Chapter 37 – Return Home

“Ha…”  

Kairan let out a bitter laugh without realizing it.  

At a distance that could be considered close, the two figures—a man and a woman—continued their cheerful conversation, completely unaware of Kairan’s presence.  

Kairan strained his ears as much as possible, but their voices were so soft that he couldn’t make out the words. It was as if they were exchanging whispers of love.  

As they held hands and affectionately chatted, they even went so far as to wrap their arms around each other.  

The moment Kairan saw their shadows merge into one, he could no longer hold himself back. He stormed away from the scene, forgetting all pretense of composure.  

He ran straight ahead, only looking forward, to the place where he had disembarked from the carriage earlier. It was quite a distance, and by the time he reached it, he was gasping for breath.  

He had to return to Celesta as quickly as possible. No, he wanted to return.  

He had come to see someone he longed for, only to witness something unbearable instead.  

A woman he had never seen before, exchanging intimate affection with his father. In truth, it was clear that his father and the woman did not share an ordinary relationship.  

The coquettish voice of the woman calling his father “Dear” lingered in Kairan’s ears, tormenting him.  

It had been 26 years since the Duchess of Blandi, Kairan’s biological mother, had passed away. Since then, the position of lady of the household had remained vacant.  

Kairan had neither a mother nor anyone he could call “Mother.”  

Since she had passed away when he was born, he had never seen her face, nor were there any mementos like clothing or belongings of hers in the Duke’s residence.  

Even the lady of the house’s chambers were as empty as they had been when the mansion was first built—completely devoid of furniture.  

As a child, Kairan had occasionally wanted to ask his father about the mother that others had, but the Duke, indifferent even to his only son, made that impossible.  

The attendants and servants of the Duke’s residence also acted as if the late Duchess had never existed, never speaking a word about her.  

Even though there was no trace of his mother in the Duke’s residence, Kairan had never felt sorrow.  

He merely thought to himself:  

‘If my mother had been alive, would my father have treated me differently?’  

Someone who had died once would forever remain absent. Even though Kairan had no feelings for his mother, he hoped that the position of lady of the household would always remain unoccupied.  

For reasons he couldn’t understand himself, that was how it had to be.  

A lady in a relationship of convenience was never a “true partner,” so they had to address each other with formal titles.  

However, that woman had called his father, the Duke, “Dear.” His father had smiled brightly and naturally accepted the term.  

No, his father had even encouraged her to use that term.  

In other words, she was the second wife of the Duke of Blandi and Kairan’s new stepmother.  

“Damn it!”  

Kairan, waiting idly for an empty carriage to pass by, suddenly lashed out and kicked a stone hard.  

The position of Duchess of Blandi and his mother could never be taken by someone else.  

For now, he would step back, but one day, he would erase that woman’s existence from the Duke’s household.  

‘Mother.’  

At that moment, Kairan missed his biological mother desperately.  

What would she think of that woman?  

As he pondered this, a carriage finally stopped before him.  

The coachman opened the door, and as soon as Kairan entered, he quietly stated his destination.  

As the carriage sped along, Kairan stared blankly out of the window the entire time.  

Yesterday and today had been truly eventful.  

The incident with John’s father, his first solo outing after entering the palace, the meeting with the Benecian royal couple, and most of all, the relationship between his father and that woman…  

Although the carriage was moving very quickly, Kairan found the speed frustratingly slow. His irritation caused him to grip the leather of the seat so tightly that it tore.  

Though the surface of the leather was ruined, Kairan remained indifferent. He simply planned to pay the coachman a few extra gold coins upon arrival.  

Looking at the mess he had made, his urge to destroy it further disappeared.  

Kairan sighed, leaned his head against the carriage window, and closed his eyes.  

Now, instead of his late mother or his new stepmother, another figure came to mind.  

If he could see her face, this unease would vanish as if it had never existed.  

‘Lena.’  

As Kairan dozed off, his lips softly whispered her nickname.  

“Sir, we’ve arrived…”  

The carriage stopped, and the coachman opened the door, pausing mid-sentence.  

Awakened by the coachman’s voice, Kairan hastily gathered his belongings and stepped out of the carriage.  

He finally noticed the coachman staring in shock at the torn leather seat and handed him a generous amount of gold coins.  

The coachman’s expression shifted instantly from shock to delight as he checked the gold pouch.  

“Thank you, Sir! Take care!”  

With a hearty laugh, the coachman waved enthusiastically and drove off.  

Once the carriage disappeared from view, Kairan rummaged through his belongings and pulled out a robe and a wig.  

After hurriedly donning the robe and wig, he retrieved an identification card.  

[Name: Bel Reisar. Age: 28. Affiliation: Benecia.]  

It was a forged Benecian identity card. He had prepared it three years ago in case he ever needed to enter Benecia while living in Celesta.  

Recalling the hefty sum he had paid to have the card made in secret, Kairan let out a chuckle.  

‘I’ve been a Celestan since birth.’  

The story was that a Celestan had lived as a Benecian for over twenty years before returning to his homeland, Celesta, three years ago.  

If others heard about Kairan’s frequently changing nationality, they wouldn’t find it amusing. The delicate relations between Benecia and Celesta couldn’t be ignored.  

After standing idly for a while, Kairan finally began to move.  

