The Crown's Seduction
Chapter 157: Nothing Less

Chapter 157: Nothing Less

At Miran Ocean

"I can already see the port!" Krisha beamed, excitement clear in her voice. "We’re here for the battle, not a vacation, Krisha," Dani snorted.

"Well, it’s been quite a while. I mean it will be nice to step foot in Ebodia again," Krisha remarked and gracefully moved away from the windows, settling into a chair at the table, facing Dani.

Dani raised her eyebrows while Krisha squinted back at her. "What?! Why are you looking at me like that?"

Shaking her head slightly, Krisha said, "You’ve been super grumpy since Chancellor Abel arrived. Did you two quarrel? Aren’t you happy that your fiance is making an effort to be with you?"

Dani simply pressed her lips together, refusing to answer Krisha’s question. No one knew that she and Abel had agreed to marry for the benefit of both parties.

"You’re so weird, Dani. You were so adamant on becoming his wife. In fact, I even thought you would use the Thrall Chaining Spell you put on him and command him to disagree with marrying you, but in the end, you agreed to be his wife. But now that he’s here, you have been acting annoyed," Krisha stated, her eyes still fixed on Dani.

Dani could feel Krisha’s suspicion and her face subconsciously reddened. She had a point though, which left Dani feeling flustered and caught off guard .

Wide-eyed, Krisha burst, "Om my goodness, Dani! You’re really blushing! Does that mean you actually like the Chancellor? Oh, I never knew you could fall for handsome men so easily!"

Dani’s face became gloomy as she retorted, "Stop with your nonsense, Krisha. Also, will you quit meddling in my personal affairs? You should know better than to pry into my private matters after all these years."

Krisha shrugged, not at all deterred by Dani’s reaction, as she scoffed, "Right... You’re so hard to decipher, I don’t know why I even bothered asking since I knew I wouldn’t get any answer."

Krisha clicked her tongue, got up from her chair and said, "I’ll leave you alone and tell Zaila to get ready since we’re nearing the port."

Dani simply watched her friend’s dramatic exit as she stomped her feet and banged the door close.

Dani chuckled and shook her head. She was uncomfortable sharing her emotions with others, even her closest friends and loved ones. She wanted to keep it all to herself.

"When did it even start?" she wondered aloud, retracing and analyzing the moments when her feelings for him began to change. Krisha was right. She could have used the Thrall Chaining Spell and made Abel say no but she didn’t. Because deep down, she wanted to become his wife and experience married life with him.

"Maybe it began that night..." she whispered.

Dani’s thoughts wandered back to a particular night. It was the night when Abel intended to visit Rosela in the dungeons, but she had intervened, using the Thrall Chaining Spell on Abel.

He followed her command and went back to his residence where he ended up drinking alone. Little did he know that she was there, watching him from the shadows because she was afraid that Abel might do something stupid.

Seeing him cry and suffer in agony because of a woman like Rosela was something that honestly didn’t sit right with her. She wanted to hit him and bring him back to his senses, yet at the same time, she longed to be by his side, comforting and assuring him that he deserved better.

"Maybe that triggered everything. It started with pity..." she murmured with a sigh. That pity eventually turned into something she didn’t expect, like actually developing feelings for the Chancellor. It grew so much that she even became envious of Rosela, who had someone like Abel who seemed to love her unconditionally. As a woman, she had always dreamt of being loved wholeheartedly by a man.

"I’m in big trouble," she breathed, realizing the depth of her emotions.

"And why is that?"

Dani almost jumped off her seat hearing Abel’s familiar voice as he appeared from behind.

"You! Why do you always show up unannounced? It’s an invasion of privacy. Can’t you at least use the door?" she scolded, her face contorted in frustration.

Abel ignored her scolding and calmly took a seat in front of her.

"I brought some things for your family.I wasn’t sure what they would like, so I just bought a few random items," Abel casually informed her.

"Wait... My family? Are you saying you’ll be meeting my parents too?" Dani exclaimed.

"Yes, isn’t it proper for us to meet each other’s families, especially when we’re about to get married? I believe having the wedding at your home in Ebodia is the best way to do it," Abel continued with a serious tone.

Dani blinked, utterly bewildered by Abel’s sudden change in attitude. They had agreed to an arranged marriage on paper, and she was under the impression that their relationship would be purely for appearances.

"Why are you doing all this? Aren’t we just in an arranged marriage, bound to separate soon?" Dani questioned. She knew Abel had never wanted this marriage in the first place; he had merely used it as an escape from the Queen Mother’s pressure for an arranged union.

Abel stood up and leaned closer to her, his face just inches away from hers, causing a familiar sensation of déjà vu. His intense gaze locked with hers as he replied, "Who knows? That "soon" might not come soon enough..."

Dani’s heart skipped a beat as she inwardly thanked him for pulling back. He sat back on his chair as he continued, "I am the Chancellor of Valcrez, and like the Queen Mother said, every action I take reflects the kingdom’s reputation. You, Lady Dani, are the daughter of Ebodia’s Duke and the sister of Ebodia’s Great Constable. You should be expecting more from your future husband... and not settle for anything less."

Dani’s jaw dropped as she stared at Abel. He smirked and remarked, "So I have decided that I will give you nothing less, Lady Dani."

’What is going on with him?’ Dani thought as her heart fluttered at his sudden shift in demeanor. She found herself oddly looking forward to receiving "nothing less" from him.

"By the way, I came here to see you and talk about our arrangements once we reach Ebodia Port. I have already informed His Majesty about our detour and have received a reply stating that Her Majesty has agreed to let you come with me to meet your family first..." Abel informed.

"You planned all this without even informing me first? Are you trying to give my parents a heart attack?" she complained with a crumpled face.

Ignoring her grumpiness, Abel reassured her, "Trust me, they won’t react negatively once you properly introduce me to them."

’He’s definitely crazy!’ Dani thought. The idea of going to the battlefield sounded much better than facing her family, especially her brother Atlas. ’He’ll kill me. I’m dead meat for sure...’