna Pt.79</h4>


    ¡°I do understand. He was in another knight¡¯s squad originally, but he caused a problem which led to him being kicked out to this way.¡±


    ¡°Originally, the Phoenix Knights are famous for its headaches. Since a new knighthood was being set up, the ones, who aren¡¯t useful or be cut out, were put here as a trash can. It¡¯s harder to find the ones who didn¡¯t cause any troubles in the past here rather.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t just cause any normal trouble. I heard he beat up his previous captain.¡±


    ¡°What? He beat up his captain?¡±


    ¡°He apparently said he didn¡¯t like how he was talked with informalnguage by someone who has no skills and ordered him around as he pleased. He didn¡¯t even have a sparring match with him, but rather beat him up like a dog.¡±


    ¡°Even so, if that guy was the leader, he should be at or above the expert¡¯s intermediate level. But to a lowly normal level, he got beaten up like a dog by that knight?¡±


    ¡°I heard he¡¯s in the middle ss, too. He was registered as a beginner, but everyone says he¡¯s good enough to be in the middle ss. What¡¯s funny is that he didn¡¯te to work because he was ying around with a girl on the day of the screening.¡±


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s a madman, a confident madman. Well, it turned out great. I was bored. It¡¯s been a while...¡±


    Her words didn¡¯tst long. Because Jamie, who had received several equal swords that came like a wild bull, thrust the tip of his sword onto his neck.


    It was a dull game, barely over ten attacks. Considering Jamie¡¯s decision to take ten swords, but Equal never made a proper attack.


    ¡°What is this, is that Equal Spencer guy really in the middle expert ss? It doesn¡¯t seem like he would even be at a beginner level, let alone a mid-middle level.¡±


    ¡°That is to say. Maybe it¡¯s just a guy with the same name? That¡¯s weird.¡±


    When the duel between Equal and Jamie ended so nd, people booed at Equal. A big monster couldn¡¯t beat a little one.


    Equal spit on the floor.


    ¡°I was ovee with consideration to go easy on the little boy and that is all, but that smudged little boy is nothing!¡±


    His lips were trembling, though he shouted out loud. His body, regardless of anything, first recognized the strongman. It was not up to him. However, Equal did try to ignore his instincts, saying he could not have really lost to a young man.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re doing it right, you can have another round. It¡¯s so boring that I can rx. If you talk nonsense about shallow water on the battlefield, your head would fly first, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡±


    Equal sprang to his feet at Jamie¡¯s suggestion. That¡¯s because he didn¡¯t want to admit, shamefully, that he lost to Jamie by just less than ten blows.


    ¡°If Lord Waters wants it so badly, we¡¯ll have a rematch.¡±


    Asen said. Jamie made a condition for him.


    ¡°Instead! I¡¯m not going to ept ten blows anymore because I¡¯m going up against the same person for the second time.¡±


    ¡°Do as you will. Lord Waters seems to have given enough consideration to the Phoenix Knights.¡±


    ¡°This young, little one pretends to be proud to the end. You¡¯ll regret epting the rematch. Sir Trint, you certainly didn¡¯t restrict the grinding of my opponent¡¯s bones.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as you don¡¯t cut off any limbs.¡±


    Equal showed a thick skin. The reporters, who were watching Jamie and Equal, cheered. He was hoping that he would start a proper showdown.


    But in only three seconds, there was a violent sound of blows. This time, it was a more futile result. Nevertheless, the Phoenix Knights, of course, shut their mouths as one.


    As soon as the number dropped, Jamie drew his sword. Then he turned his arm and hit Equal with the base of the sword handle. His action was so fast that few saw how he knocked down Equal. Just in the blink of an eye, it was confirmed that Equal had copsed with foam in his mouth.


    The wind blew over the training ground and the sand was blown away. Asen dered Jamie¡¯s victory and said to him,


    ¡°That attack was too much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought he¡¯d for sure stop it with his sword...¡±


    At Asen¡¯s words, Jamie said with apologetically,


    ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯m sure Lord Waters would have found it difficult, too. By your standards, it would have been like dealing with a child who didn¡¯t even have a chance.¡±


    The Phoenix Knights protested when Jamie easily knocked down the well-known Equal so easily. It was because Jamie hid his skills.


    Asen looked at Sienna with an embarrassed face. Sienna stood up and yelled at the Phoenix Knights.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing in this ce where the Prince is also present? It¡¯s like fighting dogs, not knights.¡±


    The Phoenix Knights blushed. They seemed to recognize again that they are now seeing a lot of snow rather than a little. One of the Phoenix Knights stepped up.


    ¡°I know that Your Majesty the Crown Princess disapproves of us. But at the least, this is too much. You tricked such a powerful man into ying with us by making him out to be an expert beginner.¡±


    At the words of the article, not only Sienna, but also Valore, Marie, and Jamie¡¯s facial expression changed. Now he was ignoring his master, Sienna. He was going to say something, but Sienna apologized to Valore first,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t won the Phoenix Knights¡¯ trust yet.¡±


    ¡°No, how can their irreverent attitude be the fault of Lady Sienna?¡±


    Valore red at the article and said,


    ¡°I wonder how such a pathetic fellow, less polite, came into the Imperial Order. I don¡¯t know whose rmendation you¡¯re making of...¡±


    His voice was not loud, but the knight cowered loudly. It was because Valore¡¯s words were full of anger. Sienna red at the article and said,


    ¡°You mean I¡¯ve given Lord Waters a lower-ranking while betting under the pretext of my name, but you still have doubts.¡±


    ¡°No, not really, but... it¡¯s too much of a difference in ability. I do not mean to insult Your Majesty the Crown Princess. But the previous games were so one-sided...¡±


    He was talking gibberish, but his point was well delivered. Other knights who watched the match also nodded and agreed with him. Sienna looked at Asen and said,


    ¡°Sir Trint, I¡¯m sorry, but the Phoenix Knights have doubts about Lord Waters¡¯ ability, so I think we should change the way we deal with it.¡±


    Asen agreed with Sienna.


    ¡°Then, I will change what the Crown Princess had originally stated. Only one of the most confident men in the Phoenix Knightse forward. He has to be the best swordsman.¡±


    Clorel stepped forward at his words.


    ¡°Sir Trint! I¡¯m already able to y one game, but can I really go out? In this knighthood, I am the best. ¡±


    Jamie nodded in approval, and Asen put Clorel in front of him.


    ¡°When I shout out one, two, three, you can pull out your swords and begin. The rules are the same as before. However, the first person to cut off their aura during the sparring match will lose.¡±


    At the end of Asen¡¯s words, Clorel asked,


    ¡°What if he tries to cheat his skills? Isn¡¯t it possible to cut off one¡¯s aura early even if one can¡¯t keep their aura up in terms with their skils?¡±


    ¡°That, I¡¯ll put my name on the line to have it checked. There¡¯s no way you can¡¯t believe me even if I put my name on it, right?¡±


    Asen asked Clorel in warning because he had once protested against Sienna¡¯s promise with her name on it.


    ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s not possible. I believe in Lord Trint.¡±


    Asen¡¯s wistful purr eyes intimidated Clorel. It was so funny. The man who is the leader of the Phoenix Knights, the Knights of Sienna, says he can¡¯t trust Sienna, but he can trust Asen.


    As soon as Asen called for the beginning, the auras shot up from the swords of the two men. Jamie¡¯s sword quickly encircled his sword. It was a clear, dark blue color. Clorel¡¯s sword, by contrast, was blurred and was only a slight thud on the surface of the sword, as if it were melting away.


    Tack! Jamie hit the floor and ran toward his opponent. His sword and the aura of his sword came together, falling down with arge arc towards the head of Clorel. Surprised, Clorel sat on the floor, unable to maintain his sword. He could see his trousers and legs getting wet. Jamie¡¯s sword stopped on his head.

 Chapter 80: Live To Sienna Pt.80

    <h4>Chapter 80: Live To Sienna Pt.80</h4>


    Jamie shook his head and made an impression when he saw the man sitting down with his eyes open. Despite his victory, he looked unhappy.


    ¡°The victory of Lord Waters.¡±


    It was not until Asen¡¯s voice rang out on the training ground that the spectators threw out their breath that they had held back.


    ¡°Look... Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it moved, right?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    The knight¡¯s roar increased.


    ¡°How can that skillful man be at the expert first ss?¡±


    Deli, who was standing next to Jamie, intently watching his skills, opened his mouth. After he put away his sword into his sheath, he was about to say something to Jamie, but Sienna said acting like she didn¡¯t know,


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to say. The one who can¡¯t even get your sword out properly who is at expert¡¯s middle level is really astonishing. I find it quite hard and suspicious to believe how he got into the Imperial Knighthood.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Deli looked at her with a weary face.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Your Highness is saying that because she doesn¡¯t know much about the ranking of the knights, but that¡¯s not how an expert¡¯s counterattack is. The fear of each one standing in his or her seat and fighting for how long he can keep up with his sword...¡±


    Even before his words were finished, someone came forward to discuss and debate on the Phoenix Knighthood.


    ¡°How can one attack like that in the Great Battle of experts?! What¡¯s more, what do you mean by how? I¡¯ve never heard of a beginner¡¯s ability to move like that with a sword.¡±


    Jamie refuted his remarks,


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to say. To even think that in a sparring match, there¡¯s an idiot who would just stand still like that.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s voice was not loud, but it sounded smart in the ears of everyone gathered at the training camp. Perhaps because he had just mastered his ability, everyone was silenced and took notice of him and Sienna. The training ground was enveloped in silence. The article came to his senses and thought at this rate, he might have to be discharged from the military in disgrace if this continues on.


    ¡°Ori... originally, the expert regimen is like that. It¡¯s not like wielding a sword without knowledge, like you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t face Jamie in the eye, even though he was pondering. Keeping a sword and dealing with a sword-wielding monster like that was also quite courageous. His knees shivering was visible even to Sienna, who was sitting far away.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to stand there and receive the spotlight due to the sword, you¡¯re going to be a clown, not a knight. If you go to war, you will be hounded by an arrow flying towards you even before you wield your sword.¡±


    The article who had been arguing with Jamie said in a dead voice,


    ¡°It¡¯s an arrow. With armor...¡±


    Jamie looked at him pitifully.


    ¡°You said you were an imperial knighthood, and you¡¯ve never fought a battle before? If you go out in your heavy armor and fall off your horse, you¡¯ll break your neck first. That¡¯s a pitiful thing!¡±


    ¡°No matter how good you are, you dare to call the imperial knights pathetic!¡±


    ¡°The imperial knights fight with their mouths, not with their swords. Rather, I¡¯m quite curious. If any of you go to any mercenary squads and ask for a duel, they¡¯ll have a lot of better yers...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯reparing us to mercenaries!¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    The Phoenix knights raised their voices against Jamie because he hurt their pride. At the same time, when they made eye contact with him, they¡¯d became surprised and turned their heads away immediately.


    ¡°Hey now, calm down.¡±


    Asen dried up the excited knights. Then one of the articles said to Asen with an unfair face,


    ¡°Lord Trint, didn¡¯t that guy lied? He dared to suppress our knights by hiding his skills. And here you are. Surely this isn¡¯t an act that makes youugh.¡±


    Asen said to him,


    ¡°Lord Waters is really a beginner at expert. That¡¯s why the Crown Princess didn¡¯t make a fool of herself.¡±


    ¡°Sir Trint! You must have seen it. If that guy is an expert beginner, then Clorel is not an expert intermediate. The leader was clearly certified by the imperial court.¡±


    ¡°Of course, your leader is in the middle of expert ss.¡±


    When Asen was right about the knights at the training camp, Valore called him in and asked,


    ¡°Lord Trint, even at a nce, Jamie is far superior in terms of skills, but howe the Phoenix knights¡¯ man is of an intermediate level and Lord Waters is only at beginner level?¡±


    As soon as he started to ask questions, other knights looked at Asen¡¯s mouth and waited for answers.


    ¡°Do you know the criteria for distinguishing an expert?¡±


    ¡°Aka Sienna, I¡¯ve heard you have a different grading system depending on how long you¡¯ve had your sword and how long you can endure with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, based on that standard, the Phoenix chief, who canst more than fifteen minutes, must be an intermediate level while Sir Waters, who can¡¯tst more than fifteen minutes, must be a beginner level.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s a difference in skills.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they have different standards. The Phoenix Knights, or today¡¯s imperial knights, assess the duration of the sword while standing still, and in the north, where Sir Waters belongs, measures the duration of the sword, working with his equal-level counterpart. So, there¡¯s a difference. Obviously, they¡¯re both in the beginner and in the middle level of an expert that fits the legal standards.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t mean anything to ratings. Shouldn¡¯t the same standards be applied?¡±


    ¡°But thew only specifies the duration of the sword...¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon during the conversation, but may I speak to you?¡±


    Sienna stepped in between Asen and Valore¡¯s conversation. Valore readily agreed to her talk.


    ¡°Sir Trint says only the time is specified, but in reality, it says that you should fight and continue with your sword. The Imperial Code says in the next paragraph, ¡°The act of subjugating the other side by force while keeping the promised standard of ¡®the match.¡¯ So, it¡¯s wrong for the Phoenix Knights to im they¡¯re of expert intermediate level.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean the current imperial standard is wrong?¡±


    When asked by Valore, Sienna said,


    ¡°As far as I know, it¡¯s been ten years since the imperial family has had more expert beginners and intermediate levels.¡±


    Sienna looked at Asen as if to ask for confirmation, and he nodded her assent.


    ¡°From some point on, the number of expert beginners has decreased, so has the imperial knights. But they couldn¡¯t scale back the imperial knights, so someone studied the way. They couldn¡¯t change the decree that Rioli the Great made. Instead, they¡¯ve found something else that we can interpret, and that¡¯s what this is. It was a simple thing to fix the rules of the sparring match by two people standing still and showing off their swords. Since then, we¡¯ve had more expert beginners in the capital.¡±


    Sienna added to his words,


    ¡°The problem is that lowering standards puts the real and the bad in the same line. In ten years, I¡¯ve heard that a lot of people working for the imperial family have left the royal family.¡±


    Asen nodded at Sienna¡¯s words and expressed his sympathy.


    ¡°Yes, my friends are all gone. Now, I¡¯m the only old man.¡±


    Valore asked with a surprised face,


    ¡°So, what level of imperial knighthood do you have now? Sir Waters, you tell me. What¡¯s the level of skills of a leader who just lost in the North?¡±


    ¡°Frankly speaking, with that level of skill, you can¡¯t even be a stableman in the North. It¡¯s something that women in the North do to light their swords.¡±


    Deli opened his mouth.


    ¡°Lord Waters, you¡¯re going over the top. It¡¯s too much topare this to a girl, however.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the slightest bit of exaggeration in my opinion. If you¡¯re that good, you won¡¯t be able to catch a single monster even if you get a dozen of them. In the North, we can handle a monster with just five adult women.¡±


    When Deli looked surprised, Jamie said, pointing to the Phoenix Knights with the tip of his chin.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m embarrassed. What¡¯s the point of putting a sword up against a sword... If you know how to stand still with your sword out, what¡¯s the difference between your hands and feet being tied and thrown in the middle of a battlefield? I don¡¯t know how you can protect the Crown royals with that kind of skill...¡±


    Jamie said, staring at Deli.

 Chapter 81: Live To Sienna Pt.81 Direction

    <h4>Chapter 81: Live To Sienna Pt.81 Direction</h4>


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re as good as that. Honestly, I¡¯m a beginner of the expert. There¡¯s one or two for each mercenary squad. It doesn¡¯t make sense to be inferior to the mercenaries, as they be knights of the imperial family.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words, Deli said with a fake cough,


    ¡°kekeum! I¡¯m not that...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people who can do it with a sword for two hours or three hours. Are you going to call all of them swordmasters? There are dozens more in Heidel alone, so if you look at it on an imperial scale, there are hundreds. It¡¯s not like a master is somon. ¡±


    Deli looked away from Jamie in shame. Valore, who was listening to their conversation, asked Asen,


    ¡°Sir Trint, you tell me. Is it true that the imperial knights are no better than the mercenaries outside of the castle?¡±


    ¡°There are set things in ce, but Lord Waters¡¯ words aren¡¯tpletely wrong.¡±


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    At Asen¡¯s words, the others were stunned, too. It was a great insult and shame that they were not as good as mercenaries themselves, living in the pride of the imperial knights. However, they failed to refute the remarks because of Asen, the most powerful member of the imperial knighthood.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really count on. I had always believed that the Knights of the Imperial Household was a powerful group of men, but I guess it was no match for mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small mistake.¡±


    Asen kicked his head down in front of him.


    ¡°How could that be your mishap? They must have interpreted thew as their own way. No, it¡¯s my fault that I didn¡¯t even know this was going to happen.¡±


    Valore sighed deeply. His face was full of water. It must have been his mother and uncle who had freely interpreted the decree. Ten years ago, it was clear at that time. But there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, I would like to engage Lord Waters, if you would allow me.¡±


    Asen asked Valore for permission.


    Valore was meticulous. If Asen was defeated by Jamie, the imperial knights will face the earth. Even the most underperforming imperial knights had to maintain their dignity.


    ¡°If you really want to do so. However, I think we should seek permission from Lord Waters himself rather, not from me. Sir Waters, I want Lord Trint to spar with you, but what do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me. I¡¯m happy to be in the capital city for the first time and face the right opponent.¡±


    With Valore¡¯s permission, the two settled in the middle of the training grounds. As Deli announced the start, the two quickly stepped up and narrowed the distance. There was a glowing off their swords, Jamie¡¯s hand had a blue aura and in Asen¡¯s hand had a yellow aura.


    Kwa ka kwang-! The sword just hit back and forth, and a tremendous roar shook the earth¡¯s axis.


    ¡°Is that the real sparring match between experts to say?¡±


    Valore said in a startled voice. The battle between Jamie and Asen was too much to watch. The snow failed to capture all their movements. It was like a yellow and bluentern shing. All they could see was the remnants they had already left.


    ¡°Damn... it¡¯s great.¡±


    Deli murmured in a sickening voice.


    Sienna looked more carefully at Valore and the expressions of the knights at how they were observing Jamie and Asen¡¯s moment. In the face of real power, they confirmed the feeling of helplessness they were feeling.


    Jamie and Asen¡¯s sword crossed to face each other. The forces to push each other out were so strong that when the two passed, the floor of the training ground was deeply damaged. They were facing each other solely by the power of sword and muscles.


    Pa ba bak¡ª! When the two men, who were sharing their swords with each other, met in the middle for thest time, they fell down to opposite sides.


    The confrontation was so fierce that they were soaked with sweat. Jamie collected his sword away and put it in the sheath. He greeted Asen with courtesy,


    ¡°Thank you for teaching me. I think I¡¯ve learned a lot only from being able to face Lord Trint and your sword.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s words were to acknowledge Asen¡¯s victory. Their performance was so high in standards that the knights, unable to tell with the naked eye whose victory had won, gave him the cheer he had endured.


    Wow-! The knights hugged themselves and celebrated Asen¡¯s victory by whistling or pping. The whole ce has be noisy.


    The imperial knights were sweating profusely, even though they did not participate in thepetition. It had meant that they had watched the match between Jamie and Asen with that much concentration.


    The Phoenix Knights, as well as the imperial knights in this ce, had been trampled on as much as their pride could take on by Jamie. They would have been so desperate because it would have been hard to make aeback if he hadn¡¯t lost here to Asen. But as Jamie dered defeat, at least onest pride could be saved.


    After hearing Jamie¡¯s greetings, Asen also gave him his due.


    ¡°I think this old man has learned a lot more. Thank you for epting the sparring match.¡±


    Jamie and Asen narrowed the distance and shook hands. Asen said in a small voice,


    ¡°Thank you for saving this old man¡¯s face. I was sure I¡¯d be at least an expert intermediate level, but I don¡¯t think so. What level ofpetence does it take in the North to be recognized as a mid-level?¡±


    ¡°In Heidel, you must avoid four expert beginners and their stabbing swords everywhere, and after fifteen minutes, you will be admitted to the intermediate level.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be attacked by four powerful men like you?¡±


    Jamie said, blinking with a small face.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Oh, is it different in the capital? I¡¯m sure ten years ago, the sparring matches...¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. I just misunderstood for a moment.¡±


    Asen replied in haste. In fact, in areas other than the North, ¡®sparring matches¡¯ means a one-on-one confrontation with the same powerful person, but his pride was too hurt to say that thing. He admired himself. As expected, Heidel¡¯s standards were only high.


    ¡°How many people in the North are there like you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an embarrassing story, but I don¡¯t even think I¡¯m a strong man. There are already more than ten middle-ss experts, and there are three others besides my father.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s reply gave Asen a dejected smile. This young knight in the north tried to show a leisurely smile no matter what number he called, but it was overwhelming.


    ¡°Heidel must be a monstrous ce. It¡¯s not a ce for men, it¡¯s a ce to fight monsters. I don¡¯t know if I should be relieved that the monsters with this incredible ability are guarding the North, or if I should be nervous about the idea that there¡¯s a strong man like this to the pit of my stomach. Anyway, I think it¡¯s clear. The fact that sooner orter, we have to experience the cold snap from the North at any cost.¡±


    ¡°Anytime, please visit Heidel. My father will wee you with a good heart.¡±


    When Jamie and Asen¡¯s battle ended, Valore offered words of encouragement to the two and stood up to leave.


    Valore¡¯s face was full of fatigue. So did the knights. There was darkness on their faces, even though it ended with Asen¡¯s victory.


    They, who used to be frogs in a well, now know which predators exist outside the well. They know the fact that they are nothing but frogs with that title now.


    Sienna also stood up, leaving the Phoenix Knights to Jamie.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag it out too long and even if minimal, let at least half stay.¡±


    She was well aware of the Northern training intensity, so she gave the necessary advice and got up from her seat, thinking that in a few days she¡¯ll have to hand over the list of Arya¡¯s characters to Jamie.


    Direction


    Sienna felt a bit of an aura on her way back to the pce with Hain, in the woods next to her.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    It is strange that there is a forest in the castle, but this forest has existed since the empire was founded. When the king¡¯s friend, the elves, nted some water as a gift when he founded the city, legend quickly spread that the innd had turned into arge forest.

 Chapter 82: Live To Sienna Pt.82

    <h4>Chapter 82: Live To Sienna Pt.82</h4>


    The existence of elves, like dragons, are treated as fairy tale creatures, so it was regarded as just a legend until now, but every time anyone tries to get rid of that forest, those businesses were thwarted by unknown events, so it was clear that there was some mystical power hidden behind it. For that reason, no one entered the forest because there was a rumor that they could note out of the forest forever.


    As she turned around towards the forest, Carl stood between the trees. He asked Sienna toe into the forest with a nod of his head when his eyes met hers. She told Hain to go back first and prepare a meal. Then she turned around and entered the forest.


    She was a little afraid when she couldn¡¯t see the image of Carl anymore as she had just seen.


    ¡®I¡¯ve heard that if onees in by mistake, one won¡¯t be able to get out of the Elvin forest forever, but I haven¡¯t heard anyone mention anything about it involving the works of people...¡¯


    Sienna thought that the image of Carl she saw might have been a forest vision, but shook her head over and over again.


    It was dark in the forest. A dense cluster of trees rising above the sky, the ce was barely distinguishable only by relying on a narrow beam of light passed through dense leaves.


    There was a rumor that if one came into here, one would be cursed by missing elves. How could they find their way in this dark? It was dark like a sunset forest in broad daylight.


    Whinny-


    ¡°The sound of a horse crying?¡±


    She followed the sound into the deep woods. The moss on the stone was slippery and so she moved cautiously. Inside the forest, a glossy ck-haired horse was eating tree moss. It was a fine horse with hard muscles. Sienna drew slowly to prevent the horse from being frightened.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your owner?¡±


    The horse was not afraid, but Sienna stood still while she wiped its fur from the back of its neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid.¡±


    Carl¡¯s voice came from behind. This time, she answered without being surprised. Because she came into the forest thinking he might be here somewhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who doesn¡¯t know fear, it¡¯s Carl. What are you doing walking around like this? What if you see anyone else? When did you return to the Imperial Pce again? Did you finish what you went to do?¡±


    Sienna asked him quickly. There was a cherished tone in her voice, so heughed with a pleasing look on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s with so many questions? I don¡¯t know what to answer first.¡±


    ¡°When did youe back?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I entered the pce. Unlike the usual, there were a lot of people in front of this forest in training camp, so I was waiting until they were gone.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering how you could travel quietly back and forth from the pce, but there must have been a way through this forest. Is there a secret passage?¡±


    ¡°I owe it to him to go back and forth in this forest.¡±


    Carl came close. At his approach which seemed as though he was about to hug her, Sienna, not knowing what to do, moved out of the way. He stared at her face, then reached out and brushed the horse¡¯s hair.


    ¡®What was I thinking? Why would he hug me?¡¯


    Sienna looked embarrassed, stuck between the horse and Carl. Seeing her face, he held back hisughter. She became as hot as her cheeks would explode in shame.


    ¡°I thought this was a great way, but it was just a horseback riding ce. What if other peoplee back and forth of the castle through this forest?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. It¡¯s all because of the moss that makes you lose your way into this forest. It gives off hallucinogenic ingredients, which can make you lose your mind if you stay for a long time. It¡¯s the same for animals. But animals that originally grew up in this forest are resistant.¡±


    ¡°Then what if someone steals this horse?¡±


    ¡°This guy¡¯s pretty picky. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll hide quickly when I sense an aura.¡±


    Sienna nodded. She wondered how in the past, when Arya was rebellious and had robbed the imperial pce, Carl had regained the castle in such a short time. She thought it would be impossible unless there was a hole in the wall, but there seemed to have been arge hole through the elf¡¯s forest.


    The horse grumbled seeing as it liked the scratching of the hand on his back.


    ¡°It seems he¡¯s found a liking to you. It¡¯s a long way off from day to day. I think he¡¯s found out who¡¯s the wife of his owner already.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because he thought I¡¯m your wife, but because I was originally popr with animals.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    As she tried to take his joke seriously, Sienna hurriedly changed her words.


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke. There¡¯s actually someone else who¡¯s really popr with animals.¡±


    Sienna recalled Roy and said in an excited voice,


    ¡°It¡¯s really amazing. If he stays still, birds will fly in and sit on his shoulders. At first, I thought he was talking to animals.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Suddenly, because of Carl¡¯s sudden silence, Sienna looked back. He was frowning his brow as if he didn¡¯t like something.


    ¡°Why? Are you ufortable?¡±


    He shook his head without answering.


    ¡°Did you finish your work well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As you said, I took the numbers to the lord.¡±


    Sienna looked surprised. It was easy for him to say as if he¡¯d been on a pic, but it was never easy to wipe out bandits. If it had been an easy task, the Southern aristocrats and merchants wouldn¡¯t have bothered to continue getting headaches from the issue. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s not that they could end up destroying them either, but that they¡¯d epted getting humiliation repeatedly.


    She had to be surprised at what he had done. She couldn¡¯t help but admire his ability to finish the job unnoticed by others in such a short time. It was not for nothing that he was called the God of War.


    As Carl let out a small smirking, heughed and said,


    ¡°As you said, if andslide urs every time and there¡¯s ship carrying wheat in numbers, they will strike.¡±


    ¡°Landslides are going to happen for sure.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. Rather than that, there seemed to be something else that was going on that seemed more fun. ¡±


    ¡°Have you seen it?¡±


    ¡°I was going to go to your pce, but there were a lot of people gathered around the Phoenix Knights¡¯ training camp. It seemed to be rted to you so I kept my eyes on there.¡±


    ¡°Originally, I wasn¡¯t intending to make the matter so big. I was just trying to teach a lesson to the Phoenix Knights¡¯ captain but as it continued on, it became bigger.¡±


    ¡°The problem of the Imperial Knights has been with us for a long time. No, evening calling them knights is ridiculous itself.¡±


    Carl¡¯s guards were also members of the imperial knighthood, but it was different from those who wore swords as if they were decorations. With him were those who fought on the battlefield for more than half of the year and those who fought on the battlefield like the knights of the Heidel region, who always fought against monsters.


    ¡°One of the Empress¡¯ powers is the Order of the Crown. You know, Arya¡¯s power is their ce, not their force. The position of the imperial knights is like a baron. She is courting the central aristocracy by selling those positions and at that for ten years. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be paying as much attention to it because of this. It¡¯s better not to poke about it and end up getting hurt.¡±


    From his strong warning, she said,


    ¡°I have no intention of clumsily poking at it. I¡¯m going to shake the whole royal family altogether. It¡¯s only the bait to cast a fishing rod. Now, that the big fish bait is in the water, all we can do is only wait.


    ¡°Since you say it like that, I am looking forward to it. But it¡¯s not going to be easy. The scandal surrounding the Knights has been deeply rooted for a decade. Even if it has fallen over from the interpretation of thew, it still wouldn¡¯t be that easy to change.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going to be soplicated but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll give up easily. But if the best in power tries to change it, they can¡¯t be helped.¡±

 Chapter 83: Live To Sienna Pt.83

    <h4>Chapter 83: Live To Sienna Pt.83</h4>


    Carl nodded, but Sienna looked at him. He had a thought-provoking face, and it was clear that he was considering how to use what happened today to reform the knights.


    Sienna, however, intended to reform the Knights through Valore, not through Carl. She didn¡¯t tell Carl, but Valore would end up getting up on to the throne first. This is because while Carl was away on the front lines, Valore is named Emperor as he abruptly ascends in the capital.


    Sienna did not tell Carl this story on purpose. He wouldn¡¯t believe it, but if he knew it and stayed in the capital, she was afraid the future would flow in an unpredictable direction. There were also some worries in her mind that had arisen that he might fall into Arya¡¯s trap, getting into a dangerous situation and that Aryan¡¯s rebellion might be advanced.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it one bit.¡±


    As she came to her senses at Carl¡¯s words, Sienna tilted her head. He didn¡¯t know what in the world she didn¡¯t like...


    ¡°That look now, the face that¡¯s hiding a great secret from me.¡±


    Sienna tried hard not to be surprised by what he said.


    ¡°What secret do you mean? Don¡¯t make any assumptions for no reason. And Sir Carl, has there ever been a time you¡¯ve taken a liking to me? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to like whatever I do...¡±


    ¡°Earlier, when you treated the Phoenix Knights as sons of bitches, I liked you a lot.¡±


    Her face turned red. She meant to say it to them to make their pride die down, but everyone was watching.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    As Sienna tried to make an excuse, he said with his face full of yfulness.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed. Because I liked it. Though I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be able to say that much with your mouth.¡±


    ¡°When did my mouth talk like that?¡±


    ¡°What was it you said? Did you say they¡¯re dogs who don¡¯t recognize their owners? You said they¡¯re dogs sh*tting on their owners¡¯ faces.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said?¡±


    ¡°How good my ears are. I heard your voice very clearly here, too.¡±


    ¡°Listen to it and let it out the other ear. And shouldn¡¯t you have to pretend you didn¡¯t hear anything even after hearing it?¡±


    ¡°I can see from your face that you¡¯re itching to swear at me. Why don¡¯t you try it? I¡¯ll forgive you with a broad generosity, so try it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s never been a time I wanted to swear before!¡±


    Carl made fun of Sienna, whose face turned red. She btedly realized that he was teasing her and turned the subject around.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name, this ck horse?¡±


    ¡°Horse.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a name, do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any hobbies to name things.¡±


    ¡°Then how should I call him?¡±


    On Sienna¡¯s question, Carl brought two fingers to his mouth and whistled, and the ck horse moved its head to look at him.


    ¡°No matter what, haven¡¯t you been together for a long time and you still haven¡¯t given him a name?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯m going to die so how can I for such a thing...¡±


    There was a shade on his face. The canary and the dog that Carl once named had left his hands too easily. Since then, he has not named the things he cares about.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t think of a name, would you like me to name it for you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. He¡¯ll die quickly if you give him a name.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. It must have been a strange name. It¡¯s said one¡¯s fate can change depending on the name.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°If the horse doesn¡¯t have a name, can I put one on him? He¡¯s a Gritage, so Gritty! It means you¡¯re going to live long, and strong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good name.¡±


    A smile spread around his mouth, perhaps a satisfactory name.


    ¡°How old is this guy?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s been about five years since he was born.¡±


    ¡°The horse lives a long time, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°They said he¡¯d live for about thirty years.¡±


    ¡°Gritty will probably live longer. I gave you a good name. But you¡¯re five years old and you¡¯re all grown up? You¡¯re not getting any bigger here, are you? He¡¯s this big now?¡±


    Gritty¡¯s back came up to Sienna¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really ride him if he gets any bigger than this. I think it would be too scary if I rode on top of him. He¡¯s high and he¡¯s going to be super fast. I think people who can ride horses are amazing.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to ride?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s head turned in a circle.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m scared. What if I fall? And I¡¯ve never ridden a horse before.¡±


    ¡°Never?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve only ridden a carriage before, but not a horse.¡±


    Heidel didn¡¯t need horses. There were many soldiers, but there were more battles on the walls than on horseback. Moreover, the cold weather in Heidel wasn¡¯t a climate that horses could endure, so Sienna didn¡¯t have much to see for one. She¡¯s seen only a few times the horses brought by merchants who sometimes fly daily necessities or grains on thend.


    Carl jumped on the horse and reached out to Sienna.


    ¡°It¡¯s scary...¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    He took her by the arm and pulled her up onto the horse and sat before her.


    ¡°What if I fall?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll catch you, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Carl wrapped his arms around her waist and held the reins with one hand.


    ¡°Is it alright for you to just hold the reins with one hand? More than that, isn¡¯t there like a handle or something like that?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I thought you were a person who had nothing to fear in the world.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I¡¯m afraid of actually.¡±


    Sienna had no fear of going up high. She had been doing that since she was a kid.


    But riding a horse was a different story. She had never seen a horse before, but for her to find herself riding one at high speed?!


    It was so terrifying to have to bnce herself on a slippery horse while he¡¯s running.


    Carl kicked the side with his leg and the horse darted forward.


    ¡°Ky-ah!¡±


    The trees came too fast. The horse ran like a meadow through cramped trees. She¡¯d rather close her eyes, but she was so surprised that she forgot how to close her eyes.


    Gritty ran very fast. He was younger and better than the other horses, and the forest of the elves, like the inner quarters of her house, grew faster and faster. Sienna trembled with fear. Then Carl gradually began to slow down.


    As the horse slowed down from running so fast, she could not look back on the forest properly because her eyes were still filled with images of the forest. It wasn¡¯t as scary as it was when the horse was running excited, but it wasn¡¯t entirely reassuring. What¡¯s fortunate is that the temperature from her back gives him a sense of stability.


    The horse that carried them stopped when it reached theke. Carl propped up Sienna¡¯s waist so she could get down.


    ¡°I really thought I was going to die. I¡¯ve screamed so much that I think my throat¡¯s gone too.¡±


    ¡°I thought my ears were going to go out from your screams, too.¡±


    ¡°So, it was good to stop a long time ago. I was so scared I¡¯d fall from Gritty.¡±


    ¡°I held on pretty tight and I even slowed down...¡±


    As Carl said, he had wrapped around her waist with a firm arm throughout the race. Sienna could not bear his arms touching her belly in spite of her fear.


    ¡®Won¡¯t he think that my back is too thick? It¡¯s embarrassing how my stomach went in and out every time I breathe.¡¯


    She was tightening her stomach in the midst of her screaming. She was even more nervous because of Carl. She looked at Carl with an unfrozen face.


    He shrugged his shoulders and pointed to theke with his jaw. As if, he came all the way here to show her this. Only then did Sienna see a panoramic view of theke.


    ¡°Wow-¡±


    She was struck with admiration.


    In the middle of the forest was a hugeke. Theke, which seems to be out of reach, overwhelmed the beholder by its size. It urred to her that the appearance of the emerald water pooling over white gravel was so mysterious that it did not seem like ake. It was ake filled with white stones, a sight never thought of.


    ¡°I wanted to show you this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°I only recently discovered it thanks to him.¡±

 Chapter 84: Live To Sienna Pt.84

    <h4>Chapter 84: Live To Sienna Pt.84</h4>


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know thiske was hidden in the woods. I guess this forest is really huge.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t guess the size. Elves are known to be in the castle, but the fact is, the castle stands over the elf¡¯s forest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really amazing. Thank you, for showing me such a nice ce.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Carl threw a rock from the floor into the river and there were ripples on the river. Sienna stood near theke and reached out. The water in theke, which had been wrapped around her fingers, was as cold as ice.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d like to swim here, but I guess it¡¯s impossible. The water is really cold. I¡¯ll have a heart attack if I just soak my feet, not even with my body.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to swim?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not to a degree that I just know how to do it, but I¡¯m as good as a seal. Although I¡¯m not that confident in a race on the grounds, I¡¯m sure l can beat Sir Carl in the water!¡±


    Sienna expressed confidence.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you know how to swim when you¡¯re from the north. I know there are no rivers orkes in Heidel.¡±


    He was also right. There were no rivers orkes in the north. In summer, however, the snow melts and floods. The damage from the idents was greater than expected, resulting in the asional loss of lives.


    Because of that, Jamie forced Sienna to teach him how to swim. It was something that everyone in Heidel¡¯snd learned. Instead of borating, she said with a jest-like fist,


    ¡°Haha, ha, if you have the will to do it, you can do it.¡±


    As Carl stared, Sienna poked her mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡±


    ¡°How am I looking at you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at me with a profoundly analytical face. Are you thinking about whether I¡¯m telling you the truth or not?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer her, but something was positive.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I know you don¡¯t trust me, but it¡¯s real. I¡¯m really good at swimming.¡±


    She could have just said that she was good at swimming and pass it off as a joke, but Sienna got stubborn for no reason. He seemed to treat herself as a habitual liar, as he said, ¡®I can¡¯t trust you¡¯ whenever she said anything, and he was staring at her with his ¡®I don¡¯t believe¡¯ face, either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll believe you.¡±


    ¡°I think you just answered me by forcing yourself, but it still sounds good. I like how you say you¡¯re going to believe me. I¡¯ll show you how I swim someday. To make sure you feel that faith was not in vain!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°What? You said you believed me. I really know how to swim.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because I don¡¯t believe it, but because of it, a bit much for the Crown Princess to show herself swimming in the water. There might be a lot of eyes watching. On the southern end of the sea, I heard that women sometimes y in the sea, but this is still the case of the Crown Princess swimming...¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. I couldn¡¯t think of that. Sometimes, I forget that I¡¯m the Crown Princess.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something else you can forget. But don¡¯t forget for a moment that you are my crown princess.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s heart pounded at every word of Carl¡¯s. His words may mean that she should keep your dignity as a princess, but she was still in a good mood from it.


    ¡°It¡¯s really nice. I mean theke.¡±


    A smile stuck at the mouth of Sienna. Carl, who was looking at her like that, smiled. The sunset fell over theke.


    ¡°Can we walk back?¡±


    When Carl said to go back, Sienna asked. She wouldn¡¯t have to have that scary experience again. No matter how tight he held onto her back, it was still scary for her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there the day after tomorrow then. Well, that is to say, if we walk back as you say.¡±


    ¡°That long? But I¡¯m really scared. And there¡¯s nowhere to hold onto. Then can¡¯t I ride on the back? I¡¯ll hold on to Carl¡¯s waist. That¡¯ll do!¡±


    ¡°That would be more dangerous. If you get in front, I can hold you, but if you get in the back, I can¡¯t hold you. If you fall off the horse because your hands are weak, you¡¯ll be badly hurt. Horses are more dangerous to ride from the back.¡±


    Sienna looked at the horse. Looking at the smooth, curved hips that fell gently, it seemed as if she would fall off at his word. If she falls off the horse... she tried to ignore the terrible imaginations that came up in a chain.


    ¡°It scares me to ride even more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you get back safely, so get on. Or you can walk all night.¡±


    Sienna had no choice. She could walk as close as she could. She was obliged to hold his hand.


    Carl grabbed Sienna and sat in front of him. Sienna sat sideways and hugged Carl with both arms.


    ¡°This way, you¡¯ll be satisfied because you¡¯ve got a ce to hold onto.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    As he said, there was a sense of stability than before, but she was nervous about staying close to Carl.


    ¡°This is how you hold me. But if you¡¯re scared, make sure you close your eyes.¡±


    Sienna shut her eyes tightly. In the meantime, she squirmed as Carl¡¯s hand came around her waist. He smiled smirkingly as her unstable breathing rang in his ear.


    ¡°Try to hold in with your screams. People would be more sensitive to hearing it than me.¡±


    The ck horse began to walk slowly against the opposite of the sun. He scared the horse as if he were going to drive it fast, but he actually drove the horse slowly. Sienna could see the elf¡¯s forest slowly and for a long time in the arms of Carl, she was blushing.


    Hain questioned Sienna from the morning yesterday, who did not return to the pce immediately but only after sunset.


    ¡°Where in the world did you go yesterday? You didn¡¯te back until nightfall, so I almost reported the guards of the garrison that you had gone missing.¡±


    ¡°I told you. I had something to think about. It¡¯s been a long time since I walked.¡±


    ¡°For that, your shoes were too good. There were mosses and dirt on it, but there were not many signs of it being worn out.¡±


    She squinted at Sienna. Sienna tried not to make eye contact, admiring the reasoning power of Hain.


    ¡°I¡¯m having breakfast in the bedroom, so please take it easy.¡±


    ¡°What in heavens¡¯ name happened to you yesterday and you¡¯re going to go this far? Did you meet a fairy who lives in the Elvin Forest? Did she tell you to keep her secret?¡±


    ¡°Think as you like. And I¡¯ll take the tray with me. Please don¡¯t let anyone in my room today. I don¡¯t need cleaning either.¡±


    Sienna told her never toe into the bedroom. In any event, they should not have noticed the presence of Carl. He was not supposed to be in the capital right now.


    At the words, Hain looked at Sienna with a suspicious look. Sienna, who felt a tinge of guilt from her conscience, made an excuse,


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired today. We had a lot of work yesterday.¡±


    ¡°It was amazing yesterday. I didn¡¯t know Lord Waters was that good. The Waters family isn¡¯t famous for nothing, but since it¡¯s was so far away, there¡¯s not much news that reaches here. But it¡¯s amazing to say how he was able topete against on equal terms with the imperial knighthoods¡¯ most famous swordsman, Lord Trint!¡±


    ¡°Yesterday¡¯s duel was a victory for Lord Trint.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s much younger than Lord Trint. When Lord Waters is the same as Lord Trint¡¯s age... I can¡¯t even imagine it... And he felt really cool yesterday. To be honest, the Phoenix Knights have been so mean up until now. They can ignore Your Highness, but they can¡¯t resist you! But when I saw them this morning, I did feel sorry for them. I could hear their pains from how much Lord Waters was working them. The public doesn¡¯t even get close to the Phoenix Knights. They¡¯re scared to see that miserable figure in their dreams.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s being generous if it¡¯s only that much.¡±


    ¡°That is? I heard that he isn¡¯t a human being...¡±


    ¡®But I told him to leave at least half of them and work them. Don¡¯t tell me they couldn¡¯t stand it all, did they? I even mentioned the dishonorable expulsion in any case if they quit easily. But even if they all quit, I don¡¯t have any regrets.¡¯

 Chapter 85: Live To Sienna Pt.85

    <h4>Chapter 85: Live To Sienna Pt.85</h4>


    Sienna went into her bedroom with the meal tray that Hain had handed over. Inside the room, Carl was sitting at the table, looking at the map and agonizing.


    ¡°Do whatever you want to see after you eat. Aren¡¯t you hungry because you slept on an empty stomach yesterday?¡±


    ¡°You know it well.¡±


    ¡°I told Hain to take care of Mir¡¯s limelight.¡±


    At her words, Carl formed a troubled face. He was thinking about how Sienna understands his unique diet, which was sweet, sour, and salty Mir. She spoke in a pitiful voice,


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, just eat. You said you were hungry. What do you think?¡±


    She put down the tray and looked at the open map on the table. There was a red and blue dot on the map. It was not a map drawn in the notation that she knew, but there was no difficulty in reading it. The boundary with Castro was clearly visible.


    Sienna took a bite of the fruit on the tray and mumbled questions.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a war against Castro just like Arya thought, where are you going to go?¡±


    ¡°We have to push in so far as to finish it quickly. They¡¯ll call for a cease-fire as soon as they seed because they¡¯re in a position that¡¯ll always be within reach of the capital. I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s better to move on to this in area instead. Because it¡¯s arge area, it¡¯s easier to attack than to defend, and it¡¯s better for us because it can be procured on the way without having to shiprge quantities.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take this path more than that?¡±


    Sienna pointed to a thin stream of water next to the path that Carl said.


    ¡°On the map, it¡¯s a small stream where only small fishing boats cane and go, even if the river looks big.¡±


    ¡°It was a pretty big river originally. Although the water has dried up due to a long drought, if there is a heavy rain, it will be enough to travel on medium-sized ships. What¡¯s more, the Navy ships in Laifsden looks thin and long. And this is wide.¡±


    Carl nodded at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°As you say, it may be possible if the precipitation increases.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t just leave it up to the numbers in the Hegea River this time. You¡¯ve mixed it with military leadership, so you¡¯re taking this opportunity to train them to ept them as the military.¡±


    Sienna patted a small stream of water next to the Castro empire on the map and said,


    ¡°And it would be perfect for a surprise attack against Castro because they won¡¯t think the army woulde through the river because of the narrow width of the river. The ship can run at night if you have a skilled navigator. There must be some numbers of people who are good at quietly moving ships, which in turn will be a really well-done table.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good operation. As long as there¡¯s heavy rain and the water is rising.¡±


    Siennaughed at Carl¡¯s sarcastic praise. To put it into perspective, it was not her n, it was Carl¡¯s idea of an operation. In the past, Carl was able to use this method to quickly end the war against Castro.


    Sudden downpours have a lot of effect on wars, usually, when it rains heavily in wars, the attacking side was at a disadvantage. This was because the morale of the soldiers has been undermined, the danger of infectious diseases was also high, and it is difficult to lead horses and soldiers onto the muddy ground.


    However, Carl used the rain to do a good job. The operation was such a catch-up operation that it waster referred to. That¡¯s why she had remembered it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should stay? All the ns are made on the premise that there will be heavy rain.¡±


    ¡°And I think it was around this time...¡±


    She opened the window and checked the sky. ck and heavy clouds were falling low and dusky.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡¯ think we need to pray for rainfall? I think the rainy season will start tomorrow or tonight.¡±


    Carl followed behind her, going up along the window in front of her. Shoulder to shoulder, the two stared out of the window. The sky was covered with heavy dark clouds as if to sprinkle showers at any moment.


    ¡°Even if you say it¡¯s possibly because of your informant¡¯s ability and reasoning to find and gain information, how can you be so sure to know that it¡¯s going to rain though?¡±


    Sienna still looked out the window and said,


    ¡°Just think that this information is from a very good source.¡±


    ¡°Your informant seems to be a prophet, not an informant.¡±


    She told Carl to trust her as he pleases, but she could never reveal the source of her information because she couldn¡¯t tell him that she knows the future.


    *


    Aryaid herself out long on the sofa in the drawing room. Sienna massaged her feet.


    ¡°Why is it raining so hard? I hate rainy days because my dress feels heavy.¡±


    In front of her, grumbling in a discontented tone was lined with maids and servants holding various dresses. Next to it, there was a dress designer who she watched in caution.


    ¡°I need an attire to wear when some big incident urs. You¡¯d better take that one out. It looks so shallow.¡±


    Arya beckoned, and the maid, holding the red dress, hung the dress on a movable hanger that sat on one side.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve gotten quite old, too. You used to make a lot of eye-catching dresses, but now I guess your style has fallen behind in times. Put that away, too! It¡¯s a long way past the fashion trend to wear something like that.¡±


    Every time Empress Arya uttered a word, the tailor sitting in front of her looked at her stupefied.


    ¡°Then these clothes...¡±


    The tailor asked with an anxious look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear those, but I¡¯ll pay for them. Though it¡¯s not appealing to my eyes, I don¡¯t want to see other people going around and wearing those clothes in front of my sight.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°But if it continues like this, I¡¯ll have to rethink my deal with you. The one-eyed tailor is popr these days, right?¡±


    The one-eyed tailor made Sienna¡¯s wedding dress.


    ¡°You mean Gerald? He¡¯s just someone that has been sewing under me. He was lucky enough to even get the chance to design his first Crown Princess¡¯ dress, but he doesn¡¯t have any skills.¡±


    ¡°The Crown Princess Sienna...¡±


    Arya¡¯s face crumpled violently. She was an irritating child. She thought she was just a dumb chick from the north at first, but she feels as though she has been getting in her way little by little like a thorn to her eyes. Every time she saw her acting fiercely and confidently carefree without regarding anything she said and being brave, she felt bad.


    ¡®How dare she does not know her ce! She¡¯s a stupid bitch who doesn¡¯t know who got her up to that position, not being able to distinguish between the heavens and the Earth!¡¯


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, the Duke of Panacio, has arrived.¡±


    Arya¡¯s face became more irritated when she thought of Sienna. No, rather, it was full of disgust.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired for today, so ask him toe to see me tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s urgent, so he says he needs to see you today.¡±


    Arya pressed her forehead.


    ¡®Pig-like bastard!¡¯


    She continuously gnawed at the tailor over and over again.


    ¡°In any case, there¡¯s nothing I like. You¡¯d better bring a decent product next week. My patience isn¡¯t that long. Leave now.¡±


    When Arya shook her head, the maids walked out of the drawing room with the dresses in their hands, and the tailor quickly stepped out after them. As soon as they went out, Define Panacio stepped in with urgent footsteps.


    ¡°What¡¯s the emergency that¡¯s made youe looking for me? I didn¡¯t want to meet anyone today because I wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡±


    Arya was getting a foot massage from her maid even though Define hade in. It hasn¡¯t been a day or two since Arya has treated her maid in such a way with the same feeling, so Define sat down, carelessly.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havee here in person if the emergency wasn¡¯t so extreme. Has Her Majesty the Empress also hear of the news? What happened at the south gates a while ago?¡±

 Chapter 86: Live To Sienna Pt.86

    <h4>Chapter 86: Live To Sienna Pt.86</h4>


    ¡°I heard the news before, too. The Crown Princess was acting rudely. And her brother tried to embarrass himself, but Lord Panacio¡¯s son, Captain Panacio, stepped forward and ended up making a terrible mess out of it? There was even a man from the Mansou family who got fired because of it and their whole heritage line is also receiving insults left and right?¡±


    Arya gave Define a repulsive look and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. When I questioned him, he immediately jumped up from his seat. He said he never insulted the Mansou family, and that he didn¡¯t even know that the family was engaged in trafficking.¡±


    ¡°He must be lying. He probably overheard the story in the family and made a big mouthful of it to show off. What else would it be.¡±


    Arya waved her hand up in the air, signaling the maid who was massaging her feet to leave. Then she sat with her legs crossed, leaning deeply against the sofa. Define clung to her.


    ¡°Not at all. That¡¯s not the way to ess such critical information. Also, he said he didn¡¯t have any other choice from the situation. Because of the sudden appearance of the princess, and how the gatekeeper suddenly hurt her, he thought that if he had sided with Willis, he would have been forced into a corner and end up bing prisoners together with him.¡±


    Define lowered his body over Arya and said to her. She said nervously, sweeping her head away.


    ¡°She¡¯s a very powerful girl. I thought she¡¯de crying to me when he was going to be taken away to jail, begging me for forgiveness for her wrongdoings, but to think she solved it in a way like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why. By the way, the problem is that the Mansou Family is beingpletely misunderstood. They¡¯re trying to eat the hounds when the hunt is over, and they¡¯re trying to repay the money they borrowed before they can harvest it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable. I¡¯ve been insulted by Lord Panacio.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t know what to do. I have to collect and sell wheat for cash, but they¡¯re fussing at us to quickly pay them back right now...¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to, first, you have to calm down. There¡¯s not much time left until the big event. It¡¯s time to coax as many people as possible in your arms. When Valore bes the emperor, tell them that he¡¯ll give them a one-year monopoly on the items they¡¯re smuggling.¡±


    ¡°Okay. And...¡±


    When Define looked at her with a still-shaky face, Arya asked in a nervous voice,


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°The First Prince has doubts about the ability of the Imperial knights.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s suspecting their skills?¡±


    ¡°There was apetition between the Phoenix Knights and Lord Waters. The Phoenix Knights were defeated unterally, which is embarrassing to call it even a showdown.¡±


    ¡°The Waters are famous for their natural-born talents and also that of unrted family. Moreover, the Phoenix Knights is a collection of trash, but just because the Imperial knights¡¯ lost one battle of ability, he¡¯s be suspicious.¡±


    ¡°There they talked about how the current Imperial family would rate expert sses. By changing the practice of continuing the sword while fighting, the Imperial knighthoods have been dumbed down.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, aren¡¯t you? But you couldn¡¯t help it. Didn¡¯t they agree at the time?¡±


    ¡°At the time, even the first prince¡¯s camp agreed to easily push their talents into the Imperial knights, but we have the right to make personnel decisions, which led toints. They say we need to re-verify the imperial knights¡¯ skills. They said they couldn¡¯t let knights who were inferior to mercenaries protect the imperial family. At this rate, we¡¯re going to be med for the dishonor of using expedient methods to do business.¡±


    ¡°Leave it alone. How can they confirm it? Rather, try to be strong, attack them for trying to defame the Imperial knights. If anyone is suspicious of their abilities, they should be punished severely and be silent about it. Keep a tight rein on all the knights¡¯ lips who were there that day. I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s going to say anything about that day anyway. Even if they open their mouths, we can deny whatever it is. It¡¯s more than that, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s all about the Crown Princess Sienna. She was the first person to talk about Valore¡¯s birth.¡±


    Define trembled loudly when Arya put the rumor about Valore¡¯s birth in her mouth. Then he looked up at Arya with a face full of resentment and said,


    ¡°That¡¯s why. The empress said she must be a dumb bitch who has no idea of politics, but her behavior in the meantime is nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s no way a son of a bitch cane out from under the criminal. I thought she was a soft girl, but she must be feeling very proud.¡±


    Arya stroked her wrist. The look of her eyes still vivid as she grasped her cheeks who seemed lively. If anyone saw her, they¡¯d think she¡¯d have the means to eat her parents alive. She had such a fierce look that made herself out to look that way.


    ¡°If the Crown Princess is too hard to handle, shouldn¡¯t you take care of her before she gets into any more idents? It seems there are other men as you said before...¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t found any hard evidence yet. I¡¯m sure that there has been a man going in and out of her bedroom. ¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s no physical evidence, we can just make it, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Arya gazed down at him with a pitiful sound and clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t that wicked woman make her name within the Holy Empire? If we try to make a false charge against her, we¡¯ll end up taking the heat for nothing.¡±


    ¡°All she¡¯s done is put her name in the Holy Empire. Do you really think they¡¯re going to care about it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it on her wedding day? Princess Sienna has close rtions to the high-ranking priest. Even if they don¡¯t have close ties with each other, if we mention her injustice, they will outrightly say that the Holy Empire is right. They want to influence the Laifsden Empire by any means necessary. We shouldn¡¯t provoke them thoughtlessly. Although they¡¯re noisy ones, boasting about loudly on how they believe in God, they¡¯re also crazy about war. There¡¯s no answer if they show up with the Holy Knights to punish those who are afraid of their faith if we do something.¡±


    Arya shook her head and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s a war against Castro. It¡¯s necessary to keep Carl at bay, but if we were to go to war with the Holy Empire...¡±


    She stopped talking as if she didn¡¯t want to think. Although she was covetous of the Emperor¡¯s power, the Imperial power of the war was as good as trash for her.


    ¡°Well, those lunatics don¡¯t make sense of negotiation. They¡¯re supposed to be talking about God¡¯s voice or his orders, and then you¡¯re going to turn your eyes and attack him until there¡¯s no more grass left, Danny. So they¡¯re not going to lose Chuck with that little country. Why, of course, is the goddess the most powerful in thend? If I had believed in the goddess of the moon, I would have done it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m like. It certainly wasn¡¯t the Goddess of the Earth until the marriage was carried out as if it had broken up because it knew it would be like this.¡±


    ¡°What did you know? I guess I was just lucky.¡±


    Arya nodded at Define¡¯s words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can afford the leisure to care about Princess Sienna. We¡¯re going to have a short time to go. I tried to move on after attracting more neutral people, but I don¡¯t think I can. It¡¯s already been three years since the Emperor disappeared. The excuse of illness is no longer working. First of all, the sorcerer says drugs alone can no longer stop corruption.¡±


    ¡°What a waste of time. Have you heard from Castro?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going tounch a major airstrike in a week. A full-fledged war will begin. Even if Valore were to be the emperor, Carl wouldn¡¯t be able to care about the capital. It¡¯d be better he dies in that war rather.¡±


    ¡°However, we must remain alive until the second king is born. If there is no heir to the Imperial family, the Imperial power will weaken.¡±


    If we were to kill Carl and then kick him out to his death, the empire would not retain its name. If the empire were to be annihted by each nobleman fighting against each other to be the emperor, there was nothing to be gained for Arya.

 Chapter 87: Live To Sienna Pt.87

    <h4>Chapter 87: Live To Sienna Pt.87</h4>


    ¡°That¡¯s true. There¡¯s a case. By the way, when has Mary been married and you still haven¡¯t heard from her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Valore and Mary have never slept together since they got married. There was a spectacle of their big fight with each other not being on good terms and even having put words of divorce in their mouths...¡±


    At her words, Define protested with a blistering face.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Your Majesty the Empress doesn¡¯t know well. Rather Valore and Marie¡¯s temperament is to blush and raise their voices in unison. They¡¯ve grown up together since they were kids, and they¡¯re like brothers and sisters. How can those children be fighting?!¡±


    Arya said, clinging to the back of her neck as if she were in pain.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a rumor like that only going around because there has yet to be any signs of a son yet? By chance...


    Arya said, squinting her eyes,


    ¡°But a rumor stating them not sharing a bed together is...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way! They both know how important it is to have a child.¡±


    At his words, Arya went into a rage, knocking her palm over the table.


    ¡°Then what in the world are you trying to imply the problem is? I¡¯m trying, but I haven¡¯t heard from you in all my efforts!¡±


    Define stared at her and shut his mouth tight. Arya said with a deep sigh,


    ¡°Have them take some medicine that works well for attaining pregnancy. They¡¯ll have to have a child so we can deal with that blind-eyed Carl and his wife.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to say, why did you have to be so greedy. Melinia, the second daughter of an older brother, would have been better than Marie.¡±


    ¡°No, no matter what. During that time, she hadn¡¯t even held hering-to-age ceremony yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying it because I feel frustrated. It¡¯s already been two years since they got married, and I haven¡¯t heard from them at all.¡±


    Arya angrily told the Marquis to step aside. The prince bowed his head to the ground and retired.


    Sienna looked perplexed when she put the meal she had received from Hain on the table. Naturally, the dishware was only one fork and one knife. It was a simple room meal that she wanted to eat, so the tableware seemed to have been taken in as a quick snack set.


    The problem is that the meal should be with Carl.


    That said, she could not even tell Hain that Carl had sneaked up to the capital and was living in her own room. She put down the tray on the table and called for Carl.


    ¡°Sir Carl, have a meal.¡±


    Carl had been looking at the books the Green Merchant Association had purchased.


    ¡°This should be enough of a blow.¡±


    He put down the books and looked over the table. On the tray was a jujuri with chopped seafood and vegetables that were made round, mixed with flour, then fried and topped with a sd with sour fruit sauce, m-sd soup, and oil dressing. At a nce, Carl asked, confirming that it was a meal for one person.


    ¡°Why is there only one meal?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell the maid that I¡¯m with Sir Carl and bring me two meals. I¡¯m fine, so go ahead and eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, so eat first.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, she shook her head and refused.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine because I ate cookies earlier. Sir Carl must have had an empty stomach, so hurry up and eat.¡±


    Sienna said so and went to the window. The raindrops that began to fall this morning were rather thick.


    ¡°Come here and sit down.¡±


    Carl called Sienna.


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t mind me and eat.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat alone. Stay by my side while I eat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a child...¡±


    Sienna sat opposite him with her mouth twisted. The smell of food stimted her hunger after sitting at the table.


    A grumbling sound.


    ¡®I knew this was going to happen!¡¯


    Sienna was humiliated by the grumbling of her stomach, and her face turned red. Carl said he was okay and asked her to eat first, but in fact, she was hungry as well. When he burst outughing, she wanted to hide in shame.


    Carl cut the main dish and stuck it out to Sienna. She began agonizing over whether to eat or not since her stomach gave her away and now it would seem strange to say that it¡¯s all right this time anyways, so she bit onto the piece of food he served to her.


    Thebination of savory fish flesh and sour sauce stimted her appetite. As soon as she swallowed the food, Carl held out the fork. Sienna opened her mouth again this time and ate the food he served towards her.


    ¡°Sir Carl should eat, too. If you only continue giving it to me, when will you have any?¡±


    As Sienna munched the food, Carl nodded and pushed the food into his mouth. Then he put out the fork towards Sienna¡¯s direction again. She had the choice of taking the fork with the food on it by using her hands to eat it herself, but Sienna didn¡¯t use her hands and instead just ate using her mouth.


    ¡°This makes me feel like I¡¯m feeding my pet.¡±


    Sienna pouted at his words.


    ¡°What is that? Are you treating me like an animal?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just... and I just remembered the puppy I had when I was a kid.¡±


    At his words, Sienna widened her eyes and asked,


    ¡°Sir Carl, there was a time you raised a dog before?¡±


    Carl nodded at her question.


    ¡°It was a short time when I was young, but...¡±


    ¡°What kind of dog was it? Was it big or small? How long was its hair? Did it act cute?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s huge, bombarding questions, Carl gave a puzzled look and burst intoughter.


    ¡°I think this is the first time you¡¯ve asked me a question. It seems your informant must have not given you the information that I had a puppy.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting that you¡¯ve never known that I¡¯ve had a puppy before, even though you¡¯ve been well aware of things that nobody knows about, as in me liking pickled mir and tria.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Although It was a long time ago, there were no strangers in the castle.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get that information through the information dealer. I¡¯ve never found out anything about you through the informer actually.¡±


    Sienna wanted to solve this misunderstanding. It was something she could have let go of, but she felt it was unfair for nothing. In the past, she said she knew of this information not because of an informant but because of her heart of admiration for him, as she had watched and learned everything she knew about him that way.


    ¡°That¡¯s just how I found out. If I end up watching Sir Carl carefully, you¡¯ll see that I learned to pick up what you like and what you don¡¯t.¡±


    Sienna somehow thought that Carl¡¯s ears looked red.


    *


    The Duke of Panacio, Define was facing a young man in the drawing room. Define also smiled brightly in a manly smile.


    Recently, he was so busy meeting nobles to raise Valore to the throne. Although he was not busy, he rarely met such merchants in person. But the moment he found out that the merchant wanted only six thousand bags of wheat, he had to run out barefoot.


    ¡®It¡¯s a relief that there were not a few ces to put money into. If this contract is signed, there won¡¯t be any reasons for me to back to the Mansou family¡¯s residence with my head down. It was hard for me to see them rave about paying back the money right now, but I¡¯m really d now.¡¯


    The merchant who came to buy wheat was much younger than he thought. He looked to be around a simr age to his son, Deli. It urred to him that he seemed to have been trained by knights, judging by his appearance at a nce, but Define shook his head.


    ¡®He¡¯s a merchant, how can he be trained by knights. Maybe, he was born a merchant with gifted flesh and bones.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see your Excellency, Mr. Panacio.¡±


    The young merchant, with brown hair and dark eyebrows, greeted him with quite a familiar gesture. Define plopped down to his seat.


    ¡°Did you say the Symphonium Chamber of Commerce? So, are you really going to buy six thousand sacks of wheat?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is right.¡±


    ¡°I, of course, like selling wheat, but can you digest that much wheat?¡±

 Chapter 88: Live To Sienna 88

    <h4>Chapter 88: Live To Sienna 88</h4>


    He asked if he could pay the price of sixty thousand bags and the young merchant put a sack on the table that looked heavy at a nce, instead of answering him. He opened the sack and saw it filled with dazzling gold coins.


    Define gulped down.


    ¡°Do you want to sign then?¡±


    The young merchant looked calm, unlike himself, who constantly moved his galldder to swallow his saliva. So, Define became even more impatient.


    If he had to drag his feet for nothing, the young merchant would seem to go away with that bag of gold. Even if not for the Panacio family, the southern part of the country was filled with wheat.


    ¡°Of course! We have to do it, signing the contract!¡±


    He called the butler to fetch the papers. It was a routine document concerning the purchase of wheat. When the young merchant looked at the document and looked at him, Define looked at him. His pride was hurt by the fact that his posthumous work was being overlooked by the eyes of a young merchant, but the bag of gold ced before him had made him lose his self-respect.


    ¡°Is there anything you don¡¯t like?¡±


    ¡°The condition that we deliver wheat on the fixed date to the desired warehouse is fine, besides the terms of including transportation costs. But the item, here, in which there is a case of a breach.¡±


    Define said, who looked at the documents he pointed at.


    ¡°You mean the use that gives you double the price in case of a vition?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to modify this. Let¡¯s quadruple the breach amount and make it a safe haven.¡±


    The image of Define frowned upon his words. The young merchant looked at his face and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the Panacio family will not be able to produce six thousand sacks of wheat this year, and doesn¡¯t matter anyway since you guys will be transporting wheat through the Southern Chamber of Commerce?¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    In addition to the fact that they have to pay back four times the cost in case of a contract vition, and above all, they were concerned thatnd should be secured. The young merchant then jumped to his feet from his seat.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, we can just call off the contract like it never happened then. I am here because I heard that Your Excellency, Mr. Panacio, owns thergest amount ofnd and because they are heard to be quite plentiful... I guess I¡¯ll look for some other ce instead.¡±


    When the merchant stood up without regret, Define seized him in a hurry.


    ¡°Oh ho, maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re young, but you¡¯re quite the hot-tempered one. It¡¯s such a big deal, so I just thought about it for a while.¡±


    ¡°Then would you like to sign as that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. What¡¯s the importance of breaking the provision in case of a breach of contract. It¡¯s something we have to do well if we want to keep the contract from being breached.¡±


    Define called in the butler and quickly modified the contract. The young merchant even went so far as to carefully check the security of thend and write it down in detail in the use.


    Now, both had only to sign the contract. The merchant asked, sitting down as if he had something suddenlye to mind.


    ¡°What are you going to do with all this wheat?¡±


    He asked back with a troubled look at Define¡¯s question.


    ¡°Do I have to tell you where the wheat is going to be used for?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, you¡¯re a bit harsh because you¡¯re young. I¡¯m just curious. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not hard to answer. It¡¯s the southern part of the country that has its river, so it¡¯s good for farming, but other countries have had a bad drought. So, our symposium is going to be selling wheat around in other countries.¡±


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re looking good with passion in this. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out.¡±


    Defineughed inwardly, praising the merchant with his mouth.


    ¡®You think it¡¯s going easy to sell wheat. If you sell wheat to another country, the tax that you have to pay to the Laifsden Empire is going to be very heavy. If the transportation costs and taxes paid to other countries are added, it would be a loss even if they were sold for twice the price. It was just a stupid merchant who inherited a lot of money.¡¯


    Define saw him off and asked him,


    ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t ask your name after our big contract. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The young merchant said with a troubled look at his question.


    ¡°Mac Ke... Sires is my name.¡±


    ¡°Macke Sires? That¡¯s an unusual name. If you need wheat from now on, you cane here anytime! I¡¯ll make you a contract on good terms as I gave to you today!¡±


    The brown-haired young man, who was exining thest meeting that ended in sess after a boastful speech by Define, put his hand on his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°When he asked my name, I almost answered that it was Mac Kane.¡±


    He gushed the beer out into his mouth, shivering in disgust at the thought of it now. Pavenik said, pointing to a dark-skinned man sitting next to him with his fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Kissinger couldn¡¯t even get me to work here at all. He talks like a knight no matter what he says. When I asked him to y the merchant, he gave me the strength to his abdomen and put his tone of voice down and said, ¡®I¡¯m here to buy some wheat.¡¯ What merchant in the world would say so like that and be able to do business?¡±


    Mac said angrily and not Kissinger.


    ¡°What?! Then you made me do such a thing because I don¡¯t look like a knight? It means no matter what Kissinger does, he¡¯ll always have the appearance of a knight!¡±


    Pavenik said with a prickly face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. That¡¯s how flexible you are. Unlike a guy who¡¯s stuck here.¡±


    Pavenik said, hitting Kissinger on the shoulder. Kissinger red at Pavenik with a fierce look and said in a sickening voice,


    ¡°It seems to me that you want to get involved in a spar with a guy who doesn¡¯t have a lot of flexibility.¡±


    Pavenik quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it... By the way, His Highness should being today, right? We¡¯re left alone here and locked up in this stinking inn while he left for the Imperial Pce, so I don¡¯t know why we haven¡¯t gotten any word back from him yet.¡±


    Kissinger drank only beer without saying anything, and Kane said with a smile,


    ¡°It¡¯s a divine marriage. I guess he doesn¡¯t want to party with the Crown Princess perhaps.¡±


    Pavenik replied with a shrug.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know when those two got so attached to each other¡±


    Although he was quick to catch onto things quickly and understand situations very fast as well, he thought that the rtionship between the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess was as difficult to understand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go sometime today.¡±


    When Carl said he had to go, Sienna almost popped these words up, ¡®Are you already going to go?¡¯. Although she knew that he could not stay in the pce for a long time, she could not help herself from feeling disappointed. She tried hard to pretend to put on a calm front.


    ¡°I know. You have a lot to do, so you¡¯ll have to go quickly.¡±


    Carl spoke with a face full of discontent,


    ¡°Do you like it when I leave the pce?¡±


    ¡°No, the idea of leaving isn¡¯t good...¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t like me leaving, then?¡±


    It urred to Sienna that he was acting like a child. He was asking with a scary face, but she was sure that he was definitely frustrated rather.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of my opinion? It¡¯s just that Carl has to go to the border...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about your opinion. If I don¡¯t have to go, do you want me to stay here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Sienna was not able to give out a random answer. She feels tired when she was with him. Being with him makes her too emotional and she ends up caring too much about anything. But it¡¯s not like she doesn¡¯t want him not to be around either.


    She gets tired faster than usual with him, but whenever she finds out something new that she didn¡¯t know from the past before, she feels intrigued and happy. As she watched him acting like a child, throwing a tantrum, she couldn¡¯t help but flinch at the corners of her mouth in, holding back herughter as she had never seen this side of him in the past.

 Chapter 89: Live To Sienna 89

    <h4>Chapter 89: Live To Sienna 89</h4>


    Looking down at his sleeping face, she was d that she had be a reliable enough person for him to be able to close his eyes in front of them peacefully. Clearly, their distance has be iparably closer than before. She liked the time she spent with Carl.


    But she wasn¡¯t confident that she could bring up telling him not to go. She knew as soon as she brought it up, she would feel constrained to spit out the feelings that she was holding back.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, the Second Prince, hase.¡±


    Just in time, Hain sang to Sienna.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ll have to go out anyway.¡±


    As Sienna turned around and went out, Carl grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not sure if I want Sir Carl to leave the pce or stay.¡±


    Sienna took off Carl¡¯s hand that was holding her wrist. His hand fell weakly. Carl looked over the bedroom door and asked Sienna,


    ¡°Why has Valoree to find you at thiste night?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I think I¡¯ll find out when I go outside.¡±


    She went out of the door to escape the gaze of Carl, who was looking at her angrily. In the drawing room, Valore stood alone waiting for her. He seemed to havee alone without any escorts.


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see you, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    He simply greeted Sienna after receiving her greeting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m bothering you by visiting you at thiste time.¡±


    It waste in the evening. Although there were no lights in the sky visible due to the rain that started in the morning, it was usually time for the sun to go down around this time. As Valore said, it was not the right time to go visiting someone.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°You were in the bedroom at this hour. Didn¡¯t you mean to go to bed early? You must have been feeling tired, but I think I came here at a bad time. I¡¯ll go back if it¡¯s inconvenient for you.¡±


    He said he would go back if she didn¡¯t want him to be there, but his moist, wet eyes were hoping for her to hold him there with her. Sienna thought it would be better to step inside and talk to him even if she had to withstand Carl¡¯s fierce gaze.


    ¡°No, I justid in bed for a while as I felt exhausted from the rain all day. It¡¯s too early to fall asleep.¡±


    With her permission, Valore showed her a bottle of booze. The bottle looked familiar to her.


    ¡°Lady Sienna, do you like to drink?¡±


    ¡°Drinking on a rainy day, that¡¯s, of course, good.¡±


    She sat nodding her head. As if he had already told them beforehand, the maids quickly set the table to drink.


    Valore poured wine into her ss.


    ¡°It¡¯s called carbonic.¡±


    Indeed, it made herugh at the fact that Carl always brought the carbonic with him.


    ¡®Do the imperial brothers only like this drink?¡¯


    Sienna was worried about the alcohol, which there shouldn¡¯t have been much left of. At the same time, she did not reject Valore¡¯s offer. She couldn¡¯t resist a good drink.


    ¡°It¡¯s my favorite drink.¡±


    His hands were at a standstill for a while when he was pouring wine into her ss.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hard drink to get, but you must have had it with my brother, Carl.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t answer but just smiled. He nodded with a wry face.


    ¡°Somehow, the number of bottles has decreased considerably. Actually, it¡¯s because of the older brother, Carl. He gave it to me as a gift after mying-of-age banquet. When I received the gift, my feelings were quiteplicated. At that time, I thought there would be poison in the bottle.¡±


    At Valore¡¯s words, Sienna showed a surprised face.


    ¡°Poison? There¡¯s no way.¡±


    ¡°Carl hated me that much to say. As I had be an adult then, I thought that he would bring me to my death bed himself.¡±


    ¡°Carl is a person who doesn¡¯t show much emotion on his face, so he¡¯s just misunderstood. There¡¯s no way he would have gone to visit you for such a reason as that.¡±


    Valore burst intoughter.


    ¡°Ha ha ha. That¡¯s to say. It¡¯s silly but I really thought that way back then.¡±


    Heughed merrily and poured all the alcohol in his ss then into his mouth. Sienna filled Valore¡¯s ss with the wine and waited for him to open his mouth. It seemed as if he had visited here today because he needed someone to listen to his story.


    ¡°When I was young. I came into this pce when I was six years old. I don¡¯t know if you know, but I was not born in this pce. I was born and raised in the Panacio family. I was a secret and a disgrace to the family.¡±


    He said, kicking and waving his hands.


    ¡°But because of that, I wasn¡¯t just unhappy. Marie and Deli yed well with me. But I¡¯ve always felt a shortage. I kept thinking, ¡°Who is my father? Is he aware of my existence? If he knows about me, does he love me at all?¡± In fact, my mother isn¡¯t a person with a lot of affections so I think that¡¯s the reason why she kept my father, whom I didn¡¯t know about at all, a well-hidden secret from me. But when I came to the pce, I suddenly got a father and a brother. I was really happy then.¡±


    Sienna nodded and listened to him. She knew that he had been raised hidden from the Panacio family through gossip, but it was the first time she heard it through his own mouth.


    ¡°But when I finally got here, I found that there was no one here who cared about me. Furthermore, I couldn¡¯t see Marie and Delhi. His Majesty was not the father I dreamed of either. I have a father and an older brother, but I feel even more lonely. So, I even wrote a letter to Marie. It was me telling her about how lonely I was here and asking her to take me out of here. My older sister Marie said in her letter. Take the initiative to approach him first is what she said. If I be a good younger sibling to older brother Carl, my brother will be a good older brother to me then.¡±


    ¡°At that time, Marie would have been a child, but she had a very clear idea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, then and now, Marie has been like a mother to me. She¡¯s always warm.¡±


    When Valore¡¯s soft smile formed around his mouth, Sienna smiled at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to do what Marie said. I went to see older brother, Carl, all the time. As I had suspected, he didn¡¯t really wee me. He shouted at me to go away and even threw stones at me.¡±


    Sienna burst into a pitiful sigh when he said Carl had thrown stones at Valore.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°However, do you know what was funny?¡±


    Valore said, looking Sienna in the eye.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Even if he threw a rock at me from far away and if I fell down while following him, he woulde running and lift me off the ground. He would say I was stupid for following after him when I don¡¯t even know how to walk properly, but he¡¯d carefully examine me to see if I was hurt anywhere still. When older brother, Carl, yelled at me, I¡¯d cry from being scared and he told me that a man shouldn¡¯t cry so easily. He¡¯d give me a sweet snack into my hand while saying so.¡±


    It was so cute to imagine an eight-year-old Carl shaking the dirt off the six-year-old Valore¡¯s knee, and at that, Sienna smiled.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think Carl just hated me, either.¡±


    ¡°Although Carl made cold remarks, but he really seemed to adore Valore very much.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t know that because I was young. Maybe if I had kept following him around, he would have opened up his heart to me.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you keep following him? Well, I guess that¡¯s because Carl acted so rough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t go to find him, I couldn¡¯t. Older brother spoke harshly, but he led me around well. He was the only person who treated me like a human being in this pce. The problem was my mother.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying Her Majesty, the Empress?¡±

 Chapter 90: Live To Sienna Pt.90

    <h4>Chapter 90: Live To Sienna Pt.90</h4>


    ¡°Yes. She came to see me in a short duration after hearing that I visit older brother often. It was the first time I met my mother in the Imperial Household. I was scared of her, but she¡¯s still my mother... since she is my mother, I weed her. But after seeing me, she didn¡¯t say anything warm like it¡¯s been a long time, or that she missed me. Rather, she looked at me as if she was disgusted by me without saying a friendly word.¡±


    It was also strange that her son had entered the unfamiliar imperial family at a young age and how she had never met him. But she couldn¡¯t believe how she had nitpicked at him, getting angry.


    ¡°How could she have actually looked at her son abhorrently? But for her to have gotten angry over your close rtionship to Carl is a little...¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Valore smiled with a sullen face. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell him that whenever his mother sees him, she looks at him as if she sees something dirty.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird, isn¡¯t it? The close and tenderly rtionship between brothers bes the reason for anguish and to be scolded by. My mother held me back. Older brother, Carl, and I are not meant to be brothers but to bepetitors with each other. We have to contend with the only thing in the world. She said it was something I absolutely needed to obtain.¡±


    Sienna knew that the only thing she meant was the ¡®Emperor,¡¯ but she didn¡¯t make any useless remarks. Valore continued his speech with a miserable look.


    ¡°I asked if I could share it in half. If we get half of it together on good terms, there would be no reason to fight with each other at all then. After I stated so, she said, I can¡¯t divide them into half. She said I couldn¡¯t share it with anyone. So, I said I¡¯ll give it to older brother, Carl, then. I told her I didn¡¯t know what it was exactly and if it was really something to fight over about with older brother, Carl, so I told her to give it to older brother, Carl, if he wanted it.¡±


    This story of a child, who had no idea what the position of the emperor was and said he would give it to his cold brother, felt so naive and lovely. On the other hand, she was worried about how he might have been scolded because she knew about Arya¡¯s nature.


    ¡°What did the Empress say?¡±


    Valore burst into a hapless grin on her question. His eyes were moistened.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t involve speaking. She pped me in the face.¡±


    She knew how spicy her hands were because she had once experienced them before, and I¡¯ve known them well. No matter how angry she was, he was only a six-year-old boy.


    TN: spicy ¨C In Korea, it¡¯s amon term exining the extremityparison between how hot a spice and situation or saying is. It is a way of exining through spicy levels.


    ¡°It hurt so awfully much that my ears rang with deafness. She grabbed and shook me, saying if I knew what it was and was saying it knowing what it was so easily. She said if I end up not attaining it, she doesn¡¯t need something like me at all and that there wasn¡¯t any reason for me to have been born. She shook my younger self like that and said it all. It¡¯s so vivid that it still sometimes appears in my dreams.¡±


    Valore added it as humor jokingly, but it was clear that the shock of being denied by his mother at an early age remained as a trauma strong enough toe to his dreams.


    ¡°That¡¯s a cruel thing to say.¡±


    ¡°At that time, although I didn¡¯t understand what those words were about or what our conversation meant, but I nodded my head. I said that I would do what mother tells me to do and that if my mother wanted so, I would bring to her anything and everything she wanted. I told her I would do as she wished. I promised my mother that I would be what she needed me to be. After that, I couldn¡¯t bear to bring myself to get closer to older brother, Carl. I felt like I wasmitting a serious crime.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Sir Valore¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°No, I, to say, was quite cruel. I didn¡¯t know until a few yearster about what my existence to Carl actually meant.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I had be truly aware of my existence to my older brother, Carl, as the one who had to try to take everything away from him. It¡¯s predestined to only be my brother¡¯s; yet, something like me, appearing out of nowhere as a younger brother, was harboring a desire for his position. All the while, not knowing anything at all, I continuously called him older brother and kept following older brother, Carl, around. I can¡¯t imagine how terrible he must have felt about me all that time as I did so. However, older brother, who is only but kind, didn¡¯t really give up on me or cast me aside. I tried hard to ignore my guilty consciousness.¡±


    He moistened his dry lips with wine.


    ¡°Seeing from another point of view, I told myself it may not be only older brother¡¯s and that it could be mine as well. I tried to convince myself this countless of times by telling myself over hundreds, no, even thousands over of times again that I could have it, too. It may be mine as well.¡±


    Valore looked into Sienna¡¯s eyes and said so. There was something in his dark brown eyes, such as aspiration, being projected. Sienna felt like it was his confession.


    ¡°As if I had actually brainwashed myself, I became greedy. I want it, I¡¯ll have it. But after mying-of-age banquet, I saw this bottle of liquor that he had brought and ced in my room, saying it was a gift. That¡¯s when I immediately became very conscious. I felt like I gave up being human and became a monster out of greed. I felt terrible about myself being greedy, knowing that I had to see blood between my brother and I in order to get to where we want. I thought he sent me the bottle after noticing my greed. So, of course, I thought there would be poison in the bottle.¡±


    It was strange to think that Carl had poisoned the gift, but she understood why he thought so. Valore seemed to have thought Carl would poison himself since he had long been feeling guilty of covetousness.


    ¡°So, did you have some of the wine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so bad to die right there and then. I thought it would be good for everyone. I know that better than anyone. I don¡¯t have the qualities to be a king. Rather than listening to conversations about politics, I¡¯m the happiest when I am listening to music or ying an instrument. Even the teacher who taught me cesareanism was so messed up that I shook my head. Inparison, I felt like my brother was born to be an emperor.¡±


    Although Valore had a difficult rtionship with Carl, he still found himself respecting him deep down in his heart. Those feelings of his were still the same then and now.


    ¡°And he¡¯s skillful in swordsmanship... when older brother says one word, everyone¡¯s attention is on him. His teacher stated that he had finished all of his royal training within three years-time and that he had nothing more to teach, resigning from his position. If a fool like me bes the emperor, it would be a nuisance to this country and only the people would suffer. In fact, it was too hard psychologically. It¡¯s exhausting to have to fight for a position that you don¡¯t want. That¡¯s why I had drinks after drinks.¡±


    Sienna asked Valore, assuming that the bottle would never have been poisoned.


    ¡°So, was there really poison in it?¡±


    ¡°Haha, no. It was just a good wine with a good taste and aroma. It was so delicious that I could cry. I think I cried the most on that day in all of my life.¡±


    It must have been tears mixed with all kinds of emotions.


    Frustration and emptiness, relief and sorry, resentment and gratitude. Theplex emotion aroused his tears.


    Even now, when he thought about it, he felt like he was crying and weeping all over again. He didn¡¯t even realize that he had shed tears and smiled in disarray with a nk look.


    ¡°I made a pledge then.¡±


    ¡°What kind ofmitment are you making?¡±

 Chapter 91: Live To Sienna Pt.91

    <h4>Chapter 91: Live To Sienna Pt.91</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯ll never covet my brother¡¯s possessions. Even if it¡¯s the only thing in the world, I¡¯ll never take my brother¡¯s ce, even if I¡¯m going to go mad.¡±


    She opened her eyes to Valore¡¯s words.


    ¡°Does he know what it is that he, himself, is saying right now? Right now, he is saying that he doesn¡¯t want the throne in front of Sienna who is the wife of Carl.¡±


    After hearing this story from the door, she wondered what kind of face Carl was wearing as he listened. At the same time, it felt like a tragedy that Valore and Carl, who were able to share good friendships regardless of whether they were of blood or not of blood, should hate each other and covet each other¡¯s possessions.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve begun to feel greedy. That self of mine, which is seemingly terrible, had be greedy. What should I do, Lady Sienna?¡±


    He asked Sienna for an answer. She poured a drink into Valore¡¯s ss.


    The problem wasn¡¯t lying in whether Valore was feeling greedy or not. Even if he doesn¡¯t want to, since Empress Arya is behind him, she¡¯ll try to take Carl¡¯s life. In fact, the emperor¡¯s position will, in turn, end up returning to Valore.


    ¡°It is said that the emperor¡¯s position is not handed down by humans, but rather, it is given down from the heavens.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s given down from heavens.¡±


    ¡°So, don¡¯t resent him if that position goes to Sir Carl, or feel guilty if it goes to you. Regardless of desires, you two will move in ordance with your destinies as it is.¡±


    ¡°To say destiny... destiny.¡±


    The word, destiny, hase rolling out of his mouth many times. Like an uneptable word, several times until he has gotten used to it.


    ¡°Indeed, it might be destiny.¡±


    He smiled a dejected smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re destined to ept it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    She knows how it feels to be resentful to destiny when it¡¯s not on your side in favor. For Sienna as well, she had once gone through a destiny so hard on her as she couldn¡¯t have what she wanted.


    Unlike Valore, who will have what he wants in his hands no matter what he feels about his greed, she could not have the coveting and coveted Carl. He was always a distant being and was not hers to begin with, but he was another woman¡¯s named Bluebell. Trying to force the string of destiny onto something not meant to be only returned to her, not of Carl¡¯s heart, but only his wounded gaze and indelible stigma.


    ¡°I think the time is getting toote now.¡±


    When she saw Valore¡¯s red face, Sienna said, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll have to go back now.¡±


    Although he had spoken those words with his own mouth that he¡¯ll have to go back, he stared nkly at the liquor ss, which was filled with alcohol. He said to Sienna.


    ¡°May I y onest song before I go back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to hear Valore¡¯s songs.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, but it¡¯s a song I made for someone.¡±


    He paced along and sat down in front of the piano.


    ¡°I was hoping that Sienna would listen to it more than anyone else. It¡¯s my first time ying in front of anyone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡±


    Valore¡¯s thin, long hands pressed hard on the white keyboard. The clear sound of the piano sounded as softly as the spring breeze. Then, the mood immediately changed. The warm tones of the spring sun went wild like a storm. Humid, grim, yet rough, as if expressing a whirlwind of desire.


    Sienna listened to Valore¡¯s music and drank a ss. The beads of sweat fell from his passionate forehead to show how heartily he yed.


    ¡®Was Sir Carl also listening from inside? No, that isn¡¯t it because it¡¯s toote now...¡¯


    Carl said he was leaving by today, so Sienna thought that when she opened the door, there would be only a gust of cold air remaining. She had gotten used to sleeping in a bed with the presence of another human after having felt a human body¡¯s temperature for the few days he was staying with her, and today she had felt like she wasn¡¯t going to be able to fall asleep well. The empty side of the one beside her seemed too much of an impact to her.


    The wild-running performance ended at its peak. It was an unfinished end, but rather it matched with this song. She thinks that it was a spiraling of emotion that wouldn¡¯te to a halt.


    As Valore¡¯s hands came down to the base of the keyboard, Sienna pped.


    ¡°What a wonderful song.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for listening.¡±


    ¡°You said that you made this song for someone, right? Make sure you let that person listen to it. It¡¯s such a good song, but it¡¯s a shame. I don¡¯t know who that person is, but I¡¯m sure that person will be impressed.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, absolutely.¡±


    ¡°...okay. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, go in carefully.¡±


    Valore stared nkly at her, who had gone out through the door. It was a dark, turquoise door that had been closed.


    ¡°I...¡±


    Valore, as if he had bitten a glue, forced open his jaw that wouldn¡¯t fall off easily.


    ¡°What I want isn¡¯t something like the crown of the emperor.¡±


    A damp, sticky feeling encroached on his body. It was now one with himself that was dirty and disgusting, and yet wouldn¡¯t fall apart.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sienna, it¡¯s her that I¡¯m craving.¡±


    Valore shook it off with a hard time. Beyond the door, she was not going to hear it. It was something he can¡¯t say, but he wanted to get it out of his mouth. In the empty hallway, knowing no one would hear it.


    Valore didn¡¯t know. The fact that his sad confession was clearly told to another pair of ears.


    Sienna told Hain that she would have a quick breakfast tomorrow and returned to her room. The room was dark with the candle extinguished. A heavy rain was beating against the window. As she entered the room, she saw a figure sitting on the chair. It was Sir Carl.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t gone yet?¡±


    Carl raised himself up without answering.


    ¡°I thought you were going to leave by the end of today. It turned out well. I wanted to give my greetings maybe before you go...¡±


    Carl strode towards her in defiance of what she said. Seeing his stiff face, Sienna stepped back in horror. The wall touched behind her back.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Carl slowly swept down her face, locking Sienna against the wall. She called his name in a frightened voice. Without answering, Carl lifted her chin up and sucked her lips roughly.


    The sudden kiss loosened Sienna¡¯s legs. He wrapped his arms around Sienna¡¯s waist, which was about to sink, and coveted her without letting her miss a single breath when she exhaled. Her breath was intermingled with the scent of hot wine and the scent of ripe fruit. Sienna groaned as she felt the hot breath prating into her mouth.


    After a wild kiss, Carl¡¯s and Sienna¡¯s fell with a throbbing sound.


    ¡°Sir Carl?¡±


    With a mixture of embarrassment and surprise, Sienna called for Carl. Carl, who was afraid that she would express rejection, said first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ve heard enough of unwanted stories today.¡±


    Carl violently held onto her arm and led Sienna to the bed.


    ¡°Sir Carl...¡±


    Sienna suddenly did not know why he was doing this. Carl, who had led Sienna to bed,id her down on the bed and looked down at her. The moist, wet look seemed somehow hurt, and Carl himself seemed to be embarrassed.


    Carl, acting as if he would have taken her to himself so roughly at once, stopped with an agonizing look. He just looked down at Sienna for a long time. Sienna seemed to chill out in the icy snow of Carl¡¯splex heart as her heart was pounding.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    Sienna swept down Carl¡¯s face with her hand. He burst outughing, feeling the smooth texture of her skin. She slowly swept down his nose and lips with her thumb.


    Contrary to hisplex mind, Sienna now wanted to kiss this smooth nose and covet the sweet-looking lips again.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to love again, but...¡¯


    The pledge of that time has long faded. Sienna faced Carl¡¯s dark, light-green eyes. The mere sight of his eyes made her dizzy and excited as if she had been feeble.


    ¡°Sienna, you...¡±


    It was when Carl tried to say something by calling Sienna¡¯s name. Sienna said, with her arms around his neck and pulling.


    ¡°Shhh... don¡¯t say anything. I don¡¯t want to hear Carl¡¯s voice this time, either.¡±


    Siennapped her lips on his lips and dragged him into bed.

 Chapter 92: Live To Sienna Pt.92 A Sudden Change

    <h4>Chapter 92: Live To Sienna Pt.92 A Sudden Change</h4>


    Carl took off his white tunic, kissing Sienna. Sienna also helped him take off his clothes.


    When he was hurriedly undressed, his solid upper body was revealed. There were scars everywhere in his body, but even the scars felt like decorations to make him stand out.


    Sienna stared at his upper body bewitched and slowly swept his chest down with her palm. The ces where her hand grazed his chest felt as hot as wearing a wreath if it were wearing. He moistened his dry lips and began to unbutton her dress.


    Perhaps because he was in a state of excitement, his hands shed through the air one after another and in frustration, Carl looked at her and asked, ¡°If I just tear it up...¡±


    His voice seemed to be of a man who had not been hydrated for a long time. The grief dried up and came out.


    ¡°Wait! Wait...¡±


    Sienna shook her head violently. She carefully unbuttoned the buttons around her waist, saying she would do it. In the midst of that, Carl touched her forehead and put his lips on Sienna¡¯s neck, forcing him to breathe hard.


    If he could, he wanted to leave his marks all over her body. He just wanted to soak his scent onto her so that someone like Valore could not covet her.


    Whether she knew it or not, Sienna¡¯s hand gestures of unbuttoning were only slow. Carl swallowed dry saliva and watched her unbuttoned.


    After unbuttoning all the tight buttons, she held onto the dress and looked up at Carl. She had aplicated face, a face that showed she would one day regret her actions with him now.


    Even the slightest regret and hesitation in her eyes came to Carl¡¯s notice in an instant He approached her with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Sienna...¡±


    His gut seemed to melt away by burning with iprehensible possessiveness, greed, and lust.


    -It¡¯s Sienna, it¡¯s her I¡¯m craving.


    Valore¡¯s voice seemed to clench in his ears. If Carl doesn¡¯t hold her up right now, he felt like she was going to be taken away by him.


    ¡®How dare he!¡¯


    Not even Valore¡¯s calling of Sienna¡¯s name was enough to fill the castle. He wanted to pull out his tongue that called his wife¡¯s name, break the heart that he wanted to give to Sienna, and burn the eyes that coveted her. If that doesn¡¯t work, he was to carve himself deep in Siena so that no one can covet her.


    Just for a moment, he was hurt by the small gesture of her conflict in her rtionship with him. Carl felt pathetic of himself, but he felt as if an indescribable emotion burning its existence onto his brain that he could not define with reasoning. Reason has long been thrown onto the ground.


    Carl kissed her lips, pulling her waist in close. He was thirsty. Even during that moment as he was already coveting her mouth...


    Like a long-starved child sucking at his mother¡¯s breast, the wanderer devoured her lips as if he had found an oasis.


    ¡°Uh... ugh...!¡±


    The harsh kiss made Sienna groan with frustration. Carl took his lips off her and looked at her. Her face was red-hot, her lips redder than that. Even with a mess of hair, he still wanted her.


    Carl slowly peeled off her dress. Her body was revealed as the clothes went down gently.


    When her voracious breasts shaped like a drop of water was revealed, she shrank in shame, biting her lower lip. Every little act of her came as an overly provocative temptation.


    Carl grabbed Sienna by the waist and led her to the bed. On the bed, she looked up at Carl. As Carl scanned her whole body, she said with a red face, ¡°Stop staring.¡±


    Shhh... don¡¯t say anything else. At least this time, I don¡¯t want to hear Carl¡¯s voice.


    Sienna was the one who led him with a provocative face when she gave her kisses roughly, but now she was the one that looked embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Carl smiled and kissed her deeply on the neck. Sienna brushed Carl¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    Carl left a stronger and deeper mark on her every time she called out his name. He wanted to take his time and covet her gently, but there was an impatience. There was a fear that in time, she would get taken away.


    A Sudden Change


    Carl opened his eyes dimly, feeling the dawning of the twilight. He raised himself up and looked next to him with a satisfied smile, like a predator who had finished a full meal adequately.


    Sienna was asleep, not turning around, with her quilt in her arms. She took all of Carl¡¯s side of the quilt away and covered it onto herself. The child-like figure brought out a smirk.


    Although they had met every time with their eyes open, it felt different at that time when he saw her sleeping like this. Perhaps because of the slightly raised lip line, she seemed to be smiling softly, even though she was asleep.


    When he looked down at Sienna¡¯s face and saw her shoulder and neck, which had strong traces of himself remaining, and he turned his head away in embarrassment.


    -I don¡¯t want the crown of the emperor. What I¡¯m coveting is Sienna, it¡¯s her.


    Carl was angry when he heard Valore¡¯s confession unexpectedly yesterday. He didn¡¯t understand why the remark made him so upset. When he heard the story, he kissed Sienna instinctively. Then he dragged her to the bed.


    He tried to hug her without hesitation, but after, when he faced Sienna, he felt guilty. The fact that she might be harboring someone else made him falter. No, in fact, rather than her having someone else on her mind, he was afraid that he would be hated if he held her by her own will forcefully. Nevertheless, his desire of interest in kissing her neck and keeping her in his arms was at odds.


    Carl wanted to ask Sienna. Who was buried in her heart? He was wondering if this zing heart of his would cool a little if he heard the name.


    But she didn¡¯t say the name. Instead, she put her arms around Carl¡¯s neck and whispered.


    Shh... don¡¯t say anything else. At least this time, I don¡¯t want to hear Carl¡¯s voice, either.


    With Sienna¡¯s already hot and burning kiss, Carl didn¡¯t care anymore. What kind of person she is, who she has in her heart, all he had just felt was her being in the bosoms of his arms.


    Carl raised himself and muttered, picking up his clothes thatid on the floor.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of expression she¡¯ll make in the morning, but...¡±


    He wondered what expression she would look at herself with when she woke up, but he couldn¡¯t wait here any longer.


    Originally, he should have left earlyst night. Pavenik must be waiting anxiously for him toe out of the capital city so quietly. Carl changed his clothes with regret.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    He approached Sienna, who made a rumbling sound, whether it was due to the heavy nket or perhaps because ofst night¡¯s intense time. Then he kissed his lips straight onto her white forehead.


    Carl¡¯s gesture was as careful and gentle as if he were dealing with something very precious. He tried to slip out of her room quietly with a farewell kiss. But it was sad to just leave.


    He sneaked into the capital and had to leave quietly, but he felt sorry to leave nothing behind. It¡¯s ridiculous, but he was also worried that she might dismiss his work as just a sleepover, a dream.


    His mischievous spirit rose when he saw the pen on the table.


    ¡°Will she say it¡¯s childish?¡±


    Carl sat by her bedside with a pen full of ink. Then he carefully scribbled down her palm.


    ¡°Did I write it for nothing?¡±


    Carl¡¯s face swelled when he saw the childish sentences left on her palm. He wrote it like a joke, but after facing the sentences, he felt pathetic and childish. But now he couldn¡¯t erase the ink stains left in her hands.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    With a burst ofughter, he patted Sienna¡¯s sleeping hair and went outside.


    *


    As soon as Sienna hade to her senses with the sunlight that flooded the room, she muttered without even opening her eyes.


    ¡°Crazy!¡±


    What on earth was he thinking? No, what could she have thought? When she remembered yesterday, she blushed and buried her face in the pillow.


    ¡°I¡¯m crazy, I¡¯m crazy.¡±


    It was only after dozens of consecutive ¡®crazy¡¯ shots that she checked the seat next to her. Fortunately, Carl had left for the border area, and the seat next to her had cooled.


    ¡°Argh! You¡¯re crazy, too! I¡¯m out of my mind. How could you do that?!¡±

 Chapter 93: Live To Sienna Pt.93

    <h4>Chapter 93: Live To Sienna Pt.93</h4>


    When she remembered herself kissing him with her arms around the neck of Carl¡¯s yesterday, blood rushed to her face again. That¡¯s because she remembered what happenedst night so vividly.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Feeling good, but unable to bear it, her body felt stiff and her back hurt. Sienna wrapped herself in the nket. No one saw her, but she was so ashamed that she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my first time with him, but...¡±


    But it was apletely different experience. Yesterday¡¯s Carl seemed like a different person. In the past, she felt like it was doing it with a wooden doll, but this time it was different. He was active, hot, sensual, and ecstatic.


    ¡°I feel like I lost for some reason.¡±


    After already having shared a bed together, what was the use of winning or losing? Sienna thought absentmindedly. She reflected whether she had been out of her mind or otherwise swayed by him.


    ¡°Your Royal Crown Highness!¡±


    From outside, she heard Hain¡¯s voice and was up in a hurry to get off the bed, but she ended up banging her head against the bedpost and her ankle had gotten caught on the quilt which resulted in her falling down forward as well.


    ¡°Your Highness, if you¡¯re up, may Ie in?¡±


    ¡°No! Wait, wait a minute!¡±


    Sienna screamed. She knew Hain was only trying toe in to help her, but she couldn¡¯t let her in the bedroom. The bedroom was infused with the strong smell of love and the traces of Carl still remained.


    She ran to the window without even wearing shoes. The rain was still pouring heavily. Rain sshed into the bedroom, but she opened the window. She had to make this smell go away somehow or another. She then examined the bedroom for any misunderstandings.


    ¡°Yes, the bed!¡±


    Outside, Hain called Sienna in an urgent voice as she was cleaning up the messier-than-usual bedding. She told her toe in because she couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness!¡±


    Hain, who rushed into the bedroom, was more tired than usual. Sienna couldn¡¯t look at her face in fear that Hain would notice of yesterday¡¯s happening.


    ¡®Huh? What¡¯s this?¡¯


    Sienna btedly found a piece of writing with ink on her palm.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor has passed away.¡±


    /Don¡¯t stay close to Valore while I¡¯m away./(Gothic)


    Sienna burst intoughter after not hearing Hain¡¯s words because she was clearly indulged in what Carl had left behind.


    ¡°Ha ha ha.¡±


    What a child-like act this was. Siennaughed because he was so different from the beast he had revealed her yesterday.


    Hain asked again, feeling strange to Sienna, who burst intoughter when she said the emperor had died.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Crown Princess! Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Hain, what did you just say?¡±


    ¡°The Emperor has passed away.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    A smile lifted away from her face in an instant.


    It was a week earlier than in the past. But she responded calmly, as she had already known it would happen. She changed her clothes and assembled her maids and servants working under her.


    ¡°As you all know, if there is a death in the imperial family of Laifsden, everyone living in the imperial pce should be forbidden from eating meat and using firearms. So, if there¡¯s meat we¡¯re supposed to bring in, we¡¯re going to suspend deliveries, and if there¡¯s food that¡¯s already in the pce, we¡¯re going to throw it out. Even if the food looks fine, you shouldn¡¯t hide it just because you think it¡¯s a waste. It is possible to give to someone outside the pce, but you shouldn¡¯t have it or eat it inside the pce Also, from today, any use of fires andnterns should be banned for a month, so remove any ashes and spray water on the furnaces.¡±


    In the event of an Imperial family member¡¯s death, the etiquette to follow wasplicated and exhausting, but it was inevitable. Sienna¡¯s words were listened to with nervous faces by her servants working under her.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even light the candles, so clean away all the candles and let the important tasks be done during the day. We don¡¯t allow any hair decorations, so you have to let your hair down. We can¡¯t hear augh for a month or run frivolously. I want you all to thank the Emperor, who ruled the country, and honor him.¡±


    Sienna called Shaylin, standing on one side and listening to the story.


    ¡°Shaylin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Go to the Phoenix Knights Training Center now and tell Lord Waters to stop all the training ande over here. As I said before, tell him to never run, and tell Lord Waters toe slowly. Your clothes will be wet when you get back, so go straight back to your room, change your clothes, and rest today. Cover yourself with a thick nket so you don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    It was Sienna¡¯s consideration for her, who was worried that she would get sick from working even though she couldn¡¯t even use antern. Shaylin nodded and went out. She checked out the window. There was a lot of rain today as well. If it were the same as in the past, the rain wouldst for nearly a month.


    ¡°Hain, it¡¯s going to rain a lot in the future, so while not using any firearms ornterns, there will be a lot of people who will be sick.¡±


    ¡°Will it keep raining?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure, but we always have to think about the worst-case scenario. First of all, keep a close eye on the weak and reduce work to a minimum. Since firearms should be banned anyway, let¡¯s stop the kitchen¡¯s work and get some bread and food from outside the pce. I¡¯d rather give you all a vacation. For those who say that they will continue to work, they will be given an eighty percent raise in their sry for this month instead.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Even if you don¡¯t work, your sry will be partially paid, so there will be no problem with your life without working.¡±


    She could give them the same sry as it is, but the department outside the kitchen decided to cut back on their sry because they thought there would be some equity issues.


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be hard to dry theundry if the rain persists. You can¡¯t use firearms either. How muchundry do you usually get out of our pce?¡±


    ¡°The dailyundry is like the clothes and bedclothes of Your Highness the Crown Princess. I wash the curtains and tablecloths once a week. If you add up the women¡¯s clothes and underwear, it¡¯s a lot more.¡±


    Sienna blushed at the word bedclothes. It was because yesterday came to mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rece my sheets with new ones once a week instead of washing them every day. Instead, I¡¯ll make sure to rece it with a new one today. Don¡¯t wash the curtains and tablecloth until the sun rises, just dust it off. Buy two new suits for the maids and reduce the workload as much as possible. When the weather is humid, infectious disease will spread easily so don¡¯t worry too much and let me know when an infection starts or when someone begins to cough hard or has a fever. First, let¡¯s do this. If there¡¯s anything else I could think of, I¡¯ll let you know when I think of it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Sienna asked Hain, who answered with a smile.


    ¡°Why are youughing like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say this, but I¡¯m very proud of you. It¡¯s been almost ten years since I worked in the Imperial family, but I¡¯ve never dealt with a death in the royal family, so I was at a loss. I knew the procedures, but... But I¡¯m d and proud that you¡¯re so good at giving orders.¡±


    ¡°Being so sweet.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you have somewhere to go?¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should see to the arrangements for the funeral or visit Her Majesty?¡±


    ¡°The funeral arrangements will be carried out at the bureaucratic meeting, so there won¡¯t be any room for me to step in. I have to go see the Empress, but...¡±


    It seemed like a y to her that she should express her sympathy through words of constion even though she clearly knew the cause of the emperor¡¯s death. But it was her duty to visit Arya and convey her condolences.


    ¡°I have a purple dress, don¡¯t I? Please take off all the jewelry on the top and get it ready.¡±


    Sienna wondered what kind of expression Arya was wearing. Was she hiding her joy and showing crocodile tears, or was she smiling with no qualms?

 Chapter 94: Live To Sienna Pt.94

    <h4>Chapter 94: Live To Sienna Pt.94</h4>


    Sienna, who came to see Arya, was rejected at the door. Her servant had told her that the empress was in no position to meet anyone because of her grief.


    ¡®You¡¯re being funny. You can¡¯t meet me because you¡¯re not confident in hiding your expression of joy.¡¯


    She felt sorry, but she did not want to see Arya either, so she turned away with a light heart.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness?¡±


    Standing at the entrance to the imperial pce, she could see a group of people trying to enter here. It was Lady Mary, Valore¡¯s wife, and her knights. It wasn¡¯t until she saw them that she realized she was walking around without any knights. Now that she was used to it, she was not even embarrassed.


    ¡°Are you on your way out from seeing the Empress?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯vee to see her, but she¡¯s sad and she¡¯s not in the mood to meet anyone. So I was on my way back without seeing her face.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll just have to go back to my pce. If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you have a cup of tea at my ce?¡±


    Sienna answered that she would. Mary didn¡¯t seem to know yet that she shouldn¡¯t use candles on the table. Sienna didn¡¯t tell her that. Maybe because of the heavy rain, she was in desperate need of a calming tea.


    Mary poured the light-colored tea water out of the teacup. The incense reached the tip of her nose. Sienna sped her hands around the teacup. Originally, it was necessary to hold the end of the handle with one hand and finger sticking out at the end and savor the scent little by little, but her hands were like an ice sheet. Like Sienna, Marie raised the teacup with her both hands.


    ¡°...¡±


    Although she had followed up on her offer to be served warm tea, it was awkward to be in the same space with her. If she were Arya, she would say anything in defense or retaliation, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how to start a conversation with Mary. She had little outside activity, so it was hard to make a proper topic.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining a lot.¡±


    Mary opened her mouth first. If there¡¯s nothing to say, would it be about the weather? Sienna also put words on the conversation.


    ¡°It looks like the clouds will continue for a few days. We should ban fire during the Emperor¡¯s memorial, but I¡¯m worried about this and that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that fires should be banned during the memorial period, but... Can¡¯t we light up a single fire?¡±


    Sienna was dumbfounded by Mary¡¯s reaction. She couldn¡¯t believe how she had taken up her offer on tea without much thought and ease, and now here she was bringing out the topic of the banning of fire. Luckily, she didn¡¯t me Sienna.


    ¡°I think the bureaucrats will soon send in the details in official documents soon, so we can, by following them.¡±


    After drinking a sip of tea, Mary said.


    ¡°The Emperor has been in bed for so long, but it feels sudden. Actually, it hasn¡¯t really reached me well yet. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m feeling sad or not because I¡¯ve never even been able to see his before. Oh! Is this too rude to say this about the Emperor right now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I do the same. I¡¯ve never seen him face to face either.¡±


    ¡°Right? No matter how unhealthy he was, he didn¡¯t show up so much that I don¡¯t think he really existed.¡±


    Sienna nodded at Mary¡¯s words.


    Although there were many who thought this way, It was a pretty amazing thing how Empress Arya had been in power for a long time under the pretext of the Emperor¡¯s illness. The skill of blocking the mouths of those who tried to broach the words of doubts, creating public opinion, and attracting many aristocratic forces to their side was truly admirable.


    *


    Despite the news of the emperor¡¯s ascension and death, the imperial day went by without much difference than before. Although the castle felt gloomy as the use of fire was prohibited inside the imperial pce, meals felt inconvenient as the candles could not be lighted.


    The emperor¡¯s funeral was held for a week. It was a grand funeral. His coffin was kept at the ce where Sienna was married, followed by a memorial procession for the nobles.


    Seeing him lying in a ss tube made her feel strange. She was told that he had blond hair and light green eyes like Carl, but the line seen over the ss tube was white-haired.


    His eyes were closed, so she couldn¡¯t see his pupils, but it was hard to find any indicators resembling Carl. All she could find was an outline of his eyebrows. Looking at his dark, well-organized eyebrows, she remembered the outline of Carl¡¯s eyes, which made a strong impression.


    Sienna thought it was strange for herself to think of andpare someone while looking at the dead, but otherwise, she had no other feelings.


    As Mary said, it was hard to mourn the death of Emperor Robius. The body he left behind was never felt to be that of a man who once had a soul in him and who had moved and breathed. It was just like a well-made piece of human body.


    The emperor¡¯s remains had to be seen by many for a week. The emperor¡¯s body was for the reason that he blessed those who were still alive. However, despite the drug treatments, his body had dposed too quickly. It was only two days during the week-long funeral that his coffin was made public.


    For this reason, some nobles went to the man in charge of the emperor¡¯s body, but he had already disappeared. His daughter said she had heard from her father that the emperor¡¯s body had already seemed to have been maintained under drugs for a long time, but she, too, was unable to find any trace of him from the very next day.


    Eventually, the emperor¡¯s body wasid to earth earlier than expected, and those who questioned his death shut up.


    More important than the death of the Emperor was to decide who would be the next emperor. Carl¡¯s supporters and Valore¡¯s supporters worked busily to make the man they wanted to be their next emperor.


    The nobles went back and forth so many times until the threshold of the royal court, where Arya was staying in, had gotten worn out by nobles. There were some visitors to Sienna, but she refused their visits to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should meet the nobles? Cough cough.¡±


    ¡°Hain, have you caught a cold?¡±


    ¡°Cough cough, my cold isn¡¯t important. Her Majesty is visited by dozens of aristocrats a day, and you refuse their visitations. What if you don¡¯t remain the First Princess, but the second prince bes the emperor?¡±


    ¡°Somehow. I guess it¡¯s meant to be.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God! It¡¯s not the time for you to say such and be so easy going. Until the first prince returns, the queen will take his ce. At this rate, even the nobles who support him will go over to the other side.


    It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t think of meeting the nobles and coaxing them. However, she did not need to draw attention and bring herself to risk even though he would be able to be emperor anyway. She did not want to make a fuss over what was going to happen, even though she already has.


    Rather, it was best to wait for Arya¡¯s power to increase further. It was important to increase support when fighting for the throne of the emperor. However, if she stretched it too much, he will fall into the hands of those who supported him and be swung around when he rose to the throne.


    The nobles speak of loyalty as if it were the nobility¡¯s honor, but in fact, loyalty is nothing but an act of reaching out to their own advantages and being able toy their hands on a profit. After bing an emperor, he should take care of whatever the newly-brought in forces wants to gain. Nevertheless, the existing forces should not be neglected.


    No matter how fair they are treated, both sides were bound toin. ¡°How much damage did I get from moving here?¡± and ¡°I swore loyalty from the beginning, but only the migratory-like birds were the ones that were wee. Comints of doing so will inevitably sh.¡±


    Sienna has already worked to fuel their discontent. That¡¯s why she could keep staying in their seats with this much ease. She was hoping to catch a fish by the bait thrown.


    ¡°Cough Cough.¡±


    Hain tried to nag at Sienna because she was frustrated, but she coughed violently.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it, Hain. Let¡¯s go in and rest today.¡±

 Chapter 95: Live To Sienna Pt.95

    <h4>Chapter 95: Live To Sienna Pt.95</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Everyone has taken a vacation or has gotten sick, so there¡¯s no one here or there. You don¡¯t have anyone to stand by you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Even so.¡±


    Just as Shaylin came into the drawing room with water.


    ¡°Shaylin can do it!¡±


    At her words, Shaylin rolled her round eyes with astonishment, and Hain tilted her head.


    ¡°Shaylin is too young.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Shaylin rolled her eyes with her eyes wide open. Her figure looked so young and fragile that it seemed she couldn¡¯t even be asked for a small errand.


    In fact, Shaylin wasn¡¯t that very young, either. At thirteen years old, she wasn¡¯t a child among the probationary maids, but she was treating Shaylin as a child because the girls who worked for Sienna were generally older.


    Shaylin was small and had big eyes and round eyes, causing viewers to have a protective instinct. Moreover, her speech was dull and slow, so everyone gave her a pat as a child.


    ¡°Shaylin, I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t work... Cough cough.¡±


    ¡°Hain, are you going to pass the cold to me? I¡¯ll be with Shaylin, so go ahead and get some rest.¡±


    She looked alternately at Sienna and Shaylin, with a worried look on her face, then said with her shoulders down.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Shaylin! Follow Her Highness, the Crown Princess¡¯s orders well. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t know, Aunt Dirane is in the kitchen, so go and ask her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother me for nothing... Cough cough.¡±


    ¡°Shaylin¡¯s going take care of it, so hurry on and go inside. On the way in, stop by the Imperial House and get some medicine, and stay in your room until you¡¯re all right.¡±


    Sienna, with an uneasy face, forced her to step away and sat down at the table.


    She used to spend her time reading imperial history books when she had the time, but she couldn¡¯t think of reading because she couldn¡¯t even turn on the candles in the unlightened room and weather. She sat idly because she had nothing to do, and boredom struck.


    sh! Boom! Boom!


    The rain slowed all morning and the sky became noisy again. It looked like it was going to rain heavily again.


    Flicker! Whenever the thunder roared, Shaylin suddenly opened her big eyes even bigger. Thunder and lightning seemed to scare her.


    ¡°Shaylin,e here.¡±


    Sienna opened the nket around her shoulders and called Shaylin. She could not bear to be held in Sienna¡¯s arms and looked at her. Though she was afraid of thunder and lightning, the difference between her rank and hers was so great that she did not seem to be able to hold her in her arms easily. Sienna called her this time, tapping on her side.


    ¡°Then sit here.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to sit next to me. Because I gave you my permission.¡±


    As the thunder and lightning struck again, Shaylin sat aloof next to Sienna. Her hands were shaking visibly. She held her ne and muttered something. Sienna asked, wrapping a nket around her shoulder.


    ¡°What ne is that?¡±


    ¡°Ah! This is nothing...¡±


    Boom! Surprised by the loud thunder that rang the ground, Shaylin pushed her ne into her clothes. Then she mumbled something with her mouth, memorizing it. She heard repeated words as she listened to them as if they were a spell of some sort. Sienna noticed that she was memorizing the prayer of the goddess of the moon.


    It was not until the thunder and lightning died down that Shaylin opened her eyes. Her relieved shoulders rxed gently.


    ¡°You believe in the goddess of the moon?¡±


    She looked surprised at Sienna¡¯s question. She was so cute that she patted her head in surprise at the small question.


    ¡°What are you so surprised about?¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    She mumbled in a small voice.


    ¡°If I say I believe in the goddess of the moon... no one likes it.¡±


    In the case of Laifsden, the country had freedom of religion because it did not have a particr religion as a state religion. However, that being the case wasn¡¯t really generous to all religious people. In particr, those who believed in the goddess of the moon were under a lot of ostracism.


    This is because of Castro, the enemy country that uses the goddess of the moon as the national religion. Moreover, most of the believers who believe in the goddess of the moone from a region called Tromil, which used to be Castro¡¯snd. Forty years ago, as a result of the war, it was now part of the Laifsden Empire, but people living in the region were still discriminated against because the war against Castro was still ongoing.


    ¡°Shaylin¡¯s from Tromil...¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t speak very well.¡¯


    There were many people still speaking Castro¡¯snguage in Tromil. It belonged to Laifsden, but it was still thend of Castro, where the people of Castro had once lived.


    ¡°So what? In Laifsden, you can believe in any religion. I¡¯m with the Goddess of the Earth.¡±


    She didn¡¯t be a believer because of faith, but because she needed it politically.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who you believe or what you believe, but whether you have peacee to your mind when you believe it. When you¡¯re tired and exhausted, if you have someone or something to support and lean on, that¡¯s all that matters. So, I don¡¯t care what kind of god Shaylin believes in. I think it¡¯s the best thing if she¡¯s happy to believe it.¡±


    Shaylin¡¯s trembling, which had been terrified, died down. Sienna said, with her hands folded over her tightly collected hands.


    ¡°I was scared a little while ago, but now I¡¯m better. I¡¯m sure that the goddess of the moon, who helped dispel fear, must be a sweet and good god.¡±


    ¡°Tha... That¡¯s right. She¡¯s a sweet goddess.¡±


    She said with a nod. The sound of rain lingered and the room was only dark enough to be outlined.


    ¡°What is the hometown where Shaylin grew up?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna said as Shaylin kept her mouth shut.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of ce Shaylin grew up in. The Heidel I used to live in was a very snowy ce. Everywhere I looked, it was white snow. It¡¯s so quiet in a ce where there¡¯s a lot of snow. On a windy day, it was so deafening. But when the wind blows, it gets really loud. There¡¯s a lot of noise that the wind makes as it hits over the frozen snow.¡±


    Shaylin looked up at Sienna, wondering if she was curious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of snow falling from the sky, but I¡¯ve never seen snow in person.¡±


    ¡°Well... first it¡¯s white and fluff like cotton and then it¡¯s really cold when you touch it. If you freeze hard and properly, you can even bleed just from rubbing your eyes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s still beautiful when you see it the next day after it¡¯s buried on the top of the world. It¡¯s white and shiny under the sun. It¡¯s so bright that it¡¯s hard to look at it properly. So, the knights even buried ck charcoal around for their eyes. That¡¯s where I was born and raised. I lived there but came up to the capital city and wondered what other ces were like. What kind of ce did Shaylin live in?¡±


    ¡°Tromil doesn¡¯t snow. I¡¯ve never seen snow. My hometown is a warm ce.¡±


    Shaylin slowly exined in clumsy sounding words.


    ¡°I was born in a very remote ce called the ck Bird of Litmillo in Tromil. There¡¯s something amazing hidden there.¡±


    ¡°A great thing?¡±


    ¡°The real name of the ce called Tromil is not Tromil. Originally it is called ¡®Litromillo¡¯. It means a city that hides the Tromil.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s Tromil?¡±


    ¡°It means the temple of the moon.¡±


    ¡°Is there a temple there?¡±


    ¡°The temple of the moon is only revealed at night. It¡¯s in town when the sun goes down. It¡¯s hidden behind a bigke there.¡±


    ¡°Is there ake there?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The moon is so pretty because it has a big shade at night.¡±


    At the wordke, Sienna remembered ake hidden in the woods of the elf where she and Carl had gone before. It was also spectacr to see the red sunset over the whiteke.


    ¡°It¡¯s ake blessed by the goddess. So even if you fall into theke, you will never die.¡±


    ¡°Even if you fall in, you don¡¯t die?¡±


    ¡°The vige chief said there was no current in it. Otherkes look calm, but there are vortexes in them, so people get sucked into them, but the water in theke in Tromil is so calm that you can even rx and float up if you stay still.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡±

 Chapter 96: Live To Sienna Pt.96

    <h4>Chapter 96: Live To Sienna Pt.96</h4>


    If the bottom of ake was irregr, there was a current down there called a vortex. That¡¯s why most of the invisiblekes have water with sweeping currents and tends to drown people who were unable to float on time. It would be rtively safe if the floors were even and there were no currents.


    ¡°It was because of the god¡¯s blessing. Behind theke is the temple of the goddess and next to it is a veryrge altar. Sometimes, after a ritual there, the altar there fills with flowers, but the flowers there never wither.¡±


    ¡°The flowers don¡¯t wither? Has Shaylin ever seen it in person?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s question, Shaylin shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sacred ce where the goddess stays, so people like me shouldn¡¯t step into those grounds with my feet. The chief of the vige told me stories from time to time, so I only listened to them. But I¡¯m sure theke and the temple are beautiful ces.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it must be beautiful.¡±


    Sienna said, stroking her hair.


    ¡°I really want to go there someday.¡±


    ¡°After listening to Shaylin, I¡¯ve been wanting to go there, too. I think it would be a really nice ce.¡±


    If she has a chance... Sienna thought so. She was wondering about the altar that the mysteriouske and the flowers held that didn¡¯t wither.


    *


    It was time for Carl¡¯s forces and Valore¡¯s forces to engage in an endless dispute over the throne. News of the war came from the front. The news was that Castro, who had been making endless provocations,unched a full-scale invasion.


    The atmosphere in the capital city froze cold. The battle between the nobles became fiercer as he could not remain away from the throne forever. Valore¡¯s forces insisted that the current one of royalty in the capital should seed the throne, while Carl¡¯s forces insisted that the throne should be taken up by someone who can control the military at such a time.


    The argument between the two forces appeared to be a tense confrontation, but the weight was quickly lifted and tilted towards the other forces. The reason was that the throne could not be left empty forever, but the fact is that most of the nobles were forced to take the initiative of Arya to the side of Valore¡¯s.


    Sienna stayed only in her residence until the emperor of Valore was determined, but she did not receive any visitors except for Jamie, who asionally visited.


    Meanwhile, other news came to the capital, with roads andnd routes linking the southern region to the capital being buried byndslides. The problem of road loss in the southern part of the country, which is not the capital, was quickly buried in another story.


    This is because rumors were rampant that Empress Arya had spent a lot of money to establish Valore as emperor. The story was that there was a gemstone in the arms of the nobles who had met her. In particr, there was a rumor that a lot of red jewelry was sprayed around that time, when a red jewelry shortage urred in the jewelry market, adding credibility to the rumor. Arya did not express any position.


    It wasn¡¯t until a monthter that the rain, which hadsted so long, finally showed a hole in the sky, and a blue sky was revealed for the first time in a long time.


    The imperial family was bustling with preparations for the emperor¡¯s coronation. Inparison, Sienna¡¯s living pce was quiet. Even the aristocrats, who had been asking to visit her from time to time, stopped short of their steps.


    ¡°In the end, the Second Prince was appointed to the throne of the Emperor. The servants serving under the Second Princess said that they haven¡¯t been preparing to move into the empress¡¯s pce at all. It seems she will be using the same pce as she is now.¡±


    ¡°Lady Marie has made a concession.


    ¡°She said she¡¯d like to stay in the pce she is staying in already, so the maids and girls areining. They were all excited to move into the Imperial Pce.¡±


    The imperial pce of the empress and the imperial pce of the Second Princess was different in size. The pce was located right next to the main pce where the emperor lived, but it was also called the Twin Pce because it looks exactly like the original pce. Inparison, the emperor¡¯s royal pce and the empress¡¯s royal pce were located behind the main pce, which was different in size from the original pce, so it was more like a mansion than a pce.


    Sienna¡¯s current residence was also a three-story mansion with only a name of the pce. The size and location of each pce also contained symbolism, which showed that power was concentrated around the emperor.


    ¡°The Second Princess has such a good personality that she must have yielded to the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I would have wanted it moved as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Sienna answered helplessly with her chin in her hand. Hain looked at her sullen face and asked.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you feeling any ill?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Hain wondered if it was because Carl couldn¡¯t ascend to the throne and because Valore became emperor, but that didn¡¯t seem to be like the reason. Since the Emperor¡¯s death, her master has never met with anyone as if she had no greed. But she was wondering why she looked so exhausted, and Sienna said first.


    ¡°Have you heard anything from the front?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all the news I heardst time. The news is that the frontlines are more intense than we thought.¡±


    ¡°Sigh.¡±


    Hain looked at Sienna¡¯s worried face and said, ¡°If you¡¯re worried, how about you write and send a letter? If you write me one, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to ask the messenger to deliver it well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. What kind of letter...¡±


    ¡®When I read history books, I heard that in the past, there used to be a means of transportation called a portal. I wish it were still here...¡¯


    In the past, when magic existed, it was possible tomunicate with people from a distance in real time, and even wizards could use teleport magic to travel long distances in a sh, and even ordinary people could use it as a portal to travel long distances in a sh as long as they had money. However, now that the magic has disappeared, only the traces have remained as relics.


    In fact, Sienna has written a letter ming the magic civilization that has been dead. There were dozens of letters written to Karl in the bedroom alone every night actually.


    The letters, which began with ¡®Dear Carl,¡¯ were often cut off from writing about useless weather stories and the current situation here. She couldn¡¯t write down the line she wanted to ask about the most.


    How are you? Are you healthy? Are you okay? When will you be back? Don¡¯t you want to see me?


    She wanted to fill in this question mark, but she couldn¡¯t finish one proper letter because she couldn¡¯t write it. Although she didn¡¯t worry about his wellbeing because she was sure, her anxiety of whether she made the right choice or not has been eating away at her day after day.


    The war began a week earlier than in the past and has been said to be more intense. There have been a series of letters and stories about the conscription of troops, asking for the war to be prolonged. It added fuel to Siena¡¯s anxiety. It was definitely changing a little bit from the past.


    As in the past, the emperor died and Valore rose to the throne, but the timing was different. Because of herself, Carl stayed in the capital until just before the war began, so he could not reach the border on the day of Castro¡¯s massive attack.


    It was only a minor difference, but it was certainly different from the past. Then, Carl could have faced a different oue from the past when he safely ended the war.


    The anxiety kept her awake all the whole time. She wanted to see Carl¡¯s face and make sure he was safe. But the war had just begun, so for a long time, he had to stay on the battlefield.


    Sienna felt frustrated at being stuck in the capital with nothing to do. She wrote a letter yesterday and wrote a sentence in the corner of the letter that she had not unwittingly finished.


    /I want to see you./ (Gothic style)


    It¡¯s not a big word, but above all, it was a sentence that expressed one¡¯s mind the most urately now. She wanted to make sure he is safe. She missed him.

 Chapter 97: 0097 Live to Sienna Pt.97

    <h4>Chapter 97: 0097 Live to Sienna Pt.97</h4>


    ¡°I think the issue of your request for military service on the front will be dyed again this time.¡±


    ¡°Is that true? Will it be dyed again this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard it from an assistant boy who was helping at a political meeting.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re all thinking. They are not aware that their safety is also in danger if we lose the war against Castro.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re saying that at the capital the precious metals are in limited supply. If we lose the war against Castro, there will be a lot of aristocrats who will want to run off with their jewelry boxes. They still say they can¡¯t get any more of the red jewelry.¡±


    The rumor that Empress Arya made it difficult to get red jewelry was spread by Sienna. It was to drive her people apart. In fact, no one received the jewels, but everyone would think they were the only ones who didn¡¯t get it.


    Everyone was mad trying to secretly seek jewelry because they couldn¡¯t say that they haven¡¯t received it. The people who spread the rumors also said that those who did not receive the jewels also were the ones who were dropped by Empress Arya, so to prove that they had not fallen from the crowd, they all had to get the red jewelry somehow.


    The color of the jewels was not important. However, he could not show off the jewelry he already had, so he chose the rarest variety avable for new purchases, which were red jewelry.


    This was also possible because Green Merchants had been handling precious metals for a long time. The Green Merchants were said to be selling red jewelry it bought in advance at a high price. Even though they did not know that the war was driving up the price of jewelry like crazy. In this situation, Green Merchants bought the right to buy wheat at a cheap price from the aristocrats who urgently needed to borrow money.


    ¡°They¡¯re all trying hard not to give up their soldiers. But they are still going to send the troops. It has been said that it is quite urgent, so they will scrape away the wheat stored in the capital¡¯s supply warehouse and even the wheat collected from each territorial area near the capital. Wheat wille up from the south after the harvest in a month.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯sing up soon?¡±


    ¡®I swear I heard that the roads were gone.¡¯


    The information received from Kelly was thatnd routes to and from the South were cut off. Moreover, it was said that it would take more time to recover the roads because the war prevented them from gathering extra manpower.


    But it was beyond Sienna¡¯s understanding that they would scrape the wheat in the capital and send it to the battlefield. It was not immediately clear how this would affect the future events.


    While she was busy organizing the information in her head, the servant who was standing outside said that a guest hade.


    ¡°Your Highness, the Second Prince hase.¡±


    Although he was called a prince because the coronation ceremony had not been held yet, Valore was already being treated as an emperor. Sienna greeted him with pleasure.


    ¡°How did youe to see me when you¡¯re so busy?¡±


    At her words he bit his lower lip and asked in a dead voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like my visit?¡±


    Sienna remembered a sentence Carl left on her palm the day he left.


    /Don¡¯t stay close to Valore while I am away./ (Gothic font)


    A childish request unlike him.


    ¡°...No. I thought you would be busy with the coronation ceremony, that¡¯s why I asked. Pleasee in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an instant preparation, but I feel like it¡¯s just another person¡¯s story. It¡¯s more leisurely than before.¡±


    Everyone knew that it was Empress Arya who was directly involved in politics as she had done so far, even if Valore rose to the throne of the emperor. They were the ones who sensed faster than anyone where the pendulum of power was swinging. In ordance with the principle, Valore would have to spend a busy time receiving the greetings of the nobles, but it was the Empress, or Arya, who was actually meeting many people.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d have a lot of work to prepare for when you get to the throne.¡±


    As Valore smiled bitterly, Sienna looked into hisplexion and asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look well.¡±


    Thest time Sienna saw Valore was during the funeral of Emperor Rodbius. He didn¡¯t look well then, but now he looked even paler. Valore said he was fine, but then he quickly coughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the rainy days are long and I feel cold. Now that the sky is clear, it will get better soon.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take a rest when you weren¡¯t feeling well?¡±


    ¡°I came here because I was too frustrated to just lie down. Are you ufortable with me?¡±


    ¡°No, I was also feeling a little blue. I¡¯m d you came to talk to me like this.¡±


    Sienna boiled ginger tea that was good for cold.


    ¡°You are now going to be the king of this empire. Your body is not yours alone, so you need to be more careful.¡±


    Her words caught a shadow at the end of his lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look happy at all.¡±


    Sienna asked him, who looked tired and lethargic.


    ¡°You used to say that before. You¡¯re getting greedy. You¡¯ve got what you want so much, and you look so tired.¡±


    ¡°I got what I wanted?¡±


    The anger was reflected in Valore, so Sienna looked at him, wondering if she had said something wrong. Valore faced Sienna without avoiding her eyes. As if he wanted her to know his heart.


    Soon after, Valore avoided her gaze first.


    ¡°I guess this is not what I really wanted. I want to run away before the coronation. I want to hum music while walking on a street that no one knows. Do you know that there is a job called a minstrel in the world?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard they make poems out of the stories of the world in exchange for a meal. They don¡¯t stay in one ce and they wander here and there to gather stories.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to do. I want to go to ces that no one knows about and live ying music.¡±


    ¡°Very romantic dream. With your talents, you would not be starving.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to hear that approval from you.¡±


    Valore drank the tea with a tired face. Sienna felt sorry for him because he seemed to be very burdened with the weight of the position he will have as an emperor.


    ¡°Are you overwhelmed to be an emperor?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am overwhelmed. It¡¯s a position where even a small action breeds big consequences. I hate that ce where everyone is watching me. Actually, what I hate more than that is that my words and actions do not matter at all. All that everyone is looking at is my mom¡¯s lips.¡±


    Sienna agreed with what Valore said, but she did not show her agreement out loud.


    ¡°I know that well. That I am only a tool to fulfill my mom¡¯s ambitions. I am not even interested in politics and I don¡¯t expect that I¡¯d do it well. But unlike now, I am agonized to be dragged to the parliamentary meeting every day to listen to them talk.¡±


    He breathed a deep sigh and continued.


    ¡°Everyone will ask me as if they¡¯re asking me for an answer, but in fact, they¡¯re asking my mother for an answer. I¡¯m just a pawn in front of my mother. Everyone knows, but they just don¡¯t say it. I just pretended not to know. But I¡¯m afraid now that I¡¯m going to be crowned an emperor.¡±


    ¡°Why do you only think of yourself as bing a puppet emperor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be a puppet emperor, I¡¯m bound to be. Is there anyone there that will listen to me?¡±


    Sienna spoke in a strong tone at Valore¡¯s weak words.


    ¡°Howe you¡¯re so weak? Your Highness should know because you¡¯ve also been educated in the history of kings. How the emperors, swayed by the outlying forces, were recorded. Even after a hundred, no, a thousand years, they are being criticized. And they deserve to be med. That¡¯s what being an emperor was like. An emperor¡¯s foolish judgment can save or kill thousands of lives. It doesn¡¯t matter if you wanted to be there or if you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s a position of responsibility.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words he spoke in a modest voice of excuse.


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to what I want. Already, most of the nobles are moving only as my mother says. Would you listen to me if I were to speak? And I don¡¯t know anything enough to answer them.¡±


    Valore spoke mournfully as if he wanted Sienna¡¯s agreement.


    ¡°In the history of the Leipsden Empire, there has never been an adult emperor who was swayed by a mother queen. If a child ascends to the throne of the emperor at a young age due to the sudden death of an emperor, the only record was that his mother cleaned up the nobles until he became an adult. Even if he was a five-year-old emperor, he was criticized when he was swayed by the foreign forces and engaged in foolish politics. Your Highness Valore is not a child, but an adult.¡±


    Valore shook his head with an anxious face.

 Chapter 98: Live to Sienna Pt.98

    <h4>Chapter 98: Live to Sienna Pt.98</h4>


    ¡°I have no confidence. Even if I were to govern instead of my mother, I cannot trust my decisions. What if I hurt many people because of my foolish decisions?¡±


    ¡°So you are saying that you will hide under your mother¡¯s wings? You are afraid that you will make the wrong decisions so you will use your mother as the shield? Do you not see that your decision to hide behind her as not your own? If the Empress makes the wrong decisions, it¡¯s also your responsibility. So do not hide yourself. Please do not disappoint me. I believe you will be a noble emperor. Because you are a benevolent person. If you think about how it will affect the people when making political judgments, I believe you will never make a wrong decision.¡±


    Valore bowed his head and listened to Sienna. Sienna felt sorry to see him like a child being punished, but she kept telling him.


    ¡°If your people look at the Empress at the meeting, order her not to attend the political meeting. She participated in the event to rece the old emperor in his sickbed, but now that you are here, who will be the Emperor, she doesn¡¯t have to be there.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    As Valore tried to say something, Sienna cut him cold.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to make any more excuses, please stop. I¡¯m tired. I¡¯d like you to go back.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s coldmand, Valore turned back with a wounded face.


    *


    Valore¡¯s coronation was held splendidly not long after the day Sienna and Valore talked. Valore visited Sienna again the night before the coronation. He asked that he will try hard as she said, so please don¡¯t hold anything against him.


    Sienna soothed him and said that she had never hated him. His shoulders looked prominently narrow today, and it made her feel sorry for him.


    She advised him to be a good monarch, but she wondered if she was really qualified to say such a thing. He was a young man who had just turned twenty. Regting an empire must be a very difficult assignment for a young man.


    Unlike Valore, whose face was dark throughout the coronation, Arya¡¯s expression was bright. Sienna had the urge to crush her face. Sienna felt disgusted by Arya¡¯s attitude as if she had ascended to the throne.


    The higher you go, the greater the shock when you fall. On the other hand, she hoped that Arya would be tamed by the sweetness of power for at least a short period of time. That way, the bitterness after losing that power will be even greater.


    Arya took part in political affairs meetings even after Valore rose to the throne. Valore opposed it, but she insisted on helping him until he got used to the business, which was inevitable.


    The chilly wind carried the scent of fallen leaves, signaling that it had enteredte autumn. Autumn was the year when a year¡¯s efforts paid off. Autumn was a season of joy, especially in the south, where wheat farming was the main activity.


    The crop was not bad this year either. There was a long downpour in early autumn, but it did not have much impact on the crops. Moreover, the good harveststed for many years, so the southern warehouse was full of grain andcked storage space.


    The nobles of the South sang a song of joy. Emperor Valore¡¯s new appearance reduced tax revenues from 50 percent to 30 percent, so they were expecting a bigger profit than usual.


    But they soon realized how big a crisis they faced.


    ¡°What? You can¡¯t send wheat up to the capital?¡±


    Duke of Panacio, Depine¡¯s gant voice echoed inside the living room. In front of him stood a merchant of the Southern Chamber of Commerce.


    ¡°The roads connecting the southern part of the capital were lost, so all the wheat in the southern part of the country is not going up to the capital.¡±


    The merchant looked up and nced at Depine. There was resentment in his eyes.


    Restoring thend route linking the southern part of the country to the capital was Depine¡¯s responsibility since he was the real power of the southern part of the country. To do so, he sometimes drew taxes from the central region. But the problem was that construction has been dyed day by day because of his use of the tax for other work.


    Depine coughed out loud and said,


    ¡°Hmm. Isn¡¯t there the Hegea River, if not those roads?¡± Why can¡¯t we use the sea route?...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying it all along. But it¡¯s hard to pick a time when the wheat reached the capital because of the pirates of Hegea River.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe pirates there at times like this!¡±


    Depine struck his chest with frustration. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn¡¯t have signed such a contract. He regretted selling the rights to purchase sixty thousand bags of wheat a few months ago. Even if the road was not restored, he thought there would be no big problem because there was a sea route, but now it was a disaster.


    ¡®I even tied up thend as a coteral!¡¯


    He inquired mournfully of the Southern merchant.


    ¡°Is there no other way?¡±


    The merchant shook his head and looked embarrassed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way. Other Southern aristocrats have already sold their wheat coupons having theirnd as coteral, but they are saying that wheat is impossible to transport. Even though it¡¯s a good year, wheat sales are impossible...¡±


    The merchant looked at Depine with irreverent eyes, but Depine could not yell at him. It was obvious who the other Southern aristocrats, as well as the merchants, were grumbling at.


    ¡®If it weren¡¯t for that red gem...¡¯


    After rumors circted that Empress Arya had given the Valore supporters a big red gem by promising them a future, many people visited Depine. He had to somehow bring red jewels to those looking for it from him with an uneasy face. Otherwise, as soon as Valore sits down as the emperor, they willin to Depine that they had been abandoned.


    It was not long after Valore took the throne of the emperor so Depine had to soothe their hearts. So the money made from selling 60,000 bags of wheat was gone in no time. This is because the price of red jewelry has soared as the rumors spread. In the end, he had no choice but to divert the cost of restoring the road.


    ¡°First of all, I will talk to the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±


    Looking at the retreating merchant with his head bowed down, Depine sighed deeply. Red jewelry was sprayed to strengthen the Valore supporters, but it seemed to have further lost the hearts of the Southern aristocrats.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Arya will be angry when she finds out about this...¡±


    His face was filled with anxiety.


    Carl sat at his desk, giving a troubled look. He was writing a letter to Sienna. But then he crumpled up the letter and threw it into the furnace.


    ¡°I¡¯m not writing war reports.¡±


    The content of his letter was about the progress of the war and the right to buy wheat in the southern part of the country. He was going to write a letter because he didn¡¯t see her for a while, but he was annoyed by the hard content.


    ¡°As you said, the heavy rainsted a long time. I want to see what kind of facial expression you¡¯re going to have when you find out you¡¯re not wrong...¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    While writing the new letter, Carl was startled by Pavenik, who suddenly entered the barracks, and he crumpled the letter in a hurry and threw it onto the firece.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Pavenik nced at the letter burning in the brazier with a curious look.


    ¡°What is it? In my barracks without any sign of...¡±


    ¡°No signs? I¡¯ve been coughing a lot outside. I¡¯ve been coughing so much that my throat is hurting.¡±


    He nced at Carl¡¯s ss of water and said, ¡°So I¡¯m going to need some water...¡±


    ¡°By all means.¡±


    As soon as Carl¡¯s permission was given, he gulped down a ss full of water. Pavenik wiped the water from his mouth with the back of his hand and said, ¡°So you¡¯ve written all the letters you are sending to Her Majesty the Crown Princess?¡±


    COMMENT


    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±


    As Carl red at him, Pavenik said with a sly smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed. It¡¯s your honeymoon. By the way, I didn¡¯t know you were such a romantic. It has not been so long since you¡¯ve been to the pce, do you want to see her already? You¡¯re writing a love letter so hard...¡±


    ¡°When did I ever write a love letter?!¡±

 Chapter 99: Live to Sienna Pt.99

    <h4>Chapter 99: Live to Sienna Pt.99</h4>


    In Carl¡¯s reaction, Pavenik covered his eyes with his hands and said, ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t re at me like that. It¡¯s hard not to know since you made it so obvious.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Pavenik said with a yful smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there is quite a lot of paper sent to your barracks these days. If it¡¯s a war report, I was sure you would leave it to me, so it¡¯s definitely not about the report...¡±


    He pointed with the tip of his chin the paper ash that remained on the brazier and said,


    ¡°And you¡¯re not burning paper because your barracks are short of firewood.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s good is what¡¯s good. I was worried about you two because it was a wedding without permission, but it must have been a needless worry. When I see you up in the air like this.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to babble, get out!¡±


    When Carl got angry, Pavenik burst intoughter. Seeing Carl angry, he seemed to have hit the bull¡¯s-eye. He managed to stopughing and said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to y. I don¡¯t know how to y with you. I¡¯m here to report.¡±


    Carl put his head up and signaled Pavenik to report.


    ¡°The troops that had been stationed in the Marel Mountains have joined us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Let them get some rest for a while. They must have had a hard time.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about it anyway. I gave them a lot of explosives to block the road if there was no heavy rain, but it was really hard for them because it rained heavily for a month. They almost died in andslide, and theyined to me that they were isted and ate only dirt for 15 days...¡±


    ¡°I told you not to dispatch troops urgently. The soldiers suffered for nothing.¡±


    Pavenik nodded his head at Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°To be honest, I was surprised when I first heard about the n to take awaynd in the southern part which is the empress Arya¡¯s sphere of influence. It sounded like a pretty good idea. But on second thought, it was a crazy n.¡±


    Carl nodded at his words. Sienna¡¯s proposed n looked usible, but it had many weaknesses. It depended on the uncontroble factor that there had to be heavy rain, and although Sienna said she knew where the money was good to buy wheat rights, that was only her one-sided story. If they trusted her and bought the wheat rights, it would only have been good for the Southern aristocrats in the absence of rain-induced avnches.


    Nevertheless, Carl followed Sienna¡¯s n. This was because they judged that if they revised the n a little bit, it would bring a huge profit. In particr, it was attractive that it would be able to pressure the Southern Chamber of Commerce, the source of funding for Arya¡¯s power, and take away thend of the Southern nobles.


    ¡°We¡¯ve invested a lot here, so we nned to destroy the intact Marel Mountains with explosives, but it really rained as the Crown Princess said. It¡¯s been a month of heavy rain andndslides. But how did she know?¡±


    ¡°I know. How did she know?¡±


    Carl answered with a grin. He seemed to have trusted her n infinitely. Funny enough, she was all right.


    Pavenik, who was looking at Carl¡¯s expression, said, pouting out his mouth.


    ¡°How on earth did you believe that? You are a doubtful person too...¡±


    His words hardened Carl¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t understand himself. It¡¯s too easy to believe when ites to her. Carl felt scared of it.


    ¡°This n turned out well. Not only have we bought thend in the south, but the restoration of the road will antagonize the supporters of Duke of Panacio and Empress Arya. They harvested but cannot sell it, so imagine how frustrating it must be.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they¡¯d be so stupid. I was worried they¡¯d recover quickly...¡±


    ¡°Yes, to be sure, I am continually contacting them to send armies and ration to the capital. They said they would send military supplies even if they couldn¡¯t send military personnel, so I was surprised because I thought the roads were restored, but fortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem to be. I think he didn¡¯t want to send the soldiers, so he tried to fill the responsibility with supplies.¡±


    ¡°This will make it hard for the Southern Merchants to recover, right?¡±


    Pavenik shrugged his shoulders at Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°Would recovery be the only thing? The capital city sent too many troops, so wheat will soon run out at the capital. Then it will be difficult to fix it at the top. Then they might hold the Duke of Panacio responsible.¡±


    ¡°Will it be so easy after Valore became the emperor?¡±


    Pavenik took a hint at his words. It was because he felt like it was his fault that Carl was deprived of the throne without even starting the battle for the throne because he had toe down here.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I knew the Emperor¡¯s illness was deep, but I didn¡¯t do anything. We should have had a military presence in the capital and put you on the throne...¡±


    Carl shook his hand at his apology and said, ¡°Okay. What good is a blood-stained throne? Someone said that the Emperor¡¯s seat is chosen in heaven. Maybe heaven hasn¡¯t given me permission yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty usible story. But who said that?¡±


    ¡°There is. Someone who said that.¡±


    Carl shook his hand, signaling Pavenik to leave. Then he took another piece of paper out of the drawer. To write a letter to her who said those words...


    *


    Arya was returning to the pce with a look of discontent after the political meeting.


    She disapproved of her son for actively opposing the state projects that had been carried out under her leadership at a political meeting today. The majority of the aristocrats who supported her eventually proceeded in the direction she wanted, but she could not get rid of the annoyance.


    ¡°How dare he?! I put him in that position. His head is too big.¡±


    Valore, who was always obedient, has often expressed negative reactions to his work these days. Valore visited Sienna¡¯s pce every day, as Arya had been told. After the death of Rodbius, thete emperor, the girl was so quiet so Arya figured that she found her ce, but the sudden change in Valore¡¯s attitude had to be because of the girl.


    ¡°This little rat!¡±


    As she left the conference room, Arya gritted her teeth.


    She acted as if she were an innocent girl who knew nothing before she married Carl, but after she got married, Sienna seemed like apletely different person. Arya was confident that she was pretty good at judging people, but this time, she seemed to have done something terribly wrong.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress.¡±


    Arya reacted nervously to the voice of Duke of Panacio Depine, who was also her brother.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    He looked up at Arya with a humble face.


    ¡®Ugh why is he making that disgusting face?!¡¯


    When Depine came in with a pathetic face like that to Arya, it usually meant that he made a big mistake or he wanted to ask for help regarding his personal matters. If he felt he had any advantage, he always dared to act like he was sitting on top of her head.


    Whenever Depine came to her with that pathetic expression on his face, Arya suddenly felt disgusted even when she was feeling satisfied. She wanted to keep his face away from him forever.

 Chapter 100: Live to Sienna Pt.100

    <h4>Chapter 100: Live to Sienna Pt.100</h4>


    ¡®No, it¡¯s still better to keep Depine on my side.¡¯


    Arya still needed someone to control the southern aristocrats working for her. At least, until Emperor Valore builds a perfect throne.


    ¡°I am very tired today, let¡¯s talk next time.¡±


    ¡°This is a very important and urgent matter.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, what is urgent?¡±


    Arya asked him only after she and Depine entered her residence.


    ¡°Thend routes linking the southern part of the country to the capital have been lost and blocked.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before. That¡¯s why we sent resources for you to recover it.¡±


    Originally, even national roads were in charge of the rulers of the surrounding area, so it had to be handled on its own, but since the south ounts for most of the nation¡¯s wheat production and rapid restoration was necessary, the capital has sent a support for the recovery of this route. The imperial bank provided a considerable amount of money. This was because it was such an important issue. At that time, the issue of equality with other regions was mentioned, but Arya almost pressed it to allocate the budget for the road restoration.


    ¡°That¡¯s... it¡¯s still not recovered.¡±


    ¡°It was a few months ago, and it hasn¡¯t been recovered yet?¡±


    Normally, Arya would have been on Depine¡¯s back to continually check up and bother him to fix it, but there have been too many big problems recently. She couldn¡¯t give enough care because the former emperor died and there was a lot of work to do to make Valore the emperor.


    ¡°It rained for a long time, and the lost roads and buried areas were vast. As you know, the mountain ranges are very rough. The war with Castro has made it difficult for us to find the right people...¡±


    ¡°Even then, do you remember how much money was put in there? You could have gotten more manpower with extra money. It could have been done by mobilizing the farmers. But does it make sense that we haven¡¯t recovered it yet? What did you do without checking while things were going this way? What¡¯s more, the budget...¡±


    Arya¡¯s eyes narrowed as she watched the Duke, who was flustered in front of her eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    She understood without even asking. It was like blind money, so he must have used it like his own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. What can we do? Please proceed with the construction as soon as possible ande up with countermeasures. There is no extra wheat in the capital because of the war. It¡¯s been a long time since all of them were sent to war. I don¡¯t know about the rest of the country, but if the capital¡¯s water storage is empty, then I won¡¯t forgive you, even if it¡¯s you, Duke of Panacio. So go ahead and find a way.¡±


    ¡°Would you consider talking to the Emperor and postpone the payment?¡±


    ¡°You mean the supply contract with the Leipsden Empire?¡±


    Wheat sales were not only a signed supply contract with the merchants but also with the empire. The consumption of wheat in the imperial pce was quiterge and the amount of wheat used in the army was enormous. If Arya used a hand, the contract with the Empire could be dyed for some time, if she came up with several reasons.


    ¡°That too, and also with other tradesmen and nobles...¡±


    Arya touched her forehead as if she had a headache.


    ¡°What do you think is the position of the emperor? Are you now going to ask me to find the money you lost like some thugs in the neighborhood?¡±


    ¡°But because the amount on the line is enormous...¡±


    ¡°We will try to postpone the date of the contract with the Empire. However, other contracts are impossible even if the emperor¡¯s grandfatheres. Although Valore is said to have ascended to the throne of the emperor, it is still like a sandcastle. Carl¡¯s still alive. That¡¯s what I¡¯m fighting with Castro right now. They are supported by the people. If the nobles turn around, it will be difficult for Valore to keep his ce.¡±


    ¡°Then not the nobles, but the merchants...¡±


    She gave a sharp look at Depine and showed her irritation.


    ¡°Is that head for decoration? In some cases, a merchant is an aristocrat, and even if they are not, the merchant association is the ce that distributes money to the aristocrats. Is that all? They may not be nobles, but they wield money like power. Are you going to lose your bet against those who have money?¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°So you should have watched where you are taking money from! It¡¯s not a goose thatys golden eggs! How did you fathom taking the road restoration budget?! Were you out of your mind?! Fix this as soon as possible, this is a critical time right now, there are rumors going around about Valore¡¯s birth. Do not add any more stories to that.¡±


    Depine backed away, startled at Arya¡¯s cold tone. Although he was bowing his head as if to kneel down in front of Arya, as soon as she went outside, he cursed at her.


    ¡°Where¡¯d all the money go?! Did she make Valore the emperor herself? So why would you spread jewelry to attract power?¡±


    He struck his chest with rage. As soon as it was rumored that Arya had given jewelry to those who supported Valore, those who were originally on their side came to Depine and questioned him. It was Depine who quieted them, those who could notin against Arya themselves.


    Depine went straight to Arya and asked why she handed out jewels to the nobles without consulting him. Arya snapped and said that she had never done that, but he couldn¡¯t believe what she said. If it wasn¡¯t for her, who would have given jewels to the nobles? To the point where there were no more of the red jewels in the empire?


    It was a time when the supporters of Valore should not turn their backs on them, so Depine tried to stop their opposition by using his own money. Depine spat out on the hallway of the shiny corridor.


    ¡®The mean bitch got rude and cocky after she got power. She used to whine under me, and she doesn¡¯t even know where her ce is.¡¯


    When Arya¡¯s knights, who were standing at the door, stared at him, Depine stared back at them and turned around. Then, he spat out phlegm in the hallway because he couldn¡¯t release his anger, but then he walked out of the hall in fear that Arya might know about it.


    ¡°This is a big deal.¡±


    Hain said in a worried voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The price of wheat has skyrocketed. Some of the restaurants in the capital are now closed. The stores that used to sell wheat are hiding their belongings, so it¡¯s hard to get them even if you give them extra money. There¡¯s not much supply left in the pce warehouse either, so they have to get more, but I guess it¡¯s hard to get supplies.¡±


    ¡°Why did the price of wheat go up suddenly?¡±


    Siena asked Hain with a straight face.


    ¡°The roads to the South have been lost. And they still haven¡¯t recovered it. Do you not know how long the rumor has been around? The Duke of Panacio received a lot of money for the road construction, but the construction didn¡¯t even start. Moreover, because of the war, wheat was taken out of the capital and sent to the eastern front. That¡¯s why even the backup supply is gone. That¡¯s why there are a lot ofints in the capital. There are a lot of citizens who think it¡¯s not good that Empress Arya does politics on behalf of the Emperor, and then this happened. Everyone says the First Prince should have been crowned...¡±


    Sienna was startled and shouted at Hain¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hain!¡±


    ¡°Oops! What am I saying?...¡±


    It was true that Valore, who was now on the throne of the emperor, and Arya, who was governing in Valore¡¯s ce, were unable to properly manage state affairs, but actually saying these out loud could result in a big punishment.


    COMMENT


    ¡°You know how many ears there are in the pce, even if you are only here with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but in the capital, it¡¯s what everyone is talking about. If you take them all formitting a crime of defamation against the imperial court, the prison will be overcrowded.¡±


    ¡°They could punish one person greatly just to alert people. And that one person could be Hain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll watch my mouth.¡±


    Hain said, covering her mouth with her hands.


    ¡°Either way, many people would starve in such a serious situation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s already someone who¡¯s starved to death. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s real. Finding wheat is like picking a star in the sky. Even if you try to exchange meat with as much as the weight of the wheat, you can¡¯t get it. In fact, our pce is also strengthening its crackdown on wheat theft. There are people sneaking away because they can¡¯t see their families starve. It¡¯s sad, but we don¡¯t know how long the wheat famine in the capital willst.¡±


    Hearing Hain¡¯s story, the situation seemed pretty serious. Sienna¡¯s heart was heavy. It was her who cut the road to the south and made it difficult to get wheat to the capital.

 Chapter 101: Live to Sienna Pt.101

    <h4>Chapter 101: Live to Sienna Pt.101</h4>


    The Southern Merchants Association was trying to send wheat to the capital by ship, but the wheat was noting up in time because of the pirates. The n to take away Southern Merchants¡¯nd by preventing them from selling wheat was going very well. However, it was not expected that this would lead to such a famine in the capital. Wheat was always stored in warehouses in the capital city, so Sienna thought that even if the price of wheat would rise, there would be no increase in the number of people starving to death.


    But the war with Castro was an unexpected variable. Knowing that it would be a year of a good harvest, Sienna tried to block the market and drag time to form a reasonable price, but as the war with Castro intensified, wheat in the capital was taken out as military supply, which caused the repercussions to be bigger than she thought.


    ¡°Hain, would you please tell Greenie Baron¡¯s wife that I would like to see her?¡±


    Sienna felt like it would be best to see Kelly ande up with a solution.


    *


    In response to Sienna¡¯s request, Jane came to meet Sienna instead of Kelly. She was naturally blessed with a beautiful appearance, but she seemed to shine more after entering the Greenie family as their foster daughter. She entered Siena¡¯s room with a more graceful gait than those who were born nobles.


    ¡°Miss Jane, it¡¯s been a long time. Sit here first.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty the Crown Princess. I¡¯m here because Kelly went to the north.¡±


    ¡°North? You mean Aunt Kelly is going to take part in traveling herself?¡±


    ¡°She used to enjoy going from ce to ce. She has been often following the travels after she regained her health. I believe now she is visiting the Heidel area, so I think she is going to see the Duke of Waters.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°She took a lot of wheat with her, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the Heidel area.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Sienna did not even think about the northern area. Heidel was an area much worse off than the capital. It must have been affected by the surge in wheat prices, as the remaining amount was sent only after wheat was sent from the south to the capital.


    Sienna didn¡¯t even think about it even though it was her own family¡¯s business. Because she was overtaken at the thought of cutting Arya¡¯s financial stream, Sienna did not take care of her other priorities.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even think about Heidel¡¯s problem. I am very grateful of course. Also thank you, Miss Jane.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. These are nothingpared to what you have done.¡±


    ¡°What did I do? It was all thanks to the Priest Roy.¡±


    Jane grinned at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°How¡¯s the operation of the temple¡¯s orphanage going?¡± Sienna asked.


    ¡°There are already five new children who came in because several of the older ones became self-reliant and are looking for jobs. I¡¯m looking for an empty building to expand the dormitory, and it¡¯s going to take a while because it is so hard to findnd in the capital.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good. I haven¡¯t seen Priest Roy in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Priest Roy would like to see you too, but I think if you areing to the pce in person it would be a little overwhelming to him. Some people might be dissatisfied with the fact that your Highness worships an Earth Goddess, so he doesn¡¯t want to put you in an awkward position by frequent visits.¡±


    ¡°What is there to be awkward about? Please give him my word that he can visit me anytime.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will definitely send the message.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the deal with the South going?¡±


    ¡°Getting a penalty for breach of contract is going smoothly. Thanks to that, we now have a lot ofnd in the South.¡±


    ¡°Is there any pressure or anything on the Merchants Association?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, there are many aristocrats who support our Association. The Empress is from the Panacio family, but not all of the Southern Confederacy support the Panacio family. Also, the Duke has been used of siphoning off money for restoring the road linking the South and the capital, so they have been unable to pressure our side. Rather, we are putting pressure on the Panacio family through the nobles. Sooner orter, a political meeting will bring up the issue of corruption rted to the project.¡±


    ¡°Good thing. This will deal a heavy blow to the Southern Chamber of Commerce. It has been a huge annoyance to see them abuse their exclusive right to wheat, so that¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Already, the informational aristocrats are getting their hand out even if that means that they have to give up their stakes in the Southern Merchants. Otherwise, they might have to pay the debts.¡±


    ¡°I see, but the price of wheat going to the capital seems to have gone up too fast.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was something that we didn¡¯t expect either. It is true that criticism of the empress, including the Southern Chamber of Commerce, has increased, but innocent people in the capital are suffering. There are already quite a few closed shops on the capital¡¯s streets. Most restaurants are closed, and I¡¯ve heard that other stores are seeing a huge drop in sales.¡±


    ¡°The wheat supply issue proceeded faster than we thought, and the damage is too much right now. Is it true that some people have already starved to death?¡±


    ¡°I cannot prove it exactly, but it¡¯s true that rumors like that are going around. Still, I heard that none of the children on the street died of starvation because they were handing out bread to hungry children in the temple. But the big problem is that even children with parents, not orphans, areing to the temple because they have nothing to eat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big deal, so...¡±


    Sienna hesitated to open her mouth. She wanted to help those who were suffering because she was responsible for this, but she had nothing to offer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold anything back. Your Grace is a benefactor to our Green Merchants. We¡¯ll do whatever we can if you ask.¡±


    Sienna hesitated even at Jane¡¯s assurance. What Sienna wanted to ask would cause one-sided losses to the Green Merchants.


    ¡°It¡¯s just... ...I want to help those who are hungry in the capital. This all happened because of me.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you mean. We will proceed to do that.¡±


    Sienna was dumbfounded by such a wee answer.


    ¡°I will make sure to pay for the costs that go in. It¡¯s a lot of money, so it¡¯s hard to pay it back at once, but somehow...¡±


    ¡°No, we are not a profit-seeking association that damages others. Kelly was also worried. We¡¯ve got wheat in our warehouse, and we¡¯ve been calcting the timing because we need to lower prices before wheat rises in the south, so that the losses for the Southern Merchants can be great and our Merchants can benefit. We¡¯ll let the wheat go before it gets any worse.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve already made a big profit thanks to you. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved because of you Miss Jane. Oh, have you heard anything about the war fronts?¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the First Prince¡¯s charge? No special news has been reported so far. I¡¯m going to put a messenger into the merchants who participated in the war.¡±


    Jane stood up from her seat, saying she would let people know the news. Sienna saw her off with a light heart.

 Chapter 102: Live to Sienna Pt.102

    <h4>Chapter 102: Live to Sienna Pt.102</h4>


    ¡°As you said, Madam Sienna, I told them I¡¯m going to hold a Knight¡¯s contest today.¡±


    Valore sometimes visited Sienna¡¯s room. He said he wanted to run away, but he was taking part in politics little by little and voicing up thanks to Sienna¡¯s encouragement.


    Valore, who did not want to disappoint Sienna, took the courage to speak out or express opposition to the aristocracy, who often ignored him. He realized that his throne was only a shadow. Whenever he was frustrated, she gave advice to him.


    Following the recent crisis in soaring wheat prices in the capital city, Valore ordered to punish the person in charge and award Sienna for helping stabilize the price of wheat by donating wheat to the temple. The issue of severe punishment for those in charge was closely contested by opponents and proponents, but it was eventually concluded that the person in charge would be punished and the construction would proceed quickly.


    However, the idea of awarding the prize in the name of the emperor to Sienna was opposed by all the nobles. They argued that she be pushed for making donations to the temple of the goddess of thend, not as the distribution of free wheat in the name of the imperial family.


    Her actions were condemned as shaking the foundations of the Leipsden Empire, which had been in a neutral position regarding religion. Apparently, as they said, she encouraged conflicts between religions by showing her support for one religion. In the end, giving the prize was thwarted and Arya¡¯s men forcing punishment had to be calmed.


    Valore felt frustrated by the aristocrats that did not agree with his ways, and asked for advice from Sienna. Sienna suggested holding a Mutupetition, saying it was necessary to clean up vested interests.


    The Mutupetition had the purpose of checking the skills of the imperial knights. It was to allow not only the imperial knights but also outside knights to participate, so the loser was eliminated in a one-on-onepetition, and the winner was topete until the final one came out.


    ¡°Did anyone oppose it?¡±


    ¡°The Queen stood up and opposed it, but most of the nobles approved it. Many people agreed that we would give the title to the winner and that we would give the award to those who were ranked in the imperial knighthoods as well as those who rmended them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    The event seemed to have a good purpose for the aristocrats, but it was actually different. Knowing that the imperial knights were in a mess, Valore and Sienna nned to hold apetition to reveal their poor skills to the world.


