The Great Wish - Chapter 4.6

Vol.1 Chapter 4 Part 6 

Emma raised her head in shock before quickly putting it back down. A little while later, she nodded slightly. 

"What did she say?" 

"She didn't say much. She just asked about what sort of chit chat we shared when we were together." 

"And?" 

Emma quickly raised her head. She had a victimized expression on her face. 

"Princess, I absolutely did not tell the Red King anything. I'm telling the truth." 

"I'm sure you are." 

Sienna nodded. 

"We would have had to have had a conversation in order for you to tell her anything about it." 

Twice a day, Sienna sent away all the ladies-in-waiting. If she didn't have as much free time, she would do this once a day. Sienna would drink the tea that Emma brewed for her. Only two of them would be in the room. 

The two never spoke. Sienna wasn't the talkative type, and neither was Emma. Therefore, Emma felt that this wasn't fair. But everyone around her were envious of her. 

'I heard you've been keeping her company.' 

She had heard this phrase so many times. People were trying to learn about the Princess's likes and dislikes through Emma. The Red King was the same. Emma told her that she merely brewed the Princess's tea. The Red King's eyes showed that she didn't believe Emma at all. The Red King coldly spoke. 

?I expect a more sincere answer from you next time. Go back and think about it.? 

Emma's heart trembled just thinking about the Red King's cold voice. 

"Princess, I'm... afraid." 

The more Emma stayed in the Palace, the more she realized that she was currently in the middle of a power struggle. She felt as if she was being crushed by something in all directions. She had always been the type to fall asleep once her head hit the pillow, but lately, Emma seemed to have gotten insomnia. 

'She's quite weak.' 

Sienna was fascinated with Emma. How did she survive in this world with such a weak heart? Sienna had never seen a person like this before. 

'If she was still by my side in the future, that means she is trustworthy enough.' 

Sienna trusted her future self as much as she trusted herself now. Her future self was more wise and careful than her present self. 

"Emma, your tea brings me peace and joy. I understand your feelings of shock and why you would want to leave the Palace, but I can't bring myself to lose your tea now that I've tasted it. Instead, I'll give you a period of time. Just give me three months. After three months, if you can't stand to stay here anymore, talk to me then." 

Sienna spoke more kindly than usual and even had a soft smile on her face. Having mustered all of her courage to request her resignation, Emma melted in the face of Sienna's comforting smile. 

'Aah. How can the Princess be so beautiful? As they all say, she definitely is a descendant of the gods.' 

Feeling shy, Emma had never fully lifted her head and gotten a proper look at the Princess before. Today, for the first time, Emma clearly saw the Princess's face. 

'I can't believe such a noble woman is humbly asking something so small of me. Yeah. I can do three months.' 

Emma didn't catch that the Princess never said that she'd let her go after three months. 

"I'll do as you say, Princess. Thank you for looking upon my humble skills so favorably." 

"I still feel that I'm putting you in a tough position. Why don't we do this instead? If the Red King calls for you again, just tell her everything you know." 

"Is that... okay?" 

"Of course it is. But there's still a big problem. I've never spoken to you, and you've never heard anything from me. You won't have anything to tell her even if you wanted to." 

Emma nodded fervently. 

"I will begin chatting with you from now on." 

"Pardon me?" 

"I will continue drinking your tea, and you will be able to get yourself out of this uncomfortable predicament. And I'll also be gaining a companion from this, so it's a win-win situation." 

Emma looked like she was going to burst into tears as she looked at Sienna. The Princess was going to this extent just to help her! She was almost moved to tears. 

"However, you mustn't let the Red King know that I know. That will only make your life harder." 

"Yes, Princess. I understand." 

"The tea has cooled. Can you brew me a new cup?" 

"Yes, I'll have it ready as soon as possible." 

Emma quickly lit a small portable stove and placed the kettle over it. 

Sienna liked watching Emma brew tea. Emma looked like a completely different person as she focused on her work so seriously. 

'I will use you for a little while. No harm will come your way." 

Emma was naive. Therefore, she was the perfect person to put up against the quick-witted Red King. Well, Emma didn't know that. And the fact that she didn't know was key. 

Sienna didn't plan on doing anything out of the ordinary for a while anyways. Not until her coming-of-age party. 

Even though her position as a princess was considered to be incredibly high, if one dug into it, it wasn't anything special. While she enjoyed the privilege she received as a member of the imperial family, the power given to her was no different from other members of the family. 

However, once she became the emperor, that would all change. Her residence would no longer be the Princess's palace. It would be the Emperor's palace. And the people that were working for her would become the vassals of the emperor. 

Even as the Red King continued to call in the people that were attending Sienna, Sienna wouldn't be able to do much about it. However, if the Red King did that when Sienna became the emperor, she would be overstepping her boundaries. More importantly, Sienna would be able to freely leave the Palace. If she wanted to leave the Palace now, she needed to receive permission from the Emperor himself. 

'Soon.' 

The coming-of-age party was coming up. She could wait until then. 

"Princess, the tea is ready." 

"Pour yourself a cup and sit down next to me." 

Emma's eyes widened. 

"I... I'm fine." 

"Come here." 

As Sienna gestured to her side, Emma walked over to her as if she was possessed. Unable to refuse Sienna a second time, Emma awkwardly sat down across from Sienna. 

"There is something I can talk about. Why don't I tell you about what happened at the masquerade party at the ducal residence?"