The Prince of Yan looked at the shy maiden before him and nodded. He spoke.
"I intend to stay at your Duke's manor."
He was not joking in the slightest.
After he had left the capital all those years ago, as was customary, they should have prepared a residence for him.
However, he was seemingly forgotten by the entire capital, with no one remembering this matter.
His Highness the Prince of Yan was supposed to have a manor in the capital, but it had long been occupied by the Crown Prince, who had even bestowed it upon his own servants.
Now that he had returned to the capital, even if the other party had hastily vacated the Prince of Yan's manor, His Highness the Prince of Yan naturally would not move back in. Moreover, he had never had any fondness for cold, lifeless residences.
Whether it was the Prince of Yan's manor prepared for him, the splendid imperial palace that others yearned for, or even the imperial throne symbolizing power.
In his heart, none of it compared to being by his Consort's side.
He held her, lowered his head, and savored the faint fragrance emanating from her neck. The scent was extremely subtle, yet it brought him a sense of peace. He slowly reached out and grasped her hair, from which drifted a subtle, cool fragrance. He spoke.
"Can I stay here for a few days?"
He was asking for her opinion.
Mu Ci, the little county princess, spread her palm open.
"I don't mind—it's just, you'll likely have to ask my father's opinion."
...
Duke Mu repeatedly said, "Excellent!"
"Of course! I will have my servants make arrangements and reserve the best room for His Highness the Prince of Yan..."
The maids also appeared shy and somewhat flustered. The Prince of Yan's lips curved slightly, and he said.
"No need."
His Highness the Prince of Yan's words were spoken without hesitation, without thinking.
Duke Mu opposite him grew somewhat nervous and anxious. Then he heard His Highness the Prince of Yan say directly.
"I will share a room with Little Ci."
The words Duke Mu was about to utter stopped abruptly. He coughed, trying desperately to mask his awkwardness, and his tone immediately became tense.
"This... this isn't impossible."
The young duke remained silent. He had been severely reprimanded by his father and truly dared not speak.
His father's old face was flushed red. There were certain things his father found difficult to say. After a long pause, he glanced at His Highness the Prince of Yan and said subtly.
"But my daughter... has already been seen by the imperial physician. She is now with child."
"My daughter has been frail since childhood, and I hope... Your Highness the Prince of Yan can be considerate of my daughter. Please do not cause my daughter... to miscarry."
His words were as veiled as they could possibly be, and he expected to see His Highness the Prince of Yan's expression of immense joy. However, His Highness the Prince of Yan showed no reaction.
Duke Mu's heart immediately sank. He wondered to himself, could it be—could it be that what his daughter said was true? That His Highness the Prince of Yan truly felt no affection for her, otherwise, why would he not be excited or thrilled at the news of her pregnancy?
It's ruined, it's ruined.
This is a complete disaster. His daughter's chance at the position of Empress, which was within her grasp, might now be completely shattered. Thinking this, Duke Mu immediately began to look dejected again!
The Prince of Yan opposite him narrowed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips that Duke Mu could not fathom.
"I know."
"I know she's carrying my baby."
Duke Mu uttered a soft "oh" and maintained his dejected expression.
The young man before him had handsome features and an aura of coldness. Yet, he could not at all fathom the thoughts within this young man's heart, not knowing what he was truly thinking.
He nervously raised his eyes to look at this young, renowned Prince of Yan, but the prince offered a smile so gentle it was almost unbelievable.
"I will treat her well."
...
Late at night, lamplight illuminated the room with a warm glow.
The young man reached out, gently stroking her lustrous hair, carefully inhaling the fragrance from it. The scent was almost overpowering. The maiden reached out and pushed his firm chest lightly, her voice barely a whisper.
"You—you move aside!"
The young man chuckled.
"Why should I move aside?"
The maiden raised her head and looked at him.
"Do you want to grow ears and a tail so I can hug you?"
"But you're going to be the Emperor, you might not grant my small request, right?"
She was merely testing the waters with His Highness the Prince of Yan, but the young man immediately went along with it, showing no hint of arrogance.
Snow-white ears sprouted from his head, and a fluffy tail appeared behind him.
The maiden reached out, grabbed his tail and ears, and nuzzled them, appearing incredibly excited as if she had received a beloved treasure.
She couldn't help but look up at him again, hesitating for a moment, her voice suddenly becoming very soft.
"That..."
The maiden stared at him for a couple of moments.
"Have your wounds all healed?"
The young man hummed in response, then, without any hesitation, tore open the front of his robes.
He revealed the mottled, scarred flesh on his chest.
His chest could truly be described as covered in scars. All sorts of wounds, densely covering his chest, winding and growing. However, it was evident that the older marks had healed.
Most of the scars on his chest were acquired during his last entry into the capital.
He had fallen into the Crown Prince's trap, barely escaping with his life.
From the very beginning, the Crown Prince had not expected him to survive and enter the capital, laying out a comprehensive trap.
Yet, he had still broken through that perilous ordeal, which was like a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, ultimately appearing before him and killing him personally.
The Crown Prince had looked down on the Prince of Yan back then, looking down on this boy who was like a weakling, filled with disdain. He was the Crown Prince, destined to rule the world.
And the Prince of Yan? He had to go to the bitter cold lands of the Northwest to beg for a mouthful of food, to live a life of hardship, to fight against barbarians, exposed to wind and rain, not knowing when he might be torn to shreds by barbarians.
Therefore, in the Crown Prince's mind, the Prince of Yan was utterly insignificant, a mere weakling.
In the end, it was this weakling who personally killed him.
Destroying his ambitions.
He wanted to become Emperor. Even if the nearly ten years prior were spent navigating through suffering, even if he had endured ten years of bitter cold and battles with barbarians, it had forged his will of steel.
He had broken out of a trap that should have been fatal.
The scars that covered his body were his medals.
In this world, no one could stop him anymore.
He was so powerful, so formidable. A blade honed to sharpness would eventually be indestructible.
But he reached out, embraced the maiden before him, and slowly extended his hand to caress her cheek. Her skin was delicate and fair, like flawless jade.
She was the most beautiful flower, nurtured in the prosperous capital.
A formidable blade colliding with a tender, blooming flower.
Yet, all he wanted was to protect her.
A lifetime, one love.
He held her, his chest scars rubbing against her, still possessing an uneven texture. He tightened his grip on her back with his fingertips and then, earnestly, word by word, told her.
"Don't be afraid. I will protect you."
Mu Ci, the little county princess, was certainly not afraid. She held him, the little girl raising her head. A smile graced her lips, a beauty that drove men to madness.
"I know."
"The world is yours."
"You are mine."