Other females would have many Beast Husbands.

But as long as the Duke was willing to marry her, she wouldn’t look at another male.

Princess Fei’er was willing to offer all of her loyalty.

The Duke walked past her, his stride not faltering in the slightest.

"Your Highness, it’s getting cold. You should go back."

"Are you going to marry that rabbit?" Fei’er shouted, unwilling to give up. "Don’t forget what you’ve always stood for! Don’t forget Lady Sophia’s prophecy!"

The Duke stopped abruptly.

He turned back, his golden, slitted pupils cold and sinister. The black snake on his body let out a warning HISS.

Fei’er shuddered in fear and burst into a loud wail.

Nearby, a young man from the Rabbit Clan who had been watching the show stood with his arms crossed, a piece of malt candy hanging from his mouth. He had truly come at the wrong time and overheard something he shouldn’t have.

’Lady Sophia’s prophecy? What prophecy?’

Presumably, only high-status Beastmen of the Snake Clan would know about it.

As the Empire’s most pampered Little Princess, Fei’er cried until her face was a mess of tears and snot. The servants beside her didn’t dare approach, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

She cried so sorrowfully.

But Duke Bolan never looked back.

"Lord Nuo’er," the Duke’s personal attendant stepped forward and said with a smile, "please follow me."

The Snake Clan had been busy with many matters lately.

Among them, known throughout the entire Empire, was the incident with Count Gray.

After he was dealt with by the Duke, his younger sister fell gravely ill, unable to accept that the brother she had trusted since childhood was a serial killer of females.

Her health was now in a precarious state, and the White Snake Clan had petitioned His Majesty the King to withdraw the marriage arrangement between Nicole and Noel of the Rabbit Clan.

His Majesty the King had entrusted this matter to the Duke.

Now, the Duke wanted to ask Noel for his thoughts.

In the reception hall, the fragrance of tea filled the air.

The young man from the Rabbit Clan sat in a chair, propping up his cheek with one hand in slight weariness. "I don’t have any particular opinion. It all depends on what the young lady of the White Snake Clan wants."

’Marrying a wife? Procreating?’

’It’s what every capable male Beastman does.’

’He was just going with the flow.’

’As for who the person was, anyone would do.’

’As long as the female’s Level was high enough, everyone in Greenfield City would welcome her with open arms.’

’Whether she was a snake or a rabbit didn’t matter.’

He wasn’t like the Duke, who had such obsessions.

Noel sat in his chair, his fingers toying with a red cord hanging from his waist. Tied to the end of it was a deep red Luck Bag.

He played with it quietly, a faint smile on his lips, as if savoring a memory.

Noel thought of that little female rabbit.

The bustling, noisy marketplace... She had stood below his carriage, her eyes bright, rising slightly on her tiptoes to hand him this Luck Bag.

—’Ah, this is bad.’

’If I think about it any more, I’ll want to snatch her away to Greenfield City right now.’

He had noticed her back at the K family’s estate. At the time, he had arranged for her to come to his room, but he never expected what happened afterward.

Noel listened distractedly as the Duke’s personal attendant presented the details of other eligible females from the Snake Clan.

He just kept nodding to himself.

’Okay. Fine. No problem.’

’Anyone is fine.’

’Whatever.’

Marrying any of them would be the same. It was nothing more than a political union between two families.

The sky gradually darkened.

The Snake Clan attendant rolled up the scroll and said with a smile, "Lord Nuo’er, we will discuss the other details tomorrow."

After Noel left.

The Duke’s gaze was fixed on his departing figure. After a long moment, he set down the long, slender pipe in his hand.

"What is that hanging from his waist?"

"Reporting to Lord Bolan, it is a Luck Bag."

A possibility bloomed in the Duke’s mind. His jaw tightened, and a humorless smile touched his lips. "Where is Jieao?"

"Guard Captain Jieao is on duty in the study."

"Summon him."

"Yes."

On his way over, the Green Snake, Jieao, was thoroughly confused.

