I'm The Boss's Secretary?!

To the house of Sol who worked as a meager mayor of the small town, it was a big event to have the Queen personally came to the town. Not only once but twice in a time. 

"Are both Haneul and Mrs. Sol present in the house?" The Queen who had just got down from the palanquin questioned the maid. Out of all maids that were present, her eyes had fallen to Yeseul, Haneul's personal maid. 

Yeseul clenched her hand together and knelt to the ground like she was expected to do in front of the Queen, replying rigidly, "Yes, your highness, both the madam and the miss are present in the room and they are currently having their breakfast together."

"Lead me there," the Queen demanded as though the house was hers as she believed that every corner of the kingdom was hers as well. 

Yeseul hoped the Queen would ask someone else and looked around at the elder maids, thinking they would use this chance to be on the good side of the Queen but no one did. While it was an honor and an opportunity for one to gain the Queen's favor, they were also afraid of the Queen's notorious action where it was said if a person didn't do as she wished, they would disappear.

Yeseul had no choice but to take the role, bringing the Queen to Mrs. Sol's room where she met eyes with Haneul who looked surprised that her maid was chosen to lead the Queen.

Mrs. Sol started from her seat, a sweet smile appeared on her lips which Haneul could tell was fake, "My Queen, it is my deepest honor to have you here."

Likewise, Haneul stood up but unlike her mother who presented a wide smile on her lips, she didn't. She only curtseyed as she should and looked up with a toneless look. 

The Queen's eyes fell on her and Mrs. Sol scolded her by her eyes but Haneul remain unchanged. 

And as if this rude behavior wasn't enough, Mrs. Sol could feel her head turn dizzy when Haneul asked, "May I ask what is it that you wish to do in our humble house, Queen?"

Mrs. Sol's eyes bulged out and she bowed to the Queen immediately, a sheet of sweat covered her forehead. "I apologize for my child behavior, she is—"

The Queen raised her hand to stop the woman, "It appears that you don't know Madam Sol. Haneul had always greeted me this way. I take her as my own niece, therefore, I have abolish any rigid manners. As a Queen, no one had spoken to me like she did which put me at ease."

Mrs. Sol didn't know whether the words the Queen said meant positive or if it was a taunt. Regardless, she bowed her head, "Is there anything you wish to drink or eat, my Queen. Even though we might not be able to offer the same things as in palace, if it is what you want we will do our best to fulfill your need."

Haneul turned her face and sighed.

"No, I am here to personally talk with you Haneul. You are now have passed the age of twenty it isn't too late for you to find yourself a suitor to settle with."

"Apologies, but I don't see myself suitable yet to have a house of my own," Haneul answered. As she had trained the catalyst power inside her, both the Queen and her mother didn't know her ability to see through a person's heartbeat and read their emotions. While it wasn't accurate, she could hear a person's anger, excitement, and sadness.

She noticed on the Queen's question, her mother's heartbeat raise in excitement then falling to disappointment over her answer. 

Haneul narrowed her eyes while her mother said, "It is my wish as well to have Haneul to find a man who she can settle with but not everything goes the way I wish. Would it be a great request of mine if I humbly ask for your help to find a suitor for her, your highness?"

Haneul turned alarmed, "I don't need such a—"

"The partner of the catalyst is surely something to be brood over," The Queen said with a nod and Haneul felt her heart sinking to her stomach. 

Madam Sol had a smile on her lips. She knew that if she were to ask the Queen to cooperate with her and find a man her daughter could marry, the woman would agree as it could help the Queen in having heirs of the catalyst. 

At this point, Madam Sol didn't care. She could not take Min Hyuk, a vampire as her daughter's husband, therefore, anyone else was see as fit to her eyes. 

Haneul clenched her hand under the table, trying to control her anger while Seoyeon notice how the edge of the table had begin to crack in force. 

The Queen who had her own scheme said, "Haneul is a rather shy child. She wished for me to come and say this to you, Madam Sol. Not long ago, she had fallen for someone who work on the palace."

Madam Sol didn't expected this and while she could feel Haneul becoming too familiar with Min Hyuk, she wasn't aware there was someone else whom her daughter had fallen for. "I am glad to hear that! Who is this lucky man?"

