Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 37

“I will listen to whatever the Marquis says.”

When Mowan Ci said those words, her eyes glowed with a soft, seductive warmth. Jiang Si felt her mouth go dry, yet a chill swept across her body.

She didn’t fully understand Mowan Ci, but through their few confrontations, she had come to realize something — this woman seemed to wear two different faces.

Moments ago, she had been cold as ice. Now, she spoke like a temptress, provocative and alluring.

If her words hadn’t struck such a nerve, Jiang Si might have truly agreed to them.

But what she said involved Nangong Yan, and it was clearly a deliberate provocation. Jiang Si couldn’t hold back her anger and snapped, “I have no interest in Nangong Yan.”

Mowan Ci clearly didn’t believe her. Her voice was light and unconvinced as she replied, “Oh? Is that so?”

“It is. Mowan Ci, believe me,” Jiang Si said anxiously, accidentally calling her by name. Mowan Ci paused in surprise, then gave a small smile that sent a shiver down Jiang Si’s spine.

Jiang Si became even more flustered. She didn’t understand why she lost control so easily around Mowan Ci. Normally, she kept her emotions in check.

Trying to explain, she said, “I don’t care about her. It’s only because…”

“There’s no need to explain. I understand. You must have captured Huaicheng. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come back with you.”

As the former Princess Regent, Mowan Ci was naturally sharp when it came to political matters. She knew exactly why they had gone to Huaicheng, and what the outcome would be.

What she hadn’t expected was for Nangong Yan to return with them.

More importantly, she and Jiang Si were not in a relationship where she could demand explanations.

Realizing her own reaction had been too emotional, Mowan Ci began to rein herself in. She wrapped her arms around Jiang Si again, guiding her toward the bed.

“No matter what happened, the Marquis owes me no explanation.”

She couldn’t fully explain why, but from the moment she first laid eyes on Nangong Yan, she had felt an intense dislike.

That feeling of resentment burned so deeply that her eyes turned red, and her grip around Jiang Si tightened.

Moments ago, she had seemed too weak to stand. Now, she had enough strength to make Jiang Si freeze in surprise.

Mowan Ci leaned heavily against her, whispering her name.

“Jiang Si.”

It was just like that day on the city tower.

Jiang Si had regretted not turning back to find her that day. So now, hearing Mowan Ci call her name again left her momentarily dazed.

In that split second, Mowan Ci shifted and bit down on the back of her neck.

The pain from her teeth scraping against her gland made Jiang Si tense all over. Her pheromone — the scent of amber — began to flood the room.

But soon, the scent of snow lotus completely enveloped it. The two scents mingled and pulled apart, swirling throughout the space.

Jiang Si had only a vague understanding of marking. She knew that it was usually something a dominant did to a submissive. But what Mowan Ci had just done…

She was confused.

The confusion didn’t last long. Mowan Ci’s strength faded quickly, and she nearly collapsed. Her eyelashes were long and delicate, her skin impossibly smooth, and she was so close.

Jiang Si swallowed unconsciously and gently lifted her hair.

Mowan Ci was exhausted, but Jiang Si was not.

She had just begun to move when Mowan Ci’s voice rang out in warning.

“Don’t move.”

“I’m tired.”

Her arms were still wrapped tightly around Jiang Si’s neck, so tightly that Jiang Si could barely breathe.

She didn’t even know when she had fallen asleep. But when she woke, Mowan Ci hadn’t shifted at all. In fact, she seemed to be holding her even more tightly. Jiang Si’s chest ached from the pressure.

She gently moved Mowan Ci aside and clutched her chest, breathing heavily for a long while before finally leaving the bed.

The sun had already risen. When she stepped out, Zhi Miao was standing at the door, not the least bit surprised to see her.

Jiang Si, however, felt awkward. Zhi Miao bowed, and Jiang Si muttered something under her breath before quickly walking away.

The scent of snow lotus still clung heavily to her.

Back in the northern courtyard, she shut the door behind her and called for Sang Zhi to bring hot water. After bathing, she finally started to feel normal again.

Other than the ache at the back of her neck, nothing felt unusual. Even the pressure in her chest had faded.

The entire morning passed without much happening. Aside from Su Xun reporting on military matters, there was nothing urgent — until Lan Shao arrived just after noon.

Worried she might notice something strange, Jiang Si kept adjusting the collar of her outer robe.

But the more she adjusted it, the more noticeable it became.

Lan Shao had visited Mowan Ci earlier, and now that she was standing before Jiang Si, she couldn’t help but notice her odd behavior. Combining that with the strange expression on Jiang Si’s face, she eventually asked, “Marquis, are you injured?”

Just one question, and Jiang Si’s face turned visibly unnatural.

She had considered asking Lan Shao earlier but felt too embarrassed.

She didn’t know much about marking to begin with, and now that Mowan Ci had bitten her, she couldn’t tell whether it was a temporary or permanent mark.

Now that Lan Shao had brought it up, she thought it might be a good chance to ask directly.

“What’s the proper understanding of a temporary mark?”

“Temporary mark?” Lan Shao looked a little surprised, but still explained calmly. “A temporary mark is something only a dominant gives to a submissive. For a short time, it has the same effect as a permanent mark.”

“It can last seven days, sometimes half a month. It mostly depends on the strength of the dominant. During this period, their pheromones will intermingle, and both will feel a powerful urge to possess each other. It’s often overwhelming, like they want to be bound together at all times.”

After hearing Lan Shao’s explanation, Jiang Si finally felt a sense of relief. If it had only been a temporary mark from a dominant to a submissive, then that meant Mowan Ci’s bite was just a bite—one that happened to hurt, but nothing more.

