I desperately realized that the novel’s description of a drop of cold sweat trickling down one’s spine wasn’t an exaggeration. I had to maintain my expression while clutching my trembling hands and confess as if in a confessional.

“The future I dream of is managing my territory while receiving a pension after a stable retirement.”

“Hmm…… Really?”

“Yes. I’m merely the Crown Prince’s aide after all.”

“According to you, you have absolutely no interest in the position of Crown Princess?”

At Fleur’s intimidating words, I nodded vigorously, trying to prove my innocence. Fleur stared at me intently, then clicked her tongue and leaned back in her chair, muttering.

“As expected, a splendid lady like you wouldn’t be interested in something as trivial as the position of crown princess.”

“Pardon?”

“How disappointing. If Aide Weiana truly had such ambitions as the rumors in society suggested, I would have yielded the position without hesitation.”

“……??”

Looking at Fleur’s face as she sighed repeatedly as if truly disappointed, I was confused because I could feel that this wasn’t just her testing me, but her genuine feelings.

“You really have no interest?”

“……Yes.”

“Oh dear, it’s a big problem for me, but in a different sense, it might be a big problem for someone else too.”

As she stared at me intently as if trying to read my expression and muttered something incomprehensible again, I thought that the original female protagonist might hate the position of Crown Princess that had been decided for her.

In the original story, Fleur was clearly a cold-blooded female protagonist who had only one goal—to destroy her family through her position as Empress—and didn’t care whether her husband was Ian or Callian as long as she could become Empress.

‘Wasn’t that how it was?’

In just a few days, the baseline I had known about the original story was being completely shaken. Ian, whom I had thought would definitely escape, was now saying he would definitely become Emperor.

My father, who had thrown me in as a long-term chess piece for the family, was now asking about my well-being, cursing at Ian on my behalf, and proudly displaying my photo at the entrance.

And if that wasn’t enough, now the original female protagonist was showing a transcendent expression saying, “I truly have absolutely no interest in the position of Empress.”

“Puhaha!”

Fleur burst into loud laughter, apparently finding my confused expression amusing. Surprised by her sudden genuine laughter, Fleur laughed again and opened her fan to cover her mouth, speaking with a trembling voice.

“I’m sorry. I played too harsh a prank on an aide who doesn’t know the darkness of high society.”

“……”

“When I saw your frozen face from the moment I brought up my engagement with the Crown Prince, I couldn’t hold back any longer……”

“My lady……”

Only then did I realize that Fleur had been playing a prank on me all this time, and I felt my face flush with heat. Seeing my face turn red in an instant, Fleur found it funny again and tried to suppress her laughter by hitting her fan against the chair. Her image was so different from what I had imagined that I couldn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry…… I’m sorry. But really, aren’t you too cute?”

“Pardon? How am I……”

“Please speak comfortably. I beg you.”

“I wouldn’t dare to do that with you, my lady……”

“Fleur. You do know my name, right?”

“……”

“I truly feel like I’ve found a pearl in the mud. If you’re not busy, would you come to my tea party next time?”

“Me? To a tea party hosted by you, my lady?”

“There you go with ‘my lady’ again. Haah…… I guess it can’t be helped today.”

“Pardon?”

“About the invitation. Should I send it to your residence, or to the Weiana family?”

“Uh…… I think it would be better to send it to my residence……”

“Since you’re not telling me not to send it, I’ll take that as a promise that you’ll definitely attend?”

“……Well, that. I mean.”

Before I could gather my thoughts, I had inadvertently accepted the tea party invitation. While I was still unable to collect myself, Fleur stood up with a satisfied expression and said with a grin.

“I’ll be expecting you to call me Fleur at the tea party. Ilena.”

As if she had achieved her goal, she left without lingering. I watched her retreating figure, gulped down my now-cold coffee, and could only mutter in bewilderment.

“What…… was that just now?”

***

My head became complicated with thoughts of my father and Fleur, who had shown completely different aspects from what I had expected. In the end, I showed up at the Crown Prince’s palace the next morning with a blank expression.

It’s a rule that the more you have to think about, the busier you should keep your body.

Although I had asked for three days, I ended up coming to work after just one day.

Seeing me, Ian jumped up from his seat, strode over to me, and exclaimed.

“Ilena! Have you sorted out all your thoughts?”

“……No. I came to work because my thoughts are complicated.”

“You’ve thought well. I was planning to interview administrative officers today anyway.”

“I’m telling you, I haven’t sorted out my thoughts yet?”

Despite what I said, Ian smiled and guided me to the sofa, saying, “Even if you came to sort out your thoughts, you’re always welcome.” He pushed the interview documents for the administrative officers in front of me and said.

“They’re all talented individuals with excellent academic records from the academy. Since they’ll be assisting you, I thought you should take a look at them.”

