When the world was still divided by kingdoms ruled by royal families and n.o.blemen, political marriages between the sons and daughters of the kings and n.o.bles were indeed quite common. It was done so that their families could maintain their power and secure alliances.

But it was from hundreds of years ago. Now they were living in modern times. Even the kingdoms and royal families were no longer significant.

Although on Earth now there were still several kingdoms, the ruling families only served as symbols. They did not really have the power that must be maintained by political marriages. They could marry commoners and live like normal people.

Nowadays, it was actually more common to have arranged marriages between children of wealthy families to expand their business alliances and keep their wealth among themselves.

"Do you have proof that my father is still alive?" Emma asked Therius after she pondered for a while. "Have you ever met him?"

Therius nodded. "I've met him. I visited him often, and I went to see him before I came here."

Emma's heart sank when she heard the man's words. Therius just confirmed what Xion told her about her father being held in prison.

"What did you visit him for?" she asked him again.

"I admire your father. And he knew my father when he was still in the military. They went to battles together before my father died. So, I once went to see him to ask questions about my late father. Then, I found that I like your father and I even came to admire him. Since I returned to the capital after I completed my studies from the academy, I came to see him every now and then."

Meanwhile, Xion took a sip of his wine with confused eyes while watching the 'interrogation'. He had never seen Therius being so patient and talking this much to a girl before.

Love is indeed strange and can make people change, he thought.

"Do you have proof?" asked Emma again.

Therius nodded. He took a tablet from the table beside him and pressed a few b.u.t.tons. Not long after that, in the empty s.p.a.ce in front of them, a 3D holographic scene unfolded.

Emma saw the large living room turn into a small gray room that reminded her of prison cells. There was only a small, simple bed and a table with one chair. On the chair, was a handsome man with silver hair and plain black clothes sitting there reading a book.

Emma immediately recognized her father's face and his pair of blue-green eyes. Kaos.h.i.+n only looked a little older than what she last remembered.

There's no mistaking it ... this was her father!

While Emma was watching her father, Xion and Therius were watching Emma. They could see how she was trying so hard to hold back her tears from streaming down her cheeks.

The sight made both of them subconsciously held their breath. Xion felt sorry for this girl, while Therius had to refrain from hugging Emma and trying to comfort her.

The cell looked so cold and lifeless.

Suddenly Therius came into the room where Kaos.h.i.+n was being held and greeted him kindly.

"Good evening, General Stardust. You look well," Therius said.

Kaos.h.i.+n just raised his face slightly and nodded. "Your highness is so kind as to pay me another visit. I'm sorry, I can't stand up and pay my respects. Today, they shortened the chain."

He pointed at the shackles that held his legs with chains linked to the table.

Emma pressed her lips to see the condition of her father, who was chained.

She tried hard not to sob and ran toward the cell to free him. She knew it was only a 3D recording, not really her father.

"No need for formalities," said Therius. "I only came here to tell you that tomorrow I will be going to earth and pick up your daughter. My grandfather has given his consent. You will be given a pardon and be able to reunite with Princess Arreya. We will become family when I marry your daughter, General."

Kaos.h.i.+n looked up from the book and stared at Therius fixedly. His voice sounded very serious. "Your Highness... I don't have a daughter. Your journey there will be futile and a waste of time."

Therius looked back at Kaos.h.i.+n. For the first time, he smiled thinly.

"When I see your daughter ... is there anything you would like to tell her?"

Kaos.h.i.+n shook his head. "Apparently, the crown prince is not only stubborn but also easily deceived. Whoever spread the rumor that my wife and I left a daughter on earth just want to keep you away from Akkadia for a year. Once again, I stressed ... I don't have a daughter."

As Kaos.h.i.+n looked ahead and spoke in a firm voice, Emma felt like her father was actually staring at her and spoke to her in his usual tone. Nothing has changed, Emma thought.

Not only were her father's face and appearance still the same as what she remembered, his voice and tone of speech also remained the same, he always spoke in this soft but firm tone.

Emma looked at her father's face with longing and tears streaming down her face.

Therius smiled when he heard the persistence in Kaos.h.i.+n's words. The man still insisted that he did not have a daughter. Therius took the book from Kaos.h.i.+n's hands and examined its contents.

"How long have you been held here? If I'm not mistaken, it's been more than ten years, right? Every day, you only see this gray wall. Don't you miss Princess Arreya? Other people would have gone crazy if they experience what you've experienced. ... but you still survive. I am sure your strong-will and persistence are driven by your love for your family. You miss them so much, and someday, you hope you can be together again. You have never seen your son, right? Now he is 13. I heard he looks a lot like you."

"The prince is too kind. But unfortunately, I don't have a daughter," said Kaos.h.i.+n again.

Therius put the book he had taken back on the table.

"I understand what you are doing, General Stardust. You want to protect your daughter. But you don't need to do that. I will treat her well, and she will be the queen in Akkadia, as it should have happened to Princess Arreya." Therius straightened up and looked at Kaos.h.i.+n deeply. "I'm leaving tomorrow to pick her up. I just want to ask you one more time... is there anything you want to say to her when I meet her?"

"Your Highness... I told you I don't have a daughter," Kaos.h.i.+n shook his head patiently and only repeated his words to deny that he had a daughter.

"Oh ... I've heard your lips saying over and over again how you don't have a daughter," Therius said. His face now smiled. "But I am a telemancer, and I also heard you said in your heart how much you really miss Emma and hope that she is well."

Kaos.h.i.+n's calm face instantly turned pale when he heard Therius mention his daughter's name.