34. Even if I go into the Tiger’s Den…

Flap, flap.

The wind blew in through the open window, rustling the stacks of documents piled high. Kincaid was staring at the mountain of paperwork he needed to deal with immediately, but today, he simply couldn’t focus.

“I truly hope Your Highness will find a partner who is both beautiful and intelligent—and truly befitting of you.”

That girl was still bothering him. How dare a lowly apprentice maid speak of his potential fiancée so freely?

Feeling another wave of irritation, Kincaid furrowed his brow. He didn’t quite understand the root of this unpleasant emotion.

Scratch, scratch—

After concentrating hard on the documents for a while, Kincaid finally picked up his pen and signed his name.

Knock, knock.

Just then, a knock came from the office door.

“Your Highness, I have prepared tea time for you.”

“Come in.”

He responded curtly to the maid’s voice outside. Soon, the door opened, and the maid entered the office with quick, small steps.

As Kincaid frowned at a report about the recent armed conflict at the front, the maid spoke politely.

“I’ve prepared tea made with Mao Ri mountain leaves today.”

“!”

A familiar voice.

Almost reflexively, Kincaid looked up — and his eyes widened when he saw Hailey standing before him with a tray carrying a teapot and teacups.

“Why are you here?”

His calloused finger, toughened from gripping a sword, pointed directly at her. The impudent apprentice maid who had just been occupying his thoughts. Somehow, without being summoned, Hailey was standing before him with the tea service in hand.

“I am Hailey Brooke, assigned to temporary duty at the palace starting today. I offer my greetings to Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Despite her flawless and respectful greeting, Kincaid’s expression twisted with displeasure.

Seeing this, Hailey sighed inwardly.

‘It’s not like I wanted to come here either!’

***

“Why did you borrow an apprentice maid from another palace?”

“That’s because the working conditions in the Crown Prince’s palace are so harsh that the apprentice maids couldn’t endure it and quit.” 

Kincaid frowned at the words of Marilyn, the head maid of the Crown Prince’s palace.

“Do you know how many of the 20 apprentice maids selected this year are still here?”

“How many?”

“Only three! With this number, it’s absolutely impossible to hold the ball.”

Marilyn held up three fingers and showed them to Kincaid. Her bold gesture made Kincaid’s frown deepen again.

“Then can’t we just recruit more people?”

“Sigh, if it were that simple, I wouldn’t be going through all this trouble. Even to hire a lowly apprentice maid, we have to put them through strict background checks. There’s no way we can replenish the staff easily under those conditions.”

Kincaid meticulously reviewed the background and disposition of everyone who worked in the Crown Prince’s palace.

He didn’t just consider their lineage but also thoroughly checked their actions after entering the royal court. Only then were they permitted to serve in the palace. But due to the harsh environment, apprentice maids continued to quit one after another.

“The senior maids are now burdened with the chores meant for the apprentices, and the workload is overwhelming. Who do you think is to blame for this?”

Faced with the head maid’s pointed words, Kincaid fell silent, unable to argue back.

Marilyn Rober, the head maid of the Crown Prince’s palace. She had once been Kincaid’s nanny when he was the second prince, and was the only one in the palace who could speak bluntly to him.

“If I had the means, I’d borrow even a cat’s paw, let alone an apprentice maid, so I ask that Your Highness refrain from interfering.”

“But why her—why Hailey Brooke?”

The Crown Prince objected, wondering why, of all the many apprentice maids in the palace, they had to bring that impudent little frog.

Marilyn responded calmly.

“She’s an apprentice from the Detached Palace, and despite her young age, she’s reputed to be clever and skillful. That’s the only reason I brought her here.”

To this, Kincaid curled his lips into a sneer.

“Still, she’s just a sly, impudent little apprentice. If not for the kind-hearted Grand Duchess, that insolent frog would’ve been kicked out long ago.”

Marilyn silently gazed at him, her eyes calm and thoughtful. Kincaid looked away from her meaningful stare and spoke again.

“You brought that arrogant girl here, so you’d better take responsibility. Make sure she learns that the Crown Prince’s palace is no easy place.”

At that very moment, while Kincaid was issuing his cold command to the head maid, Hailey was gazing at the food spread in the servants’ dining hall, eyes sparkling.

