Chapter 5 – Titles and Permissions  

Upon hearing that name, Lenoa’s spirits deflated instantly, like steam escaping from a cooling kettle. Her previously hopeful demeanor vanished, and she lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers.  

She had learned that ‘if a monarch plans to leave the palace, they must always inform their secretary and reach a mutual agreement on the division of duties.’ In truth, the only people managing the kingdom’s affairs within the palace were Lenoa and Kairan.  

During her father’s reign, not just a secretary but several retainers, including scribes, had worked in the palace. The more competent the retainers were, the better the King’s reputation became, making subordinates crucial for a ruler.  

When Lenoa first ascended to the throne, she had intended to retain her father’s retainers. She had no particular desire to bring in new people, and they had been her supporters all along.  

But Kairan opposed her.  

‘Your Majesty, you should have retainers of your own.’  

Claiming that he was also of royal blood and well-versed in the studies of kingship, Kairan vehemently opposed recalling the previous retainers to the palace. Even when she tried to reason with him, citing the need for loyal supporters and manpower, Kairan insisted he could handle the work of ten people on his own and refused outright.  

In the end, the only politicians in the palace were the two of them.  

“Well, I suppose… Should I not go, then?”  

Lenoa flopped onto the bed, her arms and legs sprawled out. This position provided some relief during her cycle.  

“Still, there are no events for the next few days… And Your Majesty, you haven’t stepped outside the palace since the coronation. Perhaps you could try persuading him?”  

Betier, who had been by Lenoa’s side since her coming-of-age ceremony, understood the burdens she had endured.  

While Lenoa had occasionally left the palace during her studies of kingship for inspections, she hadn’t set foot beyond the palace gates since her coronation—not even once. The furthest she had gone was the palace gardens.  

“Alright… Even if he refuses, I’ll at least try to talk to him.”  

Lenoa asked Betier to send word to Kairan. Betier returned quickly, saying he had agreed.  

‘Thank goodness.’  

Lenoa had been secretly worried that Kairan might refuse, harboring resentment over her frequent excuses to avoid his summons. She had been anxiously awaiting Betier’s return, fearing rejection.  

When the unexpected happened and he agreed, Lenoa’s face lit up with color. She even felt optimistic that he might grant her leave without much fuss. Reapplying the makeup she had removed to rest, Lenoa left her room and climbed the stairs.  

Kairan’s office was on the fourth floor. As Lenoa climbed the stairs from her third-floor office and bedroom, a thought crossed her mind.  

‘The secretary’s office is higher than mine, the Queen’s.’  

In truth, she often felt intimidated whenever she faced him.  

When Lenoa reached the fourth floor, she paused to glance around the hallway. Having dismissed all of the late king’s retainers, Kairan had no personal aides, not even a single attendant. Customarily, secretaries or similar retainers would have at least one attendant assigned to them.  

But there was no one around him. It was as if he regarded every courtier as an enemy.  

‘He probably thinks the same of me.’  

Lenoa mistakenly believed she was among the courtiers Kairan kept at a distance.  

At that moment, she saw a servant cautiously closing the door to Kairan’s office, holding a broom in one hand and a first-aid kit in the other.  

‘Did he get hurt…?’  

Seeing the first-aid kit, Lenoa’s pupils dilated. She quickly approached the servant and grabbed his arm.  

The servant, whose name Lenoa recalled as John, was startled when the Queen, as radiant as a flower from the royal garden, suddenly touched his lowly shoulder. Momentarily captivated by her beauty, he nearly dropped everything he was holding.  

Unaware of John’s thoughts, Lenoa’s gaze fell on the broom. It was clear he had just cleaned Kairan’s office. But why the first-aid kit? Lenoa whispered softly.  

“John, why were you in there?”  

“Well, His Grace, the Grand Duke… suddenly called me while I was cleaning the hallway… and told me to clean his office and bring this kit.”  

John stammered, trembling slightly as he answered.  

It was perfectly normal for servants to clean offices. However, according to the fourth-floor servants, Kairan despised anyone entering his office or bedroom. If he caught a servant cleaning his room, he would immediately order them out. For this reason, the servants only cleaned his rooms when he was away.  

For someone like Kairan, who prohibited even cleaning staff from entering his space, this situation seemed unusual.  

“Why the first-aid kit? Is His Grace still inside?”  

“I-I don’t know… He just told me to bring it. His Grace is inside.”  

Despite being in the room, Kairan had openly summoned a servant to clean. Considering his past behavior, this was highly unusual.  

‘And the first-aid kit… What’s that about?’  

Worried that he might be injured or unwell, Lenoa finally knocked on the office door. Faint sounds from inside confirmed someone was there, but no voice responded.  

John had clearly said Kairan was inside. Though he had been trembling, he didn’t seem to be lying. And before she knew it, John had vanished like the wind.  

