HPBUY Side Story 4

Soliet hesitated briefly, but when Sienna gently pushed her back, she reluctantly took a step.

Declan bent his upper body so that Manuel could be clearly seen, and Soliet, darting her eyes around timidly, murmured shyly.

“Hello, Manuel.”

Manuel, who was being held by Declan, turned his head at the sound of his name.

After staring blankly at Soliet, Manuel smiled brightly as if he had never been crying and reached out his hand. Unlike his reaction to Declan, he showed no signs of stranger anxiety toward Soliet.

Declan laughed softly and muttered loud enough for Soliet to hear.

“It seems Manuel recognizes his sister.”

Soliet, who had been somewhat distant with her brother whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, suddenly lifted her head at those words.

“Really?”

“Of course. Even Mom rarely sees him smile so brightly like this. He must really like you, Soli.”

When Sienna, who had approached by then, chimed in, Soliet’s cheeks flushed red. She timidly extended her hand and held Manuel’s hand.

“Manuel, I hope you can speak soon.”

Sienna, who had been watching the siblings with delight, leaned her head on Declan’s shoulder.

Although yesterday’s mansion and today’s mansion were clearly the same space, Sienna felt as if she had only now truly arrived home.

****

That night, as Declan was putting both children to bed with Sienna, he raised his upper body after confirming that both were completely asleep.

He was about to suggest returning to their bedroom when he realized that Sienna, who had been lying on the opposite side, had fallen fast asleep next to Soliet.

Declan’s gaze narrowed, and he let out a silent sigh.

‘Finally we’re alone, and yet.’

Declan carefully lifted her so as not to wake the children and headed to their bedroom right next to the children’s room.

Sienna seemed to be in quite a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking even when laid on the bed.

“…You certainly sleep well.”

Even as he muttered this, his hands were removing the pins from her hair, concerned that they might make her uncomfortable.

At least she had already changed into her nightgown before putting the children to bed, so there was nothing else that required his attention.

It was just as he approached the dressing table to put away the carefully removed hairpins.

In the most conspicuous place on the dressing table was a pressed flower made from the bouquet Soliet had brought, and next to it were letters left by the maids arranged in a row, with one particularly catching his eye.

[To my dearest Sienna.]

The moment he read the elegant handwriting, a clear crease formed between his brows.

Although he knew that prying into someone’s private life like this was by no means moral behavior, there was no hesitation in his hand as he opened the letter.

The neat handwriting filled about two pages densely, but as he read, he found that strictly official matters constituted only a small portion, while the majority of the content was garbage.

It was a letter praising how beautiful she had looked at a banquet held at the Parma court on some day Declan had no way of knowing about.

The more he read, the more outrageous it seemed. Despite all the flowery language and verbose expressions, it was nothing more than blatant flirtation directed at a woman who already publicly had a child.

Declan barely swallowed the harsh words rising to the tip of his tongue.

It took considerable patience to suppress the urge to tear it up immediately and instead fold it exactly as before and place it back in its original position.

Just then, Sienna, who had been stirring in bed, opened her eyes. She looked around the bedroom with a drowsy face.

“The children……”

“They’re asleep. Have been for a while.”

Only then did Sienna realize that he had personally moved her here while she was asleep, and she furtively examined his expression.

“I must have dozed off without realizing it……”

Seeing his face stiffly set, Sienna inwardly sighed.

Perhaps it was because she had pushed herself to finish work in time for Declan and Soliet’s arrival in Ricata.

After spending a cozy time with all four family members, until they took the children to the bedroom, what Sienna had been looking forward to was putting Manuel and Soliet to bed as quickly as possible and having time alone with him.

But to her surprise, as soon as she lay on the bed, her rationality had melted away at the soft touch.

She had tried to regain her senses, but… it was all because Declan’s voice reading the fairy tale was too sweet.

“Declan, are you angry?”

Of course, noticing that his mood seemed off somewhere and correctly identifying the reason were separate matters.

“Not at all.”

Meanwhile, Declan’s earlier disappointment had vanished completely, and all his attention was focused on the letter.

He was highly curious about the face of the man who had sent such a letter, but he was concerned about appearing narrow-minded if he asked Sienna directly.

“How are the people at court? Are they all treating you well?”

“Well. On the surface, yes.”

Sienna smiled at his casual question.

“They can’t openly disrespect me anymore. There’s no harm in being close to them, right? Especially when they all know perfectly well who my children’s father is.”

“The more someone has to gain, the more parasites will cling to them.”

