Tyrant's Obsession With The Heiress-Chapter 39: A Little Risky Trip To The Kitchens

Lady Karina would not wield a blade against Orpheus or any of his men, even if it was to protect herself.

Realising she would not agree to take a weapon of some sort with her, the two ladies simply watched her as she adjusted her shoe and glanced over herself in the mirror.

They didn't understand why Lady Karina had chosen to don one of her exquisite gowns, a rich ruby-red silk that was designed with undertones of gold.

Her father had personally purchased it for her on his trip to Evenshire the previous year.

The bodice was rather snug, and the neckline was daringly low with cold embroidery around it.

The sleeves were long, right to the elbows before loosening into a bell-shape that draped to her knees.

It was truly a stunning piece of art, even more so made by Lady Karina's beauty.

It was she who complemented the dress.

And she wore her hair in a long braid, as was usual, her thick hair draping over one shoulder like a golden waterfall.

If she was going to get caught one way or the other, she might as well look pretty to weaken Orpheus' resolve.

If it was true that the man had fancied her, why not use it to her advantage?

"I will return soon," Lady Karina assured the two ladies, giving herself one final assessment in the mirror. "Listen to me and bolt the door once I am gone."

"But—" Lady Drosera began to protest.

Lady Karina simply patted her friend's cheek with a soft smile.

"Bolt the door, my darling."

With that being said, Lady Karina unlatched the door and peered out into the hallway.

Completely empty.

And slipping out carefully, she shut the door quietly behind herself.

Naturally growing up in Moonveil, Lady Karina knew every inch of the castle at the back of her hand.

She knew there was no simple way to reach the kitchens except to pass through the great hall, so she could only hope and pray the Van Merikh knights had cleared out from there.

She descended the stairs into the third floor, peering into the two rooms to find that they were barren.

It seemed as if the rooms had been occupied before since the beds were messy, but no one seemed to be there at the moment.

Lady Karina continued on, taking the larger stairs to the second floor where the great hall was, stilling on the spot midway on the steps.

Her ears peaked, listening for any sounds of movement.

There was nothing.

There was no one in the entry and no one in the solar directly across from her.

And a soft breeze blew from the west, making the oilcloths in the solar flutter.

She could see them waving.

Hesitantly, Lady Karina stuck close to the wall as she edged towards the great hall and peeked around the corner, finding that it was also barren.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

With the hall clear, she gathered her skirt and walked briskly across the hall and down the kitchen stairs.

The chef was somewhat startled but she understood the nature of her mistress's visit and quickly gathered all the food Lady Karina could manage to carry by herself.

The chef proceeded to inform Lady Karina that she had been serving food and wine for most of the night and that the stores were depleting rapidly.

Considering there were several grown knights and generals, men with not just an appetite for war but also food, it was to be expected.

And the two serving women who had been assisting the chef had somehow disappeared the previous night with nowhere to be found.

Now, with no one to slaughter animals, gather eggs, pluck chickens, or a thousand other tasks that usually helped keep the kitchen supplied with food, the pantry was running dry and empty.

Faced with yet another catastrophe, Lady Karina could only heed the chef's complaints and think of what she could do to resolve it.

However, for now, her priority was to return to Lady Drosera and Kairie with the food she had managed to gather, so she reassured the chef she would delve into the matter soon.

With that being concluded, Lady Karina fled up the stairs.

Some way or another, she needed to speak with Orpheus again regarding the matter.

The man seemed to have little regard for the functioning of the castle, which was to say, ironic.

If he wanted Moonveil to remain intact, he ought to bother at least a little.

Lady Karina laid her thoughts to rest and paused at the top of the flight of stairs, ensuring that the great hall was still barren.

Not a soul stirred and even the hearth was dark and cold.

She emerged into the hall and was halfway across the space when the entry door suddenly slammed open and loud voices boomed.

Startled, she searched for an exit but she was quite a distance away from the narrow stairs that led to the gallery above to reach in time without being noticed.

And before she knew it, several knights marched into the hall—men she did not recognise.

Then arrived the familiar faces of Lyall and Gilghard.

Orpheus brought up the rear, his dual-coloured eyes finding her in the hall instantly above all else.

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Of course he would recognise her in such a gloriously beautiful state.

She was a sight to behold, even if she appeared like a frightened thief hogging leftovers from the kitchens.

She could feel the heat from his gaze where she stood.

And suddenly, very self-conscious, and the least bit frightened, she made the only move she could, dipping into a swift curtsy and racing right through the group as if her life depended on it.

The men parted the way for her without question, except naturally she wouldn't reach far with Orpheus being at the end of the line.

He grabbed her before she could reach the stairs, her satchel of food clutched to her chest.

His eyes were riveted to her, though not unkind.

"Why are you here, my lady?" He asked quietly. "I specifically told you not to leave your chambers."