Reminder, Endure Until You Become a Ninja Turtle

Who in their right mind would want to stand here freezing in the dead of winter? If he’d known Prince Titus of Lyndaria wanted to discuss such pointless things, he wouldn’t have come at all.

Ninth Royal Uncle said, "Titus, I’m not in the mood to stand here freezing with you. Next time, don’t come to me with this kind of thing—I’m no good at comforting people." With that, he turned and left.

Rather than freeze out here, he’d much rather go back to Feng Manor and have a meal with Serena.

"What’s the rush? I came to you for something serious—the rest is just a side note." Titus snapped back to attention, his expression growing serious.

"There’s been an incident in Lyndaria. I wanted to discuss countermeasures with you." Ninth Royal Uncle’s plans in Lyndaria were finally coming together, but no matter how perfect the setup, accidents were impossible to predict—and now, one had happened.

"What happened?" Ninth Royal Uncle paused, but didn’t turn around.

Titus chuckled, thinking, Now you’re worried, aren’t you? The more anxious you get, the less I’ll say—serves you right for not showing any brotherly feeling. Titus pointed to the ruined tower, "It’s freezing out here. Let’s talk inside."

Whatever needs saying will come out eventually. Ninth Royal Uncle wasn’t in a hurry at all; he walked toward the tower. Inside was pitch dark, but it was much better than outside—at least the biting wind couldn’t get in.

Titus kept silent, and Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t rush him. He waited quietly in the darkness for Titus to speak. After a long while, realizing Ninth Royal Uncle wouldn’t ask, Titus had no choice but to start talking himself.

"My aunt, the Princess Royal of Lyndaria, is pregnant."

The Princess Royal of Lyndaria—Zuo An’s mother—has tangled with the Left Chancellor for years, then married Master Ian Reed, Lyndaria’s famed scholar. Now, after more than twenty years of marriage, she’s suddenly pregnant. It’s explosive news.

Titus had expected Ninth Royal Uncle to be at least a little surprised, but all he did was ask calmly, "Is it confirmed?"

Ninth Royal Uncle was worried it was a fake pregnancy, a ploy to keep Master Ian Reed from returning to court and taking office.

Honestly, Master Ian Reed’s luck couldn’t be worse. Years ago, when he was young and ambitious, ready to enter government service, he got saddled with a princess. Before they were even married, she cheated on him, and not only did he lose his shot at office, he became the laughingstock of the capital.

After more than twenty years, he finally had a chance to return to public life and pursue his ambitions—only for his princess wife to get pregnant. Now, once again, his comeback is hopeless.

"One hundred percent confirmed. Faking a pregnancy is easy to expose." For a woman her age to be pregnant was shocking, and plenty of people were watching—so Titus was sure it couldn’t be faked.

"Is it her idea, or your father’s?" Plans never keep up with changes—this move by the Princess Royal had thrown Ninth Royal Uncle’s careful layout into chaos. Fortunately, she only dragged Master Ian Reed into the mess, not the Lyndarian harem or the Bloodcloak Guard.

"Her own idea. From the intel, my father tacitly approved." Whether Master Ian Reed returned or not, the emperor didn’t care anymore. What mattered was that if he did return, he’d be promoted straight to a top position—backed by the Empress’s family.

Now that Titus could walk, the Empress’s family wanted to push Master Ian Reed into power—and it was obvious why. The Lyndarian emperor was different from Eastlyn’s; he didn’t want his sons fighting over the throne, which is why he named a crown prince so early, though circumstances played a part too.

With all that in mind, Ninth Royal Uncle knew what he had to do. But to just give up? No way. He asked slyly, "Whose child is it?"

Titus couldn’t help but laugh—only Ninth Royal Uncle would dare ask that. Normally, if a married princess had a child, it’d obviously be her husband’s. But their Princess Royal was anything but normal.

"No one knows for sure. On the surface, it looks like Master Ian Reed’s. During her pregnancy, he spent one night at the princess’s residence—drunk, and woke up in her bed. But he swears nothing happened between them. Still, whether he did or didn’t, he has no choice but to claim the child." Titus knew much more about these royal secrets than Ninth Royal Uncle ever could—no matter how fast his agents worked.

Besides, most of Ninth Royal Uncle’s power in Lyndaria had already been handed over to Titus. It was a sign of trust, so it made sense Titus would get the news first.

After hearing all this, Ninth Royal Uncle said, not very sincerely, "Pitiful." What he really thought was: how naïve—after all the losses at the Princess Royal’s hands, he still lets himself get trapped by her.

"He really is pitiful. To be cuckolded again at his age—it’s only because Master Ian Reed is so broad-minded. If it were me, I’d have jumped into the moat ages ago." If it were him, he’d never stand for it. Master Ian Reed’s endurance was stronger than a turtle’s.

"Jumping in wouldn’t change anything. He’s not alone—he has a whole family behind him. His clan is already in decline, and if he died, they’d collapse completely." Ninth Royal Uncle wasn’t exaggerating; under the Princess Royal’s long-term indulgence, every younger member of Master Ian Reed’s family had gone astray.

Praise-to-destroy—the Lyndarian emperor was a master of it. By indulging a shameless princess, he’d quietly ruined Master Ian Reed’s once-noble scholarly clan, all without shedding a drop of blood.

"True. And dying like that would be far too pathetic." It was like when his own legs were crippled—he’d never considered suicide. Even if everyone thought a disabled prince had no future, he refused to give up. Time had proven him right; without that stubbornness, he wouldn’t be where he was today.

"So what’s your plan? My aunt is pregnant, and publicly, the child is Master Ian Reed’s. There’s no way he can take over the Left Chancellor’s post now." Their other plans were unchanged, but this point had to be adjusted.

If this news had come in before today, Ninth Royal Uncle might’ve dropped Master Ian Reed without hesitation. But now, he had a better idea.

"Delay the Left Chancellor appointment until after the Princess Royal gives birth." Nine months wasn’t long—he could wait, and he was sure Master Ian Reed could too.

"Alright." In the darkness, Titus couldn’t see Ninth Royal Uncle’s face, but he could feel the killing intent radiating from him. Titus shivered—he knew his aunt was headed for disaster.

"Whatever you plan, don’t go too far. My father will never allow a royal scandal." Titus had a sense of what Ninth Royal Uncle was thinking, and that was exactly why he was worried.

No matter who the child in his aunt’s belly belonged to, it could only ever be Master Ian Reed’s. That was non-negotiable.