Within five days, my plan to find the source of the First Queen was thwarted, and I was inevitably headed to the First Prince’s palace, inwardly repeating ‘damn it’ over and over.

‘What good is knowing the original story when nothing goes as planned!’

Perhaps because the character of Reneola Violet was originally meant to have a pigeon ending and exit early, I couldn’t guess at all the impact that would derive from the original story’s progression.

Though I was defusing each moment with wit and quick thinking, the situation kept getting more complicated like climbing one mountain after another.

‘It’s not like I’m a mayfly.’

If I had known it would be like this, I should have only read bright and healing novels usually.

As I was inwardly sighing with regret, I belatedly noticed Floria calling me.

“Yes? Did you call for me?”

I quickly raised my head and Floria tilted hers.

“What were you thinking about so deeply?”

Floria had a displeased look, as if daring to think of other things in her presence offended her.

“I apologize, Your Highness. As I was about to enter the First Prince’s palace, I got worried without realizing it.”

I hurriedly bowed my head in apology.

“I see. I understand.”

Floria looked at me with pity.

“I feel bad for burdening you with such a big task, elder sister.”

As if. I inwardly scoffed.

Though I was now used to Floria’s detestable acting, perhaps because I had been confined to a dark room for days, managing my expressions was particularly difficult today.

Though Ginger had carried it out, I knew full well whose influence was behind it all.

“They say the First Prince is a frightening person, but you’ll do well, elder sister. Because you’re smart and wise.”

Floria spoke well, with a look in her eyes that belittled me as stupid. I inwardly took a deep breath.

“Thank you for believing in me. I will definitely extract information about the First Prince for Your Highness.”

“Thank you, elder sister. But… I haven’t seen you for a few days and your complexion looks quite poor. Did something happen?”

Ha. This is mockery.

But if I fall for that provocation here, all the acting I’ve done so far will be for naught.

‘What should I do…’

As I was debating whether to tattle to Floria about being locked in the dark room or to bury it, I chose the former.

After going through such an ordeal, not telling her didn’t seem to fit Reneola’s character.

I furrowed my brows as if wronged.

“Actually…”

Floria covered her mouth with her hand in feigned shock after hearing my story.

“Oh my, I thought you were busy since you hadn’t visited for a few days, but I had no idea such a thing happened. How distressing it must have been. Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine now. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”

“What’s there to thank? It’s only natural to worry about family.”

Floria came closer and took my hands.

“Please make sure they receive proper punishment, Your Highness. I was so scared in that room. If I had been there any longer, I would have suffocated to death.”

As I sniffled with tears flowing, Floria patted my hands.

“I knew you were having trouble adapting, but I never imagined such a thing would happen. I’m worried you might experience something similar at the First Prince’s palace.”

Floria, who had been pretending to ponder, suddenly lifted me up as if she’d had a good idea.

“Come this way, elder sister.”

The place she took me was in front of a birdcage with two pigeons sitting side by side. Suddenly, an ominous feeling came over me.

‘Why these damn pigeons all of a sudden?’

As I looked at the pigeons tilting their heads back and forth with distaste, Floria dropped a bombshell.

“Take these children with you.”

“…Pardon?”

“They may not look it, but they’re extremely intelligent and affectionate. There’s no one familiar at the First Prince’s palace, not even me, and all the palace people are strangers, so you’ll have no one to rely on. They’re both very loving, so they’ll surely be a comfort.”

“…I appreciate your concern, but how could I possibly dare to take Your Highness’s…”

“It would put my mind at ease.”

Floria gripped my hand tightly. I could feel her unwillingness to accept refusal.

‘So you’re determined to send watchers with me after all?’

As expected, she doesn’t trust me one bit. I inwardly clicked my tongue.

“I can only express my deepest gratitude for Your Highness’s kind consideration.”

I sniffled as if moved. In truth, I did feel like crying a bit. Damn it.

As I left the room with the two pigeons, I flicked away the tears clinging to the corners of my eyes with my fingers.

Making my face look perfectly fine as if I had never cried, the maids standing outside the door gasped in astonishment.

“Oh my, look at how her face completely changed.”

“She’s truly detestable.”

I turned my eyes to the disgusted maids. Ginger, whom I had been looking for since last night, was also with them.

“Well, seeing how she’s perfectly fine even after being locked in that room, she’s certainly no ordinary tough cookie.”

