“Do you know how much work that is?” Tori sat on a cushioned stool in front of an ornate vanity table. The reflection on the mirror in front of her showed her pretty face with an exasperated expression.
“Of course, I know how much work that is.” Henrik’s voice came from the open comcry somewhere amongst the various make-up brushes, hair accessories, and palettes on the table. “But no one has had that sort of food before and it’s delicious. Not to mention that the burritos are easy to eat with no utensils or plates.”
“The ingredients were imported, Henrik. They’re too difficult to source; it’ll be expensive.”
“Then open an expensive restaurant.”
“Where patrons dine with their bare hands?” Tori asked, raising her brow, and giving the glowing comcry a dubious look. “Do you really think that will be popular with the wealthy and the aristocracy?”
Henrik was silent for a moment. “What if you put the burritos on a plate and then have them cut it with utensils?”
Tori opened her mouth to dismiss the idea, but stopped. She often did that when a burrito was too big for her to fit into her mouth or was spilling over or dripping with salsa. She squinted. “That’s a valid idea.” There were bougie burrito joints in her original world, anyway. She could also expand on the fillings to include local flavors. Food that was brought over from another place often evolved to fit the tastes of the local populace.
She learned that firsthand when trying Chifa.
“I can check with the guild to see what information we have on those beans and maize,” Henrik said, ready to jump on the idea as soon as Tori gave the approval.
She still let out a heavy sigh and the woman behind her chuckled as she gently wove another blue baby’s breath into her thick, curly half-braid.
“Let’s not start so soon. We don’t know if we have the time right now. We get our Lycée projects this semester and they’re going to take up much of our time,” Tori reminded him.
“Lycée projects take into consideration the student’s background, rank, and abilities. It’s obvious that you, Ilyana, and I will be assigned a project based on opening a business of some sort,” Henrik replied. “If it’s just opening a business, then opening a restaurant would take care of it and we can make money selling your food.”
Tori rolled her eyes. “They’re not going to let three students work together on one project.”
“If it’s a large enough project, the school has been known to allow a pair of students to work together,” Henrik said. He suddenly paused. “Never mind, Ilyana will kill me.”
Tori laughed. “Let’s see what the projects are before we commit to opening a restaurant. Also, we can use grain flour for the tortillas, so if we can’t get maize, regular flour is fine.” It was much more common and would be much cheaper, though not her preference.
“I’m going to look into that.”
“Tori, stop moving your head,” the woman behind her said. Tori sat up straight and froze so she could finish decorating her hair.
“Henrik, I have to go. I need to finish getting ready for the Prime Minister’s party.”
“Do you have the business cards to give out?”
“Of course, I’m not an animal.” Keeping her head steady, she reached over and ended the call. “Are we almost done?”
The woman behind her was Armando’s wife, Csilla. Sebastian had asked for her help to do Tori’s hair for the evening party, as he seemed to know Tori had just planned to put it in another bun. The couple arrived an hour and a half ago with Istvan, Sebastian’s godson.
Csilla smiled and made a few small touches to Tori’s hair before stepping back and letting out a pleased sigh. “It’s good to have such thick hair.”
“It’s aesthetically pleasing, but a bother to deal with on a daily basis.” There was a point where Tori considered cutting it shoulder length, but women generally had long hair in this world and Tori wasn’t sure that she’d look good with short, curly hair. She decided not to risk it. “I always have it in a braid or a bun.”
Csilla chuckled. “That’s fine for everyday use, but for occasions like this, you must show it off.”
Tori didn’t know what Csilla did for a living, but she certainly had a way with long, curly hair. Tori turned her head from side to side, admiring the curly, but somehow contained, mass of black hair that cascaded down her back with twisted braids and small flowers woven into it.
This is some ‘wedding day’ hair. And she did it without hairspray, how the hell.... Tori couldn’t help but be impressed.
“What do you think?” Csilla asked.
