While Zion was busy finding clues, Princess Lia requested her father's presence out of the blue. Even the king couldn't understand why she wanted to see him. At first, he thought of rejecting, but when he remembered how an assassin nearly killed her back then, he sighed and agreed to her request.
After ten minutes, he reached the prison and stayed on the other side of the room as he opened the small door window. A pungent stench of something rotten got his nose, and he covered it with a handkerchief.
Then he glanced inside and said, "Why did you remember to talk to me just now? I'm sure it isn't just sentiments."
He knew his daughter well. She was stubborn, but would beg no one in dire situations. She would instead fight head on and make everyone beg her for mercy. To say that she was as mentally strong wouldn't be a lie. So, combined with her mother's talkative tongue and her father's stubbornness, Princess Lia was a unique girl.
Of course, she had a woman's graceful attitude, but once she would open her mouth, she would talk on and on for hours without stopping. But when she had to share her heart, she would stay as silent as a ghost. That was why when the king heard his daughter wanted to see him, he realized it wasn't to share her heart.
Princess Lia, who was sitting on the ground, smiled and asked in a calm voice, "Father, can you see that dead mouse?"
The king tilted his head. What mouse?
As if she could read his mind, she opened her mouth again. "That mouse was eating my food and died within seconds." Then she turned toward her father with a smile on her face. "Do you want to kill me?"
Her voice was like a young girl with a touch of sweetness, but in this scary place, this voice sounded more like someone took it out of a horror movie!
Light came inside the room from the ventilator and fell on her face that looked white as a sheet of paper. She had dark circles beneath her eyes, and even with rugged clothes, she looked beautiful.
The king was stunned to see her condition, and he realized his daughter might not have eaten for one or two days! He clenched his jaw and stared at the dark cell for a long time as if he was trying to locate the dead mouse.
Rhesus took a deep breath and asked in a bitter tone, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"And risk getting murdered by your guards?" Princess Lia snorted. "I'd rather stay and die out of hunger and thirst."
The king felt guilty about this. He didn't want to see his daughter suffer. So this time, he softened his tone. "Lia, I'll change the guards. Don't worry."
"Father, don't bother. It's too late."
The king froze and stared at his daughter for a while before a sigh escaped his lips. "Why did you want to see me?"
"Will you fulfill one request?"
Rhesus squinted his eyes and thought for a while. For his daughter to request something like this, he couldn't help but feel suspicious. He pursed his lips and said, "I'll try my best."
"Let me see servant 52."
Rhesus's eyes narrowed as he stared at his daughter's figure. "Why him?"
Princess Lia lowered her head to hide the emotions in her eyes. Even with her current sick condition, she looked as elegant as ever. It almost felt like she wasn't suffering in this cell but was passing her leisure time. "I have to tell him something."
The king's brows furrowed. Were the rumors true? Was there really a relationship between servant 52 and Princess Lia, and the former committed suicide just because his princess had been in jail?
If that were the case, Rhesus would never let these two meet! Servant 52 was dead, and his 'ghost' had been wandering around for a while already. So even if Princess Lia wishes to see that servant and made it her last wish before dying, he couldn't do anything about it!
So the king sighed and said, "He's dead."
"Dead?" Princess Lia raised her eyebrows.
Rhesus had expected her to at least have emotions of remorse on her face after hearing that servant 52 died. But on the contrary, she was calm, and even her eyebrows raised as if she just heard something interesting.
"Yes." The king paused to see if his daughter wanted to say something else, but she stayed silent. The surrounding atmosphere became so awkward that Rhesus couldn't take it anymore and said, "Was that all you wanted to talk about?"
Princess Lia glanced at her father and shook her head. "I wanted to share that thing with you, too, but I'm afraid you won't listen. So it's better if I stay here until someone sends another assassin after me."
Rhesus felt guilty, and he sighed. "I shouldn't have doubted you just based on my confidiant's words."
His daughter let out a dark chuckle. "Father, it's okay. You don't have to pretend to console me. I know you have never loved me."
That was true. The king always inclined his son rather than his daughter. In fact, he would give his son everything and even forget sometimes that he had a daughter named Lia. So it wasn't strange to see that he believed his confidant instead of Lia herself.
But her words pierced Rhesus's heart into pieces. He knew he had been unfair to his daughter, and he still regretted it. But what could he do? The crown prince was someone close to his heart. He couldn't give him the best! The king lowered his head and said with an emotional tone, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Before leaving, he paused and turned back. "I'll change the guards. So from tomorrow on, you can eat your food."
But instead of thanking her father, she waved her hand as if she never cared about these things.
Rhesus sighed, seeing her action, and walked away.
When he was no longer standing before the door, Princess Lia's smile vanished, and she stared at the dead mouse before her. "Father has always been like this. He would never stop being biased."