"She transferred here? Just like that?" Lily asked, her golden eyes wide with disbelief.
"Hey, you are not helping, Lily. Stop with the dramatic gasps," I sighed, gently pinching her bare waist to bring her focus back to me. "Just tell me who she is without the suspense."
Lily pushed herself up slightly, straddling my lap. She looked down at me with an expression caught somewhere between exasperation and profound pity.
"Master," Lily said softly, her voice trembling slightly. "Lady Emma is the sole daughter of Count Arlon."
"So?" I raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of wine.
"Well... you know, Master, Count Arlon and your father, the Duke, are incredibly close friends. They served in the Vanguard together."
"And?"
"And," Lily swallowed hard, her chest heaving, "as high nobles are prone to do... they turned their friendship into a permanent political alliance. Lady Emma Arlon is your officially recognized, legally binding fiancée."
I choked on my wine.
