The Great Wish - Chapter 10.2

Vol.2 Chapter 10 Part 2 

She received the Emperor's permission quite easily. The Emperor was interested when she told him she wanted to leave for an inspection. 

The problem lied with Patricia. Patricia desperately opposed this decision. 

"Absolutely not!" 

Sienna expected Patricia wouldn't let her leave so easily. 

"Silver King, do you want to see your mother's heart burn to ashes? And you're not even leaving for a couple of days. A whole month! How can I sleep peacefully and enjoy my food when you're so far away?" 

She pleaded and... 

"What about your meals? What about your sleeping accommodations? Who will attend to your needs? You won't be able to bathe every day. You'll have to wear your dirty clothes for several days at a time. How can a princess who was born and raised in the Palace go out to such a dangerous place?" 

She nitpicked every single thing and... 

"You mustn't forget that someone is vying for your position. Why are you so willing to walk into a trap? Once you leave the protection of the Palace, a dark hand will not hesitate to swoop down and strangle your neck." 

Ultimately, she threatened her. 

Instead of drawing out Sienna's sympathy, Patricia's claim that 'your elegant self will not be able to withstand it' merely fueled her obstinate pride. And her threats didn't scare her at all. 

"I understand." 

Sienna lowered her teacup. 

"Do you truly understand what I'm saying?" 

Patricia paled and asked. 

"I'll think about it." 

"There's no need to think about it..." 

"Mother, I need to attend a meeting on state affairs. Please return to your palace." 

Patricia chewed on her lip. She was deep in thought as she left the Silver King's palace. 

'I don't think she'll be persuaded.' 

The Princess didn't enforce her will very often, but she was incredibly stubborn. 

'I better make sure she takes a large entourage with her.' 

She was going to arrange for dozens of knights and palace servants to accompany her. While we're at it, it won't be a bad idea to let Joseph accompany her so that they can enjoy the trip together. 

The sun hadn't yet risen in the dark, dawn sky. 

Two carriages departed the Palace and raced along the dark road. Sienna and her knights were leaving one day earlier than planned. 

Patricia would probably find out about her departure later in the morning, and by then, Sienna and her party would be on the ship and too far away for any interference. 

When Patricia began to prepare for a large entourage, Sienna didn't interfere. Instead, she acted as if she'd go along with her mother's plans and quietly slipped away behind her back. 

'How scary.' 

Levan thought inside the carriage. 

'If the two of them ever have a lovers' quarrel, it'll be absolutely ghastly.' 

In Levan's head, Kuhn had already taken his place next to Princess Sienna. 

The carriages raced down the southern main road and exited the capital. When the sun was just about to break through the dawn sky, they had arrived at the docks. Everyone gathered around the ship. 

Sienna didn't rent a small boat. Instead, she decided to use a large liner. She'd have to share it with other passengers, but she followed Levan's suggestion of using a bigger vessel for better security. The ship stopped at a harbor once a day and docked on the wharf for an hour before leaving for the next one. 

The carriage carrying the Princess's party had already arrived at the docks, but they didn't board the ship just yet. Instead, the Princess decided to wait a little longer. 

As the time for departure drew close, Gilbert knocked on the carriage door. 

"Lady Enna, the ship will set sail soon. The next one will arrive in twelve hours." 

A moment later, Sienna got out of the carriage. She was wearing a simple dress with a wide brim hat that covered her face. A woman with a blank face followed Sienna out of the carriage. 

She wasn't someone from the Palace. The Princess would need someone to attend to her, so Levan brought her with him, claiming that she wouldn't disrupt the schedule. 

"Did someone come?" 

"Are you waiting for someone?" 

Sienna was waiting for Kuhn. 

"...Never mind. Let's go." 

Sienna's party included Sienna, her attendants, Levan, and Gilbert and his knights. All in all, there were only ten of them. It was quite simple compared to the hundred or so people Patricia had planned to send with her. 

The liner had a separate first-class cabin for noble passengers. Not long after Sienna entered her room, the ship set sail. 

About a day later, the ship arrived at the first dock without any trouble. 

During this time, Sienna stayed in her cabin in order to go over the written investigative report on the southern provinces of the Empire. 

Someone knocked on the door from outside. 

"It's Levan." 

"You may enter." 

Levan entered the room and glanced down at the documents spread out on the table. 

