Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 51

The faint sting at the back of her neck reminded Mowan Ci of what Jiang Si had done while she slept.

The awakening of her youthful desires was a new experience, and her heartbeat drummed in her chest, coloring her cheeks bright red.

She had once felt anger, longing, and internal conflict toward Jiang Si. She had tortured herself, hoping to become someone Jiang Si could never let go of.

After last night, her feelings had changed.

She could be peaceful with Jiang Si.
She could allow intimacy with Jiang Si.

“Zhi Miao, please help me change.”

With no shame, Mowan Ci stepped out of bed and called for help. She had already shed her modest attire in favor of something more vibrant. After dressing and styling her hair, she sat before the mirror, studying her reflection.

She had always been praised for her appearance, but for the first time, she truly noticed her own beauty.

Mowan Ci had Zhi Miao arrange a simple breakfast for her and then headed to the council hall.

Jiang Si had saved her life last night, and she wanted to show her gratitude. She would not send a servant to invite Jiang Si. She would go herself.

Before she reached the hall, she overheard Jiang Si’s voice.

“Though General Feng comes by imperial decree, she still follows the Princess’s command…”

The words struck Mowan Ci with icy clarity.

She had hoped for a new beginning with Jiang Si, but evidently that hope was hers alone.

Standing at the entrance to the council hall, Mowan Ci’s gaze fixed only on Jiang Si. Jiang Si saw her and understood that she had heard.

She offered a polite, knowing smile, stood, and walked to greet Mowan Ci. Her expression was calm, unchanged.

“I did not say anything wrong,” Jiang Si thought. General Feng truly had come with commands that aligned her actions with Mowan Ci’s interests. If Mowan Ci was planning betrayal, Feng Yao would have helped her.

But Jiang Si had not expected Mowan Ci to hear her words—and she could no longer think of what to do.

Mowan Ci kept her face composed and spoke clearly.

“Your Highness came early. May I ask your purpose?”

“Your Highness, I came to invite the Marquis to breakfast.”

Jiang Si paused, then smiled.

“It is true we are here for discussion, and I have not eaten yet.”

Su Xun excused herself. Her status was different, and she could not accept a meal prepared by Mowan Ci. She left the hall.

Jiang Si turned to Feng Yao.

“General Feng, would you also join us for breakfast?”

Feng Yao looked at Mowan Ci without emotion for a moment, then offered a polite nod and accepted.

The southern courtyard was near the council hall. The three of them walked in silence.

As they moved, Jiang Si slowed, lagging behind just enough to watch carefully.

Feng Yao drew close to Mowan Ci along the narrow path, causing Mowan Ci to tighten visibly with tension.

Jiang Si could not tell if Mowan Ci was afraid or irritated—or simply distracted by her presence.

Her heart ached with doubt. She worried for Mowan Ci’s safety and feared that this mission with Feng Yao would cost her in ways hard to define.

During breakfast, Zhi Miao laid out the dishes. Jiang Si ate quietly. Feng Yao shared stories of life in the capital with Mowan Ci.

The cuisine had flavors from the capital, and after a half-year of northern dishes, Jiang Si struggled to finish it.

Feng Yao ate well. Mowan Ci barely touched her food.

Halfway through, Zhi Miao brought in two large bowls of local northern stew. Jiang Si immediately set down her chopsticks and reached for them.

“I thought you might not enjoy capital food, so I prepared something more suited to your taste,” Mowan Ci said softly.

Jiang Si glared at her in mock irritation. Why hadn’t she served this earlier?

At last, she could eat with enthusiasm.

Mowan Ci, seated at the center, occasionally offered Jiang Si tasty morsels and poured her tea.

Jiang Si was too focused on eating. Feng Yao, however, watched them both quietly.

Mowan Ci’s generosity was clear. She never looked directly at Jiang Si during the meal. Feng Yao noticed, but Jiang Si did not.

Her discomfort grew. After breakfast, Feng Yao prepared to leave.

She walked away, her mind stuck replaying the way Mowan Ci had served Jiang Si.

As Feng Yao stepped out of the courtyard, Jiang Si called after her sharply.

“General Feng, do not forget tomorrow’s campaign.”

If Jiang Si had not reminded her, she might have left entirely. Feng Yao paused, acknowledged, and turned to look at Mowan Ci.

Seeing that Mowan Ci wouldn’t even glance at her, Feng Yao left with a trace of bitterness.

At the courtyard gate, she heard Mowan Ci ask Jiang Si.

“Tomorrow the Marquis marches out?”

After Feng Yao left, Jiang Si put down her tea and looked closely at Mowan Ci.

“Princess, shouldn’t you express some concern for General Feng?”

Mowan Ci tilted her head, her words gentle yet probing.

“You never spoke. Were you offering me to General Feng through conversation?”

Jiang Si frowned.

“We had an understanding. I merely followed it. But if a journey to Wei City was burdened upon a guest, should a princess not offer comfort?”

Mowan Ci’s question hung in the air.

“And yet, Marquis, why did you save me last night?”

Jiang Si was left speechless. She could not name the feeling that drove her to save Mowan Ci. It was haunting and inexplicable, a fear she had never known.

With Feng Yao things felt straightforward. She understood the mission. But with Mowan Ci…

The inability to predict her emotions left Jiang Si unsettled. The princess was a mystery she could neither unravel nor fully trust.

The two of them sat in silence for a long time. Eventually, Mowan Ci was the first to soften her tone.

