Chapter 21. Seduction

Rudfelix’s eyes darkened as he headed to the reception room where Count Ephraim was waiting.

“Not just the Grand Duchy. Your Highness has been giving up much to the imperial family. Even knowing it’s not right, you’ve endured until now. His Majesty the Emperor takes what’s yours as if it’s natural. If Your Highness wishes to become Emperor, I will gladly stand by your side.”

‘Managing an estate but saying unnecessary things…..’

As Hines’s words came to mind, Rudfelix blamed him. If he hadn’t brought it up in the first place, his words wouldn’t have lingered so unpleasantly.

There was a reason the grand ducal family gave much to the imperial family, including the Grand Duchy.

The imperial family’s wariness.

They hated that the grand ducal family was growing more powerful and feared that the they might someday take their position.

Since Rudfelix was born a few years before Suharto, they were easily compared as they were born in the same era with similar ages.

‘He desires Elena.’

Rudfelix roughly ran his hand through his hair. The personal interest in Elena nestled in Suharto’s eyes hadn’t diminished at all despite his previous strong objections.

‘It’s time to decide.’

There was no other way. Unless he became Emperor, not only the Grand Duchy but also the future of the current grand ducal family would become uncertain.

“I have something to talk about with Miss Elena, so leave her here.”

As Rudfelix was about to leave, grabbing the door handle with his back to the Crown Prince, Suharto spoke from behind him.

“Don’t take her away under the pretext of her being your aide. Leave her here.”

“Elena is my lover.”

“I know.”

Suharto stood up. When their eyes met, he curled up the corners of his mouth in a smile, narrowing his eyes.

“Since she’s the Grand Duke’s person, she should have the opportunity to hear an objective perspective. She must be hoping for the position of Grand Duchess, not knowing when it might disappear. Shouldn’t someone tell her?”

Rudfelix let go of the door handle and turned to face Suharto.

“We should also consider Elena’s circumstances, who will be dragged to hell without having done anything wrong. Leave her here.”

Suharto stared into Rudfelix’s hardened eyes, which showed his determination not to let go of Elena until the end.

“Shouldn’t that young lady also have a choice? If you’re resisting because you hate me telling her, find someone more suitable. If you’ve seduced an innocent young lady, you can pretend not to know about the resentment you’ll hear later, just like you’re doing now.”

He was about to immediately say no.

But he remembered her request to back down just once if they ever had to fight over her, so he closed his mouth.

As if she had foreseen this, she had preemptively stopped him, forcing Rudfelix to swallow his words.

“If……”

Rudfelix’s face hardened frighteningly.

“If Elena says none of that matters, then…… don’t drool over my woman. I might come at you threatening to cut off your tongue.”

Rudfelix clearly expressed his intention that if Elena said she didn’t care what nonsense the Crown Prince spouted, he wouldn’t hold back anymore.

“That too will depend on Elena’s answer.”

At Suharto’s confident smile, Rudfelix silently repeated Elena’s name several times in his mind.

“Your Highness.”

Quiet shook Rudfelix from his thoughts. He pointed to the reception room.

“Count Ephraim and one more person are there.”

Quiet tried to say who it was, but Rudfelix’s steps were faster.

With such momentum that he seemed ready to break through if the door wasn’t opened, Quiet quickly opened the door.

Having avoided the disgrace of the Grand Duke colliding with the door, Quiet breathed a sigh of relief.

“Isn’t Aide Elena coming with you?”

“Leave her be.”

“Why is that?”

Quiet asked without any particular meaning, but hesitated when his superior turned to give him a cold look.

“Understood.”

When a superior gives an order, one must follow without question. Quiet guarded the door instead of entering the reception room.

Entering the reception room, Rudfelix saw Count Ephraim and a woman he had seen before.

A pretty woman with pink hair greeted him with a shy smile.

“I am Roina Cecil.”

He sat down, acknowledging the greeting from the woman he had seen before.

When Count Ephraim made eye contact, he immediately stated his business.

