Despite all my internal fears, Akulina was almost not nervous. No, the jitters, of course, were present, but nothing more. My companion even seems to have forgotten about her completely unpresentable appearance, looking forward to a conversation with her parents. She was so focused on the questions that interested her that even her hands stopped trembling, which I noticed when Akulina rang the doorbell.

- Lina? - The door was opened to us by a spectacular blue-eyed blonde, very frightened, barely looking at the newly-minted princess. “God, what happened?” You should be in England now...

Akulina barely spared the girl a look, having experienced such strong contempt that I unconsciously...