Crow lifted the last bite of bread from his plate to his mouth, chewing slowly as he simmered down from what Elizabeth had said. Though he had thrown caution aside to come to Penelope’s defense once, he knew he couldn’t keep doing so without giving away how close they really were. So, despite his desire to tell the noblewoman off or ask her to leave, he forced himself to think about other things in an attempt to relax and move on from what had just happened.

A silence fell over the table before it was broken by Elizabeth. “I was only trying to help,” she asserted again, shrinking down in her seat as if she was upset that Penelope called her personality dreadful. The woman frowned, her crystalline eyes flicking from Crow to the knight as she seemed to realize that her approach wasn’t getting her the results she had been looking for. After a drawn out pause, she spoke again, “I’m sorry if I caused any offense. I really didn’t mean to. Beauty is just something that’s always been important to my family. I didn’t realize there were women who thought differently.”

Crow nearly scoffed at that. He wasn’t gullible enough to believe she had been trying to be helpful when she had told Penelope that no man would want to marry her because of her scar. If anything, he suspected she’d been trying to attack the knight’s confidence by seeking out a sore spot or chase her off because she didn’t want her to linger with them at the table. There had been nothing friendly about any of the comments the noblewoman had made.

When the second try didn’t seem to work either, Elizabeth pursed her lips together. “So, Collin,” she persisted, offering the viceroy a pleasant smile. “How have your lessons been going? You mentioned you’ve got another one today, right?”

Crow looked up at her, unprepared for the sudden change in topic. However, even though this subject was much more innocent than the last one had been, he was in no mood to talk to the noblewoman after the harsh things she’d said to Penelope. “I think you should go,” he said abruptly, though he spoke in a low voice as he held Elizabeth’s gaze.

Liz blinked, seeming taken aback by his sudden order. Her blue eyes flicked between the two once more before she averted her gaze. “Alright,” she agreed with visible reluctance as she rose from the table. “I’ll see you later, Collin.”

Crow said nothing in response as she walked away, waiting until the noblewoman had left the Great Hall before he let out his breath in a frustrated exhaled. “I’m so sorry she behaved that way to you,” he apologized, turning to Penelope with a frown. “I had no idea what a shrew she’s become. Are you alright?”