Chapter 12 - First Dance (1/2)

”What happened to your hair?!” the countess screeched when her daughter arrived home with a lion's mane and no bonnet.

”The wind at the ocean side was very strong, Mother,” I said calmly.

The only way to deal with her when she got hysterical was to remain absolutely calm. It had not taken long in this world to learn that much.

”Yes, very strong,” Percy agreed while standing stoically beside me. ”Her bonnet flew right off and the pins with it.”

The countess had no reason to doubt the word of her oldest son and let us off easily before going to order the cook to prepare dinner.

I turned to him suspiciously. ”You just lied for me.”

”Yes, I did.”

”What do you want?”

He smiled. ”The whole lemon tart. I think you owe me that much.”

Curse him, he was right. Percy had done a lot for me today.

”Can I have one tiny nibble first?” I pleaded. I was the one who picked it out after all.

”One tiny nibble,” he conceded.

After taking my taste—it was absolutely scrumptious—I regretfully handed it over. ”We need to go back there again. These are divine.”

”I heard a rumor they will not be this good for long. The palace is interested in hiring the pastry chef out from under the bakery owner in honor of the second prince's marriage. Apparently the new princess really loves that bakery.”

I wasn't surprised about the rumor, since I knew this was roughly the time Marcy headed to the palace anyway. I was surprised that my brother—who hated the capital and most people—had listened to gossip.

”Where did you hear that?”

”Believe it or not, I do know some people in the capital. I have to forge my connections for when I take Father's place someday.”

Huh. I guess his antisocial nature had a loophole. With that cryptic statement, he headed upstairs to go over the ledgers with Father before dinner.