There were many things in life I wanted.

1. To not be the subject of palace gossip.

2. To not be on the receiving end of noblewoman rage.

3. To not have a Duke suddenly noticing my existence more than usual.



But of course, all of those things were happening at the same time.



And now?



Now I was being sent into the King's quarters.



This job was going to kill me.



It all started early in the morning, when the head maid suddenly summoned me.



"You'll be working in the royal quarters today," she said briskly.



I blinked. "The... what now?"



"The King's wing. You're being assigned to assist the royal attendants."



I stared at her in horror.



"...Why?"



She tilted her head. "Why not?"



I flailed dramatically. "Because I am a walking disaster?!"



The head maid sighed heavily, already regretting this decision.



"Just don't touch anything important."



I gawked. "Ma'am, everything in the King's quarters is important."



She ignored me and waved me away.



And that was how I found myself marching to the most dangerous place in the entire palace.



As if my day couldn't get any worse, I ran into Duke Adrian Reinhardt on my way there.



Literally.



I turned a corner too fast, smacked into something solid, and nearly fell backward.



A strong hand caught my wrist, steadying me.



I looked up.



And froze.



The Duke.



Staring directly at me.



Again.



"Why," I muttered, "are you always here?"



He raised an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same thing."



I groaned. "If you must know, I've been assigned to work in the King's wing today."



He studied me for a long moment.



Then, to my absolute horror, he said—



"...Interesting."



I frowned. "No, it's really not."



"Don't break anything."



"I won't!"



He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Don't cause trouble."



"I NEVER DO THAT ON PURPOSE."



Adrian sighed.



Then, very casually, he added—



"I'll check in on you later."



I stopped walking.



I slowly turned my head.



"...Come again?"



He tilted his head slightly. "I'll stop by later."



I gawked. "WHY?!"



His expression was completely unreadable.



"...Just to be sure you're not making a mess of things."



I threw my hands in the air. "I AM AN EMPLOYEE OF THIS PALACE! I CAN FUNCTION WITHOUT SUPERVISION!"



He said nothing.



Just kept walking, calm and collected, while I stood there, rethinking all my life choices.



When I arrived at the King's private quarters, I realized something very important.



This was the most terrifying place I had ever stepped foot in.



The entire hallway was lined with guards, each standing stiff and completely silent.



The decor was even grander than the rest of the palace—deep blue carpets, golden chandeliers, and large windows that let in streams of morning light.



The other maids whispered quietly among themselves, moving carefully, as if afraid of disturbing the air itself.



I felt so out of place.



Like a feral cat accidentally let into a noble's house.



One of the senior attendants approached me.



"You," he said, eyeing me like I might be a mistake. "You're assigned to handle the study."



I brightened. "Oh! That doesn't sound so bad."



The attendant gave me a long, pitying look.



"...Don't touch the desk."



"Of course."



"Don't move anything out of place."



"Understood."



"If His Majesty enters, do not speak unless spoken to."



"Wait, what—"



Before I could ask ANY clarifying questions, he shoved a cleaning rag into my hands and disappeared.



And that was how I found myself alone in the King's study.



The study was large and intimidating, filled with towering bookshelves and a massive desk covered in neatly stacked documents.



I stared at it.



The very ominous desk.



The same kind of desk that had been a problem in the past.



I took a deep breath.



Okay, Thalia. Just dust the shelves. Stay away from the desk. Stay out of trouble.



I nodded to myself.



And immediately knocked over an ink bottle.



Ink. Spilled. Everywhere.



My soul left my body.



I stared in horror as the dark liquid spread across the desk, dangerously close to an Important Looking Document.



I lunged forward, grabbing the first cloth I could find.



It was not a cleaning rag.



It was a piece of the King's cloak.



I screamed internally.



Just as I was frantically trying to clean up the ink, the door swung open.



I froze.



And in walked the King.



Oh no.



The King of the entire kingdom stood in the doorway.



Tall. Regal. Sharp golden eyes that could kill a man with a glance.



He took one step inside.



His gaze landed directly on me.



Then, slowly, it drifted to the very obvious mess on his desk.



Silence.



A silence so thick and suffocating that I could hear the blood rushing in my ears.



I panicked.



I dropped into the world's most awkward curtsy.



And, in a moment of pure survival instinct, I blurted out—



"Your Majesty, I am here to test the defense capabilities of your study!"



Silence.



The King blinked slowly.



Then, in the most calm, terrifying voice, he said—



"...Excuse me?"



I regretted everything.