Before dawn, Sienna, who had been tossing and turning all night, finally gave up on sleeping and put on her robe. At this hour before sunrise, there was no one moving about outside her bedroom.
Only when she reached the stairs did she faintly hear the sounds of breakfast preparation from the kitchen below.
Descending the wide central staircase revealed the vast hall she once traversed while holding his hand. Crossing this place where moments of contentment still lingered, she headed toward the outdoor terrace.
Opening the door, she was greeted by cold, damp pre-dawn air.
Instead of stepping outside, Sienna sat down on the steps leading to the garden and placed her bare feet on the grass. The sensation of soil between her toes wasn’t unpleasant.
The Grand Duke’s backyard connected to a dense cypress forest. The woods, not yet fully lit by dawn, remained shrouded in darkness. After briefly gazing at the forest, Sienna leaned her head against the railing and looked up at the gradually brightening sky.
The dark sky slowly transformed into violet as it caught the sunlight. She could see light gradually rising between the thick cypress trees. The occasional sound of awakening birds could be heard within.
The tranquil atmosphere seemed to calm her turbulent thoughts. In the washing wave of serenity, Sienna closed her eyes.
The territory resembled its master perfectly.
While wearing the face of paradise, when she had actually set foot in it, that tranquility had been denied to her alone. Only now, having finally become a complete stranger, did she feel peace in this land.
How much time had passed? Sienna opened her eyes at the sound of horse hooves approaching nearby. Her eyelids felt heavy, as if she had dozed off momentarily. It took several seconds to properly recognize the man in her view.
White shirt, leather gauntlets, and riding boots – seeing his more casual than usual attire made her realize he had returned from an inspection.
His quite relaxed outfit was such that a stranger might mistake him for a local shepherd.
‘A shepherd.’
Perhaps still not fully awake, even she found her own thought ridiculous.
Just then, Declan, having spotted her, dismounted and approached her while holding the reins.
Sienna fidgeted with her toes in the mud for no particular reason. The soil, now warmed, no longer felt cold.
“Why are you out here alone?”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
After that brief reply, Sienna stared intently at the horse he had ridden. It was a beautiful horse with gleaming black coat.
Noticing her gaze, Declan, who had been about to head to the stable, stopped and asked her.
“Would you like to ride?”
“No.”
Sienna withdrew her gaze.
“Come to think of it, I forgot something important. To travel from Sendelk Mountain to Parma, you’ll need to ride for quite a long time…”
He let his words trail off. But Sienna easily understood the omitted part.
“I learned how to ride before. It was a long time ago, but with some practice, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
A hint of surprise appeared in Declan’s eyes.
He had never once seen her ride a horse.
Like other noble ladies, she had always used carriages when transportation was needed, and even when Soliet went horseback riding, she would only sit on a bench and watch from afar.
So it was an unimaginable sight to him.
Guessing his thoughts, Sienna scoffed.
“You look like you don’t believe me.”
“That’s not true.”
Declan composed his expression and turned his head away. Just as he was about to step away.
“…Next time.”
The faint voice from her stopped him. After hesitating briefly, she asked in a barely audible voice.
“Would you like to go riding together?”
Though she had mustered up the courage, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes and looked down instead. Even so, she maintained her pride till the end.
“If you need to see it with your own eyes to be assured.”
Horseback riding is a basic skill taught to both men and women born into respectable families. In her childhood, Sienna had been recognized by her instructor for her exceptional ability, but riding in front of him was somewhat embarrassing for her.
No matter how good she was, how could she hold her head high in front of a man who had traversed battlefields across the continent on horseback?
After marriage, she had avoided riding at the Grand Duke’s residence purely for this reason. She didn’t want to risk being ridiculed.
She had always been stubborn like this in front of him.
But if this relationship was destined to end anyway, she wanted to follow her heart even at the cost of some embarrassment. Wouldn’t that be better than having regrets?
How much time had passed? After a prolonged silence, his response finally came.
“…Yes.”
Sienna slightly frowned at his curt answer. When she looked up, he quickly turned his face away. That’s when she caught sight of his reddened ears in the rising sunlight.
