Chapter 34
◎The person I like◎
Deep Blue Drawing Room, Vinoren Palace
Regas entered the reception room, the door closing behind him. He looked at the Queen seated at the head of the table and said, "Mother."
Empress Eve Sopedu was of noble birth, the eldest daughter of the Sopedu family of the Eastern Regions, and the fiancée of the former Crown Prince Enya Gamondon. After the unexpected death of Prince Enya, her position remained unshaken, and she married the succeeding Leo VI, becoming the Empress of the Silver Empire.
When Queen Eve saw Regas, her eyes welled with tears, but she quickly masked them with a smile. She said to Regas, "I knew you'd be alright." Although she had a pretty good idea of the real reason for Regas's disappearance, she couldn't help but worry. After all, there was a high chance that Regas truly wouldn't return. She prayed for him every day, hoping he would be safe. Three years of silence had almost driven her mad. But thankfully, Regas returned. He was her only child, her only hope.
“I’m sorry to have worried you.” Regas said gently, taking in Queen Eve’s expression.
“Please sit,” Queen Eve said. Her gaze hadn’t left Regas since he entered. He was her pride, her and Enya’s child, and the most outstanding man in the entire empire, perhaps even the entire universe.
Regas nodded and sat down opposite Queen Eve.
"How is your recovery going?" Although Queen Eve received daily updates on Regas's recovery and knew that he was doing well and had essentially recovered, as a mother, she couldn't help but feel worried and anxious.
“I’m fine,” Regas replied.
Is there anywhere else that's bothering you?
"No, I'm perfectly fine." Regas replied patiently to his mother's repeated inquiries out of concern, without a trace of impatience on his face.
Queen Eve carefully examined Regas again and found that his complexion and condition were indeed the same as before he disappeared, which put her mind at ease. Although she was of noble status, she was actually quite restricted, confined to the Vinoren Palace as a mascot. Even when her son was seriously injured, she could not freely leave the palace to visit him and could only learn about his condition through the reports from the physicians every day.
The entire palace was like a giant cage, trapping her and the murderer of her lover, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Both her family and the current emperor were the root causes of her predicament.
"You are my only son, how could I not worry about you?" Queen Eve gently closed her eyes, concealing the surging emotions within them, before opening them again.
"Mother, be careful what you say," Regas reminded her.
“In my heart, you are my only son!” Queen Eve took a deep breath, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred as she recalled the past. Under the cover of the royal family and the Sopedu family, the public believed she and Leo Gamondon were deeply in love and had four children. But two of them were illegitimate, not her own. And Leo Gamondon was her disgrace, a child she was forced to give birth to.
Regas quietly watched his mother, waiting for her emotions to calm down. The Deep Blue Drawing Room was exclusively for the Queen; Regas had all the equipment inside checked and reset, so nothing that happened in the drawing room could be eavesdropped on or transmitted. It was only here that Queen Eve felt somewhat free, to the point that she spoke some of her innermost thoughts.
She sighed softly and said, "I understand, and this is the only thing I can say to you."
Regas nodded slightly, then said, "It's my fault. I should have come back sooner." He had been too greedy for that fleeting stolen time. His life had already been arranged; there were no other options. Lan Hua was an unexpected twist in his plan.
"I'm already so grateful that you've returned safely," Queen Eve said. Regas's return swept away all her anxiety and unease. She seemed to have found her anchor again, and the feeling of drifting aimlessly like duckweed had vanished.
"By the way, the reason I asked you to come here is to tell you something."
“Please speak.” Although Regas had known all along the truth of why his mother had summoned him here, he always let others finish speaking.
Queen Eve gazed at Regas's incomparably handsome face, feeling both proud and honored. Her son was so outstanding as to be almost perfect, without any flaws. As a mother, she truly believed that no one could compare to her son, and no one was worthy of him.
"What do you think of your cousin?" Queen Eve asked.
The cousin Queen Eve referred to is Ida Sopedu, the beloved daughter of the current Duke Sopedu, and the current most beautiful woman in the Eastern Region. The former most beautiful woman in the Eastern Region was none other than Queen Eve when she was still a young girl. Ida Sopedu made her first public appearance at her coming-of-age ceremony, and due to her background and striking resemblance to the Queen, she was immediately crowned the most beautiful woman in the Eastern Region. Suitors flocked to the Duke's mansion, all renowned young talents from across the universe. However, Ida Sopedu rejected all of them, and the Duke Sopedu allowed her to remain unmoved.
