“Likewise,” Crow nodded to Letitia when she said it was lovely to meet him. There didn’t seem to be any familiarity in the servant’s eyes, so he relaxed, assuming his name must not have rung any bells to her. It seemed his choice to only give her his first name had been enough to keep her from figuring him out after all. However, his relief only lasted for a moment before something in the old woman’s face changed and she turned to Penelope with the start of a question.

At her words, Crow blanched, realizing she had recognized him even though it had taken her some time. Her reaction wasn’t quite what he expected though. As Letitia planted herself protectively in front of Penelope, the viceroy gawked at her. Aside from the fact that her gesture was innately pointless, he was surprised by her hostility. Until now, everyone he’d met who knew of his new status had treated him with at least some respect, even if they didn’t like him. Whether they were trying to get something from him or were afraid of the consequences of speaking out of turn to someone who outranked them, no one had truly spoken their minds to him in weeks.

Yet, here this servant was, calling him [i]thief[/i].

He snorted, biting his lip before he burst out in a laugh. “Oh, I like you,” he snickered, turning to Penelope with a grin. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a servant like her? I would have come with you here sooner.” Taking a moment to get his breath back, he shook his head. “I can assure you, there’s no ‘nonsense’ going on that you need to be concerned about. My intentions with Penelope are pure.” He casted the old woman an amused smile. “Although I’m sure you can gather that much by yourself if she’s spoken to you about me before.”