“Did you do it on purpose?” Henrik asked as the carriage moved along.
Tori kept her eyes out the window. “What if I did?”
“What did you tell her that made her lose her mind?” Ilyana asked beside her. Tori pursed her lips. “Was it about Instructor Ignatius?”
Henrik raised a brow. “Is she not over him? Isn’t she the one who dumped him?”
“There are some people who will dump someone, but they still don’t want that other person to be with someone else,” Tori told them. “Not that Instructor and I are in that sort of relationship. It just seems that Miss Moore is convinced that I had seduced Instructor Ignatius and refuses to believe that the man just loves crystals to a fanatical extent.”
Ilyana made a face. “You’re so much younger than he is.”
Henrik rolled his eyes. “Isn’t he the same age as Lord Kasen?”
“I’m not Lord Kasen’s student.” Ilyana defended as her face reddened. “And I’m just admiring him.”
Tori nodded and patted her shoulder. “My brother is worthy of admiration.” Ilyana looked at Henrik with an ‘I-told-you-so’ look. “Anyway, I wasn’t going to stand for having my business affairs ruined. Miss Moore didn’t need to accuse us of forging our permit. If she hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have mentioned the permit dates, but she was obviously targeting us. Aside from her connection to the Cowman and animosity towards me because of Instructor Ignatius, we don’t have any real evidence she acted maliciously.”
“Who else could’ve done it?” Henrik frowned.
“Anyone who was working there is suspect, but we have no proof. However, an investigation on misconduct may be a warning to others to stop them from trying anything like this in the future,” Tori replied.
“I’m glad Prince Emil was there,” Ilyana said. “He was so angry and demanded that woman be fired.”
“She tried to destroy official documents in front of her boss’ boss. Even if she refused to admit she did anything to our permits, Mr. Devereux saw her try to destroy official documents. That should be grounds for dismissal.” Tori rubbed her head. “Henrik, what do you want to do about the break-in at your house?”
Henrik’s face darkened and his lips pulled into a tight line. “My room was locked when I left for Lycée.”
“Was it unlocked or broken?” Ilyana asked.
Henrik furrowed his brows. “My dad said that there was no sign of forced entry. My windows were also locked from the inside and weren’t broken, so whoever searched my room came in through the door.”
“Do you want a charm to keep people out?” Tori asked.
Henrik thought for a moment and shook his head. “There isn’t a need. Nothing important is kept in my room.”
“It’s a good thing you kept everything at Prince Piers’ house,” Ilyana said. “I thought you were paranoid, but it looks like your precaution paid off. I’m sorry I doubted you, Henrik.”
Henrik sighed.
“Do your parents have any idea who might’ve done it? Were there any witnesses? Did the neighbors see anyone?” Tori asked. The Skuldsens lived on a busy street and had plenty of neighbors. Henrik shook his head.
“Most of our neighbors work during the day and the maid had the day off. The butler also assists my father at the guild and the cook only comes to make dinner. My parents found the mess when they came home and no one else was there.”
“Were any doors going into the house open or unlocked?” Tori asked.
Henrik was quiet for a moment. “I didn’t ask.... My parents said they looked to see if anything was stolen, but nothing of value was. Things were just tossed around. I have very few valuables...some rings and such, and my mother said that they weren’t taken.”
Tori squinted. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask if Henrik was sure a thief did it. She slowly closed her mouth. Asking would shift the suspicion on the staff or a family member. The Skuldsens had a cook, a maid, and a butler, but they had no reason to tear around the Skuldsen’s home. Tori didn’t want to dismiss the possibility, though felt it was unlikely.
Henrik’s parents certainly wouldn’t break into their son’s room, which left his sister, Annika, who worked at Adrien’s liquor store.
“Are you just going to let this go?” Ilyana asked with a frown. “What if they come back? If they didn’t find what they were looking for this time, they might return.”
“Then let them,” Henrik said with a proud look. “Let them waste their time. I don’t want to waste my time dwelling on this, though I have told my parents to better secure their valuables. Perhaps look into getting a vault.”
