"Is this the thing called love?"
His father was so shocked he was speechless. He never expected his son to ask this kind of question. He could not believe this to come out of his mouth.
"Son, I thought you did not meet Lady Melina. Why would your heart thump then?" The Emperor thought it was his fiancé that caused his heart thumping. He likes the lady for his son, so he suggested to the Lady's father of their marriage. But his son did not show interest to the lady. His son did not reject it either. So, he assumed he accepted the marriage willingly since he did not respond nor protested when he mentioned this before.
"I did not meet her father. It's a different woman." He responded indifferently. But when he remembered the woman's veil, then the face, then the eyes, lastly her hands. He smiled unconciously.
The emperor who was in a trance when he mentioned that it's another a woman, was yet again in a deeper trance when he saw his son smiling.
He thought that he was the most charming man when he smiled although he was a guy himself.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The Emperor laughed his heart out. He was too happy because finally his son felt like a real human.
Almost everyone in the palace heard his joyous laugh. The servants looked at each other in surprise like it was their first time hearing the emperor laughing out loud. The Empress hurriedly went out of their chamber when she heard this news from her servants. She was very eager to know what happened to her husband that made him laugh that hard. It was also a long time ago when he heard him do that. The last time was when the Crown Prince pulled his hair when he was carrying the child in his arms.
"Son, it is good to know that finally you showed an emotion after all this time." The last time his son showed an emotion was when he was 5 years old. After he started his royal education, he gradually developed his heart of steel. He was not sure what happened to his son before. But he was happy now but suddenly remembered something.
"Ah son, you already have Lady Melina as your fiancé. You are not yet married to her. You are not to take a concubine before the main wife," he reminded his son.