Chapter 35 – Benecia

It had been a full day since Kairan left the royal palace.  

As usual, Lenoa was reviewing the documents Kairan had prepared in advance.  

She always thought so, but his competence was flawless, leaving no room for criticism.  

Of course, she had the final authority, but even if she signed everything without reading, it felt like the governance of the kingdom would not be affected in the slightest.  

While reviewing about half of the documents, a particular word caught her eye.  

‘Benecia.’  

The hostile nation of Celesta, Benecia—a country that had severed diplomatic ties for nearly a century.  

Even though it had been less than half a year since she ascended the throne, issues regarding Benecia seemed to draw ever closer.  

Though considered an enemy nation, history showed no records of wars or significant conflicts between them.  

Despite being educated as an heir with the mantra that “Benecia is a bad country” drilled into her mind, she felt no particular animosity towards it.  

While her ancestors, including the King and Queen of Celesta two generations prior, as well as her parents, had distanced themselves from Benecia, the current situation was different.  

Without a clear and understandable reason, she had no desire to remain in constant discord with Benecia.  

Surprisingly, it was not Lenoa but Kairan who had rekindled a flame that had long flickered precariously.  

‘Why is he so friendly toward Benecia?’  

Lenoa recalled how Kairan had extended a hand to Grania through Benecia.  

Even though Kairan and Grania were not allies but adversaries.  

In the end, Lenoa momentarily forgot about reviewing the documents.  

After regaining her focus, she carefully examined the document once more.  

[Permission for the Invitation of the King and Queen of Benecia to Celesta’s Founding Festival]  

At the bottom of the document, Kairan’s signature was clearly written in both signature fields. A signature meant approval.  

‘The King and Queen of Benecia are visiting this time?’  

Lenoa nearly dropped the document. Her heart pounded violently, and her body trembled.  

She reread the document line by line. The gist was that the newly crowned King and Queen of Benecia had expressed their intention to visit Celesta to celebrate its founding and discuss the resumption of diplomatic relations.  

On the surface, their participation in the founding festival and discussions on diplomacy seemed natural, but the fact that the guests were from a hostile nation made it complicated.  

‘Hmm… What should I do?’  

Lenoa stared blankly at Kairan’s signature. Without consulting her, he had already granted permission.  

At the very least, a meeting should have been held, but Kairan was currently absent from the royal palace.  

‘For now, I’ll put it on hold.’  

After much deliberation, she decided that postponement was the best option.  

She placed the document to her right, opposite the stack of half-reviewed documents on her left.  

It was the only document marked as “pending.”  

Setting aside the Benecia matter, she resumed reviewing other documents.  

‘As expected.’  

She couldn’t help but marvel at his exceptional administrative skills.  

At one time, Kairan had not received lessons in royal studies from a high-ranking tutor like herself, nor had he spent six long years in training.  

Yet, the experience he had accumulated as a noble of Celesta for the sake of his homeland was not inferior to hers—in fact, it might even surpass hers.  

After the passing of her parents, the supporters who only knew official rhetoric, and the fierce adversaries who glared daggers at her, Lenoa felt like a lamb left alone in Celesta, overwhelmed by loneliness and fear.  

As the daughter of the royal family and with rivals appearing, she had no choice but to ascend the throne, and she did so.  

But at some point, Lenoa began to feel that she was not alone.  

‘Because I have Kairan, the Grand Duke—or rather, oppa.’  

She had once regarded him solely as an enemy, and their relationship had been tumultuous.  

But now, he was the only person in Celesta—or perhaps the entire world—whom she could call “family.”  

Now, she wanted to join hands with him as not a competitor but as family and a collaborator, advancing together for the peace of the kingdom.  

Had their relationship still been strained, she would have argued over why he had signed the Benecia document without consulting her, worsening their relationship further.  

But that was no longer the case. Just as the precedent of mineral imports had been successfully concluded, she trusted that he had a reason for granting permission.  

In any case, it seemed worthwhile to think more positively about Kairan.  

As soon as she reached this conclusion, there was a knock at the door. It was Betier.  

“Lady Lenoa, a guest has arrived at the palace.”  

“Oh? Who is it?”  

Could it be that Kairan had already returned? 

Lenoa’s heart thumped with excitement.  

Betier’s answer dashed her “other expectations.”  

“It is the young master of Viscount Elwen’s household.”  

‘Ah…!’  

Though she felt a sense of familiarity, the title sounded oddly foreign after hearing it for the first time in a while.  

Dismissing it as her imagination, Lenoa smiled brightly.  

‘He’s finally here.’  

Although their first meeting had been tumultuous, things would work out from now on.  

“Tell him to come here.”  

After Betier left, Lenoa waited with great anticipation.  

‘What should I talk about first when we meet? Oh, come to think of it, my secretary isn’t even in the palace….’  

Suddenly, a question she had forgotten resurfaced.  

‘Why on earth did he volunteer to become Kairan’s aide?’  

Though she couldn’t fathom his intentions, he had willingly offered to serve as Kairan’s aide.  