    Their n was to punish those involved for theck of ability of the imperial knights and to create a new aristocratic force to stand on the emperor¡¯s side. Furthermore, the move was aimed at pressuring aristocrats who had used their connections or money to buy and sell knight positions.


    Without knowing that, the aristocrats were full of dreams, hoping that the knights they rmended would win.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Valore coughed violently.


    ¡°The cold seems tost too long. What does the doctor say?¡±


    ¡°What do you need for a doctor? It¡¯s just a cold.¡±


    Valore coughed deeply. He covered his mouth with his hand and coughed, but his hand was covered with blood. Sienna held out her handkerchief, pretending not to see it.


    ¡°Still, call in the imperial clinic for a consultation. His Majesty¡¯s body is not for yours alone. Stay healthy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern. By the way, could you y the piano for me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one song I can y. You¡¯re not tired of it?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. These days, I only feel alive when I listen to your performance.¡±


    He spoke with a very tired look. Sienna stood in front of the piano, ignoring the shadow of death on Valore¡¯s face.


    ¡°I receive Your Majesty¡¯smand. I¡¯ll y it.¡±


    Her fingers were ced on the keyboard.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Arya¡¯s voice echoed in the pce.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea to hold a martial artspetition? The public sentiment in the capital is bad, so holding a big event to appease them would be...¡±


    ng-rang-


    Arya could not contain her anger and threw the teacup into the face of DukePanacio. The teacup that hit Depine¡¯s face broke as it fell on the marble floor. He wiped the tea from his face with a towel.


    ¡°Arya Panacio!¡±


    Depine couldn¡¯t stand it and called Arya¡¯s name in an angry voice. Although she was sitting in the position of Queen, she was his younger sister. There was no reason for him to be insulted like this.


    ¡°Shut up! How dare you call my name! Even though you have the same father as me, I am now the Queen of the Leipsden Empire. I am the Emperor¡¯s Mother! I don¡¯t deserve to be called recklessly by someone like you.¡±


    The Duke bit his lower lip, unable to hold back his anger.


    ¡°Are you carrying your head as a decoration? Are you putting it on your shoulders just in case it feels empty? Who knows the skills of the Imperial Knights now better than you? And yet you are in full favor of the Emperor¡¯s words!¡±


    Depine said, still frowning.


    ¡°It¡¯s still the Knights of the Imperial Household...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a name. Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s just a scarecrow that you and I made to distribute the title to the nobles? It¡¯s a group of idiots who can¡¯t sh anything with a sword. It seemed usible in shy armor, but now I¡¯m going to be ridiculed when their pathetic skill is shown in front of everyone.¡±


    ¡°But if they¡¯re the only onespeting against each other...¡±


    At Depine¡¯s words, Aryaughed in vain.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you should have said. You should have insisted that only the imperial knights be sent to thepetition when the Emperor says that he will hold a contest with a collection of talented knights from all over the country. Were you absentminded at the meeting?¡±


    Recently, Depine heard that his son, Delhi, was trying hard day and night, so Depine couldn¡¯t think of anything else because he was obsessed with the idea that his son might win.


    ¡°Then even now, I will talk to His Majesty...¡±


    Arya said with a deep sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and tell him. By the way, how is the Southern storeing along?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... ...just on the verge of bankruptcy. Most of thend they held as coteral has been taken away with penalties, and now, some of the southern nobles have sold their titles in the aftermath. It¡¯s a lot of damage. We¡¯re going to lose most of our money.¡±


    ¡°You know, the road repair cost... That¡¯s all right. It¡¯s already over. I just want you, Duke, tofort the Southern aristocrats. By the way, the amount of moneying from the South Merchants has been quiterge.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very unfortunate. Our Panacio family alone is left with half thend. It¡¯s not just about funding. The rising price of wheat in the capital city is not good for public opinion. The people believe that the main cause of the surge in wheat prices is the southern aristocracy, especially our family.¡±


    At Depine¡¯s words, Arya¡¯s eyes turned wild. Depine said with a sullen face.


    ¡°In particr, public opinion is not good about Emperor Valore. So why don¡¯t you, my Queen, ask the First Princess? Didn¡¯t she donate that much wheat again as soon as the wheat ran out of stock in the capital? It must be connected to a wheat-richpany. So I suggest you find a way to borrow wheat from her...¡±


    At Depine¡¯s words, Arya said, rubbing her forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange¡ªwhen all the warehouses in the capital are empty, and even the imperial warehouse is empty, she donated enough wheat to quell the surge in wheat at the capital. It¡¯s as if she knew in advance that this was going to happen.¡±


    ¡°How could she know? Heavy rain andndslides are the will of heaven... she¡¯s not even a prophet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still suspicious. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s rted... do you have any information about the merchant who paid the temple wheat?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I even asked the emperor? No information is found. That¡¯s why everyone calls it the Dark Merchants. It is not known what the original name of the merchant is, who the owner of the merchant is, what aristocrats are in contact with, or when the merchant was created. All it¡¯s known is that she donated to the temple in the name of the First Princess.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else unusual?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Now that I think of it, there¡¯s one strange thing. I don¡¯t know if this has anything to do with the Dark Chamber, but...¡±

 Chapter 103: Live to Sienna Pt.103

    <h4>Chapter 103: Live to Sienna Pt.103</h4>


    ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Unlike the old days, apany called Symphonium bought arge amount of wheat. Although it required securing thend as coteral to sign the contract, there were many people who signed the contract because they paid more than other ces. The one we signed with our family this time was also the Symphonium.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. What is this Symphonium association like?¡±


    ¡°I have been trying to find out, but the Symphonium is as unknown as the Dark Merchants. There¡¯s only one situation where it suddenly released a lot of gold and bought tons of wheat coupons.¡±


    ¡°Bothpanies are quite secretive. The owner of the business is often known because trust is important. Find out what the Symphonium, the Dark Merchants, and princess Sienna have to do with each other. Rob the informants if needed!¡±


    Arya sent Depine out, then got up from her seat and asked her servant.


    ¡°Have you found out where the Emperor is?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty has headed to the pce of the First Princess.¡±


    Her face was frowned upon by the words of the servant.


    ¡°She must have whispered to him into doing it again! Foxy bitch!¡±


    It was after he met Sienna that Valore, who was obedient to his mother, had changed.


    Moreover, thispetition was plotted. She¡¯s used the Imperial Knights and her brother to reveal how bad the Imperial Knights were, and now it¡¯s a Knights¡¯petition. It was obvious that she had sweet-talked Valore into doing what she wanted.


    To keep an eye on Carl, Arya chose Sienna only to be a puppet princess, thinking she¡¯d be an innocentmb¡ªbut she turned out to be more than just foxy. Arya took a quick step toward the pce of Sienna.


    Entering the pce of Sienna, the guards of Emperor Valore were lined up on one side. At the door stood a group of Phoenix knights.


    When the Queen appeared, Milton, who was guarding the door, gave her a polite salute. He overcame Jamie¡¯s hard training and was serving as interim head of the Phoenix Knights. She raised her hand to stop him when he tried to tell the inside guards that Arya hade.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to inform inside. I¡¯m going in there myself.¡±


    It is not polite to enter without the permission of the pce master, but Arya was the royal family¡¯s elder. Milton couldn¡¯t just stop her. He said to Arya in obedience.


    ¡°There is not only the Empress but also His Majesty.¡±


    At his words, Arya bit her red lips. She came here knowing that Valore was already inside, but she still felt resentful.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I was going in? Get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°But it is polite to inform His Majesty...¡±


    ¡°How dare you talk to me about manners!¡±


    Milton replied unshakably to Arya¡¯s wistful voice.


    ¡°There is also the Emperor inside. I need his permission.¡±


    It was clear that he would never let her in without the emperor¡¯s permission. Milton couldn¡¯t be believed to be a member of the Phoenix Knights, formerly called the garbage dumps, thest-bottomed knights.


    ¡°I¡¯lle back with permission.¡±


    Milton, standing up from his seat, bowed his head to Arya and went inside. Queen Arya breathed violently in the anger. Her nails dug into her palm.


    Soon Milton came out and opened the way for Arya to enter. Only then did the tightly closed turquoise door open.


    Sienna sat in front of the piano and Valore stood beside her. When Queen Arya entered, Sienna rose from her seat.


    Looking at Sienna, who looked at Arya with pure blue eyes pretending to know nothing, Arya couldn¡¯t stand the anger. Recently, it felt like the biggest obstacle in her way was Sienna.


    The disobedient emperor, the loss of roads in the south, the Knightspetition, the behavior of the knight who was just guarding the door...all this felt like part of Sienna¡¯s plot. Arya approached her with a rough step.


    ¡°Wee to Her Majesty.¡±


    She strode to her front, not answering Sienna¡¯s greetings.


    Yap! The sound of Arya pping Sienna¡¯s cheek rang violently. Valore screamed in surprise.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Valore grabbed Sienna¡¯s cheeks and checked to see if she was all right. One cheek of Sienna was swollen red.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    Valore screamed.


    ¡°Get out of the way, Your Majesty, this is not your business.¡±


    ¡°My Queen!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s natural to discipline your subordinates if they do something wrong. It¡¯s not something you can do.¡±


    ¡°What on earth did the Princess do wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known that the Princess was messing with the Emperor¡¯sfort, but I thought the clever king would soone to his senses. But I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re in the house of Princess Sienna¡¯s pce until thiste hour! Do you know what the court¡¯s servants and nobles are talking about?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are they talking about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so profane that I feel ashamed to put it in my mouth.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Valore became upset and raised his voice.


    ¡°Say it! What were they talking about, that you just came in here and pped Princess Sienna on the face?¡±


    ¡°... that Princess Sienna enticed His Majesty to have a secret meeting every night. Ha, I¡¯m ashamed of myself...¡±


    In fact, Arya didn¡¯t know there really was such a rumor. However, when she saw Sienna after struggling with the guard outside the door, she got feverish and started the beating. However, she made a usible excuse in front of Valore because she could not say she was simply angry.


    Valore opened his mouth, beating his chest out of frustration with her words.


    ¡°Who the hell said that? Bring him in right now. And who lured who?! I¡¯m the one who came here everyday, and Princess Sienna never called me.¡±


    At Valore¡¯s words, Sienna looked embarrassed, and Arya looked at him like he was being pathetic.


    ¡°Princess Sienna! You shouldn¡¯t have met him even if he hade. At thiste hour! It¡¯s almost dinner time.¡±


    It was still bright outside the window. It was early in the evening, but Arya insisted it waste.


    ¡°Ifing here was wrong, it¡¯s my fault. Princess Sienna did nothing wrong. I just came here feeling heavy with worries.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. His Majesty wouldn¡¯t do that. You¡¯ve been strange recently because Princess Sienna lured you. Isn¡¯t that why His Majesty won¡¯t listen to me anymore!?¡±


    Valore¡¯s face hardened at these words.

 Chapter 104: Live to Sienna Pt.104 Tromil

    <h4>Chapter 104: Live to Sienna Pt.104 Tromil</h4>


    Arya didn¡¯t realize what slip of the tongue she had just made. It was natural for Valore to follow only her words. It was rather strange and pathetic that he would not listen to her from some time on.


    Valore spoke to Arya in a subdued voice, contrary to what had just been raised.


    ¡°I don¡¯t listen to my Queen?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do that before, but now you talk back to me regrly, refute me, raise your voice as you are now!¡±


    ¡°Ha! My Queen was not angry with Sienna, but you were angry with me! Because I didn¡¯t act as you expected me to while you wanted me to be an emperor like a paper doll that you could easily control!¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?! How can you hurt your mother¡¯s heart like that? You mean you don¡¯t really know what I mean? I¡¯m just awfully anxious if the Emperor would go the wrong way...¡±


    If anyone sees her now, everyone would think that Valore was unfaithful. Her acting was excellent. Arya had a sad face, clutching her trembling chest.


    The problem was that the person she was performing to was his son. He knew his mother better than anyone else. She has no maternal love. Valore knew heartbreakingly well that Arya saw him only as a tool to gain power.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. I still remember what you said clearly¡ªif you can¡¯t be an emperor, you can¡¯t be my son! I wanted to ask you then, too. What am I to you? Am I even your son? If I hadn¡¯t be an emperor and if I hadn¡¯t been worthy of use, would I have been recognized as a son?¡±


    Tears fell over Valore¡¯s cheeks. Arya looked at him with such a cold face. Her expression was speaking instead¡ªthat he was only her son because he¡¯s the emperor.


    Valore roughly rubbed his face with the tip of his sleeve, wiping away tears, and calling in his knights to order.


    ¡°As of today, let the Empress be locked up in her pce for a week. Don¡¯t let her out for a week or let anyone in!¡±


    ¡°What? Valore! How dare you do this to me!¡±


    Arya flew into a rage at Valore¡¯s order. Even if she was a mother, speaking informally to the Emperor showed that she had lost her reason.


    ¡°I am punishing you for not keeping dignity as the elder of the Imperial family and acting in violence in front of the emperor.¡±


    As Valore winked, his knights approached Arya. Rejecting the knight¡¯s hand that was grabbing her arm, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll walk on my feet, so get these dirty hands off me!¡±


    Arya stared at Valore with a spiteful face.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you will surely regret your decision today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll regret it. Today and tomorrow. I¡¯ve never had a day without regret since I became the Emperor.¡±


    As Arya went outside, Valore stumbled with a weak face. Sienna reached out to him and helped him not to fall on the floor.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just... a little dizzy.¡±


    It was Sienna whose cheeks were swollen by Arya¡¯s p, but Valore¡¯splexion was worse than hers. His hands were as cold as a corpse and his lips turned blue.


    ...


    Stomp, stomp.


    Milton Taylor, head of the Phoenix Knights, drove a horse near the carriage in which Sienna was riding.


    Jamie¡¯s efforts have transformed the Phoenix Knights into a different shape. Some people quit amid the tough process. They were reduced in manpowerpared to other knights, but after oveing harsh training, it was not an exaggeration to call them the best knights in the imperial family.


    Milton, now leading the Knights, was unusual in particr, as he was popr not only within the Phoenix Knights but also with Jamie and Sienna.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness is now near Tromil.¡±


    ¡°Tromil?¡±


    Sienna nodded at the familiar word. As Milton said goodbye, Sienna grabbed the wagon¡¯s curtain and called him up again.


    ¡°Then how much time do we have before we get to Tromil?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s less than half a day away. If it¡¯s hard for you to ride the carriage, shall we take a rest?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯d better get there before the sun goes down. Let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    She turned back the curtains and closed her eyes.


    On that day, Arya went back, grinding her teeth, and eventually decided to urge the nobles to send Sienna to where Carl was at the height of the war. The excuse was really good. The reason was that the princess should visit Carl, who has been at war for nearly half a year.


    Although Emperor Valore opposed the idea, saying, ¡°Is it right to push the princess into a dangerous battlefield?¡± There was no one on his side in the conference room. Eventually, Sienna left for the battlefield.


    The ce she headed was not close to the capital, so she was stuck in a carriage for fifteen days. Inside the carriage was filled with red cushions, but it failed to absorb all the vibrations that rang the floor. She was getting tired of motion sickness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to eat something? You won¡¯t feel good if you don¡¯t eat like that...¡±


    Next to her, Hain worried about Sienna.


    Usually, when a person from the royal family moves far away, he or she leads arge number of maids, servants, and knights. Naturally, Sienna¡¯s party also tried to move arge number of Phoenix knights, maids, and cooks but failed due to Jamie¡¯s opposition.


    He pointed out the problems as more people making it difficult to find a ce to stay, slow movement, and more luggage to carry. He made the im because of his personality, which suits the military, strove for practicality rather than the honor of the aristocrats.


    Naturally, Hain, the chief maid who assists Sienna, jumped at the idea. How can a princess move with such a small number of people?


    But Sienna, as Jamie said, decided to move with the minimum number of people. Hain voiced that Sienna should think of her dignity, but couldn¡¯t break the stubbornness of Sienna and Jamie. In fact, Hain was able to follow her mistress only because she begged to be taken.


    Hain was also unhappy with Sienna¡¯s packing because she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to take a lot of dresses and essories. Both Sienna and Hain were wearing men¡¯s clothes as Jamie objected to their fancy dresses, saying they were not simply going on a trip but going to the battlefield.


    Unlike Hain, Sienna rather liked it because the pants were easier to work rather than the fluffy dress.


    Her attire was a horse-riding suit worn by knights, with a ck jacket and trousersrge in thighs and narrow calf, making it easier to wear boots thate up to the knees. Hain, who wasining about how a woman wore pants, stoppedining when she actually wore them as if feelingfortable in them.


    As Sienna stretched weakly, Hain wet the towel and wiped her face and the back of her hand. Sienna felt much better when the coolness touched her skin.


    ¡°Why did you say yes to leaving when you were going to get so sick?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do we do? It wasn¡¯t my choice.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. They are so heartless. How can they think about sending your Royal Highness to war? By the way, wouldn¡¯t it be really dangerous to go there? They say that when you go to war, bows pour down like rain, and evil enemies run like a mad pack of wolves.¡±


    Hain, who was pretending to be okay all along, shook her fingertips as if she was scared of having to go to the battlefield.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re not going to the middle of the battlefield. Tromil belongs to Leipsden. Come to think of it, Tromil is also Shaylin¡¯s hometown.¡±


    ¡°Shaylin?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She said there was a really bigke in her hometown. I heard there¡¯s a really coolke in the direction of sunset from Tromil. I want to go once.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about going alone! It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Of course. How could I go alone? I don¡¯t even know how to ride a horse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Anyway, no matter how close Shaylin¡¯s hometown is to the war zone, you must take me with you whenever you go somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stick by your side, Hain.¡±

 Chapter 105: Live to Sienna Pt.105

    <h4>Chapter 105: Live to Sienna Pt.105</h4>


    Hain seemed relieved only after getting Sienna¡¯s assurance.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, you need to get your hair done again.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You have to brush your hair well because your clothes are a mess. It¡¯s been a really long time since you¡¯ve seen your prince.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh...¡±


    Sienna¡¯s cheeks blushed like peaches.


    She was both surprised and relieved by the order to go to the front. At the pce, it was hard to hear from Carl, so she wanted to see him with her own eyes and make sure he was safe.


    ¡°Is this outfit that ugly?¡±


    Sienna asked Hain carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that ugly, but it¡¯s not feminine. It¡¯s too rough. Do you want a brooch?¡±


    Hain put on Sienna¡¯s chest a brooch with jewels embedded and embroidered gold thread around it.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than before. If you do your hair well, you¡¯ll be fine. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep the dress properly anyway, but I think I should have brought at least one dress secretly. I wasn¡¯t clever.¡±


    ¡°No, forget it. But more than that, what should I do with my hair? Do you think it¡¯s better to put it up or down?¡±


    Sienna said she was okay, but she was concerned about her appearance. On the other hand, she thought there was no point in looking good to him, but she still wanted to show him only good things. Contradictory, but that was her mind.


    *


    The carriage arrived at the barracks. The tents were lined up inrge ins, and soldiers were busilying and going between them. It was only after checking the party that the carriage could enter the camp.


    As soon as Sienna got off the wagon, she found Carl first. It was not until she saw Carl standing with the knights that she felt relieved. He looked healthy.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth are you here?¡±


    As soon as Carl saw Sienna, he suddenly got angry. She was happy to see him, but soon she got upset by his reaction. Hiding her true mind, she said in a pained voice, ¡°Coming here was not my will. It was an imperialmand so I had to follow it.¡±


    ¡°Foolish! You always pretended to be smart. Why didn¡¯t you drag it on, saying you couldn¡¯t go to dangerous ces, or you needed a lot of preparation to go far away?¡±


    ¡°I guess I was really stupid. I didn¡¯t think about that.¡±


    Sienna said, drawing a sour nce. As the atmosphere became tense, a gentle-looking knight appeared next to Carl.


    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be too angry. His Royal Highness is worried too. When he heard that your Majesty wasing, he couldn¡¯t sleep well.¡±


    ¡°Pavenik! Get out of the way if you¡¯re going to talk nonsense.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Those on night watchined about not being able to sleep because you did not sleep and went around the camp all night. They were saying why they have to stay nervous when there have been enough sleepless nights.¡±


    When Carl was about to say something, Pavenik opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness must be tired of your journey here, so why don¡¯t you share your regrets in the prince¡¯s barracks? I will show the Phoenix Knights where to stay.¡±


    He closed his eyes and showed a manly smile. Carl turned his back and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Sienna walked along with Carl, who turned heartlessly. It must have rained a few days ago¡ªthe ground was muddy. Looking at the mud clinging to the soles of her feet, she felt fortunate not to wear a dress. But as Carl strode away, it was too tough to follow.


    ¡°Could you walk a little slow... Argh!¡±


    As soon as her foot was stuck in the mud and was about to fall forward, Carl turned around and held her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even walk properly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you walked too fast and I had to run after you.¡±


    He grabbed Sienna by the waist and reached out his hand to help her get her feet out. Sienna alternated between Carl¡¯s hand and his face. She looked like he didn¡¯t understand what the hand meant.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll fall again and me me. It¡¯s my fault to have a foolish wife who can¡¯t even walk properly.¡±


    There was a yful smile on Carl¡¯s face. She refused because she felt teased.


    ¡°I can walk alone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being stubborn for nothing.¡±


    He held her hand and said firmly in a resonant voice.


    ¡°You may be fine, but I¡¯m not fine. So why don¡¯t we walk like this?¡±


    Carl walked holding Sienna¡¯s hand. He also slowed down his pace to make it easier to walk with her.


    Walking in step with him, she felt a little relieved. His reaction to why she came was certainly hurting. She was so happy to be able toe to see him because she was worried about his safety. But when he scolded her foring all the way here, she felt like a fool.


    Still, she felt his warmth in his hands and thought what Pavenik said earlier about Carl being anxious might be right.


    ¡®To my surprise, he could be affectionate.¡¯


    Considering the fact that he asked for reinforcements saying the situation on the frontline was fierce, the atmosphere of the camp seemed to be good. There were not many wounded soldiers and no signs of fighting. Rather than being at the barracks, it was closer to the training camp.


    Sienna wanted to ask about him, but she didn¡¯t open her mouth. She didn¡¯t want to break this moment when she walked hand-in-hand with him.


    The barracks where Carl stayed were located in the middle of the barracks. Although she thought his barrack would stand out for housing the head of the division, it was no different in size or shape from other barracks.


    The barracks were constructed with wooden pirs in all directions and poles in the middle to surround the tent. Standing close to the barracks, a soldier guarding the front lifted the tent to make it easier for two people to enter.


    It was warm in the barracks. The iron pot in the middle was filled with hot charcoal, which controlled the temperature. There was a desk with maps and books and a table with two simple beds next to it. One of the beds seemed to have been added at the news of the princess¡¯ing.


    ¡°The barracks are designed as practical as possible for mobility, but if you want anything, you can get it from a soldier.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re at war and I don¡¯t want to take the soldiers¡¯ time away for useless things.¡±


    Sienna sat on a bed that was as simple as a table.


    ¡°It¡¯s stronger than I thought. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be ufortable to use.¡±


    It seemed hard and cold, but she didn¡¯t want toin about the cushion of the bed.


    ¡°Now that I am here, the atmosphere at the barracks was better than I thought. I heard in the capital city that the war against Castro is fierce. Were there any battles today?¡±


    Carl said, sitting on the camp bed opposite her.


    ¡°Even if you are at war, it doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s a battle every day. The front is actually pretty far from here.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re deliberately telling the capital that the war isn¡¯t in our favor.¡±


    ¡°Howe?¡±


    ¡°The nobles in the capital have no war experience. They forget that the people who are fighting here are humans. They consider war too lightly because they only judge by the numbers in the documents. So I have no choice but to remind them. You can¡¯t bring them directly to the battlefield, but it¡¯ll bother them because the cost of sending soldierses out of their pockets. It¡¯s also a way to eat away their interests.¡±


    Sienna nodded. She herself heard about the horrors of war, but she was not interested in how the war was going on.

 Chapter 106: Live to Sienna Pt.106

    <h4>Chapter 106: Live to Sienna Pt.106</h4>


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me a hint? It was a chaos for the people of the capital city to send the extra wheat here for not having enough wheat. If I had known, I would have thought of a way.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you have solved it well anyway?¡±


    ¡°Is that faith in me?¡±


    ¡°Think as you please. By the way, what¡¯s with your outfit?¡±


    Sienna asked, looking at Carl¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Is it that weird?¡±


    ¡°I just asked because you¡¯re dressed like a boy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wearingfortable clothes because I have a long journey here. But more important than that...¡±


    Sienna thought she wanted to wash up. She was able to take a bath if she stopped by the vige on the way here, but as she got closer to Tromil, it was hard to see a vige with amodation. Furthermore, it was difficult to stop by even to a small vige because she was close to a war zone.


    Sienna hadn¡¯t bathed for three days. Although she wiped her body with a wet towel, she still felt ufortable. Being alone with Carl in the narrow barracks, she was concerned about whether her body smelled. If she knew this would happen, she¡¯d at least spray perfume before getting off the carriage.


    ¡°Is there a ce to wash?¡±


    ¡°For soldiers, yes... but...¡±


    ¡°Tell me where. I¡¯ll stop by during the night.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being fearless. What if you wander around at night and get mistaken for a spy? No, not even that¡ªif there is a woman in the barracks, she¡¯d be misunderstood as a prostitute.¡±


    Sienna nodded with a stupid look because she had not thought about that point.


    The army seemed to consist only ofbating soldiers, but there were actually a variety of other members in addition to them. When the military moves, merchants move together, buying trophies acquired by individual soldiers and selling alcohol or food. They also provided women, but the demand was quite high because it was a groupposed of men only.


    Carl¡¯s army prohibited non-military traders froming out of the prescribed area, so it was hard to see women wandering around the barracks, but it was not entirely impossible.


    asionally, there were some soldiers leading the women to the barracks, trying to avoid the eyes of military officials.


    Sienna was concerned. Neither did she want to use public bath facilities while being misunderstood as a prostitute but she could not keep from washing herself.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°With you?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to wash.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but...¡±


    Sienna was troubled. It was true that she wanted to wash up, but she was reluctant to go into the bathtub with him. She was embarrassed to even imagine washing naked in front of him. Her ears were red as if they were on fire.


    Carlughed as if he was having fun at her reaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you look so embarrassed. You and I have already been through our first night as a married couple.¡±


    Not only her ears but also her neck turned red at his words.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s... that¡¯s...¡±


    She remembered the night Carl was leaving the capital. She couldn¡¯t help it when she recalled the day they spent the night with passion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s such a shame for a couple to be together. Where did the one go who bumped her lips with me that day and touched my skin?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember that day!¡±


    Sienna lied out of shame. Of course, she could remember¡ªher face felt still so hot because she remembered every detail.


    ¡°You mean you weren¡¯t so satisfied that you couldn¡¯t remember what happened that day? It hurts my pride as a husband. I¡¯ll give you another passionate night if you want. You¡¯ll never forget it this time.¡±


    When she realized btedly that she was being teased, she spoke with a straight face.


    ¡°Why are you talking like a fool? I would believe it if you¡¯re a gang in an alley, not a prince.¡±


    ¡°Huh, how can you treat me like a fool for having a chat with my wife? I didn¡¯t know you were thinking of me that way.¡±


    This time, Carl looked serious. His voice was filled with anger, so Sienna looked at him and said, ¡°No... because you keep saying that kind of things...¡±


    ¡°Haha, I was joking. You don¡¯t have to be so self-conscious.¡±


    Sienna red at him and said in an angry voice, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re talking nonsense because you said you would never joke.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is said that a married couple bes alike and I guess I¡¯m bing like you. You often say things are jokes.¡±


    She felt like she lost again this time. Sienna just gasped and puffed with anger.


    Carl said to her in a quiet voice, ¡°I missed you.¡±


    His voice was too small, but also it was so unexpected that she thought she might have misheard his words.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl did not say the sentence again, but a smile rose around Sienna¡¯s mouth. It was also what she wanted to say to him. It was a sentence that filled the letters she couldn¡¯t send him.


    ¡®My king, I miss you.¡¯


    Knowing that he also thought the same, Sienna¡¯s heart began to beat fast.


    ¡°But it¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t want you here. It is safer for you to stay in the pce than here. But now that we¡¯ve met... it¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t answer him. She thought the sound of his voice filling her head would disappear if she answered out loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm!


    Carl had a man bring a tub filled with warm water into the barracks. And surrounding it was a tent for Sienna to use. While the soldiers went out and she dipped into the bathtub, Carl was sitting at his desk looking over the documents.


    It felt strange to take a bath with a thin piece of cloth between them. The shadow of Carl shone on the thin cloth. Sienna saw the shadow swaying by the candle and dipped her face into the water. The water rose to the bottom of her nose.


    Inside the barracks, there was only the sound of water as she moved and the sound of him moving the penpoint. Sometimes she could hear the footsteps of soldiers in the distance.


    ¡°How long did you stay in Tromil?¡±


    The sound of the movement of the penpoint stopped.


    ¡°I came here two weeks ago. I led some of the troops here.¡±


    Carl moved to here from the east where the frontline with Castro was located because of what Sienna said. Tromil was originallyposed of troops and was also connected to the water stream that led to Castro, so he came down here since the heavy rain.


    As Sienna said, the small river stream overflowed and formed a great waterway. Now, from the Hegea River, ships were waiting toe. When the ship came and organized the navy, the frontline troops were to strike the Witron area, which was located on the front line, up and down as it snowed, and the Navy was to take a way of climbing up the river from Tromil and attack the city of Menheim on the side.


    ¡°Did you know? There¡¯s a hugeke hidden in Tromil.¡±

 Chapter 107: Live to Sienna Pt.107

    <h4>Chapter 107: Live to Sienna Pt.107</h4>


    ¡°Not a river, but ake?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a maid named Shaylin from Tromil. I heard it from her. Originally, it was a hidden site of the goddess of the moon. If you go in the direction of the sunset, you will see a hugeke, and there is a temple of goddess hidden behind it.¡±


    At her words, Carl looked at the map. Although it was called a map, the area was not clearly marked because there were many dense forests. Moreover, although Tromil has be thend of Leipsden, it¡¯s still like Castro¡¯snd. There was not much information.


    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s amazing. From what I know, the pce doesn¡¯t ept people from Tromil.¡±


    ¡°Why? The people of Tromil are also the people of Leipsden.¡±


    ¡°Because the people in the Tromil area are... different. They are secretly discriminated against a lot.¡±


    ¡°I heard they still speak Castro¡¯snguage. Is that why?¡±


    ¡°There is such a peculiarity but it¡¯s more because of the unusual constitution.¡±


    ¡°Unique constitution?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the tribesmen who originally lived in Tromil, although they are now pretty much extinct, have an unusual trait. Their childhood and adolescence are longer than normal people.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t quite understand what Carl said. What do you mean by having a long childhood and adolescence?


    ¡°They live in teenage form for a long time. They look like a child until a very old age. Should I say that they don¡¯t have adulthood? It¡¯s been said that they look like teens until reaching age thirty, and by the time they be 35 years old, they¡¯d rapidly age, and few people were over 40.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting, but isn¡¯t that a good thing? You are looking young for a long time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a long adulthood, it¡¯s a long adolescence. Because you have to look young for a long time, but you¡¯re not really a young person. It wasn¡¯t the blessing of the goddess of the moon for the tribe... it was like a curse.¡±


    ¡°Howe? Of course, it¡¯s inconvenient to look like a child, but... Oh! Is it because of the short life span?¡±


    ¡°No. Because after such characteristics became known, they became targets of ve traders. There are no original tribesmen left in the Tromil now. They were all sold out at a high price.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°When it was Castro¡¯snd, the tribe was called blessed by the Goddess of the Moon and was protected. But the protection was lost when it became part of Leipsden. ve hunting is illegal, but it¡¯s the ck market. I¡¯ve heard that 20 years ago, on a stormy day, ve traders came into Tromil and killed all the old ones on the spot and captured all the young men and women.¡±


    Sienna recalled Shaylin, who was shaking at the sound of thunder.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a site on the east side of the barracks where they lived. Only a few buildings that were charred by the fire.¡±


    ¡°So there aren¡¯t any tribesmen left now?¡±


    ¡°They are scattered. I heard they were mostly sold off as sexual ves. Apparently keeping a young face for a long time is a popr thing in that part of the world. Well, I only heard about it. I¡¯ve never seen the tribal man in person.¡±


    ¡°What horrible people they are. For destroying the whole tribe.¡±


    Thinking about what kind of pain Shaylin must have suffered, Sienna was in rage.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they be caught and punished?¡±


    Surely it¡¯s a crime. Murder, arson, kidnapping. Just listing the charges could tell how bad they were. The crimes all fall within felony.


    ¡°Punishment won¡¯t be easy since the demand came from Aristocrats. ve deals are legal, so there¡¯s no basis for punishment unless we find evidence of illegal abduction of them. On the surface, they must look like they are doing a legitimate business.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    There was a rustling sound when Sienna was frowning, displeased with the business of people buying and selling other people. Carl soon came through the tent. He took off his jacket and hung it on the table.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Sienna asked him, covering her chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°Then you could have told me to hurry up...¡±


    When she said embarrassingly, Carl burst intoughter. It was cute to see her being embarrassed while he could still recall her clinging onto his neck so passionately. Others might have thought she was being coy, but strangely, it wasn¡¯t that bad for Sienna.


    Carl carefully went behind her and soaked himself in the bathtub. Even though he entered carefully, the water in the bathtub was running and overflowing.


    With two people in a narrow bathtub made for one person, they had no choice but to stay close together. Sienna moved forward ufortably, but there was nowhere to go.


    Carl felt itchy with her red hair touching his chest. He carefully collected her hair and turned it forward. Hearing Sienna¡¯s rough breathing, he buried his face at the nape of her neck before his eyes.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m done washing...¡±


    As Sienna tried to stand up from her seat, Carl held her waist tight and said, ¡°Please stay a little longer...¡±


    His voice whispering beside her neck tickled so she crouched. Looking at her, Carl burst intoughter again.


    Sienna looked at her hands, covering herself up with the towel that Carl handed her.


    ¡°It¡¯s swollen.¡±


    It¡¯s because she¡¯s been in the water for too long. Embarrassed by her pale fingers, she clenched her fist and hid her fingers. Carl grinned and stood up without a word. Then he put a towel on her head.


    Carl changed his clothes first and approached the brazier. The kettle on the brazier was steaming. Sienna wiped herself with the towel he handed her and changed into pajamas.


    ¡°Achooo!¡±


    Sienna sneezed. Feeling chilly, she pulled a nket over her shoulder.


    Carl handed a hot tea in a wooden cup he made to Sienna, who was sitting on the bed. With anguid face, she looked at the steam and received the cup without saying a word. She needed warmth because her body temperature dropped. The green-colored tea smelled as fresh as an orange.


    ¡°Is it a cold?¡±


    ¡°Because of someone... Achooo!¡±


    Sienna replied, pouting her lips.


    When Carl frowned at her sneezing, Sienna grumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not transmitting anything, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The words of Sienna made Carl¡¯s face more crumpled. She drank tea without even looking at his face. The warm water passed down her throat, which made her feel a little morefortable.


    Carl took the hot charcoal from the soldier outside and piled it on the brazier one by one.


    The temperature in the tent warmed up.


    ¡°How long are you going to stay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here less than a day and you¡¯re going to kick me out already?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I should stay at least two weeks? The pce sent me to boost your morale, but I¡¯m not sure if I can do that. Should I do a constory performance?¡±


    ¡°Constory performance?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t do that here? You know, gather soldiers on the battlefield, sing and dance to boost morale.¡±


    There were asional constion performances in the north to boost morale. Paul, who taught Sienna piano and violin, yed the harmonica in front of the soldiers. Sometimes excited soldiers sang or danced.


    Carl looked at her with a pathetic look.

 Chapter 108: Live to Sienna Pt.108

    <h4>Chapter 108: Live to Sienna Pt.108</h4>


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to sing and dance in front of the soldiers yourself?¡±


    His voice was so down that Sienna shook her head quickly and said it was a joke. She had realized it was strange when the words came out of her mouth. It was rare for a nobleman to perform dance or song in front of others¡ªonly barmaids would do it.


    ¡°Just because I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to help boost morale.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough that you¡¯re here. When they see you here, they¡¯ll think the war will soon be over. The nobles are not happy toe to war, but usually, theye to negotiatepensation by the time the war ends in victory. So you don¡¯t have to sing or dance to boost morale.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡¯m not good at it.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m curious. The way you sing.¡±


    ¡°It will never happen.¡±


    She was never meant to sing because she was so tone-deaf. She definitely has ears to listen to music, and the fact that she can y an instrument means she knows beats, but strangely, the song that came out of her throat was a mess. She could not stand her own song.


    She quickly changed the subject in case he suggested a song.


    ¡°How¡¯s the war going? This ce is quiet and the atmosphere is nice, but other fronts must be different.¡±


    Carl exined one by one the topography of the map on the table.


    ¡°Here, the middle of the front, there¡¯s still a fierce battle going on. We¡¯re seeing hundreds of wounded every day, let alone our enemy.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s so fierce, will the war go into a long-term war?¡±


    Carl said, pointing to where he is and the river.


    ¡°You said before that the river would overflow by heavy rain. That¡¯s exactly what happened, so I¡¯m nning to use the river stream as your n.¡±


    He said, referring to the current Tromil.


    ¡°Yes, but this wasn¡¯t the ce I told you about. And is there a river in Tromil?¡±


    It was Castro¡¯snd about which she told Carl on the first night of her wedding. After subjugating part of Castro¡¯snd, the n was to have the heavy rains send ships into the river¡¯s stream and lead the troops close to the capital city of Castro. She only said it because it was one of Carl¡¯s sessful ns in the past, but in fact, she didn¡¯t know much about the detailed war tactics.


    ¡°Not originally. But there¡¯s a lot of swamps on the west side of Tromil. This swamp is connected to Mannheim. With the rain, the swamp turned into a shallow river. There won¡¯t be a big boat, but I can float a small boat. I¡¯m going to use the small boats to attack here, the back of Whitron, where the war is going on. Castro can¡¯t use much power in swamps because he has a lot of cavalries. So I¡¯m going to lead the soldiers and engage in an arrow attack from the back.¡±


    ¡°Where do you get all those ships?¡±


    ¡°They are building ships at Tromil right now. These small boats don¡¯t take much time to make. Maybe 2,000 ships will be built by next week. If it goes as nned, we can wrap up the war before the end of the year.¡±


    ording to Carl, the war would end a year earlier than in the past. Sienna thought about the impact of a faster end to the war. But she couldn¡¯t picture it easily.


    ¡°Then there won¡¯t be a battle here until the ship is dry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is not going to be a battlefield even after the ship is built.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing until then?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Not that I want to do something but I¡¯m more curious about what you are normally doing while there¡¯s no fighting.¡±


    ¡°Things are the same as ordinary days except that there is just no battle. You train your soldiers, you review their ns, you know.¡±


    Sienna asked Carl with a smile.


    ¡°Then can we go to theke?¡±


    ¡°Ake?¡±


    ¡°You can take a day off from training or reviewing ns. I want to go to theke that Shaylin told me about before.¡±


    She was well aware of how childish she just sounded. Nevertheless, she pestered him. She remembered going to Elf¡¯ske with him. She wanted to go to ake with him again.


    As Shaylin said, she wanted to see theke filled with the moon at night by the blessing of the goddess of the moon, and she wanted to see the scenery with Carl. Time was running steadily. There was not much time left to be with him. In the meantime, she wanted to make the best memories. Even if it¡¯s a memory that only she will keep for herself.


    *


    Sienna and Hain have been busy since morning. This was because she received an invitation to eat from the lord of the territory close to Tromil. Although it was not a frequent event in wartime, it seemed that the invitation was sent in courtesy of the news that Sienna, the princess, had visited. Since the military was stationed nearby and Carl was supported by local lords, he epted the invitation without hesitation.


    ¡°I should have brought my dress.¡±


    Hain grumbled in a dissatisfied voice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. The lord will understand the situation. No, even if he doesn¡¯t understand it, you can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Because she didn¡¯t have a dress, she was dressed in equestrian uniform today. On the bottom, Sienna wore dark brown pants and horseback boots that came up to her calf with a white shirt under a sky-blue tailcoat on top.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer a shorter scarf than a brooch today.¡±


    Hain put a light sky blue scarf around Sienna¡¯s neck. Then she looked at Sienna¡¯s appearance and nodded with a satisfied face.


    ¡°It would have been better if you wore a dress, but an equestrian uniform is fine. It may not be formal, but it looks good enough.¡±


    Sienna smiled because she didn¡¯t hate her praise.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve lost too much time. I¡¯ve got to get out of here.¡±


    Outside, stood knights. Among them, Jamie was standing. Sienna asked Jamie, ¡°Sir Waters, aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    ¡°I will stay here. I¡¯d like to take a look at other military bases with Heidel. Heidel is well-trained in dealing with monsters, but there are differences in military and training methods in this area of dealing with the Castro Empire.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words, Sienna nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back then.¡±


    ¡°Good-bye.¡±


    Carl dragged the horse and stood in front of Sienna.


    ¡°Then shall we go?¡±


    ¡°On a horse?¡±


    Sienna asked Carl, who had dragged the horse, not the carriage. Carl patted the horse on the butt and said, ¡°Now that you are wearing a riding suit, I thought it would be nice to ride a horse as if on a cruise.¡±


    Carl jumped on the horse and reached out to Sienna. She smiled and took his hand and got on the horse.


    ¡°Shall we depart?¡±


    The horse began to walk when Carl shook the reins. Two knights escorted the party back and forth.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the entourage too simple?¡±


    It was true that they were going to a nearby area, but there were only four drivers escorting the prince and the princess.


    ¡°Because we are not going into the Castro Empire nor its capital. It¡¯s not polite to take an excessive escort while visiting a nearby territory.¡±


    Tromil area was humid, perhaps because of therge swamps. It urred to Sienna that she was fortunate not to bring a heavy, loose dress.

 Chapter 109: Live to Sienna Pt.109

    <h4>Chapter 109: Live to Sienna Pt.109</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s very humid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the dawn here is so mysterious. I can¡¯t see an inch ahead because of the fog. It¡¯s never a good environment for an army, but every time I see it, I can¡¯t help but admire the mysterious sight.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m curious. I think I¡¯ll get up early tomorrow.¡±


    Sienna woke upte today and didn¡¯t see the spectacr view of the mist that Carl said.


    ¡°My father told me that the asional snowstorm in the spring of Heidel resembles a mist...¡±


    ¡°Spring blizzard? I thought Heidel¡¯s snowstorms were happening all year round, but the spring snowstorms must be different from other times?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna replied while stroking the horse¡¯s fur.


    ¡°Everyone thinks there¡¯s only one season in Heidel, but no. It has four seasons.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°There are usually spring, summer, fall, and winter in an ordinary season, but Heidel has winter, winter, winter, winter, and winter.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Carl asked Siena back.


    ¡°We call it spring, summer, fall, and winter depending on the degree of cold, but as a joke, we call it winter, winter-winter, or winter-winter-winter.¡±


    Carl asked again as if Siena¡¯s words were interesting and if he was curious about the season of Heidel he had never been to.


    ¡°Then is spring in Heidel as cold as winter in the capital?¡±


    ¡°No. Heidel never stops snowing in the spring. The midwinter in the capital is warmer than the midsummer in Heidel.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how cold the midwinter of Heidel would be.¡±


    ¡°I was born and raised in Heidel, and I can¡¯t get used to its cold. Anyway, the snowstorm of spring looks like fog, but I can¡¯t see an inch ahead because the snow flies in the wind. It¡¯s hard to tell if the sun is up even during the day. Is the fog here like that too?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like it. You can¡¯t see an inch ahead as if your eyes have watered up and humid air wets your clothes. Is the snowstorm of spring also like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simr. They don¡¯t just wet the clothes though¡ªthey freeze them. And when I get hit by the wind on my bare skin, I get a scratch on my skin.¡±


    ¡°Even though you¡¯ve only been hit by the wind?¡±


    ¡°The cloudy wind is actually small pieces of ice fluttering in the wind. It cuts the skin like it¡¯s brushed against a knife.¡±


    ¡°That must be great.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s very pretty and mysterious. I don¡¯t want to get in there, but... just like that.¡±


    She said, pointing her finger at the front.


    ¡°That¡¯s the fog, right?¡± It looks like the whole forest is submerged in water where flour is dissolved. But aren¡¯t we supposed to see the mist in the morning or early morning?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true...¡±


    Carl was not the only one who felt strange about the fog surrounding the forest; the knights guarding them were also on alert.


    ¡°It¡¯s too quiet.¡±


    Sienna, who was chatting hard, shut her mouth in the strange atmosphere. There was no sound of bugs or birds in the forest. Just as when you are holding your breath in front of a great predator, all the sounds were still as if they had been eaten by the mist. The stillness instilled fear, not tranquility.


    ¡°Stay alerted!¡±


    The knights pulled the sword together, and Carl pulled the sword from the sheath. Sienna was feeling anxious.


    SWOOSH!


    With a sound of cutting through the wind, sharp, short knives poured in from all sides and the horses struggled with fright.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Suddenly, Sienna screamed because of the horse that raised its front feet. Carl grabbed her waist and jumped off the horse. Then he cut off the neck of the horse he was riding. So did other knights.


    It was because horses that were hit by the enemy¡¯s daggers could be a threat to Carl¡¯s own troops or a drag on his party. It was also an act of caring forrades, who had been through the battlefield together, helping them die painlessly.


    Carl and the knights stayed alert with deft skills. Sienna was the only one who could not adapt to this situation. With trembling hands, she blocked her own mouth spitting out a scream.


    ¡°Get a hold of yourself and stay close to me.¡±


    Said Carl, taking her hand.


    Again, with the sound of cutting through the wind, blew in iron pieces from all sides. Carl and his knights, who were used to handling swords, changed into the direction of where the dagger was flying in. Their faces were tense. The fact that the opponent has not yet showed up and that it attacked the horses first meant a message that it would not let anyone live.


    ¡°Protect the Princess.¡±


    The knights watched the forest, forming a narrow formation around Carl and Sienna. The dagger flew in several times until the formation waspleted, but the knights calmly defended themselves. It was not long before the enemies, who realized that their attack was not enough, appeared through the woods.


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    Carl inhaled roughly. There were more than twenty of them. If there was a big difference in skills, it would be easy to deal with, but the enemies in front of them did not appear to be easy. They were clearly experts in battles from the fact they made a mist in the forest and flew a dagger urately through the horse¡¯s neck.


    Moreover, there was a person in his group who had no fighting ability¡ªthe princess¡ªso he was sure it¡¯d be a pretty difficult battle as they had to fight and protect her at the same time.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Sienna spouted words of despair with a harsh breath. She didn¡¯t swear normally, but now, she wanted to curse the enemies.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Carl, who was close to her, also spat blood and swore. Behind his back was a group of men in ck threatening with weapons, and beneath his feet was a distant cliff. A glimmer of dismay hung over his embattled faces.


    Sienna looked back at Carl. He was clutching his right shoulder. The wound he suffered in the earlier battle with the enemies was deeper than it seemed. Sienna felt that it was so unfair and sorry that she was able to help the crew. Carl¡¯s wound was the result of protecting her.


    The targets of the raiders seemed certain. Even when their limbs and their colleagues¡¯ throats were cut off, they kept their eyes on the two without any agitation. Wearing ck masks, they had such great skills that it was difficult even for the expert-ss knights to deal with.


    Frankly, it was a fluke that they managed to get this far. The two fled mindlessly¡ªin the direction of sunset¡ªafter breaking up with the crew. As a result, they were standing on the edge of a cliff.


    The men in the ck masks got closer and closer. Carl stood in front of Sienna.


    ¡°Are you going to fight? How are you going to deal with so many people in that condition?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right¡ªI mean, I just can¡¯t stay doing nothing. You¡¯re not asking me to jump into that river, are you?¡±


    She checked under her feet. Although it was quite a high position, theke looked calm and quite deep. She remembered what Shaylin had said.


    -It¡¯s said that one never dies even if he falls into theke. Chief said there¡¯s no current there. Otherkes look calm, but there are vortexes in them, so people are sucked in. But Tromil¡¯ske is quiet inside the water, so even if you fall, you just need to rx and you¡¯ll float.


    Sienna was sure that thiske was what Shaylin had mentioned. Otherwise, it would be disastrous, but there was no other way. She clenched her fist and called Carl.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dive.¡±


    Carl was frightened and stopped her. The chances of survival are not high if you jump into such a deepke. He doesn¡¯t know how to swim, but he had the experience of having a water fight. Having seen a soldier drowned in the river after falling off a boat several times, he thought it was better to wield a sword than to die helplessly in the water.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Are you saying you¡¯re going to die without even fighting? I¡¯ll make a way for you so you run away.¡±


    ¡°How can I run away alone? Even if you sacrifice making a way, I¡¯ll be caught in less than ten steps. It¡¯s more likely that diving will help us survive.¡±


    Carl shook his head after checking under his feet.


    ¡°If you fall down here, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°Theke is pretty deep, so you can live.¡±


    ¡°... ...I don¡¯t know how to swim. I¡¯m going to drown.¡±


    He avoided Sienna¡¯s eyes as if he felt ashamed to admit that he couldn¡¯t do something in the midst of this urgency.


    ¡°I told you before. I¡¯m good at swimming. So...¡±


    She reached out her hand. Carl¡¯s face had turned pale. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the wound in his shoulder or because of fear. But Sienna showed him a smile.


    ¡°Trust me this time.¡±


    Even though the bottom of the cliff looked distant, he nodded and held her hand.


    ¡°Stand there!¡±


    The swarm of ck masks came storming towards the two.


    ¡°Jump!¡±


    As Sienna screamed, Carl held his foot out in the air. She also jumped off the ground vigorously.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Since they were up quite high, they felt like the time they stayed in the air was long. While jumping, Sienna was worried that Shaylin might have just talked about a legend.


    ¡®May the Goddess of the Moon help us...¡¯


    Sienna was a believer in the goddess of the earth while not truly believing in God, but this time she truly wished God existed.

 Chapter 110: Live to Sienna Pt.110

    <h4>Chapter 110: Live to Sienna Pt.110</h4>


    SPLASH!


    The two fell into theke, causing a loud ssh of water. The men in ck masks looked down, checked that the two did not rise above the water and left.


    The two jumped from a high ce and were plunged into deep water. When they rxed, their bodies slowly began to rise above the water. As Shaylin said, the water was very peaceful. They couldn¡¯t feel the river¡¯s speed.


    When she came up to the surface of the water, she breathed out, ¡°Puha!!!¡¯ The surface of the water was still because Carl hadn¡¯te up yet. Sienna took a deep breath and went into the water. Fortunately, she found Carl floating not far away. Losing consciousness, he was motionless with his eyes closed.


    His skin looked paler in the water. Sienna was frightened at the sight of him being so pale. She moved her arms rapidly and headed for him. The water felt heavy because the muscles were tired from the long run, but did not rest. Sienna sped Carl¡¯s cor behind his neck and headed for the surface.


    Two people rose to the surface of the water, creating a huge spray. She dragged him up to the water. Sienna breathed heavily and looked at Carl¡¯s condition.


    Breathless. Sienna appliedpression to the chest. After not breathing in oxygen for a long time, his lips were pale and his hands were cold. A sudden shiver shook her when she thought he might be dead.


    ¡°Breathe. Please...¡±


    Sienna buried her face in his chest and said,


    ¡°Breathe. You can¡¯t leave me like this.¡±


    Her hand, holding his cor, trembled incessantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die!¡±


    Atst, Carl coughed out water, as her scream had reached him. A smile of relief came out when she confirmed his breathing.


    Carly face down and looked at Sienna only after a long cough of water. From the corner of her eyes smiling at him, something that was either the water from theke or tears fell. Looking at her like that, Carl smiled a queer smile.


    ¡°It was real!¡±


    His voice was unbelievably serene to being from the man who had just stopped breathing.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Sienna, who was surprised to think he was dead, raised her voice.


    ¡°Your words of being a good swimmer were real.¡±


    ¡°What? You said you believed...¡±


    Carl smiled at her grumbling. Sienna pushed his shoulder with her fist.


    ¡°You liar...¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Of all ces, she pushed him where he was hurt, so he frowned and examined the wound. The blood flowed down without stopping, perhaps because the water went in.


    ¡°Oh my! I¡¯m sorry. Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?¡±


    Sienna kept asking him if he was okay, tearing, and tying her clothes to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    When the wound was all tied up, Carl got up and looked around.


    ¡°Where is this ce?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s dark...¡±


    There was a deep darkness in the sky as time passed while they were being chased. It was a cloudy night that even moonlight was covered. They could barely identify each other¡¯s faces because they were in close distance, but it was difficult to find out where the others were chasing them.


    ¡°Will those who attacked us follow us here?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t seem to know this ce very well. Moreover, the knights will send soldiers to search for us, so it won¡¯t be easy for the assassins to spend a long time chasing us. I¡¯m afraid my men will notice us here sooner thanter.¡±


    ¡°Are we in distress?¡±


    ¡°We are in a situation where you have to worry about the cold rather than the assassins¡¯ raid, so the word distress may be right.¡±


    His dimples deepened in one cheek as heughed with his mouth raised. It was a mischievous smile, but his parched lips were shaking. It was difficult to maintain body temperature because the clothes were wet and the sun had fallen.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡±


    Sienna felt a chill in his words.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Cough, cough.


    Valore coughed continuously. It was hard to breathe because of the pain of squeezed lungs.


    ¡°May I ask the imperial doctor toe in?¡±


    When asked by a knight, Valore waved his hand instead of answering. He concluded that even if he called in a physician, there was nothing he could do for him. It just made the surroundings unsettling for no reason. Wiping off the blood sttered on the palm of his hand and pants, Valore straightened his back.


    ¡°Have you heard anything from the Tromil area?¡±


    ¡°No. No news has been posted.¡±


    It was a question he asked several times a day. Valore¡¯s spirit was all there with Sienna after Arya drove public opinion to send Sienna to the front where Carl was. Worries that he might have caused her trouble and guilt that he somehow failed to stop her from going to the battlefield bothered him.


    Cough, cough. Valore again coughed violently.


    He had not been well since he was a child, but after he rose to the throne, his health was even more rapidly declining. It was a problem to have taken over the unwanted position of emperor and y politics, but moreover, his confrontation with Empress Arya has worn him out.


    As recently as this morning, Valore had to engage in a war of nerves with the people of Arya at a political meeting. Many opposed the idea that the imperial family host the martial artspetition.


    Valore was angry not with himself, but at the officials who were only looking at the Empress Dowager. No, what was more upsetting than that was the fact that it was not them but himself who was being swayed more than anyone by his mother, Empress Arya.


    Trying to escape his mother¡¯s influence had been in vain. From time to time, he came to think that he should just live like a puppet, being swayed as she wanted. Will that make me feel better?


    -So you¡¯re going to hide behind your mother¡¯s dress? Are you trying to shield your mother for fear of misjudgment? Do you think hiding in that dress is not your choice? If the Empress makes the wrong choice, it is also your choice. So don¡¯t hide. Please don¡¯t let me down.


    Whenever Valore felt like giving up, he heard Sienna reprimanding him. He didn¡¯t want to disappoint her.


    ¡°The Empress is entering.¡±


    The gatekeeper informed him of Arya¡¯s visit. Valore swept his face down with his wet palms and straightened his back. The paleplexion could not be helped, but he could not show weakness to his mother.


    ¡°Wee.¡±


    ¡°Here Ie, Your Majesty the Emperor.¡±


    It was his mother, not himself, who bowed her head, but somehow, Valore could not get rid of the feeling of lying down under her feet.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Should a mother have a reason to visit her child? I¡¯m here to see the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    It¡¯s not that you missed your son, but you missed the Emperor. There was a sneer around his mouth.


    ¡°Good to see you.¡±


    When Valore offered her a seat, she took the top seat as if it were for granted.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re having trouble with your recruits over the Mutupetition.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He knew at once what his mother was trying to say. She¡¯s saying she¡¯lle forward with the excuse of clearing up friction with the officials. Since he knew her thoughts, he could not allow himself to appear weak to Arya.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as friction. I just need a lot of different perspectives to do a big event.¡±


    ¡°But the Mutupetition is less than three months away. It¡¯s great to hear a lot of different opinions, but if it¡¯s to be done in time, it shouldn¡¯t be processed as slow as it is now.¡±


    He smiled helplessly and looked at Arya.


    ¡®You think I don¡¯t know why they disagree with me?¡¯


    Those who opposed were all sided with Arya. Those who shouted ¡°yes¡± at first began to criticize and hate Valore after seeing Empress Arya excluded from the political meeting.


    He was sure who was behind them. They would voice unconditional opposition until the empress was released into politics.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to persuade them if the Emperor allows.¡±


    Arya was now reaching out to Valore. She said not to rebel anymore and hold her hand.


    ¡°If thepetition is going to be dyed for more than it already is, it¡¯s going to be difficult for you to hold the event properly. Since it¡¯s a big event, we need some time to prepare. So please allow me to convince them.¡±


    Valore shut his eyes tightly. It was as she said. If he dys any longer, the first event he holds on the throne would be a mess. Feeling hopeless at his limitations, he opened his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°...do it.¡±


    Valore had no more physical strength left to deal with her and he didn¡¯t have any power to fight her yet. As expected, he was an emperor only by name and he was powerless.

 Chapter 111: Live to Sienna Pt.111

    <h4>Chapter 111: Live to Sienna Pt.111</h4>


    ¡°When I heard the words of the Empress, I realized that this man was foolish. Forgive me for my ignorance, Your Majesty.¡±


    Valore smiled dejectedly at the officials, who bowed their heads under his feet. How could a y be so funny? Even the clowns on the street won¡¯t be as funny as this.


    Valore was not the only one who felt that way. He breathed a deep sigh as he saw Count Ferrer, who had a tired face from seeing how state affairs were running.


    Those who raised objections until yesterday bowed their heads like someone who had gained great enlightenment whenever the empress appeared and answered them. That was not because Arya was creative or persuasive. Those were opinions that had alreadye out during the meeting.


    It was easy to see who was responsible for the officials¡¯ objections.


    ¡°Cough, cough.¡±


    Valore coughed violently. This drew the attention of the officials in the conference room. The young emperor quickly wiped the blood from his hands onto his clothes, but those with keen eyes did not miss the blood mark on his mouth.


    The fact that the emperor¡¯s condition has not been good recently could easily be noticed only with little interest. Since he became emperor, he has be noticeably chapped, pale, and coughed frequently.


    The emperor¡¯s illness was by no means a small affair. He was young so his condition was regarded as nothing but a minor illness, but it was natural that he felt anxious when he saw his recent behavior.


    It has been less than a year since Valore took over the throne. It was never good for empress Arya to see the throne reced again. It could bring about a shift in political power.


    Moreover, there were no children between the current emperor Valore, and Queen Marie. Carl was the only sessor. Even if the current emperor was not satisfied, few would wee his death and Carl¡¯s rise to the throne.


    The meeting ended quickly as Valore left early.


    Arya did not leave for a long time after the bureaucracy meeting. All those who hated her stayed away, and only those who supported Arya remained. Arya sat on the throne of the emperor as if it was natural. No one stopped her from that. The throne was like her seat.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty seems to be very ill.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    The man who spoke out hesitated to speak because he did not know how to interpret the Empress Dowager¡¯s response. It was unclear whether she med him for mentioning the emperor¡¯s health or whether she did not truly notice that her son¡¯s health had deteriorated. Though he thought thetter would not be the case, he opened his mouth with difficulty because the empress seemed to have heard something she had never really thought of.


    ¡°The recent cold that the Emperor has been suffering from seems tost too long.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Arya¡¯s expression darkened. Only then did she realize that Valore coughed as if he was going to die. She had never looked at his face closely because she was busy fighting with her son who tried to push her out of politics because he was now grown up.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big deal. Is there any word of conceiving from the Queen, Duke Panacio?¡±


    He bowed his head at Arya¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few years since they got married, and I haven¡¯t heard from them yet. I am not expecting too much, am I? Isn¡¯t it the most important and the only duty the queen has to do, reproduction?!¡±


    Arya raised her voice. It¡¯s already been three years since Valore and Marie got married. There was even a rumor among his servants that the emperor, who was in poor health, was unable to produce royal children. Of course, no one was afraid to say such a thing in front of the empress.


    Aria¡¯s grinding teeth rang starkly in the quiet conference room. Her position meant so much, and she couldn¡¯t get it taken away again.


    ¡°How is the war with the Castro Empire going?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, our troops are nning to use ships to raid the area of Mannheim. Mannheim is only 10 days away from the capital of Castro, and if the n seeds, I think the Castro Empire will soone up with a cease-fire deal.¡±


    Empress Arya¡¯s expression was not good. Carl was already much admired by the people. He even earned the nickname ¡°God of War.¡± Arya didn¡¯t want Carl¡¯s fame to rise by sessfully finishing this war.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to bring Prince Carl and Princess Sienna to the capital.¡±


    Depine replied to Arya¡¯s words.


    ¡°The prince to the capital? You¡¯ve won all these wars. Would he like to return easily?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let him be? Take all the credits of this war? Send someone to rece Carl before the war ends. Oh, Lord Florill. Your son is currently the head of the Blue Bear Knights, isn¡¯t he?


    His face lit up when the empress mentioned his son.


    It was a war already won. If the truce negotiations werepleted properly, he could be recognized for his contribution. It was as if a ball of gold was rolling around on the ground and the one who took it was the keeper. He couldn¡¯t believe his son would get such an opportunity. Florill couldn¡¯t hide his happy face.


    ¡°Get a list of knights to be dispatched to the Tromil area now. I¡¯ll get the Emperor¡¯s approval.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you intend to call the prince at the capital?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to be there unless he¡¯s in a state where he can fight a war. It¡¯s better if he can¡¯t even reach the capital. Anyway, try to get things moving fast.¡±


    At the words of the Empress, Florill bowed deeply. The officials looked at Florill while bowing their heads. Everyone looked excited with the idea of putting their own person on the list somehow.


    *


    ¡°Carl!¡±


    Sienna hit Carl in the face.


    He looked fine justst night. Didn¡¯t he even talk to herself?


    But now hisplexion was like a corpse. She grew anxious. She has often heard that a person who walked fine after an ident suddenly passed out and died.


    Yesterday the darkness sank deep, so she did not properly check his wound. But the wound on his shoulder was never small. In that state, he had to fight for a long time and fell into deep water that briefly made him stop breathing. It was no wonder that he would pass away right now.


    ¡°Carl!¡±


    Tears fell from Sienna¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t even realize she was crying. She just put her face on Carl¡¯s chest and tried to make sure he was still alive. The feeble sound of heart and breath meant that he had not yet let go of the leash of life.


    Sienna rubbed her hands against his skin to keep his temperature from dropping. She didn¡¯t know what to do quickly, but it seemed important to raise his body temperature that was like ice-cold.


    At that moment, the voices of rough men were heard in the distance. From the tone, Sienna realized that they did note there for a good event. She had to hide Carl. She looked around.


    At night it was dark and unnoticed, but behind theke, there were signs of a building. Large stones of soft sand color were piled up and intertwined with thick stems. Above it was a strange yet sensual statue of an eight-armed goddess. Sienna knew it was the altar that Shaylin had said before.


    Apparently, there was a hidden space under the altar where flowers can be preserved for a long time without withering.


    When she pressed and pulled the altar from ce to ce, what was considered just a stone revealed its entrance. The altar under the statue had a space full of flowers. She didn¡¯t know when the flowers were put in here, but those were fresh. But there was no time to admire the mystique.


    Sienna put one arm of Carl on her shoulder and moved his steps. The man who couldn¡¯te to his senses was heavy. She pushed him into a space full of flowers. And covered him with flowers. She wasn¡¯t happy since it felt like she was putting Carl in a coffin, but there was no other way.


    She hid his body and then closed the entrance to the altar. She wanted to hide there together, but she couldn¡¯t help it because she didn¡¯t know how to close or open the door from the inside.


    The voices were getting closer and closer. She had to hide before they found her.


    Behind the statue of the goddess who hid Carl, there was a passageway intertwined with stone and wood.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a trace of someone passing by.¡±


    At the close-up voice, Sienna ran. The inside was intricately intertwined like a maze. It was pointless to tell which was the road or the tree, and what was the debris of the building. She entered a path that seemed asplicated as possible. Then she found a ce that looked like the entrance to the building.


    She entered the entrance, half of which was copsing. She stepped into a dark, gloomy ce, leaning against the wall.


    A blue eyepiece shed at the dark inner end. Sienna curled up in fear.


    FLAP, FLAP


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    A flock of bats that shone re from eyes fluttered their wings out. Sienna fell back, pounding on her hips.


    Her butt wasn¡¯t that sore, but she burst into tears. Darkness ensued further inside.


    Sienna gave up going inside. She leaned against the wall and held her breath, hoping that those looking for her and Carl would just pass by.


    She couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed. Watching the change in the length of light that came inside, she could only guess that two hours may have passed.


    The bats, which had flown out were surprised by her appearance, flew back in one by one, and hung from the ceiling. The bats ckened the ceiling and went to sleep as if they decided to think Sienna was not a threat.


    ¡°Check this side, too!¡±


    She could hear the voices of the crowd. Sienna held back the sob from her mouth. Please just let them pass...


    ¡°I think they moved this way. Check over there, too. It¡¯s a good ce to hide.¡±


    Then came the sound of footstepsing in close to the interior.


    FLAP, FLAP!


    Bats were surprised by the appearance of new intruders and flew towards the sound as they did to Sienna.

 Chapter 112: Live to Sienna Pt.112

    <h4>Chapter 112: Live to Sienna Pt.112</h4>


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Said the assassins angrily, frightened by a swarm of bats. Strangely, Sienna couldn¡¯t understand a word of them. It was not thenguage used by Leipsden. Perhaps frightened by the swarm of bats, their mother tongue popped out.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t they from the Leipsden Empire? I thought they were Arya¡¯s people.....¡¯


    They were talking in a foreignnguage, walking away from the ce. When they saw a bating out of the cave, it seemed they had concluded that there was no one inside.


    ¡°Actually... in the past, when I was prisoned in the tower, the soldiers who were guarding me sometimes used foreignnguages...¡±


    Even after the men who were chasing her disappeared, Sienna stayed in the cave and left only after darkness fell.


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    Her legs have gone numb because she¡¯s been squatting for a long time. Still, she went to the altar where Carl had been hidden. It was not in good condition at the time. She worried how much worse it would be when she returned.


    As she went quickly along the dark road, her clothes were scratched and torn off by branches, and she fell and hurt her knee. She was messy. But she had no time to care about her miserable appearance or anything other than the concern for Carl.


    Fortunately, there was no trace of searching the altar. Sienna hurriedly opened the altar, removed the petals, and pulled him up.


    His body was hot. Contrary to the ice-cold temperature at dawn, it was an extreme heat. Sienna soaked a cloth from theke and wiped Carl¡¯s face. A voice of people was heard again amid a surge of anxiety.


    Sienna burst into tears. This time, she did not know how to ovee this crisis.


    She held her breath and tightly embraced Carl. She hoped the darkness would hide them from the men properly. It may be a very naive thought, but she was exhausted. She wasn¡¯t confident of running away somewhere with unconscious Carl.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Prince! Your Majesty the Princess!¡±


    ¡®No way!¡¯


    ¡°Sienna!¡±


    The voice calling her sounded so familiar. It was Jamie¡¯s voice¡ªher older brother. She doubted if she was having an auditory hallucination.


    ¡°Sienna!¡±


    A voice heard again gave her a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Brother...¡±


    ¡°Sienna! Are you there?¡±


    Even though she didn¡¯t shout and it was just a sigh, Jamie managed to notice her.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive! I¡¯m alive!¡±


    Sienna buried her face in Carl¡¯s chest and murmured. I am saved.


    She let go of her consciousness under relief.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Facing the threat of life was like a daily routine for Carl.


    He had developed resistance to most poisons. He often woke up feeling the threats of assassins while sleeping. When he first began using a sword at the age of 10 for survival, he was worried whether he would be able to live the past twenty years.


    It is said that threats can be routine once you get used to them. In fact, as he grew up to the level of an expert and was able to read senses around him, external threats have not caused him any emotional agitation.


    Of course, it was shocking that Azrel was killed in front of his eyesst year when Azrel, who Carl believed to be his own friend, attacked him. But that was all. Carl quickly sorted out his feelings about it and thought he was not hurt. He had evenughed at Arya with confidence that she was not a threat to him at all.


    But what happened in Tromil shook his mind entirely.


    It was an attack that was usually overwhelming, but enough to ovee. The only difference was Sienna. She stood beside him among the assassins who came upon her with ferocious eyes.


    He was afraid she might get hurt by a fierce de. Because of fears, he failed to carry out the usual rational attack. Had there been room to think properly, he should have somehow managed to break through the assassins and drive their horses toward the barracks. He regretted his stupid choice.


    Carl remembered Azrel¡¯sst words.


    <ul>


    But I still want you to have someone you can trust. Life without anyone to believe in is terrible.


    </ul>


    Someone to trust... When Azrel mentioned this, Carl thought of Sienna.


    The moment he came to this thought, suddenly the floor where he was lying rattled.


    ¡®Is the floor moving?¡¯


    Carl¡¯sst memory was about talking to Sienna by theke. After that, he couldn¡¯t remember as if he fell asleep.


    ¡®Why is the ground moving?¡¯


    He opened his eyes stealthily. The first thing that caught his eyes was Sienna, who closed her eyes with a serene look. There was a scratch on her face, but she looked fine.


    ¡®Good thing you¡¯re not hurt.¡¯


    Carl smiled with relief.


    He observed Sienna¡¯s face quietly. Her round forehead, nose, and small lips made her look soft. Her faint freckles on the back of her nose looked cute.


    The ground shook.


    ¡°Am I in a carriage...?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know why she was lying in the carriage, but he didn¡¯t feel anxious.


    Red hair flowed down Sienna¡¯s forehead. The hair tickling the back of her nose made her wink at the tip of her nose. He reached out his hand to tidy up her hair. Sienna slowly opened her eyes, perhaps because of his touch. She looked nk as she was still not fully awake.


    The two faced each other for a long time without saying anything. Tears streamed down Sienna¡¯s eyes. The sudden tears widened Carl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    As she rose, so did Carl. He felt a little dizzy.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    Sienna struck Carl in the chest and began to cry.


    Bastard? All of sudden? She cried so sadly that he couldn¡¯t even ask. He stroked the shoulders of crying Sienna, who buried her face in his arms.


    ¡°So I didn¡¯t wake up for a week?¡±


    Sienna nodded to Carl¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes. We were lucky. If Lord Waters¡¯ dyed his time and hadn¡¯te to save us, we would have been in danger no matter how healthy you are.¡±


    ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I told Lord Waters on my way to Tromil. If you go in the direction of the sunset, there is a historic site of the goddess of the moon, and theke is so beautiful and mysterious that you want to visit it. Apparently, Lord Waters remembered what I said and came to see if it really existed. I¡¯m so thankful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank God. What about the assassins?¡±


    ¡°We ran into each other when they came looking for us and fought a battle. We wanted to capture them alive, but most of them died during the battle, and the surviving prisoners died from poison. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to keep track of them anymore.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t talk about the unusual ents and foreignnguages they used. She hesitated to say it because she was not certain about it yet.


    ¡°But where are we going now? Looks like we are way out of our station.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on the way to the capital.¡±


    She answered with swollen eyes.


    ¡°Capital?¡±


    ¡°I got a letter from the capital. The n was to return to the capital to attend a Mutupetition hosted by the emperor. It said that since you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s rted to the king, your presence is important. Of course, it was more like an order than a rmendation. It was a letter stamped with the emperor¡¯s seal.¡±


    He nodded his head.


    ¡°Guess I am only going to take credit for the war I am finished with. Did the ones responsible for the cease-fire negotiationse?¡±


    ¡°They were the ones who brought the letters. Of course, most of them were the people of the Empress Dowager, Arya. There were people from the opposing side¡ªto match the pitch, I guess ¡ªbut that group didn¡¯t look very big.¡±


    Carl showed no particr reaction to what he had expected. It was even more surprising that he had been asleep for a long week. He warmed up, turning his stiff shoulders.


    ¡°By the way, why am I a bastard?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You told me earlier, ¡®you are a bastard!¡¯ The first word I hear as soon as I wake up is ¡®bastard¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You deserve hearing that. After making others worry and sleeping for a week.¡±


    There was a shadow under her grumbling eyes, so he could see how much trouble she had gone through.


    ¡°Were you worried?¡±


    ¡°Of course I was worried. Why wouldn¡¯t I be worried? I really thought you were going to die.¡±


    At her words, Carl said, with a satisfied face and a rxed smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t die easily.¡±


    ¡°You can still die even if you don¡¯t die easily. You¡¯re a human being, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not immortal.¡± Said Carl, nodding his head at her worried remark.


    It seemed that Sienna showing tears and anger because she was worried about him was all genuine, so he didn¡¯t feel bad. In fact, it felt quite reassuring to have someone who sincerely cares about him.


    In the meantime, the wagon they were riding was just around the corner of the capital.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you came back.¡±


    Valore stepped out to greet Sienna and Carl at the news that they had arrived at the pce. There was a big smile on his face. It was his first bright expression since he became the emperor.


    He grabbed Carl by the shoulder and said, ¡°I¡¯m d you are back healthy.¡± It was the first time for the brothers to meet since Valore rose to the throne.


    Sienna was nervous to check Carl¡¯s reaction. He must feel like he had lost what he¡¯s been thinking of as his ce. Fortunately, he showed no emotion on his face. But at the same time, he was not congratting Valore with a happy expression either.

 Chapter 113: Live to Sienna Pt.113

    <h4>Chapter 113: Live to Sienna Pt.113</h4>


    ¡°I heard you did a great job in leading the war against Castro to victory. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°I only fulfilled my duty.¡±


    Even though the emperor himself praised his aplishment, Carl remained calm. Rather, it was Valore who was apologetic while thanking Carl.


    Valore felt sorry for not being able to turn the credit to Carl even though he knew how important Carl was in the war. Like the hyenas, the nobles were sharing the aplishment already. Even before the ceasefire negotiations began, they were preparing for a feast despite not having carried out the war properly.


    Valore grabbed Carl by the shoulder and thanked him for a long time. Then he came up to Sienna, standing beside Carl, and held her hands with both of his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m really d you came back safely.¡±


    He looked very affectionate.


    ¡°I heard there was an attack at Tromil. I was very worried when I heard the news. I shouldn¡¯t have sent Princess Sienna to such a dangerous ce. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. By the way, Your Majesty looks worse than before. Have you been ill?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Valore smiled at Sienna¡¯s concern. His sad smile made him look more sick. Watching the two acting like lovers who had been away from each other for a long time, Carl wriggled his eyebrows.


    Carl said, grabbing Sienna¡¯s hand, ¡°It¡¯s been tough to get to the capital. May we go back to our room and rest?¡±


    Despite the honorifics, Carl sounded like he was ordering Valore because of his attitude.


    ¡°Oh, my God, I must have been so happy to see you two that I didn¡¯t notice your exhaustion. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    Carl gave a silent salute and took Sienna to walk away. The guards rushed to follow them.


    ¡°Wait! Slow down!¡±


    Sienna pulled out her hand that held in Carl¡¯s hand and spoke in a disgruntled tone. Carlughed like he was dumbfounded.


    ¡°If anyone had seen it, they¡¯d have misunderstood your rtionship with Valore. It was like an old couple who had been separated for a while.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? And there are many ears in the castle. If you call the Emperor¡¯s name recklessly...¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you are dissatisfied because I called the great emperor recklessly?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my point.¡±


    ¡°Even though he is the emperor, he can¡¯t just hold the hands of his brother¡¯s wife so carelessly. And you too. You were holding his hand casually. Right in front of my eyes. Don¡¯t you have to shake your hands off when that happens?¡±


    ¡°He must have been very worried, so I was just d to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you give your hand out to anyone who worries about you? Besides, isn¡¯t that weird? You are the one who was taken to the battlefield and you worry about the well-being of the emperor who would have been at peace in the pce all along.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t look so good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s his original face. You don¡¯t have to worry. Shouldn¡¯t you be more worried about me? I was hurt by the assassins¡¯ raid and...You know what, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Carl tried to say that he was hurt, not Valore. As if he was a kid jealous about his brother because he wanted to be loved more by his mother. He was horrified by his own childishness.


    There was a sudden smile around Sienna¡¯s mouth, who was walking behind him. His behavior seemed like the one of a jealous lover blinded by love.


    It may be her big misunderstanding, but it was evident that it was a pleasant one.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    After returning to the pce, Sienna felt at peace. No matter how much people around her took care of her, it was hard to sleep in barracks or carriages. It¡¯s ufortable to wash up or go to the bathroom.


    Sitting in her pce for tea for the first time in a long time, she really felt rxed. The tea leaves were mixed with dried red berries, making the tea water as red and transparent as wine. Sienna, with a warm tea in her mouth, stared nkly at the pattern the sun had drawn on the floor.


    ¡°Someone hase to see you, Your Highness the Princess.¡±


    Milton, the chief knight guarding the door, informed her that a guest had arrived.


    ¡°A guest? Who is it?¡±


    Sienna asked, secretly hoping that either Aunt Kelly or Jane hade to her.


    ¡°Daughter of the Pear family wants to meet Her Majesty the Princess.¡±


    ¡°Pear¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s hand, holding a cup of tea, hesitated.


    ¡°Bluebell...¡±


    Sienna kept her name in her mouth. It was bitter in the mouth. It was someone she really didn¡¯t want to meet.


    As she shut her eyes, thest image of Bluebell was vividly depicted in front of Sienna. Her scream, the stench of blood.


    It was Sienna herself who was standing at the opposite point of the sword towards Bluebell. Even if she didn¡¯t swing the sword at her, it was her who caused them to trample on Bluebell. A sense of guilt came upon Sienna.


    Hain, who was standing next to her, looked at her facial expression and asked.


    ¡°What should I do? Shall we make an appointment next time and tell her toe byter?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll meet her. Tell her toe in. And can you put this teacup away and bring me a new one? I¡¯d rather have a mint tea.¡±


    Soon the door opened and Bluebell entered.


    With enchanting blue-colored silver hair hanging on her back, she stared Sienna with blue eyes. Her unusual hair color has always been talked about among people. No, the alluring beauty of Bluebell, as well as the hair color, was enough for Carl to indulge in.


    Bluebell looked younger than what Sienna remembered, perhaps because she had not yet had theing-of-age ceremony. The remaining baby flesh reflected apricot color, adding to the loveliness. Sienna could see why Carl was attracted to her. It was an appearance that made anyone who looked at her to love. Sienna greeted her with a dejected smile as she felt a deep sense of defeat.


    ¡°Hello, Your Highness Waters. Thank you for epting my surprise visit.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    To be courteous to Sienna, the princess, Bluebell should not have called Sienna¡¯s maiden name but call her by the honorific title. But Bluebell did not. Her actions did note from ignorance, and it was definitely not a mistake. If it was a mistake, she wouldn¡¯t have been staring at Sienna like she was now, but rather she would have apologized.


    Sienna knew Bluebell was calling so because she didn¡¯t want to admit Sienna was a princess, so Sienna offered her seat without a problem. Even as Sienna brewed tea and poured it into Bluebell¡¯s teacup, Bluebell red at her.


    ¡°Can I ask you why you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Bluebell, the first daughter in the House of Pear. The reason I¡¯m here is because... actually I¡¯m not in the mood to talk about it yet.¡±


    Hain frowned at this because it was Bluebell who came to visit but she would not reveal the purpose of her visit. She was ready to scold Bluebell for her rudeness at any moment, but Sienna realized the tenseness and advised Hain to leave. Hain was frustrated that she couldn¡¯t say a word to Bluebell, but she couldn¡¯t show herselfining to the owner in front of a guest, so she nodded reluctantly and went away.


    Bluebell¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as if she faced something so unfair, even though she hadn¡¯t said a word yet. Sienna quenched her throat with the tea and then asked her.


    ¡°Do you feel like talking now?¡±


    Instead of answering, Bluebell took a sip of tea. The scene of her drinking tea in spite of her anger was so graceful.


    Sienna smiled bitterly at the natural touch of Bluebell¡¯s movements. She had a different environment from her own, who had to learn manners by entering the pce and getting hit on the back of her hands. She was ady who had been prepared to be Carl¡¯spanion.


    ¡°You must have been embarrassed by the sudden arrival of an unknown person. I apologize foring without notifying you in advance.¡±


    ¡°I already know about Lady Pear. You haven¡¯t appeared in society yet because you haven¡¯t had aing-of-age ceremony yet. But believe it or not, there have been many praises for the daughter of Pear. I¡¯ve heard you are a very beautiful and decent woman.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If all you know about me is about dignity and appearance, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve heard me right.¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t figure out what she wanted to say, so she blinked her eyes.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Your Highness Waters, I would have been standing next to Prince Carl. I was her fiance. Until you, whose name was unknown, suddenly appeared.¡±


    Only then did Bluebelle to say what she was about to say. Sienna wanted to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for taking your ce again after myst life.¡± But she didn¡¯t spit it out.


    ¡°Prince and I thought we¡¯d get married if as soon as I had theing-of-age ceremony, but it was a sudden wedding for you while our Pear family was in trouble.¡±


    Sienna listened to her calmly. Bluebell¡¯s eyebrows wriggled as if they didn¡¯t like her emotionless reaction. But she didn¡¯t stop talking.


    ¡°I heard it wasn¡¯t Carl¡¯s intention. The Empress arranged the marriage because of the illness of the emperor.¡±

 Chapter 114: Live to Sienna Pt.114

    <h4>Chapter 114: Live to Sienna Pt.114</h4>


    Bluebell thrusted her chest out and looked at Sienna¡¯s expression as if she had just said a great secret. If Sienna heard that this marriage was not Carl¡¯s intention, she must have thought that Sienna would make an emotional change. But Sienna knew the story. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t react much. Then Bluebell cried out in a fit of rage.


    ¡°Honestly, I think it¡¯s dirty!¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s angry look didn¡¯t look fierce. It looked just cute, perhaps because of her red-colored cheek and her baby fat.


    ¡°You forced the Empress to marry Carl. I¡¯m the one who really loves him. Did you want to have Carl that much? Didn¡¯t you think that you might have his body that way, but you wouldn¡¯t get his heart?¡±


    Siennaughed at her criticism. A girl who believes in true love.


    Sienna did have a guilty conscience about being swayed by Arya and taking Carl¡¯s side seat instead of Bluebell and killing her child. But there was no guilt for splitting true love.


    Sienna didn¡¯t hate her talking about the love between herself and Carl like a little girl. Rather, it felt cute.


    ¡®As expected, I¡¯m in the role of the viin who divided true love.¡¯


    ¡°To be honest with you, I¡¯ve never thought about that. I thought that marriage between the aristocrats was always in line with the interests of the family.¡±


    ¡°How could you! So you¡¯re saying that you didn¡¯t get married because you loved Carl, but because you wanted to be a princess?¡±


    The answer to that question was not easy. In the past, Sienna was sure that she wanted to be Carl¡¯s princess because of love. But now she wanted revenge on Arya, and she wanted to protect Carl from her, was the reason she epted the marriage.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t feel anything about him now, but the difference was huge. Before, she got married because of love, but this time she fell in love after she got married with interests. Moreover, there has been no change in her one-sided heart before or now.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even get married because I wanted a seat, but...¡±


    ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t get married for love.¡±


    ¡®Dirty!¡¯


    Although she didn¡¯t say it out loud, Bluebell¡¯s emotions were obvious on her face. She looked like she could never ept a marriage that is based on interests, not love.


    Sienna feltplicated in front of an immature girl who thought love was the most important value.


    ¡°That¡¯s so unfair. If I had been born two years earlier, I would have been Carl¡¯s wife! But you¡¯ve already married My Highness, so what does theing-of-age ceremony mean to me anymore?¡±


    She said, sweeping down her own forearms as if she were getting goosebumps.


    ¡°I have to attend theing-of-age ceremony under the escort of another man! I¡¯ve been thinking all my life that I¡¯ll be next to Carl.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s prickly words dried Sienna¡¯s mouth. She couldn¡¯t get rid of the thirst even after drinking a refreshing mint tea.


    ¡°Let me join and attend thising-of-age ceremony with Carl.¡±


    This seemed to be the business she hade to. Sienna did not readily answer. If things went as it did in the past, Bluebell would have appeared at theing-of-age ceremony, holding Carl¡¯s hand. It would look good to tell Bluebell to do as she wishes as if she was showing broad generosity, but Sienna could not easily say those words.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t allow it, I¡¯ll attend with Carl. I originally came to see you to ask this as a favor, but after talking to you, I don¡¯t think I need to. It¡¯s not a request, it¡¯s a notification. You don¡¯t care because you don¡¯t love him anyway.¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    Sienna tried to stop her, but Bluebell shook off her seat and stood up without even listening to her.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m done with my business, so I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    Bluebell left the room without receiving Sienna¡¯s goodbye. Sienna couldn¡¯t hold on to her any longer. What did it mean by holding her up anyway? Now that she¡¯s Carl¡¯s wife, she can¡¯t see her and Carl join hands in theing-of-age ceremony? Sienna wondered if she was qualified to say such a thing.


    What has changed since staying in the capital recently was that most of the meals were now shared with Carl. Usually, Sienna liked this time very much. He also looked more rxed.


    In the past, Sienna ordered meat for Carl¡¯s meal and fish for her own, but after Carl said this wasn¡¯t necessary, mainly seafood was prepared. Today, the main was fried cod on top of the potato puree. Sienna looked at Carl, who was zoned out while using his knife.


    -You mean you didn¡¯t marry Carl because you loved him, but because you wanted to be a princess?


    Bluebell¡¯s face, full of scorn, came to Sienna¡¯s mind.


    Come to think of it, Bluebell and Carl were a very good match. The delicate-faced Carl and the enchanting-looking Bluebell. Just thinking about it made her heart boil with jealousy.


    She didn¡¯t want to admit it at the time, but Sienna actually knew. The fact that she was nothing but an obstacle between the two.


    That hasn¡¯t changed even now. From Bluebell¡¯s point of view, whether she was willing or not, Sienna was the viin who took her ce by joining hands with Empress Arya.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? You¡¯re not eating.¡±


    She hesitated wondering if she should talk to Carl about the conversation she had with Bluebell today.


    ¡°I heard you met Bluebell today. What brought her here?¡±


    ¡®Is he interested because it¡¯s about Bluebell?¡¯


    She didn¡¯t want to tell him what happened today. She felt pathetic for having not said anything, and she was afraid that her guilt would be revealed.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal. Oh, I¡¯ve got something for you by the way...¡±


    Sienna had Hain to bring pickled miree. He was d to see the yellow-colored miree in the y bowl.


    ¡°Ah, marinated miree.¡±


    ¡°I prepared it because I thought it would be hard to get when it gets colder. I did make a jar of it, but they said they couldn¡¯t eat it for an extended time even if they are pickled.¡±


    Carl took a bite and rolled it in his mouth. For a moment, he frowned as if it was sour, but it was not because he didn¡¯t like it. He seemed to like it.


    ¡°Have you ever had pickled miree?¡±


    ¡°Once, but at the time I ate something I made wrong, so I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s really pickled miree.¡±


    ¡°Then try it. This one is quite well pickled.¡±


    Carl dipped a yellow miree with a fork and held it out to her. Sienna hesitated to eat it because it tasted so terrible when she tried it before.


    ¡®Yes, it wasn¡¯t in season at the time, it was just a mess because I made it myself.¡¯


    Sienna stuck her head out and held miree in her mouth.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    As soon as she put the pickled miree in her mouth, her mouth was filled with saliva. The sour smell poked through her nose and the strange mixture of salty and astringent vors made her tongue ache. Carl burst intoughter as she frowned.


    Sienna couldn¡¯t spit it out and forced herself to swallow it with a mouthful of saliva. No matter how much water she drank, the sour and bitter taste didn¡¯t go away.


    ¡°It must have gone bad. No, I think I made it wrong. It tastes really weird.¡±


    Carl said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°This is how it tastes. Miree is characterized by sour, bitter, and salty vors.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth do you like this taste?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay when you get used to it. It digests well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get used to the taste. Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to have your tongue paralyzed before that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a traditional food that we¡¯ve been eating for quite a long time in the eastern part of the country. Never gets skipped on a table.¡±


    Carl was more familiar with the local food culture than the capital¡¯s food because he had many days to stay on the border since childhood. Unlike in the imperial pce, he atefortably with his people.


    ¡°The food you eat with the right person is more delicious.¡±


    Sienna shook her head and drank water, saying she wouldn¡¯t get used to it, even if she ate with people she likes.


    ¡°I think seafood dishes are getting better these days, too. The fried cod tastes good again today.¡±


    ¡°The chef Aunt Kelly rmended made these. He seems especially good at cooking seafood. It¡¯s hard to get rid of the fishy smell, but it¡¯s really good, right?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She, too, admired the chewy texture of the fish hidden in the savory batter.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like it when I only ate the miree, but it tastes really good when I eat fried food after eating it. It¡¯s not greasy. Of course, I don¡¯t want to eat it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A gentle wind blew through the window. The wind was mingled with a sweet smell.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this smell?¡±


    ¡°It smells like Sellum.¡±


    ¡°Sellum?¡±


    Sellum was the first flower to bloom when winter passed and spring came. The flowers bloomed early because the capital was as cool as ofte autumn weather.


    ¡°It¡¯s in its prime. It¡¯s in full bloom in the garden, and the scent is amazing, and it¡¯s flowing all the way here. Would you like to go there with me after the meal?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean the yellow flower? Thick like a ball with thin petals stacked inyers. So that¡¯s what it smells like. It smells really good. But I can¡¯t today. I¡¯ve decided to have tea time with the Empress today.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You can go alone today, Mr. Carl.¡±


    ¡°No, no. But rather, tea time with the Empress? Were you well acquainted with her?¡±


    ¡°We became very close when you weren¡¯t in the pce. I think she¡¯s a really good person. She is very naive that you cannot believe she lives in the pce. She¡¯s older than me, but she¡¯s like a younger sister.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t been able to visittely because the Emperor has been very ill.¡±


    Recently, Valore has been seriously ill, to the extent that he was unable to participate in state affairs, although the political meeting went smoothly because they were led by Arya¡¯s followers.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about the Emperor. More than I expected...No! I just think he is very ill.¡±


    ¡°Just because you worry doesn¡¯t make him feel better, why should you worry?¡±


    Carl said coldly.


    ¡°That I know but...¡±


    Sienna closed her mouth. She could not bring herself up to tell Carl that Valore might be in critical condition. Even though Carl talks that coldly about Valore, he was still Carl¡¯s only sibling. Although they could not interact frequently due to Arya, at least in Sienna¡¯s eyes, the two brothers had affection for each other. Even if they were not blood-rted brothers.


    Just by looking at Carl¡¯s reaction when Valore was made the emperor makes it obvious. Carl could have used Valore¡¯s the secret of his birth as a reason to put him out of the seat. If he wanted, Carl could have been the emperor by now.


    Sienna felt sorry to see Carl who could not be honest with himself. Only if he could be a little bit more acknowledging with his feelings.

 Chapter 115: Live to Sienna Pt.115

    <h4>Chapter 115: Live to Sienna Pt.115</h4>


    <ul>


    </ul>


    ¡°This is the chef¡¯s new cookie. It has dried fruits inside, so the texture is fun and it goes well with tea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very pretty with colorful colors.¡±


    Sienna picked up the cookies Marie rmended and answered. When she bit into the cookie and tasted it, the texture was nice as she said. Every time she chewed on the dried fruit inside the crumbly cookie, a refreshing aroma spread in her mouth.


    ¡°I heard you had a hard time at Tromil. I was so shocked to hear that Carl was seriously injured and you were threatened by the assassins, so my heart is pounding even now. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Said Marie, sweeping down her chest. Sienna was grateful to know that Marie was genuinely worried.


    ¡°The Emperor also had a hard time after hearing your news saying that you went down there and got in danger because of him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern. And how could I have gone there because of the Emperor? Rather, I¡¯m grateful to the Emperor for letting me see Carl.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Marie looked surprised for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ve felt this before, but I¡¯m jealous that you two have such a good marriage. I can tell from the outside that you love each other.¡±


    Sienna, who thought Marie was just being polite, said that Valore and Marie also looked good.


    ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re more like siblings than couples. We grew up together for so long, and the Emperor took care of me as a child.¡±


    Sienna nodded. The fact that the two had grown up like siblings had been said by Valore before.


    ¡°Have you seen the Emperor recently, Princess Sienna?¡±


    Marie asked with a sad face. Sienna recalled the visibly sickplexion of Valore. He was so thin that it didn¡¯t feel strange to say that a dead man was walking around.


    ¡°I met him the day he came in from Tromil and I haven¡¯t seen him since. I heard that these days, he can¡¯t even attend the state meetings. Is the Emperor¡¯s health okay?¡±


    The question darkened Marie¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not in good health. I asked the doctor who is in charge of the Emperor, but he didn¡¯t answer...apparently the Emperor has ordered that no one should be told about his current conditions. I can only assume that it is serious from the amount of medicine he has been taking recently.¡±


    The room also smelled of medicinal herbs. Sienna thought of talking to Marie, who was worried about Valore, about the Priest Roy, but couldn¡¯t spit her words out.


    Although it has widely spread since his wedding that Priest Roy has a fairly high status in the Holy Empire, few knew that Roy had the power of healing. Roy¡¯s existence was kept secret because it had the ability to influence the rtionship between the Holy Empire and the Leipsden Empire.


    Sienna couldn¡¯t ask for another favor to Priest Roy while he was already deeply in debt for her aunt Kelly. No, maybe all this was just an excuse. If she risked her burdensome heart and asked Roy, he might be able to cure Valore¡¯s illness.


    But the reason why she could not bring herself to talk about it was because of the fear that the future may change. If Valore regains his health and stays in power for a long time, the influence of Empress Arya could grow and do whatever she wanted.


    Between revenge for Arya and the life of Valore, Sienna was choosing revenge. But even if this choice would save Bluebell, her child, and many others¡¯ livester, this guilt won¡¯t be erased.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m sure the Emperor will be fine.¡±


    Marie nodded at Sienna¡¯s constion.


    ¡®At least for half a year.¡¯


    She swallowed her thoughts inside.


    Valore dies half a yearter. Having been ill and weak since he was young, he was stressed out when he became an emperor so he died without oveing a lung disease. At that time, there was no child between Valore and Marie, so the only heir next in line, Carl, became the emperor.


    Sienna bit her lower lip. She had to stay strong. She couldn¡¯t sway Carl¡¯s fate because she was overwhelmed by sentimentality. Nevertheless, it was as heavy as hanging a weight on her chest.


    After finishing her tea time with Marie, Sienna was walking back to her residence with heavy steps when she ran into Empress Arya.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to say hello to Arya, who was looking down on her all the same, but she didn¡¯t want Arya to pick on her etiquette. Sienna bent her knees slightly, lowered her head deeply, and then raised herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your trip to Tromil, but it seems like you came back all right.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thanks to you, I was able to have a good trip. By the looks of it, it seems like you¡¯re on your way out of a political meeting.¡±


    Arya smiled cockily in a condescending manner towards Sienna.


    ¡°The Emperor has no one else to trust in the state affairs. I wanted to spend the rest of my life taking care of my grandchildren like an old grandma in the back room, but everyone says that if it weren¡¯t for me, the meeting wouldn¡¯t be going on. For the sake of my country, I have to contribute...¡±


    Sienna wanted tough out loud, but she said while forcing down the corner of her mouth that was creeping up, ¡°I know. Indeed, the Emperor must have been very worried. That he has to borrow a cat¡¯s hand, to make these ridiculous political affairs work.¡±


    Arya¡¯s blue veins popped out on her forehead when Sienna underestimated her ability byparing herself to a cat. Sienna added quickly before Arya struck back.


    ¡°More than that, I heard it has been more than a month since the Emperor had failed to take care of state affairs. He must be very ill.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a mild cold. He will be back in shape soon and be in charge of the state affairs.¡±


    ¡°I guess it is true that Your Highness has a talent for politics. There should have been words of concern among the officials, but they¡¯re still quiet.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Empress Arya replied, ¡°No one can say such rude things.¡±


    ¡°Yes, by the way, I¡¯m upset. Recently, more and more people have been looking for Prince Carl. I¡¯m losing my time to meet Carl.¡±


    Then Sienna got friendly with the nobles who were standing behind Arya.


    ¡°I forgot to acknowledge Lord Florill and Lord Materon who were with you. We¡¯ve been seeing each other a lottely. I believe we met yesterday at Carl¡¯s residence.¡±


    Arya looked back at the two Lords with her eyes raised. Florill and Materon shook their hands, saying they were not, but Arya¡¯s anger seemed unlikely to ease off easily.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    Sienna said to Aria not caring about the two who were shaking their heads with perplexed faces.


    ¡°I recently heard a very interesting story. Where there are no tigers, foxes act as kings. But only until the tiger came back into his cave and bit their neck.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    As Arya flustered and tried to raise her hand, Sienna stepped back and said, ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± I¡¯m just saying this because I thought it was a funny joke. Please don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s just a talk of the town.¡±


    Arya somehow managed to contain her anger. She changed her face and answered calmly as if it couldn¡¯t hurt her.


    ¡°What do you mean mad? I¡¯m just worried about the princess, who finds rumors on deserted streets funny. You have to keep your dignity. How would you do if you cannot judge what you are supposed to say as a member of the royal family? I¡¯m afraid that you would be told that you are not well educated.¡±


    Sienna red at Arya with a cold face. Arya, too, stared straight into Sienna¡¯s face and continued, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid others will insult the Waters family because you seem tock education. It would be such a shame if the only Duke family in the Empire were to be stripped of their dignity because of the princess.¡±


    Sienna wondered what would be the besteback to make her feel good again. But before she could strike back, Arya left.


    She returned to her pce with a sense of defeat. She started the day in a good mood and now it seemed to be a mess. She could judge that it would be an unlucky day just by having a face-to-face meeting with Arya.


    When Sienna arrived at her quarters, a familiar shape ran out from the inside.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Shaylin. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Your husband was very worried that the Crown Princess had left the pce alone. Lord Taylor is now being scolded for not having the Princess apanied by a group of knights.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    When Sienna first joined the pce, the Phoenix Knights ignored her so she was not escorted. So Sienna got used to walking around the pce by herself.


    At that time, most of the Knights personnel, including Clorel Simon¡ªwho was the head knight that looked down on Sienna, were cleared up, and Jamie¡¯s harsh training made the Knights look so different that they could be said to have been reborn. But Sienna was still ufortable apanying the knights.


    Even today, Sienna refused Milton and Havali¡¯s offer to escort her and went out alone. She felt sorry to think that they were scolded for nothing.


    ¡°Is Carl very angry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s so angry that he is saying that the knights should put their swords down and quit right now. The head maid told me to bring Your Majesty at once.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go fast.¡±


    Sienna tapped Shaylin¡¯s breathless shoulder and walked quickly into the pce. The sound of Carl raising his voice came out of the door.


    Knights guarding the pce stood with discipline but their eyes were shaking. For the knights, Carl was a figure of a great admiration who has a lot of experience and honors in the field. That was why they were so restless.


    ¡°Your Highness the Crown Princess has returned.¡±

 Chapter 116: Live to Sienna Pt.116

    <h4>Chapter 116: Live to Sienna Pt.116</h4>


    As Carl entered the guest room, he saw two knights with their heads down. Milton¡¯s hair was soaked with cold sweat. It was obvious how much he suffered from Carl.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the shift over for the two knights? You two should get going. You have to get off work now so you can go to work tomorrow.¡±


    Even at Sienna¡¯s words, they were still. Without the permission of the prince, they could not leave their seat.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to get off work!¡±


    At Carl¡¯s sharp remarks, Milton and Havali¡¯s bodies stiffened with tension.


    ¡°Carl, let them go. Unless you¡¯re going to humiliate me in front of my people.¡±


    He didn¡¯t let go of his disapproving look, but in the end, he gestured them out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Knights of Phoenix are Knights or just paychecks. Why doesn¡¯t any of them think of escorting the owner when he is heading out?¡±


    Carl spoke with his arms crossed as if dumbfounded. Sienna waved the maids out with a gesture. She didn¡¯t want them to hear Carl talking negatively about the Phoenix Knights. She did not want the ident of the words getting out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get angry and sit down. I was just not used to carrying people behind me, so I ordered them not to follow me. You don¡¯t have to me them. It¡¯s me, not them who did wrong.¡±


    ¡°They should have followed even if it was against the master¡¯s orders. Will their necks be in good condition if their owners are in danger?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the castle, moreover, the pce of the Empress is close. Would it be a big deal going from here to there?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯te to your senses even after that incident in Tromil. Either your heart is made of steel or your head is stuffed with straws. Will anyone who tries to attack you stops just because you are inside the pce?¡±


    At his words, Sienna felt anxious in front of him. She never thought that not carrying knights could be a threat to her personal safety, she only thought that it could be bad for her reputation. It may have been because she was skeptical about the guards¡¯ skills and treated them more like ornaments.


    ¡°Well, to be fair, I don¡¯t think there would be a big difference between carrying them around and carrying around maids. Why don¡¯t you change the order of knights at this time? With their skills, it seemed like they wouldn¡¯t make a living off of using swords but rather be attacked with one.¡±


    ¡°Have you fought my knights with swords?¡±


    She asked in disbelief. Although they were being trained brutally by Jamie, it wasn¡¯t overnight that they could be very skillful. Although they might have be one of the best skills in the pce now, they were like a first-grader in front of Carl who had already been trained for a long time in real battles.


    Carl replied with a twisting smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to face them in a duel to know. The Phoenix Knights, you can just tell by the walk. Come to think of it, I¡¯d like to have a sword battle with your brother, Lord Waters. The Waters are said to be the shield and spear of the north, and that saying wouldn¡¯t have juste by for no reason.¡±


    ¡°If Your Highness asks for a battle, he¡¯ll be excited and run right over here. You may want to do it when you have time.¡±


    As Carl tried to nod his head, Sienna shook her head suddenly and said, ¡°No wait, you can¡¯t. Don¡¯t. There¡¯s no one who can mediate between you two. If you really want to face him, go to the north where my father is.¡±


    ¡°Is the Duke of Waters that powerful?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a man who can overpower his enemy without even pulling out his sword. He is on the verge of bing a master.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Karl looked at Sienna with a surprised look.


    When he married her, he thought she was a family that was not actually as powerful as their title. But after meeting Jamie in person, he changed his mind. Moreover, while talking to Jamie on their way back to the Imperial Pce from Tromil, Carl realized that the Waters family were holding their breath because they didn¡¯t have to publicize their force outside, not because they were never still afraid of the world.


    The Waters was like a tiger hiding its hard ws. They were annoyed watching small animals show off their teeth and ws, and they were always ready to swing their big, sharp ws if a fearless little animal tried toe at them.


    ¡®Arya, was she not afraid when she thought she would use the Waters¡¯ daughter as her pawn? This is why Sienna is so fearless.¡¯


    After realizing that Carl¡¯s expression had been loosened, Sienna replied, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll take the knights with me, so don¡¯t be so angry. It¡¯s my fault today, so I¡¯ll fix it next time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, be sure to apany the knights.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t you smell something good here? I heard that the Sellum is in full bloom, but the scent is strong even at night. I think it smells deeper than during the day. This fragrance makes me feel good. If you have time, let¡¯s go for a walk tomorrow to see them blossom.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Carl said and left the room, adding that he would go to his room. After returning from Tromil, he slept in Sienna¡¯s pce. Sienna have gotten so used to having him around that she felt sad now that Carl was going back.


    ¡®I wonder if he is still angry?¡¯


    She dropped her head in despair.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired today. I should go to bed early.¡±


    When she opened the bedroom door, the scent of flowers poured out violently.


    ¡®I knew it smelled extra sweet.¡¯


    When Sienna saw yellow Sellum flowers filling the room, she naturally let out exmations.


    ¡°His Majesty the Prince filled it with his servants.¡±


    Hain, who came in as soon as she checked that Carl left, told Sienna.


    ¡°Dear Carl?¡±


    ¡°The Prince definitely cares a lot about you. Of course, you two get along so well.¡±


    Hain blushed as sheughed. Sienna turned her head to the side at Hain¡¯s sordid smile. It was clear that Hain would be more excited to make fun of her if she reacted too much.


    ¡°Even when he was scolding the knights earlier, how could he only worry about Your Majesty Princess so much? I¡¯m sure starting tomorrow, the knights will be following you when you go to the bathroom. I was just listening from the side, but I didn¡¯t know how fierce and scary it was.¡±


    Siena was happy about the flowers filling the room but also heartbroken. It felt like the sweet smell was turning into liquid and filled her lungs.


    That night, Sienna had a nightmare which she did not have for a long time. The nightmares were always about that day. Bluebell¡¯s death or herself at the end of Carl¡¯s sword.


    Today, Sienna witnessed the death of Bluebell in her dream. It must have been because her mind becameplicated with what Bluebell had asked, or rather, notified her with. The scent of the sellum, which Carl filled up the room, also yed a part. Instead of the bloody and iron scent in the dream, the heavy scent of flowers weighed down.


    ¡°Not too many flowers.¡±


    As she said, there were only strands of empty branches all over the garden. There were only a few left, not yet in full bloom, that was closing in on the buds. It was because Carl drove all the flowers in the garden into her room.


    Carl did not say much in response and kept walking beside her. When Sienna realized that he was feeling self-conscious and didn¡¯t know how to act, she wanted to keep bringing up this event and tease him, but she stopped herself because she felt like he would get angry.


    The smell of sellum was faint in the garden, but it was still fragrant.


    ¡°I heard there is a Mutupetitioning up?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is supposed to be held in the name of the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. I have this feeling that the event would have something to do with you.¡±


    While it was true that she gave ideas to Valore about hosting the Mutupetition, she did not agree with Carl¡¯s words. She just responded in an ambiguous smile. He did not inquire about her further.


    ¡°That day, I would like to receive a handkerchief from you.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s eyes grew wide for a moment at his words. When a knight wants a handkerchief from ady, it was also a way of a confession. It meant that he wanted to give her the glory of victory of the battle, and many knights expressed their feelings this way if they could not do so normally.


    Everydy who attended the Mutupetition had to hand over their handkerchief without refusing it if the knight who won the game asked for it. Rejecting his request was considered a disgrace to him because it was the day when the honor of the winning knight should shine the most.


    What was interesting was that it didn¡¯t matter if the opponent was married. Even if the rtionship between a confessor and ady receiving confessions could not be further eptable in their society, this act itself could not be criticized.


    Due to these implications, many people regarded it as an opportunity to express their feelings to their loved ones who could not be theirs in life. It was also the subject of most of the romantic novels in which knights appeared as the main characters.


    Sienna wondered whether his words were a confession or just fleeting words. And then she calmed down her excitement.


    Just because the act can be used in confession for love did not necessarily mean it. Most of the time, the handkerchief was given to their fianc¨¦e or their married partner. Even if it¡¯s a day when you don¡¯t need to be responsible for your confession, it can be misunderstood.


    It was only natural for Carl to receive a handkerchief from Sienna. He was his only wife, even if it was with a time limit.

 Chapter 117: Live to Sienna Pt.117 Handkerchief

    <h4>Chapter 117: Live to Sienna Pt.117 Handkerchief</h4>


    ¡°Are you going to participate in thepetition, Carl?¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t have to take part in apetition which was primarily made for the knights to fight for honor.


    ¡°This is a martial artspetition to strengthen imperial power, right?¡± I heard that while I was away from the imperial family, Valore had a change of heart with Empress Arya. Knowing the ability of the Knights of the Imperial Household, he did this because he wanted to check on the current state of the Empress¡¯ forces and expand his power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Emperor is trying to prepare for a change of power in the Knights of the Imperial Household, starting from the Mutupetition.¡±


    ¡°Every event produces either winners or losers. I¡¯m nning to take a share out of this.¡±


    ¡°It will go ording to your n.¡±


    ¡°You say as if you know my n.¡±


    In fact, Sienna¡¯s proposal for the job itself was to stabilize Carl¡¯s base. That¡¯s why she worked hard so that Valore could realize the problem within the Knights of the Imperial Household. To an extent that she got negative attention from Arya.


    ¡°You have little influence in the Knights of the Imperial Household, but you don¡¯t have a little ce among the outside knights. When the Knights of the Imperial Household are reced inrge numbers after this martial artspetition, your people will have a chance. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯ve been busy for a while? To call the people who swore allegiance to the capital.¡±


    It was just as Sienna said. As soon as he heard the story about the Mutupetition, he circted around a letter encouraging his knights to take part in thepetition. Their skills would rank high and easily ce them a position inside the pce. Although his influence has spread widely outside the capital, he was nning to gather his influence in one ce through this opportunity.


    ¡°Is Lord Waters also participating in thepetition?¡±


    ¡°I think so. He¡¯s such a sword lover, he would never want to miss this opportunity to confront the nation¡¯s most skillful people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that if you expect too much, you will be disappointed, but I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be disappointed. It¡¯s not because he is my brother, but because he is really talented and has a lot of hands-on experience. The only thing I¡¯m worried about is that his opponents were monsters and not humans. I¡¯m afraid he is going to overdo it in thepetition.¡±


    ¡°With his skill, you won¡¯t have to worry. He should also be used to adjusting his strength depending on his opponent.¡±


    Even though Carl had never faced Jamie in person, he said with an assurance.


    PRRRR. PRRRR.


    A small bird, dyed with silver, navy, and white fur, came down before Sienna. The bird pecked at the seeds on the floor. When Sienna saw the buzzing bird running around, she was reminded of Bluebell.


    -I¡¯ll attend with Carl even if you don¡¯t allow it. It doesn¡¯t matter because you don¡¯t love him anyway.


    Sienna hesitated then asked Carl.


    ¡°By any chance, didn¡¯t Lady Ferrere to see you?¡±


    ¡°Bluebell? No. Why are you asking about her?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It seemed like she would run to Carl and tell him right away that day, but Sienna was relieved that she did not yet. Sienna hoped that the time would be dyed a little, although Bluebell would visit Carl eventually to ask him to attend theing-of-age ceremony together.


    She knew that in order for everything to be back in ce, she had to give Bluebell her seat, but it wasn¡¯t as easy as said.


    ¡®Would it have been easier if I hadn¡¯t given him my heart?¡¯


    She knew it was toote, but she couldn¡¯t push that idea out of her head.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    The Mutupetition day came fast approaching. The prize money was an attraction, but more than that, the atmosphere in the imperial court was hot because the winner to the 15th ce was to be appointed as the Emperor¡¯s escort. The excited faces of the knights and their sparkling armor represented their excitement for thepetition.


    Sienna was also busy preparing for thepetition because she had to embroider her handkerchief for Carl. She was sitting at an outdoor table in the sunny garden, holding onto her handkerchief.


    ¡°Arg.¡±


    She looked at the white handkerchief with a sickening sound.


    ¡°Simple design is supposed to be the best design, so if I just give it this way... agh! I probably can¡¯t.¡±


    Sienna wanted to give him a white handkerchief that had nothing embroidered on it. Painting with small needles and thread was just not her cup of tea.


    Her face turned pale at the sight of the handkerchiefs Hain had brought to her for design. She thought those should be called art pieces, not handkerchiefs. She thought she would believe it if a painter had painted them with a brush.


    ¡°What the hell am I supposed to do with this? How can this be a human skill? I¡¯m sure they did some magic.¡±


    When Sienna freaked out, saying, ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Hain grabbed a thread and a needle with a blunt face as if it were nothing. As she teased her hand, in an instant, a beautiful rose bloomed over the white cloth.


    Sienna was tongue-tied at Hain¡¯s skill. It would be impossible for her to do it even if she spent a year on this. But she couldn¡¯t believe that Hain made a flower in time for a sip of tea. She had to feel humiliated by Hain¡¯s response that such skills were natural.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do it instead of Hain? If you just say I did it and give it to Carl...¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty the Crown Princess! It¡¯s an etiquette to self-embroider the handkerchief that you are to hand over to the knight. Moreover, if you are going to give it to His Highness the Prince, you have to give more care at it.¡±


    Sienna said it was a joke because she didn¡¯t want to hear the nagging, but she really wanted someone else to do it. She wasn¡¯t confident at all.


    ¡°How can I do that?¡±


    Even after multiple takes, the samples Hain brought looked too difficult.


    ¡°Where the hell did you get these samples?¡±


    Hain blushed and said she made it every year. As expected, she seemed to dream of a knight who wants a handkerchief from her every year, just as she is obsessed with novels with knights and princes.


    ¡°The samples are so good that they¡¯re making me feel weak.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be difficult. Imagine putting a scene in your head on a piece of cloth here. It¡¯s easy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s really hard.¡±


    When Sienna didn¡¯t understand, Hain was also frustrated. Just because she had good skills, didn¡¯t mean she could be a good teacher. It was not easy for Hain, who had never felt difficulty with embroidery, to teach her master, who had no basic skills.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some drinks.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like a very cold one, please.¡±


    Sienna sighed deeply as soon as she saw Hain leaving the room.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Surprised, Sienna looked back to find the person who sighed with her. Milton and Havali were in line there.


    While the castle knights looked bright with anticipation for the uingpetition, their faces looked stiff. Milton even had ck bags under his eyes.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Sienna squeezed her eyes thin and asked them. Normally, she would pretend and ask politely, but she was not in a good mood because of the embroider issue.


    ¡°What do you mean Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Why did you sigh? I¡¯m asking you why you are so stiff.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°What nothing? I heard you guys sigh clearly. You¡¯re not going to say that I heard it wrong?¡±


    Milton and Havali exchanged looks and tried to read Sienna¡¯s expressions.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m actually really curious. All the other knights in the pce are excited at the chance to be the Emperor¡¯s escort knights, but you two, at the looks of it, will get dragged to a ughterhouse tomorrow.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s remarks, they finally opened their mouths.


    ¡°While we know that it is a disgrace to tell Your Majesty this, but we are concerned at the prospects of the uing Mutupetition.¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯ve heard. That you two have been chosen to represent the Knights of the Phoenix? Are you worried about the qualification stage? If you are worried, I can give permission for you to practice in the field.¡±


    ¡°No, we should still fulfill our duty even if there is a Mutupetitioning up. We will keep Your Majesty¡¯s guard here.¡±


    Milton answered with his shoulders straightened. Havali also nodded as if he agreed with what Milton said. She looked proudly at those two people.


    When she first sat in the Princess¡¯s seat, she thought it would be better to cut them all and change them to new knights, but now they look more like knights.


    Especially after they got yelled at by Carl not long ago, they were about to follow her to the bathroom as Hain said. Their excessive protection was ufortable, but on the other hand, they were trustworthy.


    ¡°Thank you. And don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get through the preliminaries.¡±


    But the two didn¡¯t look any better to Sienna¡¯s praise.


    ¡°The truth is...¡±

 Chapter 118: Live to Sienna Pt.118

    <h4>Chapter 118: Live to Sienna Pt.118</h4>


    Finally, Havali confessed his concern.


    ¡°I had some free time yesterday afternoon, so I went to watch the outside qualifiers.¡±


    ¡°Did you see them? I¡¯ve heard that the outside qualifiers matches have been going on for a week. I heard there were many knights from all over the country. I thought it would be hard to get knights from faraway regions because the notice was postedte, but I guess everyone was waiting for a chance to show off their skills.¡±


    ¡°Yes, in fact, after watching the outside qualifiers yesterday, I realized that I was living in a delusion.¡±


    ¡°I think you both have enough skills. Lord Waters also praised your rapid growth.¡±


    Even at Sienna¡¯s praise, Havali shook his head.


    ¡°In fact, when I lost the battle with Lord Waters, I thought I had forgotten about the Waters family¡¯s historical battle skills, rather than feeling my inadequacy. Moreover, I was taught by Sir Waters, the father-inw of the famous House of Waters, and I regained my confidence as my skills improved. I was able to enjoy hard training because it was a rapid growth even for myself. But when I watched the preliminary match yesterday outside the pce, I realized how much of a frog I was stuck in a well.¡±


    Although Jamie¡¯s training has greatly improved their skills for half a year, knights from outside have been trained and experienced for a long time. It was only natural that they were still not enough topare with them.


    Sienna advised the two knights as she did the young soldiers who were on their way to fight monsters back home.


    ¡°My father always told me. You can see the confidence of the knight from the end of the sword. The tip of a discouraged knight¡¯s sword shakes like a frightened herbivore. Even when you¡¯re dealing with a stronger and better enemy than you, you¡¯ll find a chance to take your opponent¡¯s breath away if you watch him to the end and figure out where he will be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really good advice.¡±


    ¡°Yes. So be confident. I don¡¯t want to see my knights shudder and hide their tails before they even try.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We will keep that in mind.¡±


    They answered loudly and saluted like knights. Sienna smiled contentedly as she looked at their confident posture unlike before. When Hain, who brought a cold drink, saw the scene, nagged to Sienna again.


    ¡°This is not the time for you to worry about the knights. Howe you haven¡¯t done a single thread on the handkerchief?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Hain.¡±


    Sienna sighed again, looking at the white handkerchief.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    The much-awaited Mutupetition opened.


    Knights entered the stadium with magnificent music of a band that was decorated with colorful gs. Citizens filled all seats for the first time in a long time because it has been a while since the Mutupetition was held in the capital city. They cheered whenever the knights who came up from the preliminary rounds appeared with dignified steps.


    It was a great honor for the knights just to participate in the games. This is because thepetition was enormous as manypetitors gathered in the preliminariesing from foreign countries.


    As thepetition was announced since the preliminary round, citizens enthusiastically cheered for those who they had in mind. In the Mutupetition, it was possible to officially bet on the winner, so the citizens who had stakes in the games were more passionate and cheered for the candidates.


    Sienna and Carl had earlier settled in the stands. Besides them, most of the aristocrats who were staying in the capital were there.


    ¡°Will the Emperor take part today?¡±


    Sienna asked Carl with a worried look. Yesterday, Valore did not look very well.


    Valore recently began to participate in state affairs again, saying his health has improved. But to Sienna, he just seemed desperate to let everyone know that he was in better shape. His glossy brown hair became crumbly, and his smooth skin became rough.


    ¡°Valore is holding this martial artspetition today to show off that he is healthy and to consolidate his power. He¡¯lle back fine with the help of some medicine. And I heard it is only a flu.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna knew that Valore¡¯s illness was not a flu, but she could not tell Carl. Valore¡¯s health seemed to be deteriorating faster than in the past.


    She saw Arya sitting across from the seat of the emperor couple.


    Arya was looking down at the citizens, looking beautiful as always. A fan was being fanned with feathers, and her ck hair moved gently in the soft wind.


    At Arya¡¯s seat, the nobles kepting and continued to greet her. It was a sight that clearly showed that she was standing at the pinnacle of power.


    ¡®Enjoy that now. You will soon be removed from that ce. And I will never let you stand on that seat again. Whatever it takes.¡¯


    Sienna bit her lower lip. She was clenching her fist so hard that her veins were popping out, and Carl put his hand on hers. Without any change of expression, he was looking straight ahead.


    ¡®Yeah, at least it¡¯s not like before.¡¯


    Her deep-seated anger subsided calmly. Then there was something that was not seen until a moment ago. Jamie stood dashing among the knights lined up in the stadium.


    Her brother was dressed in well-kept armor. The helmet tucked on his left was apanied by a blue tassel with a fine texture. It was a color that symbolized the Waters family.


    The blue cloak on his shoulders fluttered as the wind blew. It was as if he were in a hero¡¯s novel, so Sienna wondered if he might find apanion through this event.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor ising.¡±


    Everyone in the arena stood up at the sound of the bugle calling for silence. As a majestic carriage came across the stadium, the band beat drums to greet the emperor.


    After getting off the carriage, Valore was not the sickly figure Sienna saw yesterday. He looked incredibly healthy and she could almost not believe that he was the same person.


    He escorted his wife, Marie, down. The audience apuded as the emperor couple gestured. Valore and Marie held hands and climbed onto the podium with leisurely steps.


    Valore stood on the tform, gave a short congrattory speech, and encouraged the knights who were participating today. And when he dered that thepetition had begun, the crowd cheered him again. It was clear that thispetition was a meaningful ce to inform citizens of his presence who had no outside activities until then.


    After the greeting, as Valore climbed to his seat in the stands, Carl, Sienna, and Empress Arya greeted him. He didn¡¯t even look at his mother, and only said hello to Sienna and Carl.


    When her son refused to ept her greetings, Arya¡¯s face was filled with embarrassment. But she soon sat down with a nk look on her face.


    There were many aristocrats who saw it, but no one cared because the feud between her and the emperor was quite old. Although Valore was the emperor, it was Arya who had everything that an emperor should have.


    Valore looked back at Sienna and said, ¡°I heard Lord Waters is also participating in thepetition.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Lord Waters there in the first row with blue capes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see him manly. Lord Waters¡¯ skills will certainly bring good results. I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Even though the preliminaries were held, the number of those who made it to the games were high. They were supposed to face ¡®The Difficult Battle¡¯ today for the first game.


    ¡®The Difficult Battle¡¯ was a game in which all the 100 knights from the preliminaries fought inside the stadium all at once. Only 24 knights who survived were able to advance to the tournament the next day.


    Because of this, there was a rule that prohibited more than two knights from the same knight¡¯s order in the capital participating in thepetition. It was to prevent it from bing a game favorable to one side. This is because it was possible for the knights to join forces with each other after the game began.


    In order to reduce the number of casualties, the same wooden sword was given to all, and leather pockets with ink were tied to the front and the sides of the waist. It was considered ¡®death¡¯ if any of the colored pockets burst.


    There was a drum roll to signal the beginning. The knights searched each other in the beginning without attacking, identifying the weak and the strong. They were wary of attacking first and being struck back and bursting their pockets.


    But that was just momentary, and one by one, the pockets began to pop. Red ink came down from waists and soaked the thighs. It was a vivid red color that looked like blood from afar.


    The spectators were excited and the participants began to make full-fledged moves.


    Sienna couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Jamie and the Knights of Phoenix, Milton, and Harvey, out of concern. The knights began to build a herd.


    ¡°Just looking at it makes me nervous.¡±


    ¡°Your knights and Lord Waters have already formed a camp.¡±


    As Carl said, the three were in a triangle formation, protecting each other¡¯s backs. Since Jamie¡¯s skills were far more superior, when they met an enemy who was too strong, Jamie came to the front to face the opponent, and the two others faced enemies in different directions. Since it was a game that required protection of pigmented pockets, the way to protect each other¡¯s backs while driving out the difficult opponents seemed effective.


    ¡°What about you, Carl? I¡¯m sure the people you like also participated a lot here. Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡±


    Sienna pouted her lips when Carl refused to answer straightforwardly. But that onlysted for a moment, and she became enchanted at the magnificent sight of a hundred men mingling with swords.

 Chapter 119: Live to Sienna Pt.119

    <h4>Chapter 119: Live to Sienna Pt.119</h4>


    Oh my!¡±


    A big man¡¯s sword brushed Jamie¡¯s waist in a big arc. It was such a close-knit moment that Jamie¡¯s pocket would have burst if it had been a little closer.


    Jamie calmly thrust his sword into the man¡¯s left crevice. The ink pouch burst and wet the big man¡¯s waist.


    Sienna, who was watching, let out an exmation. As the battle continued, those who wet their pants with ink went out after receiving signals from the organizers one by one.


    ¡°The imperial knights are struggling.¡±


    Valore¡¯s voice was small, but it was clearly passed on to the nobles sitting in the stands.


    The knights of the imperial family were all wearing red shoulder straps, so they were distinguished at a nce. At the beginning, a third of the participants were imperial knights, but the number was now significantly reduced.


    The nobles cheered the imperial knights with excitement. However, their support alone did not change the flow of the game. Even for those who knew nothing about swords, there was a significant difference in the skills of outside knights.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell from these games.¡±


    Arya said to the emperor.


    ¡°Are you saying that they are going to show a different side in a one-on-one match?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they show their skills in a one-on-one match rather than in a messy struggle like that?¡±


    ¡°Well, no matter how different it is from their usual practice, this is too one-sided.¡±


    ¡°The most important virtue for knights is not to be good at dog fights, but to chivalry.¡±


    Arya struggled to defend the Knights of the Imperial Household.


    Sienna sneered at the imperial knights rolling on the y floor of the stadium. It was a mockery of Arya that represented them.


    ¡°The knights aren¡¯t ornaments. All you seem to need is to put on shiny armor and greet.¡±


    The sharp voice of Sienna raised Arya¡¯s eyebrows furiously. Sienna kept going on regardless of her.


    ¡°For prioritizing the aesthetics, I wouldn¡¯t be so proud of them rolling in the mud.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to insult the Knights of the Imperial Household?¡±


    ¡°Insult? I¡¯m just saying what I see in the game.¡±


    As Sienna and Arya tried to fight, Valore interrupted.


    ¡°The game is still going on, so let¡¯s keep watching it.¡±


    At Valore¡¯s mediation, they watched the game with an annoyed look.


    In order to prevent injuries, the participants were required to use a wooden sword instead of a real sword, and ink pockets were ced only on the waist, but as the game progressed violently, more people were seriously injured.


    She saw a knight who was bleeding on his head and was being carried out. The helmet on his belly was crushed and the skin on a part of his head was peeled off, indicating how serious the injury was. The mixture of red dye and real blood produced more terrible scenes than expected.


    Sienna sighed and put her palms on her eyes because it was difficult to watch the game anymore. The coldness of her palms seemed to quench the heat in her eyes a little.


    She thought she got better with seeing blood, but she felt sick when she saw blood after Carl was attacked and injured in Tromil.


    ¡°Are you feeling sick?¡±


    Carl asked her quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little nausea...¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, you should go back first. I¡¯m sure the Emperor will understand.¡±


    Valore, who was sitting next to Carl, looked at Sienna with worried eyes and said, ¡°You don¡¯t look very well. Why don¡¯t you go in first?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right...¡±


    Before Sienna could finish answering, Carl got up first and pulled her hand.


    ¡°Now that the Emperor has given us permission, we will head out first.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    They went out of the auditorium, receiving the worried gaze of the emperor couple and the fierce gaze of the nobles, including Empress Arya.


    ¡°Hoo-.¡±


    As soon as Sienna got out of the stadium, she took a big breath. Looking at her hand which was holding onto Carl¡¯s hand, she smiled and said, ¡°I could have gone out alone. Why did you follow me?¡±


    ¡°Because the game is boring.¡±


    ¡°Lies.¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°You are such a sweet person. It¡¯s so sweet that it would eventually hurt someone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯ve heard a lot that I am a scary person, but you¡¯re probably the first one to say I am a sweet person.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because your face is always frozen. But I¡¯m sure Carl¡¯s people know. What a sweet and warm person you are.¡±


    ¡°Are you my person, too?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna smiled. She wanted to be his person, but that was her greed. Now that they are married, she was just grateful for the fact he was by her side.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    The next day, all of the participants were the survivors of yesterday¡¯s ordeal. Fortunately, the Knights of Phoenix, Milton, and Havali, were also able to reach the finals. Of course, Jamie made it to the finals as well.


    Thepetition of outside participants was held in public, but the preliminary round between the imperial knights was not open to the public, so the citizens¡¯ expectations were high, but yesterday¡¯s performance brought their excitement to the rock bottom. The fact that only five of the 24 yers who made it to the finals were former imperial knights showed the level of their skills.


    Most people were amazed at how they could be so different. Some citizens even made a joke that when selecting the knights, the imperial family chose them based on their appearance, not their skills, and used them as decorations for the imperial family.


    The faces of the nobles who sat down to watch today¡¯s game were not too good either. The poor performance of the imperial knights undermined the authority of the privileged ss, which was not a weing prospect to the nobles.


    Some said that only the imperial knights should be allowed to participate in the Mutupetition from the beginning, while others said that it was wrong to include those who were not good in the first ce, adding that they should investigate corruption in the authorities who selected them as the Knights.


    The high-ranking aristocrats, including Empress Arya, remained tight-lipped when the story of the imperial knights¡¯ internal corruption was mentioned.


    Twenty-four contestants arranged the order with their opponents by drawing lots.


    ¡°Congrattions, Sienna. I heard that two of the knights from the Phoenix Knights have made it to the finals. I¡¯ve heard that only five of the Knights of the Imperial Household have survived, and it¡¯s amazing that two of them belong to you.¡±


    Marie, the Empress, sincerely admired and congratted, even though none of her own knights reached the finals.


    ¡°Milton and Havali worked hard on it. I¡¯m d that their efforts have paid off.¡±


    ¡°I really congratte you. Our knights participated too, but...¡±


    One of Marie¡¯s knights was knocked out as soon as the match began, as he fell back in surprise by a sudden attack and his ink pocket burst in the process. The other one didn¡¯tst long either.


    ¡°I was embarrassed yesterday when both of them suddenly said that they were quitting their job as a knight. I thought it was only my knights, but apparently, most of the knights who participated in thepetition are quitting. I guess yesterday¡¯s game was a shock to them.¡±


    Sienna had a different idea. Even if they were humiliated, they were the ones who were recognized for their skills enough to participate as representatives of the Knights. If they quit, they should have quit with the knights who couldn¡¯t even make it to the game.


    It was clear that the knights¡¯ sudden resignation the next day was due to pressure ced on them. It must have been to scapegoat the few yers as responsible for the poor performance, forcing them to quit before the Emperor demands a major reconfiguration of the Imperial Knights.


    ¡°The knights areing in.¡±


    Voices rang out inside the stadium to announce the appearance of the knights.


    Today, the contestants appearedter than the emperor. There was a pattern on the back of them that symbolized their family or affiliation. The hot cheers for them shook the stadium.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡±


    Carl was looking at Sienna with a worried face. It seemed to be because she was surprised to see the battles yesterday.


    ¡°This much is okay.¡±


    Even though she said it was okay, Carl had a suspicious face. She said to reassure him.


    ¡°Did you forget? I¡¯m from northern Heidel. I, a native of the Waters family, can¡¯t be scared to see the knights fight. It¡¯s a ce where you fight monsters several times a day.¡±


    As Sienna spoke proudly, even hitting her chest, Carl nodded with a faint smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then he held her hand tightly. As if she should be relieved because he was confident.


    Jamie easily advanced to the next turn.


    On the other hand, Milton and Havali, members of the Phoenix Knights, fell in the first round. Still, Sienna was not disappointed. This was because both of them did not give up and were immersed in the game until the end, despite the superior performance of their opponents.


    Some imperial knights showed disgraceful y, getting overwhelmed by their opponent¡¯s charisma and quickly dering their withdrawal. They were booed by the crowd.


    As the game progressed, Sienna was able to find familiar faces. They were definitely Carl¡¯s men. As easily as Jamie, they made it to the next stage.


    ¡°I think I know which of them is yours.¡±


    She said mischievously. Carl asked her to guess who they were without erasing his smile.


    ¡°Will you give me a prize if I get it right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll present you with a hot night.¡±


    Said Carl, winking at Sienna. Sienna¡¯s face flushed, and she hurriedly looked around her in case anyone heard him.¡±

 Chapter 120: Live to Sienna Pt.120

    <h4>Chapter 120: Live to Sienna Pt.120</h4>


    Fortunately, no one seemed to have heard Carl since the game was noisy. Sienna struck him with her elbow in disgust.


    Carl said without erasing his mischievous smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like the prize?¡±


    ¡°No thanks!¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else you want, then?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to give me a prize.¡±


    The room was still full of sellum flowers he had given her as gifts. Sienna didn¡¯t really need anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad you don¡¯t want a prize. Tell me. Who do you think my people are?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a difficult question. Lord Pavenik, I have seen him in your barracks before, and I should just pick someone who has a simr system of swordsmanship.¡±


    As a member of the Waters family, she was familiar with swordsmanship and had a good eye, so distinguishing was easy to her.


    When Sienna picked out a few of the knights as her guess, starting with Pavenik, Carl was in awe. Because she guessed most of his knights.


    Although the movements were simr because they were all trained in the same military, it was not easy to tell the difference even if you were someone trained in swordsmanship.


    ¡°Not bad!¡±


    ¡°I could tell because even the way they pull out their swords are different.¡±


    The current game ended with one of Carl¡¯s knights stabbing his opponent¡¯s stomach. It was not a sharp-pointed sword fight, but rather a sword without a sharp de, or a sword to defeat the enemy or protect his body, so the opponents did not die, but he seemed to be quite hurt.


    Sienna, who confirmed his victory, whispered in Carl¡¯s ear.


    ¡°His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s personal guard order would be full of your people.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    He answered as if it was an obvious fact.


    ¡°By the way, you said you wanted to get a handkerchief from me, but you didn¡¯t participate in the game?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny to jump into the Knights¡¯ event as a prince. Moreover, most knights won¡¯t be able to aim the sword properly because of my status.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡±


    She nodded then changed her expression and red at him.


    ¡°What! Did you just say that you wanted my handkerchief for no reason?¡±


    Sienna thrust her swollen hand caused by needling embroidery before him.


    ¡°Do you know how hard it was for me to hold a needle to embroider the handkerchief that I couldn¡¯t do well? If you weren¡¯t going to participate, why didn¡¯t you tell me you won¡¯t go? You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Is it so unfair that you sewed your handkerchief for me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying! I hate sewing. Take a closer look here. I almost sewed up my finger, not the handkerchief. I¡¯ve worked so hard to give it to you...¡±


    Carl stroked her hair in response to herints.


    ¡°Then I want to have that handkerchief that you created with such care.¡±


    ¡°Then do you want to take it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a handkerchief you¡¯ve embroidered while bleeding in your fingers, so I can¡¯t just take it without doing anything.¡±


    Carl intentionally looked to the sideways. There, Valore was watching Carl and Sienna. When his eyes met Carl¡¯s, he turned his head with a resigned look.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s my brother¡¯s game! If he passes this game, he is going to the finals.¡±


    Sienna put her hands together and focused on Jamie¡¯s game. Jamie¡¯s opponent was someone that Sienna knew.


    Red Cabillion. He was the son of a small baron, but failed to seed to his title and led a group of bandits. In the past, in a battle against Carl, he gave up one of his wrists along with his bandits.


    But that was only a story of the past, and now both his arms were intact.


    He caught the eye of many with his enormous physique. Jamie, who was ying against him, had the height and physique to keep up with, so they were both expected to y with their own strength.


    The audience was very excited. This was because the two had clearly confirmed their skills during the games.


    As the trumpet sounded to signal the start of the game, the two quickly drew their swords and rushed in. The movement was so fast that two light streams seemed to collide.


    It was only three times that Jamie and Red¡¯s swords met directly, but the swords were visibly broken. It was because the swords couldn¡¯t stand the strength of the two.


    A clear blue sword energy formed on Jamie¡¯s sword. The audience was in a great uproar. Although the Sword Expert was capable of handling the sword energy, ordinary citizens have little chance to witness the sh of the Sword Experts themselves.


    Red¡¯s sword also exhibited reddish-ck energy.


    ¡°The Lord Waters¡¯ sword energy is blue? That¡¯s pretty stable.¡±


    ¡°Sir Cabilion¡¯s sword is stable, too. As expected, he is like a person who has gained a lot of experience in battle.¡±


    In Sienna¡¯s reply, Carl shook his head and said, ¡°You really know everything. Is this also part of your intelligence?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I know you¡¯ve been getting more visitors recently. Don¡¯t try too hard to get rid of them all. A fish can¡¯t live in clean water.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    The game continued in the midst of the conversation between Carl and Sienna.


    Every time a sword containing sword energy was swung, the floor was dug up and the dust was cloudy. As the game progressed so fast, the audience forgot to cheer and watched the game breathlessly.


    The gap between Jamie and Red has widened considerably. The two men¡¯s armor and helmet were covered with dusty fog.


    During such confrontations, Red¡¯s sword faded first and then lost its shape. It was great in itself to be able to keep the sword energy this long, but the opponent was too strong.


    Jamie rushed at Red¡¯s sword as soon as he found that it had been broken. Red tried to defend himself by lifting the sword, but it was torn more easily by the sword than by a piece of his ck paper.


    When the half-cut sword fell to the floor, the audience cheered with breathless attention.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Sienna pped happily. Jamie¡¯s victory was also a victory, but I was grateful enough that he ended the game without getting hurt.


    The finale was held the next day. The days of the game were in a state of great excitement. It was because of the expectation that they would see a better game than the previous one.


    The finale, however, turned to Jamie¡¯s victory with a frivolous ease. Red, who yed the semi-final against Jamie, also finished third with overwhelming strength in the third-and-fourth ce matches. Everyone thought Red should have won second ce.


    The first to fifth ces were directly gifted swords with congrattory speeches by the emperor. After the Emperor¡¯s award, not only Jamie, who won, but all the knights on the list had the chance to ask for a handkerchief from ady they desired.


    It was a tense moment not only for the knights but also for the women sitting in the stands. There were no women who didn¡¯t want to hand over their handkerchiefs to the leading yers of the Mutupetition.


    The knights approached thedies one after the other, and soon Jamie¡¯s turn came.


    Jamie didn¡¯t ask anyone for a handkerchief. Before participating in the game, Sienna said that receiving a handkerchief was meaningful, so if there was anyone he wanted to marry, he should ask for it, which seemed rather burdensome. There was amentable exmation of some women from the stands.


    Valore said out loud.


    ¡°Your skills were so great that the Knights of the Imperial Household seemed inexperienced inparison. I thought the talent pool was only in the imperial family, but I think thispetition helped me realize that there were so many hidden talents like you. It is the nation¡¯s blessing that there are so many talented people like you everywhere. From now on, if anyone has the skills, I will open the way for them to join the Knights of the Imperial Household. I promise in the name of the Emperor.¡±


    An opportunity for anyone to enter the Imperial Knights. This, on the contrary, was a willingness to expel anyone in the imperial order of knights if theycked skills. The audience roared with cheers at the emperor¡¯s words.


    Sienna looked at Arya, who was looking so angry and smiled.


    This was a promise proimed in front of many by the Imperial order. If Arya and her forces opposed his opinion when Valore began to reform the Order, it would be an act of dishonor to the Emperor.


    Although the imperial power was weak now because Valore was young and fragile, the Leipsden Empire was originally a strong country. If Arya tried to stop Valore from reforming the Knights Order, it could have been seen as an act against the imperial power.


    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you. Will you do me a favor?¡±


    Not only Jamie but also the audience stared at Valore breathlessly. Everyone wondered what the emperor would ask a knight to do.


    ¡°Please speak.¡±


    ¡°The original winner was supposed to be my Royal Knights, but if you don¡¯t mind, would you be my Empress¡¯ Knight?¡±


    The thoughts of many nobles, as well as Sienna¡¯s, were spinning fast.


    It was a demotion to assign a person who was supposed to go to the Royal Order, the emperor¡¯s knights, to the empress¡¯ knights. She wondered why the emperor made such a request to him.


    ¡°I will sacrifice my life to protect the Empress!¡±


    Whatever the Emperor¡¯s intention, Jamie readily epted.


    ¡°Thank you. Then take the head of the Knights of Silver Wolf, the Knights of the Empress.¡±


    Jamie acted courteously, by bowing. Unlike his calm expression, the audience was filled with loud cheers.


    It was also an honor to be a knight of the Royal Knights of the Imperial Guard, but it was also an honor to be the head of the Knights of the Order of the Empress. When he bes a knight of the imperial family, he was basically a baron, but the leader of the knighthood gains a bigger title than a baron.


    Sienna remembered the conversation she had with Marie before the game. Her knights in the finals suddenly quit. The leader must have been one of them.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know if I should celebrate my status as the head of the knights.¡¯


    While Sienna was agonizing, Carl, who was sitting next to her, stood up. She asked him where he was going. He only smiled an unexpected smile and headed toward Valore.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    Carl bent one knee in front of Valore and asked.


    ¡°Prince Carl, what kind of request?¡±


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t offend you, would you give me a chance topete with Lord Waters?¡±

 Chapter 121: Live to Sienna Pt.121

    <h4>Chapter 121: Live to Sienna Pt.121</h4>


    His voice echoed throughout the stadium. Momentarily, Carl¡¯s words spread from mouth to mouth. The audience chanted Carl¡¯s name even though the emperor had not dropped his word of permission.


    Valore had no choice but to ept his request. In fact, he was actually thinking of epting his opinion from the beginning.


    However, as soon as Carl appeared, he saw the cheering citizens and they reminded him that he was not the main character of this show. He said to Carl with a weary smile.


    ¡°It would be a virtue of knights to meet the strong and to win a victory. Prince Carl, I understand your desire to fight against Lord Waters. But I think I need Lord Waters¡¯ permission. He¡¯s been ying several games in thest few days.¡±


    Jamie, who was standing next to him, knelt down and said, ¡°I would also like to face the sword with His Highness, if the Emperor allows it. It¡¯s an honor for me to be a match for someone called the god of the battlefield.¡±


    Valore nodded with a doubtful look.


    ¡°If that is what Lord Waters wants, Prince Carl, so let¡¯s do that. However, the prince is the only heir to the imperial family. Sir Waters is also the only heir of the Waters family and the hero of today¡¯s battle. I don¡¯t want either of you to get hurt. So let¡¯s just finish the game with the 20th inning.¡±


    Carl and Jamie agreed to Valore¡¯s proposal. If there was a significant difference in skills, it would be finished within 20 rounds, and they were simr in level, it could prevent serious injury while dragging time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took the spotlight from you, the main character of the day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ve already done what I wanted to do. And let¡¯s do our best. Even though you are my brother-inw, I¡¯m not going to let you go.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Carl burst outughing. Although the family rtionship Jamie said was not wrong, the rtion was meaningless to the imperial family. Being odd seemed to be the nature of the Waters family.


    ¡°I also don¡¯t want to let you go, so let¡¯s get serious.¡±


    ¡°The Waters are always serious in front of the sword. I think it¡¯s going to be an interesting game.¡±


    Carl and Jamie finished shaking hands and stared at each other, ready with their swords.


    The sound of the bugle to signal the beginning sounded as Valore beckoned, while Carl and Jamie¡¯s swords shed in arge light. Not many people could not follow them because they were moving so fast.


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    At their inhuman speeds, exmations flowed from the mouths of the crowd.


    It wasn¡¯t until after several tremendous shes that Carl and Jamie stood at the spot where they first started the game and burst into heavy breaths. The dust flying around showed how fierce their battle was.


    Carl and Jamie¡¯s swordsmanship was so fast that the 20th inning that Valore outlined ended in a sh.


    Everyone sighed in dismay at the game that had ended so quickly. It was because no one watched their game properly and enjoyed it. They just saw the blue and ck lights intertwine like crazy and burst into a violent explosion.


    ¡°...Wow!¡±


    When the bted shouts came from the stands, the nobles, as well as Valore and Arya, did nothing with their mouths open.


    They have heard that Carl was called the god of the battlefield, but they have never seen him actually fight before, so they couldn¡¯t evaluate his skills properly. They dismissed his swordsmanship because they didn¡¯t think he could do much on his own.


    Moreover, they have been seeing the Knights of the Imperial Household, whose skills had been leveled down after the imperial standard for the Sword Expert changed, so they were not aware of a true Sword Expert¡¯s skills.


    They just realized how much difference in skills between the knights who knew how to handle the sword and those who didn¡¯t were. It was the moment when the Knights Reform, which the emperor was trying to do, gained justification.


    Carl and Jamie ended the match in a draw, but Carl asked for a chance to request for a handkerchief. Valore again gave permission with an unwilling look.


    Bluebell Ferrer was there, too. It could have been a disaster for a youngdy who had not yet had hering-of-age ceremony to be there, but Earl Ferrer just granted her wishes.


    Since she was a child, she believed that Carl¡¯s next seat would be her seat. Ever since she was broken up by political interests and saw Carl marry another woman, she has suffered from severe depression.


    Thanks to her father, who felt sorry for her long-time sadness, Bluebell had a chance to sit in the stands and steal a glimpse of Carl.


    Her seat was in the front row of seats where Carl and Sienna were sitting, so she frequently turned her head to check the two. They were looking like a happy couple.


    ¡°That hypocrite!¡±


    Bluebell gnashed her teeth. It was disgusting to see Sienna sitting next to him shamelessly, as if that seat beside Carl was her own, after taking away Carl whom she had long admired.


    Moreover, she said that the reason for her marriage to Carl was not love. It was just agreed on for the position of the princess. She wanted to spit on Sienna¡¯s face.


    ¡®She¡¯s shameless after breaking up the love between me and Carl.¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t even see the knights ying. She just wanted to see Carl at least a little bit, but seeing Carl and Sienna smiling happily, she thought she shouldn¡¯t havee.


    Watching the match between Carl and Jamie after the Mutupetition, Bluebell wiped away her tears. Already the husband of another woman, he was still shining brilliantly.


    After the game, Carl turned his eyes to get a handkerchief. Bluebell¡¯s heart beat like crazy when his eyes met hers.


    ¡®Does he know? The fact that I¡¯m here?¡¯


    She grabbed the handkerchief she had brought, just in case, waiting for her name toe out of his mouth.


    It was a handkerchief she carefully embroidered for a long time. A red horse symbolizing the Ferrer family and a silver dragon symbolizing Carl at the center of the handkerchief, and the border was embroidered with strawberries and strawberry flowers symbolizing the fruits of love.


    Bluebell¡¯s nanny admired her embroidery skills and praised her as the capital¡¯s number one. It was a skill that would not be embarrassing to show to anyone. Bluebell, however, thought that she should say that she worked hard with awkward skills when she handed it over to Carl.


    ¡®I should try not to sound arrogant. Would it be better to make eye contact with him or to lower it slightly when handing over the handkerchief?¡¯


    Her father said her blue eyes were like a clearke, and her nanny said that her eyshes were pping as she lowered her eyes and was more desirable than a peacock¡¯s feathers.


    But the name that came out of Carl¡¯s mouth was not her name.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get a handkerchief from Princess Sienna.¡±


    Bluebell doubted her ears.


    Was that really what Carl said? How could he do that when I¡¯m here?


    Bluebell¡¯s tears fell on the handkerchief that lost its owner.


    As soon as the name of Sienna came out of Carl¡¯s mouth, the citizens gave a hearty wee. There were people who cheered while whistling, and there were people who gathered their hands and cried.


    She made her name known to many people in the capital for her generosity during the wheat price surge. That¡¯s why there was a greater cheer than when Jamie¡¯s victory was confirmed.


    Bluebell, who didn¡¯t like everything about Sienna, didn¡¯t even like the work she did to bail out the citizens by releasing the wheat.


    Surely that too must have been an act to establish a political position, not really for the people of the capital. Those foolish citizens must be cheering without knowing that. Bluebell hated both the citizens and the hypocritical Sienna.


    At Carl¡¯s call, Sienna rose from her seat and went down to where he was.


    Sitting next to the aisle, Bluebell grabbed Sienna¡¯s wrist as she passed by her side. Her face, which was in a mess with tears, was miserable, but if she couldn¡¯t say a word to Sienna, she thought she would go mad.


    Looking at Sienna¡¯s surprised face, Bluebell whispered in a very small voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re shameless. You don¡¯t love him, you took Carl away from me, and now you¡¯re going to hand him the handkerchief? I¡¯m disgusted by the impudence.¡±


    As Sienna looked at her with a shocked face, Bluebell stared at her with wet eyes and let go of her hand.


    There was someone watching Bluebell¡ª their eyes glowed with a shriveled eye like the eyes of a snake capturing its prey.


    *


    The Mutupetition ended with a lot of stories. Many people got interested in Sienna and Carl, and Jamie Waters the new hero, and Red Cabillion, who failed to win the championship but alsopeted greatly.


    But most of all, it was Valore¡¯s Imperial Knights Reform that caught people¡¯s attention. There was a lot of opposition, but Valore was pushing for this with the emperor¡¯s authority.


    Arya tried to change his mind, but he refused to meet her. If Arya forced herself into his pce, Valore advised her to stay in the Panacio family for a while and cool her head. It was a threat that meant if she¡¯s any longer involved in his affairs, he¡¯ll send her to the Panacio family¡¯s estate.


    When Arya realized that Valore was not at her disposal anymore, she gave in and began to support him. But she didn¡¯t really support him. She had frequent meetings with the nobles to influence the newly reorganized Imperial Order.


    Sienna and Carl were having a quiet time apart from all these political issues.


    Although Sienna originally thought that when Valore became the emperor, Arya would threaten Carl more than before, but right now, she could not pay attention to Carl and Sienna because she was bent on confrontation with Valore.

 Chapter 122: Live to Sienna Pt.122

    <h4>Chapter 122: Live to Sienna Pt.122</h4>


    ¡°Stop looking at it! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to take it away from you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just appreciating what you gave me, I don¡¯t know why you are so upset?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie! You are definitely making fun of my embroidery!¡±


    As she spoke with a face full of discontent, Carl shook his head but he couldn¡¯t erase his smile.


    ¡°I knew before I got this handkerchief that you weren¡¯t good at this kind of stuff.¡±


    She replied while squinting her eyes.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re making fun of me.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m proud of you. I really like it.¡±


    Carl stroked his handkerchief. Feeling affection from his touch, Sienna said in a calmer voice.


    ¡°But... other girls really embroider beautifully. I couldn¡¯t tell if I put in a dragon or an eagle in the corner...¡±


    Sienna was simply not confident of making such splendid embroidery as the examples shown by Hain. So they decided to make it as simple as possible and embroidered a silver dragon symbolizing Carl in one corner.


    The problem was that even the simple form was unclear because of the poor workmanship. It was so ugly that Sienna wished my handkerchief would fall asleep in Carl¡¯s drawer forever, but he always seemed to be seen carrying it around. Whenever he did, she just wanted to hide in a rat hole.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯s trying to make fun of me!¡¯


    ¡°Well, the wings are bigger than the torso, but they don¡¯t look like eagles, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He never said they looked like a dragon either.


    Carl, who was smiling at dissatisfied Sienna, wrapped his handkerchief around his wrist so that he could see the embroidery well. The handkerchief with an indistinguishable dragon settled on his wrist.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I should just wrap it around my wrist like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Hisughter resounded loudly.


    The knight guarding the door announced Jamie¡¯s visit. After greeting, Jamie found a handkerchief around Carl¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Your Highness, is that a bat on your wrist?¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Jamie noticed her and said, ¡°Then... a pigeon meat?


    ¡°How does that look anything like this?!¡±


    Sienna protested in an irritating voice, but seeing the handkerchief around Carl¡¯s wrist, she could fully understand why Jamie said that. Bats and pigeons were actually Jamie being nice. At least he saw it as something with wings.


    ¡°This is a dragon.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Jamie nodded with a serious face.


    ¡°Well... it could kind of look like a shadow of a dragon.¡±


    Sienna said to Carl, with her eyes ring.


    ¡°You see, so take that handkerchief off your arm. If you do that, I¡¯m the only one who gets humiliated.¡±


    ¡°I was going to brag about this handkerchief from my wife, but...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a brag, it¡¯s a disgrace!¡±


    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t help that.¡±


    Sienna sighed with relief as she saw him putting a handkerchief into his coat.


    ¡°By the way, why is Lord Waters here?¡±


    When Sienna asked in a still annoyed voice, Jamie shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to see you, I¡¯m here to see the prince. This is the material you mentionedst time about the Canivali War.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you actually managed to obtain it.¡±


    Carl said, shining his eyes on the red-capped book Jamie had brought.


    Jamie and Carl became very close after fighting in the Mutupetition. After that, they would exchange war materials, simte past battles, or share insights.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us, Sienna?¡±


    Sometimes Sienna also participated in the debates with the two, but frankly, war was not one of her interests.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. You two can share the boring war chatter. I have a previous engagement.¡±


    ¡°Previous engagement? With whom?¡±


    ¡°I promised to visit the Queen. Marie seems to be in a bad mood these days, so I wanted to talk to her.¡±


    Jamie glistened at her words. Sienna asked him.


    ¡°So when does Lord Waters start with the Silver Wolf Knights?¡±


    ¡°I start 15 dayster. I wanted to go to work earlier, but the administrative process seems to be slow because there are a lot of new knights who quit this time. They say it¡¯s about 15 days fast.¡±


    Sienna and Carl nodded. It may not be because administrative work was slow, but because Valore and Arya were fighting, but they didn¡¯t bother to exin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back then.¡±


    Sienna went to the door. She was followed by the Knights of Phoenix.


    The number of her knights also decreased significantly because they could notpletely avoid the reform. Nevertheless, they were on a pretty good side. Many of the knights in the imperial order had to quit because they failed to pass the test, and sometimes, even an entire knights¡¯ order was disbanded.


    Hain was next to Sienna holding a baked pie. It was Marie¡¯s favorite pie stuffed with oranges. Cinnamon powder was slightly mixed in, so the vor was good.


    Sienna stood in front of the pce where Marie was staying. The voice of Empress Arya wasing from inside. She raised her hand to the gatekeeper who was trying to announce her visit and restrained him.


    Arya¡¯s voice was full of anger. On the contrary, Queen Marie¡¯s voice did not leak out, so from the outside, only Arya seemed to be talking like a madman.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been three years. I can¡¯t believe you still don¡¯t have news about pregnancy! It makes no sense. There¡¯s even a nasty rumor going around that the emperor doesn¡¯t have a seed or that you don¡¯t have a womb!¡±


    The Queen¡¯s people were embarrassed and could not even make an eye contact with Sienna.


    Sienna beckoned the gatekeeper to announce her visit. When Sienna¡¯s name was called, the sound that wasing from inside suddenly stopped.


    After a while, she entered the Queen¡¯s guest room through the door.


    ¡°Your Highness the Queen. How have you been?¡±


    Sienna greeted Marie with courtesy first. Arya red at Sienna fiercely.


    ¡°Sienna the Crown Princess doesn¡¯t even see me.¡±


    Marie looked at Empress Arya with a blueplexion. Sienna smiled reassuringly at her, then turned her head and looked at Arya.


    ¡°I heard a rude voice outside the door, so I thought the Empress called a clown or a singer, but I must have been mistaken. Your Majesty the Empress.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t say. Is it because you¡¯re a motherless-grown tree or because it¡¯s a countryside in the North? That¡¯s why people don¡¯t change.¡±


    Arya uttered a harsh word, but Sienna did not bat an eye. Rather, she replied with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m just ignorant, but I don¡¯t know why you are using the Queen. You¡¯re raising your voice to the point where we can hear your voiceing out of the door.¡±


    Arya scolded the Queen as if it was okay, but in Leipsden, where the emperor¡¯s authority was the top priority, the Queen¡¯s authority was ahead of the empress. The empress¡¯s scolding of the Queen was technically above her authority.


    ¡°Well, I came here because I heard something bad about the Queen. She shouldn¡¯t let this kind of rumor out in the first ce...¡±


    When she tried to me Marie for her inability to have children, Sienna stopped her.


    ¡°Are you doing this because of some ignorant rumors? Aren¡¯t you the one who knows better than anyone that a rumor is not something to believe in? I may have heard unimaginable rumors about the Emperor and yourself but not about the Queen.¡±


    Siena was suggesting the rumor that Valore was a child Arya had with some vagabond poet and was not a descendant of the imperial family.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m telling Your Highness not to let the rumors take hold. Moreover, the Emperor has been with the Empress for only three years now. Both of them are still in their prime, but you are hasty. Only when they feel at ease a baby can follow. Moreover, you have Prince Carl, so there¡¯s no need for a quick session.¡±


    Sienna scratched Arya¡¯s heart, citing Carl¡¯s name.


    Arya bit her lips at the sight of a smile of triumph that had spread around Sienna¡¯s mouth. Her smile seemed to say that the seat of the emperor belonged to Carl next.


    Arya shook off her skirt as roughly as if it had been dirty, and went out. In her heart, she even thought that she wanted to take out her tongue for mixing words with Sienna and wash it in water.


    ¡®She¡¯s not afraid to use her tongue. Prince Carl is the sessor, so what¡¯s the rush? This bitch!¡¯


    Sienna¡¯s words were not wrong, which made Arya even more annoyed.


    At a time when Valore¡¯s health was poor, the power he held felt like a castle on the sand. Right now, the nobles clung to her for power, but if Carl became emperor, they would change overnight.


    ¡°These bats.¡±


    Although she came out after harassing Marie, it was Valore that made her mind uneasy.


    He had been weak since he was young. It made her worried that he might not be able to have children. It took Valore¡¯s child to consolidate power.


    Arya didn¡¯t want to lose power. She bit her lower lip in anger. She bit so hard that blood formed around her mouth.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, are you all right?¡±


    One of Arya¡¯s knights asked, sticking out his handkerchief. She took the handkerchief for granted and met the knight¡¯s eyes.


    Arya had never cared about her knights before. For Arya, the existence of knights was like a shadow. They were the ones who had to protect her without bothering her.


    But now that she faced the knight that gave the handkerchief, she regretted why she didn¡¯t care about them ever. The knight had brown hair and dark brown eyes that looked just like Valore.


    ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t have to be his child.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    When the knight asked, Arya smiled softly and patted him on the shoulder. Apart from how terrible things were nned out in her head, she was enchanting.


    Even though she was old, her beauty did not fade at all. Rather, it gave off a rich fragrance.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Thanks for this handkerchief. I¡¯ll use it well.¡±


    The knight gave a nk look at Arya¡¯s smile. Obviously, she had a charm beyond her age. Realizing that he wasmitting great inadequacy, the knight hurriedly bowed his head and withdrew.

 Chapter 123: Live to Sienna Pt.123

    <h4>Chapter 123: Live to Sienna Pt.123</h4>


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    When Marie thanked her, Sienna shrugged and sat in a seat Marie showed. Marie¡¯s maid quickly cleared the table and brought out her favorite tea that Sienna enjoyed whenever Sienna came.


    ¡°Does the Empresse often?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s been so busy that she hasn¡¯t been here for a while...I guess she was concerned about the Emperor¡¯s health.¡±


    Sienna thought the reason why Arya visited Marie was not because of the Emperor¡¯s health, but because she was concerned about the direction of her own power, but Sienna did not spit out the thought out of her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the Emperor¡¯s health isn¡¯t good but is it that serious?¡±


    Marie¡¯s face turned grey with Sienna¡¯s question. Marie seemed unable to sleep because she was worried about Valore.


    ¡°He says he¡¯s okay, but he¡¯s not quite well.¡±


    Sienna realized again how pure Marie was.


    She was the wife of the present emperor and Sienna was the wife of Prince Carl, the first heir in line. If it were Arya, she would have said Valore was okay. Sienna would also never mention that the emperor was ill if she were in Marie¡¯s shoes.


    Regardless of all this, Marie was genuinely concerned about Valore.


    ¡°He recently coughed up blood when he was with me. He seems quite ill, but when I ask the doctor, he wouldn¡¯t answer saying it¡¯s the emperor¡¯s order. I am so worried...¡±


    Marie¡¯s eyes moistened. Sienna moved to Marie¡¯s side andforted her.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor will be fine.¡±


    Even though she knew Valore wouldn¡¯t be okay, Sienna had no choice but to say so.


    *


    Valore, who had been attending the political affairs meeting as the emperor, barely sat on the throne with a pale face as the days went by. Symptoms have been going on for too long to ignore it as just a cold. How can a cold not get better for months?


    Whenever the emperor coughed, the nobles looked at him with anxious faces. As a young emperor, they thought he would get well from the disease soon, but they suspected that they might have taken the disease too lightly as the continuous coughing shows.


    Even when the aristocrats tried to check the health of Valore by asking the doctor, he kept silent, saying it¡¯s the emperor¡¯s order. They decided to find out about the emperor¡¯s illness even by threatening the doctor.


    ¡°Cough cough!¡±


    Today, he coughed heavily. One of the nobles stepped up and said in a worried voice.


    ¡°Your Majesty, your illness seems tost too long. I don¡¯t think the imperial doctor is doing the proper treatment, so call another doctor...¡±


    Valore shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just go ahead with the meeting.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°I know my condition. I just have a long cold... Cough-cough.


    Valore, who was talking, coughed again. It was a more intense cough than usual that his blood flowed through his hand covering his mouth. The amount of blood he vomited was so great that it soaked his cor.


    The nobles and Arya at the meeting ran to him with astonished faces. But it was after he had already gone unconscious.


    ¡°Doctor! Bring in the doctor now!¡±


    The sound of Arya¡¯s hoarse voice resounded through the pce. The hurried doctor checked Valore¡¯s pulse. He, who had been the emperor¡¯s personal physician for a long time, calmly examined Valore¡¯splexion as if he had already expected it.


    ¡°Is the Emperor all right?¡±


    A nobleman asked him. The doctor replied before Empress Arya could even shush the doctor¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°The king has been suffering from lung disease for a long time, although he has kept it a secret for fear of possible confusion in state affairs. As you know, there¡¯s no cure for lung disease, so...we¡¯ve been using drugs to keep him energized, but that seems to have reached the limit. Looking at how much blood he¡¯s coughed up... Your Majesty will not be able to get through today.¡±


    The nobles roared and Empress Arya sat down.


    ¡°No way...no way...¡±


    After muttering dismally, she crawled to the doctor with her knees. Arya grabbed the doctor by the cor instead of looking after Valore.


    ¡°You son of a bitch! How dare you talk like that?! Why would the king die? Why Valore! Save him right now!¡±


    Arya raised her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s no cure for lung disease. Plus, he¡¯s been suffering from overwork and stress...¡±


    The doctor shook his head with a somber face.


    His words amounted to a death sentence for Arya. Her power, which had been maintained through the strength of her son, had no power like the surface of ake that had been frozen for a while in the cold of the flower spring. She let herself go unconscious, feeling the bottom of her feet copse.


    Eventually, Valore did not wake up and his heart stopped before the moon rose that day. Less than a year after his ession, he passed at the tender age of 22.


    After his death, Carl¡¯s coronation ceremony was quickly prepared. The aristocrats in the capital had no justification for opposing Carl, whom they have persecuted for a long time, to be emperor. All celebrated him with their true hearts hidden for fear of bing his target.


    Sienna began to have nightmares again after Valore died. The nightmare was different from before, and he kept looking at her with sad eyes.


    She wanted to make some excuses, but she couldn¡¯t talk. She had no choice but to look at him, who was crying sick.


    As she was moaning with nightmares, Carl shook her up. The same was true on the eve of the emperor¡¯s coronation.


    ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna sighed and raised her upper body. Her body was drenched with sweat. She frowned with her tongue moistening her dry lips.


    ¡°Would you like a ss of water?¡±


    Sienna nodded. After drinking the water he gave her, it became easier for her to breathe.


