Chapter 73 Naughty Mosquitoes
An hour. It's been over an hour. My legs are pins and needles, and I'm pretty sure the mosquitoes have claimed me as their queen, but honestly? Who cares.
I watched them from the dark. Julian and Gisella. They were actually laughing. Not the polite, fake-noble-party kind of laughter, but real, messy, loud laughter. Look at that. It's sickeningly sweet, but it's working. Julian? Probably losing his mind somewhere, and Gisella doesn't even care.
My plan is actually working. I'm pulling her away from Didier, away from the path that gets us both killed. A wave of relief just hit me like a truck. I let out a breath I felt like I'd been holding for months. I'm going to make it. I'm actually going to survive this.
The night was getting late. My feet were killing me. The mosquitoes in this place were having a buffet on my legs. Time to wrap it up. I cleared my throat, making a fake dry cough. Ahem. Ahem.
Gisella flinched. She looked toward my hiding spot, I could barely see her silhouette against the corn stalks, then looked back at Julian, panicked.
"I have to go," Gisella said. Her voice still sounded hesitant.
Julian looked disappointed. His shoulders slumped. He didn't want to let this moment go, but he knew where he stood. He reached for Gisella's hand, really slowly. Their skin touched. Julian bowed his head and planted a light kiss on the back of her hand. No stiff, noble-like kiss. This felt... real.
"Thanks for the conversation, Mr. Vance," Gisella said.
Julian looked up. He gave a faint smile, the kind that makes you forget he's a rigid knight. "Just call me Julian. From now on."
Gisella stayed quiet for a second. Her face must've been turning even redder. "Julian."
"When can we meet again?" Julian asked. He asked with such an honest tone, no small talk there.
Damn it. Dry corn dust got into my throat. It itched like crazy. I couldn't hold it back.
Cough! Cough! COUGH!
It came out for real. Loud. Uncontrollable. My throat felt like it was being sliced by a knife.
Gisella stiffened. She thought it was my danger signal. She didn't wait for an answer, didn't look back at Julian. She yanked her hand away, turned, and bolted toward the carriage.
Julian froze. He was still standing there with his hand outstretched, watching Gisella's back fade away with a confused look on his face. He didn't even get to hear the answer to his own question.
I just held my breath, clutching my chest that was aching from the coughing. Idiots. She really left Julian without any closure. But whatever. The fallout will be much more interesting tomorrow morning.