As Sienna entered the imperial palace, the Empress smiled her characteristic soft smile, gently caressing Soliet’s cheek while commenting on how adorable the child was, taking after her parents.
With the Empress publicly praising her, the noblewomen around her gradually began to chime in. Except for Marianne, who stood with a sour expression, everyone started complimenting Soliet.
“How dignified the young miss is.”
“Looking exactly like the Grand Duke, she will surely become a beauty.”
The words flowing into her ears were all quite satisfactory.
In her eyes, Soliet was indeed exceptional. With a doll-like pretty face and maintaining her composure among adults without being intimidated, Sienna found her endearing and proud.
Sienna’s objective had been steadily achieved. Those who had previously boasted that she would never establish herself in the Grand Duke’s residence now said nothing upon seeing Soliet, who was exactly like Declan.
While drinking fruit wine and listening to the surrounding flattery, she gradually became tipsy. She handed the child to her nursemaid, intending to step out to the garden and have a cigarette.
As she put a cigarette in her mouth and lit it, she heard a conversation not far away.
“After all, she’s just a girl who can’t inherit a title.”
“Getting so full of herself just for having one daughter. Her inability to understand her place seems unchanged.”
Giggles of laughter flowed clearly into Sienna’s ears. She leaned against a pillar, expressionless, and exhaled cigarette smoke.
“Just leave her be. She’s a pitiful life with nothing else to her name.”
Marianne’s monotonous voice followed. The noblewomen began flattering each other as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“Even as sisters, she could never compare to Her Highness the First Princess’s noble character.”
“Oh my, sisters? They’re not born from the same womb to begin with.”
Until then, Sienna had been standing without much reaction, but she froze at the continued words.
“Well, at least she has a background, so she might not need to worry about her daughter’s marriage.”
Mocking words were accompanied by suppressed laughter. Sienna extinguished the unsmoked cigarette on the ground and crushed it under her shoe.
When she returned, Soliet had already fallen asleep in the nursemaid’s arms. Though the strong smell of cigarettes made the nursemaid’s brow furrow, Sienna paid no attention. She took the child from the nursemaid as if snatching her and held her tightly, climbing into the carriage.
The cold night air caused Soliet to burrow into Sienna’s embrace.
“Soli.”
Sienna rubbed her cheek against the sleeping child’s cheek and murmured.
“Mommy loves you more than her own life.”
So you will never be like me. You will never repeat the things my father and mother did.
But there might be inevitable things. When you come of age and enter the capital’s social circles, will you also live among such words?
Will you resent me for leaving you with the disgraceful label of a traitor?
Sienna hugged Soliet tightly with a melancholic expression.
The carriage crossed the capital as deep darkness descended. When the carriage stopped in front of a mansion located in the most secluded part of the affluent neighborhood where noblemen’s residences were clustered, Sienna finally looked up. Her absent gaze floating by the window discovered a man standing in front of the mansion.
His attire was perfect from head to toe, in stark contrast to her loose appearance from drinking.
“…News travels quickly.”
The servant waiting outside opened the carriage door as it stopped.
Declan approached and lifted Soliet without even glancing at Sienna. Suddenly dropped from her mother’s arms, Soliet was startled and opened her eyes. Realizing the person holding her was her father, she closed her eyes again.
“Mmm. Daddy…”
“Did our princess listen to mommy well?”
The momentary exchanged glance was clearly cold, but his voice towards the child was warm.
Sienna, whose intoxication had not yet subsided, slightly staggered when getting out of the carriage. His gaze, which had been on Soliet, immediately turned to her.
“Have you been drinking?”
His voice was coldly different from just moments ago. Sienna unconsciously covered her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Just one or two glasses of fruit wine…”
“I won’t interfere with where you go, but from now on, do not take Soliet with you.”
Sienna’s gaze slowly met his. Declan spoke expressionlessly.
“The child is not a tool for you to enhance your reputation.”
There was a subtle undertone of contempt. Sienna flared up and raised her voice.
“What are you saying? You seem to think only you know what’s best for Soliet, but I care for her just as much.”
“Do you really think so?”
