Chapter 10 – A Secret Meeting at Night

Click. Lenoa leaned against the door and finally exhaled the breath she had been holding in.  

When she woke up, she found herself wrapped in something warm. It turned out to be Kairan’s coat. As she absentmindedly clenched the coat in her hands, her eyes met his smiling gaze.  

She had intended to return it immediately. However, after helping her out of the carriage, Kairan wrapped the coat around her shoulders again, securing it snugly as if to ensure she couldn’t take it off.  

With his right arm firmly around her back, he escorted her all the way to her room on the third floor of the palace. Draped in Kairan’s coat, she walked with him, receiving greetings from numerous court officials along the way.  

To an outsider unaware of their relationship, they might have looked like a pair of lovers.  

“Oh… What do I do? This is so embarrassing…”  

Lenoa collapsed onto her bed, her body feeling as heavy as water-soaked cotton. After resting for a moment, she pulled the bell cord and asked Betier to help her remove her adornments.  

Betier skillfully helped Lenoa out of her dress and into a black negligee.  

Comfortable clothes were always the best. The violet dress she had chosen herself for today’s outing had been cumbersome, with its long hem dragging on the floor and its elaborate decorations.  

“My goodness. Lady Lenoa, there’s blood on the dress.”  

“What?”  

Lenoa quickly checked the violet dress Betier was holding. Sure enough, there was a dark red stain on the back hem near the hip area.  

Fortunately, the dress was a deep violet color, and the stain was only the size of a fingernail. However, if someone with sharp eyes had noticed it… The thought made her face turn pale.  

‘Ah… That’s right. Grand Duke Blandi…’  

Lenoa immediately thought of Kairan. He had covered her with his coat and escorted her. Thanks to his actions, no one likely noticed the stain.  

In hindsight, it was a relief, but the memory still made her heart race.  

‘Could it be… that he knows I’m on my monthly cycle?’  

Five days ago, during dinner with Kairan, she had suddenly felt blood running down her leg and had hastily excused herself from the dining hall.  

Lenoa buried herself under the blankets, pulling them over her head, and shuddered with embarrassment.  

‘Oh, what do I do?’  

She rolled around in bed, clutching the blankets tightly. The shame was overwhelming.  

“Betier, please tell the Grand Duke that I’ll be skipping dinner tonight.”  

She wasn’t particularly hungry, and more importantly, she couldn’t bear the thought of facing Kairan again during dinner.  

“Betier… Please, I’m begging you. Try to persuade the Grand Duke for me.”  

“Yes, don’t worry, Lenoa.”  

With a tearful expression, Lenoa clung to Betier’s arms and pleaded. She planned to ask the chef to prepare a simple meal later, just like the brunch she had eaten alone in her bedroom earlier.  

Trusting Betier wholeheartedly, Lenoa sprawled out on the bed. Fatigue seeped into her entire body.  

After ensuring that Lenoa had fallen asleep, Betier quietly left the room, determined to refuse Kairan’s escort on her behalf.  

To her surprise, Kairan did not show up until dinner time had passed. Betier found it strange but considered it fortunate. She soon instructed the maids to prepare food for Lenoa when she woke up.  

***

“Hmm…”  

Lenoa woke up around 11 p.m. Looking around, she saw the dim glow of a lamp flickering in the otherwise dark room. She managed to find the bell cord and pulled it. Hunger had suddenly overtaken her after waking up.  

“Lady Lenoa, you’re awake?”  

Betier promptly brought in the prepared meal: egg toast, milk, and lemon pudding. Lenoa’s face lit up instantly at the sight of the lemon pudding.  

She ate her food slowly but steadily. As Betier cleared the plates, Lenoa asked,  

“Oh, what about the Grand Duke? Did you manage to turn him down?”  

“He didn’t even come.”  

An unexpected answer. Lenoa tilted her head in puzzlement but was relieved nonetheless.  

“Then… What is he doing now?”  

“The servants on the fourth floor said he skipped dinner and is still in his office.”  

Lenoa lowered her head, feeling a pang of guilt.  

‘Was today just my day off?’  

She hadn’t done any work all day. Even after returning to the palace, Kairan hadn’t rested and was still working. Waves of guilt washed over her.  

Although she had been keeping her distance from Kairan, Lenoa now wanted to do something for him.  

In the end, she asked Betier to instruct the chef to prepare the same meal she had just eaten.  

She intended to deliver it to Kairan herself, but she realized she didn’t know any of his favorite foods. Despite having dined with him several times, she had always avoided his gaze and eaten hastily.  

After Betier carried out her orders, the food was soon ready.  

“I’ll take this to the Grand Duke myself.”  

“What? Oh, I see… No, wait. I’ll go instead. You must be tired.”  

“He’s probably just as tired as I am. It’s only one floor up.”  

Lenoa stood up, wearing her coat and carrying the tray. Betier tried to stop her, insisting on sending a servant instead, but Lenoa firmly refused.  

