Chapter 03
About Crossing the Line
“I want a change of mood. Dress me up—very flashy.”
After finishing her bath, Sienna sat at the dressing table, surrounded by the maids.
The deep navy velvet dress flowed naturally from her waist, and colorful jewels were set along the hem, sparkling every time she moved.
Sienna slowly turned around once.
“You’re so beautiful!”
Flattery mixed with sincerity burst out from all sides.
She knew they were saying it to please her, but she decided to take it kindly.
Flashy is exactly my style!
Her long hair was neatly braided and draped over one shoulder.
She wore a wide-brimmed hat tied with a white ribbon.
After finishing her makeup, Sienna and Anna went out to the garden.
Sienna had said she wanted to eat lunch there.
As they walked through the garden, Sienna looked excited, like she was on a picnic.
Following the beautiful path under the warm sunlight, they reached a white table set in the middle of the garden, prepared just for her.
“Wow!”
When was the last time she had eaten a proper meal?
Seeing the delicious food, Sienna gasped without realizing it.
Thick, filling sandwiches and golden-brown baked bread.
A three-tier tray held scones and small cakes, and a silver platter was piled with plump grapes and fruit jelly.
Sienna first took a sip of perfectly cooled black tea, then picked up a scone.
She spread strawberry jam on it, took a bite, then another sip of tea.
Next, she spread orange marmalade on the bread and bit into it.
Crunch—the sound alone made her feel refreshed.
Only after finishing even the vegetable-filled sandwich did Sienna slow down.
“Ah… this is happiness.”
As she patted her full stomach in bliss, the servants standing nearby exchanged glances.
Is this really the princess we know?
They were stunned by the sight of her eating so heartily.
Sienna usually only picked at her food, barely eating enough.
Feeling their stares, she wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb.
Did I eat too greedily? Whatever.
After a long time, Sienna was at her happiest.
Blooming flowers, leaves dancing in the wind, and good food.
What more did she need?
The world is really beautiful.
She was humming softly as she poured another cup of tea when—
Anna, who had been quietly sipping her tea, suddenly clapped her hands.
“Oh! Princess! There’s good news!”
“Good news?”
“Marquis Valencia and Lord Jade will be coming to the palace soon!”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes! It seems His Majesty plans to have tea in the newly completed garden.”
“I see.”
“This is just my feeling, but maybe this time he plans to finally settle your marriage!”
“Hm.”
Anna looked unusually excited, but Sienna remained calm.
“Aren’t you happy?”
“Well…”
Should she be happy?
Honestly, she felt nothing.
Not thinking about anything—but also not wanting to think deeply about anything.
Besides, one of the many reasons Pierre bullied Sienna was this political marriage with House Valencia.
If she really married into the powerful and respected House Valencia, it could become a threat to Pierre.
Of course, Sienna had no intention of marrying Jade, and she had zero interest in the throne.
Why chase a man who doesn’t want me?
She wasn’t bored enough to do something so foolish.
If the marriage kept being delayed until it faded away, that was fine.
That would be good for both of them.
Yes, exactly.
Sienna reached a simple conclusion.
But to Anna, Sienna’s attitude was shocking.
Jade Valencia—just hearing his name used to make the princess blush.
Wasn’t she the one who worried for days about what dress to wear whenever he visited?
“My goodness.”
Anna’s thoughts slipped out.
“…Lord Jade is coming.”
She asked again and again, unable to believe it.
Something really happened that day.
Seeing Anna’s serious expression, Sienna put down her teacup and thought carefully.
Right. I used to chase after him a lot.
It was a well-known, pure, one-sided love.
If I act too calm, it’ll look suspicious.
After a brief thought, Sienna lowered her eyes.
She was fairly confident in acting.
“Anna… I think I want to let go of my feelings for Jade.”
Her voice was calm, with a hint of sadness, like someone ending a long love.
“As everyone knows, Lord Valencia doesn’t want this marriage.”
“Princess…”
“I don’t want to become a joke, and I hate the idea of the person I love becoming unhappy because of me.”
Anna’s eyes filled with tears again.