“I don’t know what magic you used to do this, but I need to learn it,” Tori said. She turned around and smiled. “Thank you, Csilla.”
The woman smiled happily and helped adjust Tori’s dress as she rose from the stool. Tonight’s dress was another that her mother bought her. It was silver, with a high neckline suitable for the slightly colder weather of Horizon. The hems and collar all had embroidered white flowers with blue crystals embedded in their centers. The sleeves were long and flared out a bit at her wrists. Sewn cleverly into the skirt of the evening gown was a pocket with business cards.
Tori wore the same sapphire jewelry she wore to Count Ferrero’s ball. Her mother insisted she bring more jewelry with her and Tori agreed to bring one expensive set, then made sure all the dresses she brought with her would go with it.
They walked downstairs with Csilla behind her, holding the sapphire-colored mohair coat that flared at the waist and would nearly reach Tori’s ankles. It was a new design she’d sent to Madam Midstrom sometime during the break. It was a prototype, but Tori thought it matched well with her dress, so she decided to wear it.
“Well, what do we have here?” Armando and Sebastian were in the parlor with Istvan when Tori reached the foyer. They had a clear view of her and both men rose from the sofas, with Istvan held in one of Sebastian’s arms. Armando laughed as his eyes crinkled up. “I always see her dressed so casually; I sometimes forget she’s a noble daughter.” Sebastian, with a smile on his face, punched Armando's shoulder with his free arm. Armando winced and shot him a glare. “I was complimenting her!”
“You look beautiful, Tori. Truly, my little sister,” Sebastian said, glowing with pride. “I almost wish I could come with you to keep any unsightly admirers away.”
Tori laughed as Csilla handed her the coat. “There aren’t going to be any admirers.”
“Do you at least have your dagger?” Armando asked. This time, his wife smacked his arm and he rubbed it. “It’s a safety precaution!”
Still, Tori patted the area over her right thigh. “It’s here. Don’t worry,” she said with a chuckle as she put her arms through the coat. “Besides, Piers will be there.”
Sebastian’s smile seemed to grow a bit colder. “Even more reason to worry.”
She rolled her eyes. Piers wasn’t as incompetent as Sebastian thought. The three adults walked her outside, to where the carriage was waiting for her. Sebastian lifted Istvan’s chubby baby arm to wave. “Say bye-bye to Auntie, Istvan.”
The baby gurgled and drooled, but Tori reached forward and gently squeezed his plump, red cheek before getting into the carriage. The door closed behind her and she was off. Two sets of guards were escorting her and Tori looked out the window, watching her brother’s flat getting smaller.
They turned and suddenly came to a stop. Tori looked forward and frowned. Was there a problem on the road?
“My lady, we’ve arrived,” she heard the driver say.
Tori narrowed her eyes. “What?”
The door opened and the footman stood to the side, waiting to help her out. Confused, Tori gathered her dress and carefully stepped outside. She looked up and saw the brightly lit facade of a large brick home. She could hear music from within and saw people lining up to enter through a set of large, wooden double doors.
“Are we at the right place?”
“Yes, my lady. This is Prime Minister Guthry’s city home, where tonight’s party is being held.”
Without a word, she turned around and looked towards the direction from which she came.
Sebastian was still outside his flat, four houses down the street, waving with Istvan.
Her eyes narrowed. “What the fuck, I could’ve walked.”
“My lady, this way,” someone called. Tori slowly shook her head at her brother before turning back to the house.
She lined up by herself, feeling a bit out of place as a fourteen-year-old, forty-year-old soul notwithstanding, surrounded by a bunch of older people. She had to remind herself that she wasn’t just a regular fourteen-year-old; she was still Marquis Guevera’s daughter and having any sort of high ranking noble at a party was welcomed.
As she reached the threshold to the foyer, Tori handed a servant her invitation card. They smiled and welcomed her, telling her that she could leave her coat to the servant on her left. Tori thanked him and walked in.
