Chapter 114: Live to Sienna Pt.114

Bluebell thrusted her chest out and looked at Sienna’s expression as if she had just said a great secret. If Sienna heard that this marriage was not Carl’s intention, she must have thought that Sienna would make an emotional change. But Sienna knew the story. That’s why she didn’t react much. Then Bluebell cried out in a fit of rage.

“Honestly, I think it’s dirty!”

Bluebell’s angry look didn’t look fierce. It looked just cute, perhaps because of her red-colored cheek and her baby fat.

“You forced the Empress to marry Carl. I’m the one who really loves him. Did you want to have Carl that much? Didn’t you think that you might have his body that way, but you wouldn’t get his heart?”

Sienna laughed at her criticism. A girl who believes in true love.

Sienna did have a guilty conscience about being swayed by Arya and taking Carl’s side seat instead of Bluebell and killing her child. But there was no guilt for splitting true love.

Sienna didn’t hate her talking about the love between herself and Carl like a little girl. Rather, it felt cute.

‘As expected, I’m in the role of the villain who divided true love.’

“To be honest with you, I’ve never thought about that. I thought that marriage between the aristocrats was always in line with the interests of the family.”

“How could you! So you’re saying that you didn’t get married because you loved Carl, but because you wanted to be a princess?”

The answer to that question was not easy. In the past, Sienna was sure that she wanted to be Carl’s princess because of love. But now she wanted revenge on Arya, and she wanted to protect Carl from her, was the reason she accepted the marriage.

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel anything about him now, but the difference was huge. Before, she got married because of love, but this time she fell in love after she got married with interests. Moreover, there has been no change in her one-sided heart before or now.

“I didn’t even get married because I wanted a seat, but...”

“Anyway, you don’t get married for love.”

‘Dirty!’

Although she didn’t say it out loud, Bluebell’s emotions were obvious on her face. She looked like she could never accept a marriage that is based on interests, not love.

Sienna felt complicated in front of an immature girl who thought love was the most important value.

“That’s so unfair. If I had been born two years earlier, I would have been Carl’s wife! But you’ve already married My Highness, so what does the coming-of-age ceremony mean to me anymore?”

She said, sweeping down her own forearms as if she were getting goosebumps.

“I have to attend the coming-of-age ceremony under the escort of another man! I’ve been thinking all my life that I’ll be next to Carl.”

Bluebell’s prickly words dried Sienna’s mouth. She couldn’t get rid of the thirst even after drinking a refreshing mint tea.

“Let me join and attend this coming-of-age ceremony with Carl.”

This seemed to be the business she had come to. Sienna did not readily answer. If things went as it did in the past, Bluebell would have appeared at the coming-of-age ceremony, holding Carl’s hand. It would look good to tell Bluebell to do as she wishes as if she was showing broad generosity, but Sienna could not easily say those words.

“Even if you don’t allow it, I’ll attend with Carl. I originally came to see you to ask this as a favor, but after talking to you, I don’t think I need to. It’s not a request, it’s a notification. You don’t care because you don’t love him anyway.”

“No...”

Sienna tried to stop her, but Bluebell shook off her seat and stood up without even listening to her.

“Then I’m done with my business, so I’ll get going.”

Bluebell left the room without receiving Sienna’s goodbye. Sienna couldn’t hold on to her any longer. What did it mean by holding her up anyway? Now that she’s Carl’s wife, she can’t see her and Carl join hands in the coming-of-age ceremony? Sienna wondered if she was qualified to say such a thing.

What has changed since staying in the capital recently was that most of the meals were now shared with Carl. Usually, Sienna liked this time very much. He also looked more relaxed.

In the past, Sienna ordered meat for Carl’s meal and fish for her own, but after Carl said this wasn’t necessary, mainly seafood was prepared. Today, the main was fried cod on top of the potato puree. Sienna looked at Carl, who was zoned out while using his knife.

-You mean you didn’t marry Carl because you loved him, but because you wanted to be a princess?

Bluebell’s face, full of scorn, came to Sienna’s mind.

Come to think of it, Bluebell and Carl were a very good match. The delicate-faced Carl and the enchanting-looking Bluebell. Just thinking about it made her heart boil with jealousy.

She didn’t want to admit it at the time, but Sienna actually knew. The fact that she was nothing but an obstacle between the two.

That hasn’t changed even now. From Bluebell’s point of view, whether she was willing or not, Sienna was the villain who took her place by joining hands with Empress Arya.

“What are you thinking about? You’re not eating.”

She hesitated wondering if she should talk to Carl about the conversation she had with Bluebell today.

“I heard you met Bluebell today. What brought her here?”

‘Is he interested because it’s about Bluebell?’

