The birds fluttered away at Roina’s shout, who had been just watching nervously from the sidelines.

Her fingers clutching her skirt had turned white, but Roina’s tightly closed eyes slowly opened.

Then, belatedly realizing who she had shouted at, her face turned pale.

‘Her feelings really show on her face.’

Since her inner thoughts were completely visible, could she be a person without malice?

“Then have lunch with me.”

Despite Roina claiming it was her belonging, Suharto’s gaze didn’t go to her.

‘If she wants to take back that brooch, she has to eat with him?’

Elena thought it was a strange bargain.

“I need to go to work.”

“I’ll take care of that.”

“I want to go to work.”

“I haven’t given this back yet. And I said I’d give you a pen too.”

Elena found the conversation increasingly burdensome.

“Your Highness.”

Do whatever you want with your aide… no, you shouldn’t do as you please even with your aide.

Elena barely restrained herself from saying he should go to someone who would gladly accept whatever he offered.

“Do you really hate it?”

His eyebrows drooped, and his long eyelashes covered his eyes. He was acting pitifully, but his hand was firmly closed around the brooch, making Elena wonder how to resolve this impasse.

“Aide Elena.”

While wondering how to get the brooch from Suharto’s hand, she heard a welcome voice.

“Grand Duke.”

Turning around, she saw the breathtakingly handsome Grand Duke Rudfelix appear, making her heart flutter despite having met him just hours ago.

“So you’re here.”

“I was about to go to work after finding the lost item.”

“Did you find it?”

“Well, yes, but……”

Elena awkwardly shifted her gaze. She couldn’t say that they had found it but it was in the Crown Prince’s hand and difficult to retrieve.

“How nice to meet you like this. Ah, I see I’ve come to where Your Highness is.”

Count Emphraim, who had been walking alongside Rudfelix, greeted them warmly.

“The teacher is here too. It’s been so busy lately that it’s hard to see your face even once, but it seems I can meet the teacher whenever I meet the Grand Duke.”

Suharto finished speaking, revealing his discomfort. With Rudfelix appearing with the Count—whom he considered an intruder—he couldn’t speak pleasantly.

“We’re in the final stages now, with only the last decision remaining.”

Count Emphraim smoothly changed the subject and naturally took his place.

“I thought I heard something about a meal. We were just coming out to eat as well, how about joining us?”

Count Emphraim’s suggestion entangled everyone—Suharto, Rudfelix, as well as Elena and Roina.

‘No. I really hate this.’

It was obviously going to be an uncomfortable gathering.

But she couldn’t be the first to express her refusal.

“Are we having a meal with all these people?”

When Suharto crossed his arms, the brooch disappeared from view. Elena, who had been eyeing it until the end, moistened her lips with her tongue in disappointment.

Meanwhile, Roina couldn’t even breathe, being among such important people.

“Since Aide Elena is with the Grand Duke, she can be free from work.”

You said you just overheard, but you seem to know everything?

Elena turned to Rudfelix.

‘Since when have you been watching?’

Rudfelix gave a silent answer with a glance toward Suharto’s hand, indicating he knew everything.

* * *

Crown Prince Suharto, seated at the head of the table, looked at the person sitting across from him. Although the Crown Prince should rightfully sit in the highest position, Rudfelix was not someone who could be considered lower than him.

So facing each other was fine, but Elena sitting naturally near him made this day seem like it would be remembered as particularly unpleasant.

Separated by the rectangular table, it didn’t feel like they were dining together.

“Your Highness, could you pass the napkin?”

“It’s better to keep it nearby and use it.”

“Did you sleep well this morning?”

“Thanks to you, I slept soundly.”

It seemed like only Rudfelix, who naturally handed over a bunch of napkins, and Elena, who received them just as naturally, were having a meal together.

“But your eyes look swollen?”

“Let’s focus on the meal.”

When Rudfelix’s fluttering fingertips casually pointed toward the bread, Elena willingly took it and ate. Since she was working as his aide, it was natural, but their closeness was enough to provoke jealousy.

“Haah.”

Suharto lowered the hand he had been resting his chin on. Roina was so tense that she jumped at his slightest movement, but she was outside his interest.

“Taking care of whether someone slept in the morning—what a good aide.”

“Ah, that’s not it……”

Elena raised her hand to quickly add something but then lowered it discreetly, finding the content difficult to explain.

“What’s not it?”

“I was going to say that it’s natural for an aide to care for her superior’s health.”

“That doesn’t seem to be it.”

