He cast an anxious glance left and right down the corridor before pulling back. His eyes stubbornly refused to meet mine as he walked briskly toward the shelves stacked with fabrics.
I followed him. His rushed, hyper-vigilant movements made me second-guess myself for a brief moment.
*Did I really pick the wrong time to come here?*
He dumped a few rolls of shimmering cloth onto the table.
"What colors do you want?"
he asked, his tone verging on sheer exhaustion.
"Actually, I came to get some ideas and sketch a design,"
I replied, slipping out of my jester persona without meaning to. Clutching the velvet pouch tightly in my hands, I averted my gaze for a split second.
His face tightened and his brows shot up before his eyes narrowed to slits.
"There are already designated outfits for palace jesters. I will cut the fabric according to the required pattern."
"Huh? But have you ever tailored a costume for a *female* jester before?"
My voice came out louder than intended. His eyes widened comically.
His hands swept across the table as if searching for something, and his fingers locked around a heavy round bowl standing nearby. Shutting his eyes tight, he bared his teeth and unleashed his fury.
"I am the tailor here! Do you think I don't know my own damn job?! I've sewn clothes for countless women!"
he bellowed, spit flying through the air.
Stunned by the sheer violence of his reaction, I took a step back, unable to make sense of it.
*What? I didn't even mean it that way... Why is he blowing a fuse?
The fact that he's desperately defending himself like this for no good reason... the odds of him hiding something just skyrocketed.*
I cleared my throat, deciding to soften the atmosphere.
"Never! Would I ever imply such a thing, you raging fire!?"
I forced myself back into the jester role.
He didn't let go of the bowl, even as he began shoving the fabric rolls back into their places.
Hearing my words, he shot a glance over his shoulder. His eyes were practically burning with rage. Even so, I pressed on.
"Tailor a garment for this foolish jester and earn some grace! Perhaps the gods will strip your anger away."
I softened my voice, just in case.
"Get the hell out of here! You stupid woman!"
***
The tailor's hospitality last night refused to leave my mind, leaving me unable to focus on Prince Elet today.
*They are definitely hiding something! If only I worked in that part of the palace... I gained neither information nor a costume.*
To make matters worse, the governess had issued a stern warning, and I couldn't even offer a proper retort.
*Why? Because I don't even know if I possessed an appropriate outfit to begin with.*
"Puck! Puck!"
It took me a moment to realize the Prince was calling my name.
*I shouldn't drop the jester act, but I can't help it. I'm letting my guard down too much.*
I wasn't supposed to be like this; back at the brothel, I could play the fool effortlessly just by standing still.
Realizing I had drifted off into my thoughts again, I flinched.
The Prince giggled at my sudden startle.
"Forgive this sleepy fool, my Prince! Last night, I was wrestling a wild animal!"
I offered a comical pout, unable to hide the grimace on my face -mostly because the statement was entirely true.
"I don't think you're foolish at all, Puck,"
he said in his small, quiet voice.
Hearing his words, I froze right where I sat.
For a fleeting second, the world felt a little more bearable.
Something triggered inside me. I didn't want him to be tainted by the foul schemes of this palace.
*Look how pathetic I am.*
In a matter of seconds, my entire jester identity dissolved. A soft, genuine smile crept onto my face.
"You are the most entertaining person..."
He tilted his head, peering into my eyes. The sheer effort of his gaze tugged at my heartstrings.
Without making him wait, I met his eyes instantly.
"...Even when I ascend the throne, we shall play games together!"
*There is no way I'm actually forming a bond with a male... At least he's just a child, and... a good one, right?*
Before I could form a response for Prince Elet, the door swung open unexpectedly. Both of our heads snapped toward the entrance.
In stepped the angry, golden-haired eunuch. The moment I saw him, my shoulders tensed defensively.
*This guy again? My hour with the Prince isn't even over yet. By what right does he break into the Prince's lessons?*
"Where is Lady Meroli?"
he demanded in his boyish voice. My expression hardened instantly.
As if ruining a perfectly good moment wasn't enough, he hadn't even come for the Prince with respect.
*I'm not holding back this time, brat!*
I stood up, smoothing down my costume.
"Even if a jester is deemed useless, Prince Elet is bound to spend this hour with her. Puck does not appreciate her lessons being sabotaged."
I retrieved Marotte from the floor.
"Since when did jesters become so important?"
he asked, his face dripping with mockery. Every micro-expression he made seemed to stomp on my last nerve. Still, I let out a loud laugh.
"What the Prince learns is far more vital than the instructor itself."
