When using odata $expand asp.net core with AutoMapper does not return the expanded collection

I've adapted an existing asp.net based rest api to use odata and although the query seems to work, the controller is not returning the expanded collection.

The Get is done like this:

[HttpGet("projects/{projectId}/issues", Name = "GetOdataGeminiIssues")]
[Produces("application/json")]
[ProducesResponseType(typeof(IEnumerable<GeminiIssue>), Status200OK)]
[ProducesResponseType(Status400BadRequest)]
public async Task<IActionResult> GetGeminiIssues(long projectId, ODataQueryOptions<GeminiIssue> options)
        {
            var issues = await _geminiRepository
                    .GetQueryableIssues(projectId)
                    .GetQueryAsync(_mapper, options, new QuerySettings { ODataSettings = new ODataSettings { HandleNullPropagation = HandleNullPropagationOption.False } });

            return Ok(issues.ToList());
        }

The EDM Model. I had only builder.EntitySet("projects"); before, i've tried to define the relations to see if it works but no success there:

        private static IEdmModel GetEdmModel()
        {
            var builder = new ODataConventionModelBuilder();
            var issue = builder.EntityType<GeminiIssue>().Expand(10).Filter().Count().Select().Page();
            issue.HasMany<GeminiIssueHistory>(x => x.HistoryItems);
            issue.HasMany<GeminiCustomField>(x => x.CustomFields);
            builder.EntitySet<GeminiIssue>("projects");

            builder.EntitySet<GeminiIssueHistory>(nameof(GeminiIssueHistory));
            builder.EntitySet<GeminiCustomField>(nameof(GeminiCustomField));
            return builder.GetEdmModel();
        }

The models - this are the DTOs that i map to from EF Core.

    public class GeminiIssue
    {
        [Key]
        public decimal IssueId { get; set; }

        //... more properties

        public ICollection<GeminiIssueHistory>? HistoryItems { get; set; }

        public ICollection<GeminiCustomField>? CustomFields { get; set; }
    }

    public class GeminiIssueHistory
    {
        [Key]
        public decimal HistoryId { get; set; }
        
       //... more properties, however no link back to GeminiIssue
    }

The end points:

            app.UseEndpoints(endpoints =>
            {
                endpoints.MapControllers();                
                endpoints.MapODataRoute("odata", "odata", GetEdmModel(), new DefaultODataBatchHandler());
                endpoints.Filter().OrderBy().Expand().Select().MaxTop(null);
            });

My request is straightforward: http://localhost:45179/odata/projects/184/issues?$expand=HistoryItems&$top=1

But I get no expansions:

{
    "@odata.context": "http://localhost:45179/odata/$metadata#Collection(Gemini.Shared.Models.GeminiIssue)",
    "value": [
        {
            "@odata.type": "#Gemini.Shared.Models.GeminiIssue",
            "IssueId": 90318,
            "IssueTypeId": 101,
            "ReportedById": 179,
            "Sprint": "",
            "CreatedDate": "2021-01-18T00:00:00+01:00",
            "AcceptedDate": null,
            "ResolvedDate": null,
            "ClosedDate": null,
            "ProjectId": 184,
            "Summary": "Some issue",
            "IssueResolutionId": 1,
            "IssueStatusId": 17,
            "IssueKey": "ISSUE-90318",
            "Version": null,
            "Description": "",
            "Status": "taken",
            "IssueUri": null
        }
    ]
}

And the packages:

    <PackageReference Include="AutoMapper.AspNetCore.OData.EFCore" Version="2.1.1" />
    <PackageReference Include="AutoMapper.Extensions.ExpressionMapping" Version="4.1.1" />
    <PackageReference Include="AutoMapper.Extensions.Microsoft.DependencyInjection" Version="8.1.1" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication" Version="2.2.0" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.OData" Version="7.5.6" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.OData.Versioning.ApiExplorer" Version="5.0.0" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Log4Net.AspNetCore" Version="5.0.0" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.PlatformAbstractions" Version="1.1.0" />
    <PackageReference Include="Swashbuckle.AspNetCore" Version="6.1.0" />

The strange thing is that if i execute the query, it shows me that the expanded items are there, but they do not reach the client:

Any ideas why the service is not returning the expanded data? I've checked the expand limit, does not seem to be it.

Thanks, Marco