He watched her smile as he bit into the small block. The taste was unfamiliar, but pleasant--sharp and tangy. His mother had only cooked traditional food, and he'd learned to cook from her recipes; everything else came pre-packaged, and he tried to stick to low-fat, high-protein food when he didn't make it himself.

He carefully chewed and swallowed, then observed for a moment more. The smile was genuine and delicate, reaching her eyes. Ladylike. She was either very good at deception or very settled into whatever role she'd taken.

"Are you nobility?" he asked, pouring himself another cup of tea.