The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 42

Chapter 42: She Should Be By My Side

By the time they reached Selve, Oriana was already on Azures Island.

The territory lord, Duke Maxil Selve himself, welcomed the Crown Prince at the entrance of the city along with his guards. A messenger from the royal palace had been sent towards Selve more than a week ago, thus, the Duke had ample time to prepare to receive Arlan in his residence.

Unlike the House of Wimark, the estate of the House of Selve was within the port city itself.

The main mansion and the side buildings were made of white marble with hints of gold, the architecture strongly resembling the Royal Palace of Griven, albeit the scale was considerably smaller and less luxurious than the one found in the capital of Karlin. This was because several generations ago, the Queen of Griven came from the House of Selve and she remodeled the Selve Manor after she retired from politics.

As it was the middle of the night, the Duke led the royal entourage towards a particular part of the Selve Estate where a beautiful villa was readied for the Crown Prince.

"As ordered, this part of the estate has been arranged for Crown Prince Arlan as well as the esteemed guests we would be receiving from Megaris in a few days. The servants here are tight-lipped, and aside from taking care of your needs, they will not appear in front of Your Highness."

Arlan offered him a nod of approval and praised the Duke’s arrangements. The Crown Prince then had a small meal before settling in his chamber.

After freshening up, Arlan lay in bed. Though he had many things to do the next day— the most important of them being punishing traitors— something not related to work occupied his mind.

To be exact, a certain someone.

’What could she be doing at this moment? It is deep into the night. She must be asleep.

’Is she still out in the wild or already back in her village? Sleeping in the forest must be uncomfortable for a girl, not to mention she was outside on her own.

’Why does her family allow her to disguise as a guy and make her work in a dangerous field? She is not their real child, so are they treating her unfairly? But why would they hide that she is a girl? Is she forced by circumstances or is it her choice?

’Either way, she has an uncle and an older male cousin. They are hunters, and from the reports, they are decent, hardworking men. With two of them earning, they could sufficiently feed a family of five. There is no need for Shortie to work. If it’s not for wealth, there should be another strong reason for a girl to live as a guy.’

Arlan didn’t like the fact that his intelligence regarding Oriana was lacking. He could not figure out the thoughts of commoners.

As he closed his eyes, an idea struck him.

’Why am I thinking commoners are different from nobility? Humans are all the same. They act for benefit and personal interest. Regardless of status, in the face of benefits, all are equal.’

Arlan remembered how he paid Oriana a hundred silver coins, yet the very next day she went collecting herbs in the forest.

’Could it be that she gave all her earnings to her uncle’s family? Are they treating her like a slave?’

The more Arlan thought about it, the more he felt it made sense.