Tori nodded. “If there is something we can do, let us know. This is a troubling event, and we have no idea who broke in.”
“Thanks, Tori.”
They bypassed Lycée to get to Piers’ house. The knights greeted them and as they stepped down from the carriage, the door opened and a gray cat shot out, meowing as if he’d been starved.
“Alexander!”
“Nyaow!” He leapt into Tori’s arms, and she brought him close and nuzzled his head.
“What are you doing? Are you going out for a walk?”
“We saw your carriage from the window,” Axton said as he stood at the doorway and leaned against it with crossed arms. “How did it go?”
“I had to call for help, but everything is settled and properly filed.”
“Tori got Instructor Ignatius’ ex-girlfriend dismissed!” Ilyana said as she bounced beside Tori and scratched Alexander under his chin.
“I didn’t get her dismissed. She got herself dismissed for poor conduct,” Tori said in defense of herself. “Although, I may have provoked her into lashing out in front of the chief officer of the commission.”
“May have?” Henrik snorted as he passed her. He went inside to put their documents away while Ilyana and Tori remained by the front door, talking to Axton.
Axton chuckled and looked at them fondly. “You wouldn’t have provoked her if you weren’t angry.”
“She accused us of forging documents, Axton.”
“I believe you,” he said. “By the way, are you ready for the first chamber meeting of the year at the end of the week?”
Tori nodded. “Piers said that it’s long, but it’s mainly introductions of new members and a review of topics that are carrying over from last year. Mr. Sima and Mrs. Farkas are also prepared for a long and tedious meeting.”
“We’ll take you out to eat after,” Ilyana said with a sympathetic pat.
Tori sighed and tilted her head, leaning against Ilyana’s shoulder. “Our Ilyana is the best.”
A small cough came from behind them, and Alexander let out a meow of greeting. Tori turned around and saw Piers walking up the steps. “We can go to the Three Queens afterwards.”
“The Three Queens is my restaurant-”
“Bring the others; they like the food there,” Piers said, ignoring Axton. Axton squinted at him.
“You have a post-meeting review with the Emperor after joint chamber sessions,” Axton told him in a dull voice. “You can’t go.” Piers narrowed his eyes slightly and Axton held up his hands. “I can’t do anything about it. Take it up with the Emperor.”
“If that’s the case, we can go to a restaurant closer to the First District....” Tori wrinkled her nose and frowned. “I’m not very familiar with restaurants there, though.”
“Albert might know since he worked at the palace last summer,” Ilyana told her.
“We’ll call him, then.”
“All right, they’re filed away.” Henrik walked out and bowed his head at Piers. “Your Highness.”
Piers gave him a small nod in return. “Des Champs in the Second District is close. It’s a favorite of Senior Kasen.”
Axton raised a brow. “Is it a favorite of his or is it because he ate there for free.”
“Why would my brother eat there for free?” Tori asked, frowning.
“Because his friend let him eat there for free.” Axton said this while boring his accusing eyes at Piers. “It’s what friends do.”
Piers didn’t acknowledge Axton’s complaint. He glanced at Tori. “If you have difficulty getting a reservation, tell Senior Benedict.”
“Instructor Ignatius?” Tori raised a brow. “Does he have a connection at Des Champs?”
Piers nodded. “He owns it.”
Tori pursed her lips. Sometimes, she forgot Instructor Ignatius, who often forgot to eat, was rich. She was starting to figure out why Miss Moore was so obsessed with him.
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“Are you all right?” Axton looked at Tori as she stared blankly ahead of her. She was sitting up straight, looking attentive from afar, but the closer one got to her, the more they could see her dead eyes.
“It’s been...six hours,” Tori said in a solemn voice. “And they’ve talked about nothing.”
Axton drew his lips inward to keep from laughing. “The first chamber session of the year is boring. The next one will be livelier and there will be more relevant topics to discuss.”
Tori turned her head towards him and narrowed her eyes. “No wonder nobles try to send representatives.” She had been so determined to come and participate in the governing process of her empire, but instead she was bored out of her mind and contemplated leaving during both breaks. “I can’t believe Piers lives like this.”
