Page 24 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

A smile that felt a lot like my practice one plastered to his face. “I’m being sent off for one last outing because when I return I’m expected to take up the lordship.”

“That must be nice, though,” I said. “Don’t most people want to be successor?”

“I suppose,” he said. “Comes with a lot of responsibility.”

“That is true. The best part of being the youngest.” Taking the crown had never even been on my radar. I wasn’t the heir or the spare. I just… existed, and while sometimes boring, at least I didn’t have the weight of the whole kingdom on my shoulders.

He huffed. “Yes, everyone is always looking at you, needing something from you. It’s quite a bit of pressure.”

“I’m sure.” I couldn’t relate to anything less. There was no experience where anyone needed something from me, how would I even handle it?

“Sorry,” he scoffed, turning towards me more now, so his shoulder lay on the wall. “I shouldn’t bore you with my up and coming responsibilities.”

“I don’t mind,” I told him. “I find it quite interesting.”

“You’re too kind to me.”

I smiled up at him, one that felt genuine for the first time tonight. It felt nice.

“Have you seen Paige this evening?” I asked, remembering her earlier quest.

“Yes,” he said. “We had a nice conversation.”

“She’s quite striking,” I said, trying to help out my friend while I was here.

He hummed in agreement. “Very pretty.”

“And quite smart.” Though I did watch her open doors the wrong way fairly often.

“Is that so?” As he asked, he moved closer, his hand tucking behind my waist, pulling me close. “I find you to be quite smart. And striking.”

“O-oh,” was all I could muster up. “But Paige⁠—”

“Is off somewhere else,” he jumped in, “and I thought we’ve been hitting it off nicely, yes?”

“You’ve been an excellent host,” I said. One of the platitudes my tutor fed to me to say.

“Is that all?” His body heat radiated against me, but only served to overheat me.

“I-I…”

Before I could stutter to find any words, a man I didn’t recognize approached us. “Octavio,” he said. “Your mother asked me to fetch you. They’re making the toast soon.”

Octavio’s jaw set, but he stepped away from me. “I’ll come find you after,” he promised, leaning down to kiss my hand and walking away before I could confirm or deny that.

I fell against the wall, feeling like I dodged a bullet there. It was obvious Paige was interested in him, and I had no intention of getting in the way of that.

“Doesn’t he just bore you to tears?”

I jumped. Behind me was none other than the man from this morning. I hadn’t even caught out his name. Not knowing made the entire situation almost more interesting, though it shouldn’t have.

“Octavio is perfectly nice,” I said, defending him.

“I’m nice,” the man said. “I was on my hands and knees in the dirt this morning, you know.”

“You don’t even have knees,” I quickly shot back.

“You caught me.”