Prince Colin stared blankly at Serena Feng, puzzled by her gaze. He looked back at her in confusion, silently asking: Ninth Aunt, why are you looking at me?
Prince Colin glanced down, inspecting his own clothes. After double-checking that he was dressed perfectly normal—and definitely not looking thrilled about the Emperor leaving—he wondered, what was Serena staring at him for?
So oblivious!
Serena Feng was speechless and could only break the subject: "Colin, have you ever thought about marrying and having children?"
"Marrying and having children? My royal brother hasn't married yet, so I'm not in a hurry," Colin replied quickly, shifting the responsibility onto Prince Adrian. Prince Adrian, annoyed, retorted, "It's only because of my poor health that I haven't married. I'm not stopping you from getting married."
"Since my royal brother hasn't married, I'm not in a rush either," Colin repeated, deliberately ignoring Prince Adrian's words.
"You two..." Serena Feng sighed.
Of Ninth Royal Uncle's nephews, only these two and Little Eight are actually useful. Little Eight is still young, but these two are already adults and still have no intention of settling down. What are they thinking?
Neither she nor Ninth Royal Uncle had ever shown any sign of stopping them from having heirs.
Serena Feng glanced at Ninth Royal Uncle, who glared back at her, clearly blaming her.
Why blame him? He had never shown any intention of guarding against these two. If that were the case, the Jiangnan affair would not have been handled so leniently.
After the couple finished exchanging glances, they looked at Prince Adrian and Prince Colin. The two princes tacitly stepped back, and before Nolan and Serena could speak, they said: "Ninth Uncle, Ninth Aunt, don't worry. If we ever meet women we truly wish to marry, we will formally request a marriage decree from you both."
Honestly, they wanted to tell Nolan and Serena that those women—lesser in birth, looks, learning, and courage—were of no use to them. Why marry such women?
But this was something Master Marcus Wynn and the Grand Heir could say—Colin and Adrian could not, because...
Royal marriages are always a transaction. Over the years, Nolan and Serena have been lenient with them—even in the hardest times, they never forced either prince into a political marriage.
Forget it. You're both adults now, just know what you're doing. Serena has never forced anyone 'for their own good,' just as she never forced Jada Tang or Mira Tang to marry for their own benefit.
She spoke with Prince Adrian and Prince Colin just to make clear that she and Nolan do not guard against them, and hope they marry and have children. The new Emperor will treat their descendants kindly. As for their final choice, that's not something she can interfere with...
After laying things bare with Prince Adrian and Prince Colin, Nolan and Serena quietly left Jiangnan, disturbing no one.
Though many in Jiangnan vaguely sensed something was afoot, Nolan and Serena never showed themselves. Even when rumors spread, no one dared act rashly—they could only watch, racking their brains for ways to get close to the Emperor and Empress.
Besides those officials, many women were also moved. If they could catch the Emperor's eye, their lives would be filled with glory—and their families would benefit too...
Jiangnan is open-minded, and it's common to see young ladies out on the street with their maids. Ever since rumors spread that the Emperor and Empress might be in town, even more young ladies have appeared, some even faking injuries or falling into the water, hoping for a storybook rescue by a noble hero.
Misty Jiangnan, stone-paved lanes, graceful women walking under oil-paper umbrellas—a beautiful scene. These women attract many admiring looks, but the one man they most want to notice them never glances their way.
After leaving Jiangnan Prince’s Manor, Nolan and Serena repeatedly witnessed such scenes. Fortunately, they traveled by carriage; otherwise, some women might really have tried their luck and approached them.
Serena’s worry wasn’t unfounded. As they traveled, she saw several women deliberately falling toward well-dressed middle-aged men, as if guessing whether the man was the Emperor.
“Looks like you have plenty of admirers,” Serena said. She refused to admit she was jealous, claiming she was just a little displeased.
Even after ten years, Nolan remains a charismatic man, while she feels she has passed her prime. In many people’s eyes, Nolan should be tired of her by now.
Even if Serena refused to admit it, she had to acknowledge that a woman’s youth is short—only from eighteen to twenty-eight can she truly shine. Those are her best years, but for men, it’s different…
Men can be attractive from eighteen to forty, and as they age, their status and charm only grow…
Fate is unfair to women. In every era, men judge women by their looks and figure.
Young, pretty women are always more attractive than middle-aged ones—even if a beautiful young woman only has her looks, countless men will flock to her.
Women, on the other hand, don’t just look at a man’s face. Power and status are what matter most. Even an ugly man with power is attractive in his own way, and Nolan isn’t ugly at all—few can rival his looks.
So far, the only man Serena has seen who can match Nolan’s looks is William Wang Jinling.
Handsome and the most powerful man in the realm—how could women not covet him?
Serena admitted she felt a little sour inside. She wasn’t so insecure as to panic, but she wasn’t generous enough to take pride in other women coveting her man.
She trusted Nolan and knew he wouldn’t take women into the palace lightly, but she still felt uncomfortable…
Serena didn’t realize her jealousy delighted Nolan. For a moment, he even laughed.
He liked that Serena cared about him, just as he cared about her.
“You’re laughing!” Serena snapped, seeing Nolan’s broad grin and unable to help grinding her teeth.
“I’m very happy,” Nolan said openly, not bothering to hide his good mood, and comforted Serena.
Nolan took Serena’s hand and said solemnly, “All the women in the world together aren’t worth one of you. In this world, who else could I possibly love but you?”
After all these years, he still disliked being close to women. Every time he smelled a woman’s perfume, he remembered his harsh training days—comrades dying in women’s arms, those scenes of debauchery…
Serena, other than you, who else could I possibly love?
“You…” Serena blushed.
She hadn’t expected Nolan to say such things—so directly telling her that, in this lifetime, no other woman could come close to him.
Serena’s eyes reddened. “Meeting you has been the greatest luck of my life.”
How many women in the world ever meet a man who will embrace only them for a lifetime?
“Me too,” he said. He had thought he’d never get close to a woman, let alone have children, but then he met Serena…
She was the only woman he could hold and embrace—not with disgust, but with joy.