~TMPM 04~

Chapter 04

Not the demon of the Winter Palace… but demons?

Why is it plural…?

I was genuinely saddened.

“The Demon of the Winter Palace” was Cassian’s famous nickname in the original story.

The Winter Palace where he lived had been located in a remote place in the original novel, and it had a very old, bleak atmosphere.

In the original story, the Empress had deliberately given him that nickname from childhood to keep him in check. Later in the story, the nickname stuck even more because of the ruthless things he did for the protagonist, Roselita.

But now…

The Winter Palace isn’t old and run-down at all. It’s more like an elegant, well-maintained historic building.

Ever since I decided to apply for the position as Cassian’s aide, I had prepared myself not to feel sorry for him when I saw the place in person.

But contrary to my worries, it was clean, and being away from the main palace actually made it quieter and more peaceful.

It was true that the Empress had given him the nickname “Demon of the Winter Palace,” just like in the original story, but now…

“Our honor has risen even higher, Rose.”

So stop lumping me in with you!!

Cassian himself had happily embraced the nickname because he said it made handling work easier.

And for some reason, I was being grouped together with him under that nickname.

It was completely unfair.

What did I ever do? I’m the one being worked to the bone by that demon-like man.

Suppressing my gloomy feelings, I diligently began sorting documents with quick hands.

Since today was such a miserable day, I absolutely had to leave work on time!

*

For about two hours, I worked on sorting documents from the past ten years.

Since document management apparently wasn’t handled by nobles, at least the files were organized by year, so we avoided the worst-case scenario I had expected.

However, the contents of the documents themselves were truly disastrous.

After brushing dust off the thick layers covering the documents and getting my hands filthy while organizing them, I was finally freed from the archive room.

Feels like I barely passed the first checkpoint.

The real work was just beginning.

“Well then, let’s head back. At this rate, my precious aide will end up working overtime again.”

Was it just my imagination that it sounded like he was teasing me? Or was it because I desperately wanted to leave work on time?

Still, he wasn’t the type of boss who forced overtime as long as I finished my work, so I held it in and hurried after Cassian to board the carriage.

I also wanted to take off the heavy thing stuck on my head as soon as possible.

But then—

“Please, wait a moment, Your Highness!”

The ceremonial director, still unable to abandon his dignified walk, shouted and stopped us.

Damn it. Because of you, my quitting time is five minutes later.

“Th-this is far too unreasonable!”

“Hm, what do you mean?”

The director’s face was even redder than when I first opened the archive room door, while Cassian looked completely relaxed.

“Not even Your Highness, but assigning Lady Salice as the head of the ceremonial audit!!”

The director, who always chanted words like dignity, decorum, and prestige like a mantra, seemed to have forgotten all of them at this moment.

“Audit this historic ceremonial office! Even if it is for the country…”

From then on, the director began a long speech about how absurd this situation was.

Meanwhile, I quietly started counting numbers.

To calculate exactly how much work time Cassian and I were losing because of him.

“Do you understand?! If you’re going to do something unprecedented, then the person in charge should at least have the proper status! This situation shows no respect for us at all!”

Click.

The moment he finished speaking, I wrote down the exact time his speech took in my notebook.

Since my precious work time had been reduced, I was determined to inspect the ceremonial office even more thoroughly.

“First.”

“Ha! What kind of rude behavior is this, Lady Salice? I am speaking with His Highness the Prince.”

The director glared at me like he was offended by speaking to someone beneath him.

But I wasn’t someone who would be intimidated by a mere glare.

I had—

Five times—

Overtime pay on the line!

“I am the close aide of the Second Prince, and all matters are carried out under Prince Cassian’s authority, so your claim that there is no respect is unreasonable.”

“Ha, are you not listening to me?”

“Second, I clearly said when I opened the archive room that I would only accept complaints in official written form. Are you currently disregarding Prince Cassian?”

“W-what…?”

“The moment I personally opened the archive room, it was practically the same as His Highness delegating this matter to me. Surely the director of ceremonies, who is well-versed in protocol, wouldn’t be unaware of that?”

The corners of the director’s eyes trembled.

