Chapter 8 – Meetings Inside and Out

The nursemaid kept calling her son, but there was no sign of him coming out. Just as everyone was tilting their heads in confusion, a servant came running in a hurry.

‘That must be him.’

Suddenly, Kairan thought of an unnamed servant from the fourth floor and chuckled to himself.

“M-Madam, the young master is out.”

“Oh, really? Such esteemed guests as Her Majesty and the secretary have come, and yet he’s out.”

The nursemaid exchanged a helpless smile with her husband.

‘His name is Harpe. I’d like to meet him today.’

Lenoa imagined Harpe in her mind. A tall man with a warm and gentle demeanor, resembling his adoptive parents, with handsome black hair.

‘It would be nice if he had a different personality from Grand Duke Blandi.’

Glancing at the imagined person beside her, she felt elated as her imagination took flight.

‘Harpe? What a name. And he didn’t even get the message? How pathetic.’

Unlike Lenoa, Kairan felt the name somehow gave off a bad vibe.

He had known about the Elwen Viscount couple for a while, but he had just learned about their adopted son. However, whether adopted or biological, it didn’t matter to him; it was just the fact that he was a man that bothered him.

‘Well, it’s better if he doesn’t come.’

Praying silently for him not to show up, Kairan couldn’t help but laugh at his own fluctuating mood today.

While each was lost in their own thoughts about Harpe, the Elwen Viscount couple ushered them into the mansion.

Though they were nobles, their title as viscount meant the mansion wasn’t particularly grand. There were few expensive decorations or servants. One might believe it was the home of a wealthy commoner.

“What’s the use of being a noble? People live the same way. You just need what’s necessary.”

Lenoa appreciated the couple’s taste for simplicity, and Kairan thought to himself that at least the lack of unnecessary decorations wouldn’t be a hindrance.

As they entered the hall, the madame politely asked a middle-aged maid to serve tea. Once the maid left, only the four of them remained.

Lenoa had a mountain of things she wanted to say, but once the four of them were together indoors, she felt awkward and kept glancing at the side where the maid had disappeared.

“How are the two of you getting along? Working together should naturally bring you closer.”

Breaking the awkward atmosphere, the nursemaid smiled brightly and asked the two seated next to each other.

“…”

Lenoa was at a loss for words and stared blankly at the madame, who kept smiling, unaware of her thoughts.

In truth, Lenoa had included some information about Kairan in the letters she sent to the Elwen Viscount couple. She mentioned that Kairan Blandi was the son of her father’s old friend, her secretary, and that they worked together at the palace. She didn’t mention anything about the successor issue.

It was all factual and didn’t even fill five sentences. There was only one sentence that could be considered personal.

— Grand Duke Blandi is better at work than I am.

It was essentially true. Kairan would quickly process the towering stacks of documents in the office and pass them on to Lenoa.

Upon receiving the documents, she would conduct a final review and secretly marvel at his flawless work ability. She had witnessed him tirelessly working during the successor dispute, striving without even time to sleep, so it was understandable.

‘A person more suited to the throne than I am.’

This was Lenoa’s brief assessment of Kairan’s work ability.

In short, Lenoa had only written about Kairan factually in her letters a few times, yet the nursemaid was misunderstanding their relationship and chattering away.

‘Please bring the tea quickly…’

At that moment, Kairan’s low voice was heard.

“Her Majesty falls asleep the moment she sees me.”

Kairan compared Lenoa to a fairy tale character he had imagined while watching her asleep in the carriage. His strange smile lifted one corner of his mouth.

‘What does he mean, I fall asleep the moment I see him?’

In truth, Lenoa was the type to fall into a deep sleep, oblivious even if someone carried her away. It was the same today.

‘Did I make it obvious that I find him uncomfortable?’

A wave of dizziness hit her. Just as all sorts of delusions filled Lenoa’s mind, the nursemaid, sensing the tense atmosphere, forced a smile and corrected herself.

“Haha… You both must be so busy all day that it’s hard to get close.”

“Y-Yes. How are things these days?”

Finally, Viscount Elwen chimed in to change the subject.

‘Thank goodness.’

Lenoa was grateful that the couple finally realized the nature of her and Kairan’s relationship.

Though she didn’t want to talk about work today, Lenoa answered earnestly with what she knew. Kairan also chimed in. The maid finally brought the tea, and they quietly drank, calming the atmosphere for a moment.

‘When we return, I should write a letter to the Viscount residence about our real relationship.’

As she felt soothed by the chamomile tea she loved, a servant approached. It was the same servant from earlier.

“The young master has arrived.”

‘Wow, finally.’

Lenoa barely restrained herself from cheering. She wanted to overcome the tense atmosphere and quickly see if Harpe matched her imagination.

