Chapter 42
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Role of the Aide
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Ruena took the contract and went to find her father, Grand Duke Eliad.
She was certain.
Her father would accept this contract without hesitation.
Ruena knew her father well.
Kasian Eliad, Grand Duke of Eliad.
The head of House Eliad, a ruthless politician who judged matters of profit with pure reason, unclouded by emotion.
He was generous with talent.
He welcomed anyone beneficial to the house.
To Grand Duke Eliad, talent was a resource for the house's prosperity.
Not emotion, but objective metrics.
Not individual worth, but collective efficiency.
He always evaluated talent solely on the scales of the house's benefit.
Even his own daughter, Ruena, was no exception, and she knew that well.
And,
ironically, that was
the most solid reason Grand Duke Eliad would accept Celen.
Celen Noir.
The third son of the count's family, House Noir.
Even if he didn't seem all that impressive on paper, as Celen himself had said—
her father, whose eye for talent surpassed her own, had watched Celen for over ten years. There was no way he wouldn't know the boy's abilities and value.
Ruena opened the door to the study without hesitation.
The grand duke, who had been sorting documents, looked up.
His usual impassive gaze pierced through her.
"What is it?"
"Celen has accepted my offer."
A moment of silence passed.
The grand duke took the contract and silently scanned it.
In the meantime, Ruena didn't miss the subtle stiffening of her father's expression.
Grand Duke Eliad slowly spoke.
"...Quite generous for a starting salary."
"I believe it's more than sufficient given Celen's abilities."
"...Indeed. Even the profit-savvy Count Noir showed reluctance."
Ruena smiled faintly.
As her father said, Celen was already a talent no one could deny.
Even the sharp-eyed Count Noir had recognized his son's value and hesitated to hand him over to House Eliad.
Grand Duke Eliad set the document down and said,
"Very well. As long as it doesn't harm House Eliad, there's no reason to object."
"Thank you, Father."
A smile flickered across Ruena's usually expressionless face.
It was the moment her long-held choice—and Celen's value—had been affirmed by the kingdom's foremost politician.
As she moved to wrap things up—
the grand duke's low, firm voice spoke once more.
"Let me be clear, Ruena."
"...Yes, Father."
"I hope you didn't make this decision based on personal feelings."
A cold voice.
Eyes that seemed to see right through her.
Ruena flinched for a moment but soon nodded firmly.
"Of course not. It was the best choice for House Eliad."
"Good. I trust you."
"Yes, Father."
Silence fell again.
The chill enveloping the study eased slightly.
Sensing the shift in the air, Ruena slowly raised her head.
Kasian Eliad, Grand Duke of Eliad—no, her father—was looking at her.
His gaze was a strange yet familiar blend of the grand duke's and her father's.
"Still... I'm worried on another front."
"Please don't worry, Father. This is Celen's first official role as an aide, but his practical skills are solid. Even House Noir..."
"No."
The grand duke cut her off.
Such interruptions were rare, so Ruena's eyes widened slightly.
"...Pardon?"
"What concerns me... isn't the Noir heir. It's you, Ruena."
Ruena was at a loss for words.
The remark directed at her was so unexpected.
She had devoted her entire life to being House Eliad's heir,
sacrificing everything to live up to that role.
What more could possibly trouble him?
Ruena narrowed her eyes warily.
Kasian Eliad, Grand Duke of Eliad, remained expressionless.
Yet something rippled deep in his gaze.
Ruena sensed it instinctively.
The concern of both father and grand duke.
"Ruena."
"Yes."
"Don't forget that you are House Eliad's heir."
Ruena nodded solemnly.
Without grasping the true meaning behind his words at the time. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In a different sense from before,
I was now coming and going from the Eliad estate every day.
'Ugh, I'm beat...'
My shoulders ached, but I endured.
An aide's demeanor reflected directly on their lord's dignity.
Instead, I straightened my back and walked with the measured steps befitting an aide.
For my source of income...
No, for Ruena.
Our childhood friendship had gained a new layer.
Lord and aide.
Employer and employee.
It felt worlds apart from being childhood friends.