I rattled the bells at my waist, leaping backward.
Seeing me jump, Prince Elet shrank back, an unreadable expression settling over his face.
He had fallen silent again the moment this kid entered the room.
"If he were to take a lesson from a low-born servant instead of a jestress, what he learns would remain exactly the same. Do you know what that is?"
He walked past me, keeping his eyes entirely on Prince Elet.
Feeling the sting of his contempt, my expression darkened. Not even the heavy paint could mask my fury; it submitted entirely to my rage.
"Nothing"
he stated with arrogant finality, turning his head to face me.
He annoyed me so intensely that my costume felt suffocatingly hot and restrictive against my skin.
Without thinking, I snapped,
"Do you dare to denigrate the King's decrees-"
"Ahem... Jester, your lesson for today has concluded. You may leave."
Cut off yet again. This time by Lady Meroli's sharp voice.
This was pure torture.
Before turning away, I cast a glance at Elet, who was clutching his clothes tightly with an innocent, wide-eyed look.
I knew I'd feel restless all day for failing to make him laugh. So, right before crossing the threshold, I crossed my eyes at him one last time.
And, true to my clumsy act, I made sure to slam right into the doorframe on my way out.
"Goodbye, Puck!"
his voice chimed behind me, giggling at my clumsiness.
Thanks to the Prince, my frayed nerves unraveled just a bit. Elet had managed to make me fond of him in just a single week.
*Wait...
Actually, I'm the one who managed to make him fond of me!*
A spark ignited in my mind -a sensation so intoxicating it made my brain buzz, akin to successfully pulling off a physical feat I hadn't attempted in ages.
"Hahaha!"
My laughter erupted, cutting through the low murmurs echoing in the corridor. Even if it was just a small step toward success, my mood soared.
*God, now I feel like moving like a maniac! If someone liked me for who I am, I can increase that number! Technically, I will be entirely myself! Let the money pour in...*
The harder I laughed, the more my stomach ached, and the faster my footsteps became. I staggered down the hall like a drunkard, bouncing off the stone walls.
The pain mixed with the tingling sensation felt no different from flying; the world around me began to vibrate with vibrant colors.
My eyes welled up from a mixture of physical pain and hysterical laughter. If I didn't stop, I knew I'd end up sobbing uncontrollably, so I threw myself to the floor.
"Agh!"
My head collided violently with a blunt protrusion instead of flat ground. The impact jarred me, snapping me out of my trance like waking from a dream.
Looking around, I realized that in my delirium, I had wandered into an entirely unfamiliar part of the palace.
I was splayed across a rug. Lifting my head slightly, I saw that I was lying in an empty room -unbelievably small and barren, clearly belonging to someone of low rank.
Using my arms for leverage, I flipped myself forward and sprang back onto my feet. I brushed myself down, my brows knitting together as I inspected my surroundings.
*Just a cot and a small nightstand... What are the odds of this being a servant's quarters? Extremely high.*
But more importantly, how the hell did I get here? I had lost my mind again, entirely consumed by my own thoughts…
Taking a step back, I turned around. I froze when I saw that the door to the room was standing wide open.
*Did I open it? What if I just broke into someone's private quarters?!*
Anxiety flared, making my eyes widen. But as my gaze caught the hanger next to the door, I decided to suspend my sense of decency for a moment.
A single apron hung there -a servant's apron. Aside from that, there wasn't a single personal item in sight.
*Is this an abandoned room? Or is someone intentionally hiding all their belongings somewhere... Maybe they left their apron here during a break to go handle something else.*
*I'm sensing something here... Ugh, shut up already. Not everything has to have a hidden meaning.*
Still, I narrowed my eyes, staring intently at the nightstand.
I needed to restrain myself; I would leave the room before I gave in to the urge to rifle through the drawers.
*I am a fool, I don't need to be a good person! My only purpose is to make people laugh and gather intel for the Prince.*
*Ugh..If I had known the door was open from the start, I would have ransacked this place without a second thought-*
Taking a step toward the exit, my foot caught on something hard. I stumbled forward.
Quickly regaining my balance, I spun around to inspect the obstacle that had tripped me.
Ah, right! This was the exact protrusion my face had slammed into when I hit the floor.
After a brief pause, I couldn't resist the temptation any longer. Casting a swift glance toward the open door, I dropped to my knees.
Reaching for the edge of the rug, I listened intently for any approaching sounds. Quiet or not, I was lifting this rug.
The moment I flung the dark green carpet aside, the breath caught in my throat.
