Tori Transmigrated - Chapter 200: It Scares Piers, Too

Tori and Ilyana were up early on their first official class day of school. They picked up their breakfast from Cafe Fortuna and then rushed to their homeroom to ensure that they arrived well before the expected entertainment started. They took their seats at the back of the class, spread out their breakfast on the table along with extra for Gideon and Fabian, and waited.

“You look too happy. Don’t look too happy,” Tori told her in a quiet voice.

“It’s hard,” Ilyana whispered back. “She caused so many problems and tried to turn so many people against you.”

“She never actually admitted to that.”

“But still, she did it!”

They heard a click behind them and one of the doors opened. The two sank back in their seats and pretended to go through their things.

“Oh…I see you two already brought breakfast….” The shadow of Gideon moved over their seats. He put his bag on the desk. “Cafe Fortuna?”

“It is tradition for Ilyana and me to get our breakfasts there at the beginning of each semester,” Tori said. She and Ilyana liked their little rituals. She looked over at Gideon and the young man awkwardly looming behind him. “Von Dorn.”

He gave her a small nod. Gideon took his seat, but looked back at Fabian, who remained standing. He moved one hand over the desk next to him, in front of Ilyana. “Take a seat.”

Fabian hesitated. He looked towards Tori, as if asking for approval.

Tori raised a brow, silently asking what he was doing just standing there. She motioned to the empty seat in front of Ilyana. “Are you going to stand the entire class?”

Fabian drew his head back. “You’ll let me sit there?”

“I don’t own the desks and chairs in the school, von Dorn. You can sit wherever you like.” Tori was aloof and didn’t invite him to sit.

Gideon gave Fabian a smile. “I told you she’d be fine with you sitting here.”

Fabian’s eyes drifted to Ilyana. “Lady Agafonova?” he asked.

Ilyana swallowed the bite of her pastry that she was chewing. She looked at him with a dull expression. “The sooner you sit, the sooner you can eat breakfast. We brought a lot, so eat up.”

He was taken back and for a moment didn’t appear to know what to say. Ilyana offering food was a sign of peace. He knew all about Ilyana punching Dimitri in the face, so Tori wasn’t surprised that he looked as if he didn’t expect Ilyana to agree.

Fabian swallowed hard. “Thank you, Lady Agafonova.”

Ilyana took a bite of her pastry and looked to the side, as if uncaring. Fabian rounded the desks and took a seat in front of her. There was a slight smile on his face as he turned around to look at the pastries on Tori and Ilyana’s desks to pick up a piece.

Gideon had already taken what was prepared for him. Fabian cocked his head to the side and looked at him. “Is this why you didn’t go to the commons for breakfast?”

“Mama J packs breakfast for me sometimes and gives it to them,” Gideon said. He gave Tori and Ilyana a small nod. “My thanks.”

“No trouble,” Ilyana replied. “His Highness Prince Piers is generous and doesn’t allow us to pay.”

“Yes, my brother is the most generous….” Gideon said with a proud look. His voice trailed off and he paused. “He doesn’t allow you to pay?”

Ilyana nodded. “Yes. He doesn’t let any of us pay. Ewan even comes all the way from La Garda to get snacks there.”

Gideon stared at her. “He doesn’t let…what about Skuldsen and the Vissage twins?”

“No.”

“Martin?”

“No. Alvere, too.”

Tori held back a laugh. When Piers allowed Montan to eat for free at Cafe Fortuna, a series of conflicted expressions had filled Axton’s face. On one hand, he was quite happy that his best friend was making such an allowance for his younger brother. On the other hand, his best friend had not made such an allowance for him.

He had called Tori to rant about it for an hour and then dragged Ewan to spar.

Gideon looked struck. “I have to pay.”

Ilyana and Tori exchanged looks. “Axton has to pay, too. It’s not just you,” Tori said. “In fact, even the knights have to pay.”

