158 Ch. 157: Intermission

"Wasn't that Duke Finn I saw just now?" I say to Sage with a naive lilt to my tone.

She nods obediently. "However, I do not recognize who he was with, your highness."

Hearing the verbal confirmation from her releases some tension in my chest. I smile wanly and say, "There are so many nobles sequestered in this capital. One could throw a rock out their window and accidentally hit an earl."

It's an old joke about how concentrated the center of power is in the capital, one that teases a grin from Sage.

"Will you still be going to the lady's room?" she asks, referencing my earlier excuse that I nearly forgot about.

"Oh? Oh, yes. Yes, I will. Keep watch. Don't let any riffraff in or it'll be your head." My words sound like a joke, but only I know they aren't.