Chapter 1663: Hollow Inside
The servant peeked inside, Prince Louis probably hadn’t come downstairs yet.
Though she didn’t go in to ask immediately, she dared not disobey the King’s orders, much less attempt to stop her.
Despite the Prince’s instruction not to disturb him regardless of the circumstances, anything related to the King isn’t a trivial matter.
Thus, the servant said to her, "Please follow me inside."
Jocelyn Morgan nodded, carefully holding the tea tin, following her into the palace.
Entering here again, she tried to catch the scent that belonged only to him in the air.
The palace was vast and spacious, with a history of several hundred years, radiating elegance everywhere.
Jocelyn followed the servant to the center of the palace, where the servant stopped and turned to her, saying, "Please wait a moment, I’ll go upstairs and inform the Prince. He’s been very busy lately and specifically instructed not to be disturbed."
"Alright." Jocelyn nodded obediently, a patient smile on her face, then watched her head upstairs.
It had been a long time since she last saw Ian Shelby. Standing in the palace where he lived, holding the tea tin, there was always a subtle emotion in her heart.
She couldn’t help recalling the scene before he was taken away by the helicopter, the words he said to her, she remembered them word by word.
That day, everyone’s hearts were filled with helplessness, and there was a moment when her heart tightened slightly along with it.
The concern and worry for him, the distance and longing, were enough to disrupt the calm she had been trying to maintain.
The arched windows and doorways in the palace gave a feeling of solidity and stability. She started looking around to ease her inner emotions.
The entire palace’s interior showcased saturated aesthetic effects everywhere.
The relatively narrow windows formed a stark contrast with the spaciousness of the palace’s interior, making the light relatively dim.
Coupled with the constant glow from the crystal lamps over the years, the place always exuded a mysterious and dark aura, with an invisibly strong atmosphere.
After a while, footsteps were heard from the stairway corner.
Jocelyn focused and raised her gaze; Ian Shelby appeared in her sight, and he happened to look at her, their gazes meeting.
This couple deeply in love could only pretend not to know each other within the servant’s line of sight. This helplessness and heartache could only be understood by them.
As the steps drew closer, the growing emotions in their hearts spread endlessly.
Ian came downstairs, his strides long as he walked towards her, his face calm and indifferent.
The servant took a special look at him.
Jocelyn stood holding the tea tin, gazing at him intently, his handsome features showing obvious fatigue, which filled her with distress.
"Pour Miss Morgan a cup of tea," Ian instructed the servant beside him.
"Yes." The servant stopped, bowed, and then turned to leave.
He came to a halt in front of Jocelyn while she extended the tea tin toward him, "Good day, Prince." Just those three words, yet her throat felt choked.
She looked into his eyes, "These are the tea leaves the King asked me to bring you. The King says it’s perfect to drink now."
Ian met her gaze without blinking until her fingers lightly tapped the lid of the tea tin, at which point he lowered his gaze for a moment.
The moment their eyes met again, it was as if everything stood still.
"No need to brew the tea." Jocelyn withdrew her gaze to look at the servant and then at Ian, her lips curved slightly, "Prince, the tea has been delivered, I’ll be on my way."
With that, she turned and stepped outside, though her heart wished to stay with him a while longer, even just standing face-to-face without speaking.
But she worried that Catherine might be estimating the time not far outside.
She couldn’t let her suspect anything.
Watching that familiar figure heading towards the door, memories of their times together overlapped in his mind, Ian felt hollow inside.
It was his fault, placing her in this perilous situation, failing to protect her adequately.
Ian tightly gripped the tea tin, his heart filled with regret and guilt.