CHAPTER 333: MELINDA’S ANGER

"Lady Isabella! It’s urgent! The Third Concubine is storming onto your grounds in a rage! She demands to see Prince Nolan!"

Upon hearing this, Isabella, Elina, Nolan, and Rafine were visibly shocked. They turned toward the source of the news and saw Miya.

"The Third Concubine is here, and she’s here for Nolan?" Isabella repeated, glancing at her son with curiosity.

"That’s right, my lady," Miya replied with several quick nods. She looked at Nolan before continuing, "I don’t know why she wants to see His Highness, but she said it’s something very important and wants to meet him right away."

Isabella was silent for a moment before saying calmly, "I don’t know what business you have with Melinda, Nolan. But as a man, you must handle it properly. Understand?"

Her gaze carried a clear implication, and Nolan couldn’t help but feel the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Mother, you misunderstand," he sighed softly. "There’s nothing like that between me and the Third Concubine. Do you really think I’d be that cruel to Father?"

Isabella shrugged lightly. "I can’t tell whether it’s true or not. But only you know the answer. Just make sure you resolve it quickly before it escalates."

Her son was exceptionally handsome, and she knew it well. So, one or two unexpected troubles were always possible, especially with his unreliable nature.

"Huh..." Nolan exhaled softly and nodded. "Alright, I understand."

He turned to Miya and said, "Let her in. I’ll talk to her."

Miya felt relieved, nodded, and quickly turned to leave.

Elina, who had been listening the whole time, looked confused and uncertain.

"Mother, what were you and my brother talking about?" She asked curiously.

Isabella was about to answer, but Nolan suddenly stood up and moved behind her.

"Ahem! Mother, are your shoulders sore? How about letting your handsome son give you a massage? Coincidentally, I’ve learned a few techniques."

Without waiting for her response, he began massaging Isabella’s shoulders attentively. Isabella simply smiled and shook her head.

"You don’t need to know. You’re still a child," Isabella replied casually, closing her eyes.

Elina: "..."

A few minutes later, Miya returned with Melinda. Unlike before—when she looked glamorous and radiant—Melinda now appeared miserable.

Her long hair was loose and slightly messy. Her skin looked dry and pale, and her face had thinned, as if she hadn’t eaten properly for days.

She wore a golden dress that was also a bit disheveled. When her eyes met Nolan’s, her dull expression instantly turned to fury.

"Nolan Lorian..." she growled, taking a step forward, but Miya quickly restrained her.

"Third Concubine, please control your emotions! Remember your promise not to act rashly!"

Upon hearing that, Melinda’s anger subsided slightly, though it didn’t disappear completely.

Isabella’s expression remained calm from the beginning, as if she didn’t care about whatever was happening between her son and Melinda.

She stood up and turned to Nolan behind her. "Settle this quickly, and don’t involve your father. Otherwise, it’ll be hard for me to calm him down."

With those words, she glanced at Rafine and Elina, gave a brief nod, then walked away.

Elina and Rafine immediately understood the meaning behind her gaze. They both stood up, exchanged a glance with Nolan, and followed Isabella out.

They knew this matter might involve some of Nolan’s secrets, so they chose not to ask any further questions.

After they left, only Miya, Nolan, and Melinda remained. Miya bowed slightly to Nolan, then quietly exited, leaving the two alone.

Facing Melinda, who was visibly furious, Nolan remained calm and composed, as if nothing could shake him.

"So, what brings you here, Third Concubine?" Nolan asked coolly as he walked over to the seat his mother had just vacated and sat down.

"Don’t play dumb, Nolan!" Melinda shouted, stepping toward him with both hands raised as if she intended to strangle him.

Nolan didn’t move, allowing her to act as she wished.

When Melinda finally grabbed his collar, she yanked him forward and screamed in rage, "Zarak’s death... It must be your doing, right? Tell me! Argh! You’re so cruel, Nolan!"

When she first heard the news of her son’s death, Melinda felt as if her head had been struck by a giant hammer. The world spun violently before everything went black.

When she regained consciousness, she prayed it was just a hallucination—but the truth was undeniable: her son was dead.

Her father had vanished, his whereabouts unknown, and most believed he was already dead. Zarak had been the only family Melinda had left.

And now, he too was gone from her life. The woman who had always seen herself as strong and unyielding finally realized how fragile she truly was.

She ordered her subordinates to find the culprit at any cost. Of course, the results hadn’t come out yet, so she had no proof.

Still, in her heart, one name stood out clearly—Nolan.

She was certain that Nolan was responsible for her son’s death.

Meanwhile, Nolan, staggering from Melinda’s repeated pulls, frowned and shoved her away.

Melinda flew backward, hitting the ground hard.

She groaned in pain, clutching her aching back.

"Third Concubine, I respect you as one of my father’s wives, but that doesn’t mean you can accuse me as you please," Nolan said coldly as he stood up, straightening his collar that Melinda had just pulled. "I only learned about Zarak’s death myself. How could you accuse me of being the culprit?"

Melinda rose unsteadily, her expression dazed for a moment before hardening once more.

"Don’t lie, Nolan! You’re the only one who had a conflict with me over the Red Obsidian Trading House! You must’ve gotten rid of my son because you felt threatened by him, right?" she shouted through clenched teeth.

Nolan frowned. "Didn’t I tell you not to accuse me without proof? Now tell me—what evidence do you have that I did it? As for our dispute over the Red Obsidian Trading House, that’s already in the past. There’s no reason for me to kill Zarak over something like that. Besides, I was the one who won—or rather, your sister was."

A mocking smile curved his lips, leaving Melinda speechless, her words caught in her throat.

"You..." she began, but Nolan stretched lazily and cut her off.

"I understand you’re devastated by Zarak’s death. But think about it—your son was one of the candidates for the throne. That alone made him a threat to my other brothers. If you were in their place, wouldn’t you try to get rid of him?"

Hearing that, Melinda froze. Her expression wavered between confusion and disbelief. Overwhelmed by grief, she had nearly forgotten that fact.

Yes, it wasn’t only Nolan she should suspect—the other princes had motives as well. After all, Zarak’s death didn’t benefit Nolan in the slightest.

On the contrary, it was the other princes who stood to gain from it.

Seeing her fall silent, Nolan smiled faintly and murmured under his breath, Fight among yourselves... and I’ll be watching from the shadows... hehehe...