155: [Bonus chapter]Such A Baby

[Bonus chapter]Such A Baby

"Your Highness, that one…."0

"Hmm! You didn't die so it doesn't seem poisoned…," he interrupted, making Oriana swallow her words. 

'He just ate the one I, his servant, ate. Is he alright?'

"...but it's not up to my liking," she heard him again. 

'What? Not up to his liking? Are his taste buds dead?'

"You can finish them all," he said.

"Me?" she uttered in disbelief.

"I don't see anyone else here," he said, "And why are you hesitant? Don't you always eat what is left by me? Or do you want to waste precious food?"

"Apologies, Your Highness! I will make sure to eat it."

"Not a single one should go to waste," he ordered.

She nodded and started munching on the cookies one by one and she swore her stomach felt much better with every bite. 

It did not take her a while to gobble up everything, "I finished it."

"Good," he replied. Oriana couldn't tell for sure but he seemed to suppress a smirk.

After finishing up the entire basket of cookies, she started feeling parched. She badly needed water but realized that her water carrier was in another carriage. Sighing internally and gazed hopelessly out of the window. 

'Seems like I have to endure until we reach the next destination.'

"Pass me water," she heard him say. 

She instantly sat up straight, put down the basket beside her on that long seat she was sitting on and moved to get the water carrier hanging from one side of the carriage. It was a beautifully carved wooden water carrier which even had a golden crest of the Palace of Thistle carved on it. 

She immediately opened the lid and was about to hand it on to him but he just raised an eyebrow in response. 

This time, Oriana was quick to understand, "I will drink it first to check if it's poisoned, Your Highness."

She gladly took a sip and felt her throat and stomach instantly finding another wave of comfort. She wanted more but it was water meant for the Prince. 

She looked at him, holding the water carrier tentatively on her right hand, "It seems fine," but he stayed idle as if saying she didn't do it right. 

"Umm, one sip must not be enough, I will take another." She learned from her experience that having only one bite of cookie was not enough for him to check whether it's safe or not. 

Oriana had two more mouthfuls of water sips and stopped. "I'm quite certain it's safe to drink, Your Highness."

Arlan took the water carrier from her and was just about to take a sip when all of a sudden the carriage happened to shake as its wheel went over the rock. Water ended up spilling a little along his mouth and clothes. 

"Oh!" Oriana said, "Are you alright, Your Highness? Let me clean it." Inside she felt like laughing, 'Serves him right.'

He handed her the water carrier back and allowed her to clean up. She picked up the silk cloth that was kept with the snacks for this purpose and had to lift herself a little to reach him as this stubborn prince showed no intention of leaning forward but…

The carriage shook once again, making her lose her balance and slam back to her seat. "Seems like it's a rocky path," she muttered to cover her embarrassment while Arlan remained motionless, waiting for her to do her job. 

With the carriage shaking along the rocky path, she unwillingly continued her attempt at cleaning after him. This time, she held out her left hand to the side of the carriage for support as she stood up, leaning forward to face him, while the other hand was holding the silk cloth. 

'Such a baby!' She frowned inside and moved closer to him to clean the water around his lips and chin. She realized that some of it had spilled along his neck and shirt, making it more difficult, not to mention dangerous, to reach in their current condition. 

'Will it hurt to lean forward, you brat?' she cursed inside. As if it was not difficult enough for her to keep her balance  in that shaky carriage, she even had to lean down towards him while maintaining a respectable distance between them. 

The pair of blue eyes was simply busy observing her every move, each change in her expressions. He could clearly tell she was cursing him in her mind and found it amusing.

Oriana moved her hand to wipe his moist lips,dabbing them gently, her face just a few inches away from his to make sure she was doing it right while feeling nervous under his gaze. 

Having her so close, Arlan could smell her scent and hear her heart beating faster. His desire grew with the sudden close proximity,but at the same time, had to resist the temptation. He wanted to pull her closer but decided otherwise. 

But the next moment…

"Ouch!"

The carriage's wheel went over another rock and ended up making her lose balance only to fall over him, with her hands holding his shoulder for support. Her bewildered eyes looked at him as if she had committed a sin. She felt his hand holding her steady by the waist. Before both of them could react, someone talked from outside the carriage. 

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Imbert opened the carriage door, only to see something that he knew he shouldn't have. 

The loyal knight tactfully moved back and acted as if he saw nothing while Oriana was shocked at in which state Imbert had seen them. 

She tried to step back and free herself from his hold, "A-Apologies, Your Highness."

But Arlan didn't let her go and stared straight into her beautiful hazel eyes. They looked even prettier to him seeing her so nervous and shocked. 

'Why is he not letting me go?' she struggled a little, "Your Highness?"

Arlan let her go rather unwillingly and she finally returned to her seat. "Apologies. I will be careful."

Arlan didn't respond and closed his eyes as if he didn't wish to talk nor hear anything anymore. The fact was even though Arlan wanted to keep her close, he had no choice but to let her go as the creature inside him was also getting excited and it scared him. He could feel its presence growing day by day and he knew Oriana was the reason. 

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A/N- Chapter dedicated to reader "Peaches". Thank you so much for the castle supergift. <3<3

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