"The ship will be anchoring at the dock soon. The speed will suddenly slow down, so please be aware." 

"All right." 

"This dock lies right at the intersection between two rivers, so the nearby marketplace is very busy. There will be a lot to see there. You must feel a bit suffocated in here, so would you like to take a walk outside?" 

"I'll go next time. I didn't come out here to go sightseeing." 

Levan gave Sienna a strange look before answering. 

"Yes, ma'am." 

After Levan left the room, Sienna put down the document she was reading. 

'Is he really not coming?' 

She thought that Kuhn might have come onto the ship as a passenger. However, she hadn't gotten any word from him all day. Although she was disappointed, she couldn't give up hope. She felt like that man would suddenly appear out of nowhere. 

'He didn't promise, but...' 

He spoke as if he'd join her. 

Kuhn was one of the reasons why she had decided to take this inspection trip. With him as a guard, she felt that everything would be safe. 

'Hmph, my guards are the most skilled knights of the Palace.' 

It's okay if Kuhn's not here. She murmured to herself primly. 

After leaving the cabin, Levan walked out to the deck and entered a passageway. He was walking a bit slowly, but he wasn't acting strange in anyone's eyes. 

However, thoughts were currently spinning in his head. Using his impressive memory, he looked around to see if anything was amiss. 

As soon as he had boarded this ship, he walked around the periphery and identified all the noble passengers. Earlier, he noticed someone who entered the first-class quarters of the ship that didn't belong there, so he mentioned it to Gilbert. Gilbert took that person aside and asked for his identity. The man was just a passenger who had made a wrong turn and entered the wrong quarter of the ship. 

The knights watched those that seemed to act suspiciously, and Levan did his best to look for any wicked conspiracies that might arise. Martin boarded the ship disguised as another passenger. Martin and Levan acted like they didn't know each other and occasionally gave each other signals. 

'I wish our travels will remain this quiet. It doesn't seem like anyone knows that the Silver King is on board.' 

Levan earnestly hoped the Princess's trip would proceed unscathed. 

The ship slowed down to a stop. Suddenly, she heard someone rapidly knocking on her door. 

"Lady Enna, it's Gilbert." 

"You may enter." 

Gilbert entered the cabin with a stiff expression on his face. 

"Your Highness, people have boarded the ship at the dock and are now searching throughout the ship. I looked into it and found out that they are under the orders of the young Master Luke. I came here to ask you whether you had promised to meet him here." 

Sienna looked confused for a moment before she finally understood what was going on. 

"I've never planned to meet him. It looks like he's followed us here from the capital. Send him away." 

"Yes, Your Highness." 

A while later, Gilbert came back. 

"Your Highness, I told him, but..." 

"Is he refusing to leave?" 

Gilbert hung his head in shame. 

Sienna clicked her tongue and got up. Sienna exited her cabin and walked along the passageway. When she reached the deck, she noticed the suffocating atmosphere right away. 

Sienna's guards were blocking the entrance to the first-class cabins and were facing against another group of people. Something must have occurred because both parties had drawn their swords. 

The passengers were gathered in a corner of the deck and watched with terrified faces. 

"Who dares to draw their weapons in a place like this?!" 

A clear voice of rebuke rang throughout the deck. When all eyes turned to Sienna, she took off her veiled hat. Her silver hair streaked with blue blew in the wind. 

"Your Highness." 

Her guards were the first to greet her as they knelt down. The opposing party was flustered as they eventually bent their knees as well. Sienna glared at Joseph, who was standing awkwardly. 

"Did you not receive the message I sent to you through my knight?" 

Joseph was unable to meet her golden eyes. Joseph lowered his eyes as the smile was swept off his face. 

"Your Highness, I was only worried for your safety..." 

"If you had any business with me1, you should have quietly asked for an audience. Why did you come here and cause a commotion?" 

Sienna deliberately used the royal 'me' to address herself. She was putting emphasis on the gap between their status. 

"You came here and intimidated my1 knights by bringing a greater number of men. You even drew your weapons against them. Did you come here with intent of treason?" 

"Not at all! Not at all, Your Highness." 

Joseph's face paled. 

"The Red King was incredibly worried for your safety, Silver King, so she sent me to secure your trip. In order to make your long trip a bit more comfortable, I've prepared a separate ship to escort you to your destination. There was merely a minor disagreement among the knights, so..." 

