A compensation form from a restaurant owner detailing frequent mistakes, such as an illiterate person taking wrong orders and spilling food on customers. Mistakes made by someone who had never raised a family becoming a childminder. A petition from a jeweler who needed a craftsman but received a farmer who had only ever worked in fields.

Marquis Emeth’s hands trembled. What was all this? Was Rudfelix trying to blame Sekreya for trivial matters like taking orders incorrectly at a shop?

“Are you saying all this is Sekreya’s fault?”

“She must take responsibility for arranging jobs based on hasty judgments such as ‘looks bright,’ ‘seems dexterous,’ or ‘appears nimble.'”

“What responsibility for such commoners’ jobs.”

Sekreya, who had been quiet, burst out angrily. Like Marquis Emeth, she treated Rudfelix as extremely petty for collecting the minor complaints of commoners she had never cared about in her life.

“Do as you please. Pay this petty money as much as you want.”

The compensation for these people was very small compared to what they would receive from the Grand Duke. However, Marquis Emeth covered Sekreya’s hand to prevent her from saying more.

“Sekreya, be quiet.”

Normally she would have understood without being told, but she was so excited by the accusation of wrongdoing that she failed to notice.

That paying the money, regardless of the amount, would be an admission of guilt.

“Why is this trivial matter being pushed as my responsibility? How dare these vermin demand compensation from a noble.”

Sekreya was so outraged that she missed Marquis Emeth’s signal to stop. Her face flushed hot and her breathing quickened at the suggestion that she had done her job poorly.

“I see. Quiet, please organize the rest and handle it.”

“Understood.”

Marquis Emeth acknowledged that they would have to pay the price in full and admit Sekreya’s wrongdoing. He recognized there was nothing he could do about this and wanted to end the meeting with the Grand Duke.

“One more thing.”

Rudfelix’s right eye narrowed as he focused on Sekreya for the first time. His gaze turned cold, and the hunt began.

“I will charge you with the crime of entering under a false identity and insulting the Grand Duke’s household, including myself.”

Rudfelix crossed his legs and looked down at Sekreya.

He appeared languid and charming, but today he resembled a hunter contemplating how to kill prey that had conveniently rolled in.

The false identity of Sekyan.

“Since you might have come to steal confidential information from the Grand Duke’s household, I will investigate thoroughly.”

“Crime of insult…… It’s all a misunderstanding.”

“That’s not for you to judge, Marquis. I’ll decide for myself.”

Marquis Emeth realized that their readily arranged meeting had been a trap all along. The Grand Duke hadn’t forcibly summoned Sekreya, yet they had foolishly come seeking a large sum of money by giving Sekreya justification. Not knowing they would die right there.

“I’ll also contact the kingdom separately to find out who instigated you.”

“Don’t frame me with nonsense. I only became an aide because I thought it would be fun.”

“Is being an aide…… something one does for fun?”

If that were the case, she shouldn’t have fled like that.

Sekreya froze at Rudfelix’s relaxed smile.

“Didn’t you say you left because you loved me?”

“Y-yes.”

“We’ll investigate whether that’s true as well.”

Rudfelix fully intended to tear Sekreya to pieces.

“Don’t expect mercy from me, Aide Sekyan.”

He concluded the situation using the name Sekreya had chosen when she first entered the Grand Duke’s household.

“How important is an aide anyway? Of course I came thinking it would be fun. Like that……”

“Sekreya, wait outside.”

Sekreya looked up with surprised eyes at Marquis Emeth’s stern voice. He had never spoken so firmly before. She glared at Rudfelix before turning away sharply.

“How dare you treat me like a spy.”

Having lost everything with nothing gained, Sekreya was consumed by anger. Furious trembling rushed through her entire body. She bit her lip and rolled her eyes upward, ready to tear anyone who crossed her to shreds. Though she knew Rudfelix was not someone to be trifled with, she had no intention of backing down.

“Next time I’ll come at you stronger.”

Sekreya closed the door irritably and was breathing so roughly that she had no chance to look around.

“The world doesn’t flow according to your wishes, does it?”

Elena, who had been leaning against the wall, addressed Sekreya. As she moved away from the wall, the gold ornaments on her back clinked. The chains crossing her back caught Sekreya’s attention first. When Elena turned her body, a jingling sound echoed.

“Ugh.”

Elena, standing in her beautiful dress, looked different from her usual aide self. Receiving the Grand Duke’s love made her more confident than anyone else in the world, and she was sparkling.

“How impudent.”

“Are we going to continue talking here?”