    Carl opened the window and sat by the window. The stuffy air has gone away. Sienna asked him.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, no, today¡¯s the coronation. You should go to bed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the best time to go back to sleep.¡±


    The world reflected out the window was clearing the darkness. Soon it will be dawn.


    Carl was so calm that one could not believe that he would be crowned emperor today. There was no joy or excitement in his face. Sienna asked because it was strange.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look happy. Today you¡¯re getting the throne you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s been expected. I¡¯m just getting my seat back, so there¡¯s no reason to be particrly pleased, no reason to be excited.¡±


    That was an arrogant answer. That he¡¯s describing as not inheriting but retrieving.


    Sienna didn¡¯t hate this arrogance of Carl.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem happy to see me in the throne either.¡±


    ¡°Same as you. I knew that you would be an emperor one day. It seems like the time hase a little earlier.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only you, Emperor Carl, who suits the position better than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it through your mouth, even though what¡¯s happening is natural. If someone else said so, I would have thought they were ttering me. If you say it, it sounds sincere. Even when I feel like you¡¯re talking nonsense.¡±


    When she proimed she¡¯d be Carl¡¯s wife as well as when heavy rain came and she said there would bendslides in the Marel Mountains. He believed her words even though he thought it was nonsense. The amazing thing was that everything Sienna said became true.


    ¡°Because I mean it.¡±


    Carlughed at Sienna¡¯s words. He was impatient with her secretive attitude that seemed to have hidden something, but he already knew he couldn¡¯t get an answer even if he asked.


    ¡°You seem to have nightmares every day. Is it always the same dream?¡±


    Sienna nodded at Carl¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should say it¡¯s a nightmare. But it¡¯s true that it¡¯s the same dream every day.¡±


    ¡°What kind of dream is it?¡±


    ¡°Emperor Valore is in it.¡±


    Carl¡¯s forehead wriggled at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°He¡¯s in your dreams...¡±


    Valore was only a dead man. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t like it that Sienna¡¯s unconsciousness was upied by Valore that he appeared in her dreams every night. Carl regarded it as an emotional difort after hearing the name of his dead brother.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t say anything. He just looks at me. With a very sad face. He doesn¡¯t me me in my dreams. Just... ...has this very sad-looking face. So I want to talk to him, but I can¡¯t talk. I can¡¯t say anything and I¡¯m just facing that sad face.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl felt an ache in his chest.


    ¡°It seems like you have a guilty conscience about Valore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, guilt. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what the nightmare is about.¡±


    ¡°Why do you feel guilty when you¡¯re not responsible for his death?¡±


    Sienna smiled faintly at Carl¡¯s question.


    Valore¡¯s death progressed faster than in the past. Because she came between him and Arya and made him go against Arya... The weak mentality of Valore meant the stress speeded up the progression of the disease.


    ¡°I could have prevented that death, but I didn¡¯t. My greed killed him.¡±


    ¡°You? How could you stop his death?¡±


    Priest Roy. The one with a childlike smile must have been able to cure Valore of his illness. Just like he fixed Aunt Kelly on the brink of death.


    ¡°I know a priest who has the power of healing. He¡¯s in the capital now.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl looked surprised. Priests with the power of treatment were rare even in the Holy Empire, where numerous priests were gathered. It¡¯s surprising she knew such a person.


    Suddenly Carl remembered one individual.

 Chapter 124: Live to Sienna Pt.124

    <h4>Chapter 124: Live to Sienna Pt.124</h4>


    ¡°Are you talking about the priest named Roy?¡±


    Carl heard that the priest had performed the power of blessing at the wedding. He also knew that Sienna had been close to the priest, frequently visiting the temple of the goddess ofnd located in the capital. Even when there was a problem with the recent wheat shortage in the capital, she had delivered relief through the temple.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Even if the priest had the ability to heal, there was no way to save Valore. When he fell, he was already like a dead body. He was barely breathing.¡±


    As soon as Carl heard that the emperor had fallen, he went to Valore. It was to let those who watched Valore¡¯s death know that he was the next emperor, but he also wanted to watch his brother¡¯s end.


    Even in his words, Sienna¡¯s expression did not rx.


    ¡°You mean you could have saved him as long as he was breathing?¡±


    As she nodded, Carl was very surprised. He heard the priest was still young, but he has that kind of power. Carl felt the need to know more about him. A priest of that ability would be important information.


    ¡°If I had rmended early treatment when Emperor Valore was ill, even if it wasn¡¯t the ability to heal, he would have had a different result. I selfishly let his Majesty die because of my greed.¡±


    Sienna shed tears, unable to ovee her guilt. She wanted Arya to suffer from the loss, and that choice she made meant sacrificing someone¡¯s life. She felt terrible about herself that she felt nauseated.


    Carl came up to Sienna. His expression was calm. He grabbed Sienna¡¯s chin and looked at her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel so guilty. If you were trying to save Valore, I would have stopped you.¡±


    -I don¡¯t want the imperial throne. It¡¯s you, Sienna, that I¡¯m coveting.


    Carl still could not forget Valore¡¯s words to himself, which Carl had heard over the door.


    ¡°One time is enough to yield mine. And Valore¡¯s death was his fault for being greedy for something he couldn¡¯t handle. Not your fault. So you don¡¯t have to feel guilty for anything. It¡¯s an insult to me if you feel guilty about his death.¡±


    She couldn¡¯tpletely erase her guilt, but she nodded.


    *


    As soon as he ascended to the throne of the emperor, Carl persistently investigated corruptions rted to dys in road restoration projects that had had a significant impact on the urrence of famine in the capital. As a result, the Southern forces, the foundation of Arya and her brother, Depine Panacio, were heldrgely responsible.


    Carl demoted Duke Panacio to Count. Carl then demanded that Panacio return the money he had diverted from the project funds to the state coffers and sent him away to his hometown on condition that he could note up to the capital for five years.


    Dozens of deaths urred in the capital alone, and Southern trading houses leading the wheat trade as well as many of its associates suffered financial losses. Many aristocrats agreed that Carl was not as belligerent as they thought he was, and rather he was a benevolent monarch.


    Now that Carl has ascended to the throne of the emperor, it was a natural step for Sienna to be the empress.


    It wasmon for the empress to hold banquets and get their seats confirmed, but Sienna refused to meet outsiders, turning down the guests who visited her. Sienna thought it was a seat Bluebell deserved.


    She gave a deep sigh. The time to leave Carl came fast.


    Even though she knew she was in the seat only temporarily, she was too absorbed in the position. It was because this Carl was so different from the old one.


    He did odd things and even joked at her like an adolescent boy. There were times when the room was filled with sellum and took Sienna to bed excitedly.


    Sienna, who was hunting with a rejection, could not refuse any more when faced with his excited face. Because at that time, he resembled the image of a man with a passion for love.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible...¡±


    Sienna shook off the idea, struggling with the thought that suddenly came to mind.


    ¡°How can you think like that, even though one is free to think? I can¡¯t believe I am thinking that he might love me.¡±


    She was so dumbfounded that sheughed. It¡¯s ridiculous to even think that Carl would love her instead of his charming Bluebell.


    Of course, it has changed a lot from the past. Meeting him, her attitude towards him, but...


    She shook her head. She was being too greedy.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re now the empress. Why do you look so depressed?¡±


    A bright light came into the room after Hain drew back the curtain that was covering the window.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go outside and get some sun instead of just staying in your room in a gloomy mood? And now you should meet people whoe. Every time, the knights were in trouble. There are some nobles who are angry because the Empress refuses to meet them every time.¡±


    More and more people were visiting Sienna these days. Somehow they were trying to line up. She refused to meet thoroughly. She sent back all the gifts they sent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to the knights, but I can¡¯t help it. Even if I meet them, they¡¯ll only ask me a favor with the bribes they disguise as gifts. Anyways, have you heard from Her Majesty the Empress, or, I mean, Her Majesty the Queen Marie?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s question, Hain shook her head with a sad face.


    ¡°She sent a message that she doesn¡¯t want to meet anyone yet.¡±


    At the words, Sienna put on a sullen look. Marie had been avoiding meeting anyone since Valore¡¯s funeral. Siena wanted to meet her and offer her words of constion, but Marie even avoided meeting Sienna.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we have a visitor.¡±


    Said the knight Milton, who was guarding the door. It was a surprise because up until now, Milton had taken care of those who hade to visit.


    ¡°The priest of the Temple of the Earth, Roy, has asked to see you.¡±


    Sienna was d and ordered him in.


    ¡°Priest Roy!¡±


    She ran and hugged him as soon as he entered. She was d to see him after a long time.


    ¡°Your Majesty Si...Sienna!¡±


    Roy blushed and was embarrassed, but did not deviate from her embrace. His arms were very warm. Roy had a pleasant smell of fresh grass and warm earth.


    Sienna was constantly suspicious of her choice and was anxious. She was afraid that she would make the same choice as she did in the past, and that the wrong choice would put Carl, herself, and Bluebell¡¯s life in the mud again.


    In the imperial pce, she was living in an unknowingly nervous state. But when she saw Roy, it seemed to her that she was not the empress living to avenge Arya, but the real Sienna, who was purely happy to be with the children.


    Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn¡¯t know the exact reason for the tears. She just wanted to get rid of the overwhelming emotions in Roy¡¯s arms.


    Sienna¡¯s tears seeped into Roy¡¯s clothes. He swept her back gently.


    ¡°You must have had a hard time.¡±


    She tried to stop crying but Roy¡¯s voice made her cry even more loudly. His words, which were not much, felt a great deal of constion. If he hadn¡¯t removed her, she would have been clinging in his arms forever.


    Sienna wiped her face messed-up with tears and smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°I must look awful.¡±


    ¡°No, please. Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, Roy, so I was d to see you. So why didn¡¯t youe to visit often?¡±


    Roy smiled at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°If I had known you would be so happy, I would have visited you more often. I was hoping to see you, but I put up with it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s not easy to get to the pce in person. What brings you here? You¡¯re not here to see me.¡±


    ¡°In fact, I¡¯m here today to congratte the Emperor on his ession as the delegate of the Holy Empire. While I was in the pce, I wanted to meetdy Sienna and see if she had been doing well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing very well. It¡¯s sad that I can¡¯t see cute little boys and you every day. How are the children doing?¡±


    Roy told Sienna about the temple children.


    ¡°Of course. Robin got a job at Kelly¡¯s store. He doesn¡¯t make much money, but he¡¯s donating part of his sry every time, asking them to be spent for the children.¡±


    ¡°Good for him!¡±


    ¡°And recently, we¡¯ve been running a free lunch center for children. We can¡¯t give them good food, but we¡¯re providing meals to children who skip meals because they¡¯re poor or those that couldn¡¯t be epted to stay at the temple because our dorm is full.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Aren¡¯t you short of operating funds?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t give them good food¡ªwe give them watery soup. But we¡¯re running it steadily because more and more believers are willing to help us in the midst of difficulties. All thanks to you, mydy. Thanks to your donation to our temple during the famine, the congregation has also increased. Everyone is trying to help others when they are in need. Your Holiness also said thank you to Sienna.¡±


    In recent years, the number of believers who believe in the goddess of the earth has increased rapidly within Leipsden Empire. During the famine, wheat was lent free of charge and many people became aware of the temple.


    People didn¡¯t forget to thank the temple even though there was no mention of religion when it lent them wheat.


    ¡°Thank you. I should rather thank you.¡±


    Sienna felt embarrassed. She became a believer and entered the Holy Empire and was able to use it as a means of keeping Arya in check. And even though she did not actually do anything, she was admired by many people in the capital. After all, it was her who received the help.

 Chapter 125: Live to Sienna Pt.125

    <h4>Chapter 125: Live to Sienna Pt.125</h4>


    Arya bit her nails.


    ¡°I should have processed it faster...¡±


    Arya was filled with anger because rather than grieving over Valore¡¯s death, she felt having to lose the power along with Valore¡¯s death was too upsetting. If there had been a child between Valore and Marie, she wouldn¡¯t have lost everything so hopelessly.


    She was pushed by Carl¡¯s waves to the edge of the dirty river. It was so hard to hold back the desire to spit on Carl, who had been pretending to be generous by not killing Arya¡¯s brother, Depine.


    Arya wouldn¡¯t have blinked an eye even if Carl had cut Depine¡¯s head off and thrown it in front of her. Rather, she might have been pleased with his death. She would haveughed at the stupid Depine and spat at him.


    It was only because Depine was worth using that Aria had him by her side. There was no affection for things like blood ties. Since there was no affection between herself and her son Valore, so affection between siblings was a ridiculous idea for her.


    She was disgusted at Depine because of the past. She just endured coveting the sweetness of power.


    ¡®Dirty bastard who can¡¯t even eat from the table prepared for him.¡¯


    She abandoned her lingering attachment to the Panacio family that had already fallen to the ground. She had to find something else to rece.


    Arya read the letter in her hand carefully and got up. Then she brought a letter near the candle. It was not until she watched it burn to the tip of the paper that she sighed deeply.


    It was a letter from Depine. It contained a request for her to convince the new emperor to restore his title and allow him to enter the capital. No, those were not requests, but sentences close to themand line.


    ¡°Such an ill-mannered man...¡±


    How dare he do this to herself under the pretext of their family. It doesn¡¯t matter whether the family was ruined or not. Honestly, she hoped it would be ruined. It was now a useless family that has be an Earl.


    ¡°No, wait. He¡¯s still useful.¡±


    Even if he was kicked out of the capital, his property was not confiscated. Still, the Panacio family owned a noble status and a considerable amount ofnd. It suffered damagest year and this year, but with that amount ofnd, it would recover its losses within a few years.


    Arya sat down and picked up her pen.


    ¡®The letter, which began with ¡®Dear my brother...¡¯ asked him to send a huge amount of aid to help hime up. The point was to spend money here and there to re-establish their position.


    She didn¡¯t really intend to use the money for Depine¡¯s chance of survival. It needed more than that. It was necessary to use such a thing that would enable her to hold the sword of power again.


    CREAK...


    Arya scratched the table with her fingernails. An unpleasant shrill sound rang out. It was a habit that came out when things didn¡¯t work out or she was forcing herself to remember something.


    -You¡¯re shameless. You don¡¯t love him, and you¡¯re going to take Carl away from me? You disgust me.


    Who was it that said that?


    Arya thought hard. Obviously, the person who said that has a n. How did one get out of this swamp and go ashore?


    Bluebell Ferrer.


    The eldest daughter of the Ferrer family. She was once Carl¡¯s fianc¨¦e. A poor girl who lost her ce as Arya took Sienna Waters to the current position to keep the Ferrer family in check.


    With her head extremely clear, she smiled tedly.


    ¡°Right now, call the daughter of Ferrer to the Imperial Pce.¡±


    The knight nodded at her sudden order.


    Back in the Oval Office, Carl frowned and nervously handed over the documents.


    It was right after he heard from his servant how joyfully Sienna weed Roy. Moreover, the servant even told useless stories, which said that Sienna held him and even shed tears. The servant said they looked very sorrowful as if they were seeing former lovers.


    Pavenik said to him, frowning.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. It¡¯s a foolish word from a foolish man. Pretend you didn¡¯t hear.¡±


    Carl knew. But it still bothered him.


    Moreover, it was like torture for him to sit still in the office while the two that looked like lovers were still at the pce of Sienna.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Carl was unable to concentrate and flipped over the unread documents. Pavenik sighed.


    None of the documents now in the hands of the Lord were unimportant. In addition to the severe famine in the capital this year, the regime has not entered a stable phase. The emperor changed twice in a short period of time and the war against Castro had not yet beenpleted.


    In Pavenik¡¯s eyes, he could see the title of the document which had just been passed unread in Carl¡¯s hand.


    /CASTRO-LEIPSDEN WAR COMPENSATION CONSULTATION PLAN/


    Eventually, he sighed deeply and called out to his Lord.


    ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t you go to the Empress early today?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I haven¡¯t even finished my work yet.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had a lot of fatigue from all the work you¡¯ve done. No matter how good your physical condition is, you can¡¯t afford to suffer from umted fatigue. And I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t had a proper conversation with the Empress recently, so go home early.¡±


    Carl said he was fine and skimmed through the papers again. Pavenik said, looking at the documents that he was still meaninglessly going over.


    ¡°Of course, the affection between your Majesty and Empress are well-known to every corner of the imperial family. Just from the fact that your Majesty is constantly visiting her bedroom. However, how can a wife be fond of her husband, who barelyes in at dawn and goes out early in the morning looking tired? So why don¡¯t you go home early today and act kindly to the Empress?....¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡±


    While frowning, Carl withdrew from the meaningless documents.


    ¡°Are you going to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry. I¡¯m going to have a meal. I¡¯ll ask them to bring you the meal too.¡±


    Pavenik smiled at his words. If he didn¡¯t have an appointment with his lieutenants, they were stuck there and ate light. Hearing that he was going back and eating a meal, it would mean Carl would do as advised.


    Pavenik had to soothe his hunger with a simple meal today, but he thought it was better than watching Carl being nervous next to him.


    ¡°Bread makes me sleepy after eating, so please prepare chopped meat and fruit. I¡¯d also love to have strong ck tea.¡±


    Pavenik asked for his meal menu. Carl nodded effortlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them that.¡±


    Pavenik looked enviously at Carl as he left the door.


    ¡°Ha, I envy you. Your Majesty is with his beloved while I have to feed myself surrounded by these scraps of paper.¡±


    His face was not dark even as heined.


    Pavenik was responsible for the impoverished family after his father was framed and his family was in danger. Therefore, he became a knight, which did not even fit his aptitude, and threw himself into the war. It was a choice to maintain the status of nobility.


    But Carl took notice of him and that¡¯s how he ended up here.


    Now that he¡¯s been given the opportunity, not being able to sleep or eat was not a big problem for him. He was so grateful now that he could have hope and dream about the future. He thanked Carl who gave him this opportunity.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Carl stood in front of Sienna¡¯s pce with a stiff look on his face.


    ¡°Shall I inform the inside that Your Majesty is here?¡±


    Milton asked Carl. Carl raised his hand to hold him back and listened to the sounding from inside.


    At times like this, Carl felt less pleased with his talent in hearing. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to listen. Sienna¡¯s bright voice came in.


    ¡°Did Kevin really do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. He¡¯s pretty grown up now. It was so amazing to see them teach their children with solemn faces.¡±


    ¡°I miss them so much.¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t know the story. It bothered me to listen to Sienna, who spoke in a more heightened voice than usual.


    ¡°Children miss you a lot, too.¡±


    ¡°Really? I must go and see the children.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Roy nodded helplessly.


    ¡°What is it, Mr. Roy? Your gloomy face.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just...I cane to see you like this, but there are kids who wanted to see you too. It¡¯s because I feel sorry for the children. I¡¯m the only one who cane here to see you.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯reing to see us? Isn¡¯t it hard for the imperial family to get out of the castle?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but we¡¯ll be able to meet one day.¡±


    Carl noticed what she was talking about and his face hardened.


    ¡®Five years. That was the deadline I promised her.¡¯


    -Please divorce me. If I change my mind and forget about this promise, please remind me at that time, Your Highness. Push me out. Tell me again that you want a divorce.


    When Carl first heard the story, he took Sienna¡¯s words as a joke, perhaps because he was dumbfounded. But now he could feel the weight of what she said.


    ¡®How did I answer back then?¡¯


    -Surely, I will. As you wish. I promise you my name, so I¡¯ll keep it.


    Thinking of what he said with conviction, Carl lowered his head.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor is entering.¡±


    He entered the living room with a stiff look on his face.


    ¡®The empress¡¯s sorrowful weeping in the arms of her priest seemed as if she met her long-lost lover.¡¯


    The idle talk of the servants was on Carl¡¯s mind for no reason. He didn¡¯t think it was necessary to attach meaning to it, but seeing the two of them together, he could see why the servant said so.


    Sienna and Roy looked very good together. The expression that ¡®they belong to the same ss¡¯ seemed proper.


    It wasn¡¯t because they looked alike. Sienna and Roy had a simr atmosphere. Like people who have been together for a long time.


    ¡°You¡¯re early today.¡±


    ¡°Your majesty. I¡¯m d to see you again.¡±


    Even now, they looked at Carl and smiled the same way. Carl felt like his heart was on fire. But he couldn¡¯t get angry without a reason.


    The priest in front of him was from Leipsden, but he was a representative of the Holy Empire. No, before that, he didn¡¯t want to show an ugly side of himself in front of Sienna.


    Carl hoped that he would not sound conflicted as he spoke. That he would not speak like a man who gets angry at his wife just because she¡¯s with another man.

 Chapter 126: Live to Sienna Pt.126

    <h4>Chapter 126: Live to Sienna Pt.126</h4>


    ¡°I thought you were back, but I didn¡¯t know you were with my wife.¡±


    When Carl spoke with a stiff look on his face, a smile faded away from Roy and Sienna¡¯s faces. Carl tried to speak as naturally as possible, but his tone contained ufortable feelings.


    ¡°Roy, I know you¡¯ve been acquainted with my wife Sienna for a long time. Can I hear how you two got close? I¡¯m just curious. The empress, who had no acquaintance in the capital, and you, the priest of the Holy Empire, somehow came to know. As far as I know, the empress did not believe in the goddess of the earth until she came to the capital.¡±


    Roy smiled at Carl¡¯s words and said, ¡°Of course. It was probably the first time Sienna came to the capital. We haven¡¯t known each other for a long time, but...¡±


    As Roy¡¯s story seemed to be getting longer, Carl suggested, ¡°If you have time, why don¡¯t we have a meal and talk?¡±


    Roy nced at Sienna. Sienna nodded as she watched the men¡¯s conversation with a stiff look. Roy, who took it as a sign of permission, replied that he would share the meal with Carl.


    ¡°What a coincidence!¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. If Sienna hadn¡¯t shown up then, I would have been in the arms of the goddess, not here now. Ah! Please forgive me for calling the name of the Empress. Since I serve the goddess of the earth...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I know priests don¡¯t call believer¡¯s family names, they call them by individual names. The Empress is also a believer in the goddess of the earth.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±


    Carl was interested in the story of Sienna and Roy¡¯s first meeting. About the connection that began with Sienna saving Roy from a jumping horse.


    Sienna looked at Carl with a stiff look on her face. Carl listened intently to Roy and interacted, but she could tell that Carl was now trying to hide his difort.


    Although he had such a small change of expression, Sienna could read Carl¡¯s subtle expression. It was something she came to know because she had cared about every little thing rted to him for a long time in the past.


    That expression with eyes wide open like now. He seemed to be listening to the story well, but that was the look of pretending to be listening interestingly. When he listened to a story with that look on his face, he had tens of thousands of thoughts in his head.


    In the past, he used to have that look on his face when he listened to Sienna before their rtionship becamepletely messed up. She felt bad because she remembered the foolish past when she thought it was fun telling him her story and talked about everything, even the stupid ones.


    Sienna felt sick and put down her fork and knife and wiped her mouth with a napkin.


    ¡°Lady Sienna, do you feel sick? Come to think of it, you didn¡¯t really like ricain, did you? Would you like this instead?¡±


    Roy held out to her a te of ricain-free food, a type of spice that smells simr to curry. Carl¡¯s forehead was wrinkled. At this time, he could not hide his feelings, so he showed his face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like ricain?¡±


    ¡°Because it has a strong scent.¡±


    Sienna did not realize that she didn¡¯t like ricain. Thinking back, whenever she ate a dish with a mix of ricain, she frowned one eye or pushed the food to one side naturally. It was amazing that Roy recognized it.


    Sienna thanked Roy for his consideration and at the same time, didn¡¯t like seeing how Carl frowned. She thought that the reason why he felt ufortable was because he handed over a te containing Roy¡¯s food.


    Roy, of course, was not bound by thews of the imperial family and the nobility. His behavior came naturally because he changed tes when he ate at the temple or ate from several dishes using one tableware.


    Carl grew up in the imperial family, so he might not understand. But he looked so dissatisfied. Sienna, who thought Carl was looking down on Roy, nced down at Carl and said to Roy.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it because I just don¡¯t have much appetite today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t feel well? If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll give you a blessing...¡±


    He looked at Carl and said, ¡°Haha, it¡¯s never like the power of treatment. It¡¯s literally a blessing, so it¡¯s not really better to be sick, but it¡¯s something that can temporarily make you feel better... I never have the power of treatment.¡±


    Roy was frightened and was trying to talk out of his way. His power was an important secret to conceal. But Sienna and Carl, already aware of his abilities, didn¡¯t care much.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s because I¡¯m just tired. I¡¯ll feel better if I rest.¡±


    Roy looked sad when she refused.


    ¡°I also have the blessing to relieve fatigue...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°You must need more rest than a blessing. I think you¡¯re getting tired because you moved to the pce and changed people as you became the empress. I think we should stop eating here.¡±


    Roy said, startled by Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve taken away the Emperor¡¯s and Lady Sienna¡¯s time. Now that I¡¯ve finished eating, I have to go back.¡±


    ¡°No, you can stay longer...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again next time. Your Holiness is very interested in Lady Sienna. Oh! He¡¯s interested in the Emperor, too. So I think I¡¯ll be back on another errand soon. I¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    Roy once again asked Siena, before he left, if she would ept a blessing prayer.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take it? I¡¯d like to see the priest¡¯s blessing up close, too. Would you please offer Sienna a blessing to wash away the fatigue?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Roy exined, swinging his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as fancy as your Majesty thinks it would be. You¡¯ll wonder what it is after you see it! There¡¯s no shiny powders or lights. But if you don¡¯t mind...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. The priest¡¯s blessing is not a clown¡¯s y, so it doesn¡¯t matter what it looks like.¡±


    ¡°Then could you give me your hand here, Lady Sienna?¡±


    Roy stood facing Sienna, holding her hand, closed her eyes, muttered a prayer, and opened his eyes. Then he kissed her forehead.


    At the same time that Sienna opened her eyes in amazement, Carl reached out and pulled her toward him. Sienna fell in the arms of Carl who had a puzzled look. Both Sienna¡¯s hands were still held by Roy.


    It is true that blessings were better invoked when physically touching the blessed person, but the kiss on the forehead was not an essential element of blessing. Roy identally acted as he had usually done when treating children, but it was not the right thing to do to a wife in front of her husband. Embarrassed by his actions, Roy asked Carl.


    ¡°Shall I pray to the Emperor for his blessing?¡±


    ¡°That would be fine. You¡¯re tired from heavy work these days, too.¡±


    Sienna thought Roy kissing her forehead was a necessary part of blessing. Because She¡¯s always seen what he does to his children. So she encouraged Carl to actively be blessed by Roy, so she could see the embarrassed look on Carl when he received a kiss on his forehead.


    Carl refused with a stiff look.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯d like to experience the benefits of the blessing in person, but I¡¯m not happy to be kissed by a man.¡±


    ¡°Ah... ...that¡¯s...that¡¯s true.¡±


    The bewildered look of Roy was showing that his kiss on Sienna¡¯s forehead had nothing to do with the prayer of blessing. Carl felt worse.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    Roy left the living room in a hurry.


    After he left, a chill of air flowed between Carl and Sienna. Sienna said to Carl in a prickly voice.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to, you should not have invited him for a meal.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Carl asked back as if he was dumbfounded.


    ¡°I am saying, you didn¡¯t have to face Roy with such an ufortable face.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    The moment Sienna turned around and was about to leave the seat, Carl grabbed her arm.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m understanding what it means to go speechless when one is too dumbfounded. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s angry with whom right now.¡±


    Turning around and looking up at Carl, she still looked full of discontent.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much consideration I¡¯ve given you today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for not directly reprimanding Mr. Roy for his manners.¡±


    She sounded totally ungrateful.


    ¡°No. I never cared about the priest¡¯s manners. I wouldn¡¯t care if he had eaten on his hands. I wasn¡¯t happy but I wasn¡¯t angry when my servant told me that you and priest Roy were crying, hugging like old lovers.¡±


    Sienna looked surprised at his words. She didn¡¯t know the words spread so fast.


    As she always said to Hain, there were many ears and eyes in the castle. Even though it was misleading enough, Sienna didn¡¯t think it would be a problem.


    ¡°Iughed and listened to him throughout the meal even when he told me your story that I didn¡¯t even know. Even when he handed you a te of his own food, I held it in. Even though it was definitely an act to take issue with.¡±


    Sienna shut her mouth. Though she was offended by Carl¡¯s disapproving look, he endured much anger today, as he said.


    ¡°Even when the stupid priest kissed your forehead under the pretext of a blessing prayer, I said nothing. It¡¯s not because I¡¯m madly stupid and believe that his kiss is really necessary for prayer, nor because of my rtionship with the f*cking Holy Empire.¡±


    Carl turned around, leaving Sienna¡¯s arm from his grip. He didn¡¯t want to look angry at her. He spoke in a self-help voice.


    ¡°If I raise a question to the priest, this will be official. Then your behavior could also be criticized so I pretended I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Carl managed to swallow the words, ¡®I wanted to cut his throat off on the spot.¡¯


    Even if he had cut Roy¡¯s throat, the Holy Empire wouldn¡¯t have raised the issue easily. ¡®How dare you kiss the queen¡¯s forehead in front of the emperor?¡¯


    Even if Roy was a priest with the power of treatment, this was an indescribable problem. Moreover, Carl would not be a problem at all because he did not officially know that Roy was born with the power of treatment. On the face, Roy just came as an envoy and Carl punished a priest who mocked the empress of the Leipsden Empire.


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna lowered her head.


    Although she was pleased to meet Roy after a long time, she was the one in the position of the empress. It was Sienna, not Carl, who crossed the line today.


    Carl said before she brought up her apologies.


    ¡°I have a lot of work to do, so I¡¯m not sure if I can stop by here tonight. Don¡¯t wait and go to bed first.¡±


    Carl said so and then turned back without hesitation and went out the door. Looking at his drooping shoulders, Sienna lowered her head again in an apologetic mood.

 Chapter 127: Live to Sienna Pt.127

    <h4>Chapter 127: Live to Sienna Pt.127</h4>


    ¡°Why did you call me?¡±


    Bluebell asked Arya in a shrill voice because there was no significant contact between Arya and herself.


    It would have been understandable if she had called his father, Count Kenyon Ferrer, rather than herself. Although they were static with each other, it was possible for the heads of each camp to meet for political discussions.


    The reason for calling her was unknown, so Bluebell visited Arya with great caution. Arya weed her so kindly that she was more puzzled.


    Said Arya, dripping tea to Bluebell, who remained vignt.


    ¡°Salmon¡¯s new Ochid tea came in. Do you like it?¡±


    Bluebell nodded. Ochid tea was a refreshing fruit-scented tea, but it was difficult to get it, so it was worth the same weight as gold. Bluebell had only a couple of bites from his father. It was such a precious tea.


    ¡°I prepared this especially because the sweet and refreshing scent suits you, my youngdy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ttered.¡±


    ¡°Even though you haven¡¯t made your debut at the Coming-of-Age banquet yet, the beauty of the daughter of Ferrer is well-known to the royal family here. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re good at dancing.¡±


    Bluebell only rolled her blue eyes at the continuous praise. Arya was still not telling her why she called.


    ¡°At the banquet two years ago, those who saw the dance of the Emperor and Empress Sienna praised the two of them for their great dance, but they must have been making such a fuss because they haven¡¯t seen the dance of the young Ferrer.¡±


    When Sienna¡¯s name was mentioned, Bluebell¡¯s face was distorted. Arya, who saw the change in her expression, smiled with remorse.


    ¡°I heard that Mrs. Beyone is a dance teacher for you. She doesn¡¯t talk nonsense. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how good you are at dancing. I haven¡¯t seen it yet, but I¡¯m sure it would be like the hierophany of Ertherpe, the goddess of music. That¡¯s why I¡¯m looking forward to theing-of-age ceremony.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s face was reddened by injustice. Carl, who was about to marry her as soon as theing-of-age ceremony was over, was now the husband of another woman. She couldn¡¯t bear her anger and bit her lower lip.


    At the sight, Arya pretended to be surprised as if she knew nothing.


    ¡°So did you decide on a partner for theing-of-age ceremony? Of course, you can participate without a partner, but...¡±


    Some people participated without partners. However, if you have a fianc¨¦, you will unconditionally participate in the event together unless the partner was not old enough to hold an adult ceremony.


    Having a partner at theing-of-age banquet as contrast to not having one werepletely different in terms of status. In the case of high-ranking aristocrats, it was extremely rare for them to be alone, as most of them had early marriages depending on the families¡¯ interests.


    Bluebell had long been known as Carl¡¯s fianc¨¦e. It was clear that everyone would chat if she were to attend theing-of-age ceremony alone. They would say that she¡¯s a poor woman who¡¯s been dreaming of bing an empress for a long time but was abandoned by Carl.


    Bluebell opened her eyes and red at Arya. She had been the one prepared to stand next to Carl¡ªshe knew the reason why she and Carl¡¯s engagement were broken up. Even the fact that the main culprit was Arya standing in front of her.


    ¡°If the Emperor Rodbius had not been ill at that time...¡±


    Of course, the ostensible reason was that Carl was not qualified to seed. Only married people could seed to the throne.


    ¡°I really hoped that the true love of the Emperor and young miss Ferrer woulde true. It was heartbreaking to have to separate the love of young lovers, but it was an inevitable choice for the Emperor.¡±


    Bluebell shook her head. It was already irrevocable. If only she had been born two years, or even a year earlier, she would not have given up so easily the seat next to Carl.


    ¡°I hope you understand that, too, daughter of Ferrer.¡±


    ¡°I...understand.¡±


    What am I supposed to understand? Bluebell pushed herself to answer but still looked full of discontent. Arya looked at such a face and asked with a smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is offensive, but do you still love the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still in love with the man who¡¯s with someone else. I¡¯ll probably live missing him for the rest of my life.¡±


    Tears dropped from Bluebell¡¯s eyes. It was hard to imagine her future without Carl.


    Arya handed over her handkerchief with a look of regret.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a sad story.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable now. But I don¡¯t want to be married to anyone other than him. Unlike someone, I can¡¯t get married without love.¡±


    Bluebell said, thinking of Sienna.


    Of course, Bluebell knew. She was also an aristocrat¡¯s mistress¡ªthough she hinted at a ridiculous response to a loveless marriage, she knew that most aristocratic women married and lived ording to family interests.


    But at least she had a chance to be connected with her loved one. The chance to marry Carl, whom she loves.


    She remembered exactly when she first met Carl. It was the year when she was ten years old. She met him at the pce where she came in holding her father¡¯s hand.


    She stood dazed with her mouth open at the sight of a boy with colorful hair reminiscent of a golden wheat field full of the sun¡¯s light and a fresh, coveted olive-colored pupil.


    She had learned imperial etiquette for a long time, but she could not think of anything because her head was full of white light. She couldn¡¯t help admiring the straight nose nor the covetous red lips, or the delicate eyes.


    ¡®He¡¯s going to be my husband?¡¯


    All she could think of was, ¡®I¡¯m going to show your fianc¨¦,¡¯ which her father said before he brought her to the imperial family.


    ¨C Will you be my master?


    The first thing she ever said to him¡ªhow did he respond then? Bluebell had no recollection at all. Intoxicated by his beauty, she didn¡¯t feel or think of anything.


    Now he was stronger and more dazzling than he was when they first met, and he has taken the throne. But she couldn¡¯t be his woman.


    ¡°If I had to marry someone other than him, I would die.¡±


    At Bluebell¡¯s expression of firm will, Arya nodded with a satisfied look.


    ¡°I can truly feel the love of young Ferrer for the Emperor.¡±


    Bluebell lowered her head with a wistful look. Because Arya¡¯s words felt like she was teasing her.


    ¡°What if you get the chance to be hispanion again?¡±


    Bluebell had to dwell on what she had just heard. Because the words of Empress Arya were so absurd.


    ¡°If I could give young Ferrer a chance.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±


    Arya shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯m just an old woman in the back room now, but I have that much power.¡±


    Bluebell wasn¡¯t sure if the opportunity she was giving was what she thought.


    ¡®Are you really giving me the chance to be the empress? But how can I be the empress when empress Sienna lives next to Carl?¡¯


    Arya raised her chin and smiled at Bluebell¡¯s response that she couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°The Leipsden Empire holds marriage very sacred. That¡¯s why marriage is not easy to break.¡±


    ¡°I know that. Marriage is something you can¡¯t destroy unless your spouse dies. Don¡¯t tell me...¡±


    Asked Bluebell through her eyes.


    ¡®Are you saying you¡¯re going to kill Queen Sienna and hand it over to me?¡¯


    No matter how envious she was of the position, she didn¡¯t want to go up to the ce stained with blood.


    Said Arya, waving her hands.


    ¡°I can guess what you¡¯re thinking, but that¡¯s not it. Why would I suggest to my youngdy something bloodstained?¡±


    ¡°If not...¡±


    ¡°There is another reason to break the marriage in Leipsden.¡±


    Bluebell waited for Arya¡¯s next words, swallowing her dry saliva.


    ¡°If it is judged that it is difficult to produce sessors. His Majesty has no heir at the moment. So you could make an issue out of that with the empress.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been over a year and a half since they got married, and there¡¯s no sign of conceiving yet. Of course, they¡¯re still young and it could be a short time to have a sessor. But as an adult in the imperial family, I can argue for their divorce after talking about the issue of heirs. Even if they don¡¯t get divorced, I can still help you get to be at least a mistress.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s throat moved loudly. Arya¡¯s suggestion was a stream of water handed to her during her thirst. The whisper of Empress Arya seemed like a devil¡¯s suggestion, but she could not readily refuse.


    As she said, Bluebell could get Carl back again. It¡¯s an opportunity to be with him for the rest of her life.


    ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡±


    No matter how naive she was, she knew there was no free gift in the world. What¡¯s more, Arya was still a political power that could not be ignored even if her father¡¯s silence led to Carl bing emperor and her brother¡¯s demotion. There could not have been any strings attached to Arya¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡±


    Bluebell looked at Arya with distrustful eyes. Goodness was something you would never believe.


    ¡°I understand that there has been no close rtionship between the Ferrer family and the Panacio family. But it doesn¡¯t mean it will stay that way. In fact, the Panacio family and the Ferrer family are living close to each other, and if you look at the rtionship between the ancestors in the past, they¡¯re not strangers at all. My aunt is from the Ferrer family, and my aunt was married to Ferrer, and she gave birth to Granion Ferrer.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s face brightened up when the name she knew came out.


    ¡°I just want you to think in my good faith that I want to restore the rtionship of the past. That¡¯s why I called the young Ferrer, not the Count of Ferrer. If I had met Count Kenyon, the head of the Ferrer family, it would have just be a political story.¡±

 Chapter 128: Live to Sienna Pt.128

    <h4>Chapter 128: Live to Sienna Pt.128</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Arya said, looking at Bluebell that still remained distrustful.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying my best because I feel sorry that the Emperor and Lady Ferrer have not been able to bear the fruit of love due to the circumstances around you. It¡¯s not for political reasons¡ª it¡¯s just to support true love.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s face, which had been coldly hardened, bloomed like a bright red flower by Arya¡¯s words. She was shy, covering her red cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed that you said that. But thank you. Goodwill should be answered with good faith. I have to go back and discuss it with my father first, but I want to do as the Empress says. Even if my father says no, I¡¯d love to marry Carl. So please take good care of me.¡±


    Bluebell held Arya¡¯s hand tightly and said with a mournful look. Arya felt like a goddess who could save her and Carl¡¯s rtionship.


    She kept bowing her head to thank her until she went back. Arya smiled at the urgent-looking back of Bluebell.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure as soon as she gets back, she¡¯ll find her father and tell him this.¡¯


    Arya gave up her pretentious smile and returned to a cold face.


    ¡°What a foolish girl. She became too rxed when she heard that there¡¯s a Ferrer man in the Panacio family.¡±


    No matter how bad the rtionship was, a political marriage was bound to happen. In fact, such families were more likely to end up with arranged marriages. It was partly due to the small number of high-ranking aristocratic families and to them, the marriage was close to a political agreement.


    Arya found the stupidity of a young girl who still believed marriage was made up of love ridiculous.


    ¡°I wonder how she would have reacted if I told her that a Ferrer girl married to the Panacio family had hanged herself in a year. No, no matter what I said, she would have coveted Carl in her desire to marry him. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the Empress¡¯ seat, so one can be greedy.¡±


    Arya took a ss of wine and soaked herself in a floral bath. As she warmed up, she took a sip of dark rose-scented alcohol.


    After Valore¡¯s sudden death, she couldn¡¯t sleep without drinking. She felt empty as if she had a hole in the middle of her heart.


    Arya refused to admit that it was because she lost her son. She thought it was simply because she lost the powering through the emperor whom she could control freely. It seemed impossible to fill this hole even if she stood at the highest point in the world.


    She mumbled with a self-help smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see if you can fill the hole or not.¡±


    Arya closed her eyes and looked pathetic, perhaps because her poisonous eyes were hidden. No one saw her like that.


    *


    Sienna saw a clean bed as if it had never been touched by a man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week...¡±


    After leaving with his disappointed face after the dinner with Roy, Carl never found Sienna. Considering that he always came to sleep in the same bed with Sienna no matter how much work he had to do, Carl must be quite upset.


    ¡°Was I too much?¡±


    It was Carl who was right to be angry that day. Sienna and Carl were married, though they promised to divorceter.


    But she got angry and sided with another man in front of her husband. No matter how close she was to Roy and he was the priest of the Holy Empire, he deserved to be angry.


    ¡°But still... a week? Phew.¡±


    Sienna burst intoughter as she tried to me him for not finding her ce. Since when has it be natural for him to visit here?


    In the past, he visited this ce only a few times. He came here with a look that he had no choice but to ask and ask her again that she should produce the prince. But now she¡¯s taking it for granted.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Queen hase.¡±


    At the sound of Marie¡¯s visit, Sienna rushed out of the bedroom.


    ¡°Queen Marie!¡±


    After Valore¡¯s death, Sienna was worried because Marie had refused to meet anyone. She visited her every day and asked for a meeting, but she was repeatedly rejected. Sienna couldn¡¯t even guess how great the sadness of losing her spouse was.


    ¡°Empress Sienna.¡±


    Marie was very thin. She could see how much suffering she had been under. Sienna gave her a big hug.


    ¡°I worried a lot.¡±


    She meant it. The time she had known Marie was short, but Marie was the one who Sienna gave a lot of affection. It was all the more regrettable because she was someone who could share her mind without political interests.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to worry you. I needed some time to think on my own.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t mind me. But you are too thin. Did you eat properly?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t skip meals.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe her words that she didn¡¯t skip meals when she was holding her slender wrist.


    ¡°Have you had lunch? Maybe we could have a meal together...¡±


    ¡°No, the meal is fine. I just came here to talk to you.¡±


    Sienna was ready to hear any story. But even after tea and snacks came out, Marie didn¡¯t start talking for a while. Sienna waited for her words without hastening.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start. I¡¯m not very eloquent, so...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t feel pressured and speak slowly.¡±


    Marie drank water to see if she was thirsty before talking to Sienna.


    ¡°First of all, I think I should talk to you about my rtionship with Valore. As I told you before, Valore, I and Delhi grew up together since we were kids.¡±


    Delhi also knew Sienna. Watching the battle between Jamie and the Phoenix Knights, he soon quit being the imperial knight as if he felt his insufficiency. This happened before his father, Depine Panacio, was demoted to Earl and returned to his hometown.


    ¡°My mother raised Valore like one of her children along with my siblings because Aunt Arya was not interested in Valore. I don¡¯t remember well because I was so young, but I think I¡¯ve felt affection for him since I first saw him. Valore was a child who needed someone¡¯s touch all the time. If I say this, my brother, Delhi, would be jealous, but I think I took care of Valore with more affection.¡±


    Marie¡¯s affection for Valore was clearly evident.


    ¡°But it was brotherly love. The kid, who was having a hard time standing, held my hand, began to walk, looked at my mouth, and learned to speak. I watched the process of him growing up. It was the same for him.¡±


    Sienna nodded.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d be able to stay as a brother and sister until the end. Even after he went back to the imperial family when Valore was six years old, we didn¡¯t meet in person, but we relied on each other a lot.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s heard it before. Through Valore¡¯s mouth.


    Marie¡¯s letter was of great help when Valore was unable to adapt to the sudden change of environment and approached Carl. Valore had said that Marie was a good sister, mother, and teacher to him.


    ¡°Physically I was away from him, but I¡¯ve been watching the growth of Valore through letters. I always thought of Valore as my youngest brother, and Valore also thought of me as his eldest sister. But after mying-of-age ceremony, many things have changed. No, we haven¡¯t changed, but things around us have changed a lot.¡±


    Marie moistened her throat with a sip of tea and continued to talk.


    ¡°My aunt, Empress Arya, was greedy. But my father was also very greedy. He didn¡¯t want to lose his ce as Valore¡¯spanion, who suddenly became the prince. There weren¡¯t many women in my family who didn¡¯t get married. It was just me and a girl who didn¡¯t have theing-of-age ceremony. Of course, he could have pushed for marriage to another family, but he didn¡¯t.¡±


    Marie took a deep breath as if her heart was struggling, and continued her words.


    ¡°He thought that if someone from another family were to be a bride to Valore, it would mean a split in power. That¡¯s how I and Valore got married. Without considering our intentions at all.¡±


    Arya and Depine had forced them to sacrifice.


    None of the people Sienna met in the castle were as unselfish as Valore and Marie. How hard it must have been for them to adjust to the harsh imperial family, who are not fit for the imperial family¡¯s physiology more than anyone else.


    Sienna wanted to curse Arya and Depine, who put two poor souls in a difficult situation. But she managed to resist the urge because they were the parents of Marie and Valore. She couldn¡¯t swear at the parents in front of their children.


    ¡°I was fine for a while after the wedding. It wasn¡¯t as horrible as I thought. It was okay to think that I was living with my long-lost brother. But not long after we were forced into one bedroom, saying we needed a child. Then I realized again how terrible this situation was. We couldn¡¯t sit through anything sexual.¡±


    She swept her arms around her hands as if she was horrified and disgusted by the thought.


    Incest was a taboo. In the past, it used to be done among aristocrats or imperial families to maintain pedigree, but now it waspletely gone. Marriages between cousins have asionally been arranged for political reasons, but it was hard for these two to ept because they grew up like siblings.


    ¡°So we made a promise to each other then. That we should just be friends or like brothers and sisters. We also considered external pressure if we did not produce his descendants as the blood of the imperial family. Without children for a long time, Aunt Arya would somehow make us break up and wee in another bride. Then we would just smile at each other and celebrate the new beginning.¡±


    It was convincing. Arya would have wanted the son of Valore more than anyone else.


    ¡°Then about a year passed since I got married. When Valore came back from theing-of-age party, he suddenly told me this. That he thinks he¡¯s in love.¡±


    Sienna opened her eyes wide. Obviously she was at the party, but she didn¡¯t notice who he fell in love with.


    ¡°I was as happy as Valore. First love has begun. Growing up with a strong mother, I thought my brother would never fall in love with me, but he had a new opportunity. On the other hand, my heart ached. I thought maybe I¡¯m the reason why he couldn¡¯t approach the new person.¡±


    Marie smiled softly, thinking of Valore at the time.


    ¡°Valoreughed at times and was sad at other times. He also spent more time looking out of the window while ying the piano. There were many times when he skipped imperial or political sses and was lost in thought while looking at the piano. I was wondering who the woman was, but he said he didn¡¯t even know her name. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t attend theing-of-age party at that time. It was someone who yed the violin with Valore.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±

 Chapter 129: Live to Sienna Pt.129

    <h4>Chapter 129: Live to Sienna Pt.129</h4>


    Sienna was startled and made a noise. Marie smiled yfully at her.


    ¡°You must have been really great that day. If you see how deeply Valore had fallen into you. He said it was like a knight on a white horse. I asked if it¡¯s an expression women usually use towards men, but he said it really looked like that. You were like a knight who came to save himself from danger.¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t get out of the shocking story that Valore¡¯s first love was her.


    ¡°I wanted to get Valore and you together somehow, so I called my father to the pce and lied that I couldn¡¯t have children. It¡¯s not a good thing to do as a child, but I thought I should do it for my younger brother. Looking at my father¡¯s face, which turned grey that day, I thought I had done something terrible.¡±


    Surely the story must not have been told to Empress Arya. If it were, she would have stepped up and pushed for a divorce.


    ¡°On your wedding day, I remember how cold Valore¡¯s was...¡±


    Marie looked into Sienna¡¯s eyes and showed a benevolent smile. Sienna lowered her head and whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ovepping her hands on the back of Sienna¡¯s hand, Marie replied.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about, Empress Sienna. It¡¯s Valore¡¯s fault for starting a painful love. If you have to find someone to me, you must condemn the goddess of fate.¡±


    She said it was all right, but her voice was full of bitterness. Marie swept the back of Sienna¡¯s hand, with her mouth closed for a while.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡±


    Marie thought of Valore¡¯s hand, which had only been cold at Sienna¡¯s wedding. His hand that day was just as cold as the one after his death. While living or after dying, his hands were always cold. His hand must have wanted warmth, but there was no one to pass on warmth.


    Marie thought she should have hugged him more warmly. She should have pat him on the shoulder and say it¡¯s okay. Marie was filled with remorse.


    It¡¯s toote. Even if she realizes it now, she can¡¯t do it anymore. She can¡¯t give that warmth any longer.


    ¡°I wanted to take to my grave the fact that Valore¡¯s first love was you. Because it would only make you ufortable.¡±


    That was true. Sienna could not look at Marie¡¯s face after hearing this story. She felt so sorry to express the feeling with difort. She hurt someone whether she knew it or not.


    ¡°But I¡¯m telling you...because I feel sorry for Valore. Since he couldn¡¯t express his feelings in his life, I wanted to tell you now on his behalf. I¡¯m sure Valore is up there cursing at me for bullying you. My greed is...¡±


    She was choking and barely kept spoking.


    ¡°My greed as the older sister of Valore is that I don¡¯t want you to forget Valore. I wanted you to remember him not as the emperor¡¯s brother, but as a man who once was madly in love with you.¡±


    Looking at Marie¡¯s face wet with tears, Sienna nodded. And answered sincerely.


    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t forget.¡±


    Sienna said, wrapping Marie¡¯s hand. Marie smiled at Sienna with a tearful face.


    *


    Pavenik noticed Carl¡¯s nervousness in scouring the papers. After hearing that the priest Roy and the Empress were together, Carl, who had been to the Empress, had been in a bad mood since then.


    Carl constantly nced at the door as if waiting for her toe, but the problem was that the Empress does not visit the Oval Office.


    Every time the door sounded, he looked at it with an expectant look, and then every time he confirmed it wasn¡¯t her, he became more nervous.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go visit her yourself?¡±


    Pavenik, growing impatient, said to Carl.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just wait for the Empress, but visit her in person?¡±


    ¡°Why me?! What did I do wrong?!¡±


    Carl said nervously. Pavenik said, looking at Carl.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, but women usually have a mind that waits for a man to bow in. The more they do wrong, the more they feel sorry and can¡¯te to apologize. In this case, you have to approach first. If you say ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ like a man, she¡¯ll say, ¡®Oh, he¡¯s so generous!¡¯ and then say ¡®It¡¯s my fault.¡¯


    Pavenik said, mixing his nasal voice as if he had be aic talker, mimicking the female voice. Carlughed at the sight.


    ¡°You¡¯re not married, but you¡¯re acting like you know everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s painful of you to say! To be honest, such wisdom is not only for the married. The reason why I¡¯m so popr with women is because I know how to read women. Everything I¡¯ve learned since I was a kid, getting pped on the back by my older sisters, turns out to be worth it.¡±


    Pavenik spoke proudly. He was proud that Carl seemed to be feeling better.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go empty-handed, just pick an armful of flowers. I heard you haven¡¯t visited the Empress for a week? Please gofort her Majesty because she would feel hated by you. Do you want me to get you a drink or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Carbonic.¡±


    ¡°Carbonic? Oh! Does that really exist? I thought it was supposed to be legendary...¡±


    Pavenik was surprised. It was a name he knew. There were some legendary anecdotes about Carbonic, so many people knew its name even though no one had tasted it. For that reason, there was a story that it was a legendary drink that did not really exist.


    ¡°A few bottles of liquor left in the imperial family.¡±


    ¡°It really exists.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop by the liquor storehouse after the political meeting today. Will youe with me? I¡¯ll give you a bottle.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Pavenik thought today was his luckiest day. I can drink the carbonic that I thought existed only in legend. No, can I drink it? Shouldn¡¯t I keep the whole bottle and show off to my descendants?


    Dreaming of a day when he would boast of a bottle of liquor to his child, who had not yet been there, Pavenik followed Carl, but soon his dream was shattered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I also don¡¯t know why the empress is here.¡±


    Carl, who happily attended the political affairs meeting, frowned at the words of Empress Arya and Count Ferrer. Why are the two people who used to be like enemies raising their voices together?


    They asked Carl to bring Bluebell as the empress. Leipsden had to protect monogamy, even if he was an emperor. The request to bring Bluebell in the position of the empress was, in turn, urging Carl to divorce Sienna.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the officials are very concerned. It has been almost two years since the Emperor married the Empress. And yet you don¡¯t have an heir...¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish what you say? Do you want to tell me or my empress that there is a problem?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. That¡¯s not what this old man meant...¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous. Since when have you been in the same boat with that empress?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s sarcastic remarks, Arya squinted her eyes and said.


    ¡°He¡¯s speaking with one voice because he¡¯s worried about the state affairs. Shouldn¡¯t we never let it slip if the people in different positions are making one voice? The Emperor and Empress are said to be young, but there is no heir to your throne. It¡¯s a royal family whose sons are precious. Moreover, even though our former emperor was young, didn¡¯t he not pass away so abruptly?¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re worried that I might die suddenly like the former emperor? Ha! Funny, funny. I survived when food was poisoned and people with knives appeared at night. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    When Carl was young, it was Arya who poisoned his food and sent an assassin. Arya said with a look ofplete innocence while listening to Carl.


    ¡°Who sent an assassin or poisoned the Emperor¡¯s food? I do not doubt your health, but I hope the Emperor understands our feelings. I am the wife of King Rodbius, the mother of King Valore, and the eldest of this imperial family.¡±


    The officials raised their voices and begged for a new empress. No one stood by Sienna for this asion.


    -This is why I told her to take the gifts those stupid people bring. It¡¯s no use living clean in front of them. They only think that another is on their side when they give gold and money to the person in the royal family. That¡¯s the only way to rx. I told her to take it even if we were to stab them in the backter.


    When he thought of Sienna, who spoke as if she knew everything but was clumsily in this respect, Carl was speechless.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know your concerns. But on second thought, although I and the Empress have been married for nearly two years, most of the time I¡¯ve been away from the pce fighting the Castro war. We¡¯ve been together for only a few months. So isn¡¯t it nonsense to ask for divorce under the pretext of having no children already?¡±


    Said Carl, ring at his officials.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to divorce.¡±


    Arya, who felt that Carl was trying to oppose the divorce from Sienna to the end, quickly changed her words.


    ¡°In our country, if the heirs of the imperial family be precious, there is a precedent in which the ancestors took in several wives. Moreover, you married Empress Sienna, who had theing-of-age ceremony, instead of your original fianc¨¦e, the daughter of Ferrer, because Emperor Rodbius suddenly became ill. Originally, the person who was going to take the position of the empress was Lady Ferrer. So there¡¯s nothing wrong with bringing her in as the second empress. I¡¯m sure the empress will understand.¡±


    ¡°Take in Bluebell as the second empress. It¡¯s not a good story for both Bluebell and the empress. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear this story.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Arya smiled triumphantly and said, ¡°No.¡±

 Chapter 130: Live to Sienna Pt.130

    <h4>Chapter 130: Live to Sienna Pt.130</h4>


    ¡°I think it¡¯s you that¡¯s not quite understanding. Before I spoke to your Majesty, I asked Lady Ferrer, who weed this idea. She said she still loved the emperor, and she was disappointed that her engagement was broken, and she even thought about living alone for the rest of her life. Knowing that she was invited to be a second empress, she agreed with a smile. And the Empress will surely agree.¡±


    Carl looked incredulous.


    ¡°Lady Ferrer met the Empress before. Lady Ferrer asked if the empress could allow her to attend the ceremony with the Emperor.¡±


    Arya bent her knees as if she were the mother of Bluebell and asked Carl for forgiveness.


    ¡°I apologize for that on behalf of her. I know it¡¯s not polite, but she did so blinded by love. I ask your majesty to be generous. Fortunately, the empress seemed to have epted it with broad generosity. Lady Ferrer said the empress granted the ridiculous request so easily.¡±


    CRACK! Carl¡¯s fingers dug into the handle of the chair. Surprised by the noise, the officials shrugged.


    They saw Carl¡¯s skill in the Knights of the Order. Seeing his monstrous power as an intermediate expert level, they couldn¡¯t help but be afraid.


    But Arya was not at all frightened by the scene. She still spoke with her smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the empress will be happy to hear about it. Because she thinks of the imperial family all the time.¡±


    ¡°Even if the Empress has given me permission, my thoughts will not change! I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Carl leaped up and escaped from the meeting room. He yelled at his officials, but in fact, he knew. The fact that Bluebell will soon be the second queen as they wanted it to be.


    Although he sat on the throne, he did not regain all the emperor¡¯s power.


    In the meantime, most of Carl¡¯s powers have been outside. He was supported by soldiers guarding the border area and by local aristocrats scattered throughout the empire. On the other hand, his supporters among the high-ranking aristocrats in the capital city were notrge in numbers.


    Meetings with important decision-making power in the imperial pce included political affairs meetings held once a week and regr meetings held once a month. It was the high-ranking aristocrats who can attend here, among whom Carl¡¯s influence was not great.


    Being emperor, Carl could not cut their throats and unconditionally rmend his own people. Still, in the early days of the administration, he had to slowly build up his power by appeasing Arya¡¯s figures and putting his figures in key posts one by one.


    It was by no means a pleasure that Kenyon Ferrer, who was the main pir of this work, to voice up with Arya. Carl clenched his fist in frustration.


    Carl left the meeting room trying to get to Sienna¡¯s pce, but he stopped. Then he looked up at her window in the garden where he could see the Queen¡¯s room.


    He couldn¡¯t visit her in such a state of anger. He didn¡¯t have a good conversation a week ago, and he thought he would make a mistake if he met her this angry. He¡¯ll be mad at himself for being powerless, and hurt her by pouring out his anger onto innocent Sienna.


    He sighed deeply and headed for his office. From behind, Pavenik followed him without a word.


    Carl leaned against the desk in the Oval Office and swept his face with his dry hands. He was relieved that he had reduced the power of Arya¡¯s forces to some extent, but now they are stabbing him in the back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s holding hands with Ferrer. A foxy woman!¡±


    It was true that he had be estranged from the Ferrer family by marriage with Sienna. It was natural that the Ferrer family was favorable to Carl, not because they were rted, but because of their interests that they would be the maternal rtives of the imperial family.


    ¡°What we¡¯ve prepared for the Ferrer family has be useless.¡±


    Pavenik murmured in a somber voice.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be enough for them. They now have a chance to turn their daughter into an empress.¡±


    ¡°Count Ferrer might think it was taken away from him. As is the case with Lady Ferrer, Count Ferrer must have thought for a long time that his family would be releasing empress.¡±


    ¡°People¡¯s greed is endless...¡±


    Originally, the Ferrer family was not as politically influential as it was now. They were able to establish an early friendship with the family of Isabel Harbourno, Carl¡¯s biological mother, and make Bluebell his fianc¨¦e.


    Carl, who needed his power in the capital, helped them gain political ground by driving his credit toward the Ferrer family.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out what kind of agreement the empress Arya and Ferrer¡¯s family had. Whether you want it or not, I think we need a realignment of political forces.¡±


    Carl nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we need a new n.¡±


    Pavenik nodded at Carl¡¯s words. In the meantime, he had a n to expand the imperial power by bncing it with aristocratic forces, but the two forces that had to be checked had joined hands, so he had to find another way.


    But what filled his mind now was not the bnce of power to strengthen the imperial power.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you, your Majesty go home early today?¡±


    Pavenik read such a mind and said. Carl rubbed his fingers at the temple as if he were tired.


    Carl¡¯s maternal grandfather, Marquis Harbourno, would give him a boost, but now that the Ferrer family and Arya have joined hands, the opinion leading the political conference would be to make Bluebell the empress. Carl was going to actively express his opposition to their opinions, so he had to start a fight with them from tomorrow. It will never be easy.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress hase.¡±


    At the sound of the servant¡¯s announcement, Carl and Pavenik looked surprised, making eye contact with each other.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the news is known already...¡±


    The contents of the meeting will be dealt with in strict confidence. The second empress was a big deal, so the aristocrats who participated in the political affairs meeting were extremely cautious, and Carl also ordered them to keep their mouths shut.


    Carl looked nervous. Pavenik said with a shrug.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen her Majesty for a week, so please tell her. Then you two can talk. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going home today, so I¡¯lle back after a proper meal.¡±


    Carl wanted to catch Pavenik, who was leaving as if he were running away. Now Carl had no energy to face Sienna.


    As he walked into the room, he looked at Sienna and swallowed his dry saliva. She looked very tired unlike a week ago. He regretted that he should have visited first, as Pavenik said.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Yes. How have you been?¡±


    It was quite an awkward greeting. Even though it was only for a week, there was an awkward atmosphere between the two.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy with my work...¡±


    Said Carl, looking around at the documents piled up in the Oval Office. It felt like an excuse for not stopping in her room for a week. He coughed in embarrassment.


    ¡°What brings you all the way here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you something.¡±


    Carl nodded and asked her to take a walk outside. The office air felt stuffy and dirty to be with Sienna.


    He led Sienna to the garden. Sellum flowers were all gone, but new flowers have filled the spot.


    Sienna didn¡¯t bring up the main point easily and Carl didn¡¯t speak as well. She touched the blooming red flower with her fingertips as if she hesitated to speak out. As she kept her mouth shut, Carl couldn¡¯t stand the awkwardness and asked her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had a favor to ask?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... ...about Queen Marie.¡±


    After Marie returned with a shocking confession, Sienna thought about what she could do for her.


    Most married female aristocrats were bound to be forgotten like dusty decorations in their families when their husbands died.


    After listening to Marie¡¯s story, Sienna felt sorry for her. Marie¡¯s life was dominated by others for political reasons. The form of love was different, but even Valore whom she could rely on died suddenly.


    As far as Sienna knows, Marie¡¯s family hasn¡¯t been looking for her since Valore¡¯s funeral. To put it mildly, it was because she had already be part of the imperial family, but in fact, it was clear that she had run out of use. Because she¡¯s already married, she can¡¯t be used as a material for a political marriage, nor does she have any political power.


    Marie, who was only twenty-six years old, has to count the days while stuck in the corner of this pce until she dies.


    Life was unfortunate. Sienna seemed to be responsible for her unfortunate life. Valore died faster than in the past because of her behavior. So she thought she had to do something for Marie to ease his guilt.


    Sienna asked Carl to bestow Marie herst name and title so that she could escape the imperial family.


    ¡°Marie the Queen? Do you mean Valore¡¯s wife? Marie Panacio?¡±


    Carl frowned as he said herst name ¡®Panacio¡¯. Though well aware of his feelings for the Panacio family, Sienna kept trying to persuade Carl.


    ¡°Her Majesty Marie is too young. Instead of letting her stay in the pce, you could give her a small estate and let her live there... Marie is from the Panacio family, but she has no political influence...¡±


    The more Siena continued to speak on behalf of Mary, the more distorted Carl¡¯s face was. It bothered him that she looked fine when Carl didn¡¯t find her for a week, but most of all, Sienna didn¡¯t know what situation she was in and only cared about Queen Marie.


    Perhaps after hearing what came out of the political meeting, he was more upset because she didn¡¯t seem to care. He was anxious and nervous that Sienna would leave the pce without any regret after the promised period.


    ¡°Is that all you want to say to me in a week?¡±


    Sienna shrank at his voice, which sounded to hold back his anger. She bit her lower lip.

 Chapter 131: Live to Sienna Pt.131

    <h4>Chapter 131: Live to Sienna Pt.131</h4>


    ¡®Perhaps I should have apologized first for being angry about priest Roy...Indeed, it would hurt him if I just came and asked for a favor after breaking up with such anger.¡¯


    Sienna apologized to Carl.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the other day.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s apology, Carl burst intoughter as if dumbfounded, and said in a shrill voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re so careless. Do you know what kind of situation you¡¯re in? This is not the time to worry about Queen Marie, but about yourself. Do you have any idea what happened at today¡¯s meeting?¡±


    Sienna could guess from his words. It was something she didn¡¯t want to hear.


    Sienna avoided Carl¡¯s gaze and threw her eyes into the garden¡¯s sellum. She wondered when the rich yellow buds burst. Now they were showing off their dark green leaves, with all their heads drooping and shiny. Just as it was natural for flowers to bloom and fall and for sprouts to sprout on the barren branches, so was her own fate.


    When he saw Sienna¡¯s self-help smile, Carl was upset. Every time she smiled resignedly with a face that seemed to know everything, he felt a fit of anger because she doesn¡¯t seem to have any lingering feelings for himself.


    ¡°They want to take in Bluebell as the second empress!¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t react much to his words. Because she already knew it. But it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t care. Her mind was shaken with anguish, even though it had already been experienced.


    ¡®Did I hope for something different this time? That unlike in the past, Carl and Lady Ferrer won¡¯t be married...¡¯


    Much has changed from the past, but the big trend of fate has not seemed to change. This time as well, seeing the marriage with Bluebell went on the way.


    In the past, Carl pressured herself to wee Bluebell as the second empress, but that wasn¡¯t his own idea. As the strengthening of the imperial power went smoothly, the Ferrer began to gain strength and that story came up.


    For Carl, it was love for Bluebell, but also it would have been necessary to renew his rtionship with the Ferrer family. That¡¯s why he pushed herself even harder for her to refuse divorce.


    Now, Jamie showed power at the Imperial Knights¡¯petition and showed off the good standing of the Waters, but there was no such thing at that time. Carl must have thought that it would not help strengthen the imperial power since Sienna came from a duke family who believed to have only his name left.


    ¡°Are you okay? It was said to receive Blue Bell as the second empress!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±


    He looked at Sienna with a look of hope. She asked dejectedly.


    ¡°What should I say?¡±


    ¡°You should say that there is only one empress in this country! You¡¯re going to tell me not to let Bluebell in as the empress!¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna burst intoughter.


    ¡®The Emperor is such an innocent man. You eventually got her as the second empress, even though I begged and prayed so much not to do so in the past. Are you telling me this because of your affection?¡¯


    But Sienna didn¡¯t just hate what Carl said. She asked Carl, knowing inly that her fate wouldn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Then, if I ask you not to, you won¡¯t wee Lady Ferrer as the empress?¡±


    ¡°If you want, that¡¯s what I will do.¡±


    She thought he couldn¡¯t answer so easily, but Carl answered without hesitation. Because of such a firm tone, saying ¡°that¡¯s what I will do,¡± Sienna almost clung to him and begged him to do so.


    Frankly, Sienna wanted to throw away all her pride and cling to him, hoping that she was the only woman he loved, not Bluebell.


    ¡®But what he really wants from me is not to beg him not to marry, but to push him to marry. So that he can feel at ease.¡¯


    Sienna turned to confirm Carl¡¯s sincerity and made eye contact with him. Carl was looking at her with a very serious look.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Sienna uttered a nk exmation. This was because she could see his sincerity in the way he looked at her. It seemed like he wanted her to tell him not to get married.


    ¡®No. People see what they want, and I see him this way because I want him to love me.¡¯


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°No need?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind me. It¡¯s natural that Lady Ferrer bes your wife. She was your fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡®This is the answer you want.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Bluebell was my fianc¨¦e, but you¡¯re the one I married.¡±


    For Sienna, his words seemed reproachful. Like he said he couldn¡¯t marry Bluebell because of Sienna. Just as he had criticized in the past.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry about that. If I could, I¡¯d like to divorce you now, but I still have time left.¡±


    At least until the time when Empress Arya rebels, Sienna had to be by Carl¡¯s side. Because she has to stop the incident somehow. So that Bluebell wouldn¡¯t die, so would Carl¡¯s child, who was in her womb.


    ¡°Do we still have time?¡±


    Carl understood what Sienna meant by the time she spoke, and asked back with a harsh voice.


    ¡°The time you promised me. You remember that, don¡¯t you? That promise you¡¯ll divorce me five years from our marriage. We only have about three years left.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stand the time of being my wife. You must think about that promise and stick to it day by day.¡±


    Sienna bit her lower lip at Carl¡¯s words.


    It wasn¡¯t that. She felt sad about having to see their time pass by as the sand escapes through the fingers.


    The more time she tried to grab, the more she had to practice giving up time. How to give him up. Learning not to be greedy about what she shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t join you tonight because of work. Let¡¯s have lunch together tomorrow.¡±


    Carl said so and strode into the castle. Sienna smiled bitterly at his back.


    He was angry. Even though he could have left her there saying he didn¡¯t want to see her face again, he promised her to meet tomorrow. He¡¯s afraid she¡¯ll be anxious about the sudden change in the imperial order.


    Such gentleness what keeps her from lingering. He should rather tell her as cold as before. I love Bluebell, so I want to be with her.


    Then Sienna would be able to shake off even the little lingering feelings that she has now.


    A hot wind swirled around Sienna. The pce, where spring had passed, was preparing for a hot, noisy summer. The red sun was setting from beyond the blue sky, where there was no cloud.


    *


    After that day, Carl had lunch with Sienna every day. She thought lunch time with him would be awkward, but she was having a better time than she thought.


    Today, Carl came to the empress¡¯ castle to have lunch together. Sienna¡¯s maids, of course, have served to Carl¡¯s taste.


    Sienna said to Carl during the meal.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re busy. So you don¡¯t have toe and eat with me every day.¡±


    ¡°Is it ufortable for you to see me visit every day?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but I¡¯m worried if you¡¯re going to overdo it and hurt yourself. I heard from Chancellor Pavenik. You have a lot of work to do, so you don¡¯t have enough time to even breathe. He said you¡¯re having longer working hours because you came all the way here to eat.¡±


    ¡°Pavenik must have been talking nonsense to you. It is true that there is a lot of work, but not enough to worry. When the throne is reced, there is a lot of work going on. If you¡¯re really worried,e to the Oval Office for a meal. I hate eating alone.¡±


    It¡¯s fine to dine with Pavenick, but Carl grumbled.


    ¡°I will. I¡¯ll go see your Majesty when it¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    ¡°...do that then.¡±


    Carl cut the apricot pie with a light touch, as if in a good mood.


    ¡°The title will be given to Queen Marie in a few days. It¡¯s an internal affair of the imperial family, so we don¡¯t have to go through a political meeting. The documents will be finished soon.¡±


    ¡°A title?¡±


    Sienna asked back. She asked Carl that Marie be givennd to live on, but she didn¡¯t expect Marie to receive a title.


    In Leipsden Empire, women were rarely honored with titles. Sometimes even women were given titles only when their family¡¯s lineage would cut off if they did not take over the line.


    Not every family could get such an opportunity. It was because women needed the emperor¡¯s permission to take over the family.


    ¡°If I just offer her thend so she can live quietly, there will be those who oppose me and try to kick her out. Empress Arya and her family, the Panacio, will oppose it right away. So I thought it¡¯d be better to send her away under the title. Besides, she¡¯s a member of the imperial family. Moreover, she¡¯s the former emperor¡¯s wife. We can¡¯t let her go without anything.¡±


    When Sienna asked, he frowned to the fullest extent. But he was preparing to let Marie go. Sienna was grateful for such consideration, and the good heart hidden inside seemed lovable.

 Chapter 132: Live to Sienna Pt.132

    <h4>Chapter 132: Live to Sienna Pt.132</h4>


    ¡°What title is it?¡±


    ¡°A Marquise.¡±


    ¡°A Marquise?¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. A Marquise was the next to the Duke.


    Even within the empire, there were only three Marquises. No, this time Depine Panacio was demoted to Count, so there were only two people who had the title of Marquise.


    ¡°She is a member of the imperial family, so I can¡¯t give a low rank.¡±


    Sienna was rather worried to hear this.


    A Marquise. It was clear that if Marie was given the title, Depine Panacio and Arya would not leave her alone.


    She was worried that Marie, who wanted to live a quiet and normal life, would be used politically again or that her life would be moreplicated and unhappy.


    As Sienna¡¯s face hardened noticeably, Carl asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... ...it wasn¡¯t actually what Marie asked me to do, but I thought I might have stepped up and made things moreplicated. I was worried that the Panacio family might be pushing her back into a political marriage once again...¡±


    Carl shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how that could be your fault. I¡¯m not giving the title to help her get sold easily in the wedding market. So I got her a higher title than her father, though a Count would have been enough. If she, as the head of a family, was swayed by her father¡¯s words again, then that¡¯s her choice. You don¡¯t have to be sorry.¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t contradict Carl. But she wasn¡¯t relieved.


    It was clear that giving a man a treasure, no matter how good it is, that he could not keep, would be no help but harm. A swarm of bandits aiming at the treasure was infested around Marie. Her own blood will be on her for the title.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you give her a limited title? So it¡¯s not going to seed for her child or husband.¡±


    If the title to be conferred on Marie was not maintained in the event of another marriage, the Panacio family would not sell her in the wedding market.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. It is not a good thing to increase the number of high-ranking posts without any reason. I¡¯ll give her the title of a single individual. So that the title cannot be inherited or transferred.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna was relieved. She felt like she had paid off a little of her heart¡¯s debt to Marie and Valore.


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you very much.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words of gratitude, Carl smiled brightly as if he was in a good mood. And told her a joke.


    ¡°If you¡¯re grateful, you can make me some pickled miree.¡±


    ¡°I will. As soon as the miree is harvested this year, I¡¯ll make it with the first fruit.¡±


    The miree harvest season was far away, but Carl nodded with a look of satisfaction.


    Marie¡¯s case was done without opposition. It was partly because the two families, who were opposed to every little thing, joined hands. And for Arya, she weed it because there was nothing to lose.


    They seemed to wonder why it was not an inheritable title but a single person title, but they could not strongly im a transferrable one. It was not publicized because it was clear that not everyone would watch the session of the Marquise to the Panacio family in agreement. In the face of unfair opposition, it was obvious that Carl would cancel what he proposed to now.


    However, in consideration of Marie, who suddenly had to operate thend, she insisted that she should be exempted from taxes for 20 years until hernd was stabilized and that she should be paid a pension she would have received from the imperial family until her death. Carl epted it without difficulty and the work was done quickly.


    Sienna was thinking that everything was going well, but the aftermath of it came from the wrong side.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Jamie, naive and wild, said something that made Sienna stress out. He said he would follow as a knight to the territory where Queen Marie went.


    ¡°Yes. I am going to be the knight of the Queen.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t understand what that means now.¡±


    ¡°I am going to be a knight of the Queen. What meaning is there to that? I definitely promised the former emperor that I¡¯ll be the knight for the Queen. A knight has to keep what he says.¡±


    ¡®Look, you have no idea.¡¯


    Sienna touched her forehead. If he were just a man from an ordinary aristocrat, she might have nodded to his idea. But he was the eldest son and heir of the Waters family.


    It was also surprising that he did not refuse to ept the offer to join the Royal Knights after winning the Mutupetition, but it was an even greater surprise that he¡¯s saying that he would be the personal knight of the Queen, who was now the marquise.


    ¡®I told you to stay in the Capital and find someone to be your wife¡ªnever asked you to find a job for your whole life.¡¯


    ¡°How long are you going to be as her knight? You¡¯re going to stop taking over your father¡¯s estate and title and just to be a knight?¡±


    Jamie shook her head at Sienna¡¯s words and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be a knight of the Queen forever. I want to do my duty as a knight until the Queen settles down in a new territory. Because it¡¯s my first promise in the honor of the knight.¡±


    Sienna was speechless for a moment at the serious reply. It was amendable act to do the duty of a knight, but she was worried. She hoped her brother would quickly meet his spouse for the sake of his family, and if he were to follow Queen Marie, it would be even more remote of a dream for him to find a wife.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll leave Heidel empty for a long time, and father wouldn¡¯t let you...¡±


    ¡°He approved.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡®When did you ask him that? I can¡¯t believe he gave you permission.¡¯ Sienna couldn¡¯t believe it and asked again.


    ¡°Father gave you permission?¡±


    ¡°The territory the Queen has been granted this time is close to our Heidel territory.¡±


    Even Sienna didn¡¯t know that. Several sites were mentioned for Marie, she only knew that Carl let her choose her own.


    Sienna naturally thought that Marie would choose a territory close to her hometown, the South. As Carl ascended to the throne of the emperor, there were some of the Southern nobility¡¯snds that had been reprieved by guilty nobles.


    The southern region¡¯s territory was mostly abundant and warm all year round, making it advantageous to choose the southern region in many ways. But Marie chose the northern region. It was a real surprise.


    ¡°And my father said I must keep my word with the Emperor no matter what happens. If a man doesn¡¯t keep his word because the terms have changed, it¡¯s a disgrace to his family. He told me to help the Queen at least until the queen¡¯s estate is settled.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words, Sienna answered with a deep sigh, as if helpless.


    ¡°Ha, okay. But you have to get Marie¡¯s permission, too.¡±


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t allow it, I¡¯ll wait until she allows it.¡±


    Sienna knew well that Jamie wasn¡¯t talking nonsense right now. It was clear that if Marie did not ept him as her own knight, he would wait for days in front of the gate for her to call him.


    Sienna thought she didn¡¯t have to go out of her way against her father¡¯s permission. She thought she¡¯d rathere forward and ask Marie to ept Jamie as a knight for the time being. Before Jamie made another stupid ident.


    ¡°Okay. I understand what you want. I¡¯ll try to talk to Marie.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Jamie stood up. She thought her brother was going back and tried to send him off, but he didn¡¯t mean to leave the door and only stared at Sienna. For a moment, Sienna looked at him thinking he was acting strangely.


    ¡°What are you doing? You should take the lead.¡±


    ¡°Take the lead? Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to go to the Queen now? You should get permission soon. We have to escort her on her way to thend. It¡¯s going to be a long journey, so I have a lot to prepare. Come to think of it, is the Knights of the Imperial Household going with us?¡±


    Sienna answered Jamie¡¯s question.


    ¡± You¡¯ll escort her At least to Her Majesty¡¯s estate. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not her knights anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll set up knightage for the Queen. Maybe we should hire a mercenary. There must be a lot to do.¡±


    Even though he had a lot to do, his face was bright and full of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Wee.¡±


    Marie weed Sienna. She looked surprised when she saw Jamie following Sienna in. The expression soon changed into a wee face.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Lord Waters? Long time no see. How have you been?¡±


    Jamie greeted Marie with a polite gesture. Now he seemed quite familiar with the nobility. Sienna looked satisfied with Jamie¡¯s appearance.


    Marie offered Sienna and Jamie a seat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been conferred the title and the estate.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Sienna. I was just about toe and say thank you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be thankful for.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Empress Sienna had requested the Emperor with difficulty. Thanks to you, I have a title. I heard it¡¯s a rare case that¡¯s hard to find in the past. The imperial family said I would be the first precedent. Many people have congratted me on bing the first female aristocrat to receive the marquis title.¡±


    ¡°This is all in your blessings. I¡¯ve heard that the territory is located in the north.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not arge estate, but it¡¯s a fertilend. They say it¡¯s and of wheat production that¡¯s equivalent of the South.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions. But I heard that there is also a territory in the southern part of thend rmended by the emperor. May I ask why you chose the territory?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you think it¡¯s a big deal, but I wanted to take this opportunity to be independent of the family.¡±

 Chapter 133: Live to Sienna Pt.133

    <h4>Chapter 133: Live to Sienna Pt.133</h4>


    Sienna nodded at her words. She could see how Marie chose the estate.


    ¡°I was born and have lived as my father wanted me to, as a member of the House of Panacio. I didn¡¯t have any arguments or choices. This time, I had regrets after the emperor¡¯s death. I mean, I realized how fleeting life was. Then, Empress Sienna gave me a chance. An opportunity to live differently from me in the past. This time, I want to live my life without being influenced by my family. Even if I may regret that choice, I want to.¡±


    Sienna could see Marie¡¯s toughness in her smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s your choice, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well.¡±


    ¡°My father told me to return to my family because he would find someone to run thend for me. I didn¡¯t know anything and I didn¡¯t prepare anything, so he asked if I could manage the territory. He¡¯s right, too.¡±


    As expected, the pressure seemed toe from her family. From the perspective of the Panacio family, it would appear to be a territory that came for free. They¡¯d want to use hernd to extend their influence to the north.


    As Sienna looked worriedly at her, she shrugged and said, ¡°But I said no. I¡¯m a dreamer and I don¡¯t know anything about it, but I will really take care of it. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, but I am ready to face anything.¡±


    Marie said bravely. Fortunately, she seemed very determined.


    ¡°Then when do you n to go down?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to leave as soon as the knightage is ready to take me. I¡¯ll probably be down in two to three days.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to dy here.¡±


    Marie said with aplex face. Sienna looked at her expression and nodded.


    It would have been harder to stay in the imperial pce after Valore¡¯s death. It¡¯s not because there were only bad memories left in the pce, but because whether good or bad, all memories were painful for her.


    ¡°Queen Marie.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here because I have something to ask.¡±


    ¡°Me? Say anything. I¡¯d be happy to do anything I can do for you.¡±


    Sienna thought to herself that Marie was as innocent as Jamie. How could she be ready to do anything while she didn¡¯t know what Sienna was even asking? But Sienna didn¡¯t hate Marie¡¯s naivety, so she said with a pleasant smile.


    ¡°Here, Lord Waters will tell you himself.¡±


    Sienna tapped Jamie with her knee and he got up from his seat. She was so worried that Jamie would turn the table over with his knees.


    He stepped aside from the table and knelt in front of Marie. Sienna held back herughter at the act, which was so theatrical. Unlike Sienna, Marie stopped him with a surprised look.


    ¡°Sir Waters?¡±


    ¡°Jamie Waters, I would like to be your knight, your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Marie put her hands together in front of her chest and put on a surprised look.


    ¡°I promised the former Emperor my knighthood. I will be your knight and protect you. So please allow me to apany you to the Royal Highness¡¯ estate and serve as a knight by your side.¡±


    Marie, who seemed embarrassed, shook her head and said, ¡°The promise you made with His Majesty was to be the head of the Order of the Empress. I am not an empress now, but I will soon leave the pce and live as a marquise. So Lord Waters doesn¡¯t have to be my knight.¡±


    Marie¡¯s refusal surprised Jamie for a moment. He didn¡¯t think she would say no.


    ¡°The promise I made with His Majesty was not to be a knight of the empress but to support you. With the honor of the knight, please allow us to carry out the covenant with the Emperor.¡±


    Marie said with a hesitant look at his words.


    ¡°But don¡¯t you have to go back to Heidel and take over the territory? I don¡¯t think I should have the heir to the Waters family to my own.¡±


    Jamie said with a boost to her repeated refusal.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I am the heir to the Waters family and also a knight. How can I be a knight if I can¡¯t even keep the promise I made on the honor of the knight? If I don¡¯t keep my word with the Emperor, I don¡¯t think I deserve the job.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words, Marie and Sienna looked surprised. Because his words sounded like he was going toy down his post as a knight. The fact that the sessor of the Waters family, called the spear of the north, wouldy down his position as a knight meant he would not seed in the family.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna wanted to reproach him for saying such a thing but she couldn¡¯t. Jamie was different from the knights in the capital. He was a real knight in honor.


    He could not be forced to give up his promise to Valore, the emperor, for his advancement. It was impossible to break his faith.


    Sienna said to Marie, giving the gesture.


    ¡°Marie, please allow my brother to keep his word with the Emperor.¡±


    When asked by Sienna, Marie said, raising Sienna and Jamie, who were being courteous.


    ¡°Thank you both for being so considerate of me. Then I¡¯ll ask you. Please escort me until I get to the new territory. That¡¯s enough to keep your agreement with Emperor Valore.¡±


    Marie gave permission but drew the line to escort only to the territory. Her estate was also close to Heidel, so all she had to do was join him on his way home.


    Neither Sienna nor Jamie forced her anymore. Because they couldn¡¯t put any more pressure on her. The brother and sister thanked her.


    ¡°Queen Marie, you¡¯ll have a lot to prepare to go to thend, so we¡¯ll get going.¡±


    When Sienna stood up from her seat, Marie and Jamie followed. Marie held Sienna¡¯s hands tightly and said, ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Even though she¡¯s already shared her gratitude, Marie repeatedly thanked Sienna as if she couldn¡¯t express her gratitude with just a few words.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything¡±


    ¡°You gave me a new life. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to thank me for. By the way, please take good care of my brother, Lord Waters. His ability as a knight may be outstanding, but he is ignorant of the manners of the nobility. If he does something rude to you, please scold him and forgive him with your generosity.¡±


    ¡°Sir Waters may be inexperienced in etiquette, but he is a good man. Don¡¯t worry. And...¡±


    Marie touched her cheek and said with difficulty, as if awkward.


    ¡°When we meet next time, please call me Marie Methena, not Queen Marie. That¡¯s my new name.¡±


    Marie seemed to have received thest name Methena along with the title. Sienna, who had hoped she would escape the shadow of the Panacio family, nodded in delight.


    ¡°Your Excellency, Marquise Methena, I¡¯ll call you that.¡±


    Sienna and Jamie left Marie¡¯s castle after a long farewell. Jamie¡¯s expression, which had been hardened, seemed to be relieved that what he had hoped was done. But soon he hardened his face again.


    ¡°Sorry...¡±


    Sienna asked back at his sudden apology.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be there for you at times like this...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with that serious face.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He seemed to have heard the rumor that he had an unusually serious face.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. That they are trying to get a second empress from the Ferrer family. I think it¡¯s ridiculous because you are here, but...¡±


    ¡°Come on! You¡¯ve been whining go back with Queen Marie, and now...¡±


    Jamie¡¯s hard shoulders drooped at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°Sorry...¡±


    Sienna knew Jamie had no choice but to follow Marie. He¡¯s born to be a knight.


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding. We haven¡¯t even had Lady Ferrere into the empress sit yet, and even if she does, there¡¯s nothing you can do here. We can¡¯t keep ournd empty forever.¡±


    Sienna had him in the capital under the pretext of Jamie¡¯s marriage, but in fact, he couldn¡¯t leave Heidel for long. To Sienna, he was a dense man, but he was an important force for Heidel.


    Sienna soothed Jamie, who looked ufortable and sent him back. It was unfortunate but inevitable that he should leave.

 Chapter 134: Live to Sienna Pt.134

    <h4>Chapter 134: Live to Sienna Pt.134</h4>


    At that time, Carl was with an unexpected guest.


    ¡°Bluebell.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Your Majesty.¡±


    Pavenik, who looked at the two, went out to leave. Carl suggested she sit on the sofa in the Oval Office.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been here before.¡±


    She looked around the room curiously. She was old enough to have theing-of-age ceremony, but her childlike behavior was not awkward at all.


    That was the image of Bluebell that Carl remembered. A girl who shows pure kindness and has the innocence to express her bad mood immediately.


    She was Carl¡¯s fianc¨¦e, so she frequently interacted with the imperial family. She was like a little sister to Carl.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of work. There are more papers than in my father¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Because it hasn¡¯t been long since I took office as the emperor.¡±


    ¡°You must have been busy.¡±


    She said with a nod. Bluebell looked at Carl with a grumpy face, thinking that it must be because of work that he had not been able to contact her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been upset that I haven¡¯t heard from you in a long time. Before, you called me in often, so we ate and took a walk together.¡±


    They met many times when she was ten years old. Carl often invited Bluebell to the pce because she wanted to lean on anyone out of loneliness.


    At that time, Carl was young, too. He was a child who feltfortable only when he felt the warmth from the people around him.


    It has already been 10 years. As Carl frequently goes to wars and spends less time in the pce, the number of Bluebell¡¯s visits naturally decreased. Bluebell, however, acted as if she was here just yesterday.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you miss me, Carl?¡±


    Bluebell did not call Carl the Emperor but called him by name. Though engaged in the past, Carl married Sienna, and now he is the emperor. It was a great offense to put the emperor¡¯s name on the mouth. He was sure she knew that.


    Carl frowned his brows. But Bluebell spoke out at Carl¡¯s expression.


    ¡°You missed me, too, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Look what I forgot.¡±


    She took the envelope out of her arms and handed it to Carl. The envelope was sealed with wax with the seal of the Ferrer family.


    Carl looked at the surface of the envelope without opening it right away. It was too thin and light to be said to be a letter from Count Ferrer given to her. It seemed difficult for this letter to convey the Count¡¯s meaning.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the invitation.¡±


    Invitation? That was more of a mystery.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t the first time that Carl had received an invitation from the Ferrers. But now it was different from then. He was now an emperor.


    No one dares to send an invitation to the Emperor to attend a banquet. Unless Kenyon Ferrer was insane.


    But then, if you look at his recent moves, he seems to be out of his mind. Carl thought of Count Ferrer Peer, who raised his voice to pressure him along with Empress Arya and frowned.


    ¡°Open it!¡±


    Bluebell urged Carl to open it right away. Carl opened the envelope as she said. The seal of the Ferrer family was torn off and the inside letter paper was revealed. He unfolded an invitation decorated with fine parchment and gold foil.


    It was a familiar handwriting. It was just like Bluebell¡¯s handwriting, which used to send a letter to him for fun. Carl raised his head and looked at Bluebell.


    She looked at Carl with an excited face. She looked for praise. Carl looked at the invitation again and read it. The content was to request him to go to theing-of-age ceremony as her partner.


    ¡°Bluebell.¡±


    Carl¡¯s voice sounded low. As soon as Bluebell heard the tone of his voice, her expression of excitement quickly turned into a face of disappointment, as she thought he would refuse.


    ¡°You know I¡¯ve already got married.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to refuse?¡±


    Asked Bluebell, full of grudges. Carl looked perplexed.


    She must know that too. It was suspected that Count Ferrer had ordered it. Is it his idea of putting up Bluebell and somehow making her the second empress?


    Carl felt upset. Count Ferrer seemed to be willing to control Carl.


    It would not end with getting her as the second empress. The Ferrer family will surely try to build up its outer presence through Bluebell. It was something that Carl never wished for.


    ¡°It was a political marriage that you married Sienna. I know you were forced to marry. I understand everything.¡±


    Tears hung on her eyshes. She looked pitiful enough to draw out the protective instinct of an audience. Carl looked at Bluebell with an embarrassed face.


    It¡¯s been ten years ¡ªnot a short time for a little girl to grow up to be ady.


    Bluebell grew into an admiringly beautifuldy. The light burns on the nose, which had been tanned by the sun, have disappeared; the hair of the blue-colored silver hair, which had been teased by theck of hair, has be abundant; the chest that had been t was bulging up.


    But in Carl¡¯s eyes, she still looked like a stubborn little girl. He couldn¡¯t see her as a woman.


    She used to put a bunch of sweet snacks in his arms, saying, ¡°it¡¯s my pleasure,¡± and asked to share her mother with him, saying, ¡°I feel sorry for Carl who¡¯s got no mother.¡± If things don¡¯t go as she wanted, she inted her cheeks and narrowed her eyes, which remained the same.


    ¡°You know Carl. I only dreamed of marrying you. Do you know how surprised I was when I suddenly heard that you were marrying someone other than me? I cried so much that the nanny was so worried that I would faint. You remember my nanny, don¡¯t you? An old maid who used to bake ginger cookies that you enjoyed eating. I¡¯m older now. Anyway, after hearing the news, I just starved for days and days without eating. Actually, I ate some cookies, but...that¡¯s not what matters. What matters is how painful my heart ached.¡±


    Bluebell clenched her fist and emphasized how she was hurt. As if she wanted Carl to feel guilty, she exined the position that she found herself in for a long time. It was cute to see her winking around her eyes in a lengthy exnation. But Carl was just embarrassed.


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. But I...¡±


    When he tried to say no, Bluebell cut him off.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t refuse. You and I are going to get married after theing-of-age ceremony. Of course, I don¡¯t like the fact that it¡¯s your second time. Anyway, my father told me that he¡¯s sure I¡¯ll marry you. I don¡¯t remember exactly because what he said wasplicated, but he said you couldn¡¯t keep refusing. Of course, he also said that the reason you refuse not because you don¡¯t like me, but because historically, it¡¯s notmon to have two wives.¡±


    ¡°Count Ferrer said I couldn¡¯t keep refusing?¡±


    Carl asked back in a cold voice. He knew that if the pressure of the officials continues, he will have to marry as they say, but it was hard to hold back his anger hearing it through Bluebell¡¯s mouth.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re talking like I¡¯m their puppet. Count Ferrer is under the illusion that he is the emperor, not me. I guess the old man¡¯s senile.¡¯


    Of course, it was true that the engagement to Bluebell yed a major role in maintaining friendly rtions between the Ferrer family and Carl. However, Carl has not been the one to only receive from the Ferrer family. There was something gained from them, but they got from Carl more. They knew that, but they didn¡¯t know their ce.


    Carl stared at Bluebell, subduing his anger. But she couldn¡¯t see Carl¡¯s face because she was hypnotized with her story. Bluebell continued to talk as if it was difficult to hold back what she wanted to say.


    ¡°I wish Sienna would ept the divorce. Why is she persisting? Actually, I don¡¯t understand why you married her. Her Majesty the Empress Arya said it was a mistake, too. Of course, you needed a marriage to a woman who had theing-of-age ceremony to be emperor. But I know Sienna was just in my ce anyway.¡±


    As Bluebell continued to speak, it was hard for Carl to hold back his anger. Though he thought he shouldn¡¯t be angry at a young girl who hasn¡¯t even had aing-of-age ceremony yet, she continued to test the limits of his patience.


    ¡°You knew that, didn¡¯t you? Sienna didn¡¯t marry you because she loved you. She just wanted to be the queen.¡±


    Eventually, a ferocious temper that leaked from him tied up the whole body of Bluebell. Her face turned pale and she trembled.


    Carl¡¯s temper was hard for even knights to endure. Bluebell couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, but she couldn¡¯t even tap her chest because her body was stiff. It wasn¡¯t until her face was turning gray that Carl, who became rational, collected back his temper.


    Bluebell managed to exhale. Her pretty face was covered with tears, runny nose, and saliva.


    Carl took a handkerchief out of his arms and handed it to her. He was surprised at his own behavior. He couldn¡¯t believe he got so angry. He couldn¡¯t believe he was so bad at controlling himself to the words of a young girl. He was disappointed in himself.


    ¡°Huh...ung...¡±


    Unable to calm her surprised heart, Bluebell burst into tears like a child. At the sight of it, Carl began to soothe her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Carl apologized for not being able to control his temper. Bluebell couldn¡¯t stop crying easily and held Carl tightly in her arms as if she wouldn¡¯t leave the now sane Carl.

 Chapter 135: Live to Sienna Pt.135

    <h4>Chapter 135: Live to Sienna Pt.135</h4>


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    After seeing Siennaing out of Carl¡¯s office, Pavenik greeted her with a warm wee.


    ¡°I enjoyed the cookies you sent mest time. I was craving sweets while I was working, and I just happened to get rid of hunger thanks to cookies.¡±


    Pavenik greeted her pleasantly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to pack you plenty of cookies next time. You must be tired because of the heavy workload.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it, then.¡±


    Scratching his head, Pavenik replied. As Sienna¡¯s expression hardened, he tilted his head.


    ¡°But you¡¯re already going back? We still have a lot of lunch time left...¡±


    He kept talking, and at one moment he felt an urge to stop. He was d to see Sienna and forgot that Bluebell was here.


    ¡°By any chance...¡±


    Sienna stopped Pavenik as he tried to talk hesitantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Carl I was here. Could you just tell him that I have a previous arrangement so we won¡¯t be able to have a meal together?¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    She turned away, and Sienna¡¯s back looked very lonely after saying that.


    A little while ago, a knight who saw Sienna visiting Carl sent her into the Oval Office. Because there had been an emperor¡¯s order before to let her in without asking. Just at that time, the knight who was on duty after Bluebell came was about to change.


    Sienna came to talk to Carl because she had something to say. Recently, she heard that Carl and the officials were at odds over his marriage to Bluebell.


    Sienna thought the reason he opposed the marriage to Bluebell was due to his own consideration for her. So she decided to push him to make politically correct decisions without caring about herself. It was a reluctant step for her, too.


    She didn¡¯t want to tie him up with Bluebell on her own. However, Carl has not yet established all the imperial powers.


    Arya¡¯s forces were still strong, and they were estranged from Count Ferrer, who had been instrumental to Carl. He didn¡¯t have to go down a difficult road to keep his loyalty. Getting rid of Arya, which has been Sienna¡¯s primary goal, had a high chance of winning when Carl was with Count Ferrer.


    Sienna entered the Oval Office with care not to disturb Carl¡¯s work but saw Carl hugging the crying Bluebell. Sienna closed the door carefully so they wouldn¡¯t notice.


    There was a bitterness in her mouth as if she had been drinking bitter water.


    ¡°I almost got in their way...¡±


    It seemed only a rumor that Carl was opposed to Bluebell¡¯s marriage. After witnessing the close-up of the two, it seemed that Sienna had be a disturbance between Carl and Bluebell.


    Sienna sighed deeply. She wished the rest of her time would go by quickly. The time felt so long.


    She was well aware of the terrible future that would happen if she made the wrong choice, but she wasn¡¯t sure. She was not confident that she won¡¯t make a stupid choice again. There was no guarantee that she would not be greedy again if she stayed with Carl.


    He has been nicer to her than in the past and gave her a warm smile. She even saw new aspects of him that she didn¡¯t know in the past. If she pretends she doesn¡¯t know about the terrible disaster of the future and thinks she wants to hold his hand if she wants to do it again...


    Sienna shook her head. She was giving herself an excuse by repeating ¡°what if?¡±, an excuse to stay by Carl¡¯s side.


    She didn¡¯t know what was different from the past or what was the same, but she knew one thing for sure. The fact that the loved one next to Carl was Bluebell and that does not change.


    But why does she feel like she lost something big? It urred to her that the n might have been based on the wrong hypothesis from the beginning. Was it really the revenge against Empress Arya that she wanted in the past?


    Sienna shook her head. She decided to get rid of all the nonsense. The hidden greed raised its head like a snake.


    *


    Normally, she would spend her time busily managing a list of imperial personas or checking ounting books, but from a few days ago, she had been sitting on the couch nkly, with a gloomy face, as if she could not focus on work.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you look depressed.¡±


    Said Hain. She brought out sweet food and tea even though Sienna didn¡¯t ask. Recently, Hain looked anxiously down at her owner¡¯s shoulders, who had be thinner because she had no appetite and had not eaten properly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look well at all. Is it because of Lord Waters? Two days ago, I heard him and Queen Marie left for her estate. Don¡¯t worry. I looked into it, and I heard that although the territory is located in the north, it is a ce where there is little monster invasion and high wheat harvest, so there is no financial shortage. And I hear it¡¯s half a day away from your Majesty¡¯s home town, Heidel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of that.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s departure was unfortunate, but it wasn¡¯t depressing.


    ¡°Then why...¡±


    Hain looked on Sienna¡¯s countenance with a troubled look and shut her mouth. She seemed to have heard rumors that Bluebell would be the second empress.


    The day Sienna visited Carl¡¯s office, Sienna felt bad after seeing him hugging Bluebell. It¡¯s because she couldn¡¯t forget the scene.


    ¡°Have this. It¡¯s a tea that cleans your head, and it¡¯s good to drink when you feel stuffy inside.¡±


    The tea Hain gave Sienna smelled of peppermint. After a sip, the sweet honey vor with a cool mint scent passed through the throat.


    How much honey was added? It was more like honey water than tea. Even though Sienna doesn¡¯t usually enjoy sweet tea, she drank a lot. Apparently, she¡¯s been craving for a sweet taste.


    A guest came to Sienna when she was chewing on the cookies that Hain had prepared for her. It was Pavenik, who was always on Carl¡¯s side.


    ¡°I stand before Your Highness. I¡¯m afraid I disturbed you. You haven¡¯t been to the Oval Office in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to disturb. Sit down. Hain, will you give the Chancellor a tea, too?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s voice, Hain brought him tea. Pavenik took a sip of the tea and put it down, frowning at the immense sweetness.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my type of tea, but it would be good for work. It would be possible to work without eating and just drinking this. It¡¯s so sweet...¡±


    Hain, who brought out the tea, asked him.


    ¡°Should I bring it to your office every day if you want?¡±


    Hain¡¯s face turned grim as Pavenik waved his hands and refused.


    ¡°What is it, that look? Your Majesty, was the tea that bad?¡±


    It was a taste that Sienna would also not normally enjoy, so she struggled with how to answer it.


    Moreover, she hesitated to say it because on one side¡ªPavenik was giving a look saying, ¡°Please tell her that it¡¯s not delicious!¡± While Hain was giving the look saying, ¡°what I made can¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    In the end, she sided with Hain. She thought there¡¯s nothing good about hurting the people she¡¯s always with.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s very delicious. Any tea you make is always amazing.¡±


    Hain shrugged with a triumphant look on her face. Pavenik looked at Sienna with a betrayed look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s nasty, but it¡¯s so sweet...¡±


    He became sweaty and looked at Hain¡¯s face.


    It was a very interesting situation. Although Hain was the empress¡¯s maid, Pavenik, a chancellor, had a higher status. So now Hain was acting very impolite. Nevertheless, Pavenik did not scold or offend her.


    Sienna smiled at the two people¡¯s airflow.


    ¡®Did the Chancellor and Hain get close at the Tromil?¡¯


    It seemed that the rtionship between Pavenik and Hain had be close without her noticing it. Sienna talked to herself because she was annoyed by the two people who looked particrly close.


    ¡°The hot summer is starting, and howe it¡¯s still springy here?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s summer and so it¡¯s summer wind!¡±


    Hain tilted her head, but Pavenik looked at Sienna as if he understood and said, ¡°I hope there would be a spring breeze all year round.¡± Then he reached out to the cookie lying in front, and Hain¡¯s hand came up quickly and hit him on the back of his hand.


    ¡°You said it wasn¡¯t delicious. Don¡¯t eat.¡±


    Sienna looked at her with astonishment at her rude behavior, and Hain¡¯s face hardened as if she had btedly realized her actions.


    ¡°The tea is a little sweet, but the ginger cookie you sent me before was really delicious.¡±


    Fortunately, Pavenik seemed to have no intention of ming Hain. Sienna was relieved but thought she should warn Hainter. She was afraid that Hain would cause an ident if she let it go.


    ¡°I have to go first because I have a new recruit training today.¡±


    Hain said so and hurried out of the living room. Sienna and Pavenik burst intoughter at her back.


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Her bulging skirt moved gently whenever she moved at a rapid pace. It was like the butt of a plump rabbit. Pavenik keptughing as if even the back of Hain looked cute.


    ¡°Yes, for what reason did youe to me?¡±


    When Sienna asked, Pavenick erased his smile and put on an embarrassed face.

 Chapter 136: Live to Sienna Pt.136

    <h4>Chapter 136: Live to Sienna Pt.136</h4>


    ¡°A few days ago, Lady Ferrer¡¯s visit to the Emperor was a sudden thing. His Majesty didn¡¯t invite her. Just in case you got him wrong...¡±


    Sienna¡¯s expression hardened at his words. Pavenik continued to look at Sienna¡¯s countenance.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried because your Highness¡¯s face didn¡¯t look well when you left.¡±


    Pavenik didn¡¯t seem to know that she saw Carl and Bluebell hugging each other. Sienna said with a forced smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t get it wrong. What more has the Chancellor to do with me? You can get to the point right away because you¡¯re busy.¡±


    Pavenik said with an embarrassed smile.


    ¡°I could have juste to chat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I know how busy the Chancellor is. I heard that there are more days when you can¡¯t be seen while eating simple meals such as bread and cookies at your desk. Since you came to see me at this time of day, I can¡¯t help but think you¡¯re here for an important matter. Or perhaps you wanted to see cute Hain so much that you couldn¡¯t stand it?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, the Emperor praised the Empress for her great insight, and I think you really do have one. I certainly wanted to see Miss Hain, but I came here to ask Your Highness a favor.¡±


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°It took courage toe to you, but it¡¯s hard to talk to you face to face. I think it¡¯s too much of a shame.¡±


    Sienna tilted her head at his response. What kind of request makes it difficult to even bring it up?


    ¡°Recently, the emperor ising backter than before, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Pavenik said as if it were natural for Carl to stay in Sienna¡¯s pce. The pce of the emperor where Carl dwells and the pce of the empress where Sienna dwells was separate, but Carl still stayed in Sienna¡¯s ce, as he did when he was the prince.


    Sienna nodded. After ascending to the throne, Carl kepting backte recently. There were many days when she fell asleep while waiting for Carl.


    ¡°I know that His Majesty still has a lot of work to do.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Pavenik nodded. Because of his look of regret, Sienna asked if there was any other reason.


    ¡°That¡¯s... there¡¯s something recently that the officials have been arguing in one voice.¡±


    It was only then that Sienna knew what he was trying to say. Pavenik seemed to find it difficult to bring it up first, so she said first.


    ¡°Bringing in Lady Ferrer as the second empress?¡±


    ¡°You knew.¡±


    Sienna nodded. But she couldn¡¯t easily understand.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what that has to do with why the emperor iste for bed.¡±


    Sienna thought it was natural that Carl would approve of their opinion. In the past, he¡¯s asked Sienna to divorce him.


    ¡°Are you saying that Lady Ferrer said she will ept the proposal only if I divorce? Divorce is...¡±


    Sienna had a troubled look on her face. She had thought about divorce many times. If they were going to divorce anyway, they could have divorced earlier than they promised to make it easier for Carl to get married. But she was going to wait until Empress Aryapletely gave up her rebellious mind, or even if she revolted until she failed.


    On the other hand, she wondered if it was all her excuse. It might be better to tell Carl about Arya¡¯s ns and get a clean divorce. However, is it because of her selfishness that she was not able to do so?


    ¡°What do you mean divorce? That¡¯s ridiculous. I didn¡¯t mean to say that.¡±


    Pavenik waved at Sienna¡¯s words and said, ¡°No matter how shameless I am, I don¡¯t ask the Empress to do that. No, rather, if others insist on that, I¡¯ll risk my ce and stop it.¡±


    At his words, Sienna smiled and thanked him.


    ¡°If not, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s the problem.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Pavenik tilted his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m having a strange conversation with the Empress. Your Majesty seems to be in favor of Lady Ferrer bing the Second Empress.¡±


    Sienna shrugged and said, ¡°I don¡¯t even agree. Because that¡¯s what it¡¯s supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°It is true that the Emperor promised to marry Lady Ferrer, but the one who married the Emperor is you, Your Highness. So the owner of the ce is of course the Empress, not Lady Ferrer. Even if the Empress opposed this marriage with the Ferrer, I would have thought it had to be. That¡¯s the Empress¡¯s right. Your Majesty seems to have a guilty conscience towards Lady Ferrer. Shouldn¡¯t it be the opposite? Whatever the promises of the past, the Emperor¡¯s hospitality is yours now.¡±


    Siennaughed at this strange situation. Pavenik came to tell her to allow Carl and Bluebell to marry, but he was rather trying to persuade Sienna to keep her ce. Pavenik and Sienna seemed to have reversed their positions.


    ¡°I understood what you said. But Carl has to marry Lady Ferrer.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why you think so?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s a member of the Ferrer family. It¡¯s alright now that it has not been long since Carl became the emperor, but as time goes by, his rtionship with Ferrer is bound to get even worse. No matter how well he is treated as Emperor, if he doesn¡¯t have a support base, he¡¯s going to have political difficulties.¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    Pavenik nodded and muttered in an admiring voice.


    ¡°Your Majesty knows exactly what¡¯s going on. Rationally... ...It wouldn¡¯t have been easy to make that judgment.¡±


    Sienna was not at all pleased with his praise. She said to Pavenik.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with the Ferrer family if they didn¡¯t ask for my divorce.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty the Emperor opposes the marriage to Lady Ferrer.¡±


    ¡°Carl?¡±


    Sienna asked back with a surprised look. She heard rumors that Carl was against the marriage, but after seeing Carl and Bluebell hugging each other the other day, she thought it was just a rumor.


    ¡°His Majesty is so sorry to the Empress that she opposes the marriage to Lady Ferrer. He¡¯s stance is quite hardline that the atmosphere among the officials is unusual. At this rate, even the people on his side might turn away. Moreover, Count Ferrer ims that the demotion of Count Panacio, the brother of Empress Arya, was excessive.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s brow frowned at his words.


    ¡°Count Ferrer said that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The rtionship between the Empress Arya camp and the Ferrer family is unusual. It was Empress Arya who brought up the issue of the marriage to Lady Ferrer.¡±


    Sienna frowned. The alliance between Arya and Ferrer was limited to Bluebell¡¯s marriage, and she thought that Arya, whose base had been reduced, offered a gesture of reconciliation to Count Ferrer, whom she had been at odds with. But it certainly didn¡¯t bode well for Count Ferrer to mention the demotion of Count Panacio.


    ¡®The two families that were at odds with each other so quickly...¡¯


    Sienna was dizzy. The rtionship between the Ferrer family and Arya¡¯s power should not be solidified. She spoke with a high voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s a no-no. Empress Arya¡¯s influence is less than before, but she still has a lot of influence. Her aides still hold key posts. If Arya joins hands with the Ferrer family, there will be too much power. If the forces that have been divided are brought together, it will be a major obstacle to the future of the Emperor, who has not yet settled down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to ask you a favor. Your Majesty, please persuade the Emperor. Your Majesty is the only one who can persuade the Emperor.¡±


    Sienna answered with a nod. But his expression was not very bright.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve put too much burden on the Empress.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine... I¡¯ll have Hain bring the cookies to the Oval Office in the evening. It¡¯s going to be hard for you to go home today because you¡¯re taking the time out now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your acknowledgment. If this is the only thing that¡¯s going to work out, my workload is going to be a little less.¡±


    The increase in his work now was mostly rted to this problem. In order to put pressure on the marriage to Bluebell, aristocrats from each institution, including Count Ferrer, dyed approval of issues that need to be dealt with quickly or put a barrier, hence slowing down all the processes. He was also overloaded with work to find ways to deal with the mishaps.


    At the same time, because Arya and the Ferrer stood together on the marriage issue, it forced him to gather information on the changes in the game of the nobles. In particr, it was difficult in many ways because Carl insisted that hee up with a n to strengthen the imperial power without marrying Bluebell.


    Pavenik¡¯s face looked morefortable when he heard the answer he wanted from Sienna. On the other hand, Sienna sat down with a heavy face as he left.


    ¡°What on earth did the Chancellor say to you to make the Empress look worse?¡±


    Said Hain, rolling up her arms as if she were going to confront him right away.


    ¡°No. By the way, could you bring cookies and sandwiches to the Chancellor?¡±


    ¡°What did he do to deserve that?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re skipping meals because of the heavy workload. But since you didn¡¯t let him eat cookies...¡±


    The truth was that she couldn¡¯t eat because of the weight of the conversation, but Sienna made excuses for Hain.


    ¡°Oh, my! When did I not let him eat?... He really didn¡¯t take a bite because I told him not to?¡±


    Sienna reced the answer with a shrug. Hain grumbled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I am not fond of him at all, so I don¡¯t want to take care of him. But I¡¯ll take care of the Emperor.¡±


    Hain said so, but knew she would pack so much snacks that it would be hard for Carl to eat alone. Carl would have to share with Pavenik.

 Chapter 137: Live to Sienna Pt.137

    <h4>Chapter 137: Live to Sienna Pt.137</h4>


    Sienna found the elf forest after a long time. Ever since Carl introduced her to a horse named Grittigi, she has been visiting the forest like this.


    Woosh¡ªshe stroked the soft mane of the horse that ran to the whistle.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been lonely, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    As the horse looked around, Sienna calmed it down by tapping around the horse¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Carl didn¡¯te. He¡¯s very busy these days.¡±


    Neigh¡ªthe horse sounded as if it understood what she was saying.


    ¡°I brought you a present instead.¡±


    Sienna put down the basket she had brought. There was a mass of fresh grass in it. The horse plunged its head into the basket with pleasure.


    ¡°Do you know how much I¡¯ve been nagged by Hain to get this here? She said it¡¯s disgraceful for the empress to carry a basket full of grass. But it¡¯s a present for you, so I should bring it myself.¡±


    Another reason was that she didn¡¯t want to be caught by others with the secret of the forest. Sienna took the straw off her skirt. Then she sat on the stump beside the horse.


    ¡°How have you been? It¡¯s getting cold. You¡¯re not lonely? Come to think of it, isn¡¯t there anything else in this forest other than you?¡±


    The horse didn¡¯t answer Sienna¡¯s words and still had its head in the basket.


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    Grittigi could not have answered by mimicking human sounds. Sienna looked around with a startled sound. Carl showed up behind the tree.


    ¡°What brings you here?....¡±


    ¡°I heard you headed here with a load of horse grass, forgetting your meal with me.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t know that time had already passed. She was going toe out early in the morning, but as she scuffled with Hain over the horse feed, time passed by.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did you eat?¡±


    Carl responded, shaking the basket.


    ¡°Yourdy-inw took care of this.¡±


    Sienna was amazed when she found it was Hain who had given the lunch basket into Carl¡¯s hand.


    ¡®Hain is so fearless. How dare she think of sending such a thing into the hands of the Emperor.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll say something to Hain.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Because I was the one who said I¡¯d eat here. I can¡¯t bring my servants here to serve our meals.¡±


    Sienna nodded.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s been a long time, shall we have a meal by theke?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go after this guy finishes his.¡±


    Sienna said, patting the mane of a horse still burying its head in a basket of fodder. Carl grumbled, ¡°I think the horse is more fortunate than the emperor himself.¡± That¡¯s what he said, but he looked with a pleased look at Grittigi eating his food.


    When the horse finished eating, Carl got on the horse and reached out to Sienna.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even open your eyes this time, can you?¡±


    ¡°Why are you talking about the past? It¡¯s okay now.¡±


    There was a time when the enemy¡¯s attack was pouring in when she hung on the back of Carl and ran from side to side. It was only then that riding a horse was unfamiliar and scary, but now it was different.


    Sienna took Carl¡¯s hand and jumped on the horse. The posture of getting on the horse was pretty good now.


    It wasn¡¯t until she held him tight at the waist that he shook the reins. The horse bounced forward at a rapid pace. The trees rising high in the sky quickly brushed past them.


    After a long run, they could see a vastke.


    Theke didn¡¯t seem to be much affected by the season. Both before and now, it was in touch with the sky and was emitting a blue light.


    When the horse stopped, Sienna jumped off with a light move. She felt certainly more familiar with the horse.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite used to riding the horse for having been chased.¡±


    ¡°In fact, I came here secretly and rode him.¡±


    When the imperial life was putting pressure on her, Sienna came here and rode a horse. Carl gave her a lecture saying that she was doing something dangerous, but he didn¡¯t seem to hate it that much. When Carl asked if she was used to riding a horse alone, Sienna shook her head.


    ¡°No way. I¡¯m running around his neck looking ugly. Grittigi doesn¡¯t like it, so he wouldn¡¯t evene to theke and stops in the middle of the forest. I think it¡¯s frustrating for him because I held his neck tight. But I got used to it.¡±


    Carl burst intoughter at Sienna¡¯s words. He could not help but smile at the thought of her hanging from Grittigi¡¯s neck.


    Her arm strength was quite strong, tightening his waist while riding to theke. When the horse was still running fast, it was clear that she was scared. Mischievously, Carl speeded up even more, but she didn¡¯t scream anyway.


    Even though it was only her second visit to theke, Sienna could feelfortable here. Carl took out the nket from the basket andid it on the t grass. Sienna sat on a nket and checked the lunch basket that Hain had prepared.


    ¡°The food is as warm as new.¡±


    The food and the bowl were still hot. That¡¯s because Hain put a bag of heated sand on one side of the basket. Siennaid a white pottery dish on the floor while admiring her wisdom.


    On top of the bowl was a bread wrapped in paper and arge well-done shrimp. The sauce, as well as the well-kept fruit for dessert, was well ced. Except for bread, most of them were cut into bite-sized pieces. She could feel the consideration of Hain in many ways.


    ¡°It¡¯s more luxurious than I¡¯ve been eating in the castle for some time.¡±


    The menu was not much different, but the ce was so special that the food they usually ate felt new.


    Sienna said, taking out the wine from one basket. ¡°She even prepared this.¡±


    Carl received the wine from Sienna and checked thebel. In the meantime, Sienna took out a ss of wine.


    ¡°Wine from the Cambal Farm. It¡¯s high in sugar, but it¡¯s not just light sweetness. It¡¯s not strong, so it¡¯ll go well with the meal.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t know much about the wine, so she just nodded and held out her ss. Carl opened the wine stopper. She could hear the sound of banging and opening the stopper.


    Carl said, pouring wine into a ss held by Sienna.


    ¡°You seem to be more pleased with this wine than I am.¡±


    ¡°Was it that obvious? I was craving alcohol.¡±


    Sienna said with a yful smile. Carl smiled and poured wine into his ss. Sienna bumped his ss into Carl¡¯s ss.


    The wine went over the throat. It wasn¡¯t as bad as Carl said. No, she loved it. The sweet and pungent aftertaste of alcohol.


    While the two were eating, Grittigi stood still and grazed. It was like he was ying around that he repeatedly grazed and spat grass out of his mouth, perhaps because he was full.


    Sienna picked up the bottle to fill her empty ss with wine. Carl took the bottle from her and poured it for her instead.


    ¡°Drink slowly. Grittigi wouldn¡¯t want to carry you on his back, who¡¯s drunk and out of control.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t get drunk on this. People at Heidel drink wine like water because it¡¯s cold there.¡±


    After Sienna spoke out the word Heidel, she became emotional and teary. Because she missed the precious people she left there.


    She wanted to be grumpy to her father there, and to be naughty to her brother. And she wanted toin about her frustration with her nanny.


    When Sienna suddenly shed tears, Carl was embarrassed and called her.


    ¡°Sienna...¡±


    Tears dripped from Sienna¡¯s eyes as if it were a fuse. Surprised, Carl hugged her andforted her.


    ¡®I just said I¡¯m a good drinker, and now I¡¯m crying.¡¯


    She was in Carl¡¯s arms and shed tears for a long time.


    ¡°Something going on?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Sienna¡¯s tears died down that Carl asked.


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have cried like this without a reason. You¡¯re too strong to be drunk with a ss of wine.¡±


    ¡°I just... I just missed my hometown. I want to see the people I left there.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl wrinkled his forehead. Her hometown...


    Carl had never been to Sienna¡¯s hometown. He only knew that it was not suitable for people to live in because it was a ce with many monsters and always a pile of snow. But whether it was in poor conditions or not, he could see that it was an important ce for Sienna.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard now, but we¡¯ll try to go to Heidel soon. I¡¯ve married you, but I¡¯ve never met your father, Duke of Waters. I also want to see his swordsmanship since I heard he¡¯s about to be a master.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Sienna cried away, so the two only half-finished the meal and returned. Sienna wanted to be there more, but Carl spent a lot of time going to theke.


    Carl, who took Sienna to the front of the castle, was about to turn around, and she called his name and stopped him.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    Carl looked back. Sienna said, avoiding his eyes.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re under pressure because of your marriage to Lady Ferrer.¡±


    Carl hesitated at Sienna¡¯s words. Maybe that¡¯s why she cried today.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that... please marry Lady Ferrer. I hope you don¡¯t get into conflict with the Ferrer family.¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna with a grumpy face. She was still looking at the floor, unable to face him.


    ¡°Is this why you cried today?¡±


    At the words, Sienna raised her head and looked at Carl. She shook her head in embarrassment and said, ¡°No! Not at all. It¡¯s really not. It was because I really missed my hometown earlier. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not crying because of your marriage to Lady Ferrer.¡±


    ¡°Even if it made you cry, you don¡¯t have to be embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not true. I can¡¯t help it if you are marrying her. And with me... Anyway, it¡¯s right that Lady Ferrer stays around you.¡±


    Sienna was about to say that their promised day was almost reaching. But she stopped. That¡¯s because Carl was particrly sharp when ites to the contract.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already taken great care of me. Thank you for that. But it can¡¯t stay this way. I heard that the rtionship between Empress Arya and the Ferrer family was already serious. If the two forces join hands, it will be even more difficult to strengthen the imperial power that you wanted. You know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just because of you.¡±


    Carl said in a voice filled with discontent.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to move at their will because they think they can sway me somehow.¡±


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s why you¡¯ve refused to marry, ept it now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve understood enough since you¡¯ve dyed this much time. Right now, if it¡¯s for profit, you have to make an unwanted choice.¡±


    ¡°Every time you try to teach me like this, it upsets me.¡±


    Carl threw her stinging words and swung away. Sienna stood there with a bitter face until his back waspletely out of sight.

 Chapter 138: Live to Sienna Pt.138

    <h4>Chapter 138: Live to Sienna Pt.138</h4>


    Since that day, the marriage between Carl and Bluebell has taken a rapid turn. Sienna told Carl to marry Bluebell for political gain, but her heart was heavy.


    ¡°Your Majesty doesn¡¯t have to move to the castle. Shaylin, say something, too.¡±


    In the disgruntled voice of Hain, Shaylin indicated that she agreed with the opinion by simply nodding her head. Young Shaylin seemed to have no idea about Sienna moving the pce.


    As the imperial family of monogamy, the empress had only one space. But suddenly, there were two empresses. It was an awkward situation because Sienna and Bluebell could not share the pce.


    In the past, Sienna, the first empress, used the empress pce, and Bluebell used the pce for princesses. This time, Sienna decided toe forward first and give her ce to Bluebell. It was from a judgment that she would distance herself from Carl.


    Sienna said to Hain that she would move the pce because she thought she should vacate it before Bluebell¡¯s wedding. Their wedding will not take ce until after Bluebell¡¯s Coming-of-Age Ceremony, but she has given her word in advance because it takes a lot of time to move the pce.


    ¡°It¡¯s already heartbreaking to have Lady Ferrer as the second empress, and you¡¯re going to yield the pce!¡±


    Hain jumped and opposed Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°More importantly, it hasn¡¯t been long since your Highness moved to this pce from the princess¡¯ pce!¡±


    ¡°When we moved from that pce to this one, you said you were excited to move because things felt like feathers.¡±


    ¡°Is it the same as then? That was when you became empress, so packing wasn¡¯t hard at all. But now... the situation is different than what it was then!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you. Should I at least pack up my dresses in advance?¡±


    As Sienna tried to roll up her arms, a blue vein rose on Hain¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°My goodness! You know it¡¯s not just about moving things. We already have an empress! Why would the Emperor take in the second empress?! Your Majesty, are you really going to yield the pce? Isn¡¯t that unfair?¡±


    Hain was shouting with anger and suddenly noticed Sienna.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Your Majesty would be more upset. So why didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d stay here? Why did you say you¡¯d move in first?....¡±


    Sienna looked around the room and said to Hain.


    ¡°I prefer the princess pce here.¡±


    This was an honest feeling. The Imperial Pce here has more horrible memories than pleasant ones. She only remembers her acting out of jealousy.


    Come to think of it, she was very angry with Hain at that time. Sienna looked at Hain with fresh eyes. With Sienna looking at her, Hain shook her head, making an X with her hands.


    ¡°Why do you look at me like that? Your Majesty is beautiful, but I¡¯m not ready yet. And the Empress has the Emperor.¡±


    Sienna said in surprise at Hain¡¯s excessive response.


    ¡°Hain! What are you looking at these days? What in the world did you imagine for you to say you aren¡¯t ready for something?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Hain said, wrapping her heated cheeks.


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Sienna squinted her eyes. Sienna¡¯s eyes were saying, ¡®Come on, tell me what book you are reading¡¯ and Hain shook her head hard.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say anything. Even if you¡¯re going to drag me in and torture me but I won¡¯t tell you!¡±


    Sienna did not question anymore. However, when Sienna thought she should somehow find out the book that Hain was reading and suggest to add it to the list of banned books.


    ¡°Shaylin, you¡¯re not looking at the same book as Hain, are you?¡±


    Sienna questioned whether the young Shaylin was reading the book with Hain. Shaylin said, shaking her head furiously.


    ¡°I can¡¯t read and write.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Sienna nodded at Shaylin¡¯s words.


    Not only could Hain write and read, but she liked to read books. It was a very special case. Except for Heidel, most of the regions did not know writing like Shaylin because of their high illiteracy rates. Ignorance of writing was no shame.


    It was then. The voice of the servant filled the space.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress Arya has visited.¡±


    On her unexpected visit, Sienna asked again if Arya really came. Hain asked, looking at Sienna¡¯s countenance.


    ¡°Then shall I prepare the tea?¡±


    Sienna nodded and ordered Arya in.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    When Sienna asked her without even saying hello, Arya frowned bitterly and showed her difort.


    ¡°Mrs. Kitroll, the Imperial Etiquette teacher, said the Empress had mastered her manners. I think she¡¯s mistaken. You don¡¯t even know the basic manners that are necessary to greet a guest like this.¡±


    Normally, Sienna should have greeted Arya, offered her a seat, and asked if she was willing to drink tea; but Sienna did not. She continued to speak in spite of Ayia¡¯s sarcastic remarks.


    ¡°I doubt Mrs. Kitroll¡¯s evaluation, too. She praised Empress Arya for her manners and elegance, but you areing to my pce without announcing your visit in advance. I¡¯m telling you, Mrs. Kitroll seems to bepletely mistaken.¡±


    Arya responded, without a single change of expression.


    ¡°If you have urgent business, it can happen.¡±


    Arya sat at the top of the table even though Sienna did not offer it. Sienna didn¡¯t nibble on it. In other words, Sienna had a fault for not offering Arya a seat.


    ¡°I wonder what urgent business is that you¡¯reing in without notifying me of your visit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I think the Empress is forgetting that there will be aing-of-age banquet soon.¡±


    At her words, Sienna tried not to disclose her surprised face. She was distracted by Bluebell¡¯s issue and couldn¡¯t think of the adult banquet.


    Originally, the Coming-of-Age banquet was an important event that had to be held three months ago. However, it was dyed when Valore, the former emperor, died suddenly, and Carl ascended to the throne.


    ¡°There will be a big event in the country soon, and I came here because the empress is out of mind. I can¡¯t believe you haven¡¯t prepared anything yet for theing-of-age banquet that¡¯s happening in less than a month. Moreover, it seems like you are not preparing for the wedding of Emperor and Lady Ferrer at all. Did all the responsibilities of the Empress bother you? Are you sure you want to give the Empress¡¯ seat to Lady Ferrer?¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Sienna tried to hide her surprised look. Preparations for the wedding were also unexpected.


    All the banquet in the imperial family was the responsibility of the empress. It¡¯s true that Sienna should have prepared. Likewise, Bluebell¡¯s marriage was under Siena¡¯s jurisdiction.


    In the past, Arya offered to help, so she prepared for theing-of-age banquet or the wedding of Bluebell. Especially, since the wedding was something Sienna didn¡¯t want, she didn¡¯t prepare for the event herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re not in a good mood. I¡¯m sure so. The Empress Sienna is alive with her eyes wide open. What is with having another empress? It¡¯s absurd. I understand that the Empress didn¡¯t care.¡±


    Arya¡¯s words didn¡¯t keep Sienna focused well because she wondered why she had forgotten to prepare for theing-of-age banquet and the wedding.


    ¡°...why don¡¯t I prepare a banquet instead?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? I had something to think about, so I couldn¡¯t hear you properly. What did you say?¡±


    When Sienna asked back, Arya forced herself to smile and said again.


    ¡°The empress has never had a big banquet, so I offered to help. Weddings, of course, are never easy, as it¡¯s the biggest event of the year. It would be difficult to arrange for an empress who had never hosted even a small banquet.¡±


    Arya enjoyed a feast very much in the past. At least once a week, both when she was the empress or the queen, she lit a bright light on the pce and held a banquet untilte at night. It was to consolidate her power and show off her influence.


    ¡°More importantly, it would be cruel for Empress Sienna to prepare the wedding for the second empress. Just in time, I¡¯m acquainted with Lady Ferrer, so...¡±

 Chapter 139: Live to Sienna Pt.139

    <h4>Chapter 139: Live to Sienna Pt.139</h4>


    Sienna¡¯s eyebrows wriggled. She couldn¡¯t believe Arya was showing off her friendship with Bluebell. It was funny¡ªthough it¡¯s not what happened yet, Arya was the one who would put a knife in Bluebell¡¯s belly, killing both her and her child.


    Sienna said firmly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to make her feel good by yielding the preparations for the banquet.


    Arya¡¯s expression was hardened by Sienna¡¯s resolute rejection. Even if Sienna¡¯s pride was hurt when she asked for help because she was not on good terms with Arya herself, Arya didn¡¯t think that a girl who knew nothing would try to prepare a banquet. She thought Sienna would give in even if she didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°You mean you would do it yourself? The imperial banquet is not the same as lunch. It¡¯s big, and there¡¯s more to concern.¡±


    Arya once again rmended that she prepare for the banquet instead, saying she would never make it by Sienna herself. But Sienna was not willing to yield.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not easy, but I want to try.¡±


    ¡°Does the empress¡¯s word mean that you¡¯re going to host the Coming-of-Age banquet, as well as the wedding of Lady Ferrer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would like to show that much favor to the second empress, Lady Ferrer.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Arya looked at Sienna with a look that she couldn¡¯t understand. Sienna smiled and said to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try. There¡¯s still time left. It cheered me up when I heard the words of Empress Dowager. Moreover, I think it would be a good practice to have an adult banquet before the wedding of Lady Ferrer.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°If you have any difficulties, I will ask the Empress Dowager. You have more experience than I do.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Arya¡¯s expression in response was quivering. It seemed to be unsatisfying for her that Sienna was taking all the credit as the host of the banquet, and that Arya herself was only a support.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have apany you know, I¡¯ll rmend some.¡±


    Arya tried to rmend the business.


    Using a close-knit merchant to prepare for the banquet was important in increasing or maintaining support. The events were coveted by many merchants because the imperial family had to purchase a lot of food ingredients and essories at every banquet. That¡¯s why the host of the banquet was bound to use a business that had a line attached to him.


    Arya came forward to see financial gains even if she could not be the main host of the party. But Sienna, who read that mind, refused.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. I know a few of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot. The empress¡¯ contribution to thest grain crisis in the capital city. Of course, there¡¯s apany you¡¯re close with. I think I said something stupid.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep myself busy preparing for the banquet. If you¡¯re done with your business...¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s sign to leave, Empress Arya stood up with a cold smile.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going. If you have any trouble having a banquet, please stop by my castle. I¡¯ll do my best to help you if I can.¡±


    Sienna knew that Arya¡¯s words were just words of courtesy. She was not a woman to do things that would not benefit her. It was obvious that Arya would abuse and undermine the self-esteem of Sienna under the pretext of helping, then if Sienna gives up, she would pretend to take care of the big trouble.


    Sienna didn¡¯t want to let her do that. The n was to keep abreast of the banquets and weddings that Arya had prepared in the past.


    After stepping out the door, Arya mumbled, biting her nails.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been forgetting. The grain shortage in the capital...¡±


    Arya kept brooding over Sienna¡¯s words that she had a business she knew.


    She had asked someone to look into the Dark Chamber before, but she forgot. At that time, it was not long after Valore became the emperor, so she couldn¡¯t care less. Even though it was an incident that struck a heavy blow to the southern merchantmunity, which was her economic base.


    ¡°If I had given a little more thought, I would have suspected the rtionship between the Dark Merchants and that girl. I was a bit distracted at the time when I was pulling out Valore and Jean.¡±


    There were only two people who benefited greatly from the incident of grain shortage. Sienna and thispany, which was called Dark Merchants because it¡¯s unknown in detail who owns the store and where therge amount of capital came from.


    The Dark Merchants have seen material gains, and Sienna has gained the support and political base of its citizens. It was enough for Arya to doubt, for only two people benefited while everyone was suffering great losses.


    She didn¡¯t find any evidence, but she was convinced that the Dark Chamber was in a tight rtionship with Sienna.


    *


    Ten days have passed. Contrary to the initial concern, it was lucky that things went smoothly.


    Preparation went smoother than expected thanks to Kelly¡¯s great help. Sienna almost left everything she needed outside the pce to Kelly¡¯s market. In the end, all she had to do was solve the internal affairs.


    While checking the list of maids to work at the banquet hall, she was told that a guest hade. It was Bluebell. Bluebell visited Sienna today without permission to visit likest time.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°You must be busy. Did I bother you?¡±


    When they met before, Bluebell had been looking at Sienna, exasperating as if looking at something dirty, but now she said with a friendly smile as if nothing had happened at all. Sienna greeted her with a smile, though the change seemed embarrassing.


    ¡°I got the dress and ne you sent me. I really like it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I thought an apricot dress would go well with the bright, clean skin color of Lady Ferrer.¡±


    Bluebell must have really liked the dress Sienna sent to her because Sienna had referred a lot to the dress design that Bluebell wore at the wedding in the past. Back then, the pce didn¡¯t give her a dress, so it was prepared by the Ferrer family, but this time, Sienna himself prepared Bluebell¡¯s dress.


    ¡°It¡¯s really pretty. It has a small waist. There¡¯s a big ribbon on the back. It¡¯s so cute. There¡¯s a jewel at the end of the ribbon, so every time I walk, it makes a rattling sound. The ne also had a muchrger jewel than the Ferrer¡¯s heirloom my mom had at her wedding.¡±


    As soon as Bluebell entered the living room, she was excited and showed off her dress to Sienna for the wedding ceremony. She was a young girl who was just about to have theing-of-age ceremony. She was excited as if she were a child who had received her favorite clothes as a gift.


    ¡°Oh! I actually came to apologize first, but I just showed off my dress.¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡±


    Sienna tilted her head, not knowing why she was saying she would apologize for it.


    Sienna hasn¡¯t made an issue about it because she had a debt to her heart, but Bluebell has been acting pretty recklessly. It was hard to list every mistake she had made, such asing without asking permission for a visit, raising her voice against herself, and begging to go to theing-of-age ceremony with Carl.


    ¡°Last time...¡±


    Bluebell was ashamed to say, so she fiddled with her skirt with her fingertips.


    ¡°I thought I said bad things.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°At that time, I just used you of being married without love. At the time, it was a misunderstanding. I thought you, Lady Waters, was a bad person.¡±


    Her frank confession made Siennaugh. No, rather than confessing, the fact that she kept calling Sienna, the Empress, as Lady Waters made herugh.


    Bluebell did not call Sienna Her Majesty. Hain standing behind Sienna didn¡¯t look well as if it was annoying.


    It didn¡¯t seem like she was doing so on purpose. Bluebell just couldn¡¯t seem to admit that Sienna was in the position of the empress, who should have been her own. Sienna asked her in a calm voice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m bad now?¡±

 Chapter 140: Live to Sienna Pt.140

    <h4>Chapter 140: Live to Sienna Pt.140</h4>


    Bluebell said, with a stubborn shake of the head.


    ¡°Not at all! Not because you sent me a pretty dress. Hehe, I really liked that, too. I¡¯ve heard that if Waters had continued to oppose me and Carl¡¯s marriage, it might have taken more time to get married. Moreover, you yielded to me the empress pce.¡±


    Sienna nodded.


    ¡°This ce is so big and pretty... To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t have given it up if I were you. Moreover, the Imperial Pce is the closest ce to Carl¡¯s residence, right?


    ¡°Yes, this is the closest pce to the Emperor¡¯s Pce.¡±


    ¡°The pce you¡¯re going to use is farther away than here. The buildings are different. But thank you for giving me this ce. Of course, I would have been more grateful if you had divorced him, but it would have been an affair of adults. I heard you can¡¯t do as you want.¡±


    Whether it was divorce or concession, she chose the right words to hurt Sienna. Bluebell was so spoiled that she was cruel without consideration.


    Sienna looked at Bluebell with new eyes. In the past, Bluebell and she was not close. It was all about seeing her from afar, monopolizing love and attention from Carl. Being obsessed with her inferiorityplex, she envied everything about her, covetous and distressed.


    At that time, Bluebell was like a lovely and pure girl. She expressed her feelings frankly, and Sienna, who was festering in her heart because she was not loved by Carl but smiled in front of others, was so envious of her.


    However, she felt a little different from what she used to think in the past while talking to Bluebell recently. Obviously she was an honest person with her feelings. However, she seemed to be busy only with expressing herself. If she had the slightest care about Sienna even now, she wouldn¡¯t have visited her in person and said these things.


    Bluebell wanted to express how happy she was about the fact that the apricot dress she was going to wear at the wedding was pretty and that the empress pce she was about to stay was close to the emperor¡¯s pce, rather than the feeling of upset or loss Sienna would feel.


    Siena frowned because she felt ufortable when Bluebell seemed to value only her feelings. However, Bluebell continued to speak regardless of the change in the other person¡¯s facial expression.


    ¡°My father said so. I said, ¡°If you were going to allow me to get married, I would have liked her to get a divorce.¡± And he said there were many political problems. I don¡¯t understand but whatever.¡±


    Sienna could imagine how much sweet talk Count Ferrer had to do to convince her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be nice to you even if I be the empress. I¡¯ve studied a lot since I was young. I was educated a lot to be Carl¡¯s bride. And I learned that you shouldn¡¯t be jealous if you be an empress, the wife of the emperor. That¡¯s the virtue of the empress. Even if Carl has a mistress, an empress shouldn¡¯t be caught up in spection and do anything ugly. So don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Bluebell, who would be the empress number two, was talking to Sienna, the first empress as if she was a mistress. Sienna was dumbfounded andughed again.


    Whether or not she knew what Sienna was thinking, Bluebell looked at Sienna hoping for a look of praise.


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    She really seemed to have said what was on her mind without much meaning. Looking at Bluebell, who was as bright as a child who had only just learned to speak, rather than the girl who was about to be an adult, Sienna became tired and didn¡¯t feel like dealing with her.


    ¡°You know that Carl and I are going to attend thising-of-age ceremony, right? You promisedst time. I will be hispanion, so I will attend theing-of-age ceremony with Carl.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t give an answer since Bluebell camest to ask her to let Carl join her in theing-of-age ceremony. However, Bluebell unterally wrapped it under the name of a promise.


    ¡°But if I go with Carl, who will you join in the banquet with?¡±


    Bluebell asked as if she had forgotten the existence of Sienna. Sienna said with a reflectively bitter smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go in with that priest Roy? I heard you two are pretty close...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    This time, she couldn¡¯t help but ask back at the absurdity. What nonsense is that she, the emperor¡¯spanion, entered aing-of-age ceremony with the priest of the Holy Empire?


    ¡°I heard he was here at thest rescue and the wedding. I heard you were really pretty then. When the priest prayed for blessings, you were shining brightly, they said you looked like a princess in a fairy tale. I was really jealous of that. Could you ask the priest to do the same for me? I heard you¡¯re very close. I really want to do that at my wedding.¡±


    Sienna wondered if this was the reason why Bluebell came today. To make sure that she will participate in theing-of-age ceremony as Carl¡¯s partner, and to ask Sienna to ask priest Roy to give blessing to her at her wedding. Sienna was bitter in her mouth.


    ¡°...I can ask him to do it, but I can¡¯t assure you that the priest Roy will do it.¡±


    ¡°Please! Please!¡±


    Sienna made an embarrassing face, but Bluebell just stuck to a bright face.


    *


    ¡°Howe you¡¯re busier these days?¡±


    Carl said in a voice filled with discontent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Didn¡¯t I apologize already?¡±


    Sienna answered in a voice of discontent.


    She had been extremely busy preparing for theing-of-age banquet and Bluebell¡¯s wedding. Because of that, she forgot her lunch appointment with Carl today. Sienna skipped lunch, and so did Carl, who was waiting for her.


    As Carl came back from work early and kept grumbling beside Sienna, who was working, said she was sorry. Then, she got angry at repeated apologies.


    When she saw Carl with an irritated face, she held Sienna¡¯s face in both hands and made her look at him.


    ¡°Now I see you.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Despite Sienna¡¯s dissatisfaction with being held in his hands, Carl smiled and said, without letting go of her cheeks.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even looked at me before, saying you¡¯re sorry. I thought you were apologizing to that pile of papers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl shook his head.


    ¡°Stop apologizing when you don¡¯t even mean it. And I¡¯m not annoyed that you¡¯re busy right now. I¡¯m worried. I didn¡¯t think you had a proper meal.¡±


    ¡°No, I ate.¡±


    As soon as Sienna said she had eaten, there was a rumbling and gut-moving sound in her stomach.


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re saying something different than inside your stomach.¡±


    Sienna blushed and made an excuse.


    ¡°I just had a sandwich...¡±


    Hain, who had been standing behind them, chipped in at Sienna¡¯s excuse and said, ¡°Your Majesty! The sandwich was for breakfast.¡±


    Carl stared at Sienna as if questioning her.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t realize it was dinner time now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Geez, nothing¡¯s solved, but time goes by so fast.¡±


    Sienna said, worrying about the mountain of problems.


    ¡®Should I have just let Arya do this even if it felt like losing to her? I shouldn¡¯t have said I¡¯d do everything, what¡¯s the trouble?¡¯


    Growl¡ªthe stomach kept interrupting.


    ¡°Whether something is solved or not, I think we need a meal. Thanks to you, I skipped lunch, so let¡¯s have dinner together.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had lunch yet?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯te to lunch.¡±


    ¡°But you should have eaten. How unhealthy it is to skip meals. If I don¡¯t go, you¡¯ll have to eat alone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who¡¯s talking to whom. No matter how busy you are at work, I want to give you back the words that you should not skip meals.¡±


    Hain again interrupted the conversation between Carl and Sienna.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty the Empress, I think you both need a meal. Shall we prepare a meal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    ¡°Give me a table, regardless of the order of the meals.


    As soon as she was allowed to set the table, Hain set the table straight away. She had a good sense of understanding that the two were about to dine.


    As Sienna requested, Hain prepared the table with no formal order. It was a favorite way of eating for Carl when he was busy with his work.


    It would be bad manners if others saw it, but it was better to put all the food on one table at a time than to bring food one by one in order. The downside was that it was urgent to eat and difficult to savor each vor, but neither Sienna nor Carl cared about it.


    Sienna put a frizzy potato sd in her mouth first.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? I saw earlier that you were looking at the list of knights.¡±


    Sienna, who was eating, shrugged at Carl¡¯s question. It was as Carl said. She had been moaning for days and days over the list of knights. This was because the most unsolved problem in preparing for the banquet was the cement of the knights.


    ¡°I was the one who proposed the Mutupetitionst time, but now I¡¯m regretting it a lot. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s grumbling, Carl looked at her as he had guessed right. When Carl asked if Sienna yed a role in holding a new Mutupetition before, she didn¡¯t even answer.


    The Mutupetition was a good opportunity for Carl. Announcing the corruption matter of the imperial knights to outside, the knights in Arya¡¯s reach were sorted out and new figures from outside were introduced.


    On that asion, the men who had worked with Carl in the army, or the many nobles of the provinces that had ties to him, provided support. Most of the newly added knights were either friendly to Carl or his men. He was able to reform the Order of Knights in his own way.


    It was understandable why Sienna helped by nning the Mutupetition. However, it was not understandable why she regretted holding the Mootupetition now and how it had to do with the banquet.

 Chapter 141: Live to Sienna Pt.141

    <h4>Chapter 141: Live to Sienna Pt.141</h4>


    ¡°There have been too many recements of the knights.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing? Since then, the skills of the imperial knights soared.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good in terms of improving the skills of the drivers. But the new knights are not suitable for the banquets, even though they have highbat capabilities.¡±


    The Knights of the Imperial Household were a group to protect the imperial pce and its figures, but they also served as a face representing the imperial family externally. So they were also called the flower of the imperial family. Because they yed a major role in external imperial events.


    In order to do so, they needed to know the rules of etiquette and to look nice externally. Because of this, in the past, when selecting the Knights of the Imperial Household, they put appearance before force.


    Sienna wasn¡¯t taking issue with their looks. The problem was that fewer knights had experience guarding the banquet. This meant that not many of the knights knew the court etiquette. As a result, she didn¡¯t know how to deploy them.


    ¡°First of all, we are focusing on those who have worked in the imperial family and have attended the banquet before, but we are far short of people than we thought. I didn¡¯t know that so many knights were needed for the imperial banquet.¡±


    ¡°It must be because arge number of nobles, as well as imperial figures, areing.¡±


    ¡°I know. I have to pay attention because I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, but I¡¯m going to be frustrated because there aren¡¯t any people I can use.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    With Sienna¡¯s worries, Carl struggled together.


    ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll rmend experienced figures. And we don¡¯t have to rule it out first because it¡¯s a new group of knights. People who are to be ced inside the banquet hall should consider this and that, but those who are to be ced outside the banquet hall only need to have the basics. You don¡¯t have to put all the knights on the face.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ll have the entire fleet conduct etiquette training.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna smiled brightly. She was relieved to hear him.


    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Is there any problem other than that?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll work somehow. How did it go with the invitation for outsiders toe to the wedding with Lady Ferrer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that. As soon as I gave her permission to get married, she prepared for it.¡±


    Sienna nodded. It was the Ferrers who cared more about this marriage than themselves. If she hadn¡¯te forward to prepare for the wedding herself, much would have been covered by the Ferrer family.


    In the past, even though Sienna was not involved, Bluebell¡¯s wedding was more spectacr than any other weddings. It has been talked about for quite some time.


    With the ims of the Ferrer family and the permission of Carl, the wedding was also specially organized. Considering the situation, which was only a few years after the grain shortage, and not long after Carl became the emperor, it was too luxurious.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a really pretty wedding. I also prepared a dress that goes well with Lady Ferrer. Besides, the weather will get warmer by then, so you can decorate the wedding hall with real flowers. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pretty good to have a ceremony with petals flying?¡±


    Sienna was speaking with excitement in the preparation of the ceremony as if it was her own business. Carl then asked Sienna.


    ¡°Have you ever met Bluebell?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been here before. Lady Ferrer is so...she¡¯s as pure as a child.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl looked troubled.


    ¡°Bluebell said something strange. That you allowed me to participate in theing-of-age banquet as a partner for Bluebell.¡±


    She didn¡¯t allow it, she was notified. Sienna just turned away and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Lady Ferrer that you¡¯re going to attend theing-of-age ceremony with her.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s answer, Carl squinted his eyes. He didn¡¯t like it when the two women conceded him like a thing.


    Carl debated if he should show his anger but he decided to keep his mouth shut. Even if he gets angry over such a thing, she will react like it is nothing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much thoughts. I just want you to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Bluebell says she¡¯s going to marry me, but she¡¯s not the empress yet at theing-of-age ceremony. So shouldn¡¯t youe in with me?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. In fact, it was also what Sienna dreamed of and hoped for. But she hid her expression unanswered. Looking at her, Carl looked ufortable.


    *


    She told Carl it was all right, but it wasn¡¯t really all right. Sienna was set to go to theing-of-age banquet but couldn¡¯t leave the room.


    While preparing for the banquet for a month, sheforted herself over and over again that it would be okay, but it didn¡¯t work. Sienna looked in the mirror with a gloomy face. Hain hastened her to go already.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going? It¡¯s the first banquet hosted by the Empress. You¡¯re beautiful enough today, soe on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this hair wave is loose here?¡±


    Sienna was dragging her feet by ming her head for no reason. She really didn¡¯t want to go. There, she wasn¡¯t confident of watching Carl and Bluebelle in hand in hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done enough already. If I do more, the hair will burn and break. Soe on. You will bete for the banquet.¡±


    Sienna was forced to rise to the hastening of Hain. She left the pce with a face of no pleasure. Even though she had not even entered the banquet hall yet, this time felt very difficult.


    Entering the banquet hall, many women pretended to know her and spoke to Sienna. It seems that aristocratic women were excluded from political affairs, but they have done a lot.


    Wives yed a major role in consolidating the husband¡¯s political base. They quickly smelled the power and moved.


    The most important thing in getting information in society was banquets. Since powerful aristocrats gather, the banquet was good for getting information flowing out of their mouths, identifying new figures, and seeing how the power was leaning at a nce.


    However, a banquet hosted by the imperial family has not been held for a while. There was a reason for political stability, a bad year for harvest, and a post-war process, but it must have been frustrating for the aristocrats to wait, especially those in power, who had to line up quickly.


    Same for the aristocratic wives. Of course, the aristocratic women were continuing their rtionship with each other by holding banquets at home, but it was iparable to the imperial banquets.


    They were interested in Sienna.


    Sienna had never been known to people until she became the Crown Princess. The only information about her was that she was the Duchess of Waters. However, nothing was known about the Waters family because they were far from the capital and did note to the capital.


    It was only natural that everyone¡¯s attention was poured upon her, as the secret duchess became the empress only a few years after bing a princess.


    Sienna greeted the approaching wives with a wee face.


    She knew why they wereing to her, but she didn¡¯t have to necessarily reject them. They could take what each other needed, be courteous, and keep the distance.


    ¡°I heard it was your first banquet, and you decorated it very beautifully.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get the band in charge of music at today¡¯s banquet? It¡¯s a band I¡¯ve never seen before, but it¡¯s very good.¡±


    They praised Sienna for the banquet she had prepared alone. Sienna smiled, not hiding that she was in a good mood.


    In the past, when holding a banquet, there was no one to help, so it had to go through countless trials and errors. Arya said she would help, but she didn¡¯t help at all. She just said she would take care of it, saying, ¡°If it¡¯s hard, hand it over to me.¡± Maybe she wanted Sienna to give up and leave everything to her.


    Having no other traits but resilience, Sienna said she would try to solve it all by herself somehow, but she had to beughed at for her rustic taste.


    The banquet could not be held only by the taste and eye of the host. The people needed for the banquet had to be selected well, and the help of thepetent merchant was also needed. Fortunately, with the help of the Green Merchants, which was now run by Kelly, they were able to prepare the banquet more easily.


    In the past, even after getting quite used to holding banquets, women used to talk bad about Sienna. It was not untilter she realized that Arya strongly influenced the criticisms on the banquet hosted by Sienna. She tried to iste Sienna thoroughly and manipte her.


    Arya was seen over the shoulders of the group talking to Sienna. Few people stayed by her side now.


    The people in the capital who filled the banquet hall were those who knew the movement of power faster than anyone else. Depine Panacio, Arya¡¯s brother, was disqualified as the Marquis and retired from the capital as Count, while her son Valore, who was emperor, died and then Carl, whom she had been in bad rtions with, became emperor.


    There was a rumor that she¡¯s reached out to the Ferrers, but that¡¯s why even the hyenas among the aristocrats left her. It was because they realized how far Arya had fallen to the bottom when she reached out to the family that was hostile to her.


    Sienna felt both victory and bitterness to see Arya like that. This was because she was never happy to be around people who moved whenever power moved around. They were the ones who would soon turn their backs.


    Arya, whose eyes met Sienna, came to where she was. Then the crowd surrounding Sienna split up and gave way. Arya greeted those who were beside Sienna with a cold smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Countess Laurent. I heard that your daughter had aing-of-age ceremony recently. If she looked anything like her father, it must¡¯ve been a show.¡±


    She called out names one by one to the members of the group beside Sienna and made a mockery of them under the pretext of greeting. The expressions of the aristocratic wives there were full of displeasure.


    Arya greeted thedies of the nobility one by one, but she did not greet Sienna. Sienna watched her quietly, without scolding. She was tired today and didn¡¯t want to have a war of nerves with her.


    After all, Arya greeted Sienna only after talking to everyone there.


    ¡°Oh, my. I¡¯mte. Your Highness the First Empress, honor to see you.¡±


    Sienna nodded her head with a stiff face and was greeted. Although Sienna was still the only empress, it was unpleasant to have the word ¡°First Empress.¡± The eyes of several women who noticed the meaning of the word ¡°First Empress¡± became thinner.

 Chapter 142: Live to Sienna Pt.142

    <h4>Chapter 142: Live to Sienna Pt.142</h4>


    ¡°You did a decent job today for someone trying for the first time.¡±


    Words such as ¡®trying¡¯ and ¡®first time¡¯ offended Sienna.


    ¡°By the way, how are you dealing with the sadness?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You seem quite good at holding a banquet, but you have to hand it all over to the Empress Bluebell.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Those who had not yet heard of Bluebell bing the second empress asked Arya in a hurry. But most nodded as if they already knew.


    ¡°What is Empress I, and what is Empress II?¡±


    To those who looked surprised, Arya said, raising the tip of her eyebrows.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard about it yet? There¡¯s going to be a celebration in the Empire soon. Ady from the Ferrer family will marry the Emperor. Right after thising-of-age banquet.¡±


    The ones who heard the news for the first time were so surprised that their faces were nk. One of those who had already known asked Arya.


    ¡°But Her Majesty the First Empress will continue to prepare for the banquet, right? Why do you say that the Empress is handing over the banquet preparations to Lady Ferrer?¡±


    Since Bluebell has not yet taken the post of an empress, she added the word ¡°Lady¡± to Bluebell. Arya answered the remark with a great deal of ridicule.


    ¡°One or two, what¡¯s so important about the number before the empress? Since when did that get in front of the empress? Honestly, it¡¯s strange that a second empress even exists. In the past, there was never an incident when two empresses existed at the same time. If an empress didn¡¯t die early, there usually isn¡¯t a second empress.¡±


    Sienna froze her face at Arya¡¯s words. The same was true of the faces of the aristocratic wives surrounding Sienna. Although she was the one who insisted on bringing in the second empress, Arya continued to speak.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Emperor¡¯s opposition, the Empress would have been deposed, and Lady Ferrer would have taken her ce.¡±


    ¡°I heard that it was not the Emperor¡¯s will to receive a second Empress. It was Your Majesty the Empress and Lady Ferrer.¡±


    Countess Lorraine said sharply. Having not been on good terms with Earl of Ferrer, she did not seem to be pleased that Arya¡¯s judgment gave power to the Ferrer family.


    ¡°What can I do? There is no heir between the Emperor and the Empress.¡±


    Arya looked up and down to Sienna as she said that. Her wink seemed as if Sienna had a problem and could not have children.


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    Some of the wives looked at Sienna with surprised looks.


    Sienna and Carl had just been married for two years, but during most of that time, Carl was in the battlefield, so if you think about it a little bit, you could see how ridiculous Arya¡¯s argument was.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she such a good example? Moreover, Empress Sienna is preparing to give way to the empress¡¯ pce and move to a princess¡¯ pce.¡±


    Her words became a sword. She was nailing down that Sienna was an empress who had no influence. Those who were gathered around Sienna looked upset when they realized that they were appealing to Sienna for no reason.


    ¡°I have a special acquaintance with Lady Ferrer...¡±


    ¡°So you were the one who rmends her as the Second Empress, right? How long have you had such a rtionship with the Ferrer family?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I heard it¡¯s hard to reach because there are only a few women in the Ferrer family...¡±


    Their attention quickly shifted to Arya. Arya made eye contact with Sienna and smiled a smile of victory.


    Sienna thought about annoying Arya with aeback but then closed her mouth. She didn¡¯t want to spend her time arguing. She was so tired because the conversation with Arya seemed to gnaw at her nerves.


    ¡°The Emperor¡¯s Majesty and the Lady Ferrer.¡±


    Even though Carl and Bluebell have not yet held a wedding ceremony, those who were at the banquet room were excited at the sound of Carl entering with Bluebell, not the empress Sienna.


    Arya smiled at thedies around her. She seemed to be saying how she was right. As Arya moved on, they left Sienna behind and moved along Arya.


    Sienna was left alone in the middle of the banquet hall. She didn¡¯t feel miserable because she had already expected it, but she didn¡¯t feel very pleasant either.


    The door opened and Carl and Bluebell entered. The seat where Sienna was where the entrance to the banquet hall was face-to-face. At the appearance of the emperor, Carl, everyone bowed their heads and did their manners. Sienna stood alone among those who bowed their heads, facing Carl.


    Carl was also looking at Sienna. Sienna used to think that she could read Carl¡¯s expression quite well, but she didn¡¯t have a clue what he was thinking now. Sienna saw Bluebell standing next to Carl.


    Bluebell had a face full of excitement. Carl¡¯s warm golden hair and Bluebell¡¯s cool-blue silver hair matched each other.


    Sienna thought Carl and Bluebell seemed to be a match made in heaven. The good-looking pair entertained the eyes of the viewers, but for Sienna, it rather made her heart dizzy.


    Carl and Sienna remained eye-to-eye even after the nobles who greeted them raised their heads.


    ¡°Empress Sienna!¡±


    Siena took her eyes off Carl at the familiar voice that called her and looked back. Roy stood there.


    ¡°Priest Roy!¡±


    Roy looked unusually dressed in the robes of the nobility. She had always seen him in a priest¡¯s uniform, but today, he looked like a high-ranking noble. His fair skin made his face look more elegant.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d to meet you here.¡±


    ¡°Priest Roy, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Was it not you who sent me the invitation?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Although she sent the invitation for this banquet to Roy herself, Sienna hadpletely forgotten about it.


    If the size of a royal banquet isrge, it ismon to send invitations not only to domestic aristocrats but also to the aristocrats and influential quasi-guests in other countries who stay in the country.


    Receiving the invitation didn¡¯t mean that the guest woulde because they didn¡¯t have to attend. In particr, the associates of the temple did not participate in banquets. That¡¯s why Sienna never expected Roy to attend theing-of-age banquet.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you.¡±


    Roy scratched his neck and said, ¡°When else can I see Lady Sienna? You told me toe whenever I wanted, but it is not easy to get over the gate. By the way, why do you look so pale? Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little tired.¡±


    ¡°You should leave those to me.¡±


    Roy touched Sienna¡¯s forehead. Sienna¡¯s mind cleared up as if he had poured cold water on it. The tired body also refreshed itself. But her heart was still not refreshed.


    ¡°You are going to be tired because of me, too.¡±


    Sienna knew that Roy¡¯s medical prayer was characterized by the fact that the pain of the opponent had to be transferred to him and he had to feel the pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. My treatment ability has improved significantly since I reached adulthood. Most of the treatment is easy now. I¡¯ve been suffering from incongruity before my body was settled, but now I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Sienna looked surprised. It was a mysterious and great power before, but now it was even better.


    ¡°Congrattions. That¡¯s very fortunate.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°But what do you mean adult?¡±


    ¡°In terms of this empire, I¡¯ve reached adulthood. Isn¡¯t it quite appropriate to be invited to thising-of-age ceremony today?


    Sienna opened her eyes wider than before. Her admiration was great. Considering what he had done so far, it was hard to think that he was not even an adult.


    ¡°I really congratte you. That you havee to stability in power, and you have be an adult.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and now I can get married thanks to that.¡±


    ¡°Can a priest get married?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s also the Earth Goddess¡¯ blessing to have a family. Rather, forming arge family is one of the main virtues. Oh, but I don¡¯t mean I¡¯m getting married right away. Marriage is not something you can do alone. It¡¯s okay if the Goddess doesn¡¯t give me a person of my destiny. I just follow her will.¡±


    ¡°But I hope you get someone precious to you.¡±


    ¡°Me, too. I¡¯d like someone as beautiful and kind as Sienna.¡±


    Facing Roy, smiling and speaking, Sienna smiled, too.


    Roy and Siena settled in the corner of the banquet hall. Sienna was the only one who he knew in the banquet hall, and Sienna didn¡¯t feel the need to talk to the nobles. Moreover, no one was interested in Sienna, perhaps because Bluebell, the new empress-to-be, was at the banquet hall.


    Roy and Sienna talked about things they couldn¡¯t talk about without the interruption of others. Most of the stories were about boarding schools where the children were staying.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such an underground warehouse there. How the children had found it.¡±


    Roy recently talked about an underground storage that the children found at the school. The dormitory where the children were staying now was renovated by buying the warehouse next to the temple, where the children recently found a door leading to an underground secret warehouse.


    ¡°I went down there because of the children¡¯s words, and it was full of barrels of alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Not a bottle, but barrels?¡±

 Chapter 143: Live to Sienna Pt.143

    <h4>Chapter 143: Live to Sienna Pt.143</h4>


    ¡°Yes. Huge barrels that reach up to my waist. Aunt Kelly says it seems to be a liquor storage that was built for the purpose of secretly storing or distributing alcohol in the past when smuggling was banned. They said they couldn¡¯t drink because they were so old and have changed tastes, so I put out the barrels that were taking over the space and now it¡¯s quite big. I¡¯m using it as a yground for kids now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. But is it okay, wouldn¡¯t the basement be dark?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I went in, and it was really dark. And what¡¯s interesting is that it¡¯s soundproofed so when you close the door, the sound doesn¡¯te out. But from inside the sound outside was very vivid. It was built to avoid a crackdown on illegal liquor, so I think it was built like that. I was worried that it would be dangerous for the children because it was dark, but they yed well in the dark, maybe they have bright eyes at night. I told them not to go in, but they kept going in and out of my sight so now I just let them be.¡±


    ¡°I guess the kids are happy to have a secret hideout.¡±


    ¡°I think so. If you go underground and take a closer look, there are little hidden things that children value. When I see it, I can feel that they really care about it. But unlike children, Coco gets scared whenever she goes there.¡±


    ¡°Your cat, Coco?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Once the kids took sleeping Coco underground, and they were very surprised at how loud he was screaming and wielding his nails. After that, they never take Coco underground.¡±


    ¡°I miss Coco.¡±


    ¡°Do you really miss him?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then shall I show you?¡±


    At Roy¡¯s words, Sienna looked back with questioning eyes and asked if it was possible.


    ¡°In fact, Coco followed me all the way here.¡±


    ¡°Into the pce?¡±


    Sienna was surprised to hear that the cat followed him into the pce.


    ¡°Maybe because of the bad memory of being dragged underground by the children¡¯s hands the other day, he¡¯s been following me around. No matter how many times I exin I can¡¯t be with him today, he¡¯s stubbornly willing toe... he¡¯s probably waiting for me wandering around the garden. Would you like to go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see!¡±


    Sienna was ncing at Carl while talking to Roy. Every time he looked at him, Bluebell looked at Sienna, wrapping his arms around him. It was like a warning not to even look at him because he was hers.


    Sienna hated to feel like an uninvited guest. So Roy¡¯s suggestion to go out to the garden was wee.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to take that with me on my way out. Coco will like the unseasoned chicken, too.¡±


    When Sienna looked at the chicken she had her eyes on, Roy winked and said, showing something tightly wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket.