The inside of the house was spacious, with a high ceiling and bright crystals illuminating the area upon entering. A set of curved stairs was off to the side, but ahead of her were two open double doors leading to the large room where the party was being held. Tori unbuttoned her coat and gave it to the awaiting servant.
She adjusted her cuffs and then took a deep breath. She put on her professional business smile and walked inside with her shoulders back and head up. Tori’s eyes swept across the room. As expected, the majority of the guests were middle-aged people or older and from the way they were dressed, they came from significant backgrounds.
She responded with a small smile and a polite nod of her head to anyone who made eye contact with her, but quietly circled the perimeter of the room looking for a familiar face.
She mainly needed to find the woman who invited her and thank her for the invitation. Then, Madam Guthry would know she attended. Afterwards, Tori needed to find Piers. Not counting Dimitri, he’d probably be the attendee closest to her age. He was quiet and awkward, but she was sure they could find something to talk about, like his Université project that kept him busy.
“Lady Tori!” She heard her name and looked around to see who was calling her. A large man with a beaming smile was coming towards her and she smiled warmly.
“Guild master! How are you?” Tori immediately extended her hand to greet him. Henrik’s father shook her hand and gave it a familiar squeeze.
“I’m well! Henrik said you returned. I trust your time with your family was good?”
Tori nodded. “Yes, it was very good to be home.”
He chuckled and gave her a knowing look. “And it seems you brought back some recipes.”
Tori broke out into a wide smile and laughed. “I take it he shared his burritos with you?”
The guild master let out a resentful scoff. “What share? The boy put a sign that read ‘do not eat’ on them. It was by chance that I wasn’t paying attention when I went to get a snack and ate them.” His ruddy cheeks flushed a bit. “Henrik still isn’t talking to me.”
Tori laughed once more, her eyes narrow crescents as she imagined Henrik’s horror at finding that his precious burritos were gone. No wonder he was pushing for a restaurant so desperately. “Did Madam Skuldsen get a chance to try them? Is she here?” Tori craned her neck to look past him.
Guild master Skuldsen winced a bit and shook his head. “No, actually, she’s a bit upset at me because I ate both. I was already biting into the second one before I realized it. I had already started; I might as well finish.”
Tori chuckled. “They’re better when they’re fresh.”
“Yes, say, do you plan on opening a restaurant?” Guild master asked with a glint of hope in his eyes. “I think they’d sell very well.”
Before Tori could give the man the same speech about waiting for the Lycée projects to be assigned as she gave his son, another voice called her name. She looked over her shoulder and smiled welcomingly. She stepped back to face the evening’s hostess as Madam Guthry walked towards her with her arm in that of a tall, dark-haired man’s.
“Good evening, Madam Guthry.” Tori gave her a polite nod of her head and kept a smile on her face. “Thank you for inviting me this evening. My brother sends his regards.”
“It's a pleasure to have you, Lady Tori.” Madam Guthry looked pleased. She pulled the man beside her forward. “This is my husband, Prime Minister Guthry.”
“Sir.” Respectfully, Tori turned to him and repeated the motion. “Thank you for having me. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“I’ve heard much about you, Lady Tori, if I may call you that?” His brown eyes were sincere and Tori nodded once.
“Of course, sir. I prefer simply going as Lady Tori,” she said. “Your home is beautiful, by the way. Tonight’s decorations are very elegant, yet relaxed. I feel that we can really be at ease here.”
Madam Guthry’s smile widened further and the Prime Minister looked quite satisfied with Tori’s attitude. “Thank you, Lady Tori. That is quite a compliment knowing it’s coming from a designer with a keen sense, such as yourself. You opened a store at your age and it’s quite successful.”
Tori shook her head. “I had a lot of help and guidance. Everyone has been invaluable in helping me.” She stood beside the guild master and motioned her hand towards him. “I pestered Guild master Skuldsen so much with questions on setting up the business that I’m surprised he’s not tired of hearing my voice.”
