The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 461

Chapter 461: Karla And Red Roses

Departing from the crown Princess’s new residence, the carriages returned to Oriana’s guest mansion. As they entered, Oriana contemplated dismissing the new companions appointed by the Queen. However, before she could convey her thoughts, the butler announced,

"Your Highness, Her Majesty is here."

The Queen graced the drawing room, where tea was being shared, with her presence. Everyone rose, offering bows to the queen.

Responding with a gracious nod and a smile, the Queen acknowledged their greetings.

Oriana spoke up, "Your Majesty, you should have summoned me, instead of..."

"Still addressing me as Your Majesty?" Julien interrupted with a gentle and playful smile. "Shouldn’t you begin calling me mother, Oriana?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected request, Oriana, who held great respect for the Queen, had never considered referring to her as ’mother’. The term had never crossed her mind, as she never had someone to whom she could attribute that title.

Julien approached her, facing the bewildered Oriana. "Why do you appear so surprised? Am I not your husband’s mother?"

Regaining her composure, Oriana stammered, "N-No, Your Majesty. I was just..."

"From now on, address me as mother," the Queen interrupted the speechless young woman. "Can you do that?"

"Yes, Your Majesty..."

Raising a curious eyebrow, the Queen prompted a quick correction from Oriana, "...I mean... Mother."

"Very well," the Queen acknowledged. Oriana, still processing the unexpected turn of events, hesitantly added, "Please have a seat, Mother."

She was still unaccustomed to the idea. Moreover, she had no intention of remaining here or marrying Arlan, making this formality seem unnecessary. Once she leaves the palace after the night of the new moon, Oriana feared the Queen might perceive her departure as betrayal and might feel heartbroken.

This realization triggered another concern for Oriana. After the night of the new moon, her wedding with Arlan was scheduled. She needed to make a swift exit after that event.

As the Queen settled at the opposite end of the couch where Oriana was seated, she announced, "I’ve brought a Royal clothes designer here so we can begin working on your wedding dress. With just a few days left, the wedding attire of The Crown Prince and Princess must be nothing short of exceptional."

The Queen directed her gaze toward the other four young women. "I trust that you will assist Oriana in selecting the finest design."

"Certainly, Your Majesty," the four young women replied in unison.

The line of the Queen’s attendants entered the room, each carrying trays adorned with silk covers. Placing them in front of Oriana, they unveiled each one, eliciting gasps from everyone present.

Adorning the trays were rare and immensely precious jewels that belonged to the royal family—possessions beyond the dreams of most. Oriana, though not easily swayed by such opulence, couldn’t help but marvel at their beauty. Her eyes sparkled with surprise at the sight of these exquisite pieces. While she admired their beauty, her appreciation was detached from any desire to possess them.

"Oriana, this is my wedding gift to you," Julien declared. "I believe, as the next queen, you will take care of them. These are not merely rare jewelry pieces; they are a part of the Royal family’s heritage, meant to be passed down through generations. Only the Queen of this kingdom can possess them."

The title of Queen hung heavily in Oriana’s mind with each word from Julien, creating discomfort as she contemplated the consequences of her departure after the night of the new moon. Would it subject the royal family to public humiliation? Undoubtedly. She would likely be branded a traitor once more, and escaping would be viewed as a grave sin against the royal family.

However, the idea of going through with the wedding was equally unbearable. In her view, she and Arlan were at odds, their past few weeks together were marred by too many bitter experiences between them to entertain the possibility of a future together.

Observing Oriana’s silence, the Queen inquired, "You didn’t like the gift, Oriana?"

Others turned their gaze towards Oriana, expecting a joyful response. However, Oriana appeared reserved.

"N-No, Mother," Oriana countered swiftly. "I am just not accustomed to seeing all this, so I was taken aback."

She didn’t want to disappoint the Queen to her face. Perhaps, she could bear to do it quietly, avoiding the disappointment in the Queen’s eyes.

"It’s nothing much," Julien reassured. "You will get used to it. After all, you are my precious son’s wife. I shall shower you with everything that I have."

Oriana simply replied with a nod.

