A servant entered, assuming they hadn’t heard his knock since there was no response.

“My Lord.”

“What! When did you come in? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

The Marquis, who was only weak with his daughter but strong with others, glared with eyes as round as marbles.

“A reply has arrived from Grand Duke Raion of the Habis Empire. You instructed that this should be brought to you immediately, regardless of what else might be delayed……”

“Ah, stop with the unnecessary talk and hand it over.”

Having instructed that anything from the Grand Duke should be brought to him immediately, the Marquis cleared his throat and extended his hand. The servant respectfully handed over the reply and hurriedly left, causing the Marquis to click his tongue.

“Why bring something from the Grand Duke so promptly.”

He wanted to appear as the strongest father in the world in front of his daughter.

“What is it?”

Finding her father’s behavior unusual, Sekreya showed curiosity.

“It’s nothing. I just noticed he needed an aide, so I offered to introduce one. This is his reply. As you know, the children I sponsor are quite capable.”

Sekreya drew out an “Ah” as she realized what her father meant.

He had been sponsoring several children, but he was using those connections for this purpose.

“An aide?”

“The Grand Duke has only one aide. Everyone else runs away, unable to endure. I’m offering one of mine. I pity him, afraid he might work himself to death.”

“So you’re trying to build a bridge.”

“Hmm hmm.”

At Sekreya’s direct manner of speaking, the Marquis tried to slip the reply into his pocket.

“Dad.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

When his daughter suddenly addressed him affectionately, the Marquis brightened and looked at Sekreya.

“By Grand Duke Raion, you mean that man who became a Grand Duke at a young age, right?”

“Yes.”

Though reluctant, he answered his daughter’s question sincerely.

“I heard he was famous from childhood……”

“Back then, he was famous for his looks. But as he grows older, his abilities seem to be gaining recognition too. However, he’s not someone you should be interested in.”

The Marquis drew a line preemptively, afraid his daughter might go to the Grand Duke and suggest becoming lovers out of boredom.

“That man would fall for me. I’m not interested in love games. But I’ve thought of something more interesting.”

Whatever it was, it would be worrisome. Should he just tell her to run away? He could secretly assign knights to follow her. The Marquis tried to divert his daughter’s attention somehow.

“That position, I’ll take it.”

“Whaaat?”

Sekreya’s eyes shone as if she had found a new game.

“If I go as a woman, he might fall for me. Maybe it’s better to disguise myself as a man? What name should I use?”

At that time, she had no idea that she would fall into the greatest love of her life.

* * *

“It’s a lie.”

As Sekreya continued to mutter the same words in a confused state, Elena pondered.

Now that the former aide had appeared, should she tactfully withdraw? Or should she greet her as a senior?

‘Indeed.’

Elena carefully pulled on Rudfelix’s hand that she was holding.

“She seems shocked. Should we step aside?”

Regardless of their past relationship, they didn’t need to exchange greetings right now.

“Alright.”

Rudfelix firmly held her hand and placed it by his side. Naturally standing beside him, Elena felt the reality of his earlier confession again.

Though interrupted by an outsider, they could resume the mood later. But that was only their thinking, which was the problem.

“Stop right there.”

The woman glared at Elena’s hand.

“You can’t leave without my permission.”

“Who are you?”

She hadn’t apologized for her rudeness from the beginning. Elena had tolerated it, but now that the arrow was directed at her, she felt annoyed.

“Who am I?”

Her tone suggested, ‘You don’t know me?’ Finally, Elena decided not to engage with her further.

“Let’s go.”

“Stop. Let go of that hand.”

The woman continued to glare at their hands as if she wanted to slash them, then screamed.

“I said let go of that hand!”

“Crazy……”

She’s a crazy woman.

Elena looked at Rudfelix. Since he seemed to know who the woman was, she asked if he was uncomfortable.

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen each other, right?”

“Yes.”

“Someone you like?”

“No. Ignore her.”

Rudfelix clearly didn’t want to deal with the woman. Rather, he seemed more intent on finishing their interrupted conversation, so Elena looked up at him.

“Are you thinking of taking back your confession?”

“Elena, stop trying to test me.”

His face contorted at the suggestion that their love should be forgotten. Seeing his eyes gleaming fiercely, Elena concluded that there was nothing wrong with his affection.

“Should I let go of your hand?”

“No.”

“He said no.”

She lifted and lowered their hands as if to show, ‘You heard his answer, right?’

“Rud…… have you forgotten me?”

The woman’s pupils trembled as she stared at Rudfelix. Her expression was so sorrowful, as if she were an ex-lover.

“I came back because I wanted to see you.”

“Sekyan, for someone I haven’t seen in a long time, you’re saying incomprehensible things.”

“I came back. I came here to marry you.”

The woman pressed her palm against her chest as if to suppress her trembling heart. With a choked voice, she approached Rudfelix with a vulnerable expression.

Having become a witness to this painful reunion between the two, Elena couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.

“A love triangle right after receiving a confession?”

Though she didn’t know what relationship Rudfelix had with this woman, it was clear that only the woman appeared wistful and affectionate.

Standing beside Rudfelix, Elena slightly wondered what to do about the woman who was approaching, looking only at Rudfelix as if Elena were invisible.

