110: I Will Deal With You Later

I Will Deal With You Later

"Y-Yes, Your Highness," she gulped, her palms sweating as her conscience wavered.

"Where do you think that herb can grow, considering the climatic conditions and soil they can grow in?" Arlan asked.

The prince had a solemn look that made her dare not dodge his question. 

She cleared her throat, "Your Highness, apologies, but I am a mere commoner. I mostly learned from experience of the plants native to Wimark and I am uneducated when it comes to geography. Since it's a banned herb, no books available in the market mention it. I only heard from a fellow herbalist that it is rumored to grow in tropical and subtropical climates."

The art of lying lay in mixing truths and lies. She was not a native of Wimark, but it sounded believable enough to convince those who heard her explanation.

"Lucas, have this verified by the royal pharmacy."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Hmm, those climates, that means the southern regions of the continent," they heard Arlan murmur as he pondered. 

"Your Highness, the highest suspect should be kingdoms that are allies or have neutral relationships with Thevailes."

"Othinia is the most likely source," Arlan spoke. 

'Othinia? A name I'm hearing about for the first time.' 

For a village girl, she was already considered knowledgeable to know about Megaris, their neighboring kingdom, and that was only because her grandfather once brought her there back when he was a mercenary. Oriana sighed inwardly. 

'I only have three months' worth of medication for Grandpa. Don't tell me next time I have to travel to a faraway kingdom to get that herb? How am I even supposed to go there in the first place?'

"Your Highness will soon travel to Othinia for this year's summit. We can send an advance party to collect information ahead of time before your main delegation arrives."

"Hmm," was all Arlan said before he resumed reading the scroll in his hand. 

Another attendant brought freshly brewed tea which he passed to Oriana. She went towards Arlan and served him tea. Not even once did he look at her, even when he accepted the cup of tea, and simply focused on his work.

Roman soon gestured for Oriana to leave with him.

Just as Oriana stepped out of the study, her face fell. 

'I wish I could stay and hear more important bits of information so I can adjust my plans.'

"Orian, when His Highness begins to work, he tends to forget time and neglect his basic needs. You have to check on him once in a while and remind him to eat. Bring him more tea and snacks even if he doesn't touch them." 

"How often should I do that?"

"Do you know how to read time?"

"I don't."

The two walked downstairs. 

"See that? That is a clock." The butler pointed at a certain instrument in the foyer. "That long hand, every time it goes back to the same position, that is one hour. You may check on His Highness every hour."

"Can I stand outside the door to be called when needed?"

Oriana was still hoping she could accompany the knights outside and listen in on the conversation within the study. However, the butler's response disappointed her.

"There is no need. If you have no errands to run, stay in the servant quarters until you are summoned."

"Yes, Mister Roman." 

Half an hour passed by until Oriana saw the scholarly Lucas come downstairs. He glanced at her and she bowed in a hurry. 

'What kind of gaze was that? Unlike Mister Roman, this aide doesn't smile. He seems to be a strict person. I never truly felt it before, but in the royal palace, the gap between the bearing of nobles and commoners is highlighted. I feel incredibly small, the gaze of every noble making me feel like my very existence is a crime.'

She waited for half an hour more, and after taking the prepared tea and snacks from Chef Dan, she went upstairs. 

'I wonder if he finished reviewing those three documents. There was so much work for him to do. He must be exhausted, umm, wait, why am I so concerned about him? 

'Hah, I guess the training of the Ahrens paid off. My mentality had shifted to me thinking I'm a real servant— a good servant to my annoying but hardworking master.'

She entered the study and was about to greet him with her head lowered but…

'Is he sleeping?'

Oriana found him leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. Half of the curtain was drawn, and the natural light coming from the large window gave the study a lazy, dreamy feel. The rays of the afternoon sun caused the vast room to be divided between light and shadow, with Arlan's face covered in shadows.

She slowly walked forward, daring to stare at his handsome face without moving her gaze from it even once. 

'How can a man be so good-looking?' She could not help but ask the same question again and again, 'Well, he looks the best when asleep. Less troublesome.'

Oriana hesitated between leaving or staying. In the end, she put the tray on his desk without making any sound. 

'I will just leave this here. Maybe he will be hungry when he wakes up.' 

She noticed that his hands were still holding a scroll which lay on his lap. 

