The Great Wish - Chapter 7.6

Vol.1 Chapter 7 Part 6 

The teahouse's interior was quite unique. Three sides of the table were enclosed by walls, and the final side was kept hidden by a cloth screen. 

Like this, the teahouse made private rooms for each of their tables. While it wasn't a completely secluded room, the customers were still able to avoid prying eyes. 

Kuhn received the menu from the waiter and ordered juice and two slices of cake. When the waiter raised the cloth screen and left the table, Sienna looked around. 

The table was the perfect size for two. The little room was smaller than the inside of a carriage. 

"I thought this place would be better than a more open location. We can go somewhere else if you're uncomfortable, but if you truly want to experience a commoner's life, it's good for you to experience something like this." 

Sienna nodded. 

"Do commoners come here and drink tea?" 

"Not just anyone can come here. Those that come to a teahouse for a cup of tea usually have the means to do so. Especially since this teahouse is quite popular." 

"I don't understand. Why do they drink tea in such a tight space?" 

"So that they don't catch anyone's eye." 

"If they're coming here for secretive reasons, this place isn't quite suitable." 

Sienna knocked on one of the walls. A hollow tap rang inside the room. The walls were incredibly thin. 

"If you raise your voice even a little bit, the people on the other side can hear you. And the door isn't even a proper door. It's a cloth screen." 

"You only come here to avoid people's eyes. You don't come here to have secret conversations." 

"Who would come here for that?" 

Kuhn gave her a crooked smile. 

"Lovers." 

"..." 

Sienna couldn't think of anything to say back. The silence grew longer. Right when it was about to get awkward, they heard a voice outside. 

"Your drinks are ready." 

The waiter entered without waiting for a reply. 

The waiter placed two glasses and the plates with the cake slices on the table. The dishes rang as they clattered. Then they placed the wooden forks on top of the plate instead of placing it in front of them. The waiter's movements were rough. Sienna had never experienced something like this before. 

"Please enjoy your stay." 

After their work was done, the waiter quickly left the room. Sienna glared at the flapping cloth screen. Kuhn guessed the reason behind her narrowed eyes and laughed. 

"They're always like that, so don't take it personally." 

Kuhn placed the glass and the plate of cake in front of Sienna. He also placed the fork where she could comfortably reach it. 

"They won't come back until you call for them, so put your hood down." 

Sienna took off her hood as if she had been itching to do so. It was quite difficult walking around with the hood covering most of her face. It was suffocating, and it was also tiring having to worry about it at all times. 

She swept back her hair that had lightly fallen onto her shoulders. Kuhn's piercing stare stayed on Sienna. When she lifted her eyes, he quickly looked away. 

"It's best to drink fruit juice when you're thirsty, so I went ahead and ordered. If you'd like tea, should I order one for you?" 

"You should have asked me that before you ordered in the first place." 

Sienna glared at him and lifted the glass. 

"It's fine. But anyway, there's no one around us, so are you going to continue to speak to me like that?" 

Kuhn shamelessly laughed. 

"As you said earlier, the walls are thin here. Someone might hear our conversation, Ed." 

'Is he shameless or just fearless?' 

This man didn't seem intimidated in the least as he spoke to the Princess with a relaxed tone. 

"So you want to stick to our role-play? Fine." 

She let it slide. Because she had seen many nice sights, she felt pretty good today. 

Sienna looked at the floating, tiny seeds in her juice with suspicion. Then she promptly took a sip. Her eyes widened. She silently drank some more. 

'It seems that this suits her taste.' 

Kuhn's eyes were still glued to her face, so he noticed the minute changes in her expression. The aristocracy considered showing one's opinions of food on their faces to be vulgar. Sienna tried to keep her expression blank as she had been taught all her life. 

Kuhn felt that her satisfied expression was cute. His own expression relaxed as he watched her. 

Sienna cut a piece of the lumpy cake and put it in her mouth. 

'It's sweet.' 

It was a crude cake that was high in sugar. Her expression was strange. It was the worst cake she'd ever had, but it was still edible. 

Today, she walked until she was exhausted for the first time. It was also the first time she felt both thirsty and hungry at the same time. Everything tasted much sweeter. In light of her heightened appetite, she lost all self-control. She quickly began to eat the cake. 

'Ah.' 

She realized her mistake too late and furtively glanced up. Kuhn was resting his head in one hand, and their eyes met. Sienna felt humiliated. 

"How dare you watch someone who's in the middle of eating? You have no manners." 

Kuhn had been deeply moved as he watched her eat. She was the honorable princess whose food and drink were thoroughly examined before they were served to her. And yet this person didn't hesitate to eat the food given by someone she didn't know. 

Kuhn felt that it was a sign of how much the Princess trusted him. At least, that's how Kuhn interpreted it. 

"Is it that tasty?" 

"You'll know if you try a bite." 

"I'm not that fond of cakes. It's too sweet." 

"Then why did you order one for yourself?" 

"I needed to order for two people." 

