Chapter 27 – The Library

Kairan’s face immediately brightened.  

As expected, Lenoa’s prediction of his reaction was spot on.  

“Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty.”  

Placing his hand over his chest, Kairan bowed his head and expressed his gratitude with utmost respect.  

Although their relationship had returned to formalities, he resolved to change it back to casual speech starting from the day they visited the secondary palace.  

Unaware of Kairan’s thoughts, Lenoa soon dismissed him. Just before leaving the reception room, Kairan gave her a heads-up.  

“I’ve delivered the temporary import permit for Benecia minerals, from Duchess Grania Velika, to your office. Please review it and approve it.”  

When Lenoa returned to her office, the sight of a mountain of documents piled high on her desk greeted her.  

At the very top was the document Kairan had mentioned. Lenoa immediately sat down and carefully reviewed it.  

Kairan’s negotiation terms with Grania stipulated that ‘if the permit to import minerals is granted, one-twentieth of Velika Trading Company’s earnings over six months would be donated to the royal treasury.’  

It was a reasonable proposal that would benefit both Celesta and Benecia.  

Dipping her quill in ink, Lenoa signed her name in the designated space at the bottom of the document. Then, she noticed another signature beneath hers.  

Kairan. His name was written in elegant, mature cursive, befitting his meticulous personality. It made her chuckle. Lenoa set the signed document aside.  

If this deal were finalized, it would not only restore the Velika Trading Company to prominence but also bring noble visitors, including her maids, back to its doors. The shadow that lingered over Grania’s face would finally lift.  

‘Her relationship with Grand Duke Kairan will improve, too.’

Grania, who had supported Lenoa, openly kept Kairan in check.  

Although Kairan had been angered by this, he personally stepped in to resolve Grania’s concerns. As a result, Grania grew grateful to Kairan and began to support their relationship.  

Thanks to Kairan, both work and personal matters were progressing in a positive direction. He truly excelled at handling tasks.  

‘I should thank him later.’  

Smiling broadly, Lenoa picked up another document to review. Every time she saw Kairan’s signature, a warm satisfaction filled her heart.  

After finishing the approvals, Lenoa pulled the bell cord and asked her maid Elin to retrieve a letter from her nanny, stored in her bedroom drawer.  

Now, she could finally write a reply. Unlike the efficient manner she handled her work, Lenoa poured her emotions into her response, writing with enthusiasm.  

The nanny had been close to maids like Betier, treating them like daughters, and had even maintained a friendship with the now-retired head attendant.  

Lenoa called Elin again and asked her to deliver the letter to the former head attendant. It had been a while since she’d sent anything to him, and soon, a response would arrive.  

Having sent the letter and completed her work, Lenoa heard a knock at the door.  

“Lady Lenoa, Grand Duke Blandi is here. He invites you to join him for dinner.”  

Elin’s voice came from outside the door.  

Glancing at the wall clock, Lenoa realized it was already six o’clock. She had been so engrossed in her work, and with summer’s slow sunsets keeping the room bright, she had lost track of time.  

Despite the earlier tension with Kairan, she didn’t want to avoid him.  

With a sudden motion, Lenoa left the room without answering, meeting him at the door. Her demeanor was so direct that Kairan instinctively stepped back.  

He had a habit of barging into her room unannounced during meals, skipping formalities.  

But this time, guilt over his earlier rudeness prevented him from doing so. Yet, he couldn’t bear the thought of not dining with her, so he sent a formal invitation through a maid—though not Betier, but another one.  

“Let’s go. It’s time to eat.”  

Lenoa calmly accepted Kairan’s escort as they descended to the first floor.  

While they acted as usual, a subtle awkwardness lingered between them. The atmosphere remained tense as they walked to the dining room.  

Lenoa was the first to break the silence.  

“You handled the trade negotiations with Benecia well.”  

“…Ah, thank you.”  

“If everything goes smoothly, Duchess Velika will surely be grateful.”  

Although silence resumed, the atmosphere felt slightly less strained than before.  

The two dined together in the dining room. The dark mood was filled only with the clinking of utensils.  

Still, they left the dining room together. Exchanging another round of escorts, they parted ways on the third floor, and Lenoa returned to her bedroom.  

Collapsing into a chair at her table, she began imagining “his” upcoming arrival at the palace.  

Though she had only met him once, the thought of him brought a smile to her face.  

At the debutante bal, she had wanted to see him again. 

What might he be doing now? When he arrives at the palace, I’ll treat him well…  

Lost in her happy daydreams, Lenoa was interrupted by Betier’s arrival. The maid seemed subdued, likely due to the tea-time incident, and kept her lips tightly sealed.  

“Lady Lenoa, was everything alright with Grand Duke Blandi?”  

As she helped Lenoa out of her dress and into a white negligee, Betier finally voiced her concern.  

“It’s fine. Instead, I plan to assign him an attendant.”  

“What? An attendant? But he’s never accepted one before…”  

Betier was well aware of Kairan’s aversion to having attendants.  

