Looking at Numbers

'Why are you asking me whether I like the bracelet or brooch better?' I said incredulously. 'I like them both, what's wrong with that?' I couldn't believe we were even having this conversation. It was like asking me to choose between apples and oranges – totally pointless.

"Well, you can't like them both equally, right?" Alessandro pressed. "You must like one more than the other."

Suddenly I got an inkling about the possible reason why he was asking me all these roundabout questions, and although I couldn't believe the pettiness of the motive, I took a shot at it. 'You're not asking me to choose the bracelet… are you?'

"Only if it's true," Alessandro hedged.

'It's not,' I confirmed quickly.

"So you like the brooch better, then?" Alessandro fumed, his patience gone with the wind. It wasn't as if he was asking her to declare her undying love for him – at least not yet. He was just hoping that maybe – just maybe – she would choose the bracelet. Was that too much to ask for?

'I told you I like them both!' I repeated, losing my hold on my patience. 'Let's continue this tomorrow. I'm too exhausted for a debate right now.' I took off my bracelet and put it on the bedside table. Then I dragged the blanket over my head and grabbed my pillow in a hug, getting ready to sleep. Seriously, what was the matter with him?

I would have thought that the emperor had much better things to do than fret over my accessory choices, but evidently not. I would let him stew about this overnight. Perhaps he would be a lot more reasonable the next day.

When morning came, Alessandro was up at the crack of dawn. He was irritated with himself for losing his temper last night and getting into an argument with 20 over something insignificant – bracelet or brooch, for crying out loud. He thought he was a lot more mature than that. He sighed as he got dressed. He might as well hit the training grounds and do some sword practice. Now that the other concubines didn't interest him in the least, this was the next best thing he could do to manage his bottled up frustration.

*****

Lucrezia was in her office again, but unlike the last time she was here, she wasn't in a good mood. In fact, she was downright fuming. She had given an order to eliminate a girl, a commoner who couldn't even talk. Nothing could have been simpler – or so she thought. But rather than hearing of her corpse being disposed of, Lucrezia was instead bombarded with the news that she had the protection of the emperor and the archduke — and had even managed to influence Alessandro to send her assailants to the guillotine. It was so far from her expectation she couldn't have imagined it if she had tried.

"Your Highness, you have a visitor," a maid informed her.

"Send him in," Lucrezia ordered.

The man walked in, wearing pretty much the same kind of clothes he always did – all in black. But this time, he had taken off his hat before he even strode into the room, holding it with both hands instead. "I sincerely apologize for what happened, Your Highness," he began as soon as they were alone.

"You mean what didn't happen," Lucrezia retorted.

"Ah, yes. That's what I meant," he said, wincing inwardly at the sharpness of the princess's voice. Under normal circumstances she was already haughty and brutally frank. But when she didn't get what she wanted, her tone was sharper than a blade – a blade that was pointed at him at the moment. "I'll fix the situation right away."

"Not immediately," Lucrezia countered, "or people might turn their suspicions on me." She knew that both Alessandro and Caio watched the girl like an eagle would watch their young. If she made a move now, she wasn't sure Alessandro wouldn't push her head down the chopping block next. She handed a slip of paper to the man. "Let the girl enjoy her time while she can," Lucrezia remarked with a secretive smile. "She doesn't have long to live, anyway."

*****

"Want to come to my office?" Alessandro offered. It was nearing the end of the day and he knew that 20 was wrapping up her tasks. She had barely talked to him that morning, making Alessandro feel even lousier about their preempted conversation last night. So he finally abandoned his pride and reached out to her first. If he invited her to his office rather than his room, maybe she wouldn't be so antsy about spending time with him.

I was almost done with my last chore, mopping the hallway at the west wing. And since I was already relatively close to 1's office, going there wouldn't be a problem. Still, I couldn't help but be a little suspicious of the reason behind his invitation. 'Why?' I asked. 'Do you want to continue our debate on my accessory preferences?'

Alessandro laughed. "I won't mention either of the items again," he promised. "I just want to know if you'd care to join me for tea." 20 didn't reply immediately, and he sensed her hesitation. "I have scones with jam and clotted cream," he added for good measure.

Damn him, he knew how much I loved pastries and desserts. Actually, damn myself for not having any self-control when it comes to sweets. "All right, fine," I sighed heavily. "I'll see you soon."

When I arrived at his office, 1 opened the door, and I knew before I entered that he had already dismissed the administrators. I smiled, knowing he always did that to make me more comfortable.

"Tea and scones, just like I promised," he grinned, motioning to the coffee table with the snacks all set up.

I smiled even broader when I saw that he had ordered milk tea. I loved milk tea, and I often had it for takeaway in Seoul, either cold in summer or hot in winter. But since ice had probably not been invented yet in Luxentfort, drinks were almost always hot. As I was happily sipping my drink, I caught sight of the giant scrolls spread out on his desk. 'Are you reviewing the empire's accounts?' I inquired. Even from where I was sitting and with the paper upside down, I could decipher rows and columns of numbers.

"Yes," he answered, surprised that she cared to ask at all. Most women, even noblewomen, didn't have the slightest interest in anything related to numbers, considering the topic dull and boring. 

'Can I have a look?' I asked excitedly. It had been ages since I had last gone over an account statement, and I suddenly missed all my Excel sheets neatly filed in the desktop folders of my PC. When 1 nodded, staring at me wide eyed, I went to his desk and hovered at the paper, squinting at the messy handwriting.

Seeing her so absorbed looking at the accounts made Alessandro's heart ache. She was smart and witty, and she had probably wanted to get some kind of education when she was young, but her family's station in life must have prevented her from doing so. For most commoners, learning how to read and write was the most that they could hope for. But never mind about the past. Now that she had him, he would make sure she get a proper education if that's what she really wanted. "Would you like to learn?" he asked in a gentle tone.

'What?' I said, barely looking up from the scroll. I frowned – something was not quite right with it.

"Would you like to learn the basics of numbers?" he clarified, trying to phrase it as diplomatically as possible. The last thing he wanted was to offend her; he just wanted to help her any way he could.

I finally looked at him. 'The account statement is not balanced, is it?'

"What?" Alessandro whispered. He understood her, but for a moment it felt like she had just spoken in a foreign language. He had never heard her speak so confidently before. She seemed so sure of herself.

'The statement is not balancing, right?' I said. 'I can show you where the errors are.'