Edvard had planned a restaurant with a discreet entrance. Talia chose the place beside the tram stop where a woman in a flour-covered apron argued with the oven as though it were a stubborn cousin. He accepted the correction and held the door for her without asking whether the room was safe for him.
They ate dumplings so hot they had to wait between bites. The proprietor recognized Edvard, looked at Talia, and said only, “The plum sauce costs extra.” Edvard paid for two bowls. Talia paid for the sauce. It was a ridiculous division of a modest bill, and it made both of them laugh.
At the next table two dockworkers argued about whether a card game permitted a second bid. Neither noticed the prince. The proprietor did, and somehow protected them by refusing to make a ceremony of his presence. She brought the extra sauce in a chipped…
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