Chapter 31 – The Earl of Haim’s Estate

The one-hour journey to the Earl of Haim’s estate passed in the blink of an eye, feeling like only ten minutes as Lenoa drifted off to sleep. When she opened her eyes, it was because the knight escorting her had knocked on the carriage door.

“Your Majesty, we’ve arrived.”

Her violet eyes opened slowly, and as they met the knight’s gaze through the window, he opened the door for her.

Accepting his assistance, she stepped down onto the ground and lifted her head. Before her stood the Earl of Haim’s estate.

A grand mansion that rivaled any ducal or marquisate residence in scale and magnificence, it belonged to a middle-ranking noble family that had served the previous king. Moreover, they were one of Lenoa’s key supporters. It was a stark contrast to the Viscount Elwen’s household, which valued simplicity.

Lined up on either side were numerous attendants and maids who greeted Lenoa with a deep bow as she held onto the knight’s arm. Though she had received such greetings countless times before, today, for some reason, it felt slightly awkward.

Standing before the mansion’s grand gate was a middle-aged man with gray hair and gray eyes—the Earl of Haim—who offered the final greeting.

“Welcome, Your Majesty Queen Lenoa.”

“It’s been a while, Earl of Haim.”

Lenoa returned the greeting with the dignity of a crane. Typically, those of higher status, regardless of age, only received greetings and rarely gave them. However, Queen Lenoa was an exception.

“Y-Your Majesty, how could you… Ah, please, come inside!”

Flustered by her polite demeanor, the Earl quickly led her into the mansion.

Once inside, Lenoa took in her surroundings. The interior was even more luxurious than the exterior. The walls were adorned with numerous famous paintings, each worth a fortune, and every piece of furniture was encrusted with dazzling jewels.

Not a speck of dust could be found anywhere, undoubtedly thanks to the household staff working tirelessly upon hearing of Lenoa’s visit. Remembering the many attendants and maids she had seen earlier, Lenoa felt a pang of guilt.

“My wife wanted to come out to greet you as well, but… she’s still recovering.”

“Oh no, that’s perfectly fine. Please don’t trouble her unnecessarily.”

Lenoa quickly waved her hands in reassurance.

Though she had yet to experience childbirth, pregnancy, or marriage herself, she was well aware of postpartum recovery. As a child, her curiosity had led her to ask her nursemaid and the Queen Dowager about it.

They had told her that childbirth was the most excruciating pain imaginable and that even after the baby was born, the recovery period could be equally grueling.

Though it had only been about a month since the Earl’s wife had given birth, Lenoa could empathize with her situation as a fellow woman.

After Lenoa sincerely assured him several times that it was fine, the Earl finally relaxed.

“If that is Your Majesty’s wish… Ah, I’ll show you our baby. This way…”

“No, before that, I’d like to meet the Countess. If she’s willing, of course.”

Though she was eager to see the baby, it would have been impolite to do so before meeting the lady of the house. According to etiquette, one should first meet the head and lady of the household before being introduced to their children. While the Earl seemed to have momentarily forgotten this custom, Lenoa had not.

“Oh? Well then… I’ll let her know.”

“Please also tell her there’s no need to force herself.”

The Earl hastily ran down the hallway to the right and whispered something to a maid standing in front of a door.

Watching him, Lenoa instinctively realized that this was the Countess’s room.

“Your Majesty, this way, please.”

With a smile, Lenoa followed him to the Countess’s room.

After a knock, they entered, and Lenoa’s eyes fell on a pale woman with light brown hair lying on the bed. The Countess, upon meeting Lenoa’s gaze, struggled to sit up.

“Y-Your Majesty, welcome.”

“Please, stay lying down.”

Lenoa raised her hands to stop her, and though the Countess’s eyes widened in surprise, she soon smiled warmly. Seeing Lenoa’s considerate nature, she felt as if she were looking at her own devoted daughter.

Lenoa glanced around the room but did not see the baby. It seemed the Countess, still in recovery, was not yet able to care for the child herself.

Moreover, it was customary for royal or noble families to entrust their infants to nursemaids. Lenoa herself had spent more time in her nursemaid’s arms than in her mother’s.

“Countess, I’ve brought you some nutritious food for postpartum recovery. Please eat well and focus on getting better.”

“Oh, Your Majesty, you didn’t have to…”

When Lenoa had set out for the Earl’s estate, she had filled the carriage with all sorts of food. Right now, the knights were probably helping the household staff unload it.

Her mother, too, had recovered quickly and safely from postpartum confinement thanks to proper nutrition. In addition to the food, her father’s devoted care had also played a significant role. Before Lenoa was born, her mother had lost her first child and fallen into a deep depression.

Her mother had often murmured that the baby, whose movements had been strong in the womb, was likely a boy and would have become the heir. However, her father had prioritized her mother’s well-being over producing an heir, comforting her tirelessly. Unlike other nobles or royals who cared only about heirs, Lenoa’s father—the previous king—had shown exceptional humanity.

