Chapter 20 – Debutante Ball (4)

Kairan embraced Lenoa tightly. Unlike the earlier moment when he had reflexively caught her as she fell, this time he could fully feel her presence.  

Her body, as both a Queen and his liege, felt so small and fragile. Though she had no particular ailments and was treated by the best physicians whenever she fell ill, the weight of bearing the Kingdom of Celesta on her shoulders was incomparable.  

But at this moment, Lenoa was neither a Queen nor his liege—she was the woman he loved. Kairan gently patted her back, as if soothing a child, and whispered softly.  

“I’ve wanted this… so much, for so long.”  

“…”  

“To hear those words from you.”  

Kairan’s breath tickled both her ear and her heart. Lenoa blushed, her face heating up, but she kept her arms wrapped around his waist. She wanted to stay close to him like this, just a little longer.  

The two remained silent, neither loosening their embrace. They held each other firmly, ensuring that the other wouldn’t let go first, but also that no discomfort would be felt.  

Their emotions seeped into each other, like light spreading through their bodies. Even the silence didn’t matter as they stayed like that for a long while.  

Much time had passed. As Kairan gradually loosened his arms, Lenoa slowly pulled away from his chest. Though their bodies separated, like magnets reluctantly parting, the silence lingered.  

It was Lenoa who broke the silence—not with words, but with her expression.  

She smiled warmly at Kairan. It was a smile he had seen only a handful of times, and never when they were alone together. It was also the smile he loved most.  

Seeing her rare display of emotion, Kairan’s eyes widened. For a moment, he wanted to embrace her again—the Lenoa who smiled so beautifully. His hands itched, as if something was stuck to them.  

In the end, he couldn’t resist and raised his arm.  

Not both arms, but just one. Kairan gently stroked Lenoa’s hair. Her silky locks tickled his hand once more.  

“From now on, let’s be closer, Lenoa.”  

“Alright.”  

“And… I’d like you to call me something, like a sibling would.”  

“Like a sibling…?”  

“Yes. As a starting point, to extend our relationship.”  

Lenoa was surprised that Kairan could say something that sounded like it came straight out of a novel. She chuckled softly and replied.  

“Then… would it be alright if I called you ‘Oppa’?”  

“Of course. It’s perfect.”  

‘Though I want to be even closer.’  

Kairan continued to stroke her hair, suppressing the words he couldn’t yet say aloud.  

Instead, he imagined what “being even closer” might look like. Just as he began to picture it, the woman who would share that vision with him spoke up.  

“Kairan-oppa, let’s head out now. It’s already time for lunch.”  

“…Ah, right.”  

Kairan, lost in his thoughts, hadn’t noticed the sound of the noon bell outside the private room. Lenoa, however, had heard it and realized it was time to leave.  

Kairan escorted her out of the private room, holding her hand as usual. The servants and a few nobles waiting near the door reacted with excitement.  

The pair looked closer than ever, like a newlywed couple, exchanging affectionate glances as they walked hand in hand.  

‘What could the two of them have been doing in there?’  

Their appearance sparked curiosity among many.  

Most of the debutante participants had left to have lunch, leaving the ballroom more than half empty. They dined in the dining hall of the annex, which served as a reception area for distinguished guests.  

Unlike the others, Lenoa and Kairan headed to the first floor of the main palace, which also housed the Queen’s Palace. Upon reaching the first floor, Lenoa suddenly remembered something and whispered to Kairan.  

“I’ll just stop by my room for a moment.”  

Though puzzled, Kairan nodded. They climbed to the third floor together, where Lenoa hurriedly entered her dressing room while Kairan waited outside.  

Soon, the faint sound of a bell came from her room, and a maid entered to assist her.  

Kairan didn’t know why Lenoa had abruptly gone to her dressing room, but he chose not to ask. He felt that prying might disrupt the progress they had made in their relationship, which had changed so much since the day before.  

‘It must be a personal matter for women—something I shouldn’t interfere with.’  

Meanwhile, inside the dressing room, Lenoa asked the maid to help her remove her dress. Changing dresses and accessories during a banquet was common, so the maid quickly began removing the layers of her ornate clothing.  

Though the dress was removed, the maid, who found nothing unusual about it, tilted her head in confusion. Then, Lenoa spoke again.  

“Not just the dress. The corset too.”  

“Pardon? Are you sure?”  

The maid’s mouth fell open in surprise.  

Lenoa, her master, had worn a corset ever since her coming-of-age ceremony. Corsets were a fashion trend among royal and noblewomen.  

Many girls wore corsets even before reaching adulthood, and Lenoa had tried one on a few times. However, the discomfort it caused—tightening around her abdomen and straining her entire body—had made her take it off almost immediately.  

Now, three years later, she could wear it well enough to move around, though it still felt uncomfortable. She rarely removed it, except to loosen it slightly during her monthly cycle or before meals.  

Even without a corset, Lenoa appeared slender and delicate to others.  

Replacing the corset with a camisole, she felt a newfound sense of freedom and began putting on her outer garments again. Though the dress was still somewhat restrictive due to its fitted design and crinoline, it was nothing compared to the corset.  

