Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess (GL , ABO) - Chapter 23.2
She had never experienced the gentle softness often associated with Kunze.
But ever since the Princess had arrived, since meeting Zhi Miao, that image had somehow rooted itself in her mind.
It stirred a bit of guilt, but not enough to change anything.
“Miss Zhi Miao, you already know the answer. I’ve said it clearly.”
“As the Princess’s personal maid, you should know your place.”
Su Xun could not understand how Zhi Miao had gotten away with so much.
Perhaps it was because the Marquis had changed.
After that day behind the carriage, Jiang Si had become calmer, more patient. The once fiery commander was now polite and composed.
Even during the battle at Weicheng, when surrounded by hostile villagers who hated the Jingyuan Army, Jiang Si had remained patient and kind.
She had become the kind of marquis who truly cared about the people.
The very people who had once feared and hated her now found peace in her presence.
By comparison, Zhi Miao’s angry glares felt insignificant.
Yet they still left Su Xun uncomfortable.
No matter how beautiful a Kunze might be, they should still show proper respect toward the Marquis.
“If you cannot stay here, Miss Zhi Miao, then I suppose—”
“Jiang Si, stay away from me.”
Su Xun had not finished speaking when a voice rang out from the room behind her.
It was Mowan Ci.
The voice startled Su Xun. Zhi Miao, who had been ready to charge forward again, froze in place.
No one knew Mowan Ci better than Zhi Miao.
What shocked her was not the content of the shout, but the tone.
It carried Mowan Ci’s familiar coolness, but also a softness, even a hint of seduction.
Zhi Miao slowly turned her gaze away from the door and looked directly into Su Xun’s eyes.
The two of them turned their heads at the same time, silently agreeing to pretend they had heard nothing.
This time, Zhi Miao understood. She even felt the urge to leave as soon as possible.
Su Xun’s stern words had made her think more clearly.
If Mowan Ci truly did not want this, how could she have allowed Jiang Si into the room?
Zhi Miao had acted on emotion, but she was not completely foolish. From this moment forward, she knew she could no longer treat Marquis Jiajing the way she had before.
Zhi Miao and Su Xun stayed silent for a while, then turned and walked away from the room together.
They left the pavilion by the lake and waited there instead.
Inside the room, the air was charged with a different kind of tension.
Mowan Ci’s sheer robe had completely slipped off. The scent of snow lotus filled the air, thicker than ever.
At that moment, she smelled something strange. A pheromone that did not belong to Jiang Si.
It was faint, but its aggression was undeniable. And it was unpleasant.
She glanced at Jiang Si’s shoulder, then clenched her jaw and pushed her away.
“Jiang Si, get away from me.”
She had intended to scold her, but the moment the words left her mouth, even she was startled. Her voice didn’t sound like her own.
Then she saw the strange light in Jiang Si’s eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and her expression was almost predatory, as if she were about to strike.
Mowan Ci had no strength to resist. All she could do was watch as Jiang Si came closer.
A few strands of hair had fallen in front of her eyes, but Jiang Si gently brushed them away.
Being this close made Mowan Ci’s face even hotter.
Because of the closeness, she clearly heard Jiang Si whisper one word near her ear.
“Shao Yuan.”
Mowan Ci froze. That title felt oddly familiar but also made her uncomfortable.
Jiang Si had never called her that. She called her Princess, or Her Highness, never by her formal title.
“Shao Yuan, stay with me for the rest of your life, alright?”
Jiang Si spoke with a dazed smile. She reached for Mowan Ci’s hair again, then gently brushed her knuckles across her cheek.
Mowan Ci still had just enough strength to turn her head away, but Jiang Si’s emotions only seemed to intensify.
There was excitement in her eyes, and her scent grew even more unpleasant.
People often said that a Qianyuan and a Kunze were drawn to each other. Their pheromones blended naturally and felt soothing. Only Qianyuan and Qianyuan would repel and provoke each other.
But right now, Jiang Si made her feel suffocated and sick.
All she wanted was to escape.
She dug her fingernails into the soft flesh of Jiang Si’s arm, hoping to use pain to force her to stop.
But Jiang Si, in the middle of a heat-driven episode, felt nothing. She only leaned in closer.
Mowan Ci had nowhere left to run, but she refused to surrender.
Her ears rang with that title, repeated again and again.
She had never imagined she would come to hate the name she had carried for more than twenty years.
“Shao Yuan… Shao Yuan…”
“Stop talking. Jiang Si, I…”
Her protest was cut short. Jiang Si grabbed her wrist and covered her mouth.
Mowan Ci couldn’t breathe. Her chest tightened, and her eyes filled with tears.
The physical strength of a Qianyuan was not something a Kunze could match, especially not someone like Jiang Si, who had trained in martial arts since childhood.
Mowan Ci’s resistance was useless.
Then, just when it became unbearable, Jiang Si’s strength weakened. The oppressive scent vanished.
Mowan Ci gasped for air. The faint, familiar smell of amber returned, comforting and clean.
The overwhelming pressure disappeared completely.
Jiang Si collapsed beside the bed, dazed and confused.
She seemed unaware of what had just happened.
Mowan Ci turned away and lay there for a while. Though the heavy scent was gone, the discomfort lingered.
Her body had gone from burning to freezing. She hugged her arms tightly to her chest.
Jiang Si sat next to her, unmoving, her head bowed. Then tears began to fall down her cheeks.
She sniffled softly and whispered, “Princess.”
Mowan Ci’s eyelashes fluttered. Her eyes held a mix of doubt and helplessness.
The scent was truly gone, and Jiang Si’s voice was filled with sorrow.
It was as if she had been the one hurt.
Mowan Ci turned back and reached out, placing her hand gently on Jiang Si’s head.
“Are you alright?”
Jiang Si’s face turned bright red. She tried to speak, tried to release her scent, but nothing came.
Her lips moved, but no sound followed. In the end, she silently shook her head.
Mowan Ci’s strength was gone. She collapsed back onto the bed, letting the snow lotus scent spread through the room.
She was the only one who could still feel it.
Jiang Si seemed completely unaffected now.
She sat there by the bed, quietly.
In her mind, images flashed by.
From the Marquis’s estate in the north to the palace in Shangjing, everything replayed like a dream.
Then, one scene stood still.
The tall palace walls had once made it hard to breathe. She had been seven or eight, surrounded by children mocking her.
She didn’t know them, but she recognized who they were.
The oldest boy was the late emperor’s first prince.
The younger girl was Princess Pingjin.
The boy her own age was the young heir of the Bo Yang Marquis.
And the one who stepped in to protect her was Mowan Ci.
She had appeared calm and confident. The others had backed away, but not before being sharply scolded by her.
The prince resisted. Pingjin and the young heir seemed afraid.
Jiang Si had already started martial training, but her adoptive father, the previous Marquis Jiajing, had warned her to be quiet and stay out of trouble.
She was not to challenge nobles or argue, no matter what was said.
Jiang Si had obeyed, but when the crown prince insulted Mowan Ci, she could not stay silent.
She stepped forward and stood in front of her.
She had wanted to say that if anything was wrong, they could come after her instead. Mowan Ci had done nothing to deserve it.
She had never feared the prince’s title.
The memory ended there.
Jiang Si’s expression sharpened. She stood up quickly.
Looking at the woman on the bed, she saw the same little girl from her memory.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
She bent down slightly to look at her more closely, but Mowan Ci suddenly opened her eyes.
Her gaze was distant, but her hand reached out and pulled Jiang Si toward her.
She held her by the shoulder and asked, “Where is your scent?”
Jiang Si’s eyes filled with panic. She tried a few times, but nothing came.