The Devil's Betrothed
Chapter 427: How The Plan Started

Chapter 427: How The Plan Started

Arlan was escorted back to his chamber with Oriana and Drayce with him. Drayce settled Arlan on the bed and heard Oriana ask, "This evil black magic...."

"You’re well aware of what I am," Drayce responded, his voice tinged with understanding. "You should know it won’t affect me."

Oriana could only nod in response before turning her attention to Arlan. She cocooned him beneath layers of thick blankets and headed toward the fireplace to replenish the woodblocks, determined to maintain warmth in the room for Arlan’s sake.

"He always feels so cold when he returns," Drayce overheard Oriana murmuring as she did everything in her power to create a comforting environment for Arlan.

Drayce, his concern mirroring Oriana’s, approached Arlan, his hand gently touching Arlan’s forehead as he closed his eyes. In a silent gesture, he transmitted the essence of his own power to Arlan, aiding in his recovery from his weakened state.

Oriana observed Drayce’s actions, and once he was finished, he turned his gaze toward her, explaining, "This will provide him with some relief, but his body must deal with the harm brought by black magic, a vile sorcery created using his very own blood. There is little more we can do for him but allow him time to heal on his own."

"I understand," Oriana replied, her determination unwavering.

Just then Yorian and Slayer appeared inside Arlan’s chamber, using Yorian’s teleportation ability.

"How is he?" Slayer asked as he walked towards Arlan to check on him. Knowing that the black magic can not affect him, Oriana didn’t stop Slayer from approaching.

"It might take time for him to recover this time," Oriana answered, "To protect me, he took that witch’s attack on himself when he was already weak."

Yorian raised a brow, "And you say he doesn’t care for you?"

Oriana felt speechless. He really protected her but his other actions made her confused when he showed how much he hated her. But with new things coming in light, she could finally get the answers to her confusion.

"So what did you find out?" Yorian asked her.

Oriana replied, "I did as Lord Yorian and King Drayce had asked me to. I did everything to keep her engaged to access the extent of her power and make her talk."

----

Flashback

In the afternoon, at Oriana’s study, Yorian and Oriana were engaged in a deep discussion regarding the evil witch and her potential influence over Prince Arlan. Drayce, upon Yorian’s invitation, joined them to help formulate a plan for the night.

They need to craft a plan before letting Oriana face that witch.

"First and foremost, we must uncover the extent of the witch’s power and the leverage she holds over Prince Arlan to bend him to her will," Yorian declared as he initiated the conversation.

Drayce, comfortably settling into a chair, chimed in, "Every individual possesses a vulnerability, and Arlan is the type who would go to great lengths to protect his loved ones."

Oriana added her insights, "It’s evident that she has his family in her grasp, likely as hostages. From what I know, Priance Arlan’s father is afflicted by a black magic curse that perpetually plagues him with illness, posing a constant threat to his life. As for the rest of his family, I’m uncertain, as I’ve never had the opportunity to inspect their bodies. This can be the reason the Prince obeys that witch."

Yorian raised a pertinent question, "Even if she is using his family as leverage, why hasn’t Prince Arlan simply eliminated her, instead of letting her be more powerful by using his blood? Given how powerful the Dragon can be, he could kill that witch in a moment." He quickly answered his own query, "That implies that taking her life isn’t a right solution."

Drayce concurred, "Arlan wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who endangers his loved ones. If he’s holding back, it suggests that killing that witch would only bring harm to his family."

Oriana offered her insights, her tone laced with apprehension. "I’ve come across a passage in a book of black magic that describes curses cast using the blood of the victim. In this case, the victim is Prince Arlan, and that witch utilized his blood to invoke a curse that extends to everyone related to him by blood. This includes his father, his siblings, and even the children of his siblings. The curse is potent enough that if the witch wishes to end someone’s life, she can do so in an instant without any overt actions."

Drayce and Yorian exchanged somber glances, and Oriana continued, "There’s another facet to this curse. The witch binds her own blood to it. If she is harmed, it will also harm the bearers of the curse, who are Prince Arlan’s family. In essence, if the witch were to die, his family would suffer the same fate."

"That theory aligns with our observations," Yorian commented. "It explains why Prince Arlan has endured this curse for so long. But the real question now is how we can break the curse and rid ourselves of this witch."

Oriana hesitated before sharing, "I consulted my master on this matter." She exchanged a cautious glance with Drayce, aware of the history between him and her master, who was his mortal enemy. "According to my master, the curse can be lifted from His Majesty and the others who are affected, but it will alert the witch and could lead to dire consequences. If we want to tackle this, we must exercise great caution."

Drayce nodded in acknowledgment and turned his attention to Oriana. "Tonight, your task is to observe the extent of her powers. Use every means at your disposal to gauge her abilities and extract information about what we need to do."

Oriana couldn’t help but feel somewhat perplexed by the plan. "Will she actually fall for it?" she wondered aloud.

Yorian responded with a good-natured chuckle, "Oriana, you possess a wide range of skills, but your greatest talent lies in your ability to talk and incite others." He then cast a teasing glance her way. "That’s what I admire most about you. You don’t always need your powers to get the job done. Your provocative words are enough."

Oriana felt a touch of awkwardness at his praise. Was he essentially complimenting her for being nothing more than a verbal annoyance?