282: What A Bad Luck!

What A Bad Luck!

"I'm hungry. Let's end it here for the day."

Oriana respectfully bowed. 

"Thank you for teaching me well."

Rosetta didn't reply and offered her hand to Oriana. Oriana knew they were going to head back to the Royal Palace of Othinia, but she blanched at the nauseating memory from her first teleportation experience. She still didn't know how to protect her body while doing so. 

Even before she could ask Rosetta, their bodies had already disappeared from the meadow and appeared inside the room of the guest mansion of Griven.

Oriana collapsed. Her head spun, and she felt the strong urge to puke. It was worse this time, because her body was drained of magic power due to the repeated casting of the shield rune. She could not even force herself to kneel, having no strength left in her body.

"Here," she heard Rosetta say and Oriana raised her head up to look at her. 

"Drink this." Rosetta offered her small bottle of elixir. 

Oriana looked at it warily. Rosetta laughed. 

"This elixir will heal your body from the damage caused by the training during today's lessons. If you won't drink it, do not expect to have a lesson tomorrow. It will take you three days to recover your drained magic on your own."

Oriana looked at Rosetta's stern face. She didn't know why but she decided to trust Rosetta and drank that elixir after accepting it. 

Thud!

The next moment, a familiar book fell on the center table. It was the introductory book of witchcraft.

"I am giving you another chance to finish this book. Learn to protect your body during spatial shifts. I won't waste valuable elixir on you for an incompetent witch."

Oriana stood up from the floor and lowered her head in front of Rosetta. "Thank you, Teacher." 

Rosetta didn't reply to it and Oriana watched Rosetta do something with her fingers.  It was obvious she casted a spell on Oriana. 

"What did you do?" Oriana asked warily. 

"It's to remove any traces of magic from your body," Rosetta answered and Oriana didn't have to be told anything more. She simply tried to feel any changes in her body.

'I don't feel anything.'

When Oriana moved her attention from the magic disappearing around her body back to her surroundings, the older witch was already gone. 

Oriana sighed and realized that although she had no visible injuries, her uniform was covered in dirt. 

"His Highness will be back soon. I need to be ready to welcome him." 

She put the book back in the drawer chest and headed towards the servant quarters, intending to change into clean clothes. 

'His Highness said we can talk once he is back. I hope today I can finally tell him the truth.'

When she was going downstairs, Damien happened to come across her by accident. 

"What happened to you, Orian?" He could see her clothes soiled. 

She pulled out a sheepish smile, a seamless lie escaping her mouth with no effort. "Do I look bad? While preparing medicines, I stumbled, and the ingredients and concoction spilled on myself."

"Are you hurt?"

"I am not boiling the concoction, fortunately. Otherwise, I would be yelling in pain for burns."

Damien sympathized. "It is really fortunate. Go get changed. His Highness will be back soon."

Oriana hurried to her room, freshened up and changed into a fresh set of uniform. Her body ached, and it was hard to say she was not tempted to sleep. Casting spells are not only one's magic reserves, but also willpower. She could not afford to lose concentration even for a moment.

Today's lesson was taxing, and she somewhat feared experiencing such hardships everyday from hereon. However, at the same time, she was relieved that she was successful in casting a spell. 

'I can adapt to anything as long as I put my mind into it.'

Along with Neil and Damien, Oriana stood at the entrance of the mansion, ready to welcome the prince after a knight escorting him informed them about the arrival of the prince's carriage.

The carriage stopped in front of the mansion's door and Oriana watched Arlan step out of it. Her heart skipped a beat, but it was not because of his handsome looks. 

It was the thought of how he would react once he learns she is a woman. 

Telling him the truth made her anxious. She felt her hands slowly turning sweaty.

The prince's gaze met with hers and she immediately lowered her head, her heart beating inside her chest like a drum. 

Arlan continued to stare at Oriana as he walked towards the door, curious about her loud heartbeast that was clear to his keen hearing. However, he headed inside without a word.

Time seemed to crawl as Oriana anticipated how the scene would later play out.

An hour later, Oriana got her opportunity when she carried tea for him in his study. Arlan had dismissed his aides, and he was all by himself.

She placed the tea on his desk, peeking at the prince who was busy with his work. He did not even bother to spare her a glance. 

'Did he forget what I told him in the morning?'

She calmed herself to stop being anxious. For some reason, she was not afraid of being punished but afraid of seeing him disappointed… and betrayed. 

"Y-Your Highness?" she called for him. 

"Hmm?"

"Umm, a-are you—"

The moment his ocean blue eyes landed on her, she swallowed her words in panic. "Are you not thirsty? T-Tea, I brought tea for you."

He glanced at the steam floating above the tea cup and picked it up. After taking a sip, he immersed himself back into reading a scroll.

She gathered courage once more and said, "Your Highness?"

"Hmm?"

With her nerves in shambles, she finally spoke. 

"This morning, I told you I have to talk with you about something…" 

Arlan's hand that was holding the tea cup stiffened momentarily. However, Oriana did not notice as she was busy dealing with her own thoughts. 

"What is it?"

"I want to apologize to you," her next words were low and barely audible, "but I am not what you think. The truth is—"

A strong gust of wind entered through the open window behind the prince, cutting her off as it scattered all the papers piled on the large desk. 

Oriana was startled, and she had to shield her face instinctively as papers flew in her direction. 

As such, she failed to notice the change in Arlan's eye color.

By the time the wind was gone, the next thing she saw was the prince's displeased glare, and she thought it was due to the mess around him. 

Oriana handled herself and helplessly sighed at the scattered pieces of paper on the floor. "Let me collect them first, Your Highness."  1

Unknown to her, Arlan gave out a sigh of relief.

Just then, Imbert entered the study to pass an important message to Arlan. The knight noticed Oriana picking up all the scattered papers on the floor, but he did not offer to help her and instead walked towards his liege. 

"Your Highness, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and your aides are here for the meeting."

"Send them in."

Soon, the palace officials of Griven entered the study, and by then, Oriana had finished collecting all the papers. She neatly placed them on the desk and sighed inwardly. 

'What a bad luck! I can't tell him now, but I swear, I will do it today by all means even if a god himself appears to stop me.'

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