Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi

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Chapter 10 – Give And Take (1)

Sienna knew he wasn’t going to kill her.

It wasn’t time for her to die yet, and he wasn’t inhuman enough to have the urge to kill her in front of everyone. Pierre regarded his reputation and fame as life to the extent that it was an obsession. So, he wouldn’t do anything to scratch his name.

Still, even though she knew that fact, it doesn’t mean she wasn’t afraid or it wasn’t painful right now. The moment she lost consciousness, memories of just a few weeks ago passed before her eyes.

Flashing headlights, gruesome tire friction, and thick blood.

The moment she doesn’t want to remember again was played in her head. How do you live, how do you get it back?

She couldn’t just die like this.

But, ironically, Sienna was most distressed at the moment when she found her consciousness and awakened.

“Keuhk! Uhk!”

Suddenly, a cough broke out as she inhaled.

“Princess!”

“Are you awake?”

She continued to cough until her face turned red like the color of her hair. Her heart beats faster than when she runs her last lap at the gym, and the smell of blood could be felt in her throat.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t do anything. I’m really sorry.” As Sienna finally found her stability, Anna shed tears next to her.

“I’m not dead. It’s okay, I’m fine.”

“But.. If I had stepped out then.”

Looking at Anna with her eyes reddened, she spoke calmly.

“Dog’s death is a no-no. Whether it’s me or anyone.”

Although Pierre couldn’t kill her, he could kill Anna or anyone else. That was his current position…

“Anna, don’t die. Live a long life.”

“Princess…”

“Will you do that?”

Unable to answer as she kept crying, Anna barely nodded her head.

“By the way, I really died.”

She felt like she was doing a high-five to the underworld door not too long ago. Sienna didn’t have any confidence to do it again, even if she was given billions to do it again.

Her face was ghastly pale, as if she had died and survived. However, not just her, but the people in the Princess’s Palace, too.

“What about Arthur?”

“He was just next to you before…”

‘Well, he kept bothering to follow me, saying he can’t leave me alone.’ Sienna looked around on the bed, grabbing a cup of hot tea from Benny.

“It’s a mess.”

It was.

‘The person who is in charge of cleaning is going to get dizzy.’

The old nagging tickled her ears.

In the meantime, Anna, who finally calmed down a little, tried to show her thorough professional spirit as soon as she woke up.

“I will instruct them to get rid of it as soon as possible.”

“You can slow down. Everyone must have been surprised, take a rest.”

“Is the princess really okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay. I should be okay.” She said, repeating the words to herself.

Yes. She was really all right.

While everyone was busy cleaning, she applied some medicine.

The tips of her nails were red, with the blood of her and Pierre tangled together.

While she struggled to get away from him, she scratched his wrist. Eventually, he took his scratched hand away, looked down, and grabbed her neck.

“Oh my gosh…”

Nonetheless, what made Anna more frightened than the wound was the red mark on her neck. It remained like a bruise and didn’t seem to disappear easily.

“Oh my.”

Did he really mean to kill her? Still, weren’t they blood-related?

She knew he was garbage, but now, he was just a waste, like nuclear waste. So many feelings flooded through her again. She closed her eyes and covered her ears tightly.

“Pierre, you son of a b****!”

Sienna screamed with a belated surge of rage.

“Keuhk! Kuhk!”

Thanks to this, the cough came out again, but her anger went beyond the pain. Initially, she already had a personality that could never stand injustice.

‘I’ll never, never let it go…’

‘I will take revenge.’

***

“Harley!”

At Pierre’s call, Harley, his escort knight, approached quickly. Then, he threw a sword at Harley and threw his coat to the floor.

As he picked up the fallen clothes, Harley glanced at the sword.

‘Fortunately, there’s no blood on it.’

There was a chilly pressure for the last few days, but after hearing the news of the princess yesterday, he was scared to even talk to Pierre. So, when Harley suddenly went into the Princess Palace with his sword, all he thought was terrifying things.

Only after confirming that Pierre had entered the bedroom completely, he pulled out the vial from his chest.

Four years ago, Harley was appointed as Pierre’s escort knight.

He thought he was quite accustomed to it, but it seems like it’s still a long way to go. It was a glorious position to escort the next king, but living in such anxiety every day was a rush to the people.

The only thing to rely on is this drug.

Harley swallowed a stomach medicine recommended by his seniors.

Meanwhile, Pierre, sitting on the bed, rolled up his sleeves. There were several red scratches on the back of his hand and wrist.

“Hah, putting up your nails…?”

Though it didn’t hurt, it was unpleasant.

These days, Sienna was like a different person. She stared at him straight into his eyes and smiled back as well.

“Is she presumptuous?”

She would always shudder, avoiding his gaze, and dared not open her eyes or smile in front of him.

He loved seeing that rabbit-like girl terrified of him.

The day he saw such a face, he could sleep comfortably. Resting assured that Stern’s next king must be him.

The Sun of Stern, the master chosen by the Stern Bell, and all those who were talking about it had been put away. Now, Sienna is just Stern’s shame, the ugly princess. The ominous redhead and nothing has changed.

