Chapter 28 – The Book

‘Does he really read books like that…?’  

‘Eros and Psyche’ was a famous romance myth that every woman would have read at least once. Naturally, Lenoa had read it during her days as a princess in the library.  

She had been deeply engrossed in the love story between the captivating male god and the mortal woman, spending sleepless nights imagining herself as Psyche, the heroine of the tale.  

In any case, Lenoa had read the book long before meeting Kairan. Neither of them had ever mentioned the book, as such topics were rarely part of their conversations.  

Judging by the circumstances, Kairan was reading the book purely out of his own interest.  

“That book… are you reading it? How is it? I’ve read it too.”  

Lenoa spoke, her gaze fixed on the book instead of Kairan.  

“It’s decent, I suppose.”  

Kairan answered quietly and sat back down.  

‘Should I sit next to him? Or should I just stay standing here?’  

As she hesitated, Lenoa realized she didn’t have a book to read. Turning quickly with the intent of grabbing any book, Kairan’s voice stopped her in her tracks.  

“I’m glad it ends with a happy ending.”  

Kairan muttered a brief review of the book, even though she hadn’t asked for one.  

Leaning back in his chair and stretching, Kairan continued his evaluation, this time in more detail.  

“Midway through, that Eros fellow… wasn’t he quite the fool?”  

“…Excuse me?”  

Kairan, using harsh words to criticize the male lead of the book, left Lenoa dumbfounded.  

To her, Eros was a romantic character who fell in love with the mortal Psyche, provided her with a luxurious mansion and maids, and defied his mother’s opposition to be with her.  

While Lenoa had held Eros in high regard, Kairan had a much lower opinion of him—almost as low as Psyche’s descent into the underworld for his sake.  

“If he truly loved her, he should’ve revealed his identity from the start. Why visit her only at night and never show his face?”  

“…Ah, now that you mention it, that’s true.”  

Lenoa found herself at a loss for words in response to Kairan’s irritated complaint. Judging by his cold tone, she felt any argument she made would fall on deaf ears.  

Still, Lenoa could understand Kairan’s perspective. Even if nine out of ten people praised someone, there would always be one who thought differently.  

While one might hold back criticism of real people, fictional characters were a different story.  

Moreover, the more Lenoa thought about Kairan’s evaluation, the more she found herself agreeing with it.  

There was no divine law stating that gods and mortals couldn’t look at each other. If Eros had gone to the trouble of bringing Psyche to him under false pretenses, he should’ve revealed his identity.  

The line, “If you see my face, our love will be broken,” now felt utterly unpleasant to her.  

In the end, when Psyche, pressured by her sisters, took a knife and lamp to see Eros’s face, she didn’t stab him but instead became mesmerized by his statue-like beauty.  

That incident led to their temporary separation.  

Kairan’s candid critique turned Lenoa’s thoughts upside down like waves.  

Suddenly, their eyes met. As Lenoa gave an awkward smile, Kairan sighed, closed the book, and stood up.  

‘Is he going to read another book?’  

As she wondered if he’d head toward the study, Kairan instead approached her, leaning against the corner of the study where she stood.  

Before Lenoa could react, Kairan stepped closer, staring intently into her deer-like eyes.  

“If I were Eros, I would’ve revealed my identity to Psyche long ago.”  

“…”  

“Then, we could’ve loved each other without any doubts.”  

Lenoa understood Kairan’s words.  

When Eros’s identity was exposed, he had hurled all kinds of insults at Psyche, saying, “Love cannot coexist with doubt,” before leaving her. Some considered that line one of the most memorable quotes.  

But Kairan would likely think it was the worst line ever. After all, wasn’t it Eros himself who caused that doubt?  

If Kairan ever met Eros, he would probably curse him to his face—far more harshly than the insults Eros had directed at Psyche.  

Lenoa was relieved that Kairan couldn’t hear the wild thoughts racing through her mind.  

Without taking his eyes off her for even a moment, Kairan softly whispered,  

“I’ve already done so, long ago.”  

With that, Kairan finally stepped back, leaving the stunned Lenoa behind as he passed her and headed toward the study.  

Once he was out of sight, Lenoa finally regained her senses.  

‘What on earth does he mean…?’  

Repeating Kairan’s cryptic final words in her mind, Lenoa felt a wave of dizziness. She let out a deep sigh, as if the floor beneath her had collapsed, and headed toward the exit.  

She had come to return and borrow books, but staying here any longer felt unbearable. It seemed better to return to her office and resume her usual work.  

She decided that the next time she visited, it would be when Kairan wasn’t around.  

Lenoa bowed slightly to the librarian and left the library. Looking back, she was relieved to see that Kairan hadn’t followed her.  

