287: Spare Her For The Night

Spare Her For The Night

Oriana returned to her room with a flushed face. Whether it was due to running or from her encounter with the prince, not even she could tell.  2

She closed the door behind her, trying to catch her breath, and leaned against the locked door. 

Drip, drip…

Although she was able to find shelter at the first sign of rain, it was a heavy downpour and the top part of her clothes were drenched. She shivered, but paid it no heed. Her mind was in chaos. 

'I know.' 

His words rang in her ears again and again. 

When did he learn she was a woman? Why didn't he ever show he knew? Why did he not punish her? Why did he let her deceive him? 

The delegation of Megaris had long known the truth, but they promised not to expose her secret, giving Oriana the time to tell Arlan herself. Aside from them…

'Could it be Sir Loyset?'

Imbert knew as well. As the prince's loyal knight, it was possible that the man reported the truth to Arlan. However, she discarded this fact, trusting the knight would help her out of goodwill.

In the first place, given the prince's personality, Arlan would have used this as another card to threaten her with a punishment. 

So many things to think about, and she didn't know where to start. 

'Wait. When he….' She remembered all those times when he teased her and she thought of him as a pervert who likes pretty boys. 'Was he aware then that I am a woman?' 

Her eyes widened furthermore at the realization and she remembered their intimate moments. 

'Was he…? Did he…do it knowing I am a woman?' She furiously shook her head. 'No, no, he was drunk during those times. He should not be able to remember what he did. Drunk people tend to be not in their right minds. His Highness should be the kind of drunk who seduces anyone he lays his eyes on…ugh, I am thinking too much.' 

Feeling cold, she walked towards the bed. She grabbed the blanket and simply wrapped it around her shoulders as she sat on the bed. 

'What to do now? I don't even know how to face him. Here, I thought revealing myself to him would end with me facing his anger, but instead…' she sighed helplessly. The vulnerable expression on Arlan's face was difficult to forget. Even up till now, it felt as if there was a heavy weight inside her chest. 

'Stay by my side,' that was what he wanted.

Oriana tightened her grasp on the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

'I am glad he said not to attend to him tonight. I don't have to face him, at least for now. Tomorrow, let's pretend I did not hear anything. As if tonight did not happen. Just act normal.This is what he wants as well, isn't it?'

She lay on her side, cocooned in the safety of the blanket, and before she knew it, her eyes fluttered closed. 

—

On the other hand, Arlan continued to stay in the rear garden, immersing himself in the sound of falling rain and the sensation of water hitting his skin. He was not fond of rain in general, but today, he was beginning to understand its charm. 

The rain calmed him. It was as if it had an ability to wash away all the problems in the world.

A light smile appeared on his lips. He was relieved that Oriana agreed to stay. He was being selfish and greedy, unable to come forth with honesty himself, but the mere thought of her disappearing from his life frightened him.

Of course, as a royal prince, he could keep her by his side by force, but she wouldn't be the same Oriana. She would see him with hostility. With her temper, it was not impossible to guess how fiercely she would react. He needed her to stay by his side with her own will. 

Arlan had been unaware of it until now, but he was suffocating. He was near his tipping point. All his life, for as long as he could remember, were a series of hardships and burdens he had to silently carry on his own.

And then, there was Oriana – the gust of fresh air he never knew he needed.

Her existence made everything a little more bearable. It was as if without her, he could no longer breathe.

By the time Arlan returned inside the mansion, the hallways were quiet, with most servants retiring to bed. Only his and his knights' footsteps echoed within. 

Before walking upstairs, his gaze swept past in the direction of the servant quarters, as if expecting to see a certain someone, but she was not there. It was Neil who showed up and followed him all the way to his bedchamber. As for Imbert and Rafal, they were sent away to rest, with other knights taking the night's shift to guard outside the prince's chamber.

Changing into the fresh set of clothes, Arlan chose to retire for the night. He also dismissed Neil and simply lay in bed with his arms crossed under his head. Seconds and minutes ticked by, but his mind remained alert.

He focused his senses around the mansion to check on Oriana. As he spread his awareness, he only caught the voices of the knights who were working on night shift talking among themselves. 

Arlan could not help but scowl.

'That girl! How can she sleep so soundly after what happened? Shouldn't she be thinking about me, at least?'

As he internally complained, he glanced at the empty couch by his bedside and suddenly felt this room was too empty for his liking. He sighed and closed his eyes. 

'Hmph, I'm not lonely. I'll spare her for tonight, just tonight.'

—-

It was the eleventh day of the summit.

Oriana somewhat found it disorienting to wake in her own room, even more after realizing what she had to face as soon as she stepped out of it. 

'How can morning come so quickly?!'

Unlike other days, she was anxious to work, troubled on how to face the prince. Before leaving her room, she stood in front of the mirror, taking in deep breaths and exhaling air through her mouth to calm herself. 

'He said to stay by his side like nothing has changed. Everything should be like how it was till now. So there is nothing to worry about. I can just act normal. Yes, normally, as if nothing happened…damn, I know he has thick skin, but is that even possible?!'

She convinced herself again and again, as if chanting a spell to condition herself. Only after she put on the smooth mask of 'Attendant Orian' did she finally step out of the room to go to the prince's chamber. 

With each step of hers landing on that staircase, it felt as if a drum was beating heavily inside her chest. She somehow managed to reach the prince's chamber without passing out. 

'Act normally, act normally, act—'

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