The maids giggled.

“The First Prince’s palace will be even harder to endure than the dark room, so I hope we can see you perfectly fine next time too, Miss Violet.”

Eileen sneered. I glared at them with narrowed eyes.

Then I strode towards them purposefully. The maids and Ginger flinched and stepped back. Fear blossomed on their faces as I drew closer.

“Why, why are you coming closer again!”

“If you come any closer, I’ll scream!”

I glared at them as they backed up against the wall with nowhere else to retreat.

It’s a shame I can’t immediately repay this deep-seated grudge because I have to go to the First Prince’s palace, but someday I’ll definitely make you shed tears properly.

−As I shot them a look conveying this, their frightened faces gulped. I gnashed my teeth at them before turning my back.

“Lady Reneola!”

As I was just leaving the Second Prince’s palace after packing my things in the room, Silvia came running towards me.

“I’ll see you off to the First Prince’s palace.”

“Is that okay?”

“The head maid isn’t here anyway, so what does it matter?”

“She still hasn’t returned? Hasn’t it been a day?”

As the head maid disappeared without a trace at the same time I was released from the dark room, everyone said she had freed me and run away.

But the head maid had no reason to do that. She didn’t even like me much to begin with, so why would she free me?

‘Did the Mathias family really do something?’

I shook my head as I pondered. This was something I could resolve later by asking Mathias.

Right now, the First Prince I was about to face was the problem. I recalled the Q&A about him that I had memorized again last night.

“It’s so sad to part like this. If I had known, I would have applied for a transfer too…”

Silvia sniffled. But for me, it was better that she stayed at the Second Prince’s palace. She needed to have access to search the annex.

Floria was still wary enough to saddle me with these damn pigeons as I headed to the First Prince’s palace. It meant winning her favor was still far off.

Moreover, I hadn’t considered what would come after because I was just thinking of escaping the palace somehow, but even if I stole the jewel or found the source of the First Queen to exchange for my heart, what came next was a problem.

Shana could send these pigeons to me anytime.

So the most ideal method was to leak the First Prince’s information to win Floria’s favor, then break the contract binding my heart and exchange the source of the First Queen for permission to leave the palace.

‘The difficulty is truly extreme.’

When I couldn’t even do one of the two properly.

I let out a long sigh. Misunderstanding me, Silvia’s eyes grew even more moist with worry.

After comforting and sending back the restless Silvia, I swallowed hard as I gazed at the First Prince’s palace.

If entering the Second Prince’s palace for the first time to meet Floria felt like walking into a tiger’s den of my own accord, now it felt like standing before the Demon King’s castle.

“Are you not going in?”

When I hesitated and couldn’t bring myself to step inside, one of the palace guards standing watch spoke up. Forced by his urging, I had no choice but to move my feet.

As I crossed the elegant garden that didn’t match the gloomy prince and entered the main palace, a middle-aged man wearing a monocle looked me up and down.

“Are you Miss Reneola Violet?”

“Yes.”

“I am Vilmont Bloom, the head steward of this palace. As there are no maids or head maid here, I will assist with guiding you.”

“No head maid… You mean I’m alone?”

“That’s correct.”

I already knew there were no maids, but I didn’t know there was no head maid either.

Even if there was no one to attend closely, a head maid was absolutely necessary along with a head steward to manage the palace’s affairs.

…Wait, if I become this palace’s maid, does that mean all those duties fall to me?

Unlike me, who was feeling an ominous premonition, the head steward’s expression remained calm.

“I’ll explain the details later, but first let’s go see His Highness. He’s been waiting for a while now.”

“…Right now?”

“Yes.”

I need to unpack and mentally prepare myself.

But if he’s waiting, dawdling would only serve to anger him. I inwardly sighed as I followed the head steward.

After walking for some time through corridors and hallways, the head steward stopped in front of a door. He carefully knocked on the elaborately carved door.

“Your Highness, Miss Reneola Violet has arrived.”

“Send her in.”

Hmm. His voice is more decent than I expected.

I thought it would be quite rough or vicious to match his notorious temperament, but it was a pleasant baritone. It was even surprising, as I had only ever seen him wearing a mask and not uttering a word.

‘But why does it sound familiar?’

Just as I was tilting my head at the feeling that I had definitely heard it somewhere before, the head steward opened the door.