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Chapter 128: Live to Sienna Pt.128

“...”

Arya said, looking at Bluebell that still remained distrustful.

“I’m just trying my best because I feel sorry that the Emperor and Lady Ferrer have not been able to bear the fruit of love due to the circumstances around you. It’s not for political reasons— it’s just to support true love.”

Bluebell’s face, which had been coldly hardened, bloomed like a bright red flower by Arya’s words. She was shy, covering her red cheeks.

“I’m embarrassed that you said that. But thank you. Goodwill should be answered with good faith. I have to go back and discuss it with my father first, but I want to do as the Empress says. Even if my father says no, I’d love to marry Carl. So please take good care of me.”

Bluebell held Arya’s hand tightly and said with a mournful look. Arya felt like a goddess who could save her and Carl’s relationship.

She kept bowing her head to thank her until she went back. Arya smiled at the urgent-looking back of Bluebell.

‘I’m sure as soon as she gets back, she’ll find her father and tell him this.’

Arya gave up her pretentious smile and returned to a cold face.

“What a foolish girl. She became too relaxed when she heard that there’s a Ferrer man in the Panacio family.”

No matter how bad the relationship was, a political marriage was bound to happen. In fact, such families were more likely to end up with arranged marriages. It was partly due to the small number of high-ranking aristocratic families and to them, the marriage was close to a political agreement.

Arya found the stupidity of a young girl who still believed marriage was made up of love ridiculous.

“I wonder how she would have reacted if I told her that a Ferrer girl married to the Panacio family had hanged herself in a year. No, no matter what I said, she would have coveted Carl in her desire to marry him. That’s right, it’s the Empress’ seat, so one can be greedy.”

Arya took a glass of wine and soaked herself in a floral bath. As she warmed up, she took a sip of dark rose-scented alcohol.

After Valore’s sudden death, she couldn’t sleep without drinking. She felt empty as if she had a hole in the middle of her heart.

Arya refused to admit that it was because she lost her son. She thought it was simply because she lost the power coming through the emperor whom she could control freely. It seemed impossible to fill this hole even if she stood at the highest point in the world.

She mumbled with a self-help smile.

“You’ll see if you can fill the hole or not.”

Arya closed her eyes and looked pathetic, perhaps because her poisonous eyes were hidden. No one saw her like that.

*

Sienna saw a clean bed as if it had never been touched by a man’s hand.

“It’s been a week...”

After leaving with his disappointed face after the dinner with Roy, Carl never found Sienna. Considering that he always came to sleep in the same bed with Sienna no matter how much work he had to do, Carl must be quite upset.

“Was I too much?”

It was Carl who was right to be angry that day. Sienna and Carl were married, though they promised to divorce later.

But she got angry and sided with another man in front of her husband. No matter how close she was to Roy and he was the priest of the Holy Empire, he deserved to be angry.

“But still... a week? Phew.”

Sienna burst into laughter as she tried to blame him for not finding her place. Since when has it become natural for him to visit here?

In the past, he visited this place only a few times. He came here with a look that he had no choice but to ask and ask her again that she should produce the prince. But now she’s taking it for granted.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Queen has come.”

At the sound of Marie’s visit, Sienna rushed out of the bedroom.

“Queen Marie!”

After Valore’s death, Sienna was worried because Marie had refused to meet anyone. She visited her every day and asked for a meeting, but she was repeatedly rejected. Sienna couldn’t even guess how great the sadness of losing her spouse was.

“Empress Sienna.”

Marie was very thin. She could see how much suffering she had been under. Sienna gave her a big hug.

“I worried a lot.”

She meant it. The time she had known Marie was short, but Marie was the one who Sienna gave a lot of affection. It was all the more regrettable because she was someone who could share her mind without political interests.

“I’m sorry to worry you. I needed some time to think on my own.”

“No, don’t mind me. But you are too thin. Did you eat properly?”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t skip meals.”

She couldn’t believe her words that she didn’t skip meals when she was holding her slender wrist.

“Have you had lunch? Maybe we could have a meal together...”

“No, the meal is fine. I just came here to talk to you.”

Sienna was ready to hear any story. But even after tea and snacks came out, Marie didn’t start talking for a while. Sienna waited for her words without hastening.

“I don’t know where to start. I’m not very eloquent, so...”

“It’s okay. Don’t feel pressured and speak slowly.”

