I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 475 The Soldier Was Eaten
Not long after Elena left, Chris did not immediately jump into his next job.

He sat quietly for a moment, his gaze deep and unfathomable, before raising his voice.

"Secretary."

"I am here, Your Majesty."

"Go and fetch Her Majesty the Queen's maid, Julie, and bring her here."

Chris's voice was steady, devoid of any emotion.

"Just say that there are some details about her new position that need to be explained in person."

The clerk accepted the order and quietly withdrew.

Not long after, soft and hesitant footsteps came from outside the study door.

Julie walked in wearing a plain gray maid's dress, her head bowed, her hands nervously clasped in front of her.

"His Majesty."

She performed a flawless curtsy, her voice barely audible.

Chris didn't immediately tell her to get up, but instead scrutinized her with a critical look.

Indeed, as Elena said, she appeared calm, low-key, and even somewhat timid.

Julie doesn't seem like a good fit as a pawn, but Chris isn't going to give up... Some things you have to try to see if they'll work.

"Get up, Julie."

Chris finally spoke, his tone neither enthusiastic nor harsh.

"The Queen just came and strongly recommended you to me, believing that your abilities and loyalty are sufficient to assume more important responsibilities within the court."

Julie stood up, and upon hearing this, she instinctively looked up, her face full of surprise.

"Ah... Your Majesty... this..."

She seemed somewhat flustered, as if Elena hadn't consulted Elena before making the decision.

Therefore, this maid was indeed a pawn in Elena's hands, used to test Chris's attitude.

Failure is fine, success is naturally a cause for celebration.

Therefore, Julie was unaware of her master's important position, so even if the latter failed, he would not have any negative feelings towards his personal maid.

"The Queen has secured a position for you: Assistant Lady-in-Waiting in the Archives of the Imperial Household Department."

Chris announced in a calm tone.

"This is a position with real power and access to core matters. Do you understand what that means?"

Julie blinked sharply, and it took her a while to realize what she had heard.

"Your Majesty, I...I..."

She was so excited that she became somewhat incoherent.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's trust, and thank you for Your Majesty's favor. I will do my utmost and never let you down..."

Chris raised his hand, stopping her tearful expression of gratitude... This was a good thing; her excitement showed that Julie was indeed ambitious.

Or rather, ambition.

Trust is not based on words, but on actions.

In that case, we can begin the next step now.

Chris leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening.

"The Queen trusts you, so I gave you this opportunity, but now I need you to do something for me, something that needs to be kept absolutely secret."

Julie's joy froze instantly, mixed with a hint of surprise and instinctive unease. Then, as if she had thought of something, her face quickly turned crimson.

She lowered her head again and silently began to unbutton her maid's uniform.

Ah, this...

Julie's reaction stunned Chris... What was going on?

However, upon careful consideration, what I just said does seem to have a significant problem, especially when a man of higher status speaks to a woman of lower status in this way, it is easy for people to misunderstand.

Just as Chris was figuring things out, Julie was already completely naked.

Perhaps it was due to her natural talent, or perhaps it was because Julie enjoyed good food and a carefree life in Chris's court, where she didn't have to do any hard work.

The current Angelina Jolie has fair skin and a beautiful face, with a curvaceous figure. Although her face is only average, her figure is top-notch.

Should I refuse?
Chris took a deep breath and waved to Julie.

"come on."

Since there's been a misunderstanding, let's just go with the flow.

An hour later, Julie was dressed and stood in front of Chris again. Apart from her flushed face, she seemed no different from when she had come in... Well, there were also some bright red spots on the chair next to Chris, which needed to be washed.

“Julie, once you become a lady-in-waiting, I have something I need you to do.”

"Please give your Majesty's orders."

Julie bent down slightly. She now felt much more friendly towards Chris, no longer fearful, but rather a little more expectant.

"The palace is very large and there are many people, including old patrons from Bagnia and new patrons from Minicia."

Chris lowered his voice.

"I need to know whether everyone within these palace walls is truly loyal, and I need to know whether there are outside hands trying to bribe maids and guards to spy on things they shouldn't know."

He paused for a moment, looked at Julie's thoughtful expression, and continued.

"I want you to use the convenience of your new position and the connections you have as the Queen's personal maid to secretly build a network of informants for me, targeting all the servants in the palace."

I will secretly provide you with funding and personnel support, and you will be directly responsible to me.

I hope only you and I can know about this...

Julie's breathing became rapid, and her fingers gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.

The king's words couldn't be clearer: he wanted her to become his eyes hidden in the shadows of the palace, even...

Chris took in her performance, leaned back, softened his tone, and threw out a heavier offer.

“This is difficult and dangerous. But if you do it well… the position of a lady-in-waiting is far from the end… Julie, your future depends on your choices and performance from now on.”

"future……"

Julie repeated the word unconsciously, her eyes suddenly widening.

Chris originally intended to offer Julie a duchess status, but after the misunderstanding, it would be inappropriate to continue offering the original terms.

So Chris made a new promise, but he wouldn't say exactly what it was, only hint at it... As for what Julie thought it was, that was her business.

Who can predict the future?

Julie was breathing rapidly, and her voice trembled with excitement.

"Your Majesty... this... this servant... Julie understands!"

Julie's voice trembled with excitement, yet it also carried a resolute determination to go all out.

The newly appointed female official once again curtsied deeply, this time with less fear and more solemnity, as if entrusted with an important responsibility.

"Everything Julie has is a gift from His Majesty, and Julie's loyalty belongs only to His Majesty. Julie will do her utmost to fulfill your orders and see through every shadow in the depths of this palace for you."

She did not mention the Queen again, nor did she hesitate at all.

The intimacy of the past hour, and this more secretive transfer of power, have bound her firmly to Chris's chariot like the strongest chains.

Compared to a distant and potentially unattainable duchess title, this secret commission following physical intimacy, and the unspoken promise of the "future" it contained, was more likely to touch her heart and inspire her all-or-nothing loyalty.

Chris watched with satisfaction as a mixture of desire, ambition, and a hint of unease burned in her eyes.

Very well, that's what he wanted.

"The details and initial funding will be secretly given to you later. My clerk is trustworthy; you can consult him if you have any problems. If he cannot resolve them, the clerk will bring you to see me."

Remember, be cautious and discreet. I'll be watching your performance.

He waved his hand, his tone returning to its usual indifference, as if the incident had never happened.

"Go down. Get ready to take over the work of the archives."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Julie's voice was firm. She stood up, her gaze sweeping over Chris's face with a mixture of allure and awe, then lowered her head and staggered out of the study.

The door closed gently.

Chris leaned back in his chair, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the armrest.

An unexpected misunderstanding may give rise to a more useful pawn.

The bond between desire and power is sometimes stronger than a mere promise of benefit.

Now, all he needs to do is wait and see how this seed will sprout in the shadows.

As for Elena… Chris’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

The "chess piece" she sent might ultimately weave an unexpected web for herself.

On the chessboard, the winds of change are blowing once more. And he remains the one who controls the entire situation.

(End of this chapter)