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PLEASE!!
DON'T SHARE OR REPOST!!
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Translator Note:
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that besides Vol. 4 I will also translate Volumes 1, 2, and 3.
But as I said in Table of Contents, Vol. 1, 2, and 3 will be slow update.
However, I will try to stick to the schedule (updates once a week).
And...... As it was written in bold above, PLEASE DON'T SHARE OR REPOST!!
I'm sure many of you already know that. Korean Publishers is strict, so...... Again, PLEASE DON'T SHARE OR REPOST!!
Thank you!
***
Sorry for only being able to update now.
There are so many things happening in the RL.
***
Novel The Great Wish Volume 1
Chapter 2 - Open Your Closed Eyes
Part 1
A
woman poured light green tea into a white teacup. It was Sienna's favorite
herbal tea.
It
had a bittersweet aroma, and Sienna added a generous spoonful of sugar to it,
creating an odd combination of bitterness and sweetness. It was no secret that
she had quite a sweet tooth.
She
reached out her right hand and picked up her teacup. As she lifted it to her
mouth, she expected to smell the aroma on the tip of her nose and taste the
sweetness on the tip of her tongue. But there was no aroma, no flavor.
"Reduce
the sugar."
"Yes,
Your Majesty."
She
thought she had reached out her hand and caught the teacup, but it was just a
coincidence that her thoughts matched those of the owner of her body.
—Again?
It
was her second dream.
Sienna
didn't panic like she had the last time. Knowing that it was just an illusion
that would fade when she woke up, she relaxed.
"I
must be getting old, judging by the change in my tastes. I can't stand
sweetness."
"That
isn't true, Your Majesty. You are still as vibrant as always. I'm in the wrong
for having prepared the tea incorrectly."
"This
is not the first time you've brewed this tea for me. There is no other person
that brews tea as well as you."
"My
pleasure, Your Majesty."
Sienna
leisurely listened to the conversation between the two women. It was like
watching an interesting play.
In
her first dream, she'd been puzzled and found a few things she hadn't noticed.
She was a little groggy as if she'd just woken up, and their words were
slightly echoed. Other than that, it was as vivid as reality, except I had to
concentrate to feel it.
—The
place is the same as last time.
This
is the Emperor's office. Perhaps because Sienna visited the Emperor's office a
few days ago, she could see the internal structure more clearly. The woman
serving the tea is not the woman from my last dream. This is a new person. She
looked older.
—Is
this really an illusion I've created?
Sienna
couldn't believe what she was seeing was just a dream.
"Emma.
Every time I drink tea, I think of the tea leaves I never had."
"Are
you talking about that tea leaf box that you keep so dearly, Your
Majesty?"
"Yes."
The
Emperor laughed softly.
"It
was when I was approaching my twentieth birthday. I received an unexpected gift
from an unexpected person, and I was more worried than happy. My head was full
of guessing the sender's intentions. At first, I was afraid, and later I felt
regretful, so I didn’t dare touch the tea leaves."
The
Emperor closed her eyes as if recalling a nostalgic memory. Unfortunately,
Sienna couldn't tell what memories were playing in the Emperor's mind with her
eyes closed, only that her vision was darkening.
"Your
Majesty, the officials are entering."
The
voice came from far away. The Emperor turned her head in the direction of the
sound and opened her eyes.
A
moment later, officials trudged in, all clutching documents in both hands.
They
bowed and piled what they had brought on the Emperor's spacious desk. The
Emperor's gaze swept the mountain of documents from bottom to top, then up and
back down again.
Sienna
could not read the Emperor's thoughts, but she could gauge her emotions from
the direction her gaze moved and the length of time it lingered. As she stared
at the mountain of papers, she could see the weariness in her eyes.
After
the officials had left with their piles of work, the Emperor sighed heavily.
Again, she was alone with the woman serving tea.
"Have
you ever seen the Emperor?"
The
woman didn't answer right away.
"I
mean my father, the Emperor."
"I've
only seen him at a distance."
"He
used his office as his own personal space. No one was allowed in unless they
were summoned."
"He
did."
"I
disagreed with him. I thought it was strictly for public use, but now I
understand how he felt."
