Chapter 45 – Their Time

“……!”  

“Kairan! Are you alright……?”  

When he struggled to open his eyes, Lenoa’s face was leaning in close. Tears were welling up in her reddened eyes.  

‘I made her cry…….’  

As soon as Kairan regained consciousness, guilt consumed him, but at the same time, he felt an inexplicable warmth in his heart. Unlike the bitter cold of the dream, the tears she shed solely for him radiated warmth.  

That warmth grew in proportion to the brightening expression on Lenoa’s face.  

“You suddenly collapsed……. Do you know how worried I was?”  

Though her words sounded like a scolding, they were strangely comforting. In the end, the two exchanged awkward smiles as they looked at each other.  

“……Queen Lenoa. Thank you for your concern.”  

Kairan finally spoke, gently taking Lenoa’s hand resting on the blanket that covered him. He slowly tightened his grip on her hand, as if sharing the warmth he had just received.  

Though his hands were usually warm, they had been as cold as a lifeless corpse while he was unconscious. Now, he shared the warmth that Lenoa’s ever-warm hands had passed on to him.  

“How do you feel now? What’s your condition?”  

“Here, can’t you feel it?”  

Kairan smiled and lightly shook the hand he was holding.  

‘Is he really a patient? He’s the same as always.’  

Lenoa chuckled at his mischievousness. After a moment, she withdrew her hand, sat down on a chair, and straightened her posture. She had been kneeling by his bedside all this time, and her legs had gone numb.  

Meanwhile, Kairan also sat up and adjusted his posture, gazing at her intently. Though it had only been a few minutes since he woke up, he already seemed lively.  

‘Right. The royal physician said to call him when Kairan woke up.’  

Lenoa glanced at the thin pull cord hanging by the bed and stood up to pull it. However, Kairan’s hand moved faster. He pulled the cord instead, signaling the royal physician and attendants to come.  

Before they arrived, Lenoa decided to ask the question she had been hesitating over. Why, exactly, had he consumed poison?  

The royal physician had figured out what the poison was and how it had been ingested, but the reason behind it was something Lenoa had to uncover herself.  

“Kairan. You…… consumed poison, didn’t you?”  

“…….”  

“Why did you take it? You can tell me. I’ll keep it a secret.”  

The smile quickly vanished from Kairan’s face. He lowered his gaze and kept his lips tightly shut.  

As expected, it seemed difficult for him to speak about it directly. But Lenoa couldn’t stop now.  

“Kairan, please…….”  

“……Recently, I’ve had many sleepless nights. So, I got some sleeping pills and took them on my own.”  

She thought she’d have to press him further, but Kairan spoke almost immediately. Lenoa listened silently.  

“The sleeping pills were something I got from the black market, so I suppose they had side effects. I didn’t know this at the time, so I kept taking them whenever I couldn’t sleep. Quite often.”  

It matched what the royal physician had said. The sleeping pills, which were close to poison, were only available on the black market.  

Kairan, who usually went to bed late and woke up early, must have found it disruptive to his routine. Because of that, he had become sensitive to disturbances in his sleep.  

‘The cause lies with me, too.’  

Lenoa’s face darkened as she lowered her head.  

Of course, Lenoa had never intended to work him so hard, nor had she done so. She even occasionally advised him to take it easy, but he would awkwardly smile and say he was fine.  

At that moment, a hand lightly tapped the edge of the bed where her gaze had fallen.  

“It’s absolutely not your fault, Lenoa. My overwork is entirely my own doing.”  

When Lenoa lifted her head, her eyes met Kairan’s, who wore a faint smile.  

Kairan’s words carried weight. He had dismissed all of the previous retainers and was now handling five tasks when she had only assigned him one.  

Moved by Kairan’s understanding and comfort, Lenoa finally let a single tear fall from the drops that had been welling in her eyes.  

“Y-Your Majesty! Please don’t cry.”  

“I won’t cry. But promise me you’ll take care of your health while working from now on.”  

“Of course. Then, Your Majesty, you must promise me the same.”  

“Me? But I’m not sick or…….”  

Knock knock.  

Before Lenoa could finish her sentence, a knock came at the door. She quickly wiped her tears and granted permission to enter.  

“Your Grace, are you feeling alright?”  

“Well, I’m fine.”  

“That’s a relief. Your Grace, you were poisoned by a substance called Latulanta, but we’ve administered an antidote. If you continue taking the antidote regularly and maintain a proper diet and sleep schedule, you should recover fully.”  

The royal physician explained Kairan’s condition and treatment plan to him, unlike how he had spoken to Lenoa earlier. Even though she already knew the details, Lenoa listened attentively, just in case there was anything new.  

“Thank you.”  

Kairan bowed his head to express his gratitude to the royal physician, surprising Lenoa with his unexpected gesture.  

