Chapter 44 – The Rose

“The Grand Duke… collapsed?”

Lenoa trembled violently in shock upon hearing the report. Though his complexion had seemed poor since that morning, she never imagined it would be severe enough for him to collapse. It was truly fortunate that she had assigned someone to keep an eye on Kairan just in case. A servant had discovered him immediately, and now he was reportedly receiving treatment from the physician.

Lenoa spoke to the servant, who seemed just as alarmed as she was.

“Take me to where the Grand Duke is.”

The servant led her to a room on the first floor. 

Kairan lay on the bed, unmoving, his eyes closed. However, as she approached, she could hear his faint breathing. Lenoa let out a sigh of relief, louder than his shallow breaths.

She urgently questioned the physician seated by the bedside.

“Is he alright? Why… why did the Grand Duke collapse?”

“…”

The physician hesitated to answer, as though he was about to say something he shouldn’t. After a long pause, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“Well, I conducted a blood test due to his poor condition…”

“Yes, yes.”

“The Grand Duke has been exposed to poison for an extended period.”

“What?”

The words left Lenoa more confused than ever. 

Poison? But we had been living together in the royal palace, an environment of utmost safety. The air was clean, the food fresh. Could the food have been poisoned? If that were the case, wouldn’t I also be unwell, given that I shared most meals with him?

The idea that poison had infiltrated the palace and caused Kairan to collapse filled her mind with dread, as though venom was coursing through her thoughts.

“Fortunately, we were able to intervene before the poison spread further, so he is stable for now.”

“W-What kind of poison is it? How?”

“It’s called Latulanta. Initially, it causes mild fatigue, but with continued exposure, it leads to severe exhaustion, rapid heartbeat, headaches, and confusion.”

Lenoa’s face turned pale. The physician, his own face ashen, continued his explanation.

“If consumed only once or twice, it might not be noticeable. But prolonged and repeated exposure… could have led to death.”

“Then how… how did the Grand Duke ingest poison? I’ve shared nearly every meal with him, and I’m perfectly fine.”

Lenoa recounted every detail of Kairan’s routine, from his occasional late mornings to the fact that, although their favorite dishes differed, they always ate together. She left nothing out, including any peculiarities in his behavior or habits.

“The Grand Duke doesn’t consume food outside of meals.”

Kairan didn’t enjoy tea or coffee, so whenever there were meetings or casual conversations, only Lenoa’s cup was filled. Even if he did drink, it was only a sip or two. Snacks were no exception—while Lenoa enjoyed finger foods with tea at least once a day, Kairan adhered strictly to three meals a day and nothing more.

In fact, it would have made more sense for the poison to be detected in Lenoa, but she exhibited none of the symptoms described by the physician.

“If that’s the case, it means the Grand Duke deliberately consumed the poison himself…”

“What? That’s impossible. Why would he…?”

“This poison isn’t something that’s commonly available. It can only be found on the black market. Its primary use is…”

“…”

“…assassination. It’s typically used to discreetly kill someone by adding small amounts to their food.”

“…!”

“But the poison is meant for others, not oneself. Why would anyone willingly consume it?”

“C-Could it be… that the Grand Duke was contemplating suicide…?”

With a thud, Lenoa collapsed to the floor. She could no longer listen to the physician’s words with a clear mind. Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to look at Kairan. He still lay there, unconscious, as if lifeless.

I had already lost my parents. Was I now about to lose the person I had come to cherish like family? And to think he might have tried to end his own life with poison… All my loved ones, one by one…

“Hic…”

Lenoa buried her face in the blanket covering Kairan and began to sob.

“Y-Your Majesty, please calm yourself! His Grace will wake up soon.”

“R-Really? He’ll… be alright?”

“Yes. Once he regains consciousness and receives regular treatment, he will recover. As for why he consumed the poison, you can ask him later, once he’s feeling better.”

The physician comforted Lenoa and left the room, promising to investigate the poison further—with her permission, of course.

Now, only the two of them remained in the room. Outside, the summer midday sun was bright, but inside, the atmosphere was heavy and dark, as though a storm had just passed.

The day she had been waiting for, to spend time with him, was now marred by the misfortune of poisoning.

‘Fool. You were the one who scheduled today’s plans…’

As she stared helplessly at Kairan, a fleeting thought crossed her mind.

“You promised we’d have fun here today… Hurry and wake up, Kairan.”

Lenoa held his hand tightly and whispered, her thoughts wavering between hope and despair.

