To His Hell and Back-Chapter 172: Sweet Tone, Bloodied Hands-II

Fear crossed Juanita’s face harder than ever. She even trembled, her lower lips turning blue while sweat began to form on her forehead. Arabella saw what had happened but couldn’t tell what Princess Isabelle had said. The only thing she could really hear was the Princess taking a step back with a smile, "Go now Juanita. Learn from your mistakes." And Juanita slowly stepped away then ran as if she was being chased by a wild hyena in the forest.

Arabella who watched this wondered what happened. Juanita was really headstrong in harming her but Princess Isabelle’s few words could chase her out despite it being obvious lies. That was enough for Arabella to know how much of power was under Princess Isabelle’s pale beautiful fingers. She was someone that no one would ever want to cross, for good or for bad.

Then Arabella saw that hand with the silver ring stretched out for her. A sweet smile on her lips as she spoke, "Are you too startled?"

Arabella looked at the hands offered to her and then recalled how earlier she had somehow touched Juanita’s hands and how it had really turned wrinkly. Fearing what she could do with her unknown bloodline, Arabella tucked her hands behind her knees and pushed herself to stand. Then she spoke gently, "My hands are too dirty to touch your spotless fingers."

Isabelle’s smile didn’t change for a single millimeter. But she turned to look at her fingers with an odd long stare before turning back to look at Arabella, "Was it too scary? I apologize, not everyone who had came to visit the castle is as dangerous as Juanita. That girl has always been too spoiled more than her own good."

Arabella smiled at the princess’s words, "It’s alright, I understand... May you not tell anyone about what happened?"

Isabelle looked at her, the crimson gaze settling and burning deeply to her green ones. It wasn’t uncomfortable and rather Arabella felt that Princess Isabelle was harmless though she can’t tell why she was so confident in this as it’s their first time meeting each other.

"You don’t want me to tell what had happened to the crown prince?" Isabelle asked and Arabella eagerly nodded. "But why? Juanita said that you are someone that the crown prince cares for, if you had told what had happened earlier, she would be punished well."

But Arabella pursed her lips. "I don’t need her to be punished. That would lead to more trouble." Lucien’s words still ring around her head and she feared that she would truly cause Cassius to lose his position for good, all because of this small tussle. While it was dangerous, Arabella reasoned that she had gone through worse so what had happened earlier was nothing less than a feather’s brush.

Princess Isabelle looked worried at her, "Dear me, I feel that this is much too unfair for you. Ah right, apologies earlier. I lied a lot earlier to diffuse the situation when truthfully I don’t know much about yourself. I hope I didn’t smear your good name.{

Arabella shook her head, "Hardly. I understand, your highness. You are mostly correct but the crown prince and I aren’t as close as it looks. I serve him, that’s the extent of our relationship. This kind of problem shouldn’t bother him," she answered with her smile that had lowered. She didn’t know why those words she said stings like a lemon squeeze over a fresh wound.

"How enviable," muttered Princess Isabelle that caught Arabella’s attention at once.

When their eyes met, the princess smiled, "Excuse me?"

Princess Isabelle reached out her hand and slowly pushed Arabella’s brownish red hair that begun to look brighter red as days passed where she was unconscious. The Princess leaned closer and Arabella wondered if the distance shortening was just her imagination.

"I also want to be like the crown prince," said Isabelle with a light chuckle. "After all he could have someone as adorable as you to serve him; yet look at me all I have are male servants, robust, unfun, and so boring."

When Arabella turned to the left side, she did see a group of male servants attending Isabelle. Not even a single one was female which was odd as usually those attending Queen Morgana and Princess Marissa were mostly women while those serving close to Cassius or the king were men.

Isabelle then spoke again, stealing her attention, "What’s your name?"

"Arabella your highness," she quickly introduced and saw Isabelle who had muttered her name three more times in a whisper.

"Bella then? Such pretty names. I know that flower called Arabella. They’re poisonous but to be very truthful to you only poisonous flowers are beautiful. The rest pale in comparison to how attractive they are," Princess Isabelle praises when usually people would look at Arabella in pity as they knew that her mother had named her after a poisonous flower.

Arabella had learned since she entered the castle that one’s way of speaking could be the opposite of what actually runs inside their mind. Like how Morgana speaks so mercifully when truthfully she’s as ruthless as Minister Rueben. Or how Iliza always seemed so weak but her words were poisonous and hurtful. freёweɓnovel.com

She knew better than to trust what she had seen from Princess Isabelle but the princess truly seemed kind. Not the kind that was forced, a kind that didn’t see human as lower or a livestock and that was something Arabella could really feel from her gaze.

"Ah Bella, earlier Juanita said she found you stealing food. Can I assume that you hadn’t finished your lunch when she arrives?" Isabelle asked her with furrowed brows and Arabella shook her head in response. How could she bother the princess with her food? It’s a shame but she could just sleep off her hunger like the usual.

"Oh please don’t lie to me," Princess Isabelle then turned behind her and pointed blindly at one of the servants following her, "Ask the cook to bring me lunch," her tone was clearly colder when she called at the servant but turned warm again when she faced Arabella. "Please come with me and have our lunch together. I promise I won’t bite you so don’t hold yourself back."