The head lady-in-waiting standing behind the Empress was taken aback by my audacious behavior of boldly holding the prince in my arms as if I were his mother. As she stepped forward to take Leopold, the Empress raised her hand to stop her.
“I didn’t expect to find the Princess here.”
Marianne bowed her head with a smile.
“How are the preparations for the hunting festival coming along, Your Majesty? I heard you might be busy, so I’ve been taking care of Leo.”
“I feel terrible for troubling you, Princess.”
The Empress responded with her characteristic gentle smile. However, her eyes directed at Marianne lacked even the slightest warmth.
“Instead of wasting your talents at your family home, you should be utilizing your skills as the mistress of your household.”
“No matter which family name I might acquire, it couldn’t possibly compare to the Maloney royal family. Not at all.”
Though it appeared to be humility, it was essentially nothing but arrogance. The Empress was not foolish enough to miss this.
Marianne smiled softly.
“Don’t worry too much, Your Majesty. You’ll be leaving for Sendelk soon, right? While you observe the hunting festival, I’ll take good care of Leo and the palace.”
“Princess.”
The Empress called Marianne with a voice tinged with wry amusement.
“From what I hear, the Princess doesn’t seem to be participating in the hunting festival.”
“It seems the Empress hasn’t heard yet.”
Marianne opened her eyes wide with exaggerated surprise.
“His Majesty personally ordered me to remain at the palace to look after Leo, as it would be pitiful for him to be left alone in the palace while everyone departs for Sendelk. The Emperor himself commanded me.”
As Marianne continued speaking with a sneer, the Empress’s expression grew increasingly cold.
“It seems he was unable to inform you due to your busy schedule.”
After speaking in what felt like a triumphant manner, Marianne unhesitatingly handed Leo over to the head lady-in-waiting.
Before withdrawing, she paid proper respects to the Empress, but received no response. Marianne retreated unconcernedly.
This wasn’t out of consideration for the Empress, but rather from the mindset that, since she was clearly today’s victor, she could overlook the Empress’s slight rudeness.
The Empress understood these intentions perfectly. Her fingertips trembled with the overwhelming sense of humiliation.
She was acutely aware of how inadequate she was for the position of Empress of the Empire. She also felt guilty about her background, which couldn’t provide proper support for her husband.
She was too young to be the mistress of the Empire, and although she was learning, her social skills weren’t exceptional enough to subdue the cunning figures of high society. Therefore, she believed she had to endure some unfair treatment.
But did that role include having her son taken away from her?
“I need to see the Emperor.”
****
Sienna and Declan returned to the Grand Duke’s residence late the following afternoon.
It was suspicious behavior, but no one questioned their whereabouts that day. Even the obtuse Theodore seemed to have heard something, as he quietly avoided Sienna and Declan’s gazes. Reaching that point, Sienna felt resigned.
Whatever happens, happens.
She had been careful out of consideration for his position, but it had come to this anyway. Apart from her resignation, she didn’t regret the night spent in town.
Whether in the cave or in town. She knew her choices were not proper conduct. But she didn’t want to avoid moments of intense desire to spend time with Declan merely out of fear. Even knowing that current happiness was fleeting, she couldn’t give it up.
Even if people discovered their relationship, the course of events was already set. She was concerned about the scandal that would attach to him, but what was done was done.
Occasionally, she felt the subtle gazes of the servants directed at her, which made her uncomfortable. But Sienna steadfastly focused on her duties. More accurately, she didn’t have the luxury to care about others’ attention.
After returning from town, the two were so busy they barely had time to face each other properly. Declan was occupied with finishing administrative work before leaving his territory, while Sienna spent most of her days preparing for the hunting festival in her own way.
Sometimes they met late at night in his office or her bedroom, but proper conversations rarely took place.
Even when they began talking calmly, they would quickly shift to physical communication, and ultimately end up in bed.
After exhausting themselves, Sienna was always the first to fall into an almost unconscious sleep, but Declan always woke earlier. When Sienna would finally open her heavy eyelids at dawn, he had already left the bedroom.
Waking up late, Sienna could only sense his presence through the faint warmth left on the side of the bed and the blanket carefully covering her body. Having suffered from insomnia for half her life, she felt somewhat embarrassed that she slept so deeply she didn’t notice his departure.
