“I didn’t obtain much useful information from the Baron. I think I should look for someone else.”
Sienna spoke vaguely and quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, what did Her Majesty the Empress want from you?”
“My, how quickly you ask.”
Fortunately, he didn’t seem suspicious. For reasons unknown, he even appeared somewhat excited.
“Do you happen to know anything about the Emperor’s illness?”
“An… illness?”
Sienna asked back quizzically. Her face, which had been blinking in confusion, became slightly troubled.
“What illness… Are you referring to something related to his mental state?”
“It seems you don’t know.”
Jeremiah smiled blandly. Then he lowered his voice and spoke:
“I don’t know well, but it seems there’s something with his vision.”
Jeremiah shrugged his shoulders.
“He doesn’t engage in any activities after sunset, right?”
“That was usually the case. But today, for some reason, he personally came out.”
Sienna gestured towards where the Emperor was. However, Jeremiah remained steadfast.
“Not just the hall, but the corridors are unusually bright. Don’t you find something strange?”
At his words, Sienna looked up. Originally, the palace corridors typically had only candles on the walls. The harmony of moonlight and candlelight created quite a sensitive atmosphere, so the palace corridors in Sienna’s memory always maintained a certain level of darkness.
In contrast, today it was just bright. There was no feeling of moonlight, and chandeliers whose installation time was unknown were brightly illuminating the corridors.
“She asked me if I knew a way to cure night blindness in Parma.”
At those words, her gaze, which had been looking up at the chandeliers, turned to Jeremiah.
Parma was a country that had historically produced many distinguished scholars, and its natural sciences, including medicine, physics, and astronomy, were remarkably developed on the Kralto continent.
“Since I heard it directly from the Empress, it’s probably not a lie.”
“It could be a problem with the Empress’s family.”
“Well, if that were the case, wouldn’t the Empress have directly asked or sent someone from Dafrique Castle to Parma?”
It was a reasonable argument.
The King of Dafrique, who was also the Empress’s nephew, was young and hot-blooded. Moreover, like Jeremiah, he didn’t have particularly good feelings towards the Empire.
The kingdoms on the Kralto continent, except for the Empire, were generally very closely connected. They were in a position of fearing the same predator, so their bond was extraordinary.
“Well, externally they’re portraying it as a matter of a friendly nobleman or something like that.”
Jeremiah’s words made Sienna let out a short sigh.
“But it’s too trivial to use as a weakness. Unless they’re planning a night attack.”
Sienna judged coldly. From the Emperor’s perspective, it might be considered a disgrace, but its value for blackmail wasn’t significant enough.
“Certainly, but isn’t it something to keep in mind as a potential means to strike a weakness someday?”
Jeremiah winked, seemingly reading Sienna’s thoughts. Though it was clear they weren’t in an advantageous position, it meant there was no need to be completely discouraged.
“Having an enemy’s weakness in hand is no different from holding an invisible sword.”
Sienna let out a faint smile.
His words were right. There was nothing to gain from being pessimistic before even starting.
Jeremiah, wearing a soft smile while looking at Sienna, moved a bit closer to her.
“You said this was the way to the annex? I should go in and rest too. Maintaining a smile throughout the banquet has given me a twitch at the corner of my mouth…”
“Your Highness the Prince!”
At that moment, someone called Jeremiah urgently. Both of them turned around simultaneously.
The servant who called them, with a face devoid of color, worked at the residence where Jeremiah was staying. Having seemingly run here, he was breathing as if about to suffocate.
“Your Highness, a guest has arrived from Parma.”
Sienna asked back quizzically, “A guest from Parma, other than the envoy?”
“Yes. His Majesty said he will come after the banquet ends, so to escort the Prince first.”
The question on Sienna’s face deepened with this answer. Jeremiah pondered for a moment, then turned to the servant.
“Where are they now?”
****
The servant led Jeremiah down a deserted corridor.
While following silently, Jeremiah carefully checked the path he was taking, preparing for any potential situation.