But before she could properly register this, he had already passed her by, holding the horse’s reins. Sienna watched his retreating figure with a dubious expression. Perhaps it was just her imagination that his steps seemed particularly hasty.
“…Well, at least it wasn’t a no.”
Her lips formed a definite curve as she muttered to herself alone.
****
The Duke’s carriage arrived at Monferrato late that afternoon.
The trouble started when the Princess twisted her ankle while alighting from the carriage.
Declan’s gaze turned toward the Duke, who was walking toward the Grand Duke’s front yard from a distance.
Apparently in a thoroughly foul mood, he was causing a commotion, shouting at the attending servants. Declan watched this display with a disgusted expression before turning away.
“Show the Duke to separate quarters.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Instead of heading toward Duke Lowell, Declan made his way to where Dahlia was. Dahlia was receiving treatment from the physician in a guest room near Sienna’s.
The physician, having just finished treatment, bowed to him and left the room.
The Princess had a different air about her than usual. Declan thought he knew why.
After hesitating briefly, Dahlia finally spoke with a determined face.
“You said to tell you if I ever needed help.”
Declan silently looked down at her. Dahlia’s eyes, meeting his directly, were firmer than ever before.
“That’s why I’m here.”
Dahlia had to summon all her strength not to tremble. She had come to the Grand Duke, deceiving her uncle whom she had never disobeyed in her entire life. For someone who had never properly rebelled before, this moment felt especially significant.
She spoke slowly and deliberately.
“I’m not asking for help empty-handed. Though I don’t know all the complicated circumstances… I know of a clue that could help Her Highness the Princess.”
“What kind of clue?”
“The ring I mentioned before.”
Declan’s gaze briefly drifted before returning to Dahlia. His interest was clearly more piqued than before.
“I brought it. Without my uncle knowing.”
Encouraged by the Grand Duke’s response, Dahlia spoke with more force in her voice.
Declan observed Dahlia silently, noting her resolute tone.
Her sister, who looked nothing like her, vaguely overlapped with her in a comforting way. Sienna’s expression back then in Lopwell, though filled with obvious anxiety but maintaining a strong front, was very similar to Dahlia’s current appearance.
Declan’s gaze briefly lowered to her ankle, tightly wrapped in white bandages.
Of all things, it had to be an ankle again.
Declan found himself smiling unconsciously.
“The Princess has unexpectedly bold aspects. Coming to the Grand Duke’s residence even at the cost of injuring yourself, trusting just that one word.”
“You’ll help me, won’t you?”
“Why are you so certain?”
“Well… because you seem to have feelings for Her Highness. And I’m someone who can help Her Highness…”
Dahlia hesitated but expressed her thoughts without filter. It was impossible not to notice. Even at the reception after returning from Lopwell. And now, even going against the Emperor to bring Her Highness the Princess to Monferrato to protect her.
Well, while public opinion varied, calling it a show of loyalty to the Emperor and such, Dahlia’s intuition pointed elsewhere.
People seemed to easily overlook that the Grand Duke was still a man, too focused on his heroic halo. Wasn’t the timing too perfect to be explained away by mere loyalty?
To Dahlia, the Grand Duke’s intentions seemed clear – bringing Her Highness the Princess, who had nearly married another man before an unexpected situation led to the cancellation, to his home as if seizing an opportunity.
For someone as intelligent and politically astute as the hero to rush in recklessly whenever matters involved Her Highness the Princess, it would be stranger not to notice.
However, since these were merely her conjectures and it would be rude to voice them, Dahlia began to grow nervous as the Grand Duke’s silence lengthened.
“Perhaps I spoke out of turn…”
“The Princess is correct.”
Dahlia blinked in surprise at his straightforward confirmation.
“It’s true that I have such feelings for Her Highness.”
“Oh…”
“So you came to the right place. Though your method was somewhat misguided.”
Though there was a slight reprimand in his words, it meant he would accept Dahlia’s help. Color returned to Dahlia’s anxious face. Even after Declan left the room, telling her to rest now, Dahlia couldn’t contain her excitement.
Finally, she could escape from the Duke. That fact alone made her feel endlessly elated.
The feeling of taking control of her own life for the first time was indescribably thrilling.
