He had met who he needed to meet at today’s ball. The enemy created when he helped House Jellisto.

He confirmed whether the other person would quietly accept it or were planning new revenge, and the result was clear.

“Your Highness?”

The clear voice purified his mood that had turned to mud.

“Is something wrong? The atmosphere seemed unpleasant.”

Elena had gradually approached after seeing Rudfelix’s eyes change during his conversation with a man.

Though she couldn’t hear the conversation, she saw the man’s vicious smile at the end.

“I’m planning to… send someone.”

She added the last words softly since she wasn’t his aide now.

It was remarkable how Quiet could change his expression, as if he were putting on different masks, in moments like this.

“Where to?”

Elena’s large eyes gazed at Rudfelix with innocence.

“To heaven?”

As expected, she understood immediately.

“That’s right.”

“So you’re planning to fight with that person?”

“I’ll tell you in advance what you’ll need to do as an aide tomorrow. Find all of that person’s weaknesses.”

Elena’s expression gradually hardened as she didn’t know the full situation.

“I must bring him down.”

Then it was cute again, so he deliberately didn’t mention that he was the bad guy who had tried to destroy Elena’s merchant guild.

Her muttering “No, you can’t become a real villain” was cute too.

And it was fine that she stayed nearby worrying “What should I do?”

* * *

Just as Elena was heading out to get in her carriage, she sensed someone behind her.

When a shadow cast by dim light covered her head, Elena glanced up slightly.

“If you came to escort me home, I’m fine.”

After hearing talk about bringing someone down, her excitement about the ball had completely cooled.

When she was heading home wondering if Grand Duke Rudfelix was planning to act like a proper villain, the Grand Duke appeared.

“I’m going home.”

“Eh? But I’m not your aide yet?”

Elena put her hand to her face and wiggled her fingers.

I’m still wearing that pretty dress pretending to be the young lady of House Jellisto. I’m walking around with a smile ready to greet anyone who approaches, yet here’s the Grand Duke speaking casually to me.

What happened to treating me like a Count’s daughter?

Rudfelix stood watching Elena with his arms crossed. He looked like he was there to catch a fugitive.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Being alone together, Elena spoke comfortably. Since he was already treating her as his aide, she spoke freely too. Then she slyly tried to break through his serious mood with an unexpected comment.

“Am I too pretty today that you don’t want to let me go? If so, I’ll just accept the sentiment.”

“You sure know how to talk.”

“It’s one of my ways of expressing myself.”

What’s wrong with being good at it?

“You’re half right.”

“That I’m pretty?”

“That I don’t want to let you go.”

“Ah…”

“You promised to dry my hair.”

“Ah, right.”

Elena smiled bashfully, feeling awkward and shy. So that’s why he came. What was I expecting? She touched her lips with her finger as she erased her smile.

“Come to my house.”

“It’s late.”

“Just dry it and go.”

After sending away the carriage that had come to pick up Elena, he opened the door to his own carriage.

When he gestured with his head as if asking why she wasn’t getting in, Elena made a sad face and climbed into the carriage.

‘He must be someone who focuses all his senses on his hair.’

To think he’d insist on doing it right now when it could wait.

“Wash up as soon as we get there.”

She started to say that so they could dry his hair quickly, but Elena twisted her lips.

‘That could be misunderstood.’

“Your Highness, I didn’t mean…”

“I know, just get in.”

As she hesitated, Rudfelix held out his hand. When Elena reluctantly took it, he pulled her up with force.

“Promises must be kept.”

“I know,” a sullen reply echoed off the carriage walls. The corners of Rudfelix’s lips curled up as he stepped into the carriage.

As soon as the carriage door closed, the driver cracked his whip. The sound of wheels slowly rolling gradually faded, and then a person emerged from behind a tree.

“So the Grand Duke really has a woman now.”

A man with a notably pale face was smiling, amused.

“Isn’t that right?”

He spoke to the empty air beside him, and another person who had been following Rudfelix answered.

“Indeed.”

Her voluminous skirt and elaborately styled hair revealed her stubborn personality.

