Jealousy and Cleaning Up After Cheating

The hunched old man crawled on the ground, showing neither hostility nor any sign of defense. Ninth Royal Uncle could have crushed him with a single step, but once he saw the man was no threat, he withdrew his attack.

"Your Highness? Who is this Highness of yours?" Only then did Ninth Royal Uncle realize that the fragrance didn’t make him uncomfortable, but it clung to his clothes, lingering stubbornly. Anyone who got close would immediately smell the Maiden’s Scent on him.

Yes, Maiden’s Scent—the perfume was almost identical to a woman’s natural fragrance. Just by this scent, anyone could guess exactly where he’d just come from and what he’d been up to.

At that thought, Nolan’s face turned dark. In an instant, he guessed exactly whose man this old fellow was.

Frightened by Nolan’s glare, the white-haired, hunched old man sprawled even lower, trembling as he stammered, "Please forgive me, sir! I was only following His Highness’s orders. His Highness said you dislike being close to beauties, so we dared not arrange any women for you. Instead, we used this Maiden’s Scent, so everyone would believe you really did leave the Flower Boat just now."

Of course, the real purpose was to provoke the tigress at home—but he didn’t dare say that aloud, afraid he’d be killed on the spot. His heart pounded as he kept silent, praying to survive this errand.

"Your Highness is truly thoughtful. Tell your master for me—this debt, I accept. I’ll be sure to send him a generous gift in return." Hearing the old man’s explanation, Nolan was certain the prankster behind this was none other than Prince Titus of Lyndaria.

That brat—even from Eastlyn, he never stops finding ways to mess with me.

Nolan flicked his sleeve, carrying the unfamiliar perfume as he boarded the carriage. The white-haired, hunched old man didn’t dare rise until Nolan had left, then let out a helpless, wry smile.

"Oh, Your Highness—why go to such lengths? I risked my neck just to help you prank this young master, but he couldn’t care less. Worse, now you’re on his radar. Your Highness, you’re on your own from here; this old man’s done all he can."

The old man shuffled shakily back toward the Flower Boat. The whole place, inside and out, was crawling with Prince Titus’s people, so he didn’t need to worry about being spotted.

In truth, Nolan didn’t feel as unconcerned as the old man assumed—at the very least, he disliked the scent clinging to him. When he got back to the inn, Nolan didn’t return to his room right away; instead, he asked the attendant to prepare hot water and fresh clothes. He needed a bath.

But after soaking in the bath for ages, the fragrance still wouldn’t fade. It had already seeped into his skin. It wasn’t poison, so he couldn’t force it out. Nolan knew that if Prince Titus wanted to prank him, he’d never use anything ordinary—this scent wouldn’t be going away anytime soon.

Nolan changed into an identical set of clothes, then headed back to his room.

Serena had no idea when Nolan would return. She wasn’t in the habit of waiting up for anyone, so she’d gone to bed early. But the sound of Nolan pushing open the door jolted her awake.

Her pleasant dreams interrupted, Serena grumbled in annoyance. Why couldn’t Nolan walk softer instead of stomping around and waking her up? Groggy and muddled, she was about to sit up when a strange scent hit her nose, jolting her wide awake.

Click—a sharp beam of light shot out from the bed, flooding the room. Nolan stopped in his tracks, quickly raising a hand to shield his eyes and announcing, "It’s me."

"Nolan, is it just you?" Serena’s left hand held the flashlight, her right hand gripped a gun—safety already off. If Nolan hadn’t answered quickly enough, she would’ve fired without hesitation.

You couldn’t blame her for the extreme reaction. Nolan’s body always carried only the faint scent of bamboo—never anything else. This sudden, unfamiliar fragrance set her instantly on edge.

Serena put down the gun, got out of bed with her flashlight, and lit the oil lamp on the table. The warm orange glow flickered gently, illuminating the room without being too harsh.

Serena switched off the flashlight, only to realize the strange scent was coming from Nolan. She frowned, folded her arms, and kept a deliberate arm’s length, sizing him up from head to toe. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with mischief, which made Nolan distinctly uncomfortable.

"Where are you coming back from, Nolan?" Serena asked, all smiles—but the smile was icy, the kind that never reached her eyes.

"Flower Boat." The man hesitated, but decided to tell the truth.

"Flower Boat? Sounds fancy, but let’s be real—it’s just a brothel." Serena’s lips quirked in a dry smile. She trusted Nolan, but hearing he’d gone to a pleasure barge and come back smelling like perfume definitely didn’t make her happy.

"Yes." Nolan didn’t deny it. Seeing Serena reluctant to help him undress, he had no choice but to do it himself, taking off his outer robe.

Serena was annoyed, but by habit she still stepped forward to take his robe. The moment she touched it, her irritation spiked: "How clever of you, Nolan—remembering to change clothes after your brothel stroll. Too bad the Flower Boat’s scent is so strong. Next time you sneak out to ‘cheat,’ at least clean up better."

His body was perfumed, but his clothes weren’t—it was obvious Nolan had changed before coming back.

"This prince disdains cheating." Not that he didn’t cheat—he simply found it beneath him. Nolan didn’t realize how badly his words sounded. He kept undressing, handing his inner robe directly to Serena without waiting for her help.

Serena caught the slip: "So you’re telling me you weren’t sneaking around, you were openly ‘eating’ outside? Care to explain why you came back drenched in makeup and perfume?"

She didn’t ask why Nolan went to the brothel—she only wanted to know why he came back reeking of cosmetics. He’d already changed clothes, but the heavy scent still clung to him. She deserved a reason.

Nolan stared at Serena and said, "I don’t need to explain myself."

For a man, going to a brothel for business was perfectly normal—what was there to explain? Besides, if he told Serena it was all Prince Titus’s prank, would she even believe him?

Even if Serena did believe him, Nolan still didn’t want to talk about it. He’d settle the score with Prince Titus himself.

"No explanation? You come back reeking of makeup and perfume, and you don’t think I deserve a reason?" Serena had started out teasing, but now she was genuinely angry.

Whenever she did anything, she always had to explain herself to Nolan. But now, even when she asked directly, he wouldn’t say a word. Didn’t he know that a man coming home smelling like another woman meant he’d been with someone else?

"Is it really necessary?" Nolan raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t done anything—so what was there to explain?

"Fine. No need, no requirement—do whatever you want, no one can stop you." Serena, furious, tossed his clothes onto the rack, then climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself.

She was really upset!

He came home in the middle of the night, drenched in perfume, and didn’t bother to say a word of explanation. How was that fair?

This was a foreign land, not Eastlyn. No matter how independent she was, Serena was still a young woman—she was blind in a strange country, hardly daring to go out alone. Nolan had already left her behind once, and now he’d gone off to a brothel, not even bothering to explain himself.

How could he do this to her?

Serena was so upset she was nearly in tears, curled up under the covers with her back to Nolan…

It wasn’t that she was petty, or that she didn’t trust Nolan. She believed he hadn’t done anything wrong. But she could only believe him once—not every single time. If Nolan kept coming home reeking of perfume and never explained, she didn’t know how many more times she could trust him.

All she wanted was for Nolan to give her a reason—was that so hard?