𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓤𝓷𝓬𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 (𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓣𝔀𝓸)

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓽𝔂

When I walk into the office, I nearly cry tears of joy at the sight of the list on the desk.

At least we can go another day without seeing the king, and I can go another day with forgetting who the king is related to.

I cross my arms around my green dress, and sit down right next to Arthur. He's of course in that same puffy shirt and black pants, but this time he has a much more relaxed expression on his face.

I cross my legs and keep my chair near the middle of the desk.

He grabs the list from the middle of the table and sighs, "This is going to be a long session for me. Three courses need grading today."

What does he mean for him? We're both here.

"What? I'm here too."

He smiles a little, "No, remember our deal? I lost, therefore I have to do all of these myself."

Did he really think we were gonna follow that stupid deal? After he got hurt, that was the end of it.

I shake my head and grab a stack of papers, "Nope, getting hurt doesn't count," I pause, "Are you feeling better at least?"

I look down at the papers and I sigh.

Etiquette.

That stupid test we had to take about how to act at a royal dinner.

I forgot how stupid that course was.

He shrugs and grabs another stack of papers, "I am alright. And you? I cannot imagine your back would be any better sleeping on that couch."

He noticed that?

I nod, "It's okay. I haven't winced today, so that's progress."

His jaw clenches a little bit, "I am apparently lucky today. I have history papers to grade."

At least the history tests make more sense now that we've made them. Etiquette still makes sense.

"You're lucky, I'm stuck grading this stupid etiquette quiz."

He looks down at the papers and squints, "You would not believe who the paper on top belongs to."

I flip through the first few etiquette quizzes and carefully grade each one, "Who?"

"Someone by the name of Caroline Carter? Hmm. I should give her a zero simply for being snobby the other day," he pauses, "Yes, I am going to do that."

I get through the fifteenth etiquette quiz but look up at him.

He wouldn't.

She'd absolutely kill me. She'd come in here, steal his blade, and stab me to death for that. Especially since she complained about it before.

He writes on the paper for a few seconds and clears his throat, "Zero. Learn how to be more polite, and perhaps I will give you a better score next time. Kind regards, Arthur. P.S: Your sister is way more intelligent than you are."

My jaw drops.

He did not.

I clench my lips together, "She's gonna absolutely kill me for that."

He laughs and smiles, "I would love to see her try. I would give her a zero for that as well."

I shake my head and go back to the etiquette papers, "You're insane."

He shuffles the history papers around, "I am flattered that you think so."

I know so.

Focus on the work.