“Let’s go see Harpe together.”

She was eager to meet him as soon as possible. The Elwen Viscount couple also rose happily, but Kairan remained seated.

“Why do we have to go personally? Just tell him to come here.”

Kairan crossed his arms and even used informal speech at the end.

The couple, startled by Kairan’s attitude, looked at him with discomfort. No wonder Lady Lenoa was flustered.

Lenoa hesitated but soon respected his thoughts. She wanted to distance herself from the uncomfortable Kairan for a moment. It was unsettling that Kairan accompanied her even when it wasn’t related to work.

“Then we’ll just go by ourselves. Rest here.”

“Y-yes. I’ll have the servant show you to the guest room.”

Understanding Lenoa’s intentions, the couple quickly left the room. Another servant, who had approached quickly, nervously watched Kairan’s icy demeanor, guided him to the accommodation, and disappeared in a flash.

Finally, silence. Alone in the room, Kairan felt a chill as if a cold wind was blowing from somewhere.

Kairan was just as flustered as Lenoa when the couple asked about their relationship. Seeing her fidgeting hands, he answered on her behalf.

‘A person who falls asleep the moment she sees me, or the sleeping queen.’ 

It was an honest comparison for the sleeping Lenoa in the carriage.

‘Did I offend her with that remark?’

Thinking that his words had a significant impact on Lenoa, Kairan’s hands trembled.

He wondered if he should lie down and try to sleep. Having stayed up all night handling state affairs for today’s outing, the drowsiness he had been holding back crept in.

Even though he was sleepy, thoughts of Lenoa remained vivid. 

‘When she was asleep on my lap, she was so calm, but when she was awake, why did she always try to avoid me?’

No matter what he thought, it always ended with Lenoa. It had only been a few minutes since she wasn’t by his side, but Kairan’s heart burned with the desire to see her. If he delayed any longer, he would surely end up tearing the sheets.

Kairan quickly got up and hurried outside. To where she was, whom he longed to see.

* * *

“I greet Her Majesty. I am Harpe Elwen.”

“Oh my…”

The handsome man with black hair greeted her politely.

Lenoa was utterly astonished by her first sight of Harpe. As an adopted son, he looked nothing like the viscount couple, with jet-black hair, red eyes, and a towering height that gave him a somewhat fierce appearance.

But he was someone who inherited the gentle nature of his adoptive parents not through blood, but through heart. His manner of greeting was similar to Kairan’s, but the courtesy was palpable.

Harpe, who was the opposite of Kairan. Lenoa felt as if she had guessed correctly.

“Nice to meet you. I am Lenoa Moon Celesta.”

It was polite to respond in kind to a courteous demeanor. Lenoa held the hem of her dress and greeted Harpe.

“Oh, you can be at ease. Really, Lenoa.”

At the nursemaid’s chiding words, the four of them laughed. Unlike the suffocating atmosphere in the hall with Kairan earlier, it was a very comfortable atmosphere.

Come to think of it, there was something she had forgotten. Smiling at Harpe, Lenoa spoke.

“If I can be at ease… may I shake your hand?”

“Oh my, it’s truly an honor.”

Though taken aback by Lenoa’s sudden request, Harpe soon awkwardly smiled and extended his hand toward her. Lenoa gently took Harpe’s hand. Even through the glove, she felt the warmth of his soft hand spreading like a fire in her heart.

‘Why am I like this today?’

Lenoa was intoxicated by an unfamiliar emotion for the first time in her life.

Unlike the steely Kairan, who always kept his distance, Harpe had a pleasant demeanor and a warm voice.

The two were constantly compared. Among them, she felt a peculiar attraction to Harpe.

‘Of all the men I’ve met since my days as a princess, he’s the most…’

“Your Majesty, what… are you doing?”

Suddenly, Kairan appeared like a cold shower and forcefully knocked Harpe’s arm away.

Kairan’s arrival changed the atmosphere drastically. His face was as red as his hair as he glared at Harpe standing before Lenoa.

‘How dare you, to my queen…’

Kairan’s violet eyes burned with hostility. He glared as if he wanted to kill and grabbed Harpe by the collar. He wanted to throw a person instead of an object.

“N-No, stop!”

Unlike the seething Kairan, Harpe, who had been grabbed by the collar the moment he met him, turned pale.

It wasn’t because of Kairan’s attitude. His pupils were fixed on Kairan’s appearance, wide with shock.

“You… you… could it be…”

Harpe barely managed to speak, but couldn’t finish his sentence, swaying violently.

‘What is this guy doing?’

Kairan’s anger turned to confusion as his grip loosened.

Thud. He clicked his tongue as he glanced at Harpe, who lay sprawled on the ground.

‘Who is this guy, anyway?’