A Common Enemy

"Henry Thompson, you truly are a model of filial piety. After all these years, you still haven't given up searching for your birth mother." Emperor Leonard the Enlightened looked at Henry, who was kneeling before him, and sighed—a sigh devoid of any regret. "Henry, do you still remember how your mother, Mrs. Thompson, schemed to have you ruin Jill Evans, the daughter of Princess Jade Hayes' fourth uncle, so that the Warren Family would be forced to marry Jill to you?"

"I remember..." Henry Thompson drew a deep breath, the weight of his studies and years of reflection pressing on him. Only now did he truly grasp how shameless and outrageous his mother, Mrs. Thompson, had been.

Yet for all her shamelessness, Mrs. Thompson had always been a good mother to Henry Thompson. Everything she did, she did for his sake.

Emperor Leonard continued, "The first time Mrs. Thompson tried to set up Jill Evans, she failed and her plot was exposed. But she refused to give up. So Princess Jade Hayes and the Warren Family, fearing for Jill's safety, decided to take the ultimate step—they joined forces and killed your mother, Mrs. Thompson."

"My mother is dead!?" Henry Thompson's face went utterly pale. He dropped to the ground, stunned as if struck by lightning.

"Yes, your mother died at that time. It was Princess Jade Hayes, her family, and the Warren Family who did it together." Emperor Leonard the Enlightened patted Henry's shoulder. "You're a clever man, Henry. Think about it—when they killed your mother to save Jill Evans, wasn't that a perfectly reasonable motive?"

Henry Thompson's face was ashen to the extreme—the last glimmer of hope in his heart was crushed.

Back then, he was too young to understand. But now, with Emperor Leonard's pointed words, everything became painfully clear.

At such a critical moment, Mrs. Thompson vanished. If it wasn't Princess Jade Hayes and the Warren Family who did it—who else could it have been!?

"It was them—it really was them!" Henry Thompson's whole body trembled, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. "All these years, I've studied day and night, hoping to become an official and find my mother. But now I know—she died long ago..."

Emperor Leonard the Enlightened watched Henry Thompson's anguish and whispered temptingly in his ear, "Henry, your mother was killed by Princess Jade Hayes and the Warren Family. The hatred of a murdered mother cannot be reconciled. Don't you want revenge for your mother?"

Henry Thompson drew a deep breath, but did not answer. Yet the blood-red hatred in his eyes spoke for him.

Emperor Leonard nodded approvingly. "Good, you are indeed a true son of blood and filial piety. But now that Princess Jade Hayes has become the Prince of Qin, revenge will not come easily. If you follow me and serve me wholeheartedly, I promise you—one day, I will help you avenge your mother's death."

Henry Thompson looked up, his eyes burning with hatred and hope. "Your Majesty, I am willing to follow you!"

Emperor Leonard the Enlightened smiled, satisfied. "Very well. From this day forth, you and I share a common enemy—Princess Jade Hayes and the Warren Family."

Henry Thompson knelt, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Leonard the Enlightened turned to leave, but paused and added, "Henry, remember this: hatred is your greatest weapon. Never forget who your true enemies are."

Henry Thompson watched the emperor's departing figure, his heart burning with hatred. From this moment on, Princess Jade Hayes and the Warren Family had become his sworn enemies.

The two men, bound by hatred and a common enemy, had formed a dark alliance in the imperial palace.

In the shadows of the palace, a new storm was brewing—one that would change everything.