Chapter 4 – Jinx (2)

For the first time today, the sound of a knock was welcome.

The door opened, revealing Rosetta standing behind Betier. As soon as Rosetta made eye contact with Lenoa, she nervously greeted her.

“She really does look like a squirrel.”

Lenoa smiled warmly.

“Come in, it’s been a while. Have a seat.”

“Oh, yes…”

Lenoa personally pulled out a chair for her guest. This made Rosetta feel extremely embarrassed, as if she had committed a rudeness. With Head Maid Betier telling her to feel at ease, Rosetta’s face turned red with embarrassment.

“I heard about it. You called the royal physician for me.”

“Yes… I did.”

On the surface, it was true that Rosetta had done so, but there was someone else who had instructed her. She hesitated to talk about it, and recalling what had happened made her shiver involuntarily.

‘I will severely punish you.’

Kairan, the queen’s secretary and Grand Duke, was notorious among both maids and servants. As someone from a commoner background, he could end her life as easily as flipping a hand.

Fortunately, Lenoa seemed to be in good health, which was a relief. However, she knew that mentioning Kairan to Lenoa could cost her her life.

“I heard from the royal physician that Her Majesty’s period was suddenly delayed…”

Rosetta had already heard about the Queen’s condition from the royal physician. It was his way of showing consideration for Rosetta, who had anxiously insisted on checking on the Queen.

Of course, the delay in her period was true, but Betier saw through the flaw in her explanation.

The duties of the maids did not include serving the royals. They were mostly responsible for chores like cleaning or laundry in the palace. Although Lenoa and the maids had interacted more than once, they wouldn’t know about matters related to her period unless they were a lady-in-waiting or the royal physician.

“That’s strange.”

Betier looked at Rosetta with a questioning gaze but soon withdrew it, seeing Lenoa’s cheerful expression.

“I see. Thank you. Let’s share this cake as a token of my gratitude.”

Rosetta finally noticed the luxurious pastries, cakes, and tea laid out on the table. She couldn’t close her mouth in awe, realizing she could now eat food that had always been out of reach.

Lenoa watched Rosetta devour the snacks with satisfaction. For a while, the three of them engaged in a pleasant conversation about life in the palace, whether there were any difficulties, and so on. After about an hour, Rosetta glanced at the clock and suggested it was time for her to leave.

Lenoa opened the vanity drawer and took out a jewelry box. She selected a ring with a round topaz gem and handed it to Rosetta. The brown topaz suited Rosetta well.

“How could I possibly accept something like this…”

“This is also a token of my gratitude.”

There was a saying among the maids that Lenoa would return kindness a hundredfold. When she first had tea with Lenoa, Rosetta thought that might be the case with her personality, but experiencing it firsthand left her speechless.

Even a small ring in Lenoa’s hand was enough to feed Rosetta’s entire family for several months. She was too stunned to accept the jewelry she had never seen before.

“Gasp.”

Betier, who had crossed her arms, was now glaring at Rosetta. Eventually, Rosetta took the jewelry from Lenoa’s hand, clasping her hands, and thanked her profusely. After Lenoa told her she could leave, she disappeared like a shot.

“She really is like a squirrel, don’t you think, Betier?”

Betier smiled as she watched Lenoa, still happily eating the plentiful desserts.

However, the maid’s words were a thorn in Betier’s side. Watching Lenoa eat cake blissfully, seemingly unaware of anything, Betier resolved to investigate Rosetta later.

* * *

The palace was bustling from the morning. Yesterday, a delegation from the Kingdom of Merzen arrived in Celesta and stayed overnight at the capital’s great temple. As soon as breakfast was over, they arrived at the palace.

Lenoa had a light breakfast in her bedroom and asked the maids to loosen her corset in preparation for her period. She didn’t want to wear it during her period, but today was the day foreign dignitaries were visiting. As they were from an allied nation, she had no choice but to wear it.

The reception of foreign dignitaries took place in the grand conference hall in the basement of the Queen’s Palace. Lenoa had attended such events with her father during her successor training, but this was her first time as queen.

Lenoa sat at the head of the long rectangular table, with Secretary Kairan and the delegation members seated on either side. It was challenging to conduct the meeting without showing any signs of discomfort from the tight corset and her poor condition.

“We will now begin the meeting.”

‘Huh?’

Fortunately, Kairan took over the proceedings on her behalf, which was a relief. He reviewed each of the edicts sent by the King of Merzen through the delegation, skillfully steering the discussion in a direction Lenoa could agree with.

‘He seems like the king, and I’m the secretary.’

Lenoa found it odd but was grateful to Kairan. Throughout the meeting, she resolved to grant him an audience later.

The message from the King of Merzen was mostly to congratulate the youngest queen in history on her ascension and to express hopes for friendly exchanges between the two nations. He had supported Lenoa as a successor, so it was a fitting attitude towards the new queen.

