Page 31 of Markets & Mooncakes

"It's true," I say softly, placing a hand on his chest and feeling his heartbeat through his shirt. "I love you so much more than I imagined I could love anything."

The way he smiles at me makes my heart skip a beat. "I hope you know that I love you just as much."

"Of course I do. You're doing all of this for me. You're going to become a prince for me."

"I think it's more that I'll become a prince because of you, not for you."

I shake my head. "You've said before that the idea of being royal doesn't sound very fun."

"You have a way of making it not seem fun a lot of the time," he says.

"I can't help it."

"I know."

He leans in and brushes his lips against mine. I melt into his touch, enjoying the way it feels to kiss him. I don't think I'm ever going to get bored of this. I feel better when we break apart, even if I'm still a little self-conscious about how much work he's having to do just to show Mama that he's serious about being with me.

"So, you're doing the salted egg yolks?" he asks.

"Yes, but I only need to put the salt over them now. Lady Sun Jinglan brought the moulds and the recipe with her, and she said that some things need doing in advance."

"Let me look." He goes over and picks up the recipe, searching through it. "Ah, I see. The lotus seeds need soaking before we can use them."

"Do we have any?"

He shakes his head. "I can go to the village on market day and go get some from the tea shop."

"On market day?"

"Yes, it's my day off. Why?"

"Veronica volunteered for us to take Lady Sun Jinglan with us. She said that she liked markets, so I think Mama is going to approve of the trip. Maybe you could come with us? Unless you want to go on your own?" I bury one of my hands in my dress, trying not to feel too nervous about asking him something like that.

"If you don't think that Princess Veronica and Lady Sun Jinglan will mind, I can," he responds.

I can feel the smile spread over my entire face. "They will be fine with it. Veronica has already informed our guest that you're my paramour."

He raises an eyebrow. "Is that what I am?"

"It doesn't feel like the right word," I admit. "But I know that it's the only one we really have. At least until..." I trail off, hardly believing that I'm thinking about this.

"Until the Queen deems it appropriate to announce a betrothal?" he finishes for me.

"Yes. Unless you decide that you don't want to be with me before that."

"I don't think that's going to happen," he assures me.

"Well, in which case, you're my paramour for now, but I look forward to having a better word for you." Even as I think it, I realise that betrothed feels good when I think about Nate. Though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about husband. That's not to do with him, though. I just haven't spent that long thinking about getting married to be used to it.

"Then I shall make sure to do everything I can to impress Her Majesty so that we can get to that day." He gives me a warm smile. "But for now, did you want to bake still? I know it's late."

"Something quick, maybe?"

"I have just the thing." He packs up the mooncake moulds and stows them away safely, before adding the mooncake recipe to his leather journal.

I cover my egg yolks. "I didn't do anything with the whites," I admit, looking over to where they're still sitting in a bowl.

"I'll think of something to do with them," he promises. "For now, I thought we could turn the leftover tea loaf into bread and butter pudding."