This was Bliss, a border city of Benecia. After receiving permission from the guards at the checkpoint and crossing the bridge, he would reach Maurice in Celesta.  

The Benecian guards, who had seen him yesterday and again today, opened the iron gate without suspicion. It was thanks to the influence of the Benecian King and Queen.  

The long journey was exhausting. As it was the front line, there were hardly any carriages, buildings, or people, so he had no choice but to walk alone. Even after reaching Celesta, he would have to take a carriage to the capital.  

Suddenly, he spotted an old bench. Though he hesitated to sit on it, he eventually did and caught his breath. But his discomfort wasn’t just due to physical exhaustion.  

“This wig… did I put it on wrong?”  

Kairan irritably removed the black wig meant for men. His sweat-soaked red hair was revealed, fluttering in the evening breeze of Maurice.  

He had based the wig on the appearance and details of a dark-haired man he had vaguely noticed among the Benecian delegation during their last visit to Celesta.  

Even Kairan didn’t know why he had remembered that particular man.  

In any case, he had bought the wig hastily from a shop and was wearing it for the first time. As he walked, it made his scalp itch and shifted uncomfortably.  

After adjusting the wig and its strands, he moved his head to ensure it was secure. To double-check, he took out a small mirror from his pocket.  

The reflection in the mirror showed a dark-haired man who didn’t look like Kairan at all. Even his distinctive red eyes were obscured by the darkness.  

‘Black hair… That reminds me.’  

Kairan suddenly thought of someone and bit his lip.  

In the mirror, the furious gaze of the dark-haired man stared back at him.  

‘Harpe Elwen,’ was it? 

Wearing this wig, he looked just like that man.  

The dog-like male wagging his tail to gain Lenoa’s attention had fainted in shock the moment he saw him, causing a commotion that day.  

‘What a lunatic.’  

He felt the urge to smash the mirror or rip off the wig, but instead, he placed his hand on his chest and took a deep breath.  

He could feel the pounding of his heart. It was because his anger was surging. Kairan quickly shifted his focus, not to Harpe, but to thoughts of another woman, changing his mindset—or rather, his heart.  

‘I want to see her. I need to hurry.’  

Kairan’s heart belonged to Lenoa. Thinking of her, he soon regained his composure. That calmness urged him to quicken his steps.  

Rising straight from the bench, he walked briskly—not to an ordinary checkpoint, but toward Lenoa.  

*** 

“Lord Harpe.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

“I’ll ask you one last time. Are you really okay with becoming the Grand Duke of Blandi’s attendant?”  

Lenoa and Harpe sat across from each other at the table in Lenoa’s private audience chamber.  

Harpe responded with an awkward smile.  

“How many times will you ask me? I’m fine. I’ve always wanted to meet His Grace the Grand  Duke, clear up any misunderstandings, and apologize.”  

“There must be other ways to talk to him without becoming his attendant.”  

“Well, since he currently has no attendant, I thought I could use the opportunity to bond and foster communication.”  

Harpe’s voice brimmed with confidence. Lenoa smiled along with him but soon felt a wave of unease.  

‘Will this really be okay?’  

The decision to make Harpe an attendant was partly to curb Kairan’s occasional disrespect toward her and partly to allow the two men to clear up their misunderstandings and foster a better relationship.  

However, no matter how much of a misunderstanding it had been, why was Harpe so willing to stay by Kairan’s side?  

Harpe surely knew that Kairan would not welcome him. Lenoa knew this as well.  

For some reason, she had a foreboding feeling that a great storm was about to sweep through the palace.  

“For now, I’ll grant permission. But if the work as an attendant becomes too difficult… or if His Grace the Grand Duke truly doesn’t want you, you can quit at any time. Of course, I’ll ensure you’re properly compensated.”  

“Yes, please don’t worry.”  

Harpe maintained his cheerful demeanor. Despite his smile, Lenoa’s unease persisted.  

Should I send him back even now? 

As Lenoa discreetly placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart, a voice interrupted her thoughts.  

“Your Majesty, the Grand Duke has returned.”  

‘Ah!’  

Both of their eyes widened, and they stood up simultaneously without waiting for the other.  

“This is perfect timing. Lord Harpe, let’s go.”  

Harpe responded with a smile instead of words.  

Lenoa, too, had not been able to stop thinking about Kairan during his absence. He had never left the palace for even a single day before, making his absence all the more noticeable.  

However, her desire to see him was not merely because of that fact. The significant changes in their relationship recently were a major reason.  

With a heart full of anticipation, Lenoa stepped outside the palace. She spotted Kairan just as he was stepping down from the carriage.  

Even though it had only been a day, Kairan somehow seemed different. Their eyes met. Just as she was about to greet him warmly—  

“Grand Duke Kairan! Welcome ba—”  

Lenoa couldn’t finish her sentence. Kairan, who had sprinted toward her, suddenly enveloped her in a tight embrace.  

‘Wha… what…’  

As Lenoa stood frozen in shock at Kairan’s sudden action, he whispered softly to her, his words carrying the rhythm of his heartbeat.  

“I missed you, Queen Lena.”  

One sudden action, followed by a single sentence.  

Kairan had whispered her childhood nickname, given to her by her late parents, in a voice that tickled her ears.