Declan swiftly climbed the stairs and grabbed Sienna’s wrist just as she was about to enter the bedroom. The struggle was brief. Declan pushed Sienna into the room while holding her wrist and closed the door behind her.
It wasn’t difficult to anticipate what would happen next. As Sienna swung her free hand in the air, a sharp friction sound rang out. His head, which had been half-turned, slowly turned back towards her.
Sienna, who had been glaring at him fiercely, suddenly shifted her gaze to the blood at the corner of his mouth. Declan pulled her wrist without avoiding her gaze.
Without a chance to resist, their breaths were close enough to touch.
“I wish you wouldn’t rashly assume what I’m enduring.”
Though somewhat ambiguous, it didn’t take Sienna long to understand his words. With their upper and lower bodies tightly pressed together, the foreign sensation on her right thigh was quite vivid.
Sienna’s face stiffened, knowing full well the identity of that sensation. Declan looked down at her expressionlessly and let out a cold sneer.
Sienna tried to immediately pull her body back, but the arm around her waist showed no sign of letting go. After a while of being unable to move, Sienna spoke.
“If it’s a misunderstanding, I’ll apologize. But I hope it’s not a misunderstanding that my husband isn’t the kind of trash who would do such a despicable thing to his wife.”
Even in this situation, she was doing her best not to show any sign of fear. Declan responded with a dry laugh.
“That’s right.”
The arm around her waist slowly loosened. Sienna let out a barely audible breath.
“Whether you endure me or endure the gossip outside, that’s something you’ll choose.”
Sienna, who was pulling away from him, paused.
The words she had heard in the palace earlier began to resurface in her mind. While the words directed at her were familiar, now even Soliet was being put on the chopping block. And Sienna knew this was just the beginning of what happened at the tea party.
Would things improve if a legitimate heir is born? Perhaps that child might also hear unfair words, just like Soliet, simply for being her child.
Sienna bit her lip.
Still, if a son is born, at least Soliet would be safe. No one would dare to go against her, being the full sister of the next head of the grand duke’s family.
Even after he released the arm around her waist, their bodies remained intertwined.
As her resolve formed, a dark sense of resignation clouded her face. Instead of turning away, she lifted her heavy gaze to look at him.
Their eyes met briefly. Declan tilted his head slightly and devoured her lips.
She didn’t refuse the hand sliding across her bare skin, ripping her dress. She simply gripped his shirt firmly, like a lifeline, without stopping his uninhibited movements.
The kiss that started by the door soon collapsed onto the bed.
If relationships have a form, this would be a distorted, merely grotesque form.
But to him, it was more cherished and precious than anything in the world.
****
After that day, the couple’s relationship became even colder.
The Grand Duke spent every night in the Grand Duchess’s bedroom, but the atmosphere was certainly different from their newlywed days.
The employees couldn’t have failed to notice the difference. Fights from the bedroom were notably loud, and quite a few people heard those sounds in passing.
A relationship formed with such deep emotional divide couldn’t be the same as before.
Nevertheless, the Grand Duke consistently spent the night in the Grand Duchess’s bedroom. Even when Sienna would explicitly tell him to disappear at the break of dawn, he silently remained.
Not only that, he would bring Soliet and have breakfast together. His intention was clear that he didn’t want to simply disappear as she wished.
But for young Soliet, these were all joyful moments. Being able to see both mom and dad every morning. Soliet’s happy smile was the reason Sienna couldn’t skip breakfast, despite finding Declan uncomfortable.
The child was more excited than ever during meals. Sienna would sit with a listless face but would skillfully match Soliet’s chatter.
Sienna was typically strict with Soliet regarding etiquette, but she would let her run wild beside Declan. Otherwise, she felt she might immediately throw a plate at her husband’s face.
Declan was as usual. Impeccably dressed, he would neatly place food on Soliet’s plate and patiently respond to the child’s ceaseless chatter.
From the outside, the three appeared to be a perfectly harmonious family.
Sienna became pregnant again when another season had passed.
****
Soliet, having finished half a day of horseback riding, was seen persistently begging Declan. Presumably, she wanted to ride the horse more. Sienna watched the scene absentmindedly.
Declan let out a soft laugh at the child’s wheedling. Making a face of helplessness, he took the reins from her hand. Looking at Soliet’s face as she turned away, it seemed like she had made quite a good deal, as her expression wasn’t too bad.
“Mom!”
Soliet discovered Sienna and ran to embrace her.
“A grown lady shouldn’t run around like a foal,” Christine chided, but Soliet just shrugged.
Sienna brushed the dirt off Soliet’s riding clothes. The grass and soil on her palm suggested she hadn’t been particularly gentle today.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes! Dad says when I get bigger, he’ll give me his black horse!”
Soliet jumped around with excitement. Christine clicked her tongue.
“Your Grace, aren’t you raising the young lady too roughly? She’s not even a young master.”
“My daughter should have some talent,” Declan responded playfully. Just as his gaze was about to turn to Sienna, she stood up, holding Soliet’s hand.
“Look at the state of her. She should wash up first.”
****
Sienna brushed Soliet’s hair. Soliet sat obediently. When Sienna untangled the knotted parts by hand, only then did Soliet start playing around.
While playing and chatting, Soliet suddenly pressed her face against Sienna’s belly.
“Is there really a baby here?”
“They say so. Be nice when it’s born.”
Soliet said nothing. Sienna, who had been stroking her hair, lowered her hand and touched the child’s cheek.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Will it be a little brother?”
“I don’t know that either. Would you like a boy?”
Even with a laughing tone, Soliet just blinked. In truth, she wasn’t happy about getting a sibling.
But…
A conversation between the nursemaid and Christine from a few days ago suddenly came to her mind.
‘If only this one’s a boy. That would make things easier for the Madam and for Young Miss Soliet’s future.’
‘You know best. If the heir is unstable, the family’s and her own situation will become more precarious.’
She couldn’t understand everything, but it was clear that a male child was needed for her mother.
Unaware of these inner thoughts, Sienna tapped Soliet’s nose.
“If it’s a girl, Soliet will be the older sister.”
“Like Mom and Aunt Marianne?”
Soliet surprisingly remembered Marianne from the tea party. Sienna briefly closed her mouth before asking in a bright voice.
“Yes. What do you think?”
“Hmm. I’m not sure.”
Soliet reacted indifferently. That was understandable, as even to young Soliet, her mother and aunt didn’t seem to be on good terms.
With a sullen face, Soliet mumbled.
“But… what happens to me when the baby is born?”
“Huh?”
“Will you stop loving me?”
Sienna looked down at the teary eyes, bewildered. Eventually, a deflating laugh escaped her.
“No way. Even when the baby is born, you’ll still be very special to me.”
Soliet’s cheeks turned rosy.
“Hey, Mom. Will the baby like me?”
“Of course. Definitely.”
Sienna answered without a shred of doubt.
Soliet was an affectionate child. She could unconditionally accept kindness and knew how to show unprovoked goodwill to others.
Sienna had never doubted for a moment that Soliet would grow into a wonderful lady. If anything, she was more worried that the bloodline she inherited might ruin her future.
