Chapter 181: Gratitude
The young man who was invited onto the stage was tall and slender, with salient muscles that indicated hard physical labor he clearly had to do on top of being an artist. He was wearing simple clothes—plain black pants and a loose white shirt that was evidently tailored several times, either because of his rapidly developing body or the poor quality of the shirt’s fabric.
The plainness of his attire, however, did not make his looks bleak in the slightest. He was indeed a gorgeous young man—tanned skin, prominent features, thick black eyebrows, dark brown eyes framed by thick black lashes, a sharp nose, and full lips that looked as if they had never smiled before.
His hair was black as charcoal, curling down his neck and shoulders akin to serpentine.
The artist stood out among the rest of the people in Geraldion, and Melania couldn’t help but wonder—could his ancestors be from Lafad, too?
’Despite his rather intimidating appearance, he doesn’t really look more than seventeen," the princess thought quietly. "He has this sincere, innocent look about him... And the eyes of someone who has seen many hardships he wasn’t prepared for.’
In addition to his peculiar exterior, if the young man indeed was from Lafad, then there was nothing special about the way his outstanding appearance seemingly tried to conceal his young nature.
’In Lafad, men mature quickly in the face; however, it takes only one look for a woman to recognize their real age. This guy is still very young at heart.’
As the artist noticed Melania’s intense gaze on his face, he fixed his dark brown eyes on hers as well, his features softening as something within him responded to the familiar air surrounding her.
Lady Tarran, ever so canny and observant, noticed that immediate connection as well and covered the lower half of her face with a light blue lace fan, grinning widely at the success of her intricate little scheme.