Chapter 47 Stealing the Spotlight
Julian looked over. His eyes locked with Ilse's. Damn it. Ilse knew the guy had been staring at Gisella eating like a man possessed. Julian hurriedly looked away, pretending to be busy examining the treetops.
"What kind of bird is that..." Julian muttered, forcing his voice to stay flat. "The nest is a total mess."
Ilse just held back a cynical grin. Yeah, sure, bird nest. Right.
Gisella had absolutely no clue about the staring drama that just went down. She was busy wiping potato crumbs off the corner of her mouth. She turned to Ilse, her eyes sparkling like she'd just struck gold.
"Ilse, seriously," Gisella whispered, looking genuinely hyped. "This is my first time eating... what is it, ancient food? It's amazing! Why don't they cook like this at the palace? It's sweet, warm—it's just totally different from the bland stuff on our gold plates."
Julian, who was still standing nearby, overheard.
His shoulders shook. He was holding back a laugh.
And sure enough, a pfft sound escaped his mouth, but he quickly covered it with the back of his hand.
He spun around, walking fast toward his guards to check the carriage wheel, which seemed to be fixed.
Ilse watched Julian's back, then nudged Gisella's arm.
"Gisella," Ilse whispered, her eyes following Julian's stride. "Still think he's a monster? I mean... he is a jerk, but he did just feed us, you know."
Gisella stayed silent for a second. She stared at Julian's broad back with a look that was hard to read. "I... I don't know. Maybe he just doesn't like me personally."
Not long after, the sound of clanking metal stopped. The carriage was fixed.
"Done," Julian's voice echoed from afar. Cold again.
Gisella stood up. She dusted off her skirt, then did something that made Ilse's jaw drop.
Gisella didn't run straight to the carriage. She walked toward Julian, stopped a few paces in front of him, and bowed. Deep curtsey. The most graceful, perfect noblewoman's greeting, one she'd never even shown the Prince.
"Thank you for your help, Lord Vance," Gisella said. Her voice was soft, calm, super polite. "You might not like me, but I still appreciate your kindness today."
Ilse just stood there stunned. Is this really the same Gisella who was throwing a fit and crying earlier?
Julian froze. He stood still, staring Gisella up and down. He went blank for a second, like he'd completely lost his words.
"Tsk," Julian clicked his tongue, looking away. He looked annoyed by the sight in front of him.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Miss Mercer," Julian said quietly, almost a whisper. He leaned in a bit, staring intensely into her eyes. "I was just tired of listening to your stomach growl."
Julian paused for a second, his eyes locking onto Gisella's brown ones. "But..."
"But what?" Gisella asked, innocent.
"Those brown eyes of yours... aren't too bad," Julian turned, walking fast toward his carriage without waiting for an answer.
Gisella stood there, stunned. Ilse slapped her own forehead. Oh God, thank you for this!