The Obsidian Palace was quiet in the morning, but Elena didn't like the silence. As Ethan's personal secretary, she liked to know everything that happened in the meeting between Ethan and the council. She walked toward the gym to talk to Ethan before he started his workout.
As she turned the corner, the door opened and Elara walked out. Elara's face was a bit red from the heat inside. She was holding a tray with a used towel and an empty glass. When she saw Elena, she gave a polite bow.
"Good morning, Miss Elena," Elara said calmly.
Elena didn't say anything. She looked at Elara, then at the gym door. She felt jealousy bubbling up in her heart. She wondered what a house manager was doing alone with her beloved. Elena thought Elara shouldn't be near Ethan when he was resting.
"What were you doing in there?" Elena asked. Her voice was cold and harsh.
"Mr. Benjamin finished his workout. So, I was just cleaning up his drink and giving him a fresh towel," Elara answered without any fear; she just acted like she was only doing her work.
"Next time, send a junior maid," Elena snapped. "You have a whole palace to run. Don't waste your time doing small chores for the boss."
"I like to do it myself to make sure everything is perfect for him," Elara said quietly but firmly.
Elena shook with anger because Elara calmly and logically answered her. So, she decided to make Elara's life hard. If Elara wanted to be "perfect," Elena would give her so much work she wouldn't have time to see Ethan at all.
Elena pulled a tablet out of her bag. "I looked at the list for the party coming up. It's a mess," Elena lied. "I need you to go count everything by hand: the wine, the silver, and the medicine. I also want a new cleaning plan for the guest rooms—they need to be cleaned every hour. I want the report on my desk by noon."
This was way too much work. It usually took three people all day to do this. Elena expected Elara to cry or complain.
Instead, Elara just nodded. "I understand. I will get it done."
Elena smiled as she watched Elara walk away. She thought she had finally gotten Elara, the troublemaker, out of the way. But Elena didn't realize how smart Elara actually was with level-14 intelligence.
At 11:30 AM, Elena was sitting in her office feeling smug. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Elara walked in. She looked very neat and relaxed. She put a folder on the desk.
Elena opened the folder. Everything was perfect. Every bottle of wine, its brand, and every piece of silver was listed correctly. Elara hadn't just finished the work; she had done it better than anyone else.
Elena's face flushed with embarrassment. She realized she couldn't beat Elara by giving her more work. Elara was like a machine.
Just then, the office intercom turned on. It was Ethan. "Elena, bring the files to my study. Bring Elara, too. I have a new project for her."
Elena bit her lip. Her plan had failed. Elara wasn't tired, and now Ethan wanted to see her again. As they walked to the study, Elena realized that Elara was a much bigger threat than she had thought.