Most days followed this pattern. Like how the night before a storm is the calmest, the two were experiencing an unusually peaceful time as the hunting festival approached. They were no different from any other couple honestly whispering their affections without doubting each other’s intentions.
It was such a sweet time that she wished to remain in this moment forever if possible. But even as their feelings for each other deepened with each passing day, the end approached steadily.
“Duke Lowell has been suspiciously quiet,” the Count said with a serious face at a rare gathering. Despite no one else being nearby, he lowered his voice secretively.
“He’s probably quietly watching and waiting. The fact that the Lady didn’t immediately report it to the Emperor is fortunate for the Duke.”
Theodore dismissed the Count’s concerns as if it weren’t a difficult problem.
“Moreover, the Duke can’t be certain about anything regarding the current situation in the Grand Duke’s residence. It’s difficult for that old man to gauge whether it was done by the Lady alone or in collusion with Her Highness the Princess, so it’s hard for him to move rashly.”
Not stopping there, he harshly criticized Duke Lowell in a monotone voice.
“He’s probably desperately looking for a way out before the hunting festival.”
It was an attitude lacking even customary respect, but the Count overlooked his brother’s rudeness this time.
Normally, he would have said something about his unnoble speech, at least outwardly, but after learning about the Duke and Emperor’s misdeeds, he didn’t want to defend the Duke even in that manner.
Declan was no different. He casually disregarded Theodore’s rough speech and spoke.
“You two should go to the eastern border during the hunting festival.”
“What? Why suddenly the border…?”
The hunting festival was to be held at the winter villa owned by the royal family in the northeastern region. But the eastern border came out of nowhere.
Theodore blinked, not understanding the reason.
“It’s better for people associated with me to be as far from the capital as possible,” Sienna quietly began.
“If things are resolved well, that would be ideal. But if not, you’re the one the Emperor can easily target.”
Theodore was the most convenient hostage.
Being closely connected to the Princess and the Grand Duke’s family while also belonging to the Imperial Knights made him an easy target for the Emperor to exercise power over.
Moreover, hadn’t she already experienced it in her previous life? Appointing Theodore as the commander of the military and sending him to the front lines was like venting anger.
“Hide away with Jane.”
Jane, having been with Sienna since Lopwell, would also be in a difficult position. But as the conversation continued, Theodore’s face grew increasingly anxious.
“What about Your Highness?”
“If things go wrong, I plan to leave Sendelk immediately and head to the eastern border touching Parma. During the hunting festival, all the nobles will be scattered throughout the mountains of Sendelk, which should make it easier.”
“…Pardon?”
Theodore repeated with a dumbfounded expression, as if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have.
“Your Highness, do you know which route you must take from Sendelk to reach Parma?”
“I hear one must pass through Ricata territory.”
When she casually gave the correct answer, Theodore’s face turned pale.
In terms of distance, it wasn’t that far from Sendelk to the border adjoining Parma. Parma and Sendelk were connected with a mountain range in between, and the winter villa was located right below that mountain range.
But Ricata had long been a land untouched by human footsteps. Occasionally, armed soldiers would patrol the area, but even those elite trained men followed the rule of traveling in groups rather than alone.
It was a place even soldiers were reluctant to enter alone. Not to mention a princess.
“This isn’t something to speak of so lightly, is it?”
“Do you think I’ve been learning horseback riding from you all this time merely for pleasure?”
She laughed cynically.
She knew better than anyone that she was planning something absurd.
“Your Highness. The interior of Ricata is no different from ruins. Moreover, you don’t even have memories of Ricata territory, so how do you plan to reach the border? It won’t be easy to determine direction when there are no travelers.”
“I was told to head in the opposite direction of the setting sun.”
Sienna glanced at Declan once more as if to confirm. He nodded lightly.
The Count’s face also became identical to Theodore’s. It was shocking enough that such an incredibly ignorant method had come from the Princess’s mouth, but the fact that it was the Grand Duke’s idea was even more shocking.
“Did His Grace tell you this? Such an absurd plan?”
Theodore expressed the Count’s sentiments exactly with astonishment.
“Is there any other way?”
“But this violates military law!”
Declan shrugged indifferently at the Count’s mention of law.
“Why does that matter?”
“Or do you have a better plan, Count?”
Sienna stared directly at the Count as she asked. But when he could only open and close his mouth for a long time without offering a proper solution, she withdrew her gaze with a look that said “I thought so.”
So the conclusion was drawn.