“How long will this campaign take?”

“It probably won’t be too long. The Rongdi have always acted this way. They fight, lose, then return again, clinging on like a stubborn sore. As for the western border, that will take more careful planning. I never intended to get involved in the west, but now it seems I have no choice.”

When the conversation turned to military matters, Jiang Si regained her usual composure. She had no intention of hiding her plans to advance into the Central Plains and take Changjian from Mowan Ci.

After all, she would find out eventually. Letting her know earlier might even help Jiang Si make clearer decisions.

“At most, three years. By then, Your Highness, you will be back in Changjian.”

“Very well. Then allow me to offer my early blessing. I wish you victory in battle, my Lord Marquis.”

“Shall we have tea later in the pavilion?”

Mowan Ci was especially gentle and soft-spoken today, something Jiang Si wasn’t used to. But the look in Mowan Ci’s eyes was clear and bright. There was no sign of hidden intentions. After a brief thought, Jiang Si agreed. It was her last peaceful day before setting out.

In the north, Mowan Ci usually brewed black tea. But today she had specially prepared Yunwu tea, a fragrant and mellow blend only found in the Central Plains. It was her favorite when she lived in Changjian.

“Please, have a taste.”

That morning, Mowan Ci had not called for servants. She handled everything herself in the lakeside pavilion.

Jiang Si felt a little uneasy. She drank cautiously. Mowan Ci noticed and smiled slightly.

“You’re this wary of me, yet you’ve saved me more than once. Why is that, Marquis?”

“More than once?” Jiang Si tilted her head, thinking it over.

What they had done, though not easily explained, could count as a form of rescue. She had rushed back from Wei City when Mowan Ci had been poisoned.

It seemed that every time Mowan Ci was in danger, Jiang Si forgot everything else. But whenever Mowan Ci was safe, the pain from the knife wound at the back of her neck would return to her memory.

This cycle repeated again and again, and Jiang Si herself couldn’t quite understand it.

“I’m a coward,” she said softly. “I want to survive. And I want to live freely.”

Being around Mowan Ci always felt like having invisible chains wrapped around her. Yet if Mowan Ci was in danger, doing nothing made Jiang Si feel deeply uneasy.

They fell silent once more. After a long pause, Jiang Si finally gave an explanation.

“Last night, you were poisoned. Your body was weak.”

“If it had been someone else, would you have done the same?” Mowan Ci asked.

Jiang Si paused, unsure how to respond. She quietly took a sip of tea and replied, “This is excellent tea. The scent lingers. You make it well, Princess.”

“Stay tonight,” Mowan Ci said, her voice quiet but clear.

Jiang Si looked at her without speaking.

Last night had been out of necessity. But today, after seeing Feng Yao, her thoughts had become clearer. She hadn’t forgotten the promise she made to Mowan Ci. Even so, she still didn’t dare keep her too close. Yet when she thought of Feng Yao’s secretive ways, she felt that he didn’t deserve someone like Mowan Ci.

“I have something I want to say to you. Would you stay?”

Mowan Ci asked again when Jiang Si didn’t answer.

Finally, Jiang Si set down her teacup and replied calmly, “Would Your Highness like to take a walk with me?”

She remembered what Lan Shao had told her: that Mowan Ci had grown dependent on incense from Qianyuan Temple.

In the entire marquis manor, Jiang Si was the most suitable person to stay by her side. Sharing a bed wasn’t something new. There was no need for hesitation.

Still, the day was young. If they returned to the room right away, it would seem improper. So she suggested going outside.

Mowan Ci said nothing. She simply sat upright and leaned slightly toward Jiang Si.

There were only the two of them in the lakeside pavilion. The maid stood guard outside. Zhi Miao and Wei Nian had already returned to their rooms. No one was watching.

Jiang Si glanced around, and when she turned back, Mowan Ci was already close. Her fingernail traced lightly along Jiang Si’s cheek. It was slightly painful, slightly ticklish. Jiang Si grabbed her hand and saw her nails painted a vivid red.

She then looked at Mowan Ci’s elegant and colorful ruqun and smiled.

“Princess, are you dressed like this today for…”

“To please the one I adore?”

“That’s right,” Mowan Ci answered boldly.

She was much more daring than usual today. Jiang Si refused to back down. She placed her arm around Mowan Ci’s waist.

If this was the kind of moment Mowan Ci enjoyed, she would go along with it.

But as they looked into each other’s eyes, Jiang Si saw something more behind Mowan Ci’s gaze.

There was a hint of sorrow.

It flashed by so quickly that Jiang Si almost thought she had imagined it.

She suspected that the way they felt about each other was the same. Sometimes close, sometimes distant. Neither could let their guard down completely.

And this time, it was Mowan Ci who made the move to come closer.

“When you saved me last night,” Mowan Ci said softly, “I had already thought about what it would mean.”

“So tell me, Marquis. Are you afraid? Or are you unable?”

“Hmm?”

That gentle question sounded more like a challenge.

Jiang Si shook her head, pulled Mowan Ci into her arms, brushed back the strands of hair at her ear, and lowered her head to bite her earlobe.

“Are you sure… you really don’t know?”

Mowan Ci didn’t answer, but her breathing quickened. Jiang Si quickly let go and smiled at her.

But the smile froze in an instant.

Mowan Ci looked her in the eyes and asked, “And how can you be so sure that the one I love is Feng Yao and not you?”

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