52: Undercover in the market (part 1)

Undercover in the market (part 1)

"Dela,"0

Pretending not to recognize her own name, she feigned interest in a green gem that would look exquisite on a ring or necklace. The stone lay amidst a collection of ostentatious pieces that clashed with her modest taste. However, Adela momentarily forgot her ruse as she marvelled at how elegantly the jewellery was arranged within the nearby merchant's tent.

The movement of her olive-green eyes stood out, given that the remainder of her face was concealed by a diaphanous black veil, signaling to the merchant what had captured her interest.

"You have quite the eye, mademoiselle! That stone you were admiring. Why, it is the only real emerald on display today!"

"How much is it?" came the Crown Prince's excited inquiry.

Adela and the merchant both frowned slightly, albeit for different reasons. It was not entirely uncommon for foreign women, especially the beautiful daughters of wealthy eastern merchants, to cover their faces with veils when shopping at this renowned market. However, for a man to obscure his features in such a manner was incredibly odd!

Adela had already highlighted this fact, but her observation had become the subject of ridicule for Claude, who laughed it off and continued to joke about how the additional attention was an integral part of his disguise.

"Your..." Adela caught herself before inadvertently addressing him by his title in the midst of the bustling market. She intended to convey to him that she was wearing the gift he had presented her with the previous night around her neck while they conversed, and that acquiring any further gifts for her was wholly unnecessary.

He looked at her with a smile in his eyes, captivated by how the black veil enhanced the beauty of her eyes. The concealment of her face added a mysterious allure to her appearance, making it all the more seductive.

"Won't you say my name already?" his voice came out huskier than usual.

Larissa giggled from behind, "I can do that on her behalf, Claude! Mind if you pay some attention to what I want to buy too?"

Adela bit the inner side of her cheek to stifle the rest of her giggle. Being alone with Claude and Larissa like that made all three of them act a little less mature, and falling into old habits was all too easy.

A shiver ran down Adela's spine, and she abruptly turned her gaze to another part of the market, one that they had already passed. She couldn't explain the sudden feeling of discomfort that overcame her. But then, she saw him.

Egon's large, dark eyes roamed over her body, from head to toe, and then returned to meet her own gaze. She stared back at him, utterly bewildered.

The conversation they had in her room the other day remained unresolved, and Adela had no intention of pretending that it never happened. But now, it seemed like she had no choice.

As Bastian waved to get her attention, Adela's eyes had already wandered off, and by the time she noticed his gesture, she could only offer a slow wave back. She didn't want to seem impolite, but she regretted it when Leopold, the third man in their group, turned around and gave her a disapproving glare.

Quickly realizing her mistake, Adela placed her hand back down, not wanting to upset Leopold any further. She sympathized with his pain after learning about his loss and both accepted and forgave his resentment towards her.

"Good morning, Lady Larissa, and a good morning to you too, Lady Adelaide."

As Adela heard the gentle voice of Andreas behind them, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over her. What were the chances that the von Conradies would appear on the same street at the same time as the de Lanarks? She fought the urge to curse her luck but turned around to face the polite merchant nonetheless. 

As she saw the lack of surprise in Larissa's calm hazel eyes, Adela's mind quickly raced to put two and two together. Had the von Conradies planned this encounter? Was there more to their presence here than mere coincidence? Despite her apprehension, Adela maintained a composed exterior and greeted Andreas with a polite smile.

"Dela, won't you introduce me to your friends?" asked Claude as the three men approached them.

"Take it off," came Egon's blunt command.

Her heart pattered, unable to make sense of what he said, she decided to make a quick introduction. 

"Claude, this man over here is Egon von Conradie, and these are his younger brother and his…" She was about to proceed when Egon took a menacing step forward and uncovered the lower half of her face with a flip of his gloved finger.

Arkin who was following the royals from a close distance appeared out of nowhere and pushed Egon.

"Keep your fuc*ing hands to yourself," 

"And if I don't?" Egon pushed back, his veins bulging out as he struggled to contain himself. 

"Arkin!" Adela shrieked, squeezing herself between the two men, who gave her just enough space to do so. She turned her back to Egon and faced her knight. "The Crown Prince is undercover!" she said between gritted teeth.

It was only then that Arkin's eyes truly took in his surroundings. The whole market appeared to have frozen in time. The nearby merchants were already gathering their wares and putting them away for safety, while the vast majority of the men around them gaped in excitement. Some were even placing bets on who would win the inevitable street brawl.

"You're that rabid dog!" came Leopold's angry accusation to Arkin, pointing an index finger at him.

Adela was taken aback when she saw her knight being grabbed by the collar of his cloak and dragged a couple of steps away.

"How dare you make all those threats on the back of a horse by the gate like a coward and then escape the scene? How dare you threaten what's left of my family!" came the angry accusation, as the man tightened his grip on Arkin's cloak.

Amidst all the tension, the verdant irises of the Crown Prince surveyed the assassins perched atop the rooftop, awaiting the snap of his fingers to execute the targets they had discussed on the road to Lanark.

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