Chapter 212: A Toast To Partnership
Chapter 211: A Toast To Partnership
Lyria’s POV
Duke Thorncrest gazed at the maids for a long moment after Diana’s explanation.
Then he simply nodded once.
"Very well," he said easily, though there was something in his expression that suggested he did not entirely believe her.
The maids moved quickly after that.
Sally arranged the refreshments upon the low table while Diana poured additional hot water into the teapot. Theresa placed small silver trays beside the porcelain service with far more force than was strictly necessary.
I pretended not to notice.
The selection was not extravagant, but it was certainly more fitting than the barren table from earlier.
There were delicate vanilla macarons dusted lightly with sugar, small butter biscuits shaped like flowers, thin slices of sponge cake layered with cream, tiny fruit tarts glazed neatly with syrup, and little sandwiches cut into perfect squares with the crusts removed.
My stomach tightened faintly at the sight of it all.
Perhaps Duke Thorncrest had been correct.
Perhaps I had been hungry.
The Duke leaned forward slightly and inspected the arrangement with great seriousness.
"At last," he declared. "Civilisation."
Theresa’s eye twitched.
I looked away before my amusement became visible.
Duke Thorncrest reached first for the plate of macarons. He examined them briefly as though judging their worth, then selected several before placing them neatly upon a porcelain dessert plate.
And then he handed the plate to me.
I blinked in surprise.
"Oh."
"Go on," he said. "You looked moments away from collapsing earlier."
"I did n-not."
"You absolutely did."
"I was m-merely tired."
"Mm."
His expression suggested he did not believe me even slightly.
Still, I accepted the plate carefully.
"Th-thank you, Your Grace."
"You are very welcome."
Only after ensuring I had food did he prepare a plate for himself.
Something about that settled strangely in my chest.
I picked up one of the macarons carefully between my fingers and took a small bite.
The shell cracked delicately before dissolving almost immediately upon my tongue, soft almond sweetness melting into cream.
My eyes widened slightly before I could stop myself.
Duke Thorncrest noticed instantly.
"There," he said triumphantly. "That expression means the macaron has won your approval."
I swallowed quickly.
"It is v-very good."
"I knew it."
I finished the first one rather quickly.
Then, after only the briefest hesitation, I reached for another.
The Duke watched me with unconcealed amusement.
"Were you quite famished after all?" he asked.
I paused midway through my second bite.
Then I nodded slightly.
"I believe I was," I admitted quietly. "I d-did not r-realise it until now."
He chuckled softly.
"I understand entirely. I was quite famished myself."
"You do n-not look as though you have ever been d-deprived of food a day in your life."
He placed one hand dramatically against his chest.
"Princess," he said solemnly, "what a cruel accusation."
"It w-was merely an o-observation."
"A devastating one."
I tried not to smile.
Unfortunately, I failed again.
His grin widened immediately.
While I reached for the teacup instead.
Duke Thorncrest gestured lightly toward the maids.
"Tea," he said.
The three moved at once.
I could tell they were annoyed.
The Queen had not assigned additional attendants for the date, likely because she had not expected it to continue this long in the first place. Which meant Diana, Sally, and Theresa had unwillingly become actual servants rather than spectators.
A terrible tragedy, truly.
They poured the tea carefully into delicate porcelain cups painted with gold detailing along the rims.
Steam curled upward softly.
Once they were done, they retreated toward the corner of the room.
Only then did I notice the Duke’s guard properly.
I blinked faintly.
How had I missed him before?
The man stood near the wall beside the door, silent as a shadow. Tall and broad-shouldered, with cream-coloured hair that fell untidily across his forehead. A sword rested at his side, though his posture appeared relaxed.
He had not spoken once since I entered the room.
I wondered briefly how long he had been standing there unnoticed.
Duke Thorncrest picked up his teacup.
Then he raised it slightly toward me.
"A toast," he declared.
I looked at him over the rim of my own cup.
"To what?" I asked.
He smiled.
"To partnership," he said with a wink.
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
The maids looked horrified by the sound.
Duke Thorncrest, meanwhile, looked deeply pleased with himself.
"T-to partnership," I said, raising my cup.
Our cups clinked softly together after that.
The tea was warm and fragrant, rich with herbs and something faintly floral I could not identify.
For a while afterward, we simply ate.
The earlier game faded into the background entirely.
The rain had stopped now, leaving only the muted grey light filtering through the windows and the occasional drip of water from the eaves outside.
The room felt warm and safe.
I had not expected that.
And perhaps because I had not expected it, I found myself relaxing little by little without realizing it.
I forgot the Queen’s warning from yesterday.
Forgot the careful tension I had carried into the room.
Forgot, for a brief while, the palace itself.
Duke Thorncrest spoke easily between bites of food, occasionally making dramatic observations about the biscuits or complaining that the sandwiches were too small to be satisfying.
At one point, he attempted to convince me that consuming six macarons was perfectly reasonable behavior for a Duke.
I informed him that sounded medically concerning.
He claimed I was oppressing him.
It was ridiculous.
Entirely ridiculous.
And yet I found myself enjoying it.
Quite a lot, actually.
Eventually I set my teacup down carefully upon its saucer and looked toward him.
"Your Grace," I said quietly.
He glanced up immediately.
"Yes?"
I hesitated only briefly.
"I h-had fun today."
The words felt strangely vulnerable once spoken aloud.
Duke Thorncrest stilled for a moment.
Then his expression softened into something quieter than his usual teasing smiles.
"I had fun as well," he said.
And somehow, I believed him instantly.
The silence that followed was gentle.
Then suddenly his eyes brightened again.
"We should finish our game," he declared.
I laughed softly beneath my breath.
"You are rem-m-markably determined."
"Of course I am. We were interrupted before answering your question."
"My q-question?"
"My favourite memory."
"Oh."
I had almost forgotten.
He leaned slightly forward again.
"You cannot simply abandon the game midway through," he informed me gravely. "There are rules."
"You i-invented the rules."
"Which makes them legally binding."
"That is n-not h-how laws work."
"Are you entirely certain?"
"Yes."
"Tragic."
I smiled despite myself.
Then slowly, reluctantly, I began setting my teacup aside properly.
"I would like to c-continue," I admitted. "But I m-must leave."
His brows furrowed immediately.
"Why?"
