For the better or worse, Kang Jiesu was essentially a superstar.

Although the differences were probably too subtle for Kang to notice, the maids and servants acted entirely different when we walked around the palace corridors. Everyone wanted to see the new heroes that had arrived, so many of the household staff took 'detours' from their typical morning routes so they could catch a glance. There were maids constantly on the edge of my peripheral vision, and I could almost imagine them whispering amongst themselves about the hero living in the Emerald Room.

A stiff smile was plastered on my face.

I wasn't even the one they were talking about, but I still hated it.

This was precisely one of the reasons why I didn't want to be a hero.

I don't like attention.

It felt like a spotlight was constantly shined on us, kind of like being examined under a microscope. The anxiety swells up inside of me like a bubbling fountain, and all of a sudden I dissociate. I want to disappear. I don't like it when other people look at me, and I wish I could turn invisible. All I wanted was to become a background character.

However, I had to keep walking forward.

Kang Jiesu followed behind me, and if there was any indication that he was nervous, he showed no sign of it.

If anything, he seemed perfectly relaxed and happy — just as you might expect from a lying riajuu politician.

He even waved and smiled at a small group of whispering maids who were spying at us from behind a pillar.

+ + +

I think Kang Jiesu's smile must be enchanted somehow, because he captivated the maids instantly.

They must have thought something along the lines of:

OMG the hero smiled at me!!!

I don't mean to say that Kang is like a stereotypical prince charming otome game character, but he really was popular back on Earth. High school elections are essentially popularity contests, and Kang Jiesu was the class president because he was objectively the most popular. Literally, everyone liked him (ever since he went through puberty) because he was friendly, attractive, athletic, humble, and smart. He never had any trouble finding relationships, and in fact he was notorious for always saying 'yes' to any girl who confessed to him. The only issue was that he would dump you within a week or two if you couldn't capture his heart, which incidentally never happened. Furthermore, if he dated you once, he would refuse to accept another confession from you ever again.

He was contradictorily extremely accessible yet simultaneously unattainable.

Consequently, when Kang Jiesu turned and verbally addressed the poorly concealed maids, I knew all hope was lost.

"There's really no need to hide," he said (in Mandarin) with a warm smile. "Let's all walk together."

He beckoned at them with his hand, and the lower class maids scurried over like eager squirrels. After all, since the hero had specifically requested their presence, why would they possibly decline? Of course, they had no idea what Kang was actually saying. They could only see that the hero was smiling and waving at them to come over.

Kang pointed at the large basket of laundry in my arms, and the maids instantly got the idea.

They immediately relieved me of everything that I was carrying like a flock of vultures, and suddenly my hands were empty. Of course, I was so shocked that I didn't know how to react. Moreover, those were my things! I mean, of course it wasn't actually mine (in fact it was Kang's clothes), but I had essentially claimed it by implicit right. I was going to do the laundry! The feeling was very similar to getting your kill stolen in a video game... and unsurprisingly, I wasn't very happy about this.

My childhood friend smiled at me.

"You were carrying a lot," he said innocently. "Why not get a little help?"

I stared at him blankly.

My arms were completely empty.

What the heck was I supposed to do now??

We had a small train of maids following us, and I felt intensely awkward to walk around with nothing in my hands. Part of the reason was that I had developed a habitual knack to always carry something. As a maid, I always wanted to appear productive even if I wasn't doing any real work. Furthermore, it always provided a quick emergency excuse to escape from the scene if I ever bumped into anyone.

'Oh, I'm sorry, I was on my way to the mail room. No time to talk. Bye!'

It was an essential life-saving tactic, and I wanted to look good in front of management if anyone ever saw me.

In fact, I felt extremely vulnerable and exposed without it...

Please... I just want my quiet life back!!

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