It, like his alternate-Earths theory before it, is starting to sound dangerously possible. She'd make a pretty crappy lady, these days, judging from the glimpses she's seen of the actual countess around here, but she could try. In ripped jeans and a bloodstained shirt and hair she hasn't cut since the world ended, maybe, but she could try.

"Okay," she says, and tries to make it clear through her voice that she's not taking this actually seriously, so he shouldn't, either. The last thing she wants is to find out he's gone behind her back and convinced Sonia and everyone else to fake this. "So I pretend I'm a noble. There has to be more to it than saying so, or everybody would."

What do I actually do?