Chapter 2: Why Reward Her
Tina’s mind was a mess, her thoughts spiraling as she processed the catastrophic misunderstanding.
She’d just mistaken the Elf Princess for a maid and had her give a back massage.
‘This is bad. Really bad. How do I even begin to fix this?’
The princess stood quietly, her silver-white hair catching the morning light, her pale blue eyes fixed on the floor.
Despite her calm demeanor, Tina could sense a faint undercurrent of resentment in the girl’s stiff posture.
‘I messed up big time. She’s probably thinking I’m some arrogant noble who treats royalty like servants.’
Earl Everson’s glare could’ve burned a hole through her.
“Tina, explain yourself! You knew she was the princess!”
His voice boomed, drawing the attention of the gathered allies, who whispered among themselves.
Tina swallowed hard, her palms sweating.
“I… I didn’t know! The system said there was a new maid, so I just assumed…”
She trailed off, realizing how flimsy her excuse sounded.
[Prompt: The system’s information is based on the timeline’s context. The new maid was hired, but the princess’s arrival was unexpected. Misidentification occurred due to incomplete data.]
‘Great, so the system’s screwing me over already? Thanks for the heads-up!’
The princess finally spoke, her voice soft but edged with steel.
“It’s fine, Earl Everson. I don’t mind. Lady Tina was kind enough to take me in.”
Her words were polite, but Tina caught the subtle sarcasm.
‘Kind enough? Oh, she’s definitely holding a grudge.’
Tina forced a smile, trying to salvage the situation.
“Your Highness, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to disrespect you. I just… got confused.”
The princess tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.
“No harm done. I’ve been through worse.”
Her tone was neutral, but Tina felt the weight of those words.
Earl Everson sighed, rubbing his temples.
“Tina, we’ll discuss this later. For now, we have urgent matters to attend to.”
He turned to the gathered allies, his voice commanding.
“The princess is here, safe. We must plan our next steps to restore her to the throne.”
The crowd murmured in agreement, their eyes flickering between Tina and the princess.
Tina felt like sinking into the floor.
‘Why does it feel like I’m the villain here?’
[Prompt: The Elf Princess, Althea, is the target of your task. Her regret index is currently low due to your actions. Increase her trust to improve your task success rate.]
‘Althea? Okay, at least I know her name now. But how am I supposed to win her over after that?’
Tina glanced at Althea, who was now speaking quietly with one of the allies.
Her silver hair and delicate features made her stand out, even in the plain clothes she wore to blend in.
‘She’s definitely not what I expected. No wonder I didn’t peg her as royalty.’
The earl gestured for Tina to join the group.
“Come. You’re part of this now, whether you like it or not.”
Tina hesitated but stepped forward, her mind racing for a way to redeem herself.
The discussion began, with the allies outlining their plan.
“The prince’s forces are scouring the border cities. We need to move Althea to a safer location.”
One man, a grizzled warrior, pointed to a map on the table.
“The northern stronghold is our best bet. It’s remote, and the prince’s men rarely patrol there.”
Another ally, a woman with sharp eyes, shook her head.
“Too risky. The roads to the north are watched. We should hide her in plain sight—maybe in the capital.”
The group erupted into debate, voices overlapping.
Tina listened, her mind half on the conversation, half on Althea.
‘If I’m supposed to help her reclaim the kingdom, I need to get closer to her. But she’s not exactly warming up to me.’
Althea remained silent, her gaze distant, as if lost in her own thoughts.
Tina leaned toward her, lowering her voice.
“Your Highness, I really am sorry about earlier. I want to help you. What can I do?”
Althea’s eyes flicked to her, cool and assessing.
“You don’t need to do anything, Lady Tina. Just don’t make things harder than they already are.”
Ouch. That stung.
Tina bit her lip, suppressing a groan.
‘Okay, she’s not forgiving me anytime soon. Time to change tactics.’
[Initial Talent Activated: Witch’s Gift. You can cast a minor charm spell to ease tensions, but use it cautiously. It may draw unwanted attention.]
‘A charm spell? That could work… or backfire spectacularly.’
Tina weighed her options.
Using magic in a room full of allies might raise suspicions, especially since she was supposed to be an elf who couldn’t wield magic.
But if she didn’t do something, Althea’s trust would only slip further.
She took a deep breath and focused, letting a subtle warmth flow from her fingertips.
The air around Althea seemed to soften, and the princess’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
‘Did it work?’
Althea glanced at her, her expression less guarded.
“You’re… different from the other nobles I’ve met.”
Her voice was still cautious, but there was a hint of curiosity now.
Tina seized the moment.
“I’m not like most nobles. I want to help you take back what’s yours. Let me prove it.”
Althea studied her for a long moment before nodding faintly.
“We’ll see.”
[Prompt: Althea’s regret index has slightly improved. Continue building trust to unlock further task rewards.]
Tina exhaled, relief washing over her.
‘Okay, not a total disaster. I’ve got a shot.’
The earl clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
“We’ve decided. Althea will stay here for now, under the Everson family’s protection. Tina, you’ll be responsible for her safety.”
Tina’s eyes widened.
“Me? But I—”
“No buts,” the earl snapped.
“You’ve already caused enough trouble. This is your chance to make it right.”
The allies nodded, some casting skeptical glances her way.
‘Great. Now I’m babysitting a fugitive princess who probably hates me.’
Tina glanced at Althea, who met her gaze with a faint, unreadable smile.
*
That night, Tina sat in her room, staring at the ceiling again.
Only this time, she wasn’t counting down her life—she was counting her mistakes.
‘I’ve got one year to help Althea reclaim her kingdom. And I’m already off to a terrible start.’
[Prompt: Tomorrow, you’ll accompany Althea to a secret meeting with a potential ally. Prepare to protect her and prove your worth.]
Tina groaned, flopping back onto her bed.
“Protect a princess? With my track record? This is gonna be a long year.”