As the delegation member unfolded the last edict, Lenoa sighed in relief.

‘It’s finally over.’

She had been staring intently at the numerous edicts brought by the delegation. Now that it was the last one, she felt like she could fly with joy.

‘Once it’s over, I’ll skip lunch and just rest.’

However, the delegation member’s message left Lenoa breathless.

“This is a message from His Majesty, King Luet Merzen XVIII of the Kingdom of Merzen. ‘I hope you meet a good person soon and hasten to marry, and if there is no suitable match, I will introduce you to my first prince.'”

Unlike the emotionless delegation member who read the edict, Lenoa felt as if she might collapse from the sudden downturn in her mood. She tried to smile, but even a forced smile wouldn’t come.

Although the Merzen royal family was among Lenoa’s supporters, she had heard similar remarks before her ascension. They were no different from other factions.

She had learned about the first prince of the Kingdom of Merzen during her royal studies. She only remembered that there was a prince three years younger than her in the Merzen royal family.

But she never imagined they would bring up the topic of marriage at their first meeting.

‘Sigh… What should I say in response?’

Even in her poor physical condition, Lenoa searched her mind for a response. Despite her continuous lessons in royal rhetoric, they were of no help to her at this moment.

Then, the silence was broken. It wasn’t Lenoa who spoke.

“I will respond to the message on her behalf. This is a place to discuss future state affairs, not a matchmaking event.”

“…?!”

At Kairan’s icy voice, everyone in the room froze. Among those who froze, Lenoa glanced at Kairan. He had reverted to his usual sharp demeanor.

His cold retort seemed to threaten the diplomatic ties built between the countries. Lenoa discreetly reached under the table and took Kairan’s hand. Startled, they exchanged a silent glance.

‘That’s not what I meant. I’ll correct it.’

Kairan glared fiercely at Lenoa for a moment but then slowly nodded. However, his expression remained unchanged.

Lenoa collected her voice and addressed the delegation.

“I-I apologize. It seems my Secretary, Grand Duke Kairan, spoke out of concern for me. Let me correct it. I appreciate the sentiment, but I must decline.”

Unintentionally, for the first time, Lenoa referred to Kairan by his name rather than his title or full name. Kairan’s expression momentarily changed at her words, but she didn’t notice.

The delegation finally relaxed their astonished expressions and adopted a businesslike smile.

“Yes, we will convey your message. Thank you, Your Majesty, the Queen.”

With the last edict concluded, the meeting came to an end.

Despite the maids’ objections, Lenoa insisted on leading her weary body outside the Queen’s Palace to see off the delegation. She had learned that seeing off guests was an essential duty of a true ruler.

After the delegation departed, Lenoa, supported by the maids, returned to her bedroom. As soon as she removed her adornments, she flopped onto the bed. She lay there with her eyes closed for a while before pulling the bell cord. When Betier arrived promptly, Lenoa spoke in a weak voice.

“I’ll have a simple lunch today. Please bring it here.”

“Understood.”

“Yes. And…”

Lenoa managed to sit up and spoke.

“What are my plans going forward?”

“Now that the Merzen delegation visit is over, there are no plans for a while. The debutante is over a month away

Knowing her master’s schedule was a basic skill for a dedicated maid. Betier, having answered, urged her to lie down again. Lenoa lay back down flat. As she had guessed, there were no plans for the time being, which was a relief.

She voiced one of the wishes she had kept in her heart.

“Once my period is over, I’d like to visit the nanny’s estate. To rest.”

Resting during her period was best done by staying in her room and doing nothing, but with prying eyes around, she couldn’t do that indefinitely.

Above all, she wanted to see her nanny after a long time. The nanny had cared for Lenoa since she was young. After her mother’s passing, she was a precious person to Lenoa, acting as a mother.

It was customary to have a nanny only until reaching adulthood, so after her coming-of-age ceremony, the two had tearfully parted ways.

She had kept in touch with the nanny after she left the palace. The nanny had married Viscount Elwen, a former captain of the royal knights, and became Viscountess Elwen. Currently, the Elwen couple lived in retirement, residing in a mansion in the royal capital and spending their remaining years there. The former captain had also treated Lenoa like his own daughter alongside the nanny.

Recently, Lenoa had learned through letters that the viscount couple had adopted a commoner boy, an orphan, who was the son of a maid from the viscount’s household, as they had been unable to have children.

‘That boy is three years younger than Lady Lenoa, with black hair and red eyes, a handsome young man, they say.’

Recalling the postscript of the letter, Lenoa chuckled softly.

“That sounds nice. Meeting Viscountess Elwen after such a long time. But… I can notify the viscount’s family myself…”

Betier trailed off. She then mentioned the name of someone Lenoa was reluctant to deal with.

“First, you’ll need to seek approval from Secretary Grand Duke Blandi.”