The adults around her laughed. Madam Guthry seemed especially pleased with her modesty and speech.
“Lady Tori, I believe I caught the tail end of your conversation with him. Are you opening a restaurant?” At this, the Prime Minister looked intrigued as well. It wasn’t uncommon for nobles to open up a clothing store, fund a jewelry store, or something of the like, but a restaurant wasn’t something they often dabbled in.
Cooking was hard, physical work. They may buy a cafe or restaurant, but they’d hire others to run it for them, such as Piers did.
Tori hesitated and smiled sheepishly. “I’ve recently become interested in cooking with imported ingredients while in Presidio,” she said. She talked about the foreign foods she’d manage to get and how she invited her friends over to try some of the dishes earlier that week. “The guild master’s son is a good friend of mine and one of my Lions Gate partners. He brought home a few of those and the guild master happened to also take a liking to it.”
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
“From the way you make it sound, it must’ve been delicious,” the Prime Minister said. He looked very interested and Tori wondered if it was because he liked food or was interested in the imported goods from an economic standpoint.
“Believe me, it was,” the guild master chuckled. He lowered his hands and patted his stomach. “I ate both before I realized it.”
Madam Guthry seemed to be pouting. “It would be nice if Dimitri was more familiar with you, then I could also have a taste,” she said. She paused and looked around. “Where is that boy?”
“Ah, he’s probably with the second prince,” the Prime Minister said, off-handedly. “They’re also in the same class and were discussing something.” He looked at Tori curiously. “Are you familiar with them, Lady Tori?”
She kept her business smile on her face and ignored the various memories of her conflicts with the two love interests. “I’m afraid we don’t have much contact outside of class.” And that’s the way I’d like to keep it.
“He is determined to raise his rank,” Madam Guthry said, leaning over almost conspiring. “He’s been talking about having more review sessions with a friend of his.”
Hah, good luck. Our Ilyana is going to beat him no matter what. And I bet I know who that friend of his is. Is ‘review sessions’ what the kids call it now-a-days? Tori nodded. “School is very important and I don’t blame him. I’m happy just to stay in the top ten while balancing my store and other interests.” As she spoke, she caught sight of a familiar tall, brown-haired man in the corner. He was dressed well, in a dark suit, but seemed tense and cornered by two old men who were speaking to him. Tori drew in her lips. She looked back at the Prime Minister and his wife and gave them a smile. “I see an underclassman of my brother over there,” she said, vaguely waving her hand in a random direction. “If you’ll excuse me, for a moment, sir, madam, guild master.”
The older people kindly excused her before continuing around the room to speak to other guests. Tori made her way across the room, by-passing the small group dancing by a quartet, and making her way to an uncomfortable looking Piers.
She watched the two old men speaking with him exchange looks with each other before offering their hands to Piers, who stood there and stared at them. Tori inwardly winced. No wonder people didn’t like Piers; even if he didn’t mean to, his actions came off as rude. She swept in to try to ease the situation.
“Your Highness! Good evening!” He turned towards her and his eyes dilated, as if seeing his savior. Tori gently pinched the sides of her skirt and made a curtsy before standing up straight and reaching his side. She turned towards the two men and gave them her most brilliant smile. “Good evening, sirs. Please excuse my sudden interruption.” She raised her right hand towards them. “I am Victoria de Guevera, daughter of Marquis Gregorio de Guevera.”
The two men looked pleasantly surprised to see the young noblewoman greeting them and they took her hand. All the time she spent at conferences, post-meeting dinners, and other events for work was paying off unexpectedly and she almost wanted to laugh.
She chatted with the two old men for a bit longer before she produced two business cards. “I’m very happy to hear that there are so many people with interest in our little store. We plan to have a rollout with our spring and summer collection in three months. If you and your families are interested, we’d love to see you there.”
