Elaina studied him for a second, then gave a faint smile.
"You're really not going to say anything, are you?"
"No."
She exhaled lightly through her nose, but there was no annoyance in it. Just acceptance.
"Fine," she said. "Then I'll wait."
The tension between them eased after that.
Not gone, but set aside.
Elaina shifted her attention back to the marketplace, her eyes scanning the stalls again.
"Since we're done talking about serious things," she said, tone lighter now, "we're not done eating yet."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"We're not?"
"No," Elaina said without hesitation. "We've barely started."
Before Marcus could say anything, she stepped forward and stopped at another stall. This one had a wide pan filled with something sizzling in oil—thin slices of meat mixed with vegetables, the smell rich and sharp.
"Two servings," Elaina said.
Coins exchanged hands quickly.
Marcus watched as she took both plates and handed one to him.
"You eat," she said.
