The Devil's Betrothed
Chapter 394: What Are You?

Chapter 394: What Are You?

He clenched his teeth and seized her hands before her touch could linger. "Keep your hands off me. You are despicable."

She chuckled, her demeanor unshaken. "Despicable? Well, it seems we’re a perfect match, aren’t we? I am your betrothed for a reason."

"Your very presence makes me nauseous," he declared. "You resemble those women in the pleasure houses."

"When you desire intimacy with me, it’s acceptable, but when I seek the same, you label me despicable? Isn’t that a tad hypocritical, my dear Prince?" She pouted from beneath her veil, acting as though she were wronged. "Why waste time on trivial matters? Let’s get this over with. I might be in my fertile days, which is even better."

She attempted to touch him once more, but he shrugged her off.

"I had thought you possessed a modicum of dignity, but your attempt to seduce me here has proven me wrong," he spat out through clenched teeth. "It only reaffirms that your veins carry the vile blood of that wretched old man."

"Leave my grandfather out of this. This is a matter between us two." She said normally, not giving him a privileged of provoking her. She was determined to be calm.

"I have every intention of implicating that murderer in everything I say and do. Instead of kneeling before me for the sins your family has committed, that murderer is enjoying the hospitality of my family."

"Nothing has been proven yet, so I suggest you refrain from making claims about your wife’s grandfather," she retorted calmly. "Are you attempting to divert my attention from my desire to be intimate with you? Is that why you keep mentioning my grandfather in our discussions? Let me make it clear that it won’t deter me, as I’m resolute in my intentions. I will become your wife and the mother of your child, or should I say, multiple children, as I would adore a larger family."

"Is this what he taught you all these years? To disguise as a man, ensnare a wealthy man with your charm, and then find your way into his bed? If it weren’t me, would you have targeted some other prince? Or perhaps you missed Prince Cian, and you’d already be in his bed by now. You certainly have made that old man proud."

"You can think as you please," she said nonchalantly, "but for now my target is you and I have all of the intentions to sleep with you and bear your child."

He scoffed, his gaze of full of disgust. "You dare to dream of bearing my child? Your tainted body is unworthy of such a privilege. My child shall never carry the blood of a murderer."

"You’ve taken countless lives in your lifetime. Does that not make you a murderer?"

"It seems you fail to discern the distinction between my actions and those of your old man," Arlan retorted. "Allow me to elucidate the difference for you." He called for his knight, Imbert. "Yes, Your Highness," came the response from beyond the door. "Go and kill that old man."

Oriana was taken aback. "What are you..."

"I am demonstrating what it truly means to murder someone."

"Revoke your order," she growled.

"Shouldn’t you be begging me instead of growling at me?"

"His Majesty’s orders..."

He let out a wicked laugh. "You came here on your own, and I can easily frame you for attempting to assassinate me under the pretence of seducing me. In self-defense, I could eliminate you and then that old man. The King wouldn’t be able to say a word when the Crown Prince was merely acting in defence."

She swiftly turned and dashed outside to intercept Imbert. "Captain Loyset, halt in your tracks."

Imbert paused, as if expecting further instructions from Arlan. However, none were given so he stopped. She retreated into the room, her eyes ablaze with anger.

She had spent the entire day contemplating how to handle Arlan, who was blackmailing her with inappropriate acts. She had chosen to confront him, to demonstrate her fearlessness and deter his loathsome advances. She believed that her defiance would repulse him, given his evident disdain for her. However, she hadn’t anticipated such a sudden and unexpected turn of events. Arlan was unpredictable and capable of making impulsive decisions.

"You...truly believe I desire your touch?" Oriana finally let her composure slip, revealing her true feelings toward him. "I came here to show you that I won’t be threatened by your despicable advances and I won’t leave this palace. Merely contemplating physical contact with you turns my stomach. I bitterly regret everything we’ve done in the past, and I yearn to erase it all, as if it never occurred." Her eyes, bloodshot and intense, locked onto his, as if ready to pour out all the bitterness at once. "I can’t begin to convey the depth of my hatred for you. I wish I had never crossed paths with you. I yearn to make you endure a lifetime of suffering. I hope you meet a pathetic demise that haunts you every moment of your existence. I wish I could end you right at this very instant, you wretched demon."

Arlan couldn’t help but smirk as he advanced towards her, his eyes locked onto hers. Her words seemed to have stirred something within him, an effect that was quite palpable.

"No one can comprehend better than me what it means to live in hell and regret each moment having to live this life," he responded. "It appears, however, that you have yet to fully fathom that. I promise you, in due course, I will turn your life into a living hell, and you’ll regret every single moment spent by my side."

Oriana stood rooted her ground, refusing to step back. "I eagerly anticipate it. I wish I could end your life right here and now. I’d much rather be known as your murderer than your betrothed."

"Do you truly believe I’m pleased to have you as my betrothed, out of all the women in this world?" Arlan retorted, his gaze darkening with utter hatred, "If I had known you were my betrothed, I would have killed you the very moment we met for the first time."

"If I had known I was betrothed to you, I would have taken my own life before you could even kill me." Her eyes reflected the same bitterness and hatred as his.

He pulled out a dagger and offered it to her. "It’s not too late. Just slit your throat with this and you’ll bleed out painlessly."

She accepted the dagger, her fingers clutching the handle firmly. In the next moment, Arlan found himself pinned against the wall, the blade pointed at the side of his neck.

"How about I try it on you first, my betrothed?" she taunted, the determination evident in her eyes.

Without any struggle, Arlan smirked, "Feel free to attempt. But when you fail, this dagger will first taste your grandpa’s blood, then yours."

Anger flared in her eyes, and in the following moment, blood began to flow from the deep wound on the right side of his neck. She had cut deeply enough to sever a crucial blood vessel.

"You should not have provoked me," she sneered and stepped back, waiting for him to collapse.

But to her dismay, he simply smirked and brushed his finger along the deep wound on his neck.

"Seems like you have failed."

She watched in shock as the wound on his neck healed on its own, without leaving any trace of injury behind.

"What...What are you?" she stammered.

"Guess?"