The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 165

Chapter 165: First Time Visiting Another Kingdom

"Ah, Your Highness, can I ask you a question?" Seeing him nod, she continued, "I am wondering what that tribal man said to His Highness before we left. I remember His Highness smiling because of it. Did he say something funny about me?"

Arlan raised a cocky brow at her. "Instead of asking useless things, shouldn’t you worry about what punishment I will give you for disobeying my orders of not going anywhere far?"

At those words, her body froze. ’I almost forgot this.’

"Apologies, Your Highness!"

"Not even sincere," he scoffed. "I will announce your punishment once we reach the capital."

’Petty brat, can’t even let slide once. I almost lost my life today and he still wants to punish me.’

"Cursing me in your mind won’t change anything."

’What? How did he know?’ She felt scared. "I-I will accept my punishment, Your Highness."

She quietly looked out of the window. ’Let’s not think about anything.’

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as he remembered what that tribal leader said to him.

’This woman is foolishly brave but kind and righteous. She is like an unruly wind, difficult to tame and control. I must say, you have been blessed to have such a great woman with you.’

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After passing through the Southern Jungle, their journey would continue for another week. Until they reached the capital of Othinia, the curious cat vowed to control herself by the prince’s side, behaving enough to not create more trouble for her master.

Oriana honestly did try...but the tribal leader was mistaken. She was not difficult to tame and control—it was impossible. Only she herself could rein herself in. The good news was that she never put her or anyone’s life in peril this time.

The prince’s little attendant continued to enjoy her first trip to Othinia. Though she was amazed by the beauty of Abetha, the culture and people, the terrain and architecture, the society in general was similar to Griven.

But the Kingdom of Othinia was fascinating and remarkably different.

Othinia was a land where water shapes the very essence of its existence, with rivers and lakes intertwining to create a breathtaking natural wonder.

It was a kingdom where children could be seen swimming fearlessly in rivers, where festivals could be seen almost every other day, and where it was common for women to wear tunics and pants. Many even bare the skin of their arms and no one would find it indecent.

On this trip, Oriana discovered the concept of floating markets, where goods were sold from boats, and a lot of rare plants that were difficult to find in Griven were growing wildly due to their warm climate. She had been tempted more than a dozen times to buy a wagon of her own so she could collect native plants for study purposes. Sadly, there was no time to roam and sightsee. The delegation would only stop long enough to rest the horses.

While passing through the cities along the way, experiencing the authentic Othinian lifestyle through their stays at the houses of noble families, trying out dishes and enjoying local performances during the night banquets, she also found the nobles of Othinia to be far more open-minded and easygoing than those she met from Abetha, extremely warm but at the same time proud of their rich heritage.