Stories of how to survive as an evil duke's daughter are nothing new. But then fate just had to, really had to, put Lizzie at the center of such repetitive chaos, with nothing but cuteness and wits as her weapon.
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Lizzie survived a burning orp...
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Crepes sample from maryswholelife.com
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While Madam Vaddenver sketched and drafted her designs, Lizzie was satisfied with the initial description of her clothes. Not too many bright colors and frills, not too many layers either, and was enough to keep her warm by the change of season.
Most of all, she was just thankful for the clothes on her back and the privilege to somehow wear of choosing. Unlike back in the orphanage where hand-me-downs were treasures and she had worn the same rag in the streets. A new wardrobe was more than she could ask.
"Hey, aren't you eating too much?" Alec asked after she handed him her long imagined crepe. Despite Fay's discouragement of consuming food from a less known store, Lizzie bought each for everyone, except for the knights who kneeled and begged her to let them do their job.
She sighed and decided to buy them something later.
"Lizzie wants the brown circles too. And the melting ice in cups."
"You mean caleit candies and milcwater?"
"Yes, those!"
Alec watched her blissfully eat in silence, then wiped the cream on her face with the sleeves of his robe. He didn't even mind the maids' quiet objection and returned to the position behind them.
"If people see you like this, they'd think, the image of you from the rumors would be reduced to nothing but a child who loves to eat."
"Rumors?" Lizzie tilted her head. What can people gossip about her that even the recluse Alec heard about it? She assumed it was secondhand information from the knights.
"Nothing." Alec shrugged. Despite being inside the shop, his deep brown cloak with the hood was still covering his face. Lizzie didn't ask to take it off.
Based on his actions and intellect too excellent for a boy, she concluded he was no ordinary citizen. Along with the empire, they had hailed, Levich and Ana's disappearance, she assumed her study mate was of importance.
"But Lizzie, eating sweets can make your teeth rot—"
She pushed the crepe just in time he warned her. "Now we can both have rotten teeth."
It didn't matter who Alec really was. She deluded herself of the peace and wished the friendship would last longer. "When Lizzie was in the streets, Lizzie always saw crepes, and brown candies, and melting ice in cups."
"Caleit candies and milcwater," he corrected again.
"Yeah, those."
He didn't say anything, instead, consumed the crepe she pushed unto him. Aside from rumors, Lizzie assumed he must have also heard her origins. And thus, she ate in silence.
