"My Princess Consort... My Princess Consort has never spoken ill of the Queen Mother... She has always defended the Queen Mother. She..."
When he returned after a busy day, she would always greet him with a smile, prepare his bathwater, and personally cook delicious als for him... Whenever he and the Queen Mother had disagreents, she would diate between them... That was his Princess Consort.
It turned out that in his absence, his mother had been tornting and mistreating his Princess Consort like this.
His Princess Consort had swallowed all her grievances, hidden her tears, and faced him with the gentlest smile.
Tears stread down Kiya’s face...
He squeezed his eyes shut in anguish, utterly lost as to how he could possibly face her when they next t. The person who had hard the woman he cherished most was his own revered mother. He couldn’t avenge his love, nor could he even bring himself to utter a single word of reprimand.
"Do you think I would believe such words?" The Queen Mother regarded Paige Desmond as a complete enemy.
"Mother, the Princess Consort is a good person. Why don’t you try to understand and accept her?"
"She is a wicked woman! The most wicked woman in the world!"
Kiya gazed up at his imperious father and mother. He addressed them as "Emperor Father" and "Queen Mother," while Dylan called him "Daddy" and the Princess Consort "Mommy."
He had never truly been their son, only an heir! Therefore, they didn’t care about his happiness. They only needed a qualified heir.
Sultan sighed. "Kiya, things have co to this. You should divorce the Princess Consort. There are so many beautiful won in the world; you can have any kind you desire."
Kiya sneered, his gaze mocking his father. "Father, do you know what it feels like to fall in love with a woman? Having married so many wives, you surely don’t know what it’s like to truly love one woman.
"If you genuinely fall in love with a woman, she becos irreplaceable. Anyone else, no matter how good, is rely a substitute, just ’making do.’
"I, your son, refuse to ’make do’!
"I will agree to marry the Princess of Pelindi. But if I lose my Princess Consort, then don’t you ever think you can control again!"
Kiya continued, his voice laced with disdain, "The position of heir to Abyanabad... frankly, I don’t particularly care for it."
Sultan laughed. "Do you think I only have you as a son, so you can act with impunity?"
"I almost wish Father had more sons. That way, I could leave the Imperial Palace with my Princess Consort and live an ordinary life," Kiya said, looking at his father with sincerity in his voice.
The Queen Mother looked at Kiya disdainfully. "For that Paige Desmond, are you planning to give up your position as heir as well?"
"Queen Mother, I suddenly find this all so aningless..."
The Queen Mother pressed him sternly. "In life, one cannot always have things go their way. Kiya, it is ti for you to make a choice.
"Even if this choice causes you pain, you must make it.
"Tomorrow, you will submit a divorce application to the judge, and let the judge rule on your divorce."
"No!"
The Queen Mother looked at her son, a frantic resolve glinting in her eyes. "If you don’t divorce Paige Desmond, I will starve myself to death!"
Kiya remained silent, his expression unreadable.
The Queen Mother looked at her son sorrowfully, the grievance in her tone unconcealed. "Ever since you acquired your Princess Consort, you’ve ceased to care about , your own mother."
"Queen Mother, what exactly has Paige done that makes you dislike her so much?"
"No matter what she does, I will never like her!"
Kiya was speechless.
"From now on, I won’t eat a single grain of rice until you divorce your Princess Consort! If you don’t divorce her, I will die!"
Sultan observed the mother and son, the air crackling with tension between them, and sighed.
Gulit, who had been eavesdropping outside, could no longer restrain herself and burst into the Imperial Palace. She curtsied to Sultan, the Queen Mother, and Kiya, but as they had all just been fiercely arguing, no one was particularly receptive.
"Father, Queen Mother," Gulit said gently. "Since His Highness suspects that soone has frad the Princess Consort, please let him investigate."
"Investigate? Aren’t the facts already clear? What is there to investigate?" the Queen Mother snapped.
"But His Highness doesn’t believe it..." Gulit caught the Queen Mother’s eye, signaling subtly. "So, let His Highness investigate."
An idea sparked in the Queen Mother’s mind; this tactic of feigning retreat to advance seed truly excellent. Since Kiya didn’t believe it, let him investigate himself. She wanted to see if Kiya would still defend his Princess Consort once he discovered that those ’facts’ were indeed the truth.
"Fine! If you don’t believe it, then investigate! But once the investigation is complete and the facts are proven true, you *must* divorce the Princess Consort!"
Kiya conceded. "Very well, I will investigate! If the facts prove to be true, I agree to... divorce the Princess Consort!" He struggled to force out the word "divorce."
"Good!" The Queen Mother descended from her ornate throne, stood before her son, and struck his palm with hers, sealing their vow. "Kiya, rember what you’ve said today."
"I will rember," Kiya said dutifully. "But please, Mother, take care of your health. Do not go on a hunger strike!"
"Fine!"
Kiya bowed to his father and mother. "Father, Queen Mother, it is late. Please rest. I shall take my leave now."
With that, not waiting for their response, he imdiately turned and left.
Gulit curtsied to Sultan and the Queen Mother, then hurried out after Kiya.
Kiya walked swiftly, and Gulit had to break into a trot to catch him just outside the Queen Mother’s bedchamber.
"Your Highness!"
Kiya stopped but didn’t turn around. "Princess, it’s late. You should go and rest."
"You have an injury on your face. Let get a cold compress for you."
"Thank you, but there’s no need," he said coldly.
With that, Kiya strode off, and this ti Gulit couldn’t catch up, no matter how she tried.
She stood there, watching his tall receding figure, her thoughts a chaotic whirl.
"Kiya, you treat your Princess Consort so well... If only you could be that good to ..." she murmured, her voice tinged with envy.
「Kiya’s Bedchamber.」
When Kiya returned, Oni, having heard the news, had already prepared ice and other necessities to make a cold compress for the wound on his face.
Oni knelt before Kiya, wrapped ice cubes in a towel, and gently applied the compress to Kiya’s swollen cheek.
Kiya was usually a very gentle person, kind and warm towards his attendants. At this mont, however, his expressionless face and the chilling aura emanating from him so intimidated Oni that she hardly dared to breathe.
"Oni, do you believe the Princess Consort would commit such indecent acts?" Kiya asked.
Oni was Paige Desmond’s maid and had served by her side for many years.
"I don’t believe it. The Princess Consort is a very good person—as kind and gentle as Your Highness..."
Kiya’s gaze settled on Oni, and she quickly lowered her head.
Kiya smiled. "In this vast Imperial Palace, you’re the only one willing to believe her."
Oni quickly replied, "But doesn’t Your Highness believe the Princess Consort?"
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