The walk back to Misa's chambers was filled with quiet murmurs and scrutiny from everyone they passed. Misa kept her head down. She couldn't face the servants, the guards, or whoever else was lurking in the palace. Shame. Humiliation. She had tried to pry her hand from Royle the moment she realised they were being watched, but she resigned when he refused. He kept a tight grip on her as if he wanted everyone to know about them.
Misa wondered if it really mattered. Rumours had already spread like wildfire, and she knew people would think what they wanted whether it was the truth or not. It just hurt that Royle would be included in it, and from what she'd heard from the guards, he didn't have the best of reputations in the castle, especially after that scandal with the princess.
The unplea
