Chapter 10. Being Conscious Makes It Awkward

“A long-term business trip?”

Elena looked at Quiet with surprised eyes.

The sudden absence of the senior aide who had been her reliable support was unexpected.

“We need someone to go to Count Emphraim’s territory to observe and make judgments firsthand.”

Someone who knew the Grand Duke’s travel route precisely and could execute the plan was needed. Counting those qualified, there were only three, including Rudfelix.

“His Highness the Grand Duke cannot move directly, and sending you would be premature as you still have much to learn, so I should go.”

Quiet gathered the documents he had been busily sorting. He handed them directly to Elena, who accepted them in a daze.

“I believe you can handle it well.”

“I’m flustered at the thought of serving His Highness alone.”

“Just do as you’ve been doing all along. Of course, there will be a bit more work, but you are more than capable, Aide Elena.”

Quiet stretched comfortably. Then he smiled at the bundle of documents Elena was just holding.

“These are tasks for while I’m gone, so familiarize yourself with them.”

“When are you leaving?”

Quiet looked out the window, gauging the time.

“I’ll depart tomorrow morning.”

“Even after arriving at the Grand Duchy, you won’t be coming back here, right?”

“Since you and His Highness will come to the Grand Duchy, there’s no need for me to return to the capital.”

They agreed to meet at the Grand Duchy, though neither was certain exactly when that would be.

“Aide Elena.”

“Yes, senior.”

“Do you know what His Highness values most?”

“Punctuality?”

“That’s just basic.”

He said punctuality wasn’t what the Grand Duke valued most but rather something to be observed as a matter of course. Besides, time was something Count Emphraim valued more than Grand Duke Rudfelix.

“It’s his mood.”

Elena was momentarily dumbfounded before quickly agreeing.

Thinking about the superiors she had encountered so far, they all tended to act according to their own whims. Everyone moved according to his mood.

“What should I do?”

The atmosphere suggested he would advise her on how to deal with those moods. As Elena focused with a student’s attentiveness, Quiet smiled gently.

“Don’t intervene when His Highness is in a bad mood.”

Though the content was somewhat unexpected, Quiet offered his advice seriously, raising a finger. His eyes shone clearly, and his lips parted resolutely.

“Even if His Highness throws a tantrum, never get excited.”

“He grew up so preciously,” he continued, and Elena became increasingly absorbed in his words.

“Most importantly, never talk too much.”

As the senior aide gave his serious advice, the junior opened her notebook and wrote down the precautions.

“Stop.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Rudfelix struck the desk lightly.

He regretted that the aide’s position was a few steps away from its proper place. He wanted to lower Elena’s notebook.

“These precautions only apply to Aide Quiet.”

Rudfelix blurted out after observing all this. He had been watching with his hand on his forehead, finally interrupting because it was too much.

A personal aide talking like that when he was right there…

“I’m saying this so Aide Elena won’t run away.”

Quiet pouted sullenly and grumbled. He muttered quietly, “Just try running away while I’m gone.” But what did it matter? His superior had heard everything.

“Really……”

As Rudfelix stood up abruptly, his chair scraped the floor roughly, making Quiet flinch. But only for a moment—he forced himself to stand tall and stared back defiantly. What, what!

Though known for his passive personality, he knew Rudfelix couldn’t do anything to him, so he refused to be intimidated—a tiny rebellion.

The problem was that this small defiance meant nothing to his superior.

“Leave right now.”

“Your Highness, please give me a little time. I need rest too.”

“I’ll assign Jace to you.”

“I’ll depart alone right now.”

As soon as Jace’s name was mentioned, Quiet grabbed his coat that he had taken off. His determination to go alone rather than with Jace made Elena look at him with interest.

Jace was that smooth-talking employee she had seen at the restaurant, and Quiet seemed to avoid him even more than defying his superior.

‘I wonder what kind of relationship they have.’

“You’re still going with Jace.”

It seemed that regardless of when he departed, traveling with Jace was non-negotiable. Quiet had said his piece about being away for several months, only to be saddled with something he dreaded more than death itself.

“Your Highness, I really want to go alone.”