She let out a small laugh, relaxed at last.

But Lan Shao raised an eyebrow and continued, “However, if it was a reverse mark from a submissive…”

“What? There’s a reverse mark too?”

Jiang Si felt like she was on a rollercoaster. She had just convinced herself that everything was fine, and now this sounded far more complicated.

Lan Shao nodded. “A reverse mark is when a submissive marks a dominant. Because it’s a one-sided marking, only the dominant will experience the typical effects I mentioned earlier.”

“The dominant’s pheromones get absorbed. The possessiveness becomes…”

“That’s enough. I get it.”

Jiang Si cut her off. Any more and she feared her head might explode.

If she was the only one affected by it, then did that mean she would end up constantly longing for Mowan Ci?

Not that she hadn’t already been thinking of her. Since the day they returned, the image of Mowan Ci with her robe slipping off her shoulders had lingered in her mind.

The more she thought about it, the more the back of her neck ached.

“You may leave now. Bring the medicine tomorrow…”

“I don’t think medicine will be needed over the next seven days,” Lan Shao replied without missing a beat.

Jiang Si’s strange behavior and questions were impossible to ignore. And the thick layer of suppressant ointment at her neck had not gone unnoticed.

“Marquis, Her Highness’s medicine requires your scent as its base. If she marked you in reverse, she would have drawn that scent directly from your gland. Which means… she may not need you again for a while.”

“Then I…”

“That is between you and Her Highness,” Lan Shao said. She bowed and exited the study without another word.

Jiang Si was left standing there, overwhelmed. She wanted to run after Lan Shao and ask how to resolve such a situation. But as she reached the door, she stopped.

There stood Nangong Yan.

She had been brought in by Liu Jin, who hadn’t realized how unwelcome she was. He reported dutifully, “Marquis, the Princess of Nanliang submitted a calling card and said she had urgent military matters to discuss.”

It was done by the book. She had proper reason, so Jiang Si couldn’t turn her away.

The study door remained wide open. Jiang Si made sure Liu Jin stayed nearby, just outside.

Nangong Yan had changed her clothes. No longer in armor, nor dressed in bright colors, she now wore a pale robe much like Mowan Ci’s preferred style. The only difference was that Mowan Ci disliked open collars, while Nangong Yan’s was cut quite low.

Jiang Si couldn’t even bring herself to look. As they spoke, her eyes wandered everywhere else, while Nangong Yan seemed not to notice, continuing to pose and flirt.

“Marquis, the northern climate is certainly colder than the south,” Nangong Yan said, fishing for conversation.

“If the Princess dresses more warmly, she won’t feel cold,” Jiang Si replied flatly, never once meeting her eyes.

“So the Marquis did notice that I wasn’t wearing much. I thought you hadn’t even looked at me.”

This was a trap. Every word was deliberate.

Jiang Si frowned and said nothing.

As she expected, Nangong Yan’s supposed military concerns were just an excuse. Everything she brought up had already been discussed back in Huaicheng. She was simply rehashing it all over again.

It was a waste of time.

Jiang Si was just about to find a reason to dismiss her when Nangong Yan suddenly stumbled as if she were about to fall.

Jiang Si remained motionless.

Nangong Yan pouted, her voice soft. “Jiang Si, are you really a dominant?”

This was nothing but provocation. It was as if she were questioning Jiang Si’s capability altogether.

Through gritted teeth, Jiang Si replied, “Of course I am.”

Nangong Yan smiled and walked up close, blinking flirtatiously. “I want Shencheng. Will you give it to me?”

The heavy perfume mixed with a powdery scent hung between them. It made Jiang Si nauseous. She instinctively stepped back.

Nangong Yan’s expression darkened with hurt. Jiang Si realized that must have been her pheromone.

Although they had interacted many times, they’d never been alone like this. Liu Jin was just outside, but Nangong Yan’s pheromone, though faint, was now unmistakable.

And she was overly sensitive to it.

It made her uncomfortable, completely unlike the way Mowan Ci’s scent had made her feel.

The pain at the back of her neck returned.

Jiang Si took a deep breath, pointed to the door, and said firmly, “Princess Nangong, if you have nothing else to discuss, please leave. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what? Am I really so much worse than Mowan Ci? Why is it that you don’t feel anything for me at all?”

Nangong Yan’s voice cracked. Her expression was raw, full of frustration and humiliation. For a submissive to release pheromones toward a dominant was a bold move, and Jiang Si’s reaction—disgust and rejection—felt like a slap in the face.

So she finally said what had been weighing on her heart.

Her feelings for Jiang Si had grown too intense, too quickly. She hadn’t been able to control them. She only wanted to have her.

Tears filled her eyes, and she cried out, “Did you lie to me in the south? You said you wanted a wife, but you never meant me, did you?”

Jiang Si felt a headache coming on. She couldn’t understand how someone could fall so deeply after just a few meetings.

“As the Princess of Nanliang, you should conduct yourself with more dignity…” Jiang Si began, but before she could finish, she caught sight of Mowan Ci at the door.

Liu Jin, perhaps trying to be discreet, had moved away a bit. At this moment, he was speaking with Mowan Ci.

The scene looked damning.

Without thinking, Jiang Si rushed out of the study and grabbed Mowan Ci’s wrist just as she was about to leave.

Her eyes were slightly red. Jiang Si didn’t know if it was from anger or tears. She reached out, unsure of what to say.

“Marquis.”

“I’m fine. I just came to rest,” Mowan Ci said calmly.

“Please don’t go. Just let me explain…”

“There’s no need. Whether you take a wife or a concubine, I don’t care. I only hope it isn’t Nangong Yan.”

“Anyone else is fine.”

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