Marie drank water to see if she was thirsty before talking to Sienna.

“First of all, I think I should talk to you about my relationship with Valore. As I told you before, Valore, I and Delhi grew up together since we were kids.”

Delhi also knew Sienna. Watching the battle between Jamie and the Phoenix Knights, he soon quit being the imperial knight as if he felt his insufficiency. This happened before his father, Depine Panacio, was demoted to Earl and returned to his hometown.

“My mother raised Valore like one of her children along with my siblings because Aunt Arya was not interested in Valore. I don’t remember well because I was so young, but I think I’ve felt affection for him since I first saw him. Valore was a child who needed someone’s touch all the time. If I say this, my brother, Delhi, would be jealous, but I think I took care of Valore with more affection.”

Marie’s affection for Valore was clearly evident.

“But it was brotherly love. The kid, who was having a hard time standing, held my hand, began to walk, looked at my mouth, and learned to speak. I watched the process of him growing up. It was the same for him.”

Sienna nodded.

“I thought we’d be able to stay as a brother and sister until the end. Even after he went back to the imperial family when Valore was six years old, we didn’t meet in person, but we relied on each other a lot.”

Sienna’s heard it before. Through Valore’s mouth.

Marie’s letter was of great help when Valore was unable to adapt to the sudden change of environment and approached Carl. Valore had said that Marie was a good sister, mother, and teacher to him.

“Physically I was away from him, but I’ve been watching the growth of Valore through letters. I always thought of Valore as my youngest brother, and Valore also thought of me as his eldest sister. But after my coming-of-age ceremony, many things have changed. No, we haven’t changed, but things around us have changed a lot.”

Marie moistened her throat with a sip of tea and continued to talk.

“My aunt, Empress Arya, was greedy. But my father was also very greedy. He didn’t want to lose his place as Valore’s companion, who suddenly became the prince. There weren’t many women in my family who didn’t get married. It was just me and a girl who didn’t have the coming-of-age ceremony. Of course, he could have pushed for marriage to another family, but he didn’t.”

Marie took a deep breath as if her heart was struggling, and continued her words.

“He thought that if someone from another family were to be a bride to Valore, it would mean a split in power. That’s how I and Valore got married. Without considering our intentions at all.”

Arya and Depine had forced them to sacrifice.

None of the people Sienna met in the castle were as unselfish as Valore and Marie. How hard it must have been for them to adjust to the harsh imperial family, who are not fit for the imperial family’s physiology more than anyone else.

Sienna wanted to curse Arya and Depine, who put two poor souls in a difficult situation. But she managed to resist the urge because they were the parents of Marie and Valore. She couldn’t swear at the parents in front of their children.

“I was fine for a while after the wedding. It wasn’t as horrible as I thought. It was okay to think that I was living with my long-lost brother. But not long after we were forced into one bedroom, saying we needed a child. Then I realized again how terrible this situation was. We couldn’t sit through anything sexual.”

She swept her arms around her hands as if she was horrified and disgusted by the thought.

Incest was a taboo. In the past, it used to be done among aristocrats or imperial families to maintain pedigree, but now it was completely gone. Marriages between cousins have occasionally been arranged for political reasons, but it was hard for these two to accept because they grew up like siblings.

“So we made a promise to each other then. That we should just be friends or like brothers and sisters. We also considered external pressure if we did not produce his descendants as the blood of the imperial family. Without children for a long time, Aunt Arya would somehow make us break up and welcome in another bride. Then we would just smile at each other and celebrate the new beginning.”

It was convincing. Arya would have wanted the son of Valore more than anyone else.

“Then about a year passed since I got married. When Valore came back from the coming-of-age party, he suddenly told me this. That he thinks he’s in love.”

Sienna opened her eyes wide. Obviously she was at the party, but she didn’t notice who he fell in love with.

“I was as happy as Valore. First love has begun. Growing up with a strong mother, I thought my brother would never fall in love with me, but he had a new opportunity. On the other hand, my heart ached. I thought maybe I’m the reason why he couldn’t approach the new person.”

Marie smiled softly, thinking of Valore at the time.

“Valore laughed at times and was sad at other times. He also spent more time looking out of the window while playing the piano. There were many times when he skipped imperial or political classes and was lost in thought while looking at the piano. I was wondering who the woman was, but he said he didn’t even know her name. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the coming-of-age party at that time. It was someone who played the violin with Valore.”

“Ah!”