Haneul slowly shifted her eyes that stared back at her mother to the Queen. The woman's smile curved, "His name is Min Hyuk, the general who had just came back yesterday from the war field as a Hero. He is a vampire but I do not care about marriage between vampires and humans. As I see, love matters more than their identity. What do you think, Madam Sol?"

In second, the happiness that Mrs. Sol felt and Haneul who was upset had their emotions flipped. 

"Pardon?" Was the only reaction Madam Sol could say and not long after, she left the room while still being in shock, giving the Queen an excuse that she needed to rest as she was feeling light-headed. 

Now left alone with the Queen, Haneul heard the door clicked close. The Queen wordless demanded her followers to leave the room for them to be together and while Haneul mimed the action of drinking with the cup hovering over her lips, she watched the hesitant look on the guards' face.

The fear was certain as they worried that Seoyeon would use her power and kill the Queen as she had the chance to do so but the Queen didn't seemed to be bothered. 

"What do you wish to do, your highness?" Haneul asked, her back which straightened and her chin tipped up.

"Why are you upset? I thought I was lending you the help you need to be united with the man who you love. Do you know how much your mother hated vampires? So much that she would get you married to anyone other than them."

Haneul watched the Queen pulling a folded parchment and placed it over the desk. Wary, but not wanting to show her skepticism, Haneul took the parchment, unfolding it to read what was written.

'Dearest Queen, the Sun of Weohun.

I wrote this letter to your highness with my upmost plead for request. My daughter had fallen in a relationship in which I could not support. The person whom she fell for was a vampire...'

There was a lot more things written but Haneul didn't have to read it all to understand what her mother wanted with the 'help' she requested to the Queen.

"I would be able to handle this on my own, needless of your help," Haneul told the Queen.

"What if I had agreed to help your mother instead?" The Queen saw Haneul's eyes that lifted up had dipped in a light color of silver upon her question and she chuckled. "People talk, Haneul, and they talk even more about your lack of suitorship. I believe you don't lack anything whether it is your look or your position."

"People talk because they have mouth and those who trust rumors reflect that what they have in their chest is easily swayed. I do not care about such rumors. Neither do I need your kindness, your highness. I believe the time for me to get married is not now," Haneul answered. She was happy if she could get married to Min Hyuk, it was her dream. But when it is the Queen who offered the marriage, she could tell that this wasn't her goal.

She wanted something from her once she married Min Hyuk and while she questioned what it could be, Haneul decide to refuse the Queen's help. 

"You might not believe it but many does and many said that it is I who had put a stop your journey in finding a husband. More problematic rumors is that they said men fear you because of your volatile power," Haneul's eyes narrowed and the Queen continued, "It will be a shame if I, the Queen, cannot handle you and your power which why I need you to have a husband-to-be and put this endless rumors to an end."

Haneul warily stared at the woman. While she could negotiate, she didn't know the extent of her bargain and how much she could push her luck before enraging the Queen. 

She cannot refuse the woman, not know when all her knights are inside her house.

"Please give me a time to think about this. My mother wouldn't agree to a marriage between human and vampire. I wish to discuss this with her without forcing," Haneul lightly bowed her head and looked up.

There was still the red smile on the Queen's mouth. A confidence on her eyes as she knew it won't take long before Haneul relent to her order.

"I respect your wish, my dear, do what you see fit and remember I would be here in time you need."

But she would be the last person I would ever ask for help, thought Haneul to herself in mind.

"I have another request, dear," the Queen called in a sweet voice, "A few days ago, a little intel came to me which said that there was a forest of dark witches hiding there. I have dispatched my men to scout the place and they found nothing yet oddly enough, allegedly, there are people who went missing. I want you to go and find the root of this problem."

Haneul didn't think much of the request as it was a job she had to do for being the catalyst and her head bent. "I will see to your request as soon as possible."

"Terrific, I will leave now. Think of your choices, Haneul. Marriage is a wonderful thing," the Queen said as she left the room.

"And yet you remain unmarried to keep the throne for yourself,' murmured Haneul once the woman had left.

She stood from the floor, sighing as she thought about the Queen's words when her mother marched in with heavy stomping.

"Explain to me what you have done!" Madam Sol yelled as soon as she entered the room.