Axton held back a snort. “He’s used to it. And I think he enjoys it. This sort of thing is interesting to him.”
“It’s good for a ruler to have patience and willingness to understand and deal with complicated, but exceptionally boring matters of state,” Tori said with a small nod. She gave Axton a curious look. “Why are you out here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the room with Piers?”
Tori looked towards the tinted room at the head of the chamber hall. All around them, the chamber members were leaving after the long session. Various small groups formed as they discussed relevant topics, but most were bidding each other good-bye and urging them to get in touch later.
Mr. Sima and Mrs. Farkas had already left the chamber hall, as SIG Two was waiting to take them back to Viclya. They had been much more attentive than her, especially Mrs. Farkas, who was an elder with experience working with neighboring villages. She was voted on by the villagers with the belief that she would do her best to protect the integrity of the delta, as it was a young, newly established county. It was a responsibility she took seriously, and Tori was glad for that.
Axton turned towards the imperial room. “I was sitting in this chamber, too, so I didn’t accompany him this time.” He grinned. “Which means, I can join you and the others for dinner.”
Tori’s brows rose and she nodded as she stood up. “Then do you want a ride-”
“Your Grace.” A voice spoke up behind them and Tori turned around. An imperial knight bowed his head. “His Highness Prince Piers has requested your presence.”
Tori crinkled her eyes and looked at Axton, watching his expression dull. “Why can he never allow me to eat for free?”
“We were going to pay for the meal, Axton.”
“If you told Senior Benedict, he’d let you eat for free.”
“Axton.”
The young duke let out a heavy breath and ran his hand through his hair. He looked at the knight gave him a curt nod. “I’ll be there in a moment.” The knight bowed his head and stepped back. Axton put his hand on Tori’s puff of curly hair and patted her head. “I’ll walk you to your carriage. People are going to try to stop you to talk, so stay behind me.”
Tori nodded and stuffed her notebook that she had been taking notes in into a satchel and walked out. It didn’t take her long to be glad that Axton came with her. He expertly dodged anyone who had even a small look of interest on their faces when they saw her peeking out from behind him. If someone did manage to stop them, Axton was able to talk their way out.
“Impressive,” Tori said as the cool evening air chilled her cheeks upon exiting the building. She took a deep breath, relishing the fresh air as they reached her awaiting carriage. “I need to learn from you.”
Axton smirked proudly and put his hand over his chest. “I am much older and more experienced, after all.” He looked around the area and peered into the carriage. “Where is Training Commander Reystrom?”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“She’s escorting Mr. Sima and Mrs. Farka back. Piers assigned Sir Gainsborough and Sir Lawrence to guard me tonight,” Tori said. She gave the two knights standing by their horses a nod. “Don’t worry, I will make sure that they eat, too.”
Axton narrowed his eyes as the two knights awkwardly avoided his gaze. “How kind of you.”
Tori rolled her eyes and climbed into the carriage. “Enjoy your time with Piers!” She threw him a cheesy smile as the footman closed the door. Axton slumped forward, regretful, and didn’t turn around to re-enter the chamber until Tori’s carriage moved away from the curb.
She checked her time piece and nodded, satisfied. She gave her friends a meeting time about forty-five minutes after the chamber session officially ended. It allowed for some leeway in case the session ran over, as well as allocated for travel time. The chamber itself was relatively close to the border of the Second District and Des Champs was right on the border.
SIG One had picked up her friends earlier and they were likely already waiting on the busy dining street where Des Champs was located. Tori would arrive earlier than expected. She pursed her lips and looked out the window, watching the bustling nightlife of the First District.
Her carriage pulled up to the front of Des Champs. Tori leaned towards the window and grimaced. She didn’t think that the restaurant would be so busy, but there was a line outside the door.
I’m glad we made reservations. The footman opened the door and Tori stepped out.
“Tori!” Ilyana’s voice reached her at once and she turned her head. Ilyana was standing to the side, away from the line, and waved her arm. “We have a few minutes until our check-in time. The host said we can go inside then.”