"A minor disagreement? What a careless remark. So are you telling me that you draw your sword whenever things don't go your way?" 

Joseph couldn't say anything. He felt that she would find fault with anything he said. His forehead was covered in cold sweat. 

"Sir Gilbert." 

"Yes, Your Highness." 

Gilbert automatically lowered his head. 

"Confiscate their weapons and bring me their buttons." 

"Yes, Your Highness." 

In the Empire, every knight had a silver button that represented their rank. They were to keep it in their possession at all times. Knights usually had the button sewn onto their sleeves or on their inner clothing. 

The silver button represented the knights' qualifications as well as their pride. There was no greater shame or punishment for a knight than to revoke his silver button. The knights kneeling on the floor looked over at Joseph in shock. 

Please do something! 

Even though their eyes were pleading to him, Joseph couldn't do anything. 

Gilbert instructed his own knights. 

"Carry out the Silver King's command." 

Two knights gathered the weapons and another two went around the kneeling knights and cut off their buttons with their daggers. Once everything was taken away, Sienna's knights were filled with triumph. 

"Everything has been confiscated, Your Highness." 

Gilbert reported. 

"Luke." 

"...Yes, Your Highness." 

Joseph's face flushed. Because he didn't have a title as of yet, she didn't address him as 'Lord' or 'Sir'. Whenever he went to social events, everyone addressed him as 'Lord Luke'. Everyone did this because he was a duke's grandson. 

"Take your knights and get off this ship. Because this is only your first mistake, I will return the buttons once I return to the Palace. However, if you try to interrupt my trip again, your knights will have to be reappointed." 

Joseph didn't know how to express the wretched feeling in his heart. This was disgraceful. He felt as if his subordinates were secretly laughing at him. 

"Yes, Your Highness. I apologize. I will request your audience at a later date to beg for your forgiveness. Please have a peaceful trip." 

The men who had been searching through the ship slowly disembarked like a group of defeated troops. The passengers who had been terrified at the start now watched everything unfold with much interest. They began to whisper amongst themselves. 

'Wow.' 

Levan almost whistled as he watched everything in silence. So that's what an overwhelming sense of dignity looks like. 

The Princess's guards only consisted of five men. The opposing party's numbers were triple that amount. Although it wouldn't have surprised anyone if the Princess had been shocked to see that their weapons were drawn, she managed to clear everything up with only a few words. 

'Ninety percent? No...' 

One-hundred percent. Kuhn was going to be completely dominated. Levan could see Kuhn's future unfolding before his very eyes. He had never imagined Kuhn losing to anyone, but he could easily see Kuhn being intimidated while in the presence of the Silver King. 

'But more importantly, that foolish bastard...' 

Levan clicked his tongue in annoyance. 

'How can he leave just like that? He should have hung on by saying he deserved death or at least left the knights behind.' 

Now that Joseph had announced to the whole world that the Princess was aboard this ship, the news would travel fast. The ship's route was predictable. In other words, the Princess's travel plans were now revealed to the public. 

'And it doesn't look like that idiot will shut up once he gets down to the dock.' 

Leven concluded that he'd have to keep a closer eye on the Princess for the remainder of the trip. 

Joseph helplessly watched the ship depart. Although they didn't say it out loud, Joseph could feel their prickly eyes on his back. His clenched fists began to shake. 

He had led a group of Duke Luke's knights along with a group of Patricia's knights. While he was on his way here, he felt like he was on top of the world. The knights didn't question anything and merely followed his orders verbatim. He had never felt such joy! 

He had planned on showing off his future status as the Princess's husband in front of these knights. 

He heard that the Princess had only taken a few knights with her for her trip. He thought he'd be able to stand out as a leader by leading the knights to her. During this long trip, he believed the Princess would gradually come to depend on him and, by the time they returned to the Palace, be closer than ever 

It was picture-perfect. However, his splendid dream had shattered. In the worst way possible. 

'How can she humiliate me like this?' 

He grit his teeth. How could she make her future spouse lose face like this? 

'Just you wait, Princess.' 

Once we marry, I'll make sure to lower that arrogant nose of yours. 

'I will teach you the virtues of a submissive wife.' 

A cruel gleam flashed across his lewd eyes.