HPBUY Chapter 110

Declan froze just as he was about to enter. Sienna, who had been sitting by the window playing with the fringe of the curtain, looked up at the sound. Even after recognizing the intruder, Declan couldn’t move his feet.

“Why are you standing there like that?”

After a prolonged silence from opposite ends of the room, she smiled slightly.

“I thought I might be dreaming.”

At his murmured words, the curve of Sienna’s lips deepened. She rose from the windowsill and approached him. As the distance between them narrowed, a sweet scent of spring flowers wafted from her.

His lips, too, curved upward just like hers.

“What brings you here?”

“You didn’t seem to have any intention of coming to me first.”

Her tone was deliberately reproachful.

“So I came instead.”

Despite her haughty response, her ears had already turned red. Though she had come without hesitation, now standing before him made her quite nervous.

Sienna fidgeted with the hem of his clothes and said:

“If you’re busy, I understand.”

“Not at all.”

He hurriedly pulled her into his embrace. Sienna, with a face that showed no displeasure, moved obediently as he guided her.

In truth, not much had changed since they had confirmed their feelings for each other. They simply lived their ordinary lives and spent time together like this, away from prying eyes.

“Oh, I just realized I forgot to tell you something.”

Sienna’s eyes widened as if she had suddenly remembered something.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be taking horseback riding lessons from Theo. I want to practice beforehand since Sendelk Mountain, where the hunting festival will be held, has rough terrain.”

“From Theo?”

“Well, he’s the most skilled person around me…”

Sienna glanced up at his face. His reaction was quite displeased. Sienna added words that were close to an excuse.

“And you’re someone who could easily raise suspicions. It’s better than becoming the subject of unnecessary rumors.”

Declan nodded with an unconvinced expression.

He understood it logically, but emotionally, he wasn’t happy about it at all. Even while knowing he was being childish, Declan said grumpily:

“I’m hardly what you’d call unskilled.”

“I’m sure you’re not.”

“In fact, if we’re talking about rank, mine is higher.”

“Yes. We couldn’t possibly use someone as distinguished as you for such trivial matters.”

Sienna, who had been responding pointedly, muttered loudly enough for him to hear:

“Besides, I’ve heard that people with exceptional talent often lack the skill to teach others.”

Her intention to tease him was blatant, but Declan took the bait perfectly. He narrowed his eyes as if he’d heard something offensive.

“Who spread such baseless rumors?”

“It’s not a rumor, but a general consensus, Grand Duke Monferrato.”

Though her words were full of mischief, Declan fell for it completely.

“I’m quite good at teaching too. Soli’s horseback riding, I taught her from the beginning…”

Declan, who had been snapping back irritably, suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward. Declan’s eyes wavered greatly before he tightly closed his mouth.

“That child took after you and had good athletic abilities.”

Sienna forced a smile and replied.

“I don’t really have that kind of talent.”

But there was no way to erase the bitterness that seeped into the end of her words.

This was reality after all.

Even if they tried to pretend to forget everything for a limited time, they were still standing on inescapable reality.

Sighing silently, Declan tilted his head. His gaze, which had been fixed on Sienna’s profile, dropped down to her shoulder that had no excess flesh.

“Have you eaten?”

After the heavy silence, the topic Declan chose was truly mundane.

“Don’t skip meals. Training your physical strength is good, but it’s pointless if your nutrition is poor.”

Instead of responding, Sienna played with his hand that was loosely resting on her shoulder.

“Should I have a servant bring something for you to eat?”

She shook her head at his quiet question.

“That’s not necessary. There’s no benefit in frequently exposing ourselves being alone together to others’ eyes.”

“I don’t particularly mind.”

“How could you not mind?”

Sienna retorted firmly.

“Even if I leave, you must maintain a normal life within the empire. So…”

Her voice trailed off momentarily.

Even as she spoke, she knew it was nearly impossible. For this matter to be resolved smoothly, Joseph would need to resolve the situation amicably, but that possibility was extremely low.

So in the end, they would have to choose the next best option.

Taking advantage of the confusion during the hunting festival, Sienna would head to Parma, and if that happened, Declan would not be able to escape punishment.

Perhaps that’s why. While he seemed unconcerned about whether their relationship was exposed or not, Sienna was reluctant to display her relationship with Declan openly. Who knows what might happen.

If he could avoid the death penalty. He would still have an opportunity for a new beginning.

Though he might not be able to advance his career as before, starting an ordinary family wouldn’t be such a great feat.

