At this point, I had come to accept that the palace thrived on gossip.



Unfortunately, that meant I was the hot topic of the moment.



"Did you hear? The King is personally training his exclusive maid."



"I heard she spends all her time with him! Day and night!"



"Just what kind of training is it?"



I overheard a group of maids whispering about it in the hallways, eyes wide with curiosity. One even dramatically fanned herself, as if she were scandalized.



Meanwhile, I stood behind them, sipping my tea.



I could've corrected them.



I could've shut down the rumors entirely.



But...



I wasn't about to stress myself over it.



Wrinkles were a real concern.



And given that I had no access to aesthetic clinics, dermatologists, or high-quality skincare products in this world, I needed to maintain my beauty naturally.



So instead of getting mad, I flipped my hair and gracefully walked past the gossiping maids like an untouchable queen.



"Let them talk," I murmured to myself. "I refuse to age prematurely."



~~~



For the past few days, I had glued myself to the King.



And honestly?



It was great.



For me.



Not for him.



"What is it now?" he sighed as I plopped down on the couch in his office, watching him work.



"Oh, nothing," I replied, sipping my tea. "Just making sure no scheming noblewoman tries to murder me today."



The King didn't look up. "That is what the guards are for."



"But are they really as effective as me breathing down your neck all day?"



He exhaled through his nose.



I grinned.



"I should just make you my shadow at this point," he muttered.



I gasped dramatically. "What an honor!"



He rolled his eyes.



This was fun.



~~~



You had to admire Lady Genevieve's dedication to ruining my life.



Today's scheme?



Spilling an entire bowl of soup on me.



How original.



It happened at a formal luncheon, right when I was finally enjoying some expensive noble cuisine. Lady Genevieve "accidentally" tripped, sending a bowl of hot soup straight toward me.



My instincts kicked in.



I dodged.



...Too well.



Somehow, in the chaos of my last-minute dodge, I twisted, spun, and—



"WOAHHH!"



—completely cartwheeled out of the way.



Silence.



Everyone stared.



Lady Genevieve's jaw dropped.



The soup splattered harmlessly onto the floor.



I stood there, panting slightly, my arms still raised like a gymnast who had just nailed a perfect landing.



A single notification rang in my head:

New Skill Acquired: Agile Reflexes!



...Wait.



Did I just level up because of soup?



Lady Genevieve's eye twitched.



"This isn't over," she hissed.



I smirked. "Oh, I know."



~~~



With the King busy with paperwork (again), I needed alternative entertainment.



So, naturally, I hunted down Duke Adrian.



He was reading in the library when I found him, looking all serious and broody as usual.



"Heyyyyy, Duke Adrian," I greeted, plopping down beside him.



His eye twitched. "Why are you here?"



"Can't I visit a friend?"



"You don't visit friends. You visit people to annoy them."



I gasped. "How rude!"



He turned a page, ignoring me.



I leaned closer. "Whatcha reading?"



"Politics."



"Boring."



"Go away."



I poked his arm.



He ignored me.



I poked him again.



Still ignored.



Time for drastic measures.



I gasped dramatically and clutched my chest. "Oh, Duke Adrian! I have something very important to tell you!"



He finally sighed and looked at me. "What?"



I grinned.



"Your hair is a mess."



Adrian's eye twitched violently.



"I hate you," he muttered.



"Aw, I love you too, Duke Adrian."



I was thoroughly enjoying myself—until I felt a chill in the air.



Slowly, I turned my head.



The King was standing at the entrance of the library.



Staring.



At me.



And he did not look happy.



"...Your Majesty," I greeted, suddenly very aware of how close I was sitting to Adrian.



"Thalia." His voice was dangerously calm.



I gulped.



He took slow, deliberate steps toward us.



Adrian, to his credit, merely sipped his tea, unfazed.



I, on the other hand, panicked.



"Your Majesty! Fancy seeing you here!" I laughed nervously.



The King stared at Adrian. Then at me. Then at Adrian again.



"...Am I interrupting something?"



I squeaked.



Adrian smirked.



The traitor.



"Oh, not at all," Adrian said smoothly. "Thalia was just enjoying my company."



My soul left my body.



The King's golden eyes darkened.



"Oh?"



I waved my hands frantically. "He's joking! Totally joking!"



The King was not convinced.



"...You seem very comfortable with Duke Adrian," he said coldly.



I felt sweat forming on my back.



"Comfortable?" I forced a laugh. "Oh, no, no—Duke Adrian and I are just casual acquaintances! Barely friends! Hardly even coworkers!"



Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Wow. That's cold."



The King stepped closer.



I stepped back.



"...Thalia," he said slowly.



"Yes, Your Majesty?" I gulped.



"Do you want to know what I think?"



"No, Your Majesty."



"I think—"



"Actually, I do have something important to say!" I blurted.



The King narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"



I took a deep breath.



Then—



I poked his chest.



"...Your hair is also a mess."



Silence.



Dead silence.



Adrian choked on his tea.



The King just stared at me.



Oh no.



Oh no.



I had gone too far.



"Uh..." I slowly backed away. "I'll just... see myself out?"



The King smiled.



It was not a nice smile.



"...Thalia," he said smoothly.



"Yes?"



"You're stuck with me for the rest of the day."



I screamed.