The hallway fell silent for a moment as Ludwik prepared to speak again.
His gaze towards Lestilaut was filled with anger, and his words seemed to carry suppressed fury. "She's completely crazy, Lord Lestilaut! We should...", he began to say, but before he could finish his sentence, Lestilaut raised his hand as a sign for him to stop.
There was a brief moment where Lestilaut took in the scene, calmly surveying everyone gathered in the hallway.
Then, with an unexpected serenity, he turned to me and spoke with a calm, firm voice. "It seems there has been a misunderstanding. I had no intention of causing you discomfort, my lady," he declared, breaking the tense silence that had settled over the hallway.
Lestilaut's comment surprised everyone present, including Ludwik, whose disbelief was evident. "But, my lord, what are you saying!?" Ludwik inquired, bewildered by Lestilaut's sudden calmness and his handling of the situation.
Meanwhile, in my mind, I was preparing several arguments, ready to defend myself if necessary. However, Lestilaut's statement left me as surprised as Ludwik.
Who was this man? Was he truly Lestilaut? He bore no resemblance to the character I knew from the novel. The Lestilaut I had imagined would have continued the debate until he had subdued his opponent. He was more intelligent, more daring, more imposing...
Questions flooded my mind as I tried to make sense of the situation. What was happening here? How could it be that the character I knew from the novel was so different in reality?.