    ¡°I already have it.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I was thinking somehow you smell like chicken.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t think it was the smell of a priest who didn¡¯t eat meat, but this was what he was hiding. Sienna couldn¡¯t hold back herughter. He was wearing pretty clothes like a well-grown nobleman and hiding chicken in his pocket.


    Sienna and Roy left the banquet hall and headed for the garden.


    ¡°Carl?¡±


    Carl couldn¡¯t hear a single word from Bluebell, who was babbling beside him. He seemed distracted since the time he entered the banquet hall. Since he entered the banquet as a partner of Bluebell, not as a partner of Sienna, he felt ufortable as if he was wearing clothes that didn¡¯t fit him.


    What he saw as soon as he entered the banquet hall was Sienna, standing alone at the banquet hall and looking at him.


    She was staring at him and Carl has no idea what the hell she was thinking. Carl thought she looked lonelier today. Was it because he¡¯s not beside her?


    Someone acted first when Carl tried to approach her. Carl knew him.


    Priest Roy. A temple priest of the earth. In the words of Sienna, he was a great man who could perform miracles of healing. Carl knew for a long time that he was close to Sienna, but he was not happy to see them together with his own eyes.


    ¡°Oh, my! Is that priest Roy?¡±


    At the voice of the Bluebell, Carl nodded slowly.


    ¡°Good. I asked the Empress to invite him. Can¡¯t you invite him to my wedding?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean why? I¡¯d like to receive his blessing at my wedding. I heard it was really pretty when Sienna got hers. Oh! You didn¡¯t attend the wedding either, did you? So you haven¡¯t seen it.¡±


    Bluebellughed as if she had made a funny joke.


    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s your first time going into a wedding hall like me. Carl¡¯s real wedding is with me, right? Oh, I feel sorry for the Empress. I can¡¯t believe she had a wedding alone. What kind of wedding is that? I would be so embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t even enter the ceremony and would run away crying.¡±


    ¡°Just because she entered the ceremony alone doesn¡¯t mean that the marriage has no meaning.¡±


    When Carl spoke in a dissatisfied voice, Bluebell looked at him and said, ¡°What¡¯s important whether you marry alone or with someone, is whether you marry someone you love or not.¡±


    Bluebell hugged Carl¡¯s arm and looked up at him, and Carl gave no answer. There was no need to express disapproval when they had to get married anyway. As Sienna advised, it was necessary to restore rtions with the Ferrer family through Bluebell for the time being.


    ¡°It would be better for the Empress to divorce Carl and marry someone she loves.¡±


    ¡°Divorce?¡±


    ¡°Of course I know. Marriage with the Emperor is not something that you can do at your own will. I¡¯m not such an idiot that I don¡¯t know that a royal wedding isn¡¯t just about love.¡±


    Bluebell looked up at Carl with a look of admiration. Carl said nothing, but she said with a big smile.


    ¡°When I think about it, I think I¡¯m really blessed. I can¡¯t believe I can marry someone I love. Isn¡¯t that right, Carl?¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna without answering Bluebell¡¯s question. Sienna was smiling and talking to Roy. It was a bright smile that he hadn¡¯t seen on her for a while.


    ¡°The one the Empress is in love with is that Roy priest, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Carl grabbed Bluebell¡¯s arm and asked. Bluebell whined that it hurt and took off his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors.¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡±


    When Carl showed interest, Bluebell said excitedly.


    ¡°It is rumored that the Empress epted the imperial proposal because she had a crush on the priest but couldn¡¯t get married to him because he is a priest. Don¡¯t you feel teary about their love? Imagine being Priest Roy, having to bless his lover at her wedding. I heard Roy looked really sad that day. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because you have to watch the wedding of the woman you love, or if it¡¯s because you feel sorry for the Empress who had a solo ceremony.¡±


    Bluebell exined vividly, as if she had been present, even though she was not there. Listening to her story alone, Sienna and Roy seemed like lovers of tragedy who were star-crossed.


    Carl watched Sienna and Roy with a grim look on his face. They set out on the terrace connected to the garden.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Carl was dumbfounded andmented. There¡¯s a rumor going around between the two, and they¡¯re going out to the garden by themselves.


    During a banquet, the garden was more widely used in other ways than its original meaning. A secret rendezvous ce for lovers. Since the two rumored people went out to the garden, groundless spection would be rampant.


    ¡°Oh my! Her Majesty the Empress.¡±


    Bluebell called Arya in a friendly manner. It was evident how close the Ferrer family and Arya had be.


    Carl checked that Bluebell was mingling between Arya and her flock and headed for the balcony. It was a balcony with a good view of the garden.


    The darkened garden, a beautiful tree shadow, was covering up the many couples¡¯ intimate rendezvous. But their conversation was vividly delivered to Carl.


    Carl turned his mind off them and found Sienna and Roy. The two sat opposite the fountain, where the moonlight shone brightly, without even thinking about hiding themselves.


    ¡°Coco, long time no see.¡±


    Sienna was petting a cat that was eating chicken meat, and Roy was looking at her and the cat happily. Despite being so far away, Carl could feel the tight bond between Sienna and Roy. The ss in Carl¡¯s hand cracked with a crunch.


    ¡°I forgot, but I have something for you, Sienna.¡±


    Roy took the envelope out of his arms as if he had only just remembered it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a letter from the children of the temple to Sienna. It could have been a disaster. If I hadn¡¯t given it to you, they would have been very disappointed.¡±


    At the words ¡°Letters from the children of the temple,¡± Sienna epted with pleasure.


    ¡°Is it really written by children?¡±


    The envelope was quite thick.


    ¡°As soon as they got used to reading and writing, they were so adamant that they would write to Lady Sienna. They asked me how to mail the letter to the pce, but I didn¡¯t know, so I brought it myself.¡±


    Sienna wanted to open it up and read it right away, but because there wasn¡¯t enough light in the garden to read, so she thought she should read it when she returned to the pce.


    Sienna gently swept down the words ¡®Dear Sienna¡¯ written on the envelope. Carl frowned at the sight. It was because the rumor he just heard from Bluebell filled his head.


    Not knowing that Carl¡¯s misunderstanding was deepening, Sienna and Roy smiled brightly.

 Chapter 144: Live to Sienna Pt.144

    <h4>Chapter 144: Live to Sienna Pt.144</h4>


    *


    ¡°Are you absolutely sure about this information you bring?!¡±


    At Arya¡¯s sharp question, her loyalty said, bowing their heads, ¡°I can bet my life on it. We tracked down the Green Merchants that helped the Empress prepare for theing-of-age ceremony and found a number of matches with the Dark Merchants that were active during the soaring prices of grain in the capital. We¡¯ve also confirmed that the people in the contract ovep.¡±


    ¡°As expected...¡±


    Arya nodded when she confirmed that what she had guessed was right.


    ¡°And we found something new.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a bad rumor about Your Highness and the previous Emperor?¡±


    Arya frowned at his words. How embarrassing was the rumor that Valore was not a child of the Emperor Rodbius?


    At that time, it was clear that the seat of the emperor would have been lost to Carl if she had not quickly and put Valore on the throne. Although ironically, when Valore died early, Carl was crowned emperor anyway.


    ¡°What about the rumor?¡±


    ¡°We have found the source of the rumor.¡±


    ¡°Where was it?¡±


    ¡°It was an orphanage.¡±


    ¡°An orphanage?¡±


    ¡°It was a rumor from the children of an orphanage run by the temple of the Goddess of the Earth.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I thought she was an ignorant girl who knew nothing. I was fooled. I¡¯ve beenpletely fooled!¡±


    Crack-


    Her fingernail, scraping down the table handle, broke and bled. Arya was so angry that she was deceived by someone she had looked down on.


    ¡°The abominable bitch! She pretended she didn¡¯t know anything, and she was doing all sorts of things behind me!¡±


    Arya started to wonder from what point it was Sienna¡¯s n.


    The more she thought about it, the more she became angry. How much did she suffer from that bitch? The Southern Chamber of Commerce, which was her fund base, copsed, and her brother Depine was demoted from a Marquis to Earl and returned to his own estate.


    Not only that. When Valore was in the emperor¡¯s position, Sienna set Valore and her apart and made him hold a knights¡¯ contest. The knights nted inside the imperial family were reced.


    It wasn¡¯t just this visible loss. Rumors that Valore was not the son of the emperor tarnished the reputation of Arya and Valore and even shook the foundation of her power.


    ¡°I thought she was an easy-to-y rabbit, but she was a wildcat with her ws hidden.¡±


    Arya felt like her blood was spurting upside down when she thought Sienna would haveughed at her, who had to let go of power in her hands because of Valore¡¯s sudden death.


    The same was true of when she didn¡¯t even care about what Arya said at the banquet a few days ago. Regardless of whether Arya was annoying her or not, Sienna was smiling as if she was the winner.


    It wasn¡¯t this dirty feeling, even when Valore died and her power was torn to shreds by Carl.


    Arya was seized with a desire to tear Sienna apart. She wanted to see Sienna with her own eyes as she crawled under her feet and shed tears in pain.


    ¡°You must take back as much as you have given me, Sienna! It¡¯s a great illusion if you thought I wouldn¡¯t know this until the end. I¡¯ll make you regret it. I¡¯ll watch you cry blood.¡±


    Empress Arya ordered her man to do something in a blood-boiling voice. How horrible the order was if it did not mean anything to her.


    *


    As soon as the Coming-of-Age banquet was over, Sienna was busy preparing for Bluebell¡¯s wedding. Preparing for theing-of-age banquet was no fun, but Bluebell¡¯s wedding was even less wee.


    Although she insisted Carl marry Bluebell for political reasons, as if it didn¡¯t bother her, but frankly she did not want Bluebell to be the empress. She wanted to own Carl, who was gradually giving himself to her. But Sienna knew it was all a useless greed.


    Sitting in her study with a mncholy heart, mechanically preparing for the wedding, she took a letter out of her arms. It was a letter that the children of the orphanage wrote to her with their newly-learned skills of writing. Sienna read it over and over again, but she never got tired of it.


    ¡°Are you reading the letter again? You always carry it in your arms. Is it an important letter to the Empress?¡±


    Shaylin, who was cleaning the vase next to Sienna, asked. This was because Sienna read it so often that the end of the paper was tattered.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a very important letter for me.¡±


    Sienna always carried letters from the children. Whenever she was depressed, she felt better when she took it out and saw it.


    Sienna especially liked the letter from Kevin. Kevin¡¯s letter showed his desire to be an older brother figure to the orphanage¡¯s younger ones. Sienna was proud to know that the little boy grew up so much in two years and was now a boy who cared for his younger ones.


    /When Lady Sienna handed me the lunch box, I knew it was food for Lady Sienna to eat, but I couldn¡¯t refuse it. I was so hungry. All I ate for nearly a week was water from the fountain in the central square. So I knew it was bad to steal Coco¡¯s food, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Thank you for handing out lunch boxes instead of scolding me. Thanks to Lady Sienna, I don¡¯t get hungry anymore. I can eat the food that the priest Roy gives me every day. Priest Roy said it was all thanks to Lady Sienna. I think so, too. To me, Sienna is more like a goddess than the goddess of the earth./ (Gothic font)


    Sienna read the part that Kevin said that she was like a goddess as close to her body as possible, as she was embarrassed to show it to Shaylin. Although she knew Shaylin couldn¡¯t read, she felt embarrassed for no reason.


    Sienna especially liked Kevin¡¯s letter, not because Kevin praised her as a goddess, but because they had built that much rtionship. It pleased Sienna that the child who ate Coco¡¯s food now gained weight and learned to write to her.


    Sienna was thinking about how to reply and thought it would be okay to put dried petals on the letter paper. While trying to ask Hain if she could get the dried petals, her eyes were on Shaylin, who was wiping the vase.


    ¡°So I don¡¯t see Hain today. Where did she go?¡±


    ¡°Miss Hain is in the kitchen thinking about what wine and food to offer for the wedding banquet.¡±


    Sienna answered with her eyes still fixed on Kevin¡¯s letter.


    ¡°Really? I haven¡¯t thought of anything yet. What would be good?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s making this and that at the restaurant right now. Why don¡¯t you take a look and choose? I think that¡¯s going to ease the burden on Miss Hain...¡±


    At Shaylin¡¯s words, Sienna rose from her seat.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too. So, shall we go down there ourselves?¡±


    Shaylin looked at the letter Sienna was holding and said, ¡°The letter could go bad because the restaurant has a lot of moisture.¡±


    It urred to Shaylin that maybe Sienna could drop the letter where there was water and damage the letter.


    ¡°Right. Then could you put it in the firstpartment of the drawer next to my bed? The key should be under themp on the desk.¡±


    ¡°I will. Shall I clean up while I¡¯m in your room?¡±


    The owner¡¯s room and bedroom had to be allowed in, even though she was Sienna¡¯s maid. Sienna nodded at the thought of needing cleaning.


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s going to be hard to do alone, so call someone else and clean up together. There¡¯ll be a lot of work to do alone.¡±


    Just in time, the door opened and a maid came into the drawing room. It was Leia, who had worked at the pce as long as Hain. She was not of noble blood, so she couldn¡¯t go up to the head maid¡¯s level like Hain, but as a senior, she took good care of her juniors. Most of the neers relied on her since she was sociable and had a budding temperament.


    When she found the two, she smiled as bright as her blond hair. She said that she had been told by Hain who was worried about Shaylin assisting Sienna alone. Sienna asked her, ¡°That¡¯s great. Leia, can you clean my room with Shaylin?¡±


    Shaylin shook her head fiercely before Leia could answer.


    ¡°No! I can do it by myself.¡±


    Shaylin¡¯s voice cracked at the end. She was usually quiet, so Sienna looked at her with a puzzled look because she never made a loud noise. Shaylin¡¯s face was red.


    ¡°But it¡¯s hard to clean up alone.¡±


    ¡°No, I can do it alone. It¡¯s okay because the room isn¡¯t that spacious.¡±


    Compared to the drawing room, it was small but not small enough to clean it alone. On the contrary, unlike ces where dust was swept and cleaned every day, the room had a lot to pay attention to.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to do it alone because you have to change the curtains while you are cleaning. Shaylin, let me help you.¡±


    Leia said in a cool voice.


    ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s too much to do alone. Do it with Leia. I¡¯ll be in the kitchen.¡±


    It was obvious that Shaylin didn¡¯t want to be with Leia, but Sienna stood up without hesitation.


    ¡®I guess other maids are ufortable because I¡¯m only with Hain. With Leia, Shaylin would open her heart soon.¡¯


    Sienna immediately went to the kitchen that was in charge of the meals of the empress¡¯ pce. The kitchen was downstairs.


    It was the first time she hade down to the kitchen herself, so Sienna was curious. She wondered where the delicious foods that were served on her table every day were made.


    Following her, the Knight of Phoenix opened the heavy kitchen door. Then a sweet smell came in.


    The kitchen floor was covered with dark blue tiles and a wooden sink. The maids huddled together on arge table in the middle of the kitchen and were talking with serious faces.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too sweet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be sweet. Wedding food is supposed to be sweet.¡±


    ¡°But I think it¡¯s still too sweet. I think it would be better to add a different scent than just sweet ones. It just looks different, it tastes the same.¡±


    Hain was in the group of heated debates. Sienna called Hain. Hain, who was discussing fervently, turned around.


    ¡°Your Majesty! What are you doing here? Why didn¡¯t you order Shaylin if you needed anything? Are you thirsty? Would you like a drink?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m here because I heard you¡¯re worried about the food for the wedding.¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve been pondering, but...¡±


    Hain had a troubled look on her face. It was food for Bluebell¡¯s wedding, but she seemed sorry to ask Sienna.


    Sienna smiled softly as if she read her mind. The final decision maker was Sienna herself, so it was something she had to do anyway.


    ¡°May not be of much help. What are you so worried about?¡±


    When Sienna asked with a bright expression, Hain looked relieved. Sienna began to worry about the food for the wedding with her maids.

 Chapter 145: Live to Sienna Pt.145

    <h4>Chapter 145: Live to Sienna Pt.145</h4>


    After allowing Bluebell to enter the pce, Carl¡¯s work has be much more stable. There have been many problems with the progress of the work due to the aristocracy¡¯s reluctance to deal with the problems quickly, but now it was going smoothly.


    Sienna and Carl sat at a table in the garden and drank tea together under the warm sun.


    ¡°This is nice.¡±


    Sienna breathed in the cold air and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy, so it wasn¡¯t easy to drink tea in the garden like this for a while.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl looked only at her teacup without a reply.


    -Her Majesty the Empress and Priest Roy, didn¡¯t you feel like you were truly in love? Not just because of the rumors, but because of that look. Moreover, there were rumors that there was a trace of another man in your room that day after the Empress¡¯s wedding.


    Carl knew that what Bluebell had said to him after the banquet was nonsense. Because on the wedding night, it was not another man but himself who stayed in her bedroom. But Roy bothered him.


    Carl wanted to ask Sienna about her rtionship with Roy. However, he kept his mouth shut because he might seem like an ugly husband who was specting for no reason. Nevertheless, his head was full of Roy and Sienna¡¯s friendly looks.


    ¡°With you...¡±


    Eventually, he tried to open his mouth, but Sienna first uttered an exmation.


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    On herp was a cat with ck fur, which Carl did not even know when it came.


    Meow-meow-meow-


    The cat cried nervously.


    ¡°Coco! What brings you here?¡±


    Sienna stroked Coco¡¯s back.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯te here without telling Roy, did you? Roy will be worried.¡±


    Sienna was d to see the cat but was worried that Roy might be looking for it.


    ¡°By the way, why are you so wet? Did you roll yourself in the mud?¡±


    Sienna scratched the cat¡¯s chin and pulled her hand out with a strange feeling. There was blood on her fingers. Carl smelled the blood and reached for the cat.


    ¡°Coco, are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the cat¡¯s blood.¡±


    Sienna looked surprised at Carl¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s the smell of human blood.¡±


    ¡°Where... don¡¯t tell me!¡±


    Sienna¡¯s hands trembled with a scary feeling. She tried to think that the cat might have caught some blood on the way through the pce, but her anxious thoughts did not subside easily.


    ¡°I have to go... Oh, how do we get there? I have to go...¡±


    She began to talk gibberish.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Asked Carl, grabbing her arms and making eye contact.


    ¡°In the temple, priest Roy and the children...¡±


    ¡°You mean this cat came from the temple?¡±


    ¡°Coco is a temple cat. I¡¯m sure she came all the way here to ask for help. I have to go.¡±


    Sienna jumped to her feet, thinking that she should go there, even if she had to run right away.


    ¡°If you go out like this, I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be a backbiting.¡±


    Now she had an office as the empress. As a member of the imperial family, there were many eyes to watch her every move. Although she enjoyed many benefits, there were restrictions.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Sienna said firmly. It didn¡¯t matter what they said. For now, the children and Roy in the temple were more important to her than such gossip.


    ¡°Do you not know what¡¯s been said about you and the Roy Priest?¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°There are rumors circting about you and the priest that I don¡¯t even want to put in my mouth. If you keep running to the temple as it is, the rumor will be credible. There¡¯ll be a lot of believers.¡±


    ¡°Then what do I do?!¡±


    Sienna cried out in tears. Carl spoke to scared Sienna in a gentle voice.


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you. Let¡¯s get out through the Elf¡¯s woods.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯ll take me to the temple?¡±


    ¡°It would be much faster for you to get out on a horse than to walk there.¡±


    Carl had previously told her that he used to sneak out of the pce through the forest of Elves and it was somewhat reassuring to Sienna as he suggested that. He urged Sienna to change her clothes, as he was hurrying to step forward.


    Sienna wore a skirt that at first nce looked casual and wore a brown cape. Carl also changed into a regr knight¡¯s outfit. The two, who left the cat to Hain, rode through the forest of Elves on Carl¡¯s ck horse.


    For the first time, Sienna felt nothing but uneasiness, even though she was doing a wonderful job of walking through the forest of Elves and exiting the pce. She was frustrated and worried because she couldn¡¯t know what had happened at the temple.


    The familiar appearance of the capital city was revealed as they passed through the tunnel of the long forest. Carl quickly drove his horse to the temple of the goddess of the earth, which was located near the fortress. The temple was close to the forest of the Elves, so it was possible to get there without attracting people¡¯s attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet here.¡±


    It was as he said. The temple was very quiet.


    Sienna sighed with relief at the sight. But soon it was strange that the temple was so quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡±


    Usually, people would being in and out of the temple. Due to therge number of children living in the dormitory, children who went to and from the temple and ying in the fields were always present.


    Even if all the children were inside the temple, they should have heard some noise, but it was so quiet. There was no sign of activity. The whole temple seemed to be holding its breath.


    Carl murmured at the time of the creeping up of anxiety.


    ¡°It smells like blood.¡±


    Sienna opened the temple door with one stroke and stepped inside. The ce was quiet just as it had been from the outside.


    She headed for the warehouse behind the temple with anxiety. It was the ce where the children were using as dormitories.


    ¡°It¡¯s a footprint.¡±


    It was as Carl said. In the garden leading from the temple to the warehouse were footprints left by big men.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a child¡¯s footprint.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s an adult male by size. About ten people.¡±


    Sienna sped up at his words. When she reached the dormitory door, Carl stopped her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll open it.¡±


    Carl pushed the light brown wooden door before Sienna. The well-managed door opened gently.


    Soon there was a strong smell of blood inside the door. Sienna shut her eyes to the terrible disaster.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Even Carl, who was ustomed to war, was not used to such a sight. They were such young children that were bleeding. The children were mutted to the point where it felt excessive. This was a scene of a one-sided massacre.


    ¡°Robin!¡±


    Sienna ran toward the child lying at the entrance. He was the oldest-looking child among them.


    ¡°My God, Robin!¡±


    Sienna called Robin¡¯s name over and over again. Although he was young, he was a child who was acting as the older brother to other kids so that the kids on the street could grow up properly. He even had a younger sister.


    Sienna even heard a news recently that Robin got a job in the Merchants after he learned how to write. The child, who said his dream was to make money and buy a house to live with his sister, was hanging lifelessly like a broken puppet. Sienna called Robin¡¯s name out loud, but the child couldn¡¯t answer.


    Unlike Sienna, who was holding on to a cold child, Carl calmly grasped the situation. The direction of the footprints and the array of the children lying down on the floor confirmed the route of the intruders. He saw another door behind the warehouse.


    ¡°What is that ce?¡±


    Sienna, sobbing with Robin in her arms, seemed unable to answer his questions. Carl observed the scene carefully and found out that no intruders remained nearby, then opened the door.


    Inside was a row of bunk beds. Red blood spattered on a newly made bed.


    ¡°Two here, a total of seven?¡±


    Carl quickly figured out how many children were killed in the incident. All the victims with blood were children, and priest Roy was not one of them.


    ¡°Uhhh...¡±


    One of the children who he thought was dead groaned thinly. Carl approached the child in a step.


    It was a young boy who looked about ten years old. His stomach had been badly torn, part of his gut had escaped through the wound. It was unbelievable that he was still breathing.


    The child was in great pain. Carl thought it might be better for him to take his life now.


    It was obvious that Sienna would object if he told her that. If she was also close to this child, the process of having to take his breath would be more painful than confirming the child¡¯s death.


    It was time for Carl to pull out the sword to take care of it before Sienna knew it. Then the door opened.


    Thinking she couldn¡¯t just stay in despair, Sienna came in to see if there was any living child and found a child breathing heavily in front of Carl.


    ¡°Kevin!¡±


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°He was the one who told me about you when you got stabbed.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl carefully examined the child¡¯s face. He looked like a child who told him where to hide. He couldn¡¯t recognize him at a nce because he got bigger and fatter.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Kevin was blinded by pain. Carl made up his mind. He wanted to hurry especially if the child was the one who helped him. It urred to Carl that it would be better to take his life quickly and release him from this pain.


    ¡°Turn around Sienna.¡±

 Chapter 146: Live to Sienna Pt.146

    <h4>Chapter 146: Live to Sienna Pt.146</h4>


    Carl ordered Sienna and drew his sword. Sienna looked at the sword, which gave a green glow, and stopped him. She realized what he was about to do.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°This kid can¡¯t live anyway. It¡¯s better to let him gofortably than to keep him suffering like this and then die.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Sienna pulled off Carl, who was about to end Kevin¡¯s life.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about your emotions. With this much injury, it¡¯s unimaginable to be alive right now. How much more are you going to let him suffer? It would be better for this kid to make himfortable at once.¡±


    ¡°No! He can save him. I¡¯m sure Roy will save him. We can save it!¡±


    Sienna clung to Carl¡¯s arm holding a sword and shouted.


    ¡°No matter how capable he is, this is too much.¡±


    ¡°The power of treatment of God is great, but how can we save this child, who is already like a dead body?¡± Sienna was stubborn. ¡°Here.¡± Carl shook his head.


    ¡°No, Roy will be able to save his life if he keeps his breath. Please.¡±


    Unable to beat Sienna¡¯s request, Carl put the sword back in. She wrapped her hands around Kevin¡¯s torn stomach. It was to stop the bleeding.


    Kevin no longer groaned. He was on the verge of death.


    ¡°Please wake up...¡±


    ¡°If Priest Roy doesn¡¯t get here soon...he¡¯ll have to save the body of a dead child, not a dying child.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    Sienna said confidently, with no information on where Roy was.


    ¡°Kevin, wake up. Please hang in there until Priest Royes.¡±


    Sienna held on to Kevin and said desperately. Carl was looking at them, trying to calm his grieving heart when he felt a small movement.


    ¡°Is there another space here? I hear the children crying.¡±


    Sienna recalled what Roy said at the banquet at Carl¡¯s words. There was a secret space on the floor of the dormitory, which used to be a liquor storehouse, so it was used as a hideout for children.


    ¡°I heard there was a ce on the floor of the children¡¯s bedroom that used to be a liquor storehouse.¡±


    When Carl heard that, he looked between the beds. Sienna also heard only through Roy that there was a ce like that, so she couldn¡¯t exin it in detail because she didn¡¯t know exactly where it was.


    Carl quickly scanned the floor. He could see a spot on the wooden floor where the gap stood out. When he knocked on the spot, there was a hollow sound, unlike other floors. Through that, he knew there was another space under the wooden floor.


    He lifted his finger between the cracks. The door was oiled and lifted smoothly.


    ¡°AHHHHH!¡±


    The children¡¯s cries were heard as soon as there was a crack.


    ¡°Save us! Please!¡±


    The frightened children begged for help as soon as the light came on in the dark underground. Carl said he wasn¡¯t a killer with a puzzled look, but it didn¡¯t work. The children, who saw Carl¡¯s face for the first time thought he was an intruder who came to kill them, cried, and begged for their lives.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to save you.¡±


    Said Carl, reaching out his hand. The crying children could not easily believe what Carl said. After a long pause, the children came up holding his hand.


    The children¡¯s condition was a mess. Some children had vomited underground, some had vomit on their clothes, and some showed disrespect for their pants. Even the street children who grew up in harsh conditions were not able to handle this situation.


    The children came up and vomited again, unable to bear the sight of the misery.


    The floor was covered with blood and parts of the body that fell off rolled on the floor. What¡¯s worse was that those who shed their blood were friends who slept and ate with them.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? No, rather, where is Priest Roy?¡±


    Carl asked a girl who was in a rtively normal state of speaking.


    ¡°The Merchants, the Merchants... He went there.¡±


    ¡°Merchants?¡±


    Sienna answered Carl instead of the girl.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably talking about Aunt Kelly¡¯s Green Merchants. I¡¯m going to go get the priest Roy.¡±


    Carl shook his head at Sienna¡¯s words. It was clear that she would be in the limelight if she went outside, covered in blood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. If you could exin where it is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Said the girl who had just answered Carl¡¯s question. Carl said he would go because he had to move quickly, but the child strengthened her eyes and said clearly.


    ¡°I¡¯m good at running. I can run fast.¡±


    Carl read the will in the child¡¯s eyes. He let her go because he didn¡¯t want to break the child¡¯s will.


    The child turned around and moved quickly, but stopped at the door. The child¡¯s face showed a fear that was hard to win by will alone.


    Carl knew the horrors outside the door. He didn¡¯t know if the child saw the tragedy or not, but it was a terrible thing that the child should never see. Carl hugged the child around her waist and lifted her up.


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    The child, who suddenly fell into Carl¡¯s arms, screamed in a fit of surprise.


    ¡°Only until the entrance to the temple. Keep your eyes closed.¡±


    Understanding Carl¡¯s words, the child closed her eyes tightly and covered her face with her palm showing her nervousness. Carl looked around Sienna and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Be careful please.¡±


    Carl wondered what was there to be careful abouting back forth from the Merchants, but he still answered by simply nodding his head.


    The children who came up from the basement went near Sienna. Fortunately, there were children who knew Sienna. The children sat around Kevin next to Sienna.


    Sienna asked the children what happened. The children exined about the crowd of men who entered the temple as soon as Roy left.


    ¡°We thought they were new believers. There are a lot of new peopleing these days.¡±


    ¡°Did theye in without a mask?¡±


    Sienna bit her lower lip when she heard that they had entered the entrance with a mask covering their faces.


    Not even thinking about covering their face meant they came in with a purpose not to leave any witnesses behind. The aim was to kill all the children in the temple from the start.


    ¡°Yes, they just came in. They asked me where the priest was, so I told them he¡¯d be back in the afternoon. And one of them locked the door that leads outside of the temple.¡±


    The children judged their behavior suspicious. Robin immediately captured their grotesque energy and movements and whispered to Kevin to run away to the dormitory, lock the door, and evacuate the children. Kevin didn¡¯t understand Robin at once, but he was a reliable brother, so he moved quickly as he said and went into the dormitory.


    The men took out their swords immediately realizing that the children had noticed. What the children saw as they closed the back door of the temple was the bloody faces of their older brothers, and of the man running to stop them from closing the door.


    Fortunately, Kevin and the children could enter the dormitory and lock the door. But the raiders tried to kick in the door.


    There was nowhere to run. Men who couldn¡¯t win with their bare hands were swinging long swords. Kevin realized it was hard to survive in their hands.


    ¡°*sniff sniff* Kevin told me to hide down there. And don¡¯t make any noise because bad people havee in.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Kevin hide with you?¡±


    ¡°Kevin and we are too short to close that door from the inside. You have to push it outside like this. I asked him toe in with me, but...¡±


    The child burst into tears without being able to speak. They would never forget Kevin¡¯s face who assured them they would be okay as he closed the basement door above them, for the rest of their life.


    Kevin must have been scared, but still went on to tell the younger ones that it¡¯ll be okay, don¡¯t worry about him and keep holding their breaths. Kevin apparently still managed to raise the corners of his mouth, but he was shaking with a paleplexion. He kept looking back at the noise of knocking down the door. Nevertheless, he tried not to show fear.


    ¡°To save us...¡±


    ¡°Sienna, is Kevin going to die? Is he dying because of us?¡±


    The children, who had just barely stopped crying, burst into tears again. Sienna also burst into tears.


    ¡°No. When Royes, he¡¯ll save him. He will, I promise.¡±


    Sienna spoke emphatically, but the children didn¡¯t believe it. She was so nervous that she had trouble speaking, and her eyes were soaking wet with tears.


    Children¡¯s cries grew louder in the dormitory. The dormitory, which served as a roof for children with nowhere to go, had be a terrible scene of a crime, with a mixture of the smell of blood and filth.


    Sienna hoped that the door would open before the faint pulse felt in her palm stopped. She hoped Carl gets Roy in a hurry...


    The door opened wide and Carl came in as if her earnestness had worked. Roy hung on one arm of Carl with an uneasy face.


    ¡°Priest Roy!¡±


    Sienna shouted in a voice of joy and relief.


    *PLOP* Carl threw Roy to the floor and dropped him. Roy raised himself with a cough.


    ¡°Cough, cough! What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Asked Roy, who came dangled into Carl¡¯s arm and saw the terrible misery inside the temple.


    ¡°Hurry! Please save Kevin quickly.¡±


    There was no time to exin this situation. Sienna felt the pulse in her palm too faint and slow to be sure that Kevin was alive now. It was an attack that would not make it strange if Kevin¡¯s heart stopped immediately.

 Chapter 147: Live to Sienna Pt.147

    <h4>Chapter 147: Live to Sienna Pt.147</h4>


    Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Roy ran to Sienna as soon as he could.


    ¡°Oh, my... Kevin!¡±


    Roy put his hand on Kevin¡¯s wound. A bright light flowed from his palm. The light crept away from Roy¡¯s hand as if it were carrying life into Kevin¡¯s stomach.


    Carl watched Roy seriously.


    Carl was a man who did not believe in a god. Therefore, he did not believe in the existence of divine power. But seeing it in person felt different.


    Watching the strange sight did not create a sudden belief in god. But it was true that he was amazed at the miracle.


    Roy¡¯s healing power rose significantly after theing-of-age ceremony, but treating Kevin, who was close to death, was daunting for him, too. Roy¡¯s whole body was drenched with sweat.


    The re of light gradually reduced its size. It was not until the light from his hands disappeared that Roy took his hands off Kevin.


    The terrible wounds that were pouring out of the gut were all healed. Only the torn clothes and traces of blood showed that Kevin had been hurt.


    ¡°Is Kevin all better now?¡±


    ¡°Not all better because my power is still not the greatest.¡±


    ¡°But he can still live, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kevin is alive.¡±


    Roy answered Sienna and looked around. His expression was not good even though he saved Kevin¡¯s life. Because six children lost their lives.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    The children held their breath when Kevin groaned. They followed the movement of his lips in case they missed Kevin¡¯s voice.


    Kevin and Sienna¡¯s eyes met. The child smiled with his eyes folded.


    ¡°If I¡¯m seeing an angel...I guess I¡¯m dead.¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t tell he was not fully awake or if he had enough energy left to joke around, but breaths of relief came out from everyone there when they heard Kevin¡¯s voice. Sienna had her hands covered with blood, but regardless, she swept Kevin¡¯s forehead down.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you really are Lady Sienna.¡±


    Kevin smiled after checking the warmth of Sienna sweeping down his forehead.


    ¡°What about the other children? Are they okay?¡±


    Kevin, who was smiling, suddenly hardened his face and raised his voice, then asked Sienna. Kevin tried to evacuate the children, but he was worried because he couldn¡¯t confirm the fate of the children afterwards.


    He had the heart to check the state of other children as soon as he could think. It was too mature of a behavior for a child who was only 10 years old. Sienna cried again because that made her sad.


    Kevin¡¯s words also made the children around him burst into tears. Only after checking the voices of the children, Kevin murmured, ¡°I¡¯m d...¡±


    And closed his eyes with afortable smile.


    Sienna and the children looked at Roy with anxious faces because he seemed to have lost his consciousness. Roy said with a bitter smile.


    ¡°He¡¯s just asleep. Even though I treated his body¡¯s wounds, he will need a lot of rest because his body is exhausted.¡±


    Roy got up and looked at the blood on the floor. The floor was littered with blood. Carl followed him around.


    The bloodstains told what had happened to Kevin. He was injured and tried to crawl off the floor.


    ¡°Who the hell...I don¡¯t know what they were doing...¡±


    Roy looked back at Carl with a look of grief. Carl couldn¡¯t answer Roy¡¯s question.


    *


    The incident of the temple raid appeared to sink below everyone¡¯s interest. Since the victims were only some orphans, and the temple was a politically neutral space, no advocates for the children appeared.


    Carl raised the issue at a political meeting, and Kevin remembered some of the faces of men who had attacked him, but the nobles did not listen to a child¡¯s witness. They said it was because they could not trust the words of a child.


    Time passed without finding the culprit. The more Sienna thought over the incident, the more she became suspicious of Arya. However, it would have been better to send an assassin to herself, but she couldn¡¯t understand why she would send them to the temple, against little children.


    Sienna was said to be close to Roy, but it was strange to attack the children just because of that reason. What was the benefit of attacking the temple?


    But there was no other hostile suspect that came to mind. There could not have been forces hostile to Roy, nor anyone who would want to kill the children.


    ¡°Who the hell...¡±


    Sienna gazed into the air and chewed on her lower lip.


    Then, Aunt Kelly came to visit Sienna. Because Kelly gave all her work to Jane, her foster daughter, she has been enjoying her travels and Jane had been visiting the imperial family often. Sienna had not seen Kelly¡¯s face for a long time.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look very well.¡±


    Kelly said to Sienna.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m alright. Aunt Kelly looks marvelous though. I¡¯m really d.¡±


    ¡°Big blessings in this old one¡¯ster years. Thanks to the travels, I feel refreshed to go back to where I used to go when I was young. I also visited Heidel in the North. The Duke was still in good health. I¡¯m surprised it hasn¡¯t changed at all since 20 years ago.¡±


    ¡°You went to see my father?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s eyes trembled. Kelly said so soothingly.


    ¡°The Duke was very concerned about Your Majesty. Whether you adjust well to the life of the pce alone...¡±


    Sienna wiped away her tears feeling sorry for her father.


    ¡°I told him that you are doing fine and adjusting well, fit for a member of the Waters family.¡±


    ¡°Thank you...¡±


    ¡°You should write him a letter and tell him how you are doing. The Duke of Waters wants to see the Empress very much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be doing that for sure.¡±


    Then Kelly went on to tell the story of the North for the next little while.


    She said it was full of snow as it always had been. She also added that the incredibly fierce cold weather was raging and that people were fighting every day due to the surprisingly frequent invasions of monsters.


    It was a daily routine that never changed when Sienna left. So she missed it even more. Still, she was able to find peace in her heart after hearing about her hometown through Kelly¡¯s trip.


    Sienna had be very nervous because of the horrors that urred in the temple. Recently, even Hain had been wary of her. She knew well thatforting words wouldn¡¯t solve anything.


    It was also several times that she urged Carl to see if he still had caught the criminal yet. Luckily, Carl soothed Sienna without getting angry every time. She knew he did not do anything wrong, but Sienna was in an unbearable pain.


    Robin, who dearly cared for his sister and led the children on the street with fatherly grace, Leighton, who pulled flowers out to Sienna with painted faces, and children who joined after Sienna entered the pce and sacrificed themselves to protect the children of the temple...


    Sienna couldn¡¯t shake off the sight of the children in her mind losing their lives and bleeding on the floor. And guilt swarmed in because it seemed like it was her fault.


    ¡°I heard there was a big disaster in the temple recently.¡±


    Kelly brought up the issue with difficulty.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t caught the criminal yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, even though Kevin has seen the killer, the investigation is not going well. They¡¯re saying they can¡¯t just trust a child.¡±


    Sienna said, clenching her teeth.


    Kelly nodded. The nobles could not have cared about the lives of the orphans. They wouldn¡¯t jump into this task that wouldn¡¯t give them any profit.


    Moreover, the emperor¡¯s wedding was just around the corner. Those who did not want to ruin the atmosphere tried to end the investigation as soon as possible. Even now, they were urging Carl to finish the investigation quickly.


    ¡°Actually, I came here because I had some information about it.¡±


    ¡°What! What is it? Please tell me. Even the smallest one is fine.¡±


    Sienna was so desperate, so she rushed in and asked.


    ¡°Recently, more and more people are curious about ourpany.¡±


    ¡°That, I am aware of. It¡¯s natural to be interested in apany that¡¯s rapidly expanding its presence in the grain industry sincest year¡¯s bad harvest.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought so, too. Compared to the influence we showed at that time, our business is very mysterious. I understand people¡¯s curiosity. However, much of the information about ourpany has recently be known. There¡¯s already a rumor going around that Dark Merchants are actually Green Merchants.¡±


    When they worked on the wheat supply issue, they hid their name and information about the Green Merchants as much as possible, considering that they would be pressured if it became known to the outside world. Sienna thought it was natural that it would be revealed after a while, but it was faster than she expected.


    ¡°Oh, my...¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing to be concerned about. I¡¯ve been avoiding the public disclosure of thepany to avoid any hassle, but I didn¡¯t intend to hide for too long. Sometimes it¡¯s better to have an influence on the surface than under the surface.¡±


    Kelly winked at her and said, ¡°We¡¯ve looked at why we¡¯ve been exposed. Merchants don¡¯t believe in coincidence. It¡¯s the nature of merchants to think that if something happened, there¡¯s a cause and we want to know the causal rtionship.¡±


    Kelly seemed more like an experienced merchant than a noblewoman. She was so natural. Sienna nodded in agreement with her words.

 Chapter 148: Live to Sienna Pt.148

    <h4>Chapter 148: Live to Sienna Pt.148</h4>


    ¡°So you found out what happened?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve confirmed that we¡¯ve been tracked by the route we helped Your Majesty at theing-of-age banquet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of me... ....¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. But the main point is from now on.¡±


    At her words, Sienna lit up her eyes. Kelly said with a serious face.


    ¡°We found out that the person who was tracking us was a Bitray merchant.¡±


    ¡°The Bitray Merchants...¡±


    Somehow it was a familiar name. Sienna couldn¡¯t recall exactly why she was used to it, so she said the word ¡°Bitray Merchant¡± in her mouth several times.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is the chamber in charge of political funding for Empress Arya. Unlike the Southern Chamber of Commerce, which was connected to the Panacio family, the Bitray Merchants are directly connected to the Empress herself. At first, they seemed to grow in size because of the grain trade, but for more than a decade, it has been growing in size by receiving various tasks promoted by the country. They are now in charge of most imperial deliveries.¡±


    Sienna felt uneasy. She wanted to know how much Arya found out about what happened duringst year¡¯s harvest. Does she know that Sienna was involved in the wheat shortage?


    ¡°But I happened to find that some of thepany¡¯s figures were simr in appearance to what Kevin had told me.¡±


    Sienna swallowed dry saliva.


    ¡°We had to mobilize a lot of information, but we were able to confirm that about ten people in the firm had suddenly quit thepany and that they had been investigating rumors regarding the birth of emperor Valore.¡±


    Blood seemed to drain from Sienna¡¯s fingertips.


    ¡°Empress Arya.¡±


    Sienna grinded her teeth violently and said out Arya¡¯s name.


    It was clear that Arya had been suspicious of her and had tracked down the Green Merchants. While investigating the rtionship between her and the temple, she discovered that the origin of the rumor was the temple¡¯s orphanage. The terrible massacre of the children was definitely the work of Empress Arya.


    ¡®She attacked the children of the temple to warn me. No, I¡¯m sure she did it after brainstorming how to make me feel a terrible pain.¡¯


    Sienna jumped out of her seat, unable to resist the murderous urge toward Empress Arya.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress?¡±


    Kelly called Sienna in a nervous voice, but her voice did not reach Sienna. Sienna strode toward the door without answering. Hain, who was about to take tea into the guest room, saw Sienna leaving the door with a look she could not decipher.


    ¡°Your Majesty, where are you going?¡±


    Knight Commander Milton asked Sienna, but she didn¡¯t answer his question either. Sienna¡¯s head was full of hatred for Empress Arya. She could not hear anything.


    Kelly stamped her feet in anxiety and the guards looked at her with anxious eyes. The empress looked as if she would cause an ident right away, but they could not stop her without knowing what she was up to.


    Sienna walked past the corridor to the pce of Empress Arya. Milton, the head of the Phoenix Knights, nced at other knights. They nodded, thinking she was going to Carl¡¯s office.


    Then Sienna turned around the corner. Arya and her knights were seen leaving her castle and going somewhere.


    ¡°Arya.¡±


    Sienna called her in a blood-boiling voice. Arya stopped and looked back at Sienna, thinking she had misheard.


    ¡°Arya!¡±


    Sienna called her name again. Empress Arya said with a look of mockery.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t hear it wrong, I think the Empress is crazy. I used to think she was just rude.¡±


    ¡°Arya!¡±


    Sienna strode toward her.


    ¡°Be careful of what you say. Even if you¡¯re the empress, you cannot call me by my name...¡±


    Her words of admonition to Sienna did not go on till the end. Because Sienna rushed toward Arya, pulled her hair, and knocked it down on the floor. Arya, unable to strike back at Sienna¡¯s sudden attack, opened her mouth with a surprised look.


    Arya wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised. Sienna¡¯s knights were in a flurry, unable to do this or that. No matter how experienced the knights were, they had never experienced such an absurd situation in which an empress attacked another empress.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    As both knights wereing to pull Sienna away from Arya, Sienna quickly strangled Arya.


    ¡°Are you human? Are you human?¡±


    Sienna choked her and shouted. She didn¡¯t think what her actions would bring about now. She could only think of killing Arya and dying with her.


    She should have done this before. If she had strangled Arya and killed herself afterwards, then no one else would have been harmed and she could have gotten rid of the monster.


    ¡°You should have died!¡±


    Sienna was really like a madman. Milton, who came runningte, tried to stop Sienna. However, he could not touch the queen¡¯s body or leave another one under attack, so he just hovered around them not knowing what to do.


    An angry voice was heard as the head of Arya¡¯s knights tried to hold Sienna¡¯s shoulder to stop her. It was the Emperor Carl.


    Carl was listening to a report from a man with a dark skin and a thick neck. He was a man named Rufus Kissinger, a man who had long worked under him when Carl was in the army.


    After Carl ascended to the throne, Kissinger became the chief of the imperial knights. He spent more time outside than spending inside the imperial pce these days as he was investigating the orphanage attack on Carl¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Bitray Merchants¡±?


    Carl frowned at the sound of a familiar name.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s where a man who sounds like the criminal Kevin described, used to work.¡±


    ¡°Used to work? Are you saying he¡¯s not there now?¡±


    ¡°He quit and then disappeared. Not only that, but ten of thepany¡¯s employees suddenly quit their jobs and disappeared.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a coincidence. And the Bitray Merchants...Isn¡¯t it a business association rted to Empress Arya?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Bitray Merchants were responsible for most of the feasts hosted by the Empress, and it still supplies for the empress.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that they are in contact with Empress Arya...?¡±


    He made a troubled face. He could not think of why Arya would do this.


    ¡®What does she gain from attacking the temple?¡¯


    If the Bitray Merchants were involved in this, it was natural to think that Arya was behind it. The problem was that he could not use her on the basis of his suspicion alone.


    ¡°Provide as much evidence as you can, and keep this as a secret.¡±


    Kissinger nodded and left the Oval Office. Pavenik, who was standing next to him said, ¡°It would be difficult to associate with the empress without any evidence. Especially when Count Ferrer takes her side...¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t just let go of that. We have no choice but to look for evidence that even Count Ferrer cannot deny.¡±


    Carl wanted to ease Sienna¡¯s troubles, so he was set on catching the criminal. So he was investigating the truth by moving people he could trust behind the scenes. He was worried about Sienna, who was mentally distressed, and it hardened his face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, why don¡¯t you go see the Empress? I¡¯m you¡¯re going, I¡¯ming with you.¡±


    At Pavenik¡¯s words, Carl squinted his eyes.


    ¡°For someone else¡¯s pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Whose pleasure? It¡¯s all about the loyalty to the Emperor. What the Empress really wants is the Emperor¡¯sfort. Why don¡¯t you enjoy a cup of tea in the garden? It¡¯s been a while¡±


    ¡°You want me to have tea in the garden on a day like this?¡±


    Thend and grass in the garden were wet from yesterday¡¯s rain. Moreover, the sky was filled with dark clouds, and it seemed like it was going to pour right away.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you take some tea in the castle?¡±


    Pavenik still said with a smile. Carl clicked his tongue.


    ¡°No matter how much you try, Sienna¡¯s maid won¡¯t give you her heart.¡±


    From some point on, every time Carl visited Sienna¡¯s pce, Pavenik followed. He made an excuse that he was helping Carl, but Carl didn¡¯t need help going to his wife¡¯s residence, it was not the meeting room for political affairs. When Carl kept his suspicious eyes, Pavenik grudgingly confessed. The fact that he was in love with Hain, Sienna¡¯s head maid.


    He thought he didn¡¯t even know when Pavenik even saw her, let alone fall in love with her.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Miss Hain already has feelings for me.¡±


    Carl shook his head. When he saw them talk, it was obvious how one-sided it was. Carl couldn¡¯t tell where Pavenik got his ideas.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not going?¡±


    ¡°Fine. If you want to go so badly...¡±


    Carl rose from his seat with a look of reluctance. He didn¡¯t like how Pavenik was looking at him with a look of know-it-all, but even if it wasn¡¯t for him, Carl would have gone to see Sienna for any reason. Because for some reason, he felt very uneasy.


    So the two were on their way to Sienna¡¯s pce.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor! Isn¡¯t that the Empress over there, Her Majesty?¡±

 Chapter 149: Live to Sienna Pt.149

    <h4>Chapter 149: Live to Sienna Pt.149</h4>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Turning his head to Pavenik¡¯s words, Carl could see Sienna leading the knights and heading somewhere in a hurry. The violent energy she was exuding was too thick.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow her.¡±


    Carl wondered where the murderous energy was headed. He thought of a ¡®what if¡¯, but he tried to ignore it. Then Sienna rushed to Empress Arya just as he realized that his premonition had been right.


    Carl arrived at the knight holding Sienna¡¯s arm.


    ¡°How dare you try to touch the Empress¡¯ body?¡±


    Surprised by the sudden appearance of Carl, the scared knights took their hands off Sienna and lined up to greet him. Sienna was strangling Arya in the meantime.


    *Gasp Gasp


    Arya¡¯s face distorted with pain. With the way she drooled with her mouth open, he could not find any of the elegance she usually carried with her.


    ¡°Sienna! Get your mind together!¡±


    Carl wrapped around her shoulder and said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop me. I¡¯m going to kill her! You devilish b*tch! How can you... How can you...¡±


    It was the first time he had seen her like this. He didn¡¯t think Sienna could lose herposure in anything, but Sienna lost her mind. Carl was very surprised.


    Carl raised Sienna¡¯s shoulder. Sienna repeated in a feeble voice about the poor children and that she should kill Arya. He held her tightly in his arms, hoping she¡¯d calm down a little.


    Sienna lost consciousness after a long cry in his arms. It was because she had not been able to eat and sleep for a long time due to stress. Carl held the unconscious Sienna and looked down at Empress Arya.


    Arya was also lying on the floor without much consciousness.


    Her hair was a mess and the top of her dress was torn. There were also nail marks on her face and neck. Above all, Sienna¡¯s fingerprints, which remained red on her neck, was so clear.


    She spits out saliva with a cough for a long time and then red at Carl and Sienna, with a venomous face.


    ¡°I will never let this go.¡±


    At her words, Carl gave off a violent aura.


    ¡°Are you threatening me, the emperor now?¡±


    Even at his murderous aura, Arya didn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°Are you taking this as a threat? The Empress just tried to assassinate me. She literally said she would kill me with her own mouth. You don¡¯t think you can just cover this up, do you?¡±


    Arya raised herself with the help of the knights. Despite her ugly appearance, she red at Carl with a look of persistence. Carl also stared at her without losing.


    ¡°Sienna seems to think that you¡¯re the culprit in the temple case.¡±


    Arya¡¯s lower lip trembled at the words. It was a very short moment, but Carl didn¡¯t miss it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s just a delusion of a crazy empress with no evidence.¡±


    He put his hand on Arya¡¯s neck, who said Sienna was crazy. He wasn¡¯t strangling her, but it was a threat enough. It was all the more so for her, who had just been almost strangled to death.


    ¡°You seem to be out of your mind. How dare you call the empress crazy?¡±


    Carl pushed her neck forward. The move was very slow and without any force at all, but Arya fell on her hips.


    If he had put a force on his hand, he could easily have taken Arya¡¯s breath away. She was also aware of the fact.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t stand my anger because you dared to call the empress crazy. Oh, my handprints are still there.¡±


    Arya realized what Carl was doing and looked up at him with a frown. The knights around him looked at him nkly, unable to understand what Carl was trying to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I made a big excuse to Empress Arya, but she also insulted Empress Sienna with disrespectful words. Since both sides are at fault, shouldn¡¯t we just pretend it never happened? Unless you¡¯re trying to insult me as an emperor.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Before Arya could stop him, Carl filled himself up with an air of violence. It was to warn all the knights here now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about this ever again.¡±


    Carl spoke to Arya with a deadly look.


    ¡°Empress Arya, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll go around in that shameful form and babble your mouth. You are clever enough.¡±


    Carl left her with a heavy warning.


    It was right that Sienna was wrong to strangle Arya because it created an excuse for an attack on Arya¡¯s side. But as soon as Carl picked at Arya¡¯s fault and said he had strangled her, it was no longer a matter between Sienna and Arya, but between Arya and Carl, the emperor.


    Carl said it was the fault of both himself and Arya, but the weight of it was different depending on whether it was an Emperor¡¯s fault or an Empress¡¯s fault. It would never have had a good effect on Arya if this was to be publicized.


    Furthermore, Carl defined it as each other¡¯s fault and made it a thing that never happened. Eventually, Arya became miserably strangled and unable to reap any benefits of it toward Sienna.


    ¡°And if Sienna thinks you have anything to do with it, try to hide your tail as much as you can. Actually, I rather hope you have something to do with the case.¡±


    Carl said to her with a smile. Carl¡¯sughter contained a threat that if Arya had any connection with the temple massacre, he would tie her up and cut her throat. Arya trembled and held her breath.


    Sienna, who had lost her mind, woke upte at night. As soon as she opened my eyes, she saw Carl with a worried face.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    Carl did not say anything and gently looked down at her.


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    Sienna apologized to Carl.


    ¡°Then why did you do something that you would regret right away?¡±


    ¡°I could not hold myself back.¡±


    Sienna replied as if she had finally calmed down.


    Carl had heard about what Sienna was talking about through Kelly. So he understood Sienna¡¯s anger. However, he was worried that she, who was always thinking rationally, was angry to the point of losing herself.


    ¡°I... ...what will happen to me?¡±


    Sienna thought that he would be upset about the incident, but as Carl stared at her with a face that wasn¡¯t, Sienna became more anxious.


    Earlier in the day, she was in a rage, unable to think through, and rushed to kill her, but this was not something to be easily forgiven. It was an attempt to assassinate a member of the Imperial Family. It was a big deal enough to be punished for, at minimum, losing her seat as the empress. Sienna was also a member of the imperial family, but she would not be dealt with lightly.


    ¡°What do you think will happen?¡±


    Carl answered Sienna¡¯s question with a question instead of an answer. Sienna smiled as if she had given up everything.


    ¡®If this was going to happen, I should¡¯ve just offered to divorce him when he got married to Bluebell.¡¯


    Sienna opened her mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°Am I going to be deposed?¡±


    Her words hardened Carl¡¯s face.


    ¡°Or has there been a bigger punishment than that? They¡¯re going to put me to death for murder?¡±


    Carl felt bad because if he said so here, Sienna would ept the matter calmly.


    ¡°What you have done has been considered nothing.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna asked back with an incredible look.


    ¡°No way. Empress Arya couldn¡¯t have let it go.¡±


    ¡°Because I ordered her to let it go.¡±


    But Sienna still looked at him with a face of distrust.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°Because I know what Empress Arya is like.¡±


    ¡°You know the empress well, but you don¡¯t know much about me. Even if I haven¡¯tid the foundation as the Emperor yet, I have enough power to cover up that situation. So rx.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna nodded. The anxiety still lingered, but she couldn¡¯t argue with Carl when he said this. Instead, she hung on Carl¡¯s arm and asked him for a favor.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s Empress Arya! The culprit behind this. I can¡¯t think of anyone else but her. So does Aunt Kelly. One of the criminals is a merchant connected to Empress Arya. Please make sure you catch the criminal.¡±


    Carl nodded at Sienna¡¯s earnest request and promised to do so. No matter how much Empress Arya and her lieutenants oppose it, he will take this on, even by using the power of the emperor¡¯s name.

 Chapter 150: Live to Sienna Pt.150

    <h4>Chapter 150: Live to Sienna Pt.150</h4>


    The investigation into the temple raid has faced a new turning point. It was because of the person in front of Carl.


    During a sudden visit to the imperial family, Roy handed over to Carl a document from the Holy Empire. Carl checked the document and almost threw it at Pavenik. Pavenik read the article so the officials could hear him well.


    The pope¡¯s edict, which began with a blessing for the well-being of the empire, was never light in meaning. When Pavenik read the whole story, the officials began to mutter with pale faces. Carl said in an unwee voice.


    ¡°Is the Holy Empire trying to intervene in this case?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an intervention. I hope there is no misunderstanding. Your Holiness is trying to help with the progress of the investigation.¡±


    Roy, who always hovered around Sienna with a smiling face, was considered a man without tenacity, but perhaps because of his position, he stood with a serious face.


    ¡°Just because a few orphans died, they are sending knights to the capital city of another country! Do you think it makes sense to bring in sacred knights? Are you suggesting that we start a war now?¡±


    One of the officials shouted, and others nodded as if they were in sympathy with him. They were high-ranking aristocrats of a country, that of an empire. The situation was disgraceful because they had never been under any pressure from other countries.


    Roy red at them with sharp eyes. In contrast to his fine appearance, there was a cold air in his eyes.


    ¡°Did you say only an orphan? The children are not just orphans. The children were listed as the people of the Holy Empire. They were the children that the goddess of the earth cared about. Such children were killed in yournd. Nevertheless, the Empire did not even begin to investigate for a month. But you are saying just a few orphans? The Holy Empire cherishes every single one of its people. And that includes even a parentless child.¡±


    The agitated aristocrats were wary of Roy.


    ¡°To investigate this, the Holy Empire decided to send a delegation of knights. Even if you block them from the border, the Knights wille here to find the perpetrator, punish him severely, and protect its people.¡±


    He greeted Carl face-to-face, without backing his sharp gaze.


    ¡°Now that I have conveyed His Holiness¡¯ message, I must go back.¡±


    As soon as Roy got out of the door, the hall became noisy. Because the aftermath of the words Roy threw was so great.


    ¡°It sounds like they¡¯re ready for war.¡±


    ¡°If they are not afraid of war, we should not be afraid of it either. Since when have we sumbed to the Holy Empire?¡±


    ¡°Sumb? They are only sending in the knights. That¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°What is it if it¡¯s not to sumb? Didn¡¯t you just see his attitude? The priest of the Holy Empire raised his voice in front of the Emperor! We have to go to war with them.¡±


    When a nobleman with no experience of war raised his voice, one of the lower but older aristocrats frowned.


    ¡°Do you think war is such an easy thing to do? Or are you under the illusion that the war against the Holy Empire is only a territorial battle?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about it? The war with Castro has already ended. We have soldiers and well-trained knights, and above all, we have the emperor who led the victory. We won¡¯t be defeated by those temple people who think and believe that they are protected by a goddess.¡±


    The officials frowned at his words. Everyone knew how stupid he was. In this situation, everyone felt frustrated at the sight of him shouting for war without even knowing what he¡¯s saying.


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that to me now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who talks nonsense here, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right.¡±


    As the two acted as if they were going to fight by grabbing each other by the cor right away, Pavenik, the chancellor, stepped up.


    ¡°Everyone, calm down. Neither of you are saying the wrong things. There is no reason for our empire to sumb to the threat of the Holy Empire. But that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean we¡¯re fighting a war. Thend size is small, but the influence of the Holy Empire is never inferior to that of our Empire. As you all know, the kingdoms that surround the Holy Empire¡ªthe Monarch Kingdom, the Kingdom of Kailo, and the Kingdom of Eden¡ªserve the Holy Empire as a higher power. Their royal authority is recognized only under the permission of the Holy Empire. It¡¯s not just these three kingdoms. When theye up with the name of the temple, there will be so many allies that will side with the Holy Empire. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to lose the war against them, but it¡¯s not going to be a war that¡¯s much of a benefit to us.¡±


    Upon hearing Pavenik¡¯s opinion, the officials looked tired. After Carl¡¯s rise to the throne, he was gradually recing officials at different levels with talented people, but most of the officials who attended the meeting were under Arya¡¯s rule, who had a poor judgment on the situation.


    Although they vaguely thought that the divine empire had a great influence, they could feel the enormous influence when they heard it directly.


    ¡°Ha, I¡¯m worried.¡±


    ¡°I have a question from what you said.¡±


    Count Limbor stepped up. Not long ago, after his father¡¯s sudden death, he suddenly took the seat. His title within the royal pce was not inferior, but he was young and had little experience in political affairs meetings that he was hesitant to speak.


    ¡°Tell me, Count Limborg.¡±


    Said Count Mobir, his father-inw.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t those dead orphans the children of our empire? Why do you think the Holy Empire believes they were its people?¡±


    Several others looked at Pavenik, nodding their heads as they heard the same questions. Pavenik cursed at them for being ignorant but spoke with full courtesy on the outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the way the Holy Empire takes its people.¡±


    ¡°The way it takes its people?¡±


    ¡°The divine empire itself is smaller than the capital of Leipsden. Still, the poption isrger than us. The reason is because of the national characteristics of the Holy Empire. They don¡¯t select people only based on ces where they are born. Other religious people can be people of the Holy Empire by simply registering through the temple.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible to have dual citizenship, so it can exert a lot of influence on other countries. As I mentioned earlier, most of the aristocrats of the three kingdoms who serve the Holy Empire as a high-ranking nation are also citizens of the Holy Empire. I¡¯ve heard that there are times when you register because you have faith, but there are times when you register to gain a foothold.¡±


    One nobleman, at Pavenik¡¯s exnation, opened his eyes wide and said, ¡°So I¡¯ve heard that the Empress is registered as a citizen of the Holy Empire.¡±


    Carl stared at him. He didn¡¯t like the idea of bringing in Sienna out of the blue. The nobles were agitated by his words.


    ¡°Then we should ask the Empress to...¡±


    ¡°You insane fools!¡±


    A word from Carl made the office go as silent as a graveyard. That¡¯s because he spoke with a temper.


    ¡°Is this the price we pay because of you doing things while ignoring my words? Count Ferrer, Count Mobir, Baron Kittle! If you have a mouth to speak, why don¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Carl called out the names of those who argued against the investigation of Carl¡¯s case. They couldn¡¯t raise their heads.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that we should not worry about the death of some orphans, as you did until yesterday?¡±


    They looked down and looked at each other.


    ¡°Thanks to you, I now have to watch the Knights of the Holy Empire cross my border with a sword. I¡¯m so dumbfounded. In the meantime, how dare you ask the Empress to negotiate? Even if I cut your throats for humiliating my empire, history will not remember me as a tyrant. Rather, I will be praised for properly disposing of you who have put the country in crisis.¡±


    Said the young emperor, who always carried his sword even after ascending to the throne. He looked fierce as he wanted to draw a sword and feed it with blood.


    His dignity was seen enough during the martial artspetition, so the officials narrowed their shoulders and bowed their heads in the hope that there will be no sparks on themselves.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand watching you people talk silly anymore. Count Ferrer and others, take responsibility for this. If the Knights of Leipsden Empireeter than the Knights of the Holy Empire, I will hold you responsible.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t dare to say no. They just rolled their eyes quickly and thought of a way to break this impasse.


    ¡°And if anyone is trying to drag Empress Sienna into this, I won¡¯t forgive that either, so keep in mind!¡±


    Carl sprang to his feet. Then, he left the conference room with his royal robe pping in the air. Even after he left the meeting room, the officials could not raise their heads for quite some time.

 Chapter 151: Live to Sienna Pt.151

    <h4>Chapter 151: Live to Sienna Pt.151</h4>


    Even though Carl and Bluebell¡¯s wedding was just a few weeks away, it was the Holy Knightsing from the Holy Empire that drew more attention than that. It was partly due to the fact that the spirit of martial arts did not die down since not long after the Mutupetition, but also the characteristics of the Knights of the Holy Empire were of great interest.


    If ordinary knights¡¯ operation of the oracle was in the form of emitting oracle with the energy of nature in his body, the oracle of the Holy Empire used the oracle based on the divine power thoroughly.


    Due to the different sources of power, their methods of fighting were also unique¡ªthey were better at fighting as a group than the one-on-one battle. This is because the more people, the more energy they had.


    In particr, each knighthood included at least one priest, who continued to charge the knights with his prayers. Because of this, it took longer toe and go than regr knights.


    In addition, depending on the priest¡¯s ability, each knighthood can use different abilities, so the priest entering the Leipsden Empire this time was also drawing attention to what kind of abilities he had.


    Sincest year¡¯s relief work, there have been many aristocrats who were concerned about the increasing influence of the Goddess of the Land Church within the empire. In particr, the aristocrats, led by Empress Arya, raised their voices, saying, ¡°If this is the case, the Leipsden Empire may have to serve the Holy Empire as a superior country.¡±


    Not all the nobles were instigated by their words. There were those who wanted to wrap up this case and leave the empire, and there were those who were already trying to line up for the Holy Empire. As a result, many aristocrats visited the temple to be registered in the Holy Empire like Sienna.


    This has made Sienna mentioned more often in connection to the Holy Empire. Neither Carl nor Sienna were pleased.


    Meanwhile, there was one who reacted more violently than anyone else, and it was Empress Arya.


    ¡°How did you manage things like this? This is beyond stupidity!¡±


    She fiddled with the scarf around her neck, even as she called and yelled at her people. It was Sienna who strangled her to the point where she could hardly breathe, but it was Carl who instilled more fear.


    How can she forget his voice that he was going to cut off her neck on the spot if there was a little evidence found?


    When Empress Sienna came to kill her, Arya was startled but she thought it was better that way. She was going to make an issue out of this to bring Sienna down and set up her leash on Bluebell.


    But Carl came forward and made the matter not just an affair between Sienna and herself, but a small quarrel between him and herself, making it impossible for Arya to do anything.


    Rather, she was restricted from leaving her pce because of the scar on her throat. In front of her residence, there were not only her knights but also Carl¡¯s knights. Carl said it was to protect Arya herself, but she knew that surveince was the true purpose, not protection.


    ¡°So how far do you think they¡¯ll find out?¡±


    She spoke to a middle-aged man who had his head down in front of her. He was the head merchant of Bitray business society.


    ¡°The temple trusts the child¡¯s testimony. The sketch based on the testimony is quite simr to the real one. Moreover, there is a saying that the head of the Knights of the Holy Knights is a woman. In the Holy Empire, there are three women who participate in the Order of the Knights, and the one named Emblo Lillian is not only powerful but also known for her swordsmanship, so she serves as the head of the Order of the Knights. She says she can use the power of tracing.¡±


    ¡°The power of tracing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the power you use to find a specific object or person. You can easily find a ce if it¡¯s within 500 meters of where you are.¡±


    Arya couldn¡¯t contain her anger at his words and threw a vase at him. The vase fell at the foot of the head merchant and broke with a loud noise, leaving a shrapnel.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s only a matter of time before the Bitray Societyes to light! You should have left it to the outside world when you were dealing with such a thing. There¡¯s a lot of those who would poke around kids or shrines as long as you pay!¡±


    ¡°It was because of security issues. If you work with those people, you¡¯ll get attention. Besides, the Dark Merchants have a lot of information...¡±


    The sound of the empress grinding her teeth sounded creepy.


    ¡°If their trace reveals any of our people, how big do you expect the exposure to be?¡±


    He spoke in a somber voice.


    ¡°We¡¯ve hidden the people who were mobilized for this in a faraway city, but if the investigation continues, we¡¯re sure there¡¯ll be people who¡¯ve seen them go in and out of our business.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯ll reveal you as well.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, he nodded with a pale face.


    At first, they thought it was no big deal to kill some orphans, but as the Holy Empire intervened, things got out of control. In the meantime, the Leipsden Empire overlooked the power of the Holy Empire because it had not given special religion preferential treatment. It was because they had never imagined that the Holy Empire would care so much about the deaths of only a few orphans.


    ¡°Last year your firm also suffered losses from promissory notes, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Her question panicked the head merchant. It was Arya, who always called the Bitray Society ¡°My firm¡± and emphasized that she was the actual owner of the firm. But now she was emphasizing that she was not the owner of thepany, calling it ¡°your firm.¡±


    The quick-witted man realized that Arya was trying to cover this up by sacrificing him.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, please spare me.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Do you think I¡¯m going to kill you?¡±


    She said in a merciful voice. The more she did so, the paler the head merchant¡¯s face became like a corpse.


    ¡°You had a son, didn¡¯t you? You want him to be a knight? As you know, knights from aristocrat ss andmoners are clearly treated differently. If you want, I¡¯ll adopt your son into the Panacio family. I¡¯ll look after all your family.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    The head merchant shouted her name in a despairing voice. Arya frowned and told him coldly.


    ¡°How dare you raise your voice in my presence? If you don¡¯t want my favor, just refuse. Just make sure you do this one thing¡ªmake it clear that I have nothing to do with your mess. If my name goes up and down the gossip because of this, it won¡¯t end with just your life.¡±


    The head merchant kneeled in despair realizing that there was nowhere else to reach out.


    It was him who had been cleaning up messes for a long time by Arya¡¯s side. That¡¯s why he knew better than anyone how cold Arya was. He escaped from her pce with a somber expression.


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead? With no one survivor?¡±


    Sienna asked back in surprise at the news from Carl. It was only a week before Carl and Bluebell¡¯s wedding.


    ¡°The Knight Commander of Kissinger found it. The body was found in a bar on the estate a little away from the pce. They said it was a ce that had been left untouched for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Was it really them?¡±


    ¡°The bodies were found before dposition began, so they could check the faces of the dead. The same person in the portrait that the little boy told me.¡±


    Sienna asked back to Carl in a somber voice.


    ¡°Who were they sided with? Why have they harmed the children?¡±


    ¡°There have been testimonies that they were seen at the Bitray Merchants society. When I went to the store, the head merchant had already hanged himself. He left a suicide note, and it said that he was depressedst year because he lost a lot of money due to the grain bill issue, and he got angry with the children of the temple who were making a bad rumor about thepany.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true! I don¡¯t think he did it alone. That¡¯s why he killed them? It must have something to do with Empress Arya.¡±


    ¡°In fact, there was a record of this head merchant visiting the pce frequently to meet with Empress Arya, so I questioned her...¡±


    Sienna focused on Carl¡¯s words hoping that he discovered something.


    ¡°I heard that she borrowed money from Empress Arya because of the grain problem. She had a record of lending him arge amount of money. I know your frustration, but right now there¡¯s no evidence to further question her.¡±


    Sienna pounded her chest with her fist in frustration. But she couldn¡¯t me Carl anymore.


    She knew she could no longer use Arya. No, it would still have been difficult even if there was more evidence than this. Many were still on Arya¡¯s side in the pce. Even now she had been holding hands with the Ferrer family.


    It was frustrating and unfair that there was no immediate way to exact revenge against Arya, who took the children¡¯s lives. Tears formed around Sienna¡¯s eyes, and Carl embraced her andforted her.


    ¡°I will not give up on this. Even if it takes time, I¡¯ll catch the real perpetrator of this incident.¡±


    Knowing that he was not talking nonsense, Sienna felt some of her sorrow was going away. She knew that Arya was not an easy counterpart. But if it¡¯s Carl, he¡¯ll surely find a way and hold Arya ountable.


    Sienna calmed her furious mind. It was upsetting that she couldn¡¯t tear Arya apart right now, but she will pay for everything she did even if it takes time. Sienna would never sit idly and let Arya go free from her sins.

 Chapter 152: Live to Sienna Pt.152

    <h4>Chapter 152: Live to Sienna Pt.152</h4>


    Carl has been in a bad mood since morning. It was strange because today was his wedding.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face? You¡¯re not nervous, are you? Are you so nervous even though it¡¯s your second wedding? Oh! This is your first time at the actual ceremony, right?¡±


    Pavenik said to Carl in a yful voice.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so nervous that you¡¯re scared to enter the ceremony, would you hold my hand and enter?¡±


    Only after Carl red at him did he flinch and avoid his gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that. You look so stiff, so I was just joking to make youugh.¡±


    ¡°It was the worst joke I¡¯ve ever heard in my life.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say it¡¯s terrible...¡±


    When Carl kept ring with a harsh look, Pavenik said, drawing a small circle on his toes.


    ¡°If you felt that way, then you did. Well,ter in the history your Majesty will be recorded as the emperor whose sense of humor was at its worst... Ugh, yeah. I¡¯ll stop talking nonsense.¡±


    He joked as Carl red at him as if Carl would break Pavenik¡¯s neck bone right away.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Until yesterday, the First Empress weed you when you entered the pce, but now the Second Empress is going to wee you.¡±


    So far, Sienna has been preparing to give Bluebell the pce. Even though Carl said she didn¡¯t have to move, Sienna insisted. Carl said he was sorry and would decorate the princess pce splendidly, but Sienna said she would use the room the way she had used before.


    One might have praised the queen¡¯s frugality if he heard, but for Carl, Sienna¡¯s words sounded like she would leave any regret behind. She didn¡¯t spit it out, but Carl knew from her actions and facial expressions that she said, ¡®I¡¯m not going to stay here for a long time, so I don¡¯t need it.¡¯


    Sienna always thought of departing in her mind. Although that¡¯s what Carl also agreed when he entered the marriage, he was worried that he would not be able to keep his promise with Sienna. Because he was getting hung up on her.


    ¡°Everyone is envious of you. I¡¯m worried that the 14th emperor, Emperor Sterek, might jump out of his grave in envy for his Majesty. He fought a lot with the officials to get more wives at an old age. It¡¯s amazing to see that the Leipsden Empire did not allowed that even though it was a country with a strong imperial power. All the nobles now call you with a sessful life. Her Majesty the First and Her Majesty the Second.¡±


    Carl, who was lost in thought and never listened to Pavenik¡¯s words, asked back.


    ¡°What are they envious of?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you know everything but pretend you don¡¯t. To be honest, the First Empress is famous for her beauty. She¡¯s not the most beautiful woman in the world, but she has a mysterious atmosphere. She didn¡¯t like banquets that much, so she didn¡¯t show her face, but she worked with the Goddess of the Land. I think she has a goddess image. There has been a rumor among ordinary people that carrying a portrait of Empress Sienna could bring blessings. I¡¯ve heard that many people hang portraits of the Empress in their bedrooms in secret, perhaps even aristocrats.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Right? To be honest, I¡¯ve seen the portrait before and its power is exaggerated. But the artist who drew it has be popr and is being called around. People are asking him to draw one naked. Oh, I mean...¡±


    Pavenik closed his mouth with his hand. He went too far. He couldn¡¯t tell the emperor that there were nobodies asking the painter to draw the naked figure of the empress.


    ¡°How insane...! Bunch of fools! Do I have to cut their heads off? How dare they!¡±


    Pavenik made an excuse when Carl showed off a temper that was iparable to the one he had just exhaled. If Carl could now meet the nobleman who asked the painter to paint Sienna¡¯s naked figure, he would tear off his neck.


    ¡°Who would have really drawn it? Unless the artist has ten lives...¡±


    Carl was angry. How dare they own a portrait of Sienna. Moreover, the thought of them keeping it in their bedroom made his head go dizzy.


    ¡®And they¡¯re asking for a naked picture?¡¯


    As Carl shook his hand, he listened to Pavenik¡¯s protest, forcibly holding back his anger.


    ¡°That¡¯s how blessed you are. Moreover, Her Majesty the Second Empress is younger and more beautiful than Her Majesty the First. At theing-of-age banquet, there are many children of aristocrats who fell in love with the Second Empress. After finding out that Empress Second was thepanion of the emperor, some of those children bought a group of curses from a ck sorcerer to put spells on you... Haha, it¡¯s all just jokes. Anyway, everyone is envious that you have flowers in both hands.¡±


    Even with that remark, Carl¡¯s expression still didn¡¯t rx.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you legalize that at this time? Pass a statute that allows nobles or emperors to wee more wives based on their abilities. Probably most of the aristocrats are in favor. They don¡¯t talk, but they all have a secret mistress. Everyone knows that the foster daughter of Count Mobir was actually his mistress. Well, she¡¯s been famous in society for a long time, but...¡±


    ¡°So what the hell do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m so jealous. Just rx your face. Make a face that you are the luckiest one in the whole world. You have what others really want but can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you so envious too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I envy you so much that I have a stomachache.¡±


    Pavenik said, holding his belly in his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass on your words to the maid of Sienna.¡±


    Said Carl, who was well aware of how devoted Pavenik has beentely to Hain. Pavenik said in a desperate voice as if he was ready to cling to Carl¡¯s leg at any moment.


    ¡°No! What a cruel thing to say. She still treats me like the most promiscuous person in the world.¡±


    ¡°Well, she sees through you. What she said wasn¡¯t just wrong, was it?¡±


    ¡°I am not even close to that! No one can be more romantic than I am.¡±


    Carl looked up and down at Pavenik with a pathetic look. There were dozens of cases that Carl knew.


    ¡°There were a couple of women who cried because they were abandoned by you. I remember one¡ªthe one that¡¯s married now¡ªthe youngdy who came to my residence and said she¡¯d kill herself. And then you got pped on the face by her sister while ying tricks on her.¡±


    ¡°You have a big misunderstanding. I¡¯ve never worked with or dated Lady Arnold. I didn¡¯t do anything! I was just being nice to her, but she¡¯s the one who¡¯s suddenly offered to run away with love, saying her father was trying to force her to marry. I just told thatdy that she seems to have misunderstood. But she didn¡¯t ept it! And so did her sister. I just met her and said hello but then she pped me on the cheek. It¡¯s unfair. I¡¯m the victim.¡±


    ¡°Well, somehow I¡¯m more convinced of what they say than you are. It seems to me that you¡¯re working everywhere.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. And I¡¯m misunderstood all the time because of the charming smile around my eyes.¡±


    Pavenik said, pointing to his eyes that be half-moon shaped whenever heughed.


    ¡°I just smiled at them, but they said I smiled slyly with my eyes or I am being naughty. That¡¯s all wrong. Sigh, it¡¯s my sin to be born with such a handsome face.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in your right mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That look! You looked at me with a face saying you want to cut my head right now!¡±


    Pavenik shouted, wrapping his neck in his hands.


    ¡°You are unnecessarily good at catching my intentions...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a good witted person! Wait... was it real? Did you really want to cut my throat?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    ¡°Quiet! Are you telling me to keep my mouth shut when my life is threatened?¡±


    He circled around Carl to protest, and the servant reported that Sienna had visited. Pavenik hurriedly straightened himself.


    As Sienna entered, he greeted her in a very different posture than before.


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to meet Your Highness the Empress. You look beautiful as usual.¡±


    ¡°The Chancellor is here too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done with my business, so I¡¯ll be out now. Do you happen to...¡±


    Pavenik looked to see if there was anyone behind Sienna. Sienna and Carl knew who he was looking for.


    ¡°Hain is waiting outside right now.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t mean to ask you that. Well, I¡¯m going to...¡±


    Saying so, he hurried out of the room. Sienna, who gazed at Pavenik¡¯s back with a smile, looked back at Carl as soon as Pavenik stepped out the door.


    Since Carl was a child, he has been pushed deep into the political world. So he was quite capable of inferring thoughts from a person¡¯s facial expressions. Nevertheless, every time he saw Sienna¡¯s face, his head was filled with question marks.


    He didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. No, he didn¡¯t know what she felt about himself now. What¡¯s more frustrating was that he didn¡¯t even know his own feelings clearly.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Carl¡¯s thoughts popped out of his mouth. Sienna smiled slightly at the odd question.


    ¡°I think you look really charming today. You look great in your robes.¡±


    It was true. The robes in which Carl was dressed were very elegant. But even with praise, Carl was not happy at all.


    ¡°Carl, why are you making that face?¡±

 Chapter 153: Live to Sienna Pt.153

    <h4>Chapter 153: Live to Sienna Pt.153</h4>


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡±


    ¡°This may be rude, but it reminds me of ¡®a pig being dragged to a ughterhouse¡¯.¡±


    Even though she likened himself to a pig, Carl did not feel bad. Rather, he burst intoughter.


    ¡°You are so greedless and fearless.¡±


    ¡°Was that expression too rude?¡±


    Sienna said so, but she looked totally unconcerned. Carl didn¡¯t hate her boldness.


    Carl was already dressed in perfect condition, but Sienna approached him and organized his robes for no reason.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good day? You should have a bright face.¡±


    Sienna, who said so, was smiling with a sad face. It was a smile that showed she gave up everything.


    Carl wanted to ask ¡®Why do you make that face?¡¯ but Sienna said first before Carl spoke.


    ¡°Today¡¯s main character is not you, but Lady Ferrer. She¡¯s the bride who should be the main character of the world today. So you have to show her a nice smile. Being a bride is the happiest thing in the world.¡±


    ¡°...were you happy too?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me if I was happy when I had a wedding?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Siennaughed. At the first wedding, she had to enter the ceremony alone without knowing anything, and in the second, she had to go through the wedding alone. Still, was I happy?


    ¡°I was happy.¡±


    Sienna opened her mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°I was scared and lonely to enter the ceremony alone, but on the other hand, I was so happy. Just the fact that I can be yourpanion. You¡¯re a good man.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s words sounded like a desperate confession to Carl.


    ¡°I was also happy to have such a wild bride like you. Of course, I didn¡¯t enter the wedding hall myself, but I don¡¯t regret marrying you.¡±


    Sienna and Carl faced each other and smiled. Even if Carl married Bluebell, Sienna would still remain his wife¡ªbut somehow, the two faced each other with a sad smile like lovers who were about to make an eternal farewell.


    Carl grabbed Sienna¡¯s hand. It urred to him that if he let go of that hand, it would mean eternal separation.


    *


    The wedding with Bluebell was a grand affair. It was iparable to Sienna¡¯s wedding a few years ago. The envoys from many countries took their ces, and they spent a lot of money filling the hall with real money.


    Bluebell¡¯s parade from the house of her family to the castle was very colorful. Even though it went on during the day, the sky was bursting with colorful fireworks, and the streets were overflowing with pollen. In addition, 300 performers yed music before and after the parade.


    The carriage carrying Bluebell and her father, Kenyon Ferrer, was led by sixteen colorful horses. It was a wedding of the scale that would be talked about for long.


    While it was said that more money was spent on the wedding than the coronation ceremony of the emperors of the past, it was clear that it was more colorful than Carl¡¯s coronation ceremony.


    It was because Bluebell had been moring to hold the wedding in such a grand way that it could erase Sienna¡¯s wedding, but even if she hadn¡¯t, Count Ferrer nned to hold it splendidly anyways.


    This was because he tried to show off his power to other nobles and prove through the wedding that Bluebell has more legitimacy as the empress. Although Carl did not approve the wedding because it was not suitable considering current state coffers shortly after the drought and flood, Count Ferrer made the wedding extravagant with his family¡¯s money.


    Angered by his attitude of treating the imperial event like a family event despite the emperor¡¯s refusal to allow it, Carl looked angry throughout the wedding. He only suppressed his anger, taking into ount that Count Ferrer did not use the national treasury.


    By the time the wedding was over, it was alreadyte in the evening that the sun had set.


    Bluebell was very excited. She entered the bedroom in arge dress that would cover the whole room ording to tradition. On the first night of the wedding¡ªit was up to the groom to take off the new bride¡¯s dress.


    ¡°Everyone is saying that today¡¯s wedding was great. It¡¯s the best wedding ever!¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s nanny shouted in an excited voice. Tears stood around her eyes.


    She had been raising Bluebell since she was a baby. When Bluebell was six years old, she watched her be Carl¡¯s fianc¨¦e and like him, because she didn¡¯t know anything, groan that she couldn¡¯t show her pimple face when visited by Carl and had a cramp in her arm while meeting Carl, and how she broke down upon learning that her engagement to Carl was off. Therefore, the nanny was very moved to see Bluebell¡¯s wedding ceremony with Carl, which was held splendidly.


    ¡°What, nanny. I should shine more than a wedding. How was I? Was I pretty? Was it so beautiful that it would be remembered in history?¡±


    Bluebell puffed the nanny like a child.


    ¡°Yes, you were beautiful. You were so bright that this olddy couldn¡¯t dare look at it.¡±


    ¡°Whaaaat?! You didn¡¯t see me because you were in the castle...¡±


    Knowing that the nanny was unable to attend the wedding because she was cleaning up the empress¡¯ pce where Bluebell would stay, she said with her mouth pouting. Still, her face was full of flushing, as if she liked the praise.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the parade myself, but I have ears. The maids in the castle were talking about how beautiful you were. You¡¯ve always been so beautiful, and I can¡¯t imagine how pretty you must have been under the bright sun and under the colorful chandeliers.¡±


    ¡°Really? Would Carl have liked it, too? I was so nervous earlier that I don¡¯t even remember what kind of facial expression Carl had.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure His Highness had no idea what to do with the beauty of mydy Bluebell. So stay calm. If you struggle like that, the wrinkles in your dress won¡¯t look pretty.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But this is really stuffy. I shouldn¡¯t have asked to make it this tight.¡±


    Bluebell made one size smaller than the tailor rmended to emphasize her slender waist. Even now, there was pain as if whale bones were digging into the flesh.


    She hadn¡¯t had a sip of water for three days to wear this dress. As she was walking down the aisle, it was hard to tell whether it was because she was blinded by his dazzling appearance or because she was unconscious of hunger that her sight was blurry.


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you listen to me? You¡¯re beautiful and thin enough.¡±


    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t wear a dress bigger than Johanna. It hurts my pride.¡±


    Joanna was Bluebell¡¯s rtive who recently married Count Mayron. They had frequent interaction because they were of simr age, but that did not mean that there was a friendship between the two. As we were of the same age, they were jealous of each other.


    Joanna, in particr,ughed openly in front of her when Bluebell¡¯s engagement was broken up by Carl. In other words, she yed a big role in making Bluebell fast because she was so discouraged.


    Bluebell invited Joanna to her mansion on the day her marriage was pushed again and she tailored her dress. It was out of the thought that Bluebell wanted to show off a more expensive and colorful dress than what Joanna wore at her wedding. Looking at Joanna¡¯s face full of jealousy, Bluebell couldn¡¯t hide herughter and eventually burst intoughter.


    Joanna, whose pride was hurt, pointed out the waist size of Bluebell, who was an inch taller than her.


    Joanna was very small in height. Considering the height difference, the waist size of Bluebell was not that big.


    ¨C Wouldn¡¯t Carl hate it if you were so fat? If your back is so thick, Carl won¡¯t even like to hug you. Like the First Empress, aren¡¯t you going to be ditched on your first night?


    -What are you talking about? I don¡¯t have a thick waist. It¡¯s just that I ate a lot of breakfast this morning. It¡¯s funny you don¡¯t notice your chest is a cliff.


    -A cliff?


    Joanna made an excuse while showing anger at the words ¡°cliff¡± of Bluebell.


    -My husband said my chest was cute. And he said because I have a slim waist, I look like a fairy when he holds me in his arms.


    In front of Joanna, who boasted of her husband, Bluebell couldn¡¯t follow the tailor¡¯s measurements and she yelled at him for a long time, asking him to measure properly. Then she eventually asked the tailor to make it one size smaller, saying, ¡°I¡¯m swollen right now.¡± The nanny next to her stopped her, but there was no way to win over Bluebell¡¯s stubbornness.


    Bluebell tried to fit herself into a dress until the day before the wedding, so she didn¡¯t even eat. That¡¯s why she looks so haggard today even though she usually shows off her resilient and glossy skin. Fortunately, the paleness caused by dehydration made her appear innocent.


    ¡°I¡¯d like Carl toe and take off this dress. When will Carle?¡±


    ¡°He would have to change his robes, so if hees here right away...it¡¯s about time he¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then get out of here. I should be the only one in the room when Carl opens that door. Do you think an old nanny should ruin the scene?¡±


    At the words of Bluebell, the nanny grinned and said she would leave. Perhaps sorry to call her nanny old, Bluebell added, ¡°But you look the prettiest at that age.¡±


    The nanny believed that while Bluebell was tactless and often thoughtless, she clearly had a good personality. So sheughed off the harsh words.


    ¡°Then the prettiest olddy of this age will be waiting outside. If you need anything, please call me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will. But do I really look okay right now? Should I at least powder my face again?¡±


    ¡°You are perfectly beautiful now.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Satisfied with the praise, Bluebell nodded violently. The heavily decorated head reeled. Bluebell wondered if the head shape was damaged by her head gesture. The nanny told her it was all right and left the room.


    The nanny was right about how Carl was going to arrive soon.

 Chapter 154: Live to Sienna Pt.154

    <h4>Chapter 154: Live to Sienna Pt.154</h4>


    Sienna told Carl to smile for the sake of Bluebell, but he couldn¡¯t smile easily. He thought it was because his pride was hurt because he had to move like a puppet as the nobles wanted. At the same time, he didn¡¯t like the fact he became an emperor with two empresses.


    At the ceremony, Sienna was smiling. She looked as if she had no objection to the marriage. The same was true of Arya standing beside her. She watched the wedding with a satisfied smile.


    Carl realized again that Sienna was indeed skilled at dealing with difficult situations. Seeing that she was not intimidated by Arya who was stained with ambition in the political world.


    It was only that day that he saw Sienna lose her temper. The day she strangled Arya and screamed to kill her.


    Carl was worried again that Sienna might be rushing to kill Arya, but fortunately, at the ceremony, she remained calm.


    Carl suddenly remembered that, not long after they met, Sienna shouted loudly, ¡°I¡¯m going to marry you and I¡¯m going to get revenge on Arya.¡± At that time, she said so with a younger face than she was now.


    He thought it was ridiculous at the time. It was funny that she would use marriage with himself only as a means of revenge. Now he didn¡¯t find it funny that he was just a means. Rather, it was bitter.


    Carl held Bluebell¡¯s hand ording to the order of the ceremony. However, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Sienna. Why was her calm appearance frustrating him? He took a deep breath as if a heavy stone had been ced on his chest.


    After a long and boring wedding, Carl entered his own bedroom. The maids rushed in to take off his heavy robes. Pavenik leaned against the door and looked at Carl.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I felt guilty today when I saw the eyes of the First Empress because I felt like I was the viin that separated your Highness from her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure most people who watched today¡¯s wedding felt that way.¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t feel it was worth replying to Pavenik¡¯s words.


    ¡°But we¡¯re being tactless... No, I¡¯m sure the Second Empress, who was so happy today that she couldn¡¯t see the surroundings well, didn¡¯t feel it. The second Empress has been smiling for so long that her cheekbones were twitching.¡±


    Thinking of Sienna who had said things with a wistful face, Carl said, drawing up one corner of his mouth.


    ¡°...I¡¯m d the bride, the main character of the wedding, was happy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your Majesty can say such things?¡±


    When Pavenik spoke with a mixture of exmations, Carl waved his hand as if annoyed and ordered his leave.


    ¡°No thanks. Shut up. Get out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone. Your Majesty looks like you¡¯re going to run to the First Empress¡¯s, not the Second Empress¡¯.¡±


    Carl looked at Pavenik with a look saying what was wrong with that.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d do this. You Majesty got married to the second Empress today. If you go to the First Empress¡¯s pce instead of the Second Empress¡¯s, all the hard work of this marriage will be in vain.¡±


    Carl looked back at Pavenik with an irritating face. Pavenik said, avoiding the eyes of his fierce-looking master.


    ¡°Which father would like it if he hears that his daughter was ditched on the first night? Isn¡¯t that the Second Empress, who was called a treasure in the Ferrer family? Go to the Second Empress¡¯s bedroom for today. That¡¯s good for the first Empress too.¡±


    With Carl¡¯s look, which seemed to ask what that meant, Pavenik shrugged and said, ¡°The First Empress is not publicly despised because of her rtionship with the Holy Empire, but the Duke of Waters is far too far away from her for her to rely on. No matter how fierce a brave lion with ws and teeth, it has been far away for a long time, and the nobles havepletely forgotten how terrifying the lion beast is. So when you give more affection to the First Empress, not to the Second Empress, those who want to use the First Empress to enjoy the power will rush in. Moreover, to those who don¡¯t like Count Ferrer now, the First Empress will be seen as a good hand.¡±


    Pavenik¡¯s words were not wrong at all. Carl wasn¡¯t that stupid.


    It¡¯s alright if it¡¯s a group of people who approach Sienna and have a good will. Since she¡¯s smart, she¡¯ll take care of it. The problem was that as many people were against her while they were pretending to be on her side. Such antipathy could have threatened her life.


    Carl nodded with assent. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t know in the first ce. That¡¯s why he¡¯s got Pavenik close to him to stop him. But his mind was not so logical. Pavenik, who thought Carl understood what he meant, bid Carl farewell with exaggerated hand gestures.


    ¡°Then have an amazing night.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and get out of here.¡±


    Carl was irritated by Pavenik¡¯s jokes and threw things in his hand. The ss thrown by Carl flew past Pavenik¡¯s cheek and got smashed against the wall.


    ¡°Oops! Then have a burning night.¡±


    Pavenik was so surprised that he even hupped but didn¡¯t forget Carl as he left the door.


    Carl changed his clothes and headed for the Imperial Pce, where Bluebell lived. Even though it¡¯s the same road he walked on, he felt like it was very unfamiliar to him perhaps because the person he was going to meet at the end of the road was not the same one.


    Carl headed for the Imperial Pce door without a change of expression. Instead of the Phoenix Knights, the face he¡¯s always seen, other faces were guarding the entrance. They were knights of the Ferrer family.


    Originally, the Knights of the Imperial Household were to be bestowed as the Knights of Bluebell, but Kenyon Ferrer asked that the Knights of his family keep their daughter¡¯s side.


    The Knights of the Imperial Household should not belong anywhere. They were loyal only to the emperor, who had to protect the people of the imperial family ording to his orders. Therefore, Kenyon¡¯s words to organize the Knights for Bluebell only were very rude.


    But Carl epted. It was partly due to theck of imperial knights, and Carl cited the condition that the Knights escorting Bluebell belonged to the imperial family and that Ferrer had to pay the imperial family a huge amount of money each year to maintain the Knights. It was a way to save money by showing off imperial power.


    Pavenik said that these precedents should not be made, but Carl did not care.


    He scanned the Knights of the Ferrer with sharp eyes. Ferrer had selected them carefully, but after all, they were just young people who had no experience in war.


    Carl expressed his inhospitality on one of the knights guarding the door. The knight was startled by the sharpness of his temper and rushed his hand to his sheath.


    Cling-!


    A close aide, Kissinger, who was quietly guarding Carl¡¯s side, quickly pulled out the sword and put the tip of the knife to the knight¡¯s throat. The knight, who was guarding the door, took a knife out of the sheath but was stopped.


    ¡°How dare you...¡±


    Carl¡¯s voice was very small, but it was enough to be heard by the knight, or by all the knights of the Ferrer family standing there. They were choked with Carl¡¯s ice-cold voice.


    The knight tried to take the sword out of the front of the emperor. This was by no means a light sin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s his first time guarding the imperial family, so the young knight is nervous.¡±


    The skillful-looking old knight quickly knelt to Carl. The knight, who had actually made a mistake, stood shaking his legs at the de of a knife around his neck, seemingly unaware of how to apologize. Kissinger spoke in an angry voice on behalf of Carl.


    ¡°The imperial knight, who has to die protecting the Emperor, is about to take out his sword against the emperor! Is this why the Ferrer family organized the Knights of Second Empress?¡±


    At Kissinger¡¯s words, a middle-aged man bowed his head with a blurry look.


    ¡°Sir, that is not true at all. It¡¯s definitely not what the Ferrer family intended. It¡¯s my fault that I let a young knight guard the imperial gate without properly teaching them. Please punish only me.¡±


    Carl knew the man now kneeling in front of him.


    When he visited Ferrer as a child, he often saw his face, and it was a favorite knight of Count Ferrer. He was loyal enough to be the chief Knight of the Peer family. Carl had a good feeling for him as well, so he didn¡¯t want to punish him.


    Carl¡¯s intimidation of the knights guarding the door was intended to test them, but it was like a grumblemitted out of frustration. He didn¡¯t mean to make this a big issue and lose the favor of the Ferrer family.


    ¡°For Bluebell and your sake, I¡¯ll let this go. I just hope you don¡¯t expect me to be generous twice.¡±


    When Carl beckoned, Kissinger and the Guard removed the sword. With just that small action, the difference in ability from Bluebell¡¯s knight, which did not respond properly to life, was evident.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The elderly knight bowed his head to express his gratitude. Carl nodded and entered the living room. He still had a bad look on his face. The maids looked nervous as if they heard the scuffle outside.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor. The Empress awaits you from the inside.¡±


    Carl also knew the one who greeted him at the door. She was a nanny who helped Bluebell for a long time. He gave her a soft smile as if he had never hardened his face. From behind, a knight thrust out a prepared bottle.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been a month since Bluebell¡¯sing of age, but I¡¯d like to have this drink with her.¡±


    It was a wine with a distinctive pinkbel that had the name of ¡°the first experience.¡± The sweet but high-calorie wine was one of the first drinks that people who had theing-of-age ceremony had.


    Bluebell¡¯s nanny said with a pleased look as she was handed a drink from Carl.


    ¡°The Empress will be pleased. I will prepare some snacks before the Emperor can eat them.¡±


    Carl nodded. The maids bustled in and out.


    ¡°He¡¯s here? Really? Do I really look okay? Don¡¯t I have to put on makeup again?¡±


    Carl could hear the voice of Bluebell from inside. Her voice was lowered only after the nanny nagged her that she should not let her voice escape the room when the groom had not yet seen her face.


    The maids read Carl¡¯s expression. It was important for the empress to be loved by the emperor she served. The power of those who she serves was soon linked to her convenience.


    ¡°Your Majesty, would you like your tea?¡±


    An affable maid asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have some wine than tea.¡±

 Chapter 155: Live to Sienna Pt.155

    <h4>Chapter 155: Live to Sienna Pt.155</h4>


    The maid soon served up a drink at Carl¡¯s words. By the time Carl took a sip of his drink, the nanny had said Bluebell was ready for. Carl nodded and entered the bedroom.


    ¡°It feels weird.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your first time.¡±


    The old nanny, who was guiding Carl into Bluebell¡¯s room, told him.


    ¡°First time... ...ha...¡±


    Carl smiled. It may be his first wedding, but no one knows it¡¯s not his first time going into a bride¡¯s room waiting for him.


    ¡®Except for Sienna.¡¯


    Carl entered the room with aint.


    Bluebell was standing there filling the whole room with a rich and huge apricot-colored dress. She greeted Carl with blushing cheeks.


    ¡°Dear Carl...I¡¯m so happy!¡±


    Tears formed around the eyes of Bluebell, who became emotional when she saw Carl.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Carl approached her. When he remembered how Sienna, on their first night, said the corset was stuffy and told him to take it off first, he put his hand on the small button behind the dress.


    ¡°Ahhh! Carl!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Surprised by the screams of Bluebell, Carl turned around.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°How could you just undress me all of sudden? I am so embarrassed.¡±


    She spoke with a red face as if her face would burst at any moment.


    ¡°I thought it would be too tight for you. Isn¡¯t that outfit stuffy?¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s face turned red, but her fingertips seemed tense.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but...¡±


    It was true that she was also frustrated with the corset. She was worried that her armpit fat might be sticking out because she made her dress one size smaller.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just unbutton your back. Go in and change.¡±


    Embarrassed, but inwardly expecting his more secret approach, Bluebell looked at him with a disappointed look. Carl pretended not to see the expression.


    He untied her back button and went to the table and sat down. He was being considerate so that she could change her clothes at ease.


    He could hear Bluebell in the dressing room whining as if it was difficult to change. The sound was like the sickening of a puppy who couldn¡¯t find its mother¡¯s milk.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    She came out in a gown over her pajamas. The gown was decorated with fluffy-looking fur, which made her look like a baby of a fluffy animal. She was still like a child, even though she already went through aing-of-age ceremony.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m marrying this little girl...¡¯


    There were many reasons why Carl hesitated to marry her, but this has also contributed. She was like a younger sister to him, not a grown woman because he had seen her since she was so young.


    ¡°That¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank you.¡±


    At the wedding, she acted maturely, but as soon as she was alone with Carl, Bluebell showed a rxed smile. Carl poured the wine into her ss.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve had an adult ceremony, but I wanted to congratte you on youring of age.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Wow, is that alcohol? The scent is sweet and the color is really pretty!¡±


    Bluebell, who tilted her ss, was surprised by the alcoholic sweetness.


    ¡°With Carl...marry... ...and... I¡¯m happy...¡±


    As if to care for a beginner, the wine was so sweet and good to swallow, making Bluebell to continue to pour in her drink, and eventually be very drunk. She lied her face down halfway across the table, only repeating that she was d to marry Carl.


    Carl picked her up andid her on the bed. Bluebellpletely lost her mind when she reached the soft bedding. She fell asleep and breathed quietly.


    With a cold look, Carl pulled the nket up to the edge of Bluebell¡¯s neck and covered her. He could feel the difference between his own expression and that of Bluebell, who was sleeping with a smile.


    *


    ¡°The moon is up.¡±


    Sienna put a table by the window and climbed on it to look out. When my upper body was half out of the window, she felt good because it felt like she was out of the castle. Although just the head was out.


    ¡°You look as lonely as I do.¡±


    Sienna murmured as she looked at therge full moon shining brightly as if it were upying the dark night sky alone.


    The phrase ¡°a poem is a blessing that only lonely people can write down¡± came to her mind. She could think of tens of thousands of poems about the moon now.


    It was a night that she couldn¡¯t possibly fall asleep.


    Saying hello to Carl with an indifferent look, and watching him hold Bluebell¡¯s hand and proceed with the wedding, she thought she was not shocked. She didn¡¯t feel betrayed as she did when it happened the first time. She thought she was going to be okay.


    But it must have been an illusion. After Carl and Bluebell¡¯s wedding, her steps back to the princess pce were heavy. When she entered the bedroom and saw a well-organized bed with no wrinkles, she thought she would never be able to lie on that bed today.


    Sienna felt that the bed was like a vast sea. She looked at the bed with a stunned face for a long time, as if she thought she would never be rescued again if shey there.


    After all, what she chose was an act of hypnotizing herself, imagining her escape from this frustrating ce.


    Stretching her head out of the window, she imagined that she was not at the lonely castle, but that she was climbing to the top of a veryrge, thick tree and looking down at the castle. She felt at ease because she felt as if she had be a divine being watching from afar, not as part of this pce.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Sienna shrieked at the sudden sensation of being grabbed by the nape of her neck.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    It was Carl.


    Carl lifted her gently, who was struggling on the table. Sienna looked at Carl with a puzzled look.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I think I asked the question first.¡±


    ¡°I was looking at the moon. Please drop me off.¡±


    Carl carefully helped her step on the ground.


    ¡°I thought you were jumping out.¡±


    ¡°Why would I!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always doing things I can¡¯t imagine, so I just thought that might be the case.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just weird to jump from this height, it¡¯s crazy. If you¡¯re lucky, you die, and if you¡¯re unlucky, you¡¯ll be crippled. I¡¯m not crazy. Why are you here by the way?¡±


    Sienna asked why he was not with Bluebell and came here.


    ¡°Why am I here? I didn¡¯te to a ce where I am not allowed toe.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here today. What about Bluebell? Didn¡¯t you go to the Empress Bluebell?¡±


    ¡°Bluebell is asleep.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    Sienna tilted her head. It was the first night of their marriage. Falling asleep so early on their first night¡ªSienna thought Bluebell was a really strange girl.


    ¡°How long have you been by that window?¡±


    Carl asked, holding the cold Sienna¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I was there just for a moment. By the way, Bluebell went to bed pretty early.¡±


    Carl pointed to the clock in the room with the tip of his chin. The clock was pointing at 3 a.m., so the expression ¡°fell asleep early¡± was somewhat faulty.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was sote...¡±


    ¡°How long have you been there? Didn¡¯t you sleep?¡±


    Carl led Sienna into bed. Then he wrapped the quilt around her shoulder.


    ¡°I woke up for a second and looked out of the window. Because the moonlight is shining...¡±


    Carl knew Sienna was lying because he saw a bed with no wrinkles¡ªbut he didn¡¯t say much.


    ¡°You should sleep next to Bluebell, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°She snores too much.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Sienna burst intoughter when Carl spoke with a serious face. Confirming her smile, he shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± Sienna still spoke with a smile on her face.


    ¡°What kind of joke is that? It was the least funny joke I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±


    ¡°Youugh a lot because of that. You still can¡¯t hide yourughter.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna said, ¡®Hmmm, hmm.¡¯ She forced herself to stopughing and look serious.


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t funny.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Carl flopped down next to Sienna. The mats fluttered and Sienna¡¯s body shook. At the same time, the two burst intoughter.

 Chapter 156: Live to Sienna Pt.156

    <h4>Chapter 156: Live to Sienna Pt.156</h4>


    ¡°Oh, you really are disqualified as a husband.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯vee to see my wife like this, and I am disqualified? Don¡¯t you have to praise me?¡±


    ¡°You should have stayed with Bluebell until this morning. She¡¯d be upset if she finds that someone who went to bed with her is away when she wakes up in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Then shall I go back?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t easily answer his question. Frankly, she was so happy that Carl came back where she was. She was shamelessly happy that he seemed to have chosen herself, not Bluebell. Though she has vowed many times not to be greedy.


    Carl smiled as if he knew her mind. Sienna felt like he was teasing her, so she poked her pouted lips and went to bed and plopped down.


    Carl came up to Sienna¡¯s side. Though it was a spacious bed, he sat close to Sienna. Both of them sat so silently for a long time.


    She thought she would break this silence, still time if she opened her mouth. She thought it was not bad to sit shoulder to shoulder like this without saying anything.


    ¡°This is nice.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t the only one who was satisfied with this moment. At his words, Sienna burst intoughter. Carl followed her andughed. The two burst intoughter as they watched each otherughing out loud.


    ¡°Carl...would you like a drink with me?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Shall we have the table ready?¡±


    Sienna told Carl that it wasn¡¯t necessary. Then she went down to the floor and put her hand under the bed. Although she pretended to be resolute at Bluebell¡¯s wedding, she hid the alcohol under her bed because she thought it would be difficult to fall asleep without it.


    She gave an excuse to Carl, who was looking at her in a strange way because she knew how strange she would look when she squatted down looking for a hidden bottle of alcohol.


    ¡°You see...I have something I have in store for me to drink when I can¡¯t sleep. Oh! I touched it.¡±


    Sienna pulled out the bottle. It was abel that Carl knew.


    ¡°Maronite wine.¡±


    ¡°You know, my brother Jamie actually got me as a gift. He doesn¡¯t drink. He has to train every morning, but he doesn¡¯t like it when he drinks. It¡¯s funny because he looks like someone who can drink a whole bottle of alcohol on spot. I¡¯m the one who benefited from that. This must be a delicious drink, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s notorious for its high percentage of alcohol rather than the taste. I heard it¡¯s a drink that is made to give to the Dwarfs as gifts in the past. I didn¡¯t know it remained until now.¡±


    Sienna said with a surprised look at his exnation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was that high. The bottle looks so normal...¡±


    As Sienna seemed to be at odds over the bottle, Carl took the bottle and said,


    ¡°You bragged that you¡¯re a good drinker, and you¡¯re scared because it¡¯s a strong drink?¡±


    As Carl made fun of Sienna with a rxed smile, she said, with her chin raised high.


    ¡°I am not scared. I¡¯m stronger than any other dwarf.¡±


    She was worried that I¡¯d get drunk, but... Sienna responded so easily to Carl¡¯s provocation.


    ¡°Do you have a stick or something?¡±


    When Carl asked for a stick to push the cork, Sienna found the opener in the drawer and handed it over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the drink to be mixed with cork powder like it happened before.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have an opener in the drawer...¡±


    When Carl opened his eyes thinly and looked at her like she was a drunkard, Sienna felt it was unfair, but instead of making excuses, she shouted loudly at him.


    ¡°So what? You don¡¯t like your wife because she¡¯s a drinker?¡±


    The strong aroma of alcohol spread when Carl opened the cap with the opener he was handed over.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you for being a drinker, but that I don¡¯t like the fact that you drink alone. You can drink with me if you want to drink.¡±


    He blushed and began to drink from the whole bottle as if he was embarrassed by what he said. Sienna reached out to him and said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to drink it all by yourself, are you?¡±


    ¡°Whoo... that¡¯s very strong.¡±


    Carl breathed out a deep breath and handed over the bottle. The strong aroma of alcohol was ingrained in his exhaled breath. The smell alone made Sienna feel drunk, but she took courage and put the bottle to her mouth. She only had a sip, but it felt like a fireball went through her throat down to her chest.


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Her whole body became feverish and dazed. Sienna shook her head fiercely and said, ¡°It¡¯s very strong.¡±


    Carl nodded as if he agreed with her.


    ¡°But the taste is fine. By the way, drinking this whole bottle reminds me of that time. Ady from a noble family was wearing a skirt inside out and tied up on a tree.¡±


    He burst intoughter as he found it really funny even now that he thinks of it. Sienna¡¯s face, which reminded her of that time, became blushed.


    ¡°...was it so funny and weird?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was weird. You¡¯ve always been weird.¡±


    Carl took the bottle from Sienna¡¯s hand, took a sip, and continued his words in a calm voice.


    ¡°I thought it was weird when a woman I¡¯ve never seen recognized me and called my name in front of a pickled mire store. I thought she was a strange woman even when she went out to cure me with her trembling hands, and she said, ¡®I¡¯ve never treated anyone before, so I can¡¯t be sure of the effects of the medicine¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, she was a strange woman.¡±


    ¡®I gave you my whole heart at first sight. I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. I used to think that...¡¯


    Sienna recalled the first time she saw him at theing-of-age ceremony in the past. She smiled bitterly and drank a bottle from him. So the two shared a sip of the liquor bottle, taking back and forth.


    ¡°Ha...Carl, you¡¯re weird too...you know...¡±


    She didn¡¯t think she had that many sips, but her tongue got dull and her words came out slow. On the other hand, Carl¡¯s pronunciation remained unchanged.


    ¡°Did you?¡±


    She said, half-closed her eyes in anguid spirit, leaning her head against Carl¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It was weird. It was all... ...weird.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When he was silent, Sienna patted him on the thigh and said, ¡°Keep talking. I want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°The strangest thing was that she wanted a divorce from me. It¡¯s weird to ask for a divorce without even getting married.¡±


    ¡°...that¡¯s true. It was weird. But I had to.¡±


    Carl turned his head and looked down at Sienna, asking back, ¡°Why did you have to?¡± She shook her head, then made an X with her fingers on her lips and said, ¡°That... I can¡¯t...tell you...I will never ...tell ...you...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl put on a look of frustration and held out the bottle to Sienna.


    ¡°Oh... ...I think I am drunk...¡±


    Sienna said so, but she took the bottle of liquor and took a sip.


    ¡°Uh... ...weird. I didn¡¯t think it was this strong before...this wine...¡±


    As she grinned and spoke, Carl followed her and said with a smile.


    ¡°So you won¡¯t tell me? Why did you ask for a divorce?¡±


    Sienna squinted her eyes and red at him. The body looked very drunk, swaying back and forth a little.


    ¡°Wow... Mr. ... That¡¯s mean. You got me drunk...to make me... talk... I won¡¯t fall for it. I can¡¯t be the only one who shares secrets... that¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you a secret, too.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna frowned and hesitated.


    ¡°I know everything about Carl... What if I told you I know your secret...already?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret you don¡¯t know.¡±


    At his words, Sienna agonized for a long time and nodded with difficulty.


    ¡°Yes, indeed, a secret I don¡¯t know! Tell me, what¡¯s the secret?¡±


    ¡°You know the one thing I regret most?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you regret most? But why is that a secret?¡±


    ¡°Because I never wanted to tell you.¡±


    At his words, Sienna nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret, then. Because it¡¯s a secret when I don¡¯t want to tell you something.¡±


    ¡°What I regret most is...having epted your request for a divorce... that I dly said yes to you asking for a divorce.¡±


    ¡°Why... why, you regret it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can keep the promise...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sienna looked up in surprise at Carl¡¯s unexpected words. She thought maybe she misheard it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can keep that promise. At first, I thought it was a strange wish, but I said I would do it easily because I thought I could keep my promise. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have any regrets....but now, just the thought of you leaving me is terrifying so I can¡¯t let you go.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I was married to Bluebell today, but I only looked at you during the whole ceremony. For me, marriage was just about political needs, never meant anything at all. But while looking at you today, I couldn¡¯t make eye contact with you. I felt like I was making a big mistake. You know what¡¯s funny?¡±


    ¡°...what was it?¡±

 Chapter 157: Live to Sienna Pt.157

    <h4>Chapter 157: Live to Sienna Pt.157</h4>


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to care. I¡¯m trembling with fear, but you don¡¯t seem affected at all. It seemed like you were trying to send me to Bluebell as if you were handing over a luggage. If I marry Bluebell, I was afraid you¡¯ll leave me with a carefree mind.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s genuine smile leaked from Carl¡¯s confession.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°Because I like it.¡±


    Sienna put on a pleasant face and put her head back on Carl¡¯s shoulder. She stamped her feet, unable to conceal her joy.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn to tell the secret. Why did you ask me to divorce you? I had no choice but to say so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be greedy...¡±


    Carl asked back as if Sienna¡¯s words didn¡¯t make sense, ¡°What is your greed for?¡±


    ¡°The desire to be loved. By you...but I won¡¯t be loved as long as I am greedy. That¡¯s what the emperor and empress are. It¡¯s a rtionship where political interests are prioritized over love...¡±


    Carl asked Sienna to face close.


    ¡°So you still want a divorce?¡±


    His smile was so sweet and soft, but Sienna couldn¡¯t answer easily and kept her mouth shut.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You still want a divorce? Even if I love you?¡±


    ¡°But... ...it¡¯s scary. I know you care about me, but what if I want more than that? What if I can¡¯t stand it because I want to have your whole heart...¡±


    Carl hugged her furiously before she could finish her words. He spoke in a voice filled with joy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything. You are already the only one on my mind.¡±


    The two kissed. The breath of Sienna was mixed with the smell of alcohol, but even that felt sweet to Carl.


    He grabbed her face and swept her cheek down with his thumb. It was soft and warm.


    When Carl took off his lips, Sienna closed her eyes and poured out her lips wanting to kiss more. The gesture was so lovely. Carl thought it would be nice to just hold on to her like this and watch her all night.


    Her heart was also filled with joy that he had the same thought as herself. Her heart tickled as if hundreds of butterflies were pping their wings in it.


    *


    ¡°Uh... I got a headache.¡±


    Sienna forced her heavy body up with a hangover.


    ¡°How much did I drink?¡±


    She was surprised to find Carl lying still beside her on the bed.


    ¡°Why the hell are you here... ahh!¡±


    She suddenly remembered conversations she had with Carl after drinking with him yesterday, and she blushed.


    ¡°Oh my... what have I done?!¡±


    Embarrassed, she mumbled, pping her cheeks, and shut her mouth in fear that Carl might wake up. Then she looked at Carl, who was sleeping quietly. He was sleeping quietly, with a fresh face that was nothing like the man who had been drinking heavily the day before.


    The charming light green eyes were hidden beneath his eyelids, and the naturally scattered blond hair and long, neat eyshes, straight nose, and smooth lips were charmingly ced in her gaze.


    Sienna, who was looking at his face, was suddenly frightened. Everything that happened yesterday seemed like a dream. If his words, ¡°I will give you all my heart,¡± were all dreams, she was afraid that it would be a fictional story created by her brain with the influence of alcohol.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve seen enough of me, so let¡¯s go back to sleep.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Sienna made eye contact with Carl and shouted, ¡°oh my gosh!¡± Watching her reaction interestingly, he said, pulling Sienna¡¯s waist.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll tell me what happened yesterday was because of the alcohol or that you don¡¯t remember... but I made it clear yesterday. My heart is all yours, and I have decided not to let you go.¡±


    Sienna shook her head, fed up with Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh! How can you say that in your right mind? Embarrassingly...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid if I don¡¯t tell you this, you¡¯ll think about crazy scenarios. I feel like if I don¡¯t tell you I love you, you¡¯ll run away.¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t worry, and let¡¯s get a little more sleep. I want to sleep more.¡±


    Sienna closed her eyes, prating into his arms as if she couldn¡¯t talk back no more. She smiled all over her face.


    As Carl said, Sienna was timid and greedy, so she will flee in fear that his heart has left him if he didn¡¯t express his feelings clearly. So she kept hoping that he would hold on to her. So she could stay in his arms forever.


    *


    ¡°Your Majesty, wake up. Empress Arya will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I get a little more sleep, nanny?¡±


    Bluebell, unable to wake up yet, whined with her face buried in her pillow. She was cute because she looked like a child. But the nanny couldn¡¯t spare any more time distracted by that adorableness.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I told you. You can¡¯t live like you used to at the Ferrer estate from now on. Did you forget? This is the imperial pce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I married Carl, right?¡±


    Bluebell sprang to her feet. However, she still had a half-asleep face because she couldn¡¯t wake up fully.


    ¡°You have to get ready...¡±


    But Empress Arya was faster to enter Bluebell¡¯s bedroom than the nanny. She entered with Mrs. Kitroll, a teacher of royal etiquette. Bluebell and the nanny looked at them with surprised eyes.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell.¡±


    Arya greeted Bluebell with a bright smile. Bluebell weed her because she had met her several times before she got married.


    ¡°Empress Arya! You are here? Oh, I didn¡¯t change yet...¡±


    ¡°I must have forgotten. It¡¯s a tradition for an elder in the imperial family toe this way in the morning to make sure that the bride is not ditched and get her dress taken off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I knew it, but I¡¯m still not quite awake... nanny!¡±


    Perhaps familiar with this kind of situation, the nanny wiped Bluebell¡¯s face with a wet towel.


    Arya strode to Bluebell, not waiting for the nanny to finish her work. Then she thrust her face close to her neck.


    With such a sudden move, Bluebell couldn¡¯t scream and just stared at Arya, panting.


    ¡°Why...¡±


    ¡°Oh, my... the story must have been true.¡±


    Said Empress Arya looking at Bluebell with a look of pity.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Asked Bluebell, with an anxious look.


    ¡°The news is that the Emperor spent the night not here but at the residence of the Empress Sienna.¡±


    ¡°No, Carl was with me yesterday.¡±


    Empress Arya smiled, pulling up the tips of her thickly painted red lips to the fullest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Empress Bluebell is lying. But...¡±


    She put her nose in Bluebell¡¯s body again and inhaled the smell to the fullest.


    ¡°Your body only smells like a baby.¡±


    Bluebell thought her words were praise and tried to say ¡®thank you¡¯ but had to shut up when Arya added another word.


    ¡°I thought Empress Bluebell¡¯s bed would definitely smell like an adult this morning.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Arya¡¯s expression implied that Bluebell did not carry any smell of sexual intercourse, but Bluebell didn¡¯t understand it at once.


    ¡°Your Majesty must really care about Empress Bluebell. As a younger sister.¡±Arya emphasized the word ¡®as a sister.¡¯ Then she swept Bluebell¡¯s tangled hair with her fingers.


    Bluebell had goosebumps behind her back because of the icy hands of Arya. But what was more disturbing was the word Arya emphasized.


    ¡®As a sister.¡¯


    ¡°Everyone knows Carl cares about me.¡±


    Said Bluebell, forcing a smile on her face.


    ¡°He really does. Seeing how he didn¡¯t even go through the first night properly. His Majesty the Emperor can¡¯t be more indifferent. No matter how hard it is, he should not have put the bride to sleep alone the first night and spent the night in the bedroom of Empress Sienna.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

 Chapter 158: Live to Sienna Pt.158

    <h4>Chapter 158: Live to Sienna Pt.158</h4>


    Asked Bluebell, with a strain on her eye. Her frown, revealing the white part of her eyes, looked cuter than fierce or venomous.


    Arya received ab from the nanny and began to tidy up Bluebell¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±


    Mrs. Kitroll, the etiquette teacher who followed in Arya, left because she was embarrassed to listen to the conversation between the two. She didn¡¯t want to listen to stories she can¡¯t handle, which was also the key to her long-standing role in royal etiquette.


    Mrs. Kitroll also took out the maids from the room. The nannying outst looked at Bluebell with anxious eyes as she walked toward the door.


    As Bluebell nodded, she left the room with an expression of helplessness.


    ¡°A lot of people saw your Majesty leaving Sienna¡¯s residence this morning. Moreover, the Emperor¡¯s look...¡±


    Arya stopped as if she was embarrassed to say. Bluebell turned her head, faced Arya, and urged her to speak quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s said he had a pretty bad face as if he had a rough night. The strong smell of booze from Carl...he smelled like musk.¡±


    Bluebell didn¡¯t ask about the first word she heard today: the smell of musk. She could only infer that it had the same meaning as the ¡°smell of love.¡± Arya had tried to smell Bluebell¡¯s body as soon as Arya entered the room.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be...¡±


    Bluebell denied Arya¡¯s words.


    ¡®Carl couldn¡¯t have chosen Sienna over me. The nanny told me, too. Yesterday I was the most beautiful one in the world, and everyone praised my beauty.¡¯


    Bluebell shook her head roughly. Arya hugged her and calmed her down.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true.¡±


    ¡°Empress Bluebell...¡±


    Arya called Bluebell¡¯s name with regret, but her expression was contrary to her voice. She had a pleased look on her face.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that. Yesterday, I... I drank too much yesterday, so... I fell asleep! That¡¯s why!¡±


    Bluebell shouted, shrugging off the arms of Arya that held her. As was the case for any bride who was rejected on the first night, thepassionate touch made Bluebell miserable.


    ¡°Of course I think so, too. Your Majesty is truly in love with the Empress Bluebell. That¡¯s why we pushed for your wedding. As I said before, in a ce full of politically arranged marriages, I thought the Emperor and Empress Bluebell were truly in love. No, I still think so. But the only thing I¡¯m worried about is...¡±


    Bluebell urged her to speak out with an uneasy look.


    ¡°Because I know what kind of person Empress Sienna is.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? What kind of person is she?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say this. No, pretend you didn¡¯t hear it. I feel ufortable because it seems like I¡¯m talking behind her back. I¡¯m sorry, Empress Bluebell.¡±


    Arya raised herself with a troubled look. Bluebell grabbed her arm as she tried to leave, with a look that says, ¡®you¡¯ve amplified my curiosity so you can¡¯t leave.¡¯


    ¡°Tell me! Her Majesty Empress Arya!¡±


    Unlike her usual childish voice, Bluebell¡¯s tone was coolly subdued. The sentence she spoke out was a request, but the tone was imperative.


    ¡°I¡¯m hesitant to talk about the empress, and it seems to insult her, who is loved by the goddess of the earth.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me. I¡¯m not going to tell anyone. I¡¯m not going to make a problem.¡±


    When she asked pitifully, Arya sat next to Bluebell as if she had no choice.


    ¡°If you insist... I¡¯ll trust what you said and tell you. I think his Majesty the Emperor has fallen for the wickedness of Empress Sienna. Empress Sienna grew up in a remote area and is known as a pure and kind person because she keeps a close connection to the temple, but that¡¯s not all. I bet you have noticed that?¡±


    Bluebell nodded at Arya¡¯s words.


    She also thought Sienna¡¯s reputation had a lot of exaggeration. She heard that Sienna handed out rice through the temple when many of its people were starving due to food problems after the gate to the south copsed. But she thought it was done mostly by the temple and Sienna was just a name. She thought that the reputation Sienna gained led to the perception that Sienna was a straight and friendly person.


    ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t say because I¡¯d be misunderstood, but Empress Sienna was not wearing robes the day after her wedding.¡±


    Bluebell tilted her head. Neither was she wearing robes. Was she supposed to stay up all night wearing those heavy robes?


    Because Bluebell couldn¡¯t hide her expression, her face revealed her thoughts. Arya corrected her thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s different from you, dear Empress Bluebell, whose robe was stripped of by the emperor. But the Emperor was not in the castle at the wedding of Empress Sienna.¡±


    ¡°My God!¡±


    Bluebell burst out exmations of surprise as if she heard that for the first time. However, rumors spread that Sienna took off her robes on the first night, and Bluebell knew about it.


    On top of that, she heard that Empress Sienna may have a lover besides Carl. That¡¯s why she hinted at Sienna¡¯s rtionship with Roy at theing-of-age banquet.


    ¡°Then the next morning I visited her and found her changing clothes. What¡¯s even more suspicious is that her robes were stamped with footprints that appeared to belong to a man.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! How could she?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as it is now, but at the time, I couldn¡¯t mention it because Empress Sienna was listed as a member of the Holy Empire. The international situation was unsettled and could lead to a deterioration in rtions with the Holy Empire.¡±


    ¡°But still...¡±


    ¡°Since then, I¡¯ve thought of her as a strange, or bold woman. I mean, she brought another man into the bedroom the first night she married the prince. But Empress Sienna¡¯s actions did not end there. It¡¯s embarrassing to say this, but...¡±


    She sighed deeply and said, ¡°My son, Emperor Valore, was also tempted by her.¡±


    Bluebell looked at Arya with her eyes wide open in amazement. She thought she might have misheard it.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I must have not been a good mother. He was spoiled from growing up in the imperial family from such a young age that he fell for such a cheap temptation.¡±


    Arya continued with another deep sigh.


    ¡°This happened when Carl was in the war as a prince. Former emperor Valore went to the Empress¡¯ room every day. She made excuses that she was just helping him get rxed by ying music for his Majesty....¡±


    She hesitated for a moment as if she could not speak.


    ¡°How did that...¡±


    ¡°The obvious thing is that because of her, emperor Valore did not take proper care of the state affair. Because of that, I had to face an unwanted political confrontation. But I couldn¡¯t watch the Emperor neglect politics while findingfort in his sister-inw¡¯s dress and drag the fate of the Empire into a fire pit.¡±


    Arya drew her eyes as if she was still emotional when she thought of that time.


    ¡°My God.¡±


    Bluebell was just spouting a startling exmation at the incredible story.


    ¡°As a mother, I had to stop my child from being recorded as the worst emperor in history. Moreover, I¡¯ve heard that Empress Sienna was very close to the priests of thend temple.¡±


    She emphasized the word ¡®close. The tone was signaling that they were sexually intimate.


    ¡°And this is just a rumor, but in the north, where there are not many men, Empress Sienna and her brother...I¡¯ve heard that the rtionship was something embarrassing to talk about. Well, it¡¯s just a rumor.¡±


    Arya cleverly told the story in a way that the rumor with her brother may be false, but the story before that was close to the truth.


    Bluebell rubbed her arm and felt goosebumps. She thought Empress Sienna was married without love just because she wanted to be the Empress, but after hearing Arya¡¯s story, Sienna was a woman with a very dirty and shady desire.


    ¡°So it¡¯s not Emperor Carl¡¯s fault that he can¡¯t help but fall for her. There have been so many cases in history where evil women have blurred the emperor¡¯s eyes and destroyed the country.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting. The empress is such a dirty woman!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I thought she was just a duchess¡¯s mistress, a modestly grown one in the north...¡±


    ¡°How could that be your fault? It¡¯s her fault for deceiving everyone.¡±


    Bluebell took Arya¡¯s words as if they were true, without filtering anything. It was because she lost her ability to judge rationally by being jealous of Sienna.

 Chapter 159: Live to Sienna Pt.159

    <h4>Chapter 159: Live to Sienna Pt.159</h4>


    At that time, Sienna was feeling troubled having to avoid Hain¡¯s gaze. Narrowing her eyes, she looked impatient to ask what had happened yesterday with Carl.


    Even though it was Bluebell¡¯s wedding, Carl slept in Sienna¡¯s room and leftte in the morning. It was no doubt Hain would be curious about that, but Sienna didn¡¯t want to exin the situation to Hain.


    It was like a dream to herself, too. Carl also had the same heart as herself.


    There was anxiety that all this would disappear like a bubble if she exined out of the mouth. That¡¯s why she avoided Hain¡¯s questions by looking at documents that she didn¡¯t even read.


    Hain wandered near Sienna, wiping the table again, which had already been cleaned several times. Eventually, tired of waiting, she said, ¡°Your Majesty, you know...¡± At that moment, a servant from outside informed me of Carl¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Hain, will you bring me some cold tea for his Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Not warm, but cold?¡±


    Hain asked back because they usually enjoy warm tea, even when the weather was hot. Sienna thought of cold tea, knowing that today was the day of a political meeting.


    ¡°Yes, something cold for him. I¡¯d like something warm myself, please.¡±


    Carl stepped inside. Unlike when he left the room in the morning, he looked very angry. Carl didn¡¯t change his face much, but Sienna noticed his temper at a nce.


    ¡°You look so upset about the political meeting today.¡±


    Carlughed at Sienna¡¯s words and flopped down on the sofa. Sienna also sat next to him and handed him the cold tea that Hain had brought her. Carl gulped down his tea andid his ss roughly down on the table.


    ¡°Now that the war against Castro is over, the officials want to reduce the number of the Central Army.¡±


    When Carl said, Sienna wanted to say, ¡°They are not in the right mind. Did all of the nobles go crazy?¡¯ but she barely swallowed the words.


    ¡°Why on earth did they say that? We won the war against Castro, but we only received warpensation. Still, Castro is an enemy, and due to the nature of the warst time, their strength will remain the same...¡±


    Thest war was faster and easier to end than it was to return, thanks to Carl¡¯s use of the waterways to lead the navy to the very front of Castro¡¯s capital.


    However, Castro¡¯s power has not been seriously damaged as the war ended quickly. In the meantime, it was nonsense to suggest reducing the number of troops in the central region.


    Carl sighed deeply andy his head on Sienna¡¯sp.


    ¡°I am d you understand what¡¯s going on with just one word. Howe the high-ranking aristocrats who run the country don¡¯t understand what they say? We¡¯re desperate for immediate profit, and we don¡¯t know what kind of risk we¡¯re going to face.¡±


    Carlmented them. Sienna said, carefully turning over his golden hair.


    ¡°No matter how stupid they are, they wouldn¡¯t be unaware of Castro¡¯s threat. But do they just want to reduce the number of troops in the center?¡±


    ¡°They insisted that if I cut taxes, they would expand their forces within each territory on their own. I can¡¯t believe they said in front of me that they would train their own soldiers!¡±


    It urred to Sienna that things would not go easy.


    From Carl¡¯s point of view, who aims to strengthen the imperial power, he never weed aristocrats expanding private soldiers. These soldiers were both able to protect theirnd, but also dangerous elements that could always raise their swords against the Imperial City.


    ¡°Who brought up that argument?¡±


    ¡°Count Ferrer¡ªever since he made Bluebell the empress, he acts as if he were the emperor. The old man must have seen me for nothing.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s expression hardened at Carl¡¯s words. Now that Count Ferrer was holding hands with Empress Arya, this would not have been his own argument.


    ¡®There must be something going on between Arya and Castro...¡¯


    With the help of Aunt Marie, Sienna looked through what Arya had done after bing the empress but found no evidence that she was linked to Castro. It urred to Sienna that she had to revisit Arya¡¯s past.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about something else in the meantime?¡±


    Carl said, tapping Sienna¡¯s cheek with his finger.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about anything.¡±


    ¡°Lies. I could tell from your face that you have been thinking about something else.¡±


    Carl¡¯s conclusive tone made Sienna burst intoughter. Just as she sensed a small change in Carl¡¯s facial expression, she felt better because he also seemed to recognize her feelings easily.


    ¡°By the way, what would you do? You¡¯re not really going to scale back the Central Army, are you?¡±


    ¡°Never. I¡¯m going to make them take back what they said themselves so that they regret bringing it up.¡±


    Sienna smiled at Carl, who said evil things. A man she loved was not a weak man easily frustrated or swept away by the mere aristocracy.


    *


    The incident in which the gunmen raided the temple was notpletely finished. Carl¡¯s man, Rufus Kissinger, revealed before the divine knights sent from the Holy Empire arrived in the capital that the Bitray Merchants were behind it¡ªbut the owner of the Bitray Merchants¡¯ Associationmitted suicide and the real criminals who did it died.


    When their bodies were found, the Knights of the Holy Empire had already crossed the border, and they could not be told to go back. Finally, today, a group of sacred knights arrived at the temple of the capital.


    Roy visited the imperial family to announce their arrival.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor.¡±


    Roy was from the Leipsden Empire, but not the citizen of Leipsden. He belonged to the Holy Empire and was a priest loved by the goddess of the earth. He did his courtesy just by bowing, and the nobles looked at it with an unsavory look.


    ¡°So, the Knights of the Holy Empire have arrived?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are in the temple now.¡±


    Roy tried to bring them into the pce so they could meet the imperial family but was stopped by the Imperial Knights guarding the pce. The reason was that knights from other empires, not envoys, could note into the pce with weapons.


    The Knights of the Holy Empire also refused toe in because they could not take the sword from their bodies. This was only a small argument between knights, but it was an issue that could never be taken lightly. This could lead the two countries to fall into an uncontroble rtionship if they make a mistake.


    Roy visited the emperor to convey the will of the temple, which did not wish for war.


    Neither did Carl want war. Already, the Empire of Leipsden had been tired of a long war. Moreover, there was a floodst year, and there was a prediction that the floods would continue this year. In the midst of this, proceeding with the war was obviously a heavy burden.


    Not only that¡ªthe opponent was a divine empire. If a war with other countries were won, Leipsden would gainnd orpensation to cover the loss. However, there was nothing to gain from the deterioration of rtions with the Holy Empire. Although the territory and wealth of the Holy Empire were only as much as one territory of Leipsden, their influence was as great as that of Leipsden.


    A victory in the war by treading on their holy ground would not mean the end. The war against the Holy Empire was not a war between just two empires. It was a tiring and arduous task of having to wage war against many countries under the influence of the goddess of the earth.


    ¡°Now that we have caught the perpetrator in the incident, your knights may leave our empire. If you¡¯re going back, I¡¯ll give you my big banquet. To make sure the steps that havee all the way here are not wasted.¡±


    Roy answered Carl without giving in.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality. I will receive a banquetter that the Emperor will hold. However, nothing¡¯s been solved yet.¡±


    ¡°The criminal is also caught, so isn¡¯t it a solved problem?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t figure out the exact reason why they did this. I¡¯m not convinced that it¡¯s not going to happen again, so I¡¯m not going to withdraw the knights.¡±


    ¡°They were just orphans...¡±


    One of the officials, unable to bear anger, tried to scream. But fortunately, Pavenik stepped up and forced his mouth to shut before he could utter the word to the end. The official was angry that no matter how much Pavenik was favored by the emperor, he was trying to touch him But Pavenik whispered into his year.


    ¡°You¡¯d better shut up when you¡¯re ignorant. If the rtionship with the Holy Empire worsens because of you, the Emperor will surely cut your throat and throw it to that priest as a gift of reconciliation. The Emperor would certainly do that for Scy.¡±


    At the chilling remark, the Count shut his mouth with a face full of discontent. He had no intention of stepping forward here and found himself hated by the Emperor.

 Chapter 160: Live to Sienna Pt.160

    <h4>Chapter 160: Live to Sienna Pt.160</h4>


    ¡°They were not just orphans, they were precious children of the Holy Empire. Even now, there are children in the Goddess of the Earth temple in the Leipsden Empire. Our temple will do its best not to let anything like this happen again.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re called the children of the Holy Empire, but they¡¯re technically children of our Leipsden Empire. They were born and raised here. Just because they¡¯re on your list, you shouldn¡¯t im them to be from your country.¡±


    ¡°On that point, there was already an agreement that our Holy Father had made with the 16th Emperor of the Leipsden Empire in the past. Of course, it exists in documents. I¡¯m sure you have the Leipsden Empire, too.¡±


    Carl knew the agreement, too. The agreement was made in return for the treatment of Pope Faello when he was ill.


    The use states that if the people of Leipsden wants to be citizens of the Holy Empire, they would have duties and rights as the people of Leipsden, but at the same time, the Holy Empire was responsible for protection when needed. In other words, it was the same as allowing dual nationality.


    However, only a small number of people had dual citizenship in the Leipsden Empire because not many people have religion. Moreover, no one among the nobles had a nationality of the Holy Empire, as Emperor Wiesdam had the condition that the authority of a nobleman with dual nationality would be restricted. Sienna was a very unusual case.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to keep the Knights of the Holy Empire in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Until I¡¯m sure that we don¡¯t need protection. And the Holy Father said he would not hold the Leipsden Empire responsible for this.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl¡¯s face was badly distorted. They were pretending to show generosity.


    But there were no actions without reasoning in international rtions. They were also a country and a group that puts their interests first, even though they were said to be doing god¡¯s will.


    ¡°But...¡±


    As Carl expected, Roy set out on the condition.


    ¡°His Holiness wants to invite the First Empress to the Holy Empire.¡±


    Lieutenants started murmuring. Carl¡¯s face was horribly distorted.


    After the meeting with the Emperor, Roy visited the pce where Sienna was.


    ¡°I had to stop by the castle again today, so...¡±


    Roy was embarrassed to see Sienna so often that as soon as he saw her face, he made this excuse without saying hello. With his childlike innocence, Sienna burst intoughter and said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not here to see me, but you are here for something else? I¡¯m sad. I¡¯m a side business, but I¡¯m still d to see Priest Roy.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s actually because of you, and the other business was secondary Lady Sienna...¡±


    ¡°Are you really here for me and working on the side? Anyway, I¡¯m d you came. Come and see me more often.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Facing Roy, Sienna was reminded of the children of the temple again. The children she would never forget. She was yet to ovee the sadness of seeing the deaths of the children.


    As Sienna, who was smiling, became depressed, Roy took her hand. Something warm came through his hands, though not shining. It was a great constion to Sienna.


    ¡°Is this a form of healing power?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s justforting. Close to camaraderie, affectionate constion.¡±


    She thought he was showing his power, but he was just consoling her. Whatever the source of that warmth, Sienna was more rxed.


    ¡°How are the kids doing? Is Kevin all right?¡±


    On the day of the invasion of the temple, Carl and Sienna¡¯s visit was done in secret, so Sienna had to return to the castle quickly. She heard through Carl or Aunt Kelly that Kevin had recovered safely, but Sienna still felt uneasy as she watched the boy dying slowly in her arms.


    ¡°Now he¡¯s fully recovered. But I think we¡¯ll need more time to get it all back to the way we used to be.¡±


    Sienna nodded.


    ¡°I wish I had the power to heal children¡¯s minds. It¡¯s all because of myck.¡±


    ¡°No, because you were there, Kevin could live. Thank you very much, Roy.¡±


    Recalling what happened that day again, Sienna felt guilty at the thought that the children had been attacked because of her battle with Empress Arya. Roy also wondered if it was because he had left the temple that day, or if he had returned a little earlier, he could have prevented the deaths of the children. The air in the room became as heavy as their two faces.


    ¡°What kind of knights are here from the Holy Empire?¡±


    Sienna asked to change the mood.


    ¡°Very nice people. They¡¯re really cool too. Actually, I¡¯ve never seen them as close as this time, but after meeting them in person, I realized that they were amazing. The shiny armor and smooth fluttering cape, especially the eyes that don¡¯t waver in anything, are really reliable. I thought they were the swordsmen of goddesses.¡±


    Roy was speaking of the knights and was filled with awe.


    ¡°Did Priest Roy want to be a knight, too?¡±


    ¡°Haha, did you notice? Seriously, I thought I¡¯d be a knight when I grew up, wearing that shiny armor and protecting the person I liked. Why, the kind of hero that would appear in a song sung by minstrels.¡±


    Roy said with his eyes glistening like a boy dreaming of bing a knight, not a priest.


    ¡°Ah-ha, did you try to be a knight but became a priest by the power of god?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Roy stretched his shoulders and sighed.


    ¡°Ha- It¡¯s a long story, but... in fact, while growing up in the Holy Empire with the help of Priest Dijein, I dreamed of bing a knight. But everyone said no. Even the Holy Father, who cares about me, told me to give up.¡±


    ¡°Howe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little short of athletic ability. It¡¯s so hard to run just onep around the yground that I stick to the ground. And my reflexes were so dull that I took all the sandbags thrown at me with my face. For the next month, I walked around with a swollen blue face and everyone told me to give up. That I¡¯m worse than a child at athletic abilities.¡±


    Sienna was shocked to hear the story. That sounded like not just ack of athleticism, but aplete absence of it.


    ¡°So I was going to give up being a knight and just work as ayman, but I ended up receiving a prophecy. But I¡¯m d to be able toe back to the Empire and see Lady Sienna.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing for me, too. But I¡¯ve always wondered, how do you know that you¡¯ve received that ability? Is there a thunderbolt from the sky, or is there a halo behind your head?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that fancy. I just found out.¡±


    ¡°You get it?¡±


    ¡°Just suddenly, I think I can cure that person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you just think about? I¡¯d suspect that something¡¯s wrong with myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t even have that suspicion back then. As soon as I saw a believer who came to pray in the temple because he was sick, I thought, ¡®Oh, I can cure him by the goddess¡¯s will.''¡±


    ¡°As soon as you thought of it, were you really able to heal?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I approached him, held his hand, and prayed. That his sore spot will heal. And it cured him.¡±


    He said with a shrug. He said it was nothing.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t surprised when he was really cured?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t have time to be surprised. And then I passed out, haha. I was so weak back then that I was asleep for a month after doing a very small healing.¡±


    Sienna looked at Roy with surprised eyes. He had to sleep for a month!


    Well, she was lying down for almost a month when she treated Aunt Kelly. Byparison, Roy looked tired and exhausted when he healed Kevin, but he didn¡¯t lose his mind.

 Chapter 161: Live to Sienna Pt.161

    <h4>Chapter 161: Live to Sienna Pt.161</h4>


    It gave Sienna goosebumps to think about how fast his ability was developing. Wouldn¡¯t he be enough to cure hundreds of people with just a flick of a handter?


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not my ability, is it? It¡¯s all a blessing.¡±


    Roy said politely. His answer raised another question for Sienna.


    ¡°Then how much power does the Pope have?¡±


    Sienna wondered if his abilities could lead to thunderstorms, earthquakes, and the copse of a country.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think he could manipte people¡¯s thoughts with one gesture...¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! No. He doesn¡¯t do what they call a visible divine transfer.¡±


    ¡°Can you be a Pope without miraculous powers? Is the Holy Father a hereditary session?¡±


    ¡°No way. He was an orphan like me and started cleaning the altar and slowly raised to his position. It¡¯splicated to exin, but he has the abilities necessary for the position.¡±


    Sienna nodded at his words.


    ¡®Does the Pope have a better political power than others? It is an important virtue for a leader to have.¡¯


    ¡°If it¡¯s not a hereditary system, then Roy could be popeter.¡±


    Roy said with a troubled look on Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°Anyone in the Holy Empire, of course, can be the Pope. But I think it¡¯s beyond my ability. I¡¯m not confident that I can stand the papal position.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t befortable to have a country¡¯s destiny. I¡¯ve never seen the Holy Father, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s old.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s very old. But he¡¯s still very active. He still attends all the Masses that are held from dawn untilte at night. Oh, the reason I came to the imperial court today was because of the order he gave me.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were here for the knights¡¯ issue, but you weren¡¯t?¡±


    Sienna thought Roy¡¯s visit was due to the friction between the Holy Knights and the Imperial Knights that happened not long ago. Sienna knew that the imperial knights had prevented them from entering the pce under Carl¡¯s orders, though he was just treating it as a matter of rivalry between the knights.


    Roy would need to deliver his message instead of them, who came all the way to the empire and could not go back without doing anything, and could not bend to the empire.


    ¡°Of course that happened, but above all, the Holy Father wanted to see Lady Sienna.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°You are invited to the Holy Empire.¡±


    Sienna looked at Roy with a fluttered face.


    Sienna used to wonder if the goddess of the earth was involved in her return to the past. This was because the first change that happened after the return was the meeting with Roy. Later, when she learned of Roy¡¯s outstanding power, she thought maybe the goddess sent her to save him.


    So there was a vague expectation that if she went to the Holy Empire, she might find a reason for her return. Of course, the current pope, who has a good sense of politics, would have invited her for more secr reasons, but she was still excited because it was a country she had never been to.


    Roy shook his head with a regretful look.


    ¡°So I asked the Emperor, and he turned me down immediately.¡±


    Sienna smiled tenderly as she thought she could see how Carl refused. But Roy looked so down, so she soothed him with a friendly voice.


    ¡°We are not a colony state, so if the Empress visits at the request of the Holy Empire, it could be seen as humiliating. Priest Roy and I are friends, but we are also the cardinal who represents the Holy Empire and the empress of the Leipsden Empire.¡±


    Roy nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°Maybe the Pope also said this knowing that the Emperor would refuse. So he¡¯s not going to scold Roy. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried that he would be angry. It¡¯s just a shame. I wanted to show you what the empire I grew up in is like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious too, where you grew up. If I get the chance, I¡¯lle to visit the Holy Empire.¡±


    ¡°If that timees, I¡¯ll make sure to show you around. There are so many ces I want to show you!¡±


    Roy¡¯s voice got a little brighter.


    At the time Roy and Sienna were chatting, Carl was staring at the nobles who appeared at the political meeting with a wistful face. The nobles bowed their heads, avoiding his gaze, because of the fierce spirit of his body.


    ¡°You were all pretending to be so proud, and you finally managed to get the Holy Empire knights to step on thisnd.¡±


    The nobles were antsy even though Carl didn¡¯t raise his voice. Carl continued, with one lip curled up.


    ¡°Not only the Holy Empire and the Castro Empire but also the numerous kingdoms on the border here and there, they¡¯re talking nonsense about reducing the number of central forces when there are only enemies everywhere...¡±


    ¡°But, Your Majesty the Emperor!¡±


    Count Ferrer hurriedly opened his mouth to make an objection. Despite Carl¡¯s fierce eyes, he forced himself to speak.


    ¡°It is true that there are many countries around the empire, but not all are enemies. There are also too many central forces in Leipsden, as the Castro Empire has just reached a truce. The tax burden to maintain the Central Army is too high.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a waste to maintain the Central Army for a war that may happen again at any time.¡±


    The nobles came out to defend Count Ferrer. Carl watched them with a cold smile. By the time themotion died down after they had been talking for a long time, Carl said next.


    ¡°So you all can¡¯t just sit and watch the Central Army ying, is what I am getting here. Because it¡¯s a waste of some tax money.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re going too far.¡±


    ¡°Too far? I agree with that to some extent. You don¡¯t have to let the Central Army, trained with the highest honors, just y. So I decided to ept some of your opinions.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Everyone gasped at the unexpected reaction. They all thought that Carl wouldn¡¯t take it easy. Moreover, what did he mean by saying that he will ept only a part of their opinions?


    ¡°So I n to deploy some of the central forces to each of the territories.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you saying you¡¯re going to let the Central Army stay on the territories?¡±


    As the nobles raised their voices, Carl frowned and raised his hand. His gesture shut them up. As the hall quieted down, Carl continued.


    ¡°It¡¯s total nonsense to raise soldiers in each of the territories to increase the Empire¡¯s defenses. How can you, who never even managed ten soldiers, manage to do that?¡±


    The nobles flinched their lips as if to refute Carl, but no one spoke up. Most of the high-ranking aristocrats here now had no experience of participating in the war and had no justification to refute it.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a point in what you say. You know how much time and money it takes to raise a knight. However, deploying the Central Army on a permanent basis will save you money to grow your knights, and there will be some benefits in managing the army. We can move more efficiently than we do now, which is mainly based on wires. It¡¯s good for you and me. Count Ferrer, of course. I can¡¯t believe you came up with this brilliant idea for me.¡±


    Count Ferrer¡¯s face was distorted by Carl¡¯s words. The nobles looked at the emperor with a look of disbelief.


    Although the Emperor of Leipsden was said to have a strong imperial power, the basic authority of the estates lies with its lord, the owner of the territory. However, the emperor said that he would strengthen the monitoring system for the nobility by deploying his central army in each territory, and reduce the influence of the lords and ce it under the influence of the emperor in every corner of the empire. This was a grave matter that might shake the foundations of the feudal system.


    ¡°I almost thought you were going to hold hands with the Castro Empire and start a rebellion because you knew exactly what the situation was like, and you were talking about reducing the number of troops, or increasing the number of soldiers.¡±


    The faces of the nobles turned blue at his words. Carl¡¯s words were heard as saying that he would use them of coborating with the Castro Empire if they opposed his opinion or would be charged with treason.


    ¡°Our territory can do its job well without the Central Army.¡±


    Baron Sention plucked up his courage and said to Carl, he had a territory located in the northern part of the Marl Mountains and was the owner of arge territory out of proportion to the title of Baron.


    ¡°Baron Sention...You asked for tax reliefst year and the year before, saying that you were harmed by monsters, right? Don¡¯t worry, unlike your poorly-trained territory soldiers, our well-trained Central Army will take care of the monsters well. Next year, the damage caused by monsters will be reduced, so you can afford to pay more taxes. Consider it when you do your taxes next year.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that...¡±


    As he shook his hand in embarrassment, Carl looked around the nobles and said, ¡°If I had known that the dispatch of the Central Army had so many advantages, I would have done it earlier. If it had been so, the damage to thend would have been reduced. What a waste of taxes that could have been collected.¡±


    Carl stood up and continued his words, ¡°Think you understand, then, and I¡¯ll call this political meeting over.¡±


    Carl left the conference room as if he would not give room for discussion. As soon as the door closed, angry-faced aristocrats approached Count Ferrer, raising their voices.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here? I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re deploying the Central Army to the territories! How can this be?!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a mistake to bring up the idea of reducing the number of troops in the central region to begin with?¡±


    ¡°Was there a secret deal between you and the Emperor from the beginning?¡±


    Count Ferrer looked dismayed at the nobles protesting against him. Having been with Carl for a long time, he was unaware of what he was capable of. It wasn¡¯t until Count Ferrer faced Carl that he felt how evil and scary he was.

 Chapter 162: Live to Sienna Pt.162

    <h4>Chapter 162: Live to Sienna Pt.162</h4>


    *


    Under the leadership of Empress Arya, a dining table was arranged for Sienna, Bluebell, and Madame Kitroll, a teacher of royal etiquette.


    Sienna had doubts about what Arya had in mind to arrange the asion, but had no justification to refuse. It was a ce tofort Bluebell, who could not meet anyone outside due to etiquette education.


    ¡°I should have adjusted your clothes.¡±


    Hain was the most excited person about the sudden invitation to a meal. When she was told that the imperial women would gather for a meal, Hain rolled up her sleeves. Today was a day of fierce fighting, in which she had to show off her skills.


    Empress Arya, who was boasting beauty beyond her age, Bluebell, nicknamed the fairy goddess, and Kitroll, who has long held the position of the royal court¡¯s etiquette teacher, showed off their elegance. Hain was obliged to make sure that Sienna was not pushed out among these prominent women.


    But her face, looking through Sienna¡¯s wardrobe, was filled with disappointment. It was because there were no clothes to wear because of Sienna who did not care for other people¡¯s approval.


    ¡°So you shouldn¡¯t miss the appointment with the tailor. You don¡¯t have any clothes to wear.¡±


    Sienna shrugged at her grumbling.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even a banquet for high-ranking aristocrats. It¡¯s just a table.¡±


    When Sienna shook off Hain¡¯s concern, Hain put her face in front of her master¡¯s face and said,


    ¡°How can it be just a table?! They just didn¡¯t pull out swords, but it¡¯s like a battle of the knights. Just as knights use sharp swords to remind them of their presence, at a meal like this,dies attack each other with fancy dresses and makeup.¡±


    ¡°What attacks... oh my, if I wear that to the meal, I would not be able to take a sip of water, let alone a meal.¡±


    Sienna was sick and tired of seeing the dress Hain had taken out.


    ¡°But tightening your waist is still the trend.¡±


    Sienna was sick and tired of the dress, which seemed unlikely to fit either of her arms, let alone her waist. It was a costume that she could never wear without a corset, but she really hated it.


    ¡°Then what do we do? All the other dresses here were worn once.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I wear what I wore before?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! You mean that? If your Majesty wears this dress again, others willugh at you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty may be fine, but I¡¯m not. Those little bitches willugh at me. Even though they don¡¯t even belong to the imperial family!¡±


    Hain said angrily.


    She seemed to still have a bad rtionship with the maids of Bluebell. In addition to serving different empresses, most of Bluebell¡¯s maids were brought from the Ferrer family, not from the imperial family, so they were outsiders among the maids.


    In the past, maids belonging to the imperial family were clearly divided into Arya¡¯s and non-Arya¡¯s, but during that meantime, Bluebell¡¯s n have formed. Bluebell had a better rtionship with Arya than Sienna, so Hain heard that Bluebell¡¯s maids were closer to the maids of Arya.


    Although Hain boasted that most of the maids, who belonged to the non-Arya group, turned over to Sienna¡¯s side, Sienna couldn¡¯t really feel it. She just felt sad about the current state of the pce, where there were not only the battles between the emperor and aristocrats in the highest positions but also those who work in the low ces.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Hain to beughed at, either, but the clothes are too much. It¡¯s too tight for a meal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯d have to eat, so...¡±


    She looked at this dress and other dresses with a dead face. But looking around wouldn¡¯t make clothes that weren¡¯t there. She looked into Sienna¡¯s face and said, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll have to face it. I¡¯ll give you a massage first!¡±


    Sienna managed to restrain Hain who was rushing in right away. Sienna was so ticklish that it was hard for others to massage her body.


    Hain said she cannot massage Sienna with her ticklishness, and ordered Shaylin to put a bowl of hot water under Sienna¡¯s feet and let her soak her feet. The reason was that hot water foot baths helped reduce swelling and make your skin look brighter.


    ¡°Empress Arya fills her bathtub with an ol oil and kemilia oil, which are as expensive as jewelry, and then orders her maids to give her a massage every day. It¡¯s not easy to maintain a beautiful appearance.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, she is pretty.¡±


    Although the sound of Arya¡¯s name made Sienna cringe, she still had to acknowledge her beauty. But Arya¡¯s excessive luxury also bothered Sienna.


    Currently, the empire was not in a good financial state. Arya used the state funds as if it were her own allowance, and even the previous emperors led indulgent lives using the empire¡¯s finances, so the current financial condition of the empire was at rock bottom.


    For this reason, it was difficult to secure funds for the waterway project, which was necessary to establish a stable farming foundation or paypensation to the bereaved families of soldiers who died in the war. Sienna was abhorrent of Arya¡¯s continued behavior even in these times.


    When Sienna answered in an annoyed voice, Hain felt this was the time, so she convinced Sienna.


    ¡°Look, you really don¡¯t want to be belittled by the Empress, do you? So wear it even if it¡¯s ufortable. It¡¯s the best dress you¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    ¡°Even then, I hate corsets!¡±


    After Sienna¡¯s fierce defiance, the two eventually reached an agreement in a dress that revealed quite a lot of shoulders and breasts. Wearing a wrinkled red dress, Sienna headed for the empress¡¯ pce where Bluebell was staying. The red hair gently scattered over her fair-skinned shoulders.


    ¡®You always have to meet the person you never want to see.¡¯


    Sienna faced Empress Arya in front of Bluebell¡¯s Pce. Next to her was Madame Kitroll, who was in charge of etiquette education. When Sienna saw Arya, she felt her mouth stiffening, but she didn¡¯t want to be rude in front of Madame Kitroll, so she forced herself to smile and greet her.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress. And Madame Kitroll is here, too. How have you been?¡±


    Sienna spoke to Kitroll immediately after she had given Arya the least bit of courtesy. It was an act of contempt for Arya, but it was not enough to point it out as a problem.


    Kitroll weed Sienna with pleasure.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time. You haven¡¯t been out for a while, have you been sick?¡±


    When Carl and Bluebell were about to marry, Sienna did not do as much outside activity as possible. It was because at that time, she wasn¡¯t sure about how Carl felt about her and thought of leaving him. Sienna thought it was not polite to act more in the spotlight than Bluebell, because she was the one who will leave, and the one who will be the true empress was Bluebell.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t intend to keep her head down now that she knew how Carl felt about her.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t have anything special to do. As you can see, I¡¯m very healthy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that Sienna is healthy. Her grip is so powerful that I thought she could easily cut off a weak woman¡¯s neck. Hahaha, this is just a joke.¡±


    Arya¡¯s eyes were not smiling at all, even though she said it was a joke.


    ¡°Does my arm look that big? I¡¯ll have to work on it.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re really beautiful right now.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t just kidding.¡±


    Sienna red fiercely at Arya, who followed Kitroll¡¯s response. Arya also red back at Sienna without losing. As the atmosphere between the two was about to be tense, fortunately, the timely doorman opened the door.


    ¡°Wee.¡±


    Bluebell greeted them with a bright face. For a moment, too, she had an unpleasant look on her face as if she had touched something ufortable as her gaze touched Sienna. It was because of the story she heard from Arya about Sienna the other day.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell, I¡¯m d to see you again following yesterday¡¯s meeting. Just as flowers bloom after water, it seems like your beauty shines over time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Arya greeted Bluebell in a friendly way, quite unlike how she had been talking to Sienna. Sienna was bothered by the friendly rtionship between Arya and Bluebell.


    ¡°Thank you for the invitation. There seems to be a good rtionship between Empress Bluebell and Empress Arya.¡±


    Kitroll helped Sienna by her side.


    ¡°I agree. You two look very friendly. Like a mother and a daughter.¡±


    At Kitroll¡¯s words, Arya pulled Bluebell¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Really? Do we look more alike this way? It¡¯s an honor to look like such a beautiful Queen Bluebell as a mother and a daughter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me, too.¡±


    Bluebell was shy, looking up at Arya, who held her shoulder affectionately. Sienna, who saw it and realized something, unwittinglyughed. Bluebell and Kitroll looked at Sienna with questioning faces, but Sienna tried hard to hide her expression as if nothing happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m just jealous. You two look so close.¡±


    Arya answered with a strange smile on her eyes.


    ¡°Hoho, Empress Bluebell. I think Empress Sienna is jealous of us.¡±


    ¡°Would Empress Sienna do that, really?¡±


    The two exchanged words like long-time friends. Sienna looked at Arya and Bluebell with anxious eyes.


    Bluebell guided the party to the restaurant. They immediately started eating.


    The more the food went in, Bluebell looked more distressed, and Sienna was convinced it was because of her dress. She was wearing a corset that was in trend in the capital this year, a style that tightens the waist into a handful. That¡¯s why Sienna had a long argument with Hain about not wearing it.


    One of Bluebell¡¯s charms was that she didn¡¯t lose all her baby fat, and today she was hollow-cheeked. Although she was originally slim, so although she may look pretty she looked very ufortable, and Sienna wondered how she even put the dress on.


    Frail innocent look. It was not Sienna¡¯s favorite word, but she thought it might be the most appropriate word to describe the current appearance of Bluebell.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell, your dress looks great on you. It¡¯s a dress that¡¯s hard for anyone to pull off.¡±


    When Sienna asked, Bluebell said in a boastful tone.


    ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s the dress you sent me.¡±


    Sienna looked at Arya with suspicious eyes. Arya was by no means a generous enough person to do this kind of favor without anything she wants in return. Sienna¡¯s mind becameplicated trying to figure out what Arya was up to.


    ng-!


    ¡°Ah!¡±

 Chapter 163: Live to Sienna Pt.163

    <h4>Chapter 163: Live to Sienna Pt.163</h4>


    The knife that Bluebell was holding slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.


    ¡°Oh my! Empress Bluebell, you dropped your knife!¡±


    It was just a knife, but Arya was making a big deal out of it. Sienna, who was not paying much attention to Bluebell¡¯s mistakes, rather turned to Bluebell because of Arya¡¯s voice.


    Bluebell¡¯s hands were shaking. It looked like a symptom of low blood sugar. It was probably natural for her hands to tremble and feel weak because she couldn¡¯t even drink water for days and days to wear the dress Arya gave her as a gift.


    Bluebell looked embarrassed as if she had done something wrong. Only then did Sienna know for sure what Arya was trying to do. She was sick and tired of the cruelty of Arya.


    Arya was trying to undermine Bluebell¡¯s reputation,pare her with others, and harass her mentally so that she can influence Bluebell to her heart¡¯s content. It was something that Sienna herself had also been subjected to in the past.


    ¡®I was afraid this would happen.¡¯


    In the past before her return, when Sienna entered the castle, everything was hard. It was difficult to have no one to rely on, but the biggest problem was Arya, who deftly gnawed at her self-esteem.


    Arya used toe around often saying that she had been worried about bad rumors about her and kept telling her about rumors Sienna never knew about. Gradually, to Sienna, it felt like that Arya was the only person who reached out to her in this isted castle. Although in reality, Arya was driving her into istion.


    Ever since Bluebell entered the pce, Arya has been consistently creating apetitive spirit between them. Shepared Sienna to everything with Bluebell, even saying that Carl chose Bluebell, not Sienna.


    Sienna began to think that her foundations were falling apart. When she thought that there was nowhere to set foot, Arya extended a helping hand. But it was actually the worst option that would destroy her, and everyone else.


    And she was doing exactly what she did to Sienna to Bluebell this time. To iste the young Bluebell and y with her like a pawn. The puppet she chose this time was not herself, but Bluebell.


    Sienna had no intention of watching it.


    ng-!


    This time it was a ss of water. She pushed her ss of water with the back of her broken hand and dropped it to the floor.


    ¡°Sorry, I must be nervous.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Bluebell looked at Sienna with relieved eyes, and Aryaughed with a look of condescendence.


    ¡°Now that I see, all three of us are disciples of Madame Kitroll. We¡¯ve all had our etiquette training with her.¡±


    Kitroll nodded in answer. Sienna, who knew that Madame Kitroll had long been a teacher of etiquette in the imperial family but did not know whether she had taught up to Arya, looked at her with a look of light admiration.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask which student was the best?¡±


    Arya¡¯s question was a difficult one for Kitroll, for she had all her students in front of her. However, Kitroll answered skillfully, saying, ¡°I think all three of you here were great students. Her Majesty the Empress, Her Majesty the First Empress, and Her Majesty the Second Empress. It was an honor for me to teach all of you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Arya nodded with an unsatisfied look as if she had not received the answer she wanted.


    Meanwhile, Bluebell looked depressed. Because Sienna and Arya have alreadypleted all of Kitroll¡¯s training, but she was the only one who is currently in progress.


    It was quite a burden to not be able to meet anyone outside until shepleted all the etiquette sses. That¡¯s why the training period felt longer than it actually was. Bluebell also thought her education period was getting too long.


    ¡°So the Queen Sienna¡¯s education period was very short, right? She must have been a pretty good student.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was pretty surprised about that, too.¡±


    Kitroll answered in a bright voice, and Arya¡¯s expression also brightened. This was clearly the answer Arya wanted, Sienna thought.


    ¡°I think she was probably the fastest student in the history of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°How short was it? I guess I¡¯m getting older. I can¡¯t remember...¡±


    ¡°It only took 44 days. It was also dyed because of dance education, otherwise, it would have taken less than 30 days. It was really amazing.¡±


    ¡°...it¡¯s an honor for you topliment me.¡±


    Sienna grudgingly responded to thepliment.


