The corridor was quiet. That was good.
I leaned against one of the tall marble pillars, watching the servants move about their duties like shadows that didn't want to be seen. Heads lowered. Steps light. Presence… erased.
Perfect. I didn't need someone bold. I needed someone fragile.
My eyes settled on a girl near the far end of the hallway. A maid—young, probably new. She moved stiffly, her hands trembling slightly as she adjusted a vase that was already perfectly aligned. She seemed scared, her every movement dictated by the invisible pressure of this palace.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elena. She had come from her room after changing her clothes and was turning the corner, walking right into my stage.
Perfect timing.
I pushed myself off the pillar and walked toward the maid. Each step echoed just enough. Not loud. Just enough to be noticed. The moment she realized I was approaching, her entire body froze. Her shoulders tensed, and her head dipped even lower, like a rabbit pretending the wolf hadn't seen it.
I stopped in front of her but she didn't look up.
"Y-Young Master…" her voice came out small, almost swallowed by the air.
I didn't respond immediately. Silence stretched. Pressure built. Then—
"You haven't eaten properly, have you?"
Her head snapped up slightly, confusion breaking through the fear. "…I—I beg your pardon?" Her eyes met mine for a fraction of a second before dropping again.
I stepped even closer and she stiffened.
"Your hands are shaking," I said calmly, reaching out before she could react. My fingers brushed against her wrist. Cold. Thin. She flinched but didn't pull away.
"Working on an empty stomach makes you sloppy," I continued, my tone even, almost indifferent. "And sloppy servants get punished in this house."
It sounded shallow. Cheap, even. But it wasn't meant for her. It was for the audience watching from the shadows.
"I—I'm sorry, Young Master! I—"
"Relax." My grip shifted slightly, just enough to stop her spiral. "I'm not the one punishing you."
I lifted her chin lightly with two fingers. Just enough to make her look at me. Her breath hitched. Up close, the fear in her eyes wasn't just fear—it was disorientation. Like the world had suddenly tilted in a direction she didn't understand.
"Next time," I said quietly, "eat first. Then work."
"…Y-Yes…" Her voice was barely a whisper.
And as soon as she answered, the air behind me shifted. It became sharp and heavy.
I didn't turn. I could feel it. Elena. She was standing right behind me.
"Rio."
Her voice cut through the corridor like a blade. Cold. Controlled. But underneath, there was something else—a jagged edge of disbelief and something that felt suspiciously like a territorial spike.
I released the maid slowly, letting my hand fall as if nothing important had just happened. Then I turned.
Elena stood a few meters away, her posture rigid. Her crimson eyes were locked onto me before flicking, just for a fraction of a second, to the maid. The girl almost collapsed under that gaze.
"Something wrong?" I asked casually.
Elena's jaw tightened. "What are you doing?"
I tilted my head slightly. "Talking."
Her eyes narrowed. "To her?"
The way she said it wasn't just confusion or anger. It was sharper, a sting of something that looked a lot like jealousy.
I let out a quiet breath, almost amused. "Yes," I said. "Is that forbidden too?"
The maid took a shaky step back, clearly sensing the tension but not understanding it. "P-Princess Elena, I—"
"Leave."
The word wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a royal command. The maid didn't hesitate. She bowed so fast she nearly lost her balance, then hurried away, her footsteps uneven as she vanished down the corridor.
Silence followed. And Elena's gaze snapped back to me, hardening into something brittle.
"What do you think you were doing?" she demanded. "Getting physical with a maid? I thought you changed... But you're still just a..."
She didn't even finish her sentence. She stopped, staring at me for a second longer with a distant, hollow look—like she was watching a hero in her mind crumble into ash. Disappointment rolled off her in waves, thick and stifling.
"Why would it matter to you?" I asked, my voice flat, almost bored.
My plan was simple. Yesterday, I made her angry. To erase that, I couldn't just apologize; I had to drown it in a different kind of intensity. I needed her. I couldn't have Aries or Laila sending waves of pure malice toward me without someone like Elena to provide the positive counterweight.
I took a step toward her, watching her eyes widen as I invaded her personal space—the same way I had with the maid, but this time, the pressure was intentional.
"Are you disappointed, Elena? Or are you just frustrated because you can't categorize me anymore?"
"That's not what—" she started, her face flushing.
"Is it because I touched her?" I interrupted, my hand reached out, mirroring the gesture I'd used on the maid, but I stopped my hand just inches from her own chin.
"But why do you care?" I asked, my voice barely a murmur. I let the silence stretch for a heartbeat before dropping the hammer. "It's not like you're my girlfriend."
Elena stepped back slightly. The words seemed to physically hit her. The disappointment in her eyes flickered, clashing violently with the bluntness of my remark.
She looked at my hand, still hovering inches from her face, then back to my eyes. Her breath hitched just like the maid, but with ten times the intensity.
[EMOTIONAL OVERLAP DETECTED]
[POSITIVE: ATTACHMENT / CONCERN / CARE]
[NEGATIVE: JEALOUSY / IRRITATION / GUILT / CONFUSION]
[RESONANCE STABILITY: 5.2% → 6.8% → 7.5% (INCREASING RAPIDLY)]
[NOTICE: DUAL-FEED STATE ACHIEVED]
The warmth didn't just spread this time; it surged. By blurring the lines between her protective sisterly instinct and her wounded pride, I was siphoning energy from both sides of the scale simultaneously.
Well, I didn't know that. I just wanted to make her confused... It works too? Noted.
"You're a mess, Elena," I whispered, pulling my hand back and stuffing it into my pocket as if the moment meant nothing to me.
The weight in her gaze was heavy enough to crack the floorboards, but I didn't give her the satisfaction of a reaction. I started to walk away. As I passed her, I leaned in just enough for my shoulder to brush hers.
"Decide what I am to you before acting like you care."
Behind me, Elena didn't move.
Her hand slowly rose… stopping just inches from where I had stood.
"…What are you becoming…?" she whispered.