Stepping out of the somewhat chilly library, the warm sunlight outside helped Lenoa regain her composure.  

***

“Your Majesty, Queen?”

After putting the book back in its place, Kairan left the study and looked around, but Lenoa had already left the library.  

‘Sigh. She’s done it again.’  

The emptiness of Lenoa’s absence washed over Kairan like a tide.  

Though they had briefly been together, she had left without a word, leaving him feeling as though he was the only one left in this vast and grand space.  

Originally, his purpose was to clear his mind and read several books in the literature section before dinner, but with Lenoa gone, he no longer wanted to stay there.  

Earlier than planned, Kairan decided to leave. He walked through the rows of bookshelves, which were tightly packed and arranged almost like a maze. Even for someone as thin as Kairan, navigating through them was difficult.  

“Y-Your Grace, the Grand Duke!”  

The librarian, upon spotting Kairan, hurriedly bowed her head.  

She was well aware of Kairan’s temperament, which often made her nervous whenever he visited the library.  

However, Kairan merely ordered her to raise her head, his tone devoid of emotion. The librarian, overwhelmed by his presence, struggled to find her composure while Kairan walked toward the exit.  

Just as he was about to open the door, a thought suddenly struck him. He turned back and swiftly approached the librarian to ask,  

“What purpose did Her Majesty, the Queen, have for coming here earlier?”  

“Ah… She came to return a book and borrow another one to read.” 

The librarian stammered, holding up the book that had been placed on her desk.  

「What Is a King?」  

It was a guidebook essential for anyone studying the principles of monarchy.  

‘I read that long ago.’  

Though Kairan had read it later than Lenoa, he was just as knowledgeable in the subject of monarchy as she was.  

While Lenoa occasionally took breaks from her studies for a day or more, Kairan studied for over ten hours daily without fail, driven by his ambition to become the King of Celesta.  

Yet, power was not his ultimate goal. His true objective could only be achieved naturally by becoming king.  

‘As they say, life is unpredictable.’  

Kairan sighed, reflecting on how his current circumstances had diverged so drastically from what he had envisioned.  

Suddenly, another thought flashed through his mind.  

He urgently asked the librarian whether Lenoa had borrowed any books during her visit. The frightened librarian replied that she had not.  

‘Could it be that… she wasn’t able to properly use the library because of me?’  

It seemed as though Kairan had inadvertently disrupted Lenoa’s peaceful time.  

Though he was delighted to have encountered her, she likely felt differently. Because of him, she had only returned her book and hurried away.  

Feeling a wave of guilt, Kairan pressed his lips together tightly.  

“…”  

The librarian, unsure if she had committed some offense, silently observed his reaction.  

The already quiet library was now filled with an uneasy tension.  

Breaking the silence, Kairan asked the librarian another question.  

“Does Her Majesty, the Queen, have a preferred genre of books?”  

“…Yes. Literature. Since childhood, she has frequently visited the library to read novels and other works, earning her the nickname ‘Literary Princess’ at one point.”  

Literary Princess.  

A faint smile appeared on Kairan’s lips.  

Imagining Lenoa as a princess quietly reading in the library brought him a sense of joy.  

“I see. Then, are there any popular literary books these days? If so, bring me one.”  

At Kairan’s request, the librarian hurried to the literature section and returned with a book.  

“Here… This is a bestselling romance novel that has recently gained popularity.”  

Kairan thanked the librarian, even offering her a word of gratitude, before leaving the library. The librarian was left astonished by his unexpectedly polite demeanor, which contrasted with the rumors about him.  

Instead of heading to his fourth-floor office, Kairan stopped on the third floor to find Betier.  

Though he had avoided her for a while due to the recent tea-time incident, he now resumed sending messages to her, simply because Betier was the Head Maid.  

“Lady Lenoa is currently resting in her room.”  

“Perfect timing. Please arrange for me to meet her.”  

Betier, still upset about the tea-time incident, deliberately responded coldly to Kairan.  

However, his composed attitude only fueled her frustration.  

Secretly wishing he would be denied entry, Betier carefully knocked on Lenoa’s door to relay Kairan’s message.  

Contrary to her expectations, Lenoa granted permission.  

Since she usually declined visits unless they pertained to work or meals, Betier felt a surge of resentment.  

After regaining her composure, Betier informed Kairan of Lenoa’s approval and watched him enter her room, grinding her teeth in frustration.  

“Your Grace, what brings you here?”  

Lenoa, who had been lying on her bed, now sat gracefully at the table after receiving Kairan’s message.  

With a gentle smile, Kairan handed her a book—the romance novel recommended by the librarian.  

“I thought you might enjoy reading this book, Lady Lenoa.”