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Working hard not to give a frivolous gift, Deatrice chose the items with her experienced eye as a noble.
She was only able to finish after she had toured all the shops in the district, thumbed through their stocks and catalog, and then contacted the capital directly to complete the order.
Atkins sneakily blocked the gazes of other women in the store as he subtly glanced at the hem of Deatrice’s soiled skirt. Then he moved around pretending to be looking at a scarf or a board game he didn’t care about.
Deatrice finally remembered someone was accompanying her on her shopping spree and then laughed when she found Atkins stalking behind her, staring blankly at random items he probably didn’t know the use of.
Akins realized from her laughter that she had seen through his actions. His back hunched slightly in embarrassment and he lowered his head.
Deatrice chuckled, “Sir Atkins, I am alright.”
“Yes. I know.”
“Then why are you doing this? Are you embarrassed by me?”
Atkins frowned. He looked at her incredulously, thinking how she could come up with the thought he could ever be embarrassed by her? But then he saw the teasing glint in Deatrice’s eyes.
Atkins saw his face reflected in a window, a red tint slowly creeping up his neck and he bowed his head. But the frown remained on his face.
Deatrice watched him silently, and soon enough, she left the store. Akins followed her and helped her up the carriage.
Before getting inside, Deatrice whispered some apologies to Atkins.
“I’m sorry for teasing you.”
“It is… alright.” He answered.
Based on his expression, she thought he was still offended. Deatrice was about to climb up the carriage when she suddenly smirked.
“I apologized, so don’t you go crying like you did last time, alright?”
“M’lady!”
Deatrice laughed heartily and closed the door.
How fun.
***
Deatrice took a long bath when she got home. When she finished, she found Lucius in her room. She bought Phillip a board game resembling the chess she used to play back in her childhood and now Lucius was playing with it.
She shared a room with him in the Imperial Palace, so it wasn’t all that unusual for him to be in the same room as her. But in the manor, Lucius had never entered Deatrice’s room without her permission.
“You’re here?”
However, Lucius greeted Deatrice with a cold gaze. She did not hide her displeasure as she brushed her wet hair. “Why are you here?”
“I was waiting for you.”
“You could’ve just said you wanted to meet me, I would’ve gone down to the living room.”
“Are you saying I’m not allowed entry here?”
“Aren’t you?”
Lucius laughed at the sharpness of her tone. He knew she was pertaining to the incident where he read her father’s private letter to her.
“Care to play a match?” Lucius turned and tapped a chess piece. As if he had already played alone, the pieces were already in various positions. Deatrice sat across from him and crossed her legs.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“I just came to ask if you already bought a present.” he gestured to the board game, “This wouldn’t be it, right?”
“Why not? Too bad for your liking?”
“It’s not that.” Lucius moved the black bishop and she stared at his move. “Even if you gifted me with a blade of grass, I would gladly accept.”
Deatrice caved and eventually moved the white knight. As her knight devoured his pawn, Lucius looked at her with a smile.
For a while, all that could be heard was the sound of chess pieces moving against the board. A rook ate her knight, blocked her advance with a bishop to protect his Black Queen, and then she boldly moved her surviving knight to corner the black king.
Lucius said helplessly as he looked at Deatrice’s queen looming on one side, waiting to pounce. “You always do this when you play.”
“Do what?”
“You like flashy things. Setting traps and making bold sacrifices.”
On the other hand, Lucius’ strategy leaned towards a more conservative play. Calm but steady, leaving no pieces unprotected whilst slowly pressuring his opponent.
He moved his rook and devoured her last knight, avoiding the White Queen that Deatrice presumably wanted to bait him with. Deatrice moved her queen and settled in a position that threatened Lucius’ King.
“Check.”
Lucius thought about how to counter her move, but it wasn’t long before he realized that he didn’t need to.
“…mate.” she looked at him with a grin. “You must have forgotten that I play chess better than you.”
“How can I forget?” Even if Lucius was serious, Deatrice could still beat him all the same. When she looked at him without hiding the joy on her face after having defeated him, it was almost as if Lucius fell in love all over again.
The brightness of her smile and the triumphant grin on her face—he would probably remember this rare moment of finally falling for her until his death.
Laying the king down, he said, “I saw you during the day.”
“…”
“Should I arrange for a new carriage, or should I change your carriage driver?”
“That would be unnecessary. I had a great time, so don’t bother yourself with it.” Deatrice answered, smiling inwardly as she saw Lucius’ hand, which had been turning the bishop back and forth, stop just as she expected.
She knew exactly how the words would provoke him. She found this much easier than reading his next move in chess.
She wanted to corner him to the point where he finally regrets everything and kneels before her. But for now, it’s enough to just look at him shaking little by little and him realizing his stupidity.
“Why? What’s so great about it?”