Chapter 33 – Help

Before he knew it, Kairan had willingly led the two men into his office and seated them on the finest leather sofa.  

The servants, already uneasy about being summoned by Kairan—who was infamous for his cold and fearsome temperament—could only stare blankly at the floor, unable to lift their heads.  

Kairan, however, paid no attention to them and directed his gaze at the ornamental pull cord hanging like a single thread of rain from the ceiling.  

There was a pull cord for summoning servants in both his office and bedroom, but since he rarely had any reason to summon them, they had become mere decorations.  

Though the cord had always been an eyesore, today was different. Kairan yanked the cord.  

Ding. A clear chime lightly resonated inside and outside the office.  

Moments later, there was a knock at the door, and a hesitant servant entered.  

This was one of the standby servants kept on hand for emergencies, as Kairan had no personal attendants or direct servants.  

With his arms crossed, Kairan glanced at the servant and issued an order.  

“Bring some tea. For two people.”  

The servant’s eyes landed on the head servant seated on the sofa and his peer, John, who was of the same age.  

Why are they here? 

The shock lasted only a moment before the servant recalled the order and hurriedly left.  

Clunk. As soon as the door closed, Kairan sat down opposite the sofa with some documents and a pen in hand.  

“You mentioned Benecia, didn’t you?”  

“Y-Yes. Yes, that’s correct…”  

“Alright then, let’s hear the full story. What’s going on?”  

Kairan, holding the pen, fixed his gaze on John.  

His expression wasn’t cold or emotionless but rather conveyed a readiness to listen—a humane look that seemed to say, ‘I’m prepared to hear your story.’ 

It was a stark contrast to the usual expressions Kairan wore.  

Just then, the servant swiftly returned with a tea set.  

After placing the steaming teapot on the table and setting down biscuits as tea snacks, the servant was about to place a cup in front of Kairan.  

“No, I don’t need it. Just serve them.”  

Kairan waved his hand, then gestured toward the two men across from him.  

Realizing that the tea was meant solely for them, the two were once again taken aback.  

After the servant finished his task and quickly disappeared, Kairan gestured again.  

“Take your time drinking and talk. Here, have some of these too.”  

His fingers motioned toward the biscuits.  

Typically, etiquette dictated that subordinates only eat after their superiors had tasted the food first.  

However, Kairan, who neither had his own cup nor touched the biscuits, instead encouraged them to eat.  

John, understanding Kairan’s clear gesture of consideration, hurriedly poured tea into the head servant’s cup and then his own.  

Though tension was still gripping him, John managed to pour the tea without error, thanks to the tea etiquette training the head servant had drilled into him.  

The tea was still steaming hot, making it impossible to drink immediately.  

Praying silently for it to cool quickly, John swallowed hard and finally managed to speak in a small voice.  

“…My father has been missing for some time now.”  

“Your father is missing… What are the circumstances?”  

“When my mother returned late at night after closing her shop in Morris, my father wasn’t home.”  

“He wasn’t there? It was late at night, you say?”  

Kairan, nodding as he listened to John’s barely audible voice, displayed an attentiveness that left the head servant astonished.  

“At first, my mother thought he might have gone out for a walk and didn’t think much of it. But as one, then two days passed without him returning, she began to worry. When she asked the neighbors, she learned that my father had gone out to meet her that night. He even greeted a neighbor he was friendly with. But… days passed, and my father didn’t return. There wasn’t even a trace of him.”  

“Hmm.”  

“Even after stopping passersby to ask, requesting an investigation from the sheriff and the militia in Morris, and distributing flyers, we couldn’t find him. Eventually, my mother spent nearly all our savings to hire a mercenary.”  

“A mercenary?”  

“The mercenary’s investigation concluded that my father had likely been kidnapped and taken to Benecia.”  

Kairan’s eyebrows shot up. He was so engrossed in the story that cold sweat began to trickle down his face.  

“Morris is located on the outskirts of Benecia, after all.”  

“Wait a moment. If he was truly kidnapped to Benecia, wouldn’t the gatekeepers, who guard the borders diligently, have stopped them from crossing?”  

“Yes. Normally, no Celestan would be able to enter Benecia. But… according to the mercenary, it’s possible to travel between Celesta and Benecia with proper authorization.”  

Moreover, the lands surrounding Morris were bordered by a wide river, requiring a boat to cross.  

However, according to the boatmen in Morris, there had been no customers at that time.  

The mercenary speculated that a Benecian with legitimate authorization had kidnapped John’s father, concealed the act, and returned to Benecia legally.  

In conclusion, John’s father had been kidnapped by a Benecian.  

Tears welled up in John’s eyes as he finished recounting his story. Though the tea had cooled, he hadn’t taken a single sip, instead trembling as he held back sobs.  

He wanted to cry aloud, but being in front of Kairan, he could only suppress himself. Still, he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.  

