The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 360

Chapter 360: Tonight, You Shall Comply With My Wishes

Oriana entered Arlan’s chamber and found him standing by the window, an unusual calmness about him. As she gazed at him, she couldn’t help but sense the loneliness that seemed to envelop him.

For a brief moment, Oriana found herself reminiscing about the Arlan who had been away from the kingdom, the one who had been playful and possessed the spirit of a free soul. However, upon his return, she couldn’t help but perceive how he seemed burdened by endless worries.

Arlan had detected her presence in his chamber the moment the door creaked open, yet he didn’t turn to acknowledge her. But he could not deny her presence and her scent around was enough to calm his unsettled mind.

"Greetings, Your Highness," she offered.

Receiving no response, Oriana proceeded to set a tray on the table before turning her gaze back to him. She understood why he seemed indifferent towards her.

"Your Highness, I wish to apologize for my mistake this morning," she admitted.

Finally, Arlan looked at her, but he remained silent, his gaze fixed on her bowed head. He had explicitly instructed her to stay inside, but she hadn’t heeded his warnings. She was his mate, and he felt compelled to shield her from any potential danger. However, his willful and reckless mate had a mind of her own, and he struggled to find a way to convey the importance of her safety.

A woman’s sinister voice, brimming with threats, echoed in his mind.

’Never dare to seek your mate. Should you discover her, do not lay the blame on me for claiming her life. I must kill her because you belong to no one else but me, my Prince.’

His cold expressions turned into worried ones. ’What if her identity is revealed, and I end up losing her? Would it be better to send her away to ensure her safety?’ But the mere thought of being without his mate by his side was enough to drive him to the brink of madness. ’I shall just keep hiding her by keeping her by my side. It should be fine, right?’

Meanwhile, even with her head lowered, Oriana keenly felt his penetrating gaze on her, and an invisible weight seemed to press down on her shoulders. The prolonged, wordless silence on his part was starting to stir anxiety within her.

’It seems like I’ve deeply upset him this time,’ she mused, her concern mounting. ’But I did it for his sake. I need to uncover what is continually troubling him.’

When she was lost in her thoughts, a pair of feet came into her sight, walking towards her. She raised her gaze up to look at the person, only to find him standing in front of her.

She was about to lower her face again as she should not look into the eyes of her master like this, long, slender fingers gently cradled her chin, lifting her face up, making her look at him.

Her anxious eyes looked into the pair of icy cold blue eyes. She could not dare say a word, intimidated by such close distance between their faces.

"So you are still aware that disobeying me is great offence but you still ended up doing it?" His voice carried a weight of authority. "Do you love being punished by me so much? Have I been so lenient with you recently that you forgot I am your master and you must obey me?"

She wished to apologize once more, though deep down, she recognized the futility of her words. Her actions had provoked his ire to its limits, and the only path forward was to embrace the impending consequences.

"Your Highness, I willingly accept the punishment," she managed to say, her composure unwavering beneath the looming uncertainty.

In response, his piercing gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips, which had just begun to part. Still maintaining his grip on her chin, he leisurely traced the contour of her jawline with his thumb, his touch gradually drifting toward her lower lip.

A faint smirk curled upon his lips, "Punishment, you say?"

Oriana shuddered as he grazed her lips, and his wicked smirk only intensified her unease.

’Could it be,’ she pondered, ’now that he knows my true identity as a woman, he’s plotting to exploit this situation under the guise of administering punishment?’ Every fiber of her being tingled with this unsettling revelation.

’No, it couldn’t be, could it? He has always been aware of my true gender, yet he never used his authority as a master to take advantage of me. Those times when things happened, he was drunk and unaware of my true identity. Later, I became Lady Ria in his eyes. He’s not the sort to exploit a vulnerable servant in such a manner, is he? He’s a man of integrity. I was the one who took advantage of him when he was inebriated,’ she reasoned, grasping at excuses and desperately seeking to see the noble qualities in this complex man.

His wicked gaze finally shifted from her lips to her eyes, and he declared,"Alright, punishment it is then."

Oriana swallowed hard, wondering what thoughts were brewing in this enigmatic man’s mind. Despite her efforts to rationalize the situation, the wariness that came with her newfound femininity lingered.

"As long as Your Highness does not prevent me from reuniting with my family," she ventured cautiously.

"Consider that far too lenient a punishment," he scoffed, a sly gleam in his eye. "I have a more intriguing proposition."