He gave a nonchalant shrug but didn't meet her eyes. "You won't. Just... don't overthink it."
Is he... trying to reassure me? she wondered, puzzled. Maybe... he's not as cold as he seems.
But there was no time to explore this thought.
The castle swerved with preparations as she left the room to begin hers.
Downstairs in the kitchen, the head chef had reached his limit. "Where is the fresh lobster?" he bellowed, sending an assistant scurrying.
One of the maids whispered to another, "Last year, the chef quit right before the ball. Let's hope he doesn't explode again!"
In the garden, a group of gardeners argued over whether to use roses or lilies for the centerpiece fountain. "The lilies are too common!" one of them shouted.
"Common? I'll show you common!" another retorted, brandishing a pruning shears.
