Chapter 406: Mocking The Crown Princess
Chapter 406 of "The Devil's Betrothed" starts unfolding: Chapter 406: Mocking The Crown PrincessOrianaâs attention shifted behind Arthur as she observed a group... Discover more!
Chapter 406: Mocking The Crown PrincessOrianaâs attention shifted behind Arthur as she observed a group of people approaching them. Most of the group consisted of women, trailed by knights.
âIt appears to be Lord Clarenceâs family,â she surmised, watching them draw closer.
"Greetings, Your Highness," echoed the salutations as everyone acknowledged the prince. He stood there, wearing his customary cold demeanor, seemingly indifferent to the younger generation. Instead, he directed his attention to Arthurâs grandmother and mother, offering a polite nod.
"I regret not being able to attend your engagement, as this old woman now falls ill frequently," the elderly woman spoke, her smile warm and pleasant. She turned her gaze toward Oriana with the same amiable expression. "And here we have our Crown Princess."
Oriana found the elderly woman to be gentle and amiable, and she had no desire to act recklessly. She respectfully offered a bow, unsure of how to address this venerable lady.
"Your Highness, this is my grandmother, and thatâs my mother. The others you see are young ones from my family," Arthur explained. He then glanced at a lovely young girl standing beside his grandmother, assisting the elderly lady. "This is my sister, Evie, and the rest are my cousins."
Oriana observed the beautiful young girl, who bore a striking resemblance to her grandmother, and heard her greet her with, "Greetings, Your Highness."
In return, Oriana offered a nod.
Evieâs gaze fixed on Arlan as she remarked, "Your Highness, itâs been quite a while since weâve met." Her eyes revealed her admiration for the handsome man. "How have you been?"
"I am well," he replied at last, and his voice carried across for everyone to hear.
Arthur interjected, cautioning, "Donât trouble him. You know he wonât utter more than a few words."
Evie offered a gentle smile and commented, "At least he spoke."
On the other hand Oriana felt somewhat tired facing so many nobles eager to engage with her. All she truly desired was to conclude the interaction swiftly and depart.
"Enjoy yourselves, young ones. Iâll retire to the gazebo and relish some tranquil time by the lake," the elderly lady announced. Arthurâs mother accompanied her and provided support as they made their way to the gazebo. However, the elderly lady paused and fixed her gaze on Oriana.
"Youâre Philipâs granddaughter, Iâm certain youâll make an excellent queen," the elderly woman declared warmly.
Arlan remained silent and unreactive. He had to respect the elderly ladyâs discretion. His mind was somewhere else as he was being affected by Orianaâs presence and scent. As the elder lady left, he began to turn to leave, Arthur halted him.
"Where are you off to? My grandmother just suggested that you enjoy the company of the young ones. Are you going to leave the Crown Princess on her own with us?"
"Your Highness, you appear to be injured," one of Arthurâs cousins pointed out, directing everyoneâs attention to Arlanâs slightly bloody lips.
Just then, Imbert arrived, and Arlan moved a little away from the group without offering an answer. He overheard what Imbert was saying, and when Imbert departed, Arthur approached him.
"Is something the matter?" Arthur inquired.
"Nothing," Arlan replied, and they both overheard Arthurâs cousins speaking to Oriana.
"It seems that Your Highness is not yet acquainted with Her Highness, considering her long absence. His Highness didnât seem too pleased," one of Arthurâs cousins remarked, and then she turned her gaze to Oriana. "Life must have been quite challenging for Your Highness during your time in the wilderness."
"Sister, you really shouldnât speak this way," Evie, clearly displeased by her cousinâs words, cautioned the older cousin.
However, they disregarded Evieâs warning, and another cousin chimed in, "Itâs understandable if Your Highness may lack some knowledge of nobility and etiquette. Weâre understanding people."
"Now that youâre back, you can learn everything and enjoy a good life instead of enduring the wilderness. It must feel great to live in luxury after spending your life in poverty."
"Youâre wearing a veil, is there something wrong with your face? Were you injured in the forest or attacked by wild animals? I hope it wasnât anything too dangerous," their tone seemed to express concern but lacked genuine sincerity.
Arthur and Arlan stood slightly apart from the group, and Arthur whispered to Arlan, "Arenât you going to say something to stop them from insulting your wife? Even though theyâre my cousins, you shouldnât let them get away with this."
Arlan replied impassively, not displaying any emotion on his face, "Shouldnât you be concerned about your cousins?"
Sighing, Arthur conceded, "While you may have confidence in your betrothed, I canât allow my cousins to insult her."
Arthur was about to intervene, but then he noticed his sister stepping forward. She addressed Oriana, her innocent beauty overshadowed by guilt. "Your Highness, please forgive the rudeness of my cousins. I apologize on their behalf."
Oriana responded, "You donât need to apologize for someone elseâs rudeness," as she looked at the contrite girl. Then, her gaze shifted to Evieâs cousins, who appeared to find it easy to bully the new addition to the nobility.
"Weâre not being rude, Your Highness. We were simply expressing our concerns," one of them explained.
"Concerns?" Oriana chuckled, gazing at the Clarence family members who had been less than courteous. "It seems you people are quite adept at making assumptions, arenât you?"
"Weâre genuinely concerned about you..."
Oriana interrupted with a sweet and polite tone, "From where I stand, it seems you nobles are trying to ridicule me for having spent my life in the wilderness. You inquired whether I suffered there? Well, I must say my life in the wilderness was much better and liberating. I didnât have to wear a facade and pretend to be noble while harboring bitterness in my heart. I was spared the burden of being fake."
Her words left everyone stunned. Arthur glanced at Arlan, who remained quiet and appeared ready to depart, but Arthur held his hand, saying, "Wait a moment, Cromwell. I wouldnât want to miss this entertainment. Itâs been quite some time since the Milton family incident that Iâve seen something this entertaining."
Arlan halted as Arthur gave him a pleading look, resembling a child, and frowned in response.