Mama's Princess Is Daddy's Beloved

"Your Majesty! Your Highness!" Mr. Cao greeted, bowing a little. "We have a guest outside."

The Crown Prince's movements halted with leisure as he turned to look at the aged butler. "Why are you here in such a hurry, Mr. Cao? If there is a guest, shouldn't you ask them to wait outside and serve them good tea". He said, looking all casually, first at the butler and then moving his eyes to look at his parents simultaneously.

At such an easy and leisurely tone, Mr. Cao could not help but shake his head before looking at the Queen. "Your Highness, Ms. Li Xue has requested to meet the associate from our Royal Cultural Association Club. She is waiting outside. Should we ask Ms. Linda to attend here?"

Chen Rui's lips curled up on their own as her eyes stared at her husband on the other side of the table. "Oh, Li Xue is already here. His Majesty was expecting her to come just now. Mr. Cao, please invite her in to have breakfast with us".

Shin Tinming could not bring himself to voice a word in the context. Since it was his wife's invitation, he could only accept it.

But on the other side, Shin You Jun felt a little offended. Though he doesn't want to draw a relation between his parent's earlier behavior and Li Xue, seeing his mother smile victoriously and father frown a bit on his failure, he could not help but think like that.

"Ma, what is that woman doing here? Didn't … Didn't … Didn't she say that she was busy and could not come to visit us any soon", he hyped up feeling like a child who would soon be getting ignored by her mother. "And Ma, why did you invite her to breakfast? You never do so for anyone until and unless it is a get-together at the palace. That too happens for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is just a family thing for us and we never include anyone in it. Then why her suddenly?"

Chen Rui at once turned to look at her son. Her brows raised in amusement. "Impressive! I never knew my son had time to notice all these things in general. Then why today?".

"Ma!" The son pouted in displeasure but the mother did not pay any heed to his childish act. "Ma, why are you so biased to her?"

"You Jun, you have grown up. Can you also behave like one? She is here at the time of breakfast. Inviting her to join us is the minimum etiquette that we should show to her. And don't forget why she is so dear to me?" The Queen said, pursing her lips at her son, before giving a small glance at her husband and then turning back to the butler.

"Mr. Cao, please bring her to the dining space. We have just started breakfast, she can join us."

The old butler looked at the Queen with a smile before bowing to her and the king. "I will ask her in then". He said before leaving the place to execute the order.

Once saw the butler leaving, Chen Rui again turned to look at her husband, giving a smile full of smug. "Tinming, what do you think? Was my confidence from before needed to be thought twice? I don't think so. What about you?"

"I would still say, one should not celebrate the victory so soon. Things may change at the last minute." The man said in response, but his words and expressions did not match together.

The Queen smiled. "Really? Okay, then let's wait for that too." She said, seeing well the crack appearing on her husband's toughness. She knew him too well to understand his thoughts and also his attitude.

"Ma, why are you so biased to that woman? You are now even treating father that way. Do you think it's right?" Feeling like a pushed away child, Shin You Jun complained looking at his mother.

If it had been another time or some other situation,  the mother would have thought to coax her child but since he has chosen a time like this, she doesn't bother to care more.  "You Jun! Dear, you better not make me embarrassed again. I already said that to you. Note your attitude and behavior towards Xiao Xue. I have taken her to be my daughter and with that title, she is no less but an elder sister to you. So, you know how you should be with her"

The Queen instructed and the young boy knew well to never disobey her mother's words. Bowing his head in slight disappointment, he turned to look at his father, but seeing him suddenly getting all focused on his plate, he no longer knew what else he should say.

"I will try my best to come out that way. But I can't be too sure". He said and the mother forced a smile at him.

"You better try your best or else later, I would not be able to control the consequence coming your way". She said in the sweetest tone which delivered the scariest threat.

The young boy could only press his lips at her mother and forcefully nod. "Ma, you no longer love me. I can feel that. That woman has snatched you away from me". He whispered under his breath so that no one could hear it.

But still, the mother smiled before again turning to look at her son. "Dear, a mother can never forget her motherly love for her child, nor her love could be something that would be snatched away. She would always be there to support her children whenever they needed her. Be it you or Li Xue, I will always be there."

"Ma, I am your son, not that woman. Why are you treating both of us the same?"

Chen Rui smiled at his childish insecurity. But before she could respond anything to his words, the door of the dining room opened and a soft voice of greeting hit everyone's ears.

"Good morning!"