My breath grew rigid in my throat, realising who stood in the dining room with the Lanes.

“You’re not Sir Valerio.” I immediately blurted out in an accusing voice, and this made the rest turn to me with a confused gaze.

I had never met Sir Valerio in person, but I was certain he would be much older, greyer, and less annoying.

“He’s not,” Oliver’s mother named Scarlett spoke up, coming into his defence, “My husband is on a royal assignment to the east and couldn’t make it here today despite wanting to. The prince stepped in for him and it was a noble thing to do.”

How noble of...