'Shall I get that scroll from him? I hope it won't wake him up.' She took a step forward but stopped. 'No, no, a servant shouldn't do beyond what's ordered. If I wake him by mistake, he might punish me.' 

Just as she was about to move away, she happened to read a word on the scroll. The word that caught her attention, 

'Nightshade' 

Recalling the conversation she overheard earlier, her heart raced. 

'Nightshade? Black nightshade? I guess a glimpse would not hurt.'

She walked closer, her gaze flickering between his sleeping face and his hands. She stood right beside the prince, trying to peek at the scroll's contents, but part of the parchment was rolled in, blocking some words.

'The confiscated nightshade as evidence…erm.. The place where it's kept…the next part is covered…'

Just as she reached out—

"Ah!"

A much larger hand caught hers in an iron grip and she was pulled closer, a pair of cold-looking blue eyes staring at her with murderous intent. She froze in place, her face pale in fear. 

"Your Highness—I apologize! I was just…" She tried to pull back as his grip was hurting her, not to mention his aura made her feel like a frightened prey bitten by a bloodthirsty predator. "Please forgive me! Please don't kill me!"

The prince's beautiful eyes had always been either  mischievous, brooding or bored, but for the first time since they met, she saw viciousness in them.

Oriana couldn't dare move or make a sound. 'Am I going to be imprisoned? Am I going to be killed? What should I do?'

"What were you doing?" she heard his cold voice full of warning. 

The trembling woman forced back the tears threatening to come out. She had been in worse situations before—panicking would only worsen the situation. She began to play innocent, widening her mouth into a silly gape. "A-Apologies! I didn't mean to wake you. I-I..was just trying to get that document from Your Highness' hand and keep it on the table. See, I brought tea and snacks—" 

His gaze showed he didn't trust her. "Know your place. Servants can be punished for sneaking and touching royal documents."

"A-Apologies, Your Highness. I was thoughtless. I will accept punishment for my ignorance," she replied with head lowered. 

He let go of her hand but his gaze was still the same. It showed he didn't trust her at all.

She kneeled on the floor and waited to hear her punishment.  1

'His reaction, it's like he thinks I'm here to assassinate him. Isn't he in his own home? Didn't he pull strings to have me assigned here? It is only a small mistake on my part. I truly have no bad intentions against him.'

Just then, Roman entered the study. The butler bowed to Arlan after his gaze passed at the kneeling Oriana. "Your Highness, Alexander Perryl has arrived."

"I will deal with you later," the prince told Oriana, his displeasure fading. "Leave."

Oriana stood up and immediately made her way out of his study. 

'I thought I was going to be sentenced to death there and then. I swear, this royal palace is the craziest place in existence! That dangerous gaze almost caused my heart to stop. I need to be careful from now on. Not sure what punishment he will give me, but as long as it's not imprisonment, I will welcome it. Master Cenric is arriving in two days and I can't miss him…'

The moment stepped past the doorway, she almost bumped into another person in her hurry. 

In front of her was a wide chest stretching out a black knight uniform with no crest nor design on it. She had to angle her head up to see the man's face. 

He was even larger than Rafal, that bear in human form. 

'Huge! This height, his head would surely brush the ceiling of ordinary houses!'

A pair of deep midnight black eyes, short hair of an equally dark color, yet despite his domineering presence, he didn't feel dangerous or hostile. This nobleman in his late twenties gave off an impression that reminded Oriana of a heavy, solid fortress.

He raised a brow at her and she immediately took a step back. "Apologies, my lord."

Roman came out. "Sir Alex, His Highness allowed you to see him."

The man ignored Oriana and walked inside Arlan's study.

'Not just the prince, but even the men working for him all have an imposing presence. Does this prince love collecting people similar to him?'

"Orian," Roman spoke up, breaking her reverie. "Tell me what happened." He referred to her kneeling in front of Arlan.

"N-Nothing, Mister Roman." She dared not meet his eyes with her guilty conscience. "A small mistake."

The man walked past her and she followed him. Suddenly, she heard him say. 

"Never provoke His Highness. A single act of recklessness has a worse repercussion than you think. I hope this will be your first and last mistake."

Though his words of concern sounded like that of an experienced colleague worrying for a junior, there was a vague warning as well which confirmed her earlier suspicion— that she would have lost her life if it weren't for the timely interruption. 

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Mister Roman."

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