At the academy, Philip, despite staying away from every kind of affair that surrounded Zora or Kael... he was confident that Kael wouldn’t dare to do anything to him inside the academy grounds, whether Kael was from a top guild or not.
And here, Philip thought that he was still safer because of his father. This is Elysia, and he is the Crown Prince and the future Emperor. Who would have expected the one he bullied for years to turn out to be soone who can topple his fate in an instant?
Philip grew extrely anxious with that layer of protection no longer visible.
At once, whatever resentnt he once harbored toward Prince Kael completely vanished from Philip’s heart. All that remained was a single thought, heavy and urgent. He could only hope that Kael would be willing to forgive everything he had done.
Otherwise, if Kael truly wished to take his life, he would have no power to resist.
Suddenly, Philip frowned, as sothing clicked in his mind. "If that’s the case, then isn’t it even stranger that Kael married Zora?"
If Kael were rely an ordinary prince, such a marriage would not have raised eyebrows. But with such an exalted identity that even surpasses the Emperor, even if Zora were the general’s daughter, she should not have been worthy of him.
Just as Prince Kael had once been able to refuse an imperial marriage outright, he could have rejected this one as well. Why, then, had he agreed?
Empress Penelope shook her head slowly. "That... I don’t know either. From what I can tell, the most likely reason is simply that Kael truly likes Zora. That is why he married her."
Aside from that explanation, she could think of nothing else.
For three years, Prince Kael had remained in Elysia without any movent from Heaven’s Gate. Because of that, both she and Alexander gradually assud that the possibility of his return was becoming smaller and smaller.
It was precisely because of this that their concern over Prince Kael’s situation gradually faded.
At the beginning, both Empress Penelope and Alexander truly believed that the guild would soon send soone to retrieve Prince Kael.
During that period, they treated him with courtesy, ensuring he was well fed and well housed, unwilling to leave any room for fault. Later, as ti passed and that hope beca increasingly distant, their vigilance loosened. Little by little, they stopped paying attention, convincing themselves that nothing would co of it.
In their hearts, Prince Kael’s position was quietly lowered again.
Even so, there was one thing they were very clear about.
If Prince Kael had truly refused the marriage back then, neither she nor Alexander would have dared to force him. Precisely because of this, when Prince Kael agreed to the marriage so readily, both of them were genuinely surprised.
Thinking about it now, Penelope finally understood. Prince Kael had never agreed because of pressure from them. He had rely taken advantage of the situation and gone along with it.
A trace of gloom passed through Prince Philip’s eyes. Zora had originally been his fiancée. It was his own blindness, his own lack of discernnt, that had allowed her to beco Prince Kael’s consort instead.
Compared to that, Prince Kael’s insight was truly remarkable. Being able to see Zora’s worth so clearly had turned into the greatest regret of Prince Philip’s life.
"Mother," Prince Philip asked in a low voice, worry evident on his face, "Will I be okay?"
If Prince Kael chose to pursue old grievances, they would have no easy way out. Perhaps the only thing that could save him is to quietly slip out of the Imperial City and run back to the academy. It is the only place that can save him.
Empress Penelope’s expression was no better. Her brows were tightly knit as she shook her head. "I don’t know. At this point, the initiative is no longer in our hands. Everything depends on Kael’s intentions."
Hearing this, Prince Philip felt a deep heaviness settle in his chest. All his life, he had believed his status to be lofty. Even after entering the academy, his identity as a prince still brought him admiration and deference. Though he never entered the special enrollnt class, his reputation within the academy was far from weak.
He had once thought that Zora would one day regret marrying Kael. Now he finally realized that he himself was the frog at the bottom of the well.
His so-called noble status was nothing compared to Kael’s true background. In Prince Kael’s eyes, he was likely nothing more than a joke.
After a long silence, Empress Penelope finally spoke. "I plan to host a banquet. We’ll invite Kael and Zora. This is our chance to ease the tension and find a way to resolve this matter."
A glimr of calculation appeared in her eyes. With everything now in Kael’s control, this was the only path left to them. They had to draw a clear line and show their stance.
She believed Kael would also understand that many of the actions taken back then were driven by orders from above. As long as they pushed the responsibility away from themselves and showed sincerity, Kael should be able to see reason.
At the very least, the price they would pay would not be unbearable.
Prince Philip nodded slowly. "I will personally apologize to Prince Kael."
Now, he was no longer foolish enough to cling to the pride of being a prince. Though he once despised Kael, he also knew that Kael was not a petty man.
If he took the initiative and apologized sincerely, there was a chance Kael would not pursue the matter too harshly.
In truth, this was their only option. If Kael refused to accept it, then he could only bear the consequences of his past actions or escape to the academy for the shelter and hope he wouldn’t be caught on the way.
Seeing Prince Philip’s resolve, Empress Penelope finally let out a breath of relief. "As long as you can think this way, I can finally put my heart at ease."
Her greatest fear was that Prince Philip would refuse to lower his head. If that happened, their situation would beco truly dire.
"Mother, don’t worry," Prince Philip said firmly. "I understand what must be done."
This path, no matter how humiliating it felt, was the only one left to him.
"By the way," Empress Penelope said after a brief pause, her brows knitting slightly, "what do you plan to do about Scarlet?"
Now that she had finally settled on a way to deal with Kael, her thoughts naturally turned to Prince Philip’s lifelong matter. Originally, as the Crown Prince, it should never have been difficult for Prince Philip to choose a suitable consort. Yet, for reasons she could no longer explain, every woman he had chosen ended up bringing trouble.
Zora went without saying. Luna had been disfigured and then died during the royal hunt. As for the final choice, the Pri Minister’s daughter, Scarlet... Empress Penelope had not even seen her in person, but the freckles on her face were already known throughout the capital. Judging by the Pri Minister’s evasive attitude, the situation was clearly not minor.
A Crown Princess would one day beco the Empress, the face of the empire. If her face were covered in freckles, how would that look in the eyes of the people? How could she command respect and manage the inner palace?
And yet, if the engagent were annulled again and another Crown Princess selected, Prince Philip would beco a laughingstock. A betrothal changed again and again before the bride even entered the palace would hardly be seen as honorable.
The more Empress Penelope thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. If she had known it would co to this, she would never have allowed Prince Philip to so easily annul the engagent with Zora. At least then, none of these troubleso matters would have followed.
Hearing his mother’s question, Prince Philip frowned as well, a trace of impatience flashing through his eyes. Lately, he felt increasingly weary whenever this marriage was ntioned.
"Mother," he said after a mont, "your son is focusing on cultivation right now. I truly have no interest in these matters. Why not put it aside for the ti being?"
"How can that be allowed?" Empress Penelope imdiately objected, her tone firm. "You are the Crown Prince. Establishing a Crown Princess early is beneficial, not harmful. Only then will the civil and military officials truly regard you as an adult."
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