The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 261

Chapter 261: Opera House

"You need anything, Your Highness?"

"I want you to come here," he said, standing by the wall covered by heavy curtains.

She hesitantly walked over towards the prince. As she approached, she began to notice noise from beyond the curtain. It was the sound of a crowd’s applause, followed by the sound of a man speaking.

Seeing her dragging her feet, Arlan frowned. He strode towards her and grabbed her hand. "You are going to make us miss it with this snail-like pace of yours."

His impatience stoked her curiosity. Without her realizing it, he had walked her to the other side of the heavy curtains and the sight that welcomed her the next moment astonished her.

The balcony where Oriana was in offered a commanding view of the entire opera house. It was an impossibly large dome-shaped hall filled with numerous red-cushioned seats arranged according to the shape of the hall, and in front, there was a grand stage with soaring ceilings decorated with intricate frescoes and chandeliers offering a warm, albeit focused lighting on the man standing in the middle of the stage.

The applause she had heard earlier came from the thousands of patrons seated in the theater. The anticipation in the air was palpable, with hushed whispers and a sense of reverence for the performance that was about to unfold.

To her surprise, all of those visibly excited well-dressed people seated under their balcony were nobles.

She had never seen such a grand view in her life!

At this moment, she even forgot that Arlan was holding her hand.

Watching the fascination on her face was a delight on its own. Arlan seemingly lost himself in a daze, a rare soft smile lingering on his lips.

How long had it been since he last saw such an expression on her beautiful face?

His smile widened when he felt her hand tighten around his. Mesmerized by the view, she had reflexively clutched his hand, forgetting that the hand she was holding belonged to her master.

Music began to float in the air, and Oriana tilted her body to see better the orchestra pit near the stage, her gaze landing on the rows of musicians holding their respective instruments.

A tug on her hand brought her back to her senses.

Only then did she realize she had forgotten something, or rather, someone.

Her small hand was tightly grabbing a rough yet warm hand, a man’s hand, and not just any man’s but the prince’s! She let go of his hand like she was scalded by a hot potato.

"A-Apologies, Your Highness!"

She lowered her head, her head buzzing with panic and confusion. She wondered when and why she was holding his hand. She was screaming internally.

Arlan looked at his hand which suddenly felt empty. Holding just her hand felt so... satisfying.

He was tempted to order her to continue ’warming’ his hand, but in the end, he refrained himself from doing so. She would obviously be suspicious of him over such a silly excuse.

At this point, the lights within the large hall were put out, causing the opera house to darken, only keeping the area of the stage bright. Arlan sat down. Only then did Oriana notice there was a plush velvet couch on the balcony.

"Sit down," she heard him say.

She looked at the empty place next to him, but she knew it was not appropriate for a commoner to sit next to a royalty.

"I am more comfortable standing, Your Highness.""

She was about to move behind the couch when his next words made her freeze.

"Do I need to repeat what I said?"

"N-No, Your Highness."

"I cannot pay attention to the play if someone is standing," he said.

"Umm, please enjoy the performance. I will go stay in the room and wait for you then..."