With her heart heavy with guilt, Oriana returned to the guest mansion, maintaining a somber silence throughout the journey.
Ana glanced at her mistress, concern etched on her face. "Your Highness, did you not like the palace’s interior?"
"It’s quite fine," Oriana responded, unable to convey the true reason for her lancholic mood to her devoted servant.
Oriana continued her relentless pursuit of knowledge, engrossed in reading books and striving to decipher the secrets of the mystical pill.
Midnight had co and gone, and she remained in her study, her eyes burning from the relentless glow of the lamps. Her devoted servant had gently reminded her to rest, but Oriana had dismissed Ana’s concerns, resolute in her work. Sleep seed an impossible luxury, given the multitude of troubles weighing upon her.
Suddenly, an unexpected visitor materialized within her study, prompting Oriana to glance in their direction. "You certainly took your ti," she remarked, her voice tinged with exhaustion.
The newcor chuckled playfully and approached her. "I did inform you, so you won’t miss in my absence."
She scoffed, "You do tend to act sowhat delusional at tis, Lord Yorian. Could it be due to your advancing age?"
Although she playfully mocked him and pretended his presence was of no consequence, deep down, she knew that his arrival brought a sense of relief. It ant she wasn’t alone, that soone was there to guide and support her. Monts earlier, she had been quiet and downcast, but now, in the presence of this ever-cheerful elf, she felt a glimr of hope in the darkness. His arrival also signified that he might return with valuable knowledge or assistance.
Yorian, astute as ever in understanding others, raised an eyebrow. "So, you’re implying that whether I’m with you or not makes no difference? That you didn’t miss my presence?"
"Of course not. Must I spell it out for you?" Oriana retorted, her denial swift and unwavering.
Yorian let out a resigned sigh as he gazed into Oriana’s eyes, seeing the truth in them despite her words. "I thought you might miss and I rushed back with sothing useful. But since you claim not to miss , I’ll return when you genuinely do."
"Sothing useful?" Oriana exclaid.
Yorian chose to disregard her words. "When you truly miss , just send a magical letter, and I’ll return." He began to prepare to depart.
"Wait, Lord Yorian," Oriana called out desperately, but Yorian waved her off. "See you."
"I missed you. I really did miss you," she declared, her voice filled with urgency.
"Lies," the elf responded, closing his eyes as he prepared to chant the spell to disappear.
In a rush, Oriana reached out and grasped his hand. "Please don’t leave. I was waiting for you. I was just teasing you when I said I didn’t miss you."
Yorian opened his eyes and looked at her, studying her eyes. "Your eyes tell you’re not lying this ti."
"Yes, I’m not lying. You’re the only person I can rely on and trust. I feel like I have nothing to worry about when you’re with . Please, don’t leave," she implored, her eyes and voice carrying a sense of desperation that was unusual for Oriana.
Though Yorian was trying to have so fun by teasing her and to cheer her up, he sensed that sothing had happened while he was gone.
"Alright,"
Yorian agreed, looking at his hand that Oriana was holding with a firm grip. "You can let go of my hand now."
Oriana obeyed and heard Yorian inquire, "Now, tell what happened today to change you like this."
"Huh?"
"You’re not acting like yourself. What has frightened you?" Yorian probed as he settled into a chair.
Oriana returned to her seat and poured out her feelings, "It feels like I’m losing people in my life one by one these days. I don’t want anyone else to leave . I don’t want to be alone anymore."
Yorian observed her sad countenance, seeing her as a lonely and troubled little girl.
"Luke was the only friend I had, and now I’ve lost him as well. I don’t want anyone else to leave , not even you, Lord Yorian," she confessed.
"Hmm," he acknowledged her words, understanding her fear of abandonnt. "Of course, I won’t leave after you’ve expressed how desperately you missed ."
Her face flushed slightly with embarrassnt. "I may have overreacted a bit to the sudden situation."
"But I rather liked it," the elf teased. "Say once more that you missed , and I’ll show you sothing useful."
"What is it?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Alright, I missed you," Oriana admitted, eagerly awaiting what Yorian had in store.
He chuckled playfully, and a piece of paper materialized on the table. "This is a list of the contents of the pill we couldn’t locate."
Oriana’s eyes widened, and she hastily picked up the paper, hardly able to believe her eyes. She turned to Yorian, her gaze intense. "Are all the contents listed here?"
Yorian nodded, only to hear her ask, "How did you acquire this? Did you find the Queen of Witches?"
’The Queen is sitting right in front of ,’ Yorian mused but said, "I consulted a skilled warlock."
Oriana’s eyes sparkled with hope. "King Drayce?"
Yorian confird, "As her son, King Drayce could assist, but there was another individual who proved to be even more helpful than him."
"Who?"
"King Drayce’s nanny is a witch who had served his mother. That nanny, Lady Tyra, was instruntal in our endeavor."
"I will express my gratitude to them when I get the chance to et them," Oriana declared with newfound enthusiasm. "Now we can create the pills for my grandfather."
"We can, but there is the last ingredient which only a high rank witch or a Queen of Witches can get access to it," the elf said.
"What?" Oriana exclaid, her eyes widening. "That ans we need to search for Queen Evanthe."
Yorian fixed his gaze on her. "Although you may dismiss the idea or never aspire to beco a Queen of Witches, you have the potential to attain a high-ranking position."
"It won’t happen so quickly, and I have limited ti. Even if I practice tirelessly, I can’t achieve it within a month," she held her head in frustration, "Why does everything seem within reach yet so far away?"
"What if I told you that you could achieve it?" Yorian proposed.
She regarded him in disbelief. "How is that even possible?"
"What if you could beco a Queen of Witches?" Yorian inquired, his tone grave. "I’m serious, so don’t treat it as a joke."
"How could I beco a Queen?" she asked with an air of calm. "If that were true, I’d be overjoyed because it would an I could save my grandfather."
"Then it’s ti for you to be overjoyed," Yorian proclaid, eting her gaze head-on.
She felt a rush of anxiety. "W-What do you an, Lord Yorian?"
"You are the Queen of Witches. A Queen is born, and you were the one born and destined to beco the Queen of Witches," Yorian stated calmly, not breaking eye contact.
Shock overtook her as she stamred, "A-Are you joking, Lord Yorian?"
"I am not," he asserted firmly, his voice and expression unwavering.
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