ORLANDA blinked rapidly, her lips parting slightly as she looked at him.

“What… what did you just say?”

Oswald raised an eyebrow slightly, calm and serious.

“I said, I want you to be mine, Orlanda.”

Her eyes widened, and she staggered a step backward as though the floor beneath her had suddenly shifted. Her hand instinctively reached out, searching for balance, and she sank onto the nearest couch, completely overwhelmed. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her heart pounding against her ribs like a drum.

Oswald… of all people?

He stood still for a moment, watching her reaction with a faint, amused smile curling on his lips. The great Oswald...