7. I’ve Been Marked by the Tyrant.

Th-this petty little man.

How long is he going to hold a grudge over getting hit by a piece of laundry? Does he think a handsome face makes up for everything?

Hailey squeezed her eyes shut tightly, then opened them again. She bowed deeply to Kincaid, who was glaring daggers at her.

“My mistress is Her Grace the Duchess of Brontes, Lady Eleonora.”

“And so?”

“If Your Highness, the Crown Prince were to behead me over that incident, Her Grace the Duchess would suffer the disgrace of having failed to properly discipline an apprentice maid.”

‘I really don’t care if I die, but there’s no way I can let Her Grace take the blame, now, can I?’

Hailey’s eyes were pleading desperately.

“Hah.”

Whether her silent plea worked or not, Kincaid eased the pressure he had been exerting.

“You really never stop running that mouth of yours, do you?”

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness.”

As Kincaid let out a disbelieving sigh, Hailey bowed politely.

“But now I’m curious… does your brain work as fast as your tongue?”

A cold stare landed squarely on Hailey’s face.

“Never forget who your master is. If you ever dare use that cunning little tongue to deceive Her Grace, I’ll take your head for real.”

It was an unmistakable warning.

“I will bear that in mind, Your Highness.”

There was no need to force loyalty.

Hailey’s only lifeline was the Duchess Eleonora.

Her one hope was to become an official maid of the imperial palace and escape the blood-soaked battlefield.

‘For that, I’ll be loyal no matter what, even if they tell me not to!’

Hailey made up her mind once again.

“I’ll be keeping an eye on you from now on.”

With those final words, the Crown Prince disappeared down the hallway without a sound, just as silently as he had appeared.

“…That was a joke, right?”

Hailey whispered blankly, her vision going dark at Kincaid’s last remark.

“Did I just get marked by that tyrant-in-the-making?”

It was the moment her dream of becoming just one insignificant tadpole in the pond vanished into thin air.

***

“Even if you get bitten by a tiger, there’s still a chance to survive…”

Lying on the humble bed provided to apprentice maids, Hailey began organizing her situation on a sheet of paper.

“First off, I’ve been transferred to the imperial palace, and I’m working hard to become an official maid.”

So far, so good.

“I made a solid impression on Duchess Eleonora, and the work environment… isn’t too bad.”

However, the unexpected variable was that she had also made an impression—an unwanted one—on the Crown Prince, Kincaid.

“I’ll be keeping an eye on you from now on.”

Remembering the prince’s ominous words, a chill ran down Hailey’s spine.

“Ugh… that damned laundry.”

As the senior maid had said, she really needed the power to stop the wind from blowing.

“Whenever people get reincarnated into books, don’t they usually end up with some kind of special ability…?”

Like being a spirit of nature, or a mage, or a saint blessed with divine power. Compared to those kinds of protagonists, Hailey’s skillset felt pitifully ordinary.

“I’m good at ironing, removing stains from sheets… and my sewing’s neat enough to earn compliments, but seriously—does any of that help me survive?”

If she had lived a quiet, ordinary life in her previous one, shouldn’t this second life be at least a little more glamorous?

With a deep sigh, Hailey shook her head and snapped herself out of it.

“No. In this world, standing out never leads to anything good. A nameless background extra has a way better chance of surviving.”

With that firm belief, Hailey reorganized her goals on the paper in front of her.

1. Live long and stay alive.

• Somehow escape the imperial palace and prepare for a peaceful life. To do that, save every paycheck diligently and look for good investment opportunities.

2. Align with the right people, not for success, but for survival.

• She must, without fail, be an official maid of the imperial palace. No, the ultimate goal is beyond that: to rise to the level of a senior maid, someone who is like the very hands and feet of the Duchess.

“Let’s see if I can act like the tongue of Her Grace the Duchess.”

Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly so far.

“Then it’s time to move on to Plan B.”

Hailey whispered, her eyes sparkling with determination.

***

The dining hall reserved for apprentice maids bustled with activity during lunch.

“Hey, you. This table’s taken. Go sit somewhere else.”

Olga, an apprentice maid, blocked fellow trainee Annie, who had approached with a tray in hand.

“Huh? Can’t I sit here? There’s still space,” Annie said, pointing to an empty seat at the table with her free hand. Olga sneered.

“Are you that dense? This table isn’t for low-born commoners like you.”

“Oh…”

“Know your place and go sit at the table over there with the other commoners. Wouldn’t that be more comfortable for you, too?”

Olga lifted her hand and gestured toward a shabby wooden table at the far end of the dining hall. The girls sitting with Olga burst into laughter.

