Chapter 10 – Night’s Secret Meeting

Click. Lenoa leaned against the door and finally let out a breath she had been holding.

When she woke up, something warm was covering her. It turned out to be Kairan’s coat. When she absentmindedly held the coat in her hand, she met his smiling eyes.

She intended to return it immediately. However, Kairan had escorted her to her room on the third floor of the palace, wrapping the coat around her back again as if to shield her.

He escorted her with his right arm firmly around her back, ensuring she couldn’t take it off, as they passed through the palace receiving greetings from many court officials.

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

“Ah… What should I do? It’s so embarrassing…”

Lenoa collapsed onto her bed, feeling like a soaked cotton ball. After resting for a bit, she pulled the cord and asked Betier to help her with her attire.

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

Comfortable clothes were indeed the best. The violet dress she wore today, despite choosing it herself for the outing, was uncomfortable due to its dragging skirt and elaborate decorations.

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

“What?”

Lenoa quickly checked the violet dress in Betier’s hands. Indeed, there was a dark red stain on the back, near the hem by the hips.

Fortunately, the dress’s deep violet color and the stain’s small size, about the size of a fingernail, meant it wasn’t easily noticeable. However, imagining someone with keen eyes spotting it 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 escort, no one probably noticed.

In retrospect, she was relieved, but the thought still made her anxious.

‘Could he have known… that I was on my cycle?’

Five days ago, while having dinner with Kairan, she suddenly felt blood running down her legs and hurriedly left the dining room.

Lenoa lay back down on the bed, pulling the blanket over her head, shivering with embarrassment.

‘Oh, what do I do?’

She rolled around in the blanket, dying of shame.

“Betier, please tell the Grand Duke that I’m skipping dinner today.”

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

“Betier… Please, persuade Grand Duke Blandi well.”

“Yes, don’t worry, Lenoa.”

With a tearful face, Lenoa grasped Betier’s arms and pleaded. She planned to ask the chef to prepare her dinner later, just like brunch, to eat alone in her bedroom.

Trusting Betier strongly, Lenoa sprawled on the bed. Fatigue quickly seeped into her entire body.

Seeing Lenoa asleep, Betier carefully left the room, preparing to politely refuse Kairan’s escort.

However, he didn’t come until dinner time was over. Betier was puzzled but relieved. She soon instructed the maids to prepare food for Lenoa when she woke up.

* * *

“Mm…”

Lenoa woke up around 11 o’clock. Looking around, she saw only the flickering lamp light in the dark room. She managed to find and pull the cord. Waking up, she felt a sudden hunger.

“Lenoa, you’re awake?”

Betier promptly brought in the prepared meal: egg toast, milk, and lemon pudding. Seeing the lemon pudding, Lenoa’s face brightened instantly.

Lenoa ate the food, chewing contentedly. She suddenly asked Betier, who was clearing the plate.

“Oh, did you manage to refuse Grand Duke Blandi…?”

“He didn’t come at all.”

An unexpected answer. Lenoa tilted her head but felt relieved.

“Then what’s he doing now?”

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

Lenoa felt guilty and lowered her head.

‘Was today just a day off for me?’

She hadn’t done any work all day. Even after returning, instead of resting, he was still working. She felt a wave of guilt towards him.

Though she kept her distance from Kairan, Lenoa now wanted to do something for him.

In the end, she asked Betier to request the chef to make the same meal she just had.

She intended to bring it to Kairan, but realized she didn’t know any of his favorite foods. Despite dining with him several times, she always averted her eyes and ate hastily.

Betier went to carry out the order, and soon the food was ready.

“I’m going to take this to Grand Duke Blandi myself.”

“What? Oh, that’s… No, I’ll go. You must be tired.”

“He’s tired too. It’s just one floor up.”

Lenoa picked up the tray and stood up, wearing the coat that was on the chair. Even though Betier insisted on sending a servant, Lenoa refused.

She was still tired from her cycle and the outing. But if she let someone else do this, it wouldn’t be sincere.

