I nod, squeezing Christoph’s fingers under the table just a little. “The impulsive destruction of anything and anyone connected to this group would be easier, even more satisfying, than prioritizing stability and slow, steady change.” My voice hardens. “But please don’t doubt that I am more than capable of indulging my inner need to destroy anyone connected to this Möbius Group. I could do it while I sat here and sipped my tea.”
Isla’s fear curls around me. And for one of the only times in my life, I don’t hate that reaction.
“You don’t even like tea, Mirth,” Christoph says.
I flick my gaze to meet his. His eyes are warm, inviting — and maybe laughing at me, just a little. “The next time I’m in a great-and-terrible princess mindset, perhaps I won’t invite you along.”
“Archie’s parking,” Noah says quietly, placing his napkin next to his untouched plate. “You don’t mind if we leave you to your lunch, do you, Mirth?”
“Of course not.”
Isla straightens from her chair. “We’ll do a proper lunch next?”
“Just to check in,” Christoph says warningly.
This time both Isla and I throw peeved looks the duke’s way.
He grins. But grimly, not warmly. At Isla and Noah specifically. “Just following my own set of directives handed to me by those more into this politics shit than I ever will be. I personally would have chosen Mirth’s path of impulsive destruction the moment I set eyes on those kids.”
“We understand you perfectly,” Isla says.
“Keep it that way.”
I huff under my breath, nodding as Noah and Isla bow and curtsy in my direction. Then they flee the clubhouse diningroom as quickly as they can without actually picking up their pace. I’m thankful, just this once, for the snooty reputation of the remaining clubhouse patrons and the staff, all of whom pointedly ignore the odd goings-on.
“Keep it that way.” I mock Christoph’s words back at him.
Christoph flashes me a blazing bright grin that is so out of character it momentarily shocks me dumb. He hooks his hand under my chair, yanking me closer before I can even think to stop him. Though I’m honestly not certain I would even if given the chance.
Looping his arm over the back of my chair, as if we’re some normal couple in some normal restaurant, he raises two fingers to flag down the nearest server.
That server apparently isn’t ignoring us so much that he misses the summons, almost stumbling over his feet getting to our table.
“Clear these extra settings, would you?” Christoph says. “And do you have a chef capable of making proper sushi on staff?”
“Yes, sir. I mean, my lord.” The server flags down another of the waitstaff, and together they efficiently and expertly start clearing Isla’s and Noah’s settings. “I’ll quickly have the chef write out a menu proposal, shall I?”
“Nah,” Christoph says. “I like just about anything, as long as it’s fresh. Do you have sashimi? Sockeye, specifically? Anything with prawns or scallops. Do you like sunomono, Mirth?”
“I do,” I murmur, completely and utterly beguiled by something as simple as Christoph … taking care of me. “Miso soup as well.”
Christoph flashes an affable grin. “You heard the princess. Thank you.”
Thusly dismissed, the servers spin away in different directions.
Christoph takes a swig of his water, then catches me watching him.
“I like you.”
“That’s good.” His voice rumbles through his chest. “Because I’m yours.”
The so-calledRoyal Household Box is empty when Christoph and I arrive. Roz still insists on doing a walkthrough while we wait, surrounded by other guards in the hall that leads to all the other boxes along the upper level of the stadium racecourse.
“Give us a moment, would you?” Christoph murmurs to Roz as she circles back from checking the bathroom and we step into the box.
My guard’s gaze flicks to me, and I offer her a smile instead of the nod she’d get in public. She smiles back, smirking just a little inappropriately.
Christoph clears his throat, glancing around the box. A small kitchen lies to our immediate right, replete with a sideboard currently overflowing with snacks and drinks. Monitors with active live feeds to the track below are situated on each wall, with a small seating area under each. Two rows of bench-style seating edge the far windows with direct views of the track below. The box is completely glassed-in, layered in protection spells, and currently darkened for privacy.
