Chapter 9 – Return

Kairan only briefly glanced at Harpe sprawled on the ground before he resolutely wrapped Lenoa’s shoulders protectively. 

Watching her tremble, covering her mouth with her hand while staring at Harpe, he felt a pang of pity. Yet, he felt no concern for Harpe. If anything, he was even more infuriated.

Lenoa finally shrugged off Kairan’s arm that was around her shoulders.

“Let’s return to the palace…”

“Is this really the time to talk about returning? Someone has collapsed…”

When Lenoa sharply rebuked him, Kairan hesitated. She knelt on the dirt-covered grass and checked on Harpe.

‘The dress is getting dirty.’

Kairan couldn’t understand nor stop Lenoa.

“Get a hold of yourself! Harpe! Harpe!”

“Harpe! What’s wrong with you!”

“Oh dear, quickly, a doctor!”

Viscount Elwen hurriedly carried Harpe inside the mansion, and a servant rushed out the front gate to call for a doctor.

The Viscountess Elwen, who had been watching in a daze, was now in tears. Lenoa placed a hand on her shoulder, deeply empathizing with her feelings.

She recalled how her own parents would swiftly call for the royal physician and stay up all night caring for her whenever she was ill. Even with state affairs piling up, nothing seemed more important than their daughter’s well-being. Thanks to her parents’ immense love, Lenoa could recover quickly no matter how sick she was.

After her mother’s passing, the nursemaid took the mother’s place, caring for Lenoa as if she were her own daughter. Her father continued to look after her unwaveringly.

Even without her biological mother, the parental love felt as strong as ever.

‘Now it’s my turn to help the nursemaid.’

Resolving herself, Lenoa spoke.

“Don’t worry too much. Harpe will be fine.”

“Oh dear, Lenoa. You came all this way, and such a disgraceful thing happened…”

“How can it be disgraceful when a child is unwell? I’ll stay until the doctor arrives.”

Lenoa supported the madame’s waist and slowly led her inside the mansion.

Bang. The mansion’s front door closed, leaving Kairan alone.

Kairan was annoyed by the sight of Lenoa and Harpe’s closeness and her repeated calls of concern for the unconscious Harpe. He kicked a nearby pillar, the heavy sound echoing in the garden.

‘I thought I could spend some time with Her Majesty, but because of some strange guy…’

Suppressing some of his anger, Kairan entered the mansion.

The doctor summoned by the servant arrived promptly. After examining the lying Harpe, the doctor spoke calmly.

“It seems he fainted from a shock. If he rests, he should wake up soon.”

The doctor prescribed a sedative and advised the couple not to disturb their son, then left the mansion.

The couple finally regained some peace and sat down. Their gazes were fixed on their unconscious son on the bed. As the madame, who had been watching with vacant eyes, was about to burst into tears again, the Viscount and Lenoa calmed her down.

Kairan, leaning against the wall, watched this indifferently.

“He’ll wake up soon, they said. So it’s okay.”

“He was never sick, so this sudden incident shocked us even more.”

The nursemaid explained that Harpe was usually a very lively and energetic son, as they had seen earlier.

Lenoa sighed. The heart of a parent worrying about their child was something she knew was hard to ease, no matter what was said.

“But still, a shocking incident…”

The three of them turned their eyes to Kairan, standing behind them. Kairan widened his eyes at their gaze.

‘Are they daring to suspect me? I don’t even know him, and I didn’t do anything.’

In truth, he hadn’t laid a hand on Harpe. He had merely knocked away the hand that had disrespectfully touched the queen and grabbed his collar once. He hadn’t expected Lenoa to react so strongly to seeing that.

He soon erased his cold demeanor and spoke softly.

“I am unfamiliar with that young man… I just learned his name and face.”

Kairan was furious at the suspicious looks, even from Lenoa.

Everyone who was in the garden knew he hadn’t harmed Harpe. So he thought that clarifying they were strangers would clear the suspicion.

“Lenoa, and Secretary, wouldn’t it be best for you to return to the palace? You both have a lot of work, and we need to watch over Harpe…”

“Are you urging us to leave immediately? How dare you…”

“Stop it. We’ve overstayed our welcome. Let’s go back now.”

At the madame’s gentle suggestion to leave, Kairan shouted in anger. Lenoa barely managed to calm him and bid farewell to the couple.

Kairan glared at Lenoa. He had already planned to leave soon, but being told to leave by someone of much lower status irritated him.

‘Well, now that it’s come to this, let’s just leave quickly.’

Kairan took Lenoa’s hand, more gently than when he had grabbed her arm earlier.

