Chapter 1 – The Imperfect Queen

― A King may take a mistress besides the Queen. A mistress is typically a commoner, but sometimes she may be a Lady or noblewoman from a Viscount’s family or below…

“Haah… I don’t like it.”  

Lenoa shook her head, her fine, chestnut-colored hair swaying gently. She closed the book she had been immersed in moments before. The book was so large and thick that it let out a dull thud louder than her sigh as it shut.  

When she glared at the title of the book, her delicate eyebrows furrowed even more.  

「What is a King?」  

From the moment she first encountered it, the title, the appearance, and the overall stiffness of the book made her reluctant to read it.  

But she had no choice. This was a mandatory text for the ruler of a nation—a book that ordinary people wouldn’t even glance at.  

At this very moment, the one reading this uncomfortable, mandatory text was Lenoa Moon Celesta. She had just turned 20 this year and had been Queen for one month. Lenoa was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Celesta, the land where she was born, raised, and now governed. In other words, she was the Queen.  

Being the only legitimate daughter of the previous King and Queen, it was expected that she would inherit the throne.  

However, there was one other candidate for succession. Around three years after Lenoa began the process of becoming the heir, shortly after her coming-of-age ceremony, a man suddenly barged into the Celesta Royal Family.  

He was the sole legitimate heir of the Blandi Ducal family. Once, the Blandi family had been the foremost noble family in Celesta, ruling over vast territories and commanding numerous vassals.  

But that was all in the past. Due to certain incidents, the family lost its prominence, forfeiting half of its lands and wealth to the royal family, and was barred from re-entering politics.  

Nevertheless, the King granted this heir the title of Grand Duke. A Grand Duke could inherit the throne, provided there were no direct royal heirs. It was a title typically bestowed by the King when there were no suitable direct successors in the royal family.  

As a Grand Duke, he studied statecraft just like Lenoa and gradually expanded his support base, as if he intended to challenge for the throne. In fact, some of the major nobles began to show their support for the new Grand Duke.  

But he was neither royalty nor a legitimate heir. Only one person could ascend the throne, and it was clear who that person was. As expected, he ultimately became the defeated party.  

Currently, though he had failed to become King, he resided in the royal palace alongside Lenoa.  

“…”  

Suddenly, as memories of the past swept through like the wind, thoughts of him sent chills creeping up Lenoa’s spine.  

What was the relationship between him and her, from the moment they both set foot in the palace until now?  

Whenever Lenoa thought about it, even briefly, cold sweat trickled down her back, and her chest tightened with anxiety. Despite living under the same roof for three years, a wall remained between them.  

‘Stop. Stop thinking about that.’  

Lenoa quickly turned her attention back to the book.  

This book was meant for royal successors.  

Come to think of it, during her time as an heir, when she learned etiquette and history from many instructors, their personal opinions often seeped into their teachings.  

Until the day she became Queen, all the royal educators who taught her would smile and say:  

‘Once you become Queen and appoint a King Consort, pass the affairs of state to him.’  

Even though Lenoa, a princess without a fiancé, had never once thought about the man who would stand beside her at her coronation, the educators were already pushing the idea of a King Consort onto her.  

These instructors were all supportive of her as Queen. Yet when they spoke about her future husband, their concerns were more about the throne Lenoa would inherit.  

They believed that the throne was a seat meant for a man, not a woman.  

‘What am I, a temporary Queen?’  

They told her she was the rightful heir and urged her to become Queen, yet now they said she should hand over state affairs to her husband once she married. Their words were contradictory.  

Because of this, Lenoa often sighed in secret while reviewing and studying alone after her lessons.  

She found a small sense of relief when reading sections on royal customs, which were easier compared to the rigid politics sections.  

The passage she had just read was from the first page of the royal customs section. It was an objective truth, without any errors.  

However, Lenoa saw a problem with it.  

“It’s all about male Kings.”  

Kings, Queens, mistresses—this sentence, this page, and this entire book were written from the perspective of male Kings.  

She had read carefully, taking notes on important parts from the very first page. Yet, there wasn’t a single mention of ‘Queens’ or ‘King Consorts.’  

Moreover, since she had started reading this book a week ago and was now almost finished, there was no chance such topics would appear later.  

From her childhood, when both of her parents were alive, Lenoa had heard stories about the past monarchs of Celesta as if they were fairy tales.  

Of course, she had heard that there were more male Kings than female Queens. But it wasn’t as though there were no Queens at all. If male Kings made up 80%, then Queens accounted for the remaining 20%.  

Over the vast span of history, there had certainly been Queens. Princess Lenoa had become the official heir, proving that a Queen could indeed ascend the throne. And now, Lenoa was Queen.  

Yet this book was filled entirely with examples of male Kings, and it was said that all the Queens of Celesta’s past had read this book as well.  

‘What must they have thought when they read this passage?’  

Lenoa reopened the book. As she read on absentmindedly, a particular passage caught her eye. Her amethyst-colored eyes sparkled.  

― A ruler of a nation is, after all, only human. They cannot be perfect, nor do they need to be.

‘Oh, I like this line.’  

Lenoa smiled faintly.  

Everyone around her wanted her to be ‘perfect,’ an impeccable Queen. The commoners, the nobles, even her royal parents—though her parents were somewhat less demanding.  

Unlike them, the author of this book told Lenoa that she didn’t need to be a perfect ruler.  