“Unfortunately, because of my presence here, you probably won’t regain your former popularity. The ladies of society don’t particularly like me.”

Though she spoke in a playful tone, her underlying meaning was sincere. If they were going to go their separate ways anyway, it would be better to make a clean new start.

But Declan didn’t seem to like those words. His fine brows furrowed slightly before he immediately countered:

“You are my only wife.”

“I’m not. Once I reclaim Ricata and enjoy its wealth, I’m going to marry a rich, handsome man and live extravagantly.”

Sienna widened her eyes innocently, playing coy. At that, his lips, which had been gently curved until just now, straightened into a hard line.

Sienna didn’t stop there and added with a brazen expression:

“That won’t be enough, so I’ll take a string of young, handsome men as my lovers.”

Declan stared at her, momentarily speechless. His displeasure was so evident and his gaze so fierce that Sienna instinctively struggled to suppress her rising smile. But soon, the arms holding her tightened.

“Go ahead then.”

He pulled Sienna close without any gaps and whispered softly in her ear.

“I don’t know how great the men you bring will be…”

Sienna stared at his face, at a loss for words. Declan didn’t avoid her gaze either.

As the time they spent staring at each other in silence lengthened, Sienna’s brow furrowed deeper. She couldn’t help but understand the intention behind his words.

It was subtle arrogance that even if she searched the entire continent of Kralto, men better than him wouldn’t be so common.

But it wasn’t entirely baseless boasting either. Unable to find a suitable response, she simply looked at him with slightly furrowed brows, and his lips curved smoothly.

He released his embrace around Sienna and placed one hand on top of her head. His large-knuckled fingers tangled in her hair. Far from resisting the intrusion, her well-groomed hair wrapped gently around his fingers.

Enjoying the sensation, Declan played with her hair like a toy for a while before burying his face in the nape of her neck. As he pressed his nose against her slender neck, the scent of roses mixed with her body’s fragrance wafted strongly. It was a scent he had longed for over many years.

Declan tried to deeply engrave every sensation of the woman in his arms into his brain.

The soft hair, the rose-scented white nape of her neck. Even the slow rise and fall of her breathing and the softness of her skin.

Though he could touch her freely now, he knew that someday he would have to cut this part out cleanly, and so he felt both happiness and an endless falling sensation. At the same time, jealousy toward the man who would someday possess her, as Sienna had mentioned, spoiled his mood.

His mood having soured for no reason, he lightly bit the nape of her neck as revenge for her earlier words. This made Sienna flinch and squirm, but she didn’t push him away.

After keeping his lips on her neck for a long time, Declan suddenly smiled.

“But now that I see you, I understand. You’re not really suited to be a Grand Duchess.”

“…What did you say?”

“You have strong opinions and you have to achieve whatever you set your mind to.”

Just as she was starting to feel upset at his mood-breaking words, he lifted his head. He lightly tapped the tip of Sienna’s nose with his fingertip.

“Ah.”

“So you’ll do well in Parma.”

Sienna, who had been about to frown slightly, looked at him with round eyes. Declan showed her his upturned lips and briefly kissed her cheek.

Supporting someone else wasn’t a suitable role for her. Sienna, who had been nestled quietly in his arms, gently protested.

“But I did well as a Grand Duchess too.”

Even while pretending to be nonchalant, her ears were already turning red. Declan merely smiled faintly without denying it.

At the same time, his face was somehow shadowed.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Of course not.”

Sienna answered immediately without the slightest hesitation.

“But having come this far, what can I do?”

The die has already been cast, so hesitating further would be meaningless.

Looking at his face, Sienna unexpectedly raised her index finger. Then she pushed up the corner of his lips with her fingertip. Declan offered his face defenselessly.

Sienna smiled brightly as if giving him an example.

“Everything will turn out fine in the end.”

She whispered a hopeless hope with a voice as light as a feather.

“But if we fail. That can’t be helped either.”

Even her voice saying such things was cheerful. Declan, who was still making a strange smile from her fingertip, raised his eyebrows.

“At least I’ll have no regrets. There might be emptiness, but no lingering attachments, so that’s enough.”

Sienna withdrew her hand and kissed Declan, who was making a strange expression. After kissing his lips, chin, and Adam’s apple in turn, she simply buried herself completely in his embrace.

She couldn’t see what expression he wore, but the kiss that landed on her forehead was gentle. She slowly closed her eyes while leaning in his arms.

Whatever future awaited them, right now she wanted to savor this moment.