“It’s already been decided.”
His resolute voice caused tears to begin flowing from Sienna’s eyes.
Now, she had no one else. Declan was her only person and family. Just as she had lost Theodore, she did not want to lose another precious person again.
Sienna barely suppressed her churning emotions and grasped his arm.
“Please. Surely there must be another way. I will beg Joseph… No, I will go to the Emperor. If a letter won’t work, I’ll go to the capital right now…”
But no response came from him. Sienna persisted, pleading earnestly. She was originally someone who had never begged anyone, but standing before him now, she had no pride left.
Words poured from her mouth: Do not leave me alone. I absolutely cannot have this child by myself. If something happens to you, I will go mad.
However, no answer returned. As the silence lengthened, hope slowly faded from her eyes.
“…If you’re going to act so arbitrarily, why did you take a wife?”
She could not comprehend this situation at all.
She was fine with the people of the Grand Duke’s household not treating her as the mistress. But Declan’s attitude was something she could not simply overlook.
No matter how renowned a soldier he was, he now had a family. He had a wife he had promised to be with for life, and a child who would soon be born.
She cried out, unable to bear it.
“You are my husband. You are no longer just a soldier!”
“Before being your husband, I am also the master of the Grand Duke’s household. The Count Monches’s family has long been a loyal vassal.”
His softly spoken voice was somehow cold. His words, which seemed to indicate a firm decision, made Sienna’s jaw stiffen.
These people in this household were close to each other.
That’s why she wanted to integrate herself among them. Even if everyone now regarded her with disdain, she believed that if she just tried hard enough, she would eventually belong.
Yes, if only she tried hard…
But no matter how much she pleaded, he would certainly still go on his expedition.
‘What am I to you?’
Where her frustration had been, a deep sense of betrayal now settled. Sienna, looking at him with a coldly composed face, quietly muttered:
“If I had known this situation would arise, I would not have followed you.”
The words were not truly from her heart. Yet in this moment, she could not speak more gently.
The corners of his mouth subtly twisted as he silently watched her.
“So. Do you regret it?”
Sienna’s gaze wavered.
“Do you regret following me?”
His tone was flat, without any emotion.
Sienna moved her lips soundlessly. She should say no, but for some reason, the words would not emerge.
Though her feelings toward him had significantly changed now, when she first encountered Declan in Lopwell, he was merely a means to an end for her.
She had grabbed onto him in Lopwell because he was her only lifeline, and simultaneously because Declan’s existence was most threatening to the Emperor. Just as the former Emperor had, Joseph also feared and monitored Declan’s existence.
But now married to her, he was no longer the hero who posed a threat to the Emperor.
Foolishly, she only now realized what he had sacrificed for her to regain her freedom. Perhaps she had essentially handed his leash to Joseph.
And that was not all. Perhaps even Theodore’s death might have been something she had inadvertently caused.
When no response came from her, the subtle curve on Declan’s lips slowly faded.
At that moment, voices calling for him could be heard from outside. Sienna’s vacant gaze followed the sound outward—men in uniform and military horses, no different from before.
Sienna, watching them with a pale, frozen expression, felt her body go completely rigid.
Declan’s gaze settled low. He reached out and embraced her waist.
This was simply the current situation. Neither he nor she could think properly right now.
Declan concluded this decisively.
He had already obtained what he desired. Having acquired the woman he longed for, and with a child soon to be born, everything would finally be perfectly in place.
Now he just needed to maintain it. For that, this expedition was unavoidable.
After he stepped down from his position as commander-in-chief, Theodore, who had been a member of the Order of the Knights, succeeded him. Thus, Declan could not escape responsibility for Theodore’s death.
“It will not take long,” he said, briefly kissing her forehead before departing.
The conflict remained unresolved. This was their farewell.
****
After the Grand Duke’s expedition, the Grand Duchess focused solely on her duties. Her words became strangely fewer, though no one paid particular attention—she was not someone who typically engaged in casual conversation with employees.
