"Do you mean .. my grandmother?" asked the young man in a tired voice. "I was thinking the same."

Emma was surprised at Therius' words. It turned out that the young man also had the same suspicion as she!

"Do you think she was the mastermind?" asked Emma. She grabbed Therius by the shoulder emotionally. "Bastard old witch!"

Her tears streamed down, out of intense anger. Emma still didn't want to see any news about her father's execution. She couldn't bring herself to do it. But when she read Kira's mind, she had found out that her father was hanged in the square like it was the barbarian era.

The Akkadian government made her father's death a spectacle and humiliated Kaoshin on his execution. Thinking about it made her heart sank.

During dinner at the king's palace, Emma tried her best to keep herself from showing emotions on the surface.?It really required a lot of effort to keep herself sane during her act.

Emma had pretended to be amiable before King Cassius to let her leave Akkadia. Unexpectedly, her visit to the king's palace actually gave her clues about who was actually responsible for her father's death.

At first, Emma thought it was all just her suspicion. She didn't know whether her intuition made sense or not, that the queen was behind all the schemes. However, when she heard that Therius was actually suspecting the same thing, her mind became a mess and her chest churned with anger. She was convinced that her suspicion was accurate.

"Emma .." Therius looked at Emma's hand that was gripping his shoulder and gently touched it. "I will not defend my grandmother. In this world, you are the one I consider important. If you want to take your revenge on her, I will help you."

Emma looked up and stared at Therius, with a moved expression. Tears streamed down her cheeks again after she managed to hold back from crying for almost one week. If their suspicion was correct ... if Queen Ygrit was really the mastermind behind all this ... how could Emma take revenge?

Going against the queen was the same as going against the Akkadian empire itself. Emma was just a young girl who didn't have the power to back her up. Even if she managed to muster all the troops from Thaesi, they would never win against Akkadia.

A war would only cause suffering and misery among the people of the countries involved. Not only would Thaesi be repressed again, much worse than before, but there would be so many people dying ... then in the end, Thaesi would still lose.

Then what would happen to Emma? She would remain as the princess from a colony whose fate rested in the Akkadian rulers' hands. She would be forever under their mercy. Her grudges would never be avenged, and the evil old queen would have the last laugh.

"Therius ..." Emma pulled her hands and cupped her face with both hands, hiding her tears. She sobbed poignantly.

The man was surprised to see Emma suddenly crying. Earlier, he saw Emma looking angry and vengeful. But .. why was she crying now?

He instinctively pulled Emma to his chest and let the girl cry there. Therius hugged her body tightly as if sharing her sadness with her. He understood that Emma was finally grieving for her father properly.

Twenty-one years ago, when his father passed away, Therius was still too young. When his mother died not long after, he was too numb to grief.

A few weeks later, the realization dawn on him that his parents had left him forever. They would never come back, and he was alone. Only then could Therius grief. He cried for days until his eyes were swollen, and his body became weak.

"I'm sorry," was all Therius could say. He didn't want to say unnecessary things. Since Emma heard the news of her father's death, she hadn't grieved and cried openly like this.

During the past few days, she tried hard to hold back her tears. She thought tears were of no use at all. She forgot that she would only be able to grief properly by crying and let out all her sadness and anger.

Earlier that evening, when she met Queen Ygrit and realized that the queen was the mastermind behind her father's death, Emma's felt her heart was broken into a million little pieces.

How could she avenge her father? She was just a young woman who had no power. How could she make the queen pay for her crimes?

Therius let Emma cry on his chest until she couldn't shed anymore tear. His shirt was wet, but the man didn't mind at all. He calmly rubbed Emma's back, until finally, Emma calmed down.

Therius thought Emma had to vent all her sadness and anger so they wouldn't eat her from the inside.

"Have you calmed down?" asked the prince in a soft voice after he did not hear the sound of crying anymore.

Emma took a deep breath and pulled away from Therius. She nodded softly. The girl finally looked up and stared at Therius earnestly.

"Therius ... did you mean what you said earlier at the dinner?" asked the girl in a hoarse voice.

