Jumping in to a new year with אני לדודי, the רבי invites us to a deeper understanding of אלול by asking about the "ודודי לי" part, which seems to be the opposite of what אלול is about - "אני לדודי".

The משל of המלך בשדה brings out the paradox of אלול: On the one hand it is "המלך", the king is making himself available to everyone, but on the other hand it is "בשדה", the king is not in a state of grandeur, and even the inspiration to go meet him comes from the person themself, and not from the king.