Friends were horizontal and equal,
a soft, casual bond without formalities,
while lord and aide was a vertical hierarchy,
a suffocating position demanding work worth every coin, with no room for error.
And—
it was also a chance to see a new side of Ruena.
In the Eliad estate's conference room,
the Ruena seated there was very different from the one I knew.
Cold eyes,
expressionless face,
restrained actions and words.
All of it mirrored her father, Grand Duke Eliad.
The air in the conference room was oppressively heavy.
The exchanges between the Eliad side and the merchant representatives were all calculations and profit-loss assessments.
Amid it, Ruena responded confidently as House Eliad's heir.
"We cannot accept those terms."
"But considering labor costs and risks..."
"I understand you contracted with House Aurel for an amount similar to or slightly less than what we offered."
Ruena tossed the words out while indifferently scanning a document.
The Griffin Merchant representative fell silent.
He seemed flustered that she knew the contract details.
'Yeah, how did she find out?'
The culprit who had tipped her off with that secret info
simply handed her a few more related documents while observing.
Our eyes met.
Ruena took the documents I passed her and grinned.
'There she goes again.'
I lightly fluttered the papers I held.
Our private signal to manage her loosening facial muscles.
Recognizing it, Ruena quickly schooled her expression.
It changed fast enough not to show,
but having watched up close, I sighed inwardly.
Fortunately, the deal proceeded.
Ruena continued firmly.
"House Eliad does not engage in unprofitable trades. Reconsider the terms."
"B-but... House Aurel is a long-time patron of ours... that contract was..."
"Are you treating House Eliad as a one-off client right now?"
"N-no! That's not—!"
"If not, should we interpret it as House Eliad being inferior to House Aurel?"
Discomfort flickered across the representatives' faces.
I calmly took notes on the side, organizing the situation.
'In moments like this, she really takes after her father.'
I'd been worried inwardly,
but she was fulfilling her role as the grand duke's heir.
And—
this was the shell Ruena would have to maintain her whole life.
But...
Our eyes met again.
Ruena's expression softened slightly as she lifted the corner of her mouth.
It was an expression all too familiar to me.
'Expression.'
I mouthed it, covering my mouth with papers.
Only then did Ruena realize and recompose herself.
In the end, the deal flowed in the direction Eliad wanted.
As people filed out of the conference room,
we too headed to the study.
Back straight,
eyes forward, not to the side,
speaking only of official matters quietly as we walked the corridor.
And, arriving at the study.
The moment the door closed—
Ruena threw herself into my arms like she'd been waiting.
"Hwaaaah, I thought I was gonna die—."
"Yeah, yeah. Good work."
I familiarly stroked her hair.
Her unique scent and the soft texture of her hair subtly eased my mind.
Ruena, nestled in my arms, grinned and rubbed her cheek against me.
"Hehe, thanks to you, Celen, the deal totally swung our way. How on earth did you find out about the Aurel contract terms?"
"Trade secret."
"Uuu, that's not fair."
Ruena's cheeks puffed out.
I chuckled and brewed herbal tea as usual.
Today's dessert,
the flavor she liked,
carefully selected with her mood in mind.
As expected, it suited her taste; she smiled brightly while savoring the tea.
Then she took a bite of a cookie.
Strawberry jam cookies, her favorite—and baked by me.
"Mmm, so happy—!"
"Hey, eat without spilling. Crumbs everywhere."
"But... fussing over that ruins the taste!"
"Sigh..."
A sigh escaped at her utterly shameless attitude.
But what could I do?
Hired as both an aide and a janitor.
I meticulously cleaned up every mess she made.
"I don't even know if I'm an aide or a janitor anymore."
"Ehehe—."
"I won't complain about spills, but chew properly. Don't wolf it down."
"Okaay."
At least she listened well.
Ruena slowed her eating pace and chewed thoroughly.
'Good enough.'
As I cleaned the crumbs and stood,
something popped into my mouth.
"You too, Celen."
"Ah..."
"It's better shared."
"...True."
I savored the strawberry jam cookie Ruena offered.
Lord and aide.
Employer and employee.
A somewhat rigid relationship had been added between us,
but like the strawberry jam inside the firm cookie, something that still made us smile remained unchanged between us.