***

In the realm of unconsciousness, Kairan wandered aimlessly. He didn’t know why he was there or where he was headed, but none of it mattered. He simply walked toward whatever lay ahead, as though it were his destination. His steps were sluggish, his body devoid of strength, yet not a single sound echoed from his movements. It was as if this space existed without sound.

Even after walking a considerable distance, there was nothing in sight. Only an endless expanse of pure white surrounded him. The stark whiteness dominated the space, evoking a sense of fear. Kairan felt that fear acutely, as though he were the only entity in this space that didn’t belong—a solitary anomaly.

‘Huh?’

Beyond his field of vision, something appeared. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed a faint red hue. Drawn to it, he quickened his pace, as if mesmerized.

It was a single rose. No stems or leaves, just one solitary bloom.

‘Beautiful.’

In Kairan’s memory, there were countless roses he had deemed unimpressive, but this one was different. It stood out, uniquely beautiful. The vivid red against the stark white surroundings made it even more striking.

‘Lenoa. She would love this.’

At the sight of the rose, he thought of Lenoa. He chastised himself for forgetting her even for a moment.

He remembered how she loved plum blossoms, the national flower of Celesta. While she appreciated all flowers, she had a particular fondness for plum blossoms. They suited her—subtle and elegant, unlike the boldness of roses.

Kairan, however, loved roses. Not from the beginning, but after meeting her. She was more beautiful than any flower, and it was through her that he came to appreciate roses.

June 24th—the day he first met her. Coincidentally, the birth flower for June was the red rose. His newfound habit of associating months and flowers was entirely influenced by his feelings for her.

His love for Lenoa was like a rose—specifically, a red rose.

Kairan reached out toward the rose, his touch gentle, as though it were Lenoa herself.

But suddenly, the rose floated silently into the air.

‘W-What…?’

Panicking, Kairan jumped and stretched his hand toward the rose, but it was out of reach. In this empty space, there was nothing but him, the rose, and the void.

Kairan tilted his head helplessly, staring at the rose in despair. It was as if the rose had fled from him.

At that moment.

“Oh my, dear. That flower over there is so beautiful. Could you pick it for me?”

A familiar woman’s voice echoed. Kairan turned toward the direction of the voice. There stood a woman. She wasn’t alone.

A middle-aged man with hair as red as a rose stood beside her. The two were smiling brightly at each other as they gazed at the rose.

Seeing the man sent chills down Kairan’s spine. His lingering physical and mental senses seemed to exist solely for this moment. As if some divine punishment demanded he confirm the identities of these two people, particularly the man.

It was none other than Kairan’s biological father, the Duke of Blandi, standing in this realm of consciousness with that woman. Oblivious to Kairan’s presence, they reached out toward the rose.

To Kairan’s shock, the rose descended to their chest level and bent effortlessly under the Duke’s touch.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”

A curse escaped his lips. Though he could have spoken sooner, he hadn’t felt the need until now.

The two turned toward him upon hearing his voice. The woman was the first to speak.

“Dear, that young man… He’s our son. I wonder how long he’s been standing there? Hoho.”

She held the rose delicately in her left hand while pointing at Kairan with her right, a sly smile on her face.

‘Son? Me? Your…?’

Kairan had a father, but he had no mother. From the very beginning, there had been no one he could call “Mother.” Even though he lacked a mother, the only person who could hold that title was the one whose name and face he didn’t even know—his biological mother.

Thus, he was not the “son” this woman spoke of, and she was certainly not his mother. Rage surged through him, making his body tremble.

Though he had been paralyzed by inaction when he first saw her, this time was different. Who did she think she was to dare?

Kairan lunged at the woman, intending to shove her away with all his might. But he was stopped abruptly. His father, equally furious, grabbed him by the neck and held him back.

The Duke glared at his son, who looked just like him, and tightened his grip on Kairan’s throat with both hands.

‘Guh…’

Kairan glared back at his father, vividly feeling the suffocation. It was the best resistance he could muster under the circumstances.

“How dare you lay a hand on your stepmother! She is now part of our family.”

“…!”

“The one who should be here is the Princess of Celesta, not you. What have you been doing all this time?”

Though he felt on the verge of passing out from the pain, his father’s thunderous voice prevented him from succumbing. The Duke neither relented in his strength nor softened his tone.

“That woman, you, and I… we’re all doomed!”

With a final blow, Kairan was thrown to the ground by the Duke’s hands. Only then did he feel like he could breathe again, but the pain that enveloped his entire body soon overwhelmed him.

“Kairan!”

At that moment, a familiar and beautiful voice called out to him, filled with sorrow.