Tori nodded as reached them. Henrik raised a brow. “How was the chamber session? It was boring, wasn’t it?”
She gave him a deadpan look. “It’ll get more interesting.”
“Sure, it will,” Sonia said with a pitiful smile as she patted Tori’s shoulder.
She rolled her eyes. “Everyone is here, and we have a few minutes,” she said as her eyes ran across the usual group. “Let’s walk up and down the street. I’ve been sitting for hours, and the breaks were only ten minutes.”
The group walked on the same side of the street as the restaurant and as they walked, they passed a few shops and cafes.
Ewan let out a low whistle. “The prices really are more expensive in this area.”
“I told you,” Albert said. “I couldn’t afford to eat here on my intern salary.”
“Have you been to all these restaurants?” Sonia asked with a raised brow.
“No. Not all of them,” Albert said with a huff. He looked away. “Maybe...65%?”
His friends looked at him with judgment in their eyes. “Albert,” Ilyana said in a calm voice. “What kind of life were you living when we weren’t with you?”
Albert choked and shook his head. “I didn’t eat out every day! Just some days! And it usually wasn’t much. Usually it was a snack!” He looked around and pointed across the street. “I can only afford a few cakes at that patisserie.”
Tori’s brows shot up. “A few cakes?”
“Slices! They were small!”
Ewan looked at him with betrayal. “How come you didn’t bring us any at the delta?”
“You had Tori!”
“Tori doesn’t bake every day!”
“I didn’t go to the delta every day!”
“It’s the thought that counts!”
Henrik ran a hand down his face. “If I give you money right now, will you go buy a pastry and shut up?”
“Yes.” Ewan and Albert immediately turned to Henrik and held out their hands. The corner of Henrik’s eye twitched, but he still reached into his pocket for a few coins.
The group lost Ewan and Albert to a patisserie.
Tori sighed and walked up ahead. “I’m going to check out that bookstore. After today’s meeting, I want to pick up something for reference for myself and Mr. Sima and Mrs. Farka.” She let out a heavy breath. “Maybe knowing a bit more will make it less boring.” She wrinkled her nose helplessly. “Though, I doubt it.”
“I’ll wait here...make sure those two don’t overeat before dinner,” Henrik said with a shake of his head.
JP nodded and Sonia and Ilyana followed Tori to the bookstore. Upon entering, they politely greeted a gray-haired old man seated by the counter. Tori was directed upstairs for her reference book while Ilyana asked if the store had the latest month’s release of Horizon’s most popular fiction journal targeted at young noble ladies: Roses in Bloom.
The light crystals were already lit upstairs, and Tori read the subjects listed on the end of each shelf aisle as she passed until she got to politics and law. As expected, the shelves were almost dipping because of the thick heavy books. The display book on a table was a copy of the first imperial laws and regulations from the end of the Unification Period and Tori cringed.
My eyes hurt just looking at the spines. I can’t believe Piers studied these since he was a child. Tori walked down the aisle with furrowed brows and a frown. She reached up to a shelf at eye-level and carefully pinched a two finger-thick book spine to pull it out. She turned the book to the cover on waterway rights and bridge-building and sighed. I’m going to cook Piers whatever he wants the next time I see him....
“Countess Guevera, what a surprise. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Tori felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise before she recognized the voice. She turned towards the end of the aisle and saw a familiar man walking towards her with a plastic smile and the confidence of a man filled with delusions of grandeur. Her eyes narrowed as she tensed and shifted her weight to be even over her hips.
Adrien Rosiek was dressed well, as usual. A clean, pressed dark suit with some green pops of color that brought out his red hair. Objectively, he looked handsome. Tori would dare even use the word ‘dashing’. He didn’t look like a greasy scumbag in the least. After all, he was a love interest.
But to Tori, he sure as hell felt like one.
She gave him a curt nod of his head. “Rosiek.” She turned back to the bookshelf she was standing beside and put the book back. She slid it in and withdrew her hand. She could come back later to buy it. Perhaps she could just get a copy mailed to her dorm.
