The Fake Hero’s Misadventures:

Jaeho woke up with a splitting headache and a mouth that tasted like burnt onions. His body ached as though he'd fought a real dragon this time, and he groaned as he forced himself to sit up.

"Good, you're awake," Kaia's voice came from somewhere to his left, calm as always. "For a moment, I thought you'd managed to make history as the first hero to die at his own celebration feast."

"Ha ha," Jaeho muttered, rubbing his temples. "Very funny. What happened? I remember drinking... and then everything went dark."

Kaia set a tray of water and bread on the side table. "You were poisoned."

Jaeho froze, his grogginess vanishing. "Poisoned? Someone tried to kill me?"

"Not 'someone,'" Kaia corrected, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Someone very bad at poisoning. The dosage was weak. It only knocked you out for a few hours."

"Well, that's... comforting?" Jaeho's voice cracked on the last word. "What are you doing about it? Isn't this where you, my trusty subordinate, save me again?"

Kaia's expression didn't change. "Trusty subordinate? You do realize I can only save you from so much, Master."

Jaeho opened his mouth to argue but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Kaia straightened immediately, her posture tense.

"Come in," she said, her tone sharp.

The door creaked open, and Princess Elira stepped in, her golden curls bouncing and her face lit with relief. "Oh, Jaeho, thank the gods you're alright!" she exclaimed, rushing to his bedside.

"I was so worried," she continued, clasping his hand dramatically. "When I heard what happened, I couldn't believe someone would target our kingdom's hero like this!"

Jaeho stared at her, caught somewhere between flattered and mortified. "Uh, yeah, it's... it's been a rough night."

"I've already ordered the knights to investigate," Elira said, her eyes shining with determination. "We'll find the culprit and bring them to justice, I promise."

"That's... great," Jaeho said weakly, unsure how to respond. Who would want to poison me? he wondered. I'm not even the real hero!

Kaia cleared her throat, stepping forward. "Princess, while I appreciate your efforts, perhaps it's best to handle this matter discreetly. Publicizing the poisoning might embolden the attacker to try again."

Elira frowned, clearly displeased at the idea of keeping anything from the public, but she nodded. "You're right, Kaia. I'll leave this matter in your capable hands."

With one last lingering glance at Jaeho, Elira rose to her feet and exited the room, her dress swishing behind her.

As soon as the door closed, Jaeho turned to Kaia. "Okay, what's the plan?"

Kaia raised an eyebrow. "Plan?"

"You're going to catch the poisoner, right? Isn't that what the real hero's subordinate does?"

Kaia sighed. "Master, the more important question is why someone poisoned you. Your role as the Hero of Prophecy puts you in a dangerous position. You've gained admirers and enemies alike."

Jaeho blinked. "But I didn't do anything! I've only been the hero for, like, three days!"

Kaia's lips twitched. "Exactly. Which means you've already annoyed someone enough to want you dead. Congratulations, Master."

"That's not—!" Jaeho stopped himself, taking a deep breath. "Fine. If you won't do something about it, then I will."

Kaia tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "And what, exactly, are you going to do? Give the poisoner a motivational speech?"

"I'll... I'll investigate," Jaeho declared, puffing out his chest. "Heroes solve problems. That's what I'll do."

Kaia stared at him for a long moment before smirking. "Very well, Master. Let's see how the great hero handles this."

---

The first place Jaeho decided to start his "investigation" was the kitchens. If someone had poisoned his wine, they must have done it there, right? It made sense to him, at least.

The head cook, a burly man with a mustache that could rival a small broom, greeted him with a mix of confusion and awe. "Your Grace! What brings the Hero of Prophecy to my humble kitchens?"

"Uh... routine hero business," Jaeho said awkwardly. "I need to inspect your... uh, your wine storage."

The cook blinked. "My wine storage?"

"Yes!" Jaeho said, trying to sound authoritative. "You know, for hero reasons."

Kaia, who had followed him into the kitchens, leaned against the doorframe, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

The cook hesitated before leading Jaeho to a large cabinet filled with bottles of wine. "This is where we keep everything," he said, gesturing to the shelves.

Jaeho nodded, picking up a random bottle and pretending to examine it closely. He had no idea what he was looking for, but he figured if he acted confident enough, people might believe he knew what he was doing.

"Is there... a problem, Your Grace?" the cook asked nervously.

"Maybe," Jaeho said, squinting at the bottle like it held ancient secrets. "Tell me, has anyone suspicious been in here recently?"

The cook scratched his head. "Suspicious? No, I don't think so. Just the usual staff."

"And who's that?" Jaeho asked, feeling like a real detective now.

"Me, of course," the cook said, "and the servants. Mostly young Gwen. She's the one who brought your wine to the dining hall last night."

"Gwen," Jaeho repeated. "Where is she now?"

The cook frowned. "She should be cleaning the banquet tables."

Jaeho handed the bottle back and marched toward the dining hall, Kaia following with an amused expression.

"You're really going through with this, aren't you?" she said as they walked.

"Of course!" Jaeho said. "If someone's trying to kill me, I can't just sit around waiting for it to happen again!"

"Spoken like a true hero," Kaia said, smirking.

---

When they found Gwen, a timid girl with freckles and a nervous demeanor, Jaeho approached her cautiously.

"Gwen," he said, trying to sound kind but firm. "I need to ask you something."

The girl's eyes widened in panic. "Me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no," Jaeho said quickly. "I just need to know—did anyone tamper with the wine you brought me last night?"

Gwen shook her head vigorously. "No, Your Grace! I swear, I only did what I was told!"

"And who told you?" Jaeho pressed.

"The steward," Gwen said, trembling. "He's the one who gave me the bottle and told me to bring it to you."

Jaeho exchanged a glance with Kaia, who nodded slightly.

"Looks like we have a new lead," she said.

Jaeho sighed. "Great. Because this is exactly what I wanted to do with my day—play hero detective."