HPBUY Chapter 103

In the end, Declan proposed a compromise. Both Theo and Sienna would accompany Dahlia, but Theo would only escort them to the front of the Duke’s residence and wait outside until they safely returned with the item.

Only Dahlia and Sienna would enter the Duke’s residence, while Theo would be responsible for their security during travel between the Grand Duke’s residence and the Duke’s residence. Naturally, Theo was furious, but Declan wouldn’t change his decision.

On the day they were set to depart for the Duke’s residence, Theo appeared wearing simple clothes to disguise himself as a coachman. Shortly after, Dahlia emerged hesitantly, followed by Sienna.

Theo narrowed his eyes. Dahlia wore her usual dress, but Sienna looked different from usual. Her colorless attire with buttons fastened to the neck and her neatly styled hair made her look like the perfect example of a prim private tutor.

The outfit seemed oddly familiar.

“That outfit… isn’t it the healer’s?”

“I thought it would attract less attention.”

Theo looked at her with surprise. She normally wouldn’t even glance at anything but high-quality items, yet here she was, willing to endure such a disguise.

Then again, without that level of determination, there would have been a different problem.

As Sienna said, her usual flashy attire would likely draw attention anywhere. Though even in colorless clothes, her appearance wasn’t exactly inconspicuous.

Finding the midday heat stifling, Sienna unbuttoned several buttons at her neck. After some time passed, a carriage appeared in the distance.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. Before she could identify who it was, he abruptly handed her something. When she looked up questioningly, Declan turned his palm to reveal what it was.

A pistol that would fit perfectly in Sienna’s hand.

She hesitated to take it, but Declan didn’t withdraw his outstretched hand. The carriage approached and finally stopped before them.

“It probably won’t be necessary, but just in case.”

Declan muttered, almost like a chant, as he demonstrated how to unlock and lock the safety. His movements handling the gun were as skillful as if he were moving a part of his own body. Sienna looked reluctant but didn’t refuse when it was forcibly placed in her hand.

His gaze shifted from the pistol back to her.

“Return safely.”

Sienna glanced up at him and responded briefly.

“Yes.”

As she was about to board the carriage, Declan extended his hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Sienna placed her hand on his. His grip was remarkably firm.

When Sienna entered the carriage with his assistance, Dahlia, who had been watching them from inside, quickly lowered her gaze and pretended not to notice.

Shortly after, Theo set the carriage in motion. As the carriage left the Grand Duke’s residence, Sienna smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt rather than looking out the window.

It was no small task to smooth out the thick, stiff fabric in the jolting carriage. She couldn’t understand how Jane enjoyed such uncomfortable clothes even after leaving her position as a priest.

But given Sienna’s personality—she hated appearing flawed in front of others more than death itself—maintaining a neat appearance took priority, even if it meant enduring motion sickness.

After roughly arranging her clothes, Sienna leaned back against the seat. When even the rustling of fabric ceased, an awkward silence filled the carriage. Dahlia, fidgeting with her fingernails, mumbled as she began to speak.

“Um, there won’t be any trouble, right?”

“Who knows.”

Sienna answered with an exhausted expression. She understood Dahlia’s anxiety.

They certainly made an amusing pair. Sienna, whose energy was depleted just from smoothing fabric, and Dahlia, who was already pale with fear before even reaching the Duke’s residence.

If it came down to a physical confrontation, neither would be able to properly respond, that much was obvious.

Unfortunately, this was the best option they had.

Dahlia had stayed at the Grand Duke’s residence for several days due to Declan’s consideration, but rumors about the terrible relationship between the Duke and Grand Duke had already spread far and wide. In such circumstances, if a disguised Theo were to set foot inside the Duke’s residence… could his tall frame really avoid suspicion?

“But there’s no need to worry too much. The Grand Duke wouldn’t send us alone like this.”

At her confident tone, Dahlia’s eyes widened. Sienna looked at her and smiled softly.

“I know I’m not very reliable, but I won’t put you in a difficult situation.”

****

Shortly after the carriage departed, mercenaries who had been hired separately followed behind. Most were former military veterans whose skills had been proven to Declan.

“I don’t think anything unusual will happen inside the Duke’s residence, but I’m still uneasy,” the Count muttered while watching the mercenaries from behind.

