Prince Derrek was absolutely envious, jealous, and resentful of Serena Feng. The moment they stepped out of the palace gates, he kept staring at Serena’s profile, his heart filled with injustice.
He never expected Emma Lu to have such a huge influence on his imperial brother—even her daughter could make his brother see things differently.
For the sake of Princess Royal, His Majesty could ignore his own son, making him think his brother doted on the princess. Who would’ve thought, now for Emma Lu’s daughter, His Majesty could actually disregard Princess Royal. This just makes no sense at all.
"You’re overthinking it, Prince Derrek." Prince Derrek’s stare was way too direct—Serena Feng couldn’t pretend not to notice. Before getting into the carriage, she shot him a look.
"You know what I’m thinking?" Prince Derrek glanced at the warhorse nearby, hesitated, then climbed into the carriage. Considering propriety between men and women, he didn’t sit inside but stole the coachman’s seat instead. "Let’s go. Today, I’ll drive you myself."
"My honor." Serena Feng was clearly itching to hear gossip, but she still put on her cold, noble act. Honestly, she’s something else.
"Hyah!" Prince Derrek snapped the whip, and the carriage rolled forward. The creak of the wheels made for perfect cover—Serena Feng and Prince Derrek didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing their conversation.
Since she still needed Prince Derrek’s protection before Nolan Dongling arrived, Serena Feng didn’t spill everything, but she wasn’t hiding much either.
"Prince, you keep staring at my profile—aren’t you just wondering how much I resemble my mother, to make His Majesty side with me?"
Not many people knew about her mother, and it seemed even Prince Derrek had never met her. Otherwise, he would’ve been shocked the first time he saw Serena.
"That's right, I really was thinking about that. I heard that back when His Majesty was still a prince, he fell for a commoner girl. Unfortunately, she didn't care for him, and for some reason, she left. His Majesty went crazy looking for her, even left the capital once and nearly died before he made it back. Ever since then, the man who never cared about fighting for the throne suddenly became obsessed with power—and eventually took the crown. Behind every successful man, there's always a special woman. Without Emma Lu, there wouldn't be today's Emperor of Westlyn."
"So, you're saying my mother is the cinnabar mole on His Majesty's heart." Serena Feng never imagined the Emperor of Westlyn was ever so lovesick. For a ruler, being that sentimental is hardly a good thing.
"Cinnabar mole? What's that supposed to mean?" Prince Derrek slowed the carriage down even more, clearly wanting to have a real talk with Serena Feng.
Looks like something from earlier today struck a nerve with Prince Derrek. Otherwise, a man who’s bled on the battlefield would never care about this kind of sappy romance talk.
Serena Feng had no intention of poking Prince Derrek’s sore spots, so she spoke softly: "They say every man has at least two kinds of women in his life. If he marries the red rose, over time she turns into a streak of mosquito blood on the wall, and the white rose becomes the bright moonlight at his window. If he marries the white rose, she’s just a grain of rice stuck on his shirt, but the red rose is the cinnabar mole on his heart."
"To His Majesty, my mother is the red rose he could never have. And the one you can't have is always the best."
"White rose, an ordinary woman who brings warmth to a home." Prince Derrek’s hand froze on the reins. Serena Feng had said a whole string of things, but all he heard was, "If you marry the white rose, she’s just a grain of rice stuck on your shirt."
His princess consort—a woman as plain as a white rose. He married her, but in the end she became his moonlight at the window. Every time he thought of her, his heart ached dull and heavy.
"Hyah..." Prince Derrek was in no mood to talk anymore. He snapped the whip and drove the carriage as if someone were chasing him, running like mad.
The carriage went way too fast, jolting so badly it was uncomfortable. Serena Feng frowned but didn’t say anything to stop him.
Prince Derrek was clearly in a foul mood, and Serena Feng had no intention of provoking him further.
