Chapter 303 Ideal Still Needs to Be...
But Isabella didn't know any of this, because she was stupid.
Knox tried to persuade her tactfully from the side: "Ms. Taylor, I'd advise you not to bet with Ollie, because no matter what, Ms. Powell will never eat the fruit you picked."
Hearing this, Isabella's face showed no reaction. She said calmly, "I've already decided to bet with Ollie. That's settled."
To prevent Ollie from backing out later, she said to the guards, "Can everyone bear witness? If I lose, I'll personally return the signet ring in my hand to Gwyneth. If I win, Ollie will immediately resign from his position as deputy guard."
The guards were quite enthusiastic, "Sure!"
Isabella withdrew her gaze and looked at Ollie, "Without further ado, I'm going to deliver the fruit to Gwyneth."
Ollie naturally wanted to witness the result with his own eyes, so he followed behind Isabella as they went inside.
Knox also went to watch the excitement, using the excuse of reporting work.
Isabella walked into the hall. Gwyneth was sitting in the main seat. She had changed into an elegant, conservative dress at some point, but the air of authority and nobility around her hadn't diminished one bit.
A visitor from the royal family was talking with her.
Gwyneth responded indifferently, speaking in a perfunctory manner.
Before long, the person from the royal family got up and left.
Only then did Gwyneth glance at Isabella, Ollie, and Knox standing to the side, raising an eyebrow: "You have something?"
Isabella walked forward with a bright smile, holding a basket of fruit, and said very attentively: "Gwyneth, look what this is?"
Gwyneth glanced at it, "Fruit?"
Isabella looked at her with bright eyes, "I picked them from the back mountain. They're very sweet. Want to try some?"
Gwyneth stared at the girl's eager face for a few seconds and understood.
"This is... to bribe me?"
"After eating your fruit, I have to become your master?"
"No." Isabella quickly shook her head, "Feel free to eat the fruit. As for becoming my master... if you don't want to now, then I'll just work harder and try to make you willing to be my master in the future."
Gwyneth found it amusing, "Now? In the future? The way you put it, whether now or later, I'll eventually have to become your master anyway?"
Isabella pressed her lips together with a smile on her face, "That day will come."
"You're getting confident now?" Gwyneth didn't know how she could be so thick-skinned.
"You still need to have dreams—what if they come true?"
Isabella still smiled brightly, very obsequiously taking a bright red apple from the fruit basket and holding it in front of Gwyneth, "Have one. I picked it myself and washed it clean."
Gwyneth looked at the apple in front of her, giving off a sweet fragrance. She hesitated for a moment, but still took it from Isabella's hand.
Gwyneth held the apple to her lips and was just about to take a bite when she suddenly heard Ollie shout:
"Ms. Powell!"
Gwyneth paused, feeling somewhat displeased by Ollie's sudden outburst, "What? Do you have something to say?"
Ollie stared at the apple in Gwyneth's hand, clenching his palms. He hadn't expected that Gwyneth had actually been about to eat the apple Isabella handed her!
How could this be?
How could Gwyneth trust Isabella so much?
"Ms. Powell, aren't you afraid the apple Isabella gave you is poisoned?" Ollie said anxiously.
Gwyneth sneered, "A poisoned apple? What? Is Isabella a witch in disguise?"
Ollie: "Ms. Powell, I think you shouldn't casually eat fruit she gives you. What if it really is poisoned?"
Hearing this, Gwyneth's face darkened a bit, "What? I can't even eat a piece of fruit now?"
Ollie felt a surge of anger and pressure, his face paling, "Ms. Powell, that's not what I meant... It's just that given your special status, it's better to be careful and cautious."
Gwyneth felt inexplicably irritated, her voice growing colder, "Is it your place to tell me what to do?"
Ollie was so frightened by this that he knelt down, "I wouldn't dare, Ms. Powell, I..."
"Get out!"
This angry rebuke made Ollie's body tremble. He had no choice but to get up. Before leaving, he mustered the courage to glance at Gwyneth and saw that she still took a bite of the apple. His heart immediately sank.
On the way back, Ollie felt like he was floating.
No way...
How could Gwyneth eat the fruit Isabella gave her?
What went wrong?
This kind of thing had never happened before.
Ollie walked back with a dark expression, unable to figure out the problem no matter how hard he tried.
On the other side, Knox was also shocked to see Gwyneth casually munching on the apple.
Gwyneth thought about it—since she had been Isabella's master before, then continuing to be Isabella's master now was no big deal.
Besides, in terms of talent, Isabella did have some of her style from back then.
In terms of skills, Ollie was no match for her, and that bunch of useless guards at the gate were no match for her either. In terms of archery, Kismet, the best archer in the Powell family, was no match for her...
Isabella was a talented person.
Gwyneth had eaten half the apple when she spoke calmly: "Isabella, I agree."
Isabella was stunned.
"What?"
What did she agree to?
Gwyneth looked at her and said, "I agree to be your master. From now on, I'll personally guide you."
Isabella was stunned.
Knox's face changed, looking at Gwyneth with utter disbelief.
No way, how could she agree so easily?
Isabella came to her senses, overjoyed. She pressed her lips together to suppress her smile and bowed deeply to Gwyneth, "Thank you, Master!"
Gwyneth glanced at her, "Don't get too cocky too soon. My requirements have always been strict."
"I can handle it all!" Isabella said confidently, "My ability to handle pressure is especially strong!"
Gwyneth looked at the bright smile on Isabella's face and somehow felt dazed for a moment. That familiar feeling grew even stronger.
It seemed she and Isabella really were quite fated.
Gwyneth then looked at Knox, "Knox, what were you here to report?"
Knox was still in a daze.
"Knox?" Gwyneth called out again, displeased.
Only then did Knox snap back to reality and quickly said, "It's like this..."
After Knox finished reporting to Gwyneth, he left in a daze.
Gwyneth's gaze fell on Isabella again, "What I said just now about being willing to be your master is correct, but I still need to inform several elders at the family council about this matter."
The master-disciple relationship in the Northern Ice Empire was no joke, and as the head of the Powell family, taking on a disciple was even less of a joke.
At the very least, she needed to inform the family elders and let them all know about this.
And later, they would need to hold a formal apprenticeship ceremony, which would be like announcing to the entire royal family and all other families that from then on, Isabella would be her disciple.