"Hiich!?"
I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle my own gasp of shock. Panicking, I spun around to check the door once more.
*It's a hatch! What are the odds of this being a secret passage?!*
A circular piece of wood, roughly the size of a carriage wheel, was fitted perfectly flush with the wooden floorboards. A tiny wooden handle rested at the edge of the lid.
The thing that had caught my foot must have been the handle.
Unable to bring myself to stand, I crawled to the doorway on all fours, poking my head out to scan the hallway.
No one was in sight. The only problem was, I had absolutely no idea where I was.
*Whatever, I'll find my way back to my room later. But I am absolutely opening this hatch right now..unfortunately.*
A devilish grin stretched across my face in pure delight. I loomed over the wooden lid once more, fueled by a massive surge of curiosity.
"Hehehe."
Grasping the finger-thick handle, I hoisted it up. For a second, unable to believe how easily the hatch lifted, my grip slipped.
The lid slammed back into place with a loud thud. I paused, but aside from the dull, heavy noise, the palace remained dead silent.
*Is this normal? No dust flew up... Even if the floorboards are kept clean, the space below should be filthy if this passage were abandoned... Is it actively being used?
Despite the racket I just made, nothing happened. No one is coming.*
My devilish smirk gave way to a skeptical pout. This time, I lifted the lid with far more caution.
Just as I suspected, it led into a tunnel, and the void below was pitch-black. It was impossible to tell how deep the drop was or if there was a floor down there.
A hollow sensation settled inside me-neither excitement nor fear, just blank observation.
*If this is a servant's room, and there's a hidden passage... and the servant is nowhere to be found, yet their apron is still on the hanger... No, no. I'm being overly intuitive again.*
I waited for a moment to process what I was doing, but I felt absolutely nothing, right or wrong. I usually trusted my instincts, but this situation was bizarre.
"Come on, Thei! Hurry up."
A voice echoing from a distance made me flinch, my eyes darting instantly to the door. Footsteps were approaching, and it sounded like more than one person.
A faint prick of regret began to surface.
*Alight, now I can see that what I'm doing is a little bit wrong. Therefore, I'm going to do something even more wrong to cover my tracks.*
Since the passage was clearly in active use, they had to have left something inside to help them climb in and out..a rope or something.*
Without wasting another second, I plunged my arm down into the black void. I swept my hand around but found no trace of a rope or a ladder.
*I'll figure a way out.*
Without overthinking, I swung my legs over the edge. Before lowering my hips into the darkness, I pulled the wooden lid toward myself.
That way, even if the rug didn't cover it perfectly, they wouldn't be able to tell if the hatch was currently occupied.
A second after dropping myself into the dark, my feet hit solid ground. I bent my knees slightly to absorb the impact and maintain my balance.
*Huh... It's not that deep after all. I can easily climb back up once they leave.*
Standing on my tiptoes, I could reach the hatch with ease. The only issue was the absolute, suffocating darkness.
"Did you lift the rug?!"
Judging by the the voice, it belonged to a eunuch.
"No... maybe Kawe did."
The sheer tension and haste in their voices were palpable.
"I don't know, but let's be quick."
Suddenly, a violent thud vibrated right above me. It felt as though something heavy had struck the hatch.
Unable to comprehend what it was, I instinctively leapt backward, retreating further into the pitch-black tunnel.
"Ever since that servant died, rumors of a curse have been spreading from this room."
The voices were fading as I moved away, but I managed to catch the gist of their words.
When I crept back toward the hatch to catch the rest of the conversation, all sound had ceased.
*Right... maybe hiding down here wasn't such a brilliant idea.*
Rising onto my toes, I pressed both palms against the wooden lid and pushed upward. The moment I did, a wave of pure dread washed over me.
The hatch didn't budge an inch. Panicking, I tried again, throwing more force into the push, but it was futile. I was trapped.
Between the exertion and the rising tide of anxiety, sweat began to bead on my skin.
*Calm down. There has to be an exit somewhere, right?*
My arms, trembling from the strain, dropped to my sides.
The tingling sensation in my veins felt less like fear now and more like a fierce, burning spite. I would use my exhaustion as fuel.
*If I pause now, despair will win.*
I squatted low to navigate the darkness safely, deciding it was wiser to feel out my surroundings before crawling forward blindly.
My hands swept across the ground, mapping out the terrain. I moved toward one side, trying to gauge the width of the corridor.
"Do you have a death wish?!"
Suddenly, a low, guttural snarl rattled through the tunnel. The voice was terrifyingly familiar.