Chapter 470 - 469: Duke: "You’re Not Allowed to Hate Me.

Yu Zhizhi felt the snake tail around her waist tighten. A flicker of confusion crossed her face as she heard the Duke’s words.

’...W-what words?’

’I haven’t seen the Duke in a long time. What did I say that made him so unhappy?’

The mist swirled around them. With her hand resting on the snake’s body, her mind raced.

’Since coming to Silan City, I’ve only seen the Duke twice and exchanged just a few words with him.’

’Was it because I wanted to see Little Amon?’

’Or was it that other time...’

Back then, Yu Zhizhi had been distraught that her mission was about to fail, which was why she had blurted out that question about whether it was okay for her to dislike Miss Yu Xiang.

The cool touch of the snake tail spread from the palm of her hand. Yu Zhizhi began slowly, "I didn’t mean to ask that..."

’How am I supposed to explain this?’

"You... your marriage to Miss Yu Xiang... I wanted to wish you both well."

’If my mission was doomed to fail anyway, it would have been good for the Duke to marry the female he loves.’

’At least then he wouldn’t always be thinking about locking me away in the Varolan Imperial City.’

’As long as he let me see Little Amon and the others whenever I had free time, that would be enough.’

Yu Zhizhi had likely dared to come to the Holy Tower this time because she knew the Duke was infatuated with the Jinshe female, meaning his attention was no longer on her.

As Yu Zhizhi rambled on, she failed to notice the Duke’s expression growing increasingly dark.

’I don’t feel so nervous anymore.’

’The Duke must be a reasonable person.’

But no one could have predicted that Miss Jin She would be assassinated on her wedding day—a beautiful life cut tragically short.

Other than offering her condolences, Yu Zhizhi truly couldn’t think of anything else to say to the Duke.

"Blessings?" The Duke’s chest ached with anger at the little female. ’She dares to speak of blessings? If Jin She hadn’t died, would she have wished us a long and happy life together?’

The snake tail suddenly yanked Yu Zhizhi backward, and she let out a cry of alarm—

"Ah!"

Her back slammed against the Duke’s chest. Before she could even turn her head, he cupped her face from behind, his grip firm.

The Duke’s presence loomed closer, his breath hot against her ear. "The day you left with Wild Dog... do you remember what you said?"

His tone was no longer as cold and aloof as before. Now, it was laced with a hint of gritted-teeth fury.

The feeling was somehow familiar. For a moment, it was as if Yu Zhizhi was seeing the Duke she once knew.

This was not the cold, distant man she had encountered in Silan City.

’That day... that day...’

The Duke held her body in a vice-like grip. The snake tail around her waist coiled tighter and tighter, as if trying to press her into his very being and make them one.

"Take it back," the Duke stressed again. "I’m giving you one last chance. Take back what you said."

’Back then...’

It was that time the thick fog rolled in over the sea. The Duke had tried to drag her back to the Varolan Imperial City by force, and he had even been about to kill Wild Dog.

"...Which part?" Yu Zhizhi asked, her voice hesitant.

’I said so much that day. What exactly is the Duke referring to?’

’Besides, it’s been so long. I probably couldn’t repeat everything I said even if I tried.’

The Duke’s golden, slitted pupils darkened, and his expression grew taut.

’The words that have tormented me for so long... she’s forgotten them completely.’

’I should just throw her out of the Holy Tower.’

But his snake tail seemed to have a will of its own, refusing to release the little rabbit in his arms.

’It’s been so long since I last saw her.’

’I deliberately filled my days with work, yet I always found myself thinking of her in the dead of night.’

He never missed a single day’s report on the little rabbit.

’—And she’s living so well, isn’t she?’

’She has her own territory, meeting different Beast Husbands every day.’

’So happy she’s probably forgotten who she even is.’

’And now that we finally meet, she just looks at me with that innocent face, as if she’s completely forgotten what happened.’

’Sometimes, I just want to take a knife, cut her open, and see if she even has a heart.’

As the snake tail coiled tighter, Yu Zhizhi let out a soft whimper. "...It hurts."

The Duke’s golden, slitted pupils slowly settled on the side of her face.

After a pause of several seconds, his tail loosened slightly.

For a moment, it was as if the little rabbit had shattered his arrogance. He lowered his head slightly, his breathing heavy. "...You’re not allowed to hate me."

’How can I forgive her so easily?’

’The Duke knew he shouldn’t...’

’When I first kept her at the Duke Mansion, it was only because I wanted a pet.’

’Nothing more.’

’The pet I wanted was supposed to be obedient, docile, cute, and always by my side. She’s not so obedient anymore. She’s defied me countless times.’

’So why am I here now, humbling myself to say these things to her?’

’What is it that I truly want?’

A flicker of emotion crossed the Duke’s eyes as he hugged the little female in his arms tighter. "Don’t."

’Don’t you dare hate me.’

’I won’t allow it.’

The Duke repeated himself, as if her taking back those words could turn back time and reset everything.

"Say you take it back."

’Words, once spoken, could be taken back.’

’If anyone else had dared, the Duke would have made them atone for it with their life.’

’But if it was her...’

’...all she had to do was say she took it back.’

’And he would turn the page on that day, never to bring it up again.’

Then, Yu Zhizhi remembered.

The situation had been desperate, and she had been so upset that she’d spoken without thinking. But back then, she truly couldn’t accept the Duke’s tyranny.

"I..." Yu Zhizhi didn’t know what to say.

’Does the Duke really care that much?’

’In that case...’

Yu Zhizhi opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.

Seeing her hesitation, the Duke’s eyes turned to ice. "Think carefully before you speak."

He would only give her this one chance.

Yu Zhizhi’s eyes went wide with shock when she heard him.

’...Is the Duke angry?’

Feeling the tense, heavy air around him, Yu Zhizhi couldn’t stop her body from trembling.

’Should I just give in and take back everything I said?’

’I don’t dare to displease the Duke...’

’But things are different now. We’re in Silan City, which isn’t like the Imperial City. We aren’t the same people we used to be.’

’If I just apologize to the Duke like this, it’ll feel so unfair.’

Yu Zhizhi bit her lip. She was terrified, but her voice still trembled out, "You were the one who forced me..."

She began her accusation.

"I didn’t want to return to the Imperial City to marry some Snake Clan male I’d never met. But you refused to listen and insisted on dragging me back—"

"You forced me, and you were going to kill Wild Dog..."

"He saved my life! Back at the Duke Mansion, if he hadn’t held off Count Gray, I might already be dead."

"I didn’t want to go back to the Imperial City, and I absolutely could not stand by and watch him die in front of me."

It would have been fine if the topic hadn’t come up.

But now that it had, Yu Zhizhi felt a sting in her nose, and tears instantly streamed down her face. "You’re the one who was wrong! You’re always bullying me..."

’There’s no way I’m taking those words back.’

"I do hate you."

Yu Zhizhi didn’t know where she found the courage, but she mimicked the Duke’s earlier emphasis. "If anyone should be apologizing, it’s you. You should be the one to say you’re sorry."