Since she was somewhat responsible for causing this, Elena reluctantly took the document.

“I just need to put it down and leave?”

“Yes. He might not be there, so if there’s no response when you knock, just go in, put it down, and come out. Sorry for passing my work onto you.”

“It’s fine.”

After Elena left saying “See you tomorrow,” Quiet pulled out his own documents for unfinished work. It wasn’t a difficult task, and since such things would happen often in the future, it would be good to experience it early.

“Ah, right.”

Quiet clapped his hands together while thinking about what his superior might be doing now.

“He must be taking a bath.”

He always bathed at the same time, and today would be no different unless something unusual occurred. There was no tension in Quiet’s voice as she spoke.

He didn’t consider any novel-like scenarios where she might encounter the Grand Duke coming out n*ked, or him ordering her to enter while he was in the bathroom after sensing someone outside.

Was it because he was the same gender as the Grand Duke? Or…

Elena knocked on the bedroom door with the document in hand. But hearing no response, she quietly opened the door and entered.

“He’s really not here.”

Well, Quiet, who had been his superior for a long time, wouldn’t give wrong information.

She was about to put down the document on the bedside table and leave immediately when a shadow fell over her.

“What brings you here?”

‘He is here.’

Having thought he wasn’t there and then having her exit blocked silently, Elena made a tearful face. He seemed to have just finished bathing, and she was scared of what the Grand Duke might say about her timing.

“I came in briefly to leave this as instructed.”

She wondered if she should turn around at the sound of dripping water.

‘There’s no carpet on the floor.’

Elena swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of water droplets hitting the marble floor. Then she turned around and bowed just like that.

“I apologize for entering without permission.”

“What are you doing?”

“I thought Your Highness wasn’t here when I entered.”

“You have quite the talent for speaking with your eyes closed.”

At the sound of his damp voice muttering how truly unsightly she was, Elena squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.

“Open your eyes.”

Elena slightly opened one eye, then the other.

He was fully dressed and shaking his wet hair.

The dripping sound on the floor had been water falling from his hair.

“You look disappointed that I’m not undressed.”

“Not at all.”

When he just silently stared at her, Elena glanced at the door.

“I’m quite tired right now.”

“I’ll leave quickly.”

“Tell me directly what the contents are.”

Rather than telling her to leave, he wanted her to explain what document she had brought. Elena, who had just turned toward the door, stopped her movement.

He half-reclined on the couch with his eyes closed. His wet hair darkened the couch.

Elena looked back and forth between the round-rolled towel in the basket and Rudfelix.

‘He could dry his hair with that towel, why is he just lying there? It’s bothering me.’

“I brought recent information about Count Ephraim, whom you’re meeting tomorrow at 9.”

After contemplating, Elena took the towel and approached his head where his eyes were closed.

After twitching her fingers several times, she gently placed it on his head, and Rudfelix frowned.

“You didn’t come in to attend to me.”

“I know, but your clothes are getting wet.”

Elena, encouraged by the fact that he didn’t push her hand away, pushed the towel deep into his hair.

‘Why am I doing this?’

It’s just wet hair, what’s the big deal?

However, contrary to her thoughts, the complexion of her superior, who really looked tired, bothered her.

‘I’m reminded of Father.’

She thought it was the same as when her father often refused care and lay down with his tired body. It definitely wasn’t because he had knocked away Baron Kitai’s hand earlier.

“Aide Quiet said he would come early in the morning.”

“Tell him to wait in the conference room, no need to come to my room.”

“Understood.”

Elena’s hand lost strength as she nodded at Rudfelix’s words.

She continued her report about Count Ephraim while gently running the towel through his hair again.

Rudfelix felt Elena’s touch with his eyes closed.

The pressure of her fingers through his hair was quite firm.

Sometimes tickling gently, sometimes pressing firmly, leaving lingering sensations where her hands passed.

All his senses concentrated on his head.

After a considerable time has passed, Elena stepped back still holding the towel. Only the stain on the couch beneath his now-dry hair showed that it had been wet.

“It’s done.”

What he realized as soon as he emerged from his drowsiness was this:

That this moment was the last.

He wanted to feel it again.

Wanted to experience it again.

He could only see Elena’s hands.

Those hands had dried his hair.

Those fingertips had firmly gripped his hair.

Have I ever seen someone stare at another’s hands so intently?

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Aide Elena.”

Rudfelix stared at the ceiling with half-opened eyes and a blurry gaze.

He forcefully raised his limp body halfway. Because of her, he couldn’t muster any strength.

After taking a moment to stare at the ceiling, his lips quivered.

“You have quite capable hands.”

His gaze shifted from the ceiling to Elena’s hands.

Want to have them? Elena, sensing her feelings weren’t wrong, kept her mouth shut tight with tension.

Her hands trembled so much that she dropped the towel she was holding. Plop, she stepped back without even thinking about picking up the towel that was soaking into the carpet.

“I want the aide’s hands.”

Elena hid her hands behind her back.

“They’re mine.”

These hands would rot if cut off from their owner.

Rudfelix knew this fact very well.

As his strength seemed to return, his eyes became clearer.

He raised his head, showing possessiveness over what he wanted.

“Come to my bedroom tomorrow too…”

Elena was startled by his directive and tried to speak but closed her mouth.

Soon after, Rudfelix forced himself up and walked to the bed. As he brushed past Elena, his languid and seductive voice pierced her ear.

“I’d like you to satisfy me like you did today.”

This was the biggest crisis of Elena’s life. Her heart pounded at his suggestive words about satisfying him like today.

Biting her trembling lips, Elena took a moment to catch her breath. His lips were tightly sealed. There was even a slight pressure to say only what he wanted to hear.

“You said I didn’t need to attend to you.”

“I didn’t order you to come and bring the towel.”

Drying his hair had been entirely Elena’s voluntary action.

“You looked tired, so I…”

“I’m tired every day.”

She saw her father in the way he rubbed his dry eyes.

Her father used to say his eyes were dry after wrestling with documents.

“You shouldn’t just rub your eyes when they’re tired. At times like that, you should use a warm, damp towel…”

Elena’s voice trailed off. She wondered if this was appropriate to say in this atmosphere.

‘The problem is that I can’t just let things go.’

It was awkward that what she had done out of kindness might become an obligation.

“I acted impulsively. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“That kind of impulse is fine.”

“It was my mistake.”

Rudfelix shook his head, feeling his hair against his face.

“That kind of mistake is fine too.”

“Your Highness.”

It was frustrating that he was saying everything was fine no matter what she said.

While she was trying to ensure that drying his hair wouldn’t become a daily routine, he reached out his hand.

“I won’t force you.”

As he said this, he ran his fingers through his hair. It was the same hair he always touched, but how could he explain this feeling?

“But I really enjoyed it.”

“It’s clearly part of an attendant’s duties. You can call a maid to do it.”

Elena was firm, drawing that boundary line to indicate that attending wasn’t strictly her job.

“That’s true.”

When Rudfelix responded as if thinking ‘Ah, that’s another option,’ Elena tried to grasp at that lifeline.

“Then starting tomorrow…”

“No.”

Rudfelix forcefully lowered his hand, cutting off his lingering attachment.

“There’s no need to call anyone else.”

“But Your Highness.”

Elena was left speechless at that. No, she even felt guilty when he said he didn’t want anyone else if it wasn’t her.

“What did you do before?”

Elena pinched her own hair as she noticed Rudfelix’s eyes rolling toward her.