Lately, my body had been giving out more often, and since I hadn’t had any reason to go out, I hadn’t even bothered to check how much money I had left. I stared at my pockets, which only had a few coins, before leaning against the carriage door.

    I only hoped we’d get to the capital quickly.

    Finally, the carriage that had been speeding along began to slow down.

    When I cracked the door open, I saw a familiar scene. If my memory was right, this was the market in the capital.

    Just as the carriage came to a near halt, I opened the door and jumped out.

    People around me moved aside, startled. I walked briskly, pretending like nothing was out of the ordinary.

    “I think people are staring at you strangely, Master,” Derol remarked.

    “There''s no helping it. It''s better than being caught by the coachman. I could easily be accused of being a fruit thief in this place.”

    In the bustling market, it was important to be cautious. Even the smallest suspicion could easily get twisted.

    “Let’s get to the palace.”

    My destination was the imperial palace. More specifically, I was heading to where Rowell was.

    There was an entrance frequently used by the palace staff. It was less obvious than the one used by nobles or guests and located in a more secluded area.

    “I am Laila, the prince’s personal maid.”

    The gatekeeper raised an eyebrow when he heard me. “But according to my instructions, the prince doesn’t have a personal maid.”

    “What do you mean the prince doesn’t have a maid? I’ve come here before as his personal maid.”

    “I haven’t been informed of any such thing. Please turn back.”

    The gatekeeper was firm. Standing there with a long spear, his stance wasn’t one you’d easily challenge. I had made it to the capital, but getting into the palace was turning out to be no easy task.

    Derol surveyed the area, his expression thoughtful as if looking for another way in.

    Then a familiar voice called out. “Is that you, Miss Laila?”

    I looked up and saw Delzion coming towards us. The gatekeeper immediately lowered his head, but Delzion’s eyes were fixed on me.

    I awkwardly smiled. “Hello, fancy meeting you here.”

    I usually avoided running into anyone close to Ardion, but there was no other choice. I needed Delzion’s help to get inside the palace.

    “I just have a small errand to run here at the palace.”

    Delzion seemed to understand. He quickly said to the gatekeeper, “I know Lady Laila well. I’ll lead her in.”

    “Understood. Please go ahead.”

    I followed Delzion inside the palace.

    “So, what’s going on? Could it be...?”

    “Oh, I just left something here earlier. It’s something I need urgently, so I came to get it.”

    “But you must be cautious right now. With the Duke Orchid incident, Rowell is furious, and the prince is waiting inside the palace.”

    “Why?”

    “There’s a serious communication breakdown between the prince and Rowell. Rowell is deliberately stalling things.”

    I stayed silent.

    Delzion continued, “By the way, are you planning to see the prince now?”

    Laughter sounded again. But now they had gone to the other side of the hallway, I couldn’t hear them anymore.

    I went up the stairs again. Then someone stopped in front of me.

    “Hey, no matter how much I educate you, you still wander around.”

    When I raised my head, I saw a woman with white hair standing there. She was wearing the same maid’s uniform as me, but the seal on her arm was different.

    Sometimes, there were people in Ardion’s palace who had seals like that. Usually, the ones who had seals like that were the head maid.

    “Hello, head maid.”

    “You’re very friendly. Are you the new maid?”

    “Yes.” I nodded because I had heard what they said earlier.

    “Then come with me. I told you to clean the room while His Highness the Crown Prince was washing up.”

    “Is His Highness the Crown Prince in the room?”

    “Yes, but do you remember what I said back then?”

    I stared blankly without saying a word.

    The maid tapped her chest. “You, how many times do I have to tell you for you to understand? That’s how you got picked!”

    The maid shook her head.

    With my eyes gleaming, I said, “If you teach me one more time, I think I can do better. I want to become a great person like you.”

    The maid’s face changed a little as I spoke with a firm determination, and her expression gradually relaxed.

    In any case, I had rarely seen anyone who disliked being praised.

    I looked forward, my eyes shining.

    The maid’s face seemed resigned, as if she had no choice. “I’m telling you this again because you’re the maid in charge of His Highness the Crown Prince’s room. If it were anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

    “Of course, I’ll be careful from now on.”

    The maid nodded, seeming to like what I said. “Okay, first of all, His Highness the Crown Prince hates things that break the rules. Above all, the things there must always be right angles and not slanted.”

    Wasn’t that OCD? My expression naturally distorted. Then the head maid looked back at me. I quickly nodded with a bright face.

    “And you can’t move until His Highness the Crown Prince tells you to go.”

    “So, even if I finish cleaning, I can’t go?”

    “Yes, in this palace, you can only move if he tells you to.”

    I felt uncomfortable for some reason. But I was going to leave this place right away as soon as I got the necklace Rowell was holding.

    I suddenly looked around. There happened to be a large clock hanging in the hallway.

    There were still about three hours left until dinnertime.

    Then the head maid stopped walking. “His Highness the Crown Prince’s room is here. Be especially careful not to make a mistake.”

    “Yes, head maid, don’t worry.” I smiled brightly, my eyes sparkling.

    The maid nodded, seemingly seeing something trustworthy in my expression, and went down the stairs.

    I took a deep breath in front of the large door.

    The situation turned in my favor. Since Rowell was said to be washing, if I was lucky, I might be able to find the necklace right away.