Chapter 3 The Thirty-Day Deadline

ANGELA'S POV

Two guards dragged me through the winding stone hallways of the palace and threw me into a small, cold room.

An older maid in her mid-50s was standing there, holding a pile of plain gray clothes.

She looked down at me, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Get up," the old woman barked, tossing the clothes onto a wooden bench. "Take a bath immediately. You are covered in mud, and you absolutely stink. The palace doesn't tolerate filthy servants."

I glared at her, my mind exploding with rage. I stink? Old lady, back in 2026, the perfume on my skin cost more than your entire life! I only wear top-tier designer clothes, and my skincare routine has six steps! You should be honored to even breathe the same air as me!

"What are you staring at?" the old maid snapped, stepping closer. "Lost your ears along with your voice? Move it!"

Since my throat was completely locked, I could only give her a silent, deadly stare, I guess this was how my maids back home also felt. I snatched the gray dress, kicked open the door to the small washroom, and slammed it behind me.

A wooden tub filled with warm water was waiting. I stripped off the ruined, muddy rags and sank into the water. As the warmth soaked into my skin, the anger faded, and pure panic took over.

How is this even possible? I thought, staring at my wet hands. Did I really travel back to the 1800s? I thought this shits only happens in movies? Is this a prank? No, the rocks, the mud, the blood... it's all too real to be fake.

My chest tightened as I thought about my life. What happened to my brand-new luxury sports car? Did I die in that crash, or is my real body lying in a coma somewhere? Did I just vanish into thin air? Do those greedy bastards now have my company? The company I built with my fucking sweat?

Tears pricked my eyes, but they quickly turned into hot rage. This is all because of those stupid, greedy executives and those broke radio hosts! If they hadn't pushed me out of my own damn company by tricking me for years, I wouldn't have been speeding. I wouldn't be stuck in this medieval nightmare! Screw all of them!

"Hey! Drop the sponge and get out of the tub right now!"

The door flew open, and a younger maid glared at me. "The Princess is awake, and you need to be ready to serve her immediately. Move your lazy legs!"

I stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

Serve? Me? I have never served a single person in my entire life! My assistants do everything for me, and now you expect me to fetch water and clean up after a little pink pest? I absolutely hated doing those nasty chores, it always reminded me of my childhood. My staffs that handled that are paid way more than what the others  gets

"Are you deaf as well as mute?" the young maid hissed, grabbing my arm. "If the Princess waits, the head maid will have us both whipped. Get dressed!"

They didn't care about my internal tantrum.

I was dragged out of the tub, shoved into the scratchy gray maid uniform, and pushed into the Princess's chambers.

By the time night arrived, I felt like my body was breaking. I had spent the entire day standing, walking, and carrying heavy trays.

My legs were aching so badly they felt like they were on fire. I finally crawled into my tiny, hard servant bed, wanting nothing more than to sleep for a week.

Suddenly, the door flew open.

Before I could even gasp, a large royal guard grabbed my arm, yanked me out of bed, and dragged me down a dark, secret hallway.

"Hey! Let go!" I tried to scream, but only a

silent, panicked breath escaped my lips. I thrashed around, but his grip was like iron.

He pushed me into a hidden room and locked the door behind me.

A woman was sitting on a velvet chair in the corner. It was a woman in her late 50s who was covered in expensive jewels, and she looked at me with a sharp, nasty smile.

"Sit," the woman said, gesturing to the empty wooden chair across from her.

I stayed frozen by the door, my heart hammering against my ribs.

How dare her raggedy ass order me around?

“Should I make her sit? Your Royal Majesty.”

Royal Majesty? Oh is he the Queen? No she's too old to be one, then…the Queen dowager?

"I said, sit," she repeated, her voice dropping into a dangerous whisper.

"Unless you prefer to return to the executioner's block?"

I slowly walked over and sat down, staring at her.

She dropped a heavy velvet bag onto the wooden table. It made a metallic, clinking sound.

Her eyes narrowed at me."You look at me as if you don't even know who I am... Did that poison break your mind along with your throat?”

I in fact do not know who you are and I don't care and what poison is she even talking about? My head was almost chopped off in real time, poisoning would've been way better.

"I know you didn't poison the Princess last time," the stepmother said, her voice smooth and dangerous. "I know it wasn't you. But you are going to help me control the King now."

I blinked, completely confused. If she knew I didn't do it, why did she let me almost get my head chopped off?

"You have exactly one month to seduce Emperor Alexander and make him fall deeply in love with you," she whispered, leaning forward so the candlelight hit her cruel eyes. "Use whatever tricks you have. Play the victim, play the beauty, I do not care. But he must become obsessed with you."

I stared at the heavy bag on the table, then back at her face. My mind was racing.

Seduce that ice-cold giant? Is she insane? He wants to cut my throat!

"Do not think about running away, Seraphina," the stepmother sneered, as if reading my thoughts. "If you fail to win his heart in thirty days, I will have the guards secretly strangle you to death. Do we have a deal?”

I stood there, staring at the cold face of the King's…Queen? Mother? Stepmother or whatever the hell she was.

Do I really have a choice here? I wondered bitterly. If I said no, she’d have the guards strangle me before sunrise. If I said yes, I had to flirt with a terrifying giant who wanted to chop my head off.

Either way, my neck was on the line.

I swallowed hard and nodded my head.

Fine, I thought, a confident smirk forming in my mind.

I am a gorgeous, top tier beauty from 2026. I know exactly how to make men obsessed with me. I have a million different seduction games up my sleeve. If I can create a whole ass company myself, I can handle one medieval king.

The stepmother’s cruel lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Good girl. Now leave before anyone catches you here.”