Leona shot a side-eye at John, clearly annoyed, though she wasn't sure if it was at him or the swarm of whispers creeping in from every direction like mosquitoes at a royal picnic.
"Do they ever shut up? Gossip must be the national sport here…" she thought, her irritated expression doing all the talking for her.
John noticed the twitch in her brow and immediately raised his hand in a smooth, commanding motion.
"Maids," he said firmly, "escort the princess to her room and help her freshen up."
A group of neatly dressed maids appeared as if summoned by magic, all bowing in sync.
Leona blinked.
"Why are they so coordinated? Are they trained in bowing too?"
One maid stepped forward, her voice polite but slightly trembling. "Princess, if you would kindly follow us…"
Leona stood, brushing her clothes and looking down at herself.
"Yeah… I could use a shower and a new life, preferably one without royal drama."
As she followed the maids, she muttered under her breath, "At least no one's poisoned me yet. That's progress."
Meanwhile, John watched her go with an unreadable expression.
John's inner thoughts:She's rough around the edges, but strangely honest. I wonder how long that honesty will survive in front of queen…
John's Side
As John walked through the palace halls, his usually calm face twisted into a rare expression of irritation. His clenched fists trembled slightly, and his jaw was locked tight.
"That woman… that manipulative snake wearing a crown…"Just the thought of the Queen was enough to make his blood boil.
Behind him, Alex and James exchanged glances. Alex raised an eyebrow.
"You okay?" he asked casually, though his hand hovered near his sword.
John didn't respond, only grunted and kept walking faster.
James scratched his head and whispered to Alex, "Queen again?"
Alex nodded. "Yup. You can always tell. He clenches like that only when her name shows up in his brain."
Leona's Side
Meanwhile, in the lavish yet intimidating guest room, Leona stood frozen in horror as the palace maids descended on her like polite, pastel-colored vultures.
"Princess, allow us to assist you with your bath," one said with a gentle smile, already reaching for the hem of Leona's outfit.
"Wh–what the hell? I can do it myself!" Leona shouted, flailing her arms like a cat being lowered into water.
"This is our duty, Princess," the maid replied calmly, as if she hadn't just been karate-chopped by a verbal outburst. "Please let me help you."
"Nope," Leona said, narrowing her eyes and raising her arms slightly—intending to hold the maid back. But instead…
FWOOSH.
The maid lifted clean off the ground like a balloon, hovering a few inches in the air with flailing limbs.
"E-ehh?" she gasped, wide-eyed and dangling. "How are you doing this?! I'm taller than you!"
Leona blinked at her own hand.
("…Oh. Right. Wild awakening.")
She looked at the suspended maid and added with a straight face, "This is not me being rude, this is just... physics."
"Owaaah…"The maid's shocked gasp turned into something unexpected—a look of pure adoration. Her hands flew to her mouth, eyes sparkling as she stared at Leona like she had just witnessed a legendary hero descend from the heavens.
Leona, on the other hand, wasn't used to this kind of attention.
Her eyes darted away immediately, trying to escape the maid's sparkly gaze.
"D-Don't look at me like that," Leona muttered, shifting awkwardly as if the floor itself had become her enemy.
The maid, still hovering slightly off the ground, clutched her hands together with a dreamy sigh.
"A real Sylvian woman… so strong and cool…"
Leona blinked, even more confused.
"…Wait, you're happy I flung you like a sack of rice?"
The maid nodded earnestly. "Of course! In the Sylvian Empire, strength is beauty! If you can lift a man with one hand, that's romance!"
Leona's jaw dropped slightly. Romance?!
Another maid nearby, equally dazzled, whispered to her colleague, "She's perfect for His Highness. Maybe this marriage won't end in emotional disaster."
Leona just groaned and mumbled, "This empire is weird…"
After the intense battle that was "Bathing with Maids: The Struggle is Real," Leona finally stepped out of the washroom, wrapped in a silky white nightdress that clung softly to her frame. Her hair, still damp, clung to her shoulders as she rubbed it dry with a towel.
As she walked into her room, ready to collapse into bed and forget the weirdness of Sylvian culture, she froze.
Someone was already in the room.
A tall man stood near the window with his back turned, the moonlight outlining his figure like some melodramatic character out of a badly written romance novel.
He didn't move. Just stood there—like he practiced this pose for hours.
Leona blinked. Then raised an unimpressed brow.
"You don't look cool if you stand like that, you know."
The man flinched. Like, visibly. His shoulder jerked, and for a split second, he almost lost balance and stumbled forward—clearly not expecting her to say that.
He quickly recomposed himself, clearing his throat.
"…I wasn't trying to look cool."
"Oh? So you just stand around like a suspicious stalker by default?" Leona crossed her arms, towel still on her head like a crown of sarcasm.
The man finally turned around, revealing a face that was both stunning and somehow irritated—sharp red eyes, long black hair tied loosely behind him, and an expression that screamed 'I'm judging you right now'.
Leona tilted her head, unimpressed. "So… who are you supposed to be? A palace decoration? An overly tall servant? Or maybe…" Her eyes narrowed mischievously. "…The husband who's supposed to have a lover and poison me?"
The man's eye twitched and he thought.( What is this woman even saying) "You're… not what I expected."
"Good," Leona replied flatly, walking past him and flopping on the bed like it was the throne of a tired empress. "Disappointment is the root of all low expectations. Let's keep those nice and low."