The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 422

Chapter 422: Blood Of Verners

Oriana and Yorian directed their attention to the slowly swinging door, which had now opened fully, revealing the dark room bathed in the eerie glow of moonlight and shrouded in a thick fog. A tall figure stood in the dark room, trying to take at least a single step ahead with much effort, his weak body seemingly intent on departing the room.

In the midst of the obscurity, moonbeams streamed in through the window behind him, his figure cloaked in an aura of solemnity, resembling a lost soul wandering through the abyss.

Oriana’s heart sank, her fists clenching in tighter to see the figure like this. This time, she wasted no moments waiting and moved resolutely toward the enigmatic figure in that room. Yorian offered no resistance, recognizing that this was Oriana’s only opportunity to enter that room.

With determination, Oriana approached Arlan, reaching out to steady his swaying form, even as it radiated an aura of evil dark magic. His tall, unsteady frame found support in her embrace, the familiar scent seemingly comforting him. His heavy-lidded eyes struggled to focus on her, attempting to clear his foggy mind.

"Blood of Verners?" a woman’s voice reverberated in the room. "I smell the blood of the Verner family."

Upon hearing these words, Arlan reacted as though jolted by an electric shock. With every ounce of strength remaining in his weakened body, he pushed Oriana away, his words gritted through clenched teeth.

"Go away."

Oriana was taken aback by his sudden rejection, but it was precisely the response she had anticipated from Arlan. If he hadn’t been so feeble at that moment, he might have acted even more forcefully against her for intruding and exposing the secret he had carried in silence for so long.

Collecting herself, Oriana met his gaze, and he regarded her as if she had committed a grave sin.

"I told you to leave," he managed to say with great effort, but Oriana remained resolute, disregarding his words.

She maintained her calm and moved her gaze toward the part of the room from which the voice had emanated, shrouded in eerie darkness even though the moonlight seeped into the rest of the chamber.

"Who are you?" Oriana inquired, her eyes fixed on the obscurity, uncertain of the witch’s exact location. There was not a tinge of fear in her. Instead her overwhelming emotion was anger, a burning desire to confront and eliminate this mysterious witch.

In response, all she received was a taunting, malevolent laughter from the woman, its sinister timbre sending shivers down her spine.

Arlan, unable to contain his impatience at finding Oriana there, struggled with each step he took, fighting to remain upright. He reached out to grasp her shoulder, relying on her for support. His bloodshot eyes blazed with anger as he fixed his gaze upon her. "Didn’t you...hear me?" He attempted to pull her away with him, but his weakness undermined his efforts.

Oriana clutched his hand to stop him, then looked into his eyes, which had somehow managed to kept opened.

"I’m not going anywhere," she stated firmly.

"You....", Arlan looked utterly helpless as he looked at Oriana, "...leave right away. I will take care of her..." He released her from his grip only to hear Oriana say, "She can not harm me. I won’t die..."

Frustration etched across his face as he struggled to remain standing. "You deserve to die by my hand, not hers. So leave now."

"I’m not going anywhere. You can do whatever you want with me once I deal with this despicable witch," Oriana declared, stepping aside to confront the shadowy part of the room. "If you wish to claim me, then reveal yourself to me. Know that I’m not afraid of you."

Once more, sinister laughter resounded through the room. "You did startle me with your boldness," the voice taunted. "Do you believe you can withstand me, little girl? You seem to not realise what you are dealing with. Let me give you a taste of what you’re up against. But before that, let me make it clear: you won’t be leaving this room, ever."

Oriana steeled herself to face the impending threat. She was no naïve human; she recognized the wicked witch for what she was. Oriana knew the witch would likely attack her, assuming her to be a mere human, and she was prepared to defend herself, but....

Before the attack could reach her and she could even get the opportunity to tackle it, someone interposed, shielding her from the attack which happened just in a black of an eye.

In the next moment, Oriana found herself in the embrace of a tall figure, and as the attack struck, he coughed up blood.

"Y-Your Highness?"