“Does he like me or something?”

Elena stopped abruptly in shock at her own muttering. Then she carefully reconsidered the conversation they had earlier that day.

“Come to think of it, he did say it wasn’t a watchful gaze but the look of a man gazing at the woman he loves.”

She had answered that it was somewhat similar, but that was essentially the same thing.

“What? Really? Really? Does that proud Grand Duke really like me?”

Finding her own conclusion absurd, Elena blurted out her thoughts rather loudly.

“Ahem. Elena.”

Count Jellisto called out to her.

“Father, you were here. I was about to go to the reception room, thinking you’d be there. Oh, don’t mind my muttering. I was just talking to myself because of something frustrating……”

She was about to say ‘I was just talking to myself,’ but when she spotted the person standing next to her father, only air escaped from her throat.

Why are you here?

She wished the Grand Duke’s bright face were an illusion, but his presence was too distinct to dismiss as a ghost.

“We meet again.”

His indifferent gaze and monotone voice gave her a faint hope.

The very slim possibility that he hadn’t heard her muttering.

“Why is Your Highness here?”

“I came to speak with Count Jellisto.”

Unable to read his expression, Elena turned to her father.

“We were discussing your debutante ball.”

“Ah……”

She had mentioned it once when they first met, but hadn’t planned to tell him when it would be held.

“Let’s sit down and talk about the details.”

Elena nodded in agreement, thinking that would be best, and turned to look at Rudfelix.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it, Elena, my aide whom I like?”

Of course he had heard. As expected, her face instantly turned red with embarrassment.

“Your Highness, what I said earlier was purely a product of my own delusions, so please forget it.”

The distance to the reception room was considerable, and she had thought she was alone when she muttered—why was he in the hall! It felt completely unfair.

“Why are you here anyway?”

“We were on our way to the reception room when the Grand Duke said he had something to say, so we paused briefly. Then you arrived.”

Count Jellisto’s kind explanation only cornered Elena further.

“Your voice was so loud, I thought you were talking to someone.”

As he clarified with a smile that they hadn’t deliberately waited there to overhear her, Elena’s face grew even redder.

Count Jellisto pressed his hand to his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter and turning it into a forced cough.

Elena stared at Rudfelix with eyes like those of a warrior entering battle.

“Please forget it.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“I said it half-jokingly because you were staring so intensely at me all day. I had no idea you would hear it.”

“So half of it was sincere?”

“Your Highness.”

Elena exclaimed indignantly, making Rudfelix’s relaxed smile stand out even more.

“The Elena I’ve observed until now,”

Suddenly?

What about your observations of me?

“Has been an honest person who neither lies nor makes things up. So I believed everything my aide said.”

Elena’s lips softened briefly at Rudfelix’s praise before hardening again.

‘What? Is he teasing me now?’

Elena asked with a slightly trembling voice.

“Why are you saying this now?”

“Because words that come from thinking I like my aide wouldn’t be said purely in jest.”

“I appreciate your good opinion of me. But how could you believe everything I say? I often judge based on others’ words and am easily swayed. I lie well too. I say I’ll lose weight every day but never follow through.”

“Elena, I think you should stop now.”

Count Jellisto, who had been listening quietly, intervened.

The Grand Duke was saying only nice things to her, but she kept putting herself down, which wouldn’t lead anywhere good.

‘If I could just cover up what I said earlier by putting myself down now, that would be better.’

That’s how desperate Elena was.

Rudfelix stroked his chin, remained silent for a moment, then brushed some dust off her shoulder.

“I still believe in you, Elena. Even if you lie to me, I’ll believe it all.”

A strange shiver ran down her spine as his hand brushed against her badge.

“And it’s true that I like you.”

At his low, murmuring voice, Elena froze awkwardly, unable even to laugh it off.

“Ahem. Elena, would you tell me what happened?”

Count Jellisto’s gaze alternated between the two people with the strange atmosphere between them.

“It’s nothing. Just that the Grand Duke likes me as his aide. Shall we go to the reception room now?”

When Elena looked at him pleadingly as if to ask him to drop it, Count Jellisto let it go with a deflated laugh.

“Shall we go, Your Highness?”

Rudfelix nodded lightly and walked away, and Count Jellisto patted Elena’s head before following.

“My mouth is the problem.”

Elena muttered in dismay.

* * *

“My debutante ball?”

Ginny, who had proudly won at rock-paper-scissors, was startled as she set down the tea.

Whatever conversation had occurred, her lady, Elena, was so surprised that she bumped her leg against the table.

She wanted to ask if she was alright, but she didn’t even seem to notice she had bumped into anything, staring straight ahead. Feeling she shouldn’t intrude, Ginny resumed her duties.

Fortunately, she hadn’t started pouring the tea yet, but curious about what was happening, her ears perked up naturally.

Ginny glanced briefly at Rudfelix’s face and hugged the tray to hide her pounding heart.

‘My goodness, he’s even more beautiful than the rumors say.’

