I stared at the young woman, who stood visibly startled by my sudden appearance. She had flinched slightly, taking a hesitant step back.
"M—My Lord...?" Tom called out, his brow furrowing in confusion as he turned toward me.
"I am merely curious," I said, softening my tone. "What might be your name, beautiful lady?"
"Elise," she said, her wide eyes fixed upon me. But the moment our gazes met and I offered her a warm smile, she quickly darted her eyes away, a small flush rushing to her cheeks.
My own gaze, however, drifted briefly beyond her shoulder. A man stood lingering a few stalls away. For a fraction of a second, our eyes locked before he hurriedly looked aside, feigning deep interest as he began questioning the nearby merchant.
Dismissing the stranger for the moment, I returned my attention to the girl. "Elise. That is a truly beautiful name," I said.
"Thank you, milord," she replied, striving to quickly recover her composure.