“But I’m his brother….He lets his best friend’s brother eat….” This was quite a blow to him, and Tori wasn’t sure if it was funny or pitiful.

“I’m going to tell you a secret,” Tori said. “You know how you ‘ate for free’ at the delta this summer with the meal cards?” Gideon looked up and nodded. “You didn’t. Piers paid for you. Piers pays for his food, Axton’s, and his knights when they stay at the delta. They don’t know that.”

Gideon’s face immediately softened. “My brother is so generous….”

Ilyana leaned over to Tori and whispered. “His adoration for his brother is concerning.”

Tori leaned towards her and whispered back. “I know. It scares Piers, too.”

A few more students arrived as Ilyana arrived in mid-explanation about how her final report for her Lycée project was almost complete. Henrik’s was also complete, and both wanted to go to their instructors to review the report before it was officially submitted.

Tori wasn’t going to bother. She was going to follow the past notes given and submit it before winter break. Then she was done with it and could take some time to relax without worrying about schoolwork.

“Are you going to join the Naval Academy?” Tori asked as she looked at the two young men in front of her.

“I want to do at least one tour,” Gideon replied. “I am unable to stay away from Soleil for too long, as I have responsibilities to the empire, but my parents have approved for up to a year.”

Tori’s brows rose. “You really thought this through. I’m happy that you have found a path to follow.”

Gideon smiled. “My brother is capable. I only want to support him.”

“I’ve gathered….”

“Fabian?” The confused voice spoke up from the aisle. Ilyana’s face immediately lit up and watched with gusto as Alessa stood stiffly on the aisle and looked at the desk next to Gideon’s. Fabian’s things were unpacked and on the table, along with a crumpled-up napkin from his breakfast.

“Good morning, Alessa.” Gideon greeted her first and Fabian nodded.

“Good morning,” he said, following Gideon’s lead.

Tori would’ve greeted her as well, but at the moment, Alessa didn’t seem to have anyone else in her eyes except the two love interests. This left her and Ilyana free to watch with gusto.

Alessa seemed paler than normal as her hand gripped the strap of her school bag. “Why are you sitting here?”

“Fabian’s rank dropped last semester and I told him to come here, as Agafonova is particularly good at explaining concepts and lecture points.” He was covering for Fabian as the other young man didn’t seem willing to say much more.

“Did your rank drop that badly?” Alessa looked past Gideon with a hint of pain on her face. Her eyes seemed to redden. “You could’ve told me.”

A small crunch was heard, and Tori glanced towards Ilyana, who quietly moved a potato chip to her mouth. Tori closed her eyes and held back a heavy sigh. Why did her friends have such an interest in drama? A small bag of potato chips slid towards her in silence and Tori picked one out.

All right, we all like drama….

“It was an embarrassing matter. I wanted to improve on my own,” Fabian said, looking down at his desk. After giving Alessa a constrained greeting, he hadn’t looked back.

“Then, you will sit here from now on?”

“Yes.”

Alessa swallowed hard and lowered her damp eyes. “I see….” Her hand clenching her bag was white. She took a deep breath. “Fabian, have I upset you?” Before he could answer, she continued on. “If I have, I’m sorry.”

Fabian gave a small shake of his head. “There are personal matters I need to focus on. I appreciate the help you’ve offered, but after some consideration, I’ve decided on the Naval Academy. Although I am no longer Prince Gideon’s personal knight, I am still his friend and want to be at his side.”

Gideon turned his head towards him. His pupils dilated a bit, and he seemed moved by Fabian’s words.

“I see.” Alessa seemed to force a smile on her face. “Supporting your friends is important. You and he have been together since you were children. You’re very lucky.”

Fabian’s jaw clenched for a moment. “I was able to have another chance. I will not give it up for any reason.”

Including Alessa. Tori bit into the potato chip and watched Alessa’s face freeze.