“I went to see how the territory’s residents are doing.”

Setting aside the large-scale relocation that occurred without casualties, everyone was working hard with their new jobs in the new land.

“The atmosphere was surprisingly stable for people who had gone through such an ordeal.”

The residents of Ephraim’s territory were already living harmoniously with the surrounding residents as if they had always lived in the Grand Duchy.

“I couldn’t help but be amazed by the story that you even provided jobs.”

No one was starving, and the sick could receive treatment anytime. Count Ephraim’s voice trembled slightly with overwhelming emotion.

“Asking Your Highness the Grand Duke for help was the best decision of my life.”

The count bowed his head.

“Thank you.”

“I didn’t help without compensation; we simply made a deal.”

Count Ephraim laughed and retorted.

“What I gave you was merely a paper that had been tucked away in a corner.”

He dismissed what had been preciously preserved for generations. Though he meant to express gratitude to Rudfelix, the person who should have been listening couldn’t concentrate.

Rudfelix’s mind was filled with Elena, only intensifying his confusion.

***

Elena returned directly to her room.

“Miss? You’re done already?”

Miche, who had just brought in dried bedding, greeted Elena. As she spread the bedding over the bed, Elena silently watched the process.

Seeing Elena’s somewhat vacant gaze, Miche stopped arranging the bedding and stood up.

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing. I just have something to think about.”

Elena lifted the blanket and got under it.

“Ah, you shouldn’t get in without changing your clothes……”

Miche let out a small scream of surprise when she saw Elena get into bed still wearing her uniform.

“It’s fine.”

Elena’s voice echoed softly from under the blanket.

“I just want to be alone for a while.”

“Miss.”

Miche looked on with concern, but Elena remained still with her eyes covered by the blanket, as if asleep.

‘My mind is a mess.’

She didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone right now.

Rudfelix’s dismissal and Suharto’s seduction. Experiencing both simultaneously left her unable to think straight.

“Rest, Miss.”

With the blanket pulled up to the top of her head, Elena exhaled deeply when she heard Miche close the door.

“What is this.”

With the Grand Duchess and Crown Princess positions being thr*st at her relentlessly, she was confused and out of her mind.

She hadn’t even thought about marriage yet, but Suharto had asked if she would naturally become the Grand Duchess and offered to accept her as the Crown Princess.

That wasn’t the only reason for her confusion.

“Is the fight between two men for the throne something that won’t change no matter how much the original story is twisted?”

Just as Roina eventually met Suharto, there were things that wouldn’t change no matter how hard she tried.

“Alix hasn’t done anything wrong. He lived as the most noble of nobles. How could such a person be a villain?”

He was a refined person without any flaws except for his attempt to take the throne.

It was only sad that his entire life was denied because of a single act of rebellion.

“But it’s not completely the same either.”

The original story changed when twisted. As if knowing her predetermined fate in advance, if she made efforts to change it, small changes would follow accordingly.

Things had changed since she became Elena. The biggest change was that she stood beside the Grand Duke, who previously had no one, and received an irresistible temptation from the Crown Prince.

“I can change things, but…… the change isn’t enough to completely overturn the original story.”

Should she be happy that she could change things, or sad that even her utmost efforts only resulted in feeble fluttering?

“In the end, it means I can’t even change who will win.”

Then as the Crown Prince said, even if she became the Grand Duchess, she would soon step down.

“With bad luck, I might end up on the execution platform right alongside Rudfelix.”

She had only wished that he wouldn’t become a villain, but why hadn’t she considered the possibility that she might be dragged up there with him?

Creeak, at the sound of the door opening, Elena pushed herself deeper under the blanket.

She still needed time alone rather than talking to anyone.

The sound of heavy footsteps grew louder. Elena squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath.

‘Please just go away.’

She thought it was Rudfelix. How many men would enter Elena’s room without permission?

Despite her wish for them to leave, the bed tilted.

A hand pressed gently on her back through the blanket.

‘It’s not Alix.’