There were many things in life I could handle.

1. Balancing a tray of drinks? (Barely.)

2. Surviving another system penalty? (Debatable.)

3. Avoiding noble drama? (Absolutely not.)



But being under Duke Adrian Reinhardt's direct attention?



No. Absolutely not. Immediate rejection.



And yet, for some ungodly reason, the man kept looking at me.



At first, I thought I was imagining it.



Maybe my brain was just too aware of him after the whole "eavesdropping on Lady Vivienne" incident.



But after the third time I caught him watching me, I knew.



Duke Adrian Reinhardt was keeping an eye on me.



And I had no idea why.



~~~



It started the morning after my near-death encounter with Lady Vivienne.



I was carrying a basket of fresh linens (because apparently, I was trusted with laundry duty now) when I felt it.



That weird, heavy sensation of being watched.



I turned my head—and there he was.



Standing at the end of the hall. Arms crossed. Looking directly at me.



I froze.



He didn't move.



Neither did I.



We just... stared at each other.



For a long, awkward moment.



Finally, I did the only logical thing.



I pretended I didn't see him and scurried away as fast as humanly possible.



~~~



Later that day, I was sent to the palace library to dust the shelves (which was stupid, because books never did anything to deserve such labor).



I was happily avoiding my duties, flipping through a book about magical gardening, when I felt it again.



That weird, unsettling stare.



I peeked over the bookshelf.



And—yep.



There he was again.



Duke Adrian Reinhardt.



Seated near the window, pretending to read—but definitely keeping an eye on me.



I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.



What was his deal?



Was he waiting for me to mess up again?



Was he secretly plotting my murder?



Or—Oh gods. Did he think I was actually spying on him?!



I panicked.



I shoved the book back onto the shelf, spun around, and walked straight into the ladder.



It tipped over.



Books cascaded down like an avalanche.



And I squeaked in terror as I was buried under a pile of ancient literature.



Silence.



Then, a slow, heavy sigh.



A shadow loomed over me.



"...Why are you like this?"



I groaned from beneath the books. "It's a talent."



Strong hands gripped my arm and pulled me up effortlessly.



I blinked at Adrian in shock. "Oh. You're strong."



He gave me a deadpan look. "I'm a military commander."



"Right, right." I dusted myself off. "Thank you for rescuing me from the terrifying wrath of literature."



He ignored that. "Why were you watching me earlier?"



I gawked. "Excuse me?!"



"You saw me in the hallway," he said, expression unreadable. "And ran."



"I—" I paused. "That's completely incorrect. I walked very fast."



His eyes narrowed. "So you admit that you saw me."



I panicked. "NO. Wait. I mean—"



Adrian rubbed his temples. "Thalia."



I gulped.



"Why do you keep ending up in places you don't belong?" he asked slowly.



I crossed my arms. "Maybe you keep showing up in my places."



He tilted his head. "My office is your place?"



"...Okay, that one was my fault."



He sighed deeply, like he regretted every life decision leading up to this moment.



"You are the most suspicious maid I've ever met," he muttered.



I gasped. "That's so rude! I am incredibly normal!"



He stared at me like I had personally offended logic itself.



~~~



Unfortunately, my troubles were far from over.



Because later that afternoon, I was sent to serve tea in the Duke's office.



Of course. Of course.



[New Task Assigned: Deliver Tea to Duke Reinhardt (Difficulty: Beginner)]



I scowled at the system. "This is targeted harassment."



Mara poked my side. "Just go! He's not going to bite."



"You don't know that," I grumbled. "He's probably still plotting my demise."



Still, I had no choice.



I entered the office, carefully balancing the tray.



Adrian glanced up from his papers.



We made eye contact.



And immediately, I felt the full weight of his suspicion.



I set the tea down as fast as possible. "Here! Tea! No poison! Have a great day, sir!"



I spun on my heel—ready to escape—



But then.



Then.



He spoke.



"Sit."



I froze mid-step.



I turned back slowly. "I... what?"



He gestured to the chair across from his desk. "Sit."



Oh no.



I awkwardly perched on the edge of the chair.



Adrian studied me for a moment.



Then, he leaned back in his chair. "Tell me something, Thalia."



I gulped. "Y-Yes?"



His blue eyes locked onto mine. "What exactly is your deal?"



I blinked rapidly. "My deal?"



"Yes." He gestured vaguely. "You are... odd."



I gasped. "I am not odd! I am delightful!"



He raised an eyebrow. "You are something, certainly."



"...Is that a compliment?"



"No."



Rude.



Adrian studied me like I was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve.



"...Where did you come from?" he asked.



I panicked internally.



I couldn't just say "Oh, I was a billionaire heiress in another world before I got reincarnated as a broke maid!"



So I went with the least suspicious answer possible.



"I... uh... somewhere normal."



"...That's the most suspicious answer you could've given me."



I grinned nervously. "Thank you?"



He exhaled sharply. "You are giving me a headache."



I patted his arm. "Drink your tea. Hydration is important."



He stared at my hand like it had personally offended him.



"...Get out."



"Gladly!"



I bolted from the room.