The young man glanced down, and Ariel followed his gaze. Held delicately in his hand was a Magnolia blossom. With a slight smile, he looked back up at her, and Ariel met his gaze with a self-conscious blush.

"Would you, uh..." His voice trailed off as he noticed Jasper standing nearby.

Ariel observed the brief exchange and, recalling the incident with Leroy, quickly spoke up, "I will, thank you."

The young man blinked, his expression a mix of confusion and understanding. He hurriedly handed Ariel the Magnolia, gave her a brief wave, and then vanished into the crowd. Holding the fragile flower in her hand, Ariel watched him disappear, feeling a mix of surprise and irritation. In the next moment, her shock turned to anger. She whirled around to face Jasper, fixing him with a fierce glare.

"What was that about?"

Jasper regarded her with a detached expression. "What are you talking about?"

Heat rose to Ariel’s cheeks as she clutched the Magnolias she still held tightly. "You know exactly what I'm talking about—"

Jasper shrugged nonchalantly. "How should I know why someone would give you a Magnolia?"

Ariel's frustration bubbled over, and she crushed the Magnolias in her hand, her mouth falling open in disbelief. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Excuse me, but are you even paying attention?"

Ariel blinked rapidly, her attention drawn to the woman who had suddenly appeared next to her. The woman pointed to the empty space that had developed behind Ariel. Looking back at the vacant spot, Ariel replied, "Yes, I am—sorry," and quickly moved forward, turning her back on Jasper.

Her thirst gnawed at her throat, and Ariel, feeling drained from her encounter with her insensitive boss, clamped her mouth shut. She had no energy left to argue. Behind her, she heard an irritated sigh and the sound of movement. Although she kept her eyes fixed on the old woman in front of her, she could see someone parting the crowd to her right. Ariel blinked and glanced down at the drooping Magnolias in her hand, some petals fluttering to the ground.

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That Jasper.

As the crowd continued to push forward, Ariel began to worry about her dry throat and the potential consequences if she didn't find something to drink soon. Then, a voice very close by startled her.

"Here."

Ariel looked to her immediate right and saw Jasper standing there, holding a cold glass of water. In that moment, her previous frustrations vanished; all she could think about was the water. Eagerly, she reached for the cup, barely taking it from Jasper’s hand before gulping down the liquid in large swallows. Nearly draining the glass in one go, Ariel finally paused to take a breath. Looking up, she ignored the curious glances from the people around her, as well as Jasper's slightly disapproving stare.

"Better?" Jasper asked, his eyes assessing her critically.

Too breathless to respond immediately, Ariel simply nodded, savoring the relief of being able to swallow again.

"Good, we need to find the others," Jasper said, turning to lead the way in the opposite direction from which they had come.

Ariel took a few more grateful sips, this time more slowly. "Jasper, how did you get this?"

"I asked for it."

Ariel glanced back at the crowd they were leaving behind. "But it wasn't our turn yet..."

"So?"

Ariel pondered for a moment. "Then how—"

Jasper shot her a look over his shoulder. "If you don't want it, Ariel, we can always give it back."

Ariel frowned and gripped the cup more tightly. "I never said that."

"Just drink."

Resigned, Ariel looked down into her cup. She wasn’t going to argue this point; there were other issues she wanted to address (Ariel peeled a damp Magnolia petal from the edge of her glass), but for now, she chose to remain silent.

Navigating through the dense crowd became much easier with Jasper leading the way. His tall, imposing figure effectively carved a path through the throng of festival-goers. As they passed by couples young and old, Ariel noticed a shift in the murmur of the crowd. Conversations about proposals were giving way to speculation about the next Yvonne.

"It starts soon, you know..."

"I have nine Magnolias. Beat that."

"Wouldn't it be romantic if that girl Noah is engaged to is picked to be Yvonne?"

"Oh, so romantic!"