“Thank you for your concern, Alessa. I will also try to support Fabian.” Gideon spoke up once more and put on a masking smile.

Alessa nodded her head. Without a word, she turned back to the aisle and walked down to her desk in the front row.

“That went better than expected….” Ilyana whispered. Tori raised a brow.

“They wouldn’t cause a scene in class.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“A scene that will trouble them. Not me.”

Ilyana thought for a moment and then nodded. She looked back at Fabian and reached over to her desk with a small paper bag in her hands. “Von Dorn. Have a chip.” Fabian hesitated, but reached for a chip. Once he plucked one out, Ilyana’s eyes narrowed. “Since you are here to ‘improve your ranking’, I hope you are prepared,” she said in a cold voice. “I do not go easy on my pupils.”

For understandable reasons, Dimitri was not popular in Fosse Village. Before Tori arrived, she’d asked around to find out what kind of reputation Dimitri had in the village, as it was important for a good rapport to be established between Dimitri and the village. It wasn’t instrumental to his project’s success, but it wouldn’t hurt.

Of course, the mistrust of the first version of his school didn’t come about without reason. Many families who’d sent a family member to learn a craft were dissatisfied with the outcome. They had claimed that the newly renovated building tricked them into believing the school was trustworthy, only to find out that the instructors weren’t even guild members.

The distrust and anger grew worse when the carpenters revealed their incompetence, earning ire from the community. As Dimitri did not do enough to fix the problems, it only aggravated the situation.

As the carriage trotted along, Tori rubbed her forehead. Across from her, Dimitri sank back on the seat bench of SIG One, unable to meet her eyes.

“I know what the villagers think and it’s understandable,” he said. “This is my fault. I should’ve done more. I should’ve done a better job to begin with and not rush the project.”

Tori resisted the urge to grab the folio she had been reading from the seat beside her and throw it at Dimitri while screaming ‘you think?’. She took a deep breath and pushed aside her own frustration to focus on the problem.

The Fosse villagers would be unlikely to even consider trying Dimitri’s school again. “Your Lycée project’s instructions were to open a school for craftsmen in Fosse Village because its current resources are not enough to support its population with seasonal agricultural jobs. There has been a sizable group that has had to leave the village to do farm work elsewhere and those positions pay little. Learning a craft skill can give them a better opportunity to find better paying work. While the targets are Fosse villagers, there is nothing that prohibits the school from accepting students from neighboring villagers.”

Thanks to Kasen, it was now second nature for Tori to look for loopholes to be exploited. It was not a malicious practice in itself, it was just something that often seemed necessary in order not to only get the maximum benefits, but to simply get things done.

“Can we do that?” Dimitri asked, lifting his head. He scooted to the edge of his seat. “How do we let other villages know? And if they are neighboring, won’t they already know about the reputation of the school?” The earlier excitement on his face fell as he realized that such a possibility was great.

Tori looked out the window with her lips in a tight line. “Invite village leaders to inspect the school and speak with the guildmasters. Let them see that experienced guild members will be instructing students, the facilities, and the on-site training arranged. You must build up their confidence in your school to earn their trust.”

Dimitri nodded. He didn’t question her. Dimitri rarely did so now, and if he did, they were legitimate questions to help him understand the details of a plan better. In a way, he had no other choice.

While the reviews and guidance plan provided by the school were sufficient, there were still parts missing on how to do them. It was clear he needed to work with the guilds, but there wasn’t much on how to approach them or what to ask for. It said he needed to appeal to younger prospective students who were considering leaving the village for work, but it didn’t say how.

Tori had plans to address the gaps and the connections to help bridge them. She was so frustrated by the whole thing, she almost wanted to rip it from Dimitri to do it herself. When Ilyana had asked why she was so invested, Tori had been hunched over a desk and grumbled out ‘if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself’.

Was Dimitri this incompetent in the game? She looked across the carriage and found him looking over the plans they’d written out once more with a look of concentration.

