I had three goals for the day:



1. Avoid another system penalty.

2. Avoid that smug-faced nobleman with the golden eyes.

3. Figure out how to be a maid without, you know, working too hard.



Unfortunately, fate had other plans.



[New Task Assigned: Polish the Silverware (Difficulty: Beginner)]

Reminder: Failure to complete your task will result in a penalty.



I sighed, rubbing my temples. I had never polished silverware before, but how hard could it be?



I arrived at the servants' workroom, where long wooden tables were stacked with hundreds of pieces of cutlery—spoons, forks, knives, goblets, plates—all waiting to be polished.



I had never seen so many utensils in my life.



A freckled maid with curly red hair glanced up from her work. "Oh! You must be the new girl. I'm Mara."



"Thalia," I said weakly, eyeing the mountain of silverware. "Are we feeding an entire kingdom?"



Mara laughed. "It's the royal banquet tomorrow. Every noble from the capital will be here."



Oh. Great. So everyone important would witness my suffering.



"Here," Mara handed me a cloth and a small jar of polish. "Just wipe each piece with the polish until it shines."



I nodded, determined. I can do this. No system penalties today.



5 minutes later...



I was bored out of my mind.



Polishing silverware was the most tedious thing I had ever done. Wipe, polish, shine. Repeat. Forever.



I groaned, slumping over the table. "This is actual torture."



Mara giggled. "You're not used to this, huh?"



I straightened, flipping my hair dramatically. "Of course not. In my past life, I had people polish my jewelry for me."



Mara gasped. "Wait! Were you a noble in your past life?!"



Oops.



I cleared my throat. "Uh—something like that."



Before Mara could ask more, I spotted a silver goblet with an intricate royal crest on its side. It looked expensive.



"Ooooh," I murmured, picking it up. "This one must belong to someone important."



Mara paled. "Thalia, be careful with that—"



CRACK.



...Silence.



I stared at the goblet's handle, now snapped in half in my hands.



Oh no.



OH NO.



[Alert! You have broken a valuable palace item.]

[Applying Penalty...]



Before I could react, a sharp jolt ran through my hands.



"GAH—!" I yelped, dropping the goblet.



It clattered loudly, drawing the attention of every maid in the room.



Mara's eyes were huge. "DID YOU JUST BREAK A ROYAL GOBLET?!"



I opened my mouth to lie, but—



[Penalty: Hand Paralysis – Duration: 10 Minutes]



My fingers stiffened. My hands locked up completely.



I stared in horror as my own hands betrayed me.



"Thalia! Get to work!" a sharp voice snapped.



I turned to see the strict head maid from earlier—her arms crossed, eyes narrowing at me.



"I—I can't," I stammered.



She frowned. "What do you mean you can't?"



I held up my hands, completely frozen in place. "Uh... I seem to be experiencing... temporary paralysis?"



Silence.



The entire room stared at me like I had grown two heads.



The head maid pinched the bridge of her nose. "Is this an excuse to avoid work?"



I gasped, offended. "Excuse me! I'll have you know that I am suffering right now!"



Mara nudged me. "Maybe you should go see the palace healer..."



I nodded frantically. Yes. Brilliant. Get me to someone who can fix this.



The head maid sighed, waving me away. "Fine. But if I find out you're faking, you'll be cleaning the stables next."



I shuddered. "Noted."



~~~



I followed Mara through the winding halls of the palace, mentally cursing the system.



"This is the royal infirmary," Mara explained, pushing open the doors to a bright, spacious room lined with shelves of strange potions.



A young man in a white coat looked up from his desk.



Golden Eyes.



I froze in horror.



He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Well, well. We meet again."



I groaned, already regretting everything. "You? You're the palace healer?"



"I prefer 'Royal Physician,'" he said smoothly, "but yes."



Mara perked up. "Oh! You two know each other?"



I gritted my teeth. "Unfortunately."



Golden Eyes—no, Dr. Smug—gestured to my stiff hands. "And what brings you here?"



I sighed dramatically. "Tragic accident. My hands have stopped working. It's very serious."



His lips twitched. "I see. And how exactly did this happen?"



I paused. Should I tell him the truth?



...No. Absolutely not.



I straightened, feigning deep sorrow. "I... may have been cursed."



Dr. Smug snorted. "Cursed?"



"Yes," I said dramatically. "A terrible, cruel curse designed to specifically ruin my life."



Mara whispered to me, "Just tell him you broke the goblet..."



Dr. Smug smirked. "I see. Well, 'curses' are rare in this palace, but lucky for you, I can fix your problem."



He grabbed a small glass bottle from the shelf and poured a few drops onto my hands.



Warmth spread through my fingers. The stiffness faded instantly.



[Penalty Removed!]

I gasped. "My hands! I can move again!"



Dr. Smug chuckled. "Yes. Congratulations on your miraculous recovery."



I scowled. "Are you mocking me?"



"Oh, absolutely."



Ugh.



Mara leaned in, whispering. "By the way... you do know who he is, right?"



I frowned. "Annoying?"



She giggled. "He's Lord Cassian Valenhardt. The King's personal physician."



...The King's physician?!



I whipped around, gaping at him. "YOU'RE A NOBLE?!"



Cassian smirked. "What gave it away?"



This was bad.



This smug, irritating man was powerful.



And now, he knew all about my failures.



I groaned. Why does my life keep getting worse?!