339: Chest Bind

Chest Bind

The next day, Neil knocked on their door at sunrise, informing Arlan that  preparations for their departure were complete.  1

The previous night, the other half of the Grivenian delegation reached the town. Although one night's rest was not enough for them to completely recover from their fatigue, Arlan decided for their group to leave after a night. It was best for them to travel to a larger town or city, where they could receive better accommodations than this almost deserted area. 

Oriana was quietly eating her morning meal in bed on her own. 

It was their second day in town, but ever since they arrived, she had never gotten the chance to step out of the room. The prince would even bring her food himself, as such, she had also not seen anyone but him. 

She was hesitant about certain things. 

At this point, wouldn't it be stranger if no one had suspicions about her relationship with the Crown Prince? It was easy to imagine their thoughts, and the blame would probably be on her, the commoner. Maybe the prince's closest confidantes would not mind, but what of the others, the officials who are with them? 

Would they think she was a pervert who seduced another man? How much impact would it cause the prince's reputation? Did she ruin his image in their minds?

'Will things be better if I admit I am a woman?'

For a moment, she wondered how the delegation would react if they saw her in her current state. The prince's youngest servant, his flat chest growing two mounds overnight. 

Oriana could not begin to imagine their reactions when they realized she was a woman all along.

'A scandal will spread out either way. If I remain a pretty boy in their eyes, their guesses can still remain vague, but once they find out it is a young woman who shares the same carriage and room as His Highness…' 

In the end, pretending to be a man was still the best option.

After setting aside her finished bowl of food, she grabbed the long strip of fabric she used to bind her chest. She knew it was going to be difficult for her to do it with only one hand. 

'I should lock the door first.'

She stepped out of bed. Though her ankle still hurt, she could walk on her own. However, the moment her feet touched the floor, the door opened. 

It was Arlan, impeccably dressed in his travel attire, returning from meeting his knights.His gaze didn't fail to notice the chest band on Oriana's hand, which the latter instinctively hid behind her. After all, it was her undergarment.

Keeping his expression unchanged, he closed the door behind him and locked it.

Her nerves tensed up when she saw him striding towards her. Her intuition warned her about what he was about to do.

She nervously stood up. "Are we about to set out, Your Highness—"

But a pair of strong hands held her at shoulders and steadily seated her back on the bed.

"Why are you moving so much for an injured person?" he snapped, his voice cold, but the next moment his expression softened when he noticed her wince. "What's wrong? Is it your ankle?"

She nodded with a lowered head. Arlan kneeled on a single leg and checked her ankle, causing her to be flustered. "I-It's fine. Please stand up, Your Highness. I was just careless earlier."

Arlan let go of her ankle, but instead of standing up, his hand grabbed the chest bind she hid behind her. 

"Your Highness!" she exclaimed at the man kneeling in front of her. 

"What?" He raised a brow. 

She glanced at the long strip of white cloth in his hand. "That…."

"I know it's what you wrap around your chest for a reason," he interrupted, "You don't need to be flustered. It's just a piece of cloth for me."

Her face red with shame, she cautiously extended her right hand. "Please give it back to me."

"You know it well that you cannot manage binding your chest on your own, so I suggest you stop being stubborn." Arlan raised a brow. "Do you dare go out without this?" 

Oriana stared at the long cloth in his hand. She was in a dilemma.

He quietly stood up and went to sit behind her. Just as he was about to reach out to unbutton her top, she spoke, "I can do this with one hand!" She then proceeded to use her left hand to unbutton her shirt.

Oriana quietly accepted her fate that she needed this man's help. She just had to swallow what remained of her dignity. 

Sitting behind her, Arlan carefully eased the sleeves of her shirt through her hands. Her bare back came to his view once more. He eyed the lovely sight for a moment but then shook his head lightly.

"You should take care of adjusting the  front part since I can't see. I will take care of securing the rest for you."

Oriana could only let out a resigned sigh.

Arlan began to wrap the fabric, starting from her back. When he held a portion of the bind in front of her, she slightly adjusted the cloth downwards, ensuring it was positioned perfectly. 

"Stretch the fabric more, Your Highness."

Arlan began to put tension on the cloth as he moved to wrap it around her chest again. 

"Is this enough, or do you want it tighter?" 

"This much is fine," she assured, and Arlan proceeded to continue binding her chest layer by layer, ensuring a tight fit that would not constrict her breathing. He then deftly tied a knot behind her, before helping her to put on a clean shirt from her luggage. This time, Oriana did not refuse his offer to button her up.

Just as she thought he would help her wear her coat next, Arlan tugged at the fabric wrapped around her head. 

"Your Highness—"

"Stay still."

She found him removing her loose headwrap, before unraveling her long hair tied from its tight bun and running his fingers through them. For a moment, she was horrified.

'What the hell is he doing?' 

The last time she washed her hair had been ages ago! 

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