“Don’t look at her like that.”

“Like what?”

“With eyes that want to kill her.”

She couldn’t deny it – if she could have, she would have already torn that woman to pieces.

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

The man gently stroked her shoulder as if to soothe her.

“So the rumor that the Grand Duke had no interest in women was false, right?”

“Hmph.”

The woman who had wanted to prove that herself harshly knocked away the man’s hand.

* * *

The hands holding the towel moved busily through Rudfelix’s hair, drying it with a steady rhythm—neither too fast nor too slow. Though it wasn’t the first time, she was still familiar with the feel of his hair’s ends…

“Ah, really. I told you not to make that expression!”

Rudfelix’s expression was so unfamiliar it felt burdensome. Elena had lost count of how many times she’d wanted to cover her face with the towel.

“I don’t know what expression I’m making.”

“You’re clearly enjoying it too much.”

She wished he’d do something about that pleased expression.

Elena tried to pull her hands away, but when Rudfelix’s brow furrowed, she put them back.

“Because it feels good.”

Rudfelix closed his eyes and focused on Elena’s hands.

“How can you say such things so easily?”

“If it’s not a lie, it’s easy to say.”

“You really are good with words.”

“Isn’t it a means of expression, as you said?”

Elena pouted after getting her own words thrown back at her. The same words sounded elegant when the Grand Duke said them. Was this what it meant to be well-bred? Even saying the same thing felt different.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Even with his eyes closed, Rudfelix’s lips moved as if he could see.

“How am I looking at you?”

“You’re staring.”

Elena stuck out her tongue briefly before putting it back. Then she put the towel back on his hair and rubbed.

“I’m not.”

“You like my face.”

“I said you’re handsome, not that I like you.”

Elena spoke pointedly while twisting the towel.

She didn’t like him just because he was handsome. Though there were times when his gaze and actions made her heart flutter.

“Why did you refuse the Crown Prince’s gift?”

“I didn’t.”

She answered flatly. His hair was almost dry now. She needed to finish drying it and leave quickly.

“You accepted it?”

“No. I asked for something else. Something cheaper because that was too much.”

Having thought she had refused it, Rudfelix’s forehead wrinkled slightly. It seemed to be an answer he didn’t like, as his fingers twitched on the armrest.

“You should have refused completely.”

“I couldn’t refuse His Highness’s gift twice. I don’t have any justification either.”

She had already refused once when receiving the dress, citing it was too much. In response, the Crown Prince had brought a gift that fully considered Elena’s words.

His repeated comments about it being trivial were proof of that.

“Why not?”

Elena had just picked up the towel when Rudfelix tilted his head back, startling her. She blinked involuntarily at his intense gaze looking up at her.

‘Oh my.’

“You do have reason to refuse.”

Rudfelix reached out toward Elena.

Though she knew his long, beautiful fingers were approaching, she couldn’t react. The moment was so brief that she could only bite her lower lip in surprise as her heart raced.

Only after he had practically snatched the towel from her frozen hands did Elena release her held breath.

When he raised his upper body from the couch and covered his head with the towel, their gazes broke away from each other.

‘This really isn’t good.’

He kept putting strain on her heart.

“Say you’re my person.”

“Does he not know I’m Your Highness’s aide?”

Elena tried to prepare to leave while taking away the wet towel she had used first. She bowed slightly and started walking toward the door, but he said nothing.

Taking his silence as tacit permission to leave, she had just grabbed the handle when a hand appeared beside her face.

The door that had been slightly opened closed again with a thud.

Elena looked at Rudfelix’s hand and slightly raised her head, and unlike before, he was looking down at her.

“You don’t have to specifically say aide.”

It was a demand to just say she was his person.

“You want me to refuse gifts by saying I’m Your Highness’s person?”

Rudfelix nodded.

‘Look at him.’

He was as matter-of-fact as a child claiming ownership of a toy.

“Yes. You are my person.”

“Although I am Your Highness’s aide, there are positions where it would be acceptable for Lady Jellisto to receive gifts.”