As Sienna started receiving guidance from Theo, her skill in handling horses improved day by day.
“At this rate, you’ll easily be able to climb the Sendelk Mountains.”
Theo couldn’t hide his pride in her remarkable progress. Despite being in a situation where she could feel proud, Sienna remained indifferent.
While she was standing on the ground organizing the reins, she heard the sound of gunfire from behind. Sienna turned her head toward the sound. Below the hill where the two were standing, she could see the Grand Duke’s soldiers diligently training in the drill field.
She could also glimpse Declan and his two aides.
As she stood watching, forgetting about organizing the reins, Theo approached and asked:
“Would you like to try?”
“What?”
“Shooting. It wouldn’t hurt to learn.”
Theo encouraged her.
Having the motivation to learn something is a good sign. The Princess had always acted as if she had no enthusiasm for life since childhood, but lately, she seemed to be regaining some vitality.
Though Theo wasn’t particularly optimistic about Sienna’s plans regarding Ricata, he viewed this change positively.
After a moment’s consideration, Sienna readily agreed.
“Alright.”
Even though Sienna’s purpose in this hunting season wasn’t beasts but something else, learning how to handle a gun wouldn’t hurt. She might need to protect herself in unforeseen situations.
As she entered the drill field alongside Theo, Declan, who had been talking with Gaius, turned his gaze toward them.
Not only him, but everyone training in the field began glancing at Sienna. As she hesitated, faced with more people than expected, Theo brought her a gun and placed it in her hands.
He corrected her awkward grip and taught her how to aim at targets.
Sienna aimed at the shooting target as Theo instructed and pulled the trigger.
With a bang, her body involuntarily recoiled backward. The recoil was surprisingly strong. The bullet had hit far from the center. Sienna reloaded the gun as Theo had taught her and aimed at the target again.
The result wasn’t much different.
“It won’t improve overnight.”
Theo’s consolation wasn’t very helpful.
“Shall we go back to horseback riding, Your Highness?”
“I’ll escort Her Highness.”
Both Theo and Sienna turned their heads simultaneously at the unexpected intrusion. Declan approached and practically snatched the gun Sienna was holding, handing it to Theo.
“Theo, you can go in now.”
Declan grabbed Sienna’s wrist, deliberately squeezing between her and Theo rather than standing on her empty left side. While keeping his eyes on Theo, his thumb unconsciously caressed the inside of her wrist.
Gaius and the Count exchanged meaningful glances at the sight. Meanwhile, Theo, who failed to read the atmosphere, stood dumbfounded, holding the gun he had suddenly received.
“But Your Grace, wouldn’t you be busy with official duties?”
“Sir Monches? I think His Grace could attend to his business faster if you weren’t holding him back.”
Gaius intervened, unable to stay silent any longer.
Though he was smiling, his eyes were clearly cursing. You dense fool, please read the room.
Having spent a long time with Gaius, Theo couldn’t fail to recognize that expression. Though he tilted his head in confusion, still not understanding the situation, he stepped back.
Watching this scene, Sienna felt her face burning.
They all know.
And though Declan must have already known that they had noticed the relationship between the two, he seemed unconcerned. The way his hand wrapped around her shoulder as soon as they left the drill field was brazenly nonchalant, as if he had no intention of hiding it.
The moment she realized this, she became angry.
But with the Grand Duke’s people scattered all around, she couldn’t raise her voice at him, so she suppressed her boiling emotions and followed him out.
When they reached the stable, he brought out the black horse she had seen before. Then he extended his hand as if to help her mount. Instead of taking his hand, Sienna replied curtly:
“This isn’t my horse.”
“I know.”
That was all he said. When he gestured again, Sienna finally mounted the horse with a thoroughly annoyed expression. After she safely settled in the saddle, he nimbly mounted the horse as well.
Declan rode off with her without explanation, riding tirelessly. After leaving the estate and riding for quite a while, they arrived at the town of Monferrato, a short distance from the Grand Duke’s residence.
She had planned to vent her anger once they were away from people, but finding herself in a street teeming with people, Sienna couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
“…What are we doing?”
“Just thought it would be a waste to stay cooped up in the mansion.”
