Clara greeted me with a surprised expression when I returned to the mansion fuming.

“Oh my, Miss?”

When I started taking out several bags and packing my belongings without saying anything, Clara seemed to notice something was wrong and hurriedly approached me, sitting down in front of me.

“What’s happening? Why are you suddenly packing?”

“Clara, I submitted my resignation letter.”

“What?”

Clara’s eyes trembled slightly as she covered her mouth, looking at me in genuine shock.

“The salary is good, but no vacation, no going home, it’s unbearable. I can’t take it anymore.”

“……Miss.”

“Half a year is long enough to endure. I need time for myself too.”

I had thought Clara was someone Ian had assigned to monitor my every move. That’s why I never showed myself bringing work home. It was to avoid any misunderstanding that I might be leaking confidential information from the Crown Prince’s Palace to my family.

Of course, sadly, even when I did go home, I usually returned close to midnight, so all I could do was wash up and fall into bed. Even if I had wanted to leak information, I wouldn’t have had the chance to try.

“So you’re returning to your family?”

“Yes, that’s right. After working day and night for half a year, my health seems to have deteriorated. I’m planning to go down to my territory to recuperate and manage the estate.”

As I spoke, stuffing clothes into my bag, Clara stared at my hands and muttered:

“Oh, that won’t do.”

“……I’m sorry for you since you’ll have to return to the Crown Prince’s Palace. But I need to survive too.”

I’m dying right now! Not only from work, but as soon as Callian returns, the original story will begin shortly after, and then death is all that awaits me, so my only chance to escape is now!

“Did His Highness the Crown Prince approve your resignation letter?”

“No, I just submitted it and left. What can he do? I’m not going to work anymore.”

Even Ian couldn’t forcibly bring back someone who had resigned and make them work. The moral and law-abiding Ian wouldn’t engage in such an unsavory legal battle with me.

Despite having stayed in this mansion for half a year, working only in the office without any free time, I didn’t have as many belongings as I expected. Just as I was about to get up after packing my modest luggage:

“Ilena!”

When I turned around at the familiar voice, I couldn’t help but be shocked. This was because Ian, who should have been busy with his tightly scheduled activities like the New Year’s ceremony parade rehearsal after the state council meeting, was standing there looking at me while catching his breath.

“……Your Highness?”

“Ilena.”

“How are you here right now, Your Highness……”

It was already time for road controls to begin for the final rehearsal. The ceremony where the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince Ian would move from the Imperial Palace to the temple to celebrate peace for the coming year. It was an event that required extreme caution as the imperial family would appear directly in the capital.

Since Ian and I had checked the parade route ourselves, I knew full well how absurd it was for Ian to be here right now.

Moreover, Ian’s usually impeccable hair was completely disheveled, and he seemed desperate, not even bothering to wipe away the sweat running down his forehead despite the cold winter wind as he looked at me and said:

“I was wrong, Ilena.”

“……”

“You’re the only aide who can properly assist me.”

“I am no longer Your Highness’s aide.”

“……”

“I understand that my sudden resignation is confusing for you. But I’m truly sick of it all now.”

There was no better expression than “sick of it all” to describe my current feelings. I had desperately realized that no matter how much I struggled and fought as someone who wasn’t even the protagonist of the novel, but merely a catalyst for Callian’s madness, I couldn’t prevent the original story from progressing.

“Sick of it all……”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m sick of going to Your Highness’s office, sick of the work that doubles no matter how much I process, sick of officials who complain to me about tight budget allocations. But do you know what makes me angriest of all?

“……”

“When I work hard without even taking vacations that others naturally use, staying by Your Highness’s side…!”

I had to stop myself mid-sentence.

I became afraid of what might happen to me if I spoke about the original story now that it was about to begin.

Though I felt wronged and angry, I feared that if I revealed the secret of the original story that was about to begin, betraying all my efforts to twist it, I might get entangled again before even starting Plan B.

“Anyway, I’m going back to my territory. So please don’t try to stop me.”

Ian’s expression, as he silently listened to what amounted to my complaints and grievances, was deeply contorted.

His lips trembled as if he’s trying to say something, and his hands shook severely as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

In my half year as his aide, I had never imagined Ian showing his emotions to this extent, but nevertheless, I picked up my modest luggage and said as I passed by him:

“Well then. Thank you for everything, Your Highness.”

“Wait, just a moment, Ilena.”

Tap.

Stopping at the slight pressure on my wrist, I looked down intently at Ian’s trembling hand. His fingers, neither holding my hand nor grasping my wrist but clutching my sleeve, were quivering.

“Your Highness?”

“One day of vacation per week.”

“What?”