Declan gave a small laugh.
“You would have loved her more if she were a son who could inherit the title.”
“How conveniently you say that.”
The voice that slipped between her reddened lips was subtly fierce.
“The people in social circles already speak about me in the same way you do. That I’m a woman who’s full of herself, unable to bear an heir.”
His handsome brow slightly wrinkled at her unfiltered words. As he was about to enter the Grand Duke’s residence with the child, he turned back to her.
Though his displeased gaze was fixed on her, Sienna continued speaking firmly.
“They say I’m not fulfilling my duties as the Grand Duchess… Can you really say that’s entirely my fault?”
Declan just stared at her, looking utterly perplexed. Then Sienna lowered her eyes and spoke in a calmer tone.
“So please don’t look down on me taking Soliet around. After all, in this house, she’s the only thing I can showcase, isn’t she?”
“Don’t tarnish the name of the Grand Duke’s family.”
He walked away with a disgusted expression. At the sound that was like a sigh of resignation, Sienna was overwhelmed.
“If only…”
She bit her lip and spoke softly.
“If only you hadn’t been the one who came to Lopwell at that time.”
“…….”
“Even if another man had said the same thing to me, nothing would have been different.”
Declan’s steps stopped shortly after.
The nursemaid, who had been watching their interaction from a distance, approached and took Soliet. After confirming that the nursemaid had entered the Grand Duke’s residence and the door had closed, Declan turned around.
Their cold gazes met in the empty space.
“Would it have been any different on my side?”
“…….”
“It would have been compassion. Or some trivial knightly code.”
Sienna’s eyes turned red. Transparent liquid soon filled her eyes, but she forcibly lifted the corners of her mouth.
“Seems like you’re feeling regret.”
“Absolutely not.”
He let out a scoffing laugh as if the idea was preposterous.
“But at least I got Soliet.”
While every parent might consider their child special, for Declan, Soliet was more precious than anything in the world.
Declan loved seeing Soliet running towards him, her black hair flying. He loved how the corners of her eyes would slightly rise when she played. They were all Sienna’s traits.
She had become his wife but was a woman he would never truly possess. How strange the human heart is. The more his unreachable feelings towards Sienna and proportional resentment grew like a snowball, the deeper his attachment to Soliet became.
“But it’s surprising. To hear you talk about an heir.”
He reached out and tucked Sienna’s hair, blown by the wind, behind her ear. When his cold fingers touched her body, flushed from alcohol, she involuntarily flinched.
The corner of Declan’s mouth rose slightly. Simultaneously, his gaze looking down at her was extremely cold.
“Despite finding my touch repulsive.”
“Isn’t enduring it the same for both of us?”
Sienna swatted away his hand that had stopped by her ear. The movement was sharp and ruthless. The brief intertwined gaze was sharp for both of them.
Sienna was the first to avert her eyes. She passed by him with a face that showed she didn’t even want to interact with him. Declan silently let out a bitter laugh.
What exactly are we enduring? Do you even know what I’m enduring?
His gaze, which had been tracing where Sienna had stood, landed on his own outstretched hand.
A terrible disillusionment suddenly crossed his face.
He had always been afraid. Afraid that the fragile woman, who would seemingly shatter if he applied the slightest pressure, would ultimately leave his side. While she had seemed strongly attached to her life even in dire situations in Lopwell, now she seemed to be merely passing days by inertia.
After Soliet’s birth, she had regained some stability, but for some time now, her face had been constantly filled with deep regret. Even her face looking down at Soliet sometimes bore such an expression.
A face that seemed like it might suddenly disappear was sometimes like one calculating when to leave.
That silent expression would often suffocate him.
Declan knew Sienna would never abandon Soliet. Deep down, she longed for a warm family. Even though she usually ignored him, she would look at him with a strange expression whenever he spent time with Soliet.
Yet, he could not be at ease. He feared her intensely loving heart for Soliet might someday dim, and he was anxious that she might even grow tired of her position as Grand Duchess.
And today, the moment he heard that Sienna had taken Soliet and left Monferrato, his mind went completely blank.
