“…”
“Count Kenyon will have an empire. Our family only gets a piece of land around the territory under just some fancy title. I don’t think it’s a big ask in exchange for risking treason. Well, if you’re confident you can make it work without my help, I won’t stop you.”
As Kenyon’s expression hardened, Arya smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Count Kenyon isn’t stupid enough to brag about his plans for treason. If you’re not with me, I’ll just step back and see if the count will hang the crown on his head or the rope around his neck.”
Kenyon gulped down his saliva. Her words were not wrong at all. He could lose everything by being greedy for land that was not his yet.
What’s more, she said she would just keep her mouth shut and watch, but he wasn’t sure if she would really keep this a secret. Even if there was no one left in the world to believe in, would he believe in Arya Panacio?
It was better to make her an accomplice. Moreover, even if the treason was successful, her presence was too burdensome. It would be a better choice for each other to listen to her demands and keep their distance.
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Well thought. You know, treason is a job that you have to bet everything on. Don’t try to meddle over small things. This goes the same for me. We’re going to invest everything in this.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll talk about the details gradually. Since it must be a lot for Count Ferrer to process it right now.”
“Okay, I’ll get going now.”
Count Ferrer stood up from his seat. Arya saw him leave and burst into laughter as soon as the door closed.
“Hahaha! What a fool. I can’t believe he’s worried over the land in the south like he already took the throne of the emperor, a foolish old man! You think I’d put my foot in this sh*t to give you a high title? The old man is blinded by greed, and his head is dim.”
Arya couldn’t stop laughing for a long time.
“It would be best to make it out of oak wood, right? It’s a place where the next imperial heir would be sleeping, so it should be strong. Of course, the shape is important. When I asked the furniture master who works for the imperial family, he said the earlier I place the order, the more careful he could make it.”
Hain was in a hustle to get the things she needed before Sharillo was born. This time, Sienna also participated. It was her natural mother’s heart to give the best they can to the coming child.
“How about we make clouds bedside it and carve out a rising sun? Wouldn’t it go well with the name Sharillo?”
“That’s a good idea! Then how about this shape?”
Hain drew a picture on the paper. What she drew was a glimpse of the sun rising through the clouds, even though Sienna briefly expressed the shape of the sun and clouds. The painting, which was more beautiful than she imagined, put Sienna in a state of awe.
Sienna thought that Hain’s embroidery skills were excellent, but the painting skill was also quite good. Hain has easily expressed visually whatever Sienna said. Sienna was both envious of her abilities and also felt sorry for Hain.
“I’ve felt this before, Hain, but you’re too talented to be just a head maid. Even if you become an artist now, I think you’ll be a great artist.”
“Hey, are you saying anyone can be a painter? Paints used by painters are very expensive.”
“If you come forward to be a painter, I’ll be your sponsor!”
“Your Majesty even makes jokes that make me happy. But rather than that, how about the edge of the bed over here? I think it would be nice to draw poinsettias, which signify blessing, and flower petals, and a baby angel blowing a trumpet around here.”
Hain turned Sienna’s words over as a joke.
Her talent was too good to be wasted, but she couldn’t force her to do it if she didn’t want to. And in fact, Sienna would prefer if Hain remained by her side as the head maid, so Sienna no longer recommended it.
When Hain heard the door open, she asked, “What do you think, Shaylin? This is also…”
Hain looked disappointed when she confirmed that it was not Shaylin who had just come in.
“Ah… it’s been more than 15 days since Shaylin quit, and I’m still like this.”
Because she had been very affectionate to Shaylin, Hain looked disappointed.
“I was really surprised when she said she was quitting. I think she must have been very surprised about the last time. I’ve been asking her to keep working, but it didn’t work.”
“…”
Although the real reason for Shaylin’s resignation was because of her secret identity, officially she said she was not feeling well and that was her reason for quitting.
“I don’t know if Shaylin’s okay. But she’s such a cute girl, so she’s probably fit in everywhere, right? She’s passive, but she’s a nice girl by nature, so she’ll be loved everywhere.”
Said Hain, full of hope. Sienna nodded back to her.
“That’s right. Shaylin would be doing fine.”
Sienna didn’t tell Hain that Shaylin was working for the Green Merchants. If they continued to keep in touch, she might later question Shaylin’s lack of physical growth.
They doorkeeper informed from outside that Carl had come. Hain quickly organized the paper she was sketching and stood up. Carl entered the guest room right away.
“Are you here so early today? Chancellor Pavenik is always complaining about you throwing your work away under the pretext of the imperial heir and coming to me.”
“When else did he come to you and complain?”
Sienna laughed at Carl’s complaints. Pavenik came over to Sienna’s palace often, complaining that he barely has time to wash up, or eat properly, but visited Sienna’s palace using one excuse or another. It was obviously to see Hain, because he could have just sent anyone for Sienna to receive some documents.
“I just had reasons to see him for a moment. Would he directly speak badly of the Emperor? It’s a problem because he just can’t hide what he’s thinking on his face.”
“He should have been a clown, not a Chancellor.”
Carl kept grumbling and recommended Sienna to sit on the sofa. He acted as if he would be in big trouble if Sienna showed only a small movement. Sienna grumbled as she sat down.
“I’m telling you, I’m not sick, I’m pregnant. Rather, it’s good for fetuses if the mother exercises. So I take a walk every day.”
“Did you walk again today?”
“Not today yet.”
“Then shall we go out to the garden together?”
Sienna nodded and agreed.
“Good. It’s not windy today, so it’s a perfect day for a walk.”
“Oh, I have something for you before that.”
Carl searched his jacket for a letter.
“Oh! Did you find it? That’s really great. I was very upset because I thought I lost it forever.”
It was a letter to Sienna from the orphanage.
“I was lucky to find it.”
Carl spoke in a casual tone, but if Pavenik had known this, he would have raised his voice and said, ‘you know how hard I worked to find it, you can’t thank it to mere luck!’ because, on Carl’s command, Pavenik had to look into everyone involved in the case and find the whereabouts of the letter. But Pavenik was not here, so there was no way to resolve his sentiment.
Sienna wore a cape that Hain had prepared and went out to the garden with Carl. It was winter, but the garden was still full of green plants, so freshness was still there.
When the cold wind blew, Carl patted Sienna’s cape and asked, “Not cold?”
“I think it’s warmer here than the castle. It’s warm under my feet.”
The imperial garden had a waterway providing warmth under the soil to make flowers bloom even in winter. Therefore, the heat coming up from the floor made her body warm.
“I recently heard that Count Ferrer had a meeting with Dowager Empress.”
“Bluebell must have told her father that she wasn’t pregnant.”
Said Carl, nodding his head at Sienna’s words.
“…”
A cool breeze swept through Sienna and Carl. It was an already anticipated step, but it felt like the storm would begin now.