Business cards weren’t a well-known thing, surprisingly. Personal calling cards were, but cards specifically for businesses to contact and advertise weren’t the norm. The two men looked interested as they took the cards from Tori and looked them over.
“I will certainly let my wife know, Lady Guevera. Thank you.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you, sirs.” Tori gave them a smile and a small nod of her head, thus finishing their conversation. They turned and walked away, appearing in good moods, and leaving Tori with Piers. She kept the smile on her face until the two old men melted into the crowd. “Are you uncomfortable?”
She turned around and looked at Piers, who she had stepped in front of moments earlier. She didn’t need him to answer. She could tell from his tense shoulders and silence that he was. Tori furrowed her brows.
“Okay, I’m going to show you a way to keep most people from bothering you,” she said. She waved over a server balancing a half-filled tray of thin wine glasses and plucked off two before sending him away with an appreciative smile. Tori held one glass in front of Piers.
He gave her a suspicious look and then looked down at the drink. She pushed it forward and he reluctantly took the stem from her fingers. “Now what?”
“Hold the glass in front of you and periodically bring it to your lips. Don’t drink it. Just look like you’re drinking it and thinking about something.” Piers looked at her as if she was insane. Tori’s shoulders shrunk. She let out a heavy sigh. “If you’re standing alone, empty handed and quiet, most people will assume you’re bored and will want to approach you. However, if you’re drinking and appear occupied, they are less likely to approach for such a frivolous reason.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Does this really work?”
“If you don’t believe me, then you can try it and find out if it does or not,” Tori said with a dull look. She stood beside him and took a sip from her glass. “What are you doing just standing here? Shouldn’t you be speaking to these people? They look important.”
“My brother is here.” Tori tensed. That was right; the Prime Minister did say that Dimitri was hanging around Gideon. She ran her eyes across the room to try to find them and easily found the silver-haired second prince chatting and laughing with a small group of people.
A frown tugged at her lips as she narrowed her eyes. That wasn’t good. People were being further drawn to Gideon’s side. Influential people. She thought of the conversation with Kasen about the crown prince and how Gideon, though less intelligent and capable than Piers, was a favorite because of his personable demeanor.
She could not let that douchebag become the crown prince.
Without thinking, Tori raised her free hand and grabbed hold of Piers' arm. She took a step forward, about to pull Piers with her, when her arm was thrown off. It was a sudden, unexpected movement and Tori was caught off guard. She turned her head and saw Piers bringing his arm back against himself as his face reddened.
There was a lingering trace of embarrassment and guilt on his face as he met her eyes. “I...I’m sorry.” He looked away and Tori looked down at her hand that had been carelessly tossed. She furrowed her brows for a moment.
“No.” She shook her head. “I should apologize. You are not Ilyana or my brothers. I shouldn’t have tried to touch you without your permission. It was my mistake, Piers. I’m sorry.”
Her apology seemed to upset him. “It was sudden. It must’ve surprised you.”
She smiled softly at him. “A surprise isn’t bad. I won’t touch you again without your permission.”
He swallowed hard and looked down. “I’m sorry.”
“There isn’t anything to be sorry about,” she said. She studied his lowered face. “If you want to make it up to me, will you come with me as I go around?”
He hesitated, but finally nodded. “All right.”
“Great!” She turned and looked around the room. “Let’s see if we can find anyone to chat up. I have a few more business cards....”
With more fervor than any other time she was networking in her original world, Tori dived into the mass of people. Piers remained half a step behind her and would stop at her side, taking pretend sips from his glass as Tori casually introduced herself to people and spent a few minutes speaking to them before moving on.
There was a method to her madness. First, she’d introduce herself and compliment the other party on their hair, a piece of jewelry, or their clothes as a means of gaining familiarity. If they recognized her by name, which was surprisingly half the time, she’d chat about her store before asking about them. If they didn’t know her, she’d say, ‘have we met yet’ and extend her hand.