    ¡°44 days! That¡¯s really great. It took me 50 days, too, and Empress Bluebell...It¡¯s been two months now, right? Of course, I¡¯m not saying that Queen Bluebell¡¯s education is slow.¡±


    ¡°Of course. The Second Empress is learning fast. You¡¯ll be able to finish your education soon because you¡¯ve got the aristocracy in your body.¡±


    Arya, who would normally have attacked Sienna, rather praised Sienna.


    ¡°The more I think about it, the more amazing it is. 44 days.¡±


    ¡°I was also very impressed while I was teaching.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely too slow then, right...?¡±


    When Bluebell asked in a self-conscious voice, Sienna replied.


    ¡°Of course not. Empress Bluebell, you¡¯re not toote.¡±


    It was true. No, it was rather quick. It took Sienna a year to finish it the first time. She was actually amazed that Empress Arya had only taken 50 days.


    ¡°Of course. Empress Bluebell is just average. It¡¯s just that Empress Sienna is so outstanding. She mastered so many things so quickly... it¡¯s really great.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s head was filled only with the word ¡°normal¡± that Arya emphasized. Her pride was hurt more than it usually was if she was directly cursed. Her ordinary self, beingpared to the outstanding Sienna, felt pathetic.


    ¡°Sienna is really great. How did you finish your education so quickly? You must be very smart.¡±


    Sienna was embarrassed when Bluebell praised her in a weak voice.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not outstanding.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if Sienna isn¡¯t outstanding, then I and the Empress Bluebell are less than in?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not... Because I¡¯m in a different situation...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Sienna said that she felt like she made a mistake. She meant that her experience would have been easier than Bluebell because it was her second time, but now it could be seen as a pride to those who did not know about it. As expected, Bluebell¡¯s sharp voice came out.


    ¡°Sienna is not in the same terrible situation as I am, but in a different dimension. I still haven¡¯t seen the end of the education in two months.¡±


    Arya nodded with a satisfied look at her response.


    ¡®Damn it! She¡¯s a wicked woman like a snake!


    Sienna felt like she yed up to Arya¡¯s n, but now it was toote to patch things up in a clumsy way, so Sienna shut up. The atmosphere has subsided further.


    ¡°I think both of you are outstanding. Second Empress, don¡¯t look so down. You have other outstanding traits instead.¡±


    ¡°Of course. To be honest, the reason I ended my education early was because of the tight schedule of the banquet. If it wasn¡¯t for that, I¡¯d still be in dance training.¡±


    Sienna looked back at Kitroll with a look of consent. Kitroll nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, honestly, when I was teaching dance to the First Empress, I was really in the dark. Even wooden sticks wouldn¡¯t move like that.¡±


    Kitroll said, with a wink to Sienna. It could have been a shameful story for Sienna, but she could feel Kitroll¡¯s trust that Sienna would understand everything. Sienna nodded and said, ¡°Hahaha, frankly, I still don¡¯t have any talent for dancing.¡±


    Arya stepped up to Sienna¡¯s words and said, ¡°Why do you say such a modest thing? The dance at the previous banquet with the Emperor is being talked about in social circles.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. I¡¯ve heard that you were so good at dancing that it looked like two people¡¯s feet were tied to each other like a heavenly couple...¡±


    Kitroll, who knows better than anyone how poorly Sienna was at dancing, tilted her head as if she could not believe it. Then Arya spoke to her in an excited voice.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Madame Kitroll see it in person? That¡¯s too bad. It was a very impressive dance. You must have danced with the Emperor for the first time that day, but how were you so good at it? I thought it was meant to be.¡±


    Arya was once again eager to praise Sienna. Sienna looked at Bluebell. As expected, her face looked ufortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that our dance will be forgotten at Bluebell¡¯s debut banquet. I heard that the Emperor himself taught Bluebell how to dance when she was young. His Majesty said that if Queen Bluebell made her debut at the banquet, she would be noted for her best dance performance in the Empire.¡±


    Bluebell red her eyes at Sienna¡¯s words. Then she said in a confident voice, as if she had forgotten about her insecure self just a moment ago.


    ¡°Yes, I took social dance sses with Carl when I was a kid. The steps were difficult, so I stepped on Carl¡¯s foot a lot. Carl kindly made me put my feet on his feet and taught me how to dance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really like a fairy tale. I envy you. Your Majesty Bluebell and His Majesty seem to have a lot of memories.¡±


    Sienna said she would like to hear the memories of Carl and Bluebell to help her feel better.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t that many, really.¡±


    Bluebell waved her hand and said, but Kitroll nagged her.


    ¡°But if there are any interesting stories between the Second Empress and the Emperor, could you tell us?¡±


    Bluebell began to unravel her stories with Carl one by one, as if she was finally relieved now that she was in the spotlight again.


    ¡°When he came to my castle, I once begged him to go see rainbow trout by the river.¡±


    It was a story that both of them almost drowned after sneaking out of the castle due to Bluebell¡¯s immaturity.


    ¡°...our clothes were soaked in water and my hair was messed up, so I was embarrassed, and I cried because it was so cold. Heforted me and even carried me back to the castle.¡±


    Sienna envied the memories of the two while thinking that the innocence of the children were cute. But it wasn¡¯t like before, when it was unbearable and resentful. As much as Bluebell, she also had built up many memories with Carl, and she no longer doubted his love.


    It felt like she was getting to know about Carl¡¯s childhood, so Sienna even thought it was a little pleasant. It seemed to fill in the nks of his personality other than what he had shown her.


    Perhaps because Sienna and Kitroll listened attentively to Bluebell¡¯s stories, most of the stories during the meal were filled with fairy tale childhood stories of Carl and Bluebell. Bluebell checked Sienna¡¯s expression from time to time, but Sienna didn¡¯t notice her gaze.

 Chapter 164: Live to Sienna Pt.164

    <h4>Chapter 164: Live to Sienna Pt.164</h4>


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard anything from Aunt Kelly yet, have you?¡±


    Hain, who was instructing the maids to change the curtains in the guest room, answered Sienna¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t heard from her yet.¡±


    Sienna took a sip of warm tea with a look of discontent. Sienna asked Kelly to find out about Arya¡¯s past activities, but it seemed to take some time.


    ¡°Be careful there. If you fall off thedder, you get seriously injured.¡±


    The inside of the guest room was bustling. Normally, curtain or seat recement was supposed to take ce quietly at dawn when the owner is asleep or at the time of the owner¡¯s absence, but Sienna was sitting in a hectic guest room while the curtains and seats in the bedroom and study were also being reced.


    Sienna was afraid that Arya would nt spies in her maid circle, so she had no choice but to be short-staffed because she could only pick the reliable maids that she trusted personally.


    Cough*Cough*


    Shaylin, who was running around like an assistant, coughed dry coughs. When Sienna saw it, she asked Hain.


    ¡°Why the hell are you making a fuss about changing curtains all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty the Emperores here every day these days.¡±


    Sienna tilted her head and asked back, ¡°What does that have to do with the curtains?¡±


    Hain spoke triumphantly, with a proud look on her face.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason! In the past, some empresses changed the inside of the castle every day. Changing curtains, decorating with flowers, or hanging pictures. She not only took care of herself but her pce so that the emperor would not get bored with her.¡±


    Sienna nodded as she looked at Hain with a proud face looking like she wanted apliment. Though bustling, she didn¡¯t mean to me her.


    Hain looked anxious. She was worried that Carl would be fickle and stoping here and go to Bluebell. Sienna had confidence about Carl¡¯s heart, but Hain, who was not Sienna, would not have such faith.


    Sienna said to Hain as she stood up from her seat, carrying a nket and the documents she was looking at:


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay because there¡¯s a lot of dust inside. I¡¯ll be in the garden, so call me when it¡¯s finished. Shaylin, will you please get me a cup of warm tea?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s full of bugs in the garden. Would that be okay with you? It¡¯s also windy today...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ve got a nket here.¡±


    After hearing that she would clean up as soon as possible, Sienna went to the garden. The Knights of Phoenix naturally followed her.


    The wind usually blows away flower petals and leaves, causing the garden table to be messy. But today, it was clean for some reason. By the looks of it, Milton seemed to havemanded a knight to clean it up quickly.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Upon hearing Sienna¡¯s words of thanks, Milton answered with a light bow.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have your tea.¡±


    Shaylin carefullyid down the teapots and cups on the table. Shaylin looked uneasy, even though she had been an apprentice maid for quite some time. It was also due to her youthful appearance, but it was also true that she looked noticeably thin recently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pour it for you.¡±


    Shaylin carefully picked up the teapot and poured it out into the teacup. Unlike the gesture that looked anxious, the teacup contained fragrant tea. She must have learned how to make proper tea from Hain.


    ¡°Shaylin, are you okay? Are you feeling any pain?¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Shaylin apologized in surprise, as if she had made a huge mistake. Sienna smiled awkwardly at her radical response.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry for? I just said it out of concern. You don¡¯t have to be so surprised.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Shaylin looked at her and nodded her head.


    Looking at Shaylin¡¯s dejected face, Sienna remembered that she was ufortable with Leia when she ordered her room to be cleaned not too long ago. Leia was such a budding and caring maid that she didn¡¯t think she would bother Shaylin, but Sienna asked just in case.


    ¡°Is there something wrong? Who¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    ¡°No. Everyone is nice to me, everyone. They take good care of me.¡±


    Even to Sienna, it looked like everyone was taking good care of her, and one seemed to hate her. Nevertheless, the shadow on Shaylin¡¯s face was still lingering.


    ¡°By any chance... never mind.¡±


    Sienna stopped herself before asking if there was anything going on with her family.


    Shaylin was from Tromil, her n was destroyed long ago and scattered, and she was told that the grandmother who raised her had passed away. She had no blood ties left.


    Sienna criticized herself for almost hurting Shaylin with a slip of the tongue.


    ¡®Dang it, I need to be more careful.¡¯


    The wind whistled and the papers on the table scattered in the air as she was ming herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick it up!¡±


    Shaylin stepped out.


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    Shaylin reached for the flying paper and tried to grab it. Her attempt was quite cute, but unfortunately, the papers fell to the floor to avoid her small hands. She was forced to bend over and pick up the scattered paper.


    ¡®Bruise?¡¯


    Sienna found a bruise on the back of her neck, which was revealed as Shaylin bent down. It was so instant and only a glimpse, but the scar that turned purple caught Sienna¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Shaylin put together the documents that she picked up and the documents handed over by the knight on the table.


    ¡°Yes, thank you. But...¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, the study has been arranged, so get inside now. It¡¯s windy.¡±


    Hain came around and told Sienna just before she was about to talk to Shaylin.


    ¡°Ah... Hain, that was fast.¡±


    ¡°Of course, this stuff is quick. Shaylin, can you help me get the kitchen ready?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    Shaylin bounced back into the pce. She left so quickly that Sienna couldn¡¯t ask about the bruise on her neck.


    ¡®How do you get bruises on the back of your neck?¡¯


    Sienna often got bruises around her knee when she was not careful, but bruises on the back of my neck seemed rare. Sienna was lost in thought with a serious look on her face.


    These days, Shaylin¡¯s expression was not good and she looks like a victim of abuse. However, she felt ufortable jumping to conclusions.


    Shaylin was living in the castle with Sienna¡¯s maids. No matter how hard Sienna thought about it, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone who could do such a thing to her.


    As soon as Sienna became the empress, she cut off all those suspected of being Arya¡¯s puppets and filled most of them with trustworthy people. She didn¡¯t want to doubt any of her own people. But she couldn¡¯t just ignore Shaylin¡¯s scars.


    ¡°Your Majesty! What are you thinking? It¡¯s cold, so please go inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay Hain, but will you take good care of Shaylin?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Hain asked in a voice full of worry.


    ¡°Shaylin? Did she do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I think Shaylin¡¯s been worried a lottely. She didn¡¯t say anything but...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m also worried these days. She was never the one tough a lot, but it has gotten worse these days. I don¡¯t see her eating a whole meal. I¡¯ll pay more attention.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you. And do you think there are any bullies...no? Take good care of her anyway and if possible, try to find out what¡¯s going on with Shaylin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    ¡®I hope it¡¯s not a big deal...¡¯


    Sienna sat nkly with a worried face.

 Chapter 165: Live to Sienna Pt.165

    <h4>Chapter 165: Live to Sienna Pt.165</h4>


    Bluebell checked the gifts that came in as wedding gifts. It¡¯s been more than a month since the wedding, she still could not finish looking through all of them. Even now, things were constantlying into the castle under the pretext of wedding gifts.


    Whatever the intentions of the senders, Bluebell never got tired of opening gift boxes every day.


    ¡°Wow, this is a Persian sapphire! What do you think? Does it suit me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I feel the light is fading in front of your beauty.¡±


    ¡°Ay, nanny. You¡¯re doing that again.¡±


    She twisted her body, pretending to be embarrassed by her nanny¡¯s words, but her cheeks turned pink.


    ¡°Enough jewelry, are there any new dresses?¡±


    As soon as her maids heard Bluebell, they rushed around and unfolded the gift box containing the dress. As if it were a frequent urrence, the maids stood in front of her each with a pair of dresses. Bluebell pped her hands at the sight.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m d I became an empress. I¡¯ve never dreamed of doing this in our castle.¡±


    It was true that Bluebell, a daughter of a Count, had a well-off lifepared to others. But it was no match for the imperial treasury.


    Even though she was a rich Count¡¯s only daughter, she could not buy dozens of dresses for parties that cost a wagon for a pair. However, after the wedding ceremony and ascending to the throne of the empress, many gifts poured in every day that could not even be opened. A few castles could have been built just by selling the present that hade to her now.


    After the wedding, she felt like running away hundreds of times a day while receiving etiquette education, but she felt much relieved when she spread out jewelry and dresses on her bed or on the floor every night. Then she was d to have gotten married.


    Moreover, the boring etiquette education was now almost over. She was struggling every day to choose clothes for her uing debut banquet. The nanny looked at her uneasily.


    ¡°But can we just ept all these presents?¡±


    The nanny asked anxiously. Bluebell grumbled irritably at her words.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s so bad about getting a present? We¡¯re not taking bribes.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    The nanny had no choice but to be anxious. Bluebell said they were gifts, but it urred to her that most of the people who sent the gift would not have given it without a reason.


    She didn¡¯t know the details, but some names were familiar to her. The names of aristocrats who frequently came to the imperial pce, saying they wanted to take charge of state projects, and the names of aristocrats who run the business association were also seen. Even though it was clear what they were up to, Bluebell said it doesn¡¯t matter because they were gifts.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It must be true when they say you get worried when you get old...¡±


    Bluebell grabbed the nanny¡¯s wrist and sat her in the chair in front of the mirror. Then she wore a ne around her neck with a red gem adorned with splendor.


    ¡°This color suits you, nanny. I¡¯ll give you this.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The nanny refused in embarrassment. Bluebell replied, pouting her lips.


    ¡°Just keep it. Nanny¡¯s a woman, and you should have at least one gem like this. It¡¯s okay because I have so many.¡±


    ¡°This old woman doesn¡¯t need jewelry like this.¡±


    When the nanny refused, Bluebell hugged her back and said, ¡°Take it even if you don¡¯t need it. I want the nanny to be happy without worrying.¡±


    ¡°My happiness is that the Empress is happy. This old woman has no other greed.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s mother was a woman who spent more days lying in her bedroom than to leave the room because she was so ill. She did not attend Bluebell¡¯s wedding because of her illness. Bluebell did not hate her mother, but it was true that she was more inclined to the nanny who raised her than to her fragile mother.


    ¡°I think nanny is more like my mother than my mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say such a thing.¡±


    The nanny said, ¡°That¡¯s a scary thing to say,¡± shaking with fear that she would be hit by a firestorm right away. Bluebell kissed the frightened nanny on the cheek. Since childhood, she has been acting cute to the nanny.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong with this grown-updy?¡±


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    ¡°If the married person does this, others will be talking bad.¡±


    ¡°Who cares? By the way, you got more wrinkles on your face. That¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t make me worry. I¡¯m getting older and my heart is racing at the slightest thing.¡±


    ¡°What are you worried about? I¡¯m the empress of this country. And my husband is the Emperor in the highest position in the country! Nothing to worry about!¡±


    The nanny nodded at Bluebell with tearful eyes. A young baby girl who was just learning to walk properly in her memory became an adult and became the wife of the emperor, the country¡¯s number one man. Complex emotions surged in.


    Then, a maid announced a guest¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Her Majesty the Empress has visited.¡±


    ¡°Dear Arya? What am I supposed to do...?¡±


    Bluebell looked at the guest room with a perplexed face. Both the bedroom and guest room had no room to step in with gift boxes, dresses, and essories. Bluebell didn¡¯t even let the maids clean up the rooms with a desire to fill the room with gifts.


    It was embarrassing, but she couldn¡¯t leave the empress alone.


    ¡°First of all, let here in...¡±


    ¡°Ask her to go back...¡±


    Bluebell and the nanny were at odds. Bluebell looked at the nanny. The nanny shook her head and said, ¡°How about telling the Empress that you are sorry and can¡¯t make it today, and she shoulde visit next time...¡±


    Bluebell thought she should do as the nanny said, but she was toote. The maid, who heard what Bluebell said, quickly drove Arya into the guest room.


    Arya looked around the guest room looking offended, then slightly made a crooked smile.


    Whenever the nanny saw such a smile, she felt the chills. Arya wasn¡¯t really mean to Bluebell, but the nanny didn¡¯t feel like she would be a helpful person to Bluebell. But it could not be exined logically because it was something like an instinct that came to someone who lived for a long time.


    ¡°Dear Arya!¡±


    The only thing the nanny could do was to make an anxious face looking at Bluebell who was greeting Arya as a close friend.


    Arya greeted Bluebell and said, looking around the room.


    ¡°Amazing. You¡¯ve got a lot of gifts.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised to see so many giftsing in. I haven¡¯t even unpacked all the presents, but the next day, they pile up like mountains.¡±


    Bluebell shrugged and continued.


    ¡°So I didn¡¯t have time to clean up. It¡¯s messy right?¡±


    ¡°...it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s proof that many people think that Empress Bluebell is the true empress. Congrattions.¡±


    Arya emphasized the word ¡°true empress.¡± The nanny felt something off in her tone. But Bluebell thought it was just apliment and liked it with a bright smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you said so.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been trying to tell you something...I¡¯m afraid it would be hard to say here.¡±


    She looked through the guest-room and said. There was no floor area, sofa, or ce where things were not piled up. The maids walked carefully so that they wouldn¡¯t step on things, but it was too much to stand there and talk to each other.


    The two moved to the garden. This year, the sun¡¯s rays were still hot and it was noisy with the sound of grass bugs, even with autumn just around the corner.


    ¡°I heard etiquette sses are almost over.¡±


    ¡°Yes, now all I have to do is dance in the ballroom. It was hard to memorize variousws and birthdays of previous emperors. But I¡¯m confident in social dancing. It¡¯ll probably be over next week.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions. Then I¡¯ll have to hurry up and prepare for the debut party.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking forward to it. I was choosing a dress for the party again today. Oh! I should have asked Empress Arya. I¡¯m really worried about what to wear. The maids say all of them are pretty. Empress Arya has a good eye, so I can trust you will pick a really pretty dress.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor that you say that. But I don¡¯t think I can easily choose either. Empress Bluebell is so beautiful that she¡¯ll look good in any dress.¡±


    Bluebell blushed at Arya¡¯s praise and couldn¡¯t raise her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do when the beautiful Arya tells me I¡¯m beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a withered flower now. I feel shabby next to the bright-blooming Empress Bluebell.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Bluebell raised her head, gestured her hand and said, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How beautiful you are, Arya!¡±


    As Bluebell said, Arya was the beauty that overwhelmed her age. Even when she was young, her beauty was renown throughout the empire, but as she grew older, it became more fascinating.


    Now she had an atmosphere that went beyond just pretty and beautiful expressions. Because of this, no one could easily guess her age. Bluebell was inwardly admiring Arya.


    ¡°Thank you for saying that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not empty words, but Arya is so beautiful. Enough for a woman to fall in love with!¡±


    At Bluebell¡¯s frank praise, Arya smiled a gentle smile as if she was in a good mood. The atmosphere of conversation between the two became softer as they praised each other¡¯s looks. A cool breeze blew through the hot sun.


    ¡°But are you preparing for the Empress Bluebell¡¯s debut banquet?¡±


    Bluebell tilted her head at Arya¡¯s question. The debut banquet was usually held by the empress in Arya¡¯s position. But she couldn¡¯t understand why Arya was asking about the party preparation.

 Chapter 166: Live to Sienna Pt.166

    <h4>Chapter 166: Live to Sienna Pt.166</h4>


    ¡°I thought Empress Arya was preparing the banquet, are you not?¡±


    At Bluebell¡¯s question, Arya shook her head.


    ¡°Normally, it is held by the female head of the imperial pce. When a new empresses in, the old empress usually hosts the party, but since Empress Sienna is in the highest throne, it¡¯s not my position to step in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Empress Sienna is there.¡±


    Bluebell hadpletely forgotten about Sienna. It was because she subconsciously did not remind herself that another empress besides her existed.


    ¡°Debut banquets are so big that we have to start preparing now...¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Sienna getting it ready?¡±


    Asked Bluebell desperately. That she would be ready, and that she would make a feast more spectacr than anyone else. But Arya¡¯s answer killed her expectations.


    ¡°As far as I know, I¡¯m here because it¡¯s not prepared at all. Moreover, Empress Sienna has little experience in preparing parties.¡±


    ¡°But since Sienna has prepared for my wedding, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for her to set up my debut banquet?¡±


    Bluebell liked her wedding inwardly. Because it was held more splendidly than she thought. Everyone agreed that it was a historically grandiose wedding.


    ¡°The wedding was arranged as soon as the wedding of Empress Bluebell was confirmed. There was almost three months of preparation. But the banquet will be in two weeks... maybe Sienna thought it would take more time for her to teach her manners.¡±


    Arya¡¯s words crumpled Bluebell¡¯s face. Bluebell remembered that she wanted to hide because she was ashamed to hear that her etiquette education was taking too long at thest meal. Since then, she hasn¡¯t slept and worked hard to reduce the duration.


    When she recalled Sienna who said it might take longer for Bluebell because they are different, Bluebell¡¯s hands trembled with anger.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I was just worried about Empress Bluebell.¡±


    ¡°Then could you arrange a banquet for me? Arya is the only one I can trust. Sienna is...¡±


    She clouded her words. Arya nodded as if she understood.


    ¡°I understand how you feel. But if Ie forward, she¡¯ll be in trouble...¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Bluebell assured, looking at her with eyes full of strength.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Sienna. So please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that because Empress Bluebell specifically asked me.¡±


    A bright smile hung around Arya¡¯s mouth.


    Bluebell headed for Sienna¡¯s pce as soon as Arya left.


    It was urgent. She wanted to have a debut banquet as soon as possible and stand as a member of the royal family. She wanted to show in front of many that Carl¡¯s true empress was only herself. Unlike Sienna, who has been married for political reasons, she will let the world know that she has won the throne with love.


    Sienna greeted Bluebell with bewildered eyes. Technically, Bluebell, who had not yet had a debut banquet, should note out of her pce. It was surprising that she hade to visit her.


    ¡°This is too much.¡±


    As soon as Bluebell saw Sienna, she vented her discontent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means...¡±


    ¡°Did I look so dim? Ha! Well, I¡¯m not like Sienna, so I¡¯m going to need a lot of time for etiquette education.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    Sienna asked her with a surprised look. Then Bluebell turned red to her face and shouted.


    ¡°Oh, you forgot! It¡¯s not going to be anything to you, Sienna, but I was looking forward to it. My debut banquet!¡±


    She burst into tears.


    Sienna was dumbfounded. It was not that she forgot about the debut banquet. However, she was reported through a maid sent to Bluebell¡¯s pce that her education would take about a month more, so she was going to prepare step by step from now on. But now that she saw the response from Bluebell, it was clear that the report was wrong.


    Bluebell screamed at Sienna with a tearful face.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing nothing and it¡¯s happening in less than two weeks!¡±


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s not two weeks...¡±


    Sienna was about to say that she thought she had a month left because the report was wrong, but she kept her mouth shut. Bluebell was already anxious about her short education periodpared to her own, and it seemed like she would just scratch her pride.


    ¡®There must have been Arya¡¯s involvement...¡¯


    Sienna knew who was responsible for this, but exining it to Bluebell it would all be treated as an excuse. Sienna¡¯s thoughts were short. Even if the report came from Bluebell¡¯s pce, she should have been confirmed through Madame Kitroll.


    ¡°...sorry.¡±


    Sienna apologized frankly. A poor excuse would belittle Bluebell.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I asked Empress Arya to do so, just in case. I wish you¡¯d told me in advance that you didn¡¯t want to do it. Then Empress Arya would have had more time to prepare.¡±


    It was already a one-sided notice to Sienna, but she could not say anything. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t feel like it was unfair, but it was also funny to try to defend herself.


    ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t like me either. You must have thought I was taking the ce of the Empress. But, in fact, this was my seat. It was Sienna who took this position. I¡¯m the one who got robbed!¡±


    She screamed in tears. Sienna tried to argue that it wasn¡¯t true, but without saying bye to Sienna, Bluebell turned around and left the guest room.


    Sienna looked at the ce where Bluebell had left with a frown. She wanted to calmly ept the current situation because she did make a mistake, but it was hard to hide her irritation from Bluebell leaving without even thinking about listening to her.


    Hain also spoke to Sienna with an annoyed face.


    ¡°Even if you forgot about the banquet, the Second Empress is so rude. I can¡¯t believe she said she¡¯d been robbed. Actually, it¡¯s you who had been robbed.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    Sienna touched her forehead.


    ¡°I should have checked properly.¡±


    All this was Arya¡¯s n, and this banquet would have already started its preparations. She would finish the banquet sessfully.


    The loss of the banquet host position to Arya was not a big problem. However, the fact that the rtionship between Arya and Bluebell was getting extremely close, unlike before her return, bothered Sienna. In the past, the family of Arya, the Panacio family, and the Ferrer family of Bluebell aimed swords at each other like enemies, but now the friendship between the two families was rather great.


    At the end of the revenge she had dreamed of, she believed there would be Arya who had lost everything by Carl, but now it didn¡¯t seem easy. Those who should have been close to Carl were holding Arya¡¯s hand and turning their backs on him.


    ¡°That¡¯s too much, though. Every time youe here, she talks too offensively to Your Highness.¡±


    Hain still spoke in a voice full of discontent, as if her anger had not gone away. Sienna also sympathized with her to a certain extent, so she didn¡¯t me her much.


    Bluebell was so unruly that it made Sienna look back on the past, wondering if she was always like that. Today¡¯s work was her fault, but it was not something toe in like this and scream and criticize. She should have calmed herself and asked what happened.


    ¡®Stealing...¡¯


    Sienna was the one to have entered the pce first, but Bluebell was treating her as if she¡¯s her subordinate or a thief who took her ce every time. Before that, she let it go since it was not a direct usation, but today Bluebell went too far.


    Moreover, she said she would leave the preparations for the banquet to Arya, so she had already talked with her and then came to see her. It was clearly an act of defiance of Sienna¡¯s authority.


    Bluebell¡¯s emotional fits and arrogant attitude made it clear that Arya yed a big role.


    ¡®No more.¡¯


    Sienna decided that she would no longer give way to Bluebell. There was no room for sympathy if Bluebell had joined hands with Arya. As she herself did in the past, Bluebell would have to pay for joining hands with the devil.

 Chapter 167: Live to Sienna Pt.167

    <h4>Chapter 167: Live to Sienna Pt.167</h4>


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Although she handed over the preparation for Bluebell¡¯s debut banquet to Arya, Sienna was not free. The work inside the Imperial City was under Sienna¡¯s jurisdiction, so there were many things to care about. In particr, she was looking through the records of Empress Arya, whether it be objects or people, to prevent Arya from doing anything stupid, but she hasn¡¯t found anything noticeable yet.


    ¡°Are you going to keep thinking about something else?¡±


    Sienna, lost in thought, managed toe to her senses at the call of Hain.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Hain said with a deep sigh.


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about the banquet, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You need to focus though. You¡¯re going to wear this dress to the debut party. You have to pay more attention than anything.¡±


    At Hain¡¯s words, Sienna nodded. As Bluebell was the main focus of this banquet, Carl will enter the banquet with her. Then Sienna would enter the banquet hall alone as she did before.


    Sienna won¡¯t shirk her position as she used to. Rather, she nned to show her presence as an empress in front of influential figures in the empire.


    To do that, as Hain said, she had to choose a dress with more care than ever before. Even if what was seen was not everything, it was necessary to establish authority by what was seen.


    Sienna carefully examined each of the clothes brought by the tailor. However, there were no clothes that caught her eye.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    As she struggled, one-eyed tailor Gerald said, holding a navy and red dress.


    ¡°How about this? It¡¯s the first fabric to be brought into Leipsden. It¡¯s a little bit thicker than other dresses, but it¡¯s going to catch anyone¡¯s with its smooth gloss and vivid colors.¡±


    As he said, the fabric looked special. In particr, Sienna noticed a navy blue color that could highlight her red hair without being tacky.


    ¡°I like the cloth. If that fabric remains, can I ce an order for a different design?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Gerald bowed his head deeply and said, ¡°Anything is possible. The banquet is just around the corner, but I will stay up all night toplete the empress¡¯s dress.¡±


    ¡°Simply change the fancy decorations on the chest. For your information, having to reduce the waist too much like a corset doesn¡¯t suit my taste...¡±


    ¡°Then how about a design that reveals a lot of breasts and shoulders? If it¡¯s navy, I think it¡¯s better to reveal your nice fair skin!¡±


    When Sienna looked worried about Hain¡¯s opinion, Gerald added.


    ¡°I think the head maid¡¯s opinion makes sense. It¡¯s a good idea to dig deep into the necklines of your dress and wear fancy nes if you want to reduce the decoration.¡±


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯d be better to embroider the bottom of the dress with silver thread and decorate it with pearls.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice. It¡¯ll look like a night sky with countless stars.¡±


    The tailor left the guest room, saying, ¡°I should get back quickly andplete the dress.¡±


    ¡°I just got a dress tailored, and I feel like I¡¯ve done something big.¡±


    Sienna sat down on the sofa and said, Hain said cautiously, handing her a ss of Aroni juice.


    ¡°Remember you told me to keep an eye on Shaylin before.¡±


    Sienna recalled the day when she happened to find bruises on Shaylin¡¯s back.


    ¡°Yes. Did you find out?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Hain stopped as if it was difficult to say whatever that was on her mind easily.


    ¡°Tell me. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason why Shaylin is depressed, but one of my maids said she had seen her go in and out of the pce of Empress Arya.¡±


    ¡°In the pce of Empress Arya?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no reason for Shaylin to go there.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s expression grew fierce. She didn¡¯t have a clue as to how the evil Arya was bothering the small and tender Shaylin.


    It was obvious without having to look into it in detail. Shaylin must have identally made a mistake with Arya, and it was clear that Arya was bothering Shaylin for a long time. Otherwise, such scars could not have remained on her body.


    It wasn¡¯t that Sienna didn¡¯t think that Arya might have been trying to steal her information by beating and threatening her, but it wasn¡¯t usually the way Arya did her work. Maybe if she took her family hostage and threatened them or coaxed them with money, it would be more believable.


    ¡°Will you let me know if Shaylin is taken again to the pce of the Empress?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Sienna vowed that she would never let Arya get her own way, no matter what the reasons Empress Arya was harassing Shaylin.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Carl didn¡¯t like the fact that his supporters, Ferrers, joined hands with the remnants of Empress Arya and pressed him as they wanted. For now, there was no justification, so he was just watching it.


    ¡°Is the recement of the knights in the imperial court going well?¡±


    Kissinger answered Carl¡¯s question in a trustworthy voice.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re taking it as slow as possible so that it doesn¡¯t slip outside.¡±


    Since the Mutupetition held by Valore, arge number of internal knights have been reced. After thepetition, there were some knights who quit because of their bad self-esteem, and there were many who didn¡¯t want to quit but had to because they couldn¡¯t meet the minimum requirements made by Valore.


    Carl was filling the empty spots with his own people, being careful not to make it too public.


    Until now, most of Carl¡¯s powers have been outside. He was supported by military and local aristocrats across the border and throughout the empire. However, it was not gaining ground in the capital.


    Because of this, even though he became the emperor, he could not regain all of the imperial power. The imperial power that has weakened during the reign of Emperor Rodbius, Carl¡¯s own father, and Emperor Valore, was not an easy task that took a short time to recover.


    But Carl has slowly been preparing to find his rights. The effort to fill the royal knights with his own people was part of that n.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Emperor Valore has done a great job. During that short term of the office, he held a martial artspetition to root out the corruption within the imperial order and pave the way for a reshuffle. To be honest, when Emperor Valore was crowned, I thought he would spend his time doing nothing because he was a puppet king of Empress Arya. I can¡¯t believe he was thinking that...¡±


    Said Pavenik, who was working next to him.


    Carl grinned at Pavenik¡¯s words. He was sure it wasn¡¯t Valore who came up with the idea. While preparing for Bluebell¡¯s wedding, Sienna identally slipped what she did.


    Sienna thought Carl had shared a deep brotherly love with Valore. She even thought that if it weren¡¯t for the emperor¡¯s position, Carl and Valore would have been quite usible brothers. However, the real reason that Carl did not reject Valore was because he knew that Valore did not have what it took to be an emperor.


    Unlike Arya, Valore posed no threat to Carl. That¡¯s why Carl let Valore y brother in front of him. Until he got greedy of his own...


    ¡°So you should pick a banquet suit this afternoon. Shall I call the tailor here? Or will you go directly to the Imperial Pce where the tailor will be?¡±


    Asked Pavenik as if it had suddenlye to mind.


    When Carl looked at him with a look of ¡®What do you mean by ¡®banquet suit?¡¯ Pavenik sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re not forgetting about the Second Empress¡¯s debut banquet, are you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget. I just didn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it usually means by forgetting. Should I call in a tailor?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Tell the tailor to prepare it ording to what the empress is wearing. Then just make the measurements like the clothes I have worn before.¡±


    ¡°Yes. First of all, we¡¯ll have to find out what the Second Empress will be wearing.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Second Empress¡¯s debut banquet, so of course you should dress in line with her. You¡¯re not going to wear the same costume as the First Empress, are you? That¡¯s not right. You¡¯re going to be entering the banquet with the Second Empress...¡±


    At Pavenik¡¯s words, Carl rose from his seat with an angry look on his face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go directly to the pce.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to do anything stupid, are you? Don¡¯t forget why you had to marry the Second Empress!¡±


    Carl mmed the door in annoyance and left the office. When he left, Pavenik, who had a yful face until then, sighed and stretched his shoulders.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Kissinger patted him on the shoulder at his sigh. Because of Kissinger, who was so big, Pavenik looked like a little boy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this either. I know His Majesty has his heart for the First Empress, but don¡¯t you know that he hasn¡¯t got all the imperial powers back yet? Even if we don¡¯t like it, we have to watch out for Count Ferrer for a while. That¡¯s what is good for the Emperor.¡±


    Pavenik said annoyingly to Kissinger, who spoke maturely as if he knew everything.


    ¡°Just let His Majesty do as he pleases, as his heart leads.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    Kissinger shook his head and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re working for His Majesty. But he is not the one to follow paths, he is the one who makes it. Even if you take a tough approach, if that¡¯s what His Majesty wants, we have no choice but to follow.¡±


    Kissinger said and went outside to assist Carl. Pavenik looked at the door and said with a deeper sigh.


    ¡°Well, as if I didn¡¯t know that already. But I just want him to take a path that doesn¡¯t smell like blood.¡±


    Pavenik¡¯s face was darkened with agony.

 Chapter 168: Live to Sienna Pt.168

    <h4>Chapter 168: Live to Sienna Pt.168</h4>


    *


    ¡°It would be best to put your hair up since your ne is fancy, right? Last time I remember, your hair looked prettier pinned up with curls in it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    With Sienna¡¯s permission, Hain hummed and curled Sienna¡¯s hair. Sienna, who always pretended not to care when Hain always told her that she had to pay attention to buying and decorating dresses, but Hain seemed happy today because Sienna was being cooperative. Sienna smiled because she knew Hain¡¯s mind well.


    ¡°I think it was an excellent choice. I¡¯m d we have a ne that goes well with the dress.¡±


    Hain, who was finished with Sienna¡¯s hair, hung the ne on Sienna¡¯s neck and said.


    Sienna checked herself over the mirror. A glossy navy dress reminiscent of the night sky. The bottom of the dress was embroidered with silver threads, with pCounts and transparent jewels hanging together, making it look like a gxy. Moreover, the colorful ne that matched the base entuated Sienna¡¯s slender long neck.


    She strengthened her will. This time was different from a few months ago when she just watched Bluebell¡¯s wedding. Preparations were needed if she wanted to take over this Imperial City. Sienna was ready to put forward her presence as the empress today.


    She took a turn and the hem of her skirt flowed gently to form a wave.


    ¡°How wonderful!¡±


    When Hain was pping her hands, the gatekeeper told them that Carl hade. Sienna, who naturally assumed that he would have gone to Bluebell¡¯s pce as it was her debut banquet, opened her eyes wide.


    Soon, Carl entered the guest room. He was wearing a banquet suit of the same material as Sienna. The chest part of the navy jacket was engraved with patterns simr to those embroidered on the underside of Sienna¡¯s dress. At a nce, it was obvious to see that two clothes were made by the same craftsman.


    ¡°Beautiful. You are usually beautiful enough to satisfy me, but today you look amazing.¡±


    ¡°You usually look great enough to satisfy me too, but you look even better today.¡±


    Carl burst into a heartyugh when Sienna returned hispliment.


    ¡°But why did youe here? It¡¯s Bluebell¡¯s debut party. I thought you¡¯d definitely go to her.¡±


    When Sienna asked, Carl shrugged and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by the way I¡¯m dressed? Of course, I was going to appear with you. It¡¯s Bluebell¡¯s debut banquet, but there¡¯s now that you have to appear together. You went in alonest time too.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    As Sienna hesitated with concern, Carl asked with a smile.


    ¡°Then shall I go to Bluebell like this? If it¡¯s because you feel sorry for her.¡±


    Sienna pulled his hand when he was ready to leave.


    ¡°You can¡¯t juste and go like this. It¡¯s not because I feel sorry for her, but because I¡¯m worried about you. I¡¯m afraid if you lose the Ferrer family, it¡¯ll be hard for you to work...¡±


    Carl spoke in a firm tone to her with a worried look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The biggest reason I want to join you in the banquet hall is to give Count Ferrer a statement. I¡¯ve endured his abuse of power, but I¡¯m going to let him know that it¡¯s no good to challenge the emperor¡¯s authority anymore.¡±


    Sienna was well aware that after Count Ferrer made Bluebell the empress, he instigated the nobles as if he was the emperor. Carl seemed determined not to watch him go his own way simply because he wanted to befortable.


    Sienna didn¡¯t know how Carl¡¯s choice will affect the future, but she decided not to worry too much. Carl was not a weak man.


    ¡°Then shall we go before it¡¯s toote?¡±


    Carl reached out his hand to her. The shyly smiling Sienna put her hand rather gently on his palm. The Phoenix Knights in white uniform and the Royal Knights of Carl escorted the two.


    The banquet hall was sumptuously decorated. Arya seemed to have worked very hard to win Bluebell¡¯s favor.


    Everyone looked surprised as Sienna entered the banquet hall holding Carl¡¯s hand. People thought that the emperor had obtained Bluebell as the second empress, because his heart was directed to Bluebell, not Sienna.


    It was Count Ferrer who was more surprised than anyone else to see the twoe in together. In the past, he worked with Carl to strengthen the imperial power and neutralize the power of the nobles, but before he knew it, he was standing at the vanguard of the nobles and raising his voice for his own rights and interests.


    It¡¯s not that he wasn¡¯t concerned about Carl, but he thought that if only Bluebell had a male heir, his rtionship with him would easily be resolved. It was because he strongly believed that the emperor had no feelings for Sienna.


    However, when he saw Carl and Sienna entering the banquet hall in a friendly manner, he realized how deeply mistaken he was.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever held hands with Carl at a banquet hall like this.¡±


    ¡°You feel more reassured with me, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m more nervous. No one paid attention to me when I went in alone, but now everyone is looking at me in this obvious way. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll fall down the stairs and be humiliated in front of so many people.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll hold you tight so you won¡¯t fall.¡±


    Said Carl,ughing at Sienna¡¯s funny remarks.


    The music changed as they came down the stairs. When the cheerful waltz came out, people began to dance to it. When Sienna saw people moving in pairs, she remembered her debut banquet.


    When Carl appeared in a ck tailcoat in front of her, who was in trouble because she had no one to dance with, she felt like she saw a hero.


    Of course, Valore asked for the first dance, but she was very nervous because she was anxious about stepping on his foot. She will never forget the time when she danced on the top of Carl¡¯s foot, who appeared just before the song began.


    While Sienna was thinking of that time, Carl asked, leading her hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much your dancing skills have improved?¡±


    ¡°How could I have improved if I never dance? It was a mess when I danced with youst time, but now it¡¯s going to be a terrible mess. I feel like I¡¯m going to be humiliated.¡±


    ¡°I guess there is no other way. If I don¡¯t want my wife to be humiliated, I¡¯ll have to give her my feet likest time.¡±


    Sienna smiled and climbed onto his feet.


    Bluebell looked at herself in front of the mirror, checking various angles. A lively yellow dress spread out like flower petals.


    ¡°Should I have worn a purple dress rather than a yellow one? No, would that sky blue dress be better?¡±


    She had already changed her dress five times. The nanny chimed in.


    ¡°I think you look the best in what you¡¯re wearing now. It looks as fresh as a morning flower full of dew.¡±


    ¡°Really? Does this suit me best?¡±


    She asked, raising her skirt as if she was in a good mood at the nanny¡¯s praise.


    ¡°Yes, it suits you very well. And you need to get your hair done. If we take too long, we might keep the emperor waiting.¡±


    Bluebell swooped down on the chair for the nanny. The waiting maidsbed her hair. Bluebell said with an annoyed face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep Carl waiting. How long has it been since we¡¯ve met? How busy is he with his work that he can¡¯t even see me until my debut feast?¡±


    ¡°...Your Majesty has just been crowned Emperor, so you must have a lot of work to do.¡±


    The nanny has been keeping the maids¡¯ mouths shut. She knew that Carl stayed in the First Empress¡¯ residence every night, but she couldn¡¯t tell Bluebell, who was already depressed. She justforted Bluebell by saying that Carl was busy and didn¡¯t have time to stop by here. Bluebell, who couldn¡¯t get out of her ce until her debut banquet, couldn¡¯t confirm the truth.


    ¡°Other than those earrings... right, the earrings that Baron Cotair sent me as a gift would look better. And bring the bracelet sent by the merchant named Peter. It was exotic because it was imported from beyond the sea. I¡¯m not sure if the jade color matches this yellow dress.¡±


    The maids brought in the essories. Bluebell had received so many gifts that it took them a long time to just find them and bring them. She wouldn¡¯t be able to use all those ornaments, dresses, and spices, but just the piling those things made her feel good.


    But Bluebell¡¯s ecstatic state did notst too long when she finished grooming. The maid who was told to get an update on Carl¡¯s situation came back.


    ¡°His Majesty entered the banquet hall first with the First Empress.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? Today¡¯s the Second Empress¡¯ debut banquet. Why...¡±


    When the nanny asked back with a disconcerted face, the maid stuttered with a frightened look.


    ¡°Well, I was just passing on the servant¡¯s word...¡±


    The nanny looked at Bluebell with an embarrassed face. She was hiding the truth to protect Bluebell, and although she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to conceal the truth forever, she didn¡¯t think it would be revealed today at Bluebell¡¯s debut banquet. She shrank back at the feeling of bad luck.


    Bluebell¡¯s steps toward the banquet hall were heavy. To walk into the banquet hall alone, where she was supposed to be the main character of the night, then to see Carl, who was supposed to be with herself, rather with Sienna, it all made Bluebell¡¯s blood boil.


    She bit her lower lip.


    It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t think it was strange. When Empress Arya warned her about what Sienna was like, and when she said that she didn¡¯t smell of love in her face, she tried hard to ignore it, but she thought it was strange.


    No, actually it was before that. Ever since then, Carl wasn¡¯t happy to marry her... Every time she told a bad story about Sienna, he hardened his face. Moreover, she thought he would like to hear that she could marry him, but he was rather angry.


    But Bluebell just couldn¡¯t admit it. Carl had to be hers. And she had to be the empress. Not Sienna, who came down from some northern vige.


    Everyone looked at Bluebell as she entered the banquet hall. In their eyes, she could read pity, contempt, and ridicule... She wanted to run away from here at any moment. But then it was clear that they wouldugh at her if she did.


    She came down the stairs slowly, smiling as if she was okay. The tip of her mouth was twitching, but she couldn¡¯t control it.


    Bluebell saw Sienna and Carl dancing affectionately inside the banquet hall. Then her forced smile distorted.


    She turned her eyes deliberately. Just in time, there was her father, Kenyon Ferrer. He looked at Bluebell with a disapproving look. On his reproachful face, she had no choice but to lower her head.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell, are you here?¡±


    There was someone who weed her. It was Empress Arya.


    ¡°Empress Arya...¡±


    Arya smiled graciously at Bluebell. Bluebell wanted to cry with her face buried in Arya¡¯s shoulder at any moment at her smile of constion. Arya looked at Carl and Sienna dancing together and said, ¡°It¡¯s a feast I¡¯ve been working hard to prepare for Empress Bluebell, but I think someone else has taken it away. Didn¡¯t I tell you before? You have to watch out for Empress Sienna...¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything. I couldn¡¯t even go out of my ce before the debut banquet...¡±


    When Bluebell bit her lower lip in an unfair manner, Arya gently swept down her shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not toote. The Emperor¡¯s love isn¡¯t everything. It¡¯s more important who gets the male heir first.¡±


    Bluebell looked at her with a vacant look because Arya¡¯s words were not quite understandable to her. Arya gave a warm smile to Bluebell.

 Chapter 169: Live to Sienna Pt.169 Seed

    <h4>Chapter 169: Live to Sienna Pt.169 Seed</h4>


    SEED


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m craving such sweet food these days.¡±


    While agonizing over her craving, Sienna took a bite of a meringue cookie made with foamed egg whites and honey. The crunchy yet sweet texture made her feel good.


    At that time, Hain called her urgently.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Shaylin is said to have gone to the Empress Arya¡¯s residence again.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Sienna was d that she asked Hain to notify her if Shaylin was called by Empress Arya again.


    Sienna jumped up from her seat. This time, she decided to be hard on Arya. How could she bully her own person like this?


    ¡®Shaylin is still young and small, there¡¯s not a spot on her to hit.¡¯


    Sienna led the knights to her pce.


    Knights guarding the gate blocked Sienna. She was angry at the sight of them blocking the empress, but Sienna tried hard to contain her anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that one of my maids has been called here. So isn¡¯t it the same as the empress calling me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an appointment.¡±


    The knight stood firmly in the way of Sienna. It was not until after a long scuffle that Arya told him to let her in that the knight stepped aside.


    Entering the pce through the door, Sienna looked at him one more time. He was a man who made her feel ufortable even though he didn¡¯t look fierce. Sienna thought she felt that way because he belonged to Arya.


    As Sienna entered the guest room, Shaylin stood in front of Arya as she thought. Shaylin looked back at Sienna with a very frightened look on her face. Arya provoked Sienna who was looking at her.


    ¡°What are you doing in my ce? You didn¡¯t even ask for permission to visit.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯te here because I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    The eyes of Sienna and Arya shed. Arya had a smiling face, but she had a cold look, and Sienna nced at her with a fiery gaze, not hiding her difort.


    Shaylin, who was caught in the middle of it, was at a loss of what to do. How scared she was, her hands and jaws shook to the point where it was visible to others.


    ¡°May I ask why Shaylin is here? No, I must ask. Why is my maid here?¡±


    Huff- Aryaughed as if she was dumbfounded. Sienna¡¯s expression became fiercer.


    ¡°Oh! Was she a maid of Empress Sienna?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You didn¡¯t know that and you brought her here and scolded her?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I was just talking.¡±


    Sienna got even angrier as she recalled the wound behind Shaylin¡¯s neck. It was just a conversation. Sienna even thought that she wanted to do what Arya said was a ¡°talk¡± to Arya herself. Arya continued as if she felt Sienna¡¯s murderous vibe.


    ¡°Why? Are you trying to strangle me again?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never strangled the Empress, but there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do if you want.¡±


    The incident was nullified thanks to Carl. Sienna didn¡¯t care if Arya took issue with it. No, it didn¡¯t matter if Carl didn¡¯t cover it up. She could strangle Arya¡¯s tiny neck right away.


    ¡°You really are a scary person. Even if you¡¯re a scoundrel, not an empress, I¡¯d believe it.¡±


    ¡°You really have guts. Are you putting the empress of the Empire on the same line as scoundrels?¡±


    Sienna bawled at Arya. Although Arya was the eldest and higher rank than Sienna, the current empress¡¯ authority was ahead of the old empress because of the empire¡¯s priority on the emperor¡¯s authority.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m scared. Should I at least bow down and apologize?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ept if you apologize. Get down on your knees under my feet and try to bow down.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s words crumpled Arya¡¯s face, who was keeping a smirk on her face until then.


    Sienna provoked Arya even though she knew nothing good woulde out of it. Whenever Sienna met with Arya, she became filled with anger.


    Until now, Sienna has been holding back as much as she could because she thought she could make a mistake if she acted recklessly, but today she couldn¡¯t contain herself well.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna thought Arya would yell at her and swing her nails, but she didn¡¯t. Arya calmly recovered her smile. Then he bowed slightly to Sienna and apologized.


    ¡°I apologize for bringing the Empress¡¯ person without permission.¡±


    Arya did not kneel down and bow her head as Sienna said, but this amount of apology was enough. If Sienna were to question Arya further, Sienna¡¯s reputation would worsen.


    Sienna wished that Arya rather had lost her reason and attacked. Sienna was not satisfied but received her apology.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I also apologize for questioning the Empress without asking her why.¡±


    The two apologized to each other out of courtesy. But everyone in this room knew that they were not truly apologizing.


    Sienna and Arya were like wild cats looking to bite each other¡¯s necks. The toenails were hidden, but the re still remained.


    ¡°May I ask why you brought my maid?¡±


    ¡°She spilled water on my clothes.¡±


    ¡°If you threw away your clothes because of my maid, I¡¯ll apologize instead. I wish you had told me when it happened. It would have made sense for me, her owner, to educate her, rather than to call her every time and admonish her.¡±


    Arya did not immediately answer Sienna¡¯s words but stared at her.


    ¡°Empress Sienna... you must have a strong faith in her.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t trust my own person.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, she must be very clever. If she can blur Empress Sienna¡¯s vision and stay by her side.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a very snake-like bitch. She¡¯s a woman who can always wrap herself around her owner¡¯s neck and spit out venom. I was just calling and admonishing her because I thought it would be hard for Empress Sienna to handle.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Sienna shook her head. She knew that Arya was talking away to nt a seed of doubt in herself.


    This will drive a wedge between her and Shaylin. It was clear that Arya nned to nt one of her people in the position if Sienna kicked Shaylin out. It was a tactic that was often used before.


    In the past, everyone around Sienna was Arya¡¯s people. Onlyter did she find out that Arya convinced Sienna by saying that some of her maids were making bad rumors, and she introduced others to fill the spot. Arya organized Sienna¡¯s surroundings so that she could easily handle her.


    This would not be the same as in the past.


    ¡°There is a saying in a faraway country. Only stray dogs only see other strays.¡±


    Arya¡¯s forehead was crumpled by Sienna¡¯s words. She opened her mouth for a counterattack.


    ¡°There¡¯s also a saying that a dog bites its owner¡¯s hand. I warned you, what kind of bitch that is. I¡¯m sure Empress Sienna is the judge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kick out Shaylin.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    ¡°No way. I¡¯ll never regret it.¡±


    As Sienna spoke decisively, Arya burst outughing as if she was having fun.


    ¡°I hope you continue to believe so. Until the end.¡±


    Sienna got out of there holding Shaylin¡¯s hand. Arya¡¯sughter leaked out to the door.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°...yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Shaylin was still looking down. It would be a natural response because she had been bullied by evil Arya for a long time. Sienna held her hand tight and said, ¡°You must have been having a hard time, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°How did it happen anyway?¡±


    ¡°While carrying a vase, I identally spilled water on her clothes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happened and you¡¯ve been bullied? I¡¯ve seen a scar on your neck before...¡±


    ¡°I identally ruined the Empress¡¯ clothes...¡±


    Sienna was angry because she thought it was not a big mistake to ruin only one of her clothes. She seemed to be lecturing Shaylin with a whip because she likes to use a whip when lecturing her subordinates.


    ¡°How long has this been going on for? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to worry the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Now the empress won¡¯t bother you anymore. You must have been very shocked. You¡¯d better go to the dorm and rest instead of working today.¡±


    Sienna said, embracing Shaylin, who was shivering.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Hain, so go back and rest right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Whatever it was that made her sorry, Shaylin kept saying sorry. Siennaforted her shoulders and sent her to her quarters first.


    ¡°How did Shaylin get into trouble with Empress Arya? She wouldn¡¯t have any reason to stop by the empress¡¯ pce...¡±


    Sienna nodded at the suspicious words of Hain. Sienna used to think Shaylin was just a little timid girl, but she seemed to have a lot of secrets. She didn¡¯t mean to throw Shaylin out as Arya wanted, but she thought she must find out what the secret Shaylin had was.

 Chapter 170: Live to Sienna Pt.170

    <h4>Chapter 170: Live to Sienna Pt.170</h4>


    ¡°Do you think he wouldn¡¯te tonight?¡±


    Bluebell said in a sullen voice. She put a lot of sugar in the tea and stirred it for no reason. A lump of unmelted sugar sank to the floor.


    ¡°...¡±


    The nanny shut her mouth with a look of pity. The excuse of ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because he¡¯s busy with his work¡¯ has already been used countless times. Bluebell will no longer be deceived.


    ¡°Does Carl not love me anymore? Maybe he doesn¡¯t want to see my face anymore...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You had lunch with Your Majesty yesterday.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I...¡±


    Bluebell wanted to say, ¡®Because I went to the Oval Office and shouted in tears. That¡¯s why we had a meal together,¡¯ but she stopped herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of her!¡±


    ngng!


    Bluebell could not resist the sudden rise of anger and threw out the vase that was decorating the table. A clink of ss sshed everywhere.


    In fact, Bluebell knew. Carl¡¯s heartpletely left her. No, that his mind had never been directed at her.


    She just couldn¡¯t admit it. Because admitting to it seemed like she was denying her whole life.


    She thought it strange from the time Carl objected to having her as the second empress. Sienna was a marriage partner who became his wife without his permission when Carl was not at the imperial pce. If the emperor, Carl, insisted on divorce for various reasons, he would have been able to get divorced.


    Then even if he had let Bluebell into the only empress position, he wouldn¡¯t have been much criticized. But he was rather reluctant to let Bluebell into the imperial family.


    No, even without thinking those, Bluebell could realize the truth just by being around Carl. Where his gaze stays, where his heart is headed...


    ¡®Why to such a filthy girl?!¡¯


    Sienna was a dirty woman ording to the words of Empress Arya. She was the type of a woman who, even after marrying Carl, dragged another man into the bedroom, and was flirty with men.


    ¡®What am I short of?¡¯


    Bluebell pretended to be naive, to know nothing but knew why Carl was avoiding sleeping with her. Because his heart was directed at Sienna. Bluebell couldn¡¯t help feeling miserable.


    -I heard the Emperor is only looking for the First Empress. In fact, there is only one empress who goes into the bedroom with the emperor, so I don¡¯t know why the emperor needs two empresses.


    One day, Bluebell went to the Empress Pce to meet Arya and heard the maids talking. They mored that the emperor visited Sienna every night. There was also a sound of mocking Bluebell, saying, ¡°The true empress does not live in the empress¡¯ pce.¡±


    Bluebell wanted to tear the maid who said that to death, but she managed to hold it in because of her pride. If she punished that maid, it seemed that she was admitting what the maid said. Not reacting as if she hadn¡¯t heard was all she could do.


    Bluebell¡¯s face, which was always cheerful and bright, was under the shade day by day.


    *


    ¡°Your Excellency, Count Ferrer, has visited.¡±


    While she was depressed, Bluebell jumped up from her seat when she heard that her father had visited her.


    She was the beloved child of Count Ferrer. They had lived face to face every day, but since Bluebell became empress, it has be rare for them to meet in person unless there are banquets. Although visits were not prohibited, no matter how he was the count and how his daughter was the empress, he was not allowed to visit the imperial family like his own.


    ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see you, your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say hello like that.¡±


    ¡°Because there are a lot of eyes watching us.¡±


    At his words, Bluebell sent everyone out except her nanny. Only then can they talkfortably.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you.¡±


    ¡°Me too! You shoulde see me every day. I can¡¯t go out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not as easy as it sounds.¡±


    Bluebell whined, hanging from his father¡¯s neck like a child. Count Ferrer patted her on the back.


    ¡°What are you holding in your hand? Why did you bring it yourself? You could have just given it to a servant.¡±


    ¡°I brought it because I wanted to bring it myself.¡±


    Bluebell glittered at what it was. Count Ferrer handed over to the nanny the things he had brought.


    ¡°What is it? Why are you giving it to the nanny?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a medicine. Try to take it for breakfast and dinner.¡±


    The nanny took the medicine carefully from him.


    Bluebell pouted out her tongue at the word ¡°medicine¡± and put on a look of disgust. She didn¡¯t like bitter things, so she would always spit out cold medicine. It couldn¡¯t have been a nice gift.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t like taking medicine...¡±


    ¡°No matter how bitter it is, you must eat it. Come sit here.¡±


    Count Ferrer sat Bluebell in her seat.


    ¡°How¡¯s Carl treating you these days?¡±


    The nanny was surprised that he called the emperor¡¯s name carelessly, but she made no sign of it. She was just d that they had the other maids out.


    ¡°He¡¯s nice to me.¡±


    ¡°I hate to ask you this, but... Is there any sign of conceiving?¡±


    When asked if she was pregnant, Bluebell just blinked.


    ¡°Come on, pregnancy already? I heard that if you¡¯re pregnant, your stomaches out like this. Joanna said that having a baby can ruin your skin and you can¡¯t wear a pretty dress.¡±


    Count Ferrer had a nk look at Bluebell¡¯s immature sound. He always spoiled Bluebell like a baby, but he didn¡¯t know she would be this thoughtless.


    ¡°You fool, this is no time for you to hate pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s been less than a year since theing-of-age ceremony. I don¡¯t like having children already. I don¡¯t want to hear ¡®mom¡¯ yet.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how to exin it to his daughter.


    In fact, Bluebell wasn¡¯t stupid. Rather, she knew what attitude she had to show to others. She usually tried to cover up problems with her cute charms to Count Ferrer and Carl.


    Count Ferrer knew such a mind of Bluebell well, but left her alone, thinking it was better for her to be clever than to be foolishly blind. But today he couldn¡¯t afford to take her grumpy words.


    ¡°Bluebell, do you know why you married Carl?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he and I were originally engaged, so it¡¯s natural that we should get married. Marriage is with someone you love.¡±


    Bluebell spoke like an innocent girl with a flower garden in her head. As Count Ferrer frowned, Bluebell stiffened her expression and shrugged.


    ¡°Even though Carl already had an empress, he married you because...¡±


    As soon as Sienna¡¯s name came out, Bluebell pouted her lips and put on a heartbroken face.


    ¡°I know it was because Queen Sienna didn¡¯t have a baby. But...¡±


    Count Ferrer got angry when she made an ufortable face.


    ¡°The one who knows the story has been saying such a stupid thing!¡±


    Count Ferrer shook his head and said, ¡°You know that. You were able to marry Carl because he needed someone to have a baby.¡±


    She already knew. How she was able to be the Empress of Carl. Why she had to get pregnant quickly. She didn¡¯t say stupid things because she really didn¡¯t know anything. But when she was told the truth through her father¡¯s words, who spoke in a desperate voice, she wanted to turn a blind eye to the fact.


    ¡°So if I don¡¯t have children, I won¡¯t be recognized as the empress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t have children, you¡¯re going to be criticized for not doing your job properly as the empress. The Empress Sienna has already been attacked for such a problem.¡±


    It was Count Ferrer and Arya who attacked using it as a pretext. Because of that, the emperor¡¯s side was sure to take the same issue if Bluebell did not get pregnant.


    ¡°You said you really wanted to be Carl¡¯s empress, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Bluebell nodded her head with a desperate look at Count Ferrer¡¯s words.


    ¡°In the past, there was only one time when there were two empresses. It was possible then because the first empress had not had children for 10 years after marrying the emperor. But this time is different. Sienna¡¯s case is only two years. Moreover, she is young. There¡¯s a good chance she¡¯ll get pregnant anytime.¡±


    Bluebell gulped down her saliva.


    ¡°You¡¯ve ascended to the Empress, but not everyone wees the Second Empress. Moreover, Empress Sienna is being admired by the people and the people of the capital for her relief work. If Empress Sienna, not you, is to produce the Crown Prince first, then you will be the empress by name only. You¡¯ll just be treated like a concubine, not an empress. No, everyone mighte forward and discuss your abdication.¡±


    Being treated as a concubine! Abolition! It sounded like a bolt from the blue.


    She was the one who spent her entire life thinking that she should be the Empress of Carl. It was simply uneptable.


    ¡°How could that...¡±


    ¡°So you have to produce the Crown Prince before the Empress Sienna. First, the one who gives birth to a boy will be recognized as the true empress. You have to be the mother of the next emperor.¡±


    He stressed over and over again that Bluebell should have a boy first.


    ¡°Empress Sienna is the woman who got the job before you. She can be recognized even if she doesn¡¯t have children first, or even if she doesn¡¯t have children at all. But for you, that¡¯s not the case. You have no choice but to give birth to a son.¡±


    Count Ferrer emphasized again, holding Bluebell¡¯s hands tightly together.


    ¡°For the sake of your family, have a son as soon as possible! Otherwise...¡±


    His eyes suddenly turned cold. Count Ferrer¡¯s face was saying that she was of no value if she did not give birth to a child. Bluebell had chills.


    ¡®If I can¡¯t have a baby, if I be one who¡¯s not needed by my father...my neck will be cut off with a single stroke like my uncle.¡¯


    It¡¯s already been a long-time memory, but Bluebell remembered the day vividly as if she had just seen it.


    While Count Ferrer settled in the political arena of the capital, the family territory was managed by his brother Gaith with the help of Bluebell¡¯s grandfather. In the meantime, when her grandfather became mentally ill and failed to use his strength properly, Gaith struck out the elders who supported Count Ferrer in the territory and sat down in the seat of the head of the family.


    Count Ferrer stopped all work in the capital and hurried down to the territory. That¡¯s why he could not stop Sienna from rising to the empress instead of Bluebell.


    It was a shock to Bluebell that his uncle, who took good care of her as a child, suddenly sought her father¡¯s ce. Because of that, she couldn¡¯t even take the position of the empress, so she had a lot of resentment toward him.


    Within the family, the rebellion that Gaith created ended after a year of perpetuation. Bluebell was also there when Gaith¡¯s life ended.


    Gaith, who looks tough, asked for forgiveness. Unlike his reliable appearance, which always showed the appearance of a knight, he looked tired from long-suffering thoughts.


    Gaith begged his brother to forgive his children, though he could take away his own life as the culprit behind the incident. Count Ferrer promised to do so and cut his brother¡¯s throat.


    Bluebell thought his father would keep his promise with his brother. But it was confirmed in less than an hour that the idea was mistaken.


    Count Ferrer has vowed to forgive Gaith¡¯s remaining family members within the territory. And together, all families gathered together to hold Gaith¡¯s funeral. Then he cut off the throats of Gaith¡¯s family members on the spot. It was a terrible scene.


    Among those who fell before the edge of Count Ferrer¡¯s knife was Bluebell¡¯s nephew, who was only five years old. The memory of that time still gave Bluebell goosebumps of horror.

 Chapter 171: Live to Sienna Pt.171

    <h4>Chapter 171: Live to Sienna Pt.171</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s winter.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s winter.¡±


    Sienna and Carl sat at the garden table and chatted.


    The capital city was now facing winter. The hot summer passed in a sh, and the short fall ended as soon as it began.


    Unlike Heidel, the hometown of Sienna, it waste autumn weather, even in winter. There was no snow and no icy cold wind. People just think it¡¯s winter when all the red leaves were gone.


    Feeling cooler air than before, the two drank tea. It was called the ¡®wondering tea¡¯ that Sienna has been drinking recently. The purple tea with a sweet and sour taste had a cinnamon-like scent, which suited the season of falling leaves.


    Carl and Sienna spent more time together, even if they didn¡¯t have a conversation over a particr topic. They enjoyed sitting together like an ordinary couple, having such a quiet, casual conversation.


    ¡°Winter in Heidel must be different from here. How was it?¡±


    ¡°Very different.¡±


    Sienna rummaged through memories of her childhood in Heidel.


    ¡°It was so cold that I felt like my nose was going to fall off. Even in the boiling water, the ice would form. No matter how many times we burned the woods indoor, I could see my breath. I have icicles in my hair after washing up.¡±


    Carl smiled and showed interest in Sienna¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing that people survive in such icy weather. Doesn¡¯t the blood of a living man freeze when it¡¯s that cold?¡±


    ¡°Blood? Blood doesn¡¯t freeze, but it often causes frostbite. There are many young people and soldiers who lost their fingers because of it.¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna¡¯s fingers with a surprised look. Sienna noticed that he was worried about her, and she stretched her fingers wide and shook them.


    ¡°I am fine. Look, I have all ten of them. I¡¯m from Heidel, but I¡¯m very sensitive to the cold, so I didn¡¯t go out from the castle and stayed under a nket on a very cold day. And even on days when it wasn¡¯t cold, I wore a lot of clothes.¡±


    ¡°Good for you.¡±


    Sienna smiled at the worried voice.


    ¡°Heidel has umted snow all year round. It¡¯s also called the ice cap because it doesn¡¯t melt.¡±


    ¡°Snow...I¡¯ve heard of them. Beautiful and cold.¡±


    It was Sienna who was surprised by Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯ve...never seen snow?¡±


    ¡°No. The ce I was in was hotter than the capital city or had simr weather.¡±


    As most of the empire¡¯s borders were concentrated in the south and east, the battlefields where Carl fought in were often located there. Snow that didn¡¯t fall in the capital couldn¡¯t have fallen there.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve experienced everything, but it¡¯s amazing that you¡¯ve never seen snow before.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot I haven¡¯t experienced.¡±


    ¡°What have you never done?¡±


    In Sienna¡¯s question, Carl gave a moment of thought and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never stepped on snow, I¡¯ve never met a dragon, I¡¯ve never seen an Elf or a Dwarf. I¡¯ve never been to a mountain where red and hotva flows.¡±


    Carl onlyid out things that no one would ever experience. Sienna said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t even met a sorcerer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met a magician.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around.¡±


    ¡°Really, though he was a dark magician.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna asked with a surprised look.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°There are quite a few ck magicians and witches in the Castro Empire.¡±


    ¡°Are those witches really capable of magic or...spell? Canrge balls of fire pop out of their hands or cause thunderstorms with a flick of their fingers?¡±


    Carl shook his head with a smile at the curious question of Sienna.


    ¡°The ck Wizard is not the kind of wizard you think. You can¡¯t make a fire in the air or spill ice in midsummer. ck sorcerers usually attack under a curse.¡±


    ¡°What curse?¡±


    ¡°They make the soldiers get skin rash orin of dizziness, and they make the barracks infested with rats.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna burst into augh of absurdity.


    ¡°Is that the only way to attack?¡±


    It was funny that they were only sending a rash or rat to fight a war. At Sienna¡¯s reaction, Carl shook his head with a grave face.


    ¡°One or two soldiers may not have a big impact on the battle but if hundreds of soldiers are out of focus or start to vomit, it can influence the battle.¡±


    ¡°Hundreds of soldiers at the same time? That¡¯s great. Then how did you catch it?¡±


    ¡°I was lucky. It would never have been an easy battle if we hadn¡¯t caught those witches quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I don¡¯t want to see such a wizard forever. Rash, rat, terrible! I feel like I¡¯m losing my appetite.¡±


    While talking like that, Carl burst intoughter at Sienna, who was constantly putting cookies in her mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat it all because it¡¯s too sweet, are you?¡±


    After emptying her own cookie te, she even wanted the cookies Carl took a bite out of. Carl gave Sienna a piece of the cookie because he didn¡¯t want to eat it all.


    ¡°Strangely, I can¡¯t stop eating these cookies made of almond powder. Hain said if I didn¡¯t cut this off, I¡¯d have a belly hanging out, and you wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t grab Carl¡¯s cookies and looked worried. Carl said, putting cookies in her mouth.


    ¡°Just because you have a fatter stomach doesn¡¯t make you a different person. That won¡¯t make me hate you.¡±


    Sienna chewed on the cookies Carl had put in her mouth.


    ¡°Bring Carl in! Now!¡±


    Bluebell flung the cup to the floor as she was annoyed. The teacup that hit the marble floor cracked with a rupture. Nevertheless, the anger has not subsided.


    ¡°Your Majesty...¡±


    The nanny tried to soothe her, but Bluebell buried her face on the sofa and screamed.


    This condition has been going on since Count Ferrer¡¯sst visit. The nanny asked for the reason behind her sadness, but Bluebell did not answer. She could not help but think that Bluebell was under a lot of stress over childbearing after the talk with Count Ferrer.


    In fact, Bluebell had more trouble with other things than the session issue. It was because of her rtionship with Carl.


    But she couldn¡¯t confide this to the nanny. No matter how much a nanny was like her mother, it hurt Bluebell¡¯s pride to tell her that she had never slept with Carl.


    She pretended to her father not to want to have children yet and not to know the trend. But in fact, Bluebell knew ¨C how she could have be Carl¡¯s wife, and what she should do to not end this marriage as a failure.


    ¡®I can¡¯t have a baby alone!¡¯


    Even after her marriage, Carl did not ask for Bluebell¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡®This is the Empress pce!¡¯


    Bluebell knew that Carl was spending most of his time in Sienna¡¯s pce. He looked for Bluebell¡¯s residence with an expression of helplessness only when Bluebell made excuses for being sick or crying.


    Bluebell became anxious. Before that, she just hated Sienna, but it became clear why she hated her so much. Sienna seemed to take her Carl away.


    But it was a secondary problem. Wherever his heart was, it didn¡¯t matter if she could only have a child. Even if Carl¡¯s love for Sienna was bigger now, if she had a child, she would be able to receive his attention and the support of his neighbors considering how precious a sessor was at this point


    The only problem was that there was no chance to have children.


    ¡®If Sienna gets a baby first...¡¯


    Bluebell ripped her nails with her teeth. There was no way to relieve the anxiety that came up from the bottom of her stomach.


    ¡°Your Majesty! The Emperor is here.¡±


    The announcement of Carl¡¯s visit surprised Bluebell. The maid had not yet cleaned up the thrown teacup.


    ¡°What do I do! What do I do?¡±


    She stamped her feet. She didn¡¯t want to show Carl that she was blinded by spection and couldn¡¯t contain her anger.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress?¡±


    The nanny called her.


    ¡°What if Carl sees that and thinks I¡¯m bad?¡±


    The teacup was just lying on the floor broken, and Bluebell made a fuss as if something had happened. Having been under stress, she was thinking big about even the smallest things.


    ¡®If he looks at that, he¡¯ll see that I couldn¡¯t contain my anger and threw out the teacup. What if he¡¯s disgusted at the sight? What if he says he¡¯s not going toe here at all?¡¯


    The nanny, who had been watching Bluebell for a long time, seemed to know what she was thinking. The nanny hurriedly ordered the maid to clean up the broken teacup and pulled the rug over it.


    ¡°He won¡¯t know if you did this.¡±


    Bluebell looked at the nanny with a crying face.


    ¡°Thanks, nanny.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Will you greet the Emperor with that face?¡±


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m going tough. Because my Carl said my smile was the prettiest.¡±


    Bluebell smiled forcedly, recalling his childhood words. Feeling sorry for her, the nanny smiled, making eye contact with Bluebell.


    ¡°I agree that your Majesty is most beautiful when she smiles. If the fairy in the fairy tale exists, it must look like the Empress.¡±


    ¡°You mean it?¡±

 Chapter 172: Live to Sienna Pt.172

    <h4>Chapter 172: Live to Sienna Pt.172</h4>


    ¡°Of course! You are the most beautiful woman in the world. Your covetous silvery hair is as smooth as velvet, and your sapphire eyes shine more than jewels.¡±


    The nanny praised Bluebell with all the metaphors she knew. Only then did a natural smile bloom on Bluebell¡¯s face.


    With confidenceing back, Bluebell grabbed the edge of her skirt and ran out to Carl entering the door.


    ¡°My Carl!¡±


    Bluebell always weed Carl like this. It looked like a dog that weed its owner.


    ¡°I missed you.¡±


    ¡°...Are you okay? I heard you were in pain.¡±


    She made a fuss about calling Carl in the morning, and the maids seemed to have told him that Bluebell was sick. Bluebell blinked her stiff eyes. She looked as if she suffered from fever because she had been swollen from crying for a long time.


    ¡°I had a fever and...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good that you are sick so often. What did your doctor say?¡±


    Bluebell was angry at Carl¡¯s awkwardness. Her ¡®sicknesses¡¯ were because of him. She cried so much and was eventually in pain, but because he barely showed his face, it made her feel worse.


    She tried hard to erase her irritable expression from her face and said with a bright smile.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m not used to living in the castle. When I was living in a mansion, there were familiar people around me, and it wasfortable... I think there¡¯s a lot to care about in the pce, and most of all, I¡¯m lonely... I¡¯ll be fine if youe more often. My doctor said I wasn¡¯t sick either. It¡¯s a disease of the heart.¡±


    Her words gave Carl a troubled look. Bluebell was nervous on his stiff face.


    ¡®Perhaps I should not have said I liked it better at the mansion... He¡¯s not going to tell me to go back, will he?¡¯


    Bluebell quickly turned away in case he asked her to go back to the mansion.


    ¡°You¡¯re tired too, aren¡¯t you? I heard it¡¯s your daily routine to stay up all night because of a lot of work! That¡¯s why you don¡¯t even have time toe see me. Let¡¯s go to the bedroom.¡±


    She led Carl into the bedroom. He followed Bluebell into the bedroom with a reluctant look. Bluebell led Carl to the bed. She slowly tried to strip Carl of his clothes and he jumped out of his seat.


    ¡°I came here because you said you were sick, but I think you¡¯re better now. So I¡¯m going to go back.¡±


    Always the same pattern. When Bluebell managed to lead him into the bedroom, he was soon out of bed.


    ¡®Conceive a child? What nonsense! I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t want to see a prince from me. If Sienna gets a baby first, I¡¯ll really be abandoned. Joannaughed at me for being the second empress! If she knew my marriage had failed, she¡¯dugh at me all her life! Not only her, but everyone in the world would feel I am pathetic and pitiful.¡¯


    ¡°Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Bluebell burst into tears with frustration and anxiety. Just a moment ago, she greeted herself with a smile, but suddenly, she let go of her voice and burst into tears, and the embarrassed Carl.


    ¡°Bluebell?¡±


    But Bluebell cried louder.


    ¡°Bluebell...¡±


    It was no use calling her name again. Her cry only grew louder.


    ¡°I want a baby, too!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Carl was more troubled by her words rather than her sudden tears. He has been through many difficult tasks, but this time, he was perplexed.


    ¡°I want to have your first child. But like this, like this...Huuuhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Carl managed to soothe her with a great effort. Bluebell asked why he didn¡¯t sleep with her even though they had been married for quite some time.


    He was thinking how he should exin to her. Bluebell¡¯s tears dried up at the sight. She spoke with a straight face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to be considerate of me and give me ame excuse, don¡¯t do that. Because it hurts more. Please be honest with me. Why on earth do you not want to sleep with me? Do you hate me that much?¡±


    Carl sighed deeply and said, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Bluebell.¡±


    Bluebell closed her eyes at the thought that it was his turn to say ¡®but¡¯ after his words.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have feelings for you as a woman. We¡¯ve been seeing each other for a long time since we were too young. I feel like you¡¯re a precious sister. There¡¯s nothing more than that.¡±


    ¡°You should have just said no to me! You should have rather hated me because I¡¯m ugly. How did you...¡±


    Bluebell burst back into tears that had barely stopped.


    What did he mean by ¡®a sister¡¯? While the two had never shared a drop of blood? She¡¯d rather try to be prettier if he said he didn¡¯t like her because she¡¯s ugly, or if he said he didn¡¯t like her personality, she¡¯d try to fix herself.


    But now, Bluebell felt lost. Carl¡¯s words sounded like there was no hope for their rtionship.


    Sienna faced another embarrassing situation. It was because Bluebell came to her ce without any notification and raised her voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you!¡±


    ¡°Empress Bluebell, what is wrong with you? You¡¯re raising your voice in such a surprise visit. First of all, calm down, sit down...¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Bluebell pushed Sienna away. Sienna, who had not expected to be pushed, fell on her hips, and Hain was startled and approached her.


    The knights ran around and surrounded Bluebell. Sienna, who could easily stand back up, stopped them because her butt was only a little tingling and didn¡¯t get seriously hurt.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Empress Bluebell must have something to tell me in private, so please leave us alone.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°I said, I want you to step aside because I¡¯m going to talk to her privately.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s order, the maids and knights went out. Soon there were only two women left in the living room. Sienna sat on the couch first and offered Bluebell a seat again.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve calmed down a little, sit down and talk.¡±


    Then Bluebell red at Sienna fiercely and sat nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of you!¡±


    And again Bluebell said something Sienna couldn¡¯t understand. Even before Sienna asked, Bluebell spoke in an excited voice.


    ¡°It was originally my ce! I would have been the only empress! But you showed up and took everything from me! You got married when he wasn¡¯t even here, and now you¡¯re taking him away from me. A whore!¡±


    Sienna found out why Bluebell was angry but judged that it was not the reason to bear the severe insult.


    ¡°You are being too rude today, Empress Bluebell.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so rude? I¡¯d like to swear at you harder, but this is the only curse I know. You may have deceived Carl with that nasty tongue, but you can¡¯t with me. You are not afraid to lure this guy and that guy into the bedroom...¡±


    Sienna was so ashamed that she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore that she picked up the teacup on the table and poured it on Bluebell¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ahhhh! What the hell are you doing?!¡±


    Although Bluebell was not hurt because the tea had gone cold, Bluebell was surprised by the sudden tea attack and jumped up from her seat. Sienna said in a calm voice, ¡°I can¡¯t listen to you anymore. You¡¯re calling me a whore and nasty. You seem to have mistaken everything for a long time, but I¡¯m the First Empress. I was the one who married Carl first.¡±


    Bluebell said, wiping the wet face with her palm.


    ¡°That¡¯s because! You were so...¡±


    ¡°It is true that Empress Bluebell and Carl were engaged before, but somehow I was the one who had the wedding ceremony first. Shouldn¡¯t I, the First Empress, express my resentment to the Empress Bluebell? I¡¯m the empress who had to sit and watch you be the second empress.¡±


    Bluebell bit her lower lip at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°So stop treating me like a prostitute. As you said when you first came in, why don¡¯t you stop specting and keep your status as the empress with me and fulfill your responsibilities?¡±


    ¡°How dare you...¡±


    Bluebell kept whining as if her anger had not yet been released. Sienna also forced herself to speak calmly but did not let go of her anger. Sienna shook her lips and spoke to Bluebell, who was only looking for an excuse to attack.


    ¡°You are the Empress. I don¡¯t know what you thought about this position, but you have to do your part. You have a lot of eyes around you, so you shouldn¡¯t just storm in here and make a fool of yourself.¡±


    When Sienna scolded her for her qualities as an empress, Bluebell¡¯s face turned dark red with fever.


    ¡°That¡¯s only because!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the time for you to be so resentful towards me, but you should go find Count Ferrer and tell him to stop fighting against the Emperor by joining hands with Empress Arya. For the unity and glory of Leipsden.¡±


    SMACK!


    Ran out of words that could be used to refute logically, Bluebell could not stand it any longer and pped Sienna on the cheek. The deflected wind did not give her full swing, but it was insulting enough.


    SMACK! SMACK! Sienna, with her fierce blue eyes and ears, didn¡¯t lose and pped Bluebell¡¯s cheek twice. Bluebell¡¯s small face was left with red palm marks. Tears welled up in the eyes of Bluebell, who was beaten for the first time in her life. But Sienna felt no sympathy for her.


    The p was emotional enough, but Bluebell started it first. Sienna never wanted to apologize. Bluebell, who lost her courage before the fierce spirit of Sienna, walked out of Sienna¡¯s room, panting.

 Chapter 173: Live to Sienna Pt.173

    <h4>Chapter 173: Live to Sienna Pt.173</h4>


    A month has passed.


    Bluebell had be more neurotic. It has been so since she heard from Carl that night that he doesn¡¯t see her as a woman. The nanny tried to stop such behavior, but it was useless. The pride she had for a long time had been shattered.


    She had thought Carl must be in love with herself. That¡¯s why she could always be full of herself. The pride that the soon-to-be emperor was in love with her, the belief that she was the most beloveddy in the empire ¨C all that has been shattered.


    Although there have been doubts, everything became clear through Carl¡¯s mouth that day. That Carl was not in love with her.


    When she was in despair, her father Kenyon came back.


    Kenyon had been having more frequent encounters with the emperortely. Many interests were bound to collide because he had formed thergest force following Carl in the current political arena.


    It was because his daughter, Bluebell, was the empress that he was able to expand political power and interests by pressuring the emperor. He thought that no matter what he did, it would not be easy for Carl to defeat himself, the father of the empress who was protected by Arya.


    Recently, however, the rumor that Carl was not visiting Bluebell¡¯s pce but only the Empress Sienna¡¯s spread over the imperial pce and eventually to him. Such news was never good.


    That¡¯s why he came to Bluebell to find out what happened. If Carl¡¯s heart really turned to Sienna, it was clear that he would be willing to give up the Ferrer familypletely.


    But then, Count Ferrer had alreadye too far to turn back to Carl¡¯s side. He could not abandon the forces he had built with Arya. It was just too dangerous.


    There was despair that Kenyon¡¯s greed might have caused things to go wrong. However, that does not mean that there was no answer at all.


    The Crown Prince. Bluebell has to produce the Crown Prince before Sienna.


    Bluebell greeted her father with an unweing face. Not even a forced smile was made.


    ¡°Are you taking the medicine I sent you before?¡±


    Medicinal herbs for pregnancy. Bluebell¡¯s expression got harder. Kenyon was impatient at the look on her face, as the rumors he heard seemed to be correct.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? We must somehow produce the Crown Prince before the Empress Sienna. But why am I hearing that Carl is not visiting your ce?!¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s eyes went up violently. She¡¯s already quite upset about that, but her father, the only one who had to support her, was questioning her.


    ¡°You came all the way here to check the rumors?¡±


    He hurt Bluebell¡¯s pride. Everyone in the world seemed to know that she was not loved by Carl. She felt like she was being insulted by an invisible crowd. It was very miserable, but she couldn¡¯t shed tears in front of her father, Kenyon.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, you have to hold Carl¡¯s heart and produce the Crown Prince. That¡¯s the only way our family can survive.¡±


    In his words, Bluebell could not get rid of the idea that Carl¡¯s cold-hearted attitude towards her had a connection with her father. Moreover, Sienna went so far as to say that Bluebell should stop her father from confronting the emperor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with our family these days? Desperate enough to require the support of the imperial family?¡±


    ¡°Since you became empress, the forces that keep us in check have grown. If we do something wrong, not just you, but our whole Ferrer family could be in jeopardy.¡±


    Kenyon¡¯s anxiety was vividly conveyed to Bluebell. He was always a proud father. Such a father looked so anxious because she was not loved by Carl.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    So the lie came out.


    She didn¡¯t want to see her father with an anxious face, and she wanted to strike a heavy blow to others who thought she was abandoned. So she did it. A big lie that she can¡¯t take back.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    She knew how big the repercussions of this lie would be, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    And when she saw her father¡¯s face, which seemed like the world had copsed until just now, Bluebell closed her eyes. It has be a truly irrevocable lie.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress?¡±


    The nanny, who knew better than anyone that Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy was not true, called her name with a surprised look. Fortunately or unlucky, the nanny did not argue in front of Kenyon about her false pregnancy.


    ¡°That¡¯s God¡¯s protection. It¡¯s God¡¯s protection.¡±


    Kenyon sounded so happy that he was ready to pray to God, pounding his head on the floor at any moment. Bluebell bit her lower lip.


    ¡°Yes, how long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Three months...¡±


    ¡°So it hasn¡¯t been long since you got married. You are indeed a blessing, a blessing!¡±


    Kenyon hugged Bluebell and said thank you dozens of times before returning. It was evident that he would tell the neighborhood that she was pregnant.


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    The nanny asked Bluebell helplessly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m screwed.¡±


    Bluebell began to cry again. Tears preceded rational thinking. The nanny patted Bluebell and said, ¡°Should I go and tell them right now that you¡¯re not? That you¡¯re mistaken?¡±


    Bluebell pushed the nanny away and got angry.


    ¡°Do you like me to be rumored to be a big fat liar who lies about being pregnant because I want Carl¡¯s attention?¡±


    The nanny looked at Bluebell with bewildered eyes, unable to know what to do.


    ¡°If I run fast and tell Count Ferrer...¡±


    ¡°No! You saw his face earlier. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll never see me again if I told him what I said was a lie. He¡¯ll never forgive me.¡±


    ¡°No. If you are honest with him, he¡¯ll forgive you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know my father. My father has a nice face, but I can¡¯t guess what¡¯s inside. He¡¯ll throw me away when I be useless to him. If this lie gets caught, I¡¯m really done.¡±


    Bluebell swept down her arm with her trembling hand. The nanny said, tending her.


    ¡°He may be cool-headed to others, but he is more kind to the Empress than anyone else. So...¡±


    Bluebell, who knew what the nanny was trying to say, screamed.


    ¡°No way! There must be a way somehow. There must be...¡±


    Bluebell chewed her nails with an anxious face.


    *


    The emperor and his wife were drinking tea in the garden. Carl had been on a week-long tour of the capital¡¯s suburbs. Although they were spending time together for a long time, they spent their time naturally as if they had it yesterday.


    As winter began, a cold wind blew in the capital. Sienna had a nket on herp. The wind was cold, but she didn¡¯t feel tired.


    On the white tablecloth were cakes, cookies, and fruits. Sienna took a mouthful of cake full of strawberry-decorated whipped cream. Carl stared at her eating that.


    Sienna munched on the cake, swallowed it, and then asked Carl.


    ¡°Why do you look at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Because I thought you were appetizingly eating.¡±


    Sienna gently frowned her brows, wiping her mouth and fingers with a napkin. Carl said that he ate well didn¡¯t sound like apliment.


    Sienna sipped the tea carefully. Just a while ago, she was enjoying her snack, but as she drank only a little tea, Carl asked in wonder.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat more?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you eat more than you do now. Are you feeling bad today?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna¡¯s face turned red. She was embarrassed and thought she must have eaten eagerly in front of Carl.


    ¡°Congrattions by the way.¡±


    Sienna was worried that her tone was not so cold. Carl faced her with the look that he needed an exnation.


    ¡°I heard that Empress Bluebell is pregnant.¡±


    The news came as a surprise to Sienna as well. It was only two and a half years after that Bluebell became pregnant in the past. She couldn¡¯t believe Bluebell had a baby so early.


    Sienna was not without jealousy and anxiety. After he opened his heart, Carl stayed in Sienna¡¯s ce, as was natural. That was why Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy was inconceivable. She didn¡¯t know if the child was a son or a daughter but thinking about what influence the child would have on politics made her mindplicated.


    ¡®Did they make a baby on the first night?¡¯


    Or maybe it¡¯s a different day than the first day. There are days when Carl couldn¡¯te in because of work.


    Sienna didn¡¯t suspect that he might have stopped by Bluebell at such times. Judging from his attitude of trying to do his best to herself, she didn¡¯t think he would do so.


    Nevertheless, she delivered congrattions in an unweing voice. Though she knew with her head that Bluebell was also Carl¡¯s wife, and she could not fully ept it at heart.


    ¡°Bluebell?¡±


    Carl responded by saying that he had never heard of it. Sienna was surprised. She thought Bluebell would have run to him and bragged about her pregnancy as soon as she confirmed it. Is it because Carl wasn¡¯t in the pce?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? I thought everyone in the pce would know that Empress Bluebell had conceived. I¡¯ve heard that there is a constant stream of people who want to give gifts to celebrate the birth of the soon-to-be-born child. Of course, it¡¯s an exaggeration, but many people are celebrating, and I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I had no... idea¡±


    Carl was nkly lost in thought with a shocked face.


    It was about his child and his expression that never seemed pleased. Rather, he seemed angry and perplexed.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding...¡±


    ¡°Misunderstanding? What do you mean?¡±


    Sienna asked him back. What misunderstanding could be caused by the news of Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy? Carl hesitated and soon spoke with a sigh.


    ¡°Later... I¡¯ll tell youter.¡±


    Sienna wondered what he meant by misunderstanding and what he would say, but did not ask back because Carl¡¯s expression seemed so perplexed and irritated.

 Chapter 174: Live to Sienna Pt.174

    <h4>Chapter 174: Live to Sienna Pt.174</h4>


    Bluebell was not at all happy to see the gift boxes that filled the room. It was no match for the gift she received after the wedding. But rather than being happy, she was afraid knowing that all this was due to her own lies. It seemed that she was about to pay for the lie soon.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Bluebell paced the room nervously, biting at the tip of her fingernail.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote to tell the truth...¡±


    Only two people know that her pregnancy was a lie. The nanny and Carl.


    The nanny asked her to tell the truth even now, but Bluebell didn¡¯t listen to her. She¡¯s alreadye too far. It¡¯s toote to reveal that it was a lie.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor hase.¡±


    Bluebell and the nanny looked at each other with white-pale faces. He was thest person she wanted to meet right now. The one who knows her false pregnancy, and the one by whom she doesn¡¯t want to be caught the most.


    Carl strode into the living room. Bluebell didn¡¯t even make eye contact with him. She was afraid of what kind of criticism she would hear.


    He was clearly aware of her lies. They didn¡¯t have sex, but she got pregnant ¨C it was nonsense if it wasn¡¯t a miracle.


    Bluebell bit her lips and lowered her head. And waited when Carl would put out the fire.


    ¡°Did you have lunch?¡±


    But Carl asked in a usual tone. Of course, she thought he would be angry. She thought he would be angry because she told such a lie, but he didn¡¯t even bring up anything about pregnancy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of weight.¡±


    Carl held Bluebell¡¯s hand. Bluebell was d that Carl seemed to understand why she had to tell such a lie. She looked up at him, convinced that Carl cared about her. But he was looking down at Bluebell with a look that he was looking at something very pathetic.


    Bluebell shook off his hand. She shook it off so fiercely that Carl looked at her with a surprised look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that!¡±


    The time Bluebell had seen Carl was never short. She could read his feelings just by looking into his eyes. Carl¡¯s sympathy felt like an intolerable insult to her.


    ¡°Am I pathetic?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Do you feel sorry for me, then?¡±


    Carl gave no reply to Bluebell, who spoke with a venomous look. His face turned cold as if he knew the answer he wanted would note back.


    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have brought me here. You shouldn¡¯t have let me lie.¡±


    Bluebell used Carl violently.


    ¡°Do you know how I feel when I hear from my husband that he doesn¡¯t see me as a woman? Do you know how humiliating it is?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me a lie? Why didn¡¯t you fool me with other sweet words instead of saying that I am like your sister and couldn¡¯t sleep with me?! Then I wouldn¡¯t have been this miserable.¡±


    Carl frowned at Bluebell¡¯s usation. She was pregnant by false pretenses, but she was ming himself for the rumor as if she had done nothing wrong.


    ¡°If you¡¯re here to coax me into honestly telling that it¡¯s a false pregnancy, you¡¯re in vain.¡±


    Normally, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to convey her feelings properly because of her tears before she could have even finished talking, but today, strangely enough, Bluebell couldn¡¯t shed tears.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be honest before it gets toote.¡±


    After listening to Carl¡¯s advice, she clearly expressed her intention.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m never going to tell anyone that my pregnancy was a lie. That won¡¯t happen even if you rip my mouth off. I¡¯d rather hang myself or throw myself out of that window if I am ever forced to do so.¡±


    Bluebell threatened Carl. Not only Carl but also Bluebell herself did not know that this wickedness was hidden inside her. But now she couldn¡¯t stop or hide it.


    ¡°I am not pregnant yet, but we can make it true. If I¡¯m really pregnant, what I said would not be false.¡±


    ¡°You are insane.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you who drove me crazy.¡±


    Carl turned from Bluebell and left. It wasn¡¯t the same girl he knew. It wasn¡¯t Bluebell that he wanted to take care of because she was small and vulnerable. It was doubtful whether she was the one whom he knew for so long.


    ¡°You did this to me! His Majesty the High Emperor!¡±


    Over the door came the screeching sound of Bluebell.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    A few days have passed after the argument with Carl. Bluebell regretted yelling like a madwoman that day. She couldn¡¯t forget Carl¡¯s expression. He had a look of disgust as if he had witnessed something terrible.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure he has no feelings of any sort left for me now.¡¯


    Bluebell was on edge. He haspletely turned away from herself and it was a matter of time that he would reveal the secret.


    It was such a big lie. If this fact became known, she would not be able to remain in the empress¡¯ seat. She didn¡¯t know how to handle this.


    She went out into the garden because she couldn¡¯t stay in the room alone, feeling stuffy. Aughter was heard over the pond. When she turned her eyes, there were Carl and Sienna. They were watching the pond together, unaware of the existence of Bluebell.


    She gritted her teeth.


    ¡®I was only seeking your favor... I had given up all my pride!¡¯


    Carl hasn¡¯t even nced at Bluebell since that day. She once visited his office to ask why he didn¡¯te to her pce, but she was kicked out.


    ¡°Are you really not going to see me?¡±


    Bluebell asked Carl, standing far away beside Sienna. Even though he couldn¡¯t answer this question, Bluebell felt cold-hearted about the silent Carl.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have done that then.¡¯


    ¡®I should have just knelt down and pleaded.¡¯


    -I was scared. I was afraid I would lose my position as Empress, and I would lose my seat next to Carl. I should have begged him to save me. She gave a deep sigh.


    ¡°What brings you here, Your Majesty?¡±


    Bluebell turned to the sound of calling herself. There stood Arya with her knights.


    ¡°Empress Arya.¡±


    Arya looked at Bluebell with questions in her mind. A woman who always ran around like a puppy was looking at herself surrounded by a cruel and depressing atmosphere and Arya wondered what was going on. She even had an emperor¡¯s child, so she should go from ce to ce to show off her pregnancy, but it was also suspicious that she was too quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you have the Crown Prince. Your Excellency.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With Arya¡¯s greetings, Bluebell¡¯s face became more somber. Arya saw Sienna and Carl together over her shoulder. Arya¡¯s lips slightly raised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The true power of the Empresses from the Crown Prince, not from the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Bluebell looked up at her with an iprehensible face.


    Arya leaned down and stroked Bluebell¡¯s stomach. With such a sudden touch, Bluebell missed the time to pull back.


    ¡°There is everything the Empress should have in your womb. It¡¯s no match for the Emperor¡¯s love.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s expression hardened coldly. If Bluebell really had Carl¡¯s child in her belly, as Arya said, would she have felt like she had everything she wanted?


    But there was nothing in her belly. It was just full of twisted jealousy of an unloved woman.


    ¡°And you¡¯d better be careful. There are many different kinds of nts nted in the garden. I don¡¯t know, but I heard there are herbs that can make one miscarry children. So you have to be careful. It¡¯s time to be careful of your posture so that the prince in your womb can be healthy.¡±


    Her words thrust into Bluebell¡¯s head.


    ¡°A herb that causes miscarriage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s a medicine that doesn¡¯t affect the average person, but when the mother takes it, she falls into a deep sleep and loses her child.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work on a normal person?¡± You¡¯re not going to die?¡±


    Arya again doubted Bluebell¡¯s question, but nevertheless kindly answered Bluebell¡¯s question.


    ¡°Of course, there are poisonous nts that kill people. There¡¯s also a miscarriage drug. There are many different uses of herbs than I thought.¡±


    ¡°I see. From now on, I¡¯ll have to be careful while taking a walk.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s face, which had been dark until now, was reddish. She hurried back to her ce, leaving Arya behind. Then she called her nanny.


    ¡°Nanny! Get me the herbs that can miscarry a child! Something that¡¯s okay for ordinary people to eat, but harmful for mothers to eat.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean a miscarriage herb?¡±


    The nanny asked Bluebell back with surprised eyes.


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s such a thing. I¡¯d prefer it if it¡¯s not smelly and tasteless.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with it?¡±


    ¡°If I ask you to bring it, just bring it.¡±


    Recently, Bluebell was in conflict with her nanny about everything. Every time the nanny told Bluebell to be honest with herself in the admonition, she was annoyed.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, what fearful thing are you trying to do? Don¡¯t strive for foolishness and just be honest. It¡¯s not toote now. Then the Goddess of the Earth will forgive you.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s eyes grew fiercer.


    These days, a growing number of people in the empire believed in the goddess ofnd. Since Leipsden did not encourage people to believe in a particr God, so religious belief was personal freedom. But Bluebell was unhappy that her nanny believed in the goddess of the earth.


    -Why is she believing in the goddess of the earth among so many gods?


    The temple that helped Sienna gain support from the people was the Goddess of the Earth. The goddess of the earth was like a demon to Bluebell.


    Bluebell¡¯s nanny had been going to the temple for a long time. Thanks to it, she had no ill feelings for Sienna. Rather, she believed Sienna was a good person.


    So Bluebell didn¡¯t like the idea even more. It seemed that Sienna had taken all of her people. Both Carl and her nanny seemed to have sided with Sienna, which made her angry.


    ¡®I¡¯ll let you regret it, Sienna. I¡¯ll let you know what the price is for taking mine.¡¯


    Bluebell shouted at the nanny in an irritated voice.


    ¡°Shut up! Just get that herb.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    ¡°Nanny! If you don¡¯t get it, I¡¯ll kill myself. I¡¯ll hang myself, jump into the river, or cut my wrist and die.¡±


    The nanny replied with a pale look at Bluebell¡¯s words.


    ¡°How can you say such a scary thing?¡±


    ¡°So just get it for me, okay? You are on my side. The nanny should be on my side.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m on your side. But...¡±


    ¡°This is the only way I can get out of the situation. This is the only way...¡±


    Bluebell said desperately to the nanny.

 Chapter 175: Live to Sienna Pt.175

    <h4>Chapter 175: Live to Sienna Pt.175</h4>


    *


    Sienna looked out the window and muttered nkly.


    ¡°I want some hot borsch.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that? Is it a specialty of the north? Just ask whatever you want. I¡¯ll get it to you one way or another.¡±


    Hain rushed in with an ambitious look.


    Sienna, who had been looking for food all day longst week like a ghost of gluttony, was now saying that she had no appetite with an uninterested face no matter what Hain brought out. Perhaps because Sienna hasn¡¯t been eating properly, she was just spread out on the sofa with a weak face. So worried that Hain was about to do anything with regards to Sienna¡¯s food.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to eat a lot of spicy sauce on top of shaslick in addition to the borsch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of these words. Is that even a name of a food?¡±


    Sienna nodded to Hain and smiled at her question.


    ¡°Tell me. Like the basics of how to make it roughly or where I can get it, and I¡¯ll bring it to you. Of course, I don¡¯t cook myself. But you know that. How amazing is Mrs. Costari who is in charge of the kitchen.¡±


    Mrs. Costari¡¯s skill was acknowledged by Sienna. Although she was weak at fancy imperial cuisine that was presented aesthetically, her rough cooking made Sienna think that eye-catching cooking was not really important in food. She really had a great ability to send her tongue to heaven. Even Carl admitted to Mrs. Costari¡¯s cooking.


    If Sienna exined the characteristics or ingredients of any dish to Mrs. Costari, it would be brought out with great skill. But she couldn¡¯t. The ingredients were not avable, to begin with.


    Borsch was a soup boiled with meat and vegetables, and the way to make it was not difficult, but red fruits from Heidel should be added that could be only found in the region. The red fruit called culey added a spicy vor. However, it was a fruit that grows in a cold ce, so it gets damaged after a while. It won¡¯t be easy to airlift the material to the capital.


    The same goes for shaslick. It¡¯s a dish made by baking a piglet until it¡¯s crispy, but the spicy sauce that goes on it rather than the meat itself was the actual delicacy, and no one knew how to make it unless they were a native of Sienna¡¯s hometown.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Sienna breathed heavily. When Hain saw her face depressed again, she beat her chest with frustration.


    ¡°Just say it and I¡¯ll get it somehow. Yes?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°You say you are okay, but you haven¡¯t even had a decent sip of water since yesterday. You said you felt sick whenever I brought you something. And you¡¯re not even seeing the doctor. I¡¯m telling you, you don¡¯t listen to the right thing... Oops, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Hain btedly realized she was scolding her master and apologized. Since Sienna¡¯s been so easy on her, she has been too rxed.


    Fortunately, Sienna didn¡¯t care about her tone of voice. Nevertheless, cold sweat broke out behind Hain¡¯s back.


    Sienna was d that it was just two of them together, but she was worried that Hain might make this mistake in front of others. No matter howfortable she was with Sienna, she was still her master. Sienna was a person who should not be reckoned with.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It happens.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll watch my mouth from now on.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Hain apologized again. But Sienna waved her hand andforted her because she knew Hain didn¡¯t mean it badly.


    ¡°You can be careful next time. But other than that, thest time I stopped by Empress Arya for Shaylin...¡±


    ¡°That day? Your Majesty was really cool that day. You saved Shaylin from that terrible empress!¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s my job. But how is Shaylin after that?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Hain tilted her head and said, ¡°If you ask me how... simr to usual. She¡¯s so quiet and careful. Quiet as she used to be. Good at my job. It¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to get along well with Leia.¡±


    ¡°Leia?¡±


    Sienna listened to Hain with a troubled face. She recalled the other day when Sienna asked Shaylin to clean the bedroom with Leia, Shaylin insisted that she could do it alone.


    ¡°As you know, Leia is so sweet. So everyone likes her, but strangely, Shaylin avoids Leia. Leia¡¯s trying to take more care of Shaylin, but...¡±


    It was very strange. Why does Shaylin avoid Leia so much?


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed. Oh, and when did Shaylin be a probationary maid? Who rmended her to join us?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s been about three years. She came to work at the castle not long before your marriage to Emperor Carl. I thought I got a letter of rmendation from some kind of lord...The documents should remain in the castle. Shall we find out?¡±


    ¡°Will you take a look?¡±


    At that moment, a servant sent by Bluebell informed them that she was going to visit this afternoon.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange that Empress Bluebell ising all the way here.¡±


    Since she visited Sienna and threw a fit a month ago, Bluebell has rarely left her residence. It would have been harder to show her face because of what she did.


    ¡®Is she trying to show off the fact that she¡¯s pregnant?¡¯


    ¡°It is. But while she¡¯s here, you can give her the congrattory present this time.¡±


    Sienna had heard of her pregnancy and had prepared a present for her.


    ¡°Yes, please. Get me the present.¡±


    Hain left the guest room, saying, ¡°I should prepare refreshments with the gifts.¡±


    Finally, it was the time that Bluebell said she woulde for a visit.


    ¡°Your Highness Sienna.¡±


    Bluebell entered the guest room with her nanny. As Sienna felt before, Bluebell never used the title ¡®Empress¡¯ to Sienna. Sienna was considerably annoyed but she thought it was such a trivial issue so she held herself back.


    ¡°Your Highness Empress Bluebell.¡±


    Sienna greeted her with courtesy.


    Bluebell didn¡¯t look very well. Sienna had no idea why she hade to visit her but offered her a seat for now. Meanwhile, Hain quickly served tea and cookies on the table.


    ¡°Wow... if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll have barita tea.¡±


    Bluebell said. Hain said yes and quickly brought out barita tea.


    ¡®This tea has an unusual nickname. Eternal rest... ...¡¯


    Barita tea was a strong-scented and dark-colored tea that was used often for hiding poison. With Sienna¡¯s suspicious gaze, Bluebell made excuses with a frightened face.


    ¡°These days, strong-scented tea attracts me...and barita tea is perfect for this season because the hotter it is, the better it smells.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I like the scent of barita, too. I don¡¯t enjoy it often, but I sometimes have it during this season. Fortunately, I have a barita tea from Crimloid. It probably would smell nice.¡±


    Bluebell sighed heavily at Sienna¡¯s words. Sienna couldn¡¯t dispel doubts at the sigh of relief.


    ¡®Why is she so nervous?¡¯


    Before bing the Second Empress, even when Bluebell was just ady of the Ferrer family, she used Sienna of entering the pce and taking her ce. It was not really understandable that such a shameless woman appeared so nervous in front of her.


    What was even stranger was the behavior of Bluebell¡¯s nanny. She wriggled her fingers, unable to stay still for a moment.


    Sienna remembered her as a quiet and calm woman. Sienna couldn¡¯t believe that she could hide her anxiety like that. Sienna was nervous about what Bluebell was going to say here.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you have good news. I¡¯d like to congratte you. I should have visited you in person and congratted you, but I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not something to celebrate.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s reaction made Sienna tilt her head even more. In the past, Bluebell was busy bragging about her pregnancy.


    At that time, maybe because Sienna didn¡¯t have good feelings for her, Bluebell showed off her pregnancy to the people around her as if a child were showing off their gift, even as Sienna remembered now.


    When she walked, she walked with her stomach forward which barely showed any signs of a bump, and whenever she went somewhere, she tried to walk with someone¡¯s help. She was impatient to let everyone know that she had a child in her stomach, an heir, a blood of the royal family.


    But now she was so different from then. What¡¯s more,st time she red at Sienna like she was going to kill her, but today she avoided making any sort of eye contact with Sienna for some reason.


    Sienna knew that Bluebell wasn¡¯t here to apologize for her actionsst time. So Sienna thought the reason Bluebell came here today was to brag about her pregnancy, but her behavior was strange.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s celebratory news. This is a blessing to the Imperial Household. Above all, the Emperor must be very pleased.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s expression turned cold at Sienna¡¯s words. Sienna continued to talk, pretending not to have seen her expression.

 Chapter 176: Live to Sienna Pt.176

    <h4>Chapter 176: Live to Sienna Pt.176</h4>


    ¡°The emperor was probably worried because he did not have an heir yet, so he must be so relieved now.¡±


    ¡°Sienna, are you okay with this? The fact that I¡¯m pregnant?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean okay? I¡¯m very happy about this great news for the empire.¡±


    The response wrinkled Bluebell¡¯s forehead. It was clear that Sienna¡¯s calm attitude was an unwanted response.


    ¡°What a wide heart, Sienna... You seem to be rxed because you are already loved enough by Carl.¡±


    In Bluebell¡¯s reproachful tone, Sienna shut her mouth because she couldn¡¯t think of a suitable answer.


    There was no word between Sienna and Bluebell for a while. Bluebell looked at Sienna with a nervous look on her face, and Sienna just watched her still.


    Bluebell nced at her nanny with a stuffy face. The nanny shook her head several times with a paleplexion, and Bluebell frowned.


    A secretive look between Bluebell and the nanny came and went several times. The nanny, who was standing behind Sienna, approached Hain quietly, saying she had something to ask her. Then a vase caught an edge of her sleeve.


    Clink, clink!


    Sienna turned back at the shrill noise. Bluebell¡¯s nanny broke the vase. The nanny apologized to Sienna.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was careless and broke the vase that the Empress loved.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    It was then when Sienna told Hain to clean up the broken vase and tried to turn her head back to face Bluebell.


    ¡°Your Majesty the First Empress!¡±


    The nanny called Sienna with a scream. Sienna looked back at her in a fit of surprise.


    ¡°I have sinned to death! Punish me!¡±


    She only broke a vase, but she asked for forgiveness to a point where it was too much.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to go so far...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Sienna came to her in person and raised her body that she gained back a relieved face.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just a vase. If only you weren¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Perhaps relieved, tears flowed down the nanny¡¯s face. Siennaforted her and returned to her seat.


    Oddly enough, while Sienna was bewildered at the nanny¡¯s bizarre behavior, her master, Bluebell, did not seem to care whether her nanny broke the vase or apologized. She seemed preupied with something else.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have the tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    Bluebell offered Sienna tea. But she didn¡¯t drink tea and just trembled her hands. Sienna looked at her with a curious look. Then her ring caught Sienna¡¯s eye.


    A ring with a storage.


    It was a ring simr to the one that Sienna saw in Aunt Kelly¡¯s room. She thought it was amazing that the area supporting the jewel was particrlyrge, but then Aunt Kelly showed her that there was a small box below the jewel.


    Sienna wondered what to carry in the hole, which dimensions were less than one centimeter by one, Aunt Kelly said that it used to be popr to carry poison in the box.


    ¡®I remember asking why it was ever fashionable to carry poison, what did she say? I only remember It was a ridiculous reason.¡¯


    Then Sienna remembered after thinking for a long time.


    When a son of a Marquis, who had gained the interest of many women with his good looks, presumably had said, ¡°Women must have poison in them to be truly beautiful.¡±


    It became a trend for aristocratic women to carry poison in their jewels. Although Sienna was pretty sure that the poison he meant wasn¡¯t a literal poison.


    A ring with a box and barita tea, Bluebell and her nanny with a suspicious behavior.


    It almost made Siennaugh. If Arya had made this up, she would have handled it so well that even though Sienna was always wary of Arya, she would never find out. Bluebell¡¯s awkwardness carrying out her n was funny.


    ¡°Please take the drink fast.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You too, Bluebell. You said you like barita tea.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Even though Bluebell answered Sienna, she only stared at the teacups. Sienna also looked at the teacups.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    Sienna found something strange. Of course, Sienna thought Bluebell would have drugged her ss, but rather found traces of white powder in the cup of Bluebell. There was a subtle difference between her teacup and Bluebell¡¯s teacup.


    ¡®Why not in my cup, but in her own cup?¡¯


    Sienna btedly figured out what Bluebell was thinking. It was clear that Bluebell was not trying to poison Sienna, but that she herself was going to take the poison and use Sienna.


    This was taking ce at Sienna¡¯s pce, and the person who brought tea and food was Hain, Sienna¡¯s maid, and the person who poured the tea was Sienna, so it was certainly Sienna who would be used of the crime if Bluebell died or was greatly ill with poison.


    Sienna¡¯s body chilled all over. It didn¡¯t matter if she was hurt or misunderstood, but she never wanted anyone around her to get hurt. It was not long after the orphanage children died and were injured because of her. She couldn¡¯t bear to see it happen again.


    If Bluebell was sick after taking that medicine, it was clear that not only Sienna herself but also Hain would be questioned. Although she would not be seriously hurt because of her status, Hain could be tortured or executed. This had to be stopped.


    ¡®But why? That would be too dangerous.¡¯


    Sienna didn¡¯t understand. Isn¡¯t Bluebell pregnant right now? Sienna couldn¡¯t understand why she would do this with a child in her belly.


    It would have been understandable if she was trying to kill Sienna and be the only empress. Sienna didn¡¯t know what she was up to when she even had a child in her. What Bluebell was about to do now could endanger not only herself but also the child of Carl.


    ¡®What the hell is she thinking?¡¯


    Whatever Bluebell was nning, Sienna couldn¡¯t let her do as nned.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve prepared a gift to congratte Empress Bluebell on her pregnancy...¡±


    Bluebell was deep in thought and respondedte to Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°...a gift?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s ready over there. Would you like to take a look? I¡¯ll see if it looks good on you. Hain, can you bring me the one I mentioned earlier? Bluebell, please stand up.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bluebell rose from her seat. Sienna did not miss the nanny¡¯s gaze following Hain. Sienna induced Bluebell to leave the table first and quickly changed the two teacups. The tea overflowed a little because she was in a hurry to change the teacup.


    ¡®Hopefully, she wouldn¡¯t notice.¡¯


    Sienna stood up along with Bluebell.


    ¡°I chose a color that matches both Bluebell¡¯s blue eyes and Carl¡¯s olive-colored eyes because the child is not born yet.¡±


    Sienna received the box that Hain handed over and opened it so that Bluebell could see it well. Inside the blue velvet box was a pair of rattle bells that toddlers y within their hands. The round part of the bells, which was brilliantly crafted with gold, was decorated with green and blue jewels.


    Bluebell said in a quivering voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s very pretty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an only toy in the world of its kind because I¡¯ve asked a famous craftsman to work on it specifically. I want the child, I mean the heir, would like it.¡±


    ¡°...he¡¯ll like it.¡±


    In addition to the toy, Sienna also presented a cradle and a nket for the child to lie on. Sienna said that she will send the gift through a knight to the pce of Bluebell.


    After seeing all the presents, the two sat down again. Sienna asked Bluebell just in case.


    ¡°I think the tea is cold. Do you want a new one?¡±


    ¡°No! No.¡±


    Bluebell anxiously raised her voice.


    ¡°I think this temperature is better than when the tea is too hot.¡±


    Sienna had hoped Bluebell would withdraw the n even now, but she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of doing so. Bluebell looked up at Sienna with her cup of tea. She looked at Sienna as if to ask her why she was not taking the drink.


    Sienna tried to pretend she was losing strength while lifting the teacup, but she lifted the teacup because Bluebell was looking at her every move.


    ¡®Is it really a poison? Bluebell was going to drink it herself.¡¯


    Sienna thought it wouldn¡¯t be enough poison to lead to death. It didn¡¯t seem like Bluebell was trying to kill himself.


    Sienna guessed perhaps it¡¯s a poison that¡¯s probably harmful to a pregnant woman. But Sienna didn¡¯t think Bluebell would want to lose her child, so it would be a very weak poison that maybe causes a stomach ache. Sienna took a careful sip while she was thinking about these things.


    Sienna wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the strong scent of tea or if the medicine was weak, but it wasn¡¯t much different from the usual barita tea. Sienna thought she probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything at all if it wasn¡¯t for the traces of powder she saw earlier. Besides, fortunately, there was nothing wrong.


    ¡®Perhaps I misunderstood...?¡¯


    But just as she was about to rx, Sienna felt a searing pain in her lower stomach. Sienna instinctively wrapped her arms around her belly.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡±


    She screamed in pain.

 Chapter 177: Live to Sienna Pt.177

    <h4>Chapter 177: Live to Sienna Pt.177</h4>


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Hain came running to Sienna in shock. Bluebell looked down at Sienna, dumbfounded.


    ¡°AGHH!¡±


    Sienna rolled on the floor from internal pain that felt like her intestines were ripping apart.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Wake up! Empress Sienna!¡±


    Hain screamed and called her, but Sienna grabbed her belly and screamed of pain.


    Cough*Cough*


    Sienna coughed out a handful of blood. Bluebell was shocked at the sight and took a step back. She pushed back a chair and it rolled over the floor with a loud noise.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sure I got in my own cup. It can¡¯t be.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s word was clearly passed on to Hain¡¯s ear. The main culprit of this was clearly Bluebell, it was quite easy to guess. Hain red sharply at Bluebell. But Bluebell was out of her mind, not even realizing that Hain was staring at her.


    Sienna, who was suffering from vomiting blood, drooped like a broken doll.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Anxious Hain shook Sienna¡¯s body roughly as her pale skin and blood around her mouth signaled death. Sienna did not even budge.


    ¡°Is she dead? No...is she dead?!¡±


    Bluebell screamed in horror. Hain hid her anxious mind and put her ear to Sienna¡¯s chest. She could hear a faint heart beating.


    ¡°Wake up, Your Majesty. Please wake up.¡±


    Sienna lost consciousness to the pleading voice of Hain.


    Realizing that things went clearly wrong, Bluebell hurried out of Sienna¡¯s quarters and returned to her own. She paced nervously around the room biting her lips.


    This wasn¡¯t what she nned. She just wanted to vent her anger. She wanted to embarrass Carl and Sienna.


    ¡°Nanny! That powder, was it really the Depenhy?¡±


    Bluebell asked her nanny. The nanny was pleading her sin against the goddess of the earth, gesturing signs across her chest.


    ¡°Nanny!¡±


    ¡°Of course. I brought it as you said. Oh my... Your Majesty, what have we done?¡±


    ¡°What the hell happened to her? I¡¯m sure I put it in my teacup. And you said the drug wasn¡¯t poison! You said that a normal person will be fine.¡±


    After talking to Arya in the garden, Bluebell looked at this and that about medications that bring miscarriages. The drugs that miscarry a child would bring only a slight ache to people who are not pregnant, and no big deal happened. Bluebell was more careful because she was going to have it herself. That¡¯s why she chose Depenhy.


    In the case of a pregnant woman, it was a drug that brings her back to consciousness after aa only after the child in her belly had died. For pregnant women, it was supposed to bring gut-wrenching pains. But all the ordinary people went through was a little stomach ache.


    She didn¡¯t feel anything, but Sienna copsed in pain. Bluebell trembled as she recalled herst images of Sienna.


    ¡®Oh no, what have I done?¡¯


    Bluebell simply wanted to say that she had miscarried because of Sienna and nned to embarrass Carl and her with the help of her father. But the n wentplete astray.


    Bluebell herself was the culprit in this Sienna poisoning case. The n to turn Sienna into a criminal has backfired on her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what do we do?¡±


    The nanny asked with a worried look.


    ¡°I¡¯m screwed.¡±


    Bluebell didn¡¯t want herself to be the culprit. She could not let herself be known as the empress who was blinded by jealousy, falsely spread rumors about her pregnancy, and tried to kill Sienna. It was clear that this would have a great effect on the House of Ferrer as well.


    Bold tears dripped down from her eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s die. Let¡¯s die, nanny. After I die, even Carl won¡¯t be able to question me, right?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress...¡±


    Bluebell looked at the nanny. Aftering to the pce, the nanny visibly aged. She knew it was all her fault.


    ¡°I guess I should have listened to you.¡±


    Bluebell leaned against the sofa and said. Her face was filled with resignation.


    In the main pce¡¯s office, Hain rushed in with a tearful face. Pavenik, who had left the office for a while to get some air, was startled and ran to her.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    Hain shook off Pavenik and went into the Oval Office.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor!¡±


    She screamed for Carl in the Oval Office. The bloodstains on the hem of her dress caught the eyes of Carl and Pavenik. Before Carl could ask what was going on, Hain shouted first.


    ¡°Save the Empress!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Miss Hain?¡±


    Pavenik asked Hain.


    ¡°Her Majesty Empress Sienna copsed in a vomit of blood. She was drinking tea with the Second Empress...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? What do you mean Sienna copsed?¡±


    At the sudden news, Carl thought he heard it wrong. Pavenik, who entered the office along with Hain, seemed also very surprised.


    ¡°I will call the imperial doctor.¡±


    While Pavenik quickly ran out to call a knight, Carl left the office as soon as he heard her. He had to see with his own eyes how Sienna was.


    Still, Sienna had not been moved to her bedroom and was lying on the couch. There was a lot of blood around her mouth, so Shaylin was wiping Sienna¡¯s face with water with a handkerchief. The urgently called doctor came in and started looking at Sienna.


    When Carl saw the doctor measuring Sienna¡¯s heartbeat, he stood quietly beside him and looked at herplexion. As recently as this morning they talked with a fine face, and Carl couldn¡¯t believe that now she was lying like a corpse.


    After finishing some basic tests, the doctor realized that Carl hade and got up. Carl asked urgently.


    ¡°Is Sienna, I mean the Empress, all right? Howe she¡¯s lying there?¡±


    The doctor shook his head without an answer. Carl couldn¡¯t tell if the doctor didn¡¯t know why she copsed or if he shook his head saying it was hard for Sienna to wake up. However, his somber face made Carl even more anxious.


    Carl grabbed him by the cor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it with your head, say it so that I can understand it correctly!¡±


    He had lost hisposure. Carl¡¯s anger came down heavily on the doctor. The doctor trembled and opened his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what caused her to fall.¡±


    Carl threw the doctor on the floor.


    ¡°Huh, you don¡¯t know why? Is this the only quack in the pce? Come on, go get the right doctor!¡±


    Pavenik calmed the screaming Carl.


    ¡°Calm down, the doctor just did a pulse. Just give him a little more time. The Empress will be fine, so don¡¯t get too excited.¡±


    When Pavenik gestured to him to move, the doctor stood aside. Carl called up Hain.


    ¡°Sienna was with Bluebell when she fell?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she doesn¡¯te often, but she made a sudden appearance today. Then she asked me to serve some barita tea.¡±


    ¡°Barita tea?¡±


    Not only Carl but also Pavenik¡¯s face hardened. Carl turned to the table. There were refreshments set up. Hain continued at their gaze.


    ¡°After the Empress copsed, I made sure no one touched that table.¡±


    Carl and Pavenik went near the table.


    Pavenik instinctively realized that the incident was getting serious. He looked at the table hoping all this would be a misunderstanding. But just by looking at the table, he could see that Bluebell had done something tremendous.


    There was white powder on the edge of the table where Bluebell said to have sat. And there was white powder on the teacup that Sienna had used.


    ¡®At least do it right if you are going to do something.¡¯


    Pavenik sighed. The repercussions would be huge if it was known that the Second Empress had tried to poison the First Empress. There could be a bloodbath in the imperial pce. It was clear that it would be unbearable under Carl¡¯s imperial power now.


    ¡°Go at once and make sure no onees in and out of the Empress Pces.¡±


    Carl ordered the knights to guard Bluebell¡¯s quarter. So far, all the evidence was enough to suspect Bluebell. Pavenik tried to read Carl¡¯s expressions. He just hoped that Carl wouldn¡¯t be too emotional in dealing with this.


    Pavenik was more concerned about how this incident would affect the rtionship between the Ferrer family and Carl than Sienna¡¯s health. No matter how much he thought about it, it was clear that Bluebell made a foolish choice.


    ¡®I¡¯ve heard a lot about people being jealous and being able to do crazy things, but I never thought I¡¯d see it in reality like this.¡¯

 Chapter 178: Live to Sienna Pt.178

    <h4>Chapter 178: Live to Sienna Pt.178</h4>


    Pavenik wanted to say to Carl, ¡®If you had taken care of the Second Empress as much as the First Empress, this wouldn¡¯t have happened¡¯


    But when he saw Carl with a blue face as dead as the fallen Sienna, he couldn¡¯t open his mouth.


    ¡®I¡¯d be the one to me if anything.¡¯


    It was Pavenik himself who pushed Carl for an unwanted marriage. So it was also his job to handle this.


    ¡°First of all, I think it would be first to ask the Second Empress what this powder is. Knowing which drugs were used would help the First Empress.¡±


    The doctor, who was standing aside, nodded. Knowing what she ate, rather than vaguely measuring her heartbeat, would certainly help. Of course, they could check the teacups and the remaining powder on the table, but it would take a lot of time and the amount of powder didn¡¯t seem enough. It was a safe and quick way to ask directly to the involved parties.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Empress Pce.¡±


    Pavenik was worried that sending Carl to Bluebell now would not be a good thing to do. Because his state was so worryingly calm right now.


    He had been working with Carl for seven years. It¡¯s not that long of a time, but it wasn¡¯t a short time either. Only once did Pavenik see Carl¡¯s expression like that.


    When Azurel died. That¡¯s the look on his face when his long-time friend and servant betrayed him and swung his sword at him.


    Carl, who had no way to vent his anger after Azurel died, rushed his troops to the battlefield that day immediately. From the castle, which was three days away from the battlefield, he rushed his horse day and night to the battlefield and ughtered the enemy for a long time. He cut off the enemies¡¯ hearts and heads to the point where his clothes were stiff with blood.


    He fought nonstop for a week, and only after venting all his anger into it did he stop the ughtering. Even though they were fighting together, Pavenik was afraid of Carl.


    But now he was even more afraid. At that time, there were enemies to whom the anger could be released, but now he was worried about where the edge of Carl¡¯s de would be headed.


    It wasn¡¯t just because he was worried about Bluebell and the House of Ferrer. Pavenik was worried that Carl¡¯s sword, once started swinging, would not stop. He was afraid that Carl would leave a scar on everyone that they won¡¯t recover from.


    Bluebell was restless and now she gave up everything andy in bed. At the sound of Carl¡¯sing, she slowly opened her eyes.


    Strangely enough, she wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She wondered why he made such a choice. She seemed to have lost her mind with jealousy. But she chose this herself. It wasn¡¯t anybody¡¯s push.


    Bluebell decided to ept the repercussions of this. She just wanted to be responsible for the crime.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    Nanny looked at Bluebell with a more frightened face.


    ¡°If I had known this, I should¡¯ve got some poison for myself to drink.¡±


    Bluebell spoke to the nanny with a tired face. Nanny made a serious look and pped her face with her palm.


    SLAP-


    ¡°Lady Bluebell, wake up!¡±


    The nanny had never struck Bluebell who she raised as her own daughter. Although the two were as close as mother and daughter, there was a wide ss gap between them. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just for that reason. It was because nanny loved Bluebell so much.


    At the nanny¡¯s sudden p, Bluebell looked at her with surprised eyes. There was no more nanny who was terrified and was losing her mind. Whatever she had in mind, she faced Bluebell with a firm face.


    She took the storage ring off Bluebell¡¯s finger. It was a ring that contained Depenhy powder.


    ¡°I did this. The Empress has no idea.¡±


    ¡°Nanny! What are you talking about? Nanny had nothing to do with it, you told me not to do it and I forced you into it!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault I couldn¡¯t stop you. Remember, Your Majesty has nothing to do with this, okay? You had no idea.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that! I did this, so I¡¯m responsible for...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be immature!¡±


    Yelled the nanny. It wasn¡¯t her kind voice as usual but it was like a thunderbolt.


    ¡°This is not something Your Highness could take all the responsibilities for. The house of Ferrer would have to bear the same responsibility. If you do something wrong, your family will be ruined. It¡¯s a matter of grave concern for not only the Empress but also Count Ferrer¡¯s.¡±


    Bluebell bit her lower lip.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to kill her... I¡¯ll ask for forgiveness and beg Carl saying it¡¯s my fault. Saying that I really intended to put it in my own cup...¡±


    ¡°The results are important. If the First Empress doesn¡¯t wake up this way...so just say you didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Nanny! Then what will you do?!¡±


    Bluebell asked her in tears. Nanny smiled at Bluebell. Tears formed around her tired eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. This old human has lived enough. I¡¯m not greedy about life anymore. My life would be very meaningful if I could save Bluebell and the Ferrer family with just this small life.¡±


    ¡°No, nanny. Please...¡±


    If the nanny was to die for Bluebell¡¯s sins, Bluebell would have to live in a nightmare for the rest of her life.


    ¡°So keep in mind what I say. I did this work all by myself. Your Majesty didn¡¯t know anything. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be in danger, not just Your Majesty, but the whole Ferrer family.¡±


    ¡°Nanny...¡±


    Then Carl burst in through the door. Bluebell looked at him with a tearful face. Carl had such a scary face right now. It was a face that was iparable to when he found out about her false pregnancy.


    ¡°What medicine was it?¡±


    He asked out of the blue what the medicine was. Bluebell¡¯s lips were trembling, but she couldn¡¯t say a word. Carl yelled at her again.


    ¡°I asked what kind of medicine it was!?¡±


    Suddenly, under his feet, Bluebell¡¯s nanny fell down and asked for forgiveness.


    ¡°I did it, Your Majesty. This old woman did it!¡±


    She banged her forehead on the floor and shouted at Carl.


    ¡°The Second Empress knew nothing! Everything was done by this greedy old hag.¡±


    A fierce aura sprouted from Carl. Bluebell copsed in astonishment at how fierce and violent it was. Nanny also crouched under the pressure of it. Her hands and feet were trembling as if she was having a seizure.


    ¡°It was you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was me. Here¡¯s the evidence. I put the medicine in this ring and carried it to the First Empress¡¯s teacup. Her Majesty the Second Empress knew nothing. It¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m the only one who did it.¡±


    Carl¡¯s eyes nced sharply over Bluebell. One corner of his mouth went up with a twinge.


    ¡°Really, Bluebell, you didn¡¯t know anything? About what this old nanny who raised you nned?¡±


    Bluebell nodded desperately. Hoping that Carl would believe that she didn¡¯t know anything about it.


    Bluebell couldn¡¯t help herself even though she knew that if the nanny took all this me, she would die. The auraing from Carl was so violent and fearful that she could not bear to tell the truth. Carl continued, looking at Bluebell, not the nanny.


    ¡°So, what medicine was it?¡±


    ¡°It was Depenhy...¡±


    Answered Bluebell.


    ¡°Depenhy?¡±


    Carl had to ask back. He knew that Depenhy caused stomach pains, but he never heard of an incident of it causing copse with blood like Sienna did.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t mean to hurt Sienna. It was just meant to cause a stomachache.¡±


    Bluebell blundered out of guilt. The nanny, lying on her stomach, raised her head and shouted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her. As I told the Second Empress about my sins, I was just going to embarrass Empress Sienna. It was the stupidity of this old hag. Punish only this foolish old woman. The Second Empress has done nothing wrong.¡±


    The nanny asked for forgiveness by crushing her forehead on the floor. She seemed to feel no pain, even though her forehead and the floor were covered up with blood.


    Nevertheless, Carl¡¯s gaze still did not fall away from the Bluebell. His eyes were talking.


    ¡®I know it was you who set this up.¡¯


    Bluebell trembled and shed tears. The usual Carl would have moderately soothed her, but right now, it required a lot of patience for him just not to punch her throat right away.


    Bluebell¡¯s nanny felt such Carl¡¯s anger vividly. Obviously he didn¡¯t believe her and Bluebell¡¯s words. It was clear that he was convinced that Bluebell had done it. The nanny was afraid that even Bluebell would not be able to avoid the de of Carl.


    ¡°You are...¡±


    Carl gnawed his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯d better pray that Sienna wakes up. If Sienna wakes up, you¡¯re dead...¡±


    Carl looked down at the nanny and continued, ¡°If Sienna...if she doesn¡¯t wake up...I will not let you die even if you scream and ask me to kill you. I will cut off your tongue before you bite your tongue for death; I will cut off your wrists so that you will not be able to beg forgiveness; I will pull out your joints so that you will not be able to kneel down. And I¡¯m going to put the starving rats on your stomach and make them gnaw at your greedy guts. And I¡¯ll make the rats watch themselves as they gnaw at your heart.¡±


    Carl¡¯s terrible words didn¡¯t just sound like a threat...


    ¡°Take her away!¡±


    Knights ordered by Carl took the nanny away.


    ¡°Nanny!¡±


    Bluebell called the nanny like a scream. The nanny smiled at Bluebell while being dragged away. She mouthed, ¡®I¡¯m fine. Bluebell, be happy.¡¯


    To Bluebell, her words seemed like a will. Her own mistake caused the nanny to die. Bluebell ran to Carl and clung to his leg.


    ¡°The nanny didn¡¯t do that. I¡¯m sorry. I did it. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her. I was going to drink it. I was meant to drink it. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the nanny. It was me.¡±


    Bluebell begged frantically for forgiveness, but Carl looked down at her with a cold face.


    ¡°Carl! Please...¡±


    Carl looked coldly at Bluebell who was hanging on his leg pathetically, begging for forgiveness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say my name. I¡¯m not confident of forgiving you right now.¡±


    Bluebell lost strength in her hand at Carl¡¯s words. He went out of the door without even looking back at her. Bluebell looked bewilderedly at the door where the nanny had been taken away, and Carl had left. Bluebell was now feeling to her bones what it was like to have no ce to step on anymore.

 Chapter 179: Live to Sienna Pt.179

    <h4>Chapter 179: Live to Sienna Pt.179</h4>


    *


    Sienna hasn¡¯t woken up for too long for someone who only took some Depenhy. Before Carl could question the imperial doctor, Pavenik first visited him and asked.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t the Empress wake up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because... ... when a normal person who had an intake of Depenhy, it usually just causes a small stomach ache. But sometimes when it is taken by pregnant women or people with chronic diseases, they can¡¯t wake up.¡±


    Pavenik asked hurriedly, thinking about the possibility.


    ¡°Her Majesty the Empress was pregnant?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to figure out because of the weak pulse, but the symptoms suggest that she was pregnant.¡±


    Pavenik¡¯s face became serious. Now, the doctor described her pregnant state as a past tense. He was considering the child in Sienna dead.


    It was already hard to control the current situation because Bluebell¡¯s nanny tried to kill Sienna, but if it¡¯s known that Sienna and her child were both lost by Bluebell¡¯s nanny, no matter how much Bluebell denies that she directly intervened, she wouldn¡¯t be let go easily.


    Pavenik wasn¡¯t on the same side as the Ferrers, but he thought no further power struggle would help Carl. The Leipsden Empire was devastated by a long war, and there was constant discord in political circles.


    Above all, the problem was that Sienna was also a citizen of the Holy Empire. If this situation got bigger, the Holy Empire had no choice but to interfere in the affairs of Leipsden. Moreover, one division of the Holy Empire Knights Order was already staying in the capital. Pavenik did not wish for such a thing.


    ¡®If only Emperor Carl hadn¡¯t cared about the First Empress so much...¡¯


    If Carl was more indifferent toward Sienna, the current situation could be used to get a lot out of the Ferrers. But Sienna was someone who Carl cared with all his heart. He won¡¯t be able to negotiate political issues rationally with her life on the line. Rather, Carl would probably try to y the neck of everyone who risked her life.


    Pavennik thought that telling this to Carl would be like running into a gunpowder keg with a straw on fire. This secret had to be kept only by himself and the doctor.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    He was a long-time imperial doctor. When he understood what Pavenik was worried about, and what he meant, he nodded. The reason why he was able to remain a member of the imperial pce for a long time was that he could shut his mouth like a m.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. It¡¯s not well known that there¡¯s such an effect in Depenhy.¡±


    Pavenik nodded. He believed that the doctor would keep his promise.


    *


    While Sienna was in aa, Carl stopped all his work and stood by her side. He was like a predator waiting for the right time.


    In the absence of Carl¡¯s movements, Count Ferrer ran around busily to make this as the nanny¡¯s sole act. He constantly preached that Carl¡¯s child was sitting in Bluebell¡¯s belly.


    Most did not believe it was the nanny¡¯s sole crime, but none of them directly criticized Bluebell.


    The Ferrers had be the head of the aristocracy and wielded strong power. Count Ferrer was a long-time helper for Carl who assisted in raising him to the throne of the emperor, and a man who had his daughter as the empress. Moreover, there was no one to stop him when the imperial heir was sitting in his daughter¡¯s belly.


    While he was on a rampage, Carl remained quietly next to Sienna. It urred to him that if she didn¡¯t wake up, a lot more things would be meaningless.


    On the first day, he had a belief that she would soon get up. The second day, and the third day, it felt like she would open her eyes as if nothing happened. But even now on the 10th day, Sienna hasn¡¯t even moved.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you should eat and get some sleep. How long will you be here?¡±


    Pavenik said to Carl in a worried voice.


    At first, Pavenik understood that Carl put his work behind him. He watched from the side how much Carl cares about Sienna, so he knew how sad he must be now. However, Pavenik became more concerned because he was with her even without eating and hurting his own body.


    Pavenik regretted. Even if Carl became enemies with the Ferrers, he shouldn¡¯t have coerced Carl to marry Bluebell. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if Carl hadn¡¯t married her. But it was a bted regret.


    Pavenik wanted Sienna to wake up now. Otherwise, he had an ominous premonition that Carl would disappear. As Sienna was not waking up, previously firm emperor¡¯s shoulders were drooping and his eyes, which had always been imposing and clear, lost focus.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor, the messenger of the Holy Empire is here. The Priest of the Goddess of the Earth is asking to have a private meeting with His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Priest Roy?¡±


    Carl jumped up from his seat. Pavenik replied with a puzzled look.


    ¡°Yes, Priest Roy has requested a private meeting as a representative of the Holy Empire.¡±


    Why didn¡¯t he think of that?


    ¡®I¡¯ve forgotten his ability to heal a child with an internal wound.¡¯


    That¡¯s exactly what Sienna had said. Roy can heal any wound as long as the person was breathing. Carl had personally witnessed his incredible miracle. It urred to Carl that he was the only one who could save Sienna now.


    ¡°Would you like to meet the Priest Roy?¡±


    ¡°Right now! I¡¯ll see him right away.¡±


    Carl hastened his steps.


    He was always a boyish man, Roy. He met Carl with an urgent face.


    ¡°Is Empress Sienna all right?¡±


    He asked Carl directly without proper courtesy. Carl did not scold his rudeness. However, there was no way to hide the bitter feelings.


    ¡°She¡¯s... ...not all right. She hasn¡¯t been conscious for ten days.¡±


    Roy¡¯s face turned ck at Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°Where is Empress Sienna now?¡±


    Roy asked Carl. His confidence, as if he hade looking for his own person, made Carl feel as if his whole body was being washed away.


    Carl didn¡¯t want to let him know where Sienna was. But if left untouched, it was clear that Sienna would never wake up. Even the imperial doctor couldn¡¯t find out what her illness was.


    ¡°Pavenik will guide you.¡±


    Carl clenched his fist. A clear blood streamed from the flesh pressed against his fingernails. He couldn¡¯t follow Roy. It was more important than anything else to keep Sienna alive, but Carl didn¡¯t want to see her saved by Roy.


    ¡°Your Majesty is not going?¡±


    ¡°... ...go ahead. I¡¯ll catch up with you in a moment.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Pavenik nodded and guided Roy to the room where Siennay. Roy said to Pavenik in front of the room where Sienna stayed.


    ¡°Will you let me be alone with Sienna during the treatment?¡±


    ¡°I will. But can you really treat it?¡±


    Pavenik, who had never seen Roy¡¯s healing, asked with a suspicious look. For him, it was almost iprehensible that Carl believed in the priest. Roy replied with a shrug on his distrusting face.


    ¡°If you have faith.¡±


    Pavenik shut his mouth to the remark. When Roy entered the room, Pavenik quietly closed the door. He wanted to see Roy performing a miracle, but he couldn¡¯t interfere with the treatment. One way or another, the First Empress had to wake up.


    Entering the room where Sienna was asleep, Roy stood beside her and said with a somber look.


    ¡°Why do you look like this?¡±


    Roy said, unable to contain his grieving heart.


    Roy thought if she became the wife of the Emperor, she¡¯d be happy to marry the most powerful man in the Empire. When he heard her say that venom-bearing snakes were crawling in this den, heughed it off as a joke. Roy now realized that her words were not wrong.


    He swept Sienna¡¯s hair away. A thin, pale face was revealed. Roy looked at her face for a long time before he touched her forehead.


    Light burst from his fingertips. The light enveloped Sienna¡¯s body as if it was dancing and continued to beam for a long time.


    The light was subdued and his treatment was over, but Sienna did not wake up immediately. Roy sat beside her and waited for her to wake up naturally.


    Roy watched Sienna slowly open her eyes. It was as if he was watching a dignified and beautiful birth.


    ¡°...Priest Roy?¡±


    Sienna found Roy sitting next to her and called his name.


    ¡°Yes, Empress Sienna.¡±


    Roy smiled softly. It was a very fitting smile for him. Sienna smiled brightly as she faced him. She felt very refreshed as if she had a good night¡¯s rest.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    But then the next moment, as soon as she woke up, she was embarrassed that Roy was here.


    ¡°Why is Priest Roy in my bedroom? Ah!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until a few momentster that Sienna realized that she had copsed after drinking tea with Bluebell.


    ¡®How brutal.¡¯


    Sienna was amazed at Bluebell. She thought she was only a childlike person, but if she thought of taking such a strong medicine, it was some willpower.


    ¡°Thank you. You treated me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    When Sienna thanked Roy, he nodded to her.


    She checked the length of the sunlight that had fallen into the room and thought it was not long after she had fallen.


    ¡°You must have had some errands at the pce today? I¡¯m d because I was able to get your treatment soon.¡±


    ¡°No, Empress Sienna has been unconscious for ten days.¡±


    At Roy¡¯s words, Sienna looked surprised.


    ¡°Ten days? Wow, I have been sleeping for a long time.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people are worried.¡±

 Chapter 180: Live to Sienna Pt.180

    <h4>Chapter 180: Live to Sienna Pt.180</h4>


    Sienna nodded to Roy but thanked him once again. Roy saved her life. Hundreds of thanks were not enough.


    ¡°Thank you very much. Thanks to Priest Roy, I was able to save my life.¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯m d I could help you while I was in the Empire. If I had heard the news even a few dayster, I would have not arrived in time.¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to leave the Empire?¡±


    Asked by Sienna, Roy said with a clear smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Holy Empire. I have stayed in the Leipsden Empire for missionary work, but the Holy Father ordered me toe back. I think it¡¯s time to be taught by him.¡±


    At Roy¡¯s words, Sienna gave a startling eye. The pope wants to teach him because he wants to guide him to be the next pope.


    ¡°Oh, congrattions. Am I having a private meeting with the future pope? It¡¯s an honor!¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Roy scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed.


    ¡°Future Pope. For a small priest like me... I¡¯m not enough to sit in a position like that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve heard that Priest Roy is the only one in the Holy Empire who can do healings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can do healings, but there are quite a few who can do other works. Goddesses give us abilities ording to their calling.¡±


    Roy spoke humbly, but Sienna knew how brilliant he was. But she stopped because if she praised him anymore, Roy wouldn¡¯t know how to react.


    ¡°Then what happens to the temple in the Empire? What about the children?¡±


    ¡°There will be someone who will be in charge of the children and the temple. They have more experience than I do, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    No matter how great a manes, there will be no one like Roy. Everything he did for the children came from his heart.


    Sienna thought the children would be very upset. In fact, she also felt sad. Roy seemed sad at the departure too.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to see Priest Roy in the future. We haven¡¯t seen each other often since I came into the pce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sad I haven¡¯t seen you for a while either.¡±


    Now, they might never see each other again. Sienna cannot get out of the pce on most days, and Roy was a man of another country. It was a long way off for the two to meet if there was no official business. They looked at each other with faces full of sadness.


    Sienna enjoyed meeting Roy. Roy was special to Sienna. He was the first person to alter fate aftering back here, and he was also the first friend she made. His gentle personality was so simr to hers that she felt at ease when she was with him. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had to say goodbye to him now.


    Roy, who was sitting down, suddenly pped his thigh and said, ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you this! Congrattions. Fortunately, the child in Sienna¡¯s belly is safe. I¡¯m d it¡¯s not toote.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sienna could not help herself but to ask Roy. What do you mean a child?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    Sienna stared nkly at Roy without answering. Roy replied with a happy face.


    ¡°Empress Sienna is pregnant.¡±


    Plop-


    Sienna suddenly burst into tears.


    Was that why? Was that why he appeared in her dreams?


    Sienna dreamed for ten days. Only Josef appeared in the dream.


    A child of her own. In a dream, the child held Sienna¡¯s finger tightly and wouldn¡¯t let go. Sienna also tried not to lose his hand. Darkness sucked him up and tried to separate them from each other, but he didn¡¯t let go of his grip.


    ¡®Josef.¡¯


    Sienna wasn¡¯t sure if the child now sitting in her womb was Josef, but Sienna felt a little relief. She can meet her son Josef.


    But relief came for a moment, and soon afterwards, anxiety. She felt like a huge typhoon was about to blow out her little light sitting on a candle.


    ¡°Empress Sienna?¡±


    Roy was surprised by Sienna, who suddenly shed tears. She was not in a happy face, but a face full of worry and fear. Roy sped her hands.


    ¡°How can you show tears at this good news? Do you have any concerns?¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t decide what to do. There are two empresses in the imperial family, and there were babies growing in both Bluebell¡¯s belly and in Sienna¡¯s belly. Who would be the heir to the imperial family?


    This could not be a good thing for her. In a way, it might have been the worst thing she could face. She was worried if she could protect this child properly. There was no rule that the tragedy of the past would not repeat itself.


    Sienna forced herself to swallow her tears and asked Roy.


    ¡°Who knows about this?¡±


    Roy said he knew only himself because he had just learned about it while performing a healing. Sienna sighed with relief, wiping away her dry tears.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Roy tilted his head.


    Although he has no idea about the circumstances of the imperial family, he thought it must be very happy news to have an emperor¡¯s child, so why was she trying to hide it? But Roy nodded at Sienna¡¯s desperate request.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell anyone about this.¡±


    Sienna listened to his promise and asked him once again with eagerness to keep the secret. It was so important to her. She wanted to tell Carl this good news, but first, she wanted to keep it a secret until she had confidence in her child¡¯s safety.


    *


    Sienna, whoid down for a while after Roy left, asked Hain where Carl was. She missed him.


    Hain replied with an embarrassed face.


    ¡°He¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know where he is? Then get Carl right now...No, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    As Sienna rose up, Hain waved her hand with a surprised face.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going after being in aa for ten days?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m very healthy right now. So if you just let me know where Carl is...¡±


    The door opened during her scuffle with Hain. Carl came in, whom Sienna wanted to see so much.


    ¡°I missed you.¡±


    Sienna said as soon as she saw Carl. As soon as she realized that she came from death to life, it was Carl that she missed the most. Sienna was terrified when she realized she might have never seen him again.


    As Sienna tried to get up, Carl came up to her and tried to help her. Sienna was all well, but she didn¡¯t mind being cared for by him, so she let him do what he did.


    ¡°I missed you the most as soon as I woke up. Where were you?¡±


    Carl said in an unusually feeble voice.


    ¡°I was so useless and ashamed of myself, that there is nothing I can do but ask Priest Roy to save you, and I feel pathetic and miserable...I didn¡¯t have the courage to face you.¡±


    Sienna was heartbroken. He was always full of confidence, but his cheeks were so hollow as if he had suffered for ten days while she was asleep.


    ¡°You did what you could. It¡¯s the ability to use people at the right time and ce, it was enough just to call Priest Roy when you needed him. Why did you be such a coward while I was asleep?¡±


    ¡°It scared me. I was so afraid of losing you. I feel like I¡¯m bing a coward after I met you.¡±


    Carl lowered his head.


    He always lived a life close to death. He lost her mother early and spent most of his life on the battlefield. The constant sighting of death has made him indifferent to losing someone. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t feel a sense of loss or defeat in the face of death, but even that feeling became duller and duller.


    But while Sienna was in aa, he felt a great fear that he never felt before. The lethargy of being unable to do anything in the face of death. It was a terrible feeling he never wanted to feel again.


    Sienna swept down Carl¡¯s back. Then she asked softly what she couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°What about Empress Bluebell...¡±

 Chapter 181: Live to Sienna Pt.181

    <h4>Chapter 181: Live to Sienna Pt.181</h4>


    ¡°I locked her up in her pce for now. I¡¯ll do whatever you want. Even if you wanted me to execute her in the main square, I would.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna shook her head.


    ¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯s the one that is pregnant with your child...¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never slept with Bluebell. She lied for some reason.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sienna couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. False pregnancy. It was such a big lie. On the other hand, she felt sorry because she understood why Bluebell told such a lie.


    She could also understand why she wanted to drink the tea. She was trying to cover up the false pregnancy by using Sienna of poisoning her and miscarrying because she could not continue her false pregnancy.


    But there was one thing that didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°But you knew that. That she wasn¡¯t pregnant. Then why would she do this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand either. Why did she try to poison you directly?¡±


    Sienna shook her head at his words and said, ¡°I changed the cup. I think she was trying to charge me with poisoning...¡±


    ¡°Why would you do such a dangerous thing?!¡±


    Carl screamed. Feeling the pain of his heart being torn while she was asleep, he had no choice but to reprove her for her reckless behavior.


    ¡°I thought it wouldn¡¯t be too dangerous if she intended to drink it herself. I thought it¡¯d be a stomachache or a headache at least... I don¡¯t think that drug was right for me.¡±


    When Carl¡¯s expression didn¡¯t get any better, Sienna swept down his arm and apologized. It was only after several times that she vowed to never do such a reckless thing again that he could only let go of his anger.


    ¡°Now that I listen to your story, I understand.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Bluebell tried to frame you with a charge of poison.¡±


    Sienna nodded.


    ¡°But you knew that. That she wasn¡¯t pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but only I knew it. She must have believed in her father¡¯s power. No matter how much I im to have never done anything with her, it would have been veryplicated if Count Ferrer had other aristocrats on his back and insisted on you to be guilty. Moreover, it is difficult to find and show evidence that she was not pregnant, so she could simply im that I am lying for you.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s expression hardened coldly at his exnation. It was all the more real that Bluebell tried to do something horrible. Carl also said with a stiff face.


    ¡°I thought she was just innocent, but she is just as evil as her father.¡±


    Until then, Carl had seemed to have sisterly affections toward Bluebell, but now he was shaking as if he was sick of her.


    Arya scratched the handle of the sofa with her fingernail tip and agonized.


    ¡°That bitch has nine lives. I wish she hadn¡¯t opened her eyes.¡±


    She said such scary words out of her mouth without fear. Nevertheless, those who worked beside her were not at all agitated. For them, this kind of talk came from Arya so often that to them it was a familiar routine.


    ¡°What did Empress Bluebell feed the bitch?¡±


    ¡°It is called Depenhy.¡±


    Her maid added that Depenhy gives stomachaches to the normal people and risks miscarriage if eaten by pregnant women.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you give her drugs that wouldn¡¯t kill her? It would have been more effective to give poison if she was going to do this anyway. It¡¯s not even hard to get poison.¡±


    Whether Bluebell¡¯s nanny sneaked poison or medicine that causes a stomach ache, the crime of hurting a member of the royal family called for execution. If the nanny had tried to poison Sienna at the risk of her own life, it would have been better for Bluebell to have given poison to Sienna than to give her some drug for abdominal pain like a joke.


    Of course, no one thought that it was Bluebell¡¯s nanny¡¯s solo action.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was because she was kind-hearted.¡±


    There were too many strange issues.


    ¡°So when I congratted her pregnancy, she didn¡¯t look happy at all.¡±


    At that time Arya thought it was because Bluebell was jealous of the affections between Carl and Sienna, but now that she recalled again, maybe that was not the only reason.


    When Arya exined to her about the herbs that pregnant women should be careful of, Bluebell was not surprised, but rather showed a bright face. Moreover, how many times did she ask about the existence of such herbs?


    ¡°Depenhy could lose a child...hahaha, that¡¯s what happened!¡±


    Arya burst outughing.


    Bluebell¡¯s room, which didn¡¯t smell of love affairs, the emperor who only visits Sienna¡¯s pce every night, and the emperor who doesn¡¯t react to the news of her pregnancy. On top of that, considering the effects of the Depenhy, it was easy to connect the dots.


    Having been relieved of her frustration, she couldn¡¯t stopughing. Arya felt like heaven was still on her side.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll still have to check.¡±


    A suspicious smile drew over Arya¡¯s face.


    *


    ¡°Your Majesty, have some of this.¡±


    ¡°Get away from me!¡±


    Bluebell threw the tray containing soup to the floor. She kept crying and rejecting all meals. The worried maids tried to appease her, but to no avail.


    ¡°I miss the nanny. Get my nanny back to me now!¡±


    Bluebell wept bitterly. The maids looked at her with embarrassed faces. How could they bring the executed nanny back, who died on charges of trying to assassinate the royal family?


    ¡°Please calm down. She¡¯s already dead. For the sake of the baby in your stomach, have some food...¡±


    Bluebell pped the head maid on the cheek before she even finished talking. The sound was so loud that all the maids working there looked at her with surprised eyes.


    ¡°How dare you, bitch!¡±


    Bluebell was very angry with the head maid. Although everyone was well aware of her bond with the nanny, it was clear that Bluebell¡¯s current behavior was excessive.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I made a slip of the tongue. But for the heir in your womb...¡±


    Bluebell pped the other cheek this time. Every time she talked of the child that did not exist, she felt like she was being made fun of.


    ¡°You know it, don¡¯t you? You must have overheard a conversation between me and the nanny!¡±


    Bluebell felt like the head maid knew about the false pregnancy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like your eyes. How dare you look down on me, the empress?¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t look down on you. Absolutely not. You misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I was wrong? I¡¯m sure I saw your eyes looking down on me!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s ridiculous...¡±


    ¡°What? So I¡¯m crazy and stubborn, you bitch?¡±


    Bluebell roared and went wild. Then she found a whip to discipline the maids.


    Holding a thin, long stringed whip at the end of a hard round rod, she began to whip the head maid¡¯s back right away. The head maid¡¯s back and whip bumped into each other, making a chilling noise.


    Bluebell, who exuded a violent spirit, was like a lost soul. The maids, frightened by the madness in her eyes, could not stop her, and only panicked anxiously until the head maid was bloodstained and unconscious.


    Bluebell couldn¡¯t keep herself sane. Everyone felt like her enemies. The only nanny who cared about her died. And that was her own fault.


    But she still couldn¡¯t admit it. So she denied her responsibility in the nanny¡¯s death. Bluebell needed someone else to me. As a result, she thought that everyone but herself was responsible for the death of the nanny.


    She was angry at Carl for making her do this. If he had given himself to her, she wouldn¡¯t have told such a lie.


    She was also angry at Sienna, who stole Carl¡¯s heart. Why did Sienna take the position of First Empress and torture her so much?


    She was also angry at her father. He treated her like she¡¯s useless if she didn¡¯t give birth to the imperial heir. So Bluebell turned down all his requests for a visit. Even though he came to her pce and begged for a visit, she didn¡¯t let him.


    Andstly, she was angry with the maids who were probably despising her andughed at her behind her back. She knew how the maids were talking among themselves behind her back. Poor empress who became violent because she was not loved by the emperor.


    She was most angry at the fact that she couldn¡¯t refute the remark at all. Carl was hers, he was hers, so why should she be treated like this?!


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±


    Bluebell was so upset that she couldn¡¯t even stay still. She had to vent her anger by being violent, yelling, and throwing things. That¡¯s how she felt like she could at least breathe.

 Chapter 182: Live to Sienna Pt.182

    <h4>Chapter 182: Live to Sienna Pt.182</h4>


    *


    A few dayster, Empress Arya sent word to Bluebell that she would visit her pce in the afternoon.


    Bluebell didn¡¯t want to meet the Empress. At first, she thought Arya was just being kind and considerate, but gradually, Bluebell was thinking that Arya was humiliating and teasing her.


    What¡¯s more, a visit at a time like this.


    The maids busily cleaned the mess Bluebell made of the guest room, but there was nothing to rece the quality of the broken vase and the cab. Though not satisfactory, they decorated the room with gifts received thus far. It was quite obvious that they had hastily just arranged the room.


    Bluebell took out the most colorful clothes to greet Arya. She didn¡¯t want to show an ugly face to Arya, who came to see how she looked. She put on thick makeup to cover the slightest bit of swollen eyes and rough skin.


    At the appointed time, Arya entered the guest room of the empress¡¯ pce. Dressed in a purple dress decorated with jewels, she looked as colorful as ever. Overwhelmed by her beauty, Bluebell bit her lower lip as she felt shabby inparison.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the sad news about your nanny. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been with her since you were a baby, so how devastated you must be about that.¡±


    Bluebell, who felt Arya¡¯s words as sarcasm, replied that she was okay in a stiff voice. Then she tried to control her temper and offered tea to Arya.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ve had enough tea.¡±


    Bluebell couldn¡¯t stand it because she knew why Arya was refusing her tea. A sharp remark came out of her mouth.


    ¡°Why? Are you worried that I might have poisoned it?¡±


    At the words of Bluebell, Arya said with an embarrassed smile.


    ¡°No, of course not. It¡¯s because I just drank tea. But give me a cup of nice tea if you have one.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a fragrant tea that came in as a gift.¡±


    A maid poured tea, but Arya didn¡¯t even pretend to take it. Bluebell was annoyed by her behavior but couldn¡¯t force her to drink.


    ¡°Why did youe to see me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I¡¯m worried about how you are doing¡±


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m doing fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also worried about the baby in your womb.¡±


    Arya¡¯s words crumpled Bluebell¡¯s face. Bluebell hated herself for being swayed by such trivial words even though she told herself to keep a poker face earlier. But she had already shown it to Arya.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but worry. In fact, I¡¯ve been pondering why the empress came around taking a Depenhy drug. But today, I came up with a pretty good story.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s eyes trembled fast.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°May I speak to you here?¡±


    There were several maids in the guest room who were serving the two. Although they were maids working under Bluebell, it was never a good idea to let them hear this secret. If those light mouthed girls find out, the rumor would spread out of control.


    Bluebell kicked out the maids and asked Arya urgently as soon as they left the guest room.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You know why Sienna happened to take Depenhy?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s only a theory...¡±


    Bluebell gulped down her saliva.


    ¡°I was curious. Why it had to be Depenhy, why. If it¡¯s poison, I¡¯d understand, but it¡¯s an herb that causes only minor stomach pains if the person taking it is not pregnant. Empress Sienna may have existing conditions, but no one would have known that in advance.


    Arya continued, looking at the stunned face right in front of her.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was wondering. Maybe, it wasn¡¯t meant to be given to Empress Sienna, but maybe Empress Bluebell was intending to take it.¡±


    Arya shrugged and continued.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know why Empress Sienna drank the tea, not you, Bluebell.¡±


    Bluebell retorted inwardly. Because that clever girl noticed what she was trying to do and changed their cups.


    ¡°I remembered that one time you were over at my pce, you showed great interest in the idea that there are poisonous herbs in the garden, specifically for pregnant women.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s hand trembled. Arya spoke without regard to her reaction.


    ¡°The maids who work in the castle are really good at telling stories. I¡¯m not interested in their idle chatter, but I¡¯ve heard a lot of fun stuff from them. Things like, that His Majesty the Emperor never really stayed in this pce overnight and that Empress Bluebell is a virgin who hasn¡¯t even tasted a man.¡±


    Bluebell was angry at the insulting remarks and wanted to hurl curses at Arya. Her teeth were grinding on their own.


    But she managed to hold back her anger. The hot anger in her heart felt like it could melt her, but strangely, her head became as cold as the snowstorm of winter.


    ¡®She¡¯s talking around a point, but she¡¯s just saying that she knows I¡¯m not pregnant, and trying to ckmail me. Empress Arya, you¡¯re the one who used shallow tricks like a prostitute and lured an old emperor with your pretty face. What the hell are you trying to get out of me?¡¯


    Bluebell knew that it would be in Arya¡¯s greater interest to visit her father, Count Kenyon Feyer, and say these things, rather thane to Bluebell who had no real power.


    Although Bluebell was foolish, she was the eldest daughter of Count Ferrer, who experienced all kinds of things in politics. Although she acted immaturely, it was because she lived a life where she could act senselessly and get away with it. It was by no means because she was as stupid as Arya thinks she was.


    -There is no favor done without a reason. You need to quickly figure out what a person who is being nice to you wants so you can have a good deal. Whether it¡¯s to win your favor or to ask for your favor.


    It was always the story Count Ferrer told Bluebell. She erased the look of embarrassment and looked at Arya with a cold face. And asked in a lower voice than usual.


    ¡°So?¡±


    Bluebell who was whipping maids and venting anger was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Oh, what I¡¯m trying to tell you is...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of listening to you because you just keep wandering around the main subject.¡±


    Arya¡¯s face hardened and her eyes narrowed.


    ¡®Just like Sienna, this b*tch has no manners.¡¯


    ¡°So what are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Is there really a child in Bluebell¡¯s belly?¡±


    Bluebell did not answer.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell, you were lying about being pregnant, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Arya asked in a peaceful tone as if asking, ¡®Do you want tea with lemon tea?¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re not nning to erase it as another lie saying that you miscarried, are you?¡±


    Bluebell showed no response but seeing her not actively denying it, Arya was convinced that her thoughts had been right.


    ¡®I thought you were naive, but you were a big b*tch. Not only did you pretend to be pregnant fearlessly, but you also tried to put the me on another woman for your miscarriage.¡¯


    Arya smiled with delight at confirming the other side of Bluebell.


    It was Arya¡¯s luck that Bluebell¡¯s n failed. Now she would be able to control Bluebell more easily. She tried to conceal her excitement and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re pregnant or not. A baby, you can make it one way or another. The child who will be the emperor does not have to be the blood of the emperor. A boy with golden hair and olive eyes is rare, but it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t find one.¡±


    She offered so easily to deceive another child into being the child of the emperor. It was an act of treason.


    As the nanny said, Arya was not a reliable person. She was a scary person.


    ¡°Soe to my side.¡±


    Bluebell was dumbfounded by her sudden suggestion.


    ¡°What the hell do you want from me?¡±


    Bluebell knew she would use her secret. But it was hard to gauge how this would benefit Arya.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out gradually.¡±


    It urred to Bluebell that this was definitely rted to the future heir, who was rumored to be in her belly.


    But Arya was overlooking the important thing. That she never had a rtionship with Carl. Carl already knew that the child did not exist.


    ¡°But... ...Carl knows I¡¯m not pregnant.¡±


    At Bluebell¡¯s words, Arya put on a subtle expression for a moment and then quickly switched to a bright smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem I can solve. Soe over to my side.¡±


    Bluebell did not readily answer. Looking at her, biting her lips as if she was at a loss what to do, Arya continued.


    ¡°If you need time to think because it¡¯s too sudden. I¡¯ll give you plenty of time.¡±


    It was only a matter of time before this foolish woman took on her offer. There was nothing else Bluebell could choose from. Ever since she started telling that ridiculous lie. Her foolish lies were a great opportunity for her.


    Before she went out the door, Arya stopped and said to Bluebell, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a present before that. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happy.¡±


    Bluebell contemted the meaning of herst words.

 Chapter 183: Live to Sienna Pt.183

    <h4>Chapter 183: Live to Sienna Pt.183</h4>


    *


    In the conference room, which would normally be filled with high-ranking aristocrats, there were only two people today, Carl and Count Ferrer. Count Ferrer never thought it was such arge space, but he felt it was toorge to be talking to just one person.


    Normally, an exclusive meeting with the emperor would be held in the emperor¡¯s office, but Carl insisted on the conference room here. It was because of the position of the seat. The throne of the political affairs conference hall was located higher than other seats, which was effective because it gave the aristocrats a sense of intimidation. It should have been a ce where Carl could look down at Count Ferrer and put pressure on him because Carl wasn¡¯t here today to be nice to the Count.


    ¡°If you have something to say, please say it.¡±


    Carl was the one who called Count Ferrer today, but Carl didn¡¯t speak up first. Count Ferrer hesitated to speak out, checking Carl¡¯s expressions.


