Chapter 238 The Villain Lady Arrives 66
The Third Prince was silent for a moment, as if he was weighing the pros and cons, or looking for words. His gaze lingered between the Duke and Vivian, and finally fixed on Vivian's eyes that contained contempt but seemed to hide a hint of expectation.
"Vivian," he spoke softly, his tone softer and more sincere than ever before, "I know I have made an unforgivable mistake. I betrayed our engagement and your heart. But please believe me, I have never thought of hurting you, and I have never forgotten the friendship between us."
He paused, as if to give himself courage, and also as if to give Vivian time to digest. Then, he continued:
"I am willing to bear all the consequences, even if it means breaking off the engagement, I will have no complaints. But I hope that you can give me a chance to make up for the harm I have done to you. I know it is difficult, but I am willing to spend the rest of my life trying to gain your forgiveness."
Having said that, a hint of determination flashed in the eyes of the third prince. He took a deep breath, as if he wanted to concentrate all his determination on this moment.
"Vivian, I am willing to marry you and fulfill my promise to you. At the same time, I also hope that you can accept Alice's existence. She is equally important to me. I know this is selfish, but I really don't want to lose either of you."
As soon as the third prince finished speaking, Vivian seemed to be touched. Her face turned pale in an instant, and anger shot out of her eyes.
"You are so shameless!" she shouted angrily, "Who do you think you are? You can manipulate other people's feelings at will? You betrayed your engagement, and you want me to accept your betrayal calmly? And you also want me to accept the existence of another woman? You are really fanciful!"
Every word Vivian said was like a sharp arrow shot at the Third Prince, leaving him nowhere to hide. His face turned pale, and his eyes were filled with guilt and helplessness.
He knew how difficult it would be for Vivian to accept his request, but he still held on to a glimmer of hope, hoping to gain her understanding and forgiveness.
However, the Duke did not give him this opportunity. He looked at the Third Prince coldly, his eyes full of disgust and contempt.
"Is this the upbringing of the royal family?" he sneered, "Betraying your wife, abandoning her after having an affair, and expecting your fiancée to accept such an absurd thing? I am really ashamed of the royal family!"
The Duke's words made the Third Prince's face even uglier. He bit his lower lip tightly, as if he wanted to swallow all the humiliation. He knew how unbearable he was in front of the Duke at the moment, but he could not refute it because it was all his own fault.
At this moment, the king and queen suddenly appeared at the door of the hall. They had obviously heard the previous conversation, and their faces were filled with complicated expressions.
The king looked at the third prince with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. He had placed high hopes on this son, but now, he had disappointed him so much. The queen looked at the third prince distressedly, knowing that her son was now under unprecedented pressure and humiliation.
"Your Excellency the Duke, please calm down." The king broke the silence. "This matter was our royal family's fault. I am willing to apologize to you in person and give you satisfactory compensation."
The Duke's expression softened slightly at the king's words, but he still looked at the Third Prince coldly, and it was clear that he had not completely calmed down.
"Compensation?" He snorted coldly, "What can you compensate me for? Can you afford to compensate my daughter's youth and feelings?"
The king was choked by the Duke's words. He knew that no matter what he said, he could not calm the Duke's anger. So he turned his eyes to Vivian, hoping that she could give a clear attitude.
However, Vivian did not look at him. Her eyes were always fixed on the Third Prince, as if she wanted to see through him. After a long time, she slowly said, "Third Prince, do you really think that I will accept your shameless request?"
Her tone was calm, as if she was talking about something that had nothing to do with her. But it was this calmness and determination that made the Third Prince completely despair. He had completely lost Vivian's heart, and also lost the support of the forces behind her.
"Vivian, I..." The third prince started to speak, but he didn't know what to say. He knew that no matter what he said at this moment, it would be in vain, because everything was irreversible.
The third prince wanted to say something more, but no sound came out after moving his lips a few times. His eyes were full of helplessness and confusion, as if he had lost his way in the thick fog. His momentary impulse and selfishness had already led to irreversible consequences, and at this moment, no matter how many words he said, they seemed so pale and powerless.
The king looked coldly at his once proud son, and disappointment surged in his heart. He felt that the third prince had brought disgrace upon the royal family, and such a son was no longer worthy of his hope.
So, he announced in a deep voice: "From this moment on, the engagement between the Third Prince and Vivian is cancelled."
As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the hall. A hint of interest flashed across Vivian's face, while the Third Prince seemed to have his soul sucked out, standing there in a daze, unable to move.
The king ignored the commotion in the hall and continued to speak to Vivian:
"To express our royal family's apology, I will reward you with many precious things as compensation." After saying this, he waved his hand to signal the servants to present the apology that had been prepared long ago.
Vivian looked at the dazzling array of treasures, but her heart was not moved. She nodded slightly to show her gratitude, then turned and left gracefully. Her back gradually disappeared in the hall, as if taking away the last glimmer of hope in the heart of the Third Prince.
The queen felt a pang of pain in her heart when she saw her son's distraught look. But she knew that she had to be strong at this moment and hold up the sky for her son. So she raised her face, forced out a fake smile, and comforted him:
"You are still young and haven't encountered many things. This incident should be regarded as a lesson."
The third prince nodded woodenly, but his eyes were still unfocused. The queen sighed and continued:
"That commoner girl, Alice, seduced you and made you lose your mind. But you have to understand that as a member of the royal family, you cannot be fooled by these things."
Hearing the name "Alice", the Third Prince's eyes finally showed a slight wave. He lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice: "Mother, I know I was wrong. But Alice did not seduce me, I love her."
The queen was somewhat relieved to hear her son's words, but she was also very angry to hear her son's support for the commoner girl. So, she gently patted the third prince on the shoulder and said:
"It's good that you know you were wrong. You still have a long way to go. You have to learn from this failure and get back on your feet. Also, Alice doesn't want your identity or your gold coins. So what does she want from you? You're still young and can't see clearly. Go back and think about it carefully."
The third prince raised his head and looked at his mother's concerned eyes. A warm current surged in his heart. He took a deep breath and nodded firmly: "Mother, I will."
Although the engagement has been cancelled, and although he has lost Vivian's heart and the support of the forces behind him, the Third Prince knows that he cannot sink into despair. He must stand up again, for himself and for those who still care about him.