The Bigshot Married Himself to the Heiress-Chapter 577 - 618: The Princess Consort Who Doesn’t Return Home At Night
Adrian Desmond chose his words carefully, trying to be as tactful as possible, but it still led Sienna Johnson to overreact.
"Adrian, is Paige your blood sister?"
"Of course she’s my blood sister. When my mom was giving birth to her, I was waiting right outside the delivery room. I was the first person she saw when she opened her eyes... Haven’t you noticed how alike we look?"
Adrian couldn’t understand why Sienna would question whether he and Paige Desmond were blood siblings.
"Since she’s your actual sister, and her husband is about to marry another woman, you still want me to persuade her not to divorce? What kind of brother are you?"
"It’s natural for Abyanabad men to have multiple wives; there’s nothing strange about it. Besides, Kiya is a member of Abyanabad’s royal family. Do you know how many wives his father, the old King of Abyanabad, has?"
"How many?"
"Fifty-eight! Just last year, the old King married a twenty-year-old student from Abyanabad University."
"Shameless!" Sienna cursed. What an old lecher! So undignified at his age!
The Abyanabad royal family held a high place in the hearts of its people, and Adrian, being from Abyanabad, didn’t appreciate anyone maligning his King.
"You’re always telling me to respect your country’s customs, aren’t you? Well, please respect ours too. Polygamy has always been the system in Abyanabad. This is the reality of our country. If you can’t understand it, at least learn to respect it. Don’t try to attack us with your values. You may think we’re wrong, but I believe it is you who are mistaken."
Sienna stared at the man in front of her, dumbfounded. She never thought that, even now, they would still have such fundamental disagreements over monogamy versus polygamy. She had believed that monogamy was deeply ingrained in his very being. Yet now, he was still asserting that monogamy was wrong and polygamy was right.
"Adrian, do you think monogamy is wrong?"
"Aren’t you always talking to me about national conditions? Our countries’ situations are different. Your Orienta men have poor stamina; one wife is enough to satisfy you. But we Abyanabad men are different! Take me, for instance. When have you ever truly satisfied me? Every time, I have to accommodate your physical limits and suppress my own desires. You think three or four times a night is plenty, but for me, even seven or eight times isn’t enough!"
"So, is it because I’m not ’magnanimous’ or ’virtuous’ enough, because I haven’t found you a few more women to ’serve’ you, that the great Sixth Master finds me lacking?" Sienna felt like she was seeing this man for the first time today. A leopard can’t change its spots, she thought. He was the epitome of someone who couldn’t break his bad habits. That was this man, through and through!
"I didn’t mean anything else by it. I was just discussing the matter objectively." Realizing his words had been a bit excessive, Adrian’s tone softened considerably.
Sienna stared at him, her gaze cold, and said nothing. Adrian, not in the mood to placate her either, simply stared back. They remained locked in a silent standoff.
"Dinner is ready; I’ll take you to eat." In the end, it was Adrian who relented first.
Sienna’s attitude was ice-cold. She said to Adrian, "You asked me to persuade your sister not to divorce the Abyanabad prince, but I will not. Our countries’ circumstances are different, and our perspectives on life, the world, and values are completely different. Therefore, I can only consider things from my own standpoint. I believe that if a man intends to marry another woman, it constitutes a betrayal and abandonment of his current marriage. Such a marriage no longer has any reason to exist. If you insist I try to persuade her, then I will advise your sister to divorce him and leave that scumbag!"
Adrian remained silent.
"The world keeps turning, regardless of who comes or goes. Anyone can live without anyone else. Your sister is so beautiful; if she divorces, she’ll be highly sought after. There will be no shortage of men pursuing her. Instead of clinging to a husband she has to share, it would be better for her to let go, bravely step out of that marital grave, and start a new life!"
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP... Applause rang out. It was Paige.
"Sister-in-law, you’re absolutely right," Paige said.
Adrian rubbed his temples, a headache forming as he looked at Sienna. He knew that asking Sienna to persuade his sister would be like pouring gasoline on a fire; it would only make things escalate.
Sienna left Adrian and approached Paige. The two women felt a newfound closeness after what had just transpired. Sienna, who was usually slow to warm up to people, even took the initiative to take Paige’s hand. "If you do end up divorcing, you’re welcome to come to Orienta. Orienta has vast, beautiful landscapes and plenty of good men. You’ll surely find your true love in Orienta."
"Okay." Paige smiled as she looked at her, her gentle eyes sparkled with an eager, adventurous glint.
Sienna is going to corrupt my sister, Adrian thought with a sinking feeling.
The Shariff Royal Palace (Istana Nurul Iman) is the residence of Abyanabad’s royal family. It is the largest palace in the world and the home of the Sultan of Abyanabad. With its 1,788 rooms, the palace is truly the world’s largest. The mosque within its grounds is magnificent, its dome adorned with 45 kilograms of gold foil, leading the local Orienta Diaspora to affectionately call it the "Golden Onion Head." Prince Kiya of Abyanabad resided here.
"Your Highness, the Princess Consort said she will not be returning tonight," Oni, Paige Desmond’s maid, reported to Kiya after receiving a call from her.
"Why isn’t she coming back?" Kiya demanded angrily. "Doesn’t she know a Princess Consort is forbidden from staying out overnight?"
Oni lowered her head, standing silently. She didn’t dare to argue, as she was merely delivering the message.
"Call her. Tell her to come back immediately, or she won’t be allowed to see Dylan for the entire month."
"Yes."
"Wait."
"Yes, Your Highness." Oni, who had started to leave, stopped. She bowed respectfully and stood waiting for Kiya’s further instructions.
"Make the call right here," Kiya ordered.
"Yes."
Oni took out her cell phone and, maintaining a calm expression, dialed Paige Desmond’s number. After several attempts, the call still wouldn’t connect. Oni’s composure finally wavered, and an anxious look appeared on her face. She looked at Kiya hesitantly and said, "Your Highness, perhaps I should try again tomorrow? The Princess Consort might have already gone to sleep."
"Keep calling!" Kiya commanded.
"Yes."
Oni continued to dial. After another five or six tries, the call finally connected, likely because the person on the other end was annoyed by the persistence. Oni quickly said, "Princess Consort, His Highness says you cannot stay out overnight. Please come back soon."
"I’m not coming back! Tell Kiya I’m never coming back..."
The phone was on speaker, so Kiya heard Paige’s voice clearly. It was slurred, as if she’d had too much to drink.
Kiya could no longer restrain himself. He snatched the phone from Oni and snapped into it, "Paige, have you been drinking?"
"Kiya?" Paige sounded surprised.
"It’s me!" Kiya confirmed, his voice hardening. "How could you drink outside? Where is your upbringing? You are a Princess Consort! How can you be so willful and reckless?"
Kiya was a full ten years older than Paige and had always been like a mentor and friend to her. Having been raised under the exacting discipline of palace rules, he held high standards for himself and, consequently, for others.
