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nTranslator and Editor: Effe and Nabi

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nChapter 1

nPrologue

nRattle.

nBecause it rained, the ground was uneven, and the carriage shook. Sienna hugged the box tightly in her arms, worrying that she would drop the finely packed box. Anna, who was sitting across from her, laughed as she was cute.

n“Princess, dropping the box does not break things.”

n“But it’s a gift. It was wrapped up at its best, so it could be a mess.”

nShe couldn’t release the box from her chest, even after passing the squishy dirt road and entering the well-maintained road. Sienna placed it on her lap, as if dearly, and even put her hands on top to secure it.

nToday was the birthday of Sienna’s fiancé, Jad Valencia. This was a gift she prepared herself for him.

nPrincess Sienna Stern of the Stern Kingdom and Jad Valencia, the successor of Marquisate Valencia, were engaged three years ago. And finally, in the coming spring, the two were planning to have a wedding. So, it’s not long until Siena’s long unrequited love will bear fruit.

nHowever, the expression of the bride-to-be, who would be beaming in sweet dreams, was as dark as the weather outside the carriage.

nSienna turned her head and glanced out of the window. The Marquisate was dark, even though it was still daytime, thanks to the rain that started from the night. The closer she got to the Marquisate, the more times she touched her nails and the deeper her sighs become.

n“Haah…”

nSienna said lonesomely, writing Jad’s name with her fingers on the wet window.

n“Jad, this marriage… is it really okay?”

nUnlike Sienna, who jumped with joy at the wedding that was finally decided, Jad was sorrowful throughout. It was a natural reaction, as it was a political marriage without hearts.

nNevertheless, Jad accepted her marriage because there was no reason to object.

nHe didn’t have any other lady in his heart, and she thought he wouldn’t be a bad marriage partner as Sienna was comfortable with whom she had known for a long time.

nOn the day of the engagement ceremony, Jad revealed his thoughts to Sienna. He was not caring or gentle, but she was all right with the proposal. Even though she was ridiculed for having no pride, it couldn’t be helped. In the first place, she knew that her mind and heart were different. She would be lying if she said his words hadn’t hurt her, but the fact that she was escaping the future in the Castle to be with Jad made it all bearable.

nHowever, as time went on, she became nervous. All kinds of rumors gathered in the castle. Inside, of course, there were also words that Jad Valencia fell in love with a duke’s daughter.

n‘Now, there’s really little time left…’

nSienna put her hand on her heart.

n“Why am I so anxious?”

nRattle. Skid. The wheel eventually fell into a dirt road, and the carriage stopped and staggered.

n“Princess, are you all right?”

nOutside, the voice of the coachman shouting ‘I’m sorry!’ was heard. The carriage soon started moving again, and Sienna smiled faintly.

n“Yes, it’s okay. It will be okay.”

nShe was eager to do so, but her feet were swaying even with heavy rain.

n“Princess…”

nSeeing Sienna’s pale complexion, Anna held her hand tight.

n“Your hands are cold.”

nIt was an unusually cold day lately, perhaps because of the rain. She was worried that Sienna, with her weak body, would catch a fever.

nAnna asked her about Jad with half resentment and half curiosity.

n“Why do you like Jad so much?”

n“It’s embarrassing to ask so suddenly.”

nEven if she said that, a smile appeared on her mouth as she thought about Jad.

n“Well, because he’s nice?”

n“What? I don’t know about other reasons, but I can’t agree with that.”

nAnna was firm.

nShe knew there were many of Jad’s passionate followers among the capital’s young girls, but in her eyes, he was by no means a good man.

n“Of course, Jad is chilly and talks a little harshly.”

nSienna nodded at Anna’s words, though she sided with him.

n“But he was the only one who saved me.”

nAs usual, there were times when Sienna used to be subtly harassed by Pierre.

nNo one came forward. It was normal.

nBecause the opponent was the crown prince. However, Jad grabbed her hand and dragged her away. He said it wasn’t fun there then left, and he did so while taking Sienna out of that hellish room with him.

nEverything from that day was clear.

nFrom his breath, refreshing wind, the warmth of her grasped hands, salty tears, and all sorts of criticism from Jad.

n‘Do not misunderstand. I didn’t really help you.’‘Ung.’‘I just wanted to go outside.’‘Ung.’

nAs Sienna nodded and sniffed, Jad struck his chest and became angry.

n‘Ah, this is frustrating! Why are you crying!’ Sienna cried even harder when he yelled, and Jad was getting angrier when she cried.

n“Jad is surprisingly consistent.”

nSienna burst into laughter.

n“Well, it’s been ten years already.”

nThe carriage was slowing down while she was locked in memories for a while.

n“It looks like we’re almost there.”

n“Yes, we’re here.”

nThe scenery outside the window was familiar. The entrance to the mansion was visible after running straight along the tall tree-ed avenue. Soon, the carriage completely stopped.

nSienna put on her cloak, grabbed Anna’s hand, and got out of the carriage.

nIt was still raining softly.

nShe stepped on the fluffy lawn and headed for the entrance to the mansion. However, her steps were awkward and she has a tense appearance.

nIt’s been too long since she left the princess’s palace, so she was being a little awkward.