    Although Bluebell¡¯s nanny admitted all the charges and was executed, no one thought it was her sole crime. Everyone thought it was at least Bluebell¡¯s n, and furthermore, the Ferrer family was involved in this.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please kill me. Bluebell¡¯s nanny... No, the Empress¡¯s nanny did it all by herself, but it was a mistake of mine who had not been able to detect it in advance and restrain it. So please punish me for the incident.¡±


    Carl burst outughing at his words. Although he cried out, ¡°I did something wrong, please kill me.¡± He stressed that the matter was only about the nanny. He was iming that he and Bluebell had nothing to do with it.


    But Carl didn¡¯t want to listen to his excuses.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you want.¡±


    Carl drew the sword first. Then, with his sword hanging low, he got up from the throne and slowly went down the stairs.


    ¡°How can I easily forgive you, the one who could not even manage his subordinate, who tried to poison my First Empress? Moreover, I don¡¯t believe it. The saying that the nannymitted the crime alone.¡±


    Carl approached Count Ferrer and thrust his face into him and said, ¡°The nanny alone somehow got hold of that rare poison? And went near the First Empress¡¯s cup and poisoned her? Without Bluebell realizing anything?¡±


    He spoke emphatically of the word ¡®poison¡¯. For Carl, the nt called Depenhy was certainly poison.


    Carl knew that objectively, Depenhy was not ssified as a poison. Although Sienna said that she ended up with stomach pains because she had an unusual condition, it worked as a poison anyway.


    ¡°But, but Your Majesty...¡±


    Count Ferrer trembled his lips and his face went pale. Even if he said it with his mouth, he did not really want to die. Carl looked at him with a face that he would listen to whatever the excuse was.


    It was his first time being threatened with a sword, so Count Ferrer trembled, unable to find hisposure. The emperor¡¯s sword would surely strike him in the neck if he said anything wrong. Because the Emperor never spoke in vain.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell... She has the imperial heir. Do you intend to use your future crown prince of treason?¡±


    Carl managed to resist trying tough loudly. As expected, he was a wicked old man. However, it was clear that he still did not understand the situation.


    Historically, whenever the family of an empress made a big mistake, the position of the imperial heir was in jeopardy. Because the other nobles tried toy the me on the next heir¡¯s hands.


    ¡®And that¡¯s only if the heir actually exists.¡¯


    Carl withdrew his sword and went back to his seat.


    ¡°Your Majesty, think of the imperial heir.¡±


    Then the count¡¯s voice grew. He seemed to think that his mentioning of the heir was working. Carlughed at the greedy and clever old man.


    ¡°Imperial heir...¡±


    Then he sat down and pretended to look worried.


    After the Depenhy incident, he wanted to punish Bluebell and Count Ferrer strongly, but Sienna stopped him. It was because Bluebell¡¯s nanny was already sentenced to prison for all responsibility, and she spected that hispetition with Arya would be stronger if he stood at odds with Count Ferrer.


    In fact, it was obvious that it would not be easy to proceed with Bluebell¡¯s punishment. Because while Sienna was in aa, Count Ferrer has been running around sweating his feet, forming a public opinion that it was the single act of the nanny.


    Carl could put pressure on Ferrer, but that was all. Sienna persuaded Carl, saying, ¡°I would rather threaten him properly and gain other political gains.¡±


    Carl epted the opinion because he thought it made sense, but he didn¡¯t entirely agree with it. Even though it was not possible to punish the Peer family perfectly, it was possible for Bluebell to be abolished.


    He epted Sienna¡¯s opinion because Count Ferrer didn¡¯t seem to know yet that his daughter¡¯s pregnancy was a lie. A greedy old man, he would surely try to revolt when he finds out about Bluebell¡¯s lies. Carl was nning to take care of everything then.


    Of course, Carl might give him a chance if he knelt before him and asked for forgiveness, but Carl knew well that Count Ferrer was not a man like that.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, too.¡±


    When Carl said something positive, Count Ferrer, who had turned pale, returned to his normalplexion.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t let it go like it never happened, can I?¡±


    But Carl didn¡¯t intend to just wait for Count Ferrer to revolt. He decided to use him to solve a troublesome problem.


    ¡°What would you want...¡±


    Count Ferrer responded btedly when he realized Carl¡¯s intention.


    ¡°The Central Army¡¯s deployment of local territories is taking longer than I thought. I¡¯m sure I gave the message right...¡±


    Count Ferrer¡¯s face was distorted. Carl didn¡¯t miss that moment but didn¡¯t scold him. The old man was more troubled than anyone else over the deployment of the Central Army to the territory.


    Count Ferrer had rallied the nobles to reduce the Central Army and to build up their own power, but Carl reversed it and turned his policy toward strengthening the Central Army and reducing the military power of the lords. The number of aristocrats who turned their backs on Count Ferrer was quiterge because of this incident.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to solve that problem.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was not an easy question to answer. But he couldn¡¯t refuse the emperor¡¯s offer. It was certain that he would immediately offend the other nobles, but he was the grandfather of the soon-to-be-born imperial heir.


    ¡®Just until the heir is born...¡¯


    Count Ferrer gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I will.¡±


    Carl watched him with a satisfied face.

 Chapter 184: Live to Sienna Pt.184 Trap

    <h4>Chapter 184: Live to Sienna Pt.184 Trap</h4>


    ¡°This is a month-long shopping list of items used in the castle.¡±


    A servant handed over the documents to Arya. Arya nodded and said, ¡°Well done, giving a gold coin to the servant.¡±


    Then he went straight into his bedroom. It has always been the case for the Empress to check the purchase list alone, so the maids did not care.


    Coming into the room, Arya immediately sat at the table and took out a letter from among the papers.


    At first nce, the letter appeared to be a letter of thanks for using their merchant association every time. But the truth was that it was a letter from a Castroite. That was why it couldn¡¯t be seen by anyone.


    ¡°He is so impatient.¡±


    Arya frowned nervously while reading the letter.


    After losing the war against Leipsden, the Castro Empire had to pay a huge warpensation. Under the agreement, the amount was supposed to be repaid over five years, but they were hoping that somehow they would not pay thepensation through Arya. But as long as Carl was an emperor, Arya could not use her strength as easily as before.


    ¡°So why lose the war...¡±


    She sighed deeply. Normally, she would have torn the letter apart, but she couldn¡¯t, because of the signature ¡°Guardian McPauline ¡± written at the head of the letter.


    He was a renowned Marquis in the Castro Empire. And a lover of Arya¡¯s mother, Melina.


    Melina was one of the people that were called witches. Originally, she was a daughter of a Castroite aristocrat, but after she received spirits, she was not able to stay there any longer.


    She traveled from ce to ce regardless of the border, blessed many with songs and dances, and used her knowledge of herbs to treat those in need. Because she could not stay in one ce with the fate she had received, she had to wander from ce to ce away from her beloved fianc¨¦ in her home country.


    Then one day, after stepping on thend of the Panacio family, trouble arose.


    Melina had a beautiful appearance that would fascinate anyone. It was not easy for a beautiful woman to wander from ce to ce, so she usually painted her face with charcoal and hid her glossy hair under a ragged cape. But a man recognized her disguise.


    ¡°A witch. I¡¯ve never seen one before. I wonder if under that smelly cape there is a dirty face full of scars, a horrid horn like a rumor, or a divided tongue like a snake. Take off her cape. If she is going to offend my eyes, I¡¯ll have to skin her face and put on a face that matches that sensual body, hahaha.¡±


    It was Marquis Adeine Panacio, the Lord of the Panacio family. He wandered about the territory heavily drunk with the knights and said to Melina, who was helping the women in a brothel.


    She refused to show her face, but it was useless. Soon the cape came off the hands of the haughty knights and her face was revealed.


    Panacio and his knights could not shut their mouths in astonishment. Even if it was rubbed with ck charcoal, her beautiful features could not be hidden. Lustful Adeine Panacio forced her into a castle and made her into a concubine.


    Nearly a year after her confinement, Melina noticed that her health was deteriorating and her life was numbered. But she was worried about her newborn baby.


    She sent a letter to Marquis McPauline, her real man. But it was unclear whether the letter could reach Castro.


    Then she died not long after. It was when Arya was 13 months old.


    Marquis Adeine Panacio did not take care of the young illegitimate child. Arya grew up under harsh conditions, being looked down upon and ignored by the maids.


    As she grew older, she could not hide her beauty even at a young age because she resembled her mother. The clever girl used her face to easily win the hearts of other people and receive the things she needed to survive, so although barely, she managed to live.


    It was in the year she turned thirteen that she was called in by her father, Adeine Panacio. After the Marquis¡¯ only young daughter died, he called Arya because she wanted to take her ce.


    It was obvious that he was not attached to his daughter. As soon as he saw Arya, he said, ¡°What a fierce look this little b*tch has. She looks just like her mother, who was not bad looking. I think you would be more useful than that ugly daughter who died. No matter which noble family I send you to, you¡¯ll get a hefty dowry.¡±


    He nced up and down at the young girl with eyes full of perversion and greed. Arya thought that she had lived fearlessly, but in front of his eyes, she felt like she would urinate in fear.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t answer easily. When Adeine though she couldn¡¯t speak, said angrily, ¡°What, I thought you¡¯d be okay because you have a pretty face, but you¡¯re dumb. So I can only receive a prostitute¡¯s money, not a dowry? Even if you¡¯re pretty, if you can¡¯t talk, you can only be useful on the bed.¡±


    Arya replied with great astonishment at his words.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t speak. I don¡¯t have a name, so...it was because I didn¡¯t have a name.¡±


    Only then did Adeine nod his head with a happy face.


    ¡°Your year¡¯s name is Arya from now on. Arya Panacio, that¡¯s your name.¡±


    It was the first day she received a name. Apart from the fact that the name had been owned by another girl for 13 years, she was d to have it. That¡¯s how she became Arya Panacio.


    Unlike when she had to hide in the kitchen and search for food containers or beg for food, now she sat at a dining table and ate and got a room full of precious clothes. The maids who ignored her before now bowed their heads.


    She felt like she had everything. Arya realized how beautiful it is to have power.


    But a happy life did notst. A life of luxury clothes, delicious food, and sleeping in a fluffy bed continued, but a new hell has begun. It was because of Madame Panacio.


    Before she could ovee the grief of losing her young daughter, the wife of Marquis Panacio had to face a girl who hade to wear her daughter¡¯s clothes, upy her daughter¡¯s room and use her name. Moreover, she was close to the miniature version of a woman who took her husband¡¯s heart.


    ¡°How dare you! I can¡¯t believe you stole Arya¡¯s everything! Thief b*tch! Dirty, lewd, and creepy like your mother!¡±


    She flogged and spat at Arya and poured hot water into her face. No one helped Arya while she was being abused. Adeine Panacio¡¯s just advised not to pour hot water on Arya because her face could be damaged.


    Because of that, Madame Panacio did not touch Arya¡¯s face. At that time, when Arya saw that his wife could not disobey his words, she thought that she needed to stand at the peak of power to avoid such a thing happening ever again.


    Since then, she had tried to be a strong woman, not an underdog. She learned how to write secretly. Then she thought she could read the letters left by her biological mother, but she couldn¡¯t. The letters left by her mother were written in Castro¡¯snguage. Arya was disappointed that she couldn¡¯t read the letters, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    And over the years, the little girl, who had been small and thin, became a youngdy. She blossomed in her beauty like a flower full of water.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m here to visit you.¡±


    ¡°You b*tch! Cough-cough-cough. How dare you, cough, call me your mother!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my... the disease must have invaded your head. Then what would I call you? Would you like me to call you a mother or a crazy b*tch?¡±


    The wife¡¯s yellow face was full of anger. Arya said, turning her white-colored hair behind her ears.


    ¡°How do you like feeling helpless? You can¡¯t move, you can¡¯t swallow or eat your food without borrowing someone else¡¯s hand. It¡¯s a pity that you have to borrow someone¡¯s hand even on doing your business.¡±


    ¡°You brat!¡±


    As Madame Panacio screamed, Arya burst intoughter.


    ¡°Fortunately, that mouth of yours still sounds very healthy.¡±


    Arya said to her, who was brimming with anger.


    ¡°Your mouth may be alive, but you must not be able to smell yourself. Your body smells like awful sh*t right now. Well, no one can serve a tiring master whose only mouth is still alive. Rather than live this miserable life, I would have bit my tongue and killed myself if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! There¡¯s nothing a young little sh*t can¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t say? There¡¯s nothing I cannot do either. What do you think is the reason you¡¯re lying down even now?¡±


    The wife¡¯s brow frowned. It could not have been a little 15-year-old girl who did this to her.


    ¡°You liked Cocaine tea. Instead of giving it to anyone, even the Marquis himself. So I mixed some drugs into it. A drug that is tasteless but paralyzes the limbs and slowly stops breathing.¡±


    Arya took a small bottle out of her arms as the wife gazed in astonishment.


    ¡°I enjoyed watching your miserable life and tried to take it slow, but now, the fun has waned. And this disgusting smell from you is terrible.¡±


    Arya spilled the liquid from the bottle into her mouth. When the wife turned her head not to drink the liquid, Arya blocked her nose and spilled more of the drug.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to clean up the garbage.¡±


    That night, the wife died quietly. No one cared about her death in the Panacio house. Even her son did not mourn her death.


    Arya thought her life would be sofortable, but it was her illusion. Her beauty grew ever brighter, as a water-soaked rose. It was more elegant and fragrant than her beautiful mother.


    At the age of the dead Arya she was officially 18, but in reality a few years younger. But her father started visiting her bedroom, who was her blood. He had never visited his wife since she got sick, but he had a rtionship with the young Arya, using the grief of losing his wife as an excuse.


    And that did notst just one day. Arya could not reject the divine Panacio Marquis, who owned all thends of the Panacio territory. Such things continued until the Marquis finally copsed.


    Arya¡¯s life was a pretty decent one on the surface. As the only daughter of Marquis Panacio, who has a wide in in the southern granary, she seemed to enjoy everything. But her life was like hell.


    Meanwhile, Arya heard that a minstrel entered the territory of the Panacio family. Thinking that they might be able to read her mother¡¯s letter if they walked around without borders, she called in a minstrel.


    Luckily the minstrel she met could read thenguage of the Castro Empire. Arya found that her mother had written a letter for her to her fianc¨¦ in the Castro Empire asking for salvation.


    She asked a minstrel to write to her mother¡¯s fianc¨¦. Desperately hoping to save herself from this hellish ce.

 Chapter 185: Live to Sienna Pt.185

    <h4>Chapter 185: Live to Sienna Pt.185</h4>


    Not long after that, a man appeared before her. He was a man with brown hair and brown eyes. He was from her mother¡¯s fianc¨¦, Marquis McPauline.


    ¡°What kind of man is Marquis McPauline?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a very nice, open-minded person. Come to think of it, he has brown hair and brown eyes like me. Of course, it¡¯s a glossy color unlike me.¡±


    Arya was filled with hope. Marquis McPauline still hasn¡¯t let go of her mother, who was his former mistress. So he offered to help her blood, Arya. Arya was so happy every day when she was preparing to leave the Panacio family.


    Stories spread throughout the territory that she had an affair with a wandering minstrel. Others seemed to have considered the man from Castro a minstrel. The story also went into the ears of her brother, Depine.


    The day he heard the rumor, he came into Arya¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°A b*tch worth less than a whore in a brothel. You¡¯ve been ying dirty under your own father, and now you¡¯re lying with a man you don¡¯t even know. I¡¯ll educate you properly.¡±


    Depine whispered in the ear of a troubled Arya who was in tears of shame.


    ¡°The man you want can¡¯te here. Do you know why? His torn body must have already gone into a pig¡¯s belly.¡±


    He said, looking at the face of aghast Arya.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, why don¡¯t you run to the pigsty now? Who knows? Maybe there¡¯s a chunk of his flesh left that the pigs haven¡¯t eaten.¡±


    The cry of Arya¡¯s despair covered thend of the House of Panacio.


    She was fed up with the Panacio family. No, she couldn¡¯t even express all that resentful feeling she had towards them. For her, the members of the Panacio family were like demons who gave up being human beings.


    What was even more disgusting was the child of Depine Panacio that was growing in her stomach. She wanted to kill herself after taking poison. But still, on the one hand, she had a desire to live.


    Why did she have to die? Arya just wanted to live her lifepletely without being trampled on by someone.


    Then she got a chance. It was a visit by Emperor Rodbius.


    Her father, who coveted the supreme power, put Arya into the room of the drunken emperor. She was also an active participant. This was because she saw her father, whom to her was like a demon she could not defeat, shaking his tail in front of the emperor.


    In the end, she was able to make the child in her belly an emperor¡¯s child.


    After receiving the Emperor¡¯s favor, she was contacted by the Marquis McPauline of the Castro Empire. She had thought Depine had killed the Marquis McPauline¡¯s man, but fortunately, he seemed to have used his wit and returned to Castro. McPauline told him toe to the Castro Empire because he had prepared everything for her, but Arya refused.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what kind of life she would live if she went to the Castro Empire. Although Marquis McPauline was said to have loved his mother, he was already married and had his own children. There was a high probability that he could not take responsibility for her life until the end.


    Byparison, being an emperor¡¯s woman in the Leipsden Empire was a thing of supreme authority. She would no longer have to stoop and be trampled on. She had no intention of letting go of her hard-won prize.


    Sienna frowned as she looked at Arya¡¯s past activities sent by her aunt. As expected, Arya had ties to the Castro Empire.


    ¡°Why so serious?¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    Sienna grabbed her chest as she was surprised by Carl who approached without any noise.


    ¡°When did youe in? Isn¡¯t it time for a political meeting?¡±


    ¡°I just got here. The meeting ended early.¡±


    Carl looked satisfied. He seemed to have obtained positive results on the issue of the central military¡¯s nned deployment to the local territories. Her advice that it would be better to pressure Count Ferrer to deal with political issues opposed by the nobles, rather than punish Bluebell and Count Ferrer, seemed to have worked quite well.


    Sienna was in a good mood and smiled. She then gave him the documents he was looking at.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°I asked Aunt Kelly to look into the past of Empress Arya. It must have taken a while to figure out what happened in the past, so it just arrived.¡±


    ¡°Arya¡¯s past?¡±


    ¡°I thought that Empress Arya had a connection with the Castro Empire. Castro had provoked at a time that she wanted, and the reduction of the Central Army she recently pushed through Count Ferrer is a policy that is too favorable for the Castro Empire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°So I did some research just in case, and I think I¡¯m right.¡±


    Carl looked at the papers she gave him interestingly.


    ¡°I already knew that Arya¡¯s mother is from the Castro aristocracy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but all the minstrels she¡¯s been with for a long time are from Castro. It also says that although Panacio¡¯s territory is quite far from the Castro Empire, it was frequented by people from Castro.¡±


    ¡°It must have been a fairly precise investigation. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s apanied by analytical statistics.¡±


    Carl was in admiration. He had also been constantly investigating Arya. Nevertheless, the rtionship between her and Castro was not known.


    ¡°I think my aunt stepped up and found out for me.¡±


    ¡°ording to this investigation, she is connected to Castro through mother?¡±


    ¡°The empress¡¯ mother died early, but it must be rted. It¡¯s hard to see the details... It¡¯s hard to find evidence that Arya is in direct contact with the Castro Empire, but at least we need to pay attention.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl nodded with a serious face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If she had ties to the Castro Empire since she started out, her spies would have taken root all over the city. Let¡¯s get Kissinger and Pavenik to get a closer look at the members of the castle.¡±


    ¡°And also...¡±


    As Sienna hesitated to continue, Carl asked her what is on her mind.


    ¡°I heard there are many street orphans these days. The children in the capital city are fine thanks to the Goddess of the Land temple, but children in other parts of the country are often starved to death.¡±


    People gave out food to children when they had enough money, but now it was hard to find such charity because of the harsh public sentiment after the drop in wheat prices.


    It would be good for each territory to take action, but the territorial lords were not pleased with orphans who did not pay taxes and negatively affected the street atmosphere. On the contrary, they were lucky if the knights didn¡¯t kick them out.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make a budget.¡±


    Said Carl, nodding his head.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. There will be a lot of talk about budgeting, so I¡¯d rather cut down on the amount spent in the castle. Please just make this agenda public.


    It seemed that Sienna was trying to do something to establish herself as the empress, so Carl nodded with a pleased face.


    ¡°To be honest, I think it¡¯s as important as the orphan problem. Just to put economic pressure on Arya.¡±


    Sienna exined to Carl.


    ¡°The cost of luxurious maintenance assigned to the dowager empress¡¯ castle has been ridiculously high. She¡¯s right to be extravagant, but I¡¯m sure arge portion of this money came from the nobility or gained with illegalities. Until now, there has been no excuse to put a brake on the dowager empress¡¯s budget, but I will try to reduce the amount and pressure Arya, using the project to rescue orphans as the excuse.¡±


    Carl agreed with Sienna.


    ¡°That sounds great. I¡¯ll also give you the authority to ess and inspect all the books used in the castle, so check where and how the Empress¡¯s money has been going. I¡¯ve been keeping a close eye on her, too, but since you¡¯ve been in charge of my ounting, you¡¯ll have a different perspective. Maybe we can check the merchant organization close to Arya, or the source of the funds she¡¯s hiding.¡±


    Sienna had long wanted to prevent Arya from extorting huge costs in luxury and exploiting them for political funds, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Within the Imperial Pce, Arya was solid, and Sienna¡¯s power was insignificant inparison. Moreover, it was seen as quite rude for the empress to request books or reduce the amount already set aside.


    But now she was determined to leave her honor behind and proceed with the work. She was scared, but she was motivated when Carl dered he would give her strength.


    The two earnestly discussed how to proceed.


    *


    The woman looked in the mirror with an expressionless face. In the past, there would be a nanny who would say she was the most beautiful woman in the world, but now she was not here.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of Sienna. If she hadn¡¯t changed the cups.¡±


    Sienna ruined everything. A little action by Sienna ruined everything. Or at least Bluebell thought so.


    Putting aside the fact that she nned a self-poison n to put Sienna at risk, she focused only on the fact that all her ns had been ruined because of Sienna.


    ¡®Would you like to join hands with me?¡¯


    Arya¡¯s suggestion was answered yet.


    ¡®Don¡¯t trust Empress Arya too much. I think she¡¯s a suspicious woman.¡¯


    Bluebell couldn¡¯t ept Arya¡¯s offer easily because of the words her nanny said before she died.


    The nanny disapproved of Bluebell¡¯s reliance on Arya after she came into the pce. She warned Bluebell not to be too trusting, saying that Arya looks like a smiling person on the outside but it¡¯s because she wants something from Bluebell.


    Now Bluebell knew that the nanny was not wrong. Bluebell knew well that Arya was a woman who made a false smile if needed.


    ¡°But there¡¯s no nanny anymore. There¡¯s no one on my side.¡±


    Bluebell said, swallowing bitter tears. She really didn¡¯t have anyone to reach out to now.


    Bluebell couldn¡¯t tell the truth to her father Kenyon Ferrer, who was always asking if the baby was growing up well, and that everything would be okay if she had a baby.


    Kenyon always spoiled Bluebell, but she knew how cold he would turn if he found out the truth. Bluebell even wondered if he raised her nicely to use her politically.


    Besides, Bluebell didn¡¯t even feel like she had a choice now. Arya knew her biggest secret.


    ¡®Empress Bluebell, you lied to me that you were pregnant, right?¡¯


    Arya¡¯s words echoed again.


    ¡®It¡¯s not really important whether you¡¯re pregnant or not. A baby, you can make it. The child who will be the emperor does not have to be the blood of the emperor. A boy with golden hair and olive eyes is rare, but not impossible to find.¡¯


    Bluebell never thought Arya would say such a scary thing as lightly as if she was talking about the weather.


    ¡®Before that, I¡¯ll give you a present. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happy.¡¯


    Arya had never visited her since that day. And the gift didn¡¯t arrive either.


    It was obvious by the tone of her speech that it was not amon gift. Bluebell was anxious and excited about what it would be. Hoping that it could be something she can hold on to...


    gtag(''config'', ''UA-172659890-1'');

 Chapter 186: Live to Sienna Pt.186

    <h4>Chapter 186: Live to Sienna Pt.186</h4>


    *


    Sienna was motivated to examine the financial situation in the castle. It was also her first active assignment since bing the empress, and the hope that she might be able to save the children through it made her passionate.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make a schedule, right? Build buildings to amodate children, find people to work for the orphanage, and have a management system to protect them until they be independent. It¡¯ll take quite a lot of money to do that.¡±


    Sienna had to consider more things than she thought previously and prepare for variables. Fortunately, the Green Merchants Association and the Temple of the Goddess of Land had written enough about how much money was spent and what things had to be considered while helping children in the capital. The records were of great help.


    ¡°We need to be able to help not only the children without parents, but also the children who are having a hard time because of the family¡¯s financial difficulties. Because the issue of equity could be raised.¡±


    ¡°What about education? Don¡¯t you need the education to create an environment where children decide their own path?¡±


    Hain, who was watching Sienna¡¯s work, asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to teach them to read and count. It¡¯ll at least help them be a sub-manager of the merchants association or the territory under a lord.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Will you take a look with me, Hain?¡±


    Hain sat next to Sienna to look at the documents and help calcte the budget.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to start with the capital city, but it¡¯s also a national project, so the estimated cost is huge. Are you sure you can afford to reduce your operating costs in the castle? Why don¡¯t you ask the Emperor now for more budget?¡±


    When Hain was surprised at a huge expected budget, Sienna sighed and answered.


    ¡°First of all, I should try as much as I can. Because I said I¡¯d give it a try. I can¡¯t give up before I even start.¡±


    ¡°But where can you get this much? There¡¯s nothing much to cut back on our pce spending right now.¡±


    Sienna was not a luxury character, and there were very few maids and servantspared to other pces. That was why fixed spending was notrge.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean to reduce the number of maids and knights even further, do you?¡±


    Hain looked at Sienna with a worried look. Sienna waved her hand in a sign of disagreement.


    ¡°No. I know you¡¯re still suffering from fewer workers, so how could I? I received permission to manage the funding not only of our castle, but also the entire Imperial City, so let¡¯s look at it in general.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. But would the Dowager Empress approve it? I¡¯ve heard the luxury is enormous at her ce, but from their point of view, they need that amount for maintaining dignity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask for her understanding.¡±


    Hain swept down her forearms as if she was getting goosebumps.


    ¡°I¡¯d never do it. If I had to tell the Empress to cut back down on spending. The Empress Dowager could burn a man with that fierce look...¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy...¡±


    Sienna managed to hold back her sigh.


    ¡°First of all, bring me the ount book and the budget n of the other pces. You can ask Chancellor Pavenik.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Hain left the room with a lively movement. Completely alone, Sienna sighed and said, ¡°Phew... ...it¡¯s going to be a real hard job. But it¡¯s something I have to do.¡±


    Determined to fulfill her role as an empress, she couldn¡¯t just let it go as she used to. The work of the Imperial Household Register was Sienna¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t let Arya roam freely like before. The dowager empress and the Second Empress had to stop the excessive luxury.


    Sienna was surprised when Hain previously told her that Arya warmed herself up by filling a bathtub with athenol perfume and kemilia oil every day to protect her beauty. Using materials that cost more than gold every day. Even a small reduction in that amount would have prevented countless children from dying of hunger.


    And most of all, it was important to thoroughly investigate the financial management status of the imperial pce under the pretext of this to find the hidden power behind Arya.


    Sienna¡¯s instincts were speaking. There¡¯s not much time left for Arya to rebel. Before that, Sienna wanted to break Arya¡¯s spirit.


    ¡°I brought it.¡±


    Hain came right back. There was a flush on her face, and it was hard to tell whether it was because she saw Pavenik¡¯s face or because she ran in a hurry.


    Hain handed the papers over to Sienna. As expected, the cost set for the empress was abnormally high.


    ¡°It¡¯s tremendous. The cost of maintaining the dignity of the empress is more than ten times the cost set for our pce!¡±


    Hain, who usually deals with Sienna¡¯s budget, looked at the numbers for Arya¡¯s pce and said with a serious face.


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than I thought...¡±


    Although Sienna was particrly frugal of her finances, it was still abundant in its basic needs. It didn¡¯t make sense to use more than ten times this amount.


    ¡°The cost of decorating ounts for arge percentage, but more than that is the cost of these gifts.¡±


    ¡°Gift costs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, here. It doesn¡¯t say who the gift was sent to, or whether it was sent to arge number of receivers, but...it¡¯s vaguely budgeted.¡±


    Sienna looked at Arya¡¯s books with an ufortable face. The book alone showed how much the Imperial Pce had been yed in Arya¡¯s hands. The books were sloppy as if they had no intention of hiding them. It was clear that Arya never thought she would be subjected to an inspection.


    Besides, this would not be the only source of money for Arya. Arya had a merchant association she personally took care of and some money from the Panacio family. It was surprising to think about how much influence she exerted through all these finances.


    Sienna, who was alert, looked closely at the data in front of her. Nothing could be passed on lightly. Thinking that this was the first step to defeat Arya, she became more cautious.


    A few dayster, Sienna, who reviewed all the data, visited Arya. It was the empress¡¯ job to take charge of the affairs inside the imperial family, but it was impossible to reduce the cost without any notice to Arya.


    Arya received Sienna with a wee face, whether or not she was feeling it inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for Empress Sienna toe to my ce.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve been too uptight.¡±


    Arya offered Sienna a seat. And as soon as Sienna sat down, Arya asked why she came.


    ¡°If Empress Sienna, who disapproves of me, came all this way, I think you have something to say... I¡¯m a little afraid of what you¡¯re going to say. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re nning a new business these days.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean I disapprove of the Empress? How can I have such a heart? I¡¯m here today because I have a favor to ask you.¡±


    ¡°...what can I do for you?¡±


    Arya felt strange and anxious that Sienna asked her to do a favor. Arya was told that the woman in front of her would cut the finances of the imperial family and do the orphanage business, but she did not think she would have included herself in the n.


    Sienna took out the documents she had brought and handed them out to her. Arya hardened her face when she found out that the document was an expense report used in her pce. But it was only for a very short moment. She asked Sienna in a resolute manner.


    ¡°Why did you bring these?¡±


    ¡°This is a monthly list of items used in the empress¡¯ pce. As you may know, I was recently assigned to help orphans in the Empire. First of all, we¡¯re going to test it in the vicinity of the capital, and we¡¯re going to reduce our imperial spending to secure it.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of it. I heard you started a very admirable job.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m trying to cut down on the imperial budget. But I think this job is too much for me alone. That¡¯s why I want the Empress to help.¡±


    ¡°You mean to reduce the amount allocated to my pce.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mean to reduce all the money the Empress uses to maintain her dignity. But I just want you to help me with what¡¯s possible.¡±


    Arya, who was briefly lost in thought at Sienna¡¯s request, soon replied with a bright smile.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Arya answered so readily that Sienna wondered if she had misheard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you as much as I can. Set the price for the Empress Dowager as much as you want. How can I not help you if you¡¯re doing it for our country?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Thank you. I can¡¯t believe how generous you are.¡±


    ¡°As a person of the imperial family, it¡¯s a job to do.¡±


    Sienna thanked Arya and left the pce. She came despite opposition from many people, including Hain, but she was puzzled by the easy permission. The usual Arya would have opposed it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something up here. I need to look around again.¡±


    Sienna swept down her forearm. Whatever she was going to do, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be good for herself and Carl.

 Chapter 187: Live to Sienna Pt.187

    <h4>Chapter 187: Live to Sienna Pt.187</h4>


    *


    A few days after the meeting with Arya, Sienna couldn¡¯t get rid of the icky feeling. But she couldn¡¯t think of a suitable route for Arya to go against her.


    She looked for letters from the children to clear her stuffy mind. The letters wereforting to Sienna during hard times. Her determination to help orphans across Leipsden was also more strengthened by the letter.


    ¡°Why is this locked?¡±


    Sienna, trying to open the drawer for the letter, was perplexed. Because she never locked this drawer and right now it was tightly locked.


    ¡°Is this drawer broken?¡±


    Sienna tried not to think about it too seriously, but she couldn¡¯t get rid of the difort, so she ordered Hain to take action right away. But when Sienna came out of the room, it suddenly became noisy outside.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go inside without permission.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been used of treason.¡±


    Sienna ordered the knight to guard the door, wondering what the hell was going on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about, just tell him toe in.¡±


    The door opened and people came in. As more people than expected entered her room without following the rules, Sienna tried hard to suppress the unpleasantness.


    ¡°... Her Majesty the Dowager Empress.¡±


    Among them, Arya stood out. She lifted the tip of her chin and entered the guest room, looking down at Sienna.


    ¡°Why did you bring so many people into this room without any announcement?¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t able to give you a call. Oh, this guy here will exin the reason why we¡¯re here.¡±


    Empress Arya pointed to an old gentleman standing beside her. A fat old man greeted Sienna.


    ¡°Your Majesty the First Empress. I¡¯m Bronis Neude, in charge of the treason investigation division.¡±


    Sienna wondered if there was such a department in Leipsden. She had never heard of a treason investigation team. And why did people in this departmente to visit her?


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I¡¯ve been informed that the Empress is working with the Castro Empire. The act of treason is such a grave crime that even a member of the royal family has no exception to the investigation.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?!¡±


    Sienna was dumbfounded. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was used ofmunicating with the enemy. Wasn¡¯t it Empress Arya herself who was doing such a thing?


    Sienna looked at Arya with fierce eyes. This must have been the reason why Arya was so happy to have Sienna when she visited her a few days ago due to financial problems at the Dowager Empress¡¯s Pce. It was clear that if Arya drove Sienna into treason, the financial problems would sink below anyone¡¯s care.


    Sienna bit her lower lip and made a resolution. That she would pursue justice no matter what the difficulties may be.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m being used of being in touch with the Castro Empire. Who would say that nonsense?¡±


    Her eyes were still staring at Arya. Arya also red at Sienna. Instead of her, Bronis opened his mouth.


    ¡°We got a report...¡±


    When Bronis was about to speak to Sienna, the servant outside the door told her that the emperor was entering. The nobles, who were crowded in Sienna¡¯s room, stepped aside to greet Carl.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Why are we all here together? I can¡¯t tell if this is my empress¡¯ residence or the marketce.¡±


    Carl said, looking around at the nobles who were bowing to him.


    Arya stepped up and protested.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I came here when I heard that the First Empress had been in contact with the Castro Empire for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Empress Sienna with the Castro Empire?¡±


    Carl asked back, full of cynicism.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of nonsense you¡¯ve heard ande here, but if you don¡¯t show me the right evidence, I¡¯ll never sit idly without punishing you for your crimes.¡±


    He gave out a violent aura to clean up the situation. Arya didn¡¯t lose and smiled.


    ¡°Of course. Would we havee to Empress Sienna like this without any evidence? I received a letter from a very reliable person. Empress Sienna has been exchanging letters with the Castro Empire for a long time, informing them of the secrets of Leipsden.¡±


    Sienna shook her head firmly but found it useless. She was sure all the people Arya brought in here were close to her.


    ¡°So? Who is that reliable man?¡±


    When asked by Carl, Arya smiled and said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you yet. We need to protect their safety.¡±


    Then she nced over Sienna. As if she was being careful that Sienna doesn¡¯t hurt the witness. And Arya continued in a rather cheerful voice.


    ¡°The witness said that they had seen the Empress repeatedly exchanging letters with the Castro Empire.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. It must be a conspiracy to testify without proof!¡±


    Sienna, who wanted to stay quiet until Carl set her up in a perfect ce, was so angry that she protested. Arya smiled coldly at her.


    ¡°If you want proof...That¡¯s what I asked the witness too, how could they dare use the First Empress. But the witness said there was a very clear evidence. The letters are kept very carefully in the first drawer of the Empress¡¯s bedside the drawer.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. The drawers are all letters from the children of the temple.¡±


    ¡°Then we can check it out.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Carl stepped out to restrain her.


    ¡°Are you trying to sneak into the Empress¡¯s bedroom when it hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet that this usation is true?¡±


    The nobles, flinching at Carl¡¯s words, stopped their feet.


    ¡°If it bothers you, I¡¯ll check it for you. I¡¯m also a member of the imperial family, so will you allow me?¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Carl nodded with a coagted look. There was no justification for rejecting her words. Eventually, Arya, Carl, and Sienna entered the bedroom.


    ¡°I lost the key to that drawer so I usually don¡¯t lock it. But somehow it was locked today.¡±


    ¡°The witness brought the key. They were afraid that the Empress would destroy the evidence.¡±


    Arya said in Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hah, I don¡¯t know who the witness is, but they could also open the drawer at will. The witness could have nted some evidence at will.¡±


    Arya paused for a moment, but answered smoothly as if it had been an expected rebuttal.


    ¡°I fully understand how much the Emperor cares about Empress Sienna. However, as it is a matter of grave concern, I hope that the Emperor will remain in a neutral position and give this case to us. This is sensitive enough to shake the foundations of the Empire.¡±


    She cleverly clouded the suspicions raised by Carl, using the word ¡°neutral¡± and his position as the emperor.


    Sienna frowned. She felt like she was on a well-organized stage. It was roughly expected what would be in that drawer. Who could it be? The one who cooperated with Arya.


    Arya took out the key and opened the drawer. There were several folded letters in the drawer. She took out a blue envelope. Above it was the stamped seal of the Holy Empire, so Sienna recognized the letter.


    ¡°It¡¯s a letter from priest Roy. It¡¯s not a letter from the Castro Empire...¡±


    But there was not one envelope. Arya pulled out several envelopes of letters. They all looked like envelopes of letters from Roy.


    ¡°These are letters from priest Roy?¡±


    Arya opened the envelope and scanned the contents of the letter. Then he handed the letter to Carl and said, ¡°Since when was priest Roy not a man of the Holy Empire, but of the Castro?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°What a sight of this letter! This makes me think that Empress Sienna is not the Empress of the Leipsden Empire, but a servant of the Castro Empire.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s something I¡¯ve never seen before. I didn¡¯t even know they existed.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, Empress Sienna...how can you change your words so quickly? Didn¡¯t you say it was a letter from priest Roy? From what I see, Empress Sienna did not exchange letters with Priest Roy, but with a high-ranking member of the Castro Empire. I don¡¯t know why the Empress did this. Well, it¡¯s going to be a matter to investigate.¡±


    Arya gazed triumphantly at Carl.


    ¡°What would you do? You¡¯re not going to cover this up, are you?¡±


    She left the word and headed outside. It was to show evidence to the aristocrats waiting outside.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe that, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. I¡¯m not crazy, listening to what that woman says. Just by looking at the keys, Arya must have nted a letter.¡±


    Carl said in a determined manner as if Sienna¡¯s anxious mind had been conveyed.


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna was relieved. Her anxiety waspletely gone. She felt like if Carl believed in her, she could settle this issue. She spoke to him in a calm voice.


    ¡°Then you shoulde forward ahead of Arya and say that you will take care of this. Fairly, whether I¡¯m the empress or not, you have to give the impression that you are being fair. Otherwise, Empress Arya will try to eat not only me but also you.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be alright? I can cover this up with my power if you want.¡±

 Chapter 188: Live to Sienna Pt.188

    <h4>Chapter 188: Live to Sienna Pt.188</h4>


    At Carl¡¯s response, Sienna shook her head assertively and said no.


    ¡°No. If you work things out that way, they¡¯ll think I did it. They will think that Emperor Carl is blinded and foolish enough to try to cover this up. Then there could be people who are suspicious of your decision.¡±


    ¡°Even if some doubt my qualities, my position is not easily shaken.¡±


    Carl¡¯s arrogant answer gave Sienna augh that didn¡¯t suit the situation. Only then did she feel more rxed.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re okay with it, I¡¯m not happy about it. I don¡¯t want to be suspected of something I didn¡¯t do. So please prove my innocence.¡±


    It¡¯s easy to prove something that happened, but it¡¯s hard to prove something that didn¡¯t happen. But Sienna believed in Carl. He nodded reliably and firmly.


    ¡°Yes, just trust me. But it might be hard until then.¡±


    ¡°I can stand it.¡±


    After the two agreed, they left the room.


    ¡°...there¡¯s this solid evidence. I can¡¯t say who it is right now, but there is a reliable witness who can testify. This is a huge event that could shake the foundations of the Leipsden Empire. His Majesty should not be protecting the Empress with a loving heart.¡±


    Arya was instigating the aristocrats to prevent Carl from covering up the matter. The only aristocrats in here were those she could control anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make it easy.¡±


    Carl interrupted Arya.


    ¡°As the Empress said, there¡¯s evidence and witnesses, and I don¡¯t n on letting it go easily. But since we don¡¯t even know who the witness is, and what the witness ims to be proof can be forged since any maid in and out of this room can easily do that, we should also leave open the possibility that Empress Sienna might be framed.¡±


    Arya refuted Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°Can anyonee in and out? It is the Empress¡¯s bedroom. It¡¯s a private ce where maids cane and go only with the permission of the empress. How do you say anyone cane in and out?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it you who brought the keys to that drawer? Moreover, the reliable witness must be one of the empress¡¯ maids. Any maid who has ess to this room and had a key to the drawer could have made this up to frame the empress.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t intend to take Empress Sienna¡¯s side unconditionally. As Empress Arya said, this could shake the foundations of the Leipsden Empire. So let¡¯s do a thorough investigation. In the process, no one is ever permitted to use the empress of being a criminal. It¡¯s just a charge, and there¡¯s no evidence for her to be guilty of the crime.¡±


    Carl red at the nobles in the room one by one. Scared, they couldn¡¯t make eye contact with Carl and looked only at the ground. One of them plucked up his courage to speak.


    ¡°But if the Empress tries to steal evidence and destroy witnesses...¡±


    ¡°From now on, no one can enter the pce of Empress Sienna. I¡¯ll have the Royal Knights keep Empress Sienna in her quarters. To check everything that goes in and out of there. Of course, if you don¡¯t believe me...¡±


    Carl again gave the nobles a sharp look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to examine them together. And we¡¯ll have a trial on this in two weeks. This is fair enough, right?


    The nobles bent their knees to agree with Carl.


    ¡°But since the Empress still needs a minimum number of maids, I¡¯ll allow for one or two.¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna and said like she¡¯s supposed to choose herself.


    Surprised by this situation, the maids were standing against the wall. Sienna¡¯s gaze reached Hain. Hain faced her and pinched her lips as if asking to pick herself out.


    Normally, Sienna would have chosen the most dependable Hain, but not this time. Sienna looked at Shaylin shivering in the corner with her head down.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be with my maid Shaylin.¡±


    Carl looked surprised at Sienna¡¯s choice, along with Hain and other maids who opened their mouths in amazement. They all seemed like they could not understand why the empress chose Shaylin, who was the youngest and only a probationary maid.


    Carl, who read some sort of answer in Sienna¡¯s eyes, looked around the nobles and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s all get out of here. How long are we going to stay in the Empress¡¯s residence?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, the nobles bowed and left one by one. It was a different sight than when they came in.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress...¡±


    Lastly, Hain left the room, calling out Sienna in a desperate voice. Only Shaylin and Sienna were left. So many nobles came in that the noisy and narrow space was spacious when they left.


    Sienna sat on the sofa feeling dizzy from the Arya raid. She put the back of her hand on her forehead and took a rest with her eyes closed for a long time.


    In front of her, Shaylin hesitated, not knowing what to do. Hain would have brought a warm tea right away andforted Sienna, but Shaylin didn¡¯t seem to understand the situation properly. Sienna sighed and said to her, ¡°Can you bring me a ss of cold water?¡±


    ¡°Ah... yes!¡±


    Shaylin scuttled out of the guest room. When Sienna confirmed that Shaylin had left, Sienna slowly stroked her belly.


    ¡°I hope this goes well...¡±


    Her empty voice rang inside the room.


    *


    Sienna sat on the sofa for a long time because she needed to organize her thoughts. When she finally came to her senses, the sun had set and the room was lit with a candle.


    While Sienna was deep in thought, Shaylin seemed to have done her job while anxiously checking on Sienna. Although the only thing she had to do was nce at Sienna and wipe the floor of the living room.


    It was way past the mealtime, but Shaylin didn¡¯t ask Sienna if she would like to have a meal. Sienna said nothing because she had no appetite.


    She called Shaylin in a low voice. Shaylin looked at Sienna with surprised rabbit eyes.


    ¡°Shaylin, would you like to sit here? Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°But... ...I need to clean this up.¡±


    Shaylin said, pointing to the smooth floor that had already been cleaned dozens of times.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. No one¡¯s going to visit this ce for the time being anyway. I have something more to say than that, soe and sit here.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    Shaylin sat across from Sienna with a bluish pale face.


    ¡°Do you know why I chose you instead of Hain when Carl asked me to choose only one maid?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Shaylin hesitated and shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s because Shaylin was the most suspicious.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Shaylin shook her head furiously, as pale as a corpse.


    ¡°No! Absolutely not me. I didn¡¯t set Your Majesty up. I can¡¯t even read. How am I supposed to know the contents of the letter and use you?¡±


    Tears welled up in her big eyes. Her appearance seemed so pitiful, but it was not a matter of feeling pity.


    ¡°You say so, but in fact, you¡¯re the most suspicious. It was you who showed a noticeable emotional change recently before this happened, and most of all, you had an issue with the empress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Of course, at the time I thought you were just being scolded in the empress¡¯s pce. But now that this happened, I think you might have been instructed by Empress Arya, not about spilling water on her.¡±


    ¡°No, I spilled water on the Empress by mistake, and that¡¯s why I got in trouble.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t easily believe what she said. Her residence and the dowager empress pce were quite far apart. Moreover, Arya had not often visited Sienna, nor had she sent Shaylin on errands to the pce of Arya.


    She breathed a deep sigh and then said in a calm voice.


    ¡°Shaylin, I think you¡¯re hiding a big secret whether you¡¯re involved in this or not. Tell me what it is. That way I can trust you.¡±


    Shaylin hesitated for a long time at Sienna¡¯s words. Then she brought up the subject with difficulty.


    ¡°I... ...I¡¯m from Tromil.¡±


    Sienna waited a long time for her to speak. She had known for a long time that Shaylin was from Tromil. Because on the day of thunder and lightning, Shaylin trembled and told a story about where she was born. But as she closed her eyes as if she were waiting for punishment without speaking further, Sienna said, ¡°I¡¯ve known that for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Seeing that Shaylin was embarrassed, he must have been surprised to tell Sienna that day. So she must have forgotten that he had confided in the story.


    ¡°I¡¯m 27.¡±

 Chapter 189: Live to Sienna Pt.189

    <h4>Chapter 189: Live to Sienna Pt.189</h4>


    This time Sienna was quite surprised. Shaylin looked barely in herte teens, but this meant that Shaylin was supposed to be older than Sienna herself.


    ¡®I do remember Carl once told me about the characteristics of the Tromil people.¡¯


    They are now known to be extinct. Those who lived in the Tromil area are said to have extremely longer childhoodspared to ordinary people. Therefore, they had to live in the form of a child for a long time, and it was said that the tribe was destroyed because it was sold into the hands of ve traders.


    Shaylin spoke in a calmer voice, perhaps she felt better after she had confided in a big secret.


    ¡°Originally, people in the Tromil area can¡¯t work in the castle. An acquaintance of mine helped me forge my background toe into the castle. It was hard to live outside the world as a child.¡±


    Shaylin said inly, ¡°It was hard.¡± But Sienna could feel how hard Shaylin had lived in her cracked voice.


    ¡°If it bes known that I¡¯m from Tromil and that I¡¯m actually 27 years old, I¡¯ll be kicked out of the castle. I didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°It must have been hard for you to tell me your secret, but thank you for telling me this. But there are still lingering questions. It¡¯s been a while since I came in here, but you¡¯ve been acting strangely onlytely, and as I said before, you had a point of contact with the Dowager Empress. Above all, you and Hain were the only maids I left to clean the bedroom. So I have no choice but to doubt you.¡±


    Shaylin shook her head violently at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°Leia. Leia cleaned it with me.¡±


    In Shaylin¡¯s words, Sienna recalled the day, too. When asked to clean up with Leia, Shaylin refused with an embarrassed face.


    ¡°I appreciate that she tries to be friendly, but...she¡¯s been asking too many questions. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to slip my tongue and talk too much. So I went around the pce avoiding her. Then, I went a different way than usual and I made a mistake with the Dowager Empress. The empress scolded me several times for doing that on purpose. I think she was trying to ckmail me into bing a spy.¡±


    ¡°Leia asked you this and that? Like what?¡±


    ¡°At first, she just asked me what I liked and how I got to work at the castle. And then she wanted to know more and more. What kind of conversation I had with the Empress, where I cleaned up. Like what I saw there... it was so ufortable that I just tried to avoid her.¡±


    Sienna frowned and thought hard. If Shaylin¡¯s words were true, Leia was suspicious. But all charges against Shaylin could not be cleared. A more careful thought was needed.


    ¡®If Shaylin¡¯s lying...¡¯


    If the witness that Arya spoke of was Shaylin, the fact that she was from Tromil and had entered the castle falsely could have taken issue with the credibility of the testimony. But what if Shaylin¡¯s words were true and the witness was Leia?


    Shaylin¡¯s difort with Leia was a fact that Sienna witnessed. As she said, Leia also went into the room with Shaylin.


    ¡°That day, the day you went into my room to clean up with Leia, was there anything strange? Like whether Leia searched my drawer or saw the letter?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty told me to put the letter in the drawer, so I put it there. I haven¡¯t seen Leia go through drawers or find letters. I haven¡¯t been looking at Leia very much, so... Ah! Come to think of it, when she asked me what the letters were, I answered, ¡°Her Majesty loves it.¡±


    Sienna nodded with a troubled look.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Shaylin was still wary of Sienna. As the pce¡¯s master, she found out that Shaylin was from Tromil, that she faked her identity, and got a job as a probationary maid, so she had to be punished ordingly. But Sienna didn¡¯t want to do it right away, and she wasn¡¯t in a position to punish anyone.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Sienna headed to the bedroom with a tired face while devising a n for the orphan relief project in her study all day long. As there was nothing else to do since she was trapped inside her residence, and it was expected that the questioning would begin tomorrow, so she decided to take care of urgent matters in advance.


    As soon as she entered the room, she saw Carl. She wasn¡¯t as surprised as before because she had expected him to be here. Carl seemed a little disappointed in Sienna¡¯s calm reaction.


    ¡°You¡¯re not screaming or copsing today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s once or twice.¡±


    ¡°It felt weird to climb through the wall after using the main entrance for a long time. But I guess I have no choice for two weeks.¡±


    Sienna went to the table where Carl was sitting and sat in front of him. Carl untied a bundle on the table.


    ¡°Your maid Hain asked me to bring it for you. She said you probably have eaten properly because of the situation.¡±


    Carl brought out many of her favorite foods, but Sienna just couldn¡¯t get an appetite. She just sipped on a fruit juice.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Because you believe me in this situation.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m rather sorry. For putting you in this situation.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna shook her head with a sad smile. Who would have expected Arya to use such a cheap method?


    ¡°Oh, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°Is this the one?¡±


    Carl took out the sky blue letter envelopes from his arms. Sienna was amazed by him, who knew what she wanted before she could even speak.


    ¡°I thought you would miss these.¡±


    Sienna looked over the letters and easily found envelopes of letters from Roy and the children. When she examined closely, the envelope was different from other envelopes.


    ¡°Do you see this? Other than this letter, the seal on the other letters are sloppy. The handwritings are different from priest Roy¡¯s. It looks simr at first nce, but it¡¯s clearly distinguishable.¡±


    Carl nodded at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°I took a look with Pavenik today already. But that won¡¯t be a clear enough proof. Rather, they would im that you have exchanged letters with Castro under the pretext of a letter with the priest Roy.¡±


    It was very unfair, but she knew it wasn¡¯t clear evidence, as Carl said.


    ¡°By the way, I wonder who the witness is. Judging from the fact that she handed the key to Arya, she¡¯s one of the maids who can get in and out of this room...¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s Leia.¡±


    ¡°Is Shaylin not the one?¡±


    Carl seemed to have done his own research. He seemed to have noticed her thoughts since Sienna picked Shaylin, not Hain.


    ¡°I thought it was Shaylin at first, but I don¡¯t think so. Hain and Shaylin were originally in charge of cleaning the bedroom, but I asked Shaylin and Leia to do it together once before. It¡¯s one of the three, but I think it¡¯s Leia.¡±


    ¡°So she is the most suspicious one.¡±


    Carl was deep in thought. Seeing his troubled face made Sienna feel at ease. The answer was not immediately apparent, but it seemed that Carl would somehow solve it.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to prove my innocence, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I shouldn¡¯t have called it a two-week trial. I think it¡¯s too long. I can¡¯t believe you have to suffer this much.¡±


    ¡°After the two weeks, it will be nothing. If it turns out I¡¯m innocent.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Carl gave a refreshing, trusting smile.


    ¡°Now I feel better.¡±


    Arya drank wine with a happy face. The strong aroma of alcohol made her drowsy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to control both, but I can¡¯t help it because one is trying to get out of my hands. But it¡¯s true that I¡¯m worried that the little Bluebell girl might run wild after I get rid of the redhead one.¡±


    Before that, Arya nned to make proper use of the rivalry between Sienna and Bluebell to make it a game of her own advantage. But it wasn¡¯t easy. Sienna kept interrupting her ns, and Bluebell was stupid and spoiled.


    Eventually, she decided to deal with Sienna and use Bluebell to regain power. With Bluebell¡¯s great weakness, Sienna was of no use.


    ¡°There are evidence and testimony, so they can¡¯t turn the tables now. No matter how much the Emperor steps forward.¡±


    Sheughed at Carl. She was not happy with Carl, who took everything from her. She felt bitter from the thought that if her son had lived a little longer, at least if he had left a child behind, she wouldn¡¯t be having such a hard time right now.


    ¡°It¡¯s annoying, but I have to deal with it.¡±


    Arya wanted to be the supreme power and ruler of the Leipsden Empire. She wanted to sit in an arrogant seat looking down at the top of everyone¡¯s head, not having to bow her head to anyone. And she didn¡¯t want to just dream about it.


    ¡°Carl gave Sienna his heart, so he¡¯ll try to cover this up somehow. I¡¯m grateful. The more we protect Castro¡¯s mole, the more the nobles will leave the Emperor...¡±


    Arya held the wine in her mouth, thinking of the soon-to-being sess of sweet power.

 Chapter 190: Live to Sienna Pt.190

    <h4>Chapter 190: Live to Sienna Pt.190</h4>


    The next day after the night she spoke to Carl, Sienna was called into interrogation. In the livingroom of Sienna¡¯s pce, Bronis, the head of the treason investigation team, came every day and sat opposite her.


    On either side of Bronis stood the Royal Knights. They were sent by Carl to protect Sienna, the empress. As he said at first, Sienna was not yet a sinner and should be respected as the empress.


    Bronis questioned Sienna strongly even though he was aware of the presence of the knights.


    ¡°Do you know this letter?¡±


    He stuck out an envelope and a letter. It was a letter from Roy, stamped with the red seal of the Holy Empire on a blue envelope.


    ¡°Of course I know. It¡¯s a letter from Priest Roy.¡±


    ¡°So you know these letters, too?¡±


    He took out an envelope of the same color and shape.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve only received one letter in person.¡±


    ¡°Does that make sense? It¡¯s the same envelope and paper. It¡¯s even from your desk drawer. In a drawer locked with a key!¡±


    ¡°The drawer was opened with the key Empress Arya had. Doesn¡¯t that mean that the empress, or that reliable witness, can put in a fabricated letter if she decides to?¡±


    ¡°Why would a maid do such a thing?¡± Said Bronis, frowning.


    ¡°Then why would I, the empress of a country, do such a thing? What would be my benefit of selling the country?¡±


    Having lost his words, Bronis raised his voice again after coughing for no reason. It¡¯s been repeated for the past few days.


    ¡°A letter apparently came from your drawer!¡±


    As usual, Sienna answered in a calm voice.


    ¡°You can¡¯t call me a spy with that letter alone. If you¡¯re to im that I¡¯ve exchanged it, at least you have to prove through what channel the letter came into my hands. You don¡¯t mean to say that I went to Castro and received the letter, do you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bronis was speechless for a moment and could not open his mouth. Soon he came to his senses and raised his voice a little more than before.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to deny even such solid evidence? We have evidence and reliable witnesses. Be honest. There is no advantage to the Empress in dragging your time. You leaked national secrets to the Castro Empire, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I can answer you several times. I¡¯ve never done that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use arguing no.¡±


    ¡°I said, I¡¯ve never done that.¡±


    Simr remarks were repeated over and over again ¨C Bronis telling her to turn herself in, and Sienna iming her innocence. Bronis raised his voice more at the tediously repeated assertions.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    One of the Royal Knights sent by Carl grabbed him by the shoulder.


    ¡°Your Majesty has ordered your due respect to the Empress when you have something to ask her. Who on earth would raise their voice to the Empress like that?¡±


    As if Bronis¡¯ shoulder in the knight¡¯s hand caused great pain, he groaned. ¡°Then how the hell do you want me to interrogate her?¡± He said. The knight spoke to him in a quiet tone.


    ¡°This is not an interrogation. You are just questioning the Empress. The Emperor has never given you the authority to interrogate the Empress.¡±


    ¡°But the Empress...¡±


    He mentioned Arya, but the knight said with an unwavering look.


    ¡°Are you saying that you will ignore the emperor¡¯s order because the Empress is looking after you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... ...not what I am saying.¡±


    ¡°Then be courteous and ask the Empress gently.¡±


    Only after hearing the knight¡¯s warning did Bronis get back to work.


    ¡°This letter is the only proof that I¡¯ve done anything but transfer secrets to the Castro Empire. A letter that can be manipted as much as one likes.¡±


    ¡°This evidence is not fabricated.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me. How did I deliver the information to the Castro Empire? I have never ever left the Imperial City since the emperor ascended to the throne.¡±


    ¡°You could have made someone working for you to steal information and transfer it.¡±


    ¡°Can you prove that?¡±


    ¡°If we investigate the maids who work for the Empress, we¡¯ll soon find out.¡±


    Sienna frowned visibly at the words of Bronis. Now he threatened to persecute the maids unless she confessed to him. She felt her lower stomach was aching when she thought of those who would be embarrassed by her.


    The knight interrupted as he noticed Sienna¡¯s face turning pale.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t look so well. May I call you the doctor?¡±


    Sienna shook her hand. She felt a slight pain, but it wasn¡¯t a serious problem. Maybe it¡¯s because she was stressed out by what Bronis said. She was worried about the child, but she wanted to finish this work with satisfaction.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Did the Emperor allow you to interrogate the maids?¡±


    ¡°No. Even if he allows it, it will be held fairly and publicly.¡±


    The knight meant no torture, threats or physical harm were to be done. Sienna said only then, feeling relieved, sweeping down her dry face.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired today. Let¡¯s stop here.¡±


    At her request for departure, Bronis and the knights left the living room.


    ¡°What do we do? They say we have to bring in maids for interrogation. They are going to drag away Miss Hain!¡±


    Pavenik raised his voice with a red face. Carl replied, frowning.


    ¡°Have you checked what I said before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as you said. The witness is Leia, the maid of the Empress.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her rtionship with Arya?¡±


    ¡°Nothing has been revealed yet. But isn¡¯t it strange that she ran straight to Empress Arya just because she found the letter? If you¡¯ve found anything like that, you¡¯d have to let the Emperor know first.¡±


    ¡°You are right. By the way, there¡¯s something I think we should check out before anything.¡±


    Pavenik asked Carl with a curious face. Carl said, rubbing the temples stinging with long agony.


    ¡°You said the maid saw the letter and told Arya that the content was suspicious, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Can she read?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Pavenik looked surprised.


    Because of the high illiteracy rate, not many people could read. But that didn¡¯t make it clear that she didn¡¯t know how to read. Hain can read even though she¡¯s a maid.


    ¡°That¡¯s... I¡¯ll check.¡±


    Pavenik nodded with quite a bright face.


    ¡°And this!¡±


    Carl threw a big chunk of gold at him. Pavenik managed to hold a lump of gold suddenly thrown at him like a weapon. The golden chunk was peculiarly shaped like a leaf.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°I managed to search the imperial warehouse and find it. It¡¯s Castro¡¯s gold bullion.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want Castro¡¯s gold bullion... ahh!¡±


    Pavenik easily noticed what Carl wanted to do and left the office at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°How¡¯s my gift?¡±


    Said Arya, who came to Bluebell. Even though she threw the word ¡®gift¡¯ randomly, Bluebell understood what she meant. She meant that Sienna was suspected of treason.


    ¡°Of course, the charge is not clear yet. But with clear evidence and witnesses, there won¡¯t be any other way to stop the Emperor. Even if she¡¯s a member of the royal family, she¡¯ll be severely punished for her transfer of information. Empress Sienna will soon be sentenced to death.¡±


    Arya grinned and said the terrible words that someone was going to die in her trap. The nanny was right in saying that Arya was an unbelievable person ¨C that she had a smiley face but was evil inside. But it waste for Bluebell to reject Arya¡¯s helping hand.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether or not Empress Sienna gets a trial for this treason. The important thing is that I¡¯m not pregnant.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t I tell you? You have a very healthy, blonde boy with olive-colored eyes in your womb.¡±


    Said Arya, stroking Bluebell¡¯s belly. Watching her careful hand gesture, Bluebell wondered if she was really pregnant. Arya¡¯s remark that the emperor¡¯s child did not necessarily have to be the blood of the emperor may not be a joke.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never slept with Carl...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Your Majesty the Emperor is still acquiescing. You just have to make sure you keep silent.¡±


    Bluebell could not understand Arya¡¯s words. There was no way that Carl would admit a child who was not his child as his son. As the next emperor.


    But there was no other way. Bluebell can¡¯t help but believe Arya. Even if Arya was a rotten rope, that was all she could hang on to at this point.

 Chapter 191: Live to Sienna Pt.191

    <h4>Chapter 191: Live to Sienna Pt.191</h4>


    Two weeks went by so slowly, and it was finally the date of Sienna¡¯s ruling. She asked Shaylin to dress her up as neatly as possible. Shaylin¡¯s poor workmanship took a long time, but there was no other way.


    Sienna didn¡¯t want to look shabby when she was about to stand in front of many nobles. She had not sinned, so she would show her elegance and dignity.


    Sienna entered the conference room escorted by the Royal Knights. The conference room was filled with people who came to see what political ripple this would bring, and nobles who came to see what kind of political impact the First Empress had made.


    After passing through several people, she saw Carl sitting in the middle of the conference room. He looked at Sienna with a worried face. The sight of him eased her nervousness.


    The ruling of the treason was held as soon as Sienna entered the room.


    ¡°The First Empress, despite being the empress of the Leipsden Empire, has diverted important documents to the Castro Empire. Even if you¡¯re a member of the royal family, you have to be severely punished formitting such a major transfer of information.¡±


    Many aristocrats nodded their heads as Bronis spoke up.


    ¡°Does the First Empress admit to this charge?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ept it.¡±


    Sienna was worried that her voice would tremble, but fortunately, a confident voice came out.


    ¡°Look at this. There are clear evidence and witnesses, but she wouldn¡¯t admit it. You have no remorse for your sins!¡±


    The murmur grew louder with his agitation.


    ¡°What¡¯s that evidence you have?¡±


    Carl¡¯s sharp voice shut the nobles. The hall quickly quieted down.


    Bronis replied, confidently waving the blue envelope and the letter in it.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a letter from the First Empress received from the Castro Empire. If you look at the content, it contains confidential information about the Royal Knights of the imperial court and tax-rted documents. They even sent information about the date and location of the military drills.¡±


    ¡°So is the name of the first Empress written in the letter?¡±


    Bronis could not immediately answer as if Carl¡¯s question was not within the range of his expectations. Pavenik, who was standing next to Carl, received a letter from Bronis, looked at it and said, ¡°The name of the First Empress is not written here.¡±


    ¡°But... ...What¡¯s clear is that these envelopes were found in the first Empress desk drawer. In a drawer locked with a key!¡±


    ¡°Well, who opened the drawer that was locked with that key?¡±


    Carl asked even though he already knew the story. It was to help the aristocrats who were new to the case understand the situation.


    ¡°Empress Arya opened it with the key that she had.¡±


    ¡°Why did Empress Arya have that key?¡±


    Carl looked at Arya as if he wanted the answer from her. Arya took a step forward, bent her knees slightly, greeted the emperor and said, ¡°A maid came to me and told me that Empress Sienna said that she was exchanging secret letters with Castro, and asked me to protect her because she could lose her life if Empress Sienna found out that she had learned about it. And then she gave me the key, saying it was proof.¡±


    ¡°Did you, Empress Arya, invade Empress Sienna¡¯s residence with other nobles, believing only in the words of a maid of honor?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t wait because it was a big issue. This was considered to be a serious matter for the fate of the Leipsden Empire.¡±


    ¡°You could have consulted with me before, but I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t mention a word to me.¡±


    When Carl red at her and said, Arya bowed deeply to Carl.


    ¡°I believe I was careless. I was afraid you would make the wrong choice because you care so much about the first Empress.¡±


    Arya cunningly med Carl. Carl spoke angrily.


    ¡°So where is this maid, whom the empress said was such a reliable witness?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Arya had a knight to bring in a witness. Soon Leia entered with the knights. She bowed politely to Carl.


    ¡°I¡¯m Leia, the maid of the first Empress.¡±


    Sienna was furious at Leia. Although she was not as close to Sienna as Hain or Shaylin, she was still considered to be Sienna¡¯s own person, which made her angry that Leia was in fact a person of Arya.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve used the first Empress of treason, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then tell me step by step. How did you know Sienna was transferring national secrets?¡±


    Leia said in a quivering voice to Carl¡¯s question.


    ¡°I cleaned the Empress¡¯ room once. Then I found a letter in an open drawer. The maid who was cleaning with me said it was definitely a letter from the priest Roy, but I read it because it was suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what was written on it?¡±


    ¡°It said ¡®Thank you for giving the Castro Empire the information of Leipsden. Next time, we¡¯d like you to send us the information about the military base and the city¡¯s supply status¡¯.¡±


    Sienna shut her eyes tightly to Leia¡¯s words. Her anger boiled up. The voice of the nobles in the hall grew louder.


    Carl said to Leia.


    ¡°What a clever maid. There are many nobles who can¡¯t read, but you know how to read.¡±


    Carl came down from his seat and walked to Leia. Then he picked up one of the letters Pavenik was holding and handed it to her.


    ¡°Read this.¡±


    Leia¡¯s face turned white at Carl¡¯s words. She grabbed the letter with her trembling hand and held it close to her face.


    Her gaze did not linger on the writing on the paper. She nced sideways at Bronis and Arya¡¯s facial expressions. The act revealed the feeling of embarrassment.


    She began to read the letter with a quiver.


    ¡°Dear... Dear Sienna...in the Castro Empire...¡±


    On the stuttering voice, Carl clucked his tongue and took her letter away.


    ¡± ¡®May God bless Sienna. It is now a season where the sun is full and cheers up the earth.¡¯ This is how it starts. Can you really read?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve never learned how to read, but... the letter is true. Please believe me.¡±


    Leia knelt and prayed to Carl.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? That it wasn¡¯t until you read the letter that you realized that Sienna wasmitting a treason. But how could you understand the letter when you can¡¯t even read? Rather, isn¡¯t it more usible that you made a false statement to frame the empress?¡±


    Arya stepped up at Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°Your Majesty, just because she doesn¡¯t know how to read doesn¡¯t mean that the letter to prove Empress Sienna¡¯s treason is false.¡±


    Carl shook his head at Arya¡¯s words.


    ¡°No. Isn¡¯t this maid in the position where she can put the fabricated letter at will as much as she can see it at will?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just a maid. That ignorant maid couldn¡¯t have done such a terrible thing as fabricating letters and framing the empress.¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t even read, but she ims that the empress exchanged letters in which she sold information to other countries. Do you think this makes sense?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Arya bit her lower lip because she didn¡¯t like the situation.


    Then, outside, the emperor¡¯s knight, Rufus Kissinger, asked for entrance. Carl allowed him to enter the conference room.


    Kissinger strode out in front of Carl with a big bundle in his hand.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I searched for the maid¡¯s room as you ordered. And this was found in the room.¡±


    He held out a chunk of gold. Carl scrutinized the gold he had received.


    ¡°Considering it¡¯s incised in the shape ofrge leaves, it must be the gold bullion of the Castro Empire.¡±


    Carl threw the golden chunk to the floor of the conference room. Then some aristocrats examined the chunk.


    ¡°This came out from that maid¡¯s quarters?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was tied up in a bundle with them and kept deep under the bed.¡±


    Leia screamed at their words.


    ¡°No! They are not mine!¡±


    Carl looked down at her with a cold face and said, ¡°My knight brought it from four years¡¯ quarters, but would you insist it is not?¡±


    ¡°These were also found in her room.¡±


    Kissinger handed Carl a bunch of letters. One of the corners of Carl¡¯s mouth, looking at the letter, creaked up.


    ¡°That girl wasn¡¯t the only one who had transferred information in the imperial family. Castro¡¯s got a lot of nerve having nted spies in the Imperial City of the Leipsden.¡±


    Carl fixed his eyes on the agent, Bronis. Bronis turned his eyes, sweating profusely because it was difficult to determine how the situation was going.


    This time, Pavenik stepped up.


    ¡°While investigating the maids of the first Empress, we also investigated a maid named Leia. The investigation was about chasing after her origins and past track records, but that maid, Leia, had a lot of strange things behind her.¡±


    ¡°Tell me. What is so strange about her?¡±

 Chapter 192: Live to Sienna Pt.192

    <h4>Chapter 192: Live to Sienna Pt.192</h4>


    Pavenik said, fluttering his papers with a little exaggerated gesture, as if he had be an actor on stage.


    ¡°Her origin is indicated as Merlin Territory, but the seal on the green card is the seal of the Intra Territory.¡±


    To get admitted into the imperial family as a maid required a lot of proof documents. Not everyone could be a maid of honor.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing. The letter of rmendation of the lord is strange. It¡¯s a letter of rmendation for working at the Macron estate, and the person who actually rmended it is Bronis standing over there. One usually gets a letter of rmendation from the lord of thend you work for.¡±


    ¡°Surely strange.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Bronis shook his head with a white face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never written a letter of rmendation.¡±


    Now Leia could not clear herself of the great charge of trying to frame the empress. With the release of the documents to be associated with her, Bronis also seemed to be unable to think properly.


    Carl looked over the papers given by Pavenik and said with a cold smile.


    ¡°This is weird. The man who signed the notary here is also Baron Bronis, but you deny.¡±


    ¡°This... this is forged.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of listening to excuses.¡±


    When Carl signaled with his chin up, the Royal Knights dragged Bronis and Leia out. Carl put his hand under the chin and said to Empress Arya.


    ¡°The reliable witness the Empress mentioned is truly trustworthy. A maid who entered the castle by deceiving her background and faking documents.¡±


    At the sarcastic remark, Arya tried hard to erase the unpleasant face and replied to him.


    ¡°My bad. I didn¡¯t even know I was dealing with such lies... it¡¯s because I was stupid. I also apologize to the first Empress. I can¡¯t believe I made you go through all this with my wrong judgment...¡±


    Her expression didn¡¯t look apologetic at all, but she sounded convincing. Sienna didn¡¯t answer back. The incident was too grave and dangerous to say that she would ept the apology.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t know why Leia tried to frame me, but what is clear is that there must be a force behind her that really led this. She couldn¡¯t have made a false letter because she couldn¡¯t read. So please find the real perpetrator in this case and release my resentment.¡±


    Said Sienna, looking at Arya. If any little evidence that Arya was linked to the conspiracyes up on this asion, or if at least her name was mentioned either by Leia or Bronis, this incident will take a new turn. Arya¡¯s eyes trembled.


    ¡°Yes, I will. Using a letter of regards from the priest Roy seems to show the purpose of this conspiracy. I think all this was to make a transfer between us and the Holy Empire by exploiting the good rtionship between empress Sienna and the Holy Empire.¡±


    Pavenik took his word.


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely clear. If we hadn¡¯t cleared the Empress of the false charge, the Holy Empire would have raised the issue. It¡¯s a terrible thing. The Holy Empire has a smallnd but many allies. Moreover, their knights use divine power and have no fear of death. Once they determine that we are a heresy and an enemy, they would consider Leipsden a dirtynd, and will wage a terrible war against us to burn and purify all living things without leaving a single head of grass.¡±


    It was 100 years ago that the Holy Empire fought its most recent war. Those who experienced the war were not alive, but the horrors were still famous.


    The Reich of Leipsden was formidable in military strength and strong in war, but it could not defend all its territories in the war against the Holy Empire. The nobles sweated cold sweat at the thought that the scapegoat could be their own territory.


    One of the nobles stepped up and said, ¡°It¡¯s understandable why the Castro Empire tried toe between Leipsden Empire and the Holy Empire. If they invade us right after a long war with the Holy Empire, it will certainly not be an easy war for us either.¡±


    Only after confirming their faces in terror did Carl said.


    ¡°Pavenik!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Get to the bottom of the matter by interrogating everyone involved in this matter. I¡¯ll give you the authority to inquire regardless of one¡¯s title or position.¡±


    Just a moment ago, the nobles felt vague uneasiness about the war against the Holy Empire, which was only a small possibility. But this time they felt real fear.


    The Emperor just entrusts full powers to the Emperor¡¯s loyal servant, Pavenik. He was handed over ¡°the right to inquire regardless of one¡¯s title¡± ¨C The absolute power.


    Originally, the Emperor of Leipsden had the right tomand the army. There was nothing to refute the emperor¡¯s logic of using the military to protect his country when it became an emergency situation in which the enemy was believed to have attempted to wage war.


    The sword was chosen by the emperor¡¯s order. If you didn¡¯t see blood, you couldn¡¯t put it back in as the sheath.


    The nobles quickly measured in their heads whether they could be safe in front of that de. They were confused with such thoughts as to whether they had done anything wrong with Pavenik or had ever seemed close to Bronis who had just been caught up. They crouched for the game of the regime that was about to change again.


    It wasn¡¯t until he had finished all the work that Carl looked back on Sienna. In fact, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Sienna the whole time while things were going on. He was heartbroken by the difficulties she had suffered.


    Of course, he tried hard to care for her in many ways. But when he thought of her, who had been confined to her pce with her maid under false pretenses, he felt guilty because he thought it was due to his ipetence.


    Pavenik was pleased that he could use this time to sort out the nobles and add great power to strengthening the imperial power, but none of the words came into Carl¡¯s ears. Every day, he felt as if he had been away from her for a long time, even though he went to her secretly to avoid the eyes of others.


    Carl has struggled several times. He thought, even if he would be criticized as a tyrant whose path of history will remain as a tyrant, it might be better to keep his servants quiet with the imperial power and military power so that she will not suffer.


    In the end, it was fortunate to be able to clear the falsehood as Sienna said. Otherwise, it was difficult to gauge what choice he would have made.


    As soon as the trial was over, Carl came down to the podium and approached Sienna. And hugged her tightly.


    There were many aristocrats who had not yet left the conference room, but Carl did not care about their eyes. Rather, he wanted them to see clearly with their eyes open who was the empress that he truly approved.


    ¡°Your Majesty...¡±


    At a feeble call, he rxed his arms and looked at Sienna. She had a pale face.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±


    Sienna said, touching her belly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, but I¡¯m just feeling little contractions. I need to sit down.¡±


    Carl lifted Sienna up with a sh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to my pce right now! Kissinger, try to call the doctor!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this...I¡¯m just experiencing a quick contraction...¡±


    Sienna looked embarrassed, but Carl insisted.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    He ran to his castle through the nobles who had not yet left the conference room.


    Sienna, of course, thought she would return to her own pce, but was embarrassed toe to Carl¡¯s pce so abruptly. Moreover, she¡¯s never dreamed that she woulde here in his arms, not on her own feet.


    As she always thought, the interior of the Imperial Pce was not as splendid as people expected. She thought it suited Carl to pursue practicality rather than fancy decorations.


    However, she wondered if she would be able to fall asleep in this environment when she saw the weapons that were decorating the entire walls of the bedroom. Perhaps Carl was visiting her pce everyday because he didn¡¯t want to sleep under those steels.


    Now, of course, there was something more important than looking inside Carl¡¯s castle. She was going to inform Carl as soon as the trial ended that she was pregnant, but under the current circumstances, the doctor might inform him before she did.


    ¡°When the hell does the doctore?!¡±


    Carl said nervously. His behavior was excessive when she was only having a stomach ache.


    Even though it was not the timing she expected, Sienna thought that she would rather inform himself of the pregnancy than let the doctor announce it.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    ¡°Are you very sick?¡±


    ¡°No, it was never painful enough to call in a doctor.¡±


    Of course, there was dizziness and a cold sweat, but it was because the tension from the trial was relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to tell you something.¡±


    ¡°Tell me. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°No, personally...¡±


    Carl looked concerned for a moment and said firmly.


    ¡°First of all, we¡¯ll meet with the doctor.¡±


    She would not get her chance if the doctor came. The doctor of the imperial family would know that Sienna was pregnant just from feeling the pulse. She sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl turned blue. She said again, thinking he might have misheard.


    ¡°I have your baby.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God! You¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    Carl¡¯s reaction was far from what Sienna thought. He did not know what to do. But it wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t wee Sienna¡¯s pregnancy.


    ¡°Where is the doctor now? If anything happens to the Empress! And... and the crown prince! I¡¯ll cut off the useless doctor¡¯s head.¡±


    Remembering that Sienna said she felt contractions, Carl looked out of his mind with the concern that the child in Sienna¡¯s womb might have been affected.

 Chapter 193: Live to Sienna Pt.193

    <h4>Chapter 193: Live to Sienna Pt.193</h4>


    The imperial doctor rushed in at the call and examined Sienna¡¯s pulse. While he was doing so, Carl was not at ease with a worried face. His anxiety made Sienna worried for no reason.


    The doctor who had finished his diagnosis said, ¡°Your Majesty the Empress and the prince are both in very good health. Contraction was just a temporary phenomenoning from your stressestely.¡±


    Carl urged, saying, ¡°make sure you see her thoroughly without missing anything,¡± several times. The doctor repeated over and over again that it was all right. Still, Carl did not seem relieved so Sienna said, ¡°It¡¯s really okay. I¡¯d like to take a rest now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±


    Carl soon sent away the doctor. As Sienna rose, Carl dissuaded her.


    ¡°Try to lie down...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you several times, but I¡¯m not a patient. I feel more stuffy lying down.¡±


    Sienna stood up and looked around Carl¡¯s room.


    ¡°Your room seems to empty for the emperor¡¯s room¡±


    She said pointing to the weapons on the wall decorating his room.


    ¡°Can you sleep when there¡¯s something like those on the wall? I think I would have sleep paralysis...¡±


    Carl said as if he had never thought about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never cared much.¡±


    She nodded. Although she expressed it in a harsh way, it was also true that she felt familiar with Carl¡¯s room.


    ¡°This reminds me of Heidel¡¯s castle. It looks simr. The walls are decorated only with well-made armor. It¡¯s not even a decoration. It¡¯s made just in case the walls that are blocking the monsters may fall.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl asked, narrowing the space between his eyes. He seemed to be worried.


    ¡°Heidel would never have had the first line of defense fall apart. At least since your father became the lord of the ce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but he always said we should be prepared for anything. Dangeres when you¡¯re not ready.¡±


    Carl nodded in agreement with Sienna.


    ¡°When did you find out? The fact that you conceived a baby.¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long for me either.¡±


    ¡°But... ...I wish you had told me earlier.¡±


    There was a little bit of resentment in Carl¡¯s words. It was a sense of shame that he would not have caused her to suffer the trial if she had told him in advance. Sienna did it out of fear that Arya would do anything harmful to the fetus, but she couldn¡¯t tell Carl that.


    At first, Sienna was afraid of whether she could protect her child. But not anymore. She thought she would be fine with Carl.


    ¡°I was suddenly afraid that something would happen to you and the child.¡±


    Said Carl, sitting next to Sienna.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re safe. Really...¡±


    Carl murmured ¡®I am d¡¯ several times. Sienna felt warmth spreading in her heart whenever Carl repeated the words.


    *


    After the news of Sienna¡¯s pregnancy, Carl postponed any political meeting because he spent most of his time with her. The official reason was that Sienna, who was framed, was not in good health.


    Carl ordered his subordinates and servants who knew about the truth to be careful not to let news of Sienna¡¯s pregnancy flow outside. Of course, it will be known slowly over time, but it was still too early.


    While he was away from his post under the pretext of Sienna¡¯s illness, a bloody purge began in the Leipsden Empire.


    Prime Minister Pavenik, who was acting as a sheath for Carl, sharp as a sword, purged those involved in treason. He had been blowing away the public¡¯s reputation for being smart but weak.


    ¡°You are the one who brought all these knights into the pce! It has been confirmed that all these knights are people of the Castro Empire. It¡¯s no use trying to back out now. So don¡¯t increase our work and just confess. That way, it¡¯s convenient for you, and I can handle things quickly.¡±


    In front of Pavenik was a Bronis. The man, who had a mean smile, had his arms tied together and hung from the wall. Pavenik brought a red-hot iron rod to his side with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±


    A shrill scream came out of the mouth of the Bronis.


    Said Pavenik, who looked at Bronis with a dull eye, struggling with pain.


    ¡°I heard Baron Kozeco bribed you. Does it sound right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even spoken to Baron Kozeco... Ahhhh!¡±


    Pavenik was not interested in what kind of answer he gave. What Carl ordered was not to find out the truth, but a list of nobles to be removed.


    He wanted to have Bronis mention Arya, but he needed more solid evidence than just a testimony in order to bring her down from being the empress. It was clear that she was deeply involved in this, but the clever one left no evidence.


    The only ones who took part in this work were the low-level aristocrats, so Carl could not bring Arya down through them. So he decided to use them thoroughly to deal with her supporters and those who had been bothering him.


    In fact, the documents found in Leia¡¯s room were fabricated by Pavenik. The maid who framed Sienna, the empress, wouldn¡¯t have kept the evidence so sloppy in her room.


    Carl and Pavenik were running out of time, so they chose to fabricate evidence rather than find evidence.


    The most effective way to disprove what the enemy called the ¡°fact¡± was to turn the witness who pointed to Sienna into an unreliable witness. Castro¡¯s gold bullion yed a very important role.


    Pavenik added his opinion to Carl¡¯s idea. He suggested that while fabricating the evidence, he would frame as if discovering documents that reveal those who had been suspected of being spies. That way, it would be easier to handle them along with the incident.


    ¡°That¡¯s what Kozeco did... Ahhh...¡±


    His scream awoke Pavenik from his thoughts. While Pavenik was thinking about something else, Bronis was constantly giving the answer he wanted.


    Pavenik took off the iron that was poking at the side of Bronis. The flesh that had fallen from him was hanging around.


    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m sorry about this, Baron Bronis. I misheard it. What did you say?¡±


    Pavenik asked, shaking the iron before his eyes.


    ¡°Kozeco, no, that bloody kid in the Kozeco family did it...please...¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? I have to believe it because mighty Baron Bronis said it himself.¡±


    When Pavenik shook his head, two knights guarding the entrance stepped out. Next, it was time to bring in Kozeco. For the time being, the screaming and burning smell of flesh in an underground prison would not stop.


    Arya looked out of the window with an uneasy face.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    She thought her n was perfect ¨C she didn¡¯t know it would be ruined like this.


    ¡°You little rascal.¡±


    She gritted her teeth thinking of Carl.


    Everything from Leia¡¯s room was clearly false evidence. She wasn¡¯t so sloppy as to put such evidence around them.


    But even though she knew the evidence was fake, she couldn¡¯te forward. If she were to cling to the authenticity of the evidence, she could have been misunderstood as the mastermind of the affair. Of course, it was true that she did it.


    ¡°By the way, I have to shut their mouths...¡±


    Leia and Bronis were held in Carl¡¯s hands. She didn¡¯t know what the two were going to say.


    In Leia¡¯s case, she took her family hostage just in case. Especially since her young son was in Arya¡¯s hands, her name won¡¯te out easily.


    But Bronis was different. He was a frivolous man.


    That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t give him any information, only insinuating that the first empress seemed to bemitting treason. As the case has beenrge in scale, he acted on his own greed thinking he would rise to a higher position if he solved it well.


    The problem at this point was that he would say anything to survive.


    ¡°If he needs to, he¡¯s going to make up stories that don¡¯t exist. I shouldn¡¯t stay still. Before he talks nonsense...¡±


    Arya thought she should call the leader of the Knights of the ck Eagle to keep the two prisoners quiet. Arya has specifically chosen him for being good at hiding and capable of assassinating. Moreover, his loyalty to Arya was so high that he could do whatever she asked for.


    It was time for her to call the leader. Then there was amotion outside the door.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Arrest him!¡±


    Arya frowned and asked the maid to find out what was going on.


    Soon, the maid ran in and told Arya what had happened outside.


    ¡°Royal Knights are taking the ck Eagle Knights.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Arya hurried out. The Emperor¡¯s Knights had already surrounded the Knights of the ck Eagle. Among them was the leader of the Knights of the ck Eagle.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡±


    Arya frowned and said to the emperor¡¯s knights. Kissinger, the head of the Royal Knights, stepped forward and said, ¡°Your Majesty the Empress. I¡¯m Rufus Kissinger, the leader of the Royal Knights. His Majesty was ordered to capture the spies of the Castro Empire.¡±


    The Royal Knights stand for the Imperial Guard. After Carl became emperor, Lord Kane quit and Kissinger, a close aide to Carl, became the head of the Royal Knights.


    Arya raised her voice at his words.


    ¡°What are you talking about? How dare you say that there is a spy for the Castro Empire among my Knights? Are you certain enough to bet your own f*cking neck!?¡±


    ¡°These are the knights whose names are on the list of spies that a maid named Leia had. You¡¯ll find out the details when we investigate.¡±


    ¡°I am not in this! This is all a huge conspiracy!¡±

 Chapter 194: Live to Sienna Pt.194

    <h4>Chapter 194: Live to Sienna Pt.194</h4>


    One of the knights whose arms were seized tried to refute that it was not true. But Kissinger didn¡¯t care what excuse he was making.


    Arya closed her mouth and red at him. Kissinger spoke to her as a warning.


    ¡°Baron Bronis Neude admitted that he helped the spies get in from the Castro Empire. Many of the spies sent from Castro were ced in your pce, your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    At her sharp reaction, Kissinger spoke with a look of dealing with a sensitive and exhausting person.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean much. It probably means that the Castro Empire considers Empress Arya as an important figure. That¡¯s a relief. We found out that they were spies before they did anything bad to the Empress.¡±


    Said Kissinger, looking around those suspected of being spies of the Castro Empire.


    ¡°Since half of the Knights of the ck Eagle have been reduced due to the disgraceful scandal, I¡¯m afraid you will have a problem with your business. Don¡¯t worry. The Royal Knights will take care of the ce of the Empress.¡±


    When he beckoned, some members of the Royal Knights saluted him and reced the positions of the captive.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going. I¡¯m busy catching smelly rats.¡±


    He bowed to Arya with courtesy and went away. Arya¡¯s fist shook hard trying to hold back her anger.


    The list of spies was all nonsense. She never prepared information on the people she brought from the Castro Empire, and even if such a thing exists without her knowing, a maid whom Arya was going to abandon soon could not have had it.


    Leia didn¡¯t even know that Arya nted spies in the Leipsden Empire. Just as the gold bullions of the Castro Empire were ced in Leia¡¯s room, the list was also clearly nted by Carl.


    Bronis also knew nothing about Castro¡¯s knights, but Pavenik would have earned a cause by torturing him. There was nothing Arya could do.


    Arya gritted her teeth at the fact that she was properly fooled by Carl.


    The Royal Knights did not care about her condition and settled at the door of the Imperial Pce. Carl has clearly intended to keep an eye on her.


    Arya looked around at the remaining ck Eagle Knights. Surprisingly, Kissinger only picked and took the people she had brought from the Castro Empire. She was sure they also took the men she had ced elsewhere.


    ¡°How the hell did he know...¡±


    She frowned, biting her nails.


    It was only after she entered the Imperial City that she began nting people of the Castro Empire in the Imperial City.


    At first, it was not easy to get decent knights from the Castro Empire. Because thenguages of Leipsden and Castro were different, she had to filter those who were fluent in bothnguages. So even after a long period of effort, the number of Castro¡¯s imperial knights that Arya nted in her pce was not veryrge.


    What was more problematic was Valore¡¯s Knights Contest. At that time, the swordsmanship of the imperial knights was harshly tested, and Arya had to let go of quite a few of the figures she had nted.


    There were many knights that didn¡¯t meet the imperial standards because she valuednguage over ability, but if she tried to keep a person who was not good enough, she could be suspected. Eventually, she had to sort out her original team of knights and find a new group.


    Fortunately, the empty seats were filled with talented people. One of them was the leader of the Knights of the ck Eagle she had.


    She thought it could not be revealed because it was done so secretly and quickly, but it was disclosed by such a ridiculous incident. She felt soplicated because it seemed that the trap she dug caught her own ankle.


    ¡®I should have made my moves already. I knew Bronis was frivolous, but I never thought he¡¯d roll his tongue like that.¡¯


    Arya regretted not having kept her eyes on him.


    *


    For some time, Carl seemed quite troubled. Sienna thought it was because he had a lot to think about in order to deal with the spies that Arya had nted and to reorganize the political sector.


    Today, Carl was agonizing as he wrinkled his forehead. Sienna wrote a letter quietly so as not to disturb him. It was a letter to Aunt Kelly, asking to allow Shaylin to work for the Green Merchants.


    Having learned that Shaylin had deceived her identity and had entered the Imperial City, Sienna could not keep her here. But she couldn¡¯t just kick her out either.


    Due to the nature of her ethnicity, Shaylin had to live in a child form for a long time, and the world was not a ce where a child could livefortably alone.


    Aunt Kelly would create conditions for her to live by protecting her. Sienna felt sorry because she always asked for a favor, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Sharillo would be great.¡±


    ¡°Sharillo?¡±


    Sienna had no choice but to ask back to Carl¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t understand what the word ¡®Sharillo¡¯ meant.


    ¡°The name of our child.¡±


    ¡°What! Have you been thinking about your child¡¯s name this whole time?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl said, turning his eyes away because he was embarrassed.


    ¡°Because I need a name to call it. And you said it before. One¡¯s destiny could change depending on the name. So I have to think more carefully.¡±


    That was what Sienna said when Carl told her earlier that the animals he named died early. She didn¡¯t know he still remembered that.


    ¡°So what does ¡®Sharillo¡¯ mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a name that means ¡®a child with light¡¯. Is it strange?¡±


    ¡°No! I like it. I like the meaning, too.¡±


    Sienna had a strange feeling that Carl named the child in her womb.


    She felt good, but on the other hand, she was heartbroken when she remembered Josef, a child whom she had lost in the past. It was a name that meant ¡°the loved one,¡± but the name that carried her wish was useless.


    ¨C How much did I want the father to name my child?


    The child in the womb also seemed to rejoice in the noble and hopeful name of ¡°Sharillo.¡± Sienna suddenly became emotional and overwhelmed.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ve got other names in mind. Or maybe there¡¯s a name you really want to name...¡±


    When she couldn¡¯t soothe her feelings and was teary-eyed, Carl, who thought she didn¡¯t like the name he made, soothed Sienna. Sienna shook her head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m impressed. I thought this kid would grow up to be loved so much by his father...¡±


    Carl replied, embracing Sienna quietly.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s our child... how could I not love?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Just in time, Sienna felt a child in the stomach kicking. Carl looked at Sienna, perhaps also feeling the child¡¯s movements. It was the first time Sienna had felt the start of its life since she had Sharillo, so she told Carl with a surprised look.


    ¡°The baby must be frustrated.¡±


    Carl asked carefully if he could touch the belly.


    ¡°Of course. You can talk to him. They say it helps stabilize the fetus if the father talks to the baby while in the stomach.¡±


    ¡°Talk to him? How?¡±


    ¡°Just think of it as a child. If you have nothing to say, at least read him a book. It¡¯s important to let him hear your voice.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl smiled awkwardly and slowly swept Sienna¡¯s belly with his big hand.


    ¡°Sharillo, I can¡¯t wait to meet you. Um...¡±


    Carl continued his words with difficulty as if he couldn¡¯t think of what to say easily. Sienna burst intoughter at the embarrassed man.


    ¡°You just need to talk to him. It can¡¯t be too hard or you have nothing to say to him?¡±


    ¡°There are too many things I want to tell and ask him.¡±


    ¡°But why can¡¯t you do that?¡±


    ¡°I only want to talk to Sharillo, but I can¡¯t because you¡¯re listening to me.¡±


    Carl blushed not only in his cheeks but also in his ears. He seemed embarrassed to talk to the child in front of Sienna.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear you. Just say it. Or should I cover my ears?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Next time, I¡¯ll prepare a book to read to Sharillo. I¡¯m going to have to read some history books from the imperial officials I read when I was a kid.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not history... find interesting books. History books written by the history officers. I¡¯ll snore and fall asleep with just a few lines.¡±


    Carl looked troubled and nodded. He thought it would be better to have the imperial librarian rmend a book that the child would enjoy.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d rather give you.¡±


    Carl beckoned his servant to fetch the prepared goods.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I was going to give it, but it¡¯s useful only after the child has a nickname.¡±


    Carl had a servant bring a box. Carl received the box from the servant and opened the lid.


    On top of the smooth ck industrialplex was arge blue sapphire ne. Next to the sapphire, 227 diamonds sparkled light.


    ¡°Oh my...¡±


    ¡°I wanted to give it to you.¡±


    Carl lifted his ne and hung it around Sienna¡¯s neck. Sienna, stiffened, watched silently as Carl hung a sapphire ne around her neck.


    It was something that she wanted very much in the past. It¡¯s not because she wanted to decorate herself with expensive jewelry, but because it contains Carl¡¯s heart and consideration.

 Chapter 195: Live to Sienna Pt.195

    <h4>Chapter 195: Live to Sienna Pt.195</h4>


    However, Sienna¡¯sst memory of this ne was when Bluebell was killed by a sword while wearing it. This made her feel reluctant.


    Sienna tried to shake off that feeling. Now, she was trying everything she can so that Arya doesn¡¯t start a rebellion. Wasn¡¯t she working with Carl to ferret out and organize spies inside the Imperial City?


    It would make the past misfortunes never repeat. Even if they happen, she would make it different from the past. Sienna made up her mind once again.


    After making up her mind, Sienna saw which problems took priority to sort out. She wanted to get back to work and finish it.


    During the purge after the trial, Sienna continued to stay in the emperor¡¯s pce. She said she was okay, but it was because Carl was anxious and kept Sienna from leaving the room.


    ¡°I think I can go back to myst pce now. And everything would be cleaned up and ready.¡±


    ¡°Are the weapons on the wall a problem?¡±


    Carl responded out of blue to Sienna. He seemed to think that the reason why she was going to her pce, not staying at the Emperor¡¯s Pce, was because of the weapons on the wall.


    ¡°What do you mean weapons are a problem? I have a lot of work to do as the empress. Besides, my maids must have been very surprised by this incident, so it¡¯s not good for me to be away for a long time.¡±


    Sienna could no longer stay here, thinking about how much her people would worry about her. Besides...


    ¡°You have a lot of work to do right now. You can¡¯t take a rest under my pretext anymore. I can¡¯t bear to see how hopeless Chancellor Pavenik looks every time he encounters me.¡±


    Carl had given Pavenik full powers and was spending most of his time in his pce with Sienna.


    At first, Pavenik tasted the sudden rise in power and seemed excited, but soon found that it was apanied by huge responsibility and work. Suffering from a heavy workload, he called on Carl to return to work quickly.


    When Carl tried not to listen to him, he changed his operation and seemed to be saying to Sienna,


    ¡®I¡¯m tired and I¡¯m going to die of overwork. If I die right now, please write ¡®I overworked for the Emperor¡¯ on my tombstone.¡¯


    Sienna was embarrassed every time she saw Pavenik¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t stand him either. Well, I didn¡¯t n to just let go of my work. I was just taking this opportunity to give more power to my men.¡±


    Most of Carl¡¯s men have been ignored by the nobles based in the capital because of their low titles orck of central authority. Of course, Carl did raise some titles, but they were still not so good as to show off their influence.


    However, this was a situation that could fuss over some titles. The act of falsely using the empress and benefiting Castro was a great crime that had to be brought down, no matter how high the titleholder was.


    Thus, the nobles had no choice but to hold their breath as much as possible and watch Carl¡¯s men perform. The nobles may be taking this opportunity to learn how much power Carl¡¯s men can use regardless of their titles.


    ¡°And if I stay at your pce for a long time, I¡¯m sure someone will startining.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just talkative people, so you don¡¯t have to worry. And who wouldin when you are staying in my ce with your imperial heir?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s response, Sienna shook her head in disagreement.


    ¡°There¡¯s Empress Bluebell. Whatever the facts maybe, she is technically known to have conceived first.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s response, Carl¡¯s face hardened.


    ¡°That¡¯s true...¡±


    Looking at his expression, Sienna wondered if she might have said something useless. But she couldn¡¯t just stay here.


    Not only did she want to organize her own thoughts and make ns for the future, but she also wanted to wrap up the orphan relief project she was nning and deal with a proper financial blow to Arya.


    Carl reluctantly allowed Sienna to return to her pce.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    The empire was cold as if it had been pouring cold water over because of the First Empress¡¯s recent trial, but the news that she had been cleared of the charge spread around. Soon after, the news that Empress Sienna had conceived an imperial heir quickly spread to every corner of the empire as well as the entire pce.


    Carl kept quiet about the news that Sienna had a child, but the news spread regardless. Recently, Sienna was living in the emperor¡¯s room, and people couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the emperor was protecting her to the point where it created a joke that all kinds of delicacies go through the emperor¡¯s room.


    Since babies were so rare in the royal family of the Leipsden Empire, the people of the Empire loved it as if it were their own family¡¯s celebration. Moreover, everyone was more excited because it was the news of Empress Sienna, who was loved by the people of the capital city.


    The news, of course, came to Arya.


    ¡°This is going to be a lot of fun.¡±


    Arya was spending gloomy days because her long-nned work had been ruined. The knights she nted, as well as her nobles, were arrested for this incident and were executed.


    But as soon as she heard of Sienna¡¯s pregnancy, Arya jumped out of her seat. Because she thought of a new n.


    ¡®I¡¯ll make it right this time.¡¯


    With a pleasant smile the world hasn¡¯t seen for a long time, she visited Bluebell¡¯s residence.


    Bluebell looked visibly emaciated. Darkness fell on her critically acimed face as if she had spent decades alone, not months.


    She received Arya without emotion and with a rough, dry face.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell, have you heard about the news? Empress Sienna has conceived. It¡¯s a real conception.¡±


    Arya upset Bluebell. Bluebell looked at her with dry eyes and said, ¡°Is this the gift you¡¯re giving me?¡±


    Arya replied with a smooth smile on her face.


    ¡°No way. I never thought the Emperor would use such a trick. Well, love goes beyond all odds. I never thought the Emperor¡¯s heart was so passionate for Sienna...¡±


    Bluebell squeaked and breathed heavily. Arya continued, looking interestingly at Bluebell, who looked like she was about to explode at any moment. She no longer pretended to be sorry.


    ¡°This is a mess. I thought, of course, the emperor¡¯s lover is Empress Bluebell, but now I think his true love is Empress Sienna.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    Bluebell squealed. Her bloodshot eyes were filled with anger. Watching such Bluebell, Arya still didn¡¯t erase her rxed smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s what it is.¡±


    Arya was obviously saying, ¡®The burden is not Sienna, but you.¡¯ Bluebell couldn¡¯t take the words quietly.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Arya continued her words again, without minding any of Bluebell¡¯s words.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s why the emperor so opposed to marrying Empress Bluebell.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Unable to contain her anger, Bluebell threw a ss to the floor.


    ng-


    Fragments of ss bounced in all directions. Arya looked at the broken ss with a smile of scorn. Then she slowly lifted herself up and grabbed Bluebell¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°You have to admit it. How long are you going to be such a baby?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time. You can¡¯t be pregnant forever, can you? Although His Majesty has been silent, do you think now that Empress Sienna is pregnant, he will continue to keep your secret?¡±


    Arya¡¯s words were not wrong at all. Bluebell wanted to turn a blind eye to the situation, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Arya gave a benevolent smile. It looked like she was saying ¡®I¡¯m the only one you can trust¡¯.


    Bluebell held herself back from crying with everything she had. A squeak came through her throat.


    ¡°There are only two choices you can make. To dere the false pregnancy and step down from your seat under the pretext of it.¡±


    Bluebell shook her head at Arya¡¯s words. She could never have.


    ¡°Or to make a great sacrifice and then to remain the true Empress of the Leipsden Empire.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s eyes grew bigger. Then she quickly shook her head.


    Wasn¡¯t that an obvious choice? Bluebell didn¡¯t know what the big sacrifice was, but she wanted to keep this position at all costs, rather than resigning miserably, being criticized for not being loved by a man, and even pretending to be falsely pregnant.


    If she couldn¡¯t get Carl¡¯s love, at least she¡¯ll have the Empress¡¯ seat less so it¡¯ll be less unfair.


    ¡°Even if the sacrifice means the life of the Emperor?¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Bluebell froze. Arya whispered in Bluebell¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Think carefully. Just know we don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Arya smiled coldly and walked out of Bluebell¡¯s pce. Leaving her with such a difficult choice.

 Chapter 196: Live to Sienna Pt.196

    <h4>Chapter 196: Live to Sienna Pt.196</h4>


    *


    Carl headed to the Empress¡¯s Pce, where Bluebell was living, with heavy steps. The way to her pce felt awkward because he spent most of his time in Sienna¡¯s quarters these days.


    He was forced to marry because of her political reasons, but that didn¡¯t mean he had only bad feelings toward Bluebell such as anger and annoyance. But just before the marriage and after entering the castle, Bluebell showed the sides of her that Carl had never seen before. The series of events, especially those rted to the fake pregnancy, were shocking to him as well.


    Nevertheless, Carl gave Bluebell time. The time when she can tell the truth herself.


    Of course, he expected Count Ferrer to take extreme action if he found out the truth, but if Bluebell told the truth honestly, Carl was willing to forgive her. Because the main reason was the greed of her father, and he thought, consciously or unconsciously, she was just a foolish child swayed by her father.


    But after learning that there was a child in Sienna¡¯s belly, he couldn¡¯t give Bluebell any more time.


    Carl hoped there would not be a bloodbath in the next session of the throne, as he and Valore did. That his child would grow up in a blessing and seed his post justly.


    So everything had to be done before the baby was born. Carl had to correct the problems that were scattered in this ce.


    Even though Carl came in, Bluebell didn¡¯t look at him and stayed sitting on her sofa and didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Have you not changed your mind yet?¡±


    Bluebell clearly recognized what Carl was saying. He was asking if she had any intention of honestly revealing the false pregnancy. She spoke in a calm voice unlike before.


    ¡°Are you here to say that? You want me to be honest and make everyoneugh at me?¡±


    ¡°Lies are like swamps, and if you don¡¯t tell the truth quickly, you¡¯ll sink into the mud to the very end of your head. So be honest, even now, before it¡¯s toote.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s already toote. A lot.¡±


    When Bluebell spoke in a resigned voice, Carl affirmed to her.


    ¡°Honestly reveal the truth. That it was a mistake by those who were transferring information.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s lip curled up.


    ¡°So what can I get? Why? Will you at least let me sleep with you so that I can have a baby boy?¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t answer back to her vulgar remarks. As if he had heard something that was not worth replying to. Nervous Bluebell gave a dejectedugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I will never be able to have the imperial heir because the noble emperor cannot sleep with someone he doesn¡¯t care about. Unlike Empress Sienna, who has the real imperial heir. The Second Empress came into the castle because the First Empress didn¡¯t have children, but now everyone would point out that the second empress is actually infertile, not the first empress.¡±


    Her tone grew more and more intense.


    ¡°Without a child, I¡¯ll be the victim of their criticism and they will gradually lose interest in me. I¡¯ll have to spend the rest of my life in the corner of the pce, hoping I will die soon.


    ¡°If you really want...¡±


    When Carl tried to say that he could depose her, Bluebell interrupted him. She seemed to be lost in her own imagination that she could not see the determined expression on Carl¡¯s face.


    ¡°Why? Are you trying to tell me that you will give me some kind of grace so that I feel sorry for you? You¡¯re telling me to shake my waist on top of the Emperor, who has no heart for me?! So that you can donate the seeds of the Emperor that I want?!¡±


    Screamed Bluebell, roaring with rage. Her voice was seething with misery. Carl couldn¡¯t stop himself from frowning, which he was holding back since he entered the room.


    Bluebell couldn¡¯t contain her anger and threw the teacup at him. The teacup hit Carl on the forehead and fell off.


    His forehead was torn and blood fell over his eyebrows, but Carl did not even move. Neither Bluebell was surprised nor saddened by his wounds.


    ¡°Are you hurt? I¡¯m hurting more than you are. So I¡¯m not going to apologize.¡±


    In Bluebell¡¯s words, Carl wiped the blood from the corner of his eyes with the back of his hand.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve given you enough advice. I wanted to give you a chance, but it was useless.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This is thest time I will give you a chance. Reveal the truth. Then I will not dethrone you, but I¡¯ll give you a divorce. I¡¯ll give you titles,nd, and honors, just like I did with Empress Marie.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I want!¡±


    Bluebell again screamed. But Carl spoke in a cold voice, not responding to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s yourst chance. If you don¡¯t reveal it, I¡¯ll reveal it.¡±


    If Carl was to reveal the truth of this fake pregnancy, it would have much different consequences than if Bluebell came forward with it.


    If Bluebell knew she was pregnant, but it turns out she wasn¡¯t, she would be criticized but not punished. But if Carl revealed this fact, she would be punished. The matter was so sensitive and serious.


    ¡°I won¡¯t back down even if you say my pregnancy is a lie. I will say that Carl is blinded by Empress Sienna and using me of falsehood. I¡¯m going to keep this position at all costs.¡±


    Carl turned away from her, feeling utterly unworthy of dealing with her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this.¡±


    ¡°Never! I will never regret it. No, rather, you will regret this Carl. This moment you turn your back towards me, the day wille that you will regret this moment. Much sooner than you expect!¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s voice reached the door. Her low, miserable voice sounded like a curse. But the one who she wished would receive her cry was already gone.


    *


    After Carl¡¯s permission was granted, Sienna moved to her pce. She went back to the pce where she originally lived, so the expression ¡°returned¡± would be more appropriate than ¡°moved.¡±


    Taking advantage of the absence of the owner, her pce had been redecorated. Sienna could see at a nce how much care Hain had put into it.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    ¡°Hain!¡±


    As soon as Sienna got back to her pce, Hain weed her. Since Hain was the head maid, she has been supporting Sienna by her side, and the two have grown particrly affectionate over the years.


    When Sienna was framed she couldn¡¯t see Hain for two weeks, and then she couldn¡¯t see her because she was staying at Carl¡¯s ce. For the sake of security, the emperor¡¯s pce was closed to the public except for a fixed number of people who had been granted permission.


    ¡°Oh! Your Majesty, I hear you¡¯ve conceived! I was so surprised to hear that. No wonder you ate more than usual, it was because you had an imperial heir in your stomach. I didn¡¯t know that...¡±


    ¡°I did eat a lot.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, you really ate a lot. I¡¯m sure the baby is a very strong prince.¡±


    Hain said she wished he was a red-haired crown prince resembling Sienna.


    ¡°The Empress¡¯s hair is beautiful in color and soft.¡±


    ¡°I wish he would look exactly like Carl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, too. The Emperor¡¯s beauty is so famous. Whoever he looks like, he would be a very pretty and healthy prince.¡±


    Feeling good at Hain¡¯s praise, Sienna stroked her stomach. Although it was not yet noticeable, the thought of having a child in her made her pat her stomach unconsciously.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I touch it? No, it¡¯s amazing. The fact that a life is in your belly...¡±


    Asked Hain, who was staring at Sienna stroking her belly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Can you put your ears on it? I heard you can hear the sound of him moving. Sometimes he kicks with his foot, but right now he¡¯s calm.¡±


    ¡°I want to hear him! I want to hear the sound of the baby.¡±


    Hain listened to Sienna¡¯s belly and closed her eyes.


    Thump, thump ¨C


    The sound of life reverberated in her ears. She looked at Sienna with an impressed look.


    ¡°Amazing, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m getting goosebumps. It¡¯s so amazing.¡±


    She was as excited as a child.


    ¡°What should I prepare before the heir is born? He¡¯ll need clothes, nkets, and pillows. I need to find out what else I need!¡±


    Sienna was also happy to see the happy Hain. Unlike in the past, this child seemed to be able to be born in blessing.


    gtag(''config'', ''UA-172659890-1'');

 Chapter 197: Live to Sienna Pt.197

    <h4>Chapter 197: Live to Sienna Pt.197</h4>


    Hain was amazed that a child had settled in Sienna¡¯s belly, so she would listen to Sienna¡¯s belly whenever there were only two of them left. Sometimes, she looked up at Sienna with surprised eyes when she felt movements.


    Even today, Hain listened to the child¡¯s heart with her ears on Sienna¡¯s belly.


    ¡°This boy will feel closer to Hain than to Carl. Because Hain listens to him more than Carl.¡±


    Hain took her ear off Sienna¡¯s belly and replied, shaking off her skirt for no reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Of course, I knew women get pregnant and give birth to a baby. But isn¡¯t it amazing that life exists together in the stomach for such a long time, and thatter it gets out of the mother¡¯s womb and bes a human figure?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you have a lot of younger siblings? You must have seen your mother pregnant, why is this any different?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I can¡¯t think of them because I was young. And I came to the pce so young that I didn¡¯t have much time with them...and the pce kicked out any maid that is pregnant so... The two babies were born after I entered the castle, so I didn¡¯t get to be there. I just thought, ¡°When I go home after a long time, my mom¡¯s stomach is bigger than before.¡± And then one day, I was just surprised to see two really tiny guys wriggling around.¡±


    ¡°Was it twins?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s amazing that they look identical, but surprisingly they have the opposite personality. One of them is such an adventurer that his knees never have time to heal, and the other never takes his eyes off the book. He¡¯ll be a bigger book addict than I am. Whew, I don¡¯t know when they got so big?¡±


    Said Hain, sighing like an old man.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for this one toe out and grow up.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re cuter when they¡¯re younger...you don¡¯t know how annoying they are when they say they¡¯re all grown up. When they were just wriggling, they were so cute.¡±


    ¡°How old are they now?¡±


    ¡°7 years.¡±


    Sienna nodded. It seemed like an age when kids get more hands-on and annoying.


    ¡°When will this one grow up like that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll grow up in a blink of an eye once he¡¯s born. Whenever I go home after a long time, I can¡¯t recognize them.¡±


    At Hain¡¯s words, Sienna burst intoughter. Though grumbling, she could feel affection in Hain¡¯s words.


    *


    There were also ces that became so deadly quiet when the whole capital city became noisier with news of Sienna¡¯s pregnancy. It was the Empress¡¯s Pce, where Bluebell was residing.


    After Bluebell¡¯s nanny was executed for the attempted poisoning of Sienna, the atmosphere was tense at Bluebell¡¯s pce because Bluebell no longer participated in any outside activities. When the news of Sienna¡¯s pregnancy was made public, it became more like an ice castle. The maids working in her castle kept their breath as low as possible as to keep out of sight of Bluebell.


    On top of that, there was sort of a grudge against Carl, who did not visit Bluebell who was pregnant earlier than Sienna, and there was cautious spection that Bluebell was abandoned by the emperor.


    But Bluebell stepped out of her quarters after a very long hiatus. She strode to the pce of Empress Arya without telling the knights where she was going.


    Currently, there was a rumor circting in the pce that Bluebell was insane because sometimes, her screaming like a beast could be transmitted beyond the wall.


    People would have no choice but to agree with the rumor if they saw her eyes now. She didn¡¯t seem to be thinking straight.


    Without courtesy, Bluebell pushed aside the knights in front of the pce of Empress Arya.


    Arya, who was receiving guests, stood up from her seat. The aristocratic wives, who were being served tea by her, also raised themselves with surprised faces.


    Arya often called in aristocratic wives for tea time. It was one of the ways she tried to expand her influence, and this afternoon she was spending time appreciating the works of a famous artist. However, Bluebell came to the meeting without notifying the members of the meeting in advance.


    Bluebell¡¯s sweaty make-up made it questionable that she was once praised as a fairy goddess. Her empty eyes indicated that she didn¡¯t even notice the presence of others.


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see you, Empress Bluebell.¡±


    The aristocratic wives also bowed to Arya¡¯s greetings. Arya tried to introduce them to Bluebell, but Bluebell¡¯s words were faster.


    ¡°What you saidst time, let¡¯s finish talking about that!¡±


    Arya¡¯s expression hardened to Bluebell¡¯s urgent voice. The aristocratic wives interchanged looks between Bluebell and Arya with puzzled faces.


    Bluebell¡¯s behavior at the moment was incredibly rude. Not only did she visit without notice, but she opened the door without permission, and even ignored the greetings of aristocratic wives, and made a surprise announcement.


    Aryaughed at the sight. The urgent-looking Bluebell looked like a baby roon struggling in his trap. The thought of attracting dad roon with that little roon had already excited Arya with its smell of sess.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid that Empress Bluebell has something important to say to me. I know it¡¯s not polite to do this after inviting you like this, but I ask for your understanding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Your Majesty and Her Majesty seem to have an urgent matter, so we¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    The aristocratic wives answered politely, hiding the signs of curiosity.


    ¡°Thank you. A rare painting from the Kingdom of Cosmo will arrive next month.¡±


    ¡°The Kingdom of Cosmo... You mean that painting?¡±


    Arya nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing that painting. We¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    They lifted the hem of their skirts and greeted Arya gracefully. They also said hello to Bluebell, but she didn¡¯t say hello back.


    Thedies, who were smiling like dolls, then turned stiff. The women left the pce of Empress Arya with a look of bitterness.


    ¡°Oh, my God, Empress Bluebell...¡±


    ¡°I will! I will!¡±


    Arya tried to talk about Bluebell¡¯s rude behavior, but Bluebell shouted without even listening to her. Her voice was so urgent and mournful.


    A smile spread around Arya¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°As I told you before, it¡¯s not easy. It could hurt him.¡±


    Knowing that it was Carl that Arya referred to as ¡°he,¡± Bluebell clenched her lips and nodded.


    Bluebell was feeling that Carl was rapidly changing.


    If it had been in the past, it was certainly a ridiculous choice. Not even worth a consideration. It was ridiculous to grab the hand of someone who suggested they should hurt her most beloved person in the world.


    But she was now on the brink. She was even given an ultimatum from Carl that he would not let her go unless she told the truth. There were no more options.


    What she most wanted to be Carl¡¯s love, but it wasn¡¯t the only thing she had to give up if she did what Carl asked. Pride, the Empress¡¯ seat, her own family...there was so much entangled.


    She didn¡¯t marry Carl just because of love. Bluebell thought it was because of love, but that was just her own illusion.


    But because she loved Carl, the feeling of despair and betrayal she felt was greater.


    ¡°You may be wetting your hands with his blood.¡±


    That¡¯s why Bluebell could nod her head at that scary remark of Arya.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll make you cry tears of blood, you betrayed me.¡¯


    Bluebell¡¯s eyes gleamed with insanity.


    Arya embraced Bluebell¡¯s shoulders. Bluebell pushed her back, thinking that Arya was pitying her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to pity me!¡±


    ¡°Why would I pity Empress Bluebell? You are carrying the next imperial heir.¡±


    The two nodded as if there was something precious in Bluebell¡¯s empty uterus.


    ¡°Then what should I do? I don¡¯t know when Sienna¡¯s due, but before that...¡±


    Arya nodded at the urgent Bluebell.


    ¡°First of all, will you call Count Ferrer?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about! Why call my father?!¡±


    When asked to call Count Ferrer, Bluebell jumped and refused. She never wanted to let him know. Even if people in the world knew and pointed fingers at her, she wanted her father to never find out about this secret for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 198: Live to Sienna Pt.198

    <h4>Chapter 198: Live to Sienna Pt.198</h4>


    ¡°If Empress Sienna had not been pregnant, we would not have needed Count Ferrer.¡±


    All those who Arya nted in the pce were gone. What she had been preparing step by step was ruined by that purge.


    She wondered how Carl found out about her people. The fake identity was caught because they were in a hurry to bring them in and didn¡¯t pay close attention to perfecting it. Another problem was theck of education about Leipsden.


    ¡®That sly tiger is the problem. How the hell did he know about my rtionship with Castro? There¡¯s no way a secret could have leaked out.¡¯


    No matter how hard she squeezed her brains, she couldn¡¯t think of the exact reason.


    She didn¡¯t know that she had provided a clue. When she did not like Valore and Sienna getting close and tried to get her to the battlefield to kill her and Carl, Sienna heard Castronguage from her enemies and guessed the rtionship between them and Arya.


    It was inconceivable to Arya that Sienna remembered the faces of some of Arya¡¯s close associates because she remembered them from her past before her return, so that she could trace Castro¡¯s knights based on information about them.


    Things went wrong and Arya had to spend more resources. And she had to change her original n significantly.


    However, it didn¡¯t matter if she had to throw away billions if she seeded in this job. There was never too high a price for buying an empire.


    Fortunately, the news of Sienna¡¯s pregnancy was enough to attract Bluebell and Kenyon. With the help of the House of Ferrer, who had a hand in trade and owned severalrgemercial ships, she was sure to make her n a sess.


    ¡°Do you have to let him know? I¡¯ll do anything you want. But don¡¯t tell my father...¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time, as you know. Empress Sienna is pregnant. The Emperor will not be able to ignore your disgrace forever. That¡¯s why I need Count Ferrer¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    When Bluebell hesitated, Arya sped her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him myself, so you don¡¯t have to worry at all.¡±


    Aryaforted the hesitant Bluebell and told a servant to put in a message for Kenyon toe to visit her residence.


    *


    ¡°I heard you called me.¡±


    Count Ferrer faced Arya with an annoyed look. Under the present circumstances, they were temporarily holding hands because of their rtionship with the emperor, Carl, but Count Ferrer never liked Arya.


    Rather, after rolling in rough political circles during her reign, he knew Arya¡¯s insidious motives better than anyone else. What wicked and cruel snakes were ying behind her beautiful face. That¡¯s why he never let go of his suspicions even now when he was holding hands with her.


    After Valore, who was her pawn, died, many people considered her to have fallen off power, but Count Ferrer thought the opposite. It wasn¡¯t Valore who supported her, but Arya who lent her strength to him.


    Moreover, even now, her influence in the Southern aristocracy was never small. She was a predator who took a breath for a moment and watched her prey, never a defeated herbivore.


    Even if a beast failed its hunting attempt, it must not be ignored with its teeth and ws. You never know when it¡¯ll catch the next prey by the neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to you about something, Count Ferrer. Did you hear anything from Empress Bluebell?¡±


    ¡°No, I just heard that the Dowager Empress had something to say.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Oh, sit down first. Would you like some tea?¡±


    As soon as Count Ferrer nodded, her maid came out with tea.


    ¡°Salmon¡¯s Orchid tea. I¡¯ve heard from Empress Bluebell that Count Ferrer enjoys this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t drink it often because it¡¯s so precious. This one is superior in color.¡±


    ¡°Can I use just anything to serve Count Ferrer?¡±


    He savored the aroma and took a sip. The tea¡¯s unique bitter taste and neat aroma soaked his mouth. He carefullyid down his teacup and asked Arya.


    ¡°May I ask you why you called me now?¡±


    ¡°The Count is very impatient.¡±


    Arya said, beckoning the maids out of the guest room. There were only two people left in the spacious guest room now.


    Kenyon was nervous about Arya¡¯s behavior. Seeing that even her own maids were dismissed, it was clear that it was not a small issue.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Count Ferrer has been shing with the Emperor in every way these days. His Majesty¡¯s opposition to the rescue of Count Zebata and Baron Morrll is formidable.¡±


    Count Zebata and Baron Morrill were people of Ferrer¡¯s territory, and they were especially close to the Ferrers because they were linked by political marriage. Coincidentally, their names came up in the list during the search for the real culprit in the Sienna treason case, and they were immediately imprisoned.


    As they were his strong supporters, Count Ferrer exined to Carl that they were framed, but he refused toply with his request, saying the evidence was clear.


    ¡°Yes, and he is even moving the trial date to an earlier date...¡±


    He gulped down his tea at the thought of it.


    ¡°Then do you know the story?¡±


    ¡°What story are you talking about?¡±


    Kenyon asked back as if he didn¡¯t know, but when she saw the deep wrinkles in his forehead, it was clear that he knew clearly what Arya was referring to.


    ¡°There has been no official announcement, but there has been a rumor that Empress Sienna has conceived. Well, even the city¡¯s vagabonds know it, so there¡¯s no way Count Ferrer doesn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    Count Ferrer¡¯s face crumpled.


    Not only that. He even heard that the child had a nickname called Sharillo. A name meaning child with a light.


    Bluebell, who had conceived earlier than Sienna, did not receive a child¡¯s name. It was an implicit sign that Carl had in mind the child of Sienna, not Bluebell.


    ¡°It seems that Count Ferrer is strongly against the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? Even if the First Empress had conceived, the Second Empress was first...¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Arya burst outughing at his words. Count Ferrer looked at her with a disapproving look. What on earth made herugh?


    ¡°Hahaha... I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know Count Ferrer would say such a naive thing. You are the one who should be listening to everything in the royal family more than anyone else, what do we do when you are so stupid that you have been missing everything? Well, I understand. It¡¯s easy to see other people¡¯s back, but you can¡¯t see your own back at all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Empress is trying to say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Empress Bluebell is still a flower that hasn¡¯t been touched.¡±


    Count Ferrer¡¯s cup of tea was lowered roughly, and the tea overflowed and soaked his hand.


    An untouched flower. To call the empress, who held the seeds of the emperor, a virgin who had not slept with a man. It was a ridiculous story.


    ¡°Who dares?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to catch the people who told me that, but there are too many. If you try to bring all those people to justice, there won¡¯t be anyone left in the castle.¡±


    ¡°There are people who tell such lies?! Empress Bluebell has the Crown Prince!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. You haven¡¯t heard from your daughter yet.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Empress Sienna has conceived, but Empress Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy is a lie.¡±


    ¡°False pregnancy? How dare you say such a cruel thing even if you are an Empress! How dare you!¡±


    Even though Count Ferrer was angry, Arya continued her words without a single change of expression.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to believe it, but it¡¯s true. Bluebell is not pregnant. It doesn¡¯t make sense that the Emperor and the Empress, who never slept together, are expecting a child. Unless she has a child of a god.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Count Ferrer couldn¡¯t answer Arya¡¯s words, shaking his whole body. He seemed to be paralyzed because what he heard was so ridiculous.


    ¡°What I¡¯m telling you is not as unreliable as those stories going around. I heard this directly from Bluebell. She said she was pregnant out of spite, but she didn¡¯t even share the bed with the Emperor. That doesn¡¯t make sense. A virgin is pregnant. That makes no sense.¡±


    Count Ferrer gnawed his teeth at her incredible words. The crunching sound was vivid.


    He tried to get up at any moment. It was to talk to Bluebell and ask if it was true. But Arya dissuaded him from standing up.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to me Empress Bluebell, don¡¯t. In fact, it¡¯s not about you and the Emperor, it¡¯s about Count Ferrer and the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I mean, the reason why the Empress couldn¡¯t get pregnant is an issue between me and Carl...the Emperor¡¯s problem?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think the Emperor does not sleep with Bluebell? Count Ferrer doesn¡¯t think the Emperor simply avoided sleeping to protect her femininity, do you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The Count knows best that the Ferrers have been estranged since the Emperor¡¯s ascension.¡±


    Yes. Count Ferrer was feeling it with his skin more than anyone else.


    As Arya¡¯s power shrank and he got stronger, he often bumped into Carl. It was certainly rted to his disregard for the life of Count Zebata and Baron Morrill.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Emperor has long been interested in strengthening the imperial power.¡±


    Kenyon nodded at her words. Once he had the same idea as Carl. In order for the empire to be strengthened, the imperial power was of paramount importance.


    Especially, when the power of Emperor Rodbius and Valore was transferred to the hands of Arya, Kenyon felt it with his skin as he watched closely how messy the administration of state affairs was getting. The imperial knights¡¯ ability has fallen to the bottom, andrge amounts of taxes have been withdrawn under the pretext of useless public works. In addition, the number of low-ranking aristocrats surged with all kinds of excuses.

 Chapter 199: Live to Sienna Pt.199

    <h4>Chapter 199: Live to Sienna Pt.199</h4>


    Carl, who had to grow up watching the imperial power y in Arya¡¯s palm, cared most about strengthening the imperial authority. Kenyon has also supported Carl because he shared his thoughts.


    But when Carl, whom he supported, became the emperor and Bluebell became empress, Kenyon could not share his opinion with Carl as before. But he thought it would be okay. Because Carl¡¯s baby was growing in Bluebell¡¯s belly.


    Although he felt ufortable to hear that Sienna was also pregnant, he thought it would be okay. Unlike Sienna, who had no connections in politics, Bluebell was strongly supported by himself.


    Moreover, Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy became known first. He thought her child could seed to the throne if she worked a little harder.


    But if Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy is false...


    ¡°Why would he do that?¡±


    Arya asked Kenyon. Kenyon knew why but gave no answer. He heard such a shocking story that he didn¡¯t have the energy to say anything.


    ¡°Why was the Emperor condoning the spread of news of Bluebell¡¯s false pregnancy when he had not slept with Bluebell?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He could see what Arya meant even though his head was hardened by shock.


    His own power which had be difficult for Carl to manage. It was a great stumbling block to his strengthening of the imperial power. Waiting for Bluebell¡¯s false pregnancy to be widely known clearly showed what choice Carl was trying to make.


    ¡°A predator doesn¡¯t hunt right away because his prey is in front of him. They¡¯re waiting for the moment to identify the weak points and take the least effort to break their breath.¡±


    Anyone could understand that Carl was the predator and that the prey meant that it was Kenyon.


    ¡°Even though there is an empress, Bluebell came in because of the session issue, and it¡¯s unprecedented that an empress made a false pregnancy rumor. If this happens, it will never end with only the Empress Bluebell being punished. If the Emperor had testified it false before it became known to the outside world, it could have been better, but after it became so widely known, especially after Empress Sienna¡¯s conception, it would be difficult for even the great Count Ferrer to keep the family alive.¡±


    Kenyon, who was shaking with a blueplexion a while ago, became calmer.


    Arya smiled. This was the same for the father and daughter.


    If you drive a person to the corner, they usually scream and panic, but these two, on the contrary, calmed down. He then asked with a cool look.


    ¡°So what does the Empress want?¡±


    This meant he took it not as a threat, but a deal.


    Arya felt a little disappointed. If he took it as a threat, she could gain more advantage, but if the opponent epts it as a proposal, she now had to negotiate on an equal footing.


    But she had nothing to lose. Because he was not in a position to refuse.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell asked me for help.¡±


    ¡°To the Dowager Empress?¡±


    Kenyon didn¡¯t understand why Bluebell reached out to Arya for help instead of consulting him first.


    ¡°Yes. Bluebell relies on me a lot. She asked me to help her. Saying that the emperor¡¯s silence, even though he knows that Bluebell is not really pregnant, means that he wants to wait for the right time to strike out the House of Ferrer. She¡¯s very afraid of it. Rather than wait for the de to hang on her neck, she wants to pull it out first. That¡¯s what she told me.¡±


    ¡°Bluebell did?¡±


    Kenyon responded as he could not believe it. Bluebell, as he knew, was a young and foolish daughter. She was not stupid, but she was not quick enough. The witch in front of him must have yed a big role in influencing Bluebell¡¯s thoughts.


    Arya smiled as if she knew what Kenyon was thinking.


    ¡°Hahaha, Count Ferrer thought he was a giant tree that touched the roots and knew everything, but he didn¡¯t know that the fruit was hanging from his branches. Did you consider Bluebell, the blood of the Ferrer family, a small tender fruit? She is the one who will take root as deep and wide as you. At least she has an insight into what situation she¡¯s in and what options she has.¡±


    Kenyon was silenced by the utterly unweedpliment.


    ¡°So she asked me to help her pull out the sword first. You know, it¡¯s not an easy choice for me.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Kenyon coughed in vain, not hiding his difort. Arya was saying that it was Bluebell who prepared the rebellion, and she was debating after hearing Bluebell¡¯s story.


    In this situation, Kenyon had one of two choices. He had to help Bluebell wield the sword she had already taken out. His choice was to choose whether or not to hold hands with Arya, who had found out about this, or to put Arya in front of the edge of the sword.


    Kenyon was not at a crossroads whether to form a rebellion or not. It had already been chosen by Bluebell.


    Will he seed in this or fail? That was his fatigue. Will it be the vanguard of a new dynasty or will he be executed under the guilt of being a traitor?


    ¡®Stupid. Why didn¡¯t she just confide in me? Why did she bring in Empress Arya?...¡¯


    Kenyon resented his daughter.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking extensively, so I am under the impression that you want to work together.¡±


    Arya nodded. If she clumsily said that she didn¡¯t want anything out of it, a rascal like Count Ferrer would think she had a different agenda she is not telling him.


    ¡°But... I don¡¯t know how the Empress would help me.¡±


    Arya caught herself fixing her distorted face at his words. Although she tried to gain the upper hand by using Bluebell¡¯s false pregnancy as an excuse, Count Ferrer quickly measured himself and Arya.


    As he said, the power Arya now had was minimal.


    There may have been a time when Count Panacio, her brother, maintained his dignity and exerted political influence, but now, he just owned arge territory in the south. Although there were still supporters of Arya, they were not loyal enough to participate in the rebellion.


    From the perspective of Count Ferrer, Arya was only an ufortable figure who knew about Bluebell¡¯s disgrace, and was not a powerful force enough to lead a rebellion.


    She broke into augh.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve lost a lot of strength. For Count Ferrer to look down on me like this.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Count Ferrer did not answer back. Which was a sign of agreement with what Arya said.


    ¡°My power is more influential when it¡¯s hidden.¡±


    ¡°You mean you have hidden power?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll add one hand to this rebellion. Money and people would be the most important things. I¡¯ll support with 30 gold medals and 80 knights.¡±


    This time, Count Ferrer could not hide his surprise. The amount of gold she mentioned by no means was a small sum, but it was possible for the Panacio family, who owned big parcels ofnd in the south. However, 80 knights had different meanings.


    ¡°If there are 80 knights... how skilled...¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re talking about minimum expert-level knights. Based on the imperial pce¡¯s standard right now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If there was no need for an elite army, it was possible to train someymen into soldiers within a month or two.


    But knights were different. They were a human capital that could only be obtained by spending a lot of money and time for training.


    Moreover, those who met the expert standards that Arya was talking about were hard to get even after paying for them. The current Imperial pce¡¯s expert level referred to those who can cast the sword aura for more than five minutes during a battle.


    It would be possible to gather about 150 knights if Kenyonbined all his aristocrats. But fewer than 20 of those knights would meet the standard of an expert. That¡¯s how great this power was.


    Arya had been in power for a long time, but Kenyon couldn¡¯t believe she had so manybatants in secret.


    ¡°Where on earth did you get all those knights?¡±


    Count Ferrer¡¯s question was full of doubts. It was not easy to find knights because the emperor had a strong control over the army, including the Central and Change Army. But 80 knights in secret?


    Arya breathed a deep sigh at Count Ferrer¡¯s suspicion. She pretended not to like it, but it was her turn to give a scheduled answer to the expected question.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you this, but I guess I have no choice now. I¡¯m connected with the Castro Empire.¡±


    Count Ferrer felt his heartache. What she said was so shocking.


    But he didn¡¯t think it would be a lie. There was no way she would confide in him what could be her biggest weakness.


    With her help, the sess rate of this event will rise considerably. This is the event that was suddenly given to him. But there was no way to escape. He had to make this event a sess.


    He nodded his head.


    ¡°Okay, given that the Empress is so active, I¡¯m sure you want something.¡±


    Aryaughed as if she was in a good mood.


    ¡°Give the title of duke and the authority back to our Panacio family. Just parts of the Southernnd.¡±


    ¡°Title is not a big problem, but you¡¯re greedy for the southernnd under your authority.¡±


    It was greater than asking for half the empire to ask for the authority over the southern regions, thergest wheat-producing area in the Leipsden Empire.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for all the southern regions. Just give us the Zilen Territory, the Tn Territory, the Chiers Territory, and the ind of Dobido, which are facing the territory of the Panacio family. It¡¯s like a third quarter of the southern region, so there won¡¯t be a shortage of wheat for the empire. It¡¯s not a big area by the size of thend.¡±


    In fact, Arya was not interested in whether or not thend of the Panacio family increased. Even if the family¡¯s power grew, it was not entirely her own.


    What she wanted was bigger. The absolute power of ¡°The Throne.¡± But she made up a good enough reason to persuade Count Ferrer. If she didn¡¯t want anything in the course of the rebellion, it would only raise the old man¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°If you add all thosends on top of the territory of the House of Panacio, it¡¯s not a small size at all. That size will be one of the biggest in the kingdom.¡±


    They have already carefully divided thend as if they had already seeded. Aryaforted Kenyon after much trouble.


    ¡°Are you really going to lose everything by being greedy for some peace ofnd?¡±

 Chapter 200: Live to Sienna Pt.200 Omen

    <h4>Chapter 200: Live to Sienna Pt.200 Omen</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Count Kenyon will have an empire. Our family only gets a piece ofnd around the territory under just some fancy title. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big ask in exchange for risking treason. Well, if you¡¯re confident you can make it work without my help, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    As Kenyon¡¯s expression hardened, Arya smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Count Kenyon isn¡¯t stupid enough to brag about his ns for treason. If you¡¯re not with me, I¡¯ll just step back and see if the count will hang the crown on his head or the rope around his neck.¡±


    Kenyon gulped down his saliva. Her words were not wrong at all. He could lose everything by being greedy fornd that was not his yet.


    What¡¯s more, she said she would just keep her mouth shut and watch, but he wasn¡¯t sure if she would really keep this a secret. Even if there was no one left in the world to believe in, would he believe in Arya Panacio?


    It was better to make her an aplice. Moreover, even if the treason was sessful, her presence was too burdensome. It would be a better choice for each other to listen to her demands and keep their distance.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Well thought. You know, treason is a job that you have to bet everything on. Don¡¯t try to meddle over small things. This goes the same for me. We¡¯re going to invest everything in this.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk about the details gradually. Since it must be a lot for Count Ferrer to process it right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    Count Ferrer stood up from his seat. Arya saw him leave and burst intoughter as soon as the door closed.


    ¡°Hahaha! What a fool. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s worried over thend in the south like he already took the throne of the emperor, a foolish old man! You think I¡¯d put my foot in this sh*t to give you a high title? The old man is blinded by greed, and his head is dim.¡±


    Arya couldn¡¯t stopughing for a long time.


    ¡°It would be best to make it out of oak wood, right? It¡¯s a ce where the next imperial heir would be sleeping, so it should be strong. Of course, the shape is important. When I asked the furniture master who works for the imperial family, he said the earlier I ce the order, the more careful he could make it.¡±


    Hain was in a hustle to get the things she needed before Sharillo was born. This time, Sienna also participated. It was her natural mother¡¯s heart to give the best they can to theing child.


    ¡°How about we make clouds bedside it and carve out a rising sun? Wouldn¡¯t it go well with the name Sharillo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! Then how about this shape?¡±


    Hain drew a picture on the paper. What she drew was a glimpse of the sun rising through the clouds, even though Sienna briefly expressed the shape of the sun and clouds. The painting, which was more beautiful than she imagined, put Sienna in a state of awe.


    Sienna thought that Hain¡¯s embroidery skills were excellent, but the painting skill was also quite good. Hain has easily expressed visually whatever Sienna said. Sienna was both envious of her abilities and also felt sorry for Hain.


    ¡°I¡¯ve felt this before, Hain, but you¡¯re too talented to be just a head maid. Even if you be an artist now, I think you¡¯ll be a great artist.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you saying anyone can be a painter? Paints used by painters are very expensive.¡±


    ¡°If youe forward to be a painter, I¡¯ll be your sponsor!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty even makes jokes that make me happy. But rather than that, how about the edge of the bed over here? I think it would be nice to draw poinsettias, which signify blessing, and flower petals, and a baby angel blowing a trumpet around here.¡±


    Hain turned Sienna¡¯s words over as a joke.


    Her talent was too good to be wasted, but she couldn¡¯t force her to do it if she didn¡¯t want to. And in fact, Sienna would prefer if Hain remained by her side as the head maid, so Sienna no longer rmended it.


    When Hain heard the door open, she asked, ¡°What do you think, Shaylin? This is also...¡±


    Hain looked disappointed when she confirmed that it was not Shaylin who had juste in.


    ¡°Ah... it¡¯s been more than 15 days since Shaylin quit, and I¡¯m still like this.¡±


    Because she had been very affectionate to Shaylin, Hain looked disappointed.


    ¡°I was really surprised when she said she was quitting. I think she must have been very surprised about thest time. I¡¯ve been asking her to keep working, but it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Although the real reason for Shaylin¡¯s resignation was because of her secret identity, officially she said she was not feeling well and that was her reason for quitting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Shaylin¡¯s okay. But she¡¯s such a cute girl, so she¡¯s probably fit in everywhere, right? She¡¯s passive, but she¡¯s a nice girl by nature, so she¡¯ll be loved everywhere.¡±


    Said Hain, full of hope. Sienna nodded back to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Shaylin would be doing fine.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t tell Hain that Shaylin was working for the Green Merchants. If they continued to keep in touch, she mightter question Shaylin¡¯sck of physical growth.


    They doorkeeper informed from outside that Carl hade. Hain quickly organized the paper she was sketching and stood up. Carl entered the guest room right away.


    ¡°Are you here so early today? Chancellor Pavenik is alwaysining about you throwing your work away under the pretext of the imperial heir anding to me.¡±


    ¡°When else did hee to you andin?¡±


    Siennaughed at Carl¡¯sints. Pavenik came over to Sienna¡¯s pce often,ining that he barely has time to wash up, or eat properly, but visited Sienna¡¯s pce using one excuse or another. It was obviously to see Hain, because he could have just sent anyone for Sienna to receive some documents.


    ¡°I just had reasons to see him for a moment. Would he directly speak badly of the Emperor? It¡¯s a problem because he just can¡¯t hide what he¡¯s thinking on his face.¡±


    ¡°He should have been a clown, not a Chancellor.¡±


    Carl kept grumbling and rmended Sienna to sit on the sofa. He acted as if he would be in big trouble if Sienna showed only a small movement. Sienna grumbled as she sat down.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not sick, I¡¯m pregnant. Rather, it¡¯s good for fetuses if the mother exercises. So I take a walk every day.¡±


    ¡°Did you walk again today?¡±


    ¡°Not today yet.¡±


    ¡°Then shall we go out to the garden together?¡±


    Sienna nodded and agreed.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s not windy today, so it¡¯s a perfect day for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have something for you before that.¡±


    Carl searched his jacket for a letter.


    ¡°Oh! Did you find it? That¡¯s really great. I was very upset because I thought I lost it forever.¡±


    It was a letter to Sienna from the orphanage.


    ¡°I was lucky to find it.¡±


    Carl spoke in a casual tone, but if Pavenik had known this, he would have raised his voice and said, ¡®you know how hard I worked to find it, you can¡¯t thank it to mere luck!¡¯ because, on Carl¡¯smand, Pavenik had to look into everyone involved in the case and find the whereabouts of the letter. But Pavenik was not here, so there was no way to resolve his sentiment.


    Sienna wore a cape that Hain had prepared and went out to the garden with Carl. It was winter, but the garden was still full of green nts, so freshness was still there.


    When the cold wind blew, Carl patted Sienna¡¯s cape and asked, ¡°Not cold?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s warmer here than the castle. It¡¯s warm under my feet.¡±


    The imperial garden had a waterway providing warmth under the soil to make flowers bloom even in winter. Therefore, the heating up from the floor made her body warm.


    ¡°I recently heard that Count Ferrer had a meeting with Dowager Empress.¡±


    ¡°Bluebell must have told her father that she wasn¡¯t pregnant.¡±


    Said Carl, nodding his head at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°...¡±


    A cool breeze swept through Sienna and Carl. It was an already anticipated step, but it felt like the storm would begin now.

 Chapter 201: Live to Sienna Pt.201

    <h4>Chapter 201: Live to Sienna Pt.201</h4>


    Sienna intuitively caressed her stomach. In hopes that Sharillo would be able to avoid this storm. Carl¡¯s eyes were also fixed on Sienna¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in the dark, we prepared ourselves more than them.¡±


    ¡°Since Count Ferrer lost a lot of his followers during the purge, there won¡¯t be that many participating in the rebellion. And you had this in mind when you imprisoned Count Zebata and Baron Morrill, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Count Zebata¡¯s mines produce iron ore which could help in creating weapons, so I wanted to stop him in advance. Baron Morrill¡¯s status may be lower but he has a lot of experience in the battlefield.¡±


    Carl frowned at the thought of losing such a good warrior.


    ¡°Baron Morrill is especially talented in strategy so hees up with very good ns when attacking the enemy with a limited number of soldiers. He¡¯s actually one of the best in the empire when ites to efficiently attacking enemies in cramped space.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s such a great resource, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you use him under yourmand?¡±


    Sienna said, feeling sorry about losing a good human resource. Carl also shook his head with a sad look.


    ¡°He is tied to the Ferrers through political marriage and his loyalty to the empire is not so great. And he is also a greedy man so if Count Ferrer offers him something attractive, there¡¯s a very high chance he¡¯ll ept it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Even a great nner and warrior is useless and dangerous if theyck loyalty.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. So that¡¯s why I had to clean them up before anything happened. And there are other nobles that didn¡¯te up in the list this time. They were very sly in hiding their people in the pce, but now most of them are cleaned up. There were so many...¡±


    Carl said with a tone of amazement.


    Sienna asked again, ¡°How many were there?¡±


    ¡°More than 20 mid-level experts.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s reply, Sienna reacted in shock.


    ¡°Does that mean that Arya¡¯s entire ck Eagle Knights were Castroite knights?¡±


    ¡°If only that, I wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised. Not only knights but servants, gardeners, chefs... there was no specific profession in the dispersed personnel.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you somehow managed to find all those hidden in the pce.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s question, Carl shrugged his shoulders and replied, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Kissinger, it would have not been so easy. Also, he looks like a big, brawny guy far from details, he has really keen senses. He pointed out that Castroite knights receive different types of sword training so they have different callouses in their hands. Of course, it¡¯s not easy to see with bare eyes, but he was able to pick them out.¡±


    ¡°He is an amazing person.¡±


    ¡°Definitely, he really is. And Pavenik went through all the documents of the people that Kissinger picked out, and made connections through that. It was a time-consuming task but very urate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so d. That such able men are supporting you.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯spliment, Carl lifted his chin proudly.


    ¡°Of course able mene under an able leader.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s humble brag, Sienna smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Carl scratched his face in embarrassment.


    *


    One month has passed since Sienna¡¯s trial.


    While Carl and his men were busy cleaning up people they suspected were Arya¡¯s, Sienna was busy with work herself. She was focused on the orphan rescue project of her own.


    Both during the time she was locked up in her pce and when she was staying with Carl, she never stopped working and made slow progress.


    While continuing to monitor Arya¡¯s expenses, she found out that Arya was spending as much money on tea and spices as on her clothes and jewelry. She especially spends an unimaginable sum of money on expensive tea and spice.


    Finding it suspicious that Arya was spending as much money on tea and spice as wheat, Sienna soon found out that Arya was faking her invoice in tandem with her merchant association and secretly taking money out.


    When Sienna pointed out those expenses, Arya put the me on her merchant association and let them take the punishment for fraud. Even though it was certain that she took the money the association imed, she pretended that she had nothing to do with it, which drove Sienna mad.


    But using her anger as a driving force, when Sienna reduced Arya¡¯s next budget, Arya¡¯s expression was the best revenge taken. Sienna acquired dark money circting in the pce in this way little by little, and it umted much more than she had expected.


    ns for how to use the sum were gradually beingpleted. It was not enough to amodate orphans from the entire empire, but it was enough money to build orphanages sequentially from at least close to the capital for them to survive for a while.


    Hain contributed greatly this time, because she pitched good ideas whenever Sienna was struggling with something. Since Hain was the head maid, she was already good at budgeting for running the castle. She has done a great job of reducing spending and raising funds.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked to find a ce for thend purchase, so you¡¯ll get a call soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Her Majesty the Second Empress and the Dowager Empress is quiet these days too.¡±


    At first, they seemed to be letting Sienna work on the project, but when Sienna pushed ahead with the work in earnest, Arya and Bluebell picked a fight with every detail. They seemed to be displeased that Sienna was doing a great job for her name, as well as reducing the amount of money they could spend.


    They have disrupted Sienna¡¯s work, saying that it was mandatory for them to maintain dignity as part of the royal family. Nevertheless, they seemed to have given up as soon as Sienna continued to push ahead with her work.


    ¡°I think the building will be built soon if we buy thend. We decided to unify the design of the orphanage. The problem is hiring caretakers and teachers.¡±


    ¡°First of all, I¡¯m looking for someone with the help of the ountant team. And when I observed the temple children, the children who came in first and learned how to write, or those who were a little older, taught and led the children younger than themselves. We won¡¯t need so many people.¡±


    Hain nodded at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°We need more help from the temple of thend goddess. Since they have had experience with running an orphanage before. It would be nice if we could hear the difficulties and considerations they had when they were running it, or if we could meet the kids and hear what they needed.¡±


    Sienna agreed with Hain¡¯s remarks. Listening to her, Sienna wanted to meet the children.


    Roy left the capital and a new priest took the ce. Although Roy said he was a very good person, Sienna wanted to meet him in person and find out what kind of person he was.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s already time. You have to be ready before the Emperores.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sienna took a walk in the pce with Carl every day. They wandered from ce to ce in the imperial court under the pretext that walking the same path every day was getting boring.


    For this reason, it was rumored to the people in the pce and nobles that the emperor waspletely smitten with the First Empress and that their trust in each other was strong. It was natural since the emperor split his busy schedule for the pregnant first empress and went around the garden every day.


    The rtionship aspect was true, but they didn¡¯t intentionally poke around the pce to make such a rumor. Carl and Sienna predicted that Count Ferrer or Arya would revolt sooner orter.


    The sess of the rebellion they would cause depends on the life of Sienna and Carl. Therefore, there was a high possibility that the two would cause an incident within the Imperial City where they resided. Just as Arya used imperial banquets to create a rebellion in the past as Sienna remembered.


    Sienna and Carl did not take much into ount the possibility that they might gather soldiers from outside the Imperial City and advance to the Imperial City. It was easier than attacking from within, and Carl was better at war than anyone else.


    Carl¡¯s army was not just inside the Imperial City. It also existed outside the Imperial City. If the rebels tried to y Carl by siege of the Imperial City, his army would appear behind them and end them easily. Even if they weren¡¯t good at war, they wouldn¡¯t make such a foolish choice.


    That¡¯s why Carl and Sienna monitored how they would use the Imperial Pce in the event of a revolt and whether there was any problem with the defense of the Imperial City. They also re-examined the passages in case they tried to invade the area.


    Of course, they could prepare faster and perhaps more efficiently if they thought about it with Carl¡¯s men who were good at fighting and strategy. However, it was not possible to let many people know that a rebellion was about to break out.


    Carl and Sienna had to move busily to prepare for the leaking of information. Outwardly, the two seemed to be taking a leisurely walk, but in reality, they were working their heads off.


    Nevertheless, Sienna enjoyed the time with Carl. It was much better than just staying in the room because she felt like she was doing something.


    Today, Sienna chose a white dress with a light, sky-blue small flower pattern forfortable movements. And wore a wide-brimmed hat to keep her face from getting sunburned. The hat was decorated with quite a showyce.


    ¡°I almost forgot my gloves.¡±


    Sienna worece gloves given by Hain. Hain always pointed out that in order to show her dignity as the empress, she should not wrinkle her hands.


    When she was ready, Carl came in.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fine day today. Shall we go for a walk to the sunny east gate?¡±


    Sienna followed Carl to the east gate of the Imperial Pce.


    In the small courtyard just in front of the east gate, a short yellow flower bloomed brightly around a fairlyrge fountain. However, among the yellow flowers, there were dents in the area where a tree was nted.Before going for a walk with Sienna, Carl had the imperial physician and the gardener check to see if there were any harmful poisonous nts for pregnant women in the garden. And if they found a problematic nt, they removed it and had to nt a different one.


    So there were times when Sienna found particrly awkward empty spots in the garden, and every time, Sienna smiled without saying much. It was because she could feel how much Carl cared about her.


    ¡°Now I think we¡¯ve walked all the channels in the castle.¡±


    Carl thought carefully about something and opened his mouth, perhaps understanding Sienna¡¯s words as if she thought the walks were boring.


    ¡°Is it boring to explore the pce all the time? The pce has a lot of restrictions and there isn¡¯t much entertainment. If you want, why don¡¯t we invite a band to a concert? Or you can invite clowns or theater troupes. All I have to do is bring in people, so it can be done soon.¡±


    Sienna shook her head at his words. She didn¡¯t say it because she was bored cleaning up the pce with him.


    Moreover, it was not an easy task as he said. As it was a matter of bringing people into the imperial pce, background checks were essential, and they had to verify each and every person¡¯s identity. They also needed time to practice and organize the stage.

 Chapter 202: Live to Sienna Pt.202

    <h4>Chapter 202: Live to Sienna Pt.202</h4>


    Inviting a concert or theater troupe was also an outsider¡¯s job. Count Ferrer or Arya could use it for rebellion if they found out.


    ¡°No, the pce is chaotic these days, and it would be dangerous if a bunch of unknown people mingled among them and entered the pce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you don¡¯t think walking with me isn¡¯t boring. But if you don¡¯t like this, just let me know. It is true that your inputs are of great help, but I can do it myself. Do you want me to make a new garden on the site for new entertainment?¡±


    Sienna opened her mouth just in case Carl would grant her any wishes right now


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to build a new garden. Gardeners change flowers and decorations every time, and they are doing a good job, and I¡¯m satisfied with that. But rather than that...¡±


    When Sienna couldn¡¯t open her mouth easily, Carl asked her to speakfortably. Then, Sienna opened her mouth even though she knew it was not easy.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I go see the children at the temple? Well... ...this time I¡¯ve been working on an orphanage project, and I¡¯d like to get some advice from the priest who¡¯s running the temple now, and see how the children are growing up...¡±


    Sienna felt like she was asking too much even while she was talking. It was unreasonable to go outside at a time when she was pregnant and above all, the Ferrers were about to revolt. She knew Carl was going to refuse, but out of frustration, she brought it up.


    ¡°Okay, if you want, we can go tomorrow.¡±


    Sienna thought there would be a natural rejection, but when she was willing to ept it, Sienna opened her eyes wide and asked him back.


    ¡°Really? Can we really?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible if you apany me. I asked the doctor before and he said it¡¯s possible to ride a horse while pregnant. Of course, you¡¯ll have to be careful.¡±


    Said Carl, who was in a good mood by her bright expression.


    When Sienna revealed her ns to go out, Hain, who was the one who suggested that Sienna should go meet the priest and children of the temple, looked worried. They were worried that the outside may be dangerous.


    However, she couldn¡¯t stop Sienna because Sienna hasn¡¯t been this excited in a long time. Moreover, her safety might not be a matter of concern because she will be with the emperor.


    Sienna noticed the anxiety of Hain¡¯s faithful heart and soul but did not bother to reassure her. The temple near the pce had already been firmly guarded and her husband was ready to protect her.


    ¡°Hain prepared it for me. How¡¯s it going?¡±


    Sienna showed off her light brown checkered dress. Although the material was rough because it was often used for ordinary people, the material was lighter than the dress that was usually worn in the imperial family, so she didn¡¯t feel much ufortable.


    ¡°You look nice.¡±


    ¡°You look fine, too.¡±


    Carl also wore clothes that would be worn by citizens living in the capital. It was coarse ck pants, ivory shirt and brown vest. Wearing dark brown boots and holding a whip in one hand, he looked like a young horseman.


    ¡°I told him I didn¡¯t have to dress up like this, but Pavenik insisted. He even named me Jack. He also gave you your name, Jane.¡±


    ¡°Jack and Jane. Sounds pretty good together!¡±


    It was clear what Pavenik said to tease Carl¡¯s little rebellion, but Sienna didn¡¯t point it out. She was the one who encouraged Carl.


    ¡°Then when I go outside, should I call Jack? Jack, Jack... ...is it because it hasn¡¯t stuck yet? It¡¯s very awkward.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. There is no way the general public would think that the emperor and empress would be walking on the streets. If the identity of the two of us is revealed, it wouldn¡¯t be because of the names we call each other, but for a different reason. Shall we go?¡±


    The two climbed onto Grittigi, Carl¡¯s horse that lived in the forest of the elves, and went through the forest. Carl led at a slower pace than usual, allowing Sienna to look at the forest in detail.


    The forest was shining in bright yellow under the morning sun. It wasn¡¯t very cold, but the chilly wind of winter passed by the two.


    When the massacre happened at the temple before, she couldn¡¯t afford to look around the forest, but today it was different. Sienna was able to smile pleasantly because it was a nice, light outing.


    The two entered the city after ploughing through the forest. Carl left Grittigi to a familiar inn as if he was familiar with these outings.


    ¡°They say today¡¯s the market day, so why don¡¯t we take a look? We can stop by the temple after that.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything I can give the temple children as gifts. I¡¯m going to buy a lot more than before because I heard there are more children than when priest Roy was there.¡±


    ¡°Did priest Roy quit his job? He returned his Leipsden nationality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad. He had to go back to the Holy Empire. I¡¯m sad, but...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. A priest with that level of ability should be in the Holy Empire. I don¡¯t understand why they left such a talented person alone in Leipsden. If I were the Pope of the Holy Empire, I wouldn¡¯t have let him out of the country.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. What you¡¯re saying now seems like apliment to priest Roy, but it doesn¡¯t feel like apliment at all. What¡¯s wrong? Is it because of the way you talk? I feel like you¡¯re jealous of Roy...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Judging from Carl¡¯s reaction, he seemed to be jealous.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°...I know. So without priest Roy, who¡¯s in charge of the temple now?¡±


    ¡°They sent a man from the Holy Empire. He¡¯s old, but I heard the kids like him as much as priest Roy. I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s a very nice guy, except he likes boring jokes.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Carl responded with a nod but he didn¡¯t seem that interested in the new priest. The topic of their conversation changed to the market


    ¡°Now that I think of it, it¡¯s been so long since I visited the market. Even though I never really went before I entered the castle.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a pretty big market in the capital. There¡¯s a permanent market, but I heard today¡¯s venue is held once a month. There must be a lot of things to see since there are quite a few merchants from each region.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it!¡±


    The two entered the market entrance.


    ¡°Cheap, Cheap, Cheap!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rug from the Tumen area!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the most delicious apple in the world, even the emperor is fascinated with these apples!¡±


    The market was noisy, with merchants selling their products.


    ¡°The market is bigger than I thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen the market in the pce, so I didn¡¯t know this one was this big. Come to think of it, does Heidel have a market?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a very small area, and it¡¯s cold and remote, so markets can¡¯t stand outside like this. We barely get enough supplies to use onnd. When the residents apply for what they need, they sometimes buy things from outside all at once. So everyday, merchants enter the city and all the Heidel¡¯s residents gather inside our castle. Not necessarily to buy anything, but just for the pleasure of watching.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s like the castle transforms into a market.¡±


    ¡°Right. A big market like this is fun, but that one is also pretty good to see. It¡¯s usually very hectic because merchants usuallye in on the payday of residents. It¡¯s fun to find out what kind of stuff each household bought that month, especially when Mrs. Melina buys a lot of hops.¡±


    ¡°Hops?¡±


    ¡°She makes beer out of it. Mrs. Melina is also the only store owner on ournd. She sells beer, but she only opens when she feels like it. Sometimes they close down for months because ofck of ingredients, so everyone¡¯s biggest concern is how many hops she buys. She has to buy enough to keep the store open for a long time.¡±


    ¡°It would be hard if she didn¡¯t open the store for months.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sometimes even my father, the lord of the territory, watches Mrs. Melina.¡±


    Carl listened attentively to Sienna¡¯s endless chatter without being bored.


    ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a ce selling pickled miree!¡±


    Sienna dragged the car to the pickling shop. It was quiet in front of the store, perhaps because it was not everyone¡¯s favorite condiment. Inside the transparent ss jar were plump berries. Depending on the degree of ripening of the miree, the colors varied, including purple, green, and yellow.


    ¡°This is on me! Pick one.¡±


    Carlughed at Sienna¡¯s words and then nodded.


    ¡°If you are buying, I¡¯ll be very considerate in selecting it.¡±


    ¡°That fat yellow one looks quite good.¡±


    ¡°It does. The fruit is not damaged and looks ripe. Now that I think of it, the first time I met you was in front of a pickling store, too.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna traced back her memories to that day. When she met Carl for the first time after her return, when she hadn¡¯t had the time to settle her feelings yet. She was surprised to meet Carl at that time.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. How was it? That¡¯s when you first met me. What was my first impression?¡±


    Carl contemted Sienna¡¯s question.


    ¡°I thought you were strange.¡±


    ¡°I was strange?¡±

 Chapter 203: Live to Sienna Pt.203

    <h4>Chapter 203: Live to Sienna Pt.203</h4>


    It would be natural for Carl to think that because of the look she would have made at the time, but Sienna felt sad for some reason.


    ¡°Hey, I feel like I¡¯m the loser. Honestly, I was surprised when I first saw you. How can there be such a handsome man, like a prince, as my nanny said? Now I feel like a fool to think like this is what I thought. You saw me as a weirdo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you seemed like a weird person, but...I just felt weird. You called my name then. It felt so... ...unusual. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never seen me before, and we¡¯ve never met before, and you¡¯ve had a very serious look on your face, and I thought if you knew me, you wouldn¡¯t call me by my name, and you called me by my name as soon as you saw me...¡±


    Listening to Carl, Sienna thought he deserved to think she was strange.


    ¡°So I think I saw you for the first time then, when the hell did you see me before that? You recognized me, so you knew me before.¡±


    Sienna mumbled because she could not say she knew him in the past before her return.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret. I¡¯m not going to tell someone who said it was weird when I asked him what my first impression was like. I said I had a crush!¡±


    When Sienna spoke with her cheeks inted, Carl burst into a bigugh. He seemed quite pleased with what she said.


    ¡°If youugh so loud, everyone looks at you.¡±


    Sienna and Carl rushed to get the pickled miree and moved on because they were worried that someone would recognize them.


    ¡°It looks like there are more people than before.¡±


    It was quiet when they arrived at the market early in the morning, but soon it was full of people and there was no room to walk. Carl drew Sienna slightly to his side, fearing that she would be swept away by the crowd.


    ¡°It¡¯s too crowded. It wouldn¡¯t be good to walk around too long...¡±


    He looked around and found a ce for Sienna to sit.


    ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant right there. Since it¡¯s almost lunchtime let¡¯s go have a seat.¡±


    Sienna and Carl entered a store extravagantlybeled ¡°Dragon¡¯s Table¡±.


    She was worried that there might be no seats due to therge crowd, but the inside was quieter than she expected. It was still early and the store seemed like it was always open, so it seemed like the crowds went to the stalls that open once a month today.


    However, it was not that there were no customers at all. Some of the early eaters were sitting down with their meal.


    Sienna and Carl settled close to the entrance. With the door wide open, they could see the view of the market outside at a nce.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you guys before. Looks like you must be from outside. The market has a high quality wool from Carmel that is very good, so you should take a look. Oh, if you¡¯re out of kitchen salt, look for a merchant with yellow baskets across the street. They say they took salt straight from the salt mine, so it¡¯s slightly bitter but it¡¯s okay if you use it well. Last year and this year we had a lot of precipitation, so the price of salt went up, so it¡¯s not bad to rece it with rock salt.¡±


    The owner didn¡¯t even show them a menu, but listed a series of items sold on the market. The diners burst intoughter and said, ¡°Hey, boss. Don¡¯t mind other people¡¯s business, just sell this store¡¯s food. Look at the faces of the guests who just came in. Isn¡¯t he confused whether he came into a restaurant or a house selling sheep fur and salt?¡±


    At the guests¡¯ words, the host burst outughing.


    ¡°Oh, I see! We should sell our food. Most of all, our store is famous for our herbal-vored beer, and anything goes well with it. I can make anything for you if we have the ingredients.¡±


    The owner patted his apron with confidence that he could make any dish. Seeing his hairy forearm, Sienna doubted whether he could make any food, but she had to order something since they had already entered the restaurant.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with beer, please rmend something to be a meal.¡±


    ¡°Lamb meat is fine today. I have some new meat. How aboutmb? You can put a lot of butter on the meat surface to make it crispy, and add spices. It¡¯s especially good when you eat it with pickled cabbage, it tastes amazing!¡±


    Carl nodded and asked Sienna for ament.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have sweet desserts than a meal...¡±


    ¡°Dessert is good, but wouldn¡¯t it be better to eat it after a real meal? The doctor told me it¡¯s good to have a nutritious meal on time, even if you didn¡¯t want to...¡±


    Listening to the conversation between Carl and Sienna, the host tilted his head and asked.


    ¡°Is your wife ill? If you¡¯d like, there¡¯s watery soup...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not sick. She has a child.¡±


    Carl told him with a proud look. The host pped his hands and said, ¡°That¡¯s something to celebrate. Then I¡¯ll make you some amazing stew. If I cut the beef into soft parts and boil the cream soup with potatoes and vegetables, it¡¯s good for your body, and above all, it tastes amazing.¡±


    Sienna nodded and said, ¡°Then give me the stew. But do you have anything sweet? I suddenly wanted to eat something sweet...¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s question, the store owner looked concerned.


    ¡°Dang! I can make any kind of meal or dessert, but we don¡¯t have the ingredients today. The sugar prices are like gold prices right now... I can¡¯t remember when thest time I baked a cookie was. Ah, how about this? I¡¯ll prepare you some yogurt with poached fruit and fruit syrup. It won¡¯t be that sweet but still pretty good. Unless you can¡¯t handle sour...¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. I¡¯ll have some please.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring that dessert.¡±


    The store owner got their menu and went into the kitchen.