If she recognized their name, she’d say something about them, if not, she’d ask about them. People liked to talk about themselves and Tori would listen attentively, nod at appropriate moments, and even ask a few questions.
Sometimes, she’d glance at Piers with ‘did you know that’ or ‘what do you think’, prompting him to answer in short sentences, but it was more than he usually spoke at such events.
Aside from gaining attention to Lions Gate, Tori’s main purpose was exposure for Piers. Knowing that he was a quiet person, she needed to do his introduction and bring him into the conversation just enough so that the other party could form a favorable impression.
“Ah, I’m being rude.” Tori let out a sheepish chuckle as she stepped to the side and made a motion of her hand towards Piers. “This is my brother’s underclassman who is escorting me for the night, His Highness, Prince Piers.”
The number of surprised looks they received after she introduced him was disconcerting. Did this mean that not many people were familiar with how Piers even looked? This wasn’t good for his image. Or lack thereof.
“Your Highness!” a man gasped and quickly bowed. “My apologies, I didn’t recognize you.”
“Mr. Kelly, there is no need,” Tori said, her placid smile never leaving her face. “His Highness is making a rare appearance tonight. I’m unsure if it’s well known, but he’s studying both economics and political science at both the domestic and international level in Université. He entered as the first ranked student. You can imagine how seriously he takes studying.”
“Yes, of course. That’s very impressive, Your Highness.”
Piers gave them a small, but regal nod. “It must be done. What is a member of the Imperial Family who cannot support Soleil and its people?”
“Agreed,” Tori said with a nod. “After all, there are so many things to consider, as I’m sure you all know. Having a background in the subjects is indispensable.” She glanced at Piers with an encouraging look. “You said you were working on a project?”
“Yes, to lower the price of some imported goods.” He began to talk about it, as if he were explaining the process, and as boring as it was for Tori, the men and women standing with them were absolutely engaged with Piers’ work.
Tori silently celebrated. Kasen had told her that, while Piers was quiet, he had almost as much passion for his area of study as their Uncle Maurizo had for medicinal plants. He was, after all, extremely capable and her family believed him worthy of becoming the crown prince. She hoped that she could trigger him into speaking more about it and wasn’t sure it would work.
“That’s a worthwhile idea, Your Highness. Do you think you’ll be able to present it to the chambers soon?” The Prime Minister looked very invested in Piers’ words.
Holy shit, when did the Prime Minister get here? Tori was pleasantly surprised and looked around. Their group had tripled and Tori was impressed. She should’ve figured that a bunch of politically inclined businesspeople would be interested in Piers’ work.
“I would first like to test it with a few selected allied nations on a minor stage. Once I tailor the policy, I will bring it to my father to be presented,” Piers said. His eyes flickered around and Tori wondered if he was growing anxious with the sudden crowd of people.
“My brother was right about you,” Tori said, cutting in and trying to lighten the mood. “It’s no surprise that you entered Université ranked first.” Several people around them nodded and Tori searched past the crowd for a familiar face that she could use as an excuse to get them away from the large crowd. Her eyes settled on an old lady and a smile of relief filled her face. “Your Highness, it’s Madam Martin. We haven’t greeted her yet.”
“Oh?” Piers followed her gaze. As he did, Tori looked back at the group.
“I apologize for cutting this short. I know he can go on and on about policy,” Tori said with a small laugh. “When Lions Gate has its spring and summer rollout in three months, I’ll make sure to make him come. He may have an update by then.”
It was a subtle end to the conversation and a few people even stopped to not only receive a business card from Tori, as they’d seen others getting one, but also to praise Piers on his hard work.
“It’s what I should do,” was Piers’ go-to response, but it was taken very well, as if a sign of both his duty and humility.
“Your Highness, I know that you are quite busy, but if you have time, I’d like to invite you to a gathering in the spring. Would you be available?”
Piers seemed to look at Tori, who was hoping he could read the ‘accept’ look on her face. “If I am able to secure the date early, I will be able to work it into my schedule and attend. Thank you.”