She was sure he wasn’t, but events in this life were different from the course of the game and mainly due to her, at times somewhat aggressive, tampering. Did she butterfly effect Dimitri into incompetence?

“My father’s friend was able to sell us scrap wood to practice with. It’s already been delivered. There are two guards on shifts to guard the school as it is currently empty. The budget is to keep them for a year. Will that be enough time to recruit students who will stay with the school?” Dimitri looked up with a hint of worry on his face.

“You don’t need many students. Just a few to get started. There are only two instructors right now, at the most, perhaps six students that can be focused on,” Tori said. “Too many students at once will overwhelm the instructors and they will not be able to properly teach them such a craft. If there is a demand for more spots later, it can be addressed later. In addition, your project did not give you a minimum number of students required.” Yet again, another loophole.

No wonder Kasen loved finding them in legal documents.

“When we arrive at the site, please do not be alarmed if villagers come by.”

Tori knit her brows together and frowned. “Have you been harassed?”

Dimitri’s eyes lowered. “It is not without cause.”

Tori took another deep breath and looked back out the window. “It takes a lot of work to redeem yourself in front of their eyes.”

The carriage was quiet for a moment before she heard him ask. “Did you have a difficult time with the villagers in Viclya?”

The corner of her lip curled up as she remembered her rather dramatic slashing of a tent wall when she first met the village elders. “You could say that.”

She caught his look of surprise. To guests, she was a popular figure to the villagers in her delta, but their trust in her took time to build and she took bold steps to show them what she was capable of. Bold and expensive steps.

“How did you…was it because you were young?”

“Yes,” Tori said. “I was fourteen at the time. Would you trust a fourteen-year-old to help your village that became refugees because of war? I wouldn’t.”

“Then, how did you get them to trust you?”

Tori cracked a small grin. “There is a saying in an obscure book I found: put your money where your mouth is. I took all the money I could get and used it first to stabilize their lives and give them a sense of security and normalcy. Then I improved their living situation and development. The village elders did not like me, so I worked with younger members of the village who were more willing to take a risk with me. I had to prove I was capable.”

“You are capable,” Dimitri said with a nod.

“I also have money and the backing of Prince Piers,” Tori said. “Having all the skills and capabilities can only get you so far in such a period of time without money and social backing. You still have a little of these and they have to be leveraged.”

Dimitri gave her a wry smile. “My father doesn’t have the influence he used to.”

“Who said anything about your father?” Tori almost sneered as she raised her brows. “I’m talking about me.”

She knew how arrogant she sounded, but it wasn’t as if she was being arrogant without reason. At the moment, she was in a favorable position and offering some assistance to a floundering love interest, while not without risk, wasn’t a bad idea.

Dimitri flushed and lowered his head. “Thank you, Countess.”

Tori gave him an indifferent wave of her hand, as if all her efforts weren’t worth talking about. Besides, the on-site training she mentioned was actually labor for her delta. She wasn’t going to help at a loss.

The carriage went through an old town. Many of the structures were old stone buildings, none taller than two stories. Many of the small details, such as roofs, window shutters, and doors, looked beaten and in need of repair. As they went further out, to the surrounding countryside, the homes became a bit more dilapidated and instead of tiles or wood, the roofs were thatched.

Patches of the plaster that had been on the walls were often flaked off in large chunks revealing mud brick and rotted timber. In general, there was a need for repair, but the villagers often worked outside their area, so they had little time to spare. It seemed that there were mainly small children and the elderly, and they were physically limited in what they could do.

Anyone who could do heavy lifting or was fit enough to work in the fields, went to work in the fields.

“The local primary school is in the next village,” Dimitri said as he followed her gaze out the window. “It supports the students of three surrounding villages.”

Tori nodded. The children had to walk far to school. That was time that was lost.