    ¡°By the way, sugar must have gotten a lot more expensive. I¡¯ve never heard sugar beingpared to gold. But can sugar be expensive? Isn¡¯t that weird?¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s strange...¡±


    Carl frowned.


    ¡°Is someone ying a prank?¡±


    There were no sugar-growing districts in Leipsden, but ordinary people also did not find it difficult to get sugar because raw materials were imported inrge quantities from abroad at cheap prices. Thanks to that trade situation, sweet desserts were obtained without difficulty.


    Salt tends to fluctuate in price. Because it was usually made by boiling of seawater, the price of salt would rise if the price of wood used for firewood increased.


    If it was salt that fluctuated in the market, Sienna might not have thought it was suspicious. But sugar was different. Sugar was a widely used item in daily life, so she wondered if someone was ying with price differences for their own gain.


    Carl shook his head at Sienna¡¯s word.


    ¡°Sugar is not a good item to y with for bulk purchase. It¡¯s widely used, but it¡¯s not a must-have item like salt. If prices go up a lot, you can make fewer desserts like they are doing now, or you can control demand by adding fruits or sweets instead of adding sugar. Moreover, it¡¯s usually bought in big bulkspared to the cheap cost of it so people can store it longer. In many ways, it¡¯s not a suitable item to y with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange, then. Why did the price go up?¡±


    ¡°Given the fact that the problem of sugar price fluctuations has yet toe to my attention, I think the change has been recent. A storm may have caused problems such as dying shipment for a long time or the ship¡¯s stranded. It¡¯s just that...¡±


    ¡°But, what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on my mind that Count Ferrer is the owner of the top importer of the sugar in the capital.¡±


    While he was the Crown Prince, Carl provided much of the benefit to the Ferrer family. One of them was this.


    The capital city was very sugar-intensive and was able to import sugarcane at a low price due to contracts between countries, so it was able to consistently make a lot of profits.


    That moment, the owner came with arge tray full of food in one hand. Because of his huge size, a tray as big as a table looked just right for him.


    He firstid down a bowl of stew in front of Sienna. A number of ingredients, which had been cut in small pieces, were mixed in a white cream soup, with a savory aroma of butter stimting the appetite. He said, putting down the hard-looking rye bread.


    ¡°If you rip this bread and eat it with a stew, it would be amazing. The surface is hard, but it¡¯s very moist inside, so it¡¯ll be fine. Ah! And this is yogurt. The apricots are very sweet.¡±


    He put down the food one by one, apanied by an exnation. Next, the owner put the thick, crispymb in front of Carl and said bon appetit.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal. Oh, I have a question.¡±


    Sienna caught the owner trying to turn around.


    ¡°Ask anything. I¡¯ll answer everything I can. Especially, I know everything about the market. What¡¯s good, what¡¯s cheap.¡±


    Said the owner, looking at Sienna with a pleased look. He seemed to like talking.


    ¡°You said sugar is the price of gold.¡±


    ¡°Aha, sugar? You really wanted to eat a lot of sweets. The price is one thing, but it¡¯s not going to be avable in the market... It¡¯s expensive, but how about honey? I know a merchant, so I can ask him to sell it in small portions.¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t want him to get distracted, so he asked again.


    ¡°How long has it been since sugar was off the market?¡±


    ¡°Not that long actually. A little over a month? Since I¡¯m doing business, I¡¯m sensitive to this kind of thing. The sugar dealer said they haven¡¯t had sugar in a month. Not just one ce, every store said the same thing. This happens when a boat carrying sugar turns over once every few years. Usually, this kind of thing gets solved in two weeks when the next shipes in, but this time it¡¯s hard to see sugar in the market for over a month. I would need sugar by next week...¡±


    The owner went to receive other guests who came in.


    ¡°That¡¯s suspicious.¡±

 Chapter 204: Live to Sienna Pt.204

    <h4>Chapter 204: Live to Sienna Pt.204</h4>


    ¡°It is. And one month... the timing is suspicious, too.¡±


    Sienna nodded and took a spoonful of the yogurt. A sweet fragrance of apricots along with sweet and sour taste filled her mouth.


    ¡°Ahh, this is really good!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d it suits your taste.¡±


    Carl watched happily as Sienna ate.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s so good, why don¡¯t you have some soup first? You might lose your appetite if you have the dessert first.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s only a few spoonfuls.¡±


    Sienna finished her yogurt in no time. Then she tasted the soup.


    ¡°Oh! The stew is amazing too. Really rich. The meat is tender. Carl, you should eat too. This owner isn¡¯t too bad at cooking!¡±


    Carlughed at Sienna¡¯s praises and lifted his fork.


    After they had finished dining, they went to look around the market. It was to check if there was actually a supply issue with sugar.


    Turns out, just as the storeowner said, sugar supply was cut off for a long time. When asked for the reason, even the merchants had no idea what was causing the issue. They all said that the sugar suppliers didn¡¯t have sugar right now.


    ¡°We should go back to the pce and find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna pointed to one store and added.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Green Merchants Association. How about we ask there? Since it¡¯s an issue in the market, wouldn¡¯t the association have better information behind it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s stop by since we¡¯re already here.¡±


    There were sacks in front of the store full of grains. After the wheat shortage incident, the Green Merchants became the new supplier of grain in the market.


    There were many people who looked like merchants hanging out in front of the store. The two entered through the narrow entrance.


    Since it was located right in the middle of the capital, it was full of crowds. Through them, Carl and Sienna could see Aunt Kelly¡¯s foster child, Jane. Her luscious brown hair was tied up and she was working hard among the merchants.


    ¡°She must be busy.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little bit.¡±


    Carl and Sienna didn¡¯t want to interrupt Jane, so they stood at a corner of the store until she was finished.


    ¡°Please check the wheat status in the southern part of the country and, as I told you before, make sure if there is anynd at a reasonable price because we need to secure a warehouse on the way up from the southern part.¡±


    Only after she gave orders one by one did the merchants leave their seats. Only then did Jane realize that Sienna and Carl hade and became surprised at the unexpected appearance of the two. But she soon regained herposure and bowed to Sienna and Carl lightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Why don¡¯t youe inside and have a seat?¡±


    She led the two to a quiet ce, conscious of the merchants going in and out of the shop. The walls there, located in the basement, were full of papers and a table was ced in the middle. It was like a ce to keep important documents that should not go outside.


    Jane greeted Carl and Sienna politely as soon as she led the two underground.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite, we came out quietly.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Jane said with a soft smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s underground, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the sound leaking out.¡±


    Carl and Sienna sat on a chair at the table, guided by Jane.


    ¡°Jane, you look like the real boss of the store. I heard from Aunt Kelly that the size of the store has grown since you started working.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Your Majesty, after the issue with the Southern Merchants. We¡¯ve been able to take control of the grain market, which has enabled us to grow rapidly.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why is that thanks to me? It¡¯s all Lady Jane¡¯s ability.¡±


    Sienna was amazed at Jane¡¯s performance. Of course, the Green Merchants were growing several timesrger than they were in the past, even though it grew extraordinarily in the past before her return, too.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you something.¡±


    Jane answered Carl calmly.


    ¡°Yes, please ask anything. I will answer anything I can.¡±


    ¡°While we were shopping today we heard that it became very difficult to get sugar.¡±


    Jane opened her mouth after much consideration at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°I was wondering if I should report it.¡±


    She said she found out about two weeks ago that sugar was not being released in the market. Although the items mainly handled by the Green Merchants were precious metals and grains, they recognized the situation of sugar supply and demand faster than anyone else, as the Green Merchants were keen on the information.


    ¡°At first, I sent someone to see if there was a problem with the storage of sugarcane. The storage of sugarcane thates in twice a month was empty. So I checked the ship¡¯s departure because I thought there might be a problem with the ship. Every time the ship was supposed to leave, it made the exact departure, and it came back safely on time.¡±


    ¡°If the ship had set sail on time...maybe there was something else on the ship that wasn¡¯t sugar cane.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to confirm exactly what¡¯sing in. Security around ships and warehouses has been tightened recently. But we found something interesting.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I checked the ship¡¯s route and found it docked at the shore of the Ferrer Territory for a day before it arrived at Heintree Port near the capital. In the case of the Ferrer¡¯s port, the water is not deep enough for the ship to anchor, so arge ship can¡¯t reach it, but it is enough to transfer materials.¡±


    ¡°If the warehouse at the harbor of Heintree was empty, they would have dropped it off at the Ferrer¡¯s port. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not sugar cane.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The air in the room became heavy. Carl and Sienna exchanged nces with many meanings.


    *


    Sienna went on her overdue outing to meet the children of the temple, but it was not a pleasant day. She was living through a time of darkness.


    ¡°They will have to have an uprising. It¡¯s just a matter of timing.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s calm words, Sienna was troubled. She thought it would help a little bit if Carl knew about the situation in which Arya revolted in the past.


    ¡°Arya... no, when Count Ferrer revolts, wouldn¡¯t he be aiming for the imperial banquet hall? The nobles at the imperial banquet are not allowed to carry weapons, so they will be able to get rid of the nobles who have not joined hands with them.¡±


    Carl answered Sienna positively.


    ¡°That could be a good tactic. Arya and Bluebell can be involved in the preparation, so they can hide the weapons in the banquet hall in advance, disguise the knights as servants, and nt them in the banquet hall.¡±


    Sienna swept down her arm with goosebumps. Years after her return, she got goosebumps when she thought of the scene of the terrible ughter, full of blood at that time. There was also a fear that the child in her could not survive the scene.


    When Carl saw Sienna, with a serious face, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ve already expected this and I¡¯m fully prepared. First of all, I¡¯ve got rid of arge number of the spies that Arya nted, and all the imperial knights are under my control. If Arya and Ferrer are preparing something, we can easily subdue it.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna tried to shake off her anxious feelings and nodded.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be good for the child for me to be anxious, so I¡¯ll take it easy. If it¡¯s going to happen, it¡¯s going to happen anyway...¡±


    If they were not prepared, it would be dangerous, but Carl was already preparing, knowing that they are going to rebel. It still won¡¯t be easy.


    ¡°By the way, I think Sharillo is really nice.¡±


    ¡°...what do you mean all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°The doctor says sometimes it¡¯s hard for the mother to eat because of her child. Mothers can feel nauseous, dizzy or lethargic, but he doesn¡¯t seem to bother you.¡±


    As Carl brought up Sharillo with an affectionate attitude, Sienna, who became instantly tender-hearted, replied with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t even have morning sickness. I heard that if you have severe morning sickness, you vomit even when you drink water. I¡¯m worried I¡¯m eating too much, let alone morning sickness. I eat nonstop.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to eat well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just good! I might end up eating all the food in the imperial pce.¡±


    Sienna was still munching on snacks that Hain had brought. She hadn¡¯t had a pause in thest few days. At this rate, she even thought that she might eat up all the food in the imperial family.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, not only all the food of the Imperial City but even if you eat the Imperial City itself. No, it¡¯s okay to eat the whole empire. If that¡¯s not enough, I will conquer another country so that you won¡¯t be hungry.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna imagined herself eating up the Imperial City and the Empire.

 Chapter 205: Live to Sienna Pt.205

    <h4>Chapter 205: Live to Sienna Pt.205</h4>


    ¡°Eating an empire! I feel like I¡¯ve be a big dragon. That¡¯s going to be a little creepy.¡±


    ¡°Why? It sounds pretty cute. A red dragon devouring the empire.¡±


    Sienna said disgustedly, imagining it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cute at all. Oh! Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t dream at all when I conceived Sharillo.¡±


    ¡°Dream?¡±


    Carl asked back with a curious look.


    ¡°I mean the conception dream. I heard that the mother herself or the people around her usually have strange dreams before conceiving children. Like seeing a blind rainbow, holding a dragon in your arms, or holding a bunch of jewel-like fruits in your arms. It can be a boy or a girl.¡±


    Carl said with a look of wonder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this before¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is it a story that onlyes down from Heidel? Chelsea, my nanny, is the only midwife in Heidel. If anyone has a child, she would ask them whether they ever had a conception dream. Chelsea guesses the gender of a child who is going to be born after hearing about a strange or memorable dream.¡±


    ¡°Amazing. Is the midwife a prophet?¡±


    ¡°Haha, nonsense. She probably just guessed the gender depending on the dream¡¯s characteristics. But I don¡¯t have any dreams. I guess I¡¯m falling asleep too deeply.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl looked troubled and asked back.


    ¡°That strange dream...a conception dream. Does it include a monster... like a Kraken living in a sea that is generally treated as a kind simr to a giant octopus or squid?¡±


    Sienna asked back, ¡°Kraken?¡±


    Kraken was a top-tier monster in the ocean, a creature with countless legs. The size is immense ¨C one leg was the size of arge ship¡¯s sail. It was nicknamed the Dragon of the Sea because it lives in the deep sea and sometimes attacks passing ships to scare sailors.


    A conception dream was bound to involve beautiful and bizarre things, but he¡¯s asking for creepy sea creatures.


    ¡°Why? Did you dream of Krakening out? When?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s been a while. But I still remember my dream clearly...¡±


    ¡°What kind of dream was it? Tell me!¡±


    Although a Kraken was not quite pleasant, Sienna urged him to tell her the dream that could possibly be a conception dream. Carl broached it.


    ¡°In my dream, I was sitting on the beach with you. I felt very peaceful. I usually hate the salt-soaked beach, but it was nice because it was a dream. The sandy beach, which seemed to be full of sunlight, was also pleasant. Then suddenly, a big ship came in from beyond the sea. It was a huge warship.¡±


    ¡°Which country¡¯s warship was it?¡±


    ¡°Well... I am not sure because there was no sign, but at least it wasn¡¯t our warship. I was hostile to the ship. But then there was a big water storm in the sea. At first, I thought it was a tidal wave, but it wasn¡¯t. A bridge as big as a pir of the imperial pce stretched out from the sea.¡±


    ¡°That was a Kraken!¡±


    Sienna fell into an exciting story.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, a Kraken. It was the size I¡¯ve never seen in my life. And then the Kraken immediately wrapped the ship with so many legs. The big sail of the warship was broken and the people in the ship jumped into the sea in fear. Eventually, the warship lost its fighting power.¡±


    ¡°And then what? What happened?¡±


    ¡°The Kraken came up to me with that ship in its hand.¡±


    ¡°To you? The Kraken attacked you?¡±


    Sienna was worried that the Kraken might have hurt Carl even though it was just a dream. She had never seen a Kraken in person, but the prestige of the sea monster gave Sienna a sense of fear.


    ¡°No. He brought me that big warship. And then, strangely enough, it jumped into your arms.¡±


    ¡°The Kraken that was carrying that big warship? That big thing fell into my arms?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t quite understand it either, but the Kraken was held in your arms like a child.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Kraken is in my arms...¡±


    Sienna got tired of imagining Carl¡¯s dream. Carl said, amused by her reaction.


    ¡°This is the conception dream, right? It¡¯s definitely weird, and it¡¯s a vivid dream even after a long time.¡±


    ¡°...I think so.¡±


    The Kraken, though nasty, certainly felt like a conception dream.


    ¡°Then will our child resemble the Kraken?¡±


    Thinking of a child with a Kraken head resembling an octopus, Sienna shook her head and said.


    ¡°Dreaming about fruits doesn¡¯t mean a child with a fruit head will be born. Wouldn¡¯t my child grow up to be a child who controls the sea? Biting off warships from other countries!¡±


    It was quite a grand conception in that way. A dream of Kraken known as the Dragon of the Sea.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good idea. After I have stabilized the foundation of the Empire, my child can spread out further into the sea. But you said earlier that you can guess whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl from a conception dream. So what¡¯s the gender of Sharillo?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you want a boy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a girl or a boy.¡±


    Sienna shook her hand at Carl¡¯s words and said, ¡°Well, don¡¯t you still want the first child to be a boy? You want him to be a sessor.¡±


    Carl shook his head at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, even if she¡¯s a girl. If the child wanted to, I¡¯d hand over the Leipsden Empire.¡±


    Carl spoke with a face full of confidence. If there was anyone who opposed Sharillo¡¯s rise to the throne because she was a woman, he was willing not to let them get away. Sienna was deeply grateful for Carl¡¯s response.


    ¡°I think it would be pretty cool. If the first empress of Leipsden rules the sea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be wonderful.¡±


    The two smiled happily, portraying the future of a child not yet born.


    *


    Sienna weed a delightful guest after a long time. It was Jamie, her brother. He, who followed Marquise Marie, visited the Imperial Pce to meet Sienna.


    ¡°I hereby visit Her Majesty Sienna.¡±


    Jamie greeted Sienna with a graceful gesture. Before leaving the capital city, he had been burdened with even using honorifics to Sienna, but now greeting with courtesy was unbelievably natural.


    Sienna ran to Jamie, unable to conceal her joy.


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    ¡°Oops! You should not run so carelessly!¡±


    Jamie greeted Sienna with a wink and open arms. He held his sister in his arms and whispered, ¡°Something¡¯s definitely different from before. It feels like there¡¯s one more person between you and me holding you like this.¡±


    Sienna said with a punch in Jamie¡¯s chest, teasing him.


    ¡°What?! After a long time, are you making fun of me as soon as you see me?¡±


    ¡°Oops! It was a joke. By the way, I feel weird. The tearful little girl has grown up like this and already has a child in her belly.¡±


    ¡°I know. I feel weird, too. By the way, what are you doing in the pce? Shouldn¡¯t you be working hard as the knight in Marie¡¯s estate?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Heidel was also framed for your treason. I was wondering what kind of ridiculous rumor was spreading and ran here like crazy when I heard you were taken to jail.¡±


    Sienna asked back, thrilled to hear that Jamie was worried about her and ran here from that distance.


    ¡°Jamie, does our father know about it, too?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I had to spend a few more days trying to stop him because he insisted on bringing down the knights here and proving your innocence.¡±


    ¡°If he did, I would have been in bigger trouble because we would be mistaken for trying to create a real rebellion.¡±


    ¡°I know. He insisted that if the users looked at his honorable posture and truthful eyes, they would know he was innocent... it really drove me crazy.¡±


    ¡®Believe his innocence if they see his eyes...?¡¯


    Sienna couldn¡¯t believe her father, called the Spear of the North, made such a stupid argument. When Jamie saw Sienna smiling, he sighed and said, ¡°You areughing now, but I really thought I was going crazy. I even thought my father might have gotten dementia. You know how stubborn he can get. He was being stubborn and ming me for something ridiculous. I was so worried, but my father actually calmed me down. I couldn¡¯t make it out of Heidel until I told my father that I¡¯d sneak into the Imperial City and rescue you if you were in danger.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re toote for that, aren¡¯t you? The work was done at once.¡±


    ¡°You know how far away Heidel is. When I heard that you were falsely used, I went through a few viges insanely, and apparently that incident was already fifteen days old. Turns out it was after everything was over when the news came to Heidel.¡±


    Sienna nodded. Even if it reached fifteen days, the news was delivered earlier than usual because Sienna was from Heidel.

 Chapter 206: Live to Sienna Pt.206

    <h4>Chapter 206: Live to Sienna Pt.206</h4>


    ¡°But after passing a few territories, I hear this time that you have a child of the Emperor. Every time I passed through the vige, your news changed, and I was confused about what was real.¡±


    They were all real, but he must have been confused and suspicious by the news of the sudden change here.


    Sienna smiled andforted Jamie. It was all in the past. After a while, it all felt like a small event tough off.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright now.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m d you look all right, but I think the imperial pce is a dangerous ce as expected. Why don¡¯t you just...¡±


    Jamie stopped talking and looked up at the door. This was because he sensed a familiar sound over the door.


    ¡°As expected, Lord Waters knows.¡±


    The door opened and Carl entered. Jamie bowed to Carl as soon as he entered the room.


    ¡°Jamie Waters of Heidel greets His Majesty the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Keep the greeting aside. Why not just finish what you were about to say a little earlier l. I wonder what you were trying to tell Sienna.¡±


    ¡°I was going to say we should go back home because it¡¯s a dangerous ce here.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words, Carl opened his eyes wide and soon burst intoughter. Sienna was concerned about her brother¡¯s fearless remarks.


    ¡°You¡¯re really funny siblings. You two are so simr in being able to speak your honest thoughts in front of me without fear.¡±


    In fact, Jamie rolled his eyes because he didn¡¯t understand why Carl burst outughing. Carl, who wasughing out loud, soon erased hisughter and said to Jamie with a cold face.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you really a fearless man? How dare you say that in front of me, the emperor.¡±


    Jamie, too, raised his momentum and replied.


    ¡°My father said that there is no such thing as a man who cannot protect his own wife. Those things are worse than trifle.¡±


    Jamie used Carl of being an idiot who couldn¡¯t even protect his wife.


    ¡°If the Emperor can¡¯t protect Sienna, I will take her. It¡¯s no use taking out a knife to cut my throat. You march towards Heidel, but I will not change my mind. It¡¯s not just my idea, it¡¯s my father, the Duke of Howard Waters, and it¡¯s Heidel¡¯s idea.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words, Carl softened his temper.


    There was nothing wrong with what he said. After marrying Carl, Sienna has been through a lot. It was definitely Carl¡¯s fault.


    ¡°In the meantime, I apologize for not keeping Sienna safe. But I will never put her in danger from now on. Because Sienna is my empress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe you because you say so. Please take care of Sienna.¡±


    ¡°I will. I¡¯d also like to ask you a favor.¡±


    ¡°Please go on.¡±


    Their voices have be incredibly friendly, despite having been spouting sharp energy from each other. Carl or Jamie had favorable impressions of each other, even if not through Sienna. This is because they recognize each other¡¯s swordsmanship skills.


    ¡°I want you to stop calling my empress by name and show her manners. She may have been your sister Sienna Waters, but now she is the mistress of the Leipsden Empire and my empress. You should not be calling her name carelessly.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s face turned red at Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was so excited to see her. From now on, I will do my best for the Empress.¡±


    ¡°I knew before that you¡¯re not used to imperial etiquette. So I didn¡¯t me you too much before. But the imperial family has a lot of eyes and ears, so please be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Carl sat down and offered Jamie the opposite seat. Jamie naturally felt at ease when he saw Carl passing by the seat of honor and sitting next to Sienna. I¡¯ll protect Sienna. His word of promise became more believable.


    ¡°By the way, why were you in Heidel, not in Marie¡¯s estate?¡±


    Carl warned Jamie that he couldn¡¯t speakfortably, so Sienna also said with care.


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the House of Panacio.¡±


    ¡°The House of Panacio?¡±


    Carl was interested as the story of the family of Empress Arya came out.


    ¡°Empress Arya has been putting pressure on the Marquis of Methena to lend her the knights and the soldiers temporarily. There¡¯s no war or no monster ughter, so I am not sure why she needs soldiers...¡±


    Sienna and Carl didn¡¯t react much because they had already anticipated Count Ferrer¡¯s preparations for the rebellion.


    ¡°Marie is... No, the Marquis Methena wanted to escape the influence for good. She thinks that if she gives away the Knights as Panacio wants, she will never get away from their influence. So she is staying with me in Heidel, leaving behind the minimal amount of soldiers and knights on thend.¡±


    Jamie looked at Carl and added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand that Marquis Methena and I have turned a blind eye to the locals. It¡¯s a new town, so Heidel is the only neighborhood. It¡¯s not the time for monsters to appear. Rather, thend is safe because Heidel is holding down monsters. Of course, we¡¯ve entrusted limited lordship to a good manager, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. When the Panacio family gets quiet, I¡¯ll stop training the soldiers and go back.¡±


    Jamie seemed unable to conceive that the reason the Panacio family demanded the knights was for rebellion. It wasn¡¯t because he was stupid. This is because the weight of treason was so great.


    ¡°I heard Lord Delhi Panacio followed you to the territory.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Delhi.¡±


    Jamiefortably called his name.


    ¡°He initially followed us because he was worried about his bloodline, Methena. Then he asked me to teach him while staying, so I¡¯m training him with the knights. He has such a good temperament that he is learning with great enthusiasm. Maybe in a few years, he¡¯ll be able to be a useful knight, not just a knight by name. In fact, I asked him what it was like to be a substitute lord while he was on his way to Heidel, and he said he couldn¡¯t ovee the pressure of the Panacio family, so he gave the task to another person.¡±


    ¡°It would be good for Lord Delhi to have years of knight training there.¡±


    Carl meant he¡¯d better not join the rebellion, but Jamie replied with a bright smile, unable to grasp the hidden meaning.


    ¡°He¡¯s already working hard on his training without answering his family¡¯s call.¡±


    Carl nodded with a smile. It didn¡¯t matter if Delhi was in trouble for joining the rebellion because Carl didn¡¯t really share affection with Delhi. But Carl only advised Jamie because Jamie seemed to have a close rtionship with Delhi.


    Jamie showed great interest in the child in Sienna¡¯s belly.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, is it a boy or a girl?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know until I give birth.¡±


    ¡°I like either a girl or a boy. If only it were born healthy.¡±


    Jamie took Carl¡¯s word.


    ¡°If it¡¯s ady like the Empress, she¡¯ll be very cute. Sienna...oh I mean the Empress was adorable when she was a child. You were really dainty and lovely.¡±


    When Jamie told Sienna¡¯s childhood story, Carl became interested and listened to him.


    ¡°You know how cold it is in the North, don¡¯t you? Since snow doesn¡¯t melt even in summer, we wear thick leather fur clothes that are nothing like the clothes you wear here. Her Majesty used to wear a white rabbit-haired cape all the time, but because she wore so much, it was hard to tell whether she was wearing clothes ovepped or she was stacked in it. She looked like a snowman.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m sensitive to cold, it¡¯s that Heidel has a ridiculous temperature.¡±


    Jamie continued, ignoring Sienna¡¯sining little words.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cute how a white-faced girl blushes her cheeks red and pouts her lips just because it¡¯s cold. Even so, she didn¡¯t give up her dress, so I thought it was different because she was a woman. She insisted on wearing a dress even though it was flipped over by the bitter wind, so the nanny had to make her wearyers of underwear.¡±


    Carl nodded.


    ¡°I think that stubbornness still lingers.¡±


    ¡°Right? Her stubbornness is like a string of iron that even my father can¡¯t resist. Even the stubbornness is lovely.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit that.¡±


    Sienna was embarrassed when the two men were discussing that she was cute or lovely with her right there in the middle. She felt like she was getting goosebumps, so she was about to pat her arms and tell them to stop. Then Jamie said with a pretty serious face.


    ¡°So I want the baby to be a princess, not a prince, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the prince.¡±


    Carl asked Jamie with a curious look.


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    ¡°I heard a strange dream from my father before I left here.¡±


    ¡°Dream? Oh, you mean a conception dream?¡±


    Carl asked with a curious look since he just talked about his conception dream with Sienna not long ago.


    ¡°My father said that in his dream, the Empress had climbed the mountain of Heidel in her child form. It¡¯s a mountain full of snow that even monsters, let alone humans, don¡¯te around. That¡¯s in barefoot, too. My father was worried about her, so he called out the Empress¡¯ name and followed her. But the Empress reached the top of the mountain at an absurdly fast pace.¡±


    Carl, as well as Sienna, listened to this dream with a serious face.


    ¡°But the clear sky was covered with darkness, and thousands of lightning struck the ground. Just when you couldn¡¯t see through the roar and the re, Her Majesty scolded the sky.¡±


    ¡°The sky?¡±


    ¡°Noisy, you heaven! All living things in the sea and on the earth, worship quietly. A man who will rule you wille down. That¡¯s what she said.¡±

 Chapter 207: Live to Sienna Pt.207

    <h4>Chapter 207: Live to Sienna Pt.207</h4>


    It was a very grand and arrogant remark. It was something a mere man should not say to heaven, earth, and the sea.


    ¡°Then a blue dragon, too big to even guess its size, came down from the sky and jumped into the arms of the empress. My father then woke up from the dream, screaming at that wonderful sight. Listening to this story, I thought it was a conception dream. Besides, Chelsea, who heard this story... Oh, Chelsea is the nanny of the Empress and I.¡±


    Carl replied, nodding his head at Jamie¡¯s words.


    ¡°I know. She¡¯s Heidel¡¯s midwife who can predict the sex of a child from the conception dream, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is.¡±


    ¡°So what? He¡¯s a boy? She¡¯s a girl?¡±


    When Sienna asked, Jamie smiled and said, ¡°Chelsea says it¡¯s a boy. Usually, when a dragones out in your dream, most people say it¡¯s a boy.¡±


    Sienna and Carl nodded dly at Jamie¡¯s words. The grand conception of the child, apart from the sex of the child, seemed to indicate that Sharillo was sure to grow up to be a great person.


    ¡°By the way, I guess the dream you had wasn¡¯t a conception dream. Well, the Kraken is indeed too strange for a conception dream¡±


    ¡°The dream was so clear though...and Kraken is the Dragon of the Sea. If you think about the meaning, it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°Kraken?¡±


    Jamie, who didn¡¯t understand the conversation between the two, asked back. Sienna told him about Carl¡¯s dream.


    ¡°It¡¯s as great a dream as my father¡¯s. Kraken to bring a warship...¡±


    ¡°Whatever dream you¡¯re dreaming of, Sharillo must be a great kid.¡±


    Agreeing to Carl¡¯s affirmation, Jamie came up with an unexpected idea.


    ¡°By the way, both dreams are so much like conception dreams...maybe there are two imperial grandchildren?¡±


    ¡°Two imperial grandchildren?¡±


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s notmon, but sometimes twins are born.¡±


    ¡°Well... there¡¯s been a case. Where twins were born previously.¡±


    At Carl and Jamie¡¯s words, Sienna said, pointing to her belly.


    ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? Twins. That¡¯s too rare.¡±


    Sienna was wondering if it was possible.


    Roy didn¡¯t add the word twins when he informed her of her pregnancy. In the Holy Empire, it was said that priests would not deliver the parents information such as a child¡¯s gender because they should be fully pleased regardless of the variables at birth, but it was not known whether Roy also did so.


    Jamie said with a disappointed look at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°Well... true. Ah! So then it must have been the conception dream for the Second Empress, not the dream for the first Empress. I heard on the way here that the Second Empress had her baby, too...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl and Sienna kept silent at his words.


    The two have yet to inform the outside world that Bluebell was not pregnant. That¡¯s because if Carl denies Bluebell¡¯s pregnancy, it could be seen as falsely plotting to persecute Bluebell and the Ferrer family. On one hand, Carl was also giving Bluebell the opportunity to tell the truth herself. Sienna wanted to give Bluebell the opportunity until the uing Holy Day celebrations.


    Of course, Carl was more than willing to wait and see how Count Ferrer would react when he learned of Bluebell¡¯s false pregnancy. If he came to ask for forgiveness and took his daughter away, Carl might give her another chance, but if Count Ferrer prepared for the rebellion, his family would be cleaned up. Eventually, the situation was getting close to thetter.


    Jamie looked puzzled as he thought he shouldn¡¯t have said anything about that. Sienna asked about her father¡¯s regards to change the subject.


    ¡°How¡¯s our father? Is he well?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not just fine, but he¡¯s too hale and healthy. If the baby was born, he would run out of thend right away toe here and teach the baby swordsmanship himself.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. I can¡¯t even imagine my father leaving Heidel.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know your father very well. Your Majesty, he¡¯s so proud of your majesty that while he seems so gentle in front of your Majesty, he talks about you all the time. You don¡¯t know how much lectures I¡¯ve been hearing these days. He wants me to get married and inherit the estate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because Lord Waters is of marital age. I told you to look for a bride when you stayed in the Imperial City. It¡¯s not toote now. Find apanion while you are here. Let me help you. Your Majesty, will you help me?¡±


    Sienna asked Carl. Carl looked at Jamie¡¯s embarrassed face and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna help me? Is it burdensome that my father is staying in the capital?¡±


    ¡°No. If Heidel¡¯s spear would be the spear to protect the imperial family, I¡¯d wee it with open arms. I was saying, you don¡¯t have to introduce a bride to Lord Waters when he doesn¡¯t feel like it. It¡¯s just embarrassing for them if we force them to introduce each other.¡±


    As if to agree with Carl, Jamie scratched his cheek and smiled.


    ¡°What does that mean? Lord Waters, you are not saying you don¡¯t want to get married?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it yet. I don¡¯t want to get married right now.¡±


    Sienna frowned at his words. The only heir to the Waters family has no intention of marriage. Moreover,pared to the average age of marriage, he was alreadyte. Sienna was worried that the Waters¡¯ blood would die with him.


    ¡°But Lord Waters...¡±


    Jamie stood up as Sienna tried to tell him that he needed a marriage even if he didn¡¯t want it.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s toote. As soon as I arrived, I came in the presence of your Majesty so I couldn¡¯t even greet Aunt Kelly properly. I have to go back now.¡±


    He fled in a hurry, feeling pressured or burdened by marriage.


    ¡°Why is he saying he doesn¡¯t want to get married?¡±


    After Jamie disappeared in a sh, Sienna sighed deeply. Carl said, patting her stomach carefully.


    ¡°Looks like he already has someone in mind.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna looked surprised.


    ¡°What? Where could he possibly meet a girl? He may if he were in the capital city. But there¡¯s no woman in Heidel who¡¯s of the age to get married.¡±


    ¡°Why would you think that? There¡¯s Marquis Methena. Marie Methena.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna became a nk face for a moment. Because she¡¯s never imagined that Jamie had her in mind. She was the wife of former emperor Valore.


    Of course, she knew that when Jamie entered the Imperial Pce and saw Marie, he became quite fond of her. But she thought he simply had a good feeling for Marie¡¯s beauty, not feeling love for a woman.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been suspecting it since Lord Waters told me he¡¯d follow Methena, but I became sure with today¡¯s reaction. He couldn¡¯t have easily confessed his feelings to her because she was married to Valore. But he can¡¯t marry someone else while having her in mind, so he¡¯s probably using the excuse that he doesn¡¯t want to get married.¡±


    Sienna said with a deep sigh.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m worried.¡±


    Carl asked again with a curious look at Sienna¡¯s response, which seemed to be deeply troubled.


    ¡°Why? Are you going to oppose it if the two want to get married?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not satisfying. For Marie, it¡¯d be a remarriage. But she¡¯s also an ideal wife. Marie has a warm heart and is a beautiful and wise person. But will Marie ept my brother¡¯s heart? Frankly, Jamie is not as good as Marie.¡±


    Sienna was careful to look down on her brother in front of Carl, but she confessed honestly out of frustration.


    ¡°He is the sessor, but Heidel is a northern territory with just monsters and snow. It¡¯s not as good as what others think. He has good looks, but he¡¯s also ignorant of manners. Would Marie, who¡¯s been in the pce for a long time, be happy with my brother?¡±


    Replied Carl, shaking his head at Sienna¡¯s worried words.


    ¡°You¡¯re too harsh on your brother. Lord Waters is a man with everything. Even if he¡¯s young, he¡¯s reached the expert level. And although Heidel has been called a corner territory in the North, it is thergest territory in the Leipsden Empire. It has thergest number of soldiers, and there are no limits as to how many knights the lord can have. It¡¯s never the worst ce.¡±


    It was due to the local nature that attracts many invasions of monsters. In the case of other territories, there was a limited number of soldiers and knights that could be held ording to the position of the lord.


    But it wasn¡¯t always good. It was and that could not be lived without military power, and an astronomical amount of money was being spent to maintain many soldiers. The Waters family can¡¯t afford luxury even though monster byproducts were never cheap because it costs a lot of money to maintain the military.


    ¡°Lord Waters is the only heir to the Duke of Waters, no matter what anyone says. Also, isn¡¯t Lord Waters¡¯ look one of the best in the capital city? Sienna, it¡¯s just that you don¡¯t see it well because he¡¯s your brother. I¡¯ve heard that there were quite a few women who became lovesick with him while he was staying in the capital.¡±


    Sienna looked at Carl with a startled look at his praise for Jamie, which came out ceaselessly without a breath. It made her feel very good to hearpliments about her own flesh and blood.


    Jamie was a nice person even to herself. However, it was because Marie was such a great person.


    Marie was the empress of the Leipsden Empire, and she alone had a castle called Methena and was the owner of a territory. Also, her beauty was so famous that it didn¡¯t need further description.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such a good feeling about my brother.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s your blood that makes him feel friendly, but even if he¡¯s not, Lord Waters is a fine guy. I especially like that honest and confident personality. If he weren¡¯t Waters¡¯ only heir, I¡¯d be greedy. I would keep him by my side.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing for my brother.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Thinking about Chancellor Pavenik¡¯s face bing saggy every time I see him, I¡¯m so d that Jamie is the only heir to the Waters family. If he had worked with you, he would have had to work so hard that he would lose his handsomeness.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carlughed and made excuses.


    ¡°Everyone else is fine. Pavenik, he¡¯s bluffing.¡±


    ¡°I think Pavenik would be upset to hear that. By the way, it¡¯s a big deal. Under the circumstances, my brother can¡¯t easily confess or open his heart to Marie. He¡¯s not going to die alone forever, will he?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have some drinks with Lord Waters. I gave her the title of Methena and the title of the Marquis, in consideration of her being able to live as she pleases. It means even if she remarries, the imperial family won¡¯t get involved. We can¡¯t force them to marry, but at least Lord Waters can be brave.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Sienna smiled pleasantly at Carl¡¯s consideration.

 Chapter 208: Live to Sienna Pt.208

    <h4>Chapter 208: Live to Sienna Pt.208</h4>


    Ahead of the big event, Arya asked Castro to help her prepare eighty expert-level knights.


    In fact, the Castro empireined to Arya when spies nted in Leipsden were executed in the process of clearing up Arya¡¯s case. On top of that, she demanded as many as 80 knights, so the Castro empire refused at first, calling it a ridiculous demand. But in the end, as she expected, they decided to send the knights.


    It wasn¡¯t just because Arya offered to hand over considerablend and interests after the event.


    Castro had already fought a war with Carl. And as a result of the war, the army led by Carl hade right up to Castro¡¯s capital, or the country¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple. Carl was called ¡®the one loved by the God of War¡¯ for a reason.


    They knew they couldn¡¯t face Carl in an all-out war. The value of the eighty expert-knights was enormous, but the sacrifice was rtively light if they seeded in removing Carl from the Leipsden Empire. They thought it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to deal with the centerless Leipsden Empire where Carl was not part of.


    Of course, even without Carl, the national power of the Leipsden Empire would still be strong, but the story would be different if Arya ruled the empire with a young emperor.


    Arya also knew that Castro had decided to support herself with such interests. She knew it was time to pay more than ever. Now, it was necessary to act so.


    ¡°Yes, have you found the mothers?¡±


    Arya asked the maid in a low voice. After Carl took away the knights she had nted and filled the door with royal knights, everything had to be done cautiously.


    But this life was close to an end. If this n was sessful, she doesn¡¯t have to worry about anyone. She would sit on the throne with a scarecrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to find people with olive eyes. I¡¯m trying to find out as much as I can, but even if I¡¯m looking for a mother with olive eyes, I can¡¯t guarantee the color of the kids¡¯ eyes.¡±


    Olive-colored eyes and golden hair were rare enough to be a symbol of the Imperial House of Leipsden.


    ¡°Such a fool! Then you should find a child who looks like the second empress!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... ... silver hair isn¡¯tmon either...¡±


    Arya wanted to raise her voice and admonish her maid with a whip. The only thing that¡¯s left was this idiot! She said with a gnarled tooth.


    ¡°Okay, any color of hair and eyes are fine. Sometimes children who don¡¯t look like their parents are born! But those involved should keep their mouths shut, forever!¡±


    Arya didn¡¯t want to mess things up again because of those light-mouthed like Bronis.


    ¡°Whatever the hair color or whatever the eye color! It¡¯s the only bloodline of the imperial family that¡¯s left, and who¡¯s going to raise the issue?¡±


    Aryaughed with joy at the mere thought of it. If the day came, she would wield absolute power.


    ¡°It¡¯s frustrating to stay in the pce. I¡¯m going to go find out how the second Empress is doing with the prince she holds. Let them know that I¡¯lle and visit Empress Bluebell.¡±


    Arya stood up from her seat, ready to step out.


    The empress¡¯ pce, which did not pull the curtains, was dim with no light. Even the windows were not open well, so the interior of the castle smells stale and gloomy. Whenever the maids tried to open the window or close the curtains, the owner of the pce began to yell. The atmosphere of the empress¡¯ residence was like a deserted house.


    Bluebell, the owner of the empress pce, was hanging on the sofa in the living room, closing her eyes. The maids held their breath and stayed away from her.


    They found their owner acting strange, but they couldn¡¯t find a solution. After her beloved nanny died, Bluebell¡¯s personality turned violent. No, it seemed that she¡¯s been entric since she got pregnant.


    One of the maids, who was worried that it might be because of a problem with Bluebell¡¯s baby, called in a physician but was severely beaten by Bluebell, and she quit her job. Since then, no one has stopped Bluebell from doing anything.


    A maid approached Bluebell with a frustrated face. There was a cold sweat all over her neck, even though she was merely passing words to her master.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress.¡±


    The maid called her master carefully. Nevertheless, Bluebell did not respond.


    Believing that the master was asleep, she called her up a little more. Only after the maid called her five or six times did Bluebell stand up nervously.


    ¡°Why the hell are you being so loud! Is the castle on fire?¡±


    ¡°No, no... Empress Arya informed us that she was visiting...¡±


    Bluebell frowned at the maid¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t want to meet anyone at the moment. She was in pajamas, and she didn¡¯t even wash her face properly.


    However, she could not refuse her visit. The reason for her visit may be a serious matter.


    Eventually, she ordered the maids to clean the living room and then went into the bathroom to take a bath. As the maids took off their clothes, Bluebell put herself into the bathtub.


    There was a scent of fresh fruit. The maids filled warm water with fresh-scented fruits and flowers.


    She used to like this scent very much, but now she felt a headache. Though she wanted to change the bath bombs, there¡¯s not much time left for Arya to arrive. She ordered the maid.


    ¡°Get me a cold wine.¡±


    The maid said she would bring it straight away. Bluebell smiled bitterly at the reaction.


    ¡°If my nanny was here, she would have nagged not to drink... instead, she would bring me a warm fruit tea.¡±


    Until she entered the castle, Bluebell did not drink at all. But now she couldn¡¯t sleep without alcohol.


    Alcohol was also needed when she wasn¡¯t sleeping. She felt like she could live only after she drank a strong drink that heated her heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of Sienna that I¡¯ve be like this!¡±


    Bluebell gnashed her teeth. Sienna ruined everything. It is because of Sienna that Bluebell hase to tell a false pregnancy.


    ¡°You stole Carl from me...¡±


    Bluebell used most of the day to me Sienna. Emotions piled up every day, so she felt sick and helpless even without doing anything.


    She couldn¡¯t even call a physician for her sickness for fear of being caught that she was not pregnant. After all, all she could do was lie down all day long or spend the day under the influence of alcohol.


    She spent a lot of time in the bathroom because she had a lot of misceneous thoughts. When she came out in her gown, the maid informed me that Arya had already arrived and was drinking tea in the living room.


    Though Arya had to go back or wait outside because the pce master didn¡¯t allow her in, Bluebell didn¡¯t react much to Arya¡¯s rudeness. If Arya wasn¡¯t polite, Bluebell didn¡¯t have to be polite as well.


    Bluebell slowly chose her clothes, knowing that Arya was waiting. Her pride had already been hurt. She didn¡¯t want to look shabby in front of Arya.


    She put a lot of effort into dressing up. It wasn¡¯t until Arya¡¯s tea cooled off and the maids came back several times before Bluebell came out to the living room.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I didn¡¯t know you woulde so suddenly.¡±


    Arya¡¯s forehead was briefly frowned by Bluebell¡¯s rude speech.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to have something going on to visit you, do I? I think we are close enough to have a quiet conversation anytime.¡±


    Arya looked around and said. Bluebell made the maids go away. The only stories to share with Arya were stories that should not be leaked out. The maids working under themselves werepletely unreliable.


    After confirming that the listening ears had disappeared, Arya frowned, scanning Bluebell up and down.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your clothes?¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s face was wrinkled by Arya¡¯s attitude of pointing out the costumes.


    It was a carefully chosen dress. She chose a bright red dress to make her face look lighter, so that her pale face that had not seen the sun for a while would not catch attention. She tightened her waist with a corset and added a lot of wrinkles to make her hips look rich. Bluebell cared about even the smallest things.


    Bluebell said in an irritating voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my clothes?¡±


    ¡°The one carrying a royal baby should not wear so tight on the waist. There are many eyes inside the castle. If you act as usual, people will definitely suspect.¡±


    At Arya¡¯s point, Bluebell pouted her lips. She wanted to say something back, but Arya was right.


    Until now, Bluebell had acted as she wished in her own castle. Even though the maids were around, she changed her clothes and got drunk. Surely there are some of the maids who doubt her pregnancy.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while. Well, then you¡¯re supposed to have a bump...¡±


    Arya grabbed a cushion next to her and handed it to Bluebell.


    ¡°This should be the only way to avoid doubt.¡±


    It was just a cushion, but Bluebell felt it was hideous. If she puts that over her stomach, she¡¯d definitely look ridiculous.


    ¡°Do I have to? Some pregnant women might have no bumps.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s notmon. Moreover, wouldn¡¯t it be strange if you conceived a child before the Empress Sienna and yours isn¡¯t as full as hers? There¡¯s not much time left. Please be more careful.¡±


    ¡°...okay.¡±


    Arya squinted her eyes and asked, as Bluebell answered in an unpleasant way.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed your mind now, have you? Or you have lingering feelings about Carl?¡±


    At Arya¡¯s words, Bluebell looked dumbfounded.


    ¡°No way! I¡¯m going to watch them fall into the abyss.¡±


    She told Arya strongly, but in fact, she changed her mind twelve times a day. The animosity towards Sienna still lingered, but her affection for Carl was tooplicated. The resentment was great, but on the other hand, she thought he might change his mind.


    After Arya¡¯s rebellion was over, it¡¯ll be hard for Carl to survive. No, only when he dies can he and her family live. She has already made an irreversible choice.


    Nevertheless, Bluebell still had remaining feelings. If it¡¯s not for nasty Sienna, she wonders if Carl will look back on herself, or if she only deals with Sienna, not Carl, in this matter, he would have no choice but to choose herself. But she couldn¡¯t confide her feelings to Arya.


    ¡°Well thought. The one whoughs at the end is the real winner.¡±


    ¡°Will it be me and you who willugh at the end?¡±


    Bluebell was surprised at what she said. It was a disgraceful remark to make before a big asion. Nevertheless, Arya smiled vigorously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve prepared for this not to be a failure. We have eighty expert knights, we¡¯ve prepared crossbows, and we¡¯ve trained archers.¡±


    She was already told that a considerable number of knights had been secured. She was curious about where Arya got eighty people, but she didn¡¯t really care. She thought that if they gather one by one from the territories that cooperate, they might fill that number.


    However, Bluebell was surprised to hear that they had saved the crossbow. Owning a bow, a long-range weapon, was forbidden. The crossbow was a state-controlled item and was a weapon that can only be used in the military.


    Because the bow¡¯s power on the battlefield was enormous, Leipsden Empire regted that it could not be owned by individuals. Only the frontier forces fighting wars with other countries and the emperor¡¯s immediate unit, the Central Army, had archers who knew how to shoot arrows and bows.

 Chapter 209: Live to Sienna Pt.209

    <h4>Chapter 209: Live to Sienna Pt.209</h4>


    When Arya saw Bluebell¡¯s surprised look on her face, Arya burst intoughter and said, ¡°So I told you. It can¡¯t be failed. Carl is absorbed in a belief that he has absolute power. The more conceited one is, the less one looks around. He¡¯d never even dream we¡¯d be preparing for this. On the other hand, we are preparing thoroughly. So don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Bluebell felt like she was seeing the illusion of a knife tip hanging over Carl¡¯s neck. She swallowed dry saliva in a terrible mood.


    ¡°So dear Bluebell, please prepare for the safe birth of the imperial descendant. There¡¯s not much time left to celebrate victory. Like I said before, you can be a true empress.¡±


    Arya rose to her feet at the end of the remark. Bluebell held Arya¡¯s hand as if she had been possessed.


    Arya looked back in wonder. Bluebell asked, looking up at her with aplex face.


    ¡°So, what is the date of the asion?¡±


    *


    Hain said, rubbing Sienna¡¯s arm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to call a tailor to prepare a dress for the Holy Celebration Day.¡±


    Sienna nodded at Hain¡¯s words. She wanted to pay more attention than usual for the event as she had to stand in front of the citizens.


    Holy Celebration Day was held every 10 years in the leap year and was quiterge for being rare.


    The myths of the beginning of Leipsden were as follows. The dragon enjoyed entertainment in the form of a human being and had a child with a human woman, which was the story of the child who built the Leipsden Empire.


    The Holy Celebration Day parade was an event where the dragon¡¯s son began to pray for the dragon¡¯s blessing, feeling merciful for his people. Now, not only the royal family but also the high-ranking aristocrats participated in the event, praying for blessings for the people of the country and boasting the robustness of Leipsden.


    ¡°As usual, you would prefer to call Gerald the tailor, right? I think his dresses have been the most popr ever.¡±


    ¡°Do it that way.¡±


    After deciding on the dress Sienna will wear on the Holy Celebration Day, Hain brought up a story about a recent huntingpetition. It was not a regr event, but sometimes hosted by the emperor for the unity of the nobles. Carl was about to host his first one since he became emperor.


    The hunt was held to figure out which aristocrats would join in Count Ferrer¡¯s rebellion and to test their minds. Of course, on the outside, the purpose was officially to honor the efforts of the nobility.


    Sometimes the empress also participated in the event, but both empresses were pregnant, so they decided not to participate.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Chancellor now, but he used to be a knight. But how can you not catch a weasel?¡±


    Hain grumbled at Pavenik¡¯s failure to get any reward from the hunting contest.


    ¡°The Chancellor wouldn¡¯t have had time to properly participate in the hunt. He probably didn¡¯t have time to do anything because he had to follow Carl.¡±


    ¡°But still...¡±


    ¡°And even though it¡¯s called a hunting contest, and it¡¯s actually like a hound and servantpetition. It¡¯d be nice to use a bow, but they have to hunt with a sword. The more servants there are to drive the beast, the more advantageous it is.¡±


    The bow, a long-range weapon, was strictly managed by the state and could not be used by aristocrats.


    When hunting for amusement, the game was carried out by releasing servants and dogs to drive animals to one ce and hold them using a snare. Then the hunter puts a sword in the animal¡¯s heart and kills them. That was why most of those who performed well in the huntingpetition were high-ranking aristocrats with money.


    ¡°Yes, but I hear his Majesty the Emperor was brilliant. He caught a big white leopard without the help of servants or knights. It¡¯s a precious beast, but it¡¯s so vicious that it takes many knights to catch it. Well, he killed it with a single stroke. The fur was so good that everyone envied.¡±


    When Sienna was also curious about the fur color, Carl burst in with the door open.


    ¡°Wee. By the way, you didn¡¯t abandon your work today, did you? Chancellor Pavenik seems to have a lot ofints about the workload. After Sharillo was conceived, you leave your work behind with excuses toe here.¡±


    ¡°Did he give you such aint?¡±


    ¡°No way. The Chancellor is too busy to leave the office ande see me. I just heard it through people going back and forth.¡±


    Hain, who was nervous to see Carl, went out saying she would bring out the tea. It was easy to know who Sienna was talking about. Carl did not care about her and gave Sienna a box.


    ¡°There will be an event in the Empire soon, so wear it then. Doctor says you should keep yourself warm.¡±


    When she opened the box, the smooth red cape was folded neatly. The rim of the cape was adorned with white leopard fur.


    Sienna smiled pleasantly. He made a present for her with something precious enough for the nobles to covet.


    ¡°How pretty! I mean, this fur is very smooth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. I asked him to make the whole cape with leopard fur, and he dissuaded me because that would be too heavy and too hot to wear.¡±


    ¡°If the whole cape was leopard fur, I¡¯d really have to wear it in Heidel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it for you when we have to go to Heidelter. Oh, and wear the ne I gave you as a gift before. I want you to wear that ne in front of the citizens.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s suggestion, Sienna nodded cheerfully. The sapphire ne had a heavy meaning, but now it felt like it was enough weight to carry.


    Sienna also wanted to wear the ne in front of everyone. To let them know that she was truly Carl¡¯s belovedpanion.


    *


    Time passed and it became the Holy Celebration Day. Thanks to Hain, Sienna was more colorful than ever.


    The dress delicately covered to the end of the neck was made of thin cloth embroidered with glittering white thread. It was not only very beautiful, but very warm too. The thin, light gold belt ced on the pleated hem of the skirt also emphasized that her belly was filled with the crown prince while not pressing against the stomach.


    And she wore a cape that Carl gave her as a present. A smooth-shaped cape decorated with precious white leopard¡¯s fur. She was simply conspicuous from afar.


    Hain gave Sienna a white dress because it matched with a red cape, but above all, it was because of the blue sapphire ne that shone on her neck. The sapphire glowed on Sienna¡¯s neck.


    Sienna, who was moving toward the main castle where the carriage was located today, ran into Bluebell surrounded by the convoy of guards. Bluebell was wearing a dark green dress.


    Bluebell crumpled her face as soon as she saw Sienna. Then she checked the ne on Sienna¡¯s neck and made a more ufortable impression. Sienna greeted her anyways.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    But Bluebell spoke in a nervous voice without receiving Sienna¡¯s greetings.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sapphire ne.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Carl... must have given it to you topliment you for conceiving the blood of the imperial family. Do you know the meaning and weight of the ne?¡±


    If in the past, Sienna would have felt burdened by the fact that she was wearing this ne in front of Bluebell. But not anymore.


    Bluebell has never apologized for the incident where Sienna had not been able to wake up for a long time after taking medicine because of Bluebell¡¯s shabby conspiracy. Rather, she only criticized Sienna.


    Since then, Sienna may feel sorry for Bluebell being fooled around by Arya, but she doesn¡¯t feel guilty. Sienna said proudly.


    ¡°Of course, I know.¡±


    ¡°You do...! Ha! I envy you. I thought you were a poor woman who didn¡¯t have anything, but it must have been my misunderstanding. I was the one who was really poor. Everything I thought was mine became yours. The position of Empress, the heart of Carl, the mother of the royal child.¡±


    Jamie, who was escorting Sienna, tried to step up against Bluebell¡¯s aggressive tone, but Sienna grabbed his arm and dissuaded him. Bluebell continued her words without pretending to see Jamie.


    ¡°Enjoy it. You must feel like you won the whole world. Enjoy that. Just keep this in mind though ¨C you may feel like you¡¯re standing on top of the world, but it will soon be over. It¡¯ll be even worse when you are thrown to the ground from so high.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being rude!¡±


    Eventually, Sienna, who couldn¡¯t stand it, said to her. It was because she thought Jamie would pull a knife and make things go worse if she let Bluebell speak any longer.


    ¡°Oh, I guess I went too far. In the presence of the great empress.¡±


    Bluebell used the title ¡°The Empress¡± for the first time, not ¡°Sienna,¡± but the mockery made her feel worse. Sienna red at her with cold eyes.


    Bluebell approached Sienna. Despite Jamie¡¯s vignce and silent threats, Bluebell came right in front of Sienna and whispered in her ear.


    ¡°I won¡¯t regret it. Never.¡±


    Then she grabbed arge sapphire ne around Sienna¡¯s neck with her hand.


    ¡°What a beautiful thing. A truly valuable gem grows on blood.¡±


    It was an ominous remark.


    Sienna suddenly had a hunch. It was a groundless confirmation.


    It wasn¡¯t because of Bluebell¡¯s words. It was because of her face. The face was very much like Sienna¡¯s own in the past¡ªwhen she thought she was driven to the edge of a cliff and made a foolish choice.


    As soon as Bluebell and the knights escorting her moved away, Jamie grumbled.


    ¡°Who is that scumbag? She may have a pretty face, but she sure has a terrible personality. Is she the Second Empress?¡±


    Mindful of the eyes around them, Jamie used honorifics to Sienna, but he didn¡¯t seem to realize that he spoke bluntly about Bluebell. But Sienna was deep in thought that she couldn¡¯t point it out.


    ¡°By the way, the knights of the Second Empress.¡±


    Jamie kept frowning, checking the direction they went.


    ¡°They carry...murderous spirit. You know, as if they are going out for a battle, not escorting the empress.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words, most of the Phoenix Knights agreed with a nod. Among them, Havali expressed doubt.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else that¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°Of course. You felt it too, didn¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 210: Live to Sienna Pt.210

    <h4>Chapter 210: Live to Sienna Pt.210</h4>


    Milton and Havali nodded at Jamie¡¯s words.


    ¡°Sword!¡±


    ¡°The sword!¡±


    ¡°The sword!¡±


    The three spoke at the same time.


    ¡°It looks different from the sword we¡¯re holding.¡±


    Milton said to Jamie.


    ¡°The Imperial Knights are supposed to wear decorative swords at these events. All but the Royal Knights, the Knights of the Emperor, must wear a sword without a de. That¡¯s why we¡¯re holding these fancy swords right now.¡±


    It was as he said. The swords hanging on the waist of Jamie and the Knights of Phoenix were non-lethal weapons with clean handles and colorful patterns embossed in silver.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What they carry is clearly the swords they actually use,pared to the decorative ones we have. Their sheaths were so colorful, but the handles seemed to have worn out.¡±


    Everyone looked worried. Their well-trained sense indicated that something dangerous was about to happen.


    ¡°What if something happens? The des we¡¯re holding are blunt. It¡¯s nothing more than an iron stick.¡±


    Jamie shook her head at Milton¡¯s words and said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s better to have a sharp de, but these are notpletely useless. The edge of the knife is pointy, so you can stab with it. You¡¯ve got to stab from the bottom of the chin towards the head or into the abdomen.¡±


    Their expressions were not good even at Jamie¡¯s words.


    ¡°You just have to take one of them down and fight with his sword. You¡¯ve been in more than one or two fights. There¡¯s no master of the sword in the war. Whoever picks up first is the keeper.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°If we do this well, we¡¯ll find good swords.¡±


    Phoenix knights burst intoughter at Jamie¡¯s words. It¡¯s not because they¡¯re really happy, but because they know that they don¡¯t have to be scared of the opponent in advance, and they don¡¯t have to be afraid of things that might not happen. They were not the same weak knights that stood like decorations as they used to be.


    Sienna¡¯s worried face, on the other hand, has not recovered. Her skin was prickly.


    -I won¡¯t regret it. Never.


    Bluebell¡¯s words sounded like a preview. Though already anticipated, she was still a little fearful of what was toe.


    Sienna got her mind together. Bluebell may cause amotion today, so they couldn¡¯t just wait and watch it happen. Sienna called Jamie up.


    ¡°Lord Waters, please have the knights prepare the real swords instead of the fake ones and get them ready for an emergency.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯smand, Jamie opened his eyes wide in astonishment, but soon after he took her words and called out Sir Dmitri, the youngest of the knights.


    ¡°Dmitri! You heard that, right? Take these swords away and get the real ones out of the quarters.¡±


    The young-faced knight, fresh from theing-of-age ceremony, rushed to his quarters in a hurry. Although other knights would have smiled at such young behavior, Phoenix knights judged the situation was serious.


    ¡°Sir Havali, will you go to the Emperor and deliver my message? Tell him, ¡®I think it¡¯s today,¡¯ and he¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Havali left, Jamie approached Sienna and asked quietly, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Just in case. I¡¯m just preparing for anything that might happen.¡±


    Sienna wanted to exin to him in detail, but there were a lot of ears around them. If she said that the Ferrer family and Arya were nning a rebellion and it doesn¡¯t happen today, it could be a pretext for an attack.


    Carl led the Royal Knights. He held her in his arms as soon as he saw Sienna. He would normally hold her tightly, but he was carefully thinking of Sienna and the baby in her belly. He whispered so that no one else could hear him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I ordered Kissinger to set up the knights in the pce. We¡¯ll be on the move as soon as something happens.¡±


    Sienna replied with a lingering look of anxiety.


    ¡°Maybe we should have called off the holiday parade. The inside of the pce was well guarded, but if they do something during a street parade, there are too many variables.¡±


    ¡°Even if we cancel the holiday march, they¡¯d somehow be looking for the right time. we cannot continue to cancel the events of the Empire because of them. Besides, it¡¯s hard to cancel the Holy Celebration Day because it¡¯s not an annual event. They would have brought out great protest, asking for a cause.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s expression darkened at his words.


    After letting Sienna go from his arms, Carl squeezed her hand. It was an act to reassure Sienna.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve ordered the knights to patrol around the building in case there¡¯s anything, and unlike in the past, we¡¯ve set the route of the march as short as possible.¡±


    The street parade was nned to allow carriages of the royal family and aristocrats to turn around the ind and return to the pce through the Arc de Triomphe. The carriages were to go in a row in the middle of a boulevard full of citizens.


    There were more than fifty musical bands at the front, followed by the Royal Knights, followed by carriages of Carl, Sienna, Bluebell, and Arya. After that, the carriage of the nobles was stretched ording to the order of rank. On this day, the entire streets of the capital city be a stage due to the long procession.


    Originally, it was a long event that traveled all over the capital city, but this time all were to return to the pce quickly because Carl minimized the route.


    The main characters on this stage were by far Carl, Sienna, and Bluebell. The streets were covered with crowds to see the emperor with two empresses bearing royal descendants.


    Sienna received Carl¡¯s escort and went to the carriage to board. Bluebell had already been on the wagon. Bluebell had a hateful face a little while ago, but now she was looking at them withplex faces.


    As Carl and Sienna climbed onto the carriage, Bluebell greeted Carl. But Carl didn¡¯t ept her greetings as if she didn¡¯t exist. Bluebell said with a hurtful face.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even epting my greetings now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl made no reply and didn¡¯t make eye contact. It was an attitude of utter disregard for her. He thought he didn¡¯t have to be kind to her since she prepared the treason anyway. Bluebell bit her lower lip and said to him, ¡°You¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Again, Carl spoke to Sienna without replying to Bluebell.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you are already tired because of the strong sun. Should I order the sunshade over the carriage?¡±


    As he said, the weather was clear without a cloud. It didn¡¯t seem easy to go around the city with a fluffy smile under the strong sunlight.


    Sienna was bothered by Bluebell, who was staring at Sienna with a venomous look on her face. But Sienna tried not to care because Bluebell had brought everything on herself.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been a long time since I met my people, and I can¡¯t see them under the shade. And if we put the wrong shade on a moving wagon, we could get into an ident.¡±


    Carl nodded. It was also true that the carriage was not originally designed to be equipped with a shade, so it would be unstable.


    The magnificent military band rang out the march music, and finally, the march of the city began.


    Carl and Sienna sprayed pollen on those cheering and waving their hands. The crowd of citizens reached out to the pollen.


    The soldiers lined up and controlled the citizens to prevent them from falling on the road where the wagon ran. In the meantime, Bluebell looked forward, not budging.


    The carriage followed the road in front of the pce and headed for the Arc de Triomphe. Arge road stretched out like a capital. Therger the road got, therger the crowd was.


    The time of the parade was never short. Smiling at the citizens and sprinkling pollen on them seems simple, but she was getting tired. No, she felt tired faster because she was nervous about when anything would happen. Still, the march gradually came to an end.


    ¡®Am I mistaken?¡¯


    The carriage went past the Arc de Triomphe and turned towards the Imperial Pce. That road was on the other side of the road they hade, connected to the east gate of the imperial pce.


    Unlike before, there were not many people as there were many buildings that were three stories high in the vicinity. It was also the end of the street march, and the narrow streetscked space for people to stand on. Still, there were quite a few people gathered.


    As soon as Sienna was about to rx, Carl hurriedly wrapped Sienna¡¯s shoulder. Turning to see what was going on, she could see a lit wagon running down a cramped alley.


    The music, which had been ying cheerfully throughout the march, was interrupted with dissonance. The musicians struggled to avoid the carriageing from the front. But the carriage came too fast for them to avoid, and the alley was cramped.


    Boom-! The burning carriage lost its direction and crashed into the building, creating a roar that shook heaven and earth. The musicians¡¯ bodies caught fire because they failed to avoid the carriage properly in time. They rolled themselves on the ground to put out the fire and struggled around, screaming in pain.


    The wagons were overturned and blocked the road, causing other carriages to stop. Fortunately, the march was not speeding up much, so they could stop the carriage without much difficulty.


    However, the carriages shook violently as horses were startled by the roar. The nobles on the wagon, as well as the knights, were in a flurry of amazement.


    The people of the country who came out to see the march screamed and ran away. However, the road was so crowded that it was not easy for them to get out.


    Shoot- Arrows poured from the sky like a shower while the knights were not grasping the situation.


    ¡°Head down!¡±


    Carl quickly descended under the carriage, wrapping Sienna in his arms. After hiding Sienna in the blind spot of the arrow, he dragged Bluebell down the carriage. He knew Bluebell had something to do with this, but he couldn¡¯t let her stand dazed under the pouring arrows.


    What¡¯s more, Bluebell was an important figure for Count Ferrer and Arya, who caused the incident. If she dies, their hard-won rebellion would be useless. The de of the enemy¡¯s sword would undoubtedly steer by Bluebell.


    That¡¯s why Carl wanted Bluebell to be by Sienna¡¯s side. He wanted Sienna to be out of reach of their des.


    Even after hiding under the carriage, Bluebell showed no movement with a bewildered face. Despite being one of the main conspirators behind this incident, seeing it happen in person must have shown the wide gap between n and reality. When nning, she would never have imagined that it would be full of burning smell, blood, and screams, and that she would watch people¡¯s deaths vividly.


    Looking at Sienna with a worried look, Carl told her to hide under the carriage as long as possible. Then he looked around with his back turned to the two women.

 Chapter 211: Live to Sienna Pt.211

    <h4>Chapter 211: Live to Sienna Pt.211</h4>


    Their attack was not going to end with arrows. Carl had to prepare for the next attack. He calcted when Kissinger¡¯s unit, which was running from the pce, would reach.


    The crowds that were filling the road were running away, falling to the ground or screaming after being hit by arrows. However, a considerable number of people, with grim faces, escaped the arrow by going under the carriage or the eaves of the building.


    At a nce, Carl could tell that the attackers were trained. It would not have been difficult for them to hide among the crowds watching the march.


    Carl shouted at his knights.


    ¡°The enemies are mingled among the citizens! When the arrow attack is over, we¡¯ll pull the swords out, so don¡¯t let your guard down and get ready for battle!¡±


    As the number of arrows falling from the sky decreased, several people who were avoiding the arrows began to attack with their hidden knives.


    They weren¡¯t all. The Knights of Bluebell also pulled out the swords and began to attack Carl. Fortunately, Carl and the Royal Knights had already anticipated their attack, so they were able to defend the swords calmly.


    Carl cut off the enemy¡¯s waist, who wasing at him. Blood sshed over his clothes. He shook off the blood flowing on the knife with an indifferent face, and blocked the sword aimed for his neck.


    The sword¡¯s owner was a man who knew Carl well. He was a knight of the Ferrer family. He entered the Imperial Pce to protect Bluebell and was now swinging his sword at the Emperor.


    Carl always admired his loyalty to the Ferrer family, but he was not as pleased now. Carl blocked the sword wielded, over and over.


    The old knight turned and bounced off Carl¡¯s sword, then pped Carl on the chin with his elbow. Carl¡¯s upper body shook heavily. Nevertheless, Carl shed the side of the old knight without loosening his hand. The old knight crouched back.


    Carl spat blood on the floor and said to him in an angry voice.


    ¡°The sword of an old dog is quite fierce.¡±


    ¡°The sword of the Emperor¡¯s doesn¡¯t give me a chance. It¡¯s an honor to face you and your sword.¡±


    His voice was so serene that it did not sound like a conversation taking ce while swinging swords at each other¡¯s throats. Carl¡¯s lips curled up.


    ¡°Are you thinking of quitting now?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t retrieve a sword that¡¯s already been swung.¡±


    Neither did Carl really think he would ept the offer. Carl was just saying it out of a little regret.


    The old knight raised the sword again. Carl also fixed the sword.


    It wasn¡¯t until their swords shed two more times that Carl was able to put a deep stab into the knight¡¯s heart. The knight¡¯s movement was limited due to the wound to his waist. Otherwise, more time would have been needed.


    Carl checked the old knight lying on the ground and looked around. Most of Bluebell¡¯s knights were lying on the ground. Except for the old knight, none of the Ferrer¡¯s knights had good skills. Most of them were just greenhorns.


    The problem was that they were not all. Enemy soldiers dressed in in clothes and mixed among the citizens stormed to where Carl was.


    All the enemy troops watched Carl. It was clear who they were after. If only Carl¡¯s death were confirmed, this battle was their victory.


    ¡°Protect the Emperor!¡±


    The knights were desperate to protect the emperor. Carl looked anxious to see if Sienna was safe. Fortunately, the enemies rushed at him as if they only wanted to take Carl¡¯s life, so their des did not turn to Sienna.


    Carl was relieved, but at the same time thought that she might be hurt by a blind sword if he was beside Sienna.


    ¡°Phoenix knights! Protect the Empress until I return!¡±


    Cried Carl. Already, the Knights of Phoenix were fighting enemies while surrounding the carriage where Sienna and Bluebell were hiding.


    Carl and Sienna shared a message in silence when their eyes met. Carl nodded and shouted.


    ¡°Find Empress Arya and Count Ferrer! We have to finish the battle quickly.¡±


    The battle was to continue in disarray unless Arya and Count Ferrer were caught. The incident had to be finished before the damage to the citizens and aristocrats, who were swept away in a daze, was about to get worse.


    As Carl led the knights away, Sienna looked at him, biting her lips in anxiety. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t believe in Carl¡¯s swordsmanship, but she was worried about his safety as the situation was very serious. In addition, her fear grew as many enemies were moving along Carl.


    Sienna couldn¡¯t help but wish Carl was with herself. But the Royal Knights were supposed to move around him. If the most powerful figure had its feet tied by her now, the battle would be difficult. She pressed her fear hard and hoped in her heart that he would return safely.


    Jamie led the Phoenix Knights and protected Sienna. Seeing his back in front of her brought a sense of security.


    ¡°Sienna, you¡¯ve got to stay strong! Never raise your head and never close your eyes!¡±


    Jamie shouted while swinging his sword against the swords of the enemies rushing toward them.


    ¡°Okay. You should be careful, too, brother!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Knights of Phoenix! Maintain a narrow formation.¡±


    ¡°Narrow formation!¡±


    ¡°Narrow formation!¡±


    The knights maintained the row at Jamie¡¯smand and struck out the flying de.


    The carriage behind Sienna blocked the arrow, and Jamie and the Knights of Phoenix blocked the swords of the enemy. Knights and aristocrats from other noble families joined after defeating the enemy faced in front of them.


    Sienna was worried about Carl who was out of sight, but after confirming that he was maintaining a certain distance from the direct threat, she felt a little bit more rxed. She looked at Bluebell sitting next to her. Bluebell¡¯s face was pale.


    SWOOSH- Blood sshed through the knights¡¯ legs. Bluebell curled up, hugging her knees in great fear. Sienna grabbed her shoulder.


    Someone¡¯s wrist fell before them. The lost hand seemed still moving because its life had not run out yet.


    Ahhh! A scream came out of Bluebell¡¯s mouth. Sienna bit her lower lip. The smell of blood rushed from the dust that had been soaked in the blood, stirring up fears that she might die.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s because of you, not my fault.¡±


    Like a madman, Bluebell repeated the same words with her loose eyes. Sienna held Bluebell in her arms. Sienna still felt resentment toward Bluebell. Her terrible choice was taking the lives of so many people.


    But on the other hand, she felt sorry for her. This cruel incident will haunt her forever. Even if she didn¡¯t criticize loudly, Sienna knew that Bluebell would me herself and rot.


    Bluebell would live her whole life in torment and self-destruction. Dreaming of an illusionary dream of turning her life back.


    Beyond the shoulders of Phoenix knights, there was a vivid glimpse of lives copsing in despair. Jamie told her to keep her eyes open for possible threats that he couldn¡¯t stop, but Sienna wanted to close her eyes and pretend not to know the situation. The misery that was happening in front of her eyes was simply terrible.


    It was bizarre to see people, who were breathing and moving just a moment ago, bleeding like dolls with broken threads. It was torture to have to watch the loss of lives so closely.


    THUD!


    The man, who appeared to be an enemy, fell before Bluebell and Sienna with his eyes open.


    Argh!


    ¡°Go away! Go away!¡±


    Bluebell screamed and struggled at the entric scene. Sienna held her tight. But because she couldn¡¯t forgive Bluebell, Sienna couldn¡¯t say everything would be okay.


    Count Ferrer, who was marching in the city, hid himself under a prepared shield as soon as the carriage entered an alley full of buildings. The archers had settled on the rooftop as nned, so his carriage could also be dangerous.


    His knight, who came up for a report earlier, said everything was going smoothly. He said there were some soldiers who checked the roof just in case, but most of the preparation waspleted with the help of the knights Arya had prepared.


    When the wagons entered this alley, archers hiding on the roof of the building were supposed to shoot arrows. He bribed a man in the military for it.


    The military could not siphon off archers or saverge quantities of bows because Carl was so tightly managing it. Count Ferrer had to put a lot of effort into buying off each person in charge and siphoning off materials little by little. He was forced to do so because Castro refused to transfer the weapons out of his empire.


    That wasn¡¯t the end. Unable to save the archers, Count Ferrer had to teach the soldiers of his territory how to shoot arrows. Half the hard-earned arrows were used to train them. He felt sorry for it, but he couldn¡¯t help it.


    SWOOSH-! The sound stopped as if the arrows that were pouring like a heavy rain had quickly run out. The sound of screams and weapons shing initially covered by the sound of arrows could now be heard. Kenyon rose with regret.


    ¡°That ended too soon for the money I put in.¡±


    Looking down on and around the carriage, he could see the effect of the arrows shot at unexpected points. There were quite a few people crawling on the ground, wriggling in pain after being hit by arrows.


    Kenyon, with a pleased look, opened the carriage door to head to the carriage on which Arya was riding.


    Since he was busy only with centralizing himself and increasing his voice in the political arena over the long years of Carl¡¯s absence, his knights and soldiers were not strong enough to break through the battlefield due to theirck of force and their focus on archery. So those whom Arya had prepared escorted him.


    Although he usually thought Arya was not a trustworthy individual, Count Ferrer didn¡¯t doubt that she would stab him in the back in such a great alliance they had now.


    He was the empress¡¯ father. He was the grandfather of a child who would soon be officially the son of Bluebell and Carl. That¡¯s how important he was.


    ¡°Hurry up! I will go to where Empress Arya is.¡±


    The carriages for the parade were organized in the order of title, so the distance to the carriage of Arya was never close. Moreover, the ground was packed with citizens who died after being hit by a barrage of arrows, and the road was rough because knights and soldiers were wielding knives in narrow alleys.


    Eventually, Kenyon curled up his full body and headed for Arya. The safest ce now was by her side.


    Knights brought by Arya also attacked Count Ferrer¡¯s soldiers, who were swept away by the battle. His soldiers were not strong enough to defeat the swords of the expert-ss knights.


    ¡°Dumb bastards who can¡¯t even tell their enemies! Eliminate all those who stand in the way!¡±


    Count Ferrer shouted to a few of his men. His knights continued to die out because of the strong attack. Count Ferrer was worried that he might lose all the knights before arriving at the carriage of Empress Arya and be protected.


    When Count Ferrer arrived where Arya was and stood before her, there were only two knights beside him. Neither of the two knights was in a condition to guard him. One man lost an arm and writhed in pain, and the other man was as good as dead from arge cut he got on his back while protecting Count Ferrer.


    Arya got out of the carriage, stepped aside to one side of the building and watched the battle. Only around her was a peaceful atmosphere as if she had nothing to do with this war.

 Chapter 212: Live to Sienna Pt.212

    <h4>Chapter 212: Live to Sienna Pt.212</h4>


    ¡°Empress Arya!¡±


    Her eyes were wide open when Count Ferrer called Arya.


    ¡°Your Excellency Count Ferrer! You managed to get here safely.¡±


    Count Ferrer frowned at the way she talked. He wanted to point out why she spoke so rudely, but the number of knights by Arya¡¯s side were dozens while there were only two knights who stayed by himself. Moreover, those knights were in bad condition and could not y their part.


    He said with a dry cough.


    ¡°What about Bluebell? Where¡¯s she?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s the most important person in this mission. We¡¯ll keep her safe.¡±


    Count Ferrer nodded with an anxious look.


    Argh!


    ¡°Oops!¡±


    The soldier, who was fleeing from a sword behind Count Ferrer, fell down and hit him on the shoulder. Count Ferrer looked coldly down at the soldier in terror, touching his sore shoulder.


    SWOOSH!


    One of the knights standing beside Arya stabbed the soldier in the stomach. As the sword was pulled out, an enormous amount of blood gushed out, and red blood sshed on the blue clothes that Count Ferrer was wearing.


    ¡°Be careful. You know who I am? I¡¯m Count Ferrer. I¡¯m the one who brought you guys all the way here from Castro!¡±


    Although Arya was said to have supported the knights, it was all his own credit that the knights were able to enter the capital. Count Ferrer had to go through quite a lot to bring eighty expert knights from the Castro Empire to the capital.


    He changed the route of the ship importing sugarcane and made the knights sneak into his territory to avoid any attention. Later, he dressed them up as merchants andmoners, and sent them up to the capital.


    Money damage was big, but it was mentally difficult, too. He had to worry about whether Castro¡¯s army would be found in his own territory and he would face punishment before he could revolt.


    Nevertheless, the knight did not even pretend to hear Count Ferrer¡¯s speech nor answer back.


    ¡°Ha! It¡¯s not worth my time. You don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Count Ferrer shook his head as if he could notmunicate with them.


    As this area became a battleground, fighting continued around Count Ferrer and Arya. Those who couldn¡¯t distinguish between the enemy and allies at first began to stand up and swing their swords.


    Count Ferrer grew more and more afraid to be in a ce where the metals struck and screamed. The knights didn¡¯t care about him, but only protected Arya. Fearing that he might get hurt by a blind knife, Count Ferrerined to Arya.


    ¡°Empress Arya! You said you would keep me safe!¡±


    Arya said with a coquettish smile.


    ¡°Of course, I have made a promise that I will take Count Ferrer to a very safe ce. Fortunately, there¡¯s a ce that no one can get close to. A ce where Carl¡¯s armies would never harm Count Ferrer.¡±


    Count Ferrer was relieved by Arya¡¯s emphatic words. His mind was quickly filled with thoughts of the fruit of victory.


    Looking at the surrounding situation, at least in close range, his soldiers and Arya¡¯s knights who came down from the rooftops of each building were actively fighting. If time goes by like this, this ce would eventually be cleared up and he will take Bluebell¡¯s hand and ascend to the throne.


    A child who was not yet born would not be able to do politics, so Count Ferrer would act like an emperor until the baby could work as an emperor. For at least twenty years, he would be the owner of Leipsden. A sweet smile bloomed around his mouth.


    ¡°What are you doing? Take Count Ferrer.¡±


    She nodded to the knight who acted rudely to Count Ferrer a little while ago. The knight took out his sword in obedience. Count Ferrer opened his mouth and looked at the knight with a pleased look.


    ¡°Where are you taking...¡±


    THWUMP! There was a sound of quick stabbing. Count Ferrer looked down at his stomach, unable to finish his words. A sword soaked in red blood had prated his body.


    His startled eyes looked at Arya. His eyes asked why she was doing this to him. But he died on the spot without leaving a word. 1


    Arya burst intoughter when she saw the knight pulling out the sword.


    ¡°I just made a promise. I¡¯m sending you to a ce where Carl¡¯s soldiers can¡¯t even get near.¡±


    The man, who once tried to stand at the pinnacle of power by making his daughter the empress, became a lump of meat andy on the ground. The appearance of a humble old body being helplessly kicked around by the feet around him made the power he once possessed colorless.


    This was the end of Count Ferrer¡¯s worth. Arya acted as if she was nning the whole thing for the glory of the House of Panacio when she brought him into the case, but she was not interested in such a thing. In order to easily prepare for the rebellion through Count Ferrer and to share the power of the royal baby by taking advantage of Bluebell¡¯s weakness, she has worked in harmony with him.


    Arya hadn¡¯t had a grain of desire to share the ce with Count Ferrer. That stupid old man would have expected to be taken care of or abandoned after the big event, but she nned to get rid of Count Ferrer early from the start.


    ¡°Go and bring the Emperor¡¯s head before me. I¡¯llugh at his chopped head. I wonder if those beastly eyes would still be filled with murderous spirit even after he¡¯s out of breath.¡±


    At Arya¡¯smand, the knights were more busily wielding their swords.


    *


    The number of people who had filled the alleys and been hitting one another with weapons has decreased considerably.


    Sienna hoped this terrible battle would end soon, but given the current atmosphere, it was never likely that her wish woulde true. The fight was only to end when Carl kills Arya and Count Ferrer.


    There were many people who fell at the tip of the swords. Milton, the leader of the Phoenix Knights, who had been with Sienna for a long time, also gave up his back to the enemy¡¯s sword and died while trying to help the youngest knight, Dimitri. Dmitri, whom Milton tried to protect, did not survive either.


    It wasn¡¯t just them. Many knights of the Phoenix Knights, innocent citizens, and aristocrats were killed.


    But there was no time to grieve over their deaths. It was impossible to know when the desing from all sides would take someone¡¯s life.


    Smoke came up over Jamie and other knights¡¯ shoulders. A stuffy smell came out even from Sienna¡¯s mouth, who did not directly fight.


    ¡°Sienna! Come on, we gotta get out of here!¡±


    Jamie, who was fighting the enemy while watching the front, btedly noticed the wagon running toward them, carrying a pile of burning straw. The lit wagon collided with the carriage to which they were turning their back.


    BAM!


    Fragments of the crashed carriage bounced up in all directions. Fortunately, the wagon they were hiding was strong, so there was no major damage. But the fire soon spread and the mes began to intensify.


    ¡°My God!¡±


    Sienna rose in surprise. Bluebell was still unconscious and curled up. At this rate, she thought she was going to die from the mes, not from being cut by a sword.


    Sienna stood up and pulled Bluebell¡¯s arm. Bluebell was not reacting.


    ¡°Sienna,e on, you have to get away!¡±


    Shouted Jamie.


    But Sienna couldn¡¯t leave Bluebell like this. Bluebell had to see the end. The kind of misery that has been caused by her choice. Sienna thought Bluebell had to.


    Bluebell made no response, with her head between her knees. Sienna pulled her arm hard, but she stood still.


    POW!


    Unable to dy time, Sienna struck with her palm the back of the head of Bluebell hard. Jamie, surprised by her actions, opened his mouth while he was frantically blocking the enemy¡¯s sword.


    With a fierce pping, only then did Bluebell raise her head. Her face was full of resentment, not guilt.


    ¡°Wake up! Are you going to die like this?¡±


    ¡°Let me die! Why do you care? You¡¯ll be most pleased if I die!¡±


    Two women shouted at each other. Jamie couldn¡¯t understand how the two were staring at each other as if they were going to grab one another¡¯s hair right away in this uproar.


    ¡°What are you talking about! Why do I want you dead? You have to live and watch everything! What terrible consequences you caused! How stupid you were!¡±


    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t know? But it doesn¡¯t matter now? I don¡¯t care if those worthless things die or not! I just need to get what I want!¡±


    BAM! Sienna hit Bluebell¡¯s face. The red handprints were clearly stamped on the white skin. Bluebell looked up at Sienna with surprised eyes. Sienna said in a calm voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. If you think their lives are not worthy, why are you crying?¡±


    Only then did Bluebell realize she was crying, so he groped her face with her palm. Then she looked nk when she saw her hands were soaked in tears.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already done something irrevocable. All you can do now is apologize to those who lost their lives and those who lost their loved ones. Don¡¯t die, but survive to the end and beg forgiveness!¡±


    ¡®Even if it¡¯s worse than dying.¡¯


    Jamie, who was struggling to protect Bluebell and Sienna, stepped up.


    ¡°Sienna! Stop arguing and leave! You can¡¯t see that fire?¡±


    Jamie rushed, pointing to the wagon covered in fire. The mes looked very dangerous. The heat was so hot that their cheeks felt hot.


    Sienna, who came to her senses first, grabbed Bluebell¡¯s arm and asked Jamie.


    ¡°Where should we go?¡±


    There was no ce for them to hide. Behind her back was a fire pping its red me, and in front of her was a sword of enemy soldiers whose eyes were turned upside down in blood.


    ¡°Knights of Phoenix! Clear the way while protecting the two empresses. Don¡¯t let any blind swords get in your way!¡±


    The deputymander of the Order of Military Commissars, Havali, shouted to the knights with a determined face.


    Sienna held Bluebell¡¯s arm. They were surrounded by Jamie and the Knights of Phoenix. The enemies were stillrger in number, but the knights¡¯ eyes glowed with fighting spirit.


    Most of the enemy soldiers headed to Carl¡¯s location, but that didn¡¯t just mean Sienna and the Phoenix Knights were safe. Enemies tried to stab anyone they see as if to exterminate all living things on the streets. The Knights of Phoenix and the surrounding soldiers had to continue the tough fight.

 Chapter 213: Live to Sienna Pt.213

    <h4>Chapter 213: Live to Sienna Pt.213</h4>


    They stood behind the building, protecting Sienna and Bluebell. Even at that moment, the fight continued in disarray.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Jamie wielded a sword, spitting out a harshnguage. He had a lot of experience inbat with monsters, but the current battle was even worse.


    Of course, the enemies in front of him were less militant than the monsters in the north. His sword was cutting through the bones and scraping through the flesh of human beings. Fighting against people made him feel terrible.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s a problem with the knightsing out of the pce.¡±


    Said Havali with a somber face. Jamie nodded.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever. I think we should either go through them to the pce or join another group of knights and endure.¡±


    Sienna, who was protected behind Jamie, reacted to his words.


    ¡°Lord Waters! Let us join the Emperor. It¡¯s closer than the imperial pce, and if they take the life of the emperor, we¡¯ll lose everything even if we win.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, both Jamie and the Knights of Phoenix nodded with a stiff face.


    At that time, Carl checked the perimeter. The sudden attack left many dead. Everyone who survived was soaked with blood. Their appearance showed how fierce this battle was.


    It was bitter in the mouth. The Royal Knights were informed of the revolt, and Kissinger was allowed to dispatch the Knights at any time, but there was still damage. Given the unexpectedlyrge number of Expert-ss knights, it was clear that Castro sent his fullest power.


    In fact, the problem was that there were more crowds due to the nature of the city march. While the carriages stretched thin and long so that there were many who could be protected, it was not easy to manage the knights.


    Surprisingly, the archers have been prepared by the rebellions. The arrows from the roof of the building were pretty threatening.


    The Royal Knights, who had participated in numerous battles, avoided arrows using topographical features, but the citizens who came out to see the parade did not avoid the attack properly. Watching the death of the people was hard even for Carl, who was ustomed to war.


    ¡°Protect the citizens!¡±


    ¡°Prevent unnecessary sacrifices!¡±


    Carl¡¯s cry was followed by his knights¡¯ cries. They helped citizens who failed to cope with the sudden situation evacuate in a safe direction.


    In the meantime, the knights of Arya wielded swords using the lives of the citizens as shields. It was more difficult for Carl¡¯s knights to fight them than to fight with one arm tied, having to protect citizens against them who were only willing to kill unconditionally. But the Royal Knights couldn¡¯t let the citizens die. The difficult battle continued.


    Angry at the cowardly and barbaric behavior of the enemies, Carl moved more speedily in the direction where Arya was. It wasn¡¯t difficult to find where she was because he was keeping an eye on the location of Arya¡¯s wagon during the street parade.


    The closer he approached her, the stronger the enemy¡¯s attack became. But they couldn¡¯t stop Carl and his knights from advancing. Finally, Carl was able to reach near Arya.


    Arya stood with her back against the wall of the building near her carriage. Castro¡¯s knights surrounded her to protect her. Dead bodies were full around them.


    Carl yelled, ring at Arya.


    ¡°As expected, you were the cause of this. Do you think you¡¯ll get away with this treason?!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean treason? That¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯m just trying to protect the Second Empress and her royal baby from the enemies.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! What¡¯s wrong with you, smart man? You understood what I meant. History is written by the survivors. Today¡¯s events will be recorded by those from the Castro Empire who will take the life of the Emperor. I will be the hero who protected the empress and her prince from danger.¡±


    Sienna had reached near the road that Carl had drilled under the protection of the Knights of Phoenix and Jamie. Arya¡¯s voice was also heard in her ears.


    ¡®Arya! You¡¯re exactly like in the past.¡¯


    But when she faced Arya¡¯s ultimate motives, her fear subsided. There was Carl in front of her. He would surely protect herself and Sharillo.


    Suddenly Sienna felt Bluebell shaking as she was holding her hand. Arya reached out to Bluebell.


    ¡°Empress Bluebell, pleasee this way. You should not be close to those who will soon be dead. The dead never try to die alone. They¡¯re not going to let go of the Empress Bluebell¡¯s ankle and fall into the swamp of death together.¡±


    ¡°Ah... ah... ah....¡±


    Sienna looked to the side, doubting if Bluebell would readily hold Arya¡¯s hand. She was groaning with her mouth open and with a look of despair. Her hand, held by Sienna, was ice-cold.


    Bluebell managed to open her mouth and said, ¡°Father...¡±


    Arya tilted her head at her words.


    ¡°Father... ...he¡¯s...¡±


    She only repeated the word ¡®father¡¯. Arya looked around her and found a body, and she put an exaggeratedly surprised look on her face.


    ¡°Oh, is this what the Empress Bluebell calls her father?¡±


    The tears in Bluebell¡¯s big eyes fell with a thud.


    ¡°Gosh, there are so many bodies lying on the ground that I can¡¯t tell who is who.¡±


    Arya pushed the body¡¯s head with the tip of her foot as if touching something filthy. When the body¡¯s head turned, everyone could see the face of Count Ferrer, whose eyes were wide open and whose breath had stopped.


    Arya tapped the body in the face with her toes. Bluebell screamed at the act of defaming the deceased.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be too shocked. I¡¯m checking whether he¡¯s dead or alive.¡±


    She said, looking back at Bluebell with a face of no pity.


    ¡°It seems to me that Count Ferrer is not responding¡ªhe must be dead. May the deceased rest in peace.¡±


    Bluebell was about to me Arya, and Arya said to Carl first.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor! You are so cold-hearted.¡±


    Carl frowned his brows. Sienna clung firmly to Bluebell, who was about to run out right away.


    ¡°The father of Empress Bluebell is your father-inw, but you did not hesitate to take his life through your soldiers. Though Count Ferrer tried to rebel in agreement with Castro, isn¡¯t this too cruel of you?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?! It must have been you that killed Count Ferrer.¡±


    Arya shrugged at Carl¡¯s usation and said.


    ¡°Well, does it matter who killed him? He¡¯s already dead.¡±


    ¡°Crazy b*tch!¡±


    Shouted Siena, who had not been able to stand it anymore. Her stomach was seething with anger. How can a sane person do that? No demon crawling up from hell would do what Arya did.


    Arya smiled and said to Carl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can give you any more time. Before your troopse out of the pce, I have to wipe out the witnesses. It would be embarrassing if the knights came out and you pointed me out as the leader of this.¡±


    Carl frowned. Although he knew from the time when knights and soldiers mobilized by Arya indiscriminately killed citizens, she must have intended to ughter all the citizens involved in the incident.


    The dead were silent, and if they were exterminated, it could not be officially dered that Arya had revolted. Even if she was lucky enough to survive, those who were witnesses and survivors would remain silent in fear if Arya came to power because of this incident.


    The time has long passed for Kissinger to arrive with the knights. It was toote, even considering the amount of dy it would have taken to get through the narrow and chaotic scene. There were knights nted by Arya elsewhere than in the front of the parade, so it was clear that they were fighting a showdown.


    Carl fixed his sword. He couldn¡¯t just wait for the reinforcements. Arya gave the order first.


    ¡°Take care of them all! But be sure to save one of the empresses, either Sienna or Bluebell.¡±


    Arya looked at Sienna and said, ¡°Actually, real would be better than a fake. Save that red-haired Sienna empress. Kill the rest of them all!¡±


    Arya originally intended to take Carl¡¯s life and lock Sienna up until she gave birth to a royal prince, or until it was time for Bluebell to pretend to have a baby.


    Even if Carl died, Arya¡¯s forces alone could not deal with the troops that followed Carl. It was clear that not only the armed forces in each region of Leipsden, but also the central army of the capital, would rush to avenge Carl.


    But if the royal prince was in Arya¡¯s hands, the cause was in her. If she takes the royal prince as a hostage, they would not be able to wield their swords at Arya at will. Thest bloodline of the Leipsden Empire was itself a cause.


    Arya was going to hold the prince in her hand and put the army in chains for rebellion. At first, they would be furious, saying they would avenge Carl, but as long as the royal prince was in Arya¡¯s hands, their opinions would have to be divided.


    By then, Leipsden would be so fragmented that it would no longer be able to maintain its name as an empire.


    Even so, Arya wanted to have the Leipsden Empire all to herself.


    The present empire might be intact and strong, but it wasn¡¯t hers. She wanted to have the empire as her own, even by carving it up.


    She raised her voice again.


    ¡°Kill the Emperor! If we take the Emperor¡¯s throat, we shall win!¡±


    WHAAAAA...


    Arya¡¯s men roared around her.


    ¡°The Knights of Phoenix shall protect the empresses, and the Royal Knights shall stop the rebels!¡±


    The Royal Knights also responded to Carl¡¯s order with thunderous shouts and shed their swords with the enemies. CLANG-! The streets, which had been quiet for a while, were again filled with harsh breathing and metal shing sounds.


    Most of Arya¡¯s knights extended their swords for Carl. He stopped the sword from falling over his head. Then he bounced the swords off at a rapid pace and shed the waist of the man who sent the sword toward him.


    That wasn¡¯t the end. He struck out the constantly flying swords and thrust his sword in their necks.

 Chapter 214: Live to Sienna Pt.214

    <h4>Chapter 214: Live to Sienna Pt.214</h4>


    A sword that Carl had not been able to look at was aimed at his neck.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Jamie cut off the wrist of the one who aimed the sword at Carl and cut his throat. Without Jamie¡¯s help, Carl might have died. But Carl had no time to be surprised that the God of Death had juste near.


    It has always been the case in battles of life and death. It was natural to take each other¡¯s lives. He was more ustomed to running toward his target than to keep his own life.


    Carl wielded a knife at a maning at him and kicked his chest. Then, without hesitation, Carl stabbed the sword under the man¡¯s chin.


    His sword never stopped. He shed the enemy¡¯s stomach and cut off their wrist. His ring eyes turned to Arya.


    As the enemy backed away from the fierce fighting spirit of Carl, a round circle formed around him. Drenched in enemy blood, he looked like a god of war. The figure intimidated the enemy enough but gave his own soldiers strength.


    Carl rushed at the enemy with a shout. The shout and military prestige he uttered encouraged the soldiers fighting beside him. They followed him with a shout.


    Their magnificent shouts shook the earth¡¯s axis. The morale rose, and they wielded the sword more intensely.


    The citizens, who hid themselves in the building at the sound of the shouts and prayed for the end of the terrible battle, stuck their heads out through the windows one by one. They chanted the Emperor and cheered for Carl.


    Carl¡¯s name rose along the street. It was a great help to his troops and yed a part in demoralizing the enemy.


    When the Royal Knights and Carl fought better than expected, Arya, who read the sign of defeat, tried to run away. Carl couldn¡¯t let her go.


    ¡°Hurry up! Empress Arya is about to run away!¡±


    Encouraging his knights, Carl kicked the enemy in the stomach that was blocking his way. Jamie¡¯s sword following Carl was stuck in the neck of a knight fallen under the foot. Carl rushed at Arya to catch her.


    ¡°What are you doing?! Protect me!¡±


    Arya screamed in a bewildered voice and hid behind her knights. But that onlysted for a moment, and soon, the knights protecting her lost their lives andy on the ground.


    Arya, who realized that there was no one left to protect her, copsed. It was Carl who was soaked in blood and sweat, but Arya, who was watching the battle without a drop of sweat, was even uglier.


    The tip of Carl¡¯s sword touched her stomach. It meant that everything Arya had prepared was over.


    WHAAAA-! There was a louder shout in the distance. Carl¡¯s army wasing.


    Carl smiled dejectedly at the sight of the rescuers who appeared only after he caught Arya. It was the same for the Royal Knights who were by Carl¡¯s side. Some burst intoughter.


    From the end of the procession, the reinforcement began to protect theirbat-wearyrades and victims, then cleaned up the remnants of the battle.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Emperor!¡±


    A familiar voice came in. It was Kissinger. He came running from the end of the alley riding a thunderous dark-brown horse. A group of knights followed behind him.


    The narrow alley was filled with fallen carriages and dead bodies, so Kissinger got off the horse and ran towards Carl and the Royal Knights. The knights who followed him arrived in a sh and surrounded them.


    Now that Arya was caught, it was already a concluded battle. In addition, when the reinforcements appeared, Arya¡¯s knights lost their fighting spirit andid down their swords in despair.


    Carl said to Kissinger, who was running with sweat.


    ¡°You slow bastard. You¡¯re just eating into your sry.¡±


    Unlike his disgruntled words, Carl had a look of joy and relief.


    ¡°The outer part of the northern castle was on fire. I think it was done to distract us. Moreover, they had ambushes all over the Imperial Ind, so that held our feet.¡±


    ¡°Enough of excuses. Just clean up here.¡±


    Carl ordered Kissinger to arrest Arya and the knights involved in her rebellion, then turned back to check on Sienna. The white dress was a mess with soil and blood sshing, but Sienna looked safe.


    ¡®I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe. I can keep my word with Lord Jaime.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡¯


    Sienna and Carl thought so, making eye contact. But he never uttered the word. It was a tragic incident, and there were too many lost lives to say ¡°Thank God.¡±


    The soldiers tied up Arya.


    ¡°Let me go! How dare you touch me!¡±


    Sheshed out at the soldiers who had seized her. But they didn¡¯t even blink. In the past, the empress may have had a noble status, but now she was just a criminal.


    ¡°Father! Father!¡±


    Another figure in the revolt, Bluebell, was wailing in front of Count Ferrer¡¯s body. His body was in terrible condition as it had been stepped on by the feet of those who fought.


    Sienna took off her cape. The red cloak, decorated with precious white leopard fur, remained intact in this tough situation.


    She covered the body of Count Ferrer with her cape. It was evident that Bluebell had been involved in the rebellion and that his father, Count Ferrer, had also revolted¡ªbut having to face one¡¯s father¡¯s terrorized body was considered too horrendous, even for Bluebell.


    Bluebell wailed, burying her face over her father¡¯s body covered in a cloak. Sienna turned around because she couldn¡¯t watch her like that. As soon as Sienna stepped away, the soldiers drew up Bluebell.


    Carl, along with Pavenik, organized the scene. Following their instructions, soldiers began to move quickly to identify and move bodies or clear carriages blocking the road.


    ¡°Sienna! Are you alright?¡±


    Jamie ran to Sienna. Normally, she would have made a joke about him not using honorifics to her despite his promise to Carl, but Sienna didn¡¯t call him Lord Jamie either.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    Sienna burst into tears of relief at Jamie¡¯s voice. She tried tofort himself and act calmly, saying that everything would be all right with Carl, yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel the misery thaty before her.


    She checked Jamie¡¯s face. He looked tired, but he didn¡¯t look hurt. She hugged him and dug into his arms, and he patted Sienna¡¯s back.


    ¡°You must be shocked.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Did you get hurt anywhere?¡±


    She had to keep hiding behind Jamie¡¯s back. She had to watch vividly as fierce des flew toward him over and over again.


    Behind his back, she was ovee with helplessness that there was nothing she could do, and with anxiety that a sharp knife might hurt Jamie.


    ¡°You know, this is nothing. I used to deal with monsters in the rough snow. You know I couldn¡¯t be afraid of these sloppy bastards.¡±


    Sienna can¡¯t wield a sword, but she was not insensitive. She could tell that the skills of those who had flown swords at him were also impressive.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but...¡±


    Jamie¡¯s voice, who pretended to be calm, got heavy. The Phoenix Knights, the second most powerful force in this battle, suffered as much damage.


    ¡°Dmitri was only twenty-years-old, and he still even had baby fat... He¡¯s gone too early.¡±


    Jamie gnawed his teeth to hold back his tears. A beastly groan flowed through his teeth. Tears poured down his eyes.


    Sienna patted him on the waist. The Waters consoled each other on the ground where so much blood had infiltrated into the soil.


    After a while, Jamie raised his head and wiped his tears. Sienna wanted to get out of this terrible scene as soon as possible. The carriage could not get here, so they tried to walk out, but then Carl approached them. Unlike before, he had dealt with his emotional pain and hugged Sienna tightly.


    ¡°Sienna, you¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±


    Sienna hugged Carl and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. But... I think this took too many lives.¡±


    Carl did not offer words of constion to Sienna. He just hoped that his warmth wouldfort the indescribable grief. Just as he was consoled by her safety.


    Carlforted Sienna for a long time. While he was familiar with battles, he felt enormous emotional and mental fatigue every time he witnessed death. But he was worried that if Sienna was not used to this kind of brutality, she would have been too shocked by this incident.


    ¡°What about Sharillo? Does it look okay? You must have been very shocked...¡±


    Sienna stroked her stomach and said with a tired face, ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s all right. It seems more stable than me. I don¡¯t know what kind of guy he is, but I think he¡¯s got the guts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the blessing of the Leipsden Empire.¡±


    Sienna smiled gently and looked around. The battle was over, but the streets were a mess with broken carriages and bodies.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a lot of time to clean this ce up. You should be here for a while, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think I have to wait and see how the cleanup goes.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to the castle first. There¡¯s nothing I can do to help, so I think I will be a distraction.¡±


    Carl put on a troubled look at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°That might not be a good idea. I know it¡¯s ufortable and hard for you to be here, but I think you¡¯ll have to stay here until things are sorted out to some extent. We don¡¯t have enough men to escort you. We couldn¡¯t even clear the roads where we can move the carriage.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Jamie, who was by her side, stepped up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you don¡¯t have enough guards. I¡¯ll take her with me. The distance from here to the castle is not far.¡±


    Carl shook his head at Jamie¡¯s words.

 Chapter 215: Live to Sienna Pt.215 Another Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 215: Live to Sienna Pt.215 Another Beginning</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Lord Waters¡¯ skills, but I can¡¯t let you. ording to Kissinger, the remnants of Empress Arya are still attacking the city. Kissinger led the knights to this ce, but he had to fight three times.¡±


    Jamie and Sienna looked surprised at Carl¡¯s words. Jamie asked Carl, ¡°You mean the empress mobilized that many knights?¡±


    There were more than five or six expert level knights here. Moreover, they were so powerful that they stood shoulder to shoulder with the Royal Knights.


    ¡°How did she get all these people? When we faced them, their skills were extraordinary. Is it possible to train so many talented people without catching the eyes of the imperial family? They were about the same number as the number in Heidel.¡±


    At Jamie¡¯s words this time, Carl responded quite surprisingly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been constantly told that Heidel is the cradle of a talented knight, but I didn¡¯t know it was that great. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong to think Heidel alone can handle a tenth of the force of the Leipsden Empire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a ce facing the monster¡¯s habitat, so if it wasn¡¯t that, Heidel would have disappeared at the feet of the monsters. Where the hell did she get all these knights?¡±


    When asked Jamie¡¯s question, Carl looked at the body of a nearby knight.


    ¡°What¡¯s more certain is that a close investigation is needed, but the most usible contributor right now is the Castro Empire.¡±


    It was unclear exactly what Arya, who must have lost Castro¡¯s trust in the purge, guaranteed to the Castro empire and brought in so many of these talents, but it was certain that Count Ferrer brought them in instead of sugarcane. Carl¡¯s teeth were gritting over Arya¡¯s audacity to bring the empire¡¯s enemy to the capital to just take power.


    The ce where the rebellion broke out was also a problem. The city parade site, which attracted arge number of civilians, showed a vicious thought that it did not matter how much damage the citizens suffered.


    Carl looked around with a bitter heart. There were quite a few children among the victims. Carl could not look at the horrors, with countless arrows lodged over their small bodies.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that this happened in the safest capital. There was no way to contain his anger which was much more than when he lost his mother or had to kill Azurel.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Rebellion caused by Arya and Count Ferrer was put down in a day. However, its effect has caused the entire Leipsden Empire to boil beyond the capital city.


    While most responded that it was iprehensible that the two people of highest power joined hands and caused rebellion, someined that the emperor had strongly monopolized power. In particr, some said that the provision of sending central troops to each territory led to a big problem.


    Of course, they were only a minority. Most aristocrats watched Carl and held their breath. If the emperor was unhappy with you, you could be swept away for treason.


    There were no nobles that were not connected to the main culprits of the rebellion one way or another. It was because the two families had exerted a lot of political influence.


    The emperor¡¯s subordinates were red-eyed and searched everywhere for those involved in the incident, so the nobles had to be careful.


    Not to mention those who participated in the rebellion, directly provided knights, provided funds and weapons. If they could see anything very relevant, they were called right away and investigated. All those who have ever given gifts or received even a small help from the empress or Count Ferrer for bribe have been subject to investigation.


    Once under investigation, they were taken to a small interrogation room next to the prison and had to be questioned day and night for at least three days. It was a terrible thing to be sentenced to, unable to sleep in a dreary and unpleasant ce, unable to eat properly.


    While the nobles were so wary and couldn¡¯t even breathe out loud, the people who worked in the Imperial City were busy. Those who were surprised by the incident were busy talking about the incident every time they got together in twos and threes.


    On the other hand, the pce where Sienna was staying was quiet. One of the hardest-hit knights in the rebellion was the Phoenix Knights.


    Eight of the Knights of Phoenix were killed, including Knight Commander Milton. Those who survived were in charge of busy tasks, unable to settle their solemnity over the death of theirrades. So the heavy atmosphere was inevitable. Likewise, the maids, who had been close with the knights, could not easily regain the bright atmosphere.


    A close friend of Milton¡¯s, Havali, became the Knights¡¯ Commander. Although he usually had a bright personality, he also lost his smile.


    Nevertheless, everyone was busy trying to clean up the rebellion at a rapid pace and regain their original lives. Arya¡¯s people have been captured one after another, but the intensity of the work has increased due to theck of new personnel to fill the empty positions.


    While everyone was so busy, the emperor, Carl, was more rxed than before. He did not neglect his work, but he tried to stand by Sienna for as much as possible.


    When she said he feltfortable whenever he heard his voice, Carl read to Sienna and Sharillo whenever he could. The problem was that most of the books he read were boring history books.


    ¡°The high priest says, How dare you disobey my orders...¡±


    Yawn-


    Sienna yawned when Carl was still reading, closed her eyes, and breathed silently, Carl stopped reading.


    Crackle-


    The sound of firewood burning filled the space. At the tip of his nose, Carl could smell the smell of winter with the smell of soft tea.


    Carl smiled lightly. He preferred winter over summer.


    Unlike the capital city, where Carl was living, the frontiers were always sensitive to the season. Especially in the summer, the unpleasant smell of sweat from the soldiers could not be described in words, and they had to worry about infectious diseases because water and food easily decayed.


    But even not for those reasons, he liked winter. A cold and clear season.


    Carl¡¯s gaze was shifted to Sienna, who was asleep.


    ¡®Is she like summer? No, she¡¯s the one who goes well with winter.¡¯


    From the first time he met her, he thought she was a very warm person unlike himself. He doubted her intentions because of her provocative words or actions, but strangely he felt that way about her.


    Now that he thought about it, he thought he instinctively knew that she was the one he needed and she would be a precious person to him.


    The first thought he had when he found out that Sienna was from Heidel was that she didn¡¯t fit the location. She was too warm and passionate to say that she was from there, where the cruel winter always continued.


    But after living with her, he realized she was simr to winter. A person who was surprisingly rational and cool-headed, but has a lot of heat in her heart.


    She was like a midwinter stove. Making tapping sounds to heat up the air. A grateful person who conveys the heat to his cold heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping. So keep reading.¡±


    Sienna woke up and gave Carl a nagging voice. She was asleep with a sound breath, but she didn¡¯t seem to know.


    Carl started reading again rather than scolding her. It was fun to watch her listen to his voice.


    ¡°The crowd answered, Fezer the Great. Emperor, what are we...


    ¡°Are you already at Fezer the Great? I think I¡¯ve heard they say Phillyon the Great. Oh, I must have slept a lot. You should have told me.¡±


    If she had heard Phillyon the Great before she fell asleep, she must have skipped the stories of the six emperors in between. She must have fallen asleep earlier than Carl thought.


    Recently, Sienna looked into books every night to study the subjects and career activities that she could teach as essentials in the orphanages.


    ¡°You must have been really tired because you¡¯ve been sleepingte these days.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I thought I just dozed off, but time went by like this. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not easy to keep reading.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. At least Sharillo must have been listening.¡±


    At his words, Sienna opened her eyes wide and pulled her upper body back, making a suspicious face. When Carl saw her sudden behavior, he suspected that she was still half asleep.


    ¡°You¡¯re Carl, right? You¡¯re not pretending to be Carl, are you?


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Sienna straightened out her tired body. Since she just woke up, Carl thought she might get thirsty, so he handed her a cup of tea. Sienna burst intoughter at the sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s awkward that you¡¯re friendly.¡±


    Her words gave Carl a strange feeling.


    ¡®Should I say it¡¯s unfair or upsetting?¡¯


    Carl stared at her and thought for a moment. He thought he has always been kind and sweet to her, but hasn¡¯t she felt it?


    As he retraced whether there was a problem with his behavior, Sienna continued as if she had just realized it.


    ¡°So it seems that Carl has always been kind to me. Very much. I¡¯ve been getting used to it and didn¡¯t realize it, but I would never have imagined that Carl would read this book for me and the child in my belly.¡±


    ¡°Is that so...?¡±


    Come to think of it, it¡¯s something that even Carl himself could never have imagined. If it was a few years ago when he relied entirely on Azurel...


    For Carl, who had endured his imperial life with the goal of overthrowing the ipetent emperor, a child was only necessary to stabilize his throne, and his wife was a target to keep in check because she might threaten him behind his back.

 Chapter 216: Live to Sienna Pt.216

    <h4>Chapter 216: Live to Sienna Pt.216</h4>


    Family held a very different meaning to the imperial familypared tomon people. Rather, they were more afraid of blood. When looking at history, it was not difficult to find cases in which an emperor killed his child for fear of losing his ce, or an emperor murdered his brother or father and caused a rebellion. For Carl, who was born and raised in the imperial family, that was natural.


    Nevertheless, Sienna and her baby werepletely different. He was looking forward to the birth of the child, and he hoped the child would grow up to be happy. Just by looking at himself now, he was naturally reading them books even though she didn¡¯t ask. It was awkward even to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry and I¡¯m upset at myself. I¡¯m used to receiving kindness from you, but I wonder how much other people would misunderstand you. It¡¯s a pity that Carl seems distant and cold.¡±


    Her words gave Carl a smile. Sienna was firmly misunderstanding.


    This behavior of his was always limited to her. He didn¡¯t intentionally draw a line and act clearly rude to others, but naturally, he only softened up in front of her. To others, he didn¡¯t need to or want to.


    But he swallowed the word ¡®only you.¡¯ Because he felt embarrassed to exin to her in words.


    She checked the window for red sunlight and said, ¡°It¡¯s already sunset. Come to think of it, you spent away your day like I did today. By the way. I have something to tell you. I hear you¡¯re putting off your political meetings.¡±


    Her face was full of worry.


    ¡°I knowst time you didn¡¯t see participation in order to empower your people, but this time the matter is so important. I think the damage is enormous, even if there are not many casualtiespared to the density in the capital. The knights were killed, of course, but the civilians...¡±


    Carl replied because he wondered if Sienna would consider him to be an ipetent emperor.


    ¡°Thepensation of this incident for the affected citizens is being made quickly. As you may have guessed, the reason why I¡¯m not going to a political meeting right now is to convey my message to the nobles.¡±


    In Carl¡¯s reply, Sienna nodded as if she understood. Sometimes she understood easily without him having to borate. So it was more pleasant to talk to her.


    ¡°Of course, I know that the reason why you are staying in my ce with the excuse of caring for the imperial heir is to put pressure on the nobles and have an upper hand in negotiations with them. But isn¡¯t it time to wrap things up?¡±


    Of course, she understood clearly. Feeling better, Carl said, stroking her hair.


    ¡°You know very well. But you don¡¯t have to nag me like an ipetent husband who doesn¡¯t bring home food.¡±


    Then Sienna raised her eyes and protested, ¡°When did I nag like that?¡±


    Then added, ¡°A man who works at any time is a wonderful man.¡±


    Even that looked lovely to Carl, so he burst intoughter.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Sienna, who had been sleeping a lot recently due to pregnancy, had anguid face hanging on the sofa. For the empress who went through a great deal, the pce people were careful not to bring too much work to her.


    Then Jamie came to see her.


    ¡°Jamie Waters, here to see Your Majesty the Empress.¡±


    He greeted Sienna with courtesy. Sienna shook her hand and said, ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m tired of being polite today, so just do as you please.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Jamie shook his head and said solemnly.


    ¡°I will continue to use the honorifics greetings of the Empress as promised. Just because of the way we speak changed, it won¡¯t diminish the bond between you and me.¡±


    Once Jamie made a promise, he was the kind of person who had to keep his word.


    It was strange that only Sienna spoke to himfortably when Jamie was so polite. Even if they honored each other as he said, their rtionship was still that of a good brother and sister. Sienna also asked him in honorifics.


    ¡°Okay, Lord Waters. You must have been very busy. You haven¡¯te to see me since the event happened, so I¡¯ve been lonely.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯sint, Jamie scratched his cheek and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve got more work to do than I thought...¡±


    ¡°I just felt like saying something to tease you. I know you¡¯ve helped a lot with the Knights of Phoenix these days.¡±


    Jamie looked gloomy as Sienna smirked at his naive response. But the loss of the people he trained was not an easy thing to forget.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all because of me. If I trained them a little stronger...¡±


    ¡°How could that be because of Lord Waters? There¡¯s no use of skill in the face of death, nor in the well-polished sword.¡±


    Comforting Jamie, Sienna also controlled her own sorrows. It was hard to lose someone.


    ¡°But is the Empress getting better? You¡¯re not just one person, but you¡¯ve been swept away by such a big...¡±


    ¡°I was protected by Lord Waters and Carl. I didn¡¯t even get a small wound.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so thankful.¡±


    Jamie knew well that Sienna wasn¡¯t hurt because he was with her. Rather, he seemed to be asking, if she was mentally distressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Of course, it¡¯s the same with the baby in the belly.¡±


    When Sienna answered bravely, Jamie smiled. It was a smile to reassure others.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re all healthy. Come to think of it, your bump is much bigger than before. It wasn¡¯t easy to tell before, but now it¡¯s a presence... I think the imperial heir is growing well.¡±


    Sienna stroked her belly and said, ¡°They say it¡¯s a little bit bigger than usual. But this is only a start. It¡¯s going to be even bigger.¡±


    Jamie asked her with a surprised look.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. That would make it hard to breathe...¡±


    ¡°It must be hard, but what can I do? I don¡¯t use this body alone, I have to share it with the heir.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get used to your appearance and it¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. There¡¯s a person in my stomach...¡±


    Jamie smiled softly at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°When will Lord Waters return to Heidel? You¡¯re leaving after this child is born, right?¡±


    Jamie looked embarrassed at Sienna¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what will happen. Actually, I¡¯m trying to get back to work fast, but...¡±


    ¡°Please stay a little longer...¡±


    When Sienna was disappointed, he said with a weak smile.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I¡¯d like to get back before this thing reaches the Waters territory. Our father, who will be hearing this news, will need a detailed exnation, and most of all, I think I¡¯ll have to tell him this story myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I think Lord Waters should tell him in person.¡±


    There was no one yet to hold Marie ountable for the rebellion, but surely there ought to be someone who wanted to take her as a scapegoat. Of course, if that were to happen, Sienna, a formerrade of imperial life, was thinking of handling the issue so that Marie wasn¡¯t harmed. Even just for Jamie¡¯s happiness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll stop them if the bad crowd tries to pull down Marquise Methena.¡±


    Jamie nodded at Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes. The Emperor said the same to me. It¡¯s just...¡±


    He couldn¡¯t speak with a troubled face.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°But, Delly...No, Lord Panacio, he will be hard to save. I want to do something for him. He really has nothing to do with this. All he did was train hard in Heidel. He doesn¡¯t have any contact with his family...¡±


    This seems to be one of the reasons Jamie has been too busy to meet Sienna.


    Delly was the eldest son of Depine, who was a key figure in the event, and heir to the Panacio family. In the event of treason, not only those who participated in the rebellion but also their family members could not avoid the death penalty.


    Sienna understood Jamie¡¯s desire to save Delly. Her family¡¯s involvement in the rebellion would have been a shock to Marie, who would not be able to handle the shock easily if her younger brother, Delly, was taken to the capital and executed. No matter how mentally strong she was.


    But Sienna couldn¡¯t give him an answer easily. Sienna couldn¡¯t immediately think of a way to save Delly.


    Nor was it now possible to send him to another family for adoption. Even if there was no direct connection, this case would never end if the traitor¡¯s remnant was spared.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hard case to solve.¡±


    But Sienna couldn¡¯t break Jamie¡¯s hopes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try toe up with a solution somehow. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°...okay.¡±


    Jamie answered simply. He didn¡¯t say anything like ¡®I¡¯ll trust the Empress¡¯ or ¡®Please find a way.¡¯ which could be burdensome to her.


    ¡°No matter how this ends, Marie will have a hard time. Lord Waters shouldfort her a lot when you return to Heidel. Now, Marie has no one to lean on. Even if she didn¡¯t lean on the Panacio family before, it¡¯s different from not leaning on and not being able to lean on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know what kind of constion I can offer. I¡¯m not very eloquent, and I don¡¯t know where to begin...¡±


    Jamie swept his face roughly down with both hands, feeling stuffy. Sienna poured warm tea into his cup and handed it over to him.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. No matter how eloquent a speaker is, words alone won¡¯tfort her. But Lord Waters can do that.¡±


    ¡°How can I...¡±


    Jamie asked Sienna with a curious look.


    ¡°Lord Waters cares more about her than anyone else. And you are patient, and close to her physically, so you can be supportive. Of course, you won¡¯t get better overnight, but you will try until you get better.¡±

 Chapter 217: Live to Sienna Pt.217

    <h4>Chapter 217: Live to Sienna Pt.217</h4>


    ¡°Yes! Lady Marie... I mean, if Marquise Methena gets better, I will help as much as I can!¡±


    Seeing Jamie all motivated again, Sienna burst out inughter.


    ¡°Do you like Marie that much?¡±


    Jamie stuttered, embarrassed by the sudden question.


    ¡°Oh, no. I mean, I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t like her...she¡¯s so beautiful and kind. But how dare I...no.¡±


    He protested, waving his arms urgently. Sienna held back herughter and told him.


    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t have asked. Lord Waters is so flustered.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not flustered. It¡¯s just...¡±


    He swept down his cheeks with his hands to cool the heat on his face, even though his ears flushed.


    ¡°Do you still have no thoughts of marriage?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not yet...¡±


    It was pleasant to see Jamie embarrassed, but I couldn¡¯t just keep teasing him.


    Sienna stirred his tea with plenty of honey. The tea was made for Jamie, who prefers sweet, salty, and spicy, all extreme in vors rather than subtle ones.


    ¡°Take your tea. It¡¯ll suit your taste.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sweet and delicious.¡±


    He gulped down the soft green tea at once. He may have gotten used to saying formalities, but he was still clumsy with etiquette. But for the brother who worked so muchtely, Sienna poured tea and honey into the teacup once more, rather than pointing out his behavior.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet and very delicious. But... I heard something strange.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°That the Empress is trying to save the Second Empress¡¯s life.¡±


    After the investigation, it was already revealed that Bluebell was not pregnant. It was clear that Carl had deliberately revealed the truth. He seemed to have no intention of forgiving Bluebell.


    When that fact was revealed, the aristocrats rushed to raise their voices, saying that the Second Empress is also guilty. They sided with Bluebell before, when Count Ferrer and Arya were supporting her, but now they had nothing to gain from her, they turned their backs to Bluebell. So rather, they wanted to use her as a scapegoat to dissipate Carl¡¯s anger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her beheaded.¡±


    ¡°The reason I wanted to save Lord Panacio is because we have been friends. But the Empress has nothing to do with the Second Empress. On the contrary, weren¡¯t you more like enemies?¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t answer Jamie¡¯s question right away, but took a sip of tea. Jamie peeped if he was curious about her answer.


    ¡°Is it because ofpassion? You don¡¯t want to see her die, even if you hate her? But the Second Empressmitted enough crime. There are so many victims!¡±


    Jamie¡¯s voice grew louder and louder. Because many people were lost due to this incident, he seemed to have hostility toward Bluebell. He seemed to think it was justice for her to be beheaded.


    Neither did Sienna consider her innocent. Bluebell had several chances before making her worst choice. Only if she confessed before they got on the wagon that day, they could have prevented a big trouble.


    But she chose silence until the end. Clearly, Bluebell has helped this. There was no reason for her to be excused.


    But if the punishment for her was the death penalty, it was too easy. There were too many victims of this incident for her to simply escape through death.


    ¡°I think she should be responsible for this, too. But I think death is not enough. It¡¯s... too easy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember? How she looked after finding Count Ferrer¡¯s body...¡±


    It was not easy to forget how Bluebell looked that day, sitting on the ground, hugging her father¡¯s grotesque body that was horribly distorted.


    Jamie also kept silent as if he remembered how she was. Sienna breathed heavily and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think death is the only way to ask for responsibility. That¡¯s not enough. She has to watch everything alive. Rather, it may be a more cruel punishment to live and watch everything she destroyed.¡±


    Jamie nodded slowly instead of answering. He seemed to have fully understood Siena¡¯s meaning.


    It was just the beginning. Only the investigations had been made, and no purge had happened yet. Count Ferrer, one of the main culprits, had died, but the execution of his blood rtives has not yet been made either. Bluebell had to watch all those deaths in her family.


    Moreover, she could no longer be an empress. She was still staying at the pce, but it was only temporary. When this work was finished, she will be abolished. To endure the insult would also be a cruel punishment for her.


    Most of all, it would feel more terrible to be alive when she finds out that the reason she was alive was because of Sienna¡¯s generosity.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    ¡°Why are you doing this to me? I didn¡¯t even know what this witch did!!!¡±


    It was difficult for Arya to not smile at the man crawling on the floor.


    Depine Panacio, who had always covered his ugly body with high-quality silk and had an incense burner to hide his bad smell, was at Arya¡¯s feet. He was also bleeding.


    Tortured in ragged clothes, his blood-stained flesh was revealed. His face, covered with tears, runny nose, blood and dirty dust, was disgusting, but it was still enjoyable for Arya.


    The rebellion she prepared had failed, and it was clear that she would not escape the penalty. She was still intact because she was so easily spouting information about those involved in the rebellion. She started spitting out odd amounts of information before she even got tortured.


    ¡°Dowager Empress, say it again. Is it true that Count Panacio ordered the assassination of the Emperor at the event?¡±


    Arya nodded at the question of Pavenik, who was frowning and asking.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Count Panacio has been in contact with the Castro Empire for a long time. He worked as a spy for the knights of the Castro Empire, turning them into royal knights. He also joined hands with me and blinded Lord Rodbius, my former spouse, with drugs and sorcery, and sphemed the deceased using drugs and curses to hide his death for a long time.¡±


    Every time she opened her mouth, Depine screamed, with a look of horror.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I helped hide the Emperor¡¯s death, but I just pretended not to know what she had done. How can you believe that dirty b*tch?!¡±


    Arya put her arms upon the dirty table in the torture chamber, propped her chin and looked down at him.


    ¡°Would I have been able to do all that work by myself? And why would I make up lies right now, if nothing can save me? It¡¯s true that I tried to revolt, and I¡¯m not ignorant enough to think that my end is not death.¡±


    Pavenik looked at Arya and Depine with a tired face. In terms of circumstances, it was hard to believe that Arya alone joined hands with Ferrer to create the rebellion. But the situation was strange.


    When he went to arrest Depine, he didn¡¯t even know why he was being captured.


    He was vociferously cursing Arya and Carl, who took away his title as Marquis, and he was drunk and drugged in a brothel in his own estate when they found him. It did not seem like something an aplice in a rebellion would do.


    What¡¯s even stranger was that Arya has nothing to gain from revealing this. Rather, iming that she hadmitted the crime alone was her best choice. Then maybe even a little bit of the House of Panacio could be preserved. Of course, there would be a punishment.


    Just based on her argument now, all members of the Panacio family had to be executed. They were guilty of such grave crimes that not one of them should be preserved.


    ¡°Empress, do you know how serious these crimes that you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Rather, Pavenik asked back. Arya burst intoughter.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m held like now, but I¡¯m not out of my mind yet. I¡¯m just going to die without leaving a single question about me. You can think of it as thest whim of someone who is about to die.¡±


    Pavenik frowned, rubbing his forehead at the repeated suspicious answers.


    ¡°You b*tch! Tell me the truth! I had no idea what you were doing. If I had known you were doing such a terrible thing, I would have told the Emperor first!¡±


    Depine¡¯s shouts in the narrow prison made Pavenik¡¯s eardrums tingle. When he was frowning he heard a smacking sound.


    GASP-


    Depine made a choking sound then fell t. One of the knights who was holding him kicked his diaphragm to put him out for a moment. The knight apologized to Pavenik immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry sir. He was just way too loud...¡±


    Pavenik nodded, because he was deeply in agreement with the knight.


    ¡°He was noisy. Why can¡¯t he just talk normally? Why does he have to scream? The old man is strong.¡±


    As the knight nodded, Pavenik hit him on the shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on him, though. Because his end should not be this underground prison, but in the middle of a square watched by many.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure!¡±


    It was when Pavenik was enjoying the relief that came to his ears, which had long been overworked by Depine¡¯s voice. The man guarding outside informed him that Carl hade.


    ¡°What is there to see here for you to make this trip?¡±


    Pavenik said with a sullen face. It wasn¡¯t until Carl frowned that he got himself straight.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying because Your Highness has given me all the hard work with an excuse to protect Her Majesty the Empress. There¡¯s no point in putting some kids under me. It¡¯s the same whether I work alone or with my juniors, I still leave work only after the sun goes down. You¡¯ve made it sound like this is all for my good, but you¡¯ve actually done this for your own convenience.¡±


    Pavenik seemed to have a lot ofints even though Carl gave him more people, saying he still has a lot of work to do. Carl wasn¡¯t free enough to listen to all of his talks.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel any difference, then cut them all off. Do you want me to make you have no time to eat, let alone go back home like before?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s usually best to look at the stars after dark.¡±


    As he spoke with an exaggerated rub in his palm, Carl nodded his head pleasantly. He looked at Arya, leaving behind the whining of Pavenik.


    ¡°You were in such a good ce. So why were you so greedy? If you had just livedfortably stuck in the empress¡¯ pce, you would have been able to enjoy a long, healthy life.¡±

 Chapter 218: Live to Sienna Pt.218

    <h4>Chapter 218: Live to Sienna Pt.218</h4>


    At Carl¡¯s words, Arya shrugged her shoulders with no sign of fear at all.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me to die of old age as a waste in the corner of the imperial pce. I wanted to gamble on everything. If I win that gamble, I¡¯ll have the world, so I have nothing to lose.¡±


    Carlughed at her words.


    ¡°So how do you feel now? You lost everything in gambling.¡±


    But Arya smiled an unexpected smile. Carl, irritated by her smile, looked at her and said again.


    ¡°Do you feel terrible, or scared? As the winner of that gamble, I can¡¯t imagine what kind of feeling that would be. What would be the feeling of a gambler who gained nothing, and lost everything?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Arya burst intoughter. Those in the prison looked worried at her. He wondered if she hadpletely lost her mind. He couldn¡¯t believe she wasughing like that in this situation...


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    Asked Carl, looking at her with a look of disgust.


    Arya couldn¡¯t stopughing. Herughter sounded like the cry of a beast on the verge of getting ughtered.


    *


    When the rebellion was suppressed, knights were ordered by the emperor to thends of the Panacio family and of the Ferrer family to capture the remaining members of the family. Not only their rtives in the city, but also the people of the merchant association, who had only made small transactions, were taken to the Imperial City and tortured.


    The members of the Panacio family imed that the work was done alone by the Empress Arya, but they could not avoid the fall because Arya testified that it was done under the leadership of her brother, Depine Panacio.


    The terrible day killed more than four hundred people. It included more than a hundred citizens who were just spending their daily lives. The mournful cries of those who grieved for the loss of their loved ones continued throughout the city.


    ¡°Count Panacio was sentenced to death.¡±


    Sienna nodded at Hain who just informed her. That was the next step.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not by hanging, it¡¯s by burning.¡±


    ¡°By burning?¡±


    Those who participated in a rebellion cannot avoid a death sentence. Although the sentence varies depending on the seriousness of the crime, most of them were hangings. There were not many cases of death by burning.


    Both were terrifying, but to a different extent. The hanging was terrible, but death came rtively quickly, but the burning was the cruelest punishment because the sufferingsted so much longer.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s not just about this rebellion. He confessed that he was involved in the death of Emperor Rodbius during the interrogation. Not only that, but it turned out that he had given Empress Isabel, the mother of the current emperor, a drug that drives people crazy.¡±


    Sienna thought for a moment in silence. What Hain said were facts that she already knew. But she was curious why all these testimonies came out of Arya¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°What a strange thing. That she confessed...¡±


    ¡°I know. She didn¡¯t need torture. I heard that she made a series of confessions without the interrogators lifting a finger. Not only the big crimes of the Panacio family, but also minor atrocities. So unlike the Ferrer family, who were all hanged, the Panacio family was sentenced to death by burning. The wickedness was so terrible that His Majesty was furious.¡±


    ¡®But for what purpose?¡¯


    Sienna felt like now she had a question that could never be answered. Because only Arya would know the real answer, but when she would be executed in the za, it would remain a mystery forever.


    Then, Hain rushed to the window and closed it, putting curtains over the windows after. Only after seeing what Hain was doing, Sienna smelled something faintly. It was a very sad and depressing smell.


    ¡°It must have been today.¡±


    ¡°It must be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s horrifying.¡±


    ¡°Definitely... horrifying.¡±


    The problem was handling the bodies of the dead. They couldn¡¯t bury thatrge number of people, nor could it be just left to rot forever. Although it was winter, it was a big problem if the body rotted.


    As a solution, joint funerals were held for ten days starting from today. Hence the smoke from burning the bodies came all the way up to Sienna¡¯s pce.


    Sienna stood up from her seat and opened one of the windows that had been closed by Hain and looked out. Arge ck smoke column gave off a strong presence from afar.


    Even in Sienna¡¯s past, ck smoke columns have soared all over the city for a very long time. Except Sienna watched while being trapped in a tower higher than this castle now.


    Smoke continued for a month and the blue sky was not seen for a long time. The acrid air filled the capital of the Leipsden Empire.


    ¡°When will we ever see blue sky again?¡±


    Cough- Cough-


    When Sienna coughed, Hain jumped up and poured water into a ss.


    ¡°We¡¯d better keep the windows closed, even if you¡¯re feeling stuffy. This bad air can¡¯t be good for your health.¡±


    She handed Sienna water and closed the window. The curtain was also drawn so that she could not look out at all.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I just got something in my throat.¡±


    Sienna took a sip of water and said, ¡°You still have to be careful. You should think of the imperial heir. Since he¡¯s such a precious person, I hope he¡¯ll be born when this is settled and you¡¯re living a normal life.¡±


    Sienna stroked her stomach and nodded. As Hain said, Sienna hoped that this child would be born when he could feel the precious daily life of ordinariness. Not at a time when the air was full of death like now.


    *


    The Imperial Pce was as cold, as a prison, and as deste and dreary.


    Bluebell was still staying at her pce. Most of the maids working there were taken away for interrogation and only knights guarding the door were there.


    The punishment has yet to be finalized, but it was only a matter of time before she was deposed. As the severity of the matter was great, it would be difficult for her to avoid being sentenced after being deposed. For Bluebell, this pce was the prison before being taken to the death row.


    Shey in the bedroom with a somber face. There was no focus on her eyes. All she could see was the vivid image of her father crushed under Arya¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    A thick stream of water fell over her cheek.


    ¡°What did my father do wrong?!¡±


    She gnashed her teeth. If Arya had not been blinded by greed and killed her father, this would have been done sessfully. An absolute, strong father would have never failed his work, and if it weren¡¯t for Arya, she wouldn¡¯t be here waiting to die so miserably.


    It was a terrible thing to wait for the day to die. Bluebell shuddered at the thought that her entire family had already suffered this pain.


    All her rtives have already been taken to prison and subjected to terrible torture. The prison and her pce were so far away that she did not literally hear their screams, but the sound seemed to ring vividly in her ears.


    If a rebellion failed, the only end for the rebels was ruin. Even Bluebell, who was not familiar with imperialw, knew how traitors were handled.


    He who was directly involved in treason was put to death. Depending on the severity of the rebellion, beheading, guillotine, dismemberment, and burning were performed. Even if they did not participate directly, all men of the rebel¡¯s family, regardless of age, will be beheaded, their mansions burned down, leaving no foundation behind.


    The workers of the family also be government ves, and all the livestock in thend would be considered unclean and be burned alive. Above all, women in the family be state-controlled ves.


    Bluebell couldn¡¯t stand it. She thought she would rather die than be enved.


    ¡°His Majesty the Emperor is here.¡±


    A knight informed her that Carl hade.


    Bluebell raised herself up. She used to only want to look beautiful for him, but now everything was bothering her. What¡¯s the point when she was about to die?


    She didn¡¯t wash for days because she didn¡¯t have a maid, and because shey on the bed for days, her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was untouched, but she didn¡¯t care.


    She forced herself to sit up. She didn¡¯t even stand up and say hello to Carl to be polite. Their rtionship was already over. And it ended in a very ugly way.


    Carl entered the room and looked at her. There was no feeling in his eyes. She couldn¡¯t tell whether it was because he had cut off all his lingering feelings, as Bluebell did, or because he had never had feelings for her from the beginning.


    She red at Carl with a venomous face.


    ¡°Why are you here? Did youe here tough at me? To tell me to go wash my neck because it¡¯s going to be beheaded in that za soon?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    Carl said indifferently. She would not have been so miserable if he had shown any mixed feelings of anger, ridicule, orpassion. He really looked like he didn¡¯t care whether or not Bluebell was being put to death.


    This might have been his original self from the beginning. Although she has been turning a blind eye to his feelings, Carl hasn¡¯t had much emotional ups and downs. He was always cold and distant. Bluebell breathed out an empty breath.

 Chapter 219: Live to Sienna Pt.219

    <h4>Chapter 219: Live to Sienna Pt.219</h4>


    ¡°You must be happy. Before, you had to be concerned about the fact that you had two empresses, but now you¡¯re left with one. The one empress that you really care about.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl was silent for a few minutes. Not because he was bothered by what Bluebell said, but he seemed to be tired of talking with the upset Bluebell and hoping to wait until she calmed down.


    Bluebell¡¯s shoulders lost momentum and went down. To vent one¡¯s feelings to Carl was as futile as to speak against the wall.


    Only then did Carl open his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ll avoid the death sentence.¡±


    Bluebell¡¯s eyes grew wide momentarily. It was the news of hope that came at a time when she was distressed because she seemed to have a guillotine waiting for her head right away. If she doesn¡¯t get a death sentence... in part of her heart, the possibility of a ¡®what if?¡¯ came.


    Could he still have lingering feelings for her? Even a little bit, even a little bit... Maybe she could try and get my ce back.


    But her hopes were shattered by the next series of words from Carl.


    ¡°Sienna asked me a favor. So that you would avoid getting a death sentence.¡±


    Carl looked like he was saying that this was annoying, but Sienna asked for it, so he¡¯s just doing it for her.


    ¡°So I decided to let you go without a death sentence. Come to think of it, it¡¯s also ufortable to punish the empress who I was married to. You will soon be contacted, to be deposed and live in a castle at the eastern end of the country with no escape for life.¡±


    He turned around and left the room as if he had said everything he wanted to. Bluebell was angry at Carl, who showed no signs of lingering feelings. She felt pathetic and shabby, dreaming of hope even for a very short time.


    Unable to contain her anger, she threw her cushion to the floor. She wanted to destroy everything, but as soon as it was revealed that she was involved in the rebellion, all the gifts that she had received so far were confiscated. They also took all the expensive decorations, saying a prisoner¡¯s room doesn¡¯t have to be fancy.


    All she could throw and smash was the cushion.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of her!¡±


    She med Sienna for taking the seat of the first empress, for not being able to sleep with Carl, for not having children, and for not having the heart of Carl. Even now that the rebellion failed, her mind had not changed much.


    Bluebell knew deep in her heart that it wasn¡¯t Sienna¡¯s fault, but she couldn¡¯t ept it. She felt like that if she acknowledged the truth, she wouldpletely lose her mind, which she was already barely holding onto.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she asked Carl to do that tough at me! She took me as a scapegoat because she wanted to look like an angel to Carl!¡±


    Bluebell went wild saying Sienna used her.


    ¡°No, maybe it¡¯s because she wants to watch me slowly fall apart. She¡¯ll expect me to die a miserable death with no hope, no one to lean on, and no ce to lean on!¡±


    Bluebell suffered from her self-victimization. She felt like Sienna asked Carl to save her to make her suffer.


    ¡°If not, why would she ask him to rescue me?!¡±


    She nibbled on her fingernails walking nervously around the room. At this rate, she would have to struggle in pain and die miserably old as Sienna intended. She didn¡¯t want to live such a miserable life.


    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t bear the fact that she could keep her life alive thanks to Sienna. It was time to blow up against Sienna again.


    ¡®It¡¯s because of you.¡¯


    A sudden auditory hallucination startled Bluebell. Recently, she had been hearing voices of discontent from time to time.


    ¡®You¡¯ve killed us!¡¯


    Bluebell sat down and shut her ears and started screaming.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t care! I didn¡¯t kill you!¡±


    The horrors of the day unfolded again before Bluebell¡¯s eyes.


    Arya and her father knew they were going to revolt. When the carriage entered the alley, Bluebell knew that arrows would pour out like showers from the rooftops of buildings on their left and right. That the knights who were just marching together would draw their swords, and that some of the citizens who had been cheering them would hold up the dagger they were hiding in their arms.


    But knowing and seeing the misery with her own eyes were different. In the face of the madness that she helped create, Bluebell could not keep her sanity. Screams and spewing red blood soaked her mind.


    Shouting that it was not her fault did not mean that the guilt would disappear. Nor did the victims¡¯ resentment disappear.


    -You¡¯ve already done something irreversible. All you can do now is apologize to those who lost their lives and those who lost their loved ones. Don¡¯t die, stay alive till the end and ask for forgiveness!


    Bluebell shook her head remembering what Sienna had said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Why would I?! I¡¯m a victim, too! It¡¯s not my fault!¡±


    She sprang to her feet. She felt dizzy because she hadn¡¯t had a meal for a while. She went to the window holding back her nausea.


    Next to the thick curtain, which was drawn to cover the sight of the acrid ck smoke outside, there was a band that tied the tie-back curtain. A long string made of twisted golden thread hung on the ring.


    Bluebell picked it up and looked at it for a long time.


    When she decided to escape by death, the first thing that came to her mind was the nanny. She must have nagged that it was a great sin to kill herself, and she must survive somehow. Bluebell shook her head roughly.


    ¡°No. The nanny will understand. It¡¯s more miserable to survive. She wouldn¡¯t want me to rot so horribly. I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Bluebell hung the tieback from the bedpost. It was as if a nanny with a sad face was looking at her from the side. It was not known whether it was the spirit of the nanny or the projection of her insane brain, but it did not matter.


    The nanny had a face that wanted to stop Bluebell. The nanny moved her mouth, but no sound was heard.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, nanny, because I¡¯m a coward. I can¡¯t live with those evil spirits that cling to me all my life. Besides, everyone willugh at me being dragged down from the empress¡¯ seat. I can¡¯t be theirughing stock.¡±


    Bluebell smiled emptily at the nanny.


    She made sure that the string was tightly tied to the post and wrapped it around her neck. The nanny was crying in front of her.


    Bluebell smiled at her. It was the most beautiful, and thest smile she could show her nanny.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    As everyone was paying keen attention to the rebellion, even small news spread quickly.


    Especially when ites to the news of the imperial family, maids were the quickest to hear and spread the news. Because they could easily share information with each other in a special space calledundry. Hain also went out to theundry every day for that reason.


    In the past, a maid who gave information would have told Hain only after she had raised her chin up high and pretended to be better than Hain, but now things have changed. She was the head maid of Sienna, who would soon be the only empress and beloved by the emperor. Hain was to be the most powerful maid in the pce.


    When something happened, everyone ran to Hain to tell her the news. So it was Hain who was getting the most information in the castle right now.


    She quickly returned to give Sienna the news she had recently obtained.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress!¡±


    Sienna, who was looking at the flowers lying at the entrance to the guest room, looked back at her and said, ¡°Hain, you scolded other maids not to run around the castle, and then you run around like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some news to tell you now. The Second Empress, PANTING HEAVILY.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t speak properly because she was out of breath. But Sienna had some predictions.


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re saying that Empress Bluebell wasn¡¯t given a death sentence, right? Carl said he¡¯d let her avoid the death sentence.¡±


    Hain, who managed to calm down, said to Sienna.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it! Yesterday, Empress Bluebell hanged herself in her room!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Looking at Sienna¡¯s stiffening look, Hain said embarrassedly.


    ¡°Did I say something I shouldn¡¯t have? Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°...yes, it¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll have to sit down first.¡±


    Hain helped Sienna to sit on the sofa.


    ¡°In the end... ...I see.¡±


    Although Sienna was surprised at the news of Bluebell¡¯s suicide, she also understood her decision.


    ¡®She must have been hopeless. And to go on living on her own with all that guilt must have been astounding.¡¯


    Sienna nodded with a sad face.


    The reason why she asked Carl to spare Bluebell¡¯s life was not because she feltpassionate toward her.


    The Bluebell of the past was different from this one. Although she died in the hands of Arya, she was not a rebel involved in treason. Just as Sienna herself led a different life based on her choices, Bluebell made different decisions that made her life different.


    So Sienna couldn¡¯t just me Bluebell like everyone else had. Because she also had a past when she made simr decisions to that of Bluebell.

 Chapter 220: Live to Sienna Pt.220

    <h4>Chapter 220: Live to Sienna Pt.220</h4>


    Sienna felt empty about the fact that an imperial woman can only have power as either a mother of an imperial heir, or as a beloved woman of a powerful man. That grieved her heart deeply.


    But Sienna still couldn¡¯t just feel pity towards Bluebell. She was also angry at Bluebell for making such foolish choices.


    Why her choices had to be so horrible, why she couldn¡¯t think of a better way out after exploring more options. Sienna was not happy with Bluebell at all. But this feeling was also the same for her past self.


    While her feelings toward Arya were of the same color, such as disgust, resentment, hatred, and vengeance, her feelings toward Bluebell were moreplex and could not be easily defined. It was because a sense of camaraderie was present in the corner of her heart.


    All this understanding and misunderstanding gave her a sense of frustration, as if it had put a heavy stone on her chest, while sympathizing with why Bluebell had chosen to kill herself.


    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    ¡°No, it was something we¡¯d find out anyway...¡±


    Sienna looked out the window. She tried not to look out the window on purpose, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. Though much reduced, ck smoke still rose from afar like a pir. The spirit of death seemed to linger throughout the city.


    ¡°When will it be over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon. They say we have to do this as soon as possible so that the country can stabilize.¡±


    Replied Hain, who noticed what Sienna was saying.


    Every day in the za, the Panacio family and the Ferrer family were beheaded.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, Empress... No, I heard Arya Panacio¡¯s execution is thest.¡±


    ¡°Arya Panacio....¡±


    It was awkward to call her name this way. She had no reason to call Arya¡¯sst name because Arya had always been part of the imperial family as far as Sienna has known her.


    However, she was not particrly suited to thest name ¡°Panacio¡±. Perhaps nost name would fit her. She was kind of a person who was odd to have any kind of belonging to anywhere.


    Hain studied Sienna¡¯s expressions. Working for a long time under Sienna, Hain found that her master had an unsolved feeling for Arya. It was more difficult not to know the rtionship between the two, as they ran madly into each other in events like the deaths of the orphanage children when she strangled Arya.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go out to the square then if you want to? May I ask His Majesty?¡±


    Sienna shook her head.


    It was true that she wanted to see the fall of Arya. But she didn¡¯t want to watch Arya¡¯s death directly.


    Even if she didn¡¯t see it, Arya had no more path toward recovery. It was the end.


    *


    It¡¯s been a long time. It¡¯s been a while since Arya came back to the Imperial Pce.


    As soon as she entered her room, she went to her seat in the guest room and sat down. Although there were no maids who could listen to hermands as usual, sitting in her seat felt like she had returned to her ordinary life.


    Arya was immediately deposed from the post of Dowager Empress and was investigated in an underground prison as a criminal. However, as soon as the investigation began, Count Panacio was held responsible for all the misdeeds she hadmitted, so she was not tortured.


    ¡°It was worth seeing.¡±


    She murmured as she stretched her legs out and put them on the table.


    Arya wanted to be at the pinnacle of power. She wanted to stand in a position where she didn¡¯t have to bow to anyone. But her long-cherished dream was shattered.


    At first, she couldn¡¯t ept it at all, so she cursed, screamed and raged. Her rage was so terrible that for three days they seemed to let her do whatever she did.


    The emperor¡¯s men surveyed the people around her first instead. The sound of their torment and suffering came vividly over the bars. They seemed to have thought that she would repent of her wrongdoing if those involved suffered, but she did not.


    What Arya struggled with was not because their suffering scared her, but the fact that she had to be confined in a narrow, messy ce with her freedom suppressed. It didn¡¯t matter if others¡¯ flesh was torn and smelled of burning.


    When the night came, the screaming that bothered her eardrums stopped. The private room was cramped. Sometimes she could only hear those trapped next to her crying, but it was usually quiet. Arya was finally left alone.


    The prison was damp, and rats roamed underfoot. Bugs were nestled on the wall. The fishy smell and the chilly air from the humidity reminded her of her childhood.


    Until her father noticed her, she lived in this kind of environment. In a filthy and cold ce, she managed to scrap food, begging to the servants.


    Sometimes on days when she couldn¡¯t find food for several days, she couldn¡¯t ovee her hunger and dug up insects or grass roots. On such days, she was more exhausted than on days when she couldn¡¯t eat, because she would usually end up with a stomach ache and suffer.


    Arya bumped her head against the wall. Memories that she never wanted to recall were about toe back. It was harder and more terrible than when she was raped by her disgusting brother.


    That didn¡¯t mean she forgave Depine. She only used him because she needed him for the time being.


    But everything became useless. As six-year-old little Arya did, she couldn¡¯t have anything and became lethargic. Many people seemed to step on her as before. She was less than an ant.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything! It¡¯s all done by that b*tch alone!¡±


    It was none other than Depine¡¯s voice that brought her mind back. He pleaded his innocence in a bewildered voice. Just like when he raped Arya, he was still a pathetic man.


    It wasn¡¯t until she saw him that Arya came to her senses. In front of her eyes, she saw an opponent she could step on. She wasn¡¯t at the bottom.


    ¡°My dear brother, what are you talking about? You said we should raise the status of the demoted Panacio family by seeding in the rebellion. You even sent me military funds to buy soldiers.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?! I asked you to bribe the nobles to bring me back up to the capital, when did I tell you to revolt!?¡±


    He foamed and shouted. Arya smiled at it. She wanted this feeling. The feeling of stepping on someone¡¯s head and reigning.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, so I¡¯ll tell you my whole truth. Chancellor.¡±


    Arya threw them a bargaining chip. The terms were no big deal. All she wanted was a night¡¯s stay at the Imperial Pce before being taken to the death row, and a pair of clothes and ornaments for herself when he was led to the death row.


    Carl¡¯s right-hand man, Pavenik, nodded his head with a curious look. However, he said he would allow only one hour, not one day, because she had to be under his management.


    Not a bad deal for Arya. Watching Depine wriggling like a bug, she could feel a sense of rtive superiority, and in addition, she could get what she wanted.


    That¡¯s how Arya coulde back to the empress¡¯ pce. On the day of her execution.


    She closed her eyes. She wanted to have a ss of wine with a bathtub full of spices, but that level of luxury was not allowed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to hurry. What should I wear to go out?¡±


    Arya decorated herself with the most colorful clothes and expensive ornaments. Watching herself being dragged to the death row, she could not stand the onlookers feeling superior to her. She wanted to make sure that although she died today, the crowd would never feel superior to her.


    She carefully groomed herself and left the imperial pce. A big man waiting at the door frowned. It was a man named Rufus Kissinger. She was somehow pleased that Carl had sent his closest aide.


    ¡°Are you going in like that?¡±


    Arya nodded slowly.


    ¡°Of course. These have been negotiated with the Chancellor.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a ¡°permission¡± but a ¡°negotiation.¡± Arya emphasized that point. That she never bowed her head to some baron.


    ¡°I know that. But there are many people in the za. The citizens who covet those nes and bracelets will snatch at those items.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    It was something Arya had never thought of. It was because she never imagined that citizens would touch her. She frowned and followed Kissinger.


    ¡°What a fine day to die.¡±


    Arya looked out the window and said. They were now riding in a carriage to the square. The knights, sitting on both sides of her, were expressionless.


    Arya didn¡¯t look unusual. She was dressed in a fancy dress as usual and dressed up in expensive jewelry.


    In addition, knowing that she was going to die a terrible death on the stake today, she gave no indication of any agitation.


    The knights that would lead her to the square today were inwardly relieved.


    Those who are about to die show instinctive fear regardless of their status. The fear was not just tears and screams. They usually only have survival instincts left in their head, so they would be cursing, beating, spitting, and somehow struggling to escape.


    The two knights who dragged Depine Panacio to the stake yesterday had their clothes torn and their faces marked with nail marks. Knights Amon and Michonne looked at them pitifully, while making fun of them.


    It was the least favorite thing among all the responsibilities of the knights to lead criminals to the death penalty. It was especially tiring to lead those who lived looking down on others¡¯ heads all their lives, who were high-ranking aristocrats, to the death row. That¡¯s why no one volunteered for this job.


    In the end, each time they drew lots to delegate this task. The two knights were selected unluckily to take the Empress, or the traitor Arya Panacio, to the stake.


    They reflected and repented about yesterday when they teased the knights who led Depine Panacio to the death row. At that time, all they needed was to avoid the task. It never urred to them that their turn woulde back.


    When the stick he had pulled was longer than the others, Amon thought he would not have a safe day today. He dragged Arya into the carriage with his grumpy friend.


    But Empress Arya, who they thought would scream and try to rip their hair, remained calm.

 Chapter 221: Live to Sienna Pt.221

    <h4>Chapter 221: Live to Sienna Pt.221</h4>


    The carriage ran smoothly toward the square. Amon said to Michonne, his friend next to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as bad as I thought today.¡±


    Empress Arya sat among them with a serene face, and when she got off this carriage, she would cross the river of this world. There was no way that the conversation in this carriage would be revealed to anyone. So he thought it was okay to talk.


    ¡°Dumb guy.¡±


    But Michonne disapproved that he had opened his mouth to talk. He tried not to provoke her as much as possible. Because he hoped to arrive at the square as peacefully as they did so far.


    ¡°Why? Better than the ones who were in charge of Count Panacio yesterday.¡±


    Said Amon, checking Arya¡¯s expressions. He thought she might change suddenly when she heard that her blood had died.


    Michonne, who heard him, nced at Arya. His eyes stayed on the expensive jewels.


    ¡°It might be harder than yesterday.¡±


    Amon tried to ask why, but Arya opened her mouth first.


    ¡°Depine Panacio...¡±


    Amon and Michonne looked back at Arya.


    ¡°Did he die brutally?¡±


    Her question was one that they never expected. They exchanged looks and tried to think of what to say. Arya smiled at them and said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Whatever you say, I won¡¯t go crazy. I¡¯m just curious. How the end of my brother went. Don¡¯t try to gloss over what actually happened, in consideration for me.¡±


    Arya plucked one of the nes off her neck and gave it to Amon. When Amon was aware that Michonne was watching and tried to reject it, Arya reassured him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die anyway, so this is not something I need. It¡¯s not like I need money to cross the Styx River.¡±


    She also put her gold bracelet on hisp. Amon looked at Michonne with a stunned expression.


    ¡°Use it to have a drink after your day¡¯s task today.¡±


    When Michonne nodded at Arya¡¯s words, Amon quickly packed them in his pocket. It wouldn¡¯t just afford a drink, it was something that could let him drink for the rest of his life.


    She was the one who used only the best things for even the smallest things. It was a pricey bracelet even when Amon, who doesn¡¯t know how to measure the cost of jewelry, saw it. It seemed like a year¡¯s sry if he only sold the gold ting part of the bracelet.


    He swallowed a dry saliva and said, ¡°I heard that Count Panacio was very afraid yesterday when he was taken to the square.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more details. What did he do out of fear?¡±


    Arya went on to ask about Depine¡¯sst moment. Amon answered Arya¡¯s questions one by one, but he felt strange.


    ¡°Did he struggle with pain as he was burned? How was the end? Did he stick his dirty tongue out and die? Or did that ugly body burn away without a trace?¡±


    It was because it was like contempt, not pity, she had for her brother, who died a day earlier. She seemed to want to know how miserable her brother had died.


    She was told in detail that Depine had died in pain. Even though she knew she was destined the same today, she found his terrible end interesting.


    ¡°Yes. Has this event caused everyone in the Panacio family to die? Are all the men of the Panacio family dead?¡±


    As Michonne was informed, Delly Panacio had survived this. There was much talk among the knights about how he, the son of Depine, could not be found in the death sentence. Most thought he fled to another country to avoid death.


    As Amon tried to answer, Michonne said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one left with thest name Panacio. They were all executed.¡±


    At his words, Arya filled her face withughter. She couldn¡¯t stand the joy, so she made a crackling sound.


    Amon looked at Michonne with a confused face, and Michonne shook his head quickly and signaled him to ignore. Amon kept his mouth shut as Michonne gestured. Soon the carriage arrived at the square amid the sound of Arya¡¯sughter.


    Many people gathered to see Empress Arya being burned. The crowd was sorge that it was difficult for the carriage to enter the square. A knight came over to the carriage and told them through a crack in the window.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard for the carriage to get into the square, so get off now and drag her into the square.¡±


    Michonne frowned at the knight¡¯s words.


    ¡°How am I supposed to walk through that? Don¡¯t you see them? It¡¯ll be chaos!¡±


    At Michonne¡¯s words, the knight shrugged and said, ¡°It¡¯s the order of the Emperor.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t dispute an Emperor¡¯s order. Michonne wanted to tear the knight¡¯s face off. It seemed like he was saying, ¡°My job is just to send the Emperor¡¯s message, so I don¡¯t care what situation you are in.¡±


    Michonne shouted at the knight as he moved away from the carriage.


    ¡°Send me a few more knights! How can I get there like this?!¡±


    ¡°You know, all personnel were recruited to control the citizens today. You¡¯d better not expect it.¡±


    Michonne poured out curses and the knight said with a shrug.


    ¡°So who told you to pull out the long stick?¡±


    All Michonne and Amon could do was blow a curse at him.


    With no particr choice, they led Arya down from the carriage. Fortunately, other knights were holding hands and building a defensive wall, so there was a small way to walk to the square.


    As soon as they got off the wagon, the citizens who recognized Arya were furious.


    ¡°Witch!¡±


    ¡°Devil b*tch!¡±


    They spit toward Arya and threw stones at her.


    Boom-!


    The stones flew over and hit Arya¡¯s forehead and fell. There was nothing Amon and Michonne could do. Far from protecting her, they couldn¡¯t even guarantee their personal safety with stones flying from all sides.


    ¡°You¡¯ve killed my husband! Kill that b*tch!¡±


    ¡°Give my child back!¡±


    There was a voice of criticism against her from all quarters. Their voices were filled with sorrow.


    There were many civilians killed by the revolt in the Imperial City. Moreover, when the Knights, who were guarding the Imperial City, came to help Carl, they fought with the enemies who were ambushed in every corner of the city. The number of people who died in the midst of it was not small.


    The citizens who lost their families because of her threw stones at Arya. That was the only way they could vent their anger. They knew that anger and screaming won¡¯t bring back the dead, but they couldn¡¯t just watch her be executed.


    ¡°Hey! Block it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push me!¡±


    Thanks to this, not only Amon and Michonne, who led Arya to the za, but also the knights who were controlling the citizens had to be hit with stones and food waste.


    In the midst of the ordeal, Arya did not erase a smile from her face. She smiled, even though the flying stone broke her forehead and her precious dress ripped off in the hands of the citizens.


    Even the citizens who threw stones at her saw her grotesqueughter that did not match the situation looked disgusted.


    ¡°Is she actually a witch?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll show that kind of smile otherwise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s strange that a woman who is supposed to be the old emperor¡¯s mother is so young.¡±


    ¡°Originally, witches have a beauty that attracts others.¡±


    The murmur of the citizens spread out.


    Arya stood at the stake. Tied to a post on a high wooden foundation, she kept smiling. The executor lit the firewood and her creepyughter spread dreary even as she was surrounded by fire.


    But theughter didn¡¯tst long. She screamed in pain as her body burned with high piles of firewood.


    Her beautiful appearance quickly disappeared into mes, leaving her with nothing but terrible remains. Some of the citizens who lost their loved ones because of her and waited only for revenge turned their heads because they could not bear to watch it.

 Chapter 222: Live to Sienna Pt.222

    <h4>Chapter 222: Live to Sienna Pt.222</h4>


    *


    By execution of Arya, who had the biggest role in the rebellion, the treason case was closed. But in actuality, Carl¡¯s work had just started.


    The great leaders of the nobles, Count Ferrer and Arya, died on charges of rebellion, and those involved in their rebellion, too, disappeared as the dew of the prison chief. It was no exaggeration to say that half of the high nobles had disappeared. It was wee to clear up arge number of those who stood against Carl, but there was now a mountain of work to be done.


    It was not just the confiscation of the property of those who participated in the rebellion and the management of thend by the state. Those who had a lot of work in the empire disappeared, so Carl had to find others to take charge of their work. The recognition of meritorious deeds led to the appointment of new aristocrats inrge numbers, but it hasn¡¯t gained full ground.


    Still, for three months, Carl and his men quickly stabilized the empire. However, Carl was unhappy that he had less time to spend with Sienna due to increased work.


    But it was very important to stabilize the empire for soon-to-be-born Sharillo. So Carl was working hard in the Oval Office even today.


    He felt the surroundings to be chaotic, and the head servant opened the door without a notice and came in.


    ¡°The Empress says she¡¯s inbor! I think it¡¯s today.¡±


    One of the servants who ran hurriedly informed of Sienna¡¯sbor pains.


    ¡°What? Oh no.¡±


    Carl¡¯s face grew pale and ran out of the door. Pavenik, who was working with him, followed him.


    ¡°*PANTING*. Your Majesty, why don¡¯t you keep your dignity? Think about the men who watch the Emperor running through the city.¡±


    At Pavenik¡¯s words, Carl slowed down. But he still made his steps as fast as he ran.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to the Empress like this, are you?¡±


    Carl red fiercely at Pavenik, since he was in a hurry but Pavenik kept following and nagged him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough. I¡¯m sure Miss Hain will resent me if you go right away.¡±


    Without stopping, Carl asked, ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be spiritually dirty when a child is being born, at least that¡¯s what she said. Moreover, when the Empress was pregnant, there were many incidents. So you have to pay more attention.¡±


    Only then did Carl stop. After hearing that he might affect the baby, he could not go to Sienna right away. I didn¡¯t believe in religion or superstition, but he thought he should be careful about anything for Sienna and her child.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to wash up.¡±


    ¡°Are you just washing up? It¡¯s better to use the sacred water...¡±


    ¡°What about theke in Elf¡¯s forest?¡±


    ¡°Best of all. Theke that¡¯s out of human reach will help us get rid of all the bad spirits on the body. By the way, how are you going to get to the Elf¡¯s forest? It¡¯s not a ce where people can¡¯t reach for no reason. What if you be an impure spirit yourself after getting lost in the forest on your way?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is there really a way? Then could you please bring me a bottle of water from theke? I¡¯m sure Hain will like it because it¡¯s a mystical water. Miss Hain is very curious.¡±


    When Carl red at him, Pavenik avoided his gaze, saying, ¡°I¡¯m just asking.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else? Good things for a mother to do before she gives birth.¡±


    When Carl asked, Pavenik looked surprised, thinking that Carl would yell at him for being such a pathetic man who believes in superstitions, but not only believing in cleaning up at Elf¡¯ske, he was asking if there is anything more he can do.


    ¡°Is superstition all right?¡±


    ¡°I can do anything good.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s unusual attitude, Pavenik smiled. It was clear that this emperor did not know how strange and funny he was when it had anything to do with the Empress.


    ¡°In my hometown, on the day when the mother gives birth, youy the stems or leaves of trees with red berries at the door threshold.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    When Carl asked if there was anything else, Pavenik frowned and agonized.


    Although he knew a lot ofmon knowledge more than others, he could not know much about childbirth-rted things when he was not even married yet.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go see Miss Hain?¡±


    Carl frowned. Pavenik usually visited Hain for ridiculous reasons, so Carl thought he was making another excuse to go see Hain.


    Pavenik, who noticed what he was thinking, shook his hand and said, ¡°No, not because I want to see Miss Hain¡¯s face this time. Because there¡¯s no one like Miss Hain for this job.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°She reads a lot of different books. She has a wide range of knowledge. Of course, Your Majesty only sees Miss Hain¡¯s beautiful appearance, and that much beauty may be enough, but Miss Hain is cultured, elegant, warm-hearted...¡±


    ¡°Exclude the nonsense. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do to you if I run out of patience right now.¡±


    When Carl put his hand on a sword beside his body, Pavenik shouted in a dead color.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you right away. You don¡¯t have to pull your sword out. Miss Hain must know more about what you want than I do. She¡¯s read a lot of books rted to childbirth since she found out about Empress¡¯ pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Then I¡¯ll go wash up in theke in the Elf¡¯s forest first. Put in the notice in advance, and if you have anything to prepare, have it ready immediately.¡±


    Carl, who gavemands to Pavenik, quickly ran toward theke. Looking at his back, Pavenik shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be like that. No matter how much I love my wife, I can¡¯t believe how much dignity he¡¯s losing. No, no one would think that he¡¯s the Emperor right now.¡±


    Pavenik strutted down the hall in a condescending manner. It was because he did not predict that he would make a bigger fuss than Carl in the future.


