When Elena drew the line that she wasn’t necessarily his person, his eyebrows twitched.

“I don’t like that.”

“Your Highness?”

As Rudfelix bent his arm, the distance between them grew even closer.

“I don’t like it. Whether you’re my aide or not, I’d prefer it if you only accepted my gifts.”

“What a selfish…”

“I want you to be my person.”

How should she take this? He didn’t say he wanted her as his lover, so should she just refuse the Crown Prince’s gifts? Or should she consider there might be other meanings?

“You shouldn’t treat people like objects.”

“I’m merely showing my possessiveness.”

Her throat burned at the word ‘possessiveness.’ The moment she tried to figure out how to take his words, it became difficult to judge.

“Your face is red.”

“That’s because you’re too close.”

When Elena slightly pulled back, she touched his chest. She pushed back with force. At first he flinched in surprise and didn’t move, but gradually stepped back.

“It’s not right to be this close.”

He placed his hand on his chest where they had touched. Elena’s racing heart gradually calmed as she thought he might be trying to brush off the unpleasant contact.

“It feels like I am Your Highness’s person even though I’m not. Still, I will accept His Highness’s gift.”

She quickly spat out the words and fled the room as if refusing to hear anything he might say.

Rudfelix, unable to take his eyes off Elena’s retreating figure, dropped the hand that had been on his chest.

‘Possessiveness.’

He had mentioned possessiveness out of spite, frustrated that Elena didn’t behave like Quiet, but the word seemed to ensnare him like a spell.

* * *

“Are you tired?”

Seeing Elena’s pale face as she came in near dawn, Ginny hurriedly brought a towel. She handed it to her, telling her to warm her cold face with hot water, and Elena held the hot towel to her face and froze.

“Miss, you need to breathe.”

“I know.”

A muffled voice came from behind the towel. When she removed the towel from her face with a “phew” and took deep breaths, Ginny held up a mirror.

Elena burst out laughing at her flushed face.

“My face looks so funny all red.”

It must have been… really funny. Her laughter gradually dried up.

“Why does he speak so confusingly?”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. Ah, Ginny.”

“What is it?”

Having just woken up, Ginny rubbed her sleepy eyes but quickly straightened her shoulders at the sight of Elena’s serious expression. Her mistress had come home late, yet here she was showing signs of drowsiness after sleeping instead of waiting.

“I didn’t call you to scold you.”

“Yes. I know.”

Ginny knew her master better than herself. She knew she would be even angrier if told she hadn’t slept.

“What does it mean to be ‘his person’?”

Ginny’s eyes sparkled.

“His… person? Is that why you came home late, Miss?”

Elena gave a small nod. Ginny jumped up, anxiously pacing before kneeling in front of Elena.

“That’s a good thing! So when he said you’re his person…”

“He didn’t say I was his lover.”

After Elena cut her off mid-sentence, Ginny thought for a moment before raising her index finger.

“Maybe he couldn’t say it directly because your relationship is ambiguous.”

But it’s not ambiguous? I’m just his aide?

“It’s not particularly ambiguous.”

When her guess missed the mark, Ginny changed her question entirely.

“Where were you until so late?”

“His house.”

“Oh my!”

Ginny clutched her face and collapsed sideways.

Completely unaware of what rumors would spread among the maids tomorrow, Elena rested her chin in her hand and mumbled her concerns.

“Does he like me?”

He seemed to hint at it, but I can’t be sure.

“Miss?”

“Hm?”

“You must have held the towel too long. Your face is still red. Should I open the window for a bit?”

“Uhh…”

Elena trailed off while fidgeting with the towel.

Wait, why am I getting nervous just wondering if the Grand Duke likes me?

* * *

Perhaps because the ball last night ended with drying Rudfelix’s hair, there wasn’t much lingering impression from the party.

She hadn’t made any special connections, and only caught a glimpse of Royna. But she hadn’t exchanged even a word with her.

‘What kind of face should I show today?’

Though it was nothing major with the Grand Duke, it kept bothering her all morning like a splinter in her finger.

“He’s not sulking because I ran away after saying I’d accept the gift, right?”

Elena shook her head vigorously.

“No way. He wouldn’t sulk over something so trivial.”

