Free Web NovelChapter 46: Chapter 46: Warmth
"Who told you that?" Duke Bolun had never heard such a reason before.
Yu Zhizhi said earnestly, "My mom told me."
When she was little, she would have nightmares and burrow into her mother’s arms in fear. Each time, her mother would gently comfort her.
She would tell her mother about her nightmares, and it always felt as if saying the words out loud made them less frightening. freēwebnovel.com
Yu Zhizhi sat up as well, clutching the quilt to her chest with both hands.
"If you want to talk, you can talk to me. I’m willing to listen to your nightmare."
The Duke’s body went slightly rigid.
He had never imagined his little pet would say something so...
...warm.
Unlike those unsentient pets that couldn’t understand language, only she would say something like that.
And only she would disregard his status as a Duke.
Daring to say what was on her mind.
He wasn’t wearing his uniform for the Royal Palace today. Instead, he had changed into a lavish, deep purple robe. He walked barefoot across the mahogany floor to the desk, sat down, and picked up a long, slender pipe from its stand.
From behind the folding screen.
’Some things...’
’...are probably easier to say out loud.’
"When I was little, if I made a mistake, I would be locked in an airtight box and sunk into the water. Deep in the heart of the lake, you couldn’t hear anything. It was a small, claustrophobic space, and I was all alone. It didn’t matter if I spoke or admitted I was wrong—no one would respond."
Yu Zhizhi listened quietly.
’The box must have been so small.’
’So dark, and submerged at the bottom of a lake, completely cut off from the outside world.’
Smoke slowly began to curl into the air.
Bolun leaned back in the soft chair, his right hand holding the long, slender silver pipe. The tobacco smoldered quietly inside the carved Ghost Lotus at the tip.
As he spoke of the past, his golden, slit pupils showed little-to-no emotion.
To him, it was as if all that had happened in a past life.
As the old Duke’s only heir, his body could not be marred by injury. Thus, his punishment was day after day of confinement in deep water.
He would curl up in the small, cramped box, tightly clutching the gift his mother had given him at birth—
a white, plush teddy bear.
Bolun craved any and all physical contact.
He always wanted to be holding something fluffy.
He had kept many pets for this very reason.
It seemed that only when he was holding a pet could he feel a moment’s peace of mind.
But none of those pets were to his liking.
They were, after all, just beasts.
Lacking in human understanding.
Until he lured this female from the Rabbit Clan back—
Bolun took a drag from his pipe. He glanced toward the folding screen, behind which the little female sat on the bed, earnestly listening to him recount his nightmares.
His most satisfactory pet thus far.
Though she had yet to awaken her spiritual power and couldn’t shift into her Beast Form, she was far better to hold than any of the other fluffy things he had ever kept.
She just cried a bit too much.
And her heat cycles were a bit of a hassle.
But compared to the pleasure she brought him, these were minor issues.
"Attendants," he called out.
The study door opened, and a few maidservants entered.
"Attend to Ms. Zhi Zhi. See that she washes up and has her meal."
"Yes, Lord Bolun."
The Duke set his pipe down.
He stood up.
He picked up his outer robe, draped it over his shoulders, and swept out of the room.
During her days at the Duke Mansion, Yu Zhizhi gradually grew accustomed to its rhythm. Unlike her time with the K family, the secluded courtyard where she lived was rarely disturbed.
The entire mansion was as languid as its master. In the rear courtyard, the shadows of the bamboo grove were deep and hushed, making it difficult for even sunlight to break through.
After breakfast, Yu Zhizhi went over to the desk. She looked at the scroll spread open upon it, the brush calligraphy both elegant and scrawled.
Lying to the side was the long, slender pipe he so often used.
Yu Zhizhi couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it. The long silver stem was smooth and cool. The bowl at its tip was shaped like a Ghost Lotus and still held a few specks of ash. The mouthpiece was golden, looking as though it were crafted from solid gold.
The Duke’s pipe was a constant companion whenever he was in the study reviewing documents.
