"What are you doing?" Anna questioned, her hands planted over her hips as she marched into her room.

"Y-your highness!" Bella jumped to her feet, her lips and chin smeared with strawberry juice, more of it staining the front of her dress. She hid her hands behind her, hiding the berries she’d taken. "I...you’re back so early!"

Anna huffed. "Show your hands. I’ve seen everything already."

Tears filled Bella’s brown eyes. She ripped to her knees, her forehead planted on the floor as she held out her hands in front of her. "I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to steal from you! It’s just...they smelled so good and I didn’t know what they were and I...and I... please don’t kill me! I have siblings that depend on me! Please your highness!"

Anna blinked, shocked beyond words.

When she’d opened her door and seen Bella on the floor, eating strawberries happily, she wasn’t even angry. Sure, she was shocked, a tad annoyed that the servant had come into her room without permission. But Anna wasn’t offended.

And now seeing Bella openly sobbing, wailing, pleading for her life, Anna felt the last of her annoyance disappear.

"Get up." She commanded.

Bella lifted her head, tears and strawberry juice streaked on her cheeks. "M-me?"

Anna stormed over to her and grabbed her arm. "They’re just strawberries. Sure they’re delicious, but not enough to lose your head over."

Bella’s eyes widened and she nodded. "Oh thank you! Thank you so much your—"

"Although, you came into my room without permission. Perhaps a finger? Or a toe? That should be enough punishment, don’t you think?"

The smile on Bella’s face turned to fear. "I...I swear I didn’t...I don’t...I didn’t mean to..."

Anna looked at her closely.

She looked young, nineteen if Anna had to guess. For the main servant of a wicked princess, Bella was strangely unproblematic. Anna had thought she would have tried some tricks of pranks, but there was nothing.

Bella was loyal. And Anna never felt any animosity or malice from her.

I can use her....

An idea lit up above Anna’s head.

She cleared her throat and took a step back. "Because I was the one that made the offer first, I’ll be considerate," she started.

Bella wiped her eyes, straightened herself and nodded.

"As punishment, I want you to listen."

"Listen?"

"Yes. To everything. Every rumor whispered between the walls, the ones that you and your friends talk about all thw time."

Bella looked about to refute. Anna raised a finger, silencing her.

"I know, Bella. It may look like the royal family had all the power. And yes they do. But, people often forget how much power servants hold too. The power of information. I want it on my side, and you, my dear Bella, will be my champion of information."

Bella frowned, looking perplexed. "But...what use can I serve to you, your highness? All I can do is send messages and pick out your clothes. I can’t... I’m not good at anything. I have no outstanding talents or skills. I don’t think I can be your champion."

An arrow lodged straight into Anna’s heart, taking the words out of her mouth.

Bella wasn’t saying those words to be pitied. She said them because she fully believed them. She blinked up at Anna with big beautiful eyes, no trace of pretentiousness in them, just raw truth.

Anna took a step back.

First it was Ray. And now Bella.

All of a sudden she was transported back to her old life. The first time that she, freshly 24 and out of college, stood before Manager Park after getting a new job. He had been kind then, smiling and joking and calling her "his new ace". Anna remembered it clearly. Just like this moment.

Back then she was nervous, so scared that she threw up later that day. She didn’t think she was good at anything. Even when it later turned out that she was good at her work, good at being a doormat and taking on everybody’s work, those feelings never went away.

Until the day she breathed her last. At her work desk. How ironic huh?

Anna shook the memories aside and slapped on a bright smile. "Don’t worry your head too much, Bella. You don’t need skill to gather information. Just listen and report back to me."

"Your highness—"

"How many strawberries did you eat?"

"Straw...."

Anna gestured to the crawling vines. Bella nodded. She counted on her fingers, mouthing the words.

"About thirty three?"

Anna beamed. "Awesome! That means you’ll be working for me for thirty three days! And if at the end of this time, you still feel like you can’t do it? I’ll let you leave."

"But..."

"It’s either that, or I punish you."

Bella paused. She looked helpless, her eyes darting across the room and her brows drawn together.

"I..."

"Think about your family, Bella. They need you, dont they?"

