"Where’s Rayjin?" Arlan inquired.
"She was playing late and eventually grew tired, so she fell asleep," Alvera replied. "She wanted to co see you, but I told her you were occupied and not to disturb you."
"I’ll see her tomorrow," he responded, only to hear a sweet yet discontented voice saying, "Why tomorrow? Is Uncle planning to leave without seeing ?"
Arlan glanced at the young girl, who was still rubbing her sleepy eyes. Her nanny had caught up with her.
Arlan regarded her with a gentle expression. "Did you just wake up?"
She nodded with a pout and walked towards him. "If Nanny hadn’t told that my parents were having a al with my uncle, I wouldn’t have known you were here."
They overheard Nanny apologizing to her master, "Duchess, I tried to stop her, but my lady ran here."
"It’s all right, you can leave."
Arlan picked up the upset Rayjin and placed her in his lap, only to hear her say, "I’m upset with you, Uncle."
He lowered his gaze to look at her small, cute face. "May I know why?"
She looked away with a slight frown and answered, "I heard Uncle found my aunt but didn’t take to et her."
Arlan looked at his sister, who replied hesitantly, "She overheard Rhys and talking."
Rayjin turned her attention back to her uncle. "So, Uncle, you didn’t plan to tell . You don’t want to see my aunt?"
"It’s not..."
"Is she so ugly that Uncle thinks I’d be scared?" Rayjin asked.
Ugly? Arlan knew that word didn’t even co close to describing Oriana’s appearance. But he wondered how to answer why he hadn’t introduced her aunt to this little girl. Should he say she wasn’t her aunt, or make up so other excuse to avoid upsetting her further? He certainly couldn’t reveal the cruel truth to the young girl, so he settled for a random excuse.
"It’s not the right ti for her to et others. We just found her, so we need to be considerate and not scare her."
"Um, is that so?" she asked, her innocent eyes blinking, and her displeasure towards her uncle faded.
"Hmm."
"Then I’ll wait to et her."
Arlan offered her a sweet. "To make up for it, Uncle will give you a sweet you like."
She smiled and opened her mouth to eat the treat her uncle fed her. "This is so tasty. Will my aunt like it if I give her my favorite sweet?"
"Hmm," Arlan nodded, only to hear her say, "Then I’ll bring this for her when I et her. Can I?"
"You can."
The little girl bead. "Then I’ll have a al with Uncle now," she said and opened her mouth, "Aaa."
Arlan fed her quietly.
Alvera, who could never get enough of this uncle-niece display of affection, whispered to her husband, "I can’t believe he’s the sa cold-hearted prince when he’s with Rayjin."
"It’s because our daughter is as sweet as her mother."
Alvera smiled in response and continued to watch Arlan and Rayjin, where one was feeding attentively, and the other was gobbling down the food happily.
------
When Oriana was worried about how to escapes and protect herself and her grandpa, there were two forces that were ready to fight to keep her on their side.
Inside Arlan’s study, Arlan was talking to Alex and Imbert as they were leaving the next day for the capital.
"What’s the progress?" Arlan asked.
"Everything has been arrange and it will succeed as long there is no other variable. We will be able to take them away."
"You better not fail," Arlan warned with cold voice.
Alex and Imbert acknowledged his warning with a respectful nod.
----
anwhile, in the study of Commander Conor Loyset, another strategy was being discussed.
"Commander, we got clues that Prince’s dark force will try to take away the Verner family before we reach the capital," one of the knights reported.
Conor Loyset smirked, understanding the situation. "No wonder he didn’t react when we inford him about our plan to leave for the capital. It turns out they are devising their own plan to abduct the Verner family."
The knight continued, "As per our prediction, the Prince’s n will try to abduct them when we will be on the way to the capital. His Highness knows that once they reach the palace, he won’t be able to do anything except obey His Majesty’s orders."
The commander mused, "We have to be careful. As long as the girl wishes to stay by our side and co to the palace, he won’t be able to take her away."
They decided to increase the security around Oriana and her grandfather during their journey to the capital to thwart any potential abduction.
-----
In the midst of these political machinations, the sa servant who had previously offered to help Oriana approached her once more.
"Miss Verner," he bowed.
Oriana was straightforward in her question. "Can you arrange what I asked you to?"
However, the servant’s response was disappointing. "We could have tried, but a new situation arose that makes it difficult or I must say impossible."
Curiosity filled Oriana’s eyes as she asked, "What happened?"
The servant continued, "I learned that Prince Arlan is planning to abduct you and old Phil during your journey to the capital. Commander Loyset got wind of this and has planned to add more strict security around you during the travel."
Oriana felt her hope slipping away, "So, that Prince wants to kill even before we could reach the palace?"
The servant nodded in agreent. "Seems like it. If you two fall into Prince’s hands, there is nothing but death waiting for you. Under King’s protection, you could have survived, but Prince won’t even let you reach the palace."
"That damn Prince," Frustration built within Oriana as she clenched her fists. ’He can’t wait to kill and grandpa.’
The servant tried to offer a solution, "All you can do now is leave with tonight. You have to leave old Phil behind. With the tightened security now, we cannot take him away. We cannot waste any more ti."
But Oriana remained determined and stopped him, saying, "No, don’t. I cannot leave my grandpa behind at any cost. If anything happens to him in my absence, I will never be able to forgive myself. If death is what awaits us, then so be it. I will die alongside my grandpa. That way, we will be together even after death."
"But...."
"Thank you for trying to help . I am sure my grandpa would be grateful towards you as well. Among all the cruel people around, you are the only one who showed sympathy towards us. I am greatful."
The servant saw her unwavering determination and realized he couldn’t insist any longer. He left with a heavy heart, knowing Oriana’s decision to stand by her grandfather was firm.
She looked at her grandpa, ’I can not let us fall into Prince’s hands. All I can do is it to stay by the side of King’s n and protect both of us. We have no option but to go to the palace now. I don’t know what happens once we reach there, all I know that I will try my best to protect you....even if it ans for to kill that damn Prince.’
Tomorrow would be the day she would be leaving for the capital, not knowing what would it bring to her and her grandpa.
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