Tori moved to step around Adrien and get back to the walkway to flee the scene. She didn’t want to deal with an annoyance. She didn’t even know how he found her, and she couldn’t very well ask why and get a clear answer.
He was a love interest. Of course, he’d find her when she was alone and not expecting to see him pop out like a clown in the dark. She supposed he just naturally had to have good timing? At least for the things he wanted to do as one of the love interests.
She managed to make two steps before Adrien moved to block her way. Tori narrowed her eyes. The aisle was wide enough for two people. She took a step to the side to step around him, only to have him mirror her movements and block her in.
“Are you leaving so soon, my lady?” His voice was more saccharin than when he first greeted her, and Tori resisted the urge to make a gagging expression.
She took a deep breath to keep her composure and took a step back. She lifted her head and met his eyes. “Please excuse me, Rosiek. I have dinner reservations.”
“Oh, the Three Queens again?” He leaned forward, still smiling. “You seemed to have quite the connection last time we met.”
“Des Champs,” Tori replied without flinching. “I made reservations ahead of time.”
“Private room?”
“Des Champs is an open restaurant. There are no private rooms.” She gave him a sneer. “Have you never been?”
“I prefer private settings whenever possible.”
Ew. Ew. Ew. Tori took another half step back. “Then you would know the importance of being on time for reservations. Excuse me.” She tried to make a quick move and dart around him, but his arm was faster.
Tori clenched her jaw as he kept his arm out, resting his hand against a bookshelf as he looked down at her with a self-satisfied smile.
“My lady, I have been meaning to speak to you for some time.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“Oh, it is. I have been very rude to you.”
“It’s good to acknowledge your behavior was unacceptable.”
“I wish to make it up to you.”
“An apology will suffice.” Tori met his gentle, apologetic look with defiance. Adrien opened his mouth, appearing a bit taken aback by her sharp answers.
Suddenly, he let out a laugh. “I seem to have misjudged you. You’re very charming, do you know that?”
Her eyes crinkled up and she retreated yet another half step. “No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. If I had known you were so savvy in business, I would’ve reached out to you earlier. I didn’t mean to make an...an enemy, if you will, of you.”
If he were any other person, Tori might’ve believed him, but her guard was raised much too high against the Cowman.
“Well, you have and I’m afraid it’s too late to turn back,” Tori replied with a frown.
“Countess Guevera, I truly regret it,” he said with a laugh. “I lost business because of you.”
“So, you tried to hinder mine?” She raised a brow, and he returned her look with a questioning one of his own.
“Pardon me?”
“Mathilda Moore is an...acquaintance of yours, isn’t she? She works, or should I say ‘worked’, at the Imperial Commerce Commission where my permits and documents mysteriously were replaced. My store, Duel, was reported for lacking proper permits and would’ve had to close. Luckily, we had copies.” Tori paused and gave him a bitter smile. “And it was lucky that they weren’t found when my friend’s family’s home was ransacked. I bet you didn’t expect not to find them.”
Adrien blinked and looked a bit surprised. He quickly put on a smile once more. “I think there is some misunderstanding, Countess Guevera. While I do know Miss Moore, I didn’t ask her to do anything on my behalf.”
“But you could’ve incited her.”
Adrien smiled and shook his head. “Countess Guevera, I’ve done no such thing. And even if I did such a heinous thing, you would need to prove it before accusing someone. It’s not fair for you to slander me without proof.”
“It doesn’t matter. You didn’t succeed anyway. It was a small annoyance at best. Like a fly bothering you as you eat,” Tori replied with a dismissive look.
He smirked. “Then, does this mean you’re not interested in working together?”
“I am not interested.”
He took a step closer, shrinking the gap between them as he blocked her path. “Are you sure? Countess Guevera, please consider my proposal to work together. No one else in Soleil has as wide a network of business as me. It would be greatly beneficial for you.” He smiled and she could smell an earthy musk mixed with a sharp floral scent.
Tori drew her head back. “Please step back, Rosiek. You’re too close.”
