Though Oriana successfully sat on the saddle of the horse, she was praying she would not fall down from the horse.
Under her worried gaze, Rafal led her horse along with his. She looked at the way Rafal sat on the horse and followed his posture, letting her body move along in sync with the horse’s movements.
A few minutes later, she found being on horseback was not that scary anymore. ’It’s not as difficult as it looks, or maybe I am just too smart. All I need is a bit of practice.’
With her newfound confidence, Oriana allowed herself to enjoy the scenery within the Wimark Estate.
’So beautiful!’
Starting from the gate, there was a paved road with vast landscapes on both sides, hedges and flowers laid out in symmetrical patterns as well as trimmed trees lining the path. There was impressive architecture, from fountains to pavilions to sculptures from time to time, and there were even gardeners tending to the different gardens she passed by. With her knowledge of plants, she could name a few exotic flowers that were normally not grown in the North.
What an eye-opener!
A hint of envy sprouted in her heart. She had never seen such things, only heard from rumors of servants working under nobles.
When she was younger, she too wanted to grow a medicinal herb garden of her own; however, it was impossible for a commoner to afford building one, not to mention, she and her grandfather would not stay in a single place for longer than half a year.
The effort and wealth put into maintaining such beauty, she could only calculate in her heart.
’Let’s not pay attention to it. Not like I will get all this if I keep staring at it. I need to get my knife and leave as soon as I can.’
An elegant mansion soon appeared in front of Oriana. With a beautiful lawn and a fountain in front, the stunning blue-roofed palace with turrets and at least hundreds of rooms was the main mansion of the House of Wimark. It was a majestic sight that was beyond anything Oriana had seen before.
Seeing her awestrucked face, Rafal commented, "That is not our destination."
"Ah?"
"That is the residence for His Grace the Duke and the main family of the House of Wimark. My liege is staying in a separate mansion."
Her hazel eyes were round with incredulity.
’These bloody wasteful nobles! They do not offer guest rooms but mansions? What kind of extravagance—ahh, my blood pressure!’
They soon reached the part of the Wimark Estate where Arlan was staying. It was an isolated residence surrounded by beautiful greenery. At this point, Oriana was tired of being surprised.
From a distance, she spotted a familiar figure inside a garden gazebo. The handsome nobleman was sitting on a chair and enjoying the tea while looking through some scrolls. A bunch of young, pretty maidservants were standing around to wait on him, and that cold-faced guard she saw in the inn was standing nearby as well.
’So, he is studying? Working? At least he is not always throwing away the wealth of his ancestors.’
The more she looked at him, the more she found it difficult to believe it was the same good-for-nothing pervert twiddling his thumbs inside the tavern, waiting for her to order food and drinks for their table.
Arlan looked... different.
She could not deny that serious face, deep in concentration, held a subtle charm...who was she fooling? Arlan was in fact handsome, annoyingly handsome, perhaps the most handsome man she had ever laid her eyes on. It was difficult to not stare at him.
"Do you not plan to dismount?"
These words pulled her attention back from staring at Arlan. Startled, she realized they had stopped and the knight who brought her was waiting for her on the ground.
She shook her head, trying to get her senses back.
’What was I doing, staring at that spoiled brat? He is a pervert who likes pretty boys. Get a grip on yourself, Ori!’
Oriana put on a humble, apologetic smile and threw it towards Rafal. "I-I was lost in a daze because the place is simply too beautiful, Sir Ahren. Apologies for getting distracted."
She was ready to step down the stirrup, but then realized dismounting a horse was more difficult than climbing it.
She gulped and hesitated to do so which didn’t go unnoticed by Rafal. "Want help, boy?"
She looked at his hand which he offered her and accepted it, not knowing a pair of blue eyes was glaring in their direction, most specifically the hand holding hers.
With Rafal’s hand as a support, Oriana managed to safely climb down the horse’s saddle. "Thank you, Sir."
Rafal ignored her ’thank you’ and instead commented with a mocking frown, "What kind of man has such small hands? Boy, you need to eat more meat and grow up fast."
Oriana was gobsmacked, too stunned to reply.
He observed her from head to toe. "I do not know what my liege saw in you, but you must have your merits, I guess? But still, I do not wish to be associated with someone as thin as a twig. If you are going to work for my liege in the future, I do not want others to think we are not paying you enough to eat a full meal."
"What the—! You..."
She gritted her teeth, ’Who is working for who? I also do not want to be associated with you nor your liege! One day I will make sure you eat back your words, you arrogant knight!’
Despite her displeasure, Oriana followed him to go towards the gazebo. Of course, Arlan heard their little exchange even though they were at distance.
Rafal bowed to Arlan. "Orian the Herbalist is here, my lord."
Arlan didn’t reply, but his ocean blue eyes were glaring at his knight’s right hand, suddenly having a thought of chopping it apart.