Chapter 7 – Inside the Moving Carriage

The next morning, Lenoa woke up earlier than planned and had a simple brunch consisting of a glass of milk and a slice of toast.  

Although she had been too excited about her long-awaited visit to Viscount Elwen’s estate to sleep well the night before, she didn’t feel the slightest fatigue.  

There was still at least an hour left until they were scheduled to arrive, but for some reason, she felt pressed for time. Even the time spent eating felt wasteful.  

A smile naturally spread across her face. Crumbs from her toast clung to her lips as she beamed brightly. Her brunch was finished in less than ten minutes.  

“How about this dress?”  

“Hmm… No, try another one.”  

Normally, Lenoa would have picked an outfit at random, finding the process tedious. But today was different.  

She was going to meet the people who had been like parents to her after her own had passed away. It had been nearly a year since she last saw them due to her busy schedule as an heir, and she wanted to present herself as a mature and beautiful daughter.  

After an hour of deliberation, she chose a deep purple bustle dress. She had wanted to wear something brighter, but Betier had advised against it.  

‘Just in case,’ Betier had said.  

It was the fifth day of her monthly cycle. Although the flow and pain had lessened significantly, Betier, her head maid and another family-like figure, had strictly forbidden bright-colored or tight-fitting dresses.  

The process of putting on the dress took almost thirty minutes. When it was finally done, Lenoa stood before a full-length mirror to examine her appearance.  

“My goodness, how can it suit you so perfectly?”  

“There isn’t a single outfit in this world that wouldn’t look good on you, Lady Lenoa.”  

Despite having chosen just one dress from an abundance of options and wearing no makeup yet, Lenoa looked stunning. Her violet eyes sparkled, and the dress’s color complemented them perfectly.  

Next came the makeup. Betier and several other maids worked diligently to enhance Lenoa’s beauty. Once they were done, Betier styled Lenoa’s ash-blonde hair into a half-updo. Lenoa, with her doll-like features, stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror.  

It was during a brief moment when the maids had stepped out of the room.  

“G-Grand Duke…”  

“Y-Your Majesty! When will you be ready? You haven’t even eaten!”  

The door suddenly opened with a loud creak, and Kairan appeared, looking thoroughly exasperated. His face was a mix of irritation and exhaustion as he peeked inside.  

He had risen earlier than anyone in the court, including Lenoa, and had completed his preparations in less than fifteen minutes. Though he had dressed up for the rare outing, his attire was far simpler than Lenoa’s.  

Betier, startled by Kairan’s abrupt and rude entrance, glared at him fiercely. Lenoa, too, widened her eyes at the sight of Kairan standing in the doorway, but she soon smiled silently at him.  

‘Please wait a moment.’  

Kairan ignored the head maid’s fiery gaze and focused his attention on Lenoa, who was still being tended to.  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

Betier glared at Kairan, Kairan stared at Lenoa, and Lenoa gazed back at Kairan. The three of them remained in this awkward triangle for a moment.  

Finally, the preparations were complete. Lenoa sprayed on a final touch of perfume and donned a wide-brimmed white hat adorned with a bright yellow ribbon. She stood up, feeling stiff all over. Standing for long periods was difficult, but sitting had been even more uncomfortable. She found standing to be the lesser of two evils.  

As Lenoa left the room, leaving the maids to tidy up behind her, she found Kairan standing tall beside the door. His face seemed slightly flushed as he knelt gracefully on his left knee before her.  

“You look exceptionally radiant today, Your Majesty.”  

His tone was reminiscent of the unmarried noblemen in high society. Lenoa had learned the language of courtly flattery during her days as a princess and was used to hearing such remarks at every banquet.  

‘They’re all just after the position of royal consort.’  

She had never fallen for their words, having been firmly warned by her late parents on multiple occasions.  

‘But I’ll never hear those warnings again.’  

Suddenly, the sorrow of her parents’ absence washed over her, and her smile faded.  

“Y-Your Majesty?”  

Kairan’s worried voice snapped Lenoa out of her thoughts. Forcing a smile, she accepted his offered escort.  

Now that she was a queen without parents or siblings, she had to act and decide everything on her own. The thought weighed heavily on her.  

The excitement of meeting her nanny and her husband had barely lasted a few minutes. On a day as beautiful as today, her emotions were unusually turbulent.  

‘Is my cycle still not over?’

Lenoa took Kairan’s hand and exited the royal palace. The carriage waiting near the main gate immediately caught her eye. Though it was a royal carriage, since the purpose of the outing was informal, they used a standard carriage typically reserved for maids and attendants. Using a royal family-exclusive carriage for private purposes carried the risk of being targeted by rogues.  

Kairan helped Lenoa into the carriage first, then entered through the opposite door and sat beside her on her right.  

‘There’s an empty seat across from me, so why sit here?’  

Lenoa tried not to dwell on it, lowering her gaze to her neatly folded hands resting on her lap. Once three escort knights boarded, the carriage began to move.  

‘Maybe I should take a nap.’  

Rather than being conscious of the uncomfortable presence beside her, Lenoa decided it would be better to close her eyes. Fatigue was beginning to overwhelm her body, which had been sustained solely by anticipation.  

As she dozed off, leaning her head against the window frame, she suddenly felt a touch on her head and opened her eyes drowsily.  

‘Hmm…’  

Through her blurry vision, she saw Kairan holding her hat.  

“You should take off your hat if you’re going to sleep.” 

He said with a smile on his face.  

Though his words carried a hint of amusement, Lenoa, still half-asleep, closed her eyes again and slumped against the backrest.  

