diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 40fcb65..42a0389 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,7 +7,25 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## Unreleased
 
-_Nothing yet._
+### Fixed
+
+- **`Assets` resolves on a fresh install.** It read its config from the bare `assets` key while
+  the provider registers it at `laranail.assets`, so every call threw *"Trying to access array
+  offset on null"* unless the config had been published. It now reads `laranail.assets`.
+- **`addStyles()` adds styles.** It merged into the script list, so a stylesheet rendered as a
+  `<script>` tag.
+- The config default is merged in `register()`, so it exists before other providers boot.
+
+### Deprecated
+
+- **A config published to `config/assets.php`** is still honoured, so an existing override keeps
+  working. Republish with `--tag=laranail::assets-config`, which now writes
+  `config/laranail/assets.php`, and delete the old file. Support for the old path can go in a
+  future minor release.
+
+### Added
+
+- A `Quick start` section in the README.
 
 ## v0.1.0
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a0ce0fa..f751c45 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,27 @@ Requires PHP `^8.4.1 || ^8.5` and Laravel `^13.0`.
 composer require laranail/assets
 ```
 
+## Quick start
+
+```blade
+{{-- resources/views/layouts/app.blade.php --}}
+<head>
+    {!! Assets::renderHeader() !!}
+</head>
+<body>
+    @yield('content')
+
+    {!! Assets::renderFooter() !!}
+</body>
+
+{{-- resources/views/checkout.blade.php --}}
+@extends('layouts.app')
+
+@php(Assets::addScriptsDirectly('js/checkout.js'))
+```
+
+The registered names and design are in [Architecture](docs/architecture.md); everything else is in the [documentation index](#documentation).
+
 ## <a name="documentation"></a>Documentation
 
 Full documentation is at
diff --git a/src/Assets.php b/src/Assets.php
index 9de3198..a5a1b11 100755
--- a/src/Assets.php
+++ b/src/Assets.php
@@ -33,7 +33,13 @@ class Assets
 
     public function __construct(Repository $config, HtmlBuilder $htmlBuilder)
     {
-        $this->config = $config->get('assets');
+        // The provider registers the defaults at `laranail.assets`. A config published before
+        // 2026-10 landed at the bare `config/assets.php` and is still honoured, so an application
+        // that already overrode it keeps its override (deprecated: republish with
+        // `--tag=laranail::assets-config`, which now writes config/laranail/assets.php).
+        $this->config = $config->has('assets.scripts')
+            ? $config->get('assets')
+            : $config->get('laranail.assets');
 
         $this->scripts = $this->config['scripts'];
 
@@ -57,7 +63,7 @@ public function addScripts(array|string $assets): self
      */
     public function addStyles(array|string $assets): self
     {
-        $this->scripts = array_merge($this->scripts, Arr::wrap($assets));
+        $this->styles = array_merge($this->styles, Arr::wrap($assets));
 
         return $this;
     }
diff --git a/src/Providers/AssetsServiceProvider.php b/src/Providers/AssetsServiceProvider.php
index 63452d2..c798b5b 100755
--- a/src/Providers/AssetsServiceProvider.php
+++ b/src/Providers/AssetsServiceProvider.php
@@ -8,14 +8,23 @@
 
 class AssetsServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
 {
-    public function boot(): void
+    public function register(): void
     {
+        // In register(), not boot(): a merged default must exist before any other provider's boot()
+        // can resolve Assets, and before config:cache snapshots the repository.
         $this->mergeConfigFrom(__DIR__ . '/../../config/config.php', 'laranail.assets');
+    }
+
+    public function boot(): void
+    {
         $this->loadViewsFrom(__DIR__ . '/../../resources/views', 'laranail/assets');
 
         if ($this->app->runningInConsole()) {
+            // config/laranail/assets.php is what Laravel loads as `laranail.assets`. The tag used
+            // to write config/assets.php -- a bare key nothing registered -- which Assets now reads
+            // only as a deprecated fallback.
             $this->publishes([
-                __DIR__ . '/../../config/config.php' => config_path('assets.php'),
+                __DIR__ . '/../../config/config.php' => config_path('laranail/assets.php'),
             ], 'laranail::assets-config');
 
             $this->publishes([
diff --git a/tests/Feature/AssetsConfigTest.php b/tests/Feature/AssetsConfigTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae173f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/AssetsConfigTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use Simtabi\Laranail\Assets\Assets;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Config;
+
+/**
+ * The provider registers the defaults at `laranail.assets`. Until 2026-10 the class read the bare
+ * `assets` key instead, which nothing populates on a fresh install, so resolving `Assets` threw on
+ * a null index and every documented call failed. Only an application that had published the config
+ * (to the bare `config/assets.php`) ever had a working package.
+ */
+it('resolves on a fresh install, from the defaults registered at laranail.assets', function (): void {
+    $assets = app(Assets::class);
+
+    expect($assets->getStyles())->not->toBeEmpty()
+        ->and(Config::get('assets'))->toBeNull();
+});
+
+it('takes its script and style lists from laranail.assets', function (): void {
+    Config::set('laranail.assets.scripts', []);
+    Config::set('laranail.assets.styles', []);
+
+    $assets = app(Assets::class);
+
+    expect($assets->getScripts('header'))->toBe([])
+        ->and($assets->getScripts('footer'))->toBe([])
+        ->and($assets->getStyles())->toBe([]);
+});
+
+/**
+ * The working population before the fix: applications that published the old bare file. Their
+ * override keeps winning, so the repair changes nothing for anyone the package already worked for.
+ */
+it('still honours a config published to the old bare config/assets.php', function (): void {
+    Config::set('assets', array_replace(Config::get('laranail.assets'), [
+        'styles'  => [],
+        'scripts' => [],
+    ]));
+
+    $assets = app(Assets::class);
+
+    expect($assets->getScripts('header'))->toBe([])
+        ->and($assets->getScripts('footer'))->toBe([])
+        ->and($assets->getStyles())->toBe([]);
+});
+
+/** addStyles() used to merge into the script list, so a stylesheet was rendered as a <script>. */
+it('adds styles to the styles, not the scripts', function (): void {
+    Config::set('laranail.assets.scripts', []);
+    Config::set('laranail.assets.styles', []);
+    Config::set('laranail.assets.resources.styles.invoice', [
+        'use_cdn' => false,
+        'src'     => ['local' => '/css/invoice.css'],
+    ]);
+
+    $assets = app(Assets::class)->addStyles('invoice');
+
+    expect($assets->getScripts('header'))->toBe([])
+        ->and($assets->getScripts('footer'))->toBe([])
+        ->and(json_encode($assets->getStyles(), JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES))->toContain('/css/invoice.css');
+});