85: In The Lord's Chamber

In The Lord's Chamber

Oriana pretended to be immersed in pouring tea for Arlan, eagerly waiting for them to talk more about this so-called 'physician' from Abetha, but unfortunately they said nothing more after that.  2

Without new orders for her, she had to leave the study afterwards and proceed to clean her master's bedchamber.

It could not be helped as Arlan had much work to do. He had been away from the capital for a long time, and paperwork had piled up on his desk in the palace. He brought the most important reports with him to the Ahrens and busied himself reading, and from time to time, he discussed various matters and issued orders to his most trusted subordinates.

While the King focuses on the general welfare of the kingdom and its people, and the Queen plays the role of ensuring harmonious relationships with the noble families, the Crown Prince's duty is to catch and punish those who attempt to circumvent the laws of the land. 

The reason why the Crown Prince was deeply feared and respected by the nobles was precisely because Arlan had no qualms sentencing those with ill intentions to death.

When noon came, Oriana helped once more in setting up the dining room. Only she was left behind after the other servants arranged the table. She looked at the delicious spread on the dining table.

"Hmm, I told the cook about Lord complaining about the taste. I hope the food is tasty enough for him now and won't ask me to finish his food. I swear, my stomach is yet to digest the food from this morning. Though each dish looks appetizing, I am sure I will end up getting indigestion. That dessert looks really good though…"

When Arlan entered the dining room, Oriana stood in attention as if welcoming a threat, a threat to her stomach. With a single glance, he could see the anxiousness in her eyes. 

This time, he simply sat down at the head of the table and quickly finished his meal.

After wiping his mouth with the table napkin, he stood up. "You can finish the rest."

Oriana observed only the  light dishes and half a platter of dessert were left behind, which she could definitely finish. Her face broke out into the brightest smile the moment Arlan left the dining room. 

"Could he read minds? How did he know that I didn't want to eat a lot? He even left behind this fancy-looking dessert that I am dying to try." She chuckled happily as she began  to eat. 

Arlan, who was walking down the hallway, heard her muttering.

'Mind reading? Hmm, just my extraordinary ears, Shortie.'

Arlan went for a stroll in the garden. While Oriana began clearing up the dirty plates,  Head Maid Janella sought her out in the dining room. 

"Orian, leave that for the others to do. You need to collect your belongings from the other residence and move here."

"Here?"

Orian blinked in confusion.

"You are no longer serving Third Young Master Rafal so you need to move to this mansion where the Lord is staying." 

When she realized the implication of her new arrangement, she let out an internal cry. 

'Waah! But I was fine there! I had a separate room of my own. Do I have to share a room here with the other manservants? Can't I request to stay there? The first and second guest mansions are practically right next to each other—'

Unaware of her inner turmoil, Janella continued to speak, "Your new room would be the one of the side chambers of the Lord's bedchamber so that when the Lord summons you, you need not hurry out of the servant quarters to attend to his needs."

"S-Side chamber?" 

Oriana had cleaned Arlan's bedchamber, along with the smaller rooms connected to it, like the wardrobe room and the bath. Of course, she had also cleaned the room Janella mentioned. 

This kind of sleeping quarters is often meant for a maidservant or attendant when their master is sick and they have to be around to nurse them to health, or for nannies when they have to attend to young noble kids who had trouble sleeping on their own in a new environment.

That meant Oriana would be practically staying with Lord himself, just that they were separated by a single wall. 

'Neither is this Lord sick nor is he a child.' Orian felt frustrated. "Miss Janella—"

"Go fast and get your things before the Lord finishes his walk," Janella ordered in a strict, no-nonsense way, not giving her a chance to refuse.

"Y-Yes, Miss Janella." 

Oriana sullenly went out of the mansion to get her things to the building nearby. The two mansions were practically neighbors. Oriana would not have minded going back and forth between them. 

Just as she stepped out, she spotted Arlan leisurely walking in the garden with his hands clasped behind the back. 

The handsome young man, with his long ash brown hair and ocean blue eyes, seemingly shone under the bright sunlight. Clad in that simple white shirt and black pants, his strong forearms visible under those folded sleeves, his appearance looked even more refreshing. It gave off a rather leisurely and charming vibe. Oriana even spotted some passing maidservants blushing at the gorgeous sight.

Arlan looked like he was lost in thought and Oriana kept glancing at him as she walked.

'I wonder what he is thinking about so deeply. Rich people should have no worries, but why do I feel like it's not the case here? Is there something bothering him? What can it be?' A small smile appeared on her face. 'Dear spirits, his face is really easy on the eyes. If only he does not open his mouth, he will be perfect.'

It happened that Arlan's gaze landed on  her at that exact moment, and she felt like he caught her red handed. She averted her gaze and increased her pace, when—

"Ouch!"

"Don't you have eyes?" She heard a familiar voice

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