“Our poor princess…”
“I’m fine.”
Sienna smiled softly, which only made her look more pitiful.
In the quiet garden, their conversation carried clearly.
Pitying gazes poured in, but Sienna silently drank her tea.
“I like things just as they are now.”
That was 200% sincere.
Sienna’s only worry now was the death that grew closer each day.
Is it really impossible to get close to Pierre?
In many romance fantasy novels, villain brothers became doting brothers.
For a moment, a hopeful scenario crossed her mind.
But only for a moment.
She shook her head.
No. You can’t change people.
She had suffered more bullying than what was written in the novel.
The worst memory was when he locked her in a closet, knowing she was afraid of tight spaces.
He was rotten from the start.
There was little hope for redemption.
They had already spent too much time worse than strangers.
If only I’d possessed her earlier…
At twenty, she wasn’t young enough to win him over with cuteness.
Unfairly, Sienna had never wanted to be queen, past or present.
Why would she? It was the perfect position to die young.
But suspicious Pierre would never leave even a small seed of danger.
She needed a more certain way to survive.
What if I just don’t go there on my birthday? Or fake my death…
She startled herself with her own thoughts.
“Oh my.”
“Am I a genius?”
“Pardon?”
Ah. She had said it out loud.
Startled, Anna dropped her spoon while scooping jelly.
“Sorry. I was lost in thought. Where were we?”
“The debutante ball.”
“Oh, right. That.”
About a month later, a debutante ball would be held at the palace.
“You need to start ordering dresses soon. The capital’s boutiques are already busy.”
Normally, nobles entered society at sixteen.
The debutante ball was the biggest event where young men and women met naturally.
Sienna had missed it due to her weak health.
So at twenty, she would finally enter society—late.
That debutante was something else.
A classic love triangle.
At the ball, Pierre and Jade would clash fiercely over Eleanor.
For Sienna, it was a miserable day.
She had to watch her beloved fiancé ask another woman for the first dance.
What a jerk.
The ball lasted three days, and people usually wore a different dress each day.
Even poor nobles strained themselves to buy expensive dresses.
That’s how important the event was.
It was the perfect place to find a marriage partner.
“Among all the young ladies there, you will be the most beautiful. I’ll make sure of it.”
Anna looked more determined than ever.
Seeing her so excited, Sienna decided to play along.
As they talked about dress trends, Sienna casually reached for a scone—but dropped it.
The round scone rolled and stopped at someone’s feet.
Expensive leather shoes.
“Uh…”
“Trying to get my attention?”
Sienna slowly raised her head to look at the owner.
Golden hair shining in the sunlight, deep blue eyes, perfect features.
The sword at his waist bore the violet emblem of royalty.
Pierre? Why are you here?
Before she could answer, Pierre cruelly stepped on the scone.
Sienna frowned without realizing it.
She knew he hadn’t really stepped on bread.
She wasn’t the only one shocked by his sudden appearance.
The servants around them held their breath.
“Brother… what brings you here?”
“I heard rumors. That you went mad, broke things, and lay in bed without eating.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you. I was just unwell for a while.”
“Is that so?”
He smiled crookedly.
Annoyingly handsome, like a true protagonist.
Sienna smiled gently to reassure him—only to realize too late that it irritated him.
“Smiling?”
Ah.
“You dare smile at me?”
Bad habits die hard.
She was used to smiling at nonsense.
Pierre stepped forward coldly and grabbed her chin roughly.
Because of their height difference, his gaze felt crushing.
“What are you planning?”
“Brother…”
“Whatever it is, don’t do anything. Nothing.”
That was how it used to be.
And Hyesu wasn’t someone who cried easily.
Still, I should cry here.
She wasn’t scared at all, but she pressed her tear button.
Remembering Giselle—the only performance that ever made her cry—she called him in a trembling voice.
“Brother Pierre…”
Tears quickly welled up and rolled down her cheeks.
Only then did he release her.
Satisfied with his dominance, Pierre turned away, grinding the grass with his shoe.
“Sniff…”
Sienna sat down and sobbed openly.
The peaceful garden grew heavy.