“If there’s anyone who recognizes Theo’s face, it would be troublesome. Even with the excuse of providing security, entering the Duke’s residence would be difficult.”

Declan replied briefly, gathered his documents, and headed to his office. After leaving the reception room, he checked his pocket watch once and quickened his pace.

Recently, his work had been pushed aside due to his focus on Sienna’s affairs. Moreover, with his mind so complicated lately, it was even harder to concentrate on work. Even now, as he headed to his office, his mind was filled not with pending work but with other thoughts.

The veins in his hand bulged as he gripped the documents.

Sienna remembered everything from the past. She, too, had traveled back in time in the same way he had.

The fact that she had actually died in her previous life came as an indescribable shock to him. It was a variable he had never imagined.

Or perhaps it wasn’t even a variable. After all, even if she came back to the past, it wouldn’t hinder their plans.

But he felt incomparably more despondent than before.

Even when he tried to focus on work, his body wouldn’t cooperate.

Even after sunset, he hadn’t completed even a quarter of his workload. His self-loathing grew as his work remained at a standstill. Even after washing with hot water to clear his mind, nothing changed.

While struggling with documents that he couldn’t focus on in the study adjacent to his bedroom, Christine knocked on the door. When she mentioned that she wanted to change the bedding in preparation for autumn, Declan nodded half-heartedly.

As the maids skillfully changed the pillows and blankets, Christine scanned the bedroom. Her gaze turned toward the tree branches outside the window, which were gradually becoming barren.

“It’s starting to get cold now.”

Declan looked up, irritably pushing back his hair that was still damp. His indifferent gaze reached the window.

“The rainy season will come soon.”

“Even though I’ve experienced it my whole life, Monferrato’s autumn rains are truly terrible. Usually peaceful, but during that time, it pours so heavily…”

Christine sighed deeply with a grim expression.

Declan’s gaze, which was about to return to his documents, halted in midair. Come to think of it, he needed to stock plenty of firewood in the guest room before the cold weather truly set in.

Just as the maids finished changing the bed sheets, Christine began examining the room with an even sharper eye than before. Finding no flaws, she returned to her usual warm expression and curtsied to Declan.

“Then we’ll take our leave now, Your Grace.”

“The Princess…”

Declan began hesitantly, uncharacteristically of him.

“Is she doing well?”

Christine’s mouth stretched into a wide smile, and a soft “Oh my” escaped her lips. When Declan’s brow furrowed slightly, Christine quickly cleared her throat and sent the maids out of the bedroom.

Then, with a meaningful smile as if sharing a great secret, she began speaking.

“When she first came to the Grand Duke’s residence, she scribbled something on paper every day, but lately it seems she’s taken an interest in embroidery.”

Christine began enthusiastically sharing stories about Sienna, even adding her own plausible conjectures.

“From what I could see, it looked like a handkerchief. Perhaps it’s a gift for someone?”

Declan merely chuckled instead of responding. What did it matter? It was obvious that he wouldn’t be the recipient anyway.

Come to think of it, she was quite skilled at embroidery.

Although she didn’t seem to particularly enjoy holding a needle, when Soliet was alive, she seemed to consider decorating children’s clothes a mother’s duty.

Despite pretending otherwise, Sienna had great fantasies about such things. A loving parent and a warm home. She seemed to secretly admire those things.

Usually cold when looking at him, she softened when with Soliet. She would embroider Soliet’s clothes each season, even when her fingers were pricked by needles—it wasn’t difficult to see.

As the child grew day by day, clothes needed to be made anew just as quickly, and each time, Sienna was diligent without showing any sign of annoyance. The initially crooked stitches gradually took on a neater form.

Declan felt Sienna’s love when he saw the crude decorations on Soliet’s skirt. Her unconditional love for Soliet sometimes made him feel hollow and eventually angry.

How could she cherish a child with half his blood while not allowing even a bit of affection for him? His secret resentment toward her eventually turned into self-loathing, but Declan always craved the emotions that were never permitted to him.

Was it relief he felt when he saw that tender emotion, which would never be directed at him, flutter at the edge of the child’s clothes? Or was it an undeserved sadness?

Declan, who had been glaring at a leaf precariously hanging from a branch, reached out and closed the window.

It was now meaningless to gauge such emotions.