Is It True?

With sluggish steps, Joaqin walked towards the palace garden to approach his mother. Joaqin was not too excited to see his mother at this time because he had to tell her of his failure.

"What's on your mind, Joaqin?" Camelia, who was composing flowers, glanced at Joaqin, who was sitting opposite her with his head hanging. 

To be honest, Camelia had heard about the commotion in her husband's study, but she still didn't know what had made her husband this angry with Joaqin. 

But the only answer Camelia got was a long sigh from Joaqin. The atmosphere around Joaqin really looked gloomy at the moment. Camelia also realized that the problems between Joaqin and her husband were worse than in the past. 

Camelia reached out her hand to gently rub Joaqin's shoulder. She could feel that her only son's shoulder was very tense at the moment.

"Joaqin, can you tell me anything? You know mother is always here to listen to you," Camelia said softly, trying to provoke Joaqin to pour out his heart. 

For a moment, Joaqin looked up to meet his mother's eyes, and again, he let out a long sigh. Not feeling ready to tell his mother that he has failed. 

"I failed, Mom," Joaqin said in a small voice, barely audible. 

Camelia's hand, which was rubbing Joaqin's shoulder, fell silent when she heard his words. Camelia's breath caught at that moment, unable to believe that her son really couldn't summon up his strength as a Beast Tamer. 

"I'm sorry, Mother. You will definitely be in a difficult position because of my failure," Joaqin continued, looking down again, feeling disappointed with himself. 

Joaqin realized that as the queen of the Kingdom of Ziviel, his mother was under great pressure from the kingdom to produce offspring. Even when Camelia had given birth to Joaqin, the pressure on her was not over. 

Moreover, the concubines brought by Byron arrived, and they also gave birth to sons who could have replaced Joaqin as crown prince. 

With Joaqin's failure, Camelia would also be considered a failure because she could not provide suitable offspring to continue the King's official lineage. 

Even so, Camelia was not angry or blamed all of this on Joaqin because she knew how hard her son had worked to revive his strength. 

Camelia pulled Joaqin into her arms. Camelia was sure that Joaqin was more hurt than she was at the moment. 

"Joaqin, you don't need to apologize to me. Mom never blamed you for any of this," Camelia said, preventing Joaqin from continuing to blame himself. 

"Even so, what can I do now after all this failure, Mother?" Joaqin's gaze looked blank, and his voice was barely audible. 

At that moment Camelia fell silent when she heard Joaqin's words. All that awaited Joaqin after this failure was empty hope, he would become a prince with no power. 

Realizing that he no longer had a future, Joaqin smiled wryly; he slowly released his mother's warm embrace. 

"Then I won't bother you anymore." Joaqin bowed his head in respect, then waltzed away from the palace garden. 

Joaqin didn't know where else to go at the moment; he just let his feet keep walking to take him away from all the hustle and bustle of life. 

For a moment, Joaqin thought of running away from the palace because there was no longer any reason for him to stay here. In fact, even his father had kicked him out of this place he called home. 

"Should I really go?" Joaqin stopped his steps and looked up to gaze at the sky that was moving quietly above. 

For a moment, Joaqin was able to find peace as he gazed up at the sky above his head, only for that peace to be short-lived when he felt someone deliberately bump into his shoulder with great force. 

Unprepared, Joaqin fell, and his buttocks hit the ground hard. Joaqin even cried out in pain from the force with which the person hit him. 

When Joaqin looked up, he could see Elliot's stupid face grinning at this moment. Any fool could immediately tell that the person who deliberately hit Joaqin was Elliot. 

"You better stay there and don't come back, a lowlife like you doesn't deserve to live in the palace." Elliot and his three friends laughed at Joaqin who was now covered in dust. 

"Watch what you say, Elliot. I'm your older brother, after all," Joaqin replied calmly. He was used to being treated like this by Elliot. 

"How could I call a failure like you my brother. And I'm not sure you're my father's son, it's possible that Queen Camelia has you with another man," Elliot said dramatically with his friends. 

"Your words make sense, Your Highness. There's no way the King's offspring can't have powers like him!" 

"You bastard!" 

Joaqin's blood began to boil when he heard the immoral remarks made by Elliot and his friends. Joaqin didn't mind if it was just him who was being demeaned, but now they had the audacity to bring up his mother's name. 

"Damn bastards! Just insult me. Don't bring up my mother!" Joaqin, who was already angry, immediately moved forward with his fists. 

He was ready to punch Elliot who had defamed his mother, but before his fist could hit Elliot, he was held back by a lion twice his size. 

Joaqin knew very well who the lion was; he was Elliot's Beast who always guarded him wherever Elliot went. 

The lion roared loudly at Joaqin, warning him not to mess with his master. Joaqin knew very well that the lion would immediately attack him if he still intended to attack Elliot. 

Seeing Joaqin fall back to the ground, Elliot and his friends burst out laughing at Joaqin's incompetence. 

"You can't even take care of yourself, don't expect to attack me, big brother." Elliot said so while using a mocking tone. 

Joaqin clenched his fists in frustration; he really hated himself. He couldn't even fight for his mother's good name. Joaqin really felt like a failure right now. 

Slowly, Elliot and his two friends left Joaqin, feeling that it was no longer fun to insult Joaqin. Little did they realize that what they were doing was reinforcing Joaqin's destruction. 

. . .

It was a tradition that all members of the kingdom had to gather for dinner. Joaqin could not help but gather with the others. 

However, Joaqin's heart sank again when he saw that the ones sitting next to his father were Concubine Erina and Melvin. 

In fact, it wasn't just Joaqin who had been banished; his mother had also been disregarded by his father. Joaqin's eyes were stinging at the moment, he refrained from spilling his grief in front of everyone.

Joaqin and Camelia were now sitting at the end of the table, at a place very far from the King. Joaqin now only looked at his mother; he felt sad for his mother. 

Then, shortly after that, the King's voice was heard from the other end of the table. Joaqin could see that his face looked quite happy at the moment. 

"Tonight, I want to tell everyone that I have decided who will be my successor," Byron said proudly, his eyes not once turning towards Joaqin or Camelia.