TCBUP 39

Chapter 39

 Blind Date.

“You made the right choice, Sienna.”

“……”

“To think you’ll be a crown princess, not just a duchess. All the money we spent on etiquette and social graces—finally, it was worth it.”

In the carriage bound for the imperial palace, I stared sulkily out the window, letting my parents’ words go in one ear and out the other.

Now and then, I would interject to remind them that I hadn’t agreed to marry yet, that I might turn the proposal down, but they ignored me entirely.

So I gave up altogether and acted as though I were in a different world by myself.

“That girl…”

“Dear.”

Whenever I remained silent and the count was about to burst out in anger, the countess would quickly stop him.

Then the two of them would resume showering me with praise, trying not to provoke me.

This cycle repeated again and again.

“I wondered what would become of you after breaking off the engagement with Duke Ortiz. Now it seems your life is finally blossoming.”

“……”

“To think a child born from my womb would become a crown princess… truly, it’s an honor.”

The count grinning ear to ear, and the countess dabbing tears of joy with her handkerchief—how revolting they were.

Being treated as useless and discarded the moment I was dumped, only to be deemed valuable again—it felt worse than I’d expected.

So much so, I felt the urge to jump right out of the moving carriage.

‘I wonder if I made the right choice.’

I started to worry that I’d made a hasty decision just because of what Leon said.

I had clearly stated that I’d meet the prince first before deciding—but at this rate, I might just get trapped into this.

By then, we had arrived at the imperial palace.

“Sienna, you must never offend the Empress.”

“Yes, she’s the one you need to impress the most if you’re to live in the palace.”

Despite their repeated warnings, I indifferently walked past them, leading the way.

The separate annex reserved for honored guests was grand and dignified, decorated for ceremonial purposes.

On the front facade, a golden carving of a wolf—the symbol of the Empire and the Imperial Family—stood proud.

They say wolves stay with only one mate for life.

Unlike the Emperor, who’s swayed by his consort… the contrast made a crooked smile tug at my lips.

“This way, please.”

“Yes, Sienna.”

Quickly erasing my expression, I followed behind my parents and the stern-looking lady guiding us.

After walking down a long corridor, we finally reached a white door trimmed with gold.

“We pay our respects to Her Majesty the Empress.”

The Count bent deeply, the Countess curtsied on one knee, and I silently grabbed my dress hem and offered only a slight curtsy.

Keeping my head lowered, I discreetly glanced at the Empress—or rather, the Emperor’s consort.

Voluminous red hair, tastefully red lips, flawless skin with not a wrinkle, and a slim figure.

She didn’t look like someone who had a son older than I was.

“Welcome.”

After receiving my parents’ greetings, she turned her curious gaze to me.

I felt her sharp eyes thoroughly inspecting me, but pretended not to notice and kept my head bowed.

“Lady Sienna seems quite shy.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. She’s always been a reserved child, but she must be even more nervous in front of Your Majesty.”

They made small talk about the weather and the flowers in the garden, exchanging standard pleasantries.

The Empress didn’t speak much, only responding to my parents’ shameless flattery with smiles.

‘They told me to act modest, and look at them.’

Perhaps because it was the powerful Empress in front of them, the Count’s excitement was obvious.

The House of Hargreaves had no political connections, so I could understand their desperation to make a good impression.

But the way they babbled on with unsolicited information made me feel secondhand embarrassment.

So I simply sipped my tea quietly, only responding when the Empress directed a question at me.

“Then Lady Sienna, you should go meet Aiden now.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ve heard, but Aiden is not in good health. Please be understanding if he’s a bit discourteous.”

“I will.”

How sick must the prince be if she says that so directly?

Though I was briefly suspicious, I also felt hopeful—maybe this meant I could get out of this match.

I quickly rose from my seat and followed the lady who had guided us here.

Ignoring my parents silently mouthing warnings about my behavior.

Prince Aiden’s residence was far from the guest annex.

Under the intensifying sun, it was quite a long walk, and I began to sweat by the time we arrived.

The building was even more modest than I expected.

It was a single-story structure with burn marks here and there, and the faded roof made it look shabby.

This is where the first crown prince lives?

Honestly, I was shocked.

Even the garden was unkempt, overrun with wild weeds. The stone path to the entrance was uneven and poorly maintained.

The lady walked slowly across the stones and opened the front door.

Past the hallway and through another door facing the garden, a modest parlor appeared.

I assumed we’d meet there, but the lady proceeded deeper into the residence and stopped at another wooden door.

“Aren’t we meeting in the parlor?”

“His Highness has difficulty moving. It’s best to speak briefly in his bedroom.”

“Oh… I see.”

After her brief explanation, the lady knocked.

There was a moment of silence. Just as she was about to knock again, a faint voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Just as I was calming down from the shock of the residence, my heart began to pound again at the thought of meeting the prince in person.

The lady opened the door and stepped aside.

“Please go in.”

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

“No. His Highness dislikes commotion.”

But it would only be three people—four at most, if he had an attendant.

It felt like they were trying to keep me at a distance.

And sure enough, as I exchanged a few words with the lady, a bitter scent of herbs wafted out from the room, pricking at my nose.

The lady pinched her brows and covered her mouth and nose with her hand.

“His Highness keeps medicinal herbs burning at all times. It’s said to help calm his mind and body.”

“I see.”

“Please, go on in.”

At her prompting, I stepped inside.

Despite the bright weather outside, the heavy blackout curtains made the room feel like another world.

In the dimness, unsure of what to do, I froze—until the door closed firmly behind me.

The pungent scent of herbs hit me with full force, making me flinch as I instinctively looked around.

And then I saw him.

The prince sat curled up in a blanket on the sofa opposite the bed.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Sit.”

His voice was a low murmur beneath the herbal smoke.

Faint, but it carried the polished detachment typical of nobles of high status.

“Excuse me.”

I carefully sat across from him.

The room was dim, and he had a hood or blanket over his head, making it hard to see his face.

“Are you cold?”

“Always. I know it’s improper. Cough… Please excuse me.”

“Oh, I don’t mind.”

His condition was worse than I’d expected.

I had heard that he and the late Empress had been in an accident when he was young.

But to still be like this over ten years later—maybe there was another cause?

That thought brought to mind the Empress’s radiant face, in stark contrast with the prince’s.

Her beautiful, gentle smile seemed like a mask, her sweet voice like a cover for her true intentions.

I wasn’t sharp enough to see through someone with just one look—but the Empress was no ordinary woman.

“Is the herb scent too strong?”

“No. They say it helps Your Highness’s health, right? No need to ventilate on my account.”

As I answered, I tilted my head slightly, trying to get a better look at his face.

But the way the light hit his hood cast shadows over it, and I could only make out the bridge of his nose.

“You must have been surprised.”

“Yes. It was quite sudden. I imagine Your Highness must have felt the same.”

“Not as much as you, I’m sure.”

His speech was slow and deliberate.

Occasionally, a throat-clearing cough interrupted his sentences as if he was trying to suppress it.

A crown prince, born to a dead empress and a sickly emperor, his life constantly threatened—no wonder people pitied him.