Suharto caught the tail of her words and wouldn’t let go. It was spite shown because otherwise, Rudfelix and Elena would just continue talking to each other.

Count Emphraim, who had unintentionally ended up positioned in the center, was looking back and forth between the two sides with interested eyes.

When Elena closed her mouth, Suharto couldn’t catch the tail of her words anymore, and since Rudfelix had no intention of opening his mouth in the first place, it was Count Emphraim’s turn to step in.

“With me sitting between the two sides like this, I feel like I should be moderating.”

“That would be interesting.”

Suharto dully responded to his words. His gaze never left Elena, regardless of what Count Emphraim said.

“Since we’re here, I’d like to propose a simple game. What do you think? It’s a game we can play without leaving this place.”

“I was getting bored, so that’s good.”

Count Emphraim looked at Rudfelix, seeking his agreement as well. Rudfelix nodded while looking at Elena, but Elena just wanted to hide in the middle.

“It’s a game my child often plays, called ‘Connected, Not Connected.'”

Count Emphraim spread his hands, introducing each of the teams that had been divided left and right.

“Crown Prince and Lady Roina will be one team, Grand Duke Rudfelix and Aide Elena will be another. The rules are simple. You choose the next food to eat simultaneously. If you choose the same thing, you’re ‘connected,’ and if you choose different things, you’re ‘not connected.’ The rules are simple, but your mind becomes surprisingly complex. Because you spend a short time thinking a lot—whether to consider what the other person likes or choose what you want. Of course, it would be better if you choose what you want and still connect.”

“So that’s why it’s called ‘Connected, Not Connected.'”

“That’s right. Would Your Highness like to go first?”

“Let’s do that.”

For the first time since the meal began, Suharto gave Roina a gentle look.

“Can you do well?”

“Yes, yes. I’ll do my best.”

Roina suppressed her tension and nodded solemnly, as if ready.

After a brief silence, Suharto and Roina moved.

Roina, who had chosen warm steaming bread, immediately turned her head. Then, seeing his hand, she made a sad face.

He had picked up the wine. He had chosen it because Elena had immediately spoken after picking up bread earlier, but he had completely missed the mark.

“Not connected. What a pity.”

Count Emphraim wrapped it up neatly and moved on to the next turn.

“Now it’s the Grand Duke’s turn.”

Having grasped what the game was about, Elena glanced at Rudfelix.

Roina and the Crown Prince were practically strangers, but she thought they would connect because Roina was the protagonist. She expected a coincidence to happen, just like how Roina’s brooch happened to fall near the Crown Prince’s palace.

When it was her turn, Elena glanced at Rudfelix.

‘What will he pick?’

I tried to recall what kind of food he usually ate during meal times, but stopped.

Remembering the Count’s words that it would be better if I chose what I wanted, I suppressed my memories and looked at the food.

‘I’ll just pick what I want.’

Elena’s throat burned with tension, and she wanted to drink cool water. So she grabbed the water glass, lifted it slightly, and showed her choice.

‘I picked the water glass. What about you, Your Highness the Grand Duke?’

Asking inwardly, Elena turned her head.

“You both grabbed water glasses at the same time. The two of you are in sync, so the winners of this game are His Highness the Grand Duke and Aide Elena.”

Count Emphraim neatly concluded the situation.

‘We really were in sync.’

Elena fidgeted with her water glass for no reason. She raised her eyes slightly as she brought the cup to her lips to drink.

Rudfelix, who was drinking water like her, showed no particular sign of pleasure.

Just that we were in sync. That’s all.

‘I guess I’m the only one who found it interesting.’

She pretended to be nonchalant as she drank the water and wiped the moisture from her lips, but her thirst didn’t disappear. Perhaps she felt a little disappointed by her superior’s indifferent attitude.

‘No, this isn’t something to be disappointed about.’

Thinking about it, she was nothing to him. They were just superior and aide, so there shouldn’t be any feelings involved.

Believing it was right that he showed no reaction, Elena slightly turned her head. She regretted going to the night market together instead of alone, as it only built up strange emotions.

‘I should focus on work.’

Elena turned her eyes toward Roina, and at the same moment, Rudfelix’s eyes turned toward her.

A warm energy lingered in his gaze as he looked at her hands, which were still fidgeting with the water glass.

“You have an aide who connects well with you.” 

Suharto said as he put down his empty wine glass, emanating the scent of grapes.

“I agree.”

Rudfelix agreed with Suharto’s opinion and poured water into Elena’s empty cup.