“You… you poor thing…”  

As the head servant hurriedly handed him a handkerchief, Kairan finally spoke.  

“You’ve been through a terrible ordeal.”  

Hearing Kairan’s sigh, both John and the head servant felt a brief sense of relief.  

“I understand. I will find your father for you.”  

“R-Really? Thank you! Thank you so much, Your Grace, Grand Duke Blandi!”  

“No, don’t call me that.”  

John, who had been bowing deeply with tears streaming down his face, froze in place.  

What… What does he mean? Is he planning to ask for money later?  

The unexpected kindness was starting to feel suspicious.  

‘No, he said not to call him that. Could it be… he’ll demand some kind of price later?’  

“Instead of calling me Blandi, use my name—Kairan.”  

Kairan’s calm voice caught John off guard. The unexpected response sent shockwaves through his body.  

As John, still stiff as a statue, slightly raised his head, Kairan found the sight amusing and chuckled softly.  

He then rose from his seat and walked over to the safe beside the desk. Click. The sound of the key turning echoed through the office.  

Returning to the sofa, Kairan handed a small pouch to John.  

“Twenty gold coins. Take it.”  

“W-What? Gold coins? Why would you give me this… I-I can’t accept it!”  

“Didn’t you say you spent most of your money searching for your father? This isn’t from my salary; it’s from the ducal estate’s funds. Don’t worry about it.”  

Twenty gold coins were enough to feed John’s family for several months.  

Though John tried to refuse the hefty sum, Kairan’s sharp gaze and firm demeanor left him no choice but to accept.  

As John reluctantly took the pouch, the head servant beside him gaped in disbelief.  

“Your tea must have gone cold. Drink it, and then you may leave.”

At Kairan’s words, John finally noticed the teacup on the table. The steam had long since disappeared, making it easy to drink without issue. John immediately picked up the teacup and gulped down the tea. For some reason, Kairan’s suggestion to drink felt more like an order.

“I-I shall take my leave now. Please rest well, Grand Duke Bl… Kairan.”

John and the head servant stood up one after the other, bowing awkwardly to Kairan. It was the first time Kairan had heard such a familiar title from his subordinates. Feeling a strange sense of emotion, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Just as the two carefully opened the door and were about to leave, Kairan called out to them.

“Ah, wait.”

They stopped in their tracks as Kairan addressed them.

“Until your father is found, ensure that this matter remains absolutely confidential.”

***

“Your Majesty, did you return safely?”

“Of course.”

Betier chatted with Lenoa as she helped her remove her adornments upon returning to the royal palace. The time it took to remove the dress was no less than the time it took to put it on. Once she finally changed into a pink negligee, exhaustion seeped into every part of her body. She flopped onto the luxurious bed, draped with a canopy as white as diamonds. She was so drowsy that it felt as though she could close her eyes and sleep until morning, skipping the evening banquet altogether.

But she couldn’t allow that. Hadn’t she resolved herself in the carriage earlier? Besides, she had already been away from her duties for several hours, so there was likely a mountain of paperwork waiting for her.

Lenoa quickly sat up and asked Betier, 

“I’ll be heading back to work shortly.”

“Oh my, weren’t you going to rest today? I even cleared your schedule.”

“I’ve already made my one and only secretary work so hard. Even if I’m tired, I have to do it.”

Stretching her arms wide, Lenoa trudged toward her office. Just before she entered, Betier called out to her.

“Ah, Lady Lenoa. While you were out, a letter arrived from Duchess Velika.”

“Oh, really?”

Betier added that the letter had been placed on her desk, next to the documents. Lenoa hurried inside and eagerly searched for the letter, which she unfolded with anticipation.

To Her Majesty, the revered and exalted Queen Lenoa.

Thanks to your grace, Your Majesty and His Grace the Grand Duke, my Velika Trading Company has entered a new era of prosperity. I never imagined things would progress so smoothly. I was half-worried and half-hopeful, but you replaced my worries with hope.

As promised, I’ve sent a portion of the trading company’s profits through my maid and staff. It should arrive the day after you receive this letter.

The Velika Trading Company will dedicate all its efforts to Celesta in the future. Thank you sincerely, Your Majesty.

I understand that you must be busy preparing for the upcoming Founding Festival. Please take care not to overwork yourself, and I wish for your continued well-being until we meet again.

Grania Velika.

Lenoa’s face lit up with a smile as she read the letter. However, her expression changed when she reached the postscript at the end.

P.S. During the debutante ball, Your Majesty, Queen Lenoa, you and His Grace Grand Duke Kairan looked absolutely stunning together. It wasn’t just Celesta; I also pray for the radiant future of you both.

‘Ah… No. Their perception has completely changed…’

Even without looking in the mirror, Lenoa could tell her face had turned red. While it was true they had provided immense assistance to the trading company, she had never expected them to tie the company’s revival to her and Kairan’s future.