“This is just lunch, and there’s this much variety?! The Crown Prince’s palace is seriously heaven!”

Due to the tight budget, Hailey had grown used to the modest meals of the Detached Palace, making the dining table at the Crown Prince’s palace appear extravagantly lavish to her.

“Three kinds of cheese! My taste buds are being spoiled today.”

Hailey piled her plate high with food and sat down at the table.

What’s done is done. Nothing I can do about it now.

She had been caught off guard by the sudden order to work at the Crown Prince’s palace, but quickly regained her composure.

They say even if you’re dragged into a tiger’s den, you’ll survive if you keep your wits about you. This might actually be a good opportunity to see everything in the Crown Prince’s palace with my own eyes.

Know yourself and your enemy, and you’ll win every battle.

If she wanted to survive the eventual bloodbath ending, she had to gather as much information about her enemy as possible.

“First, I’ll eat and recharge… This ham is amazing, by the way.”

Just as Hailey was happily chewing on the kind of premium ham that would never be served in the Detached Palace…

“You there! Apprentice maid from the Detached Palace!”

A sharp voice rang out from the entrance of the dining hall.

“You had the nerve to serve the Crown Prince tea today, didn’t you?”

Hailey replied calmly.

“Head Maid Marilyn instructed me to prepare tea for His Highness.”

“Since you’ve been assigned here on temporary duty, begin by offering tea to His Highness and pay your respects,”—that had been the stern-looking head maid’s order. 

Hailey had no choice but to obey, yet the maid from the Crown Prince’s palace clearly found the whole thing infuriating.

“Serving tea in the morning is my responsibility! You’re not even from this palace, and you’re still just an apprentice—how dare you presume to take over my job?!”

It was blatant territorial bullying.

She was lashing out at Hailey, nitpicking over something Hailey had done under orders.

‘But I’m already used to this pattern.’

“You were right, then,” Hailey said with a deliberate, weary sigh.

“I served His Highness tea, but… he didn’t even glance at it.”

When Hailey spoke with a bitter expression, Lola retorted triumphantly.

“Hmph! Of course. As if His Highness the Crown Prince would ever drink tea prepared by a lowly apprentice maid.”

“I didn’t know that… I’ve caused a great offense to both His Highness and to you, senior. I sincerely apologize.”

She bowed her head apologetically, but the expression on the maid from the Crown Prince’s palace remained cold and unforgiving.

‘She’s a sly little fox, that Lola. She’s been cozying up to the senior maids and gaining favoritism over noble-born girls.’

Just yesterday, her cousin Olga had come all the way to the Crown Prince’s palace to warn her about the apprentice maid named Hailey Brooke.

“Teach her properly what the royal court is really like. No one from the Detached Palace dares lay a finger on that insolent girl.”

“You’ve been dreaming far too big for an apprentice maid. Even if the head maid gave you the order, you should have refused on your own. That’s what proper conduct looks like in the royal court.”

Recalling Olga’s words, Lola scolded Hailey sternly.

“I was too ignorant to understand that. In the Detached Palace, we’re so short-staffed that we have to follow any order given by the senior maids,” Hailey said, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears.

“You sure know how to make an apology sound pretty. But your actions today have stained the reputation of the Crown Prince’s palace.”

“I had no intention of disrespecting your official duties as a formal maid of this palace. I sincerely apologize for my presumptuous behavior.”

Hailey’s earnest and respectful apology slightly softened Lola’s expression.

‘What the…? She’s much softer than I expected. Why couldn’t Olga take care of such a clueless girl herself?’

“Um, Lady Maid…”

Hailey lowered her gaze shyly, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Lola’s hand. The unexpected gesture made Lola’s eyes widen in shock.

“My name is Hailey Brooke. May I ask for your name, if it’s not too much trouble?”

“Why do you want to know my name…? My name is Lola Winders.”

Caught off guard, Lola gave her name without thinking, and Hailey’s face immediately lit up.

“So you’re Lady Maid Lola. It’s truly an honor to meet you.”

Hailey quickly gave a deep, formal bow, then looked up with a charming smile.

“I’m quite worried about suddenly working at the Crown Prince’s palace. I earnestly ask for your guidance as an apprentice maid who is still quite lacking.”

“W-what? You’re asking me to… to guide you?”