Chapter 453: Second Deal
Chapter 453 of "The Devil's Betrothed" kicks off revealing: Chapter 453: Second Deal"Related to blood?" the witch echoed."Yes," Oriana responded. "I seek your assistance... Find out whatâs next!
Chapter 453: Second Deal"Related to blood?" the witch echoed.
"Yes," Oriana responded. "I seek your assistance in breaking the blood curse afflicting the royal family members...."
"Hahaha!"
The witchâs laughter reverberated through the chamber.
"So, this was your plan all along, huh?" The witchâs voice resonated in the darkness.
Oriana remained poised and unruffled, as though it unfolded precisely as she foresaw.
"Do you take me for a fool, young witch?"
"Do you expect commendation for posing such an obvious question?" Oriana chuckled. "Certainly, I regard you as a fool. In the presence of someone as intelligent as myself, everyone appears a mere fool."
"You consider yourself clever?" the witch questioned. "Do you believe I would liberate the royal family from the blood curse, exposing myself to potential retribution from the Prince?"
"I never entertained such a notion. However, you, in your folly, rushed to assumptions before allowing me to explain my entire proposal. Your cackling interrupted me," Oriana rubbed her ears gently. "Trust me, it nearly deafened me. Do you laugh like that in Arlanâs presence? Please, say you donât. Itâs quite off-putting for a man if you plan to be his mate. He might prefer being deaf than hear your laugh."
A hush enveloped the witchâs side, and Oriana remained as composed as ever, causing Edna to doubt her own judgment.
"Alright, if youâre finished utilizing your nearly nonexistent brain, listen to everything I have to say," Oriana didnât wait for Ednaâs response. "Shall I continue, or do you want me to leave?"
"Speak," the witch replied.
Oriana continued, calmly sitting in her chair, "Iâm not proposing the release of the entire royal family, understanding your vested interest in keeping them hostage for your purpose. But I suggest freeing others, using only one person as your bargaining chip with the Prince. Whether itâs one or more individuals Arlan holds dear, the outcome remains unchanged. Heâll always be beholden to your influence, and we only need it until the night of the new moon."
"What do you stand to gain from this?" the witch inquired.
"Finally, a question from you that makes sense," Oriana commended. "If youâre under the impression that I harbor a soft spot for the royal family, think again. Iâm not that magnanimous toward those responsible for my life in poverty. The reason I seek this from you is simple â you. You are the very reason."
"Me?" the witchâs voice filled with confusion.
"Yes, you," Oriana responded confidently. "Once you become his mate, youâll have that binding connection to make Arlan heed your words. Youâll have him. But what about me? Iâd have nothing to leverage against him. Furthermore, he believes my grandfather killed his mother, so he would only disdain me. All that remains for me is to craft a positive and benevolent image by posing as the savior of those he loves. I need him to owe me something so he will listen to me as well and treat me well."
Ednaâs side fell into silence before she finally spoke, "Whom do you propose I spare or not?"
"As someone who will become your captive, that individual should be not only close to him emotionally but also geographically. His sister and her children are too distant, and the second Prince frequently resides in different territories for extended periods. When you leverage your blackmail, heâll have to use his teleportation power to visit them, which will only tire him and waste our time that we should be spending with him. I want him in close proximity most of the time, so letâs settle on the King."
"The King?" Ednaâs voice showed she was curious.
"That old man dared to threaten me with my grandfatherâs life, leaving me no choice. Exploiting my vulnerability, he assumed an air of arrogance," Orianaâs voice carried a tinge of resentment. "I have a talent for holding grudges. I want to witness him suffer as much as possible. That old scoundrel deserves it."
The witch refrained from commenting and agreeing to Orianaâs demand so quickly. Instead she had something else to inquire about.
Edna began, "That night, there was someone else, a power I sensed that stole your blood from me."
"Do you want me to address this amidst our crucial discussion?" Oriana sighed, her displeasure evident. "You disrupted the flow of a serious conversation. I thought I appeared composed while expressing my disdain for that old man, and finally, I could openly display it in front of someone. But you came up with something insignificant..."
"We will discuss it, but first, answer my question," Edna insisted.
"Alright," Oriana responded with an air of nonchalance, "Heâs just a sidekick of mine, a warlock. I enlist his help occasionally when the need arises. Would you like me to bring him to you? Heâs quite a handsome warlock. I bet youâll fancy him, and then you might consider giving up on my Arlan."
"Dream on," the witch snorted. "Warlocks are weaklings. Theyâre of no use."
"Whatâs wrong with it?" Oriana insisted. "While warlocks are meant to be weaker than us witches, they are still useful."
"Why donât you keep him for yourself then?" the witch retorted.
"Heâs not as wealthy as Arlan, or I might have considered it," Oriana replied with a bored expression. "I donât desire a warlock whoâs both weaker and poorer than me. I crave someone handsome and affluent, like Arlan."
A brief silence lingered before the witch posed another question to Oriana, "That night, who was that man who remained unaffected by my magic?"
Oriana maintained the same bored look and answered lazily, "Heâs just a random friend of mine immune to black magic. I sought his help when I realized an evil witch was trying to covet my man. Honestly, I want to kill you, but I know itâs not possible if I want Arlan as well. So, I had to choose this middle ground," Oriana sighed in helplessness. "I still wish I could just eliminate you outright, but what good would that bring me?"
The witch chuckled, "So, you acknowledge you canât kill me. Good, youâre well aware."
"Donât rejoice too soon. Were it not for my dream of a luxurious life through marrying a Prince, I wouldnât have hesitated to use my friend to end you that day. You were fortunate to escape."
Oriana declared, unabashedly revealing her true intentions. Her confidence in expressing her lingering animosity towards the witch was unmistakable that show she still hated the witch but had to come to the compromise for her own gain.
The witch laughed again, portraying herself as the victor, ravelling in the knowledge that Orianaâs greed prevented her from eliminating the threat.
However, she resumed speaking, "I thought that race had vanished, but it seems they still exist."
"Race? What race?" Oriana inquired, well aware that the witch referred to the Slayer.