’At this time of day, the Duke is usually having dinner with Ms. Zhi Zhi. Why was he being summoned alone now?’

The moment he entered the reception hall, he felt an oppressive atmosphere.

Jieao didn’t dare to look up.

He dropped to one knee. "Greetings, Duke."

"Rise and speak."

"Yes."

Jieao rose to his feet.

The Duke’s fingers fiddled with a fresh piece of pipe tobacco, crumbling it gently. Shreds of tobacco fell into a small, white jade-colored dish.

"Tell me. What happened at the market that day? Recount everything, word for word. Every single thing the Rabbit Clan female said."

A flash of astonishment crossed Jieao’s eyes. ’So, it’s about Ms. Zhi Zhi.’

He acknowledged the order and began to recall the events.

The Duke selected some of the better tobacco leaves, placed them in his pipe, then struck a match. A small flame danced before his eyes.

He lit the tobacco.

Jieao recounted the events of that day.

A faint smile remained on the Duke’s lips. His gaze fell to the blue Luck Bag he carried, this "token of affection" that he loved so dearly and treated as a priceless treasure.

Jieao’s heart pounded in his chest.

He didn’t dare to hide a single detail.

When he got to the part where the young woman gave a Red Fortune Bag to a young man of her own clan in front of everyone, Jieao’s mouth went dry, and his eyelids began to twitch uncontrollably.

It felt like something terrible was about to happen.

He had never seen the Duke like this.

An imperial noble should remain calm and composed no matter the situation, but right now, the Duke’s golden, slitted pupils radiated a chilling coldness, and the black snake coiled around his shoulders bared its fangs.

It understood its master’s mood best.

The Duke smoked in silence.

As he listened to Jieao, an image formed in his mind: the radiant smile on the little female’s face as she gave away the Luck Bag.

A prodigy of the Rabbit Clan and an S-Class female of the Rabbit Clan—in the eyes of outsiders, they were a match made in heaven.

The day Yu Zhizhi advanced to an Imperial S-level female, all of Greenfield City had celebrated wildly.

If he hadn’t arranged the marriage alliance between the Snake Clan and Noel one step ahead, His Majesty the King would have likely already decreed a marriage between those two.

In the past, the Duke had thought that this pet was quite pleasant to keep around. But for the sake of the Valoran Empire, once he grew tired of her, he would simply pick an outstanding Beast Husband for her so she could go off and procreate.

But now—

The Duke had to admit that deep in his heart, a single thought was screaming frantically.

’Possess her!’

’Forever! Forever! I can never let her go!’

Just the thought of the little female showing her sweet smile to another male made his stomach fill with acid, and his throat tightened.

The Duke’s face remained calm, but the sound of his fangs grinding was faintly audible.

"Go. Bring that female rabbit here."

The personal attendant froze for a moment. "Yes, Master."

’Not back to the study, but summoning Ms. Zhi Zhi here?’

By the time Jieao withdrew, his back was soaked with sweat.

He didn’t dare say another word.

He retreated all the way to the main doors of the reception hall and went with the attendant to fetch Ms. Zhi Zhi.

When Yu Zhizhi heard the news, she was eating soft, chewy sweet dumplings. She swallowed the last one, took a sip of the sweet soup, and a brilliant smile lit up her face. "Okay! I’ll go right now."

’The Duke is looking for me.’

The personal attendant opened his mouth, wanting to warn her that the Duke was furious right now.

But in the end, he said nothing.

He didn’t dare to speak out of turn.

’I hope tonight passes peacefully...’

Led by the attendant, Yu Zhizhi arrived at the reception hall.

Like a happy little bird, she picked up her skirts and darted down the corridor into the main hall.

Seeing the Duke’s seated figure, Yu Zhizhi walked straight up to him, bent down slightly, and curiously peered at the handsome face of the man wreathed in smoke.

"I’m here~"

The young woman’s voice was sweet and soft, tinged with a cheerful lilt. Her rabbit ears twitched gently, a clear sign of her joyful mood.