The
Emperor sighed again as she looked at the papers.
"This
one piece of paper is the least of my worries."
"Your
Majesty......"
"Every
time they come in and pile on the worries, I lose my temper."
The
Emperor muttered bitterly.
"Emma."
"Yes,
Your Majesty."
"It
wasn't until I became Emperor that I realized I was human. Funny, isn't
it?"
Sienna
rolled her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a long moment. The sun was just
beginning to rise. She sat up in her bed. The words lingered.
"The
Emperor is also a human being......"
She
rubbed her chest. There was a dull ache inside.
The
God being were superior. The Emperor were flawless. An Emperor who ruled the
world was supposed to be perfect, to have a cold heart and a perfectly balanced
scale in their head.
A
tortured Emperor, who is tired from work and having a hard time. A weak
emperor. With that kind of mindset, she should not become Emperor. More than
anything, Sienna was concerned that the Emperor kept appearing in her dreams.
After
her first dream, Sienna looked up what was written about dreams in several
books. Several authors said that dreams reflect an individual's desires. So she
was puzzled.
'Do
I want to be Emperor? Is that my subconscious desire?'
She
was not dissatisfied with the current reign of His Majesty, who ruled the
Empire. The throne was hers in the future. There was no reason to be impatient
when all she had to do was wait.
She
thought of herself as a future Emperor, but she prided herself on not being a
greedy power-hungry woman. As she flipped through the books in the Imperial
Library, she came across a passage that struck her.
—The
members of the Imperial Family are deities due to their godly blood. They are
descendants of the Gods as well as the Priests. There have been instances where
the Gods have descended onto the bodies of the members of the Imperial Family
and communicated their will directly through voice or vision.
'Could
it be that I have been given an oracle?'
Then,
everything is explained. Any strange thing that happens makes sense.
'If
it is an oracle, then that Emperor must be trying to tell me something through
dreams. Maybe that Emperor in my dream was a real person.'
The
history of the Imperial Palace is as long as the history of the Empire. Many
Emperors have reigned in the Sun Palace, and the memories of their lives are
embedded in every single brick.
'I
wonder which of these Emperors it was. There are so few clues.'
In
the afternoon, Gilbert came to visit. It had been 3 days since I'd told him to
find a knight and bring him back. But it had been a long time coming, and the
answer he brought was deeply disappointing.
"None?"
"Yes,
Your Highness. We have not found anyone with the characteristics you
describe."
"He
was clearly wearing a knight's uniform."
"But
not only knights wear uniforms......"
"What
do you mean by that?"
The
knight flinched when Sienna looked at him with a straight face.
"The
process of obtaining an Imperial Palace Pass is very complicated and
lengthy."
"You
mean, a knight's uniform is used as a workaround to get in and out to the
Palace?"
"......Yes."
"Since
when?"
"For
a long time."
"How
long?"
"I
heard about it a decade ago, when I first entered the Palace."
That
was enough to make it sound widespread. Sienna had heard nothing of it; she
trusted that all the rules of the Palace were perfectly observed.
"This
is the Palace where His Majesty resides. Doesn't that mean there's a huge hole
in the security?"
"That's
not quite true."
Gilbert
hastened to defend himself.
"The
knights' uniforms are made by the Palace itself, so they're tightly controlled.
Only the lowest-ranking uniforms can be given away, and even then, not just
anyone can do it."
"What
are the criteria to be able to take a uniform? Do you have to be well-connected
to a knight?"
Gilbert's
complexion turned white. The more he spoke, the deeper he felt he was sinking,
and he knelt down on the spot.
"That
is not what I meant, Your Highness. I beg your pardon."
Sienna's
eyes were cold as she stared down at Gilbert. Just a few days ago, she would
have been furious. She would have ordered a thorough investigation and hunted
down those who had stolen the uniforms. If necessary, she would have traced the
wrongful practice back to its origins to find and punish those responsible.
But
Sienna glared at the knight and bit her lip to control her anger. Something had
changed inside her. It wasn't that she had suddenly become blind to injustice.
Rules were important. Principles were basic.
But
if she made a big, loud deal about it now, Gilbert would be in a lot of
trouble. He'd be labeled a whistleblower, and he might not be able to stay in
the Order.