“There isn’t anyone here,” Adrien said in a low voice. “You can be honest.”
“I’ll be honest, but will you?” Tori raised a brow. “I’m not interested in any sort of business with you, Rosiek. I decline your proposal.”
“Then if not business, why not something more personal?”
Red flag! Stranger danger! Tori felt her chest tighten as she tried to control the alarm spreading through her body. Her fingers twitched at her sides and her eyes darted around the aisle, taking in the bookshelves, the heavy books, side tables, and quickly ran through available blunt objects she could see. She swallowed and kept the defiant look on her face. “I would rather be personal with a man-eating tiger than with you.”
The glint of excitement in his eyes made her disgusted and her arms twitched to push back. However, the aisle was an awkward space, and they were in a store. She didn’t want to cause trouble and attract attention. If she shoved him, he’d fall back against the shelves and that could cause a domino effect. How would she explain that? She was a Countess.
As open as Soleil was, there was something suspicious about being this close and alone with an unrelated man in a semi-public place. And this was not a man she wanted to be close and alone with to begin with.
“You really are very interesting, Countess.” His voice lowered and sounded a bit raspy. “I really regret making an enemy of you. We could have been such magnificent partners.”
“No, we would not.”
He smirked as his eyes sparkled. He lowered his head. “Do you not think we’d be compatible? Your products and the way you...developed recently have shown me that we’d work well together. We can do incredible things.”
Tori gritted her teeth and drew her head back. “There are no incredible things I can do with you, Rosiek.” His hand rose and touched the soft material of her cravat. Tori’s eyes lowered and narrowed as his fingers played with the dark blue material resting around her neck and chest. “Get your hand off of me.”
Her own voice dropped and cut through the quiet of the bookstore aisle. Adrien’s eyes flickered up, almost teasing as he smiled. “Are you sure? Your scarf is a bit uneven. Let me re-tie it. I’m good with my hands.”
Motherfucker, I am sixteen years old. She didn’t know how she was able to stop her hand from flying out and backhanding him in the face. She lifted her chin. “I’m not going to tell you again. Get your hands off me and step back or else.”
Perhaps he didn’t hear the underlying threat in her voice or take her seriously. Then again, perhaps he ignored her on purpose. He leaned closer and brought his head close to hers.
“It’s all right, Countess. I know the owner of this shop.”
She held back her furious trembling and let out a low breath. Her face darkened as she reached into her pocket. “I gave you fair warning.”
He raised his brows playfully as Tori leaned towards him and slid her arm beneath his. She placed a small piece of paper on his back. Her touch made his face light up and he opened his mouth.
No sound came out and a brief look of confusion crossed his face.
Tori smirked. “I fucking told you to get your hands off of me.” She grabbed his shoulders to both pull him lower and keep him in place as she moved closer and kneed him a rough, but efficient movement.
His eyes nearly bulged and filled with tears as his hands flew to his crotch. With his arms blocking her way, Tori stepped around him and watched as he fell to his knees, his body shaking as he hunched over into a near fetal position.
“Tori!” Ilyana’s voice rang out as she skidded to a stop at the end of the aisle with Sonia nearly running into her. Henrik and JP stumbled behind them, and JP grabbed Henrik before he could rush forward. Their eyes went wide as they saw Tori looming over the man who almost looked as if he had difficulty breathing.
“Tori, are you all right?” JP asked in a firm voice. He held on to Henrik’s arm and seemed ready to move if her response was anything but ‘nothing’.
Sonia glared at the man on the floor “What did he do to you?”
Tori looked back at Adrien on the floor and could see the vein in his neck throb as he turned his head just enough to see the others standing at the entrance of the aisle. He opened his mouth, but the silence charm stuck on his back prevented him from making any noise.
“He wouldn’t let me pass, so I had to make him,” Tori said as she lifted a hand and gently tugged at the cravat to loosen it.
Adrien looked at her with hate-filled, accusing eyes. Tori smirked. She walked to one of the side tables between two bookshelves that had a display on it and bumped the table with her hip. It made a low scratching sound against the wood floor and the display book on it shook. Tori brushed her hand over it and knocked it to the ground.
