There were many places I never wanted to be.

1. A battlefield. (Too dangerous.)

2. The middle of an angry noblewoman's scandal. (Too dramatic—even for me.)

3. And, most importantly, the royal quarters.



Which, of course, was exactly where I was being sent.



[New Task Assigned: Clean the Royal Quarters (Difficulty: Intermediate)]

Reminder: Failure to complete your task will result in a penalty.



I stared at the system notification. "Intermediate difficulty?! What does that even mean? Am I going to have to fight dust demons?!"



Mara winced. "Well... rumor has it the King is kind of... terrifying."



...Great.



I clutched my cleaning supplies like they were a shield and trudged toward my doom.



The royal wing of the palace was eerily quiet—a stark contrast to the bustling banquet hall from last night.



As I tiptoed through the marble corridors, I spotted two golden doors slightly ajar.



Curiosity pricked at me.



That doesn't look like a bedroom...



I glanced around. No guards. No witnesses.



Just a suspiciously open door and a very bad idea forming in my brain.



Before I could talk myself out of it, my feet betrayed me and moved forward.



One step. Then another.



I peeked inside.



A grand study filled with towering bookshelves, velvet chairs, and a massive desk covered in neatly stacked documents.



Important-looking documents.



I inched closer. Just a quick peek. Not snooping. Just... observing.



But as I leaned forward to get a better look—



A deep voice cut through the silence.



"You shouldn't be in here."



I froze.



Very, very slowly, I turned.



A man stood near the window, his gaze fixed on me.



Tall. Dark hair. Sharp, calculating eyes.



Dressed in a crisp black coat with golden embroidery, he radiated an aura of authority and quiet danger.



And even before he stepped forward, I knew exactly who he was.



King Alistair Vaelmont.



The ruler of this entire kingdom.



My soul left my body.



I opened my mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.



Words? Gone. Brain? Empty.



The King's gaze narrowed slightly. "Well?"



I panicked. "I—uh—I was just—DUSTING!"



Silence.



"...Dusting?" he repeated, unimpressed.



"Yes!" I grabbed a random book off the shelf and wiped it furiously with my sleeve. "See? Spotless! No dust at all! You're welcome, Your Majesty!"



He stared at me.



I stared back.



The tension stretched dangerously long.



Then, after what felt like a century, he sighed. "Put that book down before you drop it."



I immediately placed the book back. (Totally not upside down.)



Just as I was about to run for my life, a new voice came from the doorway.



"You're late."



A tall man entered the room—dressed in a military uniform, his silver hair tied back neatly.



I didn't know who he was, but he looked important.



And suddenly, I realized something horrifying.



I had wandered into an Important Royal Meeting.



My disastrous existence was interrupting palace business.



Kill me now.



I immediately bowed. "I—I'll be leaving now—"



Before I could escape, the silver-haired man gave me a sharp glance.



"...Is this one of your spies?" he asked the King.



I choked. "SPY?!"



King Alistair exhaled heavily. "No. She's a maid."



The silver-haired man frowned. "Then why is she in your study?"



GREAT QUESTION. I'D LIKE TO KNOW TOO.



"I—uh—got lost," I blurted.



The man did not look convinced.



At this point, I should've been dismissed.



But they kept talking.



And I was still in the room.



Which meant I was now overhearing something I definitely shouldn't.



"...The northern border is unstable," the silver-haired man said. "There are rumors of rebellion."



I froze.



Rebellion?!



The King's expression didn't change. "I've already sent Cassian to investigate."



Cassian?



...As in Lord Smugface Valenhardt?!



I stared at the King, then at the general, then at the very important-looking maps spread across the desk.



Oh.



Oh no.



I had accidentally stumbled into national security secrets.



King Alistair must have noticed my very guilty face, because he finally said, "Leave."



I saluted. (Why did I salute?!)



"Yes, Your Majesty! Right away, Your Majesty! I was never here! You never saw me! I—"



I backed up so fast, I tripped over the carpet.



CRASH.



I landed flat on my back, staring at the ceiling in horrified silence.



The King and the general stared down at me.



I prepared for imminent death.



...But instead of ordering my execution, King Alistair just sighed.



"Get out," he repeated.



I scrambled to my feet. "Yes! Of course! Leaving! Gone! Never coming back!"



I practically ran out of the study, heart pounding.



As I raced down the hall, I ran straight into someone very familiar.



Cassian.



Who steadied me before I could fall again.



"Where's the fire?" he asked, clearly amused.



I clutched his sleeves dramatically. "I almost DIED."



His golden eyes sparkled with amusement. "Did you, now?"



I nodded frantically. "The King saw me! I walked into a SECRET MEETING. They were talking about REBELLION."



Cassian blinked. Then smirked.



"So... you accidentally became a spy."



"...NO."



He laughed, clearly enjoying my suffering.



I groaned. "I need a drink."



"You're a maid. You need to get back to work."



I gasped. "How dare you use logic against me."



He patted my head. "Welcome to palace life."



I dramatically collapsed against the wall.



This job was going to kill me.