Had her mother safely delivered her first child, he would have been Lenoa’s older brother and the heir to the throne.

Now, perhaps from far above, the three of them—her father, mother, and the sibling she never met—were watching over her. Thinking of the brother she might have had, her thoughts naturally turned to him.

‘Kairan, the Grand Duke.’

Had he been born safely, he would have been the same age as Kairan.

Would they have gotten along if they had met? 

Lenoa pondered this as her imagination wandered.

The Countess’s voice soon brought her back to reality.

“Your Majesty, I’m fine now. Please, go and see the baby.”

“Oh, alright.”

It would have been impolite to linger too long with a mother who had only recently given birth. Lenoa rose from her seat and whispered one final remark to the Countess.

“Please, call me Lenoa, not ‘Your Majesty.’”

“……!”

The Countess watched Lenoa’s retreating figure as she left the room, guided by the Earl. Though young in age, Queen Lenoa’s warm and resilient nature seemed to fill the Countess with a newfound energy.

‘I hope our Felix grows up to be like Lenoa.’

The nursery was located right next to the Countess’s room.

It was there that Lenoa finally met the Earl of Haim’s eldest son, Felix Haim. The baby had inherited his father’s gray eyes and a few strands of his mother’s light brown hair.

“Ah-goo…”

The baby moved his arms and squirmed when his eyes met Lenoa’s.

“Haha, it seems my son is quite fond of you, Your Majesty.” 

The Earl remarked with a hearty laugh.

The baby stared intently at Lenoa’s face before his gaze shifted to her shoulder. He suddenly reached out his tiny hands, aiming for the emerald ornament on her dress.

When the baby grabbed the emerald, the startled Earl hurriedly pried his hand away.

“Fe-Felix! You mustn’t pull on Her Majesty!”

“Waaaah!”

“Oh, no…”

Felix burst into tears, wailing at the top of his lungs after losing his grip on the emerald. The nursemaid rushed over to pick him up and tried to soothe him, but the baby refused to calm down. His cries filled the room, leaving everyone’s ears ringing.

“Oh, Your Majesty, I deeply apologize for this disturbance…”

“It’s alright. But…”

Even as the room echoed with Felix’s cries, the Earl prioritized bowing in apology to Lenoa over helping the nursemaid calm his son. Ignoring the Earl’s flustered reaction, Lenoa suddenly removed the still-glimmering emerald from her dress.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“Your Majesty!”

The Earl and the nursemaid gasped in shock at her unexpected action.

Without hesitation, Lenoa placed the detached emerald into Felix’s tiny hand. The gemstone fit snugly in the baby’s grasp.

Feeling something in his hand again, Felix gradually stopped crying. His tear-streaked eyes blinked open as he stared at the emerald in his hand.

Soon, the baby broke into a radiant smile, his tears forgotten as he admired the gift from the Queen.

While the Earl and the nursemaid were too stunned to speak, Lenoa smiled warmly at Felix. The baby, now grinning like an angel, was irresistibly adorable.

“Y-Your Majesty… There was no need to go that far…”

“Look how happy Felix is.”

Following Lenoa’s gesture, the Earl and the nursemaid turned their gazes to the baby. Seeing Felix’s innocent, joyful expression, they finally relaxed after the chaotic series of events.

“This is my gift to him. I hope he enjoys playing with it.”

“Y-Your Majesty, how could you…”

“Please make sure he doesn’t put it in his mouth.”

Ignoring their reactions, Lenoa focused on Felix. The three adults silently watched the baby, who was utterly captivated by the emerald in his hand.

Felix shook the gemstone around in his little fist until, eventually, he grew tired. His eyelids drooped, and he soon fell asleep, still clutching the emerald.

“Your Majesty, you seem to understand Felix better than we do.”

“We should learn from you. Please teach us.”

The nursemaid and the Earl teased her playfully, making Lenoa blush in embarrassment.

She had only given him the emerald because he seemed to like it, not expecting to be praised as a skilled caregiver.

As the nursemaid gently placed the sleeping baby back into his cradle, Lenoa informed the Earl that she would be leaving.

Despite the Earl’s reluctant expression, she exited the room. With the Countess still recovering and the baby now asleep, staying any longer would only cause inconvenience.

Lenoa instructed the knight standing idly by the mansion’s main gate to prepare for departure. As the knight stepped outside, the Earl approached her.

While waiting for the preparations to be completed, the Earl initiated a conversation.

“Your Majesty, you were truly remarkable earlier.”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

Having already received endless praise from both the Earl and the nursemaid, Lenoa was beginning to feel a bit self-conscious.

The Earl, however, continued to chatter enthusiastically with a broad smile on his face.

“Your Majesty, you should consider finding a husband soon and producing an heir.”