Side Story 4. Tender Affection (4)

But once the words were out, there was no taking them back. The aide pressed on, determined. He hadn’t brought up the subject without reason.

“Since Madam hasn’t shown herself in public, there are rumors spreading within the estate that your marriage is a sham. They say it was a simple political arrangement.”

“Why should I care about such rumors?” Percy scoffed dismissively.

In truth, he preferred it this way. Only he needed to know how precious Sienna was.

‘Why is everyone so obsessed with seeing someone else’s wife? They should focus on their own.’

Percy thought with a mixture of irritation and indifference.

‘Let them believe what they want. Whether they think it’s a fake marriage or not, Sienna is my wife. That’s an unchangeable fact.’

False rumors didn’t hurt or bother him in the slightest. Watching Percy’s indifferent attitude was enough to make the aide feel like his head might explode.

‘These rumors ‘are’ a problem!’

Unlike Percy, who was content to keep his beloved wife hidden from the world, the aide had to consider the morale of the estate. And there was no better way to stabilize the estate than by showing the public a glimpse of their lord and lady’s harmonious relationship.

‘She’s already here in the estate, not holed up in the capital. All she has to do is step outside for a moment!’

What was the issue? It wasn’t as if he was asking for frequent appearances—just enough to prove her existence.

The aide pressed his fingers against his temples, feeling a headache coming on. To further prod Percy into action, he brought up another troubling rumor.

“Some are even saying that your punishment of the acting steward proves you’ve been bewitched by a witch. You know how unfavorable the rumors about Princess Sienna are.”

“Perhaps I should rip their tongues out.”

The chilling reply made the aide’s headache throb even harder. Between pulling out tongues and having his wife step outside, wasn’t the latter clearly the simpler solution?

‘Ugh, I endure this because it’s my job.’

Jobs, after all, paid you to do things you didn’t want to do. The aide, swallowing his frustration, continued his appeal with tears in his heart.

“And Madam must be feeling restless as well. Doesn’t it seem unreasonable to keep her cooped up for over a month?”

“Oh, I could easily keep her indoors for another two months.”

“Pardon? Is that even possible?”

“She’s surprisingly introverted.”

The aide stared at Percy in disbelief.

Percy, unfazed, allowed a small smile to grace his lips as thoughts of Sienna filled his mind.

‘She’s so adorable.’

Perhaps it was because she was expecting, but these days, Sienna seemed to sleep more than usual. Even when she woke, if he wrapped her snugly in blankets and patted her gently, she would drift right back to sleep. During those moments, he found it almost impossible to put her down.

‘Even her sleeping face is precious.’

When her eyes were open, her sharp gaze gave her the impression of a feisty cat. But with her eyes closed, she looked as gentle as an angel, as if that were her true nature.

‘I’ll never understand how she got labeled a villainess. I could tell at a glance those rumors were nonsense.’

From the moment he first saw her, he knew she was kindhearted. Even when her words were biting, her face always betrayed her hesitation and discomfort.

For someone who had never cared much about others, Percy found her uniquely captivating.

‘Not that her kindness needs to be known by anyone but me.’

Thinking of Sienna, Percy began to feel pathetic for sitting here working while she was alone in their bedroom. He pushed the documents aside with his fingertips and stood abruptly.

“That’s enough for today.”

“Pardon? But we’ve barely been working for a few hours!”

“You’ve been talking about my wife, and now I find myself needing her.”

“Your Grace!”

The aide sighed in exasperation. It was true what they said—late learners were the most fervent. For someone who once seemed indifferent to women, Percy now couldn’t bear to be apart from his wife.

But the aide couldn’t let Percy walk away so easily. Desperately, he clung to his mission, trying to convince Percy one last time.

Having no other options, the aide resorted to invoking Sienna’s name.

“Your Grace, excessive possessiveness in a relationship can push anyone away. If Madam senses your possessiveness, she might even try to flee. And considering she’s a princess, she could use the imperial family’s influence to escape. Even you might find it difficult to bring her back.”

Percy’s eyebrow twitched. His sharp gaze sliced across the aide’s face like a finely honed blade.

“…You’d do well to stop overstepping your bounds.”

“My apologies!”

The aide bowed deeply, feeling the icy weight of Percy’s stare lingering on his neck like a blade poised to strike. A chill ran down his spine.

Yet, the punishment he feared never came. Percy simply turned away. Only after Percy’s attention had fully shifted did the aide let out a massive breath, like a fish that had narrowly avoided being hooked.

‘I survived.’

Recently, Percy had become so much gentler that the aide had grown bold, daring to cross lines he never would have in the past.

‘I should’ve remembered: the only one allowed to cross those lines is Madam Sienna.’

Relieved at his survival, the aide rubbed his neck nervously. Just Percy’s glance was enough to make his heart race, knowing how easily Percy could have ended him.

Meanwhile, Percy, having lost interest in the aide, leaned his chin on his hand and sank into thought.

‘It’s not entirely baseless.’

As much as the aide’s words about Sienna leaving irritated him, they weren’t completely implausible. Just a few nights ago, during a conversation about boundaries, Sienna had lightly scolded him.

-“You shouldn’t do that…”

‘I’d sit her on my lap every waking moment if I could.’

Percy’s heart ached at the thought of how much he wanted to keep her close, while she remained far more composed. He sighed softly, tapping his chin.

‘Perhaps some freedom will strengthen our bond instead.’

One only learns the value of home by stepping away from it.

Having made up his mind, Percy called for the head maid.

“Head Maid.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Assist Sienna in exploring the estate.”

Thus, Sienna’s first outing in over a month was arranged.

* * *

After buying baby clothes, I felt strangely drained and returned to the castle without having purchased a gift for Percy. Dragging my feet, I trudged back into the estate, only to be greeted by a familiar voice.

“Did you have a good time?”

“Percy.”

Appearing as if by magic, Percy emerged from one of the hallways and approached me with swift strides, placing a kiss on my cheek. Behind me, the maids let out a collective gasp of delight, making my face heat up.

“You’re still in the castle? I thought you’d be out until late today.”

The reason I had gone out alone to explore the estate was because Percy was supposedly busy with work.

Smiling faintly, he replied, “I finished earlier than expected.”

I was about to ask what had caused his plans to change, but Percy spoke first.

“How was the estate? Nothing unpleasant happened, I hope?”

The concern in his voice made me smile. It was endearing to see him worry over a simple outing. I brushed back a strand of his hair and answered, “Nothing unpleasant could happen here. It was fun. I even saw a big ship docking, though I didn’t board it.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And if you were thinking of buying a ship, don’t. I’ll make it clear—I don’t need anything that large.”

“…”

His lack of response made me suspicious that he had indeed been considering it.

‘He’s truly incorrigible.’

Grabbing his arm, I gently tugged him toward the bedroom.

“Come on, let’s head in.”

Even though I’d only been outside for a short time, it felt like I’d been away for ages.

Once inside, I untied the ribbon of my cape and handed it to Percy. It was almost overwhelming to see a man as important as a duke personally attending to me. Smiling wryly, I said, “You could leave things like this to the maids.”

 

 

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