“I’m sorry to be so much trouble so soon, sir.” I offered hesitantly. “Oh?” he said. His expression considerably less stern now that we were alone. “How long had you intended to wait?” “At least a span, sir.” My brush with disaster had left me feeling giddy with relief. I felt an irrepressible grin bubble onto my face. “At least a span,” he muttered. The Chancellor put his face into his hands and rubbed, then looked up and surprised me with a wry smile. I realized he wasn’t particularly old when his face wasn’t locked in a stern expression. Probably only on the far side of forty. “You don’t
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