Elena shamelessly redirected the conversation with a greeting. Finding it amusing herself, she stepped out from behind Rudfelix.

“I shouldn’t have moved back in the first place. Now I feel even more awkward.”

As Rudfelix chuckled and took Elena’s hand, Suharto closed his eyes to hide his complicated feelings. Although he had received information that Rudfelix and Elena were lovers, he hadn’t believed they were in a pure relationship. Had the Grand Duke’s awkward love made Elena lower her wall-like wariness?

He hadn’t believed it, but seeing it with his own eyes, he had to acknowledge it.

‘I was one step too late in everything.’

Suharto felt genuinely regretful.

Rudfelix had met Elena first, and he had desired her first.

In the end, Elena had become Rudfelix’s lover, now too far away for him to covet.

“But you’re not married yet……”

Suharto’s voice, mixed with laughter, revealed his lingering attachment.

His sincerity flowed out as Elena appealed to him more than anyone he had ever seen.

Elena started in alarm and looked at him with anxious eyes. She also kept stealing glances at Rudfelix’s stiff shoulders, clearly sensing his darkening mood.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

“I was just joking.”

Suharto waved his hand.

“There are plenty of ladies who want to stand beside the Crown Prince.”

Saying there was no need to steal the Grand Duke’s lover, Elena felt relieved.

‘Right. As the Crown Prince, I can’t have just anyone by my side.’

With that thought, Suharto raised his head.

“Of course. How many beautiful flowers are looking at Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Empire? Your Highness is very handsome, wonderful, and extremely popular, so the ladies must adore you.”

Rudfelix frowned slightly at Elena’s words. Seeing this, Suharto couldn’t help but smirk.

“Isn’t that the same for the Grand Duke?”

“Not anymore.”

Elena tapped Rudfelix’s shoulder.

“The Grand Duke may be very handsome and wonderful, but he shouldn’t be popular.”

When Rudfelix looked at her, Elena smiled and emphasized through her teeth.

“Because he’s mine, and I’ll cut off all that popularity.”

Elena had already drawn her knife, declaring she would destroy all his popularity to monopolize that face for herself. When Rudfelix surrendered, saying she could do as she pleased, Elena gave him a side-eye.

“You’re not feeling regretful, are you?”

“Not at all.”

“If you’re not regretful, that means you knew you were popular before, right?”

Elena strangely fixated on this point. Rudfelix’s previously relaxed demeanor tightened again.

“How could I not know?”

“Sometimes you should pretend not to know. The title of the Empire’s two most handsome men will now disappear. Hehe.”

As Elena laughed ominously, Rudfelix regarded her warily. Meanwhile, Suharto felt strange about Elena’s comment about “the Empire’s two most handsome men.”

The fact that he and the Grand Duke were being treated equally.

The thought that he had to share praise he should receive alone with the Grand Duke irritated him.

“You’re still amusing.”

Watching their conversation, Suharto changed his mind.

It seemed he could feel the satisfaction of defeating the Grand Duke if he stole the woman who had even enchanted him.

“Let’s end the greetings here. I came to tell the Grand Duke two things: an official request for support and a personal question.”

When Suharto’s gaze asked if Elena would be allowed to listen, Rudfelix subtly shook his head.

“Aide Elena, please wait outside.”

For a conversation between only the involved parties without the aide, Elena left the reception room. As she held the door, Elena glanced briefly at Rudfelix.

‘I hope they don’t fight.’

Though concerned about his hardened expression, Elena reluctantly left.

Once outside, Elena let out a small sigh.

Standing by the door so she could enter at any moment, she stepped aside and turned her head at the sound of approaching footsteps.

“It’s been a while.”

From a night market merchant who had approached with double ledgers proposing a deal, he had now transformed into a proper merchant at Count Jellisto’s trading company. It was Wei.

Elena waved her hand gently in greeting.

“Long time no see.”

“A lot has happened since we last met. Would you like to hear about it?”

“Really? I’d like to, but I can’t leave my post right now.”

“If there’s a will to talk, we can share stories anywhere.”

Wei brought two chairs from the adjacent reception room.

“How about this?”

“Sounds good.”

After sitting down, Wei handed Elena a glass bottle filled with juice.

Elena smiled as she accepted it, appreciating Wei’s preparedness.

***

After about an hour of conversation between the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke, the atmosphere in the reception room had changed significantly.

The softness present when Elena was there had disappeared, replaced by a tense battle of nerves as they calculated gains and losses, both becoming extremely sharp.

“I see the end of this peaceful alliance approaching.”

