177: A Goddess

A Goddess

There were guards outside, composed of the forces from both Othinia and Griven, but it was not her first time doing such things. Her small body was easy to hide behind the trees or decorative plants arranged everywhere, and in that dark outfit, she could blend in darkness as long as she avoided the hanging lanterns and the torches lighting up the place.  1

She dared not underestimate the prowess of the guards, but she was almost caught twice. Fortunately, there were openings due to the knights from Griven lacking familiarity with the layout of the mansion. With a little aid from her magic, she was able to trick their senses. 

Oriana remembered the elf's warning, but she had no choice. 'This is considered a need, right?'

Cold sweat covered her body as she nimbly moved in and out of the shadows. Soon, she reached the walls of the mansion next door. 

'Where could they be meeting? The drawing room? The study? Hopefully, not the bedchamber.' She quickly made a decision. 'Let's just check the drawing room first.'

Oriana moved along the wall to find a point of entry. Entering from the front was not an option. At the moment, she was on the right side of that mansion and she was searching for a servant entrance or an unlocked window. 

The first few she found were locked from inside, while the others that weren't had people inside the rooms. The moment she entered through them, she would be greeted by their screams calling for guards.

Oriana was beginning to question her luck when she went towards the next window. Her ears found no sounds coming from the other side, and to her surprise, her slight push was followed by the smooth gliding of a window. 

'Breakthrough!'

Slowly opening, she peeked inside, but found that curtains were drawn shut. She easily jumped over the window, but kept herself hidden behind the thick fabric.

Through the slit between the curtains, she eyed the room. 

'A storage room? An art gallery?'

There was a single lantern on one side, providing dim illumination inside the room seemingly filled with antique furniture, vivid paintings, life-like statues and various strange objects.

She warily eyed the lantern sitting on top of a table. 

'Did a maidservant accidentally leave it there, or is there a person inside the room? I don't see anyone though…' 

Just as she stepped out from behind the curtains, one of the statues moved.

Oriana almost screamed in surprise, but the sound got stuck in her throat upon seeing the beautiful face reflected in the large mirror. 

The kind of beauty as delicate as the moon, as radiant as the sun, and as timeless as the stars. It was elegance and grace incarnate, a face possessing a flawless, porcelain-like quality unmatched by any beauty mankind could possibly experience nor imagine in their lifetime.

Her heart skipped a beat. 'How can anyone be this perfect?'

A goddess.

Standing in front of a mirror was a woman so unbelievably beautiful, she could not be anything other than a goddess. Even Oriana, who was proud of her own appearance, felt inferior in front of her.

The woman had her back facing the window, admiring her reflection in the vintage-looking mirror, and the moment Oriana noticed her, the woman noticed her as well. The woman turned around in panic, purple eyes wide in terror.

"Who are you?!" the frightened woman shouted as she immediately put her veil back on her face. 

Only then did Oriana realize the identity of the beautiful goddess. Those gem-like purple eyes, as well as that veil—it was the Queen of Megaris.

'Shit.' Her shouting pulled Oriana back to her senses. 'I need to run!'

Oriana had just stepped on the windowsill when she felt a strong gust of wind behind her. Before jumping out, she caught a glimpse of a red-eyed man holding his wife in his embrace and glaring at her. 

'There was only the Queen in the room. How did he get there so fast? That man is a ghost or what?' 

Her entire body was shivering as she remembered the malice in those red eyes.

'Damn, did he think I'm an assassin targeting his wife? Hopefully not. I didn't mean her harm! Ahhh! I must not be caught. Damn, that man will be the death of me. He scares the hell out of me!'

However, no one came for her. 

Though she was confused that no guards had been dispatched to search for her, Oriana was grateful to be able to run away peacefully. 

By the time she returned to her assigned room in the servant quarters, she was gasping for breath, her entire body icy cold. She closed the window behind her right away and changed back into a servant's uniform, stuffing her clothes back into her luggage. 

Her pulse was still thrumming from the rush. She had a glass of water to calm herself and lay in bed. 

'The King didn't come after me and neither did he yell at the guards to search for the intruder. Why?' Her eyes widened at the worst possible scenario. 'Did he recognize me? I had my face covered entirely. Besides, I was already leaping out the window. I am sure he did not see my face. He also shouldn't have recognized my body figure since my clothes were loose.'

Though feeling tired, she felt it would be impossible for her to fall asleep tonight. Not only did she fail to eavesdrop on Arlan's meeting, she also put her life in danger.

When she closed her eyes, the image of that impossibly beautiful face haunted her.

Oriana felt her heart skip a beat, and her face flushed. She could not help but cup her cheeks. 

'I can't believe it. The Queen of Megaris is so beautiful! She sure is the most beautiful woman I had ever seen! Her beauty is enchanting. No wonder she has to cover her face with that veil, otherwise, I am not sure how many men would go crazy over her. 

'No wonder her husband is so affectionate towards her. Who wouldn't be when his wife is the most beautiful woman on the land? He ought to worship the land she steps on. If he doesn't treat her well, she can always replace him with another man.'

Thinking about the red-eyed king, putting aside how scary he was, his appearance was also one of the best Oriana had seen. It might be difficult to find a person who could outclass his looks. She began to daydream about how Drayce and Seren would look like standing side by side, with the Queen not wearing a veil. A handsome red-eyed man and a beautiful purple-eyed goddess. It was a lovely picture to think about.

'It's indeed safer that she wears a veil, but it's also a pity. If I have that kind of face, I will flaunt it every chance I get.'

Recalling that immaculate beauty, her heart began to race once more. She could not help but roll in bed. 

'Ahh, but why is my heart like this? Why is thinking about her beautiful face making me feel this flustered, ahhh!'

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