Dawn was breaking, and every man supposedly gets a morning reaction. She definitely didn’t want to go another round with Ninth Royal Uncle—he was like a ravenous wolf that could never be satisfied.
After today’s bloody lesson, she understood: from now on, she’d have to feed Ninth Royal Uncle more often. She couldn’t let this man get too hungry, or he’d devour her with terrifying ferocity.
"I don’t want to move." Ninth Royal Uncle was utterly shameless, rolling over with Serena in his arms so they lay face to face. His long legs tangled with hers, eyes closed, looking every bit like he was ready to sleep.
This man—he was actually acting cute, actually being childish.
Serena was caught between laughter and tears, unable to move. She could only plead, "I can’t sleep like this. Can we clean up first and then sleep?"
"No. This prince is tired." No matter what Serena said, Ninth Royal Uncle refused to agree.
"I’m tired too, but how am I supposed to sleep like this?" Serena was on the verge of tears.
"I can sleep, so you can too. If you really can’t sleep, how about we go again?" Ninth Royal Uncle suddenly opened his eyes, his long lashes fluttering. His handsome face loomed close, every inch radiating silent temptation, his bright eyes making his intentions crystal clear.
Serena was terrified and quickly squeezed her eyes shut. "I can sleep, I can sleep! I’m going to sleep right now, I’m tired, so tired."
"Really not up for another round? If we do, we can clean up afterwards." Ninth Royal Uncle sounded genuinely disappointed. Serena immediately shut her eyes and pretended to sleep, not daring to respond.
Ninth Royal Uncle smiled silently and dropped a gentle kiss on Serena’s forehead.
Little fool, you fell for it again!
Holding Serena close, Ninth Royal Uncle closed his eyes...
He didn’t want to clean up right away because he’d heard it could increase the chance of conception. Even though now wasn’t the best time for a child, if he could have a baby like Serena, he wanted it—he truly did.
Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was the comfort of having Ninth Royal Uncle by her side—Serena quickly fell asleep. Seeing this, Ninth Royal Uncle quietly got up, had hot water brought in, gently wiped Serena clean, then returned to bed with her in his arms.
He couldn’t bear for Serena to sleep uncomfortably.
They slept entwined until noon. Serena was mortified—now everyone in Ninth Prince Manor would know just how wild their night had been. Luckily, the servants were tactful; even if they guessed what happened, none showed it. Only the steward...
After ordering the servants to lay out the meal, the steward shooed everyone away. Before leaving, he waggled his brows at Serena, making her turn away in embarrassment. Only after he was gone did she dare look at the table.
Seeing the dishes on the table, Serena’s face turned scarlet. Grinding her teeth at Ninth Royal Uncle, she hissed, "This is all your fault! You made me lose face!"
"Ahem..." Ninth Royal Uncle calmly picked up a piece of venison and ladled a bowl of nourishing soup for Serena, saying nothing at all.
Honestly, he was the one losing face here. Just look at all the venison and deer blood—the steward nearly served tiger whip next.
The steward must really have zero faith in his... abilities.
Thankfully, the steward was tactful. Knowing Serena was embarrassed, he stayed out of sight until she left, running everything for Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena from the shadows.
After lunch, they rested a bit before Serena insisted on returning to Feng Manor. Ninth Royal Uncle wanted to keep her for dinner, but Serena refused flatly.
With no other choice, Ninth Royal Uncle ordered a carriage to take Serena back to Feng Manor.
"No need to send me—I’ll go back myself." Serena was practical and hated the whole escorting back-and-forth routine. It was such a waste of time.
Ninth Royal Uncle wasn’t a romantic, but he couldn’t just let a woman he’d been so intimate with go home alone. He wasn’t that irresponsible.
But since Serena had already refused his escort, Ninth Royal Uncle couldn’t say anything sentimental. He straightened his expression and said seriously, "When did I say I was sending you? I’m going to inspect the place where you’ll treat Victor Yun, so I can make arrangements in advance."
Uh... She’d really been overestimating herself.
Serena sheepishly touched her nose and obediently climbed into the carriage. Ninth Royal Uncle’s eyes flashed with amusement, and only after Serena was settled did he get in.
As if to prove his point, Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t chat with Serena in the carriage. Instead, he took out a book and leaned against the window, reading.
At first, Serena tried to sit up straight, but her waist was still sore. Eventually, she gave up and sprawled across the little table in the carriage, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ninth Royal Uncle without blinking.
Ninth Royal Uncle looked like he was reading, but his mind was entirely on Serena. Seeing her stare at him, lost in thought, made his smile deepen.
He hadn’t forgotten how Serena used to be obsessed with him—getting giddy over a single sentence, so nervous sharing a carriage that she wouldn’t move, and refusing to wash her hand for three days after he held it.
Back then, Serena was a little reckless, but utterly adorable.
They rode in silence, but the feeling was warm and close. Each sat in their own spot, seemingly busy with their own thing, but their attention was fully on each other. Only when the carriage stopped and the servant announced they’d arrived at Feng Manor did they break the cozy spell, exchanging a smile as Ninth Royal Uncle helped Serena down.
Just as Serena stepped off the carriage, another carriage bearing the Walker family crest turned onto the street toward Feng Manor. Serena paused and asked, "Why is William here? What a coincidence."
"It’s not a coincidence. I summoned him," Ninth Royal Uncle said calmly, glancing at the approaching carriage.
"Uh... Did you call William here for something?" Serena was speechless. This man was getting more and more petty—she was sure Ninth Royal Uncle did it on purpose to show off in front of William.
Ninth Royal Uncle shot Serena a sideways look. "What, I can’t call him over for no reason?"
Serena quickly flashed a smile. "Of course not, I was just asking."
"I thought you were feeling sorry for him." Ninth Royal Uncle kept his face expressionless, but Serena knew he wasn’t actually angry. Still, she hurried to flatter him: "If I felt sorry for anyone, I’d feel sorry for you first."
"Hmph…" Ninth Royal Uncle snorted, pretending not to care, but the pleased glint in his eyes gave him away.
Serena lowered her head and laughed to herself.
This man was getting more and more adorable—even his jealousy was so righteous, so high-level. She’d probably be hopelessly wrapped around his finger for life.
While they were joking, William’s carriage arrived. William stepped down gracefully, took in the sight of Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle holding hands, and didn’t show a hint of surprise—his smile never faltered.
"Ninth Royal Uncle." William greeted him politely, then turned to Serena without waiting for a reply. "Serena, did you just come back from Ninth Prince Manor?"
Noticing the warmth in Serena’s eyes, William was momentarily taken aback, but quickly recovered. Ninth Royal Uncle let out a cold chuckle—clearly, the Walker clan head had grown even more steady and skilled, able to perfectly hide his feelings even in front of Serena.
"Yes, what a coincidence—we arrived at the same time. If you’d come a little earlier, you’d have had to wait for me." Serena sensed the tension between the men and tried to lighten the mood.
Unfortunately, neither Ninth Royal Uncle nor William took the hint. William just smiled without answering, his warm gaze unchanged, though now there was a teasing glint in his eyes as he looked at Ninth Royal Uncle…