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Even when she was angry with him.
She nearly vibrated with it now, but she kept it to herself.
“Just like you taught me,” he whispered in her ear.
She turned her head, her face a scant inch from his. “What?”
“Smiling. Even when you don’t feel like it.”
She scrunched her nose up, and he could tell that it was a fury that contorted her expression thus, but also that no one else would recognize it.
No, all they would see was a small, beautiful woman, looking up at him.
“Careful,” he said. “They might think that you’re gazing adoringly at me.”
She nearly hissed. “I’m not.”
“I’m only telling you, optics.”
“You and your damn optics.”
“They’re your damn optics, of a technicality.”
They swept into the ballroom together, where he was announced, as was fitting his station. But of course, they did not announce Livia.
He could see the person making the introductions was quite put off by the fact that he had shown up with someone unexpected.
But whether anybody there knew it or not, Livia was not unexpected.
Livia was with him wherever he went.
He wondered why he had never brought her in with him like this before.
You know why.
Because it didn’t matter that she worked for him, and nothing more. People would assume, of course, that she was more to him than that.
In point of fact, she was.
“I’m very sorry.” A man came from the recesses of the room, melting into the floor in a suit that announced him as staff, rather than one of the dignitaries in attendance. “But Your Majesty, we did not know you would be bringing a guest with you. And we did not set the table as such.”
“Then I suggest you remedy that.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And why is it you feel you must come to me with your concerns. Surely you can speak to someone else, and make it appear as if you magically did your jobs without having to apologize in such an obsequious fashion.”
“Stop it,” Livia said, in full view of the man. “You’re being a terror.”
The man’s lips twitched, as he fought to keep his expression neutral.
“Perhaps I would like the lady to sit on the floor.”
“That will make a wonderful headline.”
“I will see to getting her place sitting right away.”
“What is the matter with you?” Livia rounded on him.