“Right. The love between Rudfelix and me wasn’t one that would be realized after all sorts of hardships. Still, I was wrong to think it would be this easy.”

Even though she had become Elena and lived a lovely life, she hadn’t always lived so easily. What had she expected this time? While Elena was organizing her thoughts, the woman’s face filled with shock.

“Rud, I came back because I missed you. I know you’ve been waiting for me, but I needed time to think……”

Sekreya was blocked by an intervening arm just as she reached a distance where she could touch Rudfelix.

“That’s far enough.”

Elena smiled coldly.

“Who are you?”

“Rudfelix’s lover. This man’s woman.”

“How could someone like you.”

When Sekreya’s words provoked him, Rudfelix tried to step forward, but Elena firmly gripped his hand.

“Is someone like me important? What matters is that Rudfelix is my man and you are nothing.”

Elena returned exactly what she received.

“If you came because you missed Rudfelix, that’s the freedom of a creature with legs, but at least know that this man wasn’t waiting for you. So keep your delusions in check.”

Elena swung Rudfelix’s hand that she was still holding. Then she turned away from the woman and took the lead.

“Rud!”

Leaving the woman’s cry behind, they walked away quickly.

The maze-like garden with stone walls proved very helpful at times like this.

“Why does she shorten other people’s names as she pleases? Rud, my as$. Maybe I should start calling you Rulik from today.”

Elena was muttering in discontent when she felt a trembling in her hand and snapped at Rudfelix.

“Stop laughing like that.”

“I can’t help it.”

Elena’s composed retort seemed to replay in his mind as Rudfelix twisted his upper body with laughter.

“Is this funny?”

Bending his upper body, Rudfelix stopped walking. Elena naturally stopped too and turned around.

“I’m utterly shocked by a woman who suddenly appears and acts like an old lover, and you think this is something to laugh about?”

“Haha…… you immediately knew she wasn’t an old lover.”

“If she really was, you would have let go of my hand in surprise when she appeared. Or your body would have frozen.”

Do you think I’m stupid?

“She seems to have had a one-sided crush, and she treated me like I was invisible.”

And I’m the person who just received a confession from the man she claims to love, not someone who can be ignored.

“Are you angry?”

“I’m not.”

He must have heard “I am angry” because his laughter grew even louder.

This was partly Elena’s fault for speaking in a sharp, pointed voice.

“Anyway, how is this something to laugh……”

The ‘about’ was cut off as their lips met.

Rudfelix, who had been bending his upper body, simply tilted his head to the side and kissed her, connecting their lips instantly.

Elena hadn’t even closed her eyes, and she saw his closed eyes.

He was too close for her eyes to focus. After staring at his eyelashes with a blurry gaze, Elena closed her eyes.

Even just this touch calmed her earlier excitement. It was soft, gentle, and warm.

When he pressed his lips slightly, making them firmer, she unconsciously closed her mouth tightly. She could feel him laughing through the vibration of his lips.

Still laughing even at this moment! Elena narrowed one eye slightly before closing it again. But she couldn’t say anything because his curved eyes looked so pretty.

Slowly their lips separated, and as his held breath touched her face, she felt the kiss had ended. At the same time, Elena felt a sense of regret.

“You ask if I’m angry, then why do you kiss me?”

“Because you look cute when you’re angry.”

“I said I wasn’t angry.”

Though she denied it, her voice had clearly softened. So Elena couldn’t protest his laughter.

“I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“Tell me if it’s difficult. I’ll help you.”

“As my lover?”

“As your aide, I’ll remove any woman who clings to my superior.”

“That’s reassuring.”

With their foreheads pressed together as they talked, her heart tickled again.

“Today was probably my most ladylike response. There won’t be a next time.”

She warned that while she had ended it with just a few words like a lovely lady this time, next time she would start by grabbing hair first, aide or not.

He laughed even harder, holding his stomach, but Elena was serious.

* * *

“Your Highness, we need to open even the rooms we kept in reserve for the ball because we’re short on guest rooms. Is something wrong?”

Coming to report to Rudfelix, Quiet lowered his report when he saw his superior’s tense expression.

More nobles than usual were attending the ball to see the protagonist of the debutante being introduced by the Grand Duke’s household. As he tried to handle things quickly to avoid any issues at tomorrow’s ball, he was stopped.

“Bring Sekyan to me.”

“Sekyan? Has he returned?”

Hearing the name after a long time, Quiet showed a mix of pleasure and subtle aversion.

“But he’s not on the external visitor list.”

“Not him. It was a woman.”

“A woman……”

Imagining him with just longer hair, it suited him well. He had once been surprised that Sekyan was as pretty as Rudfelix.

“Bring her.”

He thought Rudfelix might be arranging a meeting after seeing him again after a long time. However, Rudfelix’s mood continued to sink.

“Find the noble who came from Marquis Emeth’s domain in the Kingdom of Kristian.”

Quiet quickly went to find the woman presumed to be Sekyan. Watching his retreating figure, Rudfelix pressed his lips tightly.

Throughout his walk to the reception room, he didn’t acknowledge anyone’s greetings and walked with his eyes fixed on one point.