After tidying her hair and makeup, Lenoa finally left the room. As she held Kairan’s hand and headed to the dining hall, he stole a glance at her face.  

When they reached the dining hall, the two enjoyed their meal in peace. Free from the confines of her corset, Lenoa ate more than usual, her appetite heightened by the morning’s activities and lack of breakfast.  

Watching her eat enthusiastically, Kairan found her as endearing as a child and began his own meal. He even slid his plate of lemon pudding toward her, as he always did.  

For the first time, the dishes of the two royals were completely emptied.  

Afterward, Kairan escorted Lenoa back to the Grand Banquet Hall. About twenty minutes remained until the second session of the ball resumed. Nobles who had finished their meals and arrived early greeted them politely.  

As they ascended the spiral staircase to the throne, a voice called out.  

“Your Grace, Grand Duke!”  

The one approaching Kairan was Duke Spiegel.  

After paying his respects, Duke Spiegel sought Lenoa’s permission to speak briefly with Kairan before the ball resumed. Though reluctant, Lenoa granted it.  

Left alone on the throne, Lenoa felt a pang of loneliness. Though Kairan’s presence had sometimes been burdensome earlier in the day, it hadn’t felt as empty as this.  

‘Now that I’m alone…’ 

Still, she couldn’t dismiss Duke Spiegel just because she wanted to be with Kairan. The Duke had fervently supported Kairan during the succession dispute. Though Kairan hadn’t become King, the Duke continued to show interest and affection toward him.  

The Spiegel family had never been part of the Pro-Royalist Faction. Moreover, Lenoa’s late mother and the Duke’s sister had reportedly had conflicts. Her parents had often frowned at the mere mention of the Spiegel name.  

Duke Spiegel had once tried to position his sister as the consort of the late King but had failed. As a result, he hadn’t supported Lenoa as the next Queen before Kairan’s arrival. Lenoa had disliked him for often praising only her beauty during their encounters.  

Kairan’s arrival had been a golden opportunity for him. Despite Lenoa’s strong support base, the Duke’s influence was formidable. Even after the late King’s will had been publicly declared in her favor, the Duke had continued to advocate for Kairan.  

With a sigh, Lenoa descended the spiral staircase. Kairan and Duke Spiegel were nowhere to be seen. Scanning the room, she thought of finding Ariel, but neither Ariel nor Lord Albert was in sight.  

‘I wonder if Ariel asked Lord Albert for a dance. I hope things worked out for them.’

Imagining the two as a couple and eventually as a married pair, Lenoa smiled. She sat at a table and sipped the tea brought by a maid.  

Then, a voice she found as unpleasant as Duke Spiegel’s reached her ears.  

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”  

‘Marquis Leon? And beside him… Lady Ariana?’  

A father and daughter pair with sky-blue hair and golden eyes approached.  

Marquis Leon, who had passed on his features to his daughter Ariana, greeted her. Though their presence made her uncomfortable, Lenoa rose and returned the greeting.  

Like the Spiegel family, the Leon family had been staunch supporters of Kairan. Their title and wealth far surpassed those of ordinary nobles, making it impossible to treat them lightly.  

Though she had heard of the Marquis having a daughter, this was their first meeting. Ariana, being Ariel’s age, was likely making her debut at this ball.  

“Your Majesty, you were truly remarkable during the morning ball.”  

“Ha ha… You flatter me.”  

Lenoa covered her mouth with her hand, laughing as she recalled asking Kairan for a dance.  

Even though the Marquis wasn’t part of her support base, his praise brought her some joy. She had resolved to assert her dignity as Queen, and it seemed she had succeeded.  

But her joy was short-lived. The Marquis’s next words sent a chill down her spine.  

“But didn’t you initially refuse, only to accept later? Didn’t His Grace, the Grand Duke, ask you for a dance first? You could have accepted right away.”  

“…”  

“If you wanted to ask him first, you could have done so as soon as the ball began.”  

“Oh my, now that you mention it, that’s true.”  

Marquis Leon and Ariana laughed as if they had heard a joke, their mirth contrasting sharply with Lenoa’s ashen face.  

Lenoa had thought her direct request for a dance had helped Ariel while demonstrating her prowess as Queen. But it seemed the Marquis and his daughter saw things differently. She felt her strength drain away.  

The Marquis finally stopped laughing and spoke again.  

“Your Majesty, you are still young, so perhaps that’s why. But it’s fortunate that His Grace, the Grand Duke, serves as your aide.”  

“…”  

“His abilities are truly exceptional.”  

The Marquis’s unabashed praise for Kairan made him seem like a doting father.  

Though she knew they were close, she hadn’t expected him to openly elevate Kairan in front of her, the Queen.  

It felt suffocating, as if she were wearing her corset again. If she had been wearing it, she could have at least blamed her discomfort on that.  

Unaware of her feelings, the Marquis and Ariana continued to extol Kairan, their words laced with subtle disdain for her.  

Unable to bear it any longer, Lenoa abruptly stood up.