“Even though you’re awake, please refrain from going outside or leaving your quarters for the rest of the day.”  

“Is my condition still that serious?”  

“Yes. Absolute rest is necessary.”  

Lenoa turned to look at Kairan. He wore a grim expression and didn’t say a word. It was clear he had no choice but to comply with the royal physician’s orders.  

After all, Kairan had only woken up less than thirty minutes ago and hadn’t taken a single step out of bed. If he had the strength, he would have gotten up already. The most he had done was hold Lenoa’s hand tightly.  

‘There’s no other way.’  

Lenoa hadn’t planned anything specific to do with Kairan during their two days in the secondary palace. A shared meal, a walk in the garden, or tea time were the most she had considered. Even then, most of these plans would have to be scrapped due to his condition.  

After the royal physician left, emphasizing the need for absolute rest, Lenoa pulled the cord to summon the palace staff.  

“Bring a simple dinner for me and His Grace.”  

At her request, Kairan’s eyes widened. Lenoa noticed his reaction and asked him.  

“What is it? It’s already dinnertime. Besides, you’ve been unconscious all day. Aren’t you hungry?”  

“It’s not that. I just…… Are you eating here too, Your Majesty?”  

“Of course.”  

Lenoa answered confidently with a smile.  

“Today, we’ll spend the evening in this room together. There’s plenty we can do here.”  

The two shared a lighter meal in the room than they would have in the formal dining hall, followed by dessert and tea.  

‘The proposal… It seems like today isn’t the right time.’

Despite preparing a splendid bouquet and ring, it all came to nothing because he fell ill. If only he had been able to walk, he would have gone through with it today, no matter what. Even though there were various issues, her feelings for him hadn’t worsened. 

If anything, perhaps her concern for him had even deepened. 

What a shame. 

Thinking about all the effort he had put in for today going to waste, Kairan sighed mid-sip of his tea. 

“G-Grand Duke, are you alright?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing.” 

Embarrassed, Kairan hastily finished his tea. Only after setting the teacup down did his thoughts start to clear. 

‘I don’t even like tea.’ 

From the start, he had always thought of tea as nothing more than fragrant water and rarely drank it. Even when it was served, he would only take a sip if he was parched. 

Lenoa, on the other hand, liked tea. Her favorite was chamomile tea. He knew her preferences inside and out. 

The reason he drank tea, which he didn’t even like, was because Lenoa was by his side. Spending time alone with her was so enjoyable that he unconsciously found himself sipping tea. After all, this moment was a “tea time,” and tea was essential for conversation. 

He could already imagine his foolish self eating something he absolutely despised, all because she was near. 

“Kairan, what do you like?” 

“Pardon?” 

“Anything you like. I only know you like fish and lemon pudding.” 

Lenoa asked Kairan not about what he disliked, but about what he liked. Kairan fell into deep thought at her question. 

The answer was simple, really. He even thought of it immediately. But he swallowed the answer, which had almost slipped out, along with a dry gulp, and gave a different response. 

“I enjoy playing the piano.” 

“What? Really?” 

“Yes. I’ve been learning since I was young.” 

Lenoa’s mouth fell open. She wasn’t very familiar with the piano. She could read sheet music and barely play scales, but performing was beyond her abilities. Compared to her limited skills, Kairan’s love for playing made her feel self-conscious. 

“That’s amazing. Please play for me someday. I’d love to hear it.” 

“Of course.” 

Lenoa’s face lit up with joy, as if she had already heard Kairan’s wonderful performance. 

“I’ve learned a little piano too, but I can only play a bit. Just the basic scales, do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do. I’m envious that you’re so good at it, Kairan.” 

Lenoa laughed awkwardly. It’s natural to admire someone who excels in an area one struggles with, even more than someone who excels in their own field of expertise. 

As Kairan had anticipated, Lenoa didn’t dislike the piano, but she wasn’t particularly skilled at it. He had never heard her talk about the piano, nor did she seem to have much enthusiasm for learning it. 

Playing the piano was entirely his domain. If so, she needed a different role. 

“Sing.” 

“Pardon?” 

“If I play the piano, I’d like you to sing beside me.” 

“Uh…” 

“With your beautiful voice, Lenoa.” 

Kairan deliberately avoided stammering as he complimented her. Still, after saying it, he felt nervous and slightly lowered his head. 

Lenoa wasn’t just beautiful in appearance or kind-hearted; even her voice was lovely. The voice he had heard on the day they first met remained in his memory like a masterpiece. 

‘Uh… I-I’m sorry.’ 

Though they hadn’t even exchanged proper greetings during their first meeting, countless things about her were etched into Kairan’s memory as cherished moments. Lenoa’s voice, as sweet as flowing honey, accounted for half of those memories.