The festive air thickened around Tuk as the warriors roared with laughter, their cups filled and refilled with the strange, cloudy liquid she’d whipped up. She’d intended only to make herself a simple drink to ease the sting of the evening, but as soon as one of the warriors tried a sip, word had spread like wildfire. Now, the tables were overflowing, and the warriors seemed to drink her “shembot” as if it were mere juice.

Every time she turned, someone new was shouting for more, raising their cup high, shouting her name with a newfound reverence that was both flattering and utterly overwhelming. For once, she could let her guard down, the warmth of camaraderie pulling her into the rhythm of their celebration. Laughter echoed around her, and though her concoction had been entirely unintentional, Tuk found herself strangely at home in their praise.

Hours later, Tuk staggered outside, her stomach churning from the wild mix of fruit juices and liquor. She barely made it to the nearest bush before doubling over, retching miserably. "Blurghhh..." she groaned.

Collapsing onto the grass, she stared up at the full moon with bleary eyes. "Hey, Moon," Tuk muttered, glaring up at the sky. "You’ve been watching all this, huh? Just hanging there, all perfect... while I’m down here in this mess." She waved a clumsy hand at the stars, a bitter laugh bubbling up.

"I’m stuck in a palace full of shitty royalty and men, and you... you’re just... still there. Like nothing’s changed, glowing. I wish I could be like that. Unbothered. Untouched." Her voice cracked, and she laughed again, though this time it was hollow, more frustration than humor. "But no. I’m here. With no way out..."

Her rant grew more incoherent as she drunkenly rambled on about her life, her new job, and the ever-mounting debt she had waiting for her back home. She let out a crazed laugh, the sound cutting through the still night air. "Look at me!" she cackled, slumping against a gold-adorned bench like a drunken queen on her throne. "I’m like a queen sitting on a gold chair; I wonder how much I can sell this...right, I can't even take this with me."

She laughed until her voice was hoarse, her bitterness spilling out into the night, her royal delusions fading as the stars above seemed indifferent to her plight.

Just as she was beginning to laugh at her own absurdity, she noticed a familiar figure approaching. "Tuk?" Leon’s calm voice cut through her haze.

Tuk squinted at him, recognizing the historian's poised, elegant walk. "Ah, our pretty boy head, Sire Leon! I’m just having a chat with Mr. Moon here."

Leon frowned. "You’re drunk."

Tuk mumbled like a child, staring at the moon. "But he’s not answering me..." Her voice barely audible, she suddenly slammed her face onto the table, startling Leon.

"H-Hey, are you okay?" Leon asked, concern creeping into his voice. Tuk only shook her head, her face still buried in her arms as tears began to pool.

"I miss my sister... Waaahhh!" Tuk's voice cracked as she sobbed uncontrollably. Her strong exterior, built over countless moments of stress, was crumbling fast. Everything she had been through—none of it was normal. And now, she was barely coping. "I just... I just want to be a stone..." she whimpered, her sobs punctuated by small gasps as she stared blankly from space.

Leon watched her for a moment, unsure how to react. He knelt beside her. "Where’s your family? You could ask His Highness to visit them. I’m sure he’d grant you permission, even just for a day." His voice was kind, but Tuk didn’t respond right away. She stared off into the distance, her eyes distant and haunted.

"I'm the only one here," she said quietly, her tone heavy with sorrow. Leon frowned, realizing something terrible must have happened to her family. His thoughts lingered on the weight she must be carrying alone.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Did His Highness say something to you?" he ventured cautiously. The question seemed to pull Tuk back from her trance. She blinked, and the tears that once fell freely seemed to retreat.

"A lot... he said a lot, but... I forgot, hehe," she replied, offering a hollow laugh, clearly drunk and overwhelmed. Leon smiled gently, though something gnawed at him. Something had definitely happened.

"You should probably go inside and rest," Leon suggested, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I have to go now. I need to report to His Highness." He stood and began to walk away, but Tuk’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Report...about me?" Her words were sharp enough to make him flinch, and when Leon turned, he saw a change in her demeanor. Tuk had lifted her head, her eyes sharper than before. The drunken vulnerability had vanished, replaced by a guarded suspicion.

Their eyes locked, and an unsettling silence fell between them. Leon’s expression darkened, his friendly facade slipping away. "So you knew," he muttered, as if they'd both been playing a game that had now come to light.