She tilted her head and stepped back to look at the scene, then reached forward and brought the side table out a little further, so it jutted out more.
“Guevera....” A breathless male voice came from the hall and Tori turned her head. She didn’t expect Fabian of all people to arrive.
“Von Dorn,” she greeted with a small nod of her head. She glanced at Adrien still on the floor, biting his lip and glaring at her. “It seems that Mr. Rosiek ran into the side table and injured himself.” She waved her hands over the mess she’d set up, and Adrien’s eyes went wide. “How clumsy of him.”
Adrien opened his mouth to yell at her, but nothing could come out.
Fabian furrowed his brows and looked from Adrien to Tori and back. “What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know.” Tori purposely sounded confused. She knelt and patted Adrien’s back. “Are you all right, Mr. Rosiek?”
“This is your fault! Why did you kick me!” Adrien’s voice filled the aisle and he let out a wheezing hiss.
Tori stood up straight, carefully tucking the silence charm in her sleeve. A cold smirk appeared on her lips. “Mr. Rosiek, I’ve done no such thing.” Her melodic words were pleasant, as if she were making a small joke. “And even if I did such a heinous thing, you would need to prove it before accusing someone.”
“What proof do I need? How else would I be like this?” Adrien’s face turned even redder.
“Clearly, you weren’t looking where you were going and ran into the table,” Tori said in a knowing voice, motioning one hand to the side table.
Adrien had a vein pulsing on his neck. “You moved that table!”
Tori looked at him with an unflinching gaze and slowly turned her head towards her friends. “Did I move that table?”
“What table?” Henrik answered without missing a beat. His eyes were fixed on Adrien with disgust. “The one that Mr. Rosiek ran into?”
“He should watch where he’s going,” JP said in a low voice.
“She kicked me!” Adrien hissed.
Tori sighed. “Mr. Rosiek, where is your proof? It’s not fair for you to slander me without proof.” Tori shrugged and looked back at Adrien. “Everyone saw you run into that table. Please be more careful next time.” She cocked her head to the side. “You don’t want to get hurt further.” She threw him a bright smile and turned around. “Where are Ewan and Albert?”
“Headed back Des Champs to confirm that we’re coming right now,” Ilyana said as she and Sonia linked arms with Tori and pulled her away from the aisles of books. Ilyana looked back at Adrien and sneered. “Let’s go. You don’t want to lose your appetite.”
Tori let out a hum and headed down the stairs. As they passed the counter, she called back to the old man seated there. “Sir, a customer ran into one of the tables upstairs and seems to have injured himself and knocked over a display. We didn’t want to move him in case it further injured him.”
“He’s an adult man, so he may be heavy. We’ll wave down a patrol to assist you,” JP said with a kind smile.
The old man at the counter’s eyes widened. He gasped and looked upstairs. “Thank you! Please hurry!” The old man put down the book he was reading and went upstairs, passing Fabian who was walking downstairs with a numb look.
Tori looked over and raised a brow. “Did you happen to see anything interesting, von Dorn?”
He stiffened as he reached the bottom of the stairs and shook his head. “No. I didn’t see anything.”
Tori tugged off her soiled cravat and nodded, satisfied. “I didn’t think you did.” She flicked her wrist and brought the carnelian out on her left hand. She dangled the scarf against it and held Fabian’s gaze as she lit the scarf on fire. He sucked in a sharp breath as the scarf was engulfed in an instance, only to fizzle out into nothing in the blink of an eye. Tori gently brushed her hands together to get rid of any soot. “Have a good night, von Dorn.”
Her lip curled in a slight smirk as she turned and walked out the door with her friends.
“Do you think he’ll talk?” Sonia asked in a low voice as Tori walked ahead of him with her eyes fixed on the restaurant down the street.
“He better not,” Tori said.
“I think he suspects something.” Henrik quickened his step to match hers and leaned closer with a frown. “He’s staring at you.”
“Let him. If he opens his mouth, I’ll deal with him myself.”