With Prince Derrek pushing the horses so hard, they made the trip in half the usual time. Feng Jin woke up from all the jolting, and when he saw Prince Derrek’s sour face, Serena Feng kept her mouth shut and just carried Feng Jin inside.
Chunhui and Snow Wolf were already back, waiting anxiously inside with Xia Wan. When they saw Serena Feng return safe and sound, both put their hands together and started chanting prayers for Buddha’s protection.
Prince Derrek had thought about his late princess consort twice in one day—his depression was obvious. He left his guards behind and dashed out like a whirlwind, planning to find a tavern and drink himself numb. On the way, he ran into Prince Titus, just coming out of the Cui residence.
"Royal Uncle, what’s wrong with you?" Prince Derrek looked terrible, and Prince Titus was genuinely worried. He stepped right out of his sedan chair to check on him.
"Come on, have a drink with your uncle." Prince Derrek was only a few years older than Prince Titus, and since they had mutual interests, their relationship was closer than most.
Prince Titus wanted to say Serena Feng told him not to drink, but with Prince Derrek looking like this, he couldn’t just leave him alone. So he risked his life and drank with him anyway.
Prince Derrek wasn’t the chatty type. Honestly, Prince Titus was less there to drink with him and more to keep an eye on him. As soon as they got to the tavern, Prince Derrek grabbed a wine jar and started chugging.
Anyone who’s survived the battlefield can hold their liquor. Normally, Prince Derrek could down ten jars and still act sober, but today after just five, he was already drunk—collapsed on the table, crying his eyes out.
"Royal Uncle, are you okay?" Prince Titus was seriously freaked out and hurried to order some hangover medicine, but Prince Derrek slapped his hand away: "I’m not drunk."
"I know you’re not drunk. Good, then. Royal Uncle, let me take you home." Prince Titus had a headache and regretted it. Why did he go drinking with Prince Derrek instead of just dragging him back to his manor?
"Not going. I don’t want to go home. The whole place is full of her, just her shadows everywhere..." Prince Derrek started crying again: "She was the grain of rice I got but never cherished, and now she’s become the moonlight I can never reach..."
Prince Derrek covered his face with both hands, tears streaming through his fingers: "How could I be such a bastard? I had her and didn’t treasure her. Now she really is just moonlight—forever out of reach."
"Yuna... Yuna."
At first, Prince Derrek was just rambling nonsense—Prince Titus didn’t get a word of it. But when he heard the name 'Yuna,' he finally pieced things together.
"Isn’t that Little Royal Aunt’s real name? Royal Uncle, don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about Royal Aunt!" Prince Titus’s mouth twitched—he could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Royal Uncle actually missing Little Royal Aunt? Must be raining blood from the sky.
Everyone in the capital knew Prince Derrek despised his princess consort. He’d said more than once he wanted to divorce her. The princess consort was a wife in name only, the object of every noblewoman’s pity.
You could say Prince Derrek basically drove his princess consort to her death. So how could he possibly miss her now?
"Royal Uncle, what’s moonlight supposed to mean?" Prince Titus seriously wondered if Prince Derrek was a different person now. Otherwise, why would he be hugging a wine jar, calling out Little Royal Aunt’s name, and saying she was his moonlight?
"Moonlight—moonlight is just the white rose you can never have." Prince Derrek hugged his wine jar, silently crying, tossing out random phrases. He tried to piece together what Serena Feng had said earlier, but the meaning was miles off...
Prince Titus was completely stunned. He didn’t feel sorry for Prince Derrek—everything happening today was his own fault. Compared to Little Royal Aunt, Prince Derrek’s suffering was nothing. What really bothered him was: Serena Feng seemed pretty interested in being someone’s cinnabar mole. Was she hoping to become the one in Ninth Royal Uncle’s heart?
Oh my god!
Better write to Ninth Royal Uncle ASAP and warn him to come up with a plan—otherwise, if Serena Feng becomes the cinnabar mole in his heart, there’ll be no one left in the harem...