“Just because we’re all apprentice maids doesn’t mean we’re of the same status.”

“Exactly. If this weren’t the imperial palace, you wouldn’t even dream of eating in the same dining hall as us.”

“Right? There’s a clear class divide.”

Olga, Judith, Sarah, and Esther— the so-called noble-only table maids—each took turns adding to the mockery.

Olga’s gang had long been known to harass commoner-born trainees like Annie.

“I heard Olga’s sister is a senior maid in the main palace.”

“No wonder she’s so full of herself.”

The apprentice maids seated at the commoner table whispered among themselves.

“I heard Judith has a relative working in the Crown Prince’s palace.”

“No wonder she didn’t even flinch when she scorched the Duchess’s dress the other day…”

Perhaps their whispers had gotten too loud.

“What are you all chattering about over there? If you have something to say to us, come say it to our faces!”

Olga, who had been sipping her tea, slammed her cup down and shouted. Silence instantly fell over the dining hall.

“As if they’d dare come over.”

“Right? If they tried to mess with us, they’d better be ready to get kicked out of the palace.”

“First to go will be that clueless Annie. What was she even thinking, coming to the royal palace?”

“Olga, stop. Your soup’s going to get cold.”

Only after Judith’s mild reproach did Olga scoff and sit back down.

‘Tsk tsk. They say the fox rules when the tiger is away…’

Watching Olga and her gang, Hailey clicked her tongue in disapproval.

‘In the face of a tyrant’s blade, status means absolutely nothing anyway.’

Shaking her head in exasperation, Hailey put down her spoon and rose from her seat.

She had a bit of free time and something she had to take care of.

Knock knock knock.

Hailey politely knocked on the door and spoke in a respectful tone.

“I’ve brought a snack for the Princess.”

“Come in.”

As soon as permission was granted, Hailey carefully stepped into the room.

It was the chamber of Princess Lysa.

“A face I haven’t seen before. So you’re the new apprentice maid I heard about?”

The princess’s governess, Madam Fynen, asked gently with a warm smile.

“My name is Hailey Brooke. I was recently assigned to the Detached Palace.”

“You look like a clever one. The Princess is over there—go ahead and serve her tea yourself.”

With a kind gesture, the governess pointed across the room.

Sure enough, seated in a cozy armchair in front of a bookshelf packed with books, was the Princess.

Lysa Zencia Brillouen.

That was the full name of the princess and the only daughter of the deposed Crown Prince Terrence.

But within the palace, she was more often referred to by another name—“The Unfortunate Princess.”

Because her father had been dethroned for madness, she was never treated as a proper member of the royal family.

‘There’s always a character like this in romance-fantasy stories…’

A child born into misfortune, neglected and abused because of a troubled family background.

Despite her background, Princess Lysa was at least fortunate in one regard—she was being raised with love under the care of her mother, the Grand Duchess.

‘Oh wow, she’s a complete replica of Her Grace the Grand Duchess!’

Hailey whispered inwardly, admiring the princess’s brilliantly shining silver hair even from a distance.

The twelve-year-old princess was a beautiful girl who had inherited her mother Eleonora’s looks. With radiant silver hair and a dainty, adorable face, she looked like a porcelain doll carefully crafted by a master artisan. Sitting at her desk in a lovely pink dress, reading a book, she truly seemed picture-perfect.

‘So cute. Seriously, so cute!’

Murmuring to herself over and over in her mind, Hailey carefully set the tray of snacks down on the table.

“I greet Her Highness, Princess Lysa.”

Up until Hailey stood right in front of her, the princess had haughtily continued turning the pages of her book. Only then did she finally look up.

“I don’t recognize your face.”

“I am Hailey Brooke, newly assigned to the palace.”

“Hmph.”

Was it hostility toward a stranger?

A clear wariness appeared on the princess’s face. To break the ice, Hailey presented the tray she had brought, just as she had planned.

“I’ve brought you a snack, Your Highness. These are cookies made with chocolate from the Dalanta region, a local specialty.”

“……”

“It’s hard to get chocolate from Dalanta, so the head chef put in a lot of effort. These cookies were made with extra care—they should taste wonderful.”

Even to Hailey, the chocolate cookies resting on the white plate looked delicious.

‘I hope she likes them. Princess Lysa is the second person I need to win over.’
If she could gain the favor of both the Grand Duchess and her only daughter, it would be perfect!

‘That’s the fastest shortcut to rising as the Grand Duchess’s trusted aide!’

That’s why she had pestered the chef to bake those rare chocolate cookies.

But then…

“I’m not interested in sweet treats like that. Do you think I’m a little kid or something?”