Suharto interlaced his fingers and rested them on his knee.

“With the Grand Duchy’s governance period almost over, how does it feel to be the last Grand Duke?”

Rudfelix picked up the lemon tea Elena had left behind. The tea had been changed when Suharto’s arrival was announced.

It meant Elena had been very thoughtful. The refreshing scent of lemon tea was somewhat lifting Rudfelix’s mood.

Tilting the cup containing the lemon tea, Rudfelix spoke.

“Whether I’ll be the last Grand Duke remains to be seen.”

Suharto tilted his head to look at him from a different angle.

“If you don’t intend to be the last Grand Duke, you’ll have to fight me. If you’re issuing a challenge, I’ll gladly accept it.”

Suharto drew out his words, then opened his fierce eyes that had been lowered.

There was no peaceful agreement over who would own the Grand Duchy. The Emperor would try to incorporate the Grand Duchy somehow, and the Crown Prince would take it away and strip the Grand Duke of his status.

“But rebellion isn’t something where only the ringleader is punished. Relatives and even the most distant associates are all dragged to the execution platform. The Jellisto family won’t have any peaceful days.”

Suharto’s eyes held a cold gleam.

“Does that lady who was living well and became happy receiving the Grand Duke’s love know that all this has an end?”

Instead of answering, Rudfelix took a few sips of lemon tea. The moment Suharto mentioned Elena, he felt the urge to grab the Crown Prince by the neck, but he restrained himself by gripping the teacup.

‘Elena, your lemon tea has stopped me.’

He couldn’t be certain if he would hold back next time.

“That too will be revealed in time.”

Rudfelix slowly rose from his seat and attempted to leave the reception room.

“That’s the problem.”

Suharto muttered.

“I’m becoming increasingly impatient.”

His intention to leave things be until he took the Grand Duchy was growing cloudy.

“Wait.”

Suharto stopped Rudfelix as he was about to exit through the door.

***

Wei pretended to be choosing what to say first by keeping his mouth shut, but what he wanted to say was already decided.

‘I saw earlier that he’s leading the trading company. So he must have regained his status?’

Wondering why he was hesitating so much, Elena quickly found the answer.

Although she had accepted Wei into the Jellisto Trading Company, the night market where he had worked was essentially enemy territory that had tried to bring down the Jellisto Trading Company.

‘What does that matter now?’

Elena smiled, wondering where the brazen Wei who had approached her with double ledgers had gone.

“What happened to the night market?”

Elena brought up the topic first to make it easier for him to speak. Grateful, Wei immediately began explaining what had happened back then with a thankful smile.

“When Baron Vulti and the head of the Spark Trading Company were imprisoned, the company collapsed and the night market was also shaken.”

Wei racked his brain to summarize what had happened in the most understandable way.

“I left with merchants who shared my vision, and the rest tried to hold on, but when the company head died, everything fell apart that very day.”

“I suppose it’s hard to maintain stability when the central figure disappears.”

Even the Luria Trading Company had almost disappeared when its head died. That’s how much influence a company head has on a trading company.

“Baron Vulti also died, exhausted from repeated interrogations.”

Elena frowned with a dubious expression. It was hard to accept that Baron Vulti had died.

She had even stopped Rudfelix from torturing Baron Vulti, but in the end, his fate had been sealed.

His greed had eaten away at his life.

It would have been better if he had worked normally at the Jellisto Trading Company, but it ended sadly.

‘Come to think of it, wasn’t Baron Vulti the beginning of all this?’

The small spark he lit to damage the Jellisto Trading Company had twisted the original story and created a new connection with the Grand Duke.

“Master immediately looked into my circumstances and cleared me of the false accusations.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“Yes. I didn’t expect to recover so quickly.”

Elena could only respond with an understanding nod to Wei’s wistful smile. Of course it would be much easier to restore Wei’s status when her father took action. Baron Vulti likely did nothing because he didn’t want to lose Wei’s talent.

“The world still revolves around power.”

“I agree. There are too many unjust things in the Empire especially.”

Wei lowered his voice.

“This is a secret, but His Majesty the Emperor has been eyeing the building regulations here.”

“I found them quite good since coming here.”

Granting permits according to designated laws made it more systematic than having irregularly constructed buildings.

There were fewer narrow, damp alleys, so public safety was very good.

“Seeing the well-organized Grand Duchy that took time and effort, it seems to be newly coveted.”

Wei swung his legs back and forth. His hand resting on the chair made his tone seem more playful, but the content was undeniable.

‘Looking at the Grand Duchy, I can see how remarkable the grand ducal family is.’