The Crown's Seduction
Chapter 225: This Bangle

Chapter 225: This Bangle

Mineah let out a loud sigh of relief the moment she was out of the throne hall. Finally, she could breathe properly after being subjected to the intense tension inside the hall. The moment she was outside, Krisha was there to greet her.

"Milady, the citizens of Norma sent many gifts for you," Krisha enthusiastically reported as they began walking through the hallways. "I have them all inside our spare bedchamber. They’re all grateful that you saved them."

Mineah hummed in recognition. While she wanted to see what she got, she and Nikolai still had a few more things to attend to. "Dani is still with the Queen Mother, right?" she asked, to which Zaila nodded.

"Give her some time off then. After all, her wedding is near. The Queen Mother wants to personally supervise it since Chancellor Abel is dear to her." She then asked, "Where’s Dahlia? I want to see her."

"Dani assigned her to tend to the greenhouse, so she’s probably there," Krisha answered. "She loves plants and is quite knowledgeable about them. She said Zoran taught her how to make a few potions and cast a few spells that would benefit her aides in terms of healing and a few other basic necessities."

Mineah simply nodded as the three of them started walking down the path towards the greenhouse.

"We’ll be quite busy these days since we have a lot of things to do," she reminded them. "Call for Niran so that she can assist while Dani isn’t around. I also want to check on her, so she might as well be here."

She then gave the two a few more instructions before dismissing them. Sighing, she only hoped that Niran would reach her soon. She wanted to make sure that her friend was really doing well, and that Raul wasn’t harming her in any way. The last time she saw her, she read from her friend’s thoughts of how her relationship with Raul wasn’t improving.

A few minutes of walking later, Mineah finally reached the greenhouse. There, she saw Dahlia plucking away at some of the dried and dead leaves on some of the plants. It would be her first time to meet Dahlia face to face, and she only hoped that she’d do it right the first time.

"I heard you love plants," Mineah spoke, making her presence known as she comfortably sat on one of the chairs inside the greenhouse.

Surprised by her presence, Dahlia quickly turned around, her eyes landing on the crown that she was wearing. "Your Majesty," she greeted with a curt bow.

"Come and join me for some tea," Mineah told her. "Have a seat."

She then looked at the servant standing near the door, instructing her to serve them some snacks and tea. With that done, she turned her attention back to Dahlia. Looking at her now, it really was like she was looking at Rosela, only she had a kind and genuine aura around her.

Of course, that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t read the woman’s thoughts just to be sure.

’I hope she won’t misunderstand anything. Yes, Nikolai and I were lovers before, but everything’s changed now, and I respect Nikolai’s decision. He’s married and I have no intentions of creating a misunderstanding between them.’

Mineah smiled as she read Dahlia’s kind thoughts. It was refreshing to see, especially after she recalled how Rosela would often curse her in her thoughts before.

"I heard everything from Lai. He said you want to save Zoran, and we intend to do that as well. However, we’ll need your full cooperation about this matter," Mineah informed her. "Zoran has a powerful connection to the Demon King, so things won’t be easy, Lady Dahlia..."

’Oh please... I will do anything. Zoran is a good man, and he deserves to live and have a happy life. He only did everything he did because he wanted me to live.’

"Drink your tea and ease your mind, Lady Dahlia," Mineah remarked as soon as she read Dahlia’s thoughts again. "We’ll need careful planning and time, but rest assured that Nikolai will do everything to save Zoran."

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty..." she sobbed.

Mineah was caught off-guard as she watched Dahlia sob. "Is he that important to you?" she directly asked.

’I like him... I... I don’t want him to die because of me.’

She blinked at what she just saw in Dahlia’s thoughts. She was clearly struggling with her feelings for Zoran.

"I owe him my life, Your Majesty," Dahlia voiced out.

"We’ll do what we can," Mineah nodded in understanding. "You might also need to stay close to me for now, Dahlia. You see, you’re not truly safe yet even if you’re already in Valcrez. Devon is a very cunning demon, and I’m sure you’re already aware of what happened to Norma."

She took another deep breath as she explained, "He’s been slowly trying to infiltrate the kingdom from the inside for a while now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he still has a lot of spies roaming around even inside the palace. You mentioned to Nikolai that Devon is threatening Zoran through you, so we must ensure your safety. Still, I fully understand how you’d probably miss your own family like this."

She then added, "You can’t be with them yet, but we can arrange something so that they can visit you. How does that sound?"

Dahlia smiled at the offer. "Thank you so much for your kind gestures, Your Majesty. Please do things as you and His Majesty see fit," she sincerely stated. "I’m already more than grateful to have been given a chance for a second life, but right now, I will only be at ease if Zoran would be saved."

"I understand. If you’re in need of anything, please don’t hesitate to ask me and the rest of my ladies-in-waiting," Mineah reminded Dahlia. She then remembered something as she hummed in thought. Nikolai did say that he thought it’d be for the best if it happened. "Hmm... Nikolai would prefer that you become one of my ladies-in-waiting, but if you’re uncomfortable about it, then please don’t hesitate to tell me."

"Ah, it’s an honor and a privilege then, Your Majesty," Dahlia expressed with a smile. "I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m not uncomfortable at all."

Mineah smiled back. She was really happy that Dahlia wasn’t thinking of going back to Nikolai. All throughout their conversation, she didn’t miss a chance to read her thoughts because she wanted to make sure that there was nothing she should be worried about, and sure enough, she found nothing of the sort in her.

"Right, did you somehow bring anything with you that Zoran personally gave to you or is somehow connected with him?" she curiously asked. Tarah had a gift of clairvoyance, so she could probably be of help in locating Zoran.

Deep in thought, Dahlia looked at the bangle she was wearing and said, "This bangle. He gave me this before sending me here to Valcrez."

Mineah watched as Dahlia lovingly caressed it. "Can I borrow it for a while?"

Dahlia frowned, to which Mineah replied by explaining to her how it could become the key to locating and communicating with Zoran.

"Zoran told me not to let go of it no matter what. But if it can help to have a connection with him, then please take it," Dahlia timidly replied as she handed over the enriched multicolored bangle. "Just that... Please be careful in handling it."

"Don’t worry, I’ll return it to you unscathed," Mineah answered with a bright smile.

Grabbing the bangle, Mineah winced the moment she touched it. There was an energy surrounding the bangle, one that protected it somehow. It would seem that there was a strong protection spell around it.