Free Web NovelChapter 224: Chapter 224
She gave him a smile that was gentle, and reassuring. For a brief moment, a hint of affection flickered in her expression.
She knew what he wanted to do. She also knew he didn’t need to. He was a prince, and people would seek his attention. She knew that wherever he went there would always be people eager to pull him aside, often for matters they preferred not to discuss before his human wife. freēwebnovel.com
"It’s all right," she murmured to him, tilting her head toward Mina and Elara. "Go on. I’ll be with them."
Women she had begun, cautiously, to think of as friends. It was an odd feeling, having friends of her own. First there had been Ragnar, and now that small circle had quietly widened to include Mina and Elara. The quiet happiness it brought was unlike anything she had known before. So when Ragnar finally released her arm, she went straight to Mina and Elara.
Circe felt Ragnar’s gaze burning between her shoulder blades from the moment she took her first step toward Mina and Elara. She didn’t need to turn to know he was watching her, tracking the sway of her skirts, the lift of her chin, the way confidence had begun to settle more naturally into her posture. That molten attention clung to her like a possessive hand at the small of her back. She kept walking, managing not to look back.
Mina and Elara dipped in polite bows the moment she reached them. Circe inclined her head gracefully in response. When the two women rose, Mina’s smile had already sharpened into something sly, while Elara was fanning herself with such fervor that Circe worried the poor woman might faint straight into her arms.
"I’m not one to often adhere to society’s rules," Elara said breathlessly, "but I’m sure more than a few people would agree with me when I say that the look his Highness is giving you now is a bit inappropriate for a public setting."
Her eyes glittered mischievously over the edge of her fan, the expression on her face nothing short of devious. A wicked little smile that conveyed at least ten things at once.
Circe laughed under her breath, but the sound died quickly when she risked a glance over her shoulder.
Slowly, she turned and looked behind her. Ragnar stood exactly where she had left him, his expression utterly unguarded. Hunger, affection, and a dark, intimate promise simmered in his eyes.
Yes. Elara was right. That look was not meant for a ballroom filled with nobles.
Circe narrowed her eyes at him, an attempt to chastise him that had almost no effect on him at all. Ragnar’s response was to drag his tongue over his lower lip in a slow and deliberate motion, as if savoring the taste of her still lingered there from their earlier tryst.
Heat exploded beneath Circe’s skin. She tore her gaze away, desperately hoping that not looking at him would help cool the heat clawing up her neck but it did nothing.
Mina and Elara dissolved into giggles, half-hidden behind their fans, their behavior entirely unbecoming of grown women and yet impossible not to join in. Circe pressed a hand to her mouth, willing herself to regain some semblance of composure.
"How wonderful," Mina said once her laughter settled into tiny, satisfied hums. "This couldn’t have been any better. Every woman deserves a man who will look at them like that."
She nodded to herself as if impacting some age-old wisdom, then brightened. "I knew you would be in attendance so I brought you a gift, your highness." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
She turned and beckoned to a guard waiting just beyond the cluster of guests. He stepped forward, holding a medium-sized box wrapped with an absurdly frilly pink bow.
Mina saw the confusion in Circe’s eyes and she leaned closer. As she neared, the pleasant scent of her floral perfume curled around them in a delicate cloud.
"Since you loved the snippet you read of my manuscript," she whispered conspiratorially, "I thought I should gift you my finished works. I hope you enjoy them just as much."
Circe felt her chest swelled so quickly she almost feared it would crack from the pressure and a warm ache bloom beneath her ribs.
Her smile softened, and it was now full of gratitude. "Thank you for your generosity. I’m sure I will relish reading every one of your books."
Mina beamed.
Turning to the guard, she instructed, "Please take it to her highness’s carriage and hand it to her footman."
The guard bowed and disappeared into the sea of guests to do as he was told.
The ballroom swirled with conversation and laughter, but no one paid them much mind. Circe was grateful for that. The novelty of her presence among vampire nobility was finally starting to fade, and she clung to the relief that came with it.
Just as Mina and Elara resumed their chatter, He approached from behind Circe, lowering his head until his breath brushed her ear. As soon as he concluded his conversation with the two nobles, he found his way to Circe again.
"Would you mind joining me outside by the gardens?" he murmured.
Circe spun to face him, surprise flickering across her expression.
Mina and Elara pretended to be deeply invested in their fans, but their smirks told her they had seen him coming long before she had.
Ragnar extended his hand, palm open, his eyes softening when she slipped hers into his without a second thought. She offered her friends a quick goodbye before he tugged her gently through the crowd.
Circe’s cheeks flushed again, but she was grinning as Ragnar guided her away. They weaved through the ballroom together, cutting through groups of nobles who barely spared them a glance. But even with the lack of attention on them, Ragnar still tried to make their exit as inconspicuous as possible.
Yet two pairs of eyes followed their movement all the way to the nearest exit. Eyes that did not belong to Mina or Elara.
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