The unease crept back in, but since she had already summoned him, she decided to discuss it with him directly when he arrived.  

Soon, there was another knock, and his arrival was announced.  

When the door opened, Lenoa ran toward him as soon as she saw him.  

“It’s an honor to see you again, Queen Lenoa.”  

“Lord Harpe!”  

Harpe Elwen, the adopted son of Viscount and Viscountess Elwen, who would officially begin serving as Kairan’s aide today.  

In the royal palace, temporarily devoid of Kairan, Lenoa enthusiastically clasped Harpe’s hands, her joy evident, while Harpe gazed at her with a subtle smile, his lips slightly curved.  

***

The daily life of the newly crowned King and Queen of Benecia was filled with state council meetings, banquet preparations, and receiving distinguished guests—mundane yet essential tasks. 

On the surface, the royal family of Benecia didn’t seem much different from that of Celesta. The most notable distinction, however, was that while Celesta was ruled by an unmarried monarch, Benecia was governed by a married royal couple. Like many other royal and noble families, their union had been a product of political marriage. Yet, their relationship was far from being merely political. 

King Lucas Benecia XXI and Queen Elena Benecia shared a profound love for each other. Though their marriage had been arranged without their consent, the story of how they fell in love at first sight upon meeting had become the talk of the nation—a romance of the century. The previous King and Queen Consort of Benecia had been infamous for their acrimonious relationship, leading to the royal family being labeled as loveless. But the new royal couple, who brought love back into the palace, quickly won the hearts of the people, despite initial skepticism.

On an afternoon in the Benecian royal palace, shared with Celesta due to the same time zone, Queen Elena had finished her duties and was spending long hours in the dressing room with her maids.

“Haa… Which one should I choose?” 

The maids, exhausted from repeatedly pulling out dresses to match the Queen’s reactions, were growing weary. Already, more than twenty dresses had been held up to her neck for consideration.

“Your Majesty… You still haven’t decided?”

“Hmm. Since it’s for a visit to a foreign royal court, I need to choose carefully.”

Elena’s midnight-blue hair swayed gently as she turned her head to inspect the dresses. She felt sorry for her maids, who were clearly struggling, but she couldn’t afford to make a careless decision. 

The dress and accessories she was choosing now were to be worn at an upcoming founding festival in a foreign country. She needed to be more meticulous than usual. Not only was it a grand event in a foreign land, but the main reason for her caution was that the venue was in Celesta, a country considered an adversary.

Celesta had been regarded as an enemy nation for nearly a century. However, unlike others, Elena had never harbored any ill feelings toward Celesta, from her days as the daughter of a high-ranking ducal family to her current position as Queen. In fact, she admired the country—perhaps even more than admiration, a secret longing. To be precise, her admiration was directed at Celesta’s monarch.

Just as she was about to settle on a deep navy-blue dress, concerned for her maids who were on the brink of collapse, a clear chime rang from outside the door. In Benecia, it was customary to ring the bell hanging above the door instead of knocking.

“Your Majesty, there is a visitor requesting an audience.”

“Who is it?”

“It is the young master of the Blandi Ducal House.”

“Oh, really?”

Elena’s face instantly brightened. Forgetting about the dress and decorum, she hurriedly ran to the audience chamber. The maids, wide-eyed in astonishment, whispered to each other as they watched her retreating figure.

“Is Her Majesty that close to the young master of Blandi?”

“Well, they do seem to have some connection. After all, both are from ducal families.”

“I heard they’ve known each other since her days as a young lady.”

“Still, it feels a bit unusual.”

***

While the maids chattered like sparrows, Elena was already seated across from Kairan. As soon as the butler of the Queen’s Palace served tea and left, Kairan got straight to the point.

“Recently, has a middle-aged man entered Benecia?”

“Hmm? Suddenly? Without even a greeting first. Well, it must be something important.”

“Indeed. There is a citizen of Celesta from the Maurice region whose father has gone missing.”

Kairan explained the case of the missing person to Elena. She found Kairan’s straightforwardness, even after meeting her for the first time in a while, rather rigid. However, as she became absorbed in the story, her expression grew serious.

When the tense tale concluded, Elena let out a deep sigh.

“This is… such an urgent situation. That boy, John, and his father must be devastated.”

“Yes. The Benecian royal family’s assistance is desperately needed. Therefore, Your Majesty, I request permission to dispatch royal soldiers from Celesta to investigate in Benecia.”

“I told you to just call me Elena—with the ‘Your Majesty’ at the end, of course. Anyway, I understand. This matter isn’t just Celesta’s, but also Benecia’s. I won’t just grant permission; I’ll do my best to help with the investigation.”

Elena nodded with a sincere smile, her expression devoid of any falsehood. 

Having accomplished his purpose, Kairan bowed respectfully and prepared to leave. Their audience had been so brief that he hadn’t even taken a sip of the tea. Normally, she would have insisted he drink it, but she understood that this wasn’t the time for such formalities.

As Kairan was about to leave the room, Elena called out to him.

“By the way, Kairan, or rather, Grand Duke. Aren’t you going to visit your father before you leave?”