"Which one?" asked Therius. He could guess where Emma's question was going, but he wanted to confirm it.

"You said you are willing to be my collateral. If I ran away and didn't return to Akkadia, would you really be willing to step down from your position as the crown prince and lose the throne?" Emma asked Therius. Her pair of topaz eyes stared at the man intently. Trying to find just a speck of a lie in his eyes.

'You don't know this, Emma ...

Since you saved my life back then, I live only for you. I will do anything for you.'

Therius could only say those words to himself. He couldn't tell Emma because he was afraid that Emma would think he was crazy and the serene atmosphere they were experiencing now would be ruined.

"I do mean it," said Therius.

Emma stared at him for a long time and nodded softly as she found that there was not the slightest lie in the man's eyes.

"If I disappear .. are you ready to lose the throne?" Emma asked again.

"Do you want to disappear?" asked Therius. "Are you planning to disappear in Thaesi and never come back here? What about Haoran?"

Emma bit her lip. She tried to lie, but for some reason, under Therius' sharp gaze when their faces were only inches away, Emma could not tell a lie. She replied honestly. "I will ask Xion to take him away."

Therius sighed. "If Xion takes him away, Haoran will die."

"No. My father's friend, Leon—"

"Leon Kava?" Therius interrupted Emma. "Is he the one you meant?"

Emma frowned. "Do you know him?"

Therius gave Emma a look of concern. "Leon Kava is part of the traitors who were executed together with your father. I guess you didn't know this."

Instantly Emma's body staggered backward. She did not expect that the only person she hoped would be able to help her heal Haoran, was actually sentenced to death together with her father.

This was really unexpected. Her only hope was suddenly destroyed and now Emma didn't know what to do.

What else was there for her to live for? Emma had heard from various doctors who examined Haoran's condition that her husband could never recover unless there was a miracle. Emma had been holding out hope because she thought she would be able to meet her father's best friend, who had healing abilities, Leon.

But now, that hope was also gone. Then ... what else was there for her?

It was because of Queen Ygrit's cunning plan ... all was just to make Therius marry Yldwyn.

Therius hurriedly grabbed Emma's body and supported her. He understood what happened the moment Emma mentioned Leon's name.

Leon Kava was one of the most respected sanomancers in Akkadia. Unfortunately, the man disobeyed the king's order to heal Prince Darius, Therius' uncle, ten years ago, because he wanted to protest his friend Kaoshin's punishment.

The man was also sentenced to prison as a traitor. And last week, when Kaoshin was executed, Leon was executed along with his best friend. Both men were apparently destined to live and die together.

Therius could guess that Emma wanted to ask Leon to heal Haoran. She would then run away from Akkadia and leave Therius to face the consequences.

The prince looked at Emma, feeling disappointed.

Why was Emma so heartless toward him? Didn't she think about his feelings at all? After all that he did for her?

"So .. Leon is also dead, huh ..." muttered Emma in a barely audible voice. "It's all because of that old hag..."

Therius saw Emma's expression change. Her hands clenched back into fists to her sides.

"Do you want to disappear and leave me to suffer the consequences?" Therius asked Emma.

The girl turned to him and fell silent. She had thought of all the possibilities, but she did not think that even Leon had died. Her hopes to get a cure for Haoran were gone.

Then, if she fled from Therius, not only would war break out and cause much suffering, but the Akkadian throne would also fall into the hands of Prince Yared. He might become a worse ruler than Therius.

From any perspective, it would bad if Emma left. Wouldn't it be better if Therius became the king of Akkadia? Didn't he promise Emma to free all their colonies if Emma was willing to marry him?

Then ... wasn't Emma's best revenge against Queen Ygrit was to actually marry?Therius? This would make the old hag think all her plans and efforts were in vain.

"Therius ... if I asked you to punish Queen Ygrit for her crimes against my family ... would you be on my side?" asked Emma with a hoarse voice. She looked at the man with a deep gaze. "Are you willing to kill Queen Ygrit once you ascend the Akkadian throne? Will you do it for me?"

Therius nodded without hesitation and answered firmly, "I will."

Emma took a deep breath. "Then ... I am willing to marry you."