Huh, he’s not disagreeing, but leaving himself room for a way out if he decides later he doesn’t want to go. You really are more capable than I gave you credit for, Piers. Tori nodded in approval and a few more invitations came Piers’ way, to which he gave similar answers.
As soon as a small path was open for them, Tori began to move forward and Piers, still holding his untouched wine glass, followed closely behind her.
“Madam Martin!” Tori raised a hand to call the woman’s attention. The old woman turned around and her face lit up.
“Lady Tori!” She quickly excused herself from her previous conversation and seemed to walk quickly towards them. “Welcome back to Horizon. Albert tells me you had quite a trip.”
“Yes, I had a lovely time in Presidio.”
“And you took up cooking imported foods!” Madam Martin looked surprised by this. “Albert brought home that burrito you made. It was delicious! Oh, but that...the rice...with the bits of meat?”
“Jambalaya.”
“Yes!” Madam Martin’s eyes went wide before she closed them and seemed to reminisce about the food. “That was absolutely delicious! The entire family was vying for a taste. If I got home any later, I wouldn’t have been able to get a bite!”
The two chatted and, due to Madam Martin’s status and reputation, numerous people came to greet her. Madam Martin happily introduced them to Tori, as well as Piers, who she was familiar with as Piers often came to have lunch with Prince Emil.
The cheerful old woman made her rounds around the Prime Minister’s party with ten times more skill and experience than Tori had. I have much to learn....
Somehow, she found herself in a group of older men and women not chatting about Lions Gate or Piers’ Université project, but retelling some stories from the excursion.
“You have to keep in mind, it’s already getting late and it’s been dark for some time,” Tori said, looking around at the attentive faces. “We’re resting and our guard is down. Then we hear it. A faint ‘help’ coming from the pitch darkness of the woods. Of course, we all know that there are over a hundred and fifty other students in the forest with us, along with the instructors and volunteers, but what does Ewan say when he heard it?” Tori sighed and shook her head. “He thought it was a monster.”
The elders laughed and Tori chuckled along with them. Even Piers had a slight smile on his face. She turned her head and caught sight of two narrowed violet eyes glaring at her from across the room. It seemed Gideon saw her. Beside him, Dimitri looked suspicious, but neither made a move to approach her.
She resisted the urge to sneer at them. They had no room to act out in such a setting, even as the second prince and the son of the Prime Minister. She turned her attention back to the older people.
“It turned out to be poor Albert, Madam Martin’s grandson,” Tori concluded.
Madam Martin nodded, thoughtfully. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if they didn’t run into Lady Tori and her group. She bound his leg, they gave the boys dry clothes and blankets, not to mention fed them. Which, by the way, was apparently delicious.”
“It was just dry pasta with cheese and pepper,” Tori said, shaking her head.
“And you made it, Lady Tori?”
“Yes, sir, I did.”
“That’s quite surprising. There aren’t many noble daughters who can cook,” a woman said, curious.
“It’s not so much about cooking, but about tasting,” Tori said. “If I had to depend on someone my whole life to cook for me, I’d be very limited to that person’s experience. We now have access to imported fruits and vegetables; who wouldn’t want to see what we could make with them?”
Guild master Skuldsen took that moment to jump back into the conversation and steer the group’s attention towards Tori’s recent dishes and how she should open a restaurant. Everyone seemed interested and at the end of the night, Tori was seriously considering the restaurant.
“I think he got me,” Tori said as she and Piers looked for Madam Guthry in order to take their leave. “Now I really want to open a restaurant.”
“I’ll be your customer.”
“I’d have to return the favor and let you eat for free.”
“Good, you eating so much at Cafe Fortuna is paying off.” Tori shot him a glare. She was about to take back the offer when she caught sight of Madam Guthry.
She quickened her pace to reach them and began to say her good-byes.
“Already?” Madam Guthry looked surprised and the Prime Minister gave her a look.
