When Sienna first planned an orphanage, she was planning to build it in the capital. After running the project on a trial basis within close range, she tried to increase the number gradually.
However, the trial operation did not seem easy because the land price in the capital was so expensive. It has also been judged that it was more effective to provide financial support to the existing ones than to build a new orphanage because the temple of the land already runs an orphanage in a stable manner.
At that time, she could establish an orphanage in the Roman Territory near the capital. However, it was the first time that she actually came to Roman territory because she could not leave the palace while pregnant.
“What a beautiful place.”
Sienna looked at the orphanage with a thrilled face. The exterior was not particularly beautiful, but it seemed more beautiful to her than any other fancy building.
This was now a shelter for homeless children. So, it was a precious place that couldn’t be compared to anywhere else.
The wife of Roman lord approached Sienna, who was thrilled to see the orphanage. She was a very pretty woman, as Carl said.
“The establishment event is too simple, isn’t it?””
Roman’s temporary lord was, as Carl said, a man who valued substance rather than appearance. Usually, when an emperor participates in an event, one employs a military band and the local people to make it a big event and treats the royals luxuriously. However, this lord didn’t do that.
The plain-looking man was polite to Sienna and Carl, but he kept to the right. Last evening’s dinner also featured simple and tranquil menus within the limits they could prepare.
The same was true of events commemorating the establishment of the orphanage. Without a lavish event, Carl and Sienna ended all the events by hanging the signboard of the orphanage surrounded by a round of applause from the local residents who attended the event.
It was done in an excessively thrifty way. But Sienna rather liked it.
“No, I love it.”
“I’m glad to hear that. The Empress prepared this project herself, so you must have been very excited—but I was worried that the event might be too small. My husband says he’d rather buy one more item for the orphans with the money used for the event.”
At her words, Sienna burst into laughter. Because she liked his idea very much.
Sienna’s gaze reached the lord’s wife’s belly. Sienna didn’t realize because she didn’t share dinner with the mistress last night as Sienna’s crew arrived late last night, but she understood why the mistress wasn’t at yesterday’s dinner.
The belly of the lord’s wife, who was about to give birth, was swollen as if she had put in a large cushion. Sienna, who just had twins, became interested.
“When is your due date?”
“The midwife said the baby would be born next month. My first child is looking forward to having a brother, but the baby’s just slow.”
Her first child, named Dain, was getting along with the children of the orphanage so well to the point where it was unbelievable that he was the son of the lord. It occurred to Sienna that he really was the child of a couple who valued substance more than formalities.
Sienna thought this might be what she wanted. A country where children can be happy. Sienna thought she wanted to help the children and her country’s people forever as the empress.
After talking to Roman, Carl approached Sienna. He smoothly put his arms around Sienna’s waist and asked.
“You’re not tired?”
“No, I’m not tired at all. I feel like I can even stay up three nights.”
“That’s great. It would be better if you didn’t come out of bed for three days and nights. With me, of course.”
Sienna tapped him in the ribs with her elbow at his sly joke.
“So how do you feel? You’ve been struggling and trying for a long time because of the orphanage.”
“I’m just happy. The children’s chatter sounds like a masterpiece song. What about you, Carl? How do you feel?”
Carl smiled softly at Siena and said.
“I’m happy if you’re happy.”
The two smiled amusedly at the children running around.
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[Five years later]
Sienna, with her children now five years old, was enjoying a picnic with a blanket on the grass overlooking the Imperial Arena. There was a nanny who takes care of the royal children, but Sienna liked to spend time with the children herself and talk to them about various things. The children were still young, so they looked for their mothers a lot.
In her arms, Sharillo slept quietly. Near him, Hain fanned carefully.
“Not yet?”
When asked by Sienna, Hain asked back, “What?”
“Are you still leaving Lord Pavenik to work with Anna?”
“And Anna needs to spend some time with her dad.”
Anna was a girl born between Pavenik and Hain.
The two married four years ago. Pavenik pursued Hain so passionately around that time, and then he finally proposed. He proposed by saying, “I really wanted to do it earlier, but I waited until I got a house in the city. If you want, I would fill the house with books you like.”
Not long after the wedding, Hain came to bear the fruit of their love. She has conceived a child.
It was a pleasure, but on the one hand it was awkward. Sienna had to hire a new person if Hain was to quit her job.
Sienna regretted not dispersing her power and inner palace management work. So, she had to worry about having a new chief maid. It was also a problem that she couldn’t easily give her heart to a new person because she went through so many things with Hain.
Eventually, Carl and Sienna persuaded Hain and Pavenik to allow Hain to commute with the child. She was to work as a maid only while the sun was up as if she were an administrative official.
Of course, it was more of Carl’s threat than a persuasion. He said to Pavenik, “if Hain doesn’t come to work, you won’t be able to get off work.” As a result, Pavenik had no choice but to accept the offer in tears. Thanks to such advantages, Anna grew up receiving the same education as the royal children.
But Anna wasn’t with them on this picnic. That’s because Hain dropped Anna off at the office where Pavenik was working.
Sienna asked her with a worried look.
“Why would you leave Anna to Lord Pavenik? You know how busy the Oval Office is. Aren’t you worried about Anna?”
Hain said with a deep sigh.
“How could I not be? I’m so worried. I’ve already sent a nanny with her, but it’s someone else’s hand…”
Sienna asked carefully because it was strange to leave Anna at Pavenik’s office even when Hain was worried.
“Hain, is it because it’s hard to take care of a child while working as a maid? I should have left my children to a nanny, not make you take care of them…”
Sienna was worried if Hain was suffering from her greed.
“Ay, that’s ridiculous. You know how much I love those two. Aside from other tasks, taking care of them is not work—it’s a hobby, really.”
Hain added that Sharillo’s gentle sleep was angelic and explained why she left the child in Pavenik’s office.
“That’s because… …the other day, my husband got home earlier than usual. As soon as he got home, he said he missed Anna and reached out to hug her. But Anna bawled her eyes out. She cried so much that I thought she was having a seizure.”
“That mild Anna? Was she hurt?”
Anna was as soft as Sharillo. She was a gentle child who rarely badgered or whined. Sienna couldn’t believe Anna cried so much when she saw her father.
“You can’t imagine, can you? Anna is actually gentle when she’s with someone familiar, but she’s very shy, so she cries in surprise when she sees a stranger. When she saw my husband, she cried as if she had never seen him before. I had to comfort her a lot that night.”
“Anna must have been very startled. Lord Pavenik must have been very surprised too.”
“Yes, he was very embarrassed. That night, he had to spend a tiring night trying to calm down Anna despite coming home earlier than usual.”
“But you left that crying Anna to Lord Pavenik?”
Hain replied, sighing deeply again.
“What else should I do? It doesn’t make sense for a kid to cry every time she sees her dad. She’s expressing by crying because she can’t talk now. But later, she might say ‘who are you?’ whenever she sees her dad.”
“No way…”
As Sienna smiled and shook her hand, Hain spoke to her with a solemn look.
“No, I’m serious. Later, Anna might find my husband back home and swing a stick shouting, ‘there’s a thief!’ As you know, he has a lot of work to do, so he goes out at dawn and comes back late at night. Our mansion is right in front of the palace, so he comes to sleep. But if it were a little farther away, he’d barely come home once a month.”
Hain said with a worried look.
“If I want to see my husband, I have to go to his office, not our house, so I can see him once. First of all, I have to make sure he and Anna get close this way since he can’t get home early. I can’t let them be worse than friends.”