    At the news that Sienna was going intobor, the imperial doctor in charge of her came running, and at the top of the bed where she would have a baby, Hain prepared a boiled and cleaned cotton cloth.


    There was a thick ck curtain around the bed. Inside the curtain was an old midwife and her auxiliary maid. Outside theyers of curtains surrounded by a ck cloth, the imperial doctor prepared for any emergency.


    The midwife assured Sienna, sping Sienna¡¯s hand with her chubby hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s your first time, and you¡¯re going to be in such pain and fear that you feel like you are losing your mind. Don¡¯t be afraid. There are dozens of children every year who let this old woman bring them out with my hands, even though my hands don¡¯t look like much. I once received a child from a mother who was told that she was too weak to have children. That¡¯s not all, even though the kids were kicking backwards and the doctors said the mothers will not survive, I saved them with these hands so that they could breathe through their nostrils in good health.¡±


    Sienna still nodded with an anxious look.


    ¡°Yes. I look forward to working with you. Will the baby be healthy? I¡¯m worried because he¡¯s been through so much in my stomach.¡±


    The high-spirited midwife said with a confident smile.


    ¡°Empress is very healthy so the child should be healthy. And usually, mothers with wide hips like the Empress usually have no problem having children. By the looks of it, I think I can receive the child with my eyes closed. It¡¯s that certain.¡±


    The midwife smiled widely with wrinkles around her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t receive with your eyes closed! Not for a moment! I will not forgive you if something happens to Sienna!¡±


    ¡°Carl!¡±


    Sienna yelled in embarrassment. She couldn¡¯t understand why Carl came all the way over her and created such a mess. Although they were said to be in the guest room outside the bedroom, their mor was heard to the inside of the bedroom.


    ¡°Never worry. I even received the emperor himself who¡¯s acting like a fool right now. By the way, I was sure at the time when I saw those green clear eyes he would grow into a sane person, but I guess I was wrong.¡±


    The midwife spoke without batting an eyelid despite Carl¡¯s threats. Pavenik burst intoughter and Carl frowned.


    Sienna totally agreed with the midwife.


    Carl was doing all sorts of bizarre things with Hain in the guest room. She couldn¡¯t see outside because of the ck curtain, but she was sure without having to see what stupidity they were doing.


    Carl, who hade from ake in the Elf¡¯s forest, told Hain he would do whatever he could to bless the mother and child, and Hain replied, examining the books she had prepared beforehand.


    ¡°...the sky was so clear on the day you were born, that you could shoot a bow and drop the sun from that sky.¡±


    Carl frowned and looked out the window. It was cloudy today.


    The sky could not be cleared, but at least the smokeing up from the pce could be prevented.


    ¡°Give an emergency order so that they do not use firearms until the heir is born! If there is anyone who sets off the fire so that ck smokees out, beat them up!¡±


    Pavenik immediately gave Carl¡¯s order to the knight who was waiting for him. The knight rushed to execute the Imperial order.


    ¡°When the Great Phylion was born, the whole sky was covered with ck clouds, and a huge lightning bolt, like an old tree, hit the ground.¡±


    When Carl frowned, Pavenik said beside him.


    ¡°Shall we cancel the order to ban firearms right now and smoke ck smoke to everyone with chimneys? But how can we get a lightning bolt that¡¯s as big as an old tree?¡±


    Even though it was obvious that Pavenik was teasing, Carl didn¡¯t realize it. He was that concerned with Sienna¡¯s childbirth.


    ¡°Uh-oh-oh-oh-oh.


    A groan escaped from the ck curtain. The pain, which had calmed down for a while, seemed to begin again.


    ¡°I want you to burn the fire right now...¡±


    Commanded Carl, impatient with Sienna¡¯s groan.

 Chapter 223: Live to Sienna Pt.223

    <h4>Chapter 223: Live to Sienna Pt.223</h4>


    When Sienna heard that stupidmand of Carl, she yelled in an annoyed voice from her bedroom.


    ¡°Oh,e on! It doesn¡¯t matter if the weather is good or not! What the hell! Ugh! The weather changes several times a day!¡±


    ¡°I see. The weather is beyond control, so tell me something else. I ran to the Elf¡¯s forest and took a bath because I shouldn¡¯t bring in bad spirits with me.¡±


    Hain responded with great joy at Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°Well done. On this blessed day, bad energy should not be around. I also took a bath in the bathtub with the holy water from the Holy Empire. I wish the Empress and her son good energy.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    Carl looked pleased, but Pavenik said with a look of astonishment.


    ¡°Is that the holy water I gave you before?¡±


    Hain nodded with a dissatisfied face at Pavenik¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why? Do you feel sorry you gave them to me now?¡±


    ¡°No, I brought it for you so you can use it when you aren¡¯t feeling well... Why didn¡¯t you save it for when you are sick? It was so heartbreaking to see Miss Hain in pain at that time.¡±


    Hain smiled and replied, knowing that Pavenik didn¡¯t say so because he felt sorry for using holy water to herself.


    ¡°You got me five bottles of holy water. One bottle was enough. One of the remaining three bottles will be given to the Empress after her childbirth, and the other bottle will be used for the heir¡¯s first bath. I¡¯m going to leave one bottle just in case, and use itter if he gets sick.¡±


    ¡°What a waste. You should use it...¡±


    Carl red at Pavenik. Pavenik changed his words urgently.


    ¡°No, you know that. How hard it is to get the holy water... It¡¯s not because it¡¯s a waste to use it for the Empress and the heir, but because the holy water is for the sick.¡±


    ¡°I wonder where you got five bottles of precious holy water.¡± Commented Carl.


    ¡°I paid for it. You know, I¡¯ve saved my little sry, and I¡¯ve spent all my money on it. Do you know how hard it is to get it in the ck market? I¡¯m not good at that...¡±


    ¡°ck market... Is there a lot of holy water there?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I barely managed to get it there, too. They said that all the objects in the world were gathered there except for the emperor¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t until I really went through the entire market that I was able to collect five bottles. In the past, when a bottle came out, a merchant association bought it out with five pieces of gold so didn¡¯t even get released on the ck market, but two or three years ago, the association stopped collecting holy water and finally, it started going around.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, if you look carefully at that ce, you can find the holy water.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to find even there.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to check it out myself. I didn¡¯t like the ce called ck Market, but it¡¯s better. I don¡¯t like the idea of a market that doesn¡¯t pay taxes. I¡¯ll use that excuse to store up some holy water in the pce.¡±


    Pavenik regretted bringing up the unnecessary story.


    ¡®Dang it, now the ck market might disappear.¡¯


    ¡°Found it! This one.¡±


    While Carl and Pavenik were talking about the ck market, Hain looked at books and found good ways to give childbirth.


    ¡°It¡¯s a method used by the royal family of Tallinn, which allows the god of war to bless the child with good luck. Plus, the mother can give birth faster and get out of the pain!¡±


    ¡°God of war, that sounds nice.¡±


    Carl liked the god of war who reminded him of his nickname. And most of all, this was the best they could do for the mother.


    Whenever he heard a groan of paining from the bedroom, he felt ufortable. It was exciting to have his own child with Sienna, but he didn¡¯t know it would be so painful.


    ¡°Yes, what can I do?¡±


    ¡°All you have to do is stand on your left foot. There is a saying that the god of war has only one foot, but is faster than ones with twelve legs. So if you stand on one foot like the god of war, he thinks you¡¯re one of his people, and he¡¯ll bless the child that¡¯s born.¡±


    Carl nodded silently. Pavenik, who thought it was funny that his emperor was willing to do some superstitious act that he could not believe in, asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not really going to do this, are you? The Emperor has dignity. The god of war is not a fool, just because you¡¯re standing on foot, he¡¯s not going to think you¡¯re one of his people. He¡¯d think you¡¯re making fun of him.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to stand on your left foot until the empress has her baby? Are you all right? Well, I won¡¯t stop you. Do as you please.¡±


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking if you can stand on your left leg. It¡¯d be fine if you¡¯d been training regrly.¡±


    ¡°What? Do I have to do it, too?¡±


    ¡°Of course you should. It¡¯s what everyone in this room has to do.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Not only Pavenik, but also the imperial doctor, who was standing beside the ck curtain, looked at Carl.


    ¡°The more people who do it together would get more blessings.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to go back to deal with the backlogged work.¡±


    Pavenik said, shaking his head with a tired face.


    ¡°It¡¯s already backlogged, so another day¡¯s dy won¡¯t ruin the Leipsden Empire. We need someone to run errands, so you stay here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send another knight or administrator besides me...¡±


    ¡°But you know Sienna. If someone she doesn¡¯t knowes in here, my wife¡¯s mind may be ufortable, so you stay here.¡±


    Having failed to beat Carl, Pavenik¡¯s shoulders fell.


    ¡°Do you want me to do it too?¡±


    Hain asked, shining her eyes. Carl shook his head and said no.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to look for other tactics besides this? Work hard on what you have to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    So Hain was left out. The imperial doctor and Pavenik looked at her with envious eyes.


    The imperial doctor suddenly raised his hand. It has been thirty years since he graduated from the academy, but he was as quick as he was in those days when he reached out to ask questions.


    Carl nodded his head and allowed a question.


    ¡°Do I have to stand on my left feet too? For your information, I¡¯m standing here to deal with any emergency that might happen to the Empress.¡±


    Carl nodded with a troubled look.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important to prepare for any emergency. It¡¯ll be a big problem if you get tired in advance and can¡¯t do what you really need. You can just stand there.¡±


    The face of the imperial doctor shone with joy. On the other hand, Pavenik¡¯s face was crumpled with discontent.


    ¡°No, no.¡±


    When Carl suddenly shook his head, the imperial doctor looked uneasy, and a smile rose on Pavenik¡¯s face. But it was only for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it takes a long time frombor to birth. Don¡¯t just stand there and rx and sit over therefortably.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty is standing on one foot, and I can¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°No. Be politeter and sit over there. I will have to stand here with Pavenik on my left feet.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to leave him out...¡±


    Pavenik held out his lips like a duck in Carl¡¯s scary eyes and raised one leg.


    Carl was restless. Hisplexion turned blue whenever he heard a painful groan beyond the ck curtain.


    He urged the doctor or the midwife so that Sienna was not in pain. But perhaps because she lived a long life, the fearless midwife said, ¡°Do you think giving birth is taking a sh*t? Don¡¯t distract me for no reason and be quiet.¡±


    Scolding Carl and shutting him up.


    Carl wanted to scold her for talking to him that way, the emperor, but until Sienna gave birth to a healthy child, the room¡¯s most powerful person was not Carl, but an old midwife.


    The interval between the painful groans grew shorter and shorter, and eventually, there was a tremendous scream. Carl was worried if someone was hurting Sienna beyond that tent. Anxiety really drove him crazy.

 Chapter 224: Live to Sienna Pt.224

    <h4>Chapter 224: Live to Sienna Pt.224</h4>


    But soon his anxiety turned into awe. This was because the sound of a child crying came from inside the tent, along with a ¡°p!¡± It meant the birth of Sharillo.


    ¡°How is the Empress?! Is the Empress all right? Is the child all right? Why aren¡¯t you answering?!¡±


    Carl yelled without giving them a chance to answer. Soon the maid, who was helping the midwife, came out with a child wrapped in a red nket. The child was crying in a loud voice.


    ¡°Ah... is this Sharillo?¡±


    Carl looked over the child with a thrilled look. The child, wrapped in the nket, was very red and swollen. It was not cute in any sense and couldn¡¯t even open its eyes properly.


    However, Carl waspletely taken by this tiny, fragile-looking creature. It felt indescribable. Deep down in his stomach, all sorts of emotions seemed to fluctuate.


    ¡°You need to wake up. Stay alert and give me strength.¡±


    Then there was the urgent sound of midwives from inside. Carl, startled, tried to get into the room. Then the maid restrained him.


    ¡°The birth is not over yet. So you can¡¯t go in.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? The birth is not over?!¡±


    ¡°Her Majesty was conceived with two heirs.¡±


    Her words surprised not only Carl but also Pavenik and Hain. Soon they began to get excited.


    ¡°Are you sure there are two heirs? What do you mean, twins? That¡¯s a good sign! You can see the effect of bathing in Elf¡¯ske. Of course, my efforts to stand on one foot so far have yed a big role. I can¡¯t even feel it anymore. We can¡¯t change our feet until our second one is born, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh! Two... Oh no, I thought there would be only one of them, so I prepared everything for one. The second one will be disappointed. I¡¯m going to have to look for the supplies I need.¡±


    Unlike the two delighted people, Carl looked distressed. It was a great pleasure to have two precious babies, but the fact that Sienna¡¯s pain was not over made him suffer.


    Carl whispered softly as he looked at Sharillo in the arms of a maidservant.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell your sibling not to give his mother a hard time ande out quickly? This father is waiting...¡±


    *


    Shortly after the midwife finished her work and Sienna was examined by the imperial doctor, Sienna took two children in her arms and looked one after the other. The reddish color was still lingering, but they were lovely.


    The first child was a son and the second child was a daughter, and the two looked very alike. Sienna couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the two children for a long time.


    ¡°Good work.¡±


    Said Carl, looking at sienna. Sienna smiled tiredly and said, ¡°You did a great job, too. I don¡¯t understand why you did that, but...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving birth to a child, and why you and the Chancellor are doing such terrible things.¡±


    While Sienna went through a child¡¯sbor, Carl and Pavenik did what Hain said would be helpful. While standing on one foot, he was pped on the back with a tree branch, lit a candlestick full in the rooms, and smoked spices that smelled unpleasant.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I could do, so I thought I¡¯d have to do something.¡±


    Carl said, blushing with embarrassment, though he ordered Pavenik to do those things.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any better because you did that outside. I¡¯d rather have youe in next time and hold my hand.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    As Carl nodded, Sienna burst intoughter and said, ¡°You¡¯re fearless. You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do. It hurts so much that I might tear out all that fine blonde hair.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s better for you to do so, then you should.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna smiled and nodded.


    She really didn¡¯t mean to do that even if there was another one. By all means, can you tear off the Emperor¡¯s hair? Still, she was grateful that Carl answered like that.


    Their daughter wriggled her fingers whether she was trying to wake up. Carl was amazed at the little creature as small as his palm. The size of the children was a little smaller than the average, perhaps because they were twins.


    ¡°Wrinkly and red.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯ve been in the amniotic fluid for a long time. You don¡¯t have to worry because they¡¯ll be okay over time. Would you like to hug him?¡±


    Sienna asked. Carl looked at her with a face full of fear.


    ¡®Carl¡¯s face full of fear.¡¯


    Sienna felt very strange.


    ¡°It¡¯s so small, I don¡¯t want to hurt it...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. All you have to do is support the neck and the back properly.¡±


    When Sienna winked, the maid, who was assisting the midwife, carefully lifted the sleeping boy and handed it to Carl. Because Hain was inexperienced, for the time being, the midwife¡¯s maid was going to help Hain and Sienna and teach them how to handle the child.


    Carl took the child with care. Fortunately, the child, wrapped in a white sheet, seemed to have no difort in his father¡¯s arms. He kept sleeping, munching his lips.


    The weight was so light that Carl, anxious, held the child close to his arms.


    ¡°With Carl holding him like that, he looks even smaller.¡±


    Sienna smiled and said so.


    ¡°It¡¯s too small. When will he grow up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to grow every day. I¡¯m sure you will be sad that they grew up too soon.¡±


    Carl nodded. But it was Sienna¡¯s words, so he just nodded as usual.


    He couldn¡¯t believe this little boy would grow up. He couldn¡¯t imagine.


    Sienna looked at the other child whoy beside her and said, ¡°But more than that, twins! It¡¯s amazing. I guess both Carl¡¯s conception dream and my father¡¯s dream were correct. By the way, who¡¯s the light and who¡¯s the Kraken?¡±


    When Sienna spoke in wonder of her conception dream, Carl said with a soft smile.


    ¡°No matter what the dream is, they both just need to grow up healthy.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I know you¡¯re happy to have your children, but there¡¯s a lot of work to be done urgently.¡±


    Carl frowned at Pavenik¡¯s voice from the reception room outside the bedroom. It was true that state affairs changed from day to day, so there was a lot of work, but Carl didn¡¯t want to be disturbed at this time.


    Carl ignored Pavenik¡¯s voice and looked at Sharillo in his arms. After watching them, Sienna spoke out.


    ¡°Carl, give him here and get back to work. So that they can trust their father and grow up at ease.¡±


    Carl looked at Sienna with a sad face. He looked like a child begging his mother to y more with his friends even though the sun was down. Sienna said, holding back a sulkyugh.


    ¡°The heirs and I are going to be here all the time. Why are you so worried? First, finish your work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something that can be done in a day or two. You told me that a child grows up day by day. What if I miss my child growing up?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t get too big in just one day. They¡¯re like a garden tree, if you look at them every day, you wonder when it¡¯ll ever grow up, but one day they will grow up as big as the sun and create a cool shade above your head. They¡¯re going to grow up like that.¡±


    Still, Carl couldn¡¯t let go of his child in his arms. Eventually, the midwife kicked out Carl, saying Sienna should breastfeed the children.


    After being kicked out of the room, Carl red fiercely at Pavenik as soon as he went out the door.


    ¡°Can¡¯t a Chancellor work without me? You can leave me alone on a day like today.¡±


    ¡°Do I do this for my own happiness? I have to get back to work even though I can¡¯t feel my legs because of someone. In the present situation, if you take a day off, you¡¯ll be two days behind. As soon as the work is stabilized, I¡¯ll leave you alone even if you say you have to breastfeed the heirs yourself. So hang in there for just another month.¡±


    Pavenik said, with an unfair face while massaging his legs.


    Carl kicked Pavenik¡¯s shin hard, who threw a nonsense joke and headed for the Oval Office.


    Pavenik¡¯s screams did not arouse pity for Carl.

 Chapter 225: Live to Sienna Pt.225

    <h4>Chapter 225: Live to Sienna Pt.225</h4>


    * Closing story ¨C When two people are meant to be together *


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a month ¨C it was a month and two days.¡±


    Carl climbed onto the carriage with a face full of discontent. Sienna was sitting in the carriage.


    Shortly after the royal prince¡¯s birth, Pavenik had told Carl to wait a month, saying that things in the past would be sorted out and that their workload would be reduced with stabilized state affairs.


    But there were two days of dy in his n. Sienna thought it was only two days, but Carl had great dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Someone would think that the emperor worked in captivity for a month and two days without a single step out of the Oval Office.¡±


    In fact, Carl did not skip meals and walked with Sienna. In a way, his work increased by two days because he abandoned his work under the excuse toe see Sienna.


    ¡°It¡¯s like imprisonment. I should have spent as much time as I could with kids growing up day by day.¡±


    ¡°You can start that now. By the way, I am so d that we could go to Roman today together. You were so busy that I thought I might have to go alone.¡±


    Carl swallowed the words that if he could not go to Roman, Sienna would not be able to go either. It would be too disturbing for him to let her go a long way alone.


    Carl asked, holding her hand.


    ¡°Are you feeling better? we have to go a long way.¡±


    The Roman estate which the two were trying to go was about a half a day away, which was not too far.


    They were scheduled to leave today, spend a day there, ande back. It wasn¡¯t a tight schedule, but it¡¯s only been a month since Sienna had twins. Carl was worried that much of her physical strength has not yete back.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Hain made me drink the potion instead of water... Oh! The Chancellor brought me a whole bunch of that potion. So don¡¯t be so mean to him.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl smiled bitterly and nodded his head.


    ¡®Pavenik...you said you could only get two bottles of potion by wiping out the ck market...¡¯


    Carl finally managed to clean up the ck market. His idea of finding potion began with the doctor¡¯s suggestion that after the empress gives birth to a child, she would need a lot of care and attention due to her bing quite weak.


    Immediately after that, Carl ordered Kissinger to clean up the ck market. In particr, he ordered to bring back all the potions that can be found by focusing on potion trade. But because the transactions urred so secretively, it needed time. In the end, Kissinger managed to get only two bottles of the potion even though he had a hard time cleaning it.


    ¡®He wouldn¡¯t have been too fearless and taken the potion for himself.... then did he save it before I robbed the ck market?¡¯


    Regardless of how Pavenik found the potions, Carl was very satisfied that those potions were used for Sienna. Carl was pleased with Hain¡¯s loyalty.


    ¡°This is fortunate for us. It¡¯s an achievement you¡¯ve made, and it¡¯s a pleasure to attend the ceremony together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to finding out how the orphanage was built, what kind of children would stay there, and what teachers are working there, you know?¡±


    The royal couple headed for Roman to mark the first day of the orphanage project that Sienna has been working on.


    The first ce to start the orphan relief project was Roman Territory. Roman was close to the capital, so it was good for Sienna to take part in the work.


    One of the reasons for such selection was that thend was reimed as state ownership when the owner of thend was killed in the rebellion of Arya and Count Ferrer. Now, it became one of the Imperial Household¡¯s territories and was managed by a deputy lord sent by Carl.


    The carriage rolled smoothly along the straight road.


    The way to Roman territory was very peaceful¡ªfarmers sowing in spring were asionally seen.


    Sienna gazed out of the window with a fluttering curtain drawn aside.


    Spring began, but the wind that came into the running carriage was cool. Carl took a thick nket out of the basket under his feet and put it on Sienna¡¯sp. She gave him a smile of her gratitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s peaceful. I hope this kind of peace continues.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll keep going. I¡¯ll make that happen.¡¯


    Carl¡¯s tone was arrogant as usual. Siennaughed a little but she didn¡¯t take it weirdly.


    ¡°Of course, Sir Carl could make that work.¡±


    To a pleasant reply, Carl sped her warm hand. It seemed that he could remain a benevolent and strong emperor forever if he went hand in hand with his wife like this. Even if he falters, she¡¯ll lead him in the right direction.


    Sienna looked out the window again. Carl kept her in his eyes for a long time.


    *


    Carl and Siena settled down in Lake Aaron.


    When Sienna was fascinated by argeke they met on their way to Roman, the party decided to take a break there for lunch. This was possible because it was not a tight schedule.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be there untilte evening.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay because today¡¯s schedule just had dinner with Lord Roman anyway. He won¡¯t me you for a little dyed dinner.¡±


    ¡°What kind of person is Lord Roman? The only thing I know is that he used to be in the army working for you. Considering how you entrusted him with Roman estate and the correspondence you exchanged over this incident, he seems to be apetent person.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl took a bite of his bread and nodded.


    ¡°In a way, he¡¯s great. He was in charge of supply in the army. I¡¯vee to notice him because his unit of soldiers stood out among all. Their military uniforms and weapons were in the best condition, and above all, they were fed well that they even looked greasy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. He must be apetent and a very strong man.¡±


    When in charge of the supply, the posts were lower than those who directlymanded the military. However, many people wanted to be in charge of supply when they had connections or had strong families.


    The position has the advantage of a safe work environment as it was away from the front line, but most of all, it was because it makes a lot of money. Since it dealt with items so many people had to use, most of them were collecting wealth by receiving back money from merchants or secretly siphoning off supplies.


    If they do not deviate too much from duty, doing so was secretly allowed. Therefore, the good supply of soldiers meant that the person in charge of the supply was clean-handed.


    ¡°He¡¯s a meticulous guy. In the meantime, if you look at the way he runs supplies, you¡¯ll be amazed by how precise he is. That¡¯s why I¡¯m leaving Roman¡¯s estate to him. He¡¯s never going to screw up. Rather, I will have to worry about him increasing thend so much that it might be a headache.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really curious about what kind of person he is. I can¡¯t wait to meet him.¡±


    ¡°When you actually meet him, you¡¯ll wonder why a nerd is sitting there. He looks quite normal. Oh! I heard his wife is a vigorous beauty.¡±


    ¡°Beauty?¡±


    When Sienna looked at him, Carl put down the bread he was eating and shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything. I¡¯ve just been told that, and I¡¯ve never even met thatdy in person.¡±


    Carl strongly denied it, but Sienna still spoke with a sulky face.


    ¡°But still, you shouldn¡¯t call someone beautiful or something in front of me...¡±


    ¡°It was my fault. I won¡¯t do that again.¡±


    Sienna told him not to do that again before she started eating.


    ¡°By the way, Lord Panacio, or Delhi, must have arrived in the Holy Empire by now.¡±


    Jamie asked for Delhi¡¯s life, but there was no way to save him as he was the only heir to the Panacio family that led the rebellion.


    The beheading of all the blood rtives of the ringleader, who caused the rebellion, was needed for a strong punishment, but another reason was that Carl had to cut off the buds of the fire. It doesn¡¯t necessarily require Delhi Panacio¡¯s neck, but by cutting his throat, he could wrap up the case neatly.


    But Carl did Siena¡¯s favor to save Delhi. Of course, it was not an official exile. In the Leipsden Empire, Delhi Panacio was a fugitive, and if caught, he would not be able to avoid the true sentence.


    So, Sienna made him flee to the Holy Empire. From now on he had to abandon his name and live in a sacred empire under a different name.


    For that, she wrote Roy a letter. If Delhi¡¯s status was revealed, Leipsden would officially request his extradition, and the Holy Empire had to show a corresponding political performance. Rather, it would be better to have a thorough camouge status from the beginning so that there would be no problem.


    To Carl, the fact that Sienna was writing to Roy bothered him more than having to let Delhi flee. But at the time, Sienna was about to give birth, so he had no choice but to allow her to do what she wanted because he didn¡¯t want to displease her.


    That was two months ago. Because of that, Jamie couldn¡¯t stand by Sienna until she gave birth and hurried back to Heidel.


    He felt sorry for it, but it was inevitable. He just felt bad about Marie, who learned of the loss of her family and the condition of her brother, and Jamie, who would be watching her grieving.


    The two had a conversation, wondering about the meeting between Delhi and Roy, and eventually switched the topic to the two children they had left behind in the Imperial City.


    The most precious and important thing to the two now was their children, so whatever they saw and felt, they ended up talking about the children at the end.


    ¡°I wonder how Sharillo and Leah are doing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    They gave the boy who came out first the name Sharillo. Although Carl was embarrassed because he didn¡¯t have a name for the girl, Carl gave her the name Leah after several nights of contemtion.


    The word meant ¡°ruler,¡± and Carl really thought the name was suited to the child. When Sienna heard the meaning, she asked if he was going to hand over the empire to Leah. Carl shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling, but I think this girl will feel that the Leipsden Empire is too small for her.¡±

 Chapter 226: Live to Sienna Pt.226

    <h4>Chapter 226: Live to Sienna Pt.226</h4>


    Roy sat in the shade and looked down at the gymnasium. There, the Knights of the Holy Empire were being trained.


    Among the big men, a female knight trained them with an irritated face. Summer hasn¡¯te yet, but the sun was hot, and the training looked hard.


    She swung her tall sword around and pointed out the knights¡¯ posture. The faces of the trained knights were serious, and respect was smeared in their eyes towards her.


    Roy, who returned to the Holy Empire after leaving his hometown of Leipsden, had nothing much to dopared to his busy days at Leipsden taking care of orphanage children, organizing services, talking to believers, and treating sick people unnoticed by the empire.


    It was not that he did not use the powers of treatment at all, but it was his duty to perform the functions of treatment only a couple of times a day because he was not entrusted with detailed treatments for being the cardinal. Besides ying chess with the Holy Father sometimes, Roy spent most of the time sitting in the shade and watching Embro train the knights to kill the boredom.


    ¡°Is this how they do it?¡±


    He picked up a branch and tried to imitate the posture of the knights, but he seemed to have no talent in using his body. It was not until he saw from afar that Embro said, ¡®Hold up, you¡¯ll get hurt,¡¯ that Roy gently put down the branch.


    Roy imitated her a few times before and fell, getting a big cut in his knee. No matter how capable he was in treating, it was very embarrassing to heal his wounds from folly.


    ¡°I envy you. I wish I had be a great pdin like Embro.¡±


    Embro was a close friend who had grown up with Roy since he first came to the Holy Empire and became a young priest.


    They dreamed of bing pdin together, but the other colleaguesughed at the two. In other words, it is impossible for a woman, Embro, and Roy, who often tripped over a stone¡¯s beak and fell, not to mention exercising, to be pdins unless God poured his power upon them.


    Even in the Holy Empire, it was natural to it that way because only one out of a thousand people had the power of God. But both Roy and Embro received God¡¯s powers.


    What¡¯s interesting was that both of them have no rtion to being pdins. Roy got the unusual ability to heal and Embro got the ability to track.


    Nevertheless, Embro became a pdin with her own efforts. Not only that, but she also became the knightmander, who was respected by other pdins.


    ¡°If I try now...¡±


    Roy shook his head when he thought for a moment whether he could be a pdin and stand side by side with Embro if he made a great effort. He often imagined himself wearing shiny armor next to her, but he could hardly conceive of being trained with such a heavy sword.


    So, he decided to live with what he had been given by thanking God for God¡¯s will.


    ¡°Yes, it will all be used where it needs to be used...¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Used where it needs to be used?¡±


    Embro sank next to Roy as she finished training. The hot sun drenched her with sweat.


    Roy handed over the water and towels he prepared. She wrapped a cold wet towel around her neck and gulped down the water. Then she turned her shoulders and relieved the stiffness.


    ¡°Do your shoulders hurt? Do you want me to heal you?¡±


    Roy asked her with sparkling eyes. Embro said with a look of annoyance.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. The muscles need to be torn and rehabilitated repeatedly. If you treat me now, my training today will be a waste. And I¡¯m proud to have this kind of stiffness.¡±


    Roy looked at Embro with admiring eyes. She was his friend, but whenever she talked like a knight, he couldn¡¯t help but look at her with admiration. He could see why the knights trained under her looked at her with teary eyes every time.


    Embro, not caring about Roy¡¯s gaze, roughly handed him over the bottle of water.


    ¡°I hear you¡¯ve epted a request for asylum from a man named Delhi?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His Holiness gave me permission.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stupid. What are youughing at? You¡¯re being used.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing between friends. It¡¯s good that I can help when someone needs help.¡±


    When she saw Roy smiling in a friendly way, Embro hit her chest as if she was frustrated.


    ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re friends with anyone. Why don¡¯t you be friends with that dog over there?¡±


    When Embro pointed to a dog in the temple and said with discontent, Roy scratched his cheek and said, ¡°When was I ever friends with anyone?... you and Empress Sienna are the only friends I have.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re her friend, but you always use honorific titles for her. I don¡¯t like that empress woman anyway.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you like her? You haven¡¯t even met her.¡±


    ¡°I just hate it. I hate everything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see how good a person she is when you actually meet her. You should have met her back then.¡±


    When the temple of Leipsden was attacked by gunmen, Embro led the Knights of the Holy Cross and visited Leipsden to use the powers of tracking to catch the criminals.


    There was also an attempt to find the criminal, but in fact, she was ordered by the Holy Father to bring Roy back. Roy was not the man to run the small temple of the Leipsden Empire.


    He was considered to seed the pope. He was the only one within the Holy Empire who could perform the power of healing. It was dangerous to leave him in Leipsden any longer.


    Even if not for that reason, Embro was thinking of bringing Roy to the Holy Empire. It was because she could not keep his clumsy friend in another country for too long.


    When she visited Leipsden, Roy was very pleased and wanted to introduce her to his new friend.


    Although he quickly became close to anyone because of his good social skills, he did not make friends easily. Just considering that his only friend was Embro, one could see how careful he was in making friends. But Embro felt a subtle feeling when she heard that he had a new friend.


    Moreover, that new friend was the empress living in a high castle. Embro thought there was no joke worse than that.


    Roy asked Embro to meet the Empress together, but it didn¡¯t happen. Because she could not enter the Imperial City without unsealing her sword.


    Embro didn¡¯t want to meet Sienna, so she secretly thought it was a good thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious¡ªpretty face, gentle and feminine. I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Whenever Roy tried to exin about Sienna, Embro quickly changed the topic around or left her seat and refused to listen.


    In fact, without his exnation, Embro could hear a lot about Empress Sienna while staying in the Leipsden Empire. Because Sienna was a huge issue in the Leipsden Empire.


    Embro heard about Sienna from time to time while she was in the Holy Empire, but at that time, she thought it was just amazing that the empress of the Leipsden Empire officially announced that she was a believer of the Goddess of the Earth and chose to be protected by the Holy Empire.


    Even within the Holy Empire, there were quite a few people who had an interest in Empress Sienna. Rather than an interest in herself, it was an interest in knowing whether the Holy Empire¡¯s influence would expand within the Leipsden Empire on their behalf through a top-ranking individual being friendly to the Holy Empire.


    Until then, the Leipsden Empire had nothing to do with the Holy Empire. So was the priest, Dejane, who was Roy¡¯s teacher, and so was Roy himself. When some renowned priests of the Holy Empire visited the Leipsden Empire for missionary work, no one harvested any fruit.


    It was because the empire prevented the expansion of particr religions from settling in, but also the civic consciousness itself did not feel the need for religion. Thus the presence of Empress Sienna became a hope for the priests of the Holy Empire.


    Embro was skeptical of such an opinion. She wondered how much influence the empress, not even the emperor, would exert. But when she went to the Leipsden Empire in person, she realized how powerful her influence was.


    In the past, Roy wrote in his letter that fewer than ten believers came to the temple each week, but when Embro saw visitors in person, there were a lot of believers who visited the temple.


    What was interesting was the attitude of the believers. It was indistinguishable whether they came in belief of the goddess of the earth or came to praise empress Sienna.


    Since that many people praised Sienna, Embro began to think a little that maybe Sienna has more than just a pretty face.


    However, Embro didn¡¯t like the fact that Roy had a new, female friend besides her. So she didn¡¯t want to hear the story about her through Roy¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Is she feminine? I¡¯m not sure about that. You¡¯re feminine, too.¡±


    When Roy tilted his head and asked back, Embro asked back, frowning.


    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m feminine?¡±


    She wielded a sword that was as tall as herself and has been trained with men. Since she had been called a sullen child, she felt that nothing could be more inappropriate than the expression ¡®feminine.¡¯


    Embro said, lifting her well-muscled forearm.


    ¡°Even with these arms?¡±


    Roy asked back with a look on his face saying, ¡®What does being feminine have to do with your forearm?¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your arm? It¡¯s so fit and I envy it.¡±


    ¡°Roy. Normally, you don¡¯t use the term feminine for people with such a strong physique. It¡¯s usually for a soft person.¡±


    ¡°Ay, that¡¯s not fair. Then I¡¯m a feminine person? Am I feminine because I have these soft arms?¡±


    Roy¡¯s arms, which he had not used to do any hard work, were as thin and soft as a boy. But even for him, the expression ¡°feminine¡± was not appropriate. Speaking to Roy, the expression ¡°feminine¡± seemed unusually strange.


    ¡°You know, Sienna is simr to you. She¡¯s strong. That¡¯s why we became friends easily. It reminds me of you in many ways.¡±


    ¡°Strong?¡±


    It was apletely different story from the image that Embro had imagined about Sienna.


    She assumed that the empress of the Empire would have enjoyed parties in a dress, and the heaviest thing she would have lifted was a dessert fork. But it sparked a little curiosity about Sienna.


    ¡°So how did she meet you? I¡¯ve been wondering for a long time. I was wondering what you might have to see the empress.¡±


    ¡°She saved me from getting hit by a wagon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Embro jumped out of her seat.


    ¡°You almost got hit by a wagon? What the hell are you doing out there?!¡±


    Roy replied, embarrassed by his friend¡¯s fierce response.


    ¡°To catch Coco...¡±


    Coco was Roy¡¯s ck-haired cat from Leipsden, which he brought to the Holy Empire.


    The cat didn¡¯t get along with Embro very well, so it would notice if Roy goes to see Embro and run away. The little guy who always stands next to Roy was again absent now as if it fled a long way from seeing Embro.


    It was rather a good thing. She decided to annoy Coco next time she sees it.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? You almost died because of a cat!¡±

 Chapter 227: Live to Sienna Pt.227

    <h4>Chapter 227: Live to Sienna Pt.227</h4>


    As Embro raised her voice, people around them looked at the two, wondering what was going on with them. Roy soothed her excitement.


    ¡°Calm down! It was a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°A long time ago? You almost died! How can I not get upset?!¡±


    ¡°I am alive like this. And if it¡¯s fate, it can¡¯t be helped...¡±


    Even before Roy finished speaking, Embro¡¯s palm hit the back of Roy¡¯s head hard. There was a loud ¡®BAM-¡® sound. Roy held the back of his head and groaned.


    ¡°Ugh! It really hurts.¡±


    ¡°I hit to hurt you, idiot! I can¡¯t let you stay away from me. What do you even do with your eyes wide open? You¡¯re almost hit by a wagon! It could¡¯ve been a disaster.¡±


    Embro nagged Roy for a while. Royforted her by repeating, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± ¡°it¡¯s my fault,¡± and ¡°I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡±


    It was only after a long time that she asked in a barely soothing voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the empress saved you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She really flew me out to save me. At first, I thought it was you. I thought, ¡®oh, did Embro came from the Holy Empire to Leipsden to save me?¡¯ When I thanked the empress and didn¡¯t know what to do topensate her, she said, ¡®let¡¯s be friends¡¯.¡±


    At his exnation, Embro reflected on the fact that she had a great prejudice toward Siena. She thought the empress annoyed Roy in many ways, but she was a lifesaver anyway. If so, Sienna was also a benefactor to Embro herself.


    ¡°She¡¯s a lot like you, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Embro missed Roy¡¯s words as she was organizing her thoughts on Sienna.


    ¡°She reminds me of you. Whenever I¡¯m in danger, youe out like a hero and save me, and you asked me to be your friend without hesitation. That is just so much like you. So, I thought it would be great if the three of us became friends.¡±


    Embro felt embarrassed that Roy regarded herself as a hero, so Embro coughed.


    ¡°By the way, the Holy Father said something funny about Sienna.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°That by saving me from the carriage, Empress Sienna also saved her own life. Fate-tied people bring great winds through small encounters.¡±


    At Roy¡¯s exnation, Embro asked back, crumpling her face.


    ¡°What? You and the empress are destined to be? Then what¡¯s the point? She¡¯s married to someone else. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s made a fool of yourself.¡±


    Roy shook his head with a look of nonsense at her words.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s fate, but not love.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that? You said it was fate.¡±


    Asked by Embro, Roy pondered what the Holy Father had said to him and exined to Embro.


    ¡°People don¡¯t live alone, so they live while exerting a big or small influence on someone else. Of course, it could be love, but it could be bad luck, and it could be parents¡¯ or brothers¡¯ love. Anyway, I think the Holy Father said that I and Sienna also had a lot of connections. Apparently, Empress Sienna gave me a new fate, and she got a life because of me.¡±


    Embro still looked iprehensible.


    But Roy realized at once, through Holy Father¡¯s exnation, his unique rtionship with empress Sienna. In the presence of an agitated horse, she saved himself, and he saved her and the children in her belly while she was poisoned. Therefore, it was easy to understand what the Holy Father said, but Embro, who did not know this background, seemed confused with what the Holy Father said.


    Roy said with a shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the Holy Father exined.¡±


    ¡°The Holy Father is so good at talking nonsense even though he has no sense. Whatever. My break time¡¯s over, so I need to train again. You¡¯re going to stay here, right?¡±


    Roy nodded, and she said okay. Then she moved to the training ground. Roy smiled at her as she ran cheerfully down the high stairs.


    ¡°The Holy Father also told me about the rtionship between you and me, but...I won¡¯t tell you that yet.¡±


    He was not yet ready to tell Embro. One day he will.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    While Sienna and Carl went to Roman, Hain stayed in the castle and took care of the royal children. Of course, there was a nanny in charge of Sharillo and Leah, but Hain spent a lot of time with the cute children. When Sienna, the mother, was not there, Hain took care of them more warmly.


    The children slept. Their sleeping time was still longer than being awake.


    ¡°They really sleep like angels.¡±


    ¡°They really seem to be gentle. They don¡¯t cry, they don¡¯t whimper.¡±


    The nanny carefullyid the sleeping Sharillo on the bed. Hain carefullyid Leah beside him.


    ¡°He looks just like the Emperor¡±


    At the nanny¡¯s words, Hain nodded.


    Sharillo and Leah inherited blond hair and light green eyes. Hain thought that it would have been nice if one of them had red hair or blue eyes like the Empress. However, because they look so much like the emperor, they shined even as babies.


    Hain felt happier just by watching the royal children, and a smile spread around her mouth. The sight of deep sleeping babies was very peaceful.


    Then a maid called her.


    ¡°The Chancellor hase.¡±


    Hain asked back with a surprised face.


    ¡°Lord Pavenik?¡±


    Since the birth of the royal children, Pavenik has been so busy that he couldn¡¯t take a moment out of his time. It¡¯s been a while since Hain saw his face. Because most of the documents handled by the emperor were filtered from his hands.


    The title was still Baron, but it was just for the present. It was everyone¡¯s opinion that even the title ¡®Count¡¯ would be nothing if he remained in his position for only ten years from now. Even now, his influence has surpassed that of a duke or a marquis.


    Before ascending to the throne, Pavenik was treated less than a rock rolling along the road by other aristocrats. The low title of baron was also a problem, but most of all, his father was framed in the past and his family was destroyed.


    Soon it turned out that it was a misunderstanding, but that was useless. It was after the forfeiture of his family¡¯s private property, and his father could not bear the situation that he died of anger.


    Pavenik had joined the military early to feed his mother and sisters, and was able to get to the current position when he caught Carl¡¯s eye.


    He was a close aide to the emperor, and a young, unmarried man¡ªhe was an ideal son-inw candidate coveted by all aristocrats with a child of the right age for marriage. As his family had copsed, there was an existing marriage agreement, so he was more attractive.


    So, Hain didn¡¯t believe hastily even if he expressed his favor to her. It seemed like a lie that such a prominent person was interested in her. Apart from her ability, she was not confident in her background.


    Of course, Hain was also from a noble family. Only a woman from a noble family could ascend to the position of a chief maid.


    But most maids were all women of fallen families. If the family were in good status, they would have chosen the direction of raising the power of the family through marriage, not making themselves as a maid of the imperial family.


    The same was true of Hain. While she was proud of her job, she felt insignificantpared to Pavenik.


    -I¡¯ve heard that Lord Pavenik and the Cozeco family¡¯s daughter are in a very deep rtionship these days. Well, the two look pretty good together. Lord Pavenik is a close aide to the Emperor, and the Cozeco family is so rich that they will give anything to the Chancellor. Oh, Hain... I¡¯m sorry.


    Hain was reminded of what she heard from a colleague¡¯s gossip a few days ago. There¡¯s no need to apologize to her because she and Pavenik were not in any rtionship. She said so, but her stomach felt pretty sore.


    She knew well that Pavenik was a kind man to everyone. He was a strict man while working, but he usually smiled and greeted everyone softly. No matter who the other person he faced was. That¡¯s why Hain had no choice but to be warier of Pavenik approaching her.


    Still, she hasn¡¯t doubted his mind much because she¡¯s seen him often¡ªbut her doubts have grown as she wasn¡¯t able to see him for a month. As a man famous for his flirtation among maids, Hain could hear his past that she had not known.


    -The delivery man in the castle said Lord Pavenik was very famous in the market. That everyone knew.


    -He even smiled at the women in the brothel. Apparently, there were a lot of women who rushed to give him service even if he didn¡¯t pay them.


    Hain was quite disappointed with him when she heard other maids talking about such things.


    ¡®He¡¯s not beeningtely. Maybe his interest in me has cooled down because things were going well with the daughter of the Cozeco family... This must be why my father told me not to get along with a flirty man who can¡¯t control his lower body properly. That kind of man will just hurt me.¡¯


    Because she has just decided to give up her feelings for him, she reluctantly received the news of Pavenik¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Is he here to see if the two royal children are doing well?¡±


    She asked the nanny to look after the children and stood up. Even if she said so bluntly, she checked her reflection on the ss bottle not wanting to look shabby.


    After nearly touching the messy hair with her hands, she patted the skirt with her hands until the wrinkles were straightened. After that, she checked herself a couple more times before heading out into the hallway.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because Miss Hain is misunderstanding me!¡±


    He was gasping for breath with a flushed face. He seemed to havee in quite a hurry. But because her feelings of sadness and hatred had not been resolved, Hain said coldly.


    ¡°Why would I have any misunderstanding about Lord Pavenik?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a womanizer!¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Hain asked back with a coy face. Pavenik studied her face and put on a startled look. He must be trying to see if Hain knew the rumor or not. Disgusted by Pavenik¡¯s look, Hain added.


    ¡°Please tell me why a busy man came here. You probably don¡¯t even have enough time to meet the daughter of Cozeco.¡±

 Chapter 228: Live to Sienna Pt.228

    <h4>Chapter 228: Live to Sienna Pt.228</h4>


    At Hain¡¯s words, Pavenik exined urgently with a disconcerted look.


    ¡°I have nothing going on with the daughter of Cozeco. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard about me, but I don¡¯t easily open my heart to a woman. The only person I ever thought was truly beautiful is Miss Hain. No matter how much you sang about the beauty of the Empress, it didn¡¯t reach my ears. In my eyes, Miss Hain is much more beautiful.¡±


    Hain¡¯s feelings were not fullyforted, but her cheeks were reddening. He was the only one who spoke of her beauty with all his heart. But she couldn¡¯t ept his words with an easy nod.


    A womanizer was called a womanizer for a reason. Such men can easily say the sweet words a woman wants, and those are cunningly captivating.


    ¡°Well, even if you say that, it¡¯s the love of the Cozeco family that Lord Pavenik really cares about. It¡¯s been said that you and she were dancing, exchanging sweet conversations, andughing together.¡±


    Pavenik shook his head strongly, saying, ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Sweet conversation? You mean a terrible conversation! I have never danced with a woman, so I stepped on her foot. I was so embarrassed I kept apologizing. Iughed at her while apologizing because I found it funny that she was forcing herself to smile just because many others were watching us. But I didn¡¯t dance with genuine smiles. Honestly, it was a terrible experience.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a terrible experience. She¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Hain¡¯s mind was a little relieved. At least, Pavenik and Miss Cozeco weren¡¯t in a special rtionship as she heard.


    ¡°Do you know what I felt more pathetic about myself?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°While dancing with Miss Cozeco, I thought ¡®I must continue to practice dancing so that I don¡¯t step on Miss Hain¡¯s foot when I dance with her.¡¯ If your feet turned blue with bruises, that would make me feel so horrible.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Why would I dance to Lord Pavenik?¡±


    ¡°Miss Hain may not want to dance with me, but I¡¯ve always imagined dancing with you. Actually, I had imagined more than that. I thought of how many children we¡¯ll have when I marry you and with what names we¡¯d name them.¡±


    Hain turned her head in embarrassment, unable to look at the face of Pavenik. However, he continued to talk.


    ¡°You only talk like that, and you don¡¯t visit me like before.¡±


    ¡°My freaking boss... No, I mean, His Majesty the Emperor overburdened me with work that I haven¡¯t even had time to go to the bathroom for the past month. If I could, I¡¯d like to quit and juste to see you. But if I quit my job, I¡¯ll be ashamed to see Miss Hain.¡±


    For a month and two days, Carl has been pushing on the administration and hands-on officials, making a lot of progress. That¡¯s why Carl was able to go to Roman.


    However, the decline in Carl¡¯s work did not mean that Pavenik¡¯s work was reduced. There was still a mountainous pile of work that needed his attention. That was why the days of working overtime were still going on for Pavenik.


    ¡°Why feel ashamed to see me?¡±


    Hain¡¯s heart had already be soft like a taffy soaked in hot water, but asked as if she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crappy working environment, but I¡¯d like to make money and buy a pretty mansion to live in with Miss Hain.¡±


    Hain forced herself not to smile at his words.


    ¡°Why would I live with Lord Pavenik?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I dream about it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even dream.¡±


    At Hain¡¯s harsh reply, Pavenik burst intoughter. Hain was embarrassed and said nervously.


    ¡°Why! Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t interested in me at all, but I¡¯m happy that you were. Were you jealous that I danced with Miss Cozeco? Oh, don¡¯t answer. If you say you were jealous, I¡¯d be so happy that I might roll over on the floor.¡±


    Hain red at him as if dumbfounded.


    ¡°I was never jealous. I just thought about it because everyone said Lord Pavenik danced with her.¡±


    Pavenik asked with a face that he didn¡¯t believe her words at all.


    ¡°Not at all? Not a bit? Not this much?¡±


    He opened his thumb and index finger to make a slight gap. Hain shook her head.


    ¡®Why would I admit so fast I was jealous?¡¯


    Pavenik nodded with a sly look that said he¡¯d dly be deceived.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, but I¡¯m d I was able to clear up your misunderstanding about me. When the Empress said Miss Hain was very disappointed with me, it really felt like the ground was falling apart. So I barely finished what I was doing and ran here. Oh,e to think of it, I couldn¡¯t even prepare a flower because I was in a hurry. I thought I had to solve the misunderstanding right away...¡±


    He said so and nced around. And he looked at the floor to see if there was a flower he could pick in the corner of the hallway. Even though he thought it was stupid, he had a small expectation that there might be flowers somewhere. But all he could see was a glittering marble.


    He raised his head with a disappointed look, but then saw a vase decorated in the hallway. Inside the vase was full of lovely yellow flowers. It urred to him that the bright color matched the clear-faced Hain.


    He went to the vase and tried to take out the flower. At that moment, Hain lost the impression she just had and said to Pavenik with a look of disappointment.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to pull out the flower from the vase and give it to me, are you?¡±


    At her words, Pavenik scratched his head and said, ¡°Can¡¯t I? Isn¡¯t bringing flowers from a vase just like picking flowers from a flower garden...? Does it not look good?¡±


    He became concerned.


    ¡°I filled that vase with flowers. I picked each flower from the garden, one by one! I even got some grass on my knee collecting it! I even had a thorn in my hand when I put them together, but I was proud that they were pretty! You¡¯re not going to pull flowers from that very vase, are you?¡±


    In response to Hain¡¯s sharp response, Pavenik replied, rubbing the vase with his sleeves for no reason.


    ¡°I knew it was your skill. I thought this vase had such an artsy touch to it. This yellow flower looks just like Miss Hain. I never, ever, ever meant to pull this flower out. I¡¯m just kidding. Ha ha ha ha.¡±


    The thought, ¡®You were obviously going to take them out!¡¯ was reflected in Hain¡¯s face. Pavenik sweated cold sweat. He even thought he shouldn¡¯t havee.


    He soon took something out of his pocket and held it in her hand. Startled by his sudden action, Hain tried to pull her hand out of his, but Pavenik held it strongly, so she just looked at what he was doing.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. I just found it on the way home and thought it was pretty. Ah! The reason why I am famous in the market is because there are many people who know my face since I live there. There are many cheap rooms there. As you know, it takes a lot of money to get a house in the capital. That doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have financial ability. I am saving money every day to get a mansion you¡¯ll be pleased with.¡±


    Hain noticed by the touch that it was jewelry in his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to wear it. But don¡¯t throw it away. It¡¯s not expensive, but I¡¯ve been trying for quite a while to choose.¡±


    He turned around and ran away, as if he was too shy. The cute figure made Hainugh.


    Hain was really relieved now, but she was embarrassed for notughing in front of him to pretend to be indifferent. Still, seeing Pavenik act like a fool not knowing what to do whenever she made a serious face or made a face full of discontent, made her think he was cute.


    ¡°Did I tease him too much?¡±


    Hain murmured and opened her palms. She could see a bracelet made by linking colored stone pieces.


    It was not gold, but the color arrangement was pretty and the stone looked dainty. It¡¯s not easy to drill a hole in a stone, so it must be craftsmanship.


    ¡°It¡¯s prettier than I thought.¡±


    She wore the bracelet with a satisfied face. Every time she shook her wrist, there was a pleasant tter.


    Hain stopped as she was about to return to the living room and hid the bracelet deep in her clothes. She was embarrassed to show what she received from Pavenik. She thought other people would ask where she got it from.


    But after a few steps, she put the bracelet back on her wrist to make it shown.


    ¡°Whatever!¡±


    Hain went back to the room where the royal children were asleep, swinging her arms cheerfully.

 Chapter 229: Live to Sienna Pt.229

    <h4>Chapter 229: Live to Sienna Pt.229</h4>


    When Sienna first nned an orphanage, she was nning to build it in the capital. After running the project on a trial basis within close range, she tried to increase the number gradually.


    However, the trial operation did not seem easy because thend price in the capital was so expensive. It has also been judged that it was more effective to provide financial support to the existing ones than to build a new orphanage because the temple of thend already runs an orphanage in a stable manner.


    At that time, she could establish an orphanage in the Roman Territory near the capital. However, it was the first time that she actually came to Roman territory because she could not leave the pce while pregnant.


    ¡°What a beautiful ce.¡±


    Sienna looked at the orphanage with a thrilled face. The exterior was not particrly beautiful, but it seemed more beautiful to her than any other fancy building.


    This was now a shelter for homeless children. So, it was a precious ce that couldn¡¯t bepared to anywhere else.


    The wife of Roman lord approached Sienna, who was thrilled to see the orphanage. She was a very pretty woman, as Carl said.


    ¡°The establishment event is too simple, isn¡¯t it?¡±¡±


    Roman¡¯s temporary lord was, as Carl said, a man who valued substance rather than appearance. Usually, when an emperor participates in an event, one employs a military band and the local people to make it a big event and treats the royals luxuriously. However, this lord didn¡¯t do that.


    The in-looking man was polite to Sienna and Carl, but he kept to the right. Last evening¡¯s dinner also featured simple and tranquil menus within the limits they could prepare.


    The same was true of eventsmemorating the establishment of the orphanage. Without avish event, Carl and Sienna ended all the events by hanging the signboard of the orphanage surrounded by a round of apuse from the local residents who attended the event.


    It was done in an excessively thrifty way. But Sienna rather liked it.


    ¡°No, I love it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. The Empress prepared this project herself, so you must have been very excited¡ªbut I was worried that the event might be too small. My husband says he¡¯d rather buy one more item for the orphans with the money used for the event.¡±


    At her words, Sienna burst intoughter. Because she liked his idea very much.


    Sienna¡¯s gaze reached the lord¡¯s wife¡¯s belly. Sienna didn¡¯t realize because she didn¡¯t share dinner with the mistressst night as Sienna¡¯s crew arrivedtest night, but she understood why the mistress wasn¡¯t at yesterday¡¯s dinner.


    The belly of the lord¡¯s wife, who was about to give birth, was swollen as if she had put in arge cushion. Sienna, who just had twins, became interested.


    ¡°When is your due date?¡±


    ¡°The midwife said the baby would be born next month. My first child is looking forward to having a brother, but the baby¡¯s just slow.¡±


    Her first child, named Dain, was getting along with the children of the orphanage so well to the point where it was unbelievable that he was the son of the lord. It urred to Sienna that he really was the child of a couple who valued substance more than formalities.


    Sienna thought this might be what she wanted. A country where children can be happy. Sienna thought she wanted to help the children and her country¡¯s people forever as the empress.


    After talking to Roman, Carl approached Sienna. He smoothly put his arms around Sienna¡¯s waist and asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not tired?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not tired at all. I feel like I can even stay up three nights.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. It would be better if you didn¡¯te out of bed for three days and nights. With me, of course.¡±


    Sienna tapped him in the ribs with her elbow at his sly joke.


    ¡°So how do you feel? You¡¯ve been struggling and trying for a long time because of the orphanage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy. The children¡¯s chatter sounds like a masterpiece song. What about you, Carl? How do you feel?¡±


    Carl smiled softly at Siena and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy if you¡¯re happy.¡±


    The two smiled amusedly at the children running around.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    [Five yearster]


    Sienna, with her children now five years old, was enjoying a pic with a nket on the grass overlooking the Imperial Arena. There was a nanny who takes care of the royal children, but Sienna liked to spend time with the children herself and talk to them about various things. The children were still young, so they looked for their mothers a lot.


    In her arms, Sharillo slept quietly. Near him, Hain fanned carefully.


    ¡°Not yet?¡±


    When asked by Sienna, Hain asked back, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you still leaving Lord Pavenik to work with Anna?¡±


    ¡°And Anna needs to spend some time with her dad.¡±


    Anna was a girl born between Pavenik and Hain.


    The two married four years ago. Pavenik pursued Hain so passionately around that time, and then he finally proposed. He proposed by saying, ¡°I really wanted to do it earlier, but I waited until I got a house in the city. If you want, I would fill the house with books you like.¡±


    Not long after the wedding, Hain came to bear the fruit of their love. She has conceived a child.


    It was a pleasure, but on the one hand it was awkward. Sienna had to hire a new person if Hain was to quit her job.


    Sienna regretted not dispersing her power and inner pce management work. So, she had to worry about having a new chief maid. It was also a problem that she couldn¡¯t easily give her heart to a new person because she went through so many things with Hain.


    Eventually, Carl and Sienna persuaded Hain and Pavenik to allow Hain tomute with the child. She was to work as a maid only while the sun was up as if she were an administrative official.


    Of course, it was more of Carl¡¯s threat than a persuasion. He said to Pavenik, ¡°if Hain doesn¡¯te to work, you won¡¯t be able to get off work.¡± As a result, Pavenik had no choice but to ept the offer in tears. Thanks to such advantages, Anna grew up receiving the same education as the royal children.


    But Anna wasn¡¯t with them on this pic. That¡¯s because Hain dropped Anna off at the office where Pavenik was working.


    Sienna asked her with a worried look.


    ¡°Why would you leave Anna to Lord Pavenik? You know how busy the Oval Office is. Aren¡¯t you worried about Anna?¡±


    Hain said with a deep sigh.


    ¡°How could I not be? I¡¯m so worried. I¡¯ve already sent a nanny with her, but it¡¯s someone else¡¯s hand...¡±


    Sienna asked carefully because it was strange to leave Anna at Pavenik¡¯s office even when Hain was worried.


    ¡°Hain, is it because it¡¯s hard to take care of a child while working as a maid? I should have left my children to a nanny, not make you take care of them...¡±


    Sienna was worried if Hain was suffering from her greed.


    ¡°Ay, that¡¯s ridiculous. You know how much I love those two. Aside from other tasks, taking care of them is not work¡ªit¡¯s a hobby, really.¡±


    Hain added that Sharillo¡¯s gentle sleep was angelic and exined why she left the child in Pavenik¡¯s office.


    ¡°That¡¯s because... ...the other day, my husband got home earlier than usual. As soon as he got home, he said he missed Anna and reached out to hug her. But Anna bawled her eyes out. She cried so much that I thought she was having a seizure.¡±


    ¡°That mild Anna? Was she hurt?¡±


    Anna was as soft as Sharillo. She was a gentle child who rarely badgered or whined. Sienna couldn¡¯t believe Anna cried so much when she saw her father.


    ¡°You can¡¯t imagine, can you? Anna is actually gentle when she¡¯s with someone familiar, but she¡¯s very shy, so she cries in surprise when she sees a stranger. When she saw my husband, she cried as if she had never seen him before. I had tofort her a lot that night.¡±


    ¡°Anna must have been very startled. Lord Pavenik must have been very surprised too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he was very embarrassed. That night, he had to spend a tiring night trying to calm down Anna despiteing home earlier than usual.¡±


    ¡°But you left that crying Anna to Lord Pavenik?¡±


    Hain replied, sighing deeply again.


    ¡°What else should I do? It doesn¡¯t make sense for a kid to cry every time she sees her dad. She¡¯s expressing by crying because she can¡¯t talk now. Butter, she might say ¡®who are you?¡¯ whenever she sees her dad.¡±


    ¡°No way...¡±


    As Sienna smiled and shook her hand, Hain spoke to her with a solemn look.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Later, Anna might find my husband back home and swing a stick shouting, ¡®there¡¯s a thief!¡¯ As you know, he has a lot of work to do, so he goes out at dawn andes backte at night. Our mansion is right in front of the pce, so hees to sleep. But if it were a little farther away, he¡¯d barelye home once a month.¡±


    Hain said with a worried look.


    ¡°If I want to see my husband, I have to go to his office, not our house, so I can see him once. First of all, I have to make sure he and Anna get close this way since he can¡¯t get home early. I can¡¯t let them be worse than friends.¡±

 Chapter 230: Live to Sienna Pt.230

    <h4>Chapter 230: Live to Sienna Pt.230</h4>


    Sienna felt sorry.


    The reason why Pavenik had be busy was because the empire has started road construction projects and water control projects in the central region. It was Pavenik¡¯s idea, but it was Carl who eventually handed him the overwhelming task.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be able to rx soon. I heard that the central region¡¯s water control business is nearingpletion. Although the road construction project remains, it just takes a lot of energy to prepare, and there will not be much to worry about after actual shoveling begins.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s constion, Hain shook her head with a tired face and stretched her shoulders.


    ¡°That¡¯s what he says every time. ¡®I think I¡¯ll be free after this work¡¯, ¡®with a new recruiting in this time, things will be easier once we finish the training.¡¯ I¡¯ve been hearing this for four years. At first, I thought the emperor was relying too much on him, but now I know. It¡¯s just that the bastard¡¯s a workaholic.¡±


    She said with a deep breath with a regretful face.


    ¡°My father said I should never live with a man who was addicted to something. He doesn¡¯t drink or likes gambling, so I thought it¡¯d be okay. But I never thought he was a workaholic.¡±


    Ha ha-ha-ha-


    In the meantime, Leah was running around the two of them excitedly. She ran so fast with her short legs that she was almost distracting.


    Moreover, she was violently swinging a wooden stick as tall as herself. Hain, who had a gloomy face, smiled at it.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness seems to be very healthy. I¡¯ve never seen her fall down even when she runs like that. She¡¯s so strong. She never seems to get tired of running around like that.¡±


    Unlike Sharillo, who has a gentle personality, Leah was very active. It was difficult for her to stay still for a moment.


    Usually, if a young princess wields a stick, people worry about her getting hurt, but in Leah¡¯s case, people had to worry about things around her. The furniture and decorations that Leah destroyed in the pce were countless. For this reason, Sienna was worried that she would have to separate the children from the empress pce soon.


    Because of Leah, the empress pce now looked unintendedly simple. Not only the cost of her destruction was substantial, but any cumbersome ornaments had to be removed just in case the princess got hurt by the broken pieces.


    So, Sienna bought a lot of paintings that could be hung out of Leah¡¯s reach. Thanks to this, the revival of art and culture was beginning as investments were being made to various artists.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll grow up as in the conception dream and say she¡¯ll go after Kraken.¡±


    ¡°No way...¡±


    Sienna shook her head at Hain¡¯s startled face and said.


    ¡°My father says Leah¡¯s physique is better than my brother Jamie. He says she¡¯s born muscr, and he wants to make her his disciple.¡±


    It would never have been nonsense if it were the words of the Duke of Waters, known as the Spear of North. Hain replied, glistening her eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing? I think it would be great if she became a female knight.¡±


    Sienna nodded slowly.


    ¡°I think being a female knight is a wonderful thing, too. But look at Leah over there. She can¡¯t stay still for a second, and she can¡¯t look around when she focuses on one thing. If you teach her the sword, she might really go after the Kraken.¡±


    Sienna was fed up with the thought of Leah running, roaring with her sword raised at the Kraken. She didn¡¯t want her child to do such a dangerous job.


    ¡°Ha ha, don¡¯t worry. Kraken is a rare monster that even sea people can¡¯t meet. It¡¯s going to be hard to meet one for the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that, but...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry at all.¡±


    Hain soothed Sienna skillfully. Sienna also thought she worried too much, but she couldn¡¯t help it. As a mother, she couldn¡¯t let go of her worries about her children.


    ¡°Oh, I guess the battle is over.¡±


    At the end of Sienna¡¯s gaze came sweaty Carl. Next to him was her father, Howard Waters.


    Howard came down to the capital a few months ago. He had long wanted toe to the capital and meet his beloved daughter, but could not leave the North, which was at war with monsters every day.


    However, as Jamie made great progress recently, Howard visited the capital city for the first time in fifteen years, saying he could trust Jamie. Reversing everyone¡¯s expectation that he would only visit briefly, he had already been staying here for over a month.


    Carl asked him to leave the North entirely to Jamie and stay in the capital.


    Carl hated staying close with royal rtives, but he had beencking in high-ranking aristocratstely. As most of the current aristocrats were made up of those who had newly earned titles, he needed someone to be their core, and Duke Waters was most suitable for them.


    He was loyal to the empire and upright enough to have kept monsters from the north for a long time without any personal benefit. Moreover, he was the highest-ranking aristocrat and the father of the empress. Carl realized that for many reasons Duke Waters should stay in the capital.


    The Duke of Waters said he would consider it, but he stayed here without saying whether he liked being with his daughters and grandchildren. He was not making any political moves at all, but Carl thought that was enough.


    Howard sometimes asked forbat when Carl had free time. Carl readilyplied with this request each time in the great triumph of wanting to confront him, called the spear of the north.


    In fact, Carl was no match for Howard. The father-inw was training his son-inw on the pretext ofbat.


    ¡°Grandpaaaa.¡±


    Leah ran at a fast pace and jumped into the Duke of Waters. He put her over his neck and carried her on his shoulders.


    He looked very young even in histe fifties. It was the result of a long mana operation.


    Also, as a member of the Waters family, he was quite bigpared to others. So, Leah loved her grandfather who often gave her a ride on his neck. She liked the feeling of going up high.


    ¡°She must like the Duke of Waters more than me¡±


    Carl sat next to Sienna, grumbling as if it was upsetting. Sienna handed him a towel and said, ¡°Leah likes you more. It¡¯s just because it¡¯s fun riding on my father¡¯s shoulders. Strangely enough, she likes heights.¡±


    Carl said, wiping sweat off his neck and face.


    ¡°Sounds like you. You like high ces, too.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Going up the tree, sitting in the Imperial Pce window. I was surprised every time I saw you. Just in case you get hurt. You even fell off a tree a long time ago. Fortunately, you fell on me.¡±


    ¡°That was a long time ago! I don¡¯t do that these days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t like high ces these days? If you don¡¯t mind, I was going to ask you to go take a look at the watchtower in the west tomorrow night. It¡¯d be pretty cool to shoot fireworks at night...I can¡¯t help it if you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    The west side of the tower was a stone pagoda, which was also the tallest within the castle. It would be a wonderful thing to see the fireworks there.


    Sienna knew he was obviously teasing her but said with her lips pouting because she wanted to see the fireworks in the watchtower with him.


    ¡°Who said no? It¡¯s just that these days I don¡¯t climb dangerously high up alone.¡±


    Carl burst intoughter at Sienna, who was embarrassed and blushed. And he said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll order someone to prepare the fireworks.¡± Instead of answering Carl, Sienna vented her dissatisfaction with the Duke of Waters, who came to them carrying Leah.


    ¡°Father, did you stay at the Knights of Phoenix¡¯s residence yesterday, not at the Waters mansion?¡±


    Originally the Waters did not have a mansion in the capital. Before Arya¡¯s reign, they had a pretty good mansion, but the family sold its capital mansion to cover her expenses as Arya cut off the aid to the north.


    The northern aid was restored by Carl¡¯s order, and the Waters¡¯ family had financial leeway. The Duke of Waters was not originally interested in spending money. His life did not change much, though he could afford to operate the territory.


    Although Carl recently gave Duke Waters the closest andrgest mansion among state-owned ones, the Duke of Waters spent more days at the knights¡¯ quarters next to the training ground than on his own.


    He replied with a happy smile even if Leah was tearing his hair out.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Yesterday and the day before, I stayed with the Knights.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, staying away from a decent house? Don¡¯t do that because other knights would feel ufortable.¡±


    Howard asked, tilting his head.


    ¡°Everyone said it¡¯s okay for me to stay there.¡±


    ¡°Of course, they said yes. You are close to bing a Sword Master and you would ask them with your hands on that pole-like sword, looking ready to strike anyone. Who would dare to say that you can¡¯t? That they find it ufortable.¡±


    Howard said with an awkward smile.


    ¡°Hahaha, how do you know so well as if you have seen for yourself? But why would they feel ufortable if I stayed in the emperor¡¯s cavalry¡¯s quarters? As always, I¡¯m just sharing my life and training with the knights.¡±


    Sienna shook her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s the problem. How much pressure would the morning shift knights feel from seeing a dukee to train in the dawn? They would feel uneasy even if they get to work on time, and they would feelpelled to follow what you do because they wouldn¡¯t think it¡¯s right to just stand next to you doing nothing. It¡¯s totally natural to feel ufortable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s natural for a knight to train.¡±


    Sienna sighed deeply, as he was unlikely to listen.


    Her father was a man who had spent his entire life in the north, sword-to-sword with monsters. For him, training was an absolute means of protecting his own life.


    He would not understand his daughter¡¯s words, considering that he believes that he should not lose his life by neglecting his training, or that he should be able to extend his life even a little by training to the limit of his ability.


    Realizing that it was impossible to persuade her father, all Sienna could do was to express condolences to the Knights of Phoenix with her heart.

 Chapter 231: Live to Sienna Pt.231

    <h4>Chapter 231: Live to Sienna Pt.231</h4>


    ¡°By the way, I got a letter from Jamie. Soon the monster breeding season is approaching, so he¡¯s getting ready. He must have sent in case I was worried. Oh, and he sent greetings to Your Highness the Empress.¡±


    At the Duke¡¯s words, Sienna asked, shining her eyes.


    ¡°Did he say anything else?¡±


    ¡°There was nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Really? Perhaps something about Marquise Methena...¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    Sienna looked disappointed.


    Five years ago, Jamie seemed to have an interest in Marie. Moreover, he postponed his marriage because he had her in mind, so Sienna wished both of them a happy ending.


    Five yearster, however, there seemed to be no progress in their rtionship. There was no news of their marriage even now.


    If Marie was not interested in Jamie at all, Sienna would make Jamie give up on her, but the Duke of Waters said that if you watch them when they¡¯re together, there was a strong chemistry between them. Even if they didn¡¯t get married, they almost seem like a married couple.


    Nevertheless, the two were still unable to get married. Marie seemed to be full of worries and fears about remarriage.


    Sienna was worried that Jamie might end up being single forever, or that the Waters family would be cut off; but Duke Waters, the owner of the house, was not very involved.


    <ul>


    You can¡¯t force them to marry if they don¡¯t want to. At the same time, I don¡¯t want Jamie to get married to someone he doesn¡¯t like. I¡¯m not going to die soon, and Jamie¡¯s young ¨C there¡¯s still time, so don¡¯t worry too much. Even if Jamie is old and alone, that¡¯s too bad. The Waters will adopt a decent individual to seed in the family. It¡¯s okay because the name of Waters has been continued through will, not necessarily a bloodline.


    </ul>


    Sienna could no longer insist strongly on Jamie¡¯s marriage at what her father once said.


    But she had some idea why Marie didn¡¯t ept Jamie¡¯s heart, so she wanted to push him. Marie¡¯s family was destroyed, and her only brother was a fugitive. Of course, he was doing well in the Holy Empire, but he was wanted in Leipsden.


    Moreover, Marie has experience in marriage. She must be thinking that she has more ws than she can cover with her castle and title, so it was clear that she considers herself not good enough to marry Jamie.


    Sienna was frustrated. She wanted to meet Marie in person and tell her to do as she pleases without caring about the surroundings.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard for me to meet Marquise Methena, right? I resent being far away from Heidel.¡±


    ¡°You want to go to Heidel?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna nodded. She wanted to meet Marie and also wanted to see her hometown of Heidel.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I left Heidel that I feel like I¡¯m going topletely forget about it. Now I can¡¯t tell whether the snow is white, ck, cold, or hot.¡±


    Carl swept her back. Sienna looked up at Carl and said with a weak smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying it. I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯ve be morefortable with living these days. In the past, I didn¡¯t think I was that lonely because my mind was soplicated, but I feel sofortable these days. That¡¯s why this wide castle feels small. Even if there¡¯s a forest and ake in the castle.¡±


    Carl consoled Sienna by pulling her to his side.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a big castle, you can look around every side in a day or two. No wonder it¡¯s frustrating if you think you can¡¯t get out of here.¡±


    Carl understood Sienna¡¯s mind.


    ¡°But I¡¯m sorry to hear that you felt lonely. It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t care about you.¡±


    It was Sienna who was embarrassed by Carl¡¯s apology.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying. You don¡¯t have to be sorry for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault if you had any such feelings. I¡¯ll try to cut back on my work and make more time with you.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna secretly nced at Hain. Sienna felt sorry for having such a conversation in front of Hain, who was having a hard time seeing her husband¡¯s face.


    In addition, Carl¡¯s reduction of work meant he would hand over his work to officials of the administration as well as Pavenik. Sienna had an uneasy feeling that what Hain was worried about would be a reality because of her. Because of Sienna¡¯s meaningless bickering, it seemed not long before Anna would see her father, Pavenik, and shout, ¡°it¡¯s a thief!¡±


    ¡®I hope Hain will not ask for divorce because of me...¡¯


    Whether or not Carl felt Sienna¡¯s anxious feelings, he buried his nose in her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll love you tonight, so you don¡¯t feel lonely at all,¡± making Sienna feel more embarrassed.


    [Warm season]


    It was one day after the children turned eight. Sienna and Hain sat side by side watching the children.


    Now Hain was not a chief maid. Although she did not hold any special post, she was treated as a friend to the empress. Like Mrs. Kitroll, who taught manners to Sienna, Hain was a helper to the imperial family.


    Sometimes wise noble wives assisted the empress in the imperial pce, which was considered the highest honorary position a woman could obtain.


    It was made possible when Chancellor Pavenik rose from Baron to Count in recognition of his contribution to the construction of the northern roads and waterways. To be the empress¡¯ adviser, a woman had to be at least a countess ¨C Hain was able to meet the conditions.


    At least Hain¡¯s role in the imperial family hasn¡¯t changed much. She stayed with her child at Sienna¡¯s side even before she became the empress¡¯ advisor.


    ¡°It¡¯s peaceful and nice. I guess I should have taught art from the beginning. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I couldn¡¯t stand the horn of your Royal Highness.¡±


    Sienna also said disgustedly at Hain¡¯s words.


    ¡°I agree. I regretted letting Leah hold the horn. I still feel deaf when I think about that time.¡±


    ¡°Me too...¡±


    Sienna and Hain paid great attention to the royal children¡¯s education. In order to ensure that the children, who would take care of the country in the future, were not only focused on one area, they tried to teach humanities such as history and philosophy as well as other things.


    Recently, the Reich of Leipsden has be very stable politically and diplomatically. Looking at history, Sienna paid particr attention to art education, in ordance with Hain¡¯s advice that during these times the economy was supposed to revive, and art culture was to blossom.


    A month ago, when the children took a music ss, Sienna asked each of them to choose a musical instrument they wanted, and Leah chose a big horn.


    The horn, a brass instrument, was famous for being tricky to y, even after the fact that it was a preferred musical instrument for men. It was not a suitable instrument for an eight-year-old girl to y. So, Sienna rmended other instruments, but Leah insisted on the horn until the end.


    Eventually, Sienna said, ¡°You can make a sound with a horn, you can learn it.¡± Of course, she said it thinking Leah wouldn¡¯t be able to blow the horn, but that was a mistake.


    What she overlooked was that Leah¡¯s lung capacity should not be thought to be the same as that of a normal child. Leah easily made a sound and acquired the horn as an instrument she would learn.


    Being able to make sounds didn¡¯t mean ying well. ying a musical instrument isn¡¯t just about lung capacity. Leah couldn¡¯t y the horn and just blew it.


    Sienna and Hain learned that one could make such a sharp and loud sound with the horn, a supposedly gentle and soft instrument, even though they didn¡¯t want to.


    Moreover, Leah was a very persistent child. ¡°I have to blow the horn until I y it properly,¡± she said, adding, ¡°I have to blow it for hours a day.¡± People around her had to be tortured.


    Therefore, Sienna decided to focus on art education, not music education.


    Unlike the music ss where they had to keep listening to the dissonance of Leah¡¯s loud horn, Sharillo¡¯s sharp violin, and Hain¡¯s daughter Anna¡¯s r, art education was very peaceful.


    The living room was filled with the smell of heavy pigments. The artist, who teaches art to children, used opaque paint made by melting the pigment with tempera or egg yolk, so the smell of oil was slightly mixed with a fishy smell. But she did not hate the smell that irritates the tip of her nose. Moreover, the sound of brush strokes on and off the canvas was better than the sound of a horn.


    Sienna leaned deeply on the sofa. She felt peaceful at this moment that she could fall asleep right away.


    ¡°I thought art sses wouldn¡¯t suit the princess¡¯ character, but she seems to enjoy it more than I thought when I see how focused she is.¡±


    ¡°I know. She tends to get tired quickly unless it requires physical strength...¡±


    Sharillo and Leah had very different personalities even though they were born on the same day.


    Sharillo had a serious character. He hardly showed much joy or anger. A child often expresses great emotion at small things, but he was not like a normal eight-year-old child, but rather, he was more like an 80-year-old man.


    That did not mean that his academic ability was sluggish. No matter what he was taught, he learned more easily than others and showed greater achievement than the amount of effort he put into.


    At first, Sienna was worried that there might be a problem with his personality. But Carl consoled her, saying that because Carl himself was like Sharillo when he was young, it doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s a problem.


    Now Sienna realized that Sharillo was a cautious person who doesn¡¯t express his feelings more than others. When she sees the subtle changes in his facial expression, she realizes that her son looks just like Carl.


    Leah was the exact opposite of Sharillo. If Sharillo condenses energy inside, Leah releases all her energy to the outside world.


    When she was younger, she liked to imitate knights with wooden sticks, watching interestingly as they fought or as Carl fought with her maternal grandfather ¨C now she ran with the knights every morning.


    Despite Sienna¡¯s opposition, Leah wielded a stick wherever she was, saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t learned swordsmanship properly yet, but if you don¡¯t teach me, I¡¯ll learn it on my own.¡± She left no room decorations intact.


    Sienna was seriously considering Hain¡¯s advice that it would be better to let her release a lot of energy.


    It would be better if Leah showed interest elsewhere than swordsmanship, but her interests and talents were extremely one-sided. She showed exceptional talents in areas that require physical abilities, but at everything else, she was bad.


    The same was true of history, literature, and politics, not to mention musical talent. It wasn¡¯t that she was intellectually retarded, but she didn¡¯t make an effort to learn. She showed great interest only in military science and the history of war while hating to study. In case of sses she was not interested in, she was often unable to sit still, ying pranks or moving her body around to break things.


    Sienna was relieved that Lea was calmly painting at the artist¡¯s instruction today. She looked at Leah looking at the canvas with a concentrated face, then said to Hain.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d Leah is working hard today. Does art suit her aptitude?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. The princess seems to enjoy it. Looking at how her brush strokes are relentless, she¡¯s probably talented at it. The more talented you are, the less hesitant you are.¡±

 Chapter 232: Live to Sienna Pt.232

    <h4>Chapter 232: Live to Sienna Pt.232</h4>


    Sienna, who was looking at Leah¡¯s brush stroke, asked Hain.


    ¡°But are you sure that¡¯s how you brush? What Leah¡¯s doing seems to be swinging a sword, not a brush.¡±


    ¡°It does. I wonder what on earth is the princess drawing...¡±


    The two, who had been watching the children from a distance, stood up from their seats, unable to ovee their curiosity. As they approached, they could see the artist sweating heavily.


    This painter was a skinny man with a face naturally tanned in the sun, and he has recentlye under the spotlight. Being one of the artists sponsored by Sienna, he has been praised for his vivid portrayal ofndscape paintings featuring seasonal changes.


    He gave twodies courtesy as they approached. Sienna nodded, received his greetings, and approached Leah¡¯s side.


    ¡°This is better than I thought! I drew it, but I think it¡¯s really cool.¡±


    Leah was quite impressed with her work. But the two people who saw her painting had no choice but to keep quiet.


    It was hard to consider Leah¡¯s work as a painting. The canvas was dynamically sshed with various colors of paint, as she stroke a brush full of paints. In some parts, there were marks that seemed to have beenpletely crushed with a brush.


    It urred to Sienna that Leah didn¡¯t intend to paint from the beginning, but wanted to fight the canvas. Like the scars of battle, Leah¡¯s face was covered with various colors of paint.


    She was not the only victim. The clothes and hair of Sharillo and Anna sitting in the distance were also sshed with paint. The two children, who were used to Leah¡¯s entricity, did not care much and focused on the painting.


    Sienna said with a deep sigh.


    ¡°Leah. I told you to draw, not fight the canvas.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Leah said, with her eyes glistening.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that wonderful? It¡¯s much more alive than a boring picture hanging over there. What do you think, teacher?¡±


    Leah asked the painter with a look of anticipating apliment. The painter could not bear to tell the truth when he saw Leah¡¯s expression of desire for praise. Not only that, but the girl who was questioning him was a princess. It was a very embarrassing situation to answer without any hesitation.


    ¡°That¡¯s... ...that¡¯s really great. I¡¯ve never seen such a dynamic style of painting. I can¡¯t believe you can use a brush this way... that¡¯s great.¡±


    Sienna did not reproach him for being dishonest. It wasn¡¯t about making Leah a painter anyway, nor did Sienna want her to show genius talent. As long as it¡¯s fun for her daughter to draw, that was enough.


    Moreover, there was less damage done than other sses. Of course, all around here, including the floor, Sharillo and Anna¡¯s clothes and hair were covered with paint, but at least they didn¡¯t get hurt or things were broken.


    ¡°Yes, good job.¡±


    Praised by her mother, Leah again confirmed her canvas with a proud face. Sienna thought to herself, ¡®Yes, you can be satisfied.¡¯ Sienna¡¯s expectations for Leah¡¯s artistic abilities had already been lowered considerably.


    After that, Sienna looked at the paintings of Sharillo. He showed quite a good talent in most areas, but he seemed to have no talent for painting. He held the brush gently, but the result was not much different from Leah.


    Sharillo painted and applied paint on the canvas with a bored face. She couldn¡¯t tell what he was trying to draw, but it certainly didn¡¯t work out as he thought. Sienna nevertheless encouraged Sharillo.


    Then she looked at Anna¡¯s canvas, which was brushing as quietly as Sharillo.


    ¡°Wow! That is just amazing.¡±


    Sienna was struck with admiration. Anna¡¯s canvas, unlike those of Sharillo and Leah, was clearly showing what she was trying to draw.


    The painting wasn¡¯t even close topletion, but the flowers she drew with all her strength seemed to smell like flowers, not pigment, if Sienna was to put her nose close. Even though she was not drawing an object in front of her eyes, she expressed it as if she had seen the flower in person.


    ¡°Wow! Anna, you¡¯re great. I think you can be a painter right now.¡±


    ¡°Good drawing! Good girl.¡±


    Sharillo and Leah came around at Sienna¡¯s exmation and saw Anna¡¯s painting, and theyplimented her. The three children have been very close since childhood. Sienna, who was pleased to see it, asked Anna.


    ¡°Anna, what are you drawing?¡±


    ¡°Flowers and baskets. Yesterday, um... My father brought it. I gave it to my mom. It was pretty.¡±


    Six-year-old Anna was a poor speaker for her age but Hain or Pavenik didn¡¯t worry about it. They thought she¡¯d get better soon because the mother and father were pretty good at talking.


    Sienna and Hain praised Anna and returned to their seats. The ss was not over, so they thought they shouldn¡¯t interrupt anymore.


    ¡°Anna must get that from you, Hain. You have a talent for painting. She might be a genius painterter!¡±


    ¡°Ay, she didn¡¯t get it from me. I¡¯ve never held a brush before. Hm, my husband doesn¡¯t have a thing for painting either... it¡¯s strange.¡±


    Hain said so, but Sienna thought it was definitely a resemnce of her talent. The paintings that Hain draws with thread, not brush, were as vivid as Anna¡¯s. She didn¡¯t seem to know how talented she was.


    ¡°The flowers are so pretty. Does the Chancellor usually bring flowers?¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Hain put on a pondering look and said, ¡°Hm...not really. He brought it yesterday for our anniversary.¡±


    ¡°Anniversary? Well...Hain¡¯s birthday...is midwinter, so it wasn¡¯t for that. What anniversary was it?¡±


    ¡°Not my birthday, but yesterday was Perremo¡¯s anniversary.¡±


    ¡°Perremo? Same name as Anna¡¯s flower! What kind of anniversary is that?¡±


    When asked by Sienna, Hain burst intoughter and said, ¡°It¡¯s just an anniversary that he and I have made up. It¡¯s a day to celebrate Perremo¡¯s beautiful bloom.¡±


    Sienna asked Hain with a curious look.


    ¡°When did those anniversaries start?¡±


    Hain was embarrassed, blushing her cheeks.


    ¡°That¡¯s... ...since yesterday.¡±


    When Sienna didn¡¯t understand, Hain added, ¡°If we give each other gifts without any reason, we get too embarrassed. We start making excuses for anniversaries. You know. When I see pretty flowers, I buy them because I want to see them with him, or when I find out about delicious food, I learn how to cook it so I can cook at home. I used to call those days anniversaries for fun, and now it seems like every day has be like that.¡±


    Sienna knew Pavenik was taking good care of Hain. Although he was such a stingy man who never bought a drink for his colleagues and using the excuse that he was busy, he eagerly spent time with his wife.


    Sienna knew that the ne, ring, and bracelet worn by Hain, who said that jewelry was too expensive for her even after receiving the title, were all gifts from Pavenik. But he didn¡¯t know Hain was always getting him gifts too.


    ¡°Hain, do you give gifts to the Chancellor?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m happy to get a present, but I¡¯m actually happier to see him smile when I give him a present. What about you, Your Majesty?¡±


    At Hain¡¯s words, Sienna pondered. The way Carl was happy when she gave him a present? No matter how deep she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    ¡°You know what... I don¡¯t remember giving a present to Carl.¡±


    She had received many gifts from Carl, but she had no memory of doing anything special for him. Her husband was the master of the Leipsden Empire. She didn¡¯t give a gift to a man who owns the whole empire because she thought hecked nothing.


    All Sienna could barely remember was the handkerchief she handed him in the distant past, during the knight contest.


    Was Carl happy to receive it? She couldn¡¯t remember. Rather than the way he was pleased, she only had the memory of herself blushing with shame at the mess of embroidery that was hard to tell whether it was a dragon or a snake.


    She¡¯s never given a gift since that day. Having no dexterity with her hands, she felt burdened by petty acts such as embroidering, cooking, or weaving flowers. Recognizing it now, she was somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take this opportunity?¡±


    As Sienna hesitated, Hain talked about how happy it was to give a present to a loved one¡ªthat seeing her husband happy makes her feel like she won the whole world.


    Sienna was curious about Hain¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t believe Carl would be happy to receive the gift she gave him. Just imagining it made her feel good, and a smile formed around her mouth. But that was only for a short time.


    ¡°What can I give him? I can¡¯t make things myself...he has pretty much anything he needs.¡±


    When Sienna spoke in a downhearted voice, Hain encouraged her.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a gift. What¡¯s important is to do something that makes the other person happy. You can do what your Highness is confident about!¡±


    Said Hain in a more excited voice than Sienna. But Sienna couldn¡¯t easily think of what she could do. Moreover, she had to make Carl happy with it...


    Sienna was going to say that she couldn¡¯t think of anything and that she should put the n off, but Hain said with a flick of her finger.


    ¡°How¡¯s a banquet?¡±


    ¡°A banquet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the imperial banquets hosted by Your Highness have received rave reviews every time. There areints that you don¡¯t hold banquets often, but the responses after the banquets are always amazing. Not only is everyone talking about your banquets, but the nobledies refer to those.¡±


    Sienna was embarrassed by Hain¡¯s praise. Holding a banquet was possible because she only gave instructions and did not make anything herself. It was because of the admirable practitioners who understood perfectly even if she spoke vaguely. Hain continued her words with glistening eyes.


    ¡°The finger-sized cake at thest banquet was very popr. It was filled with sweet, savory mousse cream or cold desserts made from jelly foam with sugar, spices, and topped with honey-stained flowers. Thedies of the nobility have sent me a lot of letters asking me to teach them how to cook those. Or they asked which tailor will be in charge of the empress¡¯ dress for the next feast...It¡¯s not easy to get away from those requests with just excuses but... my point is, Your Majesty¡¯s banquet is just amazing.¡±


    The more she spoke, the more Sienna could see how great her troubles were. Hain meant that she had been doing a good job of dealing with the nobledies of higher rank than herself. But that wasn¡¯t Sienna¡¯s problem right now.


    ¡°But how can a banquet be a gift for Carl?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having a banquet just for the Emperor! Wouldn¡¯t he be happy then?¡±


    ¡®A banquet only for Carl...¡¯

 Chapter 233: Live to Sienna Pt.233

    <h4>Chapter 233: Live to Sienna Pt.233</h4>


    ¡°What are you thinking so hard about?¡±


    That evening, Carl, who had finished his work and came to the pce of Sienna, asked, hugging her waist.


    ¡°Ah...it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Sienna had been obsessed with the idea of ¡®a banquet for Carl¡¯ all day long. Although she decided to give a banquet, the banquet itself was not a special event for Carl and Sienna. Since it was held once or twice a month on a regr basis, it was clear that most banquets would be just imperial banquets, not for him.


    Moreover, when preparing for a banquet, she prepared it with a light heart that she just had to meet the formalities, and this banquet was very burdensome. It was a present for Carl. It was of no use if he didn¡¯t rejoice, so she couldn¡¯t care less.


    But anyway, she couldn¡¯t tell him ¡®I¡¯m busy preparing a banquet for you.¡¯ Carl mumbled, burying his head in Sienna¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You certainly have a troubled face.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Sienna said several times that he didn¡¯t have to worry about it that he brought up another story.


    ¡°Leah brought her paintings today, and I think she¡¯s got a great talent for art.¡±


    Sienna thought for a long time that she might have misheard Carl and finally asked back.


    ¡°Leah? At art?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of it asing from an eight-year-old. Such vivid energy and dynamism.¡±


    Sienna briefly suspected that Leah might have deceived Anna¡¯s painting as her own work. It was reasonable for her to think so. She obviously watched the children take art lessons and checked Leah¡¯s paintings. If one can call it a painting at all.


    ¡°I sensed this militant spirit as if a knight was wielding a sword inbat. It¡¯s more dynamic than the work of a skilled artist.¡±


    Listening to his expression emphasizing dynamism, it seemed clear that Leah had shown her own painting, but Sienna still could not understand Carl¡¯s praise. To her, it looked more like a scribble than a painting.


    ¡°How can you feel that Leah is talented in art when you look at her painting? I was really thinking about teaching Leah swordsmanship when I saw it.¡±


    ¡°The energy I feel in the picture is amazing. So, I hung it right in the Oval Office. As expected, the painting¡¯s presence is enormous.¡±


    Among the luxurious ornaments in the office, it was natural that Leah¡¯s painting would show off a sense of ¡®difference.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re too soft to Leah.¡±


    ¡°Not only Leah, but also you.¡±


    Sienna turned and said, putting her arm around the neck of Carl.


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°No. I want to be softer than now.¡±


    Sienna, who grinned at the sly words, kissed him deeply. Feeling Carl¡¯s mouth wriggle up, Sienna tiptoed and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how soft you can get with me.¡±


    Her unusual sly remark made Carlugh. Sienna dragged him to the bedroom.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    ¡°Have you decided what to do with the banquet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to have a banquet to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Petrio.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    The Petrio War was a war against the Castro Empire five years ago.


    Before Carl ascended the throne, he once led the war to victory by taking advantage of the river that was flooded. After that, he received a huge amount of war reparations. In the following negotiations, he decided to allow 20 years of repayment without having to pay at once.


    Apparently, Castro decided that it would be beneficial to wage another war and win the war than to pay reparations for 20 years, so he started the war again. There may have been other reasons, but that was the judgment of the Leipsden Intelligence Department.


    The Western invasion of the Castro Empire was abrupt without forewarning. They suddenly revealed their long-standing grudge in one day. The number of knights and soldiers mobilized by Castro was so great that a weekter, Leipsden¡¯s front line was prated.


    Since most countries focus their troops on external fronts, it was difficult to tie the feet of enemy troops once the front was breached.


    At that time, however, the Reich of Leipsden began to operate in the imperial army dispatched by the emperor in each of the territories, at the insistence of Carl. So, each territory had be a strategic point and the enemy troops, who expected to be able to invade the capital easily, were stranded in the Petrio territory near the border.


    While Petrio¡¯s camp blocked Castro¡¯s army, the Imperial Army and the Territorial Army stationed nearby quickly provided support, pushing the enemy back.


    At that time, Carl, who was observing the progress of the situation in the capital, took the Imperial Army himself and set out. Then, not only he defeated Castro¡¯s army, but also subjugated part of theirnd.


    Thend was huge enough to make up five counts¡¯ territories. Castro ended up with andmass that can no longer be called an empire.


    The newly upied territory included a territory providing fifteen percent of Castro¡¯s iron production. In addition, Castro¡¯s war reparations increased.


    Schrs agreed that the Castro Empire, financially troubled by the war, would not be able to wage war against the Leipsden Empire for at least a hundred years. It was Carl¡¯s great achievement that made the Castro Empire¡ªa long time enemy of Leipsden, lose its power.


    ¡°First of all, we¡¯ll have to prepare a banquet invitation, right? What size would you like?¡±


    The imperial banquet invited different groups of people depending on its size. The smallest unit of banquet invited only high-ranking aristocrats, and in some cases, only invited the nobles residing in the capital city. Arge-scale event, like theing-of-age ceremony, invited even nobles from a small province.


    ¡°We won¡¯t have much time, so we¡¯ll only invite nobles in the capital.¡±


    ¡°Let me help you!¡±


    Hain shouted excitedly.


    ¡°I was trying to ask for help anyway. This banquet really has a lot to worry about.¡±


    ¡°What kind of banquet will you have?¡±


    Asked Hain, shining his eyes. Sienna responded as if she had been waiting for someone to ask her because she had already worked out a pretty specific n.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we call in the theater people and present a y on war? It exins the battle, and it directly shows Carl¡¯s achievements.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. But I think we¡¯ll have to prepare a lot to get the stage in the banquet hall. Should we firstly find a writer who writes a y and have him write a screeny for the stage? Oh! I think we should also cast the actors early. They¡¯ll have to practice it, and a y set in the war background will require a lot of casts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯ll be a lot to prepare for the stage, too. I¡¯m going to make it fancy. And I need people to y music. Most of all, we have to set up a stage inside the banquet hall...¡±


    ¡°Right. The closer we get to the date, the more we¡¯ll have to hurry up and prepare for the banquet!¡±


    There was a lot of work to do. Nevertheless, Sienna¡¯s smile was not erased from her face. All this was pleasant when she thought of Carl¡¯s happy appearance.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    As usual, Carl and Sienna, Sharillo and Leah had breakfast together. Lunch and dinner were not shared when Carl was busy with his work, but breakfast included the whole family no matter how busy Carl was.


    As it was breakfast, the menu was rtively simple, with light white fish dishes and a warm stew.


    ¡°I heard Mr. Coretta quit on the grounds of his old age and hired a new history teacher. How is the new history teacher?¡±


    Leah, who slept a lot in the morning, was dozing off with her spoon in her hand. Sharillo, who saw that Leah was not in a situation to answer, said.


    ¡°While Mr. Coretta used to focus on principles of kingship and teach it from the perspective of a ruler, it¡¯s fun to see Mr. Samuel now going through history from various perspectives through more diverse feed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re having fun. It is important to learn from various perspectives because one-sided views can make an individual stubborn. Does Leah enjoy the ss, too?¡±


    ¡°Well... ...she¡¯s particrly interested in past wars. Sometimes shees up with the idea of what it would have been like to go to certain wars in a different way, and the teachers are surprised. She has a good understanding of battles and wars.¡±


    Sharillo stepped out to defend Leah. But Carl and Sienna knew well what his words implied¡ªthat Leah was very bored with anything other than the topic of war orbat, and that she was not properly learning.


    Nevertheless, their faces still kept their smiles. It was unfortunate that Leah was not interested in the history ss, but it was not a big problem. The friendship between Sharillo and Leah was more lovely than that.


    ¡°Is there anything else interesting besides history?¡±


    At Carl¡¯s question, Sharillo looked troubled for a moment.


    ¡°Everything I¡¯m learning is interesting so far.¡±


    The word ¡®everything is fun¡¯ sounded like ¡®everything is not fun.¡¯


    ¡°But is there anything particrly interesting or something you want to learn?¡±


    When Sienna asked, Sharillo shook his head. There seemed to be nothing particrly stimting to him yet.


    ¡°I have! I have something I want to learn!¡±


    Leah shouted with her eyes glistening as if she had woken up from being half-asleep.


    Carl and Siena as well as Sharillo already knew what she wanted to learn. Nobody knew if it¡¯s because of the colorful capes and shiny armor, or because the knights wielding the swords looked cool, but Leah was very interested in the training of the knights. So, she always begged Sienna and Carl to learn how to use swords. Still, Carl asked her.


    ¡°Yes, what does my princess want to learn?¡±

 Chapter 234: Live to Sienna Pt.234

    <h4>Chapter 234: Live to Sienna Pt.234</h4>


    ¡°I want to learn sword fighting! I want to be a knight when I grow up.¡±


    ¡°But Leah...¡±


    It was time for Sienna to tell Leah, as usual, that Leah was still young and learning sword fight was dangerous.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Carl!¡±


    Sienna was embarrassed and called his name. But it was after he had already allowed it. Leah eximed with joy, ¡°YAY!¡±


    ¡°BUT!¡±


    When Carl tried to attach a condition to the word ¡°but,¡± Leah held her breath and looked at Carl. She seemed nervous about what conditions he would say. As much as Leah, Sienna waited for what conditions would be thrown out of his mouth.


    Sienna thought she had no choice but to teach Leah the sword one day, but it was too early. Swords were hard to deal with even for adults, so it was appalling to think that a child had to handle it. So, Leah, as well as Sharillo, were not allowed to have swordsmanship lessons.


    Sienna hoped that Carl would say, ¡®I will allow you if you are over 20 years old,¡¯ or ¡®If a dragon appears in the pce, I will make him or her a sword master.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow you if you pass the history test a monthter.¡±


    ¡°Test?¡±


    ¡°Test?¡±


    Sienna and Leah asked back at the same time. While Sienna¡¯s question contained a grudge against Carl as if it was too generous to allow Leah to learn sword skill over a history test, Leah was asking what kind of test he was talking about.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mr. Samuel. I¡¯ll select questions evenly throughout the whole lessons, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll fail the test if you take the ss with your current attitude.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Leah answered excitedly, and Sienna said. ¡°You know how persistent she is. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll pass the test somehow to get her sword training.¡±


    Sharillo continued to eat quietly, as if he had nothing to do with the whole issue.


    ¡°The same goes for Sharillo, too.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until his name was called that Sharillo looked at Carl with a look of interest.


    ¡°After Leah, you¡¯re going to teach the sword to Sharillo too?¡±


    Sienna tried to stop him, but Carl exined first.


    ¡°Just because it¡¯s a sword drill doesn¡¯t mean they have to carry a real sword. So, don¡¯t worry too much. It is necessary for children¡¯s physical fitness.¡±


    Sienna said with a face still full of discontent.


    ¡°I know what swordsmanship is like. I¡¯ve been watching my brother get his sword training ever since he was a kid. Just because you don¡¯t carry the real sword doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not tough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Waters have a particrly intense training. We can have the instructor who will teach the children to adjust to the intensity of the training. It¡¯s enough to build up their stamina and stay healthy. I don¡¯t want to overtrain my children because Sharillo and Leah won¡¯t go to war.¡±


    Sienna nodded helplessly at Carl¡¯s exnation. But she didn¡¯t let go of her discontent expression because she didn¡¯t fully ept it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a simple lunch and dinner today because of work, so you should eat with the children.¡±


    Carl frowned at Sienna¡¯s notice.


    ¡°You¡¯re not saying that because I¡¯ve allowed the kids a chance to learn swordsmanship, are you? You promised me to teach them when the time came. Besides, it¡¯s not unconditional permission ¨C I attached a use that they can learn on the condition of Leah passing the history exam.¡±


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s too early, but I¡¯m not doing that because of that. I¡¯m busy with my work these days.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is keeping you so busy? Orphanages are settled all over the country, and you¡¯re almost done building an academy for aristocratic children. Now we just have to wait for the building to be built as nned, but I think you¡¯re busier than before. You¡¯ve been skipping meals so frequently...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother! You are too busy. I want to y with you...¡±


    Leah stood by, helping Carl, and Sharillo nodded and agreed to their opinion.


    Sienna kept the banquet for Carl as a surprise, but she didn¡¯t even tell the children because she was worried that they might learn about it and easily tell Carl. As a result, the family seemed to feel alienated.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t tell the truth now when the banquet was just around the corner. There has been a lot of trouble, and Sienna wants to see Carl moved by the banquet she prepared. So, she¡¯s made up her mind.


    ¡°Managing the imperial register is always a busy job. And you guys have to study hard to pass the test your father will give. Especially you, Leah! You want to be trained as a knight. Then you¡¯d have to study hard.¡±


    Leah nodded with a sullen look. Sienna said, patting her head tofort her.


    ¡°Shall we go on a pic to the north garden next week? The flowers are going down now, so there will be so much maqui berry by then. Anna, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°Okay! It¡¯s fun to pick maqui berries! It turns the tip of your fingers purple. Ah! I¡¯ll have Anna draw me that finger! And ask her to draw purple-colored lips, and also draw a maqui berry hanging on the tree!¡±


    Anna has been learning painting ever since she showed outstanding talent in art sses. She took a small canvas and painted wherever she went outside as if she had as much interest as she had talent.


    Leah clung to Anna while she drew anything that came to her mind, as if Leah found it strange and amazing that every time Anna painted a picture it bore a new life. Anna did not refuse what Leah asked for and she drew it. So, there were a lot of paintings Anna had painted in Leah¡¯s room.


    Sharillo tailed Leah in a gentle voice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let Anna get in trouble every time because of you. Anna¡¯s hands were swollenst time when you asked Anna to draw the pce.¡±


    ¡°But Anna said she was fine.¡±


    ¡°You know, Anna can¡¯t refuse someone¡¯s request. Remember thest time she ate the Merida fruit you gave her? Even though that makes her body get blotchy rashes.¡±


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t know Anna couldn¡¯t eat Merida¡¯s fruit at the time.¡±


    Sharillo said with a nod.


    ¡°I know. Because you gave it to Anna. I mean, Anna never says no. So you can¡¯t ask her to draw too much.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I ask for a single picture?¡±


    Sharillo shook his head, saying, ¡°No way.¡±


    Sienna said, patting Leah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You can¡¯t ask her to draw every day, but sometimes you can ask for one. Why don¡¯t you carry Anna¡¯s paint and bucket for her instead?¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯m strong, so I can even carry a hundred paints!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to participate in sses hard until then, right?¡±


    Leah nodded vigorously at Sienna¡¯s words.


    Sienna turned to Sharillo and looked at him, saying, ¡°You¡¯re going to work hard too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will,¡± he replied.


    Satisfied with the children¡¯s answers, Sienna looked at Carl this time. Unlike the children who were soothed with her offer to go on a picter, Carl¡¯s discontent seemed to have not been resolved.


    ¡°Please bear with me until next week, Carl. After that, I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t answer her. Siennaughed because he was grumbling like a child.

 Chapter 235: Live to Sienna Pt.235

    <h4>Chapter 235: Live to Sienna Pt.235</h4>


    *


    Carl thought with his chin in his hand instead of working. He wondered why Sienna was so busy recently.


    ¡®The fact that she promised to go on a pic with kids a weekter means that she¡¯s busy until then. Why can¡¯t she make time like this?¡¯


    Carl tried to remember if there were no special events for the uing week. But he couldn¡¯t remember any in particr.


    There was a royal banquet, but it was an ordinary one. It was no special asion to hold a royal banquet for the nobles. It can¡¯t be the reason Sienna was busy the entire week.


    He raised his head to call for Pavenik to ask Sienna to find out why she was busy. Just in time he came up to Carl and handed out a document.


    ¡°Please sign here.¡±


    The document he presented was a special order form officially released by the emperor.


    The emperor¡¯s special orders were different from any ordinary documents. As soon as Carl signed it, it took effect immediately. It was rarely used unless it was an urgent situation such as war.


    ¡°What kind of document?


    ¡°It¡¯s a very important document, so just sign it.¡±


    Carl thought it was strange that Pavenik asked him to sign it without saying anything, so Carl scanned the papers.


    ¡°Theatrical actors?¡±


    Carl couldn¡¯t understand the contents while reading it. The document called for the expulsion of theater actors from the capital. It was questionable what the actors had been doing with Pavenik.


    Carl stared at Pavenik. Pavenik drooped his shoulders.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of Her Majesty.¡±


    At his words, Carl frowned and asked, ¡°Why Sienna?!¡±


    Pavenik continued with a peep face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been hard to see my wife¡¯s facetely.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always too busy to see each other often.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Pavenik made squinty eyes. It seemed like he wanted to shout, ¡°Why do you think I have no time to see my wife!¡± but Carl lightly ignored his expression.


    ¡°My wife is too busy these days, not me.¡±


    When Pavenik said Hain was too busy these days, Carl¡¯s eyes shone brighter. Pavenik seemed to know something about why Sienna was busy.


    ¡°Why is she busy? And why is it rted to the empress?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why. But I know she is staying with Her Majesty in the theater south of the pce all day.¡±


    ¡°Theatre?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s not just two of them. ording to a witness, apparently every actor and actress in the city passes by that ce.¡±


    ¡°Actors... was she busy because she was preparing for a performance?¡±


    Pavenik¡¯s exnation cleared up some curiosities for Carl. It exined why Sienna had been busytely. But he still didn¡¯t know why she was hiding this from him.


    Since Carl didn¡¯t make much of a reaction he wanted, Pavenik became more passionate.


    ¡°This is not the time to beid back! They are theatrical actors! Much younger, youthful, good looking... not that I¡¯m saying Your Majestycks in appearance, but it¡¯s still these fresh meats in front of them!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When Pavenik was all fired up about the issue, Carl looked at him as if he was looking at the most pathetic thing in the world. At Carl¡¯s gaze, Pavenik asked permission to sit as if he lost strength in his legs from Carl¡¯s look. He leaned against the chair like an old man who lived all his life.


    ¡°Why are you soid back? I¡¯m so worried it¡¯s driving me crazy. When I ask my wife what she¡¯s doing, she says it¡¯s a secret and shuts her mouth, and if I go try to see what¡¯s happening in the theatre, they tell me not to loiter around the area...¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been working but going around the theatre?!¡±


    At Carl¡¯s scolding, Pavenik passionately defended himself.


    ¡°What importance is work right now? I think there¡¯s an issue with my marriage. It¡¯s all Your Majesty¡¯s fault!¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°If only Your Majesty had spent a lot of time with Her Majesty, this wouldn¡¯t have happened! Then I would be happily on my way to Ostros with my wife! We were supposed to go yesterday! I worked so hard these past few days to take my vacation! But my wife bailed on me saying that she has an urgent matter with Her Majesty. I asked an acquaintance to rent a huge mansion in Ostros, decorated with fresh flowers that my wife likes, but rather, I spent all day alone yesterday by myself.¡±


    ¡°Where was your daughter? Why did you spend it alone?¡±


    ¡°She ditched me saying that she wants to y with the prince and the princess and came to the pce with her mom... oh, this tragic loneliness of being abandoned by wife and kids...¡±


    Pavenik cried out hisints for a long time after that. Carl was frowning at him but listened to him until the end, nevertheless.


    ¡°Lift up your swords, you knights of the Leipsden Empire. Protect the citizens from Castro¡¯s demons. The blood you shed will never be in vain.¡±


    A handsome man with long blond hair raised his voice to the fullest. Then the prepared band yed solemn music. Every time the drum beats, Sienna¡¯s heart beat with tension, as if she was about to face a real battle.


    All those involved in the project were satisfied with the atmosphere that felt like Carl would lead the knights to the battle right away. For this scene, they stayed up all night for several days to act, to tune in, and to put on the stage.


    However, one person murmured regretfully.


    ¡°Carl doesn¡¯t use that kind of words...¡±


    Sienna said, shaking her head in a grumpy tone.


    ¡°We can¡¯t help it because it¡¯s a y. The person on stage is an actor, not the real emperor. If you keep saying that, people who are preparing for the stage will lose their motivation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been rude. Was my voice that loud?¡±


    In fact, Sienna¡¯s murmur was only passed on to Hain, who was close by and actually buried in grand music. Nevertheless, Hain nodded. This was because Sienna kept grumbling the entire time they were preparing for the y.


    The lines sounded cheesy, not normal, the emperor¡¯s hair was not as long as the actor in the role, the battle scenes were too nd... Sienna¡¯s requirements were many. Of course, there were some parts that needed to be listened to and corrected, but most of them were because she was too nervous to show it to Carl.


    ¡°You¡¯re too nervous, aren¡¯t you? Some might think the Empress is going up on that stage herself. Oh! That¡¯s a good idea. Why don¡¯t you direct the scene of the Empress¡¯ appearance and get on stage yourself?¡±


    Hain looked at Sienna with bright eyes, saying she hade up with a great idea. Sienna was fed up. She shook her head, saying it was the most terrible suggestion she had ever heard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw up as soon as I get on stage.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah I only watched ys from the seats, and it wasn¡¯t easy to act when I tried. I thought I just had to memorize the lines well. Still, I thought it would be okay because the Empress was ying herself.¡±


    Then came a small man with brown curly hair and the man who was ying Carl. The two greeted Sienna and Hain with courtesy. Sienna smiled and said to them, ¡°I was worried a lot about the short time, but it was really great. I think it was a good thing to choose you who had a lot of experience in directing a y.¡±


    A small man shook his hand, saying it was an over-praise. He was currently the most famous writer and director in the city. Most of the ys in the theater in the capital were written and directed by him.


    His skills were reliable, but Sienna and Hain debated because most of the work he did was about love between men and women. The y to be shown at the banquet should be centered on Carl¡¯s heroic narrative. However, they chose him because it was hard to find a writer who had a lot of experience in directing.


    As a result, their choice proved to be good. Time was running out, but his team quickly acquired the actors and the band and started producing the y.


    And they didn¡¯t do sloppy work either. They worked passionately on the task, visiting the knights who participated in the battle in person and listening to their stories.


    Sienna praised the actor, who stood next to the ywright with a pleased look, for his good acting. Hain made fun of Sienna by mouthing silently, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t like it because he didn¡¯t have a charisma,¡± but she encouraged the two without looking at Hain.


    The ywright and the actor hesitated to ask for a favor.


    ¡°In the battle scene. Can we use a real sword? I¡¯m not talking about the sharpened sword, but the decorative sword, but a real one. Holding onto a stick doesn¡¯t give it the necessary atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think it would be better to swing a shiny sword than a wooden stick.¡±


    Sienna knew for what reason they were asking for a real sword, but she couldn¡¯t allow it.


    There were no major threats now, both politically and externally, but they have always been careful. It is going to be a banquet attended by the royal family and aristocrats. While she didn¡¯t doubt the ywright, she had to be careful about the small things.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work. As you know, it¡¯s been less than a decade since something big happened to the capital city. Moreover, this stage will be held in the middle of a banquet hall where arge number of aristocrats are gathered, so I cannot allow not only swords but any other metallic prop. So think of another alternative.¡±


    ¡°I think my thoughts fell short. I¡¯ll think more about the battle scenes.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t have much time, but please try.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely.¡±


    They said that their break time was over and went back to their practice. Sienna and Hain took their seats too. While the two were preparing for the y, they also had to decide how to set up the theatre inside the banquet hall.

 Chapter 236: Live to Sienna Pt.236

    <h4>Chapter 236: Live to Sienna Pt.236</h4>


    Usually, the banquet halls had designated spaces ording to their location and use. The space where nobles would dance, the space where performers would be located, the space where the imperial family would be sitting, the space where alcohol and food should be arranged, the space where the noblewomen can fix their make-up, the space where nobles can chat or smoke, etc.


    This time, when they tried to put a big stage in the banquet hall, each position had to be changed. So Sienna and Hain were discussing over and over how to deploy space efficiently. However, Sienna couldn¡¯t think of a solution even when she saw the banquet hallyout drawn by Hain.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the banquet hall was this small.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s thergest of the imperial banquet halls.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could get rid of the wall here. Should we just tear it down?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that where there¡¯s a pir supporting the building? If you tear it down for no reason, the whole building might copse.¡±


    ¡°Would it?...¡±


    For some time, the two looked only at the floor n of the banquet hall without saying a word.


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t seen the chancellor in thest few days?¡±


    Sienna asked Hain.


    ¡°I know. He¡¯s been looking so upset for a while, and now he doesn¡¯t evene around.¡±


    Hain seemed to be disappointed.


    ¡°So why did you kick him out like that? You just had to ask him to keep it a secret to Carl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t keep a secret with the Emperor because they spend so much time together. And I¡¯m kind of happy that he¡¯s jealous.¡±


    Siennaughed at Hain¡¯s unexpected reply.


    ¡°There are a lot of actors preparing for the y. Maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s so worried.¡±


    ¡°The Chancellor always cares a lot about Hain.¡±


    ¡°But it feels different. Should I say that he improved his fighting powerpared to his usual self? He tried to keep it in check. He tries to look cool in front of me, striking weird poses, and get more affectionate than usual. It¡¯s so cute the way he¡¯s nervous because he¡¯s blinded by jealousy. So I encouraged him to be more jealous.¡±


    Hainughed mischievously. Sienna burst intoughter because she knew exactly what Hain was saying. Carl¡¯s face, which was unhappy with the fact that she was too busy to eat together, was indeed cute.


    ¡°But you must have teased him too much, seeing he¡¯s noting anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been acting like he¡¯s been busier than I am! Apparently he¡¯s busy because he has to do construction work on the north garden or something.¡±


    ¡°Construction?¡±


    ¡°I saw a lot of workersing in today. It must be quite a big construction.¡±


    Sienna thought about what was in the north. But nothing really came to mind. There was only arge garden in the north.


    ¡®Are we building a new fountain or something?¡¯


    Sienna and Hain quickly gave up their curiosity about the construction of the North. The pce was often repaired or reconstructed asrge as it was. It was nothing new.


    Sienna, who takes care of the things inside of the pce, was concerned that she did not receive any documents asking for approval of construction, but it was more urgent to put the stage inside the banquet hall than to find out what the construction in the north was, so she started to concentrate on the banquet hall.


    <ul>


    </ul>


    Sienna looked in the mirror and saw her face looking particrly pale. Today was the feast she had been waiting for.


    ¡°Why am I so nervous?!¡±


    How hard she had been working for this day. She sought out ywrights, recruited actors and performers, and trained them to perform as well as she intended.


    Moreover, she was troubled by setting up the stage and made great efforts to make the stage stand out for the actors¡¯ performances and otherponents. She went all out only to see Carl rejoicing.


    Now only the performance was left. If Carl was not satisfied with the banquet, or if he reacts the same way as any other banquets, all the efforts she had made so far will go down the drain.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s bad, would he? Or say that I didn¡¯t spend enough time or that he doesn¡¯t like the actor who yed him, right?¡±


    <ul>


    </ul>


    ¡°Your Majesty, I need you to finish your hair.¡±


    At the maid¡¯s words, Sienna nodded and sat down. She couldn¡¯t bail out now. She just had to pray that actors and bands would do their best without making mistakes as much as they have been trying.


    ¡®Yes, if Carl is not satisfied, we can do something else. Such as writing about Carl¡¯s life like a hero¡¯s novel, or to call in a skilled sculptor to build arge statue in the center of the capital. It¡¯d be nice to have a painter draw a series of heroic paintings. It would be great if he was on the canvas.¡¯


    Sienna came up with other options in case Carl wasn¡¯t moved by this banquet. No, even if he was moved and pleased, it seemed like a nice idea to do all those things she just thought of.


    Recently, she took history sses preparing for children¡¯s education, and she saw things that she had never thought of before.


    Looking at the anecdotes of the emperors who had long been praised, there were many glorified aspects. Some won the war not because of his excellent leadership but he got lucky due to an epidemic spread to the enemy, and there was an emperor who did so many evil things he could be called a tyrant, but he glorified and deified himself and was still respected to this day.


    Compared to those emperors of all time, Carl was a truly respectable emperor. Without the help of any previous emperor, he strengthened the imperial power and participated in the war to expand his territory. He also ruled fairly more than anyone else and was endlessly benevolent to the people of the empire.


    Sienna wanted many people to know this good side of Carl. Of course, even now, Carl was an emperor loved by the people, but she hoped that in the distant future, the next generation would praise him.


    However, he was not interested in honoring his achievements. It seemed to him that it was natural for a ruler to be wise.


    Sienna felt that if he could not do it himself, she would have to step up. For a start, today¡¯s banquet was a decent means.


    ¡®Even when the banquet is over, I will make sure that this y is often staged in theaters in the capital city.¡¯


    As her heart became lighter, her face softened and her natural color returned.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what kind of ne would you like?¡±


    The head maid ordered the maids to bring more nes.


    ¡°Today¡¯s outfit is monotonous so I thought this would look good on you.¡±


    The costume she chose was a dark blue velvet dress. The skirt was not wide, but it was appropriately wrinkled to movefortably, and it was a simple design that she did not worry about exposure through low necklines, and it seemed to fit in with colorful ornaments as it was quite monotonous.


    Sienna looked at the nes that the head maid had brought. She looked at the colorful shapes and shook her head.


    ¡°Get me something else, not what¡¯s here. With small diamonds and red jewels in the middle...¡±


    When the head maid sent eye signals, a quick-witted maid came and brought a ne. Sienna nodded satisfactorily. The maid asked, putting the ne around her neck.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be too simple?¡±


    The ne Sienna chose was smaller and simpler than the other. The banquet hall with several chandeliers was so shiny that most of the ornaments were not noticeable. So it was normal to choose the most colorful ornaments when attending the banquet.


    But today¡¯s main character was Carl. Sienna wanted to make him stand out.


    ¡°This is enough.¡±


    ¡°If I had known, I should have picked out more borate hairstyles.¡±


    Sienna wanted to tell the head maid, who was worried about her master¡¯s appearance today, that it was okay, but she heard another maid¡¯s voice. She notified that Carl hade, and soon he came in.


    Carl was wearing a blue velvet suit, the same material as Sienna¡¯s dress. There was a yellow tassel on the shoulder and a red band was diagonal over the jacket, which was decorated with colorful badges.


    ¡°It looks great on you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you sent it wrong. I almost thought today was not a banquet day, but a portrait day.¡±


    Carl¡¯s clothes were full of uniforms worn by emperors when they had their portraits painted. The decorations on the red band were characterized by the emperor¡¯s achievements, and most of the medals in the shape of stars were made for many war achievements.


    ¡°I sent it right. It really suits you. The medal is splendid.¡±


    ¡°Your outfit looks good on you today, too. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    He always said thosepliments before going to the banquet hall, but a soft smile spread around Sienna¡¯s mouth. She took Carl by the hand and stepped out.


    ¡°Today¡¯s banquet is held in the garden, not in the banquet hall?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s boring to have it at the banquet hall every time. The weather is warm these days, and I thought the garden would have new white hydrangea bloomed.¡±


    The hydrangea was a colorful flower that looked like arge bouquet of small flowers clumped together. Usually, light purple and light pink flowers bloom a lot, but the hydrangea in the Imperial Pce garden was white.


    The white hydrangea was one of Sienna¡¯s favorite flowers, but that wasn¡¯t the main reason for holding banquets in the garden, as she told Carl.


    The question of where to put the stage in the banquet hall continued for two days. Sienna almost regretted the idea of hosting a y in the banquet.


    It was when Sienna was regretting the y idea, Hain reported again on the construction of the northern garden of the imperial pce. Then Sienna thought that it would be easier to operate if the banquet was brought to arge garden rather than a small banquet hall.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t easy either. The problem was with the acoustics. The sounds did not gather unlike indoors, and it was useless if the actors¡¯ voices were not delivered properly.


    Sienna urgently called in architects to discuss and create a dome-shaped stage. They designed a temporary instation so that the sound could be concentrated as much as possible, but another barrier remained. It was lighting.


    There were many colorful chandeliers and candlesticks indoors, so even at night the interior was as bright as day, but it was hard to recreate that outside. Moreover, since the date of the banquet was not even a full moon, securing the illumination at night was a problem.


    But the problem was solved more easily than she thought. She decided to ept Hain¡¯s opinion that if the night cannot be illuminated like the day, it would be better to hold a banquet during the day. That¡¯s why today¡¯s banquet was hosted earlier than usual.


    Sienna had to send an official letter that the banquet had been advanced in a time frame, but she was satisfied. Moreover, the sky was high and clear today. With enough shade prepared, it seemed to be a satisfying feast.


    ¡°It feels different to go to the banquet so early. I feel like I¡¯m going for a walk.¡±

 Chapter 237: Live to Sienna Pt.237

    <h4>Chapter 237: Live to Sienna Pt.237</h4>


    Although the banquet had not started yet, Sienna felt better because Carl¡¯s reaction was not bad so far.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I was actually nervous about preparing for a new banquet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been busy? Pavenik said you spent a lot of time in the theater. Pavenik was saying there are many young, handsome guys...I mean, actors came and went.¡±


    Sienna burst outughing. He was pretending to be fine, but Sienna thought this was actually what Carl wanted to talk about the most.


    Carl tried to straighten out his calm expression, but his eyes were burning with jealousy. While Sienna was spending most of her time in the theater under the pretext of being busy, he must have asked himself hundreds of times. What was she doing there?


    She could fully understand Hain¡¯s words. She wondered if Carl knew how cute his face was when he was blinded by jealousy.


    ¡°So you were jealous?¡±


    Sienna asked Carl directly.


    ¡°What jealousy? I was just wondering what you were busy about there.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna said with a yful face.


    ¡°Are you really just curious? There were so many good-looking actors.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing. I was hoping Carl would be jealous, but he wasn¡¯t jealous at all.¡±


    ¡°Waiting for me to be jealous? I thought you¡¯d think I¡¯m pathetic if I said I was jealous. Like I have trust issues and can¡¯t trust my wife.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it would have been pathetic if you had questioned me for reasons that made no sense. But it wasn¡¯t. I won¡¯t lie. I definitely wanted you to be jealous. You know that kind of feel. You like someone so much that you get nervous and stuff.¡±


    Sienna nced at Carl¡¯s face. He had a slightly dazed look on his face, making it difficult to know exactly what he was thinking. She continued to talk.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s why I wanted Carl to be jealous. I assume you¡¯ll feel more anxious as much as you like me. Seeing the Chancellore to the theater every day, I felt envious of Hain a little. But I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯te because you trusted me. That¡¯s not bad either.¡±


    Carl suddenly stopped walking.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Sienna looked back at Carl and asked him why he stopped suddenly. Carl pulled Sienna¡¯s waist and hugged her tightly. The Royal Knights and Phoenix Knights, who escorted Carl and Sienna front and back, did not leave their positions and stopped at the pace of their masters.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Suddenly, Sienna, pulled close to Carl, asked again with a surprised face.


    ¡°This makes me angry. I¡¯ve been holding it in all this time. I thought I would look pathetic even though the inside of my gut was boiling. I¡¯ve been pretending to be okay, not to be bothered by the fear that you¡¯re going to run away because you feel too suffocated, scared, and clingy, but you really wanted me to be jealous. I¡¯ve been so stupid for all this time.¡±


    Said Carl, with his face held close to her face.


    ¡°Carl...¡±


    Sienna stared into Carl¡¯s eyes, trying to convey how lovely he was to her right now. He looked away as if he was embarrassed by her gaze.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know why you¡¯re so busy, but you¡¯ve avoided dining with me so many times. Whenever I asked what you were doing, I was so nervous and scared whenever you made the ridiculous excuse of preparing for a banquet or taking care of pce administrative stuff. When Pavenik said that you were spending time with actors in the theater, I responded casually that you seemed to be interested in the y, but inside I wasn¡¯t okay. I wanted to run there and see you right away. I was afraid I was going crazy because of the jealousy...¡±


    Carl¡¯s voice trembled a little. It reminded Sienna of him more than a decade ago.


    He was already a father of two children and the emperor of this country, but why did he keep such a boyish sense? It made him look very tender that he was honestly expressing his feelings.


    Sienna put her hands on Carl¡¯s cheek and bumped her lips against his lips. Warmth was felt at the tip of her lips. The two had been kissing for a long time.


    Sienna slowly took off her lips when she was out of breath. Then she said, staring at Carl with a happy face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold myself back if you say such lovely words.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl eventually burst intoughter. She could see that he felt better. His facial muscles were loosened gently.


    *


    As they entered the garden, they could see the stage showing off its great presence.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t think of hiding the stage, but it didn¡¯t matter. Carl must have guessed that actors were in and out of the pce and that she was nning to perform a y at today¡¯s banquet. However, he would not have dreamed that he would be the main character.


    ¡°What do you think? Pretty good, right?¡±


    Sienna looked around the banquet hall she had prepared and asked Carl.


    The atmosphere was clearly different from the usual. The sweet smell of flowers came in through the breeze, and the band¡¯s performance echoed softly.


    The nobles who arrived earlier had small drinks and talked in groups. Perhaps because this banquet was held during the day, it was more free and rxed than usual.


    Some were leaning deeply on the sofa under the shade and closing their eyes. Sitting under the warm sun, drowsiness seemed to be flowing naturally.


    Carl looked around and nodded.


    ¡°It certainly feels different from a banquet at night. I think it¡¯s good to have a freer atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°This is not the end. I¡¯ve prepared a lot more.¡±


    Sienna smiled meaningfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡±


    The aristocratic wives came one by one to Sienna, who prepared the banquet. It was natural for them toe to her, who had the most power after the emperor in the imperial pce. When they surrounded Sienna, Carl naturally left her alone.


    ¡°The garden is really well-groomed.¡±


    ¡°I love the scent of flowers. When ites to gardens, I only thought about sharing refreshments, but I think it would be nice to have a banquet like this.¡±


    They rushed to praise Sienna¡¯s banquet for how wonderful it was. Sienna looked around while listening to their stories, to find out where Hain was. But she could not be seen.


    ¡°Mrs. Pavenik helped me with this. The banquet in the garden was purely her idea.¡±


    When Sienna directlyplimented Hain, some followed.


    ¡°I think Mrs. Pavenik has a great sense of style. I was invited to her mansionst time, and the decorating inside the mansion was more than average.¡±


    ¡°I think she has a good eye for painting too. Every single painting in the hallway caught my eye, and I had to stop walking every step of the way.¡±


    Knowing that Sienna loves Hain, the wives eagerly praised her. Of course not every one of them.


    ¡°I know she was close to you because she was your head maid, but please spend time with us often too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Emperor only cares about the Chancellor, the Empress only takes care of Mrs. Pavenik, and she has her children as friends of the imperial heirs.... it feels like the Pavenik family is a royal family.¡±


    Some did not hide their jealousy. This was a very sensitive issue. There was no one who was pleased that the attention of the imperial family was focused on one family. Sienna said, nodding her head to appease them.


    ¡°I must have been too negligent. I¡¯ll call you all often, so don¡¯t be too disappointed. Come to think of it, I¡¯m going to call in the musicians two weekster and show them a concert, so if you have time, you should attend. With the children.¡±


    They were delighted at Sienna¡¯s words. The Empress¡¯s invitation was an honor, and in addition, she offered to bring the children, which was an opportunity for their children to get to know the imperial heirs.


    The aristocratic wives with children who were still too young or already had aing-of-age ceremony looked sad, but Sienna could not please everyone.


    As Sienna looked around, chatting with them, Baron Chaser¡¯s wife came into her eyes. She was the owner of the Roman estate, and Sienna had visited her site eight years ago for the ceremony marking the establishment of an orphanage, so she was a familiar face.


    Sienna remembered that thisdy was not only very beautiful, but also a graceful and generous character. She was considerate enough to let the children of orphanages and her own children y together.


    But she was looking around the ce with a look of uneasiness as if she was looking for something. At first Sienna assumed she was just looking for someone she knew, but then she also looked under a table.


    Sienna got out of the way of the aristocratic wives and approached her. Mrs. Chaser had just lifted the tablecloth from the next table with a worried look on her face.


    ¡°Mrs. Chaser, what have you lost?¡±


    When she confirmed that it was the empress who spoke to her, she quickly set her manners. Sienna, who received her greetings, asked her again.


    ¡°It seemed like you were looking for something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually...¡±


    She hesitated and struggled to open her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my child, Evan.¡±


    Sienna thought about who Evan was. The name of her first son she had met before was Dane, not Evan. When she met Mrs. Chaser eight years ago, there was an unborn child in her belly, so Sienna wondered if it was his name.

 Chapter 238: Live to Sienna Pt.238

    <h4>Chapter 238: Live to Sienna Pt.238</h4>


    ¡°Evan would be your second son?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I brought my second child to the capital to visit my parents this time.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s your parent¡¯s....¡±


    She described her family as Baron Camiller.


    Baron Camiller¡¯s was not a family of high titles and authority, but a family of knights who had long been loyal to the imperial family. They were given noble titles a few generations ago, from a family ofmoners in recognition of loyalty to the emperor, and they were also close to Carl¡¯s maternal family.


    Baroness Chaser said she hade to see her family after a long time and brought her second child then was invited to a royal banquet. Her story was that she was sorry to bring her second child without knowing that she should not bring children to the banquet because she had never participated in the royal banquet other than aing-of-age banquet.


    The problem now was that while she was briefly distracted by the banquet hall, the child had disappeared.


    ¡°It was only for a short time, but I don¡¯t know where the kid went.¡±


    Sienna soothed her, whose eyes were getting wet, worried that something had happened to her child.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. There¡¯s a lot of employees in the imperial family, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find him soon. Evan will be safe because the imperial heirs are always all over the pce, so we¡¯ve put away all the dangerous things.¡±


    At that time, an actor came up to the stage in the middle of the garden and exined the purpose of today¡¯s banquet and the y. Sienna looked at Carl, who was far away and chatting with the nobles. She felt better because he looked a little surprised.


    The host of the show said, ¡°The y will be on soon,¡± and asked everyone to sit down. Sienna had to quickly take Carl to the designated seat.


    However, she could not ignore the mother who lost her child. Sienna called in a knight who was escorting her close by and ordered him to help her find the child.


    ¡°It would be too much to look by yourself, so tell the knights in the Imperial Pce that I ordered them to find the child.¡±


    The knight took Sienna¡¯s orders and Mrs. Chaser said thank you to Sienna repeatedly. Sienna asked her how long she was staying in the capital.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, so I¡¯m thinking of staying for about a month.¡±


    ¡°Then bring Evan to the pce when you have time. So I can take a look at that troublemaker.¡±


    Mrs. Chaser smiled widely and nodded.


    Evan would be the same age as the heirs. Sienna thought it would be good for them to gain another friend since they only knew two-years-younger Anna, Pavenik and Hain¡¯s daughter, as their ymate.


    After sending her with the knight, Sienna hurried to Carl.


    ¡°You turned the Petrio War into a y?¡±


    Asked Carl with a smiley face. Sienna replied, pulling his hand.


    ¡°A hero¡¯s story is always charming. There may be some adaptations, but please enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°I was roughly guessing that you were preparing for a y, but I never thought I would be the main character in it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I wanted to give you a surprise gift that you didn¡¯t expect, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything for so long.¡±


    Carl gently kissed her forehead, admiring her.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy even if you just pick a flower that bloomed on the street.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not how I feel. I want to do something very big for you.¡±


    The two sat in the front seats closest to the stage. The nobles followed them to the seats set in front of the stage.


    The band conductor¡¯s hand movements spread magnificent music.


    Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-


    The sound of the drum made the audiences¡¯ hearts beat.


    Soon dozens of actors were running around on the big stage, showing the urgency of the war. As the actors rolled over and yed vividly the scene of their injuries and deaths, some aristocrats avoided their gaze or made sounds of grief.


    Soon their movements stopped as if time had stopped. Backstage, an actor ying the role of Carl came out to agonize and announce his participation in the battle, and the actor ying the role of Pavenik stopped him.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor, no. I am afraid that your participation in the war will damage your health. If you get hurt, it¡¯s like the sun won¡¯t rise in the Leipsden Empire again.¡±


    ¡°How can I only think of my safety when my people are in pain?¡±


    ¡°But the Emperor is the Sun of Leipsden.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to remain only the reigning sun over the people. I want to be a campfire beside the people shivering in the cold, amplight for those who are frustrated by the darkness, the moonlight for those who walk in the dark, the light that people need.¡±


    The nobles were thrilled with his lines pped at Carl. Carl swept his face roughly as if embarrassed and whispered to Sienna.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never said anything like that. Apart from that, I don¡¯t talk like that!¡±


    Sienna burst intoughter at his embarrassed reaction.


    ¡°And Pavenik said that? Rather, he pushed my back to go because it was a battle with so much to gain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a y. This kind of thing needs to be exaggerated. So stop whining.¡±


    ¡°When did I ever whine... what!¡±


    But Carl¡¯s words didn¡¯t go on to the end. The actor who yed Carl began to sing.


    Originally, Sienna was thinking of making this into an opera, but she prepared a y because she was pressed for time. But she was full of regrets. She had always wanted to have fancy music with it.


    Fortunately, there were already songs written for the emperor on the market, and some of them have been included in the y. The song that was being sung now was one of them. Fortunately, the actor¡¯s voice was not bad, so it was good to hear.


    Carl covered his face with his hands as if he could hardly bear it. Originally, it was a banquet to see his touched face, but it was also fun to watch Carl struggle with embarrassment.


    Sienna didn¡¯t know this when she was preparing, but when she saw the performance, it was a gift that the recipient couldn¡¯t just feel sentimental about. In other words, if the actor over there was herself, not Carl, she might have turned around in embarrassment and ran away.


    Sienna was grateful for Carl, who was in agony but remained in his seat. Nevertheless, she felt like making fun of him.


    ¡°When this is over, I¡¯m going to have it screened every day at the opera house in the capital. I¡¯m going to show a lot of people this nice stuff.¡±


    At Sienna¡¯s words, Carl sighed and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t. If you do, you might sign a document that Pavenik put forward, expelling all the actors out of the capital.¡±


    His words did not seem like a joke, so Sienna stopped teasing him and focused on the y.


    The y ended with Carl winning the war and returning to the pce with the support of the people. When it was over, the nobles who were watching the y rose from their seats in unison and apuded. The nobles chanted ¡°His Majesty the Emperor¡± in unison.


    Although the war was fought, it was so far away from the capital. The nobles knew that war had broken out and that Carl had sessfully led the war, but never thought much about how terrible and hard it was.


    To them, the emperor¡¯s victory was taken for granted, and the damage of the war had nothing to do with them. They just hated paying relief money for the area.


    However, after experiencing it indirectly through the passionate performances of the actors on stage, their thoughts on the war seemed to have changed a little.


    Sienna went up on stage after the y. She spoke to the purpose of today¡¯s banquet.


    She prepared the stage tomemorate the day when the war ended in victory, saying that peace came but they should continue to be wary of the surroundings, and thanked the emperor for keeping the peace and all the soldiers involved in the battle.


    At the end of her words, Carl came onto the stage. He gave Sienna a meaningful gaze and continued after her words.


    ¡°I would also like to take this asion to thank my soldiers for their participation in the battle of that day.¡±


    He looked again at Sienna¡¯s expression and said, ¡°And there¡¯s an important announcement.¡±


    Sienna looked at him with a puzzled look at the words of the announcement. The nobles were also nervous and waited for him to speak.


    ¡°Everyone here also knows that the imperial family is preparing an academy for the children of noble families.¡±


    After setting up orphanages across the country, Sienna found that each aristocratic family was also troubled by educational problems.


    Usually, aristocratic children invited schrs to their homes to take sses at a high cost. So the rich could invite a reputable schr, but the children of financially challenged aristocrats could hardly get a proper education. The illiteracy rate of the aristocracy was actually quite high.


    Sienna suggested to Carl that they create an academy for aristocratic children. Carl gave a pretty positive response.


    -It¡¯s better to lead the people who can think than to lead the brain-dead and run state affairs. It will also be much more useful for children to rule the empireter.


    Since then, he has actively purchasednd and called in schrs to map out education curric. Of course, this process was with Sienna.


    In fact, Carl actively devised the academy because he believed it was necessary to strengthen the imperial power rather than for educational purposes.


    He didn¡¯t want another revolt to happen. So he wanted to keep his aristocratic children near the capital and take them as potential hostages. He also judged that it was a very appropriate institution to educate them about loyalty to the royal family at a very young age.


    But there was a gap between Sienna and the central nobles. Sienna, who had studied on her own in the northernnd without the help of a schr thought many people would respond positively, but the nobles were more indifferent than expected. They reacted as if they did not understand the need for education itself.


    Some responded that they could let their subordinates do the difficult task that required education, and others were tired of studying, while some high-ranking aristocrats disapproved that their children should receive equal education from children of low-ranking families.


    Theseints were resolved more easily than expected, with the announcement that Sharillo and Leah would be admitted to the academy and given the same sses as other children.


    The nobles agreed because they could make a connection with the imperial heirs, and even receive the education together. Since then, more and more people have asked when they can send their children to the academy and what levels there were.


    The establishment of the academy was going smoothly and was scheduled to bepleted within a year and receive students. The nobles took their necks out and waited for Carl to open his mouth, hoping to get information about the academy.


    ¡°The academy will bepleted in 10 months, and applications for admission will begin in six months. And the most important thing is this: The academy will be named ¡®Sienna Academy¡¯ after the one who proposed the establishment and made the most contributions.¡±


    The nobles at the banquet cheered. The cheers were loud because the excitement they felt after watching the y was still lingering.


    Sienna¡¯s face froze in surprise at Carl¡¯s announcement. Carl whispered in her ear, ¡°Return the gift!¡±

 Chapter 239: Live to Sienna Pt.239

    <h4>Chapter 239: Live to Sienna Pt.239</h4>


    *Closing Story ¨C Future Together*


    Leah was studying history with Sharillo. She had to pass the history exam somehow in order to take the knight¡¯s ss.


    Sharillo would pass without extra study, but not Leah. She had no recollection of taking history lessons except for those rted tobat and war. Most of the time she spent thinking about something else or doing something else.


    ¡°Emperor Lahiburn conducted...¡±


    ¡°Lahiburn, 15 years! The way the Lahiburn dynasty ruled!¡±


    Desperate to take knight¡¯s lessons, Leah memorized an entire history book. Even the name and achievements of the emperors, and the years of the historic events. Now she could easily list what achievements they have made just by listening to the name of the emperor.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished with the questions yet, so listen to the end. What is the difference between the way Emperor Lahiburn ruled and the way the triumvirate ruled in the past, and how did this style of rule affect the nation?¡±


    However, the stumbling block was that memorizing test questions did not mean that she could get the answers right.


    ¡°Why do you keep changing the question? And it¡¯s not even in the book. I can¡¯t solve a single one!¡±


    Leah jumped up from her seat in anger. Anna, who was quietly doodling next to her while Leah and Sharillo were studying history, looked at them surprised.


    In fact, Sharillo exined to Leah in a calm tone without much change in his expression.


    ¡°The teacher already exined everything in ss. And if you think about the achievements of Emperor Lahiburn, you can easily find out the answer.¡±


    Leah got even angrier when she looked at Sharillo who looked like he was saying, ¡°How can you not answer such an easy thing?¡±


    ¡°Hmpf! You must be happy to be so smart!¡±


    As Leah screamed, Sharillo said, frowning his brow.


    ¡°I told you not to call me you. You should call me older brother.¡±


    ¡°We were born on the same day! You¡¯re not any older than me! I won¡¯t! I won¡¯t study with you. I¡¯ll do it alone!¡±


    Leah yelled in anger and rushed out with her book. She could hear Sharillo and Anna calling from behind, but she didn¡¯t stop.


    She left the pce and went out into the garden. She was panting from anger but it subsided soon, and now she felt empty. She sat down sluggishly.


    ¡°I really want to do well on this test...¡±


    Leah was really upset. The only thing she was actually interested in was the knight ss, but on the other hand, it was something she wanted to learn because she was confident that she would do well in it.


    Sharillo was good at everything, and Anna was excellent at drawing. Although her mother and fatherplimented her for being good at whatever she did, Leah knew she was not good at painting, music, or studying. The only thing that Leah was more confident than Sharillo and Anna was anything involving physical activity.


    But Leah never had a chance to take the knight¡¯s ss because it was dangerous. And finally, her father gave her a chance to the ss if she passed the history text, but Leah was about to lose her only chance. Leah was so upset that she was about to cry.


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t know how to do anything. I wouldn¡¯t be so upset if I was good at drawing like Anna or if I was as smart as Sharillo...¡±


    ¡°Agh! Help me!¡±


    A sudden scream caused Leah to jump up from her seat. It was the voice of a child, not an adult. It was a voiceing from quite a distance, but Leah easily estimated the direction and ran towards it.


    It was a ce where there was a big pond where she sometimes came with Sharillo to y fishing. At the edge of the pond, a boy around her age was scurrying his arms and legs, shouting for help.


    ¡°Hey! You there, kid!¡±


    Leah called the boy. He raised his voice even more when he realized that someone was close to him to help him.


    ¡°Save... Ugh! Help!¡±


    Leah put her hand on her waist, shook her head and said in a pathetic tone.


    ¡°The water there onlyes up to my shoulder. Stop floundering and stand upright and you¡¯ll be able to walk out.¡±


    But words were useless. The child, who had already fallen into terror, could not stand up and kept swinging his arms and legs. Leah stood by the pond and kept shouting, ¡°Step on the ground!¡± But the child continued to drink water.


    ¡°Well, I guess talking won¡¯t do.¡±


    Leah sighed and took off her shoes and went into the pond. Originally, it was clear water, so you could see the fish moving around well, but the boy shook it so much that it was muddy. Nevertheless, the water was still cold and his body trembled.


    Leah slowly approached the child. When the child found out that Leah hade to rescue him, he rushed at her. Because of the child, Leah was also messed up in the water.


    The height of the water was only up to her shoulders, but when she felt like she was going to be swept away and drowned together, Leah plunged her head under the water. The child thought she was here to save him, but she seemed to be trying to kill him, so he tried to stare angrily at Leah, but it was useless.


    Leah continued to press the child¡¯s head down. Leah also had to drink a lot of water because of the rebellious child who wanted to live.


    At one point the child dropped as if he had lost strength. Only then did Leah scolded, ¡°Twit!¡± and dragged the child¡¯s back to shore.


    The child had fainted with his eyes open. Leah put her hands together and hit the child¡¯s chest. After four or five hard blows, the child squeaked out the water. Confirming that the child was alive, Leahy t on the soil.


    ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    In fact, Leah can¡¯t swim and has never saved anyone who fell into the water. But sometimes she heard this and that from Havali, the head of the Phoenix Knights, one of which was about how he was saved when he fell into the water.


    If you fall into the water, your head will be filled with the idea of living, and you will not be able to make rational judgments. The same was true when he fell into the water, and he grabbed the head of a swimmer who swam to save him and almost killed both of them.


    Fortunately, the person who came to save Havali had excellent swimming skills, so he dove into the water and grabbed him by the neck and brought him back. And that was how Havali managed to survive. When Leah heard the story, she did not forget the part that if the person in danger was panicking, the person saving them should rather make them faint and bring them back.


    Recalling the story, Leah kept pushing the boy into the water to make him faint. But she was also worried that he might die instead of just fainting from losing his breath.


    So when the child exhaled his breath, she lost all her energy that was held up in anxiety. She was so nervous that she became physically tired.


    Leah closed her eyes. The sunlight over her eyelids was dazzling. The rough breathing of the child drew closer and closer, and soon afterwards shadows hung over Leah¡¯s eyelids.


    When Leah opened her eyes, the child looked at her with a resentful look and asked, ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®What, you¡¯re asking me why I let you live?¡¯


    ¡°I almost died.¡±


    She thought he¡¯d say thank you for saving my life first when she came to her senses, but the child said somethingpletely opposite. Leah was annoyed. Because of him, she had to drink muddy water and get her clothes soaked!


    ¡°What?! I¡¯ve worked so hard to save your life, and you can¡¯t even thank me.¡±


    The child asked back, ¡°You saved me?¡± with an iprehensible face. Leah jumped up and faced the child.


    ¡°So you swim yourself out and breathe through your nostrils?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were trying to kill me because you pushed me under the water...¡±


    ¡°I came to help, and you pulled me under the water first. Do you know we were both about to be water ghosts? I had to knock you out and drag you out, you idiot!¡±


    Only then did he seem to understand Leah¡¯s words, and the child nodded with a nk look.


    ¡°Oh... ...that¡¯s what it was. Sorry, I misunderstood. And thank you for saving me.¡±


    The child smiled brightly and reached out his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Evan. What about you?¡±


    The boy had a simr eye level to Leah. She didn¡¯t have time to look at his face only when she was struggling in the water, and when she dragged him out, Leah was tired, and so she couldn¡¯t catch his appearance. But facing each other like this, he was a boy with a pretty cute face.


    Sharillo and Anna were the only peers in the pce, so Leah was amazed by the boy she suddenly saw. His forehead was covered with damp ck hair and his face was white as a pale ghost. His lips were purple. Nheless, the child¡¯s sharp features were obvious.


    ¡°I¡¯m Leah.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    The child reached out his hand, but Leah only nced at it.


    She had never spoken to a child of her age. Sharillo was born on the same day, and Anna was together since she was a baby, so those two were so natural to be around. In fact, she has never introduced herself to anyone.


    ¡®Are you supposed to put your hand out when you first meet someone?¡¯


    Leah followed the child by putting her hand out. Then the child smiled brightly and held Leah¡¯s hand. Then he shook her hand lightly.


    The act seemed interesting, so Leah followed the child with a strong wave of her hands. She waved her arms endlessly and Evan said with a troubled look.


    ¡°My arm hurts. Let¡¯s stop shaking hands now.¡±


    ¡°Shake hands?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s a handshake. What you do when you first meet a friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡±


    Leah was excited by the word ¡°friend¡± that Evan said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so tired. I drank a lot of water and I¡¯m not feeling any energy.¡±


    The child flopped down beside Leah. Leah sat next to him, too.


    ¡°Do you have many friends?¡±


    ¡°Sure. When I go back to our Roman territory, I have a lot of friends. There¡¯s more than ten!¡±


    Leah had a pout on her lips. She didn¡¯t even have one friend and he had ten. Then she thought about what Evan said, ¡°Shaking hands is the first time I meet a friend.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m your friend, too?¡±


    When asked by Leah, Evan said with a look on his face, ¡°Why are you asking something so obvious?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Leah, and you saved my life. Now you are my best friend. Just as you risked your life to save me, I would risk my life for you.¡±


    ¡°Wow...¡±

 Chapter 240: Live to Sienna Pt.240

    <h4>Chapter 240: Live to Sienna Pt.240</h4>


    Leah opened her eyes wide and blushed. How long has she dreamed of such a day while listening to the stories of the knights? How much she dreamed of a friendship where she rolled and sweated together! She didn¡¯t expect the day toe so soon.


    She wasn¡¯t yet a knight, but that was enough for Leah. Now that she had a friend.


    ¡°Come over to our territoryter. Then I¡¯ll introduce you to my friends. Everyone would envy me if I had a nice friend like you. They¡¯ll want to be friends with you. Then you would have ten new friends, too.¡±


    At Evan¡¯s words, Leah wanted to go to Roman territory right away. She didn¡¯t know where it was, but ten friends?! Leah wanted to go and show off to Sharillo and Anna right away. I have 11 friends without you guys!


    ¡°Why is there a history book here? Is this yours?¡±


    Evan picked up the book that had been thrown on the floor and handed it to Leah. The sight of it reminded her of the nightmare history test again.


    When Leah sighed deeply, Evan asked her if she had any concerns. Leah nced at the history book with a gloomy face and said, ¡°I really want to learn something but I can only do it if I pass the history test.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then you can work hard.¡±


    Leah was annoyed again when Evan made a face that he didn¡¯t understand why she was agonizing over such a simple matter.


    ¡®The guy who almost drowned in a pond that onlyes to his shoulders is treating me like a fool.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s not easy! If I memorize something hard, they ask weird questions in unexpected ces. What is the difference between the way Emperor Lahiburn ruled and the way the triumvirate ruled in the past, and how this style of rule affected the empire?! Do you know what this is?¡±


    Evan nodded at Leah¡¯s words.


    ¡°In the past, the Emperor had three dukes under him and divided the Empire into three equal parts to rule their respective regions. So the power of the duke was greater than the influence of the Emperor. Isn¡¯t it the way the Lahiburn dynasty ruled over thends of the nobles directly without going through the three dukes, which led to the strengthening of imperial power?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When Evan answered so easily, Leah felt like a fool. Was it only difficult for her and easy for everyone else?


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m a fool...I don¡¯t know anything, but everybody else knows.¡±


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t have known if it wasn¡¯t for Patricia. I couldn¡¯t understand even if I took a ss with my teacher. I didn¡¯t know what the dukes had to do with the weakening of the imperial power, but Patricia exined it to me easily.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Leah did not know who Patricia was, but asked, with her eyes wide open, as Evan seemed to know the secret of passing the history exam.


    ¡°I once annoyed my parents and got a big dog for my birthday. But when I tried to touch the dog, its teeth were scary and it was hard to get close to because it was as big as me. And then, I had to do many other chores when I had a dog. I had to take care of her water, feed her, build her a house, and do a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°I thought I wanted to have a dog too, but I guess that¡¯s not easy either.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was difficult. So I asked my brother to feed the dog, water it, and go for a walk instead of me. And I thought I could keep a dog without any trouble that way.¡±


    Leah nodded. She also thought it would be okay to just give someone all the troublesome work and focus on ying with the dog.


    ¡°Then the dog followed my brother very well. Sit down if he wants, roll when he wants... tailing my brother everywhere he goes. But the dog barked at me.¡±


    ¡°Barked at you? But it¡¯s your dog.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s definitely my dog, but the dog thought my brother was the master. He fed her, he went for a walk with her. Patricia says the triumvirate is the same thing. Because it was difficult to govern arge empire directly, they split it into three and let the duke rule instead. He let them take care of his own people just like I did to my brother. So the emperor¡¯s influence has weakened. Because the people were more afraid of the dukes than of the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I get it. That¡¯s why the ruling style of the Lahiburn dynasty helps strengthen the imperial power. Because by direct rule, the people fear the emperor, and the dukes¡¯ influence bes rtively weak.¡±


    Leah bounced her finger. When Sharillo was exining it, she didn¡¯t get what he was talking about, but Evan exined it and she understood it.


    ¡°You¡¯re great.¡±


    Leah said, pping her hands for joy.


    Evan replied humbly to her response.


    ¡°No big deal. You¡¯re more than amazing, as you understood at once. And I¡¯ve heard this exnation from Patricia. Patricia¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Are all your friends that great?¡±


    Evan nodded with a proud face to Leah¡¯s question.


    ¡°Everything they do is different. Royan is very strong, and Maria is really good at calcting. Wilson ys the flute well, and Catherine ties the rope stronger than anyone else. So that no one can undo it. And...¡±


    He listed each of his friends and pointed out what they were good at. Sometimes when he praised some of his friends, he said, ¡°She¡¯d be the cutest in the world!¡± and ¡°His eyes are so big that no one wants to lie in front of him.¡± So he spoke without skipping any of the ten friends.


    Leah wanted to raid Evan¡¯s vige right away. Ten children, each with a specialty. Leah was reminded of the legends that she had heard before.


    The story of the prince who defeated a dragon, the hero of the prince who defeated the enemy and widened the territory, and the adventures of the knight who defeated the ck Wizard all had simr beginnings.


    An ordinary main character meets his friends one by one. They have weaknesses and strengths, but they help the main character with their own specialties.


    Without friends, the main character wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. Of course, it was up to the protagonist to pick up the sword at the end to defeat the viin, but it was all his friends who made him decide to go to defeat the viin, to raise him up in despair, to give him courage when he lost courage and tried to give up everything.


    Every time Leah read such novels, she envied the main character. She was confident of fighting better than the main characters, but she had no friends to fight with.


    ¡°I envy you. I can¡¯t wait to meet your friends!¡±


    Leah asked Evan about Roman estate where he had friends. He told Leah even very small stories. Such a ceaseless chatter made Leah wonder if he had a story bag in his belly.


    ¡°But why were you in the water in the first ce?¡±


    Evan replied with a look of shame.


    ¡°I thought I could swim as I learned from a book. But it wasn¡¯t as I thought.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never swam before, and you tried to do what was written in a book? Wow. What a stupid idea!¡±


    At Leah¡¯s words, Evan went near the pond where he had fallen. The pond, which used to be muddy, had be clear as the impurities subsided.


    Following Evan, Leah went near it too. The pond was not very big. Leah was dumbfounded to think that he almost drowned in a small pond about the size of her room.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have a pond this big in our neighborhood.¡±


    ¡°Not even anything this small?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The wells in the vige are all there is, and you can¡¯t swim in there. And then I found this ce. I wanted to practice swimming here and then go back and teach them how to swim. But there was a lot of difference from what I read in the book. Far from swimming, I almost drowned without being able to float.¡±


    Evan was so disappointed that Leah could no longerugh at what he had done.


    ¡°Why on earth did you try to learn how to swim?¡±


    ¡°Swimming is essential to be a pirate.¡±


    Evan said weird things again. Suddenly, when Leah tilted her head, who didn¡¯t understand why all of sudden he was talking about pirates, Evan grinned and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be a pirate when I grow up.¡±


    He straightened out his chest and said proudly. The sky was turning scarlet behind Evan. Leah thought he was very cool when he was talking about his dream with his back to the sunset.


    ¡°I want to travel from ce to ce on a big ship. You can climb a watchtower and look at the horizon in the distance, or at night you can lie on the ship tform and watch the stars fall on the sea. I want to drink cold beer and sing a pirate song on the day I stop by the harbor. Like, ¡®the seaman leaves for the sea looking for hidden treasure.''¡±


    Surprised by the very detailed n, Leah asked.


    ¡°Wow! I didn¡¯t even know there was a pirate these days. How do you know so well about pirates?¡±


    He rubbed his nose and answered.


    ¡°I read it in a book called ¡®Millions¡¯ Sea Adventures¡¯. I decided to be a pirate after reading that book. I¡¯m going to take a boat with my friends and go out to the sea far away.¡±


    Leah wanted to go out to sea with him, too. Originally, her dream was to be a knight and defeat an evil king to win the evil king¡¯s treasure, but when she heard Evan¡¯s dream, she thought pirates would be great too. She was also very attracted to the idea of traveling from ce to ce in search of treasures.

 Chapter 241: Live to Sienna Pt.241

    <h4>Chapter 241: Live to Sienna Pt.241</h4>


    ¡°But I need to learn how to swim in order to be a pirate...¡±


    Leah didn¡¯t feel like bing discouraged by Evan¡¯s words, so she jumped into the pond. With a ssh, she made ripples in the pond. When the water sttered everywhere, Evan wiped it off his face and asked Leah who was in the pond.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Stop being sad and learn how to swim.¡±


    ¡°You know how to swim?¡±


    At Evan¡¯s question, Leah shrugged and replied.


    ¡°No. But you do. You read in a book how to swim.¡±


    ¡°It was only a book. You saw me too. What happened when I tried to swim on my own.¡±


    ¡°That is different from now.¡±


    Evan still couldn¡¯t swim, so what was the difference?


    ¡°I can¡¯t swim now just like I couldn¡¯t an hour ago.¡± Evan said sarcastically to Leah.


    Leah was annoyed to persuade him with words. She wasn¡¯t so fluent in speech, nor could she exin as logically as Sharillo. In this case, it was better to show with her body than to exin it in words. Leah pulled Evan¡¯s ankle with her hand.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Evan screamed in surprise, but Leah didn¡¯t care. She was stronger than Evan, so he eventually fell into the pond. There was a ssh as strong as when Leah fell.


    ¡°Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Evan rose with the help of Leah. It was not long after he nearly drowned, so when he came back into the water, his lips turned blue in fear.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Look. It¡¯s different. You almost drowned in this pond before, but now you¡¯re standing on two feet like this. At least you don¡¯t have to worry about drowning here, so you can practice as you learned from the book.¡±


    ¡°...yes, then you could have said that. I was surprised by you suddenly pulled my leg.¡±


    With Evan¡¯s grumbling, Leah shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯m not good at exining things. But tell me more. What did the book say about how to swim?¡±


    Evan did not question Leah anymore. He noticed her temper while talking to Leah. He realized that it was no use trying to whine because she acted before she spoke. Eventually, he began to talk about how to swim, which he saw in the book.


    *


    ¡°Where is Sharillo and Leah?¡±


    Asked Carl, who came into the dining room to have a meal together and realized that only Sienna was sitting there.


    ¡°They fell asleep early after ying in the water during the day.¡±


    ¡°Oh... ...you said they were learning to swim, right? That¡¯s great. There¡¯s no harm in learning how to swim. They must be very good at swimming if they take after you.¡±


    ¡°Swimming skills improve fast. By the way, would you like to learn with the children?¡±


    Carl shook his head at Sienna¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to learn swimming. If I fall into the water, you will save me like you did before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not always there for you.¡±


    ¡°Then you can always be with me from now on. So you can save me right away.¡±


    Sienna shook his head at Carl¡¯s joke.


    ¡°You heard Leah made a new friend, right?¡±


    When Carl nodded, the servants came out with food. It was a dish that was hardened by mincing various seafood and eggs in a small pot with a lid. Sienna ate the warm seafood egg pudding. The eggs gently spread in her mouth.


    ¡°The second son of Count Chaser, isn¡¯t he? Leah came all the way to the Oval Office and begged me. Asking me to send her to the school in Roman Territory right now.¡±


    ¡°So Leah did that to you too?¡±


    Sienna pressed down on her forehead.


    ¡°She used to cry over going to the knight school, and now she is begging me to send her to a school in the Roman territory... Evan is smart and mature so I want him to be friends with Leah, but she can¡¯t go back and forth the Roman territory every day. It¡¯s close to the capital, but it¡¯s still a half-day away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve told Leah. Next year, I said she¡¯d be able to attend the Sienna Academy.¡±


    ¡°Did that work for Leah?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work at first, but it worked when I said she¡¯d attend the school with Evan. I said she¡¯d have dozens of friends, not ten, and then they said yes.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna nodded with a relieved look.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. Oh, and remember she said she¡¯d be a strong knight before? She changed her dream.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it changed to?¡±


    ¡°A pirate captain. Evan¡¯s dream is to be a pirate, and it must have looked cool. Yeah, Leah said she¡¯d be a pirate, and Evan said he¡¯d let her be Captain. He said she was determined and strong-willed, so she¡¯d be perfect as the captain.¡±


    Sienna sighed deeply and Carl burst intoughter. He thought it was so random that a princess wanted to be a pirate. It was lovely of her to dream so funnily. Then he saw Sienna¡¯s face full of anxiety, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Lord Waters before, that when you were young, you dreamed of bing a princess marrying a prince. Well, actually you did meet the emperor and became the empress. Anyway, children grow up with strange dreams. But it¡¯s better than being a frog or a sword.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Leah¡¯s first dream was to be a frog.¡±


    Leah has been wild since she was a child. When she saw a frog jumping as high as her eyes, she cried, ¡°I want to be a frog, but I don¡¯t know how,¡± and she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to be a sword because the sword of the shing knight looked great.¡± At least her current dream was in a human form, so Carl and Sienna thought that she had developed quite a bit.


    When the meal was over, Carl led Sienna, saying they had somewhere to go.


    ¡°Where are you going at night?¡±


    Today was the day of the lunar eclipse, so the sky was especially dark. Sienna couldn¡¯t understand why he was trying to move on such a dark night.


    ¡°Follow me and you¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Siena sped Carl¡¯s hand and followed him. She didn¡¯t know it was dark inside the pce because it was day and night, but it was really dark toe out to the garden. She held Carl¡¯s hand in fear.


    Carl led Sienna to the north garden. She thought she knew where she was going, but she couldn¡¯t see much, so she felt like she was walking in a pitch-ck tunnel. Then at one point, Carl stopped.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Here we are.¡±


    Sienna looked around. As she got used to the darkness, she could see ahead vaguely, but there was nothing nearby. She thought there used to be a big fountain, but now there really was nothing. It just looked like a broad field.


    ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡±


    Instead of answering Sienna¡¯s questions, Carl hit his fingers and made a ¡°flick¡± sound. At the same time, the stringed instruments sound spread quietly.


    Immediately after that, the lightednterns began to rise one by one. Hundreds ofnterns went up, revealing the northern garden.


    A white marble floor wasid on the site where arge fountain had disappeared, and the marble reflected thenterns floating in the sky, obscuring the distinction between heaven and earth. When Sienna looked down closely, the white marble floor was shallow and wide, and the sky was reflected by filling it with water.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift for thest feast.¡± said Carl, hugging Sienna¡¯s waist behind her back.


    ¡°When did you start preparing this?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t take long. It didn¡¯t take much time to build than constructing a big building. It just came to my mind those days when I couldn¡¯t even see you because you¡¯re busy. The day we climbed a tree and looked at thenterns that rose up into the sky together.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s eyes were blurred by his words. It was a long time ago, but she remembered it vividly as if it had happened yesterday.


    Alcohol scents at the tip of her nose, rough texture of the tree, and antern that rose to the sky endlessly. At that time she was in quite aplicated mind toe into the imperial court where Arya was, but now, all that has be past things. Just enough to leave that day as a dim memory.


    ¡°Then I thought I¡¯d never see antern so full in the sky with you again... before I knew it, you were the most precious person to me. And that¡¯s what I thought. Everything I¡¯ve been with you has be a memory for me.¡±


    Said Carl, burying his face under Sienna¡¯s neck.


    Sienna put her hand on the back of Carl¡¯s hand around her waist.


    ¡°I always want to show you and give you beautiful things. And I want to be there with you. I want to grow old by making only good memories with you all my life.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Sienna turned and dug into his arms instead of answering. Today¡¯s work would also be a memory tomorrow. She wanted to keep Carl¡¯s warm body in her memory.


    /-The End-/ (gothic, slightly smaller, right-aligned)


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