“Grand Duke, say your goodbyes.”

At Lenoa’s whisper, Kairan reluctantly bowed his head. Her soft hand quelled the rising anger.

The couple came out of the mansion to see them off as they boarded the carriage. Lenoa watched them waving vigorously from the window with a somewhat forlorn expression.

Then Kairan’s voice reached her.

“Your Majesty, do you still suspect me?”

“…”

“I’ll say it again; I don’t know him.”

Lenoa turned to look at Kairan sitting beside her. Soon, she buried her face in her arms without a word.

She knew. Kairan hadn’t done anything to Harpe. There was no room for doubt. But she didn’t want to talk to Kairan right now.

Lenoa closed her eyes. She wanted to stay like this until they reached the palace. Moreover, the pain from her cycle, which she thought was over, was spreading throughout her body again. Even below, she already felt damp. She just wanted to rest for a moment.

“Ha, really…”

Seeing Lenoa lying motionless as if asleep, Kairan was exasperated.

‘How many times do I have to say it for her to understand?’

He was almost annoyed with her. While he needed to explain again, he didn’t want to wake her.

Though neither of them showed it, he considered the possibility that Lenoa’s cycle hadn’t ended yet.

‘She must be tired in many ways.’

Kairan sighed helplessly and sat close beside Lenoa. Listening carefully, he heard her gentle breathing.

Her posture looked uncomfortable, and if he adjusted it, she would surely wake.

He noticed the black coat he had taken off. Kairan carefully pulled it over and draped it over Lenoa’s back. He gazed at her sleeping under his coat.

Suddenly, he recalled the action he had failed to complete at the mansion. The urge to finish it welled up inside him.

‘She’s lying down. What am I… Let’s not think about it.’

Lenoa was lying down as if to avoid a kiss. To shake off the thought, Kairan sat by the opposite window. Though his body was apart, his gaze remained on Lenoa.

‘My queen under my coat.’

A smile naturally formed, calming his mind.

Kairan absentmindedly looked at the scenery outside the window. It was getting dark, signaling that evening was approaching.

Upon returning, both Kairan and Lenoa would undoubtedly be swamped with work for days. Though his heart felt heavy, the fact that he had spent the day out with her was some comfort.

Though the Elwen couple treated him like their own son despite meeting for the first time, which was uncomfortable, he felt a sense of affection that he didn’t dislike. It had been a long time since he felt parental love, even though they were neither his biological nor adoptive parents, and it touched his heart.

Of course, the suggestion to leave was unpleasant, but he understood it was out of concern for their child. The Elwen couple was better than his own parents, who were better off not existing in the first place.

‘Everything was fine except for that guy…’

However, witnessing some guy being doted on by Lenoa like a pet was exasperating. When he intervened, the guy fainted upon seeing him. It was a dramatic series of events.

Suddenly cast as the perpetrator, he faced suspicion from the Elwen Viscount couple and Queen Lenoa.

Kairan gripped the chair’s leather as if to tear it apart. If Lenoa hadn’t been beside him, he would have ripped it to shreds.

He glanced at her and barely calmed himself.

He sat close beside Lenoa again and gently stroked her hair. Her hair, smoother than his own, tickled his heart.

His hand kept reaching for her hair. Her beautiful ash-colored hair, eyes the same violet as his, and her soft voice—Lenoa was Kairan’s only woman.

After a while, the carriage entered the palace grounds.

Kairan shook Lenoa awake. She shivered slightly before waking up.

‘Huh?’

Feeling something unfamiliar, she picked up what was on her back. It was the black coat Kairan had worn today. As her eyes widened, Kairan took the coat from her.

To put it on her. Kairan draped the overcoat over Lenoa’s back.

“It’s cold outside. At least until you’re inside the palace.”

Lenoa silently gave her consent.

Holding the overcoat in one hand, she took Kairan’s hand as he helped her down. He walked with his arm around her back.

When they reached the palace gate, the soldiers widened their eyes in surprise. Ignoring them, Kairan entered through the gate they opened. Several courtiers who came to greet them seemed startled by their appearance.

Lenoa felt so confused she was breaking into a cold sweat. Kairan whispered softly.

“I’ll escort you to your room.”

‘Ah…’

Lenoa felt overwhelmed to the point of death. She climbed the stairs, which felt like hundreds, to the third floor and reached her bedroom.

After ensuring she was inside, Kairan finally went upstairs. As he ascended the stairs, he thought of her again.

‘I was worried it might have leaked.’

Kairan’s actions weren’t meant to burden Lenoa. They were subtly filled with care for her.