“Whew~” Adair rubbed his temples, stepping out of the training room.
Two or three hours had passed since he entered. During that time, he and Rupert Ivan had conversed at length, first reaching a consensus on the matter of Rupert Rich, then delving into the kingdom’s current political landscape and its underlying conflicts, as explained by Rupert Ivan.
Indeed, the capital’s waters ran deep. The conservative noble faction and the radical reformist faction held opposing views, with the King and a few neutral parties mediating to maintain stability.
Initially, this delicate balance had allowed the nation to grow stronger. Nobles and newly promoted commoner officials competed and checked each other, significantly improving governmental efficiency.
However, this equilibrium shattered as the King fell ill, his health steadily declining.
The issue of the royal successor amplified the existing conflicts between the factions, transforming healthy competition into a more vicious struggle.
Weakened by illness, the King no longer possessed the energy to rein in either side. Even the previously neutral parties began to waver, contemplating their future allegiances.
Currently, the legitimate royal heirs were the eldest prince—Rupert Rich’s half-brother—and Rupert Rich himself. Rupert Ivan had clarified his own lack of succession rights, explaining that he was Rupert Rich’s maternal half-brother, devoid of royal blood. Even with his exceptional qualities, succession was impossible for him, which was why the younger brother had been put forward.
Despite this, Rupert Ivan seemed unconcerned. He had actively schemed and gathered influence for Rupert Rich since the latter was too young to understand.
Relieved to know that Rupert Rich was not without support, Adair breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, truly mobilizing these forces would require considerable effort from both him and Rupert Rich.
Rupert Ivan had handed over various documents to Adair, who now needed to meticulously organize and understand the intricate web of connections within the next few days.
Lost in these thoughts, Adair arrived at the private training room where he usually trained with Ye Xi. To his surprise, Ye Xi was not there. Had something delayed her?
A cleaner in the training area noticed Adair and spoke up, “Are you looking for Miss Ye Xi, Sir Adair? She told me to inform you if you came that today’s training is canceled. You might want to do some endurance training instead, Sir Adair.”
Adair asked, a hint of confusion in his voice, “Is something wrong with Ye Xi?”
The cleaner shook their head. “Miss Ye Xi didn’t tell me.”
After a moment’s thought, Adair decided to check on Ye Xi. As he walked toward her room, he encountered a maid from the Flying Cloud Ship carrying a bowl of soup in that direction.
Adair inquired, “It’s not mealtime yet, is it? Who is that for?”
The maid respectfully replied, “It’s date-ginger brown sugar water that Miss Ye Xi asked us to brew. I was just about to take it to her.”
“Date-ginger brown sugar water? I remember that’s for…” Adair’s mouth parted slightly, his gaze uncertain as he looked at the maid.
The maid smiled faintly. “That’s right. It seems Miss Ye Xi’s ‘time’ has come.”
Observing Adair’s somewhat flustered expression, the maid looked thoughtful, then asked, “Sir Adair, would you like to deliver it to Miss Ye Xi yourself?”
“Me? Uhm, alright, leave it to me. I won’t keep you from your duties.”
Blushing, Adair took the bowl of soup. He then proceeded to Ye Xi’s room, accompanied by the maid’s suppressed giggles.
Arriving at Ye Xi’s door, Adair hesitated, lingering for a moment. He took a deep breath, realizing it wouldn’t do for the soup to get cold because of him.
He placed his hand on the doorknob, gently twisting it open, and stealthily poked his head inside.
“What foolishness are you up to now?”
Ye Xi’s cool voice reached him. Adair looked over to find her lying on the bed, playfully teasing Yuzu, who was nestled in her arms.
“Ahem, I’m, uh, delivering this to you.”
Adair gestured to the brown sugar water in his hand. He approached Ye Xi’s bedside, noticing her usually rosy, charming face was now a little pale. His voice filled with concern, he asked, “When did your ‘time’ come?”
Ye Xi, quite unreservedly, replied, “My period? A couple of days ago, I think.”
“No wonder you’ve been so gloomy these past two days. Oh, ow, ow, ow!”
Adair’s overly blunt remark drew Ye Xi’s displeasure, resulting in a sharp pinch to the soft flesh of his waist.
Ye Xi said coldly, “If you can speak properly, then speak more. Otherwise, don’t bother breathing.”
Adair replied awkwardly, “Uh, got it.”
He suddenly remembered something. If her period had started two days ago, hadn’t Ye Xi been putting him through survival training just yesterday? Her movements then had been incredibly sharp, which was precisely why Adair hadn’t noticed anything. He was certainly not a ‘herbivorous’ protagonist.
Adair frowned and asked, “You’ve been enduring the training these past two days?”
“Mm.” Ye Xi nodded. “I didn’t think it was a big deal, and this little bit of pain is nothing. I’ve gotten through it like this before, too. With a little care, my physique and recovery meant it didn’t affect my normal life. But because of the severe blood loss from my arm a few days ago, the reaction is much more intense this time. Hmm! What are you doing?”