Declan was excessively calm. He guided the horse skillfully into a quiet backstreet and called over an errand boy who was wandering nearby. He seemed quite accustomed to going on inspections like this, as evidenced by his familiarity with employing street errand boys.
After he gave the boy a few gold coins, the errand boy handed him a robe and took the horse’s reins.
While Sienna frowned in confusion, Declan personally put the robe’s hood on her head and slightly bent down to meet her eyes.
“We don’t have much time, do we?”
His lips curved up at a slant, somewhat smugly. Only then did Sienna understand the situation and let out a hollow laugh.
“What if someone recognizes us?”
“People haven’t seen my face up close, so there’s no need to worry much.”
Declan spoke as if it were nothing and led Sienna out to the central street. Amid the crowd filling the street, Sienna clutched his hand like a lifeline, extremely tense.
It was the season of harvest. While nobles were having their festival by taking lives in distant mountains, ordinary households enjoyed the festival in their own way.
Though she was familiar with commoners’ customs, the street scene was entirely unfamiliar to Sienna. Even as the Grand Duchess, she rarely ventured around the estate.
Originally, the mistress’s duty was merely to take care of the household within the mansion, and outside matters were entirely the lord’s jurisdiction.
That’s why the bustling streets of the town were very unfamiliar to her.
At first, Sienna followed closely behind Declan, hunched over as if she disliked even touching others, but by sunset, she was arm in arm with Declan, observing the night streets with a bewildered face.
The night streets were quite different from the daytime scenery.
Crudely connected lanterns made of colorful paper were scattered throughout the streets, thanks to which the street scenes were dyed in diverse colors.
In fact, they were just crude lamps made by those who couldn’t use proper lamps like nobles would, with thin cloth draped over them, but they had their own charm.
Even the drunkards’ brawls sounded festive. Somewhere, the sound of street musicians performing could be heard. In other places, the sound of firecrackers exploding resounded.
Declan smiled at her face, lost in the unfamiliar scenery, but Sienna was so immersed in the festive atmosphere that she didn’t even notice.
Sienna felt her mood gradually elevating. She would unconsciously hasten her steps at various sights, then belatedly becoming aware of Declan beside her, slow down again, pretending to be composed.
“Aren’t you hungry? Shall I buy you some snacks?”
Declan nodded toward the candy at a stall. Sienna looked at him with an incredulous face.
“Are you joking?”
“I thought you would like it.”
The brazen comment wasn’t worth answering. As she stared incredulously at his smiling face, suddenly a firecracker exploded above their heads with a bang.
Both of them looked up simultaneously. Cheers erupted from all around.
Fireworks of various colors—red, blue, green—adorned the sky.
Sienna stared blankly at the scene, forgetting even to exclaim in wonder. Every time a firework shot up and exploded in the sky, her heart leaped like a child’s. She had seen fireworks to the point of boredom at imperial palace balls, yet somehow today they felt unfamiliar.
Amidst the extremely boisterous situation, Sienna looked around.
This wasn’t an isolated terrace. She was mixed in with people. No one was giving her dirty looks.
As soon as she realized this, she looked up at Declan. He too was absorbed in appreciating the sky, with his hood pulled down deep.
The excessively peaceful and joyful atmosphere felt discordant.
“I thought I knew this place well, but apparently not.”
Sienna muttered, almost to herself, as she looked up at the fireworks adorning the sky again. Despite the noise, Declan somehow understood her words and smiled.
“Do you like it?”
Sienna nodded.
“I wish I had come earlier.”
But this would probably be the first and last time. She felt unnecessarily wistful.
Declan gazed at her face, where bitterness crossed.
He always wanted to give her only the finest things, to show her the best. Since she was born and raised in the imperial palace, he wanted to create an environment similar to it.
The Grand Duke’s residence in Monferrato was a beautiful mansion comparable to the imperial palace in the capital, but it lacked the splendor of the palace.
The scenery harmonized with nature clearly evoked dignity and grace, but the place where Sienna was born and raised was called a castle made of gold.
Though they had seen each other for years, their intimacy wasn’t proportional to that time. Moreover, theirs was a love and marriage entered into without knowing each other well.
In fact, for Sienna, the imperial palace was an object of love and hate, but Declan, unaware of this fact, decorated the Grand Duke’s residence to match the palace as much as possible. Hoping that she would find something to attach her heart to.