They turned down a dirt path and Tori looked out the other window. She could see a newly renovated thatched building that was wider than it was long. There was a neat wooden fence around it, but there were spots of mud against the white plaster of the building.

“It looks like you were right about the villagers not liking you,” Tori said as she saw how many bud stains were on the walls. The closer they got, the more she saw piles of rotten vegetables and trash around the yard surrounding the otherwise well-kept structure.

Tori saw another carriage already parked in front of the building and recognized it as one from the carpenter’s guild. SIG One parked beside it and one of the imperial knights escorting Tori jumped off his horse to open the door for her.

Tori gave him a nod as she stepped out in her usual pants and shirt combo she wore at the delta.

“Countess Guevera!” Guildmaster Blomgard approached her and gave her a small bow of his head.

“Good morning, Countess.” Guildmaster Kivinen also bowed his head and Tori barely contained her surprise.

“Good morning. Guildmaster Kivinen, you’ve come, too?” The masonry guildmaster had been so adamant about refusing to help Dimitri in the past that Tori had been hesitant to reach out to him. She’d mentioned it, but didn’t try to convince him to help as she did Guildmaster Blomgard from the carpentry guild.

“I wanted to see the location and judge for myself,” the burly man said as he stood up straight. “In addition, my lady has been very kind to my son.”

“He’s a fantastic employee. I’ve really done nothing,” Tori replied. That was the truth. Mr. Somerset did all the hard work in training the staff member. She just gave him a chance. Tori stepped to the side and lifted a hand towards Dimitri. “I am sure you have met before. This is Dimitri Guthry. Guthry, once more, these are the guildmasters for the carpentry and masonry guilds. Respectively, Guildmaster Blomgard and Guildmaster Kivinen.”

Dimitri gave them a bow of his head. “Guildmasters, I apologize for my actions previously. I was not thinking clearly and made many mistakes. I hope I can redeem myself and make a proper craftsman school with you.”

Tori didn’t betray her surprise on her face. She didn’t expect such a show of humility for Dimitri, but the two guildmasters appeared approving.

“We came here for Countess Guevera. As long as the craft is treated with respect, we will not mention old grievances.” Guildmaster Kivinen snorted with some distaste.

“I’ve brought two senior carpenters who are willing to take on two apprentices each to start with,” Guildmaster Blomgard said, motioning to the two middle-aged men behind him who bowed their heads towards Tori. She was a well-known figure in the guilds as many guild members worked at the delta or had been employed by Lions Gate at some point. “Guildmaster Kivinen has brought two of his own guild members willing to take two apprentices each.”

“Thank you for your willingness to help,” Tori said with a slight nod. She turned to Dimitri. “Shall we take a look at the facilities?”

He nodded and prepared to lead the way when a voice shouted from the road. Tori turned her head and saw a thin man hobbling towards her with his face twisted in anger. Behind him were two larger men who appeared a bit younger. Perhaps sons? She didn’t have time to think.

“Stop! Stop where you are! Who are you? What are you doing here?” Tori half expected the old man to pull out a cane out of nowhere and wave it in menacingly the air at them.

Dimitri frowned and seemed to be on alert at once.

“Who is he?” Tori asked without much feeling.

“The village head, Mr. Pinon,” Dimitri said with a heavy breath. He turned around and kept his back straight as he faced the older man. When Mr. Pinon was close enough he gave him a bow of his head. “Good morning-”

“Young Mr. Guthry, what is the meaning of this? Your craft school has been closed for several months and is taking up valuable farmland. If you are no longer using it, quickly return it to the village so that it could be put to actual use!” The red-faced old man rushed out his sentence.

Dimitri retained his rigid posture. “Mr. Pinon, I am still continuing with the craft school-”

“No one from our village is interested in your craft school. All it attracts are con men and layabouts who do nothing. Not a single one of our villagers who attended your school became proper carpenters and one has been arrested!”

“Mr. Pinon, the one who was arrested had a hand in the property dispute-”

“It was under your father’s orders!”

