The male was quick to read the situation. The moment he noticed the satisfaction in Ella's expression, he immediately raised the salary.
Ella didn't find it unacceptable. There were a hundred thousand coins left in her account.
Without hesitation, she handed over her bank card.
The male accepted it with a wide grin.
"Get out! Greet your new employer!"
The silver-haired young male remained motionless, and the male lifted his foot, about to kick him.
Ella immediately placed her hands on her hips and snapped, "How dare you kick him? Who gave you permission to touch what's mine?"
The male instantly bent over in apology and retreated a step. "Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Ella signed the contract, excitement rising in her chest.
Her plan had succeeded!
"Let's go," she said to Kyson.
From Kyson's position, all he could see were a pair of slim ankles and the gently swaying hem of her dress.
He forced his stiff body to crawl after her.
After only a short distance, the footsteps ahead suddenly stopped.
Kyson's body instantly tensed.
He prepared himself for the pain that was about to come.
Ella looked down at him and let out a quiet sigh.
She lowered her gaze toward Kyson. "Can you stand straighter?"
For a moment, Kyson almost failed to process her words.
Then, he gave a small nod and tried to straighten his back.
Ella quietly let out a breath of relief and led him outside.
The moment they stepped out of the market, a bright female voice suddenly called out, "Your Highness!"
Ella looked up instinctively.
A young female with a ponytail was hurrying toward her with obvious delight written across her face.
It was Zoey Dixon, the old Ella's closest friend.
Ella looked away indifferently, her expression turning cold.
A low groan suddenly sounded behind her.
She turned around at once and saw Kyson's body swaying unsteadily. She quickly reached out to catch him.
The pain from Kyson's injuries had made him dizzy for a moment.
When his thoughts finally cleared, he realized he had collapsed into Ella's arms.
Shock filled his widened eyes as he immediately struggled to stand upright again. Unfortunately, his weakened body failed him, and blood from his wounds smeared onto her clothes.
This was bad.
Kyson froze completely, not daring to move another inch.
Males were naturally tall and big, and supporting him took more effort than Ella expected. She immediately gestured for a nearby guard to bring the car over.
Feeling Kyson trembling against her, she assumed he was just too weak.
By then, Zoey had already reached them.
"Your Highness, I finally found you! Why did you come to a place like this?" Zoey's voice sounded warm, but her face showed clear disapproval. The moment her eyes landed on Kyson, disgust appeared in them. "This kind of place doesn't suit you at all! And you're even getting close to a servant like him. If Jonathan finds out about this, he'll dislike you even more!"
Ella gave her a faint glance.
Taking that as encouragement, Zoey continued, "Honestly, I think you should spend more time learning royal etiquette. Be more elegant and gentle. That's the kind of female Jonathan likes!"
Ella finally lost her patience. "Shut up," she said coldly.
Zoey was stunned into silence by her harsh attitude.
Ella ignored her reaction.
This so-called best friend came from an insignificant family with little status. Her spiritual power was just as weak as the old Ella's. Because they shared similar circumstances, the old Ella had treated Zoey as a close friend and cared deeply about her.
Unfortunately, this friend had always relied on the old Ella's identity as a princess to benefit herself. She constantly used Jonathan Ford, the male the old Ella liked, to manipulate her. After the true princess returned, Zoey was also the first person to betray her and side with the heroine instead.
Ella had no interest in maintaining this fake friendship. Right now, all her attention was focused on the male leaning weakly against her.
The guard arrived and helped the half-conscious Kyson into the car.
Ella stepped forward to get in as well, but Zoey suddenly blocked her way.
"Your Highness, what is wrong with you today? I'm only saying this for your own good. If you keep refusing to listen to me, Jonathan will never pay attention to you again!"
"Enough. I heard you already," Ella said and waved her hand impatiently. "Now move. You're blocking my way."
Zoey stared at her in pure shock.
In the past, Ella would have panicked the moment Jonathan was mentioned. As long as it involved him, she would obediently listen to every word she said.
So why was Ella acting so differently today?
"Your Highness! It's Jonathan's birthday party tonight. We're already running late. You should ditch this male and go to the birthday party with me now."
Ella did not even bother looking at her. "You can go on your own. Move."
Zoey was taken aback, embarrassment flashing across her face.
Without the accompany of a royal, someone of her status would never be allowed into Jonathan's birthday party.
For a moment, she even suspected Ella was deliberately humiliating her by doing this.
Zoey clenched her teeth and threw out her final card. "Your Highness, if you refuse to listen to me, then I'll never talk to you again!"
Only then did Ella finally look at her.
She pointed at herself and asked, "What did you just call me?"
Zoey blinked in confusion. "Your Highness..."
"That's right," Ella replied with a faint smile. "So what gives you the right to order a princess like me around?"
Zoey's face instantly turned red with humiliation.
Ella brushed past her and stepped into the car.
Furious, Zoey rushed to the door and shouted, "What is this supposed to mean? I'm your only friend!"
The car window slowly lowered.
Zoey's eyes brightened immediately, thinking Ella had changed her mind.
But Ella leaned halfway out of the window and said, "Oh, right. I almost forgot to mention it. I don't think you're qualified to be my friend anymore. We're done. Also, make sure you return all the clothes, handbags, jewelry, and money you've borrowed from me over the years."
"What... what are you talking about..."
Ella's smile widened. "If you refuse, I'll have my eldest brother deal with your family."
The car window rolled back up, and the hovercar quickly disappeared.
Zoey remained standing there in a daze.
She felt certain that Ella had gone crazy.
***
Kyson thought he must be dead.
Otherwise, why would someone be treating him so gently now?
Ella pulled her hand back with a sigh.
After returning home, she had tried using her spiritual power to soothe Kyson.
Unfortunately, the results were barely noticeable.
He still had not opened his eyes.
Letting out another sigh, Ella took out the medical kit and personally tending to Kyson.