He himself will be the king, and she…

“You are nothing. Nothing.” Retorting to himself, Pierre bit his lips.

After contemplating for a long time, he called in Xeon.

“Did you call me?”

Xeon moved forward in front of Pierre.

“Are you still monitoring?”

“O, of course.”

“Is there anything out of the ordinary? Whoever she met or where she went?”

“Yes, she does not go out at all except the library.”

“Is there anyone in and out of that library?”

“Oh, there was one.”

“Is it Jad Valencia?”

“No. It wasn’t him, but a Lord, who seemed to be around my age.”

“You don’t know who it is?”

“How long ago do you remember the Battle of Change a while ago?”

“Ah, I remember.”

“His Majesty brought in all those who had worked at that time, and I even confirmed that he was one of them. From his unfamiliar face, I guess he was probably a child of a local family.”

“Do you know his name?”

“I’m sorry. Only just that.”

“What happened between them two?”

“No. Nothing much really.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

At the report of little worth, Pierre was immersed in his thoughts, wrapping his soft blonde around his fingers.

‘It started…’

Xeon was choking.

‘Please let me out before thinking about it! Aren’t you the crown prince?’

It felt the same like when getting caught by the princess’s escort knight. This place was a thorn cushion to him, who was guilty. To make matters worse, he even got a cramp on his toe.

“Hm, I don’t feel good… Why are you so anxious, anyway?”

“…”

“Just keep watching.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As soon as the door closed, Xeon went out of the room with a staggering step.

“Sigh…”

Harley saw him in a heavy sigh.

‘I know his heart.’

As Harley squeezed Xeon’s shoulder, he cried and reached out his hand.

“Senior. Can I have some of those drugs?”

***

The lights in the bedroom went out early as if she needed some rest. The maids closed the windows and drew the thick curtains.

Sienna shouted suddenly, trying to get into the blanket without strength in the darkened room.

“What time is it now?”

“Five o’clock has passed, why?”

She jumped on the blanket and took off her pajamas. Turning to Anna again, she said, “Anna. Please prepare clothes for going out. Make it as simple as possible.”

“Yes? Where are you going with that body, princess?!”

“I have an appointment. I have to go.”

Even though she tried to stop her several times, she couldn’t break Sienna’s stubbornness.

“Ah..”

After tying her slender hair, she noticed that her neck was scratched, as well as the ugly red marks.

‘How come it looks a bit more bluish than before? And it looked like it was badly bruised…’

“…Can you bring me a scarf?

Sienna loosened her hair and slowly tied a scarf around her neck. She didn’t want to show anything like this to anyone.

“I will be back!”

In an instant, Arthur, who left the room and waited outside, silently followed her.

‘I wonder if he’s gone?’

She’d rather be more comfortable with that thought since it was already two after the appointment time.

“H-huh! Hah.”

When she reached the library, gasping her breath, she realized it was quieter than usual. Alpen was asleep again today, and no one usually used the library in the first place.

Of course, she didn’t see Dandelion.

Sienna went out into the backyard through the back door. He wasn’t even under the promised tree either.

“…As expected?”

Obviously, he’s gone.

She would have gone, too. Time has passed so long.

Although a part of her just wanted him to go back without waiting, she was somewhat also regretful because he wasn’t there.

Sienna forced a laugh, trying to pretend that she was okay and made excuses to herself.

“Everything that happened today, really…”

It was a day when everything was a mess.

She received an unwanted gift in the morning, Pierre came for her at lunch, and now her promised appointment.

‘And I’ve been waiting for it today as well.’

She screwed it all up. It became a mess without knowing where it was originated from in the first place.

“Sigh.”

A heavy breath flowed from the depths of her heart.

‘I feel tired.’ For the first time after coming here, she was exhausted.

‘I have to wipe my feet and sleep, too.’

As she tried to turn around, a rustling sound stopped her. Sienna approached and walked behind the tree as if possessed by something.

“…Dan?”

When their eyes met, he awkwardly waved his hand slowly.

He looked drowsy as though he had fallen asleep for a while. Dandelion then stood up, shaking the sleep off his face.

“Well, good evening, Sienna.”

However, his face quickly hardened.

“Are you okay?”

“Me? What…”

He hurriedly took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped her cheek as tears were pouring out without control. Only then did Sienna realize that she was crying.

“Oh, what’s wrong with me…?”

She laughed awkwardly and wiped her tears quickly. Nonetheless, tears still flowed endlessly as if something had broken down.

Then, he grabbed her hand that was scrambling to wipe her own cheeks.

“Don’t laugh.”

“…”

“I know you don’t want to laugh.”

“…”

“You can just cry.”

“I’m okay.”

She thought she was okay, or at least hoped saying that would make things better. Sienna couldn’t continue her words.

“…Are you sure you’re fine?

His unusually dark black eyes were gazing at her. When he asked that, she was belatedly in panic. She couldn’t even utter a single word because she was so afraid.

Sienna grabbed Dandelion’s cuffs. Her hand grasped it tightly.

“…No, not okay at all.”

Not only did the tip of her nose feel sore, but her whole body was also in pain as well.

Holding the hem of his cuffs, she sobbed like a child.

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