A flash of anger filled Dimitri’s face. “My father’s name was used without his knowledge. Though he was framed, he still paid a fine. It was your villagers who were swindled without proof-”

“Guthry.” Tori cut in before they could continue blaming each other and wasting her time. Her sharp eyes gave him a silencing look before turning towards the village leader. “Mr. Pinon, I am afraid Mr. Guthry cannot return the land to the village for farming use as he still plans on continuing the craft school after much consideration and third-party reviews.” She saw the old man open his mouth and didn’t want to give him a chance to cut her off. “With us today are Horizon’s guildmasters for the carpentry and masonry guild along with two senior craftsmen from each of their guilds.

“They are here to look over the facilities and give instruction on what else is needed and how to prepare for four apprentice spots each. An agreement has been made with the guilds to oversee the training of four students for carpentry and four students for masonry, for now. Should the trial run be successful, more spots for students will be opened.”

The old man’s flushed face twisted with irritation as he clenched his hands and stormed forward to scold her. He made it two steps before he was blocked by two tall men with swords at their sides. Sir Atienza and Sir Dassler were wearing plain clothes, but still wore their imperial knights cloaks over their shoulders. The metal pin with the symbol of first-tier imperial knights kept the cloaks in place.

Mr. Pinon wanted to yell until one of the younger men behind him grabbed his arm. “Father, wait,” one of the men said. His eyes were fixed on the glistening silver pins. “They’re imperial knights.”

Tori watched Mr. Pinon’s red face want to deny it, but then did a double take. He paled and looked rightfully shaken. Imperial knights were common in Horizon, and even in Viclya, but they rarely came out to the surrounding countryside. As such, seeing one in person usually meant that something terrible had happened and they were dispatched to find out what.

“Sir Atienza, Sir Dassler, it’s all right,” Tori said, giving them each a small nod in silent order to step back. “Mr. Pinon and his village have had a negative experience with Mr. Guthry’s crafts school. It is understandable that they would be upset to hear it is continuing. However, their personal feelings are irrelevant to the task at hand.”

The man holding on to Mr. Pinon looked at her with wariness. “Young Miss, forgive my rudeness, but who are you?” The knights must’ve made him cautious. While nobles and the imperial family were reined in by various laws so they couldn’t do anything she’d consider tyrannical, they still demanded a degree of respect if only for the amount of power they held.

Common citizens who didn’t have much experience with nobles were often dumbfounded or terrified when they met one. In Horizon and other large cities, nobles were common and generally were treated as normal, albeit wealthy individuals. Proper titles were used, but most commoners didn’t really care since there was constant exposure.

JP had said that in some districts, they couldn’t throw a stick without hitting someone related to nobility or aristocracy. In their group alone, Tori, Ilyana, and Albert came from such families. More so if they counted Piers and Axton.

But it was different in a small village like Fosse.

“Victoria de Guevera, Countess of Cosora and daughter of Marquis Gregorio de Guevera of the Sur March.” Tori gave him a small, curt nod. “A pleasure.”

“A high noble….” The other man with them looked at her as if he’d seen a ghost and for a moment, Tori was insulted.

She didn’t do anything to them. Yet.

“My courtesy title allows me to be a high noble as my father’s daughter, but my peerage is middle grade,” she told them. “Mr. Guthry is my classmate, and I am assisting with his project to open a craft school. Rest assured that this time, we have reached out for assistance from respectable groups.”

She was met with silence. If the three villagers wanted to say something, they weren’t sure what to say. Tori looked towards Dimitri and motioned her head towards the building. He took her cue and continued walking to the entrance with a key in hand.

“Wait!” Mr. Pinon called out to stop him. He took a step forward, but his eyes darted to the two knights by Tori. He looked almost resentful that he couldn’t intimidate Tori. Not that he would be able to if the knights weren’t present. Mr. Pinon looked back at Dimitri. “Our village has decided that none of our children of age will attend your craft school! It’s best for you to close and move elsewhere if you want to continue with your project.”

