Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi

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Chapter 8 – For Things That Go Too Far (6)

‘What is it now?’

Sienna was resentful for the king, who had taken away her long-awaited opportunity.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“No.”

“See you here again for lunch tomorrow. You must come. You’re coming, right?”

With that, Dandelion smiled at her, who was almost in tears. He reassured Sienna, “Yes. I’ll be waiting.”

She struggled to take a steady step.

‘Is today that day?’

In the original, the king called Siena only twice. So, she thought one of them would be just around this time.

Apparently, Marquis Theo Valencia and his son Jad Valencia were invited to have tea time.

The external reason was to commend the achievements of stabilizing the border by eradicating the monsters on the periphery. Though, of course, the real purpose is to promote the marriage between Sienna and Zad.

‘Jad is going to run wild, so, there’s no need for me to go all the way there, but…’

Somehow, Sienna had a feeling that something annoying was going to happen.

***

Honey-colored blonde like Pierre, golden-brown eyes like Sienna.

However, the only distinguishing differences are that the color of the old king’s hair faded, and the light in his eyes also faded.

The man standing next to him was a man with silver hair and a slightly ferocious impression. With many years of scars, he was still showing his sturdy appearance even though he was old.

Theo was a friend who graduated from the academy with Aden, king of Stern, before becoming Marquis Valencia.

“Theo.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Just relax, it’s just the two of us.”

“Thank you, but if I get into a habit, I will make mistakes.”

“You’re such an old man.”

“More than that, why did you call me here?”

The two were now inside the king’s office, in a secret room with the jewel of the royal family ‘Stern’s Bells.’* Originally, it was a space that only royals could enter, and the only time that Stern’s Bells came out of the secret room was only once every ten years.

The two men, Aden and Theo, were looking at the royal treasure side by side. It was crude to say that it was a jewel, as the light was dim. No one would think this was Stern’s Bells unless someone said so.

“Theo.”

The king spoke with his gaze at the royal treasure. He continued, “The child is the sun. The sun that will brighten Stern.”

“And the child is…?”

“Sienna.”

“The princess?”

It was only after he asked the king that Theo realized he had been impudent.

“I’m sorry.”

“No. Anyone would ask me that.”

Even though there was no exchange between the father and the daughter, Sienna was still his only daughter.

The king didn’t know what his daughter’s reputation was, and who was behind the rumors.

“But Theo, I could never forget Sienna’s eighth birthday… the moment when this jewel glowed and rang.”

“Is that true?”

The eyes of the Marquis, who always kept calm, widened.

Even though Stern’s Bells were gems, the reason why they got the name ‘bells’ was that it rarely made a clear sound of bells. It was a story that was passed down like a legend, but Aden clearly heard it.

“I have never experienced such a beautiful moment in my life.”

It happened the moment Sienna accidentally touched the jewel. He and Pierre clearly witnessed the scene.

Aden, who recalled years ago with a dreamy expression, soon took on a sad face.

“After all, I have never been a good father to Pierre and Sienna in my whole life.”

“Your Majesty…”

“So, at least I wanted to be a respected good king. Well, that also doesn’t seem to be the case now.”

“Do not say that.”

As the conversation was filled with tears and heat, Aden quickly changed the topic.

“Rather than that, did your son contribute to this battle?”

“He’s still just a kid.”

“As the years go by, he will grow up to be a great talent like you. Well, whose son is he, right?”

“Don’t praise him too much. It’s dizzying.”

“No. He was the child who was pointed out to be my daughter’s husband. This degree of praise is small. After all, Sienna’s eyes are very good.”

Theo bowed to the king’s true intentions.

“I’m sorry. Your Majesty.”

Everyone knew Jad was dissatisfied with this marriage. Besides, recently, there is a rumor that he is chasing after a Duke’s Young Lady. In many ways, It was embarrassing for Theo to face the king right now.

“Sienna is a child that lacks a lot, but she is pure and warm. She is becoming more and more like Irina.”

“Do you miss Her Majesty the Queen?”

“Do I deserve to?”

The two gazed at the Stern’s Bells, which had hidden its light.

Eventually, Sienna arrived. An attendant led her into the secret room.

“Why here?”

“His Majesty and Marquis of Valencia are waiting.” He said so and opened the door to the secret room.

Since Arthur had to wait outside, Sienna stepped in alone. As she walks down the narrow corridor, a square room soon emerges. She remembered coming here only once when she was young.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“You are here.”

Sienna greeted them in a graceful manner, slightly lifting the hem of her dress and bending her knees. Lifting up her head, Theo greeted her this time.

“It’s been a while, Princess.”

“Lord Valencia, it’s been a while.”

Stern’s Bells were seen in her eyes as she replied with the smile of an elegant, restrained, polite princess.

Neither the room nor the Stern’s Bells looked any different from before.

Sienna’s memories didn’t even appear in the original.

‘Yes. That bell sound…’

That damn bell was the beginning of her misfortune.

In the beginning, her relationship with Pierre wasn’t this horrible. In fact, it was from the very day when the three entered the room that he began to harass her in earnest.

