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Del Casa.
Lia got off the train and faced the vast city she remembered well.
“Del Casa is a mix of Ataer and Cosoar. It has its metropolitan area, its schools, its slums. There is a forest that you will enjoy,” said Claude.
“Sir.”
Lia carefully leaned her hands against his chest. His invitation wasn’t that sudden, but it did put her in a difficult situation.
Sensing how she felt, he clutched her waist hard and put his forehead against hers.
“I think I’ve done my part playing hide and seek. Do you still have business to take care of?”
“I have to decide where to live. Also, I still—”
She didn’t like that she still had one thing of most importance left to do.
“Still?”
“I have something to do, yes.”
“So, it’s not rejection.”
His low voice had some joy in it. He didn’t rush an answer out of her. His eyes searched hers, but with some certainty.
She had to tell him—tell him that she is a woman. But she was afraid of revealing the truth, especially if it led him to disappointment.
What if Claude liked her as a man?
He emanated a certain chaos as far as she was concerned.
Lia relaxed as his warm hands covered her cheek and ears.
“It Isn’t. Rejection, that is,” she said with a sigh and looked up at him.
His lips kissed hers.
Startled, she took a step back, the chill of the snow between them.
Claude pursued the kiss with his warm tongue.
It was then that she clutched Claude’s waist hard. A piano melody faded and the terrace door in the distance opened. Men spilled out, lighting their cigarettes as they continued conversing.
“Ha! The savages of Geore will no longer dare to e here!”
“His Majesty is going to establish an academy in the North and send workers to the mine. Now that Duke Ihar has bee the Grand Duke, Duke Belham must be quite jealous.”
“As expected. With his shell of a title, he dared to pete against Ihar, the Grand Duke. I heard that this prompted the scholars from Geore to go to the North. So, His Majesty’s wish will e true.”
Lia, surprised at the presence of the men, pushed Claude’s chest. Just as a displeased Claude was about to react, someone shouted to him.
“Grand Duke Sire!”
He gave Lia a cold stare and his lips might have mouthed a curse.
Lia grabbed the freezing rail and showed her respect. As the men approached Claude, Lia ran in the opposite direction.  Her cold face reddened.
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His kiss had been softer than sherbet and sweeter than ice cream.
She pressed the back of one hand to her just-kissed lips and kept running. Everyone’s eyes followed her. A gentleman close to her joked about her red face, but she wasn’t sure what he said.
The Marchioness left the ballroom and she and Lia met eye to eye. Lia bowed.
Is he crazy?
To kiss her with so many people nearby! The more she thought about it, the more she thought it was crazy.
As she walked across the garden, she could clearly hear the footsteps of the man on her mind.
Lia whirled around and yelled at Claude, “Why are you following me?”
“Why are you running away?”
“I’m just going back to my room, not running away. I need to rest. I’m not feeling well.”
“Me too. I’m not chasing you, but am going to rest. I didn’t sleep much. To be truthful, I didn’t sleep at all.”
“Then to the main Palace—”
“No, my bedroom is also this way.”
Their footsteps continued on the snowy path. The evergreen needles shook and the snow fell from them.
Lia hurried on with her head down. People outside stared at them, but she didn’t slow down.
The Princess’s Palace was very close but felt so far away. The snow came down harder and harder.
Claude sped up when they arrived at the side of the Palace, a quiet area with just the two of them.
He swore under his breath as Lia was about to climb the stairs. She turned her head. He grabbed her arm.
Her mind couldn’t keep pace with events.
He let out a sigh as he pushed her against a cold pillar and kissed her hard. She put up her hands to push him away, but he held them.
His black hair fell onto her face, tickling her cheek.
He panted and smothered her with burning kisses. He couldn’t get enough of her, crushing her with passion and longing.
She knew it was time to acknowledge the truth, that she could no longer parade as a man in front of him. When she was with him, she wanted to be a woman and it hurt her heart to masquerade as a man.
Her eyes sparkled. Claude let go of her hands and caressed her face.
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“I’m sorry, but I can no longer play hide and seek with you, Canillia,” he said in a heavy voice, so close to her.
Lia looked up, seeing him in a haze.
“What did you just—”
“My Canillia,” he whispered, caressing her.
It wasn’t a dream.  Everything she had believed to be a dream was, in fact, real.