As the silence stretched on, Lenoa eventually opened the door and entered.  

Kairan was seated with his back to her at a U-shaped desk. His fiery red hair, reminiscent of his temper, made him instantly recognizable. Quietly approaching, Lenoa noticed he was engrossed in something. He didn’t even realize she had entered.  

Unable to hold back any longer, Lenoa called out to him. Her voice, filled with concern, rang softly.  

“Um… Your Grace?”  

Kairan’s head froze in place. Slowly, he turned to face her, and their eyes met. For once, he looked genuinely flustered.  

“D-Did you knock before entering?”  

“I did, but you didn’t respond.”  

Lenoa replied, forcing a smile. She needed to appear warm since her goal was to persuade him.  

“What brings you here? You’ve refused my summons every time, yet now you come uninvited.”  

Kairan’s tone had returned to the one he usually used with her. Resting his elbows on the desk and clasping his hands, he smirked slightly. Though his demeanor was somewhat arrogant, Lenoa didn’t have the luxury to care.  

“Three days from now, I’d like to visit Viscount Elwen’s estate for two days. I want to see my nanny after so long.”  

“…”  

“With the meeting with Merzen complete and no events scheduled, I’d like a brief rest.”  

Kairan, who had been narrowing his eyes at her the entire time, suddenly widened them at the mention of Merzen.  

He had entered the palace a few days after Lenoa’s coming-of-age ceremony, so he had never met Lenoa’s nanny or the former Commander of the Imperial Knight Order. He only knew they had become the Elwen Viscount couple.

Lenoa trembled as she waited for Kairan’s response.  

“Well, I don’t mind if you go… but two days might be difficult. One day should be fine.”  

Kairan spoke as he pulled out a document from the stack beside him and began writing. Although the duration was reduced to one day, Lenoa’s heart leapt with joy at the fact that she could go at all.  

But her excitement was short-lived as his next words brought it to a halt.  

“As long as you go with me, that is.”  

Kairan, who had just finished writing on the document, set down his pen and gazed at Lenoa with a slight smirk. Flustered, Lenoa stammered.  

“No, I was planning to go alone. I was hoping you could handle state affairs in my stead until then…”  

“Who manages the affairs of Celesta? Isn’t it just the two of us—Your Majesty and me? And now, Your Majesty, you want to go off on a trip, leaving me alone to take care of everything? That’s quite disappointing.”  

“B-but didn’t you dismiss all the retainers…? You said you could handle everything.”  

“That’s only when both you and I are present together, Your Majesty.”  

Kairan smiled faintly before continuing.  

“If you wish to go on a trip, then I must set aside everything and accompany you, Your Majesty. Just the two of us. I’ll even plan the itinerary for you.”  

In short, the options were either for Kairan to accompany her or for neither of them to go. There was no third option. Lenoa lowered her head, avoiding Kairan’s gaze.  

As he had said, he was indeed managing the workload of ten retainers, and perhaps even better than she, the Queen, herself. But at this moment, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of resentment toward him for working so diligently alone.  

The thought of leaving him behind while she went alone weighed heavily on her mind.  

“Alright, then. Let’s go together. Thank you for your words, Grand Duke Blandi.”  

Though she had wanted to spend time privately with the Viscount and his wife, she ultimately had to accept Kairan’s company. It felt as though she had only been granted half-permission.  

“Well, I’ll be going now.” 

Lenoa said as she turned to leave.  

Just as she was about to step out, Kairan’s voice stopped her.  

“Your Majesty. Wait a moment.”  

Lenoa froze in her tracks.  

‘Did he change his mind? Is he going to say no?’  

Her heart raced nervously, but the unexpected question that followed caught her off guard.  

“Why do you keep addressing me like that?”  

“W-what do you mean?”  

“Your form of address. Why do you always call me ‘Grand Duke Blandi’ even when it’s just the two of us, instead of using my name like during our meetings?”  

When she turned around, she met Kairan’s gaze, his expression tinged with a bitter smile.  

Lenoa always addressed him as ‘Grand Duke Blandi,’ similar to how other courtiers added ‘Your Grace’ to his title. The only time she used his name was when it was accompanied by his family name.  

In other words, she had never addressed him by his first name alone. Perhaps the only exception was earlier during their meeting, and even then, it had been unintentional.  

“W-well, I’ll… call you by your name when we go to the Viscount’s estate.”  

Without even knowing what she was saying, Lenoa bolted out of the office.  

Click. The door to the office closed. As the sound of her footsteps faded into the distance, silence quickly filled the room.  

Only then did Kairan roll up his left sleeve. Just below his wrist, a hastily wrapped white bandage was stained with red blood. Fortunately, Lenoa hadn’t noticed the injury.  

“In three days… Should I look forward to it?”  

Shards of glass were scattered around Kairan’s feet. They were the remnants of a decorative item the servant hadn’t had time to clean up after being hurried out.