A jewel that didn’t react when Pierre touched it. Though when Sienna’s hand stroked it, a warm glow was emitted. Together with the pure sound that was considered as a legend. At that time, the king was pleased that he couldn’t see anything else, but she did.

…How Pierre’s expression was badly distorted.

At first, he walked on her feet or deliberately dropped a snack on the floor to make it impossible to eat.

As they grew up a little bit, his harassment became vicious.

He kept her in the closet even though he knew that Sienna was scared of narrow spaces. At that time, she was only ten years old. She cried for a while and knocked on the door, but no one opened it. Falling asleep and fainting from exhaustion, she was trapped for a full day.

What was even more surprising was that no one knew it had happened.

Pierre told the servants that Sienna had fallen asleep while playing in her own room, and it was him who released her the next day.

He quietly threatened Siena, who was frightened and angry.

‘If you told anyone about this, I won’t let you go.’

The horror that day made her tremble for several days, but her body was weak, no one considered it strange. Everyone just simply shrugged it over, saying that the weak princess was in pain again.

Sienna couldn’t tell anyone, and she had to swallow that terrible night alone, by herself.

When she recalled her old thoughts, it felt like her stomach, which was already uncomfortable, turned upside down.

“It’s a good day, but would you like to move outside?”

She didn’t want to be here anymore.

“Yes, we can do that.”

She stepped back, gave way to the king, and glanced back at Stern’s Bell.

Pierre has been here several times since that day, but the jewel has not reacted ever since. Ironically, that was a little comforting.

The three headed to the recently completed central garden. Sitting in front of a pure white table, there were already four chairs ready for ceremonial greetings.

“He’s late.”

A man with the same silver hair as Theo Valencia, dark green eyes, dark eyebrows, and sensitive-looking eyes below it, approached with a relaxed step.

‘Jad?!’

Sienna avoided her eyes without realizing it. It was a little awkward to face him now.

Jad glanced at Sienna and sat next to her. Uncomfortable, she sipped the hot tea and peered at him with a sideways glance.

How the hell is he so good that she liked him before? The world is vast, and there are many men.

‘And besides, I am a princess!’

When she drank the tea, she thought that what was inside her would come up, but suddenly the king spoke to her.

“Sienna, you look a bit tired. Are you sick?”

“No. I can’t sleep.”

She is the princess, and she couldn’t just say that it was a hangover. Jad, on her side, had a look in his eyes as if saying, ‘of course, you’re that weak.’

‘So what?’ She, too, replied with her eyes.

Of course, with a noble smile on her lips.

While the two exchanged conversations with their eyes, the king spoke about the marriage in earnest.

“You’re twenty now. You’ve been engaged for quite a while, and I hope you’ll have a ceremony before the end of the year.”

Jad swiftly replied to the king. “Your Majesty, it won’t be too late to proceed after the princess recovers health.”

“I don’t want to rush to get married either.”

Sienna also joined in.

Hearing so, Jad turned his head and stared at her. He was wondering what kind of trickery was this again.

It seemed that he couldn’t easily believe her sincerity.

“I have already finished talking with the Marquis.”

“Father!”

Sienna called to appeal to her feelings.

“That’s right. My daughter, it was the marriage you’ve been hoping for so much. If you get out of this stuffy castle, your health will be better, too. There are a lot of trees and rivers in the Marquisate, right?”

Theo nodded his head.

“And Jad.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Please take care of Siena.”

Jad closed his mouth and delayed his answer. However, he reluctantly responded in a small voice, seeing the eyes of the Marquis seated across the table.

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

And so, tea time ended with an unwanted ending.

The king and the Marquis left first, saying they had something to attend.

While the two left behind were looking glum as if they were competing against who was more unhappy. Jad gave the first blow. “Are you happy to get what you want?”

She could feel that he was furious. Whenever Jad was angry, he deliberately treated her with respect.

“Sigh.” Sienna sighed loudly as she was tired.

In this situation, the two were on one side, but the stupid Jad seemed unwilling to listen to her.

“Jad, I have no intention of marrying you.”

“Can you show me with action, then?”

“The thirsty person digs a well.** If you want to break this marriage, you should do something more as well.”[ T/N: **The person who wants or needs it has to start the action. ]

“You dare to tell me to refuse His Majesty’s orders?”

There was a deep wrinkle in his forehead along with a sarcastic tone.

‘Ugh. Please shut up, Jad.’

She thought her stomach had subdued a little, but it turned upside down again. If not, it was because she was in a bad condition since she continued to sit in an uncomfortable seat.

As she rose up because she had no energy to deal with anything at the moment, Jad pulled roughly on her wrist and caused her to shake with the force. “Sienna!”

“Let me go!”

“Say something!”

“Stop. Ooph!”

Sienna quickly closed her mouth. Unfortunately, she swayed back and forth like a paper doll and ended up falling down.

“Uu, uurghh!”

———

Notes:

*Stern’s Bells was previously mistranslated as Stern’s Drops because at first, I thought there was no mention of bells, and what do bells have to do with anything? So, I used the word drops, since it was a more ‘book-title’-y name. Turns out it was Bells! Sorry for the inconvenience!

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