She showed a businesslike attitude towards Theon, who was looking at Ayla without saying a word with his mouth closed, as if he were displeased with the situation.

“How is the situation with Baron Noir?”

“Alright. Let’s talk about work… That’s great. There is no loyalty like this. I don’t know how you can work so well.”

Ayla, who had a hard expression on her face at his sarcastic remarks, asked the same question again.

Theon answered reluctantly, twitching one eyebrow.

“There has been nothing special except for going to the gambling house once a week. Even if he goes there once a week, most of the time he just stays in his mansion.”

“Hm… But that doesn’t mean you let down your guard, right?”

“The security has been strengthened, so you don’t have to worry. It’s weird how quiet it is after all that commotion. It would be better to meet with Baron Noir sooner rather than later.”

Ayla nodded her head as if agreeing with him.

At the same time, Theon moved his finger at Ayla as if telling her to come closer.

Ayla got up from her seat with a very annoyed expression and walked over to Theon’s desk.

As if dissatisfied with Ayla’s alert posture, standing on the edge of the desk, Theon frowned and spoke.

“Will you come a little closer?”

“…”

“I order the west palace maid, Ayla, to come closer. This is an order from the Crown Prince of the Stellen Kingdom.”

‘That’s cheap. You are abusing your power for something like this! Very good. That’s wise.’

Ayla pouted as she saw Theon speaking with a solemn expression.

Ayla, who was pretending to hate it, contrary to her heart, came a little closer to him.

As she was decreasing her distance, Theon, who was sitting on the chair, suddenly grabbed her slender waist, and brought her into his arms.

When Theon’s face, who was sitting tall, accidentally brushed against her chest, Ayla gasped and froze.

As if teasing her for being like that, Theon buried his face on her clothes and wiggled his head from side to side as if he had become a puppy.

Ayla’s cheeks were bright red at Theon’s bizarre behavior.

At the same time, she felt that her breathing was getting a little heavy.

Knock, knock, knock.

As they were maintaining their hugging position while exuding a heated atmosphere, they heard a heavy knock. Ayla struggled and hurriedly detached herself from him.

Ayla, who moved quickly to cover the documents she had been reviewing on the table, stood behind Theon at the same time that the office door opened.

It really was a close call.

Ayla, who was pretending to brew the tea as if nothing had happened, smiled awkwardly at Louis who came through the open door.

Perhaps because he felt the strange atmosphere flowing between the two people, Louis, who would have normally smiled back, had a gloomy face.

“What’s the matter?”

“Princess Ariel of the Libert Kingdom has come to visit.”

Louis, who answered Theon’s question with an unfriendly tone, glanced at Ayla, whose cheeks were dyed red, and maintained his posture.

Theon’s forehead wrinkled in an instant as he recalled the nervous Mason saying that Ariel seemed to have noticed the fact that he had been away from the palace.

“I have an important guest right now, so tell her to come later.”

“I guess that important guest is Miss Ayla. I don’t see anyone here… Is there anyone else?”

Ariel, who suddenly entered the office, looked around and shrugged while speaking.

Theon gestured at Louis, who was standing there absentmindedly and observing the situation, as if to tell him to leave.

Ariel looked around, took a seat in front of the table scattered with papers, and flicked her finger at Ayla.

“The west palace maid, Ayla, greets the Princess.”

“That’s right. Long time no see, Miss Ayla. I’m sorry, but can you please prepare a cup of warm tea?”

Ariel’s gaze at Ayla was particularly sharp.

Ariel, who was slowly examining her, stopped her gaze on Ayla’s reddish cheek and frowned lightly.

“I will prepare it.”

“It would be nice if you could prepare a sweet dessert to accompany it. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my loved one, so I think the conversation will be long.”

Unlike Theon, who snorted at Ariel speaking with a gentle smile as if pretending she didn’t do anything, Ayla’s expression was stiff.

It seems that Ariel’s specialty is to say things in advance that are not even asked about or wondered.

Even at the banquet, how she emphasized the words ‘loved one’ while speaking, the ‘I am higher than you’ look in her eyes, and the smile on her face while pretending to be kind; she didn’t like any of that.

Above all, she was in a very bad situation where she had to obey Ariel’s orders.

Ayla, who had been silently watching the two of them sitting face to face, turned around and came out of the office.

***