Chapter 40
Someone to Be Grateful For
“The weather outside is really nice. Aren’t you going out?”
“As you can see, it’s hard for me to move around.”
“Isn’t it too dark in here? If I pull the curtains back, the indirect light might help…”
“My eyes are sensitive. Bright sunlight is too harsh for me.”
It seems like there’s nothing on him that isn’t frail.
His body is this weak—what if I hurt his feelings by rejecting him?
I’m not exactly in a position to worry about others when I’m barely surviving, but after seeing someone struggle like this up close, I can’t help but feel conflicted.
“Then, um. Maybe I could—”
“Miss Sienna?”
Prince Aidan called my name as I trailed off mid-sentence, staring intently at a spot.
Snapping back to my senses, I awkwardly tucked my hair behind my ear.
“Sorry, I suddenly thought I might’ve spoken too casually. I was worried I might’ve been rude.”
“Not at all. Feel free to speak comfortably.”
Within the shadow that draped across his face, I saw a gentle curve to his lips.
“I tend to be shy around strangers, but Miss Sienna, you don’t stand on ceremony, which puts me at ease.”
“…”
“I don’t mean your manners are lacking. That was a compliment.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
Even so, I didn’t say much after that.
Prince Aidan was rather quiet too, so the long time we spent together passed under a heavy, awkward silence.
“…It must be very uncomfortable for you.”
He suddenly spoke after staring blankly into the distance for a while.
The silence had grown heavy from my lack of words, and it seemed like he was trying to be considerate.
“No, it’s not that.”
“It’s okay to be honest. Everyone is, when they’re with me.”
“…”
I wasn’t uncomfortable.
I was just surprised to find something unexpectedly familiar in him.
“I’d understand if you didn’t want this marriage. My condition is… well, as you can see.”
“No, it’s not because of that.”
“Then you mean there’s another reason.”
“…”
“You’d probably find it hard to refuse because it’s a royal command. I’ll try to handle it myself.”
“Wait, Your Highness.”
The words flew out before I realized it, louder than I intended.
He fell silent, and the hooded head slowly turned toward me.
“Please give me some time to think.”
“…”
“I want to take my time and consider it. If I really can’t go through with it, I’ll let you know.”
“Do that.”
“Thank you.”
I fiddled with my hands in my lap and bowed my head.
He could hide his expression within the shadows of his hood, but all I had to hide behind was my lowered head and silence.
Fortunately, exactly thirty minutes after we arrived, the lady who had brought me came to collect me.
I bid Prince Aidan farewell and left the room.
As I exited, I glanced back.
He was still sitting there quietly, watching me.
“Then I’ll be going, Your Highness.”
His shadow, stark against the bright outdoors, seemed to nod slightly.
Once I stepped out, the door shut firmly behind me.
And just like that, my brief encounter with Prince Aidan ended with tension, awkwardness, and a long silence.
“Wow. The palace really is the palace. I never thought they’d have jewels embedded in their teacups.”
“I wanted to ask where they got them. Do you think we could make something similar?”
“Oh, definitely. We’re practically royalty’s in-laws now—what’s a little luxury?”
Father was swooning over a vase he claimed came as tribute from a far eastern kingdom, saying he had to find something similar.
Mother was more taken with the empress’s jewelry and dresses and was already fussing to visit a boutique and jeweler tomorrow.
Not wanting to hear more of their ridiculous “let’s imitate the imperial family” plans, I knocked on the coachman’s seat.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m getting off.”
“What?”
“Sienna. Don’t do this. Just come back with us to the count’s manor. Everything at that house is cheap anyway—there’s nothing worth bringing.”
“Even if they’re cheap, I bought them with my own money. I’m not throwing them away. And I have no intention of going back to the manor.”
“What happened to your standards? We raised you with such care!”
The count sighed in disbelief.
But I was the one who felt incredulous.
Yes, they raised me with money—but not with care.
“Don’t get your hopes up too much. I haven’t made my decision yet.”
“You met the empress! And now you’re saying you might turn it down? Are you out of your mind? Do you want all of us to die?”
Unbothered, I knocked harder on the driver’s seat, demanding to be let down.
Startled, the coachman pulled the reins and slowed the carriage.
Before it had fully stopped, I opened the door and jumped out.
I ignored the count’s shouting from inside.
Grabbing my skirt, I ran into an alleyway where the carriage couldn’t follow.
I knew these streets by heart now.
Even with my eyes closed, I could find my way home.
“Haa…”
After turning a few corners and getting close to home, I slowed down, deep in thought.
As I walked, someone’s shadow stretched toward me.
“You’re back, Lady Sienna?”
“Huh?”
Looking up, I found Huperion standing there.
He glanced up at the sky, then held his hand over my head to shield me.
“The sun is strong today.”
The sun hadn’t set yet, and the heat was still intense, but I hadn’t noticed at all.
When I touched my face, my palm felt warm.
“Where have you been?”
“Pardon?”
“Your clothes are different from usual.”
It was the dress I had tailored for today’s visit to the palace.
A slim-fitting, lightweight summer silk dress with delicate white lace over a soft beige fabric—not flashy, but I liked it for its elegance.
“It was a formal occasion. Does it look strange?”
“No, not at all. It’s very…”
Huperion suddenly stopped mid-sentence and flailed his hands as if startled.
The tips of his ears began to turn red, and he quickly looked away to avoid my gaze.
His silver hair and pale skin made the blush on his ears stand out even more.
“So, you’re saying I don’t look bad? Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. Um, did you enjoy yourself?”
“It was surprisingly unpleasant. I couldn’t even fake a smile.”
Trying to mask my unease with a joke, I walked slowly, hands behind my back, side by side with Huperion.
[PROFILE]
Name: Huperion
Age: 20
Occupation: Knight
Catchphrase: Semper Fidelis
Affection Level: 35%
Your First Impression: A miracle.
Current Status:
– Someone to be grateful for.
“Someone to be grateful for,” huh. I don’t remember doing anything that special.
At most, I shared some food with him, lent him tools, went grocery shopping together, and showed him around the neighborhood.
Maybe that was enough for someone like Huperion, who struggled to adjust to independent life.
I guess, when everything feels overwhelming, even a little help can feel like a lifeline.
Just like it had for me.
Maybe that’s why his affection level had risen to 35%.
I’d been too caught up with Nox and getting pushed around by Leon to even notice.
How did this happen?
This game has never made anything easy for me.
So it only made sense that I couldn’t accept this unexpected boost in affection at face value.
“Were you coming home from work?”
“Pardon? Oh, yes.”
He sounded oddly unsure.
After a bit of hesitation, Huperion admitted the truth.
“I was heading home when I saw you. There’s something I wanted to say.”
“I see. So, what did you want to say?”
“Um… You cooked for me once, remember?”
“Oh, that time.”
It was when I saw him returning home while watering the garden.
He looked exhausted from a hard day, so I invited him in.
Even though Leon always mocked my cooking skills, I tried making a vegetable stew with whatever was in the kitchen.
Following Leon’s recipe, I used vegetable broth, tomatoes, and other veggies and boiled them together.
But the result…
It looked like a horrific vegetable mush.
“Uh, Huperion. How about we go out to eat?”
There was no way I could serve that to a guest. I tried to shield the dish with my whole body as I suggested it.
But Huperion said it was fine—and actually finished the whole thing.
Happily, even.
For a second, I wondered if he’d lost his sense of taste from exhaustion.
“I got off work early today and wanted to return the favor. So I tried making what you made back then…”
