Since becoming the King's exclusive maid, my responsibilities had drastically changed.



Gone were the days of scrubbing floors, carrying heavy trays, and dealing with endless chores.



Now, my only job was to serve His Majesty.



Which basically meant:

1. Bringing him tea.

2. Managing his requests.

3. Surviving his impossible presence.



It was a cushy position.



It was also a dangerous one.



Especially when His Majesty randomly said things that almost made me drop an entire teapot.



I had just finished preparing his afternoon tea, carefully arranging the porcelain cups on the silver tray, when he suddenly spoke.



"Thalia."



I straightened immediately.



"Yes, Your Majesty?"



There was a pause.



Then, in a perfectly serious voice—



"...Sing for me."



I froze.



"...Excuse me?"



He picked up his teacup, his golden eyes calm as ever.



"I wish to hear you sing."



I gawked.



Then, realizing he was completely serious, I nearly choked on air.



"WHY?!"



The King took a slow sip of tea.



"Because I have never heard you do so."



I opened my mouth.



Then closed it.



Then opened it again.



Then—



"That's not a reason!" I blurted.



His gaze didn't waver.



"Are you refusing an order?"



I narrowed my eyes.



"...Are you abusing your authority?"



He exhaled sharply.



"Thalia."



"Your Majesty."



Silent standoff.



Then—



"Forget it," he muttered. "I'll ask another time."



I stared.



Wait.



Did he actually seem... disappointed?



For some reason, my face felt warm.



I quickly turned back to the tea, determined not to think about it.



~~~



Ever since my promotion, things had started... changing.



And somehow, I had accidentally started a movement.

1. The maids adjusted their tea-making skills to match mine.

2. They started mimicking my posture and expressions when serving.

3. I overheard one maid say, 'Thalia does it this way, so it must be correct.'



One day, I walked into the servants' quarters and overheard two junior maids whispering.



"I heard Lady Genevieve tried to humiliate her, and she still came out on top," one said.



"She must be some kind of palace genius," the other whispered back.



I choked.



PALACE GENIUS?! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!



Just when I thought my biggest problem was the palace turning me into some kind of legend, someone ruined my mood.



A servant I barely recognized approached me in the hall, expression grim.



"You should be careful," she said quietly.



I frowned. "What?"



She lowered her voice.



"People are talking about you. The King's favoritism... it's making enemies. Don't get too close, or you'll regret it."



I stared.



Then, because I was Thalia, I immediately did the most logical thing.



I stormed straight into the royal study.



"YOUR MAJESTY, SOMEONE TOLD ME TO STAY AWAY FROM YOU!"



The King slowly looked up from his documents.



"...What?"



I dramatically collapsed into a chair.



"They said I'd REGRET IT if I got TOO CLOSE!"



His golden eyes darkened.



"Who told you this?"



I froze.



Wait.



Had I just... started something bad?



The air in the room shifted.



The King's calm expression didn't change.



But the energy?



Very different.



"...Thalia." His voice was dangerously soft.



"If anyone threatens you," he murmured, "you will inform me immediately."



I blinked.



"...I just did?"



He exhaled deeply.



Then, in a tone far too gentle—



"Good girl."



I nearly died.



I turned so fast I almost knocked over the tea tray.



"I-I have to go!" I stammered. "Very busy! Many tea things to do!"



Then I ran.



Because my face was definitely on fire.



~~~



One of the unexpected downsides of being the King's exclusive maid?



I suddenly had too much free time.



And unfortunately, I got bored.



Which was how I ended up loitering in the King's office.



I had already:

1. Reorganized his bookshelf alphabetically.

2. Stolen three biscuits from his snack tray.

3. Made up a song about the King's tea addiction.



And then, because I was an idiot, I started...



Singing.



At first, I was humming softly.



Then I got carried away.



And before I knew it—



I was belting out a full song.



🎶 "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me!" 🎶



I was mid-chorus when I heard it.



A soft cough.



I froze.



Turned slowly.



And there, leaning against the doorway—



The King.



Pure silence.



Then—



"...Thalia."



I wanted to disintegrate.



"...Your Majesty."



His expression was unreadable.



Then, slowly—



"'I'm the problem, it's me?'"



I wanted to scream.



Later that night, I overheard royal attendants whispering.



"I heard His Majesty was in a strangely good mood today."



"Unbelievable."



"Did something happen?"



I buried my face in my hands.



I was never recovering from this.