Chapter 3

I grabbed his arm. "We've never had any grudges at the company. Why are you scheming against me like this?"

The HR representative couldn't shake me off and flared with anger.

"Are you insane? You're the one who never tells the truth. I know you don't want to do hard labor in the kitchen, but look at the situation we're in. This is a desperate fight for survival, and you still can't give up your petty thieving habits. It's disgusting."

The manager stepped in on his behalf and seized my wrist.

"If you cause any more trouble, I'll kill you. One less person means our bonus increases by half a million."

The instant he gripped my arm, a sharp wave of pain shot through me. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead.

I bit my lip and looked at everyone present. "I didn't lie. My position was switched."

They only watched me coldly. No one stepped forward to help or even to intervene. No one believed me.

I gave up and spoke in a low, steady voice. "Let go. You're hurting me."

The manager flung me aside without hesitation. I was tossed like a scrawny chick, crashing hard onto the ground.

The HR representative smoothed his hair and looked down at me with smug satisfaction. "No one believes you. Stop pestering me and accept your fate."

I lowered my eyes and said nothing.

Everyone dispersed to their assigned palaces to begin their duties. A few who had drawn especially poor positions remained behind, trembling where they stood.

"I don't want to scrub toilets. If I'm stuck doing that, I'll never have the chance to see the queen. Once my health points run out, I'll die."

"I don't want to do laundry either. With so many clothes to wash every day, how will I ever get ahead?"

Anxiety hung heavy in the air; everyone was drowning in the fear of never seeing the queen.

Slowly, I pushed myself up from the ground. The earlier look of humiliation vanished, replaced by the faint curl of a smile at my lips.

The kitchen. What a perfect destination. Exactly the position I had wanted all along.

Now that everyone had left, I no longer had to pretend.

After straightening my clothes, I was about to report to the steward in charge of the kitchen when a colleague, Nick Wendell, suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Adrian, are you really going to the kitchen to do hard labor? All of us who got these lowest-tier jobs have no future there.

"How about this—after we finish our daily tasks, let's gather here and figure out a way to see the queen. All right?

"There's strength in numbers. At least we can watch out for each other."

At his words, the others showed clear expressions of disgust and impatience.

"Nick, why are you worrying about Adrian? He's a thief with sticky fingers and a crooked heart. You're planning strategies with him? Aren't you afraid he'll sell you out one day?"

Nick hesitated, then finally let go of my hand.

I made no attempt to persuade him otherwise. Turning around, I left the servants' quarters.

Along the way, I observed everything in the palace with quiet curiosity.

Every maid and attendant who hurried down the corridors wore the same look—urgency laced with fear, as if this palace were a bloodless demon, devouring lives without a trace.

When I passed through the royal garden, I slowed my steps and looked toward the blooming peach trees.

From the very first moment I met Queen Rara, I had suspected she suffered from chronic headaches.

Last night, I had secretly slipped out and seen her repeatedly pressing her temples.

That only confirmed my suspicion.

From the start, I had never wanted the lantern bearer position. Claiming it had been deliberate.

No matter who had sabotaged me, my goal remained clear: I would cure the queen's headaches.

I exchanged my own health points for a comprehensive medical compendium.

The system spoke.

[Host, since you previously used health points to exchange for jewels and secure a position, you now have only five points remaining. If you spend another two points to obtain the medical text, you will have just three days left to live. Do you wish to proceed?]

I smiled with absolute confidence. "Yes."

Three days were more than enough.

In this game, I would be the last one standing.