“……They won’t be assisting me, but Your Highness.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

I didn’t understand how that could be the same thing, but looking at Ian’s bright smile, I picked up the documents for the administrative officers scheduled for interviews with a resigned attitude, and then flinched.

As Ian had said, they were not only excellent academically but also, unlike me who had been a complete novice, they were outstanding talents with impressive careers in accounting and judicial affairs in merchant guilds or the Imperial family.

“Why would such outstanding talents……”

While the position of administrative officer in the Crown Prince’s palace would certainly help one’s career advancement, with this level of experience and qualifications, these individuals were talented enough to become aides, not just administrative officers, in other departments or palaces of the Imperial Palace. Why would such talents apply to be administrative officers in the Crown Prince’s palace, which was said to be no different from hell?

“That’s all because everyone envies the skills of my aide.”

“Pardon?”

“Ilena, do you know how popular an aide you are? Do you know how my heart sank when I heard you were quitting your position as my aide to go down to your territory?”

I had indeed heard through Clara and the butler that even though I had only been absent from the Crown Prince’s palace for two days, somehow all kinds of job recommendation letters had flown in to both my residence and the Weiana family. Among them were even contacts from the Empress’s palace and the Emperor’s palace, which made me newly realize how highly I was evaluated for enduring Ian’s hellish schedule by his side for over half a year.

“Fortunately, you’ve come back to my side, so I’m satisfied with that.”

Ian’s face, as he busily moved around placing coffee and desserts in front of me with genuine joy, was exactly like that of my supervisor in my previous life who had been anxious about losing a well-trained subordinate.

“It’s awkward to say this after coming to work.”

“Whether it’s this or that, I’m prepared to listen to it all, Ilena.”

“I still have two days of vacation left, including today.”

“……”

“So can I just rest and do nothing until tomorrow?”

I had actually come to work thinking I might do some work since my head was complicated, but as soon as I entered the office and saw the mountain of documents piled up, my desire to work completely disappeared. Seeing the smile on Ian’s face—which had been beaming brightly as if he would give me his liver and gallbladder just a moment ago—crack slightly, I inwardly chuckled.

“……Of course. Rest comfortably, Ilena. Just having you in the office makes me happy.”

“No. How could I rest comfortably in Your Highness’s office while you’re working?”

“Then?”

“I just want to wander around the Imperial Palace and have fun. It’s been over half a year since I started working at the Imperial Palace, but I’ve hardly visited any other palaces except the Crown Prince’s palace. So before I change my mind again, please give me my Imperial Palace access pass.”

Ian smiled wryly at me as I held out my hand, as if he found me incorrigible.

“What access pass? Everyone knows who you are. Is there anywhere in this Imperial Palace you can’t go?”

“Ah, really?”

“Of course. If you really want to sightsee around the Imperial Palace, I personally recommend the glass greenhouse in the Sun Palace. The jasmine flower garden there is beautiful.”

“……How could I go to the Emperor’s garden for fun?”

I shook my head in disgust at Ian’s words, who spoke of the Emperor’s garden as if it were the neighborhood hill. Ian laughed heartily at my reaction and said.

“It’s true. There’s nowhere in the Imperial Palace that you, my aide, cannot go.”

“……Yes, yes, I understand.”

“Personally, I’m worried that people from other palaces and departments might be surprised.”

“What kind of worry is that?”

“If you wander throughout the entire Imperial Palace, there will be more than a few people who will flinch out of guilt. Perhaps official complaints might even come in.”

“Complaints……”

“I guarantee that complaints will definitely come in asking you to submit official documents in advance before visiting. I’d bet 100 gold on it.”

Seeing Ian confidently betting the large sum of 100 gold, I had to seriously consider how my reputation had been established in other palaces and departments in just half a year at the Imperial Palace.

I had only planned to visit the Imperial Palace gardens known for their beauty, the Imperial dining hall famous for its delicious food, the café inside the Imperial Palace where ice menu items could be taken out, and the Imperial Knight Order who showed off their impressive muscles even in the cold winter wind!

Of course, it was because I wanted to show off that I was on vacation by leisurely observing others rushing around working on a weekday at the Imperial Palace with an iced coffee in one hand.

“Have all the fun you want.”

“……”

“I’ll tell the Imperial dining hall in advance to add smoked duck to today’s menu, so eat to your heart’s content.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’ll just be here waiting for you, handling the work that’s piled up over the past two days.”

“……”

“Is it okay if I select the administrative officers myself? I’ll choose people who match your preferences as much as possible. In return, I’m planning to have them start work tomorrow.”

“Do whatever you want with that.”

I had no desire to turn away talented individuals who had deliberately sought out the entrance to hell and knocked on its door. After all, I was the one who had been living in that hell first! I was already thinking about how to quickly train people who would become my hands and feet, classifying documents in the order they needed to be approved. Ian grinned at me and said.

“Indeed, judging by that expression, being my aide suits you best.”

“……Don’t say such horrible things, Your Highness.”