I deliberately straightened my back and spoke as if driving a nail into the matter.

“Director, let me ask you. If the person standing here were the First Prince’s aide, would you have behaved the same way?”

“H-how dare you compare the Young Lord and yourself—!”

I cut him off and smiled.

It was the exact same irritating smile Cassian made when I thought he was at his most annoying.

“Could you please submit a detailed written document explaining the difference between aides serving princes?”

I even work more than that guy.

He only comes to work three times a week.

“W-what is this…!”

“Well then, I believe I’ve answered everything. Please let us go now. You are interfering with Prince Cassian’s schedule.”

Leaving the stunned director behind, Cassian and I boarded the carriage and departed immediately.

And three seconds later—

“Y-you insolent girl who doesn’t know her place…!!”

A completely undignified voice echoed through the street.

*

“Tired, Rose?”

Of course I’m tired. As I removed the head ornament with a sulky face—very carefully—Cassian clicked his tongue.

“What a waste.”

“Excuse me?”

“I thought it suited you well.”

I think it’s like putting a pearl necklace on a pig.

Didn’t you hear what the director said?

I shot Cassian a look full of dissatisfaction, then placed the head ornament back in its case.

“Were you hurt?”

“…Excuse me?”

Why are you suddenly acting kind?

“If you were hurt—”

Cassian’s gaze deepened.

For some reason, the way he looked at me, as if searching and seeing right through me, made it hard to speak.

Well, I usually express my complaints to Cassian with my eyes anyway…

In any case, I had built up some resistance over the past year, but when he looked at me like that, I somehow felt like I had done something wrong.

The male lead was the male lead after all—his face was basically a weapon.

Even though he worked like a madman every day and I wondered when he even slept, his blond hair had never once lost its shine.

It really felt like protagonist plot armor.

And those purple eyes, which were the reason the royal family rejected him, became a weapon that made people unable to move when he looked at them like that.

For some reason, I found myself staring at his face nervously.

That perfect face that looked as if each feature had been carefully sculpted.

“—for you.”

“…Yes?”

Cassian leaned slightly closer.

I knew it. Whenever he did this, he was about to play a prank.

I knew it, but even knowing that was bad for my heart.

Because whenever he did this, all the romantic lines he said in the original novel would start popping into my head.

That’s not what this is!

And I’m not even the person he says those things to!

Watching my flustered reaction, Cassian pulled the ribbon tying my hair and loosened it, his eyes curving softly.

“I was going to give you a reward.”

“……”

“And not just any reward, Rose. A monetary reward—your favorite kind.”

With a low, teasing laugh, Cassian wrapped my loosened ribbon around his fingers and asked,

“You don’t need it?”

Seriously, this boss of mine is…

“…I need it!!”

He really was a demon.

*

Leaving work on time? Yeah right.

I already knew that became nothing more than wishful thinking when we started arguing at the ceremonial office, and just as expected, I ended up leaving work very late.

It was well past eleven.

After barely finishing my work and getting up unsteadily, Cassian stopped what he was doing and looked at me.

“Want me to take you home?”

“I’m fine.”

If you have time to be considerate like that, just do a little more work so this hellish end-of-year season ends faster.

Despite my answer, Cassian stopped working and stood up.

What a waste… The few seconds he stops working can’t even be compared to other people’s time.

“Rose.”

“Yes?”

His eyes turned serious, like he was planning another prank.

I’m not falling for it today. Falling for the male lead aura once a day is enough!

But then—

“Really, be careful on your way home. Don’t walk—take a carriage.”

For some reason, he didn’t pause dramatically but just said the main point straight out.

“If it weren’t for this time of year…”

Cassian sighed deeply and even called a royal knight for me personally.

It was only a ten-minute carriage ride—was all this really necessary?

When I looked at him like Really?, he frowned and said,

“There are a lot of idiots in this world.”

Haha, surely it’s not that serious…

*

But as if to prove my thoughts wrong—

“Hand over the woman in that carriage quietly.”

On my way home, I ran into a very low-grade kidnapper.

Is the ceremonial director a complete idiot or what?!