300: Innocent Peck

Innocent Peck

With a satisfied smile, she placed them in separate boxes, carefully keeping the brooches inside to ensure their arrangements were preserved. She kept Arlan's inside her coat pocket, while placing the gift to the elf inside a drawer.2

After she went out, she learned that Arlan was still meeting people inside his study and she didn't have to attend to him. She made a quick trip towards the guest mansion of Megaris through the side gate, passing a message through Yorian to Drayce regarding the delay for acquiring the black nightshade in his hands. It would probably take her one or two more days of secret lessons before she could create a storage large enough to contain a bundle of herbs.

Afterwards, she went to the second floor to study the novice book on potion-making. 

'I wonder how different potion-making is from medicine concoction.'

After reading the first chapter introducing the art of potion-making, Oriana found herself flabbergasted. As an apprentice physician, she thought that she would have an easier time learning potion-making compared to other witchcraft practices.

She was wrong.

'This alone is a wide, comprehensive study, enough for any witch to study for a lifetime.'

To successfully brew a single potion, there were many subjects she needed to learn beforehand. First was to memorize various ingredients, which range from magical herbs, animal parts, blood of various races as well as crystals, paying special attention to the age of each ingredient as well as compatibility of elemental attributes. Then, she also needed to learn astrology and symbolism, which covers rituals depending on the alignment of the moon and stars, witch circles, and rune formations. She needed to be familiar with potion recipes as well as proper incantations. 

There were potions that would take three nights to make, some even years. Some would involve injecting magic continuously for an entire day, while there were others that needed a group of witches to concoct.

This was only for making one potion…and there were thousands and thousands of them recorded, each combination would produce a different effect each time.

'Worse, I don't recognize most of what's written. What the hell is a Glass Mist Flower? The thigh bone of an orc? Scale of a half-blood mermaid?'

Oriana had no choice but to forcefully memorize the content of the book, despite not understanding half of it.

Night quickly came. Due to their individual circumstances, Oriana and Arlan only came across each other when it was time for the prince to retire for the night.

Without hesitation, Oriana entered the prince's room to begin her usual night duty. 

"Good evening, Your Highness." 

As usual, Arlan was standing by the window, clad in his sleeping robe. Oriana took out the box in her hand and walked towards him.

"Your Highness, I have something to give you," she said, surprised to find herself getting nervous. 

Arlan turned around and saw the box sitting on top of her palm. "What is it?"

Oriana handed the box to him. "For you."

Raising a curious brow, Arlan accepted it and opened it, finding a delicate handicraft made of dried herbs and twigs. A brooch made with honeysuckles.

A soft smile lingered on his handsome face as he looked over at the brooch carefully. It appeared ordinary at first glance, but those with sharp eyesight would realize there were no adhesives placed to keep the herbs together. Rather, it was the exquisite placing and grooves of the twigs that held the brooch in shape.

It proved that Oriana was also skilled in craftsmanship. 

"It's beautiful."

"I am glad that Your Highness liked it."

Arlan closed the box as he thought, 'Even if you give me a piece of rock you randomly picked from the ground, I would have still liked it because it came from you. What more something you made by hand.'

The first gift he received from his mate. He would cherish this brooch for as long as he lived.

"I will make sure to wear it."

He kept the box on the nightstand drawer and turned around to look at her. "We shall sleep."

His choice of words almost gave her another idea, but she shook her head knowing he didn't mean it that way. Only her own mind was rotten to interpret his words in another way.

Arlan could not help but smile at her reaction. 

'Not the time yet,' he sighed. 'I still need to keep my word.'

Arlan lay in the bed and she covered him with a quilt. As she stepped back, she spoke, "Good night, Your Highness. Sleep well."

After extinguishing the oil lamps, Oriana proceeded to sleep on the couch. Her exhaustion got the best of her, and she fell asleep mere seconds after closing her eyes. 

After listening to her shallow breathing for some time, Arlan opened his eyes. He turned to look at her and found her sleeping without a care in the world. 

A frown made its way onto his face. 

'She looks tired. What exactly did she do today? To think she fell asleep the moment her head hits the pillow. Is she burdened with overwork?' 

He stepped out of bed and kneeled next to the couch. He quietly observed her face. 

'Is it just me or does she look thinner? Is she not eating well? I need to tell Neil and Damien to lessen her workload.'

Arlan, unsure what his mate was going through, could only worry in silence. If he were to learn about how crammed her schedule was everyday, he might get the shock of his life.

His hand moved to touch her delicate face. He caressed her cheek gently with his fingers, not willing to take his gaze away from her face. 

Under the soft illumination of the moonlight, his gaze traced the delicate beauty of her face, the graceful curve of her neck and shoulder, the arc of her eyelashes against her cheeks, and the soft rise and fall of her chest.

It was the only time he could appreciate her without any restraint. He leaned down, close enough for her steady breath to fan against his face. 

Though the urge was strong to capture her lips, he repressed his desire and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, a wordless expression of the sweet affection he felt for her.

'I look forward to the day where I can kiss you openly, without needing to steal it while you sleep. Goodnight, Oriana.'

After watching her sleep for a while more, he stood up and returned to bed, a contented smile gracing his face from the small innocent peck on her forehead. 

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