It was a short but powerful sentence that instantly lifted Lenoa’s mood. She also appreciated that the author used the term ‘ruler’ to encompass both Kings and Queens, rather than just ‘King.’  

‘Hmm? There’s more to the sentence.’  

― Because every ruler is judged by the actions they take immediately after ascending the throne.

This was the reason supporting the previous statement.  

As she read this, Lenoa’s smile gradually faded. She recalled the very first thing she had done after becoming Queen.  

‘From today onward, I appoint Grand Duke Kairan Blandi as my secretary.’  

The first thing she did was appoint Kairan Blandi, her former rival for the throne, as her secretary.  

Lenoa’s command caused the hall to erupt into chaos. 

It was undoubtedly the best move. By appointing Grand Duke Kairan Blandi as her secretary—a position under the Queen and one that allowed her to keep a close eye on him—she managed to consider both factions’ perspectives while also including an element of restraint.  

Some were so shocked they shuddered, while others silently nodded their heads. In the midst of calming the atmosphere, she hadn’t even had the chance to check the expression of the person directly involved in the order.  

However, his words remained vivid in her memory.  

‘I will obey the will of Her Majesty, the Queen.’  

Ascending the platform, he took the hand Lenoa offered, gently kissed the glove covering it, and bowed.  

Though his acceptance was polite, the kiss left her feeling utterly uncomfortable. It wasn’t her first time receiving a kiss on the back of her hand from him, yet it still felt unpleasant. Thankfully, she had worn gloves.  

In any case, that was how she ascended to the throne as Queen and how he was appointed as her secretary.  

Since this was her first exercise of power as Queen, the book’s statement held some truth.  

However, she couldn’t agree with the idea that this one act would dictate events far into the future. To agree would be to acknowledge her current predicament of being entangled with him.  

‘Ah, now’s not the time to be thinking about this.’  

Lenoa turned her head toward the wall clock. She had started reading at 3 o’clock, but now it was almost 5:30. The dim light of the setting sun streamed through the windows.  

‘It’s almost dinner time. I should… rest for a bit.’  

Lenoa rose from her seat and approached the window. She opened the large window, its edges adorned with dazzling diamonds, and a breeze swept in, brushing against her cheeks.  

The season had just transitioned from winter to spring. The fresh scent of spring tickled her nose.  

Surrendering to nature’s gentle touch, Lenoa leaned against the window and gazed at the scenery outside. Taking small breaks like this during her personal study time was one of her simple pleasures.  

Outside the window, she could see knights training with more vigor than usual and maids scurrying about in haste.  

Tomorrow was the day the delegation from Merzen Kingdom, Celesta’s allied nation, would visit. The palace staff were working diligently to ensure there would be no room for criticism.  

‘They’re all working so hard.’  

However, no matter how much effort they put in, if she fell short tomorrow, it would all come to nothing. A ruler was the face of their nation, and the impression she left tomorrow would determine the reputation of the entire populace.  

“…”  

Feeling the weight of her responsibilities, Lenoa’s expression darkened.  

She had lost her father after losing her mother. Without even time to grieve, she had to accelerate her studies in statecraft, leaving her with no time to rest.  

Though things were slightly better now, she was still busy and exhausted. At least back then, managing state affairs had been her father’s responsibility.  

Since his sudden passing, she had barely had the chance to apply what she had learned in practice. There was a vast difference between learning through extensive texts and education and actually performing the duties of a Queen.  

Knock, knock.  

Lenoa, her eyes reddened without her realizing it, was staring blankly out the window when the sound of knocking brought her back to reality. She hurriedly wiped away her tears with her fingers.  

“Lady Lenoa, it’s Betier. May I come in now?”  

“Come in.”  

Hearing the voice of the person knocking, Lenoa’s heavy heart eased a little, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.  

Betier was Lenoa’s personal maid and the head maid of the royal household. More like an older sister than a maid, Betier was someone Lenoa deeply trusted.  

Soon, Betier carefully opened the door and entered, carrying an elegant tea set in her hands.  

“You were so engrossed that I wasn’t sure when to come in. No matter how much you study, Lady Lenoa, you must take care of yourself first.”  

“Hehe, is that so? Thank you as always, Betier.”  

Betier placed the tea set on the table where Lenoa was seated and began brewing tea. The steam rising from the tea suggested it had just been freshly prepared.  

It was Lenoa’s favorite chamomile tea. Betier was the only person who truly understood and catered to Lenoa’s tastes.  

Whenever Lenoa spent time alone with Betier, she would always share the events of her day. Betier was an excellent listener, often empathizing with Lenoa’s stories, sometimes sharing her joy or indignation.  

Talking with Betier allowed Lenoa to stop being the Queen and simply be herself.  

Forgetting that it was almost time for dinner, Lenoa pondered what topic to discuss with Betier. She thought about it for a moment but quickly found the perfect subject—the book she had been reading earlier.  

She was about to bring up her thoughts on the book when…  

Creak.

The sound of the door opening without a knock interrupted her. A cold voice cut through the air between them.  

“Your Majesty, the Queen. It is time for dinner.”  

“…!”  

Startled, Lenoa almost dropped her teacup. She turned to face the owner of the voice.  

Deep crimson hair and violet eyes. The man who had once been her rival for the throne but was not chosen.  

Currently residing in the royal palace, her secretary and the Grand Duke—Kairan Blandi—stood at the doorway, gazing at her coldly.