Anna felt icky that she had to go down that angle. Deep down she vowed she would never become the opportunistic parasite Manager Park was.

This is just to get her on my side. That’s all. It’s not like I’m even going to punish her.

Her words finally convinced Bella. The servant girl didn’t look too pleased but she bowed.

"I’ll do as you wish, your highness. Thank you for sparing my life."

"Don’t mention it. I didn’t spare your life out of kindness, it’s because you’re useful to me, Bella. Even if you don’t believe it."

Bella looked like she didn’t believe any word that came out of Anna’s mouth. "Thank you, your highness. Is there anything else you’d like me to do?"

"No. That’s all."

She bowed and walked to the door.

Anna looked around at the teeming vines bursting with fruit.

"Bella?" She called.

"Y-yes?" Bella shuddered, flinching as she turned around.

"You mentioned siblings?"

"Y-yes your highness. I-I have two younger siblings."

Anna nodded slowly. "Take some strawberries back for them. Don’t even think of arguing with me."

Bella looked like she had so much to say. Instead, she nodded and crept back inside. "How much?"

"As much as you can carry." Anna replied.

Bella plucked exactly two strawberries.

With an eye roll and a sigh, Anna gathered more and put them inside a make shift cloth bag. "Here." She said, carefully placing the bag in Bella’s hands. "You can go now."

Tears filled Bella’s eyes. Her lips trembled and grasped the bag tightly. Anna shook her head and pushed her gently towards the door.

"Go."

Bella left, pausing at the door and glancing back. When she walked out, Anna heard soft sobs.

[You must be real proud of yourself huh?]

Anna grunted. "Don’t talk to me."

[You’re a villainess, hostie. Not a kind princess that hands out strawberries to servants.]

"I’m building a human network. It’s okay, I don’t expect a heartless AI to understand."

At that, the System went silent.

Anna went about the rest of her day. After a meeting with the royal tailor, she visited the Queen and had tea in the gardens. Then she decided to use her reward and obtain Princess Orchid’s journal. But when the book materialized in her hands, she was too scared to open it. So she tucked it under her pillow. Seconds later, she took it out, opened the first page, read the first word, and slammed it shut.

"Nope. No. Not today!"

[How about your other rewards? You have bonus packages waiting.]

"I’m not opening anything."

After a dozen political meetings that bored her to death, she went to soothe Leon. It lasted ten minutes and neither of them spoke at each other. Anna loved it that way.

After that, she headed to Princess Lotus’s chambers for a quick visit.

Finally, when it was night and the entire palace was fast asleep, she was able to round up her day.

Dragging herself back to her room was harden than anything she’d done in the day. She didn’t even have time to take her clothes off or soak in some medicated water before she chucked herself into bed. She was out before her head touched the pillow.

She failed to see the shark beastman waiting in the shadows, resentful blue eyes watching her every move.

As she snored, Kai got up and walked over to her bedside.

He sat on the floor, watching. Like a watchdog making sure its owner doesn’t wander off.

All day he had watched her. Becoming more and more confused. And now? It got worse. He could tell her spores were wilting, she hadn’t used the medicated water. Or taken her nutrient pills, for what it’s worth.

She never skipped meals. Or her routine soaks. Her routine was perfect, she never skipped it, never broke it, no matter how tired she was. Sleeping in her clothes? Appalling.

"Who are you?" He questioned.

For the rest of the night, he watched. In the morning when it looked like she was waking, he quietly left her room and didn’t look back.

Meanwhile, Anna remained oblivious.

"Hey! Hey you! Hey!"

She stirred, mumbling under her breath. "Five...more..."

"Five more minutes?! Are you fucking kidding me? Get up! Now!"

Someone was screaming at her. Who the hell was it so early in the morning?

Anna rolled on her back, gasping as her tight corset constricted around her chest. It was then she realized she slept in her day clothes.

Slowly, her eyes opened and came to focus on the ceiling. No, not the ceiling. On a face. A beautiful face with delicate features hovering mere inches away from her.

A face that she was familiar with because she now saw it each time she looked into the mirror.

Her face.

The face of the Princess Orchid. Real. In the flesh!

Anna screamed. "Ghost!"

Princess Orchid rolled her eyes. "Good morning to you too, bitch."