Chapter 39 – His Circumstances

Clink.

For a moment, it felt as though time had stopped. The sound of Kairan’s utensils slipping from his hand echoed loudly.

Kairan, who was neatly arranging his utensils on the table, lowered his head.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. You dislike fish dishes, don’t you?”

“Oh, no…”

“It’s just that I personally enjoy them very much, and having them again after just a day…”

Kairan was apologizing so earnestly that it made Lenoa feel embarrassed.

The meal had turned into a scene of apology. Lenoa froze in place, unsure of how to respond.

She had never intended to criticize him. She was simply amazed and, to some extent, envious that he enjoyed something she disliked so much.

Moreover, she thought it might be a good opportunity to get to know him better, starting with his taste for fish dishes.

Should I confess my thoughts? 

She hesitated for a moment but decided to only voice the first part. If she mentioned the latter, she would feel even more embarrassed.

“Oh, come on. That’s not it. I just felt a little envious because you can enjoy something I can’t eat well. Please, lift your head, Grand Duke.”

Only after Lenoa finished speaking did Kairan finally raise his head.

However, the atmosphere remained dry and awkward. To break the tension, Lenoa added more words, almost as if rambling.

“Fish is something only I dislike. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean I have any intention of forcing others not to eat it. Haha.”

“……”

Kairan picked up his utensils again, his eyes wide as he stared at Lenoa. Instead of meeting his gaze, Lenoa resumed eating, focusing on her food.

Kairan also began eating again. For a while, the only sound in the room was the clinking of utensils against plates.

When Lenoa glanced at him, she noticed that he was eating other dishes, seemingly avoiding the fish entirely.

‘Oh, come to think of it…’

Since Celesta was famous for its fish dishes, one could enjoy them anywhere in the region. However, it seemed strange that Kairan hadn’t eaten fish while he was away.

‘Perhaps it’s different abroad.’

Unlike the neatly arranged food, Lenoa’s thoughts became chaotic, and she lost her appetite. After setting down her utensils, she casually said to Kairan:

“Grand Duke, come to my room after you finish your meal. I’ll tell you about Elika.”

Kairan’s lips seemed to curve into a faint smile, making Lenoa tilt her head in curiosity.

***

In Lenoa’s room, where the evening breeze blew gently, the two of them sat together—a rare sight.

After the maid placed the tea down and left, Lenoa took out the book ‘Elika’ and placed it on the table, ready to dive into the story.

She was eager to share this touching and entertaining tale with Kairan. In truth, she was more excited about telling the story than he probably was about hearing it.

“Elika is the name of the heroine in this novel. I suspected as much.”

Lenoa pointed to the large title engraved on the cover. Kairan’s gaze followed her finger to the book.

“Thanks to you, I enjoyed a wonderful book. Thank you in advance, before I start telling the story.”

Lenoa smiled at Kairan, her dimples showing. Seeing her radiant face, Kairan secretly fidgeted with his hand under the table, as though he wanted to touch something.

“Then, let’s begin. Elika is the daughter of a viscount’s household, and she enters into a political marriage with Primo, the eldest son of a ducal family…”

“……!”

Kairan’s expression changed the moment Primo’s name was mentioned. He crossed his arms and attentively listened to Lenoa’s words.

As the evening darkness deepened, Lenoa’s clear voice resonated like the soothing sounds of a midsummer night’s nature.

No sound could compare to the beauty of Lenoa’s voice, though.

The story concluded in about thirty minutes. While Lenoa occasionally sipped tea to soothe her throat, Kairan seemed unable to wait even for those brief pauses, his hands trembling slightly on the table.

To Lenoa’s surprise, Kairan listened to the story of ‘Elika’ with great interest. Despite the numerous characters typical of a long novel—such as Elika, Primo, Louis, and the viscountess—Kairan appeared particularly focused on Primo.

“What… what happened to Primo?”

It was a sudden question from Kairan, asked when Lenoa was describing how Elika ran away with Louis the day before her wedding.

“Huh? Oh, I was just about to get to that.”

Since Primo’s reaction was the next part and also the climax of the story, Lenoa continued without hesitation.

Unlike her calm demeanor, Kairan’s face grew increasingly serious. That expression remained unchanged until the story ended. The only time his expression shifted was when Primo finally found Elika.

Even if a reader became the narrator, the ending of the story wouldn’t change unless they rewrote it. Lenoa passionately recounted how Primo ultimately let Elika go, and Elika lived happily ever after with Louis.

“Elika married Louis and lived happily ever after. Doesn’t it feel like a familiar ending? Haha.”

While Lenoa relived the emotions she felt when she first read the story, Kairan let out a heavy sigh.

“Was it… not to your liking?”