Lenoa slowly left her room. When she reached the fourth floor, she saw an empty hallway. On her way, many thoughts clashed in her mind.

She thought about just leaving it to a servant and going back several times because meeting Kairan was awkward. That thought vanished as soon as she reached the fourth floor.

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

Hoping he was absent, she knocked on Kairan’s office door. Knock, knock. No sound came from inside. Maybe he went to the bathroom.

“Phew… Thank goodness.”

Relieved, Lenoa placed the tray on the floor and hung the coat on the handle. Just as she turned around.

“What are you thankful for?”

A familiar voice grabbed her shoulder. Lenoa tried hard to calm her racing heart. The hallway was already dark, with only occasional candlelight, giving her goosebumps.

She turned around to see Kairan standing by the open office door. She couldn’t see his face well, but it seemed he was smiling.

Lenoa felt mortified enough to faint. He knew she had come to deliver food, and he had heard her muttering.

“I heard you were working without having dinner… I was just going to give it to you and leave.”

Lenoa stammered. It was the plain truth.

Kairan watched her and gestured silently. Clearly indicating for her to come over. Lenoa was flustered but soon moved towards him.

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

It was late, and they had been out, so he shouldn’t be buried in paperwork anymore. Lenoa slowly followed his lead.

Kairan took the tray and headed to the bedroom, not the office. Lenoa followed him, holding the coat.

Kairan’s bedroom, which she saw for the first time, was excessively plain. Only essential furniture like a bed, bookshelf, table, and drawers were present.

He opened a cabinet and took out a wine set. She had never seen him drink before, and it seemed he drank alone.

He seated Lenoa at the table and brought the wine set. Lenoa hung the coat on the chair and looked at the table. There were two glasses. As if prepared for such an occasion.

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

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

“Ah, right. Your Majesty is still at an age where milk suits you more than wine.”

Kairan, sitting across from her, fiddled with the wine bottle and smiled teasingly.

Lenoa was annoyed. He was only six years older than her. It was vexing that he still treated her like a child. She did drink, though not often.

“I’ll have some too. Wine.”

When Lenoa picked up a glass, Kairan, who had been playing with his shirt sleeve, chuckled. Anticipating her reaction, Kairan calmly poured wine into Lenoa’s glass first.

Watching him fill only the glass, Lenoa felt a bit disappointed.

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

Despite saying earlier that wine didn’t suit her, Lenoa’s glass was filled with wine. Kairan’s glass was the same.

“I was about to finish work and go to bed.”

“Did I, perhaps, interrupt you?”

Without answering, Kairan raised his glass. It was a toast. Lenoa, caught off guard, raised her glass and clinked it with his.

Clink. Instead of a reply, the sound of the toast echoed vividly in the dark room. They both drank the wine.

Lenoa found the wine to her liking, finishing it in one go. Kairan seemed to do the same, as his glass was already empty.

After their first drink, silence settled in. Various thoughts clashed in Lenoa’s mind.

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

Kairan was equally silent. Lenoa finally spoke first.

“Aren’t you going to eat what I prepared…?”

Lenoa pointed to the food tray. It was the most straightforward question she could think of.

She was genuinely concerned about Kairan’s health, seeing him drink so much wine without dinner. Moreover, she felt a bit hurt that he showed no interest in the food she had prepared with effort.

“…”

Only then did Kairan look at the tray, pick up a piece of toast, and bring it to his mouth. He chewed continuously without drinking wine or milk in between.

‘Won’t he choke?’

Lenoa watched him with wide eyes.

Contrary to her worries, Kairan drank the milk in one go as soon as the toast was gone. Then he picked up the wine bottle and filled both their glasses again. They toasted once more and set their empty glasses down.

Kairan, who had called her over, only drank without saying much, which was strange.

‘Should I say I’m leaving?’

Lenoa hesitated, but Kairan’s voice stopped her.

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

“…”

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

It had been a long time since Kairan had called Lenoa by her name. It was a familiar yet avoided term for her.

“Why do you keep avoiding me?”