After her husband’s departure, Sienna fell into profound depression, but she did not neglect her responsibilities. This was not due to an extraordinary sense of duty.
Rather, she simply hoped her child would grow up differently from herself. She knew better than anyone how painful it was to bear the mistakes of one’s mother.
The luxurious mansion felt like a marsh, endlessly pulling her downward. Even in her extreme powerlessness, Sienna tried to recall what she had gained. She repeatedly told herself she had made a choice without regret.
Left alone in Monferrato, she organized ledgers and managed the estate in Declan’s absence. Though disapproving glances followed her everywhere, she managed administrative tasks quite capably.
The head butler, and even the Count who had previously looked down on her, could not help but be surprised by her neat handling of customs documents necessary for business.
Once she became familiar with the work, her processing speed also improved. In her spare time, she would retrieve books from the study to read.
Christine wished it were perhaps mythological or folk tales, but they were invariably historical texts or geographical documents chronicling the rise and fall of kingdoms on the Kralto continent.
Christine furrowed her brow, finding these somewhat peculiar texts inappropriate for a pregnant noblewoman.
Unable to bear it, Christine brought embroidery materials and taught her how to embroider. Unfortunately, Sienna had no talent for needlework. With Christine’s help, she completed a baby’s swaddling clothes, but the uneven shape was not particularly attractive.
Looking at the finished product with an unsatisfactory expression, Sienna was met with Christine’s deliberate consolation.
“With practice, you’ll gradually improve.”
“Couldn’t I just buy these instead?”
Sienna responded in a less-than-pleasant tone.
“Eh. Still, these are the first clothes the baby will wear. Wouldn’t it be better to wear something made by their biological mother? That way, the little one will feel their mother’s love.”
Although Christine spoke with a soft smile, Sienna did not reply.
After struggling with the needle all day, her eyes were strained and her shoulders ached. She couldn’t understand why she was suffering through this when she could afford to buy baby clothes.
Sensing her inner thoughts, Christine quickly tried to change the subject.
“Or shall we make something to give to the Grand Duke? People often pass handkerchiefs when someone goes to war. Although he has already left for the battlefield… if we give it to him when he returns, I’m sure he would appreciate it.”
Sienna pressed her lips together and picked up the baby clothes again. Christine smiled and suggested various decorations that might look good on the garment, but Sienna wasn’t listening.
Their first marital argument happening on the day of his expedition was the worst.
Ruben had subtly suggested sending a letter first, but Sienna couldn’t write a single word on the stationery for days.
Even when holding the pen, she didn’t know what to say. He had not reached out either, but news from the battlefield continuously flowed into the Monferrato territory.
Fortunately, reports came that the Imperial Army was regaining the upper hand where he was stationed, and people saw this as another confirmation of the Grand Duke’s prestige. While she was relieved to hear of his safety, she somehow did not find pleasure in people praising the Grand Duke’s abilities.
“By the way, aren’t you curious, Your Highness? Whether it will be a lovely young miss or a young master…”
“It will be a boy,” Sienna stated definitively.
Christine looked at her with a curious expression. “How can you be so certain?”
“Just…”
Because it has to be.
Sienna briefly responded while threading navy blue thread into the needle. It was the color symbolizing the Monferrato Grand Ducal family, and in Kralto Imperial customs, blue-toned decorations were commonly used for male children’s items.
It was a color perfectly suited to the heir who would inherit the family line.
She deeply understood her own reputation. Despite being pregnant, she was still barely recognized as the mistress, not fully accepted by the household staff.
While Christine and the head butler Ruben treated her relatively moderately, that was the extent of it. Sienna was always a foreigner in the Grand Duke’s household.
Having lived as an outsider her entire life in the imperial palace where she was born and raised, she could endure such treatment. However, when she lay down at the end of a busy day, the suppressed sense of isolation would resurface.