Tuk blinked a few times, her mind sluggishly trying to catch up to what Leon was saying. The haze of alcohol still clouded her thoughts, but something in Leon’s voice sobered her up. Slowly, she pushed herself up from the table, the dizziness fading as suspicion sharpened her focus.

"It would be strange if I didn’t," she said, her voice wavering at first but then steadying as the full weight of his words hit her. The drunken vulnerability was gone now, replaced by the Tuk who knew how to survive.

The longer Tuk stayed in the palace, the more the truth came into focus—especially concerning the prince. Bit by bit, as she listened to Leon’s voice, the puzzle pieces clicked into place. His laughter, those fleeting moments of kindness—it was all a carefully constructed facade. Reassessing everything, she felt a chill of realization. She could sense the deception because she wore a similar mask herself. Just as I thought, he’s suspicious of me. But why? What’s his true purpose here?

This confirmation settled over her like a cold shroud. She wasn’t alone in hiding behind false expressions; everyone here was, including Leon. The realization sent a shiver through her. So that’s why I’m surviving in this palace, she thought, the weight of understanding pressing down on her. She was surrounded by masks, each one more elaborate than the last—and now, she had to decide which side of her own to reveal.

Tuk’s mind raced, her heart pounding as she tried to figure out her next move. She could feel the tension in the air, a reminder that one wrong step in this palace could spell her doom. She wasn’t just dealing with one enemy—everyone here could be a threat.

"Stay calm," she told herself, her hands tightening into fists beneath the table. She would have to play this carefully, or risk losing everything.

Leon studied her in silence, the realization hanging between them. Now, two deceivers faced one another, eye to eye, truly understanding each other for the first time. He took a step closer, his presence more imposing. "You’ve adapted well," he said quietly, his voice now cold and stripped of warmth. "But be careful, Tuk. Knowing too much in this place is... dangerous."

Tuk’s pulse quickened. "Is that a threat?" she asked, her voice steady even as her heart raced.

Leon’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "A warning." He leaned in, his breath chilling against her ear. "I truly admire your capabilities, so consider it a favor for me."

The weight of his words lingered, suffocating. A chill crawled down Tuk’s spine. "Then help me," she whispered, trying a new tactic. "Help me stop His Highness from assigning me as his advisor. I don’t want to know too much—I just want to live quietly."

Leon’s eyes narrowed, his gaze locking onto hers with unsettling intensity. For a moment, he was silent, as if weighing her words. Then, with a quiet, almost sinister chuckle, he leaned back slightly, his shadow stretching ominously in the moonlight.

"Oh, Tuk," he said softly, "in this palace, there’s no such thing as living quietly."

Tuk’s breath hitched, her mind racing. She had expected this, hadn’t she? Yet, hearing it out loud felt like a door slamming shut, trapping her inside a game she was barely keeping up with.

Leon straightened, adjusting his coat as if the conversation had been nothing more than casual pleasantries. "If I were you," he added, his tone sharp, "I’d be very careful about which pieces you move next. The wrong step might be your last."

He turned on his heel, walking away without another word, leaving Tuk in the chilling silence. But before he disappeared into the shadows, he stopped, glancing back at her one last time.

"And remember, Tuk..." His voice was low, but it carried with it an unmistakable warning. "Not everyone here will give you the chance to choose a side."

The darkness swallowed Leon whole, leaving Tuk alone, her heart pounding in her chest. She clenched her fists, forcing herself to steady her breathing. Every instinct told her that she couldn’t avoid this any longer—she had to act. But the thought of tracking down the princess and finding the key gnawed at her. How could she succeed where even the prince warriors had failed?

Her mind whirled, the hangover fading but her worries growing heavier. The realization hit her like a blade to the gut—survival wouldn’t just require playing along. She would have to outmaneuver everyone, including the prince. Her eyes flicked toward the palace, the weight of her double life pressing down on her more than ever.

One wrong move, and her disguise, her survival, and her very identity would unravel. But maybe... Maybe there was another way.

Tuk rubbed her temples, a new thought sparking through the haze. If even Prince Michaelli couldn’t find the key, maybe the key wasn’t meant to be found or the princess itself really held the key?

Maybe, just maybe, she was already holding the piece of the puzzle. Her position as the prince’s advisor was more than just a trap—it was her opportunity.

But could she risk it?

Tomorrow, she would have to choose carefully. After all, one wrong move, and she’d lose everything, including her life.