After the intruder incident, I was determined to do one thing:



Stay out of trouble.



Unfortunately, the universe had other plans.



Because, unbeknownst to me, I had gained a new enemy.



And her name?



Lady Genevieve Aldrienne.



I first noticed something was off when I walked into the main hall.



The usual chatter among the noblewomen suddenly stopped.



I could feel the stares.



The whispers.



The judgment.



Then—



"Look at her," a noblewoman muttered. "Acting like she belongs here."



I paused.



Wait. Was that about me?



I continued walking, trying to ignore it.



And then—



"A mere maid, thinking she's important? Oh, how amusing," another woman whispered.



I frowned.



Okay. No.



What was going on?



Then I saw her.



Lady Genevieve Aldrienne—one of the highest-ranking noblewomen in the palace.



A woman who looked like she had never struggled a day in her life.



She was watching me with a chillingly perfect smile.



And then, without breaking eye contact—



She took her teacup... and dramatically spilled it onto the floor.



The room fell silent.



A maid rushed forward to clean it.



But Lady Genevieve?



She simply kept staring at me.



Smiling.



Like she had just declared war.



After surviving the noblewoman assassination attempt via teacup, I decided to do what any sane person would do:



Avoid all high-ranking ladies forever.



Unfortunately, before I could execute my brilliant escape plan, a royal attendant appeared.



"Thalia," he said urgently. "His Majesty has assigned you a personal guard."



I froze.



"...Excuse me?"



I was still processing that sentence when the King himself entered the hall.



His golden eyes swept the room, locking onto me immediately.



Then, with all the authority of someone who never explained his actions, he simply said:



"You require protection."



I blinked rapidly.



"I—what?"



The King gestured, and suddenly, a tall, armored knight stepped forward.



A walking mountain of muscle.



This was...



Sir Benedict Ravencourt.



A highly respected royal knight.



And my new personal guard.



Having a personal guard should have made me feel safer.



It did not.



Because Sir Benedict took his job way too seriously.

1. He followed me everywhere. (Even to the kitchens!)

2. He stood outside my quarters like a statue. (Terrifying.)

3. He intercepted everyone who tried to talk to me. (Even other servants!)



At one point—



"Sir Benedict," I sighed. "I need to go to the storage room."



He nodded.



"Of course."



Then he kicked open the door with full force.



CRASH!



Wood splintered.



A maid inside screamed.



I buried my face in my hands.



~~~



Despite my best efforts, people had started noticing me.

1. The nobles whispered about my closeness to the King.

2. The other maids secretly admired my survival skills.

3. The palace staff started... following my example?



One day, while I was preparing tea, I overheard a steward talking.



"Lady Genevieve requested imported tea from the western isles," he muttered.



Another steward scoffed. "Ridiculous. We all know Thalia makes the best tea here."



I nearly dropped my tray.



What.



And then, the real disaster.



Because the kitchen staff started making changes based on my routines.

1. Tea-making procedures were adjusted to my methods.

2. Servants started checking etiquette standards against my work.

3. Maid rankings started being judged on tea-making ability.



By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late.



I had accidentally started a movement.



And Lady Genevieve?



She hated me even more.



~~~



By the end of the week, I had:

1. A new noble enemy.

2. A terrifyingly loyal bodyguard.

3. Unintentionally influenced palace politics.



And the worst part?



Lady Genevieve was just getting started.



As I walked down the halls, I felt it—



Her icy glare.



She wasn't done with me yet.



And something told me—



I was about to face a whole new level of palace chaos.