I'm not wasting time, I'm spending it poorly
Isabelle stared very hard at the desk she was ostensibly cleaning, as she listened to the nobles speak behind her. She pretended to be sweeping dust away in her own little corner, far back in the room.
Nobody noticed her.
Nobody bothered to even pay attention to whether the maid in the room was really doing her job or just repeating the same actions out of sight over and over for the purposes of remaining close by.
Fools.
"The late king was much better at controlling that prince, I suppose." One noble remarked, his face obscured by his veil, but she heard the discontent in his voice.
Isabelle noted, filing it away to go through it when she had time.
"The Prince is going to inherit the crown, isn't he?" Another remarked between idle bites of food. "I'm surprised an ambitious man like him wouldn't already be jumping to it."