“If you can manage to travel separately, I don’t mind.”

“As if that’s possible,” Quiet muttered under his breath. He slouched with drooping shoulders, dragging his feet.

“I’ll be going then. Aide Elena, I entrust His Highness to you.”

“Have a safe trip.”

After waving goodbye to Quiet, Elena suddenly froze, erasing the smile that had been on her face until just a moment ago.

All this time, she had only thought about missing Senior Quiet’s presence.

She had said she was flustered at the thought of serving the Grand Duke alone, so why hadn’t she thought about the other implications?

‘I’ll be alone with His Highness.’

She only realized this now.

“Aide Elena.”

At the terrifying voice behind her, Elena’s face turned deathly pale. Forcing herself to swallow, she turned around as a shadow fell over her.

* * *

Elena stared blankly at the clock. Her eyes fixed on the wall clock while her hands fiddled with her pocket watch, glaring at the seemingly motionless second hand.

‘Why is time passing so slowly?’

Under Rudfelix’s stern posture, Elena sat pitifully beside him. She had tried to sit in her proper place, but he had dragged her over, claiming they needed to increase work efficiency.

‘He was eyeing my notebook earlier.’

She was anxious about the notebook where she had diligently written down Senior Quiet’s advice, fearing it might be sucked into his hands at any moment.

Wary of him constantly eyeing her notebook, Elena quietly slipped it under her butt.

“I won’t take it.”

“I had nowhere else to put it.”

Because Rudfelix turned to observe even her smallest reactions, the fact that they were truly alone hit her hard. Yesterday they had been alone while walking through the night market, but being confined in a space with just the two of them was different. Moreover, his gaze following her every move was burdensome.

‘Let’s not be unnecessarily conscious.’

Elena put down a thick stack of documents with a thud, pretending to concentrate as she raised her head. Still, she couldn’t help that all her senses were directed toward him.

Rudfelix watched Elena quietly before addressing her.

“Aide Elena.”

“Yes.”

Startled, she jumped up from her seat, causing her chair to topple backward. Despite her pretense, she had clearly been conscious of him.

“Haah.”

Seeing Elena so unusually tense and flustered made him sigh.

“That water beside you……”

“Would you like some water?”

Thinking Rudfelix was asking for water, Elena hastily reached for the water container but fumbled and dropped it.

“I was going to say be careful because it’s there……”

That’s what he had intended to say.

“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up quickly.”

Rudfelix was dumbfounded at the sight of the usually composed Elena floundering.

“Just leave it.”

He was about to suggest calling someone else to clean it, but she was already searching for something to wipe it up with, apparently deaf to his words.

“I’ll wipe it up right away.”

Elena grabbed what she thought was a cloth and pulled it.

“Huh?”

‘I thought I grabbed a towel, but why is it so heavy?’ she wondered, looking up to see a coat rack falling toward her.

‘It wasn’t a towel but a coat.’

What good was realizing that now? The coat rack was already falling.

Elena instinctively closed her eyes and hunched her body.

Expecting to be hit by the hard coat rack, she was surprised to be enveloped in something warm and soft. She opened her eyes.

The familiar scent told her Rudfelix had come very close.

‘He saved me.’

She knew from his body heat even before opening her eyes.

Though she had resolved not to be startled, when she opened her eyes and faced Rudfelix up close, she felt like hiccupping from surprise.

‘His face is too close.’

“Thank you.”

Rudfelix, who had caught the falling coat rack, looked down at Elena whom he had pulled into his arms. How should he handle this adorable young lady who was clearly tense because of him?

“Don’t do anything.”

“I thought it was a towel when I grabbed it. I’m sorry.”

“The water will dry up over time.”

After setting the coat rack upright again, he firmly held Elena’s hand and returned to their seats.

It wasn’t the affectionate atmosphere of lovers walking hand in hand, but more like escorting a prisoner, preventing her from running away.

After seating Elena in her chair, he sat across from her and crossed his legs.

He folded his hands on his knee and quietly observed her as she watched him nervously. His priority was to help her relax.

How should he do that?

She was not the type to make mistakes normally. So he asked her a question as he would usually do.