“Lady Tori is still a student and tomorrow, they are moving back to the dorms.” He reminded his wife.
“Oh, that’s right....”
“Your Highness, are you leaving, too?” The Prime Minister asked. He furrowed his brow. “Shall I ask for someone to call your brother?”
“My brother has already left, Prime Minister. For the same reason as Lady Tori; he is also returning to the dorms tomorrow and tends to procrastinate,” Piers said in a calm voice.
The Prime Minister chuckled and raised his hand to Piers. “In that case, it was a pleasure having you, Your Highness. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
Tori’s heart froze as she watched Piers stand there, not moving to take his hand. She inwardly screamed. The Prime Minister had a favorable impression. She swallowed hard. She wasn’t going to let that go to waste.
“Prime Minister Guthry, I’m afraid His Highness is unable to shake hands due to an old wrist injury. It’s difficult enough with his writing and wrist cramping up every so often,” Tori said.
“Oh!” The Prime Minister looked a bit embarrassed and withdrew his hand. He looked back at Piers and gave him a nod. “My apologies, Your Highness. I completely understand. All those forms and papers...it doesn’t cease.”
“No need for an apology. Thank you for your hospitality tonight, Prime Minister, Madam Guthry.” He looked at the older woman and gave her a small smile. “I hope you are able to attend Lady Tori’s spring event, Madam.” Tori drew her lips inward. Stoic Piers was handsome, but standoffish. Smiling Piers was handsome and charming.
Madam Guthry was taken for a moment and blinked. “I...yes! Yes, I will be there!” She grabbed on to her husband’s arm and squeezed. “Won’t we, Anton?”
Her husband patted her hand and chuckled. “Yes, of course.”
“Madam Guthry, don’t forget to leave your measurements at the store,” Tori said as she stepped forward and slyly slipped a card into her hand. She leaned closer to whisper. “When I get the prototypes for the outerwear designs, I will have to call on you for your opinion.”
The woman looked very happy with this and grasped Tori’s hand, squeezing it affectionately and nodded. “I would love to come give it! Thank you, Lady Tori. I look forward to it.”
The Prime Minister and his wife walked them outside the door and called for the carriages before returning. As the two waited at the front steps, Tori contemplated just walking down the street.
“How did you do it?” Piers suddenly asked behind her.
“Do what?” Tori asked, eying her brother’s flat a few houses down.
“Everyone was talking to you,” he said. “If they didn’t know your name before, they know now.”
Tori barely held back a smile. “Friendly greeting and introduction, compliment to put them at ease, share a bit about yourself, then ask them to speak about themselves and their interests, and they’ll naturally open up.”
Piers raised a brow. “You’re good at this.”
Hahaha...yeah.... “I’m the daughter of a marquis. I should know this much, right?” Her brother’s carriage stopped in front of her and Piers stepped forward to open the door before the footman could step down. Tori prepared to grab the handle on the side to pull herself up, but Piers held his hand out.
She stared at it for a moment, as if unsure what it was doing in front of her. He didn’t seem to lower it and so, she put her hand in it and quickly stepped into the carriage. It bounced as she took her seat inside. The door closed.
“Will you come with me next time?” Piers’ voice reached her and she leaned forward. He stood outside and looked through the window, up at her.
“Next time?”
“To the parties I’m invited to.”
She blinked and drew her head back. If he was thinking of going to more parties, that meant more exposure and an increase in his reputation with various parties. She nodded and smiled. “Let me know when.”
A small smile appeared on Piers’ lips and he lowered his head in a small bow. He stepped back as the carriage jerked forward.
Tori settled back into the seat. Tonight wasn’t bad at all. Not only did the Prime Minister and his wife seem to have a very favorable impression of her, but they also had a favorable impression of Piers. If he could get more support like this in the future, then Gideon would have quite the competition for crown prince.
Tori smirked. Not a bad game plan, Tori. Good hustle.