Chapter 245 The Villain Lady Arrives 73
The Third Prince felt mixed emotions when he heard this. He slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were no longer filled with pure anger and hatred, but were interwoven with complex emotions—remorse for the past, helplessness about the current situation, and determination for the future. He stared at Chi Meng, and his eyes seemed to be able to penetrate all disguises and reach the depths of her soul.
"Regret?" The Third Prince sneered. His voice was hoarse but full of unquestionable power. "If I say regret, I regret not seeing your true face. What I regret even more is that because of my momentary emotional fluctuations, I put the country and my family in such danger. However, I will never regret any decision I have made, including breaking off the engagement with you."
His words were powerful, and every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of everyone present. Chi Meng's face changed slightly, but soon returned to that mysterious smile. She didn't seem to care about the accusation of the Third Prince, but looked at him with an almost pitying look.
"Third Prince, you are wrong. Many things in this world are not black and white, and are not something you and I can easily judge. As for the engagement between you and me, it is just a chess piece in the power struggle. Your and my breaking off the engagement is just a small episode in this big drama, and it cannot change anything." Chi Meng's voice was calm and deep, as if he could see into the deepest secrets of people's hearts.
The Third Prince was furious when he heard this, he struggled violently to stand up, but the chains prevented him from moving. He could only stare at Chi Meng with eyes wide open, viciously, as if he wanted to devour her with his eyes.
"You and your father have evil ambitions and have long wanted to overthrow the royal family and seize the world! The cancellation of the engagement is just part of your plan! No matter what choice I make, I cannot escape your calculations!"
Chi Meng shook his head slightly, a barely perceptible sadness flashing in his eyes. "Third Prince, you are too naive. The power struggle in this world is far more complicated than you think. Your father and I do have our own ambitions and plans, but all of this is not entirely out of selfish desires. What we pursue is a more just and prosperous country, not the current corrupt royal rule."
"That's enough!" The Third Prince interrupted her, his voice filled with anger and disdain, "What you call 'justice' and 'prosperity' is nothing but built on the suffering and sacrifice of countless people! For your own ambitions, you are willing to sacrifice the peace and stability of the entire country. Such behavior is no different from that of beasts!"
Chi Meng was silent for a moment, as if she was thinking about something. Then, she slowly said, "Third Prince, you may not understand our thoughts. Everything we do is for a greater goal. As for Alice you mentioned, she is indeed an innocent victim. But in this game of power, no one can be immune."
When the Third Prince mentioned Alice, his eyes softened instantly. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner excitement, and then slowly said: "Alice, she is the most important person in my life. No matter what happens, I will not let her get hurt. If you dare to do anything to her, I swear, even if it means death, I will make you pay the price!"
When the queen and the king heard this, they could not help but feel a complex emotion. They were touched by their son's deep affection, but also worried about his stubbornness and impulsiveness. The king could not help but scold him, "How can you be so impulsive? This is a matter of life and death for us. You should think more about how to get out of this predicament instead of talking nonsense here!"
The queen also quickly agreed, "Yes, your father is right. The most important thing now is how to survive, not to care about those romantic relationships. Alice is important, but our family and our country need you more."
However, the Third Prince shook his head firmly, his eyes full of determination and resolve. "Mother, Father, I know you are doing this for my own good. But in my heart, Alice is everything to me. If I can't even protect her, what's the point of me living?"
The king and queen felt sad when they heard this.
The king's face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip from it. He pursed his lips tightly, and stared into the third prince's eyes full of determination with a sharp gaze, feeling mixed emotions.
He had never seen his son so stubborn, so disregarding the overall situation, especially at this critical moment, he was so impulsive for a commoner woman. A surge of anger rose up in his heart, and he stood up suddenly, his wide sleeves swaying slightly with the movement, but he could not hide his imposing aura.
"You! You really disappoint me!" The king's voice was low and powerful. Every word was like a hammer, hitting everyone's heart, especially the third prince. He felt an unprecedented pressure coming upon him, almost making him breathless.
Seeing this, the queen hurriedly stepped forward, trying to ease the tense atmosphere. She stretched out her hand, gently placed it on the king's arm, and said softly, "Your Majesty, calm down. He was just in a hurry at the moment, and he didn't mean to contradict you."
However, the king seemed not to have heard the queen's words. He shook off the queen's hand and continued to scold: "In a moment of impatience? He is overwhelmed by emotions! Do you know where we are now? We are imprisoned here, and our lives are uncertain, and he is still here fighting for a woman. It's so stupid!"
The queen felt a pang of pain when she heard this. She knew that the king's anger was not without reason, but she felt even more sorry for her son. Looking at his face twisted by anger and despair, her heart felt like it was being stabbed by a needle. She spoke again, with a hint of pleading in her voice:
"Your Majesty, please calm down. He...he just loves Alice too much, and he can't bear to see her get hurt. We...we should understand him."
The king became even angrier when he heard this. He turned around abruptly, glared at the queen like a knife, and said sternly:
"Understand? How can you expect me to understand? He is a prince, but he is so disregarding of the overall situation, his family, and his country! If he really loves that woman, he should be more rational and cautious instead of talking nonsense here and putting all of us in danger!"
The queen was frightened by the king's anger, but she still suppressed her fear and continued, "Your Majesty, you are right. He does need to grow up and learn to face problems more rationally. But please believe me, he did not do it on purpose. He...he is just too young."
The king snorted coldly, obviously not buying the queen's words. He sat down again, clenched his hands into fists, placed them on his knees, and stared at the third prince with a sharp gaze, as if he wanted to see through him.
"Young? This is no excuse for him to make mistakes! As a prince, he must shoulder his responsibilities and learn to make the right choices at critical moments! Instead of being clouded by emotions and making such stupid decisions like he is now!" The king's voice was full of disappointment and anger, and his words were like a sharp blade, cutting into the third prince's heart one by one.
The third prince lowered his head and remained silent. He knew he was wrong, but he knew even more clearly that he could not give up Alice. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his inner excitement and anger. When he opened his eyes again, the previous impulse and determination were no longer in his eyes, but replaced by a deep determination and resoluteness.
"Father, Mother, I know I was wrong. But please allow me to say one more thing. Alice is more than just a woman to me. She is my faith and my soul mate. I cannot imagine life without her, and I cannot tolerate her coming to any harm. So, no matter what the outcome, I will do my best to protect her." The third prince's voice was calm and firm. Every word seemed to come from the bottom of his heart, filled with unquestionable power.
The king and queen were overwhelmed with mixed emotions when they heard this. They were touched by their son's deep affection, but also helpless by his stubbornness and impulsiveness. The king sighed and shook his head, as if he wanted to say something, but finally closed his mouth.
The queen stepped forward and gently stroked the third prince's head, her eyes full of love and care. "My child, we understand your feelings. But please remember that you are our son and the future of the country. Every decision you make is related to the rise and fall of your family and the fate of the country. So, please think twice before making a decision."
The third prince nodded, his eyes slightly red. He looked at the queen gratefully, then turned to the king again and said solemnly: "Father, please rest assured. I will remember your words, and I will become more rational and mature. But please allow me to ask you again, no matter what, please protect Alice's safety. She is the most important person in my life."