There were many things I had accepted about my life.

1. Tea-making was now my main personality trait.

2. A nobleman was actively trying to figure me out.

3. A certain high-ranking nobleman (Duke Adrian) was going to hate every second of this.



And now?



Now I had to personally serve the King his tea.



Immediate rejection.



~~~



I barely had time to recover from the noble gathering when a royal attendant approached me.



"The King requests your presence in his study," he said.



I froze.



"...Me?"



He gave me a blank stare. "Yes."



I pointed at myself. "Are you sure?"



His expression didn't change. "Yes."



"Like, very sure?"



He sighed. "Yes."



I gulped.



I was so not ready for this.



The royal study was exactly how I remembered it—large, intimidating, and full of things I was afraid of breaking.



At the center of the room, behind an immaculate desk, sat the King.



Majestic. Regal. Terrifying.



I kept my head low, avoiding his sharp gaze.



"Y-Your Majesty," I greeted, keeping my voice steady.



There was a long pause.



Then, he tilted his head slightly.



"You are the maid responsible for the tea at the noble gathering?"



I nodded quickly. "Yes, Your Majesty."



Another pause.



Then—



"You will prepare my tea now."



I blinked rapidly.



"...Right now?"



The King raised an eyebrow.



I internally screamed.



I moved carefully, setting up the tea tray with slow, precise movements.



My hands were steady, but my soul was screaming.



This was a test.



And if I messed up, I was probably going to disappear from existence.



I poured the tea, making sure it was absolutely perfect.



Then, I stepped back.



The King lifted the cup.



Took a sip.



A very long, slow sip.



The silence was unbearable.



Then, he set the cup down.



And simply said—



"...Acceptable."



~~~



I nearly collapsed from relief.



The King was not displeased.



Which meant I was not going to be executed for improper tea-making.



"...Thank you, Your Majesty," I said quickly.



The King eyed me for a moment.



Then, as if dismissing my entire existence, he turned back to his paperwork.



I immediately took that as my cue to leave.



But just as I turned—



"Wait."



I froze.



The King's voice was calm, unreadable.



"I will expect you to handle my tea from now on."



I internally screamed.



~~~



After barely surviving my first direct encounter with the King, I thought I could finally relax.



I was wrong.



Because the moment I stepped back into the palace hallways, someone was waiting for me.



A tall nobleman with dark hair and piercing eyes.



Lord Damian Roschester.



I immediately regretted walking this way.



He tilted his head, amused. "You look nervous."



I forced a smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about."



His gaze lowered slightly.



"...So, you're truly the King's tea maker now?"



I hesitated. "Uh... it seems that way."



Lord Damian took a slow sip of his own tea—which I did not make for him, by the way.



Then, he smiled.



"Interesting."



"You must have quite the talent," Lord Damian mused.



I waved my hands frantically. "Oh, not at all! Just—uh—completely average skill! Very normal! Nothing impressive here!"



His eyes gleamed with amusement.



"...Perhaps I should request you for my own gatherings."



I gawked.



"NO—WAIT—"



He chuckled. "I'd like to see just how refined your skills truly are."



I internally collapsed.



This man was testing me.



And worse?



He was enjoying it.



~~~



As if my day couldn't get any worse, a familiar icy voice suddenly cut in.



"...What is going on here?"



I whipped around.



And there he was.



The high-ranking nobleman aka Duke Adrian who never seemed to leave me alone.



He stood there, arms crossed, looking very unamused.



Lord Damian smirked slightly. "Ah. I was just congratulating her on her new position."



Duke Adrian's gaze darkened slightly.



"The King's tea maker?"



I nodded weakly. "Yes?"



He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.



I frowned. "What?"



"You." He gestured at me vaguely. "Why do you keep getting yourself into things?"



"I DON'T KNOW!" I threw my hands in the air. "IT JUST HAPPENS."



He pinched the bridge of his nose.



"...Unbelievable."



Lord Damian watched the exchange with great interest.



Then, he grinned.



"...You seem concerned."



Duke Adrian stiffened slightly. "I am simply questioning her competency."



I gasped. "That's so rude!"



He ignored me.



Lord Damian chuckled.



"Well," he mused, "if she's truly incompetent, then I suppose I should help guide her."



I froze.



The other noble's eyes narrowed dangerously.



Lord Damian simply smiled.



And just like that, I knew.



I was now stuck between two terrifying noblemen.



And neither of them were planning on leaving me alone.



[New Passive Effect: Noble Interest (Lv.1)]

For some reason, high-ranking nobles keep paying attention to you. This may lead to unexpected developments.



I screamed internally.