n“I have been waiting, princess.”

nMarquisate Valencia’s butler, Gideon, greeted Sienna.

nIt was a secret to Jad, but she had already sent a message in advance to the Marquisate. Gideon politely guided Sienna into the mansion.

n“Young Master is having a meeting with his friends right now. It would be a little noisy and uncomfortable. May I take you somewhere private?”

nGideon, a seasoned butler, knew her personality well, so he suggested that in advance. Hearing so, Sienna nodded her head quietly.

n“Yes. Then, I will take you to the parlor.”

nShe sat in the empty parlor, sipping tea from the maid and waiting for Jad.

nAnna left her side and told them to have a good time together, so she was the only one in the spacious room. Thanks to this, the interior of the parlor was too quiet, and even the sound of placing down the teacup was loud enough.

nShe got up from the sofa because the butler’s return was later than expected. Sienna was nervous so it was difficult to stay still. She looked at the surprisingly well-decorated parlor and heard something from the room next to her.

n“Who is there?”

nThe next room was also a parlor. And there was a door in between, so it was a structure that people could freely go in and out.

nSienna involuntarily grasped the handle, following the sound she heard.

nSlightly pushing the door, the sound of the door twisting revealed the two.

nIt was dark because all the curtains were closed and the lights were not turned on, but it was enough to discern who and what the situation was.

nGritta Winslet, in a fancy dress, was lying on a long sofa and holding hands on top of him.

n“Kyaa!”

nSienna missed the doorknob with Gritta’s short scream. The door opened wide, and the room became brighter. On the other hand, Jad, who was guessing the uninvited audience with only the silhouette, widened his eyes when the figure sparkled in a new light.

n“Sienna?”

nJad’s voice shocked her, that she took a step back.

n‘It must be a misunderstanding. There must have been a reason. Surely… there is.’ She was so determined, but it was futile. ‘You look like a fool.’ She should have said something, but her mouth wouldn’t open.

nJad, who had nervously ruffled his hair, asked shamelessly at the lifeless Sienna.

n“What’s going on?”

n“…”

n“It’s rude not to knock.”

n“…”

n“I would like you to leave.”

nWhen she didn’t answer, Jad asked again, pointing to Gritta lying down with his chin gesture.

n“Do you intend to keep watching?”

n“…”

n“Well, I don’t think that’s bad either.”

nAs soon as Jad’s and her eyes met, the door closed with a bang and loud noise.

nShe walked out of the parlor with a gift she had placed on the table. Sienna ran vigorously into the hallway. Though she had no reason to run away, she wanted to hide somewhere, anywhere.

nPutting on her cloak as she went down the stairs without hesitation, it caught her foot and she fell forward. She closed her eyes, fearing the impact from the hard floor, but her body, which had collapsed, stopped mid air.

n“Are you okay?”

nSomeone was holding her shoulder firmly.

nFor a moment, the low voice relieved her tension, causing her legs to stagger. They weren’t even caught in the rain, but her whole body trembled, and her hands were strained. The box that fell on the floor looked a little crushed, but it didn’t matter anymore.

n“Thank you.”

nWith a voice crawling replying to the man who helped her, Sienna barely nodded, picked up the box, and ran as if she was running away from something.

nHowever, she stopped at the door from the sound of a man calling her.

n“Hey! Wait…”

nHe approached Sienna with her shoes that had fallen down the stairs. She must have lost her mind to the point that she didn’t even realize that her shoe had fallen off.

n“Excuse me for a moment.”

nThe man bent his knees and put the shoes on her feet.

nNormally, it was a surprise situation, but she wasn’t feeling anything at all. She just trembled a little because the hands that touched her feet were warm.

nSienna opened the door and went outside. She exhaled her thin breath swiftly then hurried away.

nAn afternoon where you can barely see anything.

nStill, it was raining.

n***

nSienna came back to Princess Palace.

nShe was soaked in the rain.

nAnna, who saw her in a strange condition, was restless and didn’t know what to do. She asked Sienna what the hell had happened, but she didn’t answer.

n“I want to sleep.”

nThat was all she said.

n‘I wish all this was a dream.’

nShe wanted to fall asleep with her own spells, but even her simple hope was shattered.

n“What the hell is that?”

nIt was because Pierre, her brother, who was more gritty than anyone else, came.

nA mess of clothes, a shabby complexion, and a grimy gift box. He laughed at Sienna, sweeping her appearance up and down.

n“This is the worst. What a terrible mess.”

n“…”

n“You don’t have the face of a person who came after meeting her fiancée. Did you have a fight?”

n“…”

n“Well, you were the one who thought of wanting a happy marriage, anyway.”

n“…”

n“I don’t like him, but I feel sorry for Jad Valencia for the first time.”

n“…”

n“Hmm…”

nWhen she didn’t say anything to him, Pierre went closer to her. He grabbed Sienna’s chin so she couldn’t avoid him and forced her to meet his eyes. With a tender touch, he swept the hair flowing down behind her ear.

n“You’re always the problem.”

n“…”

n“If it wasn’t for you.”

nEven though Sienna had already been crushed, Pierre did not show mercy. He put his hand on her shoulder and poured curse into her ear.

n“It would have been better if someone like you was not born.”

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