“When you came in, you seemed to be glowing. As you strode in, your face was momentarily obscured by light……”

“I understand…… move away a little.”

“What?”

She had tried to express gratitude but was told to move away.

“Move away.”

“I was really just trying to say thank you.”

Elena slightly pulled her head back and looked at him with dissatisfaction for not reading the mood. Then her eyes widened.

Rudfelix’s face had turned completely red. His lips were a deeper color than usual.

“Alix? Are you hot?”

“The slope is steep, so stay still.”

“Eep!”

“If your legs go limp, we’ll both roll down.”

“Then you could just put me down.”

“Don’t talk so much. You get heavier when you breathe in air.”

“Alix!”

Out of annoyance, Elena playfully bit his ear, making sure not to hurt him.

“Ugh.”

Rudfelix’s legs gave way. Fortunately, he quickly leaned against a tree for support, or it could have been disastrous.

“Elena……”

Rudfelix exhaled a sigh-like breath and glared at Elena.

“Should I blow into your ear and nibble on it too?”

“I’m sorry.”

Elena finally realized why Rudfelix’s face had turned red and laughed out loud. Her laughter woke the mountain birds, and Roina looked back.

Roina couldn’t hide her envious gaze toward Elena. Carried in Rudfelix’s arms down the mountain, Elena felt at ease and was chattering like a bird.

Roina unconsciously glanced at Suharto.

Though she had been so tense that her nerves felt worn out, she couldn’t bring herself to ask him to carry her. She couldn’t say she wanted to lean on him more after he had mentioned sweating because of her. However, Suharto, who had looked back at Rudfelix, seemed to have similar thoughts as he lightly touched Roina’s arm.

“Roina, let me carry you.”

“Your Highness.”

Roina’s mouth opened, half in surprise and half in joy. Just as Grand Duke Raion had come to find Elena, Suharto had come to find her.

‘Can I believe that this person thinks of me as special?’

“Like…… this?”

Though hesitant, Roina reached out and gently placed her hands on Suharto’s shoulders. Suharto then supported her back with one hand and placed his other hand under her legs to lift her.

“Oh my!”

With her exclamation, Roina, now in Suharto’s arms, tightened her grip on his shoulders where she had only lightly rested her hands before.

“The sooner we get down, the sooner we can rest.”

Suharto took a big step forward while carrying Roina. Not wanting to fall behind Rudfelix, he maintained his pace even while carrying her. The tension he felt, as if someone was chasing them from behind, was an illusion created by Suharto himself.

‘To think I failed again.’

Suharto bit his lip, trying to suppress his irritation.

His plan to rescue the kidnapped Elena himself and simultaneously pressure Grand Duke Rudfelix had all come to nothing.

‘Shake the Grand Duke when Elena disappears? What a joke.’

When Suharto had actually gone to find Rudfelix, the atmosphere was so ominous, as if he might kill everyone, that Suharto couldn’t even speak and had to leave. Getting anything out of him when he couldn’t find his reason was impossible.

Suharto learned one lesson from this incident: kidnapping is never a good plan.

‘And I didn’t even show a good image to Elena.’

He had gone up to at least take care of Elena but was too late. Erasing his tracks had taken time, and he had lost the lead to Rudfelix by a hair’s breadth.

With nothing accomplished properly, he was so irritated that he didn’t even check if Baron Mikeil was alive or dead. If he hadn’t died, Suharto wanted to kill him himself, so it would be better if he just died like this.

Outwardly, he pretended to have come looking for Roina and escaped suspicion, but inside, his emotions were in complete turmoil.

‘I even loosened the Grand Duke’s security for them, so they should have handled the rest well. I shouldn’t have met that guy from the beginning.’

What? They had grasped the entire situation themselves?

They had said they would show him directly, but they gave the wrong signal and wasted the opportunity he had provided.

He should have ignored Baron Mikeil when he boasted about taking action himself.

In the end, Suharto decided to cover up this incident, taking comfort in having escaped the Grand Duke’s suspicion. Getting revenge on Rudfelix would come later.

‘This is unbearably heavy.’

Moreover, his arms were trembling as his strength drained while descending the mountain. Roina, who had felt as light as a feather when he first carried her, now felt like cotton soaked in water.

‘Just a little more and we’ll be out of the forest.’

Suharto considered saying, “Walk on your own feet from here,” but he bit his lip hard and endured. Hating to lose to Rudfelix, he grimaced but persevered, even making the pointless resolution to distance himself from Roina after today.

“Your Highness.”

“Your Grace.”

The surroundings had brightened, and many people waiting outside the forest turned to look.

