Diana felt a flush of pleasure at his words, and she couldn't help but smile. "You're quite charming yourself, Your Highness," she said, teasing him a bit. "Is this where you charm the ladies into giving you what you want?"
Gerald chuckled, letting go of her arm and holding up his hands in surrender. "Guilty as charged," he said, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. "But I'm trying to be sincere with you, if you'll believe it."
Diana studied his face, trying to see if he was teasing her or not. But there was no hint of mockery in his eyes; he genuinely seemed to be trying to be sincere. "I believe you," she said, her voice a little breathless.
Gerald's expression softened, and he reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "That means more than you know," he said, his fingers lingering a moment longer than necessary.
Diana felt her heart skip a beat as his fingers brushed her cheek. No one had ever treated her with such tenderness before. Her stomach was full of fluttering butterflies, and her palms were growing sweaty again.
Gerald chuckled, noticing her reaction. "You're adorable when you get flustered, you know," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Diana felt her cheeks grow even warmer at his words, and she tried to play it cool. "I'm not—" she started to protest, but Gerald cut her off with a knowing smirk.
"Ah, don't deny it," he teased, leaning in a little closer. "I can see the way your cheeks flush and your heart races. It's terribly endearing."
Diana averted her eyes, feeling exposed under his gaze. But secretly, she was loving every moment of it. No one had ever paid such close attention to her before, let alone showered her with such genuine-sounding compliments.
Gerald chuckled softly, seeming to enjoy her reaction to his words. "You don't get compliments often, do you?" he asked, his tone gentle. "You act like you've never heard kind words before."
Diana felt a pang of embarrassment. "Is it that obvious?" she asked, a little self-consciously. "I guess I'm just not used to... this."
Gerald's expression softened, and he reached out to take her hand in his. "You should be showered with compliments every day," he said, his voice earnest. "You are just as beautiful as your sister, in your own way."
Diana felt a wave of conflicting emotions at his words. Part of her wanted to protest, to insist that she was not worthy of such extravagant compliments. But another part of her relished in the attention, soaking up the praise like a flower basking in the sun.
Gerald seemed to sense her inner turmoil and squeezed her hand gently. "Don't fight it," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "You deserve to feel beautiful and special. Just let yourself feel it for once."
Okay, lets move to another scene.
As the night wore on, the ball seemed to grow more and more crowded. People were everywhere, talking, laughing, dancing. In the midst of all this, Gerald suggested they find a quieter corner to talk. Interested and intrigued, Diana nodded and followed him to a secluded spot on the edge of the ballroom.
As Gerald and Diana stood in the secluded corner of the ballroom, quietly chatting, they were interrupted by the arrival of Nora. She had been dancing and schmoozing with the other guests, but now she sauntered over to her step-sister and the prince, eyeing them with a knowing smirk.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Nora said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Don't you two look cozy, tucked away in this little corner all by yourselves."
Gerald looked slightly irritated by Nora's interruption, but Diana merely rolled her eyes, unfazed by her step-sister's antics. "What do you want, Nora?" she asked, her voice weary.
"Oh, I just couldn't help but notice the two of you all alone together," Nora said, her eyes darting between Gerald and Diana with a sly smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything too...intimate."
Gerald bristled at Nora's suggestiveness, but before he could reply, Diana spoke up. "We're just having a conversation, Nora," she said, coolly. "Something you obviously know very little about."
Nora's smile faltered slightly at Diana's words, but she quickly regained her composure. "Oh, come now, little sister," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just because I enjoy the attention of handsome gentlemen doesn't mean I don't know how to hold a meaningful conversation."
Diana couldn't help rolling her eyes again. "Somehow I doubt that," she muttered under her breath, earning a smirk from Gerald.
As Gerald and Diana made their way out of the ballroom, Gerald let out a deep sigh. "Your sister is exhausting," he said, rolling his eyes.
As the ball winded down, Gerald and Diana stood near the entrance, preparing to say their goodbyes. The crowd around them had thinned out, and they had a moment of relative privacy.
"I suppose this is it for the night," Gerald said, his voice tinged with reluctance.
"Yes, I guess so," Diana replied, her fingers fiddling with the fabric of her dress. There was a heavy silence as they stood there, neither of them quite wanting to say farewell.
Gerald looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. He seemed to be struggling with something, as though he wanted to say more but didn't quite know how to.
Finally, he spoke up. "Diana, I enjoyed tonight," he said. "Spending time with you, hearing you speak your mind. It was refreshing."
Diana felt a small thrill at his words, her heart fluttering in her chest. "I enjoyed myself too," she admitted, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. "Especially our conversation earlier. You have a knack for making me feel...seen."
As Gerald and Diana were talking, they were interrupted by the approach of Nora, who sauntered up to them with a smug smile on her face.