146: I Missed You

I Missed You

Oriana's hands were pressed against his chest to support her body and keep distance between them, but her face was merely an inch away from his. His alcohol-reeked breaths fanned against her face, making her wrinkle her nose in distaste. She wanted to move away from him, but his arm wrapped around her had kept her squirming body pinned in place.

"Your Highness, please let me go."

'Is he really drunk or just acting up?'

Those stormy blue eyes stared into her scared ones, sometimes accusing, at times questioning.

'Where were you? Why did you take so long?' These were the silent questions being asked in that gaze. 

"Your Highness…"

In response, his one hand moved away from her back only to gently settle along her cheek and caressing it, making sure she was right there in front of him and it was not an illusion, his eyes never leaving the sight of those hazel ones.

'What kind of gaze it is?'

Other than his gaze, there was something about the way he touched her. The warmth of his hand against her cold cheek felt comforting, that caress of his hand felt so gentle making her heart flutter and she didn't mind that alcohol reeked breath of his.

"Y-Your Highness...?"

"I… I am… sleepy…" she heard him mumble in a hoarse voice. 

She got back to her senses, "O-Of course, you must be as it's late at night." She forced a gentle smile on her face. "Let me guide you to bed and put you to sleep."

She attempted to wriggle her way out, but the drunk prince did not budge. He was akin to a statue, not loosening his hold on her body. 

Arlan simply stared at her, as if his brain could not register what she was saying. 

"Your Highness," Oriana tried again, "you have to let me go so I can take you to bed."

The prince did not respond.. 

"Didn't you say you want to sleep?"

Still no reaction.

"Your Highness, I am sleepy as well after a long journey. Let's not waste time, hmm? Let me take you to bed and put you to sleep."

No reaction again. 

Oriana felt frustrated inside. 

'Did the alcohol muddle his brain or has it turned him deaf?' She swallowed her anger, maintaining that sweet, chiding smile on her face. 

"Your Highness, let's go to sleep."

To her surprise, the drunk prince loosened his grip around her, allowing her to take advantage of this opportunity to quickly escape his arms. Oriana finally felt relieved. That closeness, the way he looked at her, it was too much.

'Dear spirits or gods of whoever out there is listening to me, know that I do not have any more patience to deal with this manchild. I am too tired. Please transfer more patience to me, otherwise, I will be tempted to leave him as is.' 

Gathering the last of her willpower, Oriana extended her hand towards his hand. "Please stand up, Your Highness, so we can go to bed."

Arlan grabbed her hand and stood up with her help, but he staggered forward, causing Oriana to reach out and hug him. In his intoxication, the prince could not even balance himself on his own, putting almost all his weight on her smaller body.

Oriana supported him, intending to help him walk towards the bed, but what the man did caused her to freeze—he tightly wrapped his arms around her body, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

'What the…'

"Y-Your Highness, you have to let go of me!" she said while crying internally, that closeness making her Panick. Just a moment ago she managed to free from that closeness and now once again. 'This drunk man!' she gritted her teeth but, "Damn, is it a good thing he is drunk? I guess it is a blessing in disguise, otherwise, he would have discovered by now my body is a woman's.'

"Finally..." she heard him mumble, "you are… back…to me…."

'Is he talking about me or mistaking me for someone else he fancy?'

"This scent…I…missed…this…scent…" Once again, she heard his broken mumble and then felt him taking a deep breath in the crook of her neck. 

A shiver ran down her spine as goosebumps covered her body. Her breath stuck in her chest. 

'What…what is he doing?!' 

Slowly, as if taking his time appreciating her scent, the tip of his nose trailed up and down the curve between her ears and shoulders as if wanting more of it. The drunk man then moved his head back, his lips softly brushing against her cheek only to stop at the corner of her lips.

Oriana felt her heart would jump out of her chest. It was way more intimate to her senses. She felt lost.

"I missed you…" His lips brushed against her, as if they were seeking for something more. 

For a split second, the world seemingly stopped for Oriana, before reality came rushing back to her. That light brush of his lips, the way his breath mingled with hers, that manly heat coming off from his body, it was all new for her and it made her feel something she never experienced before. 

The unknown scared her.

She turned her face to other side, not knowing how to deal with this. She needed to get away from him but he hugged her once more.

'Calm down, Ori, calm down. He's just drunk. Coax him a little more and he will listen to you.' 

She exhaled out her frustration. Her master was difficult to handle even at her best, but at the moment, she was fatigued from her journey and not in a good shape herself. Moreover, Arlan was a heavy man to be supported by her smaller body. 

"Your Highness, you need to sleep. We both need sleep. Please, let us go to bed. Please?"

Hearing her begging voice, Arlan obediently let her go.

'He doesn't listen at first, but then suddenly he does, as if I said some magical word all of a sudden. Is it 'please'?'

Oriana helped him walk towards the bed. Even though not a minute had passed, a thin sheen of sweat formed on her forehead.

After what seemed like an eternity, the drunk prince finally reached his bed. However, his poor attendant merely succeeded in making him sit on the mattress. 

"Please lie down, Your Highness." She lightly pushed his shoulders to make him lie down, which he did, his gaze stuck on her tired face. She held his legs to move them up on the bed. 

'Ah, so heavy this brat is!' 

It was a battle she didn't wish a repeat of. 

After wiping the sweat off her forehead, she covered him with the blanket, dejected at the realization that she could not return to her bedroom after this—she must now spend the rest of the night sitting on a chair to watch over him. 

"Good night, Your Highness." She turned to find a chair to drag over his bedside, but a hand grabbed her wrist. 

'Now what?' Gritting her teeth, she turned to look at him. "Your—"

She was cut off when once again she was pulled by the prince, and this time, she was forced to lie in his bed, her upper half pressed against his. 

Her patience snapped. "What do you think you are doing?!"

"You said… let's go to sleep...," she heard his hoarse voice respond. 

Even before she could react, she was turned around, ending up becoming a bolster pillow of the drunk man. 

With her thin and slender back firmly pressed against his chest, he had both his arms and legs propped around her, not giving her a chance to move even an inch.

"Your Highness—"

"Sleep," he responded.0

"With you? Here?"

She attempted to wriggle away, but there was no response from the prince. All she could feel was the steady breathing of the man who was holding her like a bolster pillow. 

"...Uhmm."

"...Your Highness?" 

"...Are you asleep already, Your Highness?"

There was nothing but silence from the man.

Oriana tried to move his arm off her torso, especially the hand on her stomach, but her effort was for naught. The tightening of his arms made it apparent he would never let her go. 

'Is he really sleeping or acting up? How can he not let me go if he is truly asleep?'

She tried to move away again but was only pulled back into firm hold. 

'I am too tired for this.' The last ounce of energy in her body had been squeezed out, and she couldn't even lift her finger. 

'Forget it.' 

Giving up, she fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes. 

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