Chapter 74 The Chatty Gisella
The carriage jerked every time the wooden wheels hit a pothole on the dark village road.
The sound of wood groaning was loud, cutting through the silence of the night.
My legs were numb, my back felt like it was going to snap after more than an hour of hiding in the cornfield, but hey, mission accomplished. ?
I was just about to close my eyes, letting myself collapse on the hard leather seat, when a voice broke the silence.
"Ilse, did you see that? The way he looked at me? I mean, all this time he's been so stiff, like a statue with no feelings. But just now? He was actually human. And his hands, Ilse! They were cold, but when he held mine, it felt like an electric shock."
I groaned softly, forcing my eyes open. Gisella in front of me... she was like someone who'd just swallowed a firework. Her eyes were sparkling, hands moving everywhere, she couldn't sit still.
"He called my name, Ilse. I mean, he's known my name for a long time, but he asked for it again. And his voice? Why did it get so low when he asked me to call him Julian? Do you think he did it on purpose? Do you think he was flirting?"
I gave her a flat look. "Gisella, it's midnight. Sleep until we get there."
She didn't listen. Not even a little. She leaned in, grabbing my arm tight, her face ridiculously excited.
"I can't sleep! How could I sleep after what happened? You know, I thought I had no hope left. Didier... oh, whatever, he doesn't matter anymore. But Julian? He was actually there. And he looked so worried! He scrubbed that rock until it was clean, Ilse! Did you see that?"
I just let out a long sigh. All this time, I thought Gisella was just a spoiled noble girl, fake and graceful, maybe a bit mean. Turns out, she's just a girl who's been repressed. As soon as the cage door opened a crack, her real self came out with a vengeance. She's chatty. Unbelievably chatty.
"I also noticed his shoes," Gisella continued without a pause. "He wore standard knight's boots, but there was a little dust on the heels. That means he'd just been training or doing something exhausting before coming here. He rushed to meet me, Ilse! He rushed!"
I massaged my throbbing temple. "Yeah, Gisella. He rushed. He likes you a lot. Can we be quiet now?"
"And the way he kissed the back of my hand... my god, my heart nearly jumped out. I've never felt like this before. Is this what they call falling in love? Or am I just hallucinating because I've been locked in my room for too long?"
I stared at the scenery outside the window.
The forest out there looked dark and scary, but not as scary as Gisella in the throes of a crush.
This was totally unexpected. I tried to save her life, to change the plot of this novel so we wouldn't end up miserable, but I didn't think the reward would be hearing an endless monologue about a stiff knight named Julian.
"You're so noisy," I said, though my tone softened.
Gisella chuckled. Her laugh was crisp and genuine, not the fake one she used at palace parties. "Sorry. I just... I feel like I just started breathing again. Thank you, Ilse. Really."
She went back to staring out the window, but this time with a small smile that didn't fade. I leaned back, trying to close my eyes. Maybe it's okay if she's chatty like this. At least she doesn't look like a doll waiting to be broken anymore.
The carriage started to slow down. We were close to the Mercer estate. I straightened up, making sure my hood covered my face. Mission: Sneak In. If a servant or guard saw us, it was game over.
"Remember," I whispered sharply. "Right now, we aren't girls who just met their boyfriend. We're girls who are going to sneak in the back door and hope no one knows we were ever out."
Gisella nodded, though the smile on her lips wouldn't fade. She kept whispering Julian's name, like a mantra. I rolled my eyes. Well, at least my plan worked. The rest? Let them deal with those feelings. My job is just to make sure we stay alive until the end of the story.