In celebration of this book coming out in paperback on Amazon, I'm adding a new free chapter! And here's the link if you're interested! Keep in mind this is just the first half of the story because Amazon printer can't make big books so I had to split it up into two volumes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTZ1B7LX

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At Roman's office, I got the 'enter' from inside just as the mother of all yawns hit me, so as I walked inside I didn't see the other occupants until the expelling of excess carbon dioxide had completed. When I did, I froze, a hand still on the doorknob.

Roman had visitors. An older man with salt and pepper hair who looked suspiciously like an older version of Roman and a younger with bright blond that had the same unrealistically bright green eyes.

Roman was standing by his desk, looking rather put together for bright and early at the butt crack of dawn.

"Ah, just in time," he said, gesturing to me. "Lillian, I have two people here who want to meet you. Say hello to my father and younger brother."

Nobles. Nobles. Damn it, I never learned how to curtsy. Ulyssia told me you had to curtsy, but she only gave me brief lessons on how a servant should, not how a lady—wait, it was a bow, yes. Wait, I can! Yes!

By the time my brain had untied itself from that mess of panic and spittle, I'd already managed a hopefully passable curtsy and a brief greeting with my full name. Once I'd straighten, though, the new mess came with where to look. Was it okay to look a noble in the eye? Or was it like looking a lion in the eyes and considered disrespectful? Or is that dogs? Aw hell, I don't do animals. Only chickens. Why couldn't these guys be chickens?

The older man, his father, stood and gave me a calm smile.

"Yes, I've been waiting a long time to meet my son's healer. I'm Duke Harris Lin Dostuve."

He held out a hand.

Oh, so hand shaking was kosher then?

So I gave him my hand and opened my mouth to say something formless and small talkish like 'nice to meet you' even though I would have been just fine never meeting him.

But instead of shaking my hand, he turned it and lightly kissed the back of my hand.

Yes, Roman had done this a while back. But the atmosphere at the time had been rather emotional, since he'd basically did a magical girl transformation from Hunchback of Notre Dame to Adonis. You get a lot of sliding points then. And I'd gleaned something of an idea that this was normal for these noble peeps, something about showing the utmost respect or honor to a lady.

Still, I got the goose pimples.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you?" he said, his polite smile growing a bit wry.

I put a hand to my face. Damn it, had it showed?

In the corner of my vision I saw Roman put a curled fist to his face to hold down his humor. The man deserved a boot in the head for that.

As the father stepped aside and looked to where his younger son sat, I too looked over at the blond with Roman's eyes. He had a short, well trimmed beard that only covered his jawline, so I had missed it when I first saw him. His cheekbones weren't as pronounced as Roman's, and his chin was a bit weaker, which was probably why he had the beard-line. He was a decent looking fellow, with tightened cloth over his shoulders promising pronounced muscles underneath the well-tailored shirt and vest.

And he was staring at me, lips slightly parted.

When the seconds dragged on in which he did nothing, the duke cleared his throat and lightly tapped the side of his son's boot, making him jump to his feet.

"Lucas!" he said smoothly, if a bit too loudly. "Lucas Page Dostuve, second son."

He held out his hand just like his father. His fingers seemed to tremble a bit.

But I had learned my lesson. "I think I'm good without the hand kissing. It's nice to meet you, sir, uh, master...grace?"

"Lucas will do."

The duke frowned deeply and Roman lowered his fist to reveal his own.

Even I know what a faux pax that was.

"Sorry, I wouldn't dare. We've just met, I'll settle with sir. Please excuse my lack of manners, I'm not from this country and, uh...yeah."

I could swear my forehead had started to bead sweat with the heat flooding into my face right then. It was too early for this. He could have at least warned me so I could have, I don't know, not come?

When the guy just continued to stare at me after letting his hand flop down to his side, I seriously considered booking it. The Duke didn't look too pleased with his reaction either.

"So, Miss Strobelt, would you like to have a cup of tea with us before beginning your day? Just for the sake of satiating my curiosity." The Duke gestured to the tea and tray of goods already spread out on the coffee table.

No, I thought, even as my mouth said, "Sure."

Please let this not be a grilling.

I took a seat on the opposite side of the coffee table from the duke and his son, trying to sit up straight and not look like a complete pleb. Before I could get into the mess of if it was okay if I just grabbed the fancy-ass tea pot and went for it, Roman stepped forward and poured me a cup, as well as putting in some honey and a bit of milk like I always liked it.

"You're too used to me," I said as I accepted it.

"I'd like to think it's the opposite way around," he said, sitting next to me to take up his own cup.

