Catherine opened her eyes, fingers flying to her nose.
"OW—WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
Maximilian leaned back with infuriating leisure, entirely unapologetic, eyes alight with mischief. Catherine froze.
That smile.
That damned smile.
It was the same one from another lifetime—the boy who delighted in provoking her, who took unholy pleasure in watching her bristle while she struggled to behave like a proper lady instead of throttling him with royal decorum.
"Payback," he said calmly. "For biting my nose."
Her expression went utterly blank.
That story.
That accursed story.