Sekreya’s lips parted thinly at Elena’s provocation, her eyes flashing.

“It’s disappointing that we only competed as aides.”

And I’m the winner. Elena deliberately stoked Sekreya’s excitement. Sekreya’s eyelashes trembled as she gritted her teeth. She designated Elena as the target on which to vent her feelings of betrayal from Rudfelix.

“Let’s move somewhere else.”

Elena led Sekreya to the maze garden.

‘I received his confession here……’

Walking along the wall, Elena recalled the confession she had received from Rudfelix here.

Since he had declared in advance that he would confess, she thought she wouldn’t be nervous at all, but the trembling of her fingertips at that time still hadn’t faded from memory.

His voice had been sweet, and his smile filled with love was warm.

‘But the confession was quite intense.’

If asked whether the confession itself was sweet, she could answer that it wasn’t. She had expected a clean, straightforward confession matching his personality.

She thought he would say ‘If you date me, I’ll treat you well,’ but instead he said he wanted to hold her, kiss her, and sleep in the same bed.

‘Maybe he was holding back?’

It would have been nice to talk more. She had brought the culprit who had cut off his beautiful smile in that place.

To finish it perfectly.

“You chose well.”

Sekreya’s expression had changed as if she too recalled that time. She had become more vicious and fierce.

“You want to end it here, right? I like that.”

Elena seemed not to hear Sekreya’s words as she closed her eyes and focused on the sensations touching her skin.

The wind was cool, and the scent of flowers tickled her nose.

Elena’s eyes moved slowly as she opened them.

“Shall we talk elegantly while having tea? Standing and talking is so undignified. Don’t you agree?”

As Elena approached a pre-prepared table, Sekreya’s sneer followed behind her.

“An elegant fight…… Fine. That’s a fight that suits me.”

After Sekreya sat down, Miche placed two cups, poured tea from the teapot herself, and then withdrew.

In the sharp atmosphere that could explode at any moment, Sekreya ostentatiously lifted her teacup with elegance. A battle of nerves during teatime was a fight very familiar to her. She was confident in everything from the dignity of drinking tea, to the majesty of looking down on her opponent, to the daggers hidden in each word.

After smelling the aroma and smiling slightly as if pleased, Sekreya tilted the cup and drank the tea. Her eyes were fixed directly on Elena.

Her gaze said, “Go ahead and try if you dare.”

“I’ve been thinking about what to do with you.”

Despite having brought her here to fight, Elena’s voice was small and her words slow.

What to do with me? Sekreya twitched her eyebrows as if dumbfounded and sneered.

“Receiving the Grand Duke’s love has made you quite arrogant. Do you think that makes you special?”

Elena remained unperturbed by Sekreya’s barbed words.

“I……”

Elena’s words flowed out like the passing wind.

“If I were simply an aide, you wouldn’t have paid attention to me. You covet the power the Grand Duke possesses, so you see me as a thorn in your side.”

As Elena laid out her points one by one, the corners of Sekreya’s mouth spread wider, and her right eye twitched. It was because Elena’s indifferent gaze seemed like the composure of someone who had everything.

Even Elena not looking at her while drinking tea felt like she was being ignored.

“Isn’t that the same for you? That’s why you approached the Grand Duke.”

‘Ah! Talking to a wall would be more satisfying than this.’

Elena furrowed her brow, feeling like sighing at Sekreya’s retort. The conversation kept going awry. From beginning to end, Sekreya believed that Elena had been intoxicated by the Grand Duke’s power and had seduced him. For the first time since coming to the maze garden, Elena raised her voice.

“No. I think my abilities make me great. Rudfelix is simply the man I love. Whether he’s a Grand Duke or not doesn’t matter to me.”

Elena swallowed the words she couldn’t say aloud.

‘Rather, I lived avoiding him. Because the fate of him being executed for treason was more important than my interest in him.’

“Ability in this world? You’re saying ridiculous things. There’s nothing more important in the world than status.”

Having been born into a marquis family and lived in wealth and glory, Sekreya believed that status equaled power.

Elena returned her words exactly.

“That’s why you failed. You didn’t love Rudfelix himself, so you couldn’t win his heart.”

“No. I was just unlucky. If you hadn’t been there, I would have captured the Grand Duke’s heart.”

‘Even without me, you would never have connected with the Grand Duke.’

From that gaze to the small breaths she exhaled, she was so covered in greed that she couldn’t see the common people. Would Rudfelix ever look at such a woman?

He would more likely extend a pitying hand to a passing cat.

“If it were just about pride, I’d like to counter moderately and let it go, but you’re really not the one.”