The morning of my leave extension, I was enjoying the luxury of being wrapped in fluffy blankets when—



BANG.



The door swung open violently.



A grinning menace entered.



"Thalia!" Cassian declared. "Your personal Royal Physician has arrived!"



I stared.



"...Since when you became my personal physician?"



Cassian smirked. "Since five minutes ago."



I sat up instantly.



"GET OUT—"



"NO CAN DO."



He strode forward, holding what looked like...

- A bottle of wine?

- A dagger??

- A cloth napkin???



I squinted.



"...Are you planning to heal me or assassinate me?"



Cassian grinned.



"Both are options."



I tried to flee, but Cassian pinned me down effortlessly.



"Let's check that elbow of yours!" he said cheerfully.



I screamed.



"I HATE YOU!"



"That's just the pain talking," he cooed.



After five minutes of struggling, Cassian finally let me go.



With his so-called medical skills, he had managed to:

1. Bandage my elbow like it was a fatal wound.

2. Spill wine on my blanket.

3. Make me regret my entire existence.



The door suddenly creaked open.



The King stood there.



Golden eyes cold and unreadable.



Then—



He looked at Cassian's so-called 'treatment.'



Then at me, wrapped up like a mummy.



And finally—



"...Why is she in a full-body bandage?"



Cassian beamed.



"She'll live!"



The King exhaled slowly.



Then, in a flat voice—



"Get out."



Cassian patted my head, whispered, "Stay strong," and fled before the King could throw him out personally.



~~~



After surviving Cassian's nonsense, I decided to enjoy the rest of my leave.



But...



There was a problem.



The King.



Or, more specifically—



The fact that he kept appearing out of nowhere.



Day One: I caught him peeking into my room.

Day Two: I caught him watching me eat my soup.

Day Three: I caught him pretending to 'pass by' as I took a nap.



On the fourth day, I'd had enough.



The moment I sensed his presence, I threw my pillow at the door.



"YOUR MAJESTY, I CAN SEE YOU!"



The King calmly walked inside.



"...Go back to resting."



I narrowed my eyes.



"Why do you keep checking on me? Be honest."



A pause.



Then, smoothly—



"...Because you might do something reckless."



I gasped.



"Me? Reckless?!"



"Yes."



"I AM A DELICATE FLOWER!"



"That's the problem."



I dramatically collapsed onto my bed.



"Then just give me more vacation time, and I won't be reckless."



The King exhaled deeply.



"...You already got an extension."



"But I need more."



He glanced at me.



I activated my ultimate weapon.



Puppy eyes.



There was silence.



A battle of wills.



Then—



"...Fine. Three more days."



I internally screamed in victory.



And then—



[New Skill Unlocked: Persuasion (Lv.2)]

Your ability to convince others has slightly improved!



The King narrowed his eyes.



"...Why are you smiling?"



I quickly wiped the grin off my face.



"No reason, Your Majesty!"



~~~



After days of relaxation, I was finally granted leave to visit my parents.



There was just one problem.



The King sent an entire squad of knights to 'escort' me.



When we arrived at my family's tiny mansion, my mother took one look at the knights—



Then looked at me.



"...Are you the victim or the criminal?"



I sighed. "Victim!"



She squinted. "Are you sure?"



"...Mostly."



Despite being a noble family by name, our wealth was... questionable at best.



I stared at our house with a critical eye.



If an earthquake hit, it would probably self-destruct.



Then I turned to my parents.



They looked exactly like my parents from my previous life.



The only difference?



They were affectionate.



In my first life, my parents had been busy with work, barely present.



But here—

- My mother hugged me tightly.

- My father ruffled my hair.

- They actually worried about me.



And for the first time in both my lives...



I felt truly cared for.



Since the King had given me an advance salary (plus hazard pay)—



I handed all the money to my parents.



My mother gasped.



My father blinked rapidly.



And then—



"IS THIS REAL?!" my mother shrieked.



"IS OUR DAUGHTER SECRETLY MARRIED TO ROYALTY?!"



"WHAT?!" I choked. "NO!!"



My father sobbed dramatically.



"WE CAN FINALLY FIX THE ROOF!!"



My mother grabbed my hands, shaking me.



"Is this a sign we are finally moving up in life?!"



"NO!" I protested.



But it was too late.



Plans for renovations had already begun.



That evening, my parents took me to a fancy restaurant as thanks.



Everything was perfect.



Until—



I overheard a conversation.



Two well-dressed nobles sat at a nearby table.



Their voices low but urgent.



"The plan failed," one whispered. "She was rescued too quickly."



"We need another approach," the other muttered. "The King is unpredictable. We must be careful."



My blood ran cold.



They're talking about me.



My kidnapping wasn't random.



It was part of something much bigger.



And just like that—



My peaceful vacation was over.