“…Not an insect, exactly. Something similar.”
‘Pfft.’ Kael choked on a laugh beside her. He pressed his hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking.
‘This man — is he trying to announce it to the entire household?’
She clenched her lower lip between her teeth and jabbed his thigh. Repeatedly. His thigh was dense and unyielding and did not move an inch.
She darted glances at the adults around the table like a mouse caught in the act.
No one acknowledged it. No one asked about the mark. They all put their heads down and attended to their plates.
* * *
The chaotic dinner came to an end.
“Shall we play a game of chess, sir? Since you’ve come all this way.”
“Gladly. Two rounds, if you like.”
The adults went ahead, laughing and talking warmly amongst themselves.
Ivelina took the opportunity to tug gently at Kael’s sleeve.
She leaned close and whispered.
“Could I see you for a moment? Just the two of us?”
Kael nodded as though this were perfectly natural.
“Right now?”
“Right now works!”
She nodded vigorously. It was his birthday — she had to give the real gift before midnight.
“All right. Wait for me in the bedroom.”
“Anywhere but there. I’ve developed a genuine trauma associated with your bedroom.”
“Ha.”
He laughed — not his usual restrained version, but a real one, warm and unguarded.
“Why are you laughing? I’m being perfectly serious.”
She furrowed her brows in a triangle and pressed her lips together in rebuke. That only made him laugh more.
“I really want to hit you.”
“By all means. Feel free.”
‘He is so insufferable.’
She put her hands on her hips and bristled.
“I have something to tell you! Stop teasing me!”
“All right. Then I’ll come to the annex.”
He said it with the smile still on his face, entirely unbothered.
“That would be better.”
“Fine. Go ahead. I’ll follow shortly.”
* * *
She hurried to the annex.
“It should be somewhere around here.”
She reached under the bed, feeling around. She had hidden the gift — not wanting anyone who might pass through the room to see it.
“Found it.”
Her fingers closed around a small palm-sized box. Navy blue, trimmed with a red ribbon.
“Now that I’m actually giving it, I feel a little embarrassed.”
But she had bought it with the intention of giving it — so she would give it properly.
The meaning Emily had told her was good. If the meaning was good, the person receiving it would surely feel better for having it than not.
She bounced impatiently on her heels while she waited.
About thirty minutes after she arrived at the annex—
‘Knock knock.’
“Ivelina. Coming in.”
She shoved the gift box behind her back.
Kael entered as though the annex were entirely his own space.
“You wanted to talk?”
He tilted his head toward the sofa, signaling her to sit.
“It’s nothing major.”
He dropped onto the sofa.
She stood in front of him, uncertain.
“Um. This.”
She held out the navy box. Kael’s eyes went slightly wide.
“What is this?”
“…A birthday present.”
“Didn’t I already receive one this morning?”
“That — that wasn’t a real present!”
She bristled with a low growl, and he smiled again, poking at her exactly where she least wanted to be poked.
“The one this morning was only meant to make you angry! My real gift is separate — this is it.”
She pushed the box toward his chest. He took it from her.
“I thought about it quite a lot. I was told this carries a nice meaning.”
“Mm. A tie pin.”
He opened the box without ceremony and gave a response she couldn’t quite read.
‘Does he not like it? I put a lot of thought into it…’
“I — I know you don’t usually make much of your birthday, but it still didn’t feel right to just let it pass.”
“What is the meaning?”
He asked the moment she trailed off.
“I beg your pardon?”
“The tie pin. What do you know about what it means?”
“‘May you flourish and succeed,’ apparently.”
Kael set the gift box down beside him and looked up at her.
He narrowed his eyes and studied her face for a long moment.
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Doing — what?”
“Or do you know and you’re pretending not to?”
“What are you — what is it?”
He kept speaking in riddles without ever supplying the subject.
‘A subject would be helpful, please.’
“The meaning of a tie pin as a gift is—”
‘Click. Click.’
Without warning, Kael began undoing the buttons of his shirt.
“‘I want to possess you.'”
“I beg — wait, I had the wrong meaning—”
She stepped back quickly.
Kael was faster.
He hooked his leg around hers and flipped her smoothly down onto the sofa.
‘Where does he even learn these things?’
She couldn’t keep up.
And once again, she found herself underneath him.
“Not — not again—”
Kael studied her face with unhurried, intent eyes.
“Yes. Again.”
“But this morning was already — look at what you’re doing—!”
He was already removing her dress. Again. With the same casual ease as always.
“Take everything. I’ll give you all of it.”
“I really don’t think there’s anything left to — ‘ah!'”
“We’ve barely started.”
* * *
A dim room thick with cigar smoke.
A gambling den where those with money to spare came to lose it.
“Damn it — are you mocking me? This is rigged, all of it!”
“You — you madman, get your hands off me—”
Tables overturned, people shoved, chaos spreading outward from the center of the hall.
“How is this fair? Who do you think you’re dealing with, you—”
Edwin had lost every coin he’d brought tonight.
He had always lacked the talent and temperament for gambling — but lately, he lost everything, every single time. He had come to this place to relieve stress, and lately his stress had peaked so badly he practically lived there.
The Countess who had been slipping him pocket money without the Count’s knowledge had cut him off. The Hansworth estate’s business dealings were now under investigation for tax evasion.
“Damn it all. Not a single thing goes right.”
Edwin spat at the man who had cleaned him out, then stumbled out of the gambling hall.
“Every last one of them — just a pile of people who think they’re better than me.”
Going home meant nothing but lectures from the Count. He drifted to Camilla’s row house like it was an inn, and intended to spend the night there again.
“I’m back.”
“Edwin?”
“What is this place? Clean it up. It’s disgusting.”
“I — I haven’t been feeling well…”
Camilla pushed herself upright from the sofa where she had been lying down. Her body grew heavier with each passing week. She quietly pressed her hand over her nose as the sharp smell of alcohol hit her from the doorway.
“Camilla. Do you have any money?”
“Money? No, I don’t…”
Of course she didn’t. Camilla had been thrown out of her family’s house — she had no money to spare.
“Useless, as always.”
Edwin pulled off his shoes with a sharp, irritable motion.
“Ha. What’s this.”
He picked up a discarded newspaper from the floor near the door.
It carried the announcement of Duke Hardeion’s marriage to Ivelina.
“She’s living like this, after ruining me.”
Edwin’s jaw tightened. His teeth ground together.
That seat beside Ivelina had been his. It had all fallen apart over something as small as being caught with Camilla.
“I’m not letting this go, Ivelina.”
He crumpled the paper in his hand.
* * *