Sienna
realized with a start that she trusted Gilbert quite a bit, and she couldn't
think of anyone else she would trust with personal instructions. Breaking the
rules by stealing a knight's uniform was not important enough to trade for Sir
Gilbert.
"How
should I go about finding him?"
"What?"
"That's
another matter. I want to know who he is, and who do I call to find out?"
"Like
I said, not just anyone can get their hands on a uniform."
"So
who is he?"
"The
Commander...... He probably knows."
Gilbert
forced the words out with great difficulty. He'd just made an accusation
against his top boss.
"I
see. You can leave."
"Your
Highness,"
"Don't
worry. Your name won't come up."
"Thank
you, Your Highness."
Gilbert
bowed, looking overwhelmed. One of the reasons Sienna sought Gilbert out when
she had business with the Knights was because of his simplicity. He was never
overtly trying to please others. It was the first time I had seen Gilbert show
such a loyal expression.
She
stared at him in a strange way. Was covering up a wrong as impressive as
rewarding it? A reward is a reward, a punishment is a punishment. The two were
entirely separate, and Sienna felt her solid world shake.
"Ah,
Your Highness."
Gilbert,
who was about to leave, turned around.
"The
sword you speak of, the one with the black handle and black blade, I remember
hearing stories about it as a child. It is said that Kalligo’s black sword is
famous."
"Kalligo?"
"It's
the name of a famous mercenary organization."
"If
you heard it as a child, isn't it an old story?"
"It's
said that the Kalligo are passed down from one leader to the next. It's a
mercenary organization that existed before I was born."
Sienna's
expression quivered.
"Mercenaries?
What a bunch of lawless criminals. I wonder if he's really a mercenary, he
doesn't look like one.
But
the more she thought about the black-haired man, the more her stomach churned.
'He
was rude and arrogant. He certainly didn't look like a knight.'
There
is no need to call the Knight Commander, If he had entered the Imperial Palace
through that method, Sienna thinks she knows who would have done it. It would
be Prince Dyan. She would be able to find him if she asked the Prince.
'But......
Do I need to find him?'
They
may not be his caliber, but the Palace is full of fine knights, far more polite
and loyal.
'Let's
stop.'
Sienna
put things back the way they were. It felt right, but it also felt strange,
like she'd missed something.
She
asked her maid to bring her tea, her favorite herbal tea. It was her usual
herbal tea. She inhaled the bitter aroma and took a sip. It was sweet enough to
sober her up. The corners of Sienna's lips lifted slightly in satisfaction.
'Will
there ever come a time when I don't like this sweetness?'
"Your
Highness, the Chamberlain has brought you a gift from His Majesty the
Emperor."
Startled
by the maid's words, Sienna jumped to her feet.
"Gift?
Let the Chamberlain in."
The
Chamberlain came in and was respectfully offering a small box wrapped in velvet
with both hands.
"Did
His Majesty pass along any message with this?"
"No,
Your Highness."
"Then,
I guess I must go to pay my respects."
"His
Majesty is in a meeting. You will not be able to see him now, Your
Highness."
"I
see. Let me know when it's a good time to visit."
"Yes,
Your Highness."
After
the Chamberlain left, Sienna stared at the gifts on the table, unable to touch
them.
'Why
did His Majesty suddenly......'
My
joy was temporary. Her mind raced as she pondered the meaning behind it. After
staring at it for a while, she carefully unwrapped the velvet around the box. A
roughly carved wooden box was revealed.
She
opened the lid. It was filled with dried tea leaves. An unexpected gift. She
had never received such a small gift from the Emperor before.
"Tea
leaves......?"
Sienna
frowned. She suddenly remembered what she had heard in her dream.
「 It was when I was approaching my twentieth birthday.
I received an unexpected gift from an unexpected person. 」
Is
this a mere coincidence?
All
her thoughts about the meaning of the gift disappeared from her mind. As she
stirred the tea leaves, she remembered the Emperor in her dream, and what she
had said.
***
You can read the newly released chapter of [Novel] The Great Wish Vol. 4 on Patreon or Ko-Fi at The SeiRei Wish tiers. Thank you!
***
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