She didn’t want to tell him what happened today. She felt pathetic for having not said anything, and she was afraid that her guilt would be revealed.

“It wasn’t a big deal. Oh, I’ve got something for you by the way...”

Sienna had Hain to bring pickled miree. He was glad to see the yellow-colored miree in the clay bowl.

“Ah, marinated miree.”

“I prepared it because I thought it would be hard to get when it gets colder. I did make a jar of it, but they said they couldn’t eat it for an extended time even if they are pickled.”

Carl took a bite and rolled it in his mouth. For a moment, he frowned as if it was sour, but it was not because he didn’t like it. He seemed to like it.

“Have you ever had pickled miree?”

“Once, but at the time I ate something I made wrong, so I’m not sure if it’s really pickled miree.”

“Then try it. This one is quite well pickled.”

Carl dipped a yellow miree with a fork and held it out to her. Sienna hesitated to eat it because it tasted so terrible when she tried it before.

‘Yes, it wasn’t in season at the time, it was just a mess because I made it myself.’

Sienna stuck her head out and held miree in her mouth.

“Ugh!”

As soon as she put the pickled miree in her mouth, her mouth was filled with saliva. The sour smell poked through her nose and the strange mixture of salty and astringent flavors made her tongue ache. Carl burst into laughter as she frowned.

Sienna couldn’t spit it out and forced herself to swallow it with a mouthful of saliva. No matter how much water she drank, the sour and bitter taste didn’t go away.

“It must have gone bad. No, I think I made it wrong. It tastes really weird.”

Carl said with a smile on his face.

“This is how it tastes. Miree is characterized by sour, bitter, and salty flavors.”

“Why on earth do you like this taste?”

“It’s okay when you get used to it. It digests well.”

“I don’t think I’ll get used to the taste. Wouldn’t it be faster to have your tongue paralyzed before that?”

“It’s a traditional food that we’ve been eating for quite a long time in the eastern part of the country. Never gets skipped on a table.”

Carl was more familiar with the local food culture than the capital’s food because he had many days to stay on the border since childhood. Unlike in the imperial palace, he ate comfortably with his people.

“The food you eat with the right person is more delicious.”

Sienna shook her head and drank water, saying she wouldn’t get used to it, even if she ate with people she likes.

“I think seafood dishes are getting better these days, too. The fried cod tastes good again today.”

“The chef Aunt Kelly recommended made these. He seems especially good at cooking seafood. It’s hard to get rid of the fishy smell, but it’s really good, right?”

“I see.”

She, too, admired the chewy texture of the fish hidden in the savory batter.

“I didn’t like it when I only ate the miree, but it tastes really good when I eat fried food after eating it. It’s not greasy. Of course, I don’t want to eat it again.”

“Yes.”

A gentle wind blew through the window. The wind was mingled with a sweet smell.

“Huh? What’s this smell?”

“It smells like Sellum.”

“Sellum?”

Sellum was the first flower to bloom when winter passed and spring came. The flowers bloomed early because the capital was as cool as of late autumn weather.

“It’s in its prime. It’s in full bloom in the garden, and the scent is amazing, and it’s flowing all the way here. Would you like to go there with me after the meal?”

“Oh, you mean the yellow flower? Thick like a ball with thin petals stacked in layers. So that’s what it smells like. It smells really good. But I can’t today. I’ve decided to have tea time with the Empress today.”

“I see.”

“You can go alone today, Mr. Carl.”

“No, no. But rather, tea time with the Empress? Were you well acquainted with her?”

“We became very close when you weren’t in the palace. I think she’s a really good person. She is very naive that you cannot believe she lives in the palace. She’s older than me, but she’s like a younger sister.”

“I see.”

“But I haven’t been able to visit lately because the Emperor has been very ill.”

Recently, Valore has been seriously ill, to the extent that he was unable to participate in state affairs, although the political meeting went smoothly because they were led by Arya’s followers.

“I’m worried about the Emperor. More than I expected...No! I just think he is very ill.”

“Just because you worry doesn’t make him feel better, why should you worry?”

Carl said coldly.

“That I know but...”

Sienna closed her mouth. She could not bring herself up to tell Carl that Valore might be in critical condition. Even though Carl talks that coldly about Valore, he was still Carl’s only sibling. Although they could not interact frequently due to Arya, at least in Sienna’s eyes, the two brothers had affection for each other. Even if they were not blood-related brothers.

Just by looking at Carl’s reaction when Valore was made the emperor makes it obvious. Carl could have used Valore’s the secret of his birth as a reason to put him out of the seat. If he wanted, Carl could have been the emperor by now.

Sienna felt sorry to see Carl who could not be honest with himself. Only if he could be a little bit more acknowledging with his feelings.