She was still tired from her cycle and the day’s outing, but she felt it would be insincere to delegate this task to someone else.  

Lenoa left her room and slowly ascended to the fourth floor. The hallway was empty. Her mind was filled with conflicting thoughts as she walked.  

She hesitated several times, considering handing the tray to a servant and turning back. But by the time she reached the fourth floor, those thoughts had vanished.  

‘Well, I’ll just leave it at the door and go.’  

She knocked on the door of Kairan’s office. Knock, knock. No response came from within. Perhaps he had stepped out to the restroom.  

“Phew… That’s a relief.”  

Feeling a sense of relief, Lenoa placed the tray on the floor and hung the coat on the doorknob. Just as she turned to leave—  

“What’s such a relief?”  

A familiar voice, accompanied by a hand on her shoulder. Lenoa struggled to calm her racing heart. The dimly lit hallway, illuminated only by sparse candlelight, gave her chills.  

Turning around, she saw Kairan standing in the open doorway of his office. Though his face was hard to see clearly, it seemed like he was smiling.  

Lenoa felt like fainting from embarrassment. Not only had he caught her delivering food, but he had also overheard her muttering to herself.  

“I heard you skipped dinner and were working late… I just wanted to deliver this and leave.”  

Lenoa stammered, speaking the truth.  

Kairan stared at her for a moment before silently gesturing for her to come closer. Lenoa hesitated but eventually took a step toward him.  

‘I should tell him to stop working and rest.’  

It was late, and after a day of traveling, he surely wouldn’t still be buried in paperwork. Lenoa followed his gesture hesitantly.  

Kairan picked up the tray and headed not to his office but to his bedroom. Lenoa followed him, carrying the coat.  

The first thing Lenoa noticed about Kairan’s bedroom was how excessively simple it was. It contained only the bare essentials: a bed, a bookshelf, a table, and drawers.  

Kairan opened a cabinet and took out a wine set. Lenoa had never seen him drink before, but it seemed he planned to drink alone.  

He had Lenoa sit at the table and brought over the wine set. As Lenoa hung her coat on the chair, she noticed two glasses on the table, as if prepared for just such an occasion.  

“Would you like to have some red wine with me?”  

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”  

“Ah, I see. After all, Your Majesty, you’re still at an age where milk suits you better than wine.”  

Sitting across from her, Kairan toyed with the wine bottle as he smirked mischievously.  

Lenoa felt annoyed. He was only six years older than her, yet he still treated her like a child. She didn’t drink often, but she did drink occasionally.  

“I’ll have some wine too.”  

As Lenoa picked up a glass, Kairan, who had been fiddling with his shirt cuffs, chuckled softly. It was as if he had anticipated her reaction. Calmly, he poured wine into her glass first.  

Watching him fill only her glass, Lenoa felt a twinge of disappointment.  

‘I went out of my way to bring him food…’  

It was as if he had forgotten his earlier comment about wine not suiting her. Her glass was now filled to the brim with wine, and so was his.  

“I was just about to finish work and head to bed.”  

“Did I… interrupt you?”  

Kairan raised his glass without answering. It was a gesture asking for a toast. Caught off guard, Lenoa lifted her glass and clinked it against his.  

Clink. The sound of their toast echoed clearly in the dimly lit room. They both drank their wine.  

To Lenoa’s surprise, she found the wine quite enjoyable and downed her glass in one go. Kairan seemed to feel the same, as his glass was also empty in no time.  

After their first drink, silence fell between them. Lenoa’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.  

‘What should I say? Should I ask for another glass? It was delicious. Or should I ask why he called me here?’  

Kairan remained silent as well. Eventually, Lenoa spoke first.  

“Are you… not going to eat what I brought?”  

She pointed to the tray of food. It was the most neutral question she could think of.  

Kairan had skipped dinner, yet here he was, drinking a substantial amount of wine. She was genuinely concerned for his health. Moreover, she felt a little hurt that he showed no interest in the food she had prepared for him.  

“……”  

Only then did Kairan glance at the tray. He picked up a piece of toast and brought it to his mouth. He ate it without drinking either wine or milk, chewing continuously.  

‘Won’t he choke?’  

Lenoa watched him with wide eyes.  

Contrary to her worries, Kairan immediately drank the milk after finishing the toast in one bite. Then he grabbed the wine bottle again and filled both of their glasses to the brim. Once more, they toasted and emptied their glasses.  

Kairan’s behavior puzzled Lenoa. He had called her here, yet he said nothing and simply kept drinking.  

‘Should I just say I’m leaving?’  

As Lenoa hesitated, Kairan’s voice stopped her.  

“Your Majesty. No, Lady Lenoa. May I ask you a question?”  

“……”  

By now, Kairan’s voice and tone had changed, as if he were slightly intoxicated.  

It had been a long time since Kairan had called her by her name. The familiarity of the name was comforting, but it was also a title he had refrained from using, knowing how much she disliked it.  

“Why do you keep avoiding me?”