Kian's jaw tightened as his gaze drifted back to Cyrus, whose hands had dropped to his sides, his face neutral—but Kian wasn't fooled.
And worse? There was a soft smile tugging at Cyrus's lips. A sweet, almost harmless smile.
Kian's stomach twisted, an unsettling feeling gnawing at him.
He never liked snakes.
But what he hated even more was how, for some strange reason, he suddenly cared about this entire situation.
"Listen, I get it, okay?" Isabella gestured grandly, her voice rising with that persuasive, almost mesmerizing tone that made people listen. "To you, Cyrus is a stranger. You don't know him. He could be dangerous."
A few villagers nodded, their expressions unsure.
"But do we just assume the worst of every outsider?" She spun on her heel and pointed at a man in the crowd. "Johan, did anyone force you into the palace when you first came to the village?"