Sienna tried to finish the slice of cake, but Kuhn's eyes were piercing into her. She frowned. 

"Stop staring." 

Kuhn saw the tips of her ears turn red. 

Although she didn't show it in her facial expression, her emotions revealed themselves elsewhere. Maybe it would show in the way she bit her lip. Or it would show in the way her ears turned red like it did right now. They were slight changes that would only be apparent to those that paid close attention. 

'I'm sure others don't know about this.' 

That's why she was known to be the Ice Princess. Kuhn wished others wouldn't find out about her quirks. 

'Only me...' 

Heat began to rise inside his chest. He couldn't suppress it. He burst out of his seat. His right hand grasped the table as he leaned his upper body down towards her. 

He lifted her chin with his left hand and covered her lips with his. He licked the remnants of the cream off of her lips. It was a light kiss that lasted only a moment. 

After helplessly receiving the kiss, all Sienna could do was blink with her wide eyes. 

"It's sweet, just as I expected." 1 

Sienna scoffed. Until now, she had never come across a man like him. Even those that had wanted to win her affections were never this bold. However, she was sure of one thing. 

'This man doesn't feel intimidated by my title.' 

"It looks like I went ahead and did something that will earn me a slap." 

Because Sienna didn't get angry as he expected, he was even more wary of her reaction. 

"Just one?" 

"You're the only one who doesn't know how fierce your hand can be." 

His exaggerated sensitive act was quite funny. 

"Does this mean we're finished role-playing?" 

Sienna put on a stern expression in order to hide her smile. 

"I guess so. The person I wanted to kiss wasn't Ed." 

He really didn't give her the final say until the very end. His hand was still lightly holding her chin. When Sienna turned her head, Kuhn calmly stepped back and sat down. If he had gone in for another kiss, she wouldn't have liked it. He was incredibly talented when it came to landing a blow and retreating at the appropriate time. 

"Ah, if there is anything you'd like to take back, why don't you pick them out." 

"Pick them out?" 

"Pick them out from the various things you bought during your outing." 

"I'm going to take them all." 

"...Take them all back to the Palace?" 

"I bought them because I need them." 

"Just where are you going to use all of this...?" 

"I was going to examine some of them. The rest is just for my personal interest. Send me the bill for the money you've spent. It seems that I've only focused on the marketplace today. There were other places I wanted to see as well." 

Sienna muttered in disappointment. After they left the teahouse, Sienna would have to return to her guards. It was almost time to go back to the Palace. The sun was going to set soon. 

"Why don't you come out again next time?" 

Kuhn wasn't going to miss this opportunity. 

"Because a lot of places are open right now, it's the best time to go out in disguise. There will be a lot of strange people out and about, so you won't stick out. If you go out with your face hidden underneath the hood of a robe all the time, the authorities will ask for your identity. After three or four days, all these merchants and peddlers will leave the empire." 

Sienna silently finished her cake. 

"If there's somewhere you'd like to go, I can be your guide. It'll be difficult to find another talented guide like me anywhere else." 

It wouldn't be difficult. It would be impossible. Even if she searched the whole world, she wouldn't find another person like him. No other man would grab the Princess's hand and take her sightseeing around the marketplace. 

'It was fun.' 

It was the first time she felt such joy. She had forgotten her official purpose for the outing and became immersed in the sights of the marketplace. She had forgotten who she was and enjoyed it. 

'That's not... what a secret investigation is for.' 

She had discovered that the feeling of 'joy' was so sweet. A proper ruler must not crave the satisfaction of their desires. That would turn them into a tyrant. 

She felt a mix of dread and guilt. There wouldn't be a second time. She wasn't going to proceed with a secret investigation ever again. 

"I can also show you places that aren't open to the public. Like... a slum in the back alleys of the capital." 

Kuhn lowered his voice and whispered the last part. 

Sienna, who was just about to decline his invitation, froze. Kuhn suggested this as if he had read her mind. It was a temptation she couldn't refuse. 

The gleam in his eyes reminded her of the way they looked at the masquerade when he asked her to dance. It was almost as if they were telling her that she wouldn't be able to reject his proposition. 

'I'm curious.' 

A slum in the back alleys? A place like that exists? 

Her heart thumped inside her chest. If he was her guide, she knew it wouldn't be boring. 

"...I'll have some free time in three days." 

'Alright!' 

Kuhn clenched his fist underneath the table. It took all of his strength just to keep the cheer from leaving his lips. 

"I never expected to be given another chance to escort you. It's an honor." 

Kuhn had never had such a hard time controlling his expression as he did now. 

"I'll be right outside the Palace to pick you up that day. Just make sure to let your guards know ahead of time." 

"..." 

Sienna was still hesitating. Kuhn hit the final nail in the coffin. 

"There's a bar where all of the continent's envoys and their entourages gather. It's a place where you can hear the things that are never revealed in an official court." 

If he had suggested an interesting place to sightsee, she would have declined, but... 

Sienna let out a small sigh and nodded. 

1 Kuhn begins to use polite speech from here on out.?