“Oh, no. It was enjoyable. It’s just…”

Noticing Lenoa’s startled expression, Kairan quickly clarified.

“As a fellow fan of romance novels like you, Your Majesty, I couldn’t help but think of something while listening to the story.”

“What is it?”

Kairan, as if revealing a long-held secret, spoke in a dark but firm tone.

“I believe Primo also loved Elika. Perhaps even more than Louis did.”

“Ah…”

“If not, he wouldn’t have proposed to her in the first place.”

Although it was a familiar part of the story, Lenoa had never thought about it deeply. Moreover, the early chapters of the novel depicted Elika’s distress as she prepared for her marriage to Primo. Their first meeting wasn’t even described in detail.

All that was written was, “Primo met Elika only once during her debutante ball.” From this single sentence, it seemed their meeting wasn’t particularly significant to Elika. However, the reactions of those around her were different.

“He’s the young duke of the Hynel family. Marrying him is a golden opportunity to become a duchess.”

This was what Elika’s mother, the viscountess, had said when she received Primo’s proposal and was overjoyed. After all, for a girl from a lower-ranking and insignificant noble family to receive a proposal from the eldest son of a prominent ducal household, it was like a dream come true.

What happened next? Oh, yes. Elika looked at her jubilant mother with indifference.

At that moment, while Elika was feeling downcast, Primo was probably over the moon. Even before receiving a reply, he might have already started preparing for the wedding.

A top-tier dress, accessories, shoes… all for Elika. In fact, the novel mentioned how the Hynel family prepared a grand wedding. They sent Elika all sorts of rare gifts as part of the dowry, and there was even a scene where she tried on the wedding dress. Elika, however, remained uninterested.

‘Ah, but…’

There was something that caught her attention. Primo had only met Elika three times: at her debutante ball when their engagement was arranged, during the formal introduction of the two families, and at the exchange of engagement gifts. Outside of these occasions, he had never met her—neither privately nor officially.

‘No wonder they didn’t grow attached.’

If Elika and Louis had been in a relationship before she met Primo, it would have been understandable. But Primo, who supposedly fell for Elika, showed no effort to build a relationship with her.

He must have had his reasons. The novel mentioned that the Duke and Duchess of Hynel strongly opposed the marriage. It seemed Primo had spent a long time persuading his parents, enduring significant struggles.

What if Primo and Elika had met more frequently and spent more time together? Perhaps Elika might have developed feelings for Primo as well.

These were thoughts Lenoa wouldn’t have considered if she hadn’t shared the novel’s story with Kairan. She was once again moved by Kairan’s profound and thoughtful interpretation. Like with ‘Eros and Psyche’, he had a tendency to analyze novels earnestly, even if his perspective differed from hers.

“Well, that’s true. If Primo and Elika had met more often, their relationship might have turned out differently.”

“……”

Kairan silently nodded a couple of times. He seemed to agree with her words, yet there was an inexplicable uneasiness lingering in his expression.

“Oh, then this novel might not have even started, right? Haha.”

She added the comment half-jokingly, but Kairan’s expression only grew more solemn. Seeing his heavy demeanor, Lenoa suddenly recalled one of Primo’s lines.

“So that’s how it is, Elika. Your heart… was never mine to begin with.”

This was what Primo had said when he finally confronted Elika after she had run away. It was as if he only realized the truth after hearing Elika’s resolute confession.

Had Primo hoped, even a little, that Elika held some affection for him? While reading the novel, Lenoa had found it absurd, but now that she thought about it, that line made Primo seem pitiful.

It was the bitter conclusion of his unrequited love.

Still, why had that line suddenly come to mind? 

As Lenoa tilted her head in puzzlement, Kairan spoke.

“Even if it had already started, the ending could change if actions were different.”

His voice was heavy, almost like a declaration, as though he had been pondering for a long time.

Kairan was right. If Elika’s heart had leaned toward Primo, their relationship and her relationship with Louis would have changed as well.

Perhaps it could have led to another happy ending.

“You’re right. It would be nice if there were a sequel someday, telling the love story of Elika and Primo.”

“……!”

Kairan’s face finally brightened.

The novel ‘Elika’ was said to have become a bestseller, so it was likely that the author might write a sequel inspired by its popularity. Writers often did so when their works achieved great success.

“In any case, I had fun. You must be tired, so go get some rest.”

Kairan stood up, tidied himself, and left the room after bidding her farewell.

Lenoa also got up to put the book back into the drawer.

‘Oh, I forgot to ask him to tell me about his hometown.’

She had been so engrossed in telling the story she wanted to share that she completely forgot. But since it wasn’t something she was overly curious about, she simply put the book away in the drawer and lay down on her bed.