I woke up on a cold stone floor.



It was damp, it was musty, and it smelled like a medieval version of a janitor's closet.



Which was not acceptable.



For one, I was a palace maid, not a basement goblin.



Second, I was used to clean sheets, warm tea, and a perfectly made bed.



And third—



Whoever kidnapped me was about to deeply regret their life choices.



I sat up slowly, taking in my surroundings.

1. Rusty iron bars.

2. A dimly lit underground chamber.

3. Shady-looking men standing guard.



Classic kidnapping dungeon vibes.



Could have at least decorated.



A man in dark robes stepped forward.



"Ah. You're awake."



I squinted at him.



"...Unfortunately."



He ignored my sass and crouched down.



"You must have questions," he said smoothly.



I tilted my head.



"Hmm. Yes."



Then—



"Who kidnapped me? Why does this place smell like wet socks? And do you have tea?"



The man's eye twitched.



"We kidnapped you because of your closeness to the King."



I scoffed.



"Ugh, not this again. Can't you people be original?"



He glared.



"We need leverage over him. And you seem to be quite... important to His Majesty."



I blinked.



Then burst into laughter.



"Me? Important?!"



I wiped away a fake tear.



"Wow. I didn't realize pouring tea and getting bullied by nobility made me a high-value target."



The kidnapper's patience was visibly crumbling.



He sighed sharply.



"Regardless, you'll remain here until His Majesty—"



I held up a hand.



"Hold on. What is this aesthetic? It's giving rotting dungeon realness."



I gestured vaguely around me.



"The chains? Rusty. The air? Damp and uninspired. The walls? Crumbling."



The kidnapper twitched violently.



"This isn't—"



I pointed at the single candle in the room.



"And what is that?! Mood lighting?! Pathetic."



The man turned to one of his guards.



"Lock her in and leave."



"But, sir—"



"NOW."



And that was how I got myself abandoned in a dungeon.



Which, honestly?



Fair reaction.



~~~



After an hour of banging on the bars dramatically, I realized—



I had made one crucial mistake.



I had no audience.



Which was unacceptable.



So I sighed deeply, sat back down, and muttered—



"If only I had a tragic love story to pass the time."



A soft cough echoed from a cell across from mine.



A rough-looking man with tired eyes stared at me.



"...Do you know any?"



I grinned.



"Oh, you poor, poor souls. Do I know any?"



And so—



I launched into a full dramatic retelling of a romance movie from my past life.



"A forbidden love, torn apart by war... two hearts that beat as one, yet fated to be separated..."



By the time I was midway through, at least four other prisoners were listening intently.



One of them even wiped away a tear.



"This is so tragic," a burly man sniffled.



"Tell me, do they ever confess?!" another prisoner asked desperately.



I sighed dramatically.



"Ah, but fate is cruel, my dear audience..."



The prisoners leaned forward.



And then—



I paused suddenly.



"...Actually, can I get some water? Talking for this long is exhausting."



One of the other prisoners immediately turned to the guards.



"HEY! THE GIRL NEEDS WATER!"



The kidnappers, who had been trying to ignore me for hours, looked absolutely done.



~~~



Back at the palace, things were...



Chaotic.



First, the senior maids noticed.



"Where is Thalia?"



"She was supposed to check the royal study an hour ago!"



"Maybe she's still on her day off?"



Then, the knights got involved.



"She never returned?"



"That's unusual. She never misses her shifts."



"Maybe she stayed in the market longer?"



And then, the King found out. And that was when things got serious.



His Majesty's Study.



The air was suffocatingly tense.



The King sat at his desk, eerily silent, fingers tapping against the wood.



His golden eyes were unreadable.



Then, finally—



He spoke.



"...Find her."



The room stiffened.



Knights immediately bowed and scattered.



Cassian, standing nearby, looked pale with rage.



"We don't even know where she—"



The King's gaze snapped to him.



"Then we start turning over the entire city."



Cassian hesitated.



"...Are you saying—"



The King's expression darkened.



"Whoever took her," he murmured, "they are about to regret it."



His golden eyes gleamed dangerously.



"I will burn this kingdom to the ground if I must."



Cassian exhaled sharply.



Then, unsheathing his sword, he turned to the knights.



"You heard His Majesty."



"We're bringing Thalia home."



Meanwhile—



Back in the dungeon, I was still dramatically narrating my romance story.



"And THEN, he confessed... in the rain!"



The prisoners gasped.



I sighed dramatically.



"Ah, true love..."



I had no idea that, at that very moment—



The King was about to declare war on my kidnappers.



And that this entire city was about to descend into chaos.



Because, apparently—



I was important after all.