Suharto, putting Roina down, hardened his face to avoid showing weakness. He ignored her whispered thanks and lifted his head.

“How did you know I was here?”

Suharto frowned and asked Quiet, who was nearby.

He had deliberately concealed his whereabouts, yet so many people had gathered here, so he needed to find out who had revealed it. His mood worsened further.

In response to Suharto’s question, Quiet covered his mouth with his fist and then lowered it.

“Well…… I suppose people gathered here out of great concern for Your Highness.”

“I understand, so have them dispersed.”

Suharto lightly waved his hand. Though he had received their attention all his life, today he particularly didn’t want to smile at them. Even just standing there irritated him, and they were nothing but a nuisance.

“I will do so.”

Even Quiet’s slight nod annoyed Suharto, but he needed time alone right now. As he casually brushed back his hair, subjects who met his eyes hurriedly bowed deeply in greeting and moved aside.

“How annoying.”

Yet he couldn’t simply show his irritation. Suharto had to manage his expression, forcibly hardening his mouth.

“Let’s go.”

Taking Roina’s hand and turning to mount his horse, Suharto spotted Rudfelix, who had just completely descended from the forest.

Suharto wanted to leave immediately, finding the sight of him distasteful.

“Your Grace!”

“Your Highness!”

The subjects who had been pacing while looking at the forest called out in unison toward Rudfelix. Each seemed overwhelmed with emotion at meeting Grand Duke Raion; some sobbed while others expressed joy.

“Aide Elena.”

They also called out Elena’s name before quickly kneeling and bowing their heads.

“What is this……”

Suharto looked at Quiet in surprise at this incredible situation. In response, Quiet, as if having given up completely, accurately reported the situation.

“People gathered in the forest as news of Aide Elena’s kidnapping spread. The families of soldiers whom Aide Elena had previously saved came to the valley first, and with the Luria organization and even Ephraim territory residents coming, the number of people increased significantly.”

“So they didn’t all come because of me?”

Quiet quietly withdrew, believing that whatever he said would be useless.

Suharto bit his lip as if feeling humiliated. He didn’t know how many times he had bitten his lip today. Roina’s hand twitched, wanting to stop him.

“Your Highness.”

Roina touched Suharto’s shoulder. However, Suharto, enraged to the point where his eyes were reddened, glared at the subjects without even feeling Roina’s touch. With red veins visible on his neck, Suharto ordered his knight through clenched teeth.

“Return to the imperial palace immediately.”

He didn’t want to stay here any longer. Before turning away, Suharto gave Rudfelix a murderous look.

‘I will…… definitely not let this go.’

Roina also glanced at Elena.

She didn’t know why her gaze kept being drawn to her, but now she thought she understood.

‘I want to be like her.’

Roina envied Elena. She wanted to be like her. That’s why she kept looking at her and wanted to imitate even her love.

‘See you again.’

Roina gave her own private farewell and followed Suharto.

“Why is everyone doing this?”

Elena spotted familiar faces among those bowing their heads and felt confused.

“We came because we heard something bad happened to you, and we were worried.”

It was Heims, who had now proudly become the head of the Luria Research Department at the Grand Duke’s residence. His son Aaron was also looking at Elena beside him.

“This is what happens when you wander around so much.”

Aaron mumbled as if he hadn’t wanted to come, pushing out his lips. In reality, it was an open secret that he had been running around more worried about Elena than anyone else.

“Thank you. Thank you, Aaron.”

Elena’s heart swelled with genuine gratitude.

“You’re now indispensable to us. Please don’t go anywhere and live here for a long time.”

Heims made an earnest request. Having come to desire living in the territory she governed, he humbly bowed his head.

“Everyone here respects and follows Your Grace and the aide.”

Elena couldn’t say anything and buried her face in Rudfelix’s neck out of embarrassment.

“Elena.”

Rudfelix gently cupped her chin with his fingertips, lifting her face to meet her eyes.

“Live here.”

As if enchanted by Rudfelix, Elena’s eyes softened. Her heart raced, and her hands holding his shoulders began to slip.

The world blurred, and only Rudfelix remained clear.

“Not as my aide, but as my wife.”

His proposal crashed over Elena like a tidal wave. Emotions welled up, choking her.

She needed to answer, but her voice wouldn’t come out.

“Marry me.”

Elena tightly closed her eyes at Rudfelix’s proposal. She had thought she wouldn’t be able to escape the trauma of kidnapping for a long time, but with just one sentence from Rudfelix, she easily forgot it.

Her eyes stung, and she felt warm moisture on her cheeks.

Rudfelix kissed her eyes, comforting her until her tears stopped.