When Eliza entered the dining room, the Duke was already there. He, too, had changed his clothes before dinner. The white shirt he wore was likely paired with a simple pair of black trousers. In their few encounters, Eliza had noted that the Duke favoured simple garments. There was no need for anything elaborate, really. It would only take away from that gorgeous face of his.
He looked up from the document that he had been reading and pushed it away quickly as she sat down across from him. She smiled in greeting. Theo must have given him a stern warning.
Dinner was an uneventful, if awkward affair. Without Artizia’s memories, she had to keep to superficial topics to avoid any missteps. The month’s worth of newspapers she had gone through came in quite handy.
As dessert was placed in front of her, she sat back, exhausted. Had it really only been forty minutes? Trying to keep the conversation going was like wading through mud. The Duke seemed to be quite distracted.
She took a sip of her drink in silence. Would it be alright to stop trying so hard now? They would be parting ways as soon as this course was done.
“I nearly forgot—” The Duke said suddenly. Eliza raised an eyebrow and waited. He checked his watch. “There is a play in town that I was informed you would enjoy.”
“Is that so? What is it called?”
The Duke pursed his lips as he thought. “I don’t recall the name, but it is based loosely on the founding of the Empire.” He paused, then added, “Leo told me that you are quite a fan of the producer.”
Eliza took a bite of her dessert to hide her panic and buy herself some time. Leo?? Who was that? A friend? A sibling? A Byzenkarian employee?
“Would you be interested in attending tonight?” He asked.
Eliza scooped another spoonful of cake into her mouth and nodded. God, this was tiring. She added the new name to her mental list of things to investigate when she had the time.
When the Duke had said that there was a play in town, Eliza had assumed that he meant a performance at a large theatre. She looked around at the bustling street they were walking down. There was a night market going on, so vendors were taking up the street. How long had it been since she had walked down a street like this? It was clear that the people here were happy and flourishing. It was chaotic, and a little too bright and noisy, but the merriness was infectious.
The theatre that they arrived at was modestly sized. They were ushered inside without ceremony, though they drew every eye they passed. For a moment she had forgotten how beautiful Artizia was. The people around her were used to this appearance and no longer reacted. She had dressed quite casually, but it was impossible to be incognito with a face like hers.
As they walked towards the seats, the Duke came to a halt. Eliza followed his gaze to the snack display. She glanced back at him, then said, “Shall we get a snack before we head in?”
His dark eyes turned to her and he nodded. As she walked up to the counter she pondered over a serious question.
Did she get one or two tubs of popcorn?
They were married – but to call them a couple was a stretch. And it was clear to her that the Duke was not familiar with interacting with the opposite sex. The memory of what he had looked like when she had grabbed his arm earlier suddenly popped into her mind.
A smile spread over her lips unconsciously. To the wide-eyed girl at the cashier, she said, “One tub of popcorn, please. And two drinks.”
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