Page 107 of King of Ruin

She touched the corner of her own eye with an embarrassed smile before shaking her head.

"I've watched so many makeup tutorials trying to learn how to do mine like that, but every single time it ends up uneven." She laughed quietly at herself. "I usually give up halfway through and wipe it all off."

There wasn't the slightest trace of envy in her voice.

Only honest admiration.

Looking at the woman sitting across from her, Elise couldn't help thinking that Astrid looked like someone who belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine rather than sitting across from her in a quiet drawing room.

Astrid didn't smile.

She remained seated with her back perfectly straight, her shoulders squared and her chin slightly raised. Her hands rested neatly on her lap, but there was nothing relaxed about herposture. Every muscle in her body seemed poised, as though she were ready to spring to her feet at the slightest sign of trouble.

Her sharp gaze never left Elise.

She watched her with unwavering attention, studying every smile, every blink, every subtle shift in expression, waiting for the warmth on Elise's face to crack and reveal whatever hidden motive she believed lay beneath it.

Seconds ticked by.

Nothing happened.

Elise simply sat there, her smile as gentle as before, completely unaware of the silent battle unfolding across from her.

Silence settled comfortably between them, broken only by the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional clink of china as one of the maids quietly adjusted the tea service before slipping back out of the room.

Elise lowered her eyes to the untouched refreshments on the coffee table, then looked back at Astrid with the same gentle smile.

"You haven't eaten anything."

Leaning forward, Elise reached toward one of the small porcelain plates and picked up a piece of candy wrapped in bright orange packaging. She turned it over between her fingers before carefully peeling back the wrapper.

"I bought these when I visited Korea a while ago," she said with a small smile. "They're orange flavored."

She held it up for Astrid to see, her eyes brightening ever so slightly.

"They're my favorite. I always keep some at home because they're so good."

With that, she extended her hand across the coffee table, offering the candy to her.

"Here."

Astrid's eyes immediately dropped to the candy.

Then they slowly lifted to Elise's face.

Her gaze lingered there for a long moment before drifting back to the small sweet resting in Elise's palm.

She didn't move.

The suspicion in her eyes deepened almost imperceptibly. Her brows drew together as though she were trying to understand what Elise was really after.

The room fell silent once again.

Elise continued holding out the candy, blinking in mild confusion when Astrid made no attempt to accept it.

"...You don't like orange?" she asked hesitantly.

Astrid said nothing.