He had spoken to the princess as if nothing was wrong, but anyone could see the situation was strange. There was already an envoy, so why would Parma send another person?
Moreover…
‘The Emperor prepared a separate reception room?’
Jeremiah’s brow furrowed deeply as he walked briskly. Approaching the room where the guest was, he immediately gripped the dagger at his waist instead of opening the door.
Jeremiah swung the door open instantly to not give the other party a chance to attack. The man inside the reception room stood up slowly upon seeing him. His hand, which had been about to draw his dagger, froze when he recognized the man’s identity.
Jeremiah stared at the man with a stunned expression.
“Philip, why are you here…”
It was Philip.
He bowed his head towards Jeremiah with a sorrowful face. His golden eyes, which had been staring blankly, began to tremble slightly.
Even before any words were exchanged, the reason why Philip, who should have been in the Parma palace, had come here was easily understood.
“The King has passed away, Your Highness.”
****
The atmosphere in the imperial palace was chaotic.
Everyone couldn’t hide their awkwardness about this sudden situation. Most knew the King of Parma was an elderly man, but the fact that his condition was so serious came as a greater shock.
Needless to say, Sienna’s position became particularly uncomfortable. After all, the Emperor had called her back to the palace because of this marriage.
At dawn, the Emperor officially expressed his condolences. He promised to provide convenience for the envoys staying in the Empire to return home as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Sienna’s status remained unclear.
“Truly, the Emperor has no luck. How does something like this happen at every banquet?”
“So what’s going to happen to this princess now?”
“What do you mean? The marriage can’t be done alone. The partner died, so the promise is naturally void.”
Everyone clicked their tongues without exception.
“Things have become complicated.”
Even in this situation, Sienna tried to maintain her usual daily routine. No, she tried to act as if everything was normal. She knew that stepping forward in such a situation would only cause more trouble.
People had looked at her the same way when her mother died. Like looking at an inconvenient burden that was difficult to handle, with a face showing both embarrassment and annoyance.
She walked in the garden with Theodore as usual and drank tea with Jane.
But peace did not last long.
****
In the late afternoon, an uninvited guest arrived at the annex.
“Since you’ve become useless, you have no reason to stay in the imperial palace.”
Marianne barged in and spoke bluntly. Sienna, who had been embroidering with a needle for the first time in a while, continued her work without even looking up.
This attitude only infuriated Marianne more.
“Do we really need to take in a freeloading family member who can’t even earn her keep? Moreover, you no longer suit being the mistress of this annex.”
Her shrill voice made Sienna’s head ring. Sienna roughly jabbed her needle into the white fabric as if it were Marianne, then looked her straight in the eye.
Marianne scoffed. Her glinting green eyes scanned the annex here and there.
Sienna quietly bit her lip.
She understood the meaning of Marianne’s haughty gaze, surveying the place as if she were the owner—despite once being unable to even set foot here.
This annex was once the greatest indicator of how much the Emperor had cherished Sienna.
Though not particularly large, it was comfortable and beautiful. Walls covered in rose vines and gold-painted exterior walls. Next to it was a modest fountain and a beautifully carved angel statue, and the annex’s courtyard bloomed with colorful flowers in all seasons.
All of this had been a momentary affection her father had given her. Now, it had transformed into mockery.
Marianne’s gaze, filled with derision, swept through the bedroom before turning back to Sienna.
“Leo will soon be coming to live here. I thought I should inform the former owner in advance.”
Sienna looked at her with a face full of disillusionment.
“After all, I wasn’t the owner, right?”
Marianne sneered.
“Come to think of it, Sienna, you were never the mistress of the imperial palace. You were just the biggest mistake my father made in his youth. Both then and now, you’re nothing but a foreigner here.”
“Did you come all this way just to say that?”
Sienna, who had been silent until now, let out a small laugh. She put down her embroidery frame and stood up.
“While you’re already dealing with a headache, you’ve personally come here just to tell me to leave the palace. Should I consider this an honor?”
As she approached closer, Marianne’s triumphant expression visibly stiffened.