If he had wanted one, he would have accepted one long ago. Could any attendant endure the Grand Duke’s temperament? 

Betier found herself more worried about the attendant than Kairan.  

Lenoa laughed lightly at the expected response and explained her reasoning.  

Reluctantly, Betier nodded, though her expression remained dissatisfied.  

***

A month and a half remained until the founding festival.  

On a sweltering summer afternoon, Lenoa, having finished her document approvals, prepared to visit the royal library for the first time in a while.  

She intended to return the book ‘What Is a King?’ which she had finished reading yesterday and found utterly unsatisfactory.  

Returning the book was something she could have entrusted to a maid or servant, but since she also wanted to borrow a new one, she decided to go herself.  

Tying her ash-colored hair neatly into a single knot, Lenoa left the Queen’s Palace.  

The royal library, located in the rightmost building of the three U-shaped structures, was as grand and majestic as one would expect of a “royal” library.  

The library was strictly reserved for royalty and nobles, reflecting its prestige.  

Royal family members could freely enter and borrow books without restrictions, while nobles required formal permission from the royal palace to enter. Borrowing books was limited to a one-month period.  

‘Looks like I’m the first visitor today.’  

No one had visited the library that day—not even maids.  

Carrying the heavy book, Lenoa approached the librarian, who seemed to be daydreaming, and asked her to return it. Startled by the Queen’s sudden appearance, the librarian quickly whispered nervously.  

“Y-Your Majesty, are you planning to use the library?”  

“Yes, I am.”  

“Is there a particular book you’re looking for…?”  

“Not really. I just want to browse and borrow something that catches my eye.”  

“T-Then… please feel free to use the library. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”  

The librarian, who kept rubbing the back of her neck repeatedly, was clearly showing signs of unease. It was as if she was subtly hinting that Lenoa shouldn’t enter the library.  

Lenoa found this odd but didn’t pay much attention to it and soon headed deeper into the library. Before her stretched countless bookshelves, tightly packed and filling the space to the brim.  

‘Wow.’  

Stretching her arms wide and taking a deep breath, she felt the scent of thousands of books rush over her.  

Lenoa, who had always loved books, frequently visited the library and read extensively across various fields.  

However, after ascending to the throne, she had become far too busy to visit the library at all. She had only managed to work her way through a series of stiff, pre-borrowed books on sovereign studies, one by one.  

In any case, Lenoa made her way toward the “Literature” section of the library, which she had not visited for a long time.  

Since childhood, she had loved books, especially literature, and had read almost everything in the library, from poetry to novels and plays.  

Her love for literature had earned her the moniker of the “Literary Princess,” and it was the reason she possessed a richer sensibility than most and had learned about the world’s stories despite rarely venturing outside the palace.  

Given how long it had been since her last visit, she assumed that many new books had been added. Following the sign labeled “Literature” hanging in one corner of the library, Lenoa moved forward.  

If she pulled out a book and passed between the bookshelves, there was a spacious square table with chairs, perfect for reading.  

It was just as she entered the narrow, straight aisle flanked by bookshelves.  

‘Huh…?’  

In the distance, she saw a familiar silhouette sitting at one of the rectangular tables, engrossed in a book. That red hair belonged to none other than Kairan, someone Lenoa knew well.  

Spotting him, Lenoa instinctively pressed herself against the left bookshelf, hiding her body.  

After taking a deep breath, she finally understood the librarian’s strange behavior.  

‘It’s because of the Grand Duke.’ 

Currently, their relationship was neither cold nor close—just awkwardly ambiguous.  

Still, they were slightly closer to being on cold terms, so she hesitated to approach him. Since the day she had made her decision, he hadn’t sent any messages to her except during meals.  

Even during meals, they exchanged little conversation, but his habit of saving her a portion of lemon pudding remained unchanged.  

Now, unexpectedly running into Kairan, Lenoa found herself fretting over what to do.  

Should I just leave since I had already returned the book? But it felt wrong to leave when I had come all this way. Should I greet him first? How would he react, given our current relationship?  

As her thoughts oscillated between options, Lenoa ultimately chose the first—just leave.  

She turned toward the entrance and carefully began to walk away.  

“Your Majesty, if you’ve come, you should say something.”  

A calm voice called out from behind her. Startled, Lenoa slowly turned around.  

Kairan, expressionless, had risen from his seat and was looking at her. As their eyes met, Lenoa stammered.  

“Y-You knew I was here?”  

“Yes. From the moment you arrived.”  

Lenoa couldn’t think of anything to say to someone who had noticed her presence all along. Avoiding his gaze and nervously moving her lips, she finally forced a smile and spoke.  

“Haha… Since we’ve run into each other like this, why don’t we read together?”  

Kairan seemed satisfied with her suggestion, as he responded with a faint smile and a nod.  

As Lenoa hesitantly approached the table, her eyes caught sight of the book lying on Kairan’s seat.  

‘Eros and Psyche.’ It was a romance myth that Lenoa had read long ago.