The servants stood frozen.
But the sobbing slowly faded—and suddenly stopped.
As if she had never cried, she calmly wiped her tears and stood up.
“P-Princess?”
While everyone was confused, Sienna raised her middle finger at Pierre’s retreating back.
Pierre sat at his desk, irritated.
The servants around him were tense.
Jeon and Harley lowered their voices carefully.
“Did something unpleasant happen outside?”
“Who knows. Is it just today?”
Because of his sharp nature, people around him always suffered.
But since he was the Crown Prince, no one could complain.
Most carried stomach medicine just to survive daily life.
After finishing his thoughts, Pierre called Jeon, the youngest of his guards.
“I think we need to keep an eye on Sienna.”
“Pardon?”
Jeon thought it was excessive, but didn’t ask.
He knew when to stay silent.
“Father summoned Marquis Valencia—using the marriage talks as an excuse.”
“But Marquis Valencia is—”
“Yes. He has no interest in power. But positions can change people.”
Jeon felt uneasy.
Theo Valencia was a war hero and loyal guardian of the borders.
He was admired by all soldiers.
Still, a princess with perfect lineage and a powerful house behind her was not good news for Pierre.
“Report who Sienna meets and what she does. Every day.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
Surveillance.
Jeon didn’t like it, but orders were absolute.
As he was about to leave, Pierre stopped him.
“Wait.”
After hesitating, Pierre finally asked,
“…Did the gift reach Miss Watson?”
“Yes.”
“How did she look? Did she say anything?”
His eyes held expectation.
“She said thank you. That’s all.”
Jeon didn’t mention that Eleanor had rejected the gift three times.
Pierre’s mood was already bad enough.
Sienna woke up lazily again.
Sunlight pouring through the canopy was her alarm.
Mornings used to be painful.
But lately, she welcomed them.
The sunlight, the breeze—everything felt good.
What to eat, what to wear, what to do.
Just thinking made her happy.
Best of all was the carefully prepared meals.
“Thank you for the meal!”
After days of proper sleep and meals, the change was clear.
Her pale face had color again, and her headaches had eased.
After eating, Sienna leaned against the bed headboard in a light nightgown.
All the windows were open, and she patted her full stomach, breathing in flowers.
What should I do next?
Her gaze fell on the jewelry box.
Having lost everything once, she knew the truth.
Money. I need money.
Leaving home was hard—but leaving without money was ten times worse.
“Anna. If I sell all those jewels, how much would they be worth?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m just curious.”
She fiddled with her nails to look casual.
“They’re all top-grade jewels. A commoner could live comfortably for life.”
“Really?”
Sienna’s face brightened.
She thought carefully.
Selling them all at once would look suspicious.
Few could afford them anyway.
Jewels alone aren’t enough. I need something more solid.
Sienna knew nothing of the outside world.
No one had taught her about Stern—or the world.
And in any world, information was power.
First, I need to learn about Stern.
Money and information.
With those, she could survive.
Sienna headed to the royal library with her guard, Arthur McKenzie.
It was far from the palace center and mostly abandoned.
That worked in her favor.
Except—
The walk was suffocating.
Arthur had been assigned for three years, but they weren’t close.
This was their first time alone.
And what’s that?
No way.
After about ten minutes, Sienna spoke first.
“Sir McKenzie?”
“Yes, Princess.”
“Is there any other knight protecting me? Secretly, maybe?”
“No.”
“Then who’s that rustling person we’ve been hearing?”
Arthur’s usually half-lidded eyes widened.
He was surprised.
The follower was trained.
Good instincts.
Arthur moved closer.
“What should we do?”
“Leave them.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. You’ll protect me if something happens, right?”
The unspoken threat followed.
She looked at him brightly.
“Protect me, Arthur.”
“…”
“Oh, can I call you Arthur?”
“O-Of course.”
Sienna smiled warmly.
I trust you. So don’t betray me.
If he had no honor, nothing would help anyway.
Let’s observe for now.
Awkward—but not a bad feeling.
Let’s get closer.
With that decision, Sienna happily walked ahead.