“The project was assigned to Fosse Village, Mr. Pinon,” Dimitri said in a solemn voice. “The craft school must be here.”

“Then you will have no students!”

“The craft school must be located in Fosse Village and targets Fosse villagers, but if no one in Fosse wants to join, then he cannot make you,” Tori said. Mr. Pinon looked a bit satisfied with this and the corner of Tori’s lip curled up. “However, if students from neighboring villages want to join, he is under no obligation to deny them.”

Tori threw them a smile and turned around to follow them into the building. Dimitri looked a bit relieved, and his shoulders relaxed. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. The light crystals illuminated the open space and he stepped to the side to let in the two guildmasters.

“Sirs, please take your time to look over the layout of the facility. Let me know if anything should be changed or is needed,” Dimitri told them. His voice was laced with respect and the carpenters and masons accepted his invitation.

Tori stood to the side of the entrance. She would be of no help in the survey of the facility, so she would stay out of the way. Dimitri stood closer to her for the same reason.

“Get a lock for the gate around the property and discuss with Guildmaster Kivinen about building a better wall around the facility. It can be used as practice for students. The school will cover the cost of the materials,” she said as she watched the carpenters and masons go around the building.

“Is it necessary to get a new wall?”

“I am concerned that the resentment will increase harassment and cause problems for the school. It is better to take precautions,” she replied. Dimitri nodded.

“Thank you for coming today, Countess.”

“It is what we arranged.”

“Regardless of the reason, I am indebted to you.”

“Just complete this project to the best of your ability. If you can make this a success, then you’ll be able to graduate and can use the experience to get into a university to continue your studies.”

“Studies?” He turned his head and gave her a quizzical look.

“Public policy and government,” Tori said. She didn’t look at him and held back a knowing smile. “Your mother said you’ve been looking into it and asking questions.”

HIs face heated up. “I’m only curious. I considered what you said at the delta.”

“I see….”

“If I can attend a suitable university and focus on the subjects, learn more about them, I may be suitable to find a position working in a local government office,” Dimitri said. “Father says that this work is often thankless, but very important.”

“Université would be a good school to go.”

He let out a small, bitter chuckle. “After what happened at the orphanage, I don’t know if they’d accept me for such negligence.”

“You can always try,” Tori said. “But your decisions are up to you, Guthry. Don’t stop trying to do better because you feel the chances of success are low.”

“Then, may I come to you if I have questions, my lady?” She could see him looking at her from the corner of her eye.

She shrugged an unladylike shrug. “You can, but I can’t guarantee I’ll have an answer.”

“That is also fair.” Dimitri nodded. He looked back towards the craftsmen across the building. “May I ask a personal question? My mother is curious and she’s unsure how to ask.” He added the last sentence in a rush.

Tori raised a brow. “Go ahead.”

Dimitri was quiet for a moment, as if thinking how he should phrase it. He took a deep breath and turned to look at her. “Do you plan to marry His Highness Prince Piers?”

Tori’s eyes widened, and she slowly turned her head towards Dimitri. By the entrance, the two knights looked at him as if he had lost his mind and didn’t seem sure if they needed to step in or not.

Tori’s eyes crinkled up. “Your mother wants to know?”

“In truth, it seems that many of the acquaintances in the political circle are curious,” Dimitri said as he shrank back. “Everyone wants to know. It’s one of the most talked about topics right now, as you were the hostess of Prince Piers’ ball.”

Tori took a deep breath. She bit the inside of her lip as the corner of her eye twitched. “I think that no matter what I say, people will come to their own conclusions.”

Dimitri let out a low breath. A slight smile came to his lips. “Then, you are not going to marry His Highness.”

Tori raised a brow. Her pink lips curled into a smirk. “When did I announce that?”