"Woh! Woh!" Charles stepped back, still laughing. The other friends of his apologized realizing Louis didn't like the way they approached him.
Within a minute, they had disappeared, and Louis turned to look at Elodie.
"Forgive me. I didn't expect them to say things like that," Louis apologized, keeping his tone humble.
"May I offer to escort you back to your residence, Miss?" he asked, his voice softening.
"No. I shall return by myself," Elodie answered. She offered a swift, polite nod before turning on her heel, walking away into the crowd with hurried steps until she was completely out of his sight.
She felt deeply unsettled by the way those officials had so easily sought to associate her with Louis. She utterly despised involving herself with the nobility; they were the very reason people of her standing were made to suffer.
