"You shouldn't believe her," Lady Mariel said, leaning closer to Eleanor to avoid being overheard.
Eleanor sighed, her gaze drifting toward the group of nobles chatting nearby. "It's not about believing her. It's... there's been talk—about her engagement with the Prince."
Lady Mariel raised a brow. "Do you like the Prince?"
Eleanor's cheeks flushed as she stammered, "W-What? E-Everyone likes the Prince! Who wouldn't?"
Lady Mariel chuckled at her friend's awkwardness. "True, but not everyone likes him romantically."
Eleanor let out a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "You're right. I'm just like everyone else here. I respect the Prince, nothing more."
Mariel gave her a knowing smile. "Everyone knows who has the Prince's attention now."
Eleanor bit her lip and turned away, refusing to engage in the conversation further. She didn't want to acknowledge what Mariel was implying, not when her feelings were still a tangled mess of confusion and denial.