“Freedom to use your vacation as you wish. Whether you use it once a week or save it up for the month, it’s entirely up to you. And I’ll hire five administrative officers to assist you.”

“What?”

“I’ll pay all overtime for 120 hours and extended work allowance until midnight with my authority, even without night work. And I’ll raise your base salary to 2,000 gold.”

“……!!”

I froze at Ian’s proposal of such an extraordinary amount. My current base salary of 1,000 gold was already more than twice the average starting salary for Imperial civil servants, and now he was doubling it again.

“I know how capable an aide you are. From the moment you sent your application for the position of my aide, I never considered anyone else.”

“But Your Highness……”

“And I can’t tell you how much easier things have been for me these past six months thanks to you. The fact that we process work faster than the Emperor’s Palace with its three aides and ten administrative officers is all thanks to you.”

“……”

“So please don’t leave me.”

“……”

“Please……”

I was too dumbfounded to say anything as Ian bowed his head deeply while saying this. I mean, wasn’t Ian the one preparing to leave everything behind, including me? Of course, I couldn’t help but be swayed by Ian’s new proposal.

Doubling the annual salary. Weekly leave that not even the most important officials in the Imperial Palace enjoyed. Full allowances even without night work. And above all, what tempted me most were the five administrative officers who would assist me.

This was the Crown Prince’s Palace, not just anywhere. Budget, personnel authority within the Imperial Palace, and even control over the Knight Order. Ian’s current authority was immense. Of course, with great power comes great responsibility, so there was an enormous amount of work to match his vast authority.

It was strange that there hadn’t been a single aide or administrative officer in the Crown Prince’s Palace until I arrived, but in other words, it meant that Ian had been handling all this work alone until I came.

And while I’m not bragging, I prided myself on my exceptional work abilities. No wonder high-ranking officials from other palaces and departments were eager to scout me.

It was said throughout the Empire that they felt secure because of the work-obsessed Crown Prince and his perfect match, the workaholic Aide Weiana.

“Hah……”

Why would he come to stop me like this when he seemed to be following the path of handing over the position as crown prince to Callian and fleeing as in the original story? Ian looked ready to drop to one knee as he watched me sigh with a suspicious expression.

“I know it’s an extraordinary offer that’s hard to believe. But, Ilena, people would think it’s more than sufficient that I made such an offer to keep you. No, they might even say it’s not enough.”

“……”

“So take some rest and think about it. I’ll always be waiting for you in the office.”

“You’ll be waiting?”

“Of course. Where would I go leaving the office empty?”

“You’re not leaving?”

“Leaving?”

“His Highness the Second Prince is returning and……”

“I don’t understand what Callian’s return has to do with me leaving.”

Callian will return in just a few days now. To be honest, Ian was no different from an extra who should naturally step aside when the original story’s protagonist returns to the Imperial Palace after three years.

But the Ian standing before me now was just holding my shirt sleeve with an expression that said he had no idea what I was talking about.

“I know that the Noble faction, including your family, supports Callian to check my mother.”

“……”

“But you should know well that’s not a reason for me to leave.”

“Is there really no connection?”

“None at all. I am the Crown Prince of this Empire. In the 10 years since I was appointed Crown Prince, my determination to someday become Emperor and make this Empire more prosperous has never wavered.”

“……??”

“And I have even less intention of losing a capable aide like you for my goal. So come back anytime. I’ll be waiting.”

With those words, Ian carefully took my hand firmly in his. I couldn’t respond to the warmth transmitted from his still trembling hand. It was because Ian’s expression was so serious as he spoke of becoming Emperor and making the Empire prosper, and the discrepancy with the original story I knew was so clearly felt.

“Three days.”

“……”

“Please give me three days.”

In the end, I couldn’t harshly shake off Ian’s hand and could only say that.

***

“Shall I bring up breakfast, Miss?”

After Ian left, I spent time lying in bed, deep in thought. I wracked my brain trying to remember if I had missed any events from the original story, but since I had dropped the novel partway through and it was the first novel I had read, I couldn’t recall the plot.

Despite remembering so little of the original work, I knew this was the world of «We Were Nothing But Substitutes» because the novel had been immensely popular during its serialization, with countless recommendation posts appearing in even the simplest searches.

At that time, being my first web novel, I had carefully read the reviews and comments with extreme caution. That’s how I knew that Ilena Weiana was a character who lost her life at Callian’s hands.

The problem was that this carefully chosen first novel was so far from my taste that I dropped it before reading even 20 chapters. The early hardships and adversities from Callian’s perspective were too much for my fragile mental state at that time.

“This is driving me crazy……”

All I knew about when the original story properly began was that it started after Ian fled.