I had to arrange a tea party to welcome Lady Claire officially. I avoided meeting Xavier after the night he returned. Though I was not delighted about it, it was what Xavier wanted.
I also avoided any interaction with Edrik. I did not know how he found out about me leaving the palace. But it appeared Xavier was still unaware of it. And I did not want to make him more suspicious than he already was.
I was living like a rat in my palace. When Xavier came to my office, I ran away through the window. Who would believe a noble lady jumped through the window, grabbing her gown to avoid her husband. When I saw Xavier at the end of the hallway, I pretended to blend in with the sculptures. All that was left was to dig holes in the walls to hide faster.
It had been a few days since Lady Claire came to the palace. The maids would already not shut up about her.
