Since she gets beaten anyways, it's good to use that beating to get a good result. The mother's more stupid then I thought to beat her daughter infront of guests.
I like That Cedric knows he is using her and being used by her yet still wants to protect her. Also that he sees her as a part of his family or team unlike as a tool. Even stressing the fact that he does not want his allies aka her to get hurt, that was music to my ears
WN has an interesting detail on why Tia eats very little;
it was Miraila's abusive legacy.
Tia was quite chubby as a child, prompting Miraila to bully her into eating less, that she had to lose weight to maintain her figure. (Methinks Miraila didn't want to be called "the fat girl's mother".)
Iirc spoilers say the emperor chose to look the other way on Miraila's abuse, since he still loves her very much. Plus the emperor's a tyrant, so not much others can do unless they want a death sentence for daring to bring up his beloved's faults.