Fortunately, it looked like everyone else had already prepared their cups while they were waiting for me. Gal, I wish I knew all the rules to this. When did drinking crap have to be so complicated? Or was it not complicated and I was just assuming it was to make my life difficult because I was a masochist like that?

Lucas didn't touch his tea, looking at me.

"How is life here at the estate treating you?" asked the Duke.

For a few minutes he made such small talk with me, asking how I handled the winter, things I liked to do, what my interests were. It went just long enough for me to start relaxing.

Then he leaned onto his knees, intersected his fingers, and asked, in just a beat slower than the last question.

"I was told you don't have any family. Is that through death or other extenuating circumstances?"

He said it softly, with all the inflection of someone understanding of the possible pain this question could cause.

I tried to cover my nerves by taking a sip of my tea.

"Death," I said. Which was true enough, even if it was my own and not theirs.

The Duke's eyebrows raised while the blond's next to him puckered.

"Father," Roman said, tersely. "I didn't invite her here so you could interrogate her."

"It was a simple enough question. Family is a crucial part of our identity. I was merely curious. Is there any chance you could tell me what yours were like, Miss? Anything they're famous for?"

Wow, that was covert—not at all. "My grandmother was a teacher of music and my grandfather taught math. Does that count for anything?"

Roman looked askance at me in surprise. I'd touched upon my family in passing with him when the topic we happened to be talking about related to them, but he'd never asked directly, and I had always been glad he did.

The Duke bobbed his head, as though to encourage me. "Your parents?"

I hesitated on this one. I'd been in this world long enough to know how my flaky father and single mother would look. Divorce was rare here, and single parents often looked to as promiscuous or unfortunate.

But I also didn't know how I wanted the Duke to think of me, so I didn't know what information to pick and choose.

So...I briefly closed my eyes to steady myself with an image of my mother, and instead spoke from the nostalgia that brought up.

Roman started to speak at the same time I did.

"Father, that's—"

"My mother..."

We both stopped.

The Duke gave a light glower to his eldest, but Roman's attention turned to me.

"You don't have to push yourself," he said.

But I gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm not so tender. I just needed a moment to think." Then I looked back to the Duke, suddenly feeling much more calm just by remembering her, because it had occurred to me that she would have laughed at this situation. "My mother had the humor of a teenage boy and sang to me whenever I felt sad. She was a romantic and would often sing the sappiest love songs, but she'd sing them so prettily I could let it slide."

Beside the duke, Lucas gave a half-quirked smile.

"My father hated conflict to the point it ruined his relationships, but he was very talented. He could master anything he wanted, but he just didn't have enough time in the day, but he tried anyways. A terrible workaholic, really."

"Any siblings?"

"No. But I grew up helping all my aunts and uncles with their kids, so it was like I had a lot of siblings."

"A big family?"

I hesitated but decided it didn't matter at this point. "Yes."

A strange silence fell on the room. Roman besides me had fallen oddly still with his fingertips resting on the edge of his teacup handle.

"I think I've asked enough, for now," said the Duke, more somberly than I wanted. "Thank you for humoring me, Miss Strobelt."

"Oh, um, of course. Thank you for humoring me as well and my lack of, uh, decorum. I'm certain I've missed a few things like greeting right or etiquette..."

"Not at all. You've displayed yourself quite honestly in your moves, and that is enough for me."

That made me cringe inside. My moves displayed me honestly? What, did this guy measure the angle and speed of my butt hitting the couch to deduce the thoughts of my heart? What was this power?

"Don't say such worrying things, father," said Roman, getting to his feet. "Doctor Newvle must be impatient to have his assistant back. He's been badgering me about not giving him an assistant earlier, he's become quite dependent. I wouldn't be surprised if he asked you to help him eat and put on his shoes next."

"Oh. That's not pressuring me at all." Sarcasm. Heavy on the sarcasm. I did not sign up to take care of old men, I wanted babies, you hear? BABIES.

Lucas, who hadn't touched his tea or said a word up until now, let out a single crack of laughter. "Ah, that's it."

I looked to him, and the moment I met his eyes, he smiled wide, and the effect of his gleaming straight, white teeth with Roman's unheard of beautiful eyes threw me for a brief loop.

"Miss Lillian. Marry me."

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Meh, husband grumpy with me this morning. -.- I already said sorry with all the details of how I said was wrong and what I did wrong. Why do I have to be the tactless, stereotypical man in the relationship? I wanna be a girl...hopefully by the time I update the next chapter he won't be miffed with me anymore. Tslowe.com, homies.