Episode 80. What is Fate? (3)

I could handle the work, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t annoyed. I twirled my pen in frustration.

“You used to call me an idiot all the time, so why do you keep giving me all this work?”

When I complained like that, Julius slowly lifted his gaze from the documents he was reviewing. He scoffed and said,

“I’m pretty sure you’ve called me an idiot more times than I’ve ever called you one.”

“Ugh.”

If it were just the two of us, it would have been fine, but the problem was that Julius said it in front of all his advisors, who were now staring at me with wide eyes. My face turned bright red, and I quickly lowered my head, pretending to be engrossed in the paperwork.

‘What on earth is going on? Why is he suddenly making me do all this? I thought he just wanted me to help him sleep or something.’

No matter how much I grumbled, it didn’t seem like Julius was going to lessen my workload, so I sighed and got back to writing. It wasn’t that the work was difficult, just that I didn’t want to do it. As a result, the documents quickly piled up, then disappeared as I worked through them.

‘I’ve never seen Percy work like this.’

It’s not as if there were no administrative tasks at the Stewart mansion. He must have been handling them on his own without me noticing.

Thinking about how Percy must have been busy behind the scenes made my heart ache a little. I let out a small sigh through my nose.

‘I wonder how Percy is doing.’

It had been quite some time since I’d been whisked away to the Imperial Palace.

While I was lost in thought, Julius suddenly called out to me.

“Sienna.”

“Yes?”

“What do you think fate is?”

“Fate?”

What kind of question was that? Had he gone mad from overwork? I looked at him in confusion before my eyes lit up with excitement as a thought struck me.

“Wait, are you in love, brother? Is that why you’re dumping all this work on me?”

A single man, offloading his work while talking about fate—it could only mean he was in the throes of romance.

I stared at him with eager eyes, but Julius’s face twisted in frustration. He grumbled as he replied.

“…What do you take me for? Just answer the question.”

It’s love, for sure. It has to be.

I grinned mischievously, and Julius looked appalled. I couldn’t help but laugh and then shrugged.

“Is there such a thing as fate in this world? Well, maybe something similar. Everyone is born into different circumstances.”

Sienna Liata likely didn’t want to become a villainess. I had no way of knowing her true feelings since I couldn’t communicate with the real Sienna, but I couldn’t help but feel that she didn’t even want to be born a princess.

But accepting that and living a resigned life wasn’t an option. I still had a long life ahead of me.

“Even so, I don’t think we have to accept the bad things. We should fight to change them.”

“…I see.”

Julius nodded slowly at my answer. Then, out of nowhere, he asked,

“So, do you think you and Percy Stewart are fated?”

“Ah! What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

He had been talking about his own romantic problems, and now he was suddenly bringing up mine? My face turned bright red as I flailed in embarrassment, but Julius just pointed out the window with his finger.

“If you go to the garden right now, he’ll be there.”

“Huh?”

I blinked in surprise. Julius avoided my gaze, lowering his head slightly as he added,

“It just so happens to be your break time.”

“I’ll be right back!!”

Finally understanding what he meant, I jumped to my feet. Like a cat, I dashed out of the room and down the hallway.

“Princess!”

“Oh, sorry!”

I could hear a small yelp as I ran past, but I didn’t have time to worry about it. I raced outside, and as the large doors swung open, the fresh scent of the garden’s flowers filled the air.

At this moment, there was only one person on my mind. His golden hair gleaming brightly under the sunlight.

“Percy!”

Percy Stewart was indeed strolling through the garden, just as Julius had said.

The moment I saw him, I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I ran straight into his arms, hugging him tightly. It was almost like a surprise attack, but Percy’s strong arms quickly wrapped around me, holding me securely as he took a moment to realize who I was.

“…Sienna?”

Yes, it’s me! I smiled brightly and hugged him even tighter, burying my face into his shoulder. His familiar, sharp scent filled my senses.

‘Ah, this feels so good.’

I had no idea how I managed without seeing Percy all this time.

For a moment, we just held each other tightly, neither of us willing to let go. When I finally loosened my grip, Percy slowly lowered me to the ground, but his arms remained firmly around my waist. Similarly, I kept my hands clasped around his neck. I looked up at his face, which seemed more worn than the last time I saw him, as if he wasn’t sure what expression to make. Frowning slightly, I asked,

“What happened to your face? You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.”

As I spoke, it was as if life returned to Percy’s eyes, which had been unfocused. He tightened his grip around my waist, his expression unreadable as he bowed his head, resting his forehead against mine.

“I couldn’t sleep well without you.”

“…?”

What was it with the men in this game? Why did they all claim they couldn’t sleep without me around? Did I somehow unlock a hidden max-level lullaby skill without realizing it?

But unlike Julius, Percy wasn’t the type to exaggerate about such things. Concerned, I looked up at him with worry.

‘He’s not sick, is he?’

Despite my concern, the words that came out of my mouth were anything but kind, thanks to the options that suddenly appeared before me:

▶ Judging by your nonsense, it seems you’re doing just fine.
▶ Your looks are your only redeeming feature, so take care of them.

Why was I never given a choice to say something nice?

‘Well, well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, dear options.’

I narrowed my eyes at the options.

‘It was so much easier with Julius since no options appeared.’

Does this mean that my relationship with Julius doesn’t really matter? Either way, I had to choose the lesser of two evils—something that would hurt Percy the least while still getting my point across. I chose the second option.

“Your looks are your only redeeming feature, so take care of them. If your face keeps deteriorating like this, I might have to dump you.”

I figured Percy knew he was handsome, so it wouldn’t bother him too much.

But to my surprise, Percy looked serious.

“…Is it that bad?”

‘Why do you only take the weird things to heart?!’

He could be oddly sensitive at times. I twirled a strand of my hair nervously and tried to backtrack.

“Oh, no, it’s not that bad…”

Honestly, he was ridiculously good-looking. Even if his face was a little worn, it only added a touch of melancholy that made him even more appealing!

‘Why can’t I just say what I really mean?’

As I was internally berating myself, Percy pulled me even closer, wrapping his arms around me with renewed strength. His voice was soft as he whispered,

“Then stay by my side.”

A shiver ran down my spine at his words. Percy’s voice had always been pleasant, but I’d never heard it sound so tender. Startled, I looked up to find his red eyes gleaming with an intensity I’d never seen before.

‘It’s almost like he’s confessing his love with his whole being.’

It wasn’t like Percy to express his emotions so openly. I tilted my head in confusion.

“…Did something change while I was away? This isn’t like you.”

“It isn’t, is it?”

Percy chuckled softly and nodded. His lips brushed against my forehead, then my eyelids, then my nose. When I squinted from the ticklish sensation, he replaced his kisses with a sweet murmur.

“While you were gone, I thought a lot about what I wanted to say when I saw you again. But now that you’re here, I can’t seem to remember any of it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You sure have a roundabout way of saying you missed me.”

“I missed you.”

The feeling in his voice was so clear it was like he had only just realized it. He blinked, then smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Yes, I missed you.”

Those simple words struck me more deeply than if he had said he loved me or liked me.

My face grew hot, and suddenly, the physical closeness that had felt so natural moments before became almost unbearably intense. I wanted to grab his face and kiss him right then and there. I wanted to share breath, share affection, and whisper back to him:

I missed you too.