Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Eaglet Hatches
"And what about you?"
The Duke leaned in, his golden, vertical pupils drawing near. Yu Zhizhi’s body instantly went rigid.
This wasn’t the first time they had been this close.
But tonight, the Duke was much colder than usual.
Despite the smile that still lingered on his face.
"That delicate skin of yours... how many lashes can it take?"
HISS—
As if to punctuate the Duke’s words, the black snake on his shoulder flicked its tongue.
Yu Zhizhi raised her hands and gently clasped the Duke’s wrist. A trace of panic, mixed with a hint of grievance, appeared in her clear eyes.
The young female of the Rabbit Clan was adept at using that innocent face of hers to coax and please others.
The Duke slightly loosened his fingers, allowing her to pull his hand toward her and press her cheek against his palm.
She blinked her eyes, her voice soft and faint. "I’m hungry..."
The young female was trying to act cute.
It was a pitiable, somewhat deliberate, and clumsy attempt to change the subject.
As if that would make him forget what had just happened.
’I really should punish her.’
The Duke felt the warmth of her cheek in his palm. His golden, vertical pupils were deep and dark as he watched her use every trick she had to please him.
Yu Zhizhi gently held his cool palm, and after pressing her cheek against it, she nuzzled him affectionately.
’In the past, when my pets made a mistake, they accepted their punishment.’
’—And that was only when I was feeling patient.’
’Training them meant spending time.’
’And my time is precious.’
But as the little rabbit snuggled up to him so pitifully, the displeasure in his heart gradually dissipated.
His fingers gently caressed the young female’s face, the corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smile. "We’ll settle this score properly after dinner."
’I won’t let her off so easily.’
’If a pet isn’t trained well, it will only become more of a headache later. Once my patience runs out, the little pet won’t meet a good end.’
The Duke withdrew his hand and walked toward the dining table on the other side of the room.
Yu Zhizhi followed.
She really was hungry.
In the afternoon, she had only eaten a few lychees. She had been sitting under the eaves in a daze the whole time, waiting for Guard Captain Jieao’s shift to change.
She hadn’t eaten anything else.
On the dining table, candelabras burned quietly.
The table was laden with a feast.
The candlelight cast a hazy glow over the colorful dishes.
The Duke sat down and looked at the young female following behind him. "Come here."
Yu Zhizhi walked over to him.
The next second, the Duke pulled her into his embrace, seating her sideways on his lap.
Her cheek nearly brushed against the black snake on his shoulder. Yu Zhizhi’s back immediately straightened, her body tensing uncontrollably.
The Duke shot the black snake a cool glance.
The black snake swiftly slithered down his other arm and disappeared into the darkness.
’—The master’s meaning was very clear.’
’He mustn’t frighten this little rabbit.’
"I was rather busy today and didn’t have time to feed you. Did you eat properly on your own?" The Duke wrapped an arm around her waist, speared a piece of cucumber drizzled with salad dressing, and brought it to her lips.
The young female ate it slowly.
She nodded lightly. "I did."
Yu Zhizhi ate her fill at every meal.
Tonight was a special case.
She had just been wandering aimlessly around the Duke Mansion when she saw the guards on patrol and heard about the talented young Guard Captain Jieao from a maid.
She heard that he had come to the Duke Mansion at the age of sixteen and, in just three short years, had become the Guard Captain, deeply trusted by the Duke.
Most importantly—
Not only was he exceptionally capable, but he was also handsome and well-mannered. Many of the females in the Duke Mansion adored him.
’In my mind, a Snake Clan male like him could certainly be a second choice for my main quest.’
’After all...’
’The Duke is unfathomable, too difficult to win over.’
’With limited time, I have to complete the mission as soon as possible. If I drag it out until the last few days and fail due to the time limit, it’s all over.’
After finishing the cucumber, she saw the Duke offer her a spoon. She licked it gently; it was the taste of glutinous rice porridge.
Yu Zhizhi liked glutinous rice. A smile appeared on her face as she took the spoon into her mouth and swallowed the food.
The young female was quiet when she ate.
’—She eats whatever she’s fed.’
The Rabbit Clan’s dietary preferences had already been given to the kitchen, which prepared a variety of dishes the little rabbit liked.
The Duke lowered his head, gazing at the young female in his arms.
In the candlelight, her expression was focused as she ate. Her eyelashes cast a shadow, her nose was slightly upturned, and she would occasionally glance up to sneak a peek at him. Her cheeks puffed out slightly with food as she chewed slowly. After finishing the porridge, she even licked the remaining grains of rice off the spoon.
She finished the entire small bowl of porridge.
She looked up at the Duke with a little expression that seemed to be begging for praise.
’This Rabbit Clan female is a qualified pet; I really do like her. Except for that one physiological need she can’t control.’
He put down the spoon and wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
"I’m not in the habit of keeping Beastmen."
"They are too filthy."
"Aside from that, I can satisfy any of your other needs."
’...That?’
Yu Zhizhi’s mind blanked for a moment.
The Duke took a slow, deliberate sip of tea. "Other pets can be kept in pairs for companionship, but not your kind. I’m only keeping one."
Mmm.
Yu Zhizhi lowered her head. She was tired from eating and leaned limply against his chest.
Seeing the little rabbit looking listless, the Duke gently stroked her head.
’My anger has long since vanished.’
’Actually, what happened today wasn’t entirely her fault.’
’A pet’s heat cycle is unavoidable.’
’It’s something you have to pay attention to, no matter what you’re raising.’
Inhaling the sweet, cloying fragrance from the young female’s body, his tone softened. "How about I tell you a couple of things you might find interesting?"
"What things?" Her rabbit ears twitched with curiosity.
"Next week, people from the K family are coming to the Duke Mansion as guests—the twin brothers. They seemed to treat you quite well, didn’t they?"
The K family—
’The last time I saw them, they were on the high platform. Two White Wolves dressed in vintage robes.’
"Want to go back to the wolves’ den?" the Duke asked, gently rubbing her rabbit ear.
"...No, I don’t want to." Yu Zhizhi didn’t hesitate for long.
’That was the truth.’
’I had originally planned to leave with Dracula.’
’Speaking of Dracula, he should be back in the Cangshan Territory by now, right? He did say he’d come looking for me one day.’
"What’s the other thing?" Yu Zhizhi asked.
The Duke had said there were two things she would be interested in.
Just as the words left her mouth, she felt the hand on her rabbit ear slowly lift. His five fingers combed through her hair, gently stroking all the way to the ends.
Yu Zhizhi tilted her head slightly, feeling his breath on her neck.
"News has arrived that the Chieftain of Cang Mountain has a new hawk hatchling."
"The Beast cub just hatched. Counting back, the timing suggests it was conceived in the Imperial City—"
"So the question is, who gave birth to this hawk hatchling?"
Yu Zhizhi: "..."
She didn’t make a sound.
Seeing her so quiet and still, the Duke understood everything.
’That hawk was willing to risk his life to save her. Their relationship is clearly extraordinary.’
’I never expected they’d even have a cub together.’
For a moment, the Duke couldn’t identify the heavy feeling weighing on his heart.
He only knew that the young female went into heat every month.
"It seems I’ll have to find a way to satisfy you."
