If I had to rate my sneaking abilities, I'd give myself a solid one out of ten.



And that's only because I haven't tripped and fallen yet.



The palace was full of secrets, and I was determined to uncover them. The King was acting weird. The nobles were acting weirder. And if there was one thing I was exceptionally good at, it was eavesdropping.



...Or so I thought.



I crouched behind a decorative column, straining my ears as two noblewomen whispered nearby.



"Lady Genevieve has already spoken with the Duke."



"Then it's happening soon? Does His Majesty suspect anything?"



I leaned forward.



"It won't be long now," one of them said. "With the King's attention elsewhere, we'll have the advantage. He won't see it coming."



See what coming?



I was about to shift closer when—



"You do realize your hiding skills are atrocious."



I yelped as a hand clamped down on my shoulder.



Spinning around, I found myself face-to-face with none other than the King himself.



Oh.



Oh no.



"You—" I pointed at him. "Why are you sneaking up on me?!"



His golden eyes narrowed. "I wasn't sneaking. You're just painfully unaware."



"I am not—"



I stopped.



He was looking at me the same way one would look at a particularly slow-witted child.



"Do you honestly think you're being subtle?" he asked, crossing his arms. "You've been creeping around the palace like a lost cat for hours. I'm surprised no one's arrested you for suspicious activity."



I winced.



Okay. Maybe I wasn't the best at espionage.



But still! I was onto something!



"I was gathering information," I said, puffing up my chest. "The nobles are definitely plotting something."



The King sighed deeply. "Of course they are."



"...You knew?"



His gaze flickered with something unreadable. "Of course I knew."



I blinked. "Then—why are you letting them do it?"



He said nothing.



Instead, he turned on his heel and walked away.



And, because I apparently had no survival instincts, I followed.



We ended up in his office, where he closed the door and finally turned to face me.



His golden eyes studied me carefully before he spoke.



"If you want to stay, you need to be careful."



His voice was quieter now, more serious.



"The nobles want to use you against me, Thalia."



I swallowed.



Oh.



So it really wasn't just about jealousy.



It wasn't just because I was annoying or because I somehow caused chaos wherever I went.



They wanted me gone because I was... important?



That was new.



"...What do I do?" I asked hesitantly.



The King's expression darkened.



"You don't do anything," he said firmly. "You stay close. You don't trust anyone. And above all..."



He stepped closer, his gaze sharp.



"...You don't get caught sneaking around again."



I scowled. "That was one time."



He sighed. "Thalia, if I hadn't found you first, you'd probably be tied to a chair in some noble's estate by now."



I paled.



...Okay, maybe I wasn't cut out for the spy business.



But one thing was clear:



The palace wasn't just dangerous anymore.



It was a battlefield.