“My cousin is doing well,” Regas said.
"Then do you think she's suitable to be the Crown Princess?" Queen Eve continued. She looked at Regas with a hint of nervousness, watching his expression, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. Although Regas was her son and had a gentle nature, she knew he always had his own ideas. While he seemed mild-mannered and easy to talk to, no one could actually make decisions for him. While she was proud of him, she instinctively felt a little intimidated by him, so she rarely interfered in his affairs.
Royal marriages involve far too many factors. Only marginalized individuals, largely ignored and therefore less likely to have a say in their own decision-making, are often seen as alliances and business deals, unrelated to love. The marriage of the Crown Prince of the Silver Empire is a focal point of power struggles among various factions.
In fact, after Regas came of age, many powerful factions coveted the position of Crown Princess, constantly exerting pressure and making overt or covert efforts to win her over. King Leo VI also wanted to use Regas's marriage as leverage. However, no one succeeded, not even the emperor himself.
Queen Eve's inquiry stemmed from two reasons. Firstly, her younger brother, the current Duke of the Eastern Region, Sopedu, was eager to forge another marriage alliance with the royal family to solidify the Eastern Region's position among the four regions. Secondly, it was no secret within noble circles that Ida Sopedu was infatuated with Regas. Of course, countless noble ladies were fond of Regas; Ida Sopedu's fame was solely due to her close relationship with Regas as cousins, giving her a greater chance of winning his heart.
Secondly, Regas was still unmarried and didn't even have a girlfriend, while Osei Gamondon was already about to have his second wedding. Queen Eve disapproved of Osei Gamondon's behavior, but seeing Osei's second wedding imminent, and looking at her seriously injured son without a lover by his side, she was very anxious. She worried that, given Regas's personality, she might never see Regas's crown princess in her lifetime. Considering all these factors, Queen Eve decided to summon Regas and tentatively mention it to him.
Queen Eve's heart raced involuntarily, fearing that Regas would be displeased. However, Regas showed no displeasure; he listened quietly to his mother's questions and observed her reactions.
“Ida is my cousin,” Regas said calmly. “That’s all.”
Regas's meaning was clear. Although Queen Eve didn't get the answer she wanted, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Regas showed no displeasure. She didn't want this matter to cause any rift between her and Regas. She said, "I understand."
However, she couldn't help but ask, "Although I don't want to interfere in your marriage, and I know no one can, as a mother, I still want to know if you have someone you love?" She knew Regas carried too much on his shoulders; compared to that, love seemed too insignificant to him. But as a mother, she still hoped that Regas hadn't lost the ability to love because of these troubles. Life is both too long and too short. If one lives only for responsibility, goals, or other reasons, in the end, looking back, one might feel somewhat lonely and regretful.
Upon hearing this, Regas's lips curved into a smile, a fleeting but genuine expression of joy. "Mm."
"Who was that person?" Queen Eve asked with a hint of surprise. She knew that Regas wouldn't joke about this just to appease her. Besides, she had seen Regas's expression just now, and compared to his usual gentle and refined exterior, that expression revealed Regas's true feelings.
Regas chuckled and said, "I will bring him to see you once things are truly settled."
Queen Eve was taken aback. This was something she hadn't expected; there was someone even Regas couldn't handle… This surprised her, and it also aroused a strong curiosity about the person Regas liked.
Queen Eve smiled: "I'm very curious about who this person is."
Regas seemed to have thought of something and chuckled softly, "He's a very interesting person." However, there was no genuine beginning between them, and their views on love were far too distorted. He, on the other hand, had fallen in first, so he was destined to suffer more; he didn't want to end up following the same path as before.
Regas glanced at the time, stood up, and said, "If there's nothing else, I have a meeting later."
“No,” Queen Eve said. “I just wanted to see if you were alright. Everything else was just incidental.”
Regas smiled and said, "I understand." That's why he came all this way.
"And..." Queen Eve's eyes sharpened, "Be careful of the Emperor." The most uneasy about Regas's return was not the princes who coveted the position of Crown Prince, but Leo VI.
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