With a gentle smile, Kairan moved closer to Lenoa, carefully placed her head on his lap, and tenderly stroked her hair as she slept soundly, breathing softly.  

A title of a fairy tale he had read as a child suddenly bloomed in his mind like a flower.  

‘The Sleeping Queen in the Carriage.’  

Kairan silently renamed the title to suit Lenoa. If anyone had overheard his thoughts, they would have been shocked and appalled.  

‘My Queen, my Lenoa.’  

Lenoa, receiving Kairan’s constant touch, fell into an even deeper sleep. Kairan quickly glanced around.  

“…Ah!”  

The knights, who had been peeking at the two from their seats, quickly averted their gazes and covered their mouths as soon as their eyes met Kairan’s.  

Their affectionate interaction had already been noticed. Kairan responded coldly, feigning indifference.  

“Shh. She’s sleeping. Turn around immediately. Now.”  

Kairan pressed his index finger to his lips as a warning. The knights instantly understood and clumsily turned their backs.  

‘When we return, I’ll have to slip them a few gold coins.’  

Finally, Kairan could fully indulge in the moment of solitude with Lenoa.  

He held a strand of her long hair, lying peacefully on his lap like a tame pet, and kissed it. Then, taking off his white gloves, he gently touched her face. Her skin was as soft as cotton.  

‘This is… the first time.’  

Before he realized it, Kairan’s fingers had moved to her lips. He stroked her small, plump lips, glossed in a soft pink.  

“…”  

Suddenly, an uncontrollable desire surged within him. His entire body burned as if it had been set aflame, trembling slightly. With no one watching, in this fleeting moment, he wanted to pour all his hidden feelings into a kiss.  

“Huff…”  

Unable to resist any longer, Kairan cupped Lenoa’s cheeks with both hands.  

“We’ve arrived!”  

The coachman’s booming voice rang out. Kairan quickly withdrew his hands and straightened his posture.  

‘Couldn’t he have driven a little slower?’  

He glared toward the coachman, frustrated by the interrupted moment, before putting his gloves back on and gently shaking Lenoa’s shoulder to wake her.  

“Your Majesty, please wake up. We’ve arrived.”  

“Mm…”  

Even Kairan’s touch and the coachman’s loud voice couldn’t rouse Lenoa, who finally stirred and sat up. Unaware that she had been sleeping on Kairan’s lap, she groggily accepted his escort and stepped out of the carriage.  

Outside, a grand mansion came into view. It was Viscount Elwen’s estate, unchanged from how Lenoa remembered it.  

Her steps grew faster as she held Kairan’s hand, her excitement making her forget the royal etiquette that forbade running. She was eager to see Viscountess Elwen, her nanny.  

“Your Majesty.”  

“Just for today, please overlook it.”  

Lenoa whispered with a bright smile, and Kairan fell silent, his face turning red.  

As they entered the mansion’s main gate, Viscountess Elwen, Lenoa’s nanny, emerged from the front door. Lenoa let go of Kairan’s hand and ran toward her like a child, throwing herself into her arms. She was already taller than her nanny.  

“It’s been so long, Viscountess Elwen. I missed you so much.”  

“Oh, my dear Queen. To me, I’ll always be ‘Lady Lenoa’s nanny’. Just call me nanny.”  

As Lenoa buried her face in her nanny’s chest, the longing that had made her want to cry melted away.  

After her mother’s passing three years ago, her nanny had comforted her through days of sorrow. Acting as a surrogate mother, she had helped Lenoa gradually overcome her grief. Thanks to her nanny’s devoted love, Lenoa had inherited her late mother’s gentle and compassionate nature.  

“Your Majesty, Queen Lenoa, welcome.”  

Viscount Elwen, the former commander of the knight order, approached and greeted Lenoa with a bow. Finally, Lenoa lifted the hem of her dress and returned the greeting gracefully.  

Kairan stood a short distance away, watching the loving family reunion.  

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have come along.’  

A wave of regret swept over him like a gust of wind. But it was too late to turn back now. With a sigh, Kairan approached them. The three turned their attention to him.  

“I greet you. I am Kairan Blandi, secretary to Her Majesty, Queen Lenoa.”  

Kairan placed his right hand over his left chest and bowed. He usually disliked interacting with those of lower status and rarely returned their greetings. However, things were different when it came to people Lenoa cared about.  

The nanny approached Kairan and took his hands warmly, smiling as brightly as she did with Lenoa.  

“I’ve heard so much about you, Secretary Blandi. Lady Lenoa has told me how much you assist her with her duties, even better than she could herself.”  

The nanny looked at Kairan with the same affection she showed her own son.  

‘She… knows about me?’  

A warmth, like a crackling fire, spread through his heart. Kairan had assumed Lenoa regarded him as nothing more than a secretary. Typically, letters from royalty rarely mentioned their subordinates, even if they had only one aide.  

Yet, here she was, having written about him. And not just casually—she had praised him. Kairan, who had thought she avoided him out of dislike, realized that Lenoa saw him as a capable and reliable secretary.  

When the nanny released his hands, Kairan turned to Lenoa. Their eyes met, and she smiled. Her expression radiated all the beauty and warmth in the world.  

At that moment, Kairan found her more irresistibly lovable than ever, even more so than when she had been asleep in the carriage.  

The nanny, looking pleased, glanced around and then spoke.  

“We have a son, though he’s not our biological child. His name is Harpe Elwen. I’ll introduce him to you when he comes. He should be nearby…”