He muttered while picking up a whiskey glass.

Wasn’t even the king of this country initially bound to Sienna by engagement?

He had thought Jeremiah was a man of integrity, but the state of the other fools was apparent just from the letter he had seen earlier.

Having children from a relationship that hadn’t gone through a legal marriage, he wondered if some might view her lightly, but then again, what kind of mind would send such a low-level letter? He wanted to drag the writer in and see his face right away.

Sienna, not realizing the barb in his words, snorted.

“You underestimate me too much. Do you think I can’t handle that level of social maneuvering? I have the ability to protect myself, so don’t worry.”

“I’m concerned about men with impure intentions who might be acting up.”

At those words, Sienna’s eyes rolled toward him. His face was expressionless as usual, but somehow colder than normal.

Only then did Sienna realize, a beat late, why his mood was twisted, and she firmly pressed down her rising smile.

She had thought it strange that he would be so out of sorts just because she had fallen asleep early. If it was jealousy that had upset him, it wasn’t bad at all. No, rather, it was quite pleasing.

“Well… there are certainly people like that.”

In fact, they were mere insignificant small fry, but he needed to feel a sense of crisis.

Crucially, he was still not completely over the fact that she had undergone infertility treatment without consultation after Manuel was born.

“They say I don’t look like a mother of two children. Since I’m legally unmarried, there’s no problem.”

He stared at her while holding his whiskey glass. His face seemed to be saying, go on.

“So. Are you saying you’re going to try meeting other men, leaving me behind?”

Despite his still gentle tone, his eyes were quite fierce. Sienna asked mischievously.

“Are you worried? That I might marry another man here, leaving you behind?”

“…Sienna.”

When that calm voice called her name, Sienna burst out laughing.

“If you were someone I could abandon so easily, I wouldn’t have risked my life. Have you already forgotten? That I had plenty more chances to start anew.”

Only then did his sharp gaze settle. Sienna laughed once more at the obvious change.

Why did he still doubt? The reason she had chosen this path, even accepting the label of illegitimacy for her children, was only for him.

She had no regrets about that choice, regardless of what she had lost because of it.

Sienna said quietly as she nestled into his arms.

“Don’t waste your energy on unnecessary things. And you shouldn’t be looking at other women either.”

“…I swear that will never happen.”

“I can know everything even when I’m far away, you know? Always remember that there are eyes watching you from nearby.”

Sienna boasted proudly, apparently quite pleased with his reaction. Declan laughed briefly and kissed her forehead.

“Go to sleep now. Don’t you have to get up early tomorrow morning?”

It was the picnic that Soliet had been looking forward to. She had sent letters full of anticipation weeks ago for this rare family outing.

Though Sienna must also be aware of this fact, she wriggled in his arms.

“Are you very tired?”

She asked with an obviously intentional question. Declan, who habitually embraced her as she nestled into his arms, finally looked down.

Sienna deliberately touched his collar with a sorrowful face.

“You must not have missed me very much. Otherwise….I couldn’t sleep every night thinking about you.”

Her moist eyes drooped downward. Declan’s eyebrow raised slightly. He thought there was something vaguely familiar about this.

Now he realized that Soliet must have learned all her wheedling from watching Sienna.

But given that she had been sleeping soundly until now… Although he was pleased, he didn’t want to comply with her wishes so easily, so he played along with her obvious scheme.

“I wonder what you thought about me every night.”

Sienna’s ears turned red.

“…You know.”

“I don’t know unless you tell me.”

When he responded slickly, a pointed gaze immediately returned.

“Fine. I’ll just go to sleep.”

As she turned her body away with an offended face, he tightly embraced her from behind.

Still, she showed no reaction. At this, Declan rested his chin lightly on Sienna’s shoulder and persistently tried to meet her gaze.

“You’re going to sleep leaving me like this?”

“…Don’t touch me.”

Sienna twisted her body while responding sulkily, but it was already useless in a state where the two bodies were tightly interlocked. As she kept squirming in his arms, he bound her even more firmly.

“Do you think I’m any different? I’ve been enduring for months thinking only of you.”

Despite her explicit cold shoulder, Sienna did not push away the hands climbing up her body.

As the intensity deepened at a slow pace, she quietly asked in her characteristic low voice.

“Did you miss me?”

When Sienna slightly twisted her head, their gazes met obliquely.

“Beyond words.”

With a muted whisper, their lips met. Satisfied with the answer, Sienna burst into a short laugh and willingly wrapped her arms around his neck.

It was the beginning of a long night.