Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Did Song Jia play the zither?” Jianjun asked as he looked at the floor table.

“I did play it earlier,” Song Jia answered.

Jianjun took a step forward toward her and he brought his hand to her cheek. Song Jia clutched the edges of her dress and urged him not to do so.

When he didn’t hear her, she yanked his hand off her cheek and sternly said, “My Lord, Song Jia does not allow it.” She wanted to say a lot of things to Jianjun but stopped herself because Tianjie was present in the adjacent room.

“You always have interested me, Song Jia. However, you cannot stop me for a long time from making you mine. You are the only woman who doesn’t allow me to get close to you,” Jianjun asserted, “and it bothers me.”

Tianjie fisted his palms and decided to go out when he heard Song Jia say, “My Lord, I am never going to marry you. I cleared it three years ago too.”

“Be my mistress. There is no need to marry me,” Jianjun stated. “I will give you everything. There’s nothing that you will lack in this life,” He tried to convince Song Jia.

“I don’t want to be the mistress of Lord Li. I will leave this residence right now. I want nothing from Lord Li. I told him this numerous times,” Song Jia affirmed. The entire time she remained calm.

.....

“I cannot let you go, Song Jia. Remember, I saved you three years ago. You should return the favor to me by becoming my mistress,” Li Jianjun stated and almost grabbed her hands when she stepped back.

“Then, I shall take my life because that day too another nobleman would have killed me. That’s the only way I can return Lord Li’s favor,” Song Jia said without fear. She would love to have a dignified death than become someone’s mistress.

Tianjie didn’t stay quiet anymore. He slid the door which both Jianjun and Song Jia heard.

“Your Highness?” Jianjun was shocked to see Tianjie in front of him.

Tianjie walked up to them and stopped next to Jianjun. “Are you not marrying the First Princess? How dare you fool her?” Tianjie scrunched his brows in anger.

Jianjun felt stuck and looked at Song Jia. “It is all her fault. She told me that she would marry me. Since I cannot do that, I thought to take her as my mistress,” Jianjun stated.

“She is not yours, Li Jianjun. She will not marry a man like you. She is not someone who can be anyone’s mistress. Also, the favor she did on you, I will return it to you. I won’t tell anyone about this in the palace. From here, she is not bound to you in any way,” Tianjie affirmed.

Jianjun thanked the Third Prince. He was trembling in fear thinking Tianjie would tell about it in the palace.

“Jianjun, apologize to Song Jia,” Tianjie said while keeping his anger in control.

“I do not want any apology,” Song Jia refused to take Jianjun’s apology.

“Apologize!” Tianjie shouted at Jianjun, who promptly lowered his head. He apologized to Song Jia for his behavior and then raised his head.

“Song Jia will not stay in this residence from now onwards,” Tianjie stated and grasped her hand. “Let’s go,” He said to Song Jia. She didn’t oppose him and lifted her long skirt to walk behind him.

However, in the front yard of the residence, Song Jia stopped. Tianjie turned to look at her. “Is His Highness serious to take me with him? I will not be accepted by his family. If I step out with him, His Highness will be named because of me... Not in a good way. I will leave for Qijiang Province now. Thank you for saving me today. I cannot do anything for His Highness. However, I will always pray for his strength, well-being, and happy life,” Song Jia stated as she slowly pulled her hand from his grip.

She bowed at him with a smile and peered into his eyes.

Tianjie put his hand on her nape and pulled her towards him. He kissed her and closed his eyes. Song Jia stopped breathing and blinking. Her heart beat rapidly as if she just had a good run.

Tianjie pulled away but his hand remained on her nape.

“I love you,” Tianjie admitted his feelings while confessing to her. “I want to marry you, Song Jia. I ditched my selfishness today for you. I will never let anything wrong happen to you.” He was serious about her. He looked at the residence’s main entrance and pointed his finger toward it.

“I have no shame in holding your hand and taking you out of here.” He turned to look at Song Jia, who has a puzzled expression.

“Your Highness, I want you to be strong. A political marriage will–” she could not complete her words as Tianjie put his index finger over her lips.

“I also want the same. However, there is no use of that strength if you will not be with me. I want to see you with me every morning I wake up and every night I go to the bed. I want to feel happiness too. I want to be with you, Song Jia.”

Tianjie knew that he could never remain a cheerful person if Song Jia left his life. He didn’t want it to happen. He would find another way to become politically strong, but he would not let Song Jia go.

“Trust me, Song Jia. I will not let your hand go ever. I will be with you always. I will handle the consequences awaiting us. You don’t know since the day I met you, I have always thought of you. There’s not a single day when I didn’t think of you. My Father will surely let us marry. I promise you this,” Tianjie pleaded with her. He knew her worries, so he did his best to convince her, to show her how much she mattered to him.

“I accept His Highness’s proposal,” Song Jia said. “However, if I find him getting into trouble because of me, I will leave his life. He will not stop me. Promise me this. Only then I will walk out of here.”

“That will never happen. Still, I promise that I will not stop you,” Tianjie stated.