She couldn’t help but envy Elena for working for such an angel.

Completely unaware of Elena’s current state of mind.

“No, why are you two deciding my affairs?”

“You weren’t interested in the first place, were you?”

For Count Jellisto, it was an unremarkable comment. However, Elena, momentarily speechless, fidgeted with her teacup.

Traditionally, debutantes first attended events hosted by the imperial family, followed by private ones held by their families. While attendance was customary rather than compulsory, the timing was treated with sensitivity.

It was said to prevent noble houses from hosting reckless competing events, but in truth, it was a long-standing custom to establish imperial authority.

“His Highness the Grand Duke has recommended a debutante ball to be held in the Grand Duchy.”

“There are many children who are coming of age in the Grand Duchy as well.”

Rudfelix added appropriately.

“Even so, to go to the Grand Duchy for a debutante ball…”

What Rudfelix had told Count Jellisto in the hall was that he would take responsibility for hosting Elena’s debutante ball.

“Otherwise, we’d have to delay your arrival at the Grand Duchy. Would you keep His Highness the Grand Duke waiting?”

Elena had hoped to boldly skip it if possible.

A coming-of-age ceremony could be celebrated in any manner. Typically, a ball was held with many guests invited, but depending on circumstances, it could be substituted with other meaningful events if the family permitted.

“What about Father?”

She asked, as he was the only family who should celebrate her coming of age. Count Jellisto then listed his schedule as if he had been waiting for this question.

“I have a major case that needs to be sent within this week, so I need to stay here until next week. But once I resolve these urgent matters, I’ll come right away, so don’t worry. You should go and be grateful for His Highness the Grand Duke’s favor and follow his guidance.”

“Is that why you came?”

When Elena asked Rudfelix with a half-resigned face, Count Jellisto answered on his behalf.

“I also talked about you while I was at it. I was so excited to hear that my very clever daughter is doing well that I must have shown an unseemly side to His Highness.”

“Not at all. It was entertaining.”

“Thank you for thinking so.”

As Rudfelix rose from his seat, Count Jellisto stood up to see him off.

“I’ll go.”

Elena was still confused but suppressed it forcibly as she tugged at her father’s sleeve.

“Please do. I also had something to discuss with the aide.”

“I understand.”

Count Jellisto looked at Rudfelix, full of goodwill. He now looked at him not just as someone he was indebted to, but as someone he wished to maintain a lifelong connection with.

“Your Highness, please follow me. There’s a beautifully decorated path on the way to the carriage.”

As Elena led the way, Rudfelix gave Count Jellisto a nod of farewell and left.

“Ah-ha-ha, well now.”

Count Jellisto finally let out the laughter he had been holding back. Though he pretended not to notice, his daughter’s constantly flushed face kept catching his eye.

He clearly saw Rudfelix’s feelings as well, laughing whenever Elena laughed.

“I sent her to work, but it seems she’s going to fall in love.”

He let go of his worries about his daughter, who had always played around the house as if it were her playground, wondering when he would find a match for her.

“But was there really a beautifully decorated path?”

The count tilted his head, wondering if Elena had done something to the mansion recently.

* * *

The beautifully decorated path turned out to be a very dark and gloomy walking trail where no one ever came.

“So this is my aide’s taste.”

Rudfelix followed behind her as she walked steadily without stumbling on a path where one could barely see a step ahead.

“It’s not usually this dark.”

She explained that when moonlight shines, one could vaguely see ahead, but clouds were covering it now.

“What are you thinking about?”

A flat voice came from Elena. Though her expression wasn’t clearly visible in the darkness, he could imagine what her face looked like.

Rudfelix hid his smile in the darkness as he heard her voice laden with suspicion about whether he truly came for her coming-of-age ceremony.

“You didn’t really come for my debutante ball, did you?”

“That’s right.”

“I knew it.”

The sound of Elena’s hair brushing against her clothes was heard as she nodded her head.

It was rather amusing to be able to sense her emotions just from her voice coming from a reasonable distance.

Rudfelix honestly revealed why he had come.

“I came because I was curious.”

“About what?”

He came because he wanted to know in detail what kind of person Aide Elena was. He came because he wanted to hear what kind of person she was through her family.

‘I gained an unexpected benefit as well.’

Since he came, he could even hear her private thoughts, so it was a visit with many gains in various ways.

Rudfelix noticed that Elena’s scent carried by the wind was growing stronger. He silently approached Elena, who had stopped.

He came close enough to see her, who remained motionless as if lost in thought.

“What could be so curious that you’d come at this hour……”

Moonlight filtering through the clouds fell on Elena’s face as she looked up.

Her eyes clearly reflected her surprise at his presence, which was closer than she had expected. Warm green eyes. And?

Thinking that her two eyes appeared to be different colors due to the light, he spoke.

“I was curious about you.”

When Elena held her breath, an unmistakable smile flowed from him.

“Because I think I like you.”

I like you, Aide Elena.

No, I like you, Elena.