But she changed her mind right after denying it.

“Last time when I refused to dry his hair again, he sulked right away.”

The next day while waiting for Count Ephraim, he kept pestering her, calling himself a puppy and whatnot.

“I really can’t figure him out.”

He was someone better not trying to understand at all.

Elena started moving her stopped hand again.

“Why is there so much dust?”

“Let’s clean the bedding today.”

“Oh my, Miss Elena was here!”

More maids than usual were bustling around behind Elena as she finished up in front of the mirror.

Elena saw their meaningful glances in the mirror but ignored them and adjusted her clothes.

“Yes. I’m still here.”

The aftermath of the ball is here too. Elena looked at their reflections in the mirror. The space that usually only Ginny frequented in the morning was now full of maids who weren’t supposed to be attending to her.

“Hoho. Miss, it’s nice to see you since we couldn’t yesterday.”

“Is that why you came first thing in the morning?”

The room was crowded, as if Ginny had told them as soon as the sun rose.

“Are you that curious about whose house I went to?”

“Pardon? What did you say, Miss?”

“Nothing.”

She decided to keep her mouth shut even more. She didn’t want to be uncomfortable at home when she didn’t even know how her name had spread.

“Don’t say anything strange to Father.”

She worried that by the time the rumors reached her father’s ears, they would have snowballed.

“Oh come now. How could you think that of me? Don’t worry. I won’t say anything. But was he someone important?”

“Could you stop asking?”

She cut it off early, suspecting they would make a fuss if he was important or gossip either way.

“Miss…”

Ginny’s subtle voice caught her attention, making her stop and look. Her clasped hands were twisted strangely and her body was squirming as if she needed something.

“Go if it’s urgent. I can leave by myself.”

“Then I will. Miss, you can go by yourself, right?”

Ginny started backing away as if she’d been waiting for this.

“Ah, today the carriage is at the main gate.”

“Why? Not right in front?”

She was puzzled why she had to go to the main gate when she usually got into the waiting carriage right after leaving the mansion.

“Well, that… Ouch! My stomach!”

With her claiming stomach pain, Elena couldn’t insist on hearing more reasons.

“Go ahead.”

“I’ll go after you leave, Miss.”

Ginny waved, saying she’d try to hold it somehow. Feeling she should hurry, Elena waved back and walked away.

“Is she really having stomach pain?”

Though Ginny’s squirming body had looked strange, thinking about it now, it seemed forced.

She’s usually transparent about her feelings, but today she was as unreadable as the Grand Duke.

Not thinking much of comparing him to the Grand Duke, Elena was walking toward the main gate when she spotted a familiar carriage and slowed her steps.

Though it didn’t bear the Count’s crest, it felt familiar.

She narrowed her eyes as she recalled why.

“Right. There was a reason it’s familiar.”

And Ginny wasn’t having stomach pain after all.

“You’re late.”

A voice even more familiar than the sensation she had felt while riding yesterday.

As the curtain drew back, a very very familiar face appeared. Perhaps because his red hair was naturally loose unlike yesterday’s neat style, the atmosphere felt more relaxed.

‘The strange Grand Duke is back.’

His eyelashes cast shadows on his eyes as he looked down.

“Did you come to give your subordinate a comfortable commute?”

“To continue our unfinished conversation from yesterday.”

“During the ride?”

“Yes.”

Rudfelix closed what appeared to be a professional book disguised as a brick and set it beside him.

“Get in.”

“Do I have the right to refuse?”

“Rights are legal powers to be exercised if you wish. I’m not a superior demanding obedience.”

‘That’s a long way of saying I can refuse.’

Elena sighed deeply and glanced at the main gate.

“Ginny… I wanted to commute comfortably.”

She got into the carriage with reluctant steps.

“What about exercising your rights?”

“If you’re offering me a ride, I should take it.”

It’s good for continuing our conversation too.

It was nice to be able to talk privately without worrying about others.

Only the unnecessarily close distance was problematic.

[I’m not Your Highness’s person, but it feels like I am.]

Her words lingered in his mind until right before sleep. Though she hadn’t been here long, she had become his aide through a different path than Quiet.

She had no reason to follow him for life, and was a temporary aide who would leave after 2 years.