The royal designs arrived, and they joyously assisted Oriana in choosing her wedding dress design and jewelry. Once everything was settled, Julien spoke, "I believe you would like to be accompanied by these young women."

Oriana nodded, "Yes, mother. Thank you for arranging friends for me."

"Don’t mention it," the Queen replied with a smile.

"But I don’t wish to take up too much of their time either. I will call for them when needed, as I will also be occupied with Master Erich, learning more about medicines," Oriana explained.

"You should be preparing for the wedding and relaxing instead of delving into herbs," the Queen suggested.

"Mother, we are working on inventing new medicines that have proven helpful recently," Oriana mentioned indirectly, avoiding discussing the King’s health in front of others.

"I am not entirely certain," the Queen began, her tone reflective. "The night Edna was captured, those roses’ existence was suddenly made known to me by Karla the next day, as if they had appeared out of nowhere. I was warned never to let anyone touch them, or the consequences would be severe. Despite the warning, one night, I attempted to burn them. However, the royal guard who helped me with this, I witnessed a painful death of his the moment he ignited the fire around them. The fire could not harm those roses—they couldn’t be touched, cut, or burned. There seemed to be no way to handle them."

"And what about Karla? She had been the informant for that witch. You didn’t try to eliminate her?" Oriana inquired.

Julien met Oriana’s gaze. "Do you think I hadn’t tried? Do you think it had been easy for me to endure her presence all these years?"

Oriana shook her head. "I didn’t mean it that way, Mother. I only wish to understand the challenges you faced."

"The same night Edna was trapped by your mother and your grandfather took her away, Karla came to me to tell me about Roses. I had her captured and keep her into secret dungeons to not let anyone know. I do not know who else was there other than Karla who was helping that witch. I was busy taking care unconscious Arlan and other of my family members as they were still sick, your mother was hurt and didn’t have time to deal with Karla at the same time. The next day your family was disappeared and another shock I got as if I could not get anymore moment of peace. That night when your family disappeared, and with so many things happening, I was angry and I could only think about punishing the culprits. I could not do anything about Edna, but I could sure punish Karla."

Oriana gently placed her hand on Julien’s, offering comfort amid those painful memories.

"When I went to the dungeons to punish Karla, that evil woman showed no fear; instead, she mocked me," Julien recollected, her mind drifting back to the past.

Despite being bound in chains in the dark dungeon, Karla displayed no fear. She gazed at Julien calmly and said, "Your Majesty, I believe you wish to kill me. Given what has happened, you are justified in doing so. But know that if I don’t return soon to serve my master, you will lose your son, Prince Lenard."

Julien froze, her eyes fixed on Karla.

"You don’t believe me, Your Majesty?" Karla challenged. "Just wait for a while, and you will hear something about the second Prince."

Julien looked to her lady-in-waiting, a constant presence by her side. The woman nodded, then left the room. Upon her return, she whispered something to Julien, whose expression shifted to anxiety.

Julien turned to leave but heard Karla’s voice once more, "I suggest you free me and let me go to my master, Your Majesty."

Julien ignored Karla and returned to her son. The Prince was crying incessantly, eventually losing consciousness. His body radiated heat from a fever, his pallor deeply concerning the attending servants and the royal physician.

Julien held Lenard in her arms, her anxiety palpable as she questioned the royal physician, "What happened to him?"

"Your Majesty, I cannot identify the source of Prince Lenard’s condition, but his pulse is weakening. If we cannot determine the cause, I am afraid..." the physician trailed off, expressing his concern.

Julien looked at her lady-in-waiting, who understood the urgency and hastened toward the dungeons to release Karla.

Turning her attention back to Oriana, Julien confessed, "I cannot afford to lose anyone in exchange for that woman’s life. As a mother, I could only be selfish to save my son. He was hardly a few months old, and I... Forgive me, but I couldn’t bring myself to kill Karla."

"Mother, you have done nothing wrong," Oriana reassured. "Even if you had killed Karla and sacrificed your son, that witch was bound to the Royal family through a blood curse. Sooner or later, you would have had to go to her for the sake of your family and give into her wishes. Things would have remained unchanged."