Ye Xi angrily touched her forehead, where Adair had just given her a red mark.
Adair glared at Ye Xi. “You know about the female physiological cycle, don’t you? If you know, why say such foolish things? What do you mean ‘endure it’? You’re not allowed to do that again.”
“Hmph hmph.” Ye Xi clearly didn’t take Adair’s words to heart.
Adair, exasperated, said, “Still ‘hmph hmph’! Tell me, Miss Ye Xi, do the Marchioness and Aileana know that you’ve been forcing yourself through your period like this?”
Ye Xi guiltily averted her gaze, whispering, “No.”
The usually unyielding Ye Xi, now caught in her deception, exuded an adorable, mischievous charm.
Adair’s eyes lingered, but his expression remained stern and serious as he threatened, “Then do you want them to know? Think about the consequences.”
Ye Xi’s usually composed face instantly crumbled. The thought of Aileana’s tearful face and the Marchioness’s forceful hugs made her scalp tingle.
She grabbed Adair’s hand, her voice softening. “I understand. It won’t happen again.”
Oh, Adair felt as if he had just stood tall. Was this what it felt like to be firm? It was exhilarating!
Adair let out a cold snort. “I can roughly deduce your cycle now. If I find out you’re doing this again, nothing you say will matter.”
Ye Xi, succumbing to Adair’s intimidating presence, obediently said, “I know, I’ll rest properly next time.”
“And you must tell me!”
Ye Xi grumbled, “Why?”
Adair retorted, annoyed, “Why, you ask? If I believed you, I’d be a fool! You always try to be strong. Come here, I’ll feed you the soup.”
Adair pulled Ye Xi, who was lying on the bed, into his arms. He then picked up the brown sugar water and a spoon, preparing to feed her.
Ye Xi suddenly spoke. “I can’t help but feel like you’re taking advantage of me.”
Adair’s body stiffened, then immediately returned to normal. He righteously declared, “How could I?” He then fed the soup to Ye Xi, effectively silencing her.
“Cough, cough, too fast.” Ye Xi wiped away tears from choking and said, “You didn’t put anything in this, did you? Why else would you be in such a hurry?”
“What are you saying? Why would I do such a thing?”
“It’s not often I’m this weak, even more defenseless than when I fell asleep on your shoulder before. You just need to be a little bolder, actually.” Ye Xi, at this moment, seemed to transform into a succubus, tempting Adair.
“Hey, watch your words. I’m a carnivore, you know.”
Though Adair’s words remained firm, his resolve was already wavering internally. Ye Xi was lying in his arms, her fresh scent intoxicating, her soft body’s touch constantly strumming Adair’s heartstrings. Coupled with her current frail, ‘ready to be picked’ appearance, it was truly difficult for Adair to maintain such willpower. And Ye Xi was still verbally provoking him.
The innocent Yuzu lay nearby, keenly observing the scandalous scene, somewhat anticipating whether they would witness human reproductive behavior. They were determined to become a master of love among wolves and felt it necessary to understand other species’ reproductive habits.
“A carnivore? Heh.”
Ye Xi no longer resisted. Her body was indeed a little weak at the moment, and there was no need to add any more burden.
She shifted, finding a more comfortable position. This movement, however, only served to further stimulate Adair.
Adair pressed down on Ye Xi’s delicate shoulder, his face flushed. “Don’t move around. I’m having a hard time controlling myself!”
Ye Xi settled into a comfortable position and lay down, teasing, “Hey, hey, hey, you’re the one who chose to feed me soup in this position, aren’t you? What’s this about you losing control?”
Adair confessed, “Yes, that was my mistake. I severely underestimated your charm right now and my own willpower.”
Ye Xi raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you going to turn into Yuzu?”
Yuzu: “???”
Why was *they* being dragged into this?
“No, even the current you could easily deal with me. For the sake of our future happiness, I won’t make such a reckless move. But I also can’t suppress this any longer, please understand. The soup will be finished soon.”
Ye Xi paused. “Can’t suppress it any longer?”
She then understood what he meant, and her pale face instantly flushed scarlet. “Pervert! Scum! Trash! Lecher! Paramecium! Brainless single-celled organism! Damned harmful bacteria! Just wait until you become an intersex person!”
“Please believe me, this is a normal physiological reaction. Don’t talk, drink your soup, drink your soup.”
Adair used the spoon to block Ye Xi’s colorful curses.
“Mmph! Cough, cough, you’re finished! Mmph!”
****
Afterward, Adair scurried out, bruised and battered, leaving Ye Xi to rage helplessly inside the room.
The servants outside, seeing Adair’s disheveled state, all secretly chuckled.
The same maid then approached again, carrying lunch. She looked at the still-shaken Adair with a knowing smile and asked, “Sir Adair, this is lunch specially prepared for Miss Ye Xi. Would you like to take it in?”
Adair decisively shook his head. “You’d better go. If I go in, I’ll probably be destroyed along with this lunch.”
Besides, his immediate priority was to suppress this overwhelming urge!