Chapter 101: Insurance Policy
Nikolai felt uneasy as he paced back and forth. Since he was unable to get inside the Amaranth Palace, he was effectively blind even as this whole situation about Mineah and black magic slowly unraveled in real time. It was only a good thing Nik was there to be his eyes and ears, enabling him to see just how exactly things were being handled.
[How are things over there?] he asked Nik as he let out a grunt of worry and anxiety.
[Master is doing her best to keep the situation from slipping away from her control,] Nik reported without so much as a hint of its usual cocky attitude. [Rosela is being problematic, but Master is handling the situation.]
He let out a sigh of relief at the news. It was such a relief that his wife was capable of protecting herself. Even as Rosela was doing her best to seemingly oust her from being his queen, Mineah was skillful enough to keep playing the game of politics that was constantly being thrust onto her by people that quite literally had decades of experience over her.
"Rosela..."
And speaking of her... He was very disappointed to see that his childhood friend and sister in all but blood was acting in such a way. He knew that she loved him romantically, but he didn’t think she’d stoop this low to the point of even committing crimes just to be with him.
"Why do this..." he grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You’re so much better than this..."
It was horrendous. Nikolai truly trusted Rosela after all the years they’d spent together. She took her council seriously, and he practically owed her his life for her letting him feed her during his monthly cravings.
Unfortunately, it would seem that it was still wasn’t enough for her. Even after he made it perfectly clear to her that he’d give her everything she wanted so long as she let him go as a romantic interest, she would still rather risk her life and stand like this just to seat herself on the throne by his side...