Page 45 of The Villainess Chose Naps Over Death Flags

To Caroline blushing throughout dinner last night, her amber eyes bright when she looked at him.

To the fact that she'd named the dangerous creature something as absurd as "Mochi."

"Seventeen pillows," Caspian muttered to himself.

He had approximately three hours until tea.

Three hours to review border reports, handle ducal business, and absolutely not think about whether his wife would blush again when she saw him.

Three hours to prepare for whatever game she was playing.

Three hours to decide how to respond to a woman who tried to poison him three weeks ago and was now apparently adopting apex predators for emotional support.

Caspian looked down at his desk and realized he'd been holding the same report for the last twenty minutes without reading a single word.

"Damn it," he said to the empty room.

This woman was going to be the death of him.

Possibly literally, if the Dreamweaver was part of some elaborate assassination plot.

Possibly figuratively, if those amber eyes and that nervous smile kept making his chest do strange things.

Either way, tea at three o'clock was going to be very interesting.

Chapter 10

Why Is She Looking At Dessert Like That?

Caspian had never been nervous about training before.

He'd fought monsters, led military campaigns, defended the northern border against overwhelming odds. He'd sparred against opponents twice his size and faced down creatures that would make grown men weep.

But standing in the training grounds at three o'clock, knowing his wife was about to watch from the eastern terrace, he felt something uncomfortably close to nervousness.

"You're adjusting your stance more than usual," Edwin observed, warming up nearby. "Very specific about positioning today."

"I'm ensuring proper form," Caspian said.

"You're making sure she has a good view," Edwin corrected, grinning. "Should I stand downwind so you're more visible?"

"Edwin."

"I'm just saying, if you're going to peacock, you should commit to it."

Before Caspian could respond, he caught movement on the eastern terrace.

Caroline had arrived.

She wore a soft pink dress that made her honey-blonde hair seem to glow in the afternoon sun. Her hair was arranged in an elegant updo with a few curls framing her face. She looked beautiful and composed and—

Was she carrying something?

Caspian squinted slightly.

She was indeed carrying something small and black-and-white. The Dreamweaver cub.

"She brought the murder kitten to tea," Edwin said, following his gaze. "Bold choice."