It carried his scent.
Yu Zhizhi thought about the "nightmare" he had described. It was all things he had personally experienced as a small child.
The Duke always wore an inscrutable smile.
Even today, she hadn’t been able to discern any emotion in his voice.
’Thinking about my mission...’
Yu Zhizhi’s rabbit ears drooped, and she instantly felt drained of all energy.
’Every time I try to capture Duke Bolun’s heart, I not only fail but also end up getting relentlessly teased by him...’
’How much time is left?’
she couldn’t help but ask silently.
[System: Nineteen days remaining until the mission deadline.]
Yu Zhizhi deflated like a popped balloon. "If I’d known my pheromones were useless on him, I would’ve saved them for other snakes."
[System: Snakes are cold-blooded animals and are relatively insensitive to the heat pheromones of other races. However, under most circumstances, they are still effective enough.]
"Then why wasn’t Duke Bolun affected?" Yu Zhizhi froze.
’He was perfectly rational yesterday.’
’His golden, slit pupils were as clear and sober as ever.’
’He was completely lucid and calm as he unilaterally...’
’...toyed with me.’
Ugh!
Yu Zhizhi pressed her forehead against the desk, refusing to lift her head.
[System: Please investigate on your own, Host.]
The system wouldn’t reveal many things, even when asked. It would only disclose information directly related to the mission.
Yu Zhizhi suddenly remembered something. "Well, what about his affection level? What’s Duke Bolun’s affection level for me right now?"
’If I can’t use the simple, brute-force method of pheromones, surely raising his affection level will give me a chance to have a Snake Pup, right?’
[System: Name: Bolun. Race: Snake (Adult). Affection Level: 12. Remark: ’This is the fondness one has for a pet.’ Please continue your efforts, Host.]
Yu Zhizhi: "..."
’Only nineteen days left.’
’And his affection level is still so pitifully low.’
’I have to switch to a different snake.’
The Guard Captain Jieao she had "set her sights on" before had been avoiding her for the past two days. In any case, she hadn’t run into him at all since that last incident.
’And Duke Bolun even said I could be friends with him.’
’I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since. There’s been absolutely no opportunity for close contact.’
"Guests!"
Yu Zhizhi’s eyes lit up. She said happily, "Aren’t we supposed to be entertaining guests? There will definitely be other Snake Clan males visiting that day, right?"
"Besides the K family, there should be other families as well."
It seemed she needed to find Teacher Dai Li to learn more about the banquet.
Teacher Dai Li, who was watering the flowers, heard the Rabbit Clan female’s question and adjusted her glasses.
"Ms. Zhi Zhi, many honored guests will be attending the banquet, including those from our Snake Clan. Do you know Count Gray? The last time he visited the mansion, you ran into him at the door of the study."
"Umm..." Yu Zhizhi recalled for a moment, then nodded. "I remember now! I did meet a young man in a white uniform that day."
"That was Count Gray."
Teacher Dai Li’s face filled with pride as she spoke of him.
"To be perfectly honest, he is one of the most brilliant talents of our White Snake Clan, held in high esteem by both the Duke and His Majesty the King."
"He is gentle, humble, and exceptionally talented—"
"Two years ago, he traveled the country and published a book of geography and local culture titled *Mountain and River Mist*, which became a bestseller in the Valoran Empire."
"Count Gray is a bestselling author, beloved and admired by many Beastmen."
’He sounds promising!’
Yu Zhizhi asked in a low voice, "So when will he be coming to the Duke Mansion?"
Teacher Dai Li replied, "He’s already here for the marriage alliance. He’s staying in one of the other villas."
Seeing Yu Zhizhi’s confusion, Dai Li smiled. "You didn’t know, did you, Ms. Zhi Zhi? The one who is to be joined in a marriage alliance with Lord Noel of the Rabbit Clan is a young lady from the White Snake Clan—Count Gray’s very own younger sister, Nicole."
"...I want to meet them."
"Please follow me."
