Talk, Ninth Royal Uncle Once Warned Me

Prince Nolan had just returned to the capital, and naturally, he was extremely busy. But no matter how busy, he would always leave the palace at night. After leaving the teahouse, Serena Feng headed straight for Ninth Prince Manor.

Serena had no desire to be talked about as the kind of woman who 'makes the king neglect his duties.' She had zero interest in being branded a femme fatale who brings disaster to the realm.

"My lord, Miss Feng is waiting for you at the manor." Prince Nolan had just finished speaking with the ministers and hadn't even had time to change out of his armor when a palace attendant seized the moment to report Serena Feng's whereabouts.

"Mm." Prince Nolan responded, his face showing no extra emotion, but the attendant could tell his mood was excellent.

Sure enough, after giving a few key instructions, Prince Nolan left behind the ministers who were still discussing how to celebrate his victory and went straight back to the manor.

"My lord, Miss Feng is in the room. Judging by her expression, she seems to have something on her mind." The steward stepped forward, took Prince Nolan's helmet, and quietly reported his observations.

"Mm. I want to bathe." Prince Nolan acted as if he hadn't heard, his steps never wavering.

The steward, knowing Prince Nolan had a plan, said nothing more. While Nolan bathed, he ordered the kitchen to prepare a late-night meal and hot water, just in case.

As an excellent steward, one must be skilled at reading people and have everything ready in advance. The prince had spent more than two months in the army—he must be desperate for comfort.

Perhaps it was a habit formed over those two months in the army, but Prince Nolan bathed at twice his usual speed. His hair was only half dry when he came out.

Prince Nolan was unfazed by the cold, wearing only a thin inner robe. His damp hair hung loosely behind him as he pushed open the door.

Serena Feng was leaning against the headboard reading. At the sound, she looked up abruptly. She rarely saw Prince Nolan looking so 'underdressed,' and for a moment she was stunned before she reacted.

"Wearing so little—aren't you afraid of catching cold?" Serena forgot what she meant to ask, hurriedly got out of bed, and grabbed Prince Nolan's hand. "Just as I thought, your hands are ice-cold, and your hair is still wet."

Serena frowned slightly, her face full of worry. "Why didn't you let the servants help you?"

"I'm not used to it." Prince Nolan let Serena pull him in, then obediently sat down at her gesture. Where Serena couldn't see, his deep eyes flickered with laughter.

"Even if you're not used to it, don't joke around with your health." Serena took a thick cloak and draped it over Prince Nolan's shoulders, then fetched a clean towel to gently dry his hair.

Prince Nolan stayed perfectly still, letting Serena fuss over him. As his hair was nearly dry, he leaned his head back against Serena's abdomen. Serena froze, then her hands became even gentler.

She knew this man was exhausted.

Prince Nolan seemed to enjoy it, closing his eyes and speaking in a low, slow voice: "In the army, there's no time or energy to care about these things. I would sleep covered in blood and wake up the same way."

"Was the campaign that hard?" Serena looked at Prince Nolan's gaunt face with heartache, and her dissatisfaction with him softened a little.

No matter how rational a woman is, when faced with the man she loves, she can't help but be emotional.

"Mm... The Northlyn people are fierce fighters. Both sides had equal strength, and no one held back—it was a fight to the death." Because he was on the battlefield, the Northlyn forces wanted to capture or kill him, so they fought even harder than usual.

This battle was anything but easy.

"I almost thought I'd never see you again." This wasn't an exaggeration—on the battlefield, blades don't discriminate. Prince Nolan wasn't the type to just sit at the rear and give orders; he charged at the front like any soldier, even more recklessly than most.

He was the Regent who personally led the campaign, representing Eastlyn. He couldn't afford to lose, nor to show weakness.

"Were you hurt?" Serena was startled, tossing aside the towel and reaching to undo Nolan's robe, but he caught her hand. "No, just ran into an ambush."

In the end, he fought his way out alone, corpses at his feet, everything before him drenched in blood. For a moment, he thought he'd returned to that mass grave.

"As long as you're not hurt and nothing happened, that's all that matters." Serena breathed a sigh of relief and hugged Nolan from behind. "From now on, try not to go to the front lines yourself."

"I won't." He's not a general, so there's no need to lead troops every day. This battle was enough to intimidate the other states—Northlyn won't dare make a move anytime soon.

"From now on, I won't make you worry." Nolan pulled Serena into his arms, comforting her as if she were a child. "It'll be over soon."

Serena nodded, burying her face in Prince Nolan's chest without saying a word. Prince Nolan didn't move either, and the room fell silent.

After a moment, Serena nuzzled against Prince Nolan's chest and, in a small but determined voice, said, "Prince Nolan, can we talk?" Some things can't be solved by avoidance. If they don't clarify this, it will always be a knot in her heart, making her question everything whenever she thinks about it.

"Talk about what? Those rumors outside? Don't worry, everything is under my control." Prince Nolan was well prepared and didn't worry about Serena's questions.

Before he set this plan in motion, Prince Nolan had considered every possibility. He knew Serena would suspect and ask questions—he expected it.

"I was the one who released those rumors."

"I knew it was you." Serena wasn't surprised by the news, but asked curiously, "Is everything now going as you planned?" She wanted to know if Nolan had predicted the current situation when he set things in motion.

"Within my control." Prince Nolan never expected everything to go exactly as he predicted—he only cared about controlling the overall situation. As for the rest... he didn't mind.

"Then, about the rumor that your mother is a Former Dynasty princess—is it true or not?" Serena spoke slowly, each word deliberate.

"She personally told me she is a Former Dynasty princess." Prince Nolan's words were slow, his voice tinged with melancholy, making one want to comfort him.

This statement of Prince Nolan's was deeply misleading.

When Prince Nolan was born, Lady Min faked her death, so he couldn't possibly have known anything about her. Only recently did Lady Min reappear and acknowledge him; taken literally, Nolan only learned about this from her now.

As for whether it's true, that's not something Prince Nolan can answer. Clearly, though, he doesn't care, which is why he can reveal it so casually.

"Lady Min... is really a Former Dynasty princess?" Serena jumped up from Prince Nolan's arms, staring at him without blinking.

Prince Nolan didn't answer, just looked quietly at Serena, his expression calm and unreadable.

Serena's mind raced; she didn't need Nolan to say more to understand. She was now certain of one thing: Lady Min really was a Former Dynasty princess, because—

Prince Nolan had warned her before.