Chapter 471 - 470: "The Duke Must Mourn for Three Years.

The situation back then had been desperate. The Duke was single-minded in his attempt to take her away, and Wild Dog refused to back down, even unto death. Frantic and furious, Yu Zhizhi had gripped her sword, left with no other choice but to point it at herself.

Back then, her relationship with the Duke had plummeted to zero.

Yu Zhizhi had thought the Duke would probably never seek her out again.

Now, that past was being dredged up.

Yu Zhizhi grew stubborn as well. "You’re the one who should apologize. You have to say you’re sorry."

The Duke almost laughed in exasperation.

’Say I’m sorry? I’ve never said those two words in my entire life.’

’Such a tiny rabbit, with such immense audacity.’

"You belong to the Valoran Empire. Bringing you back to the Imperial City was the most logical decision I could have made."

’Apologize?’

’Impossible.’

Tears still glistening in her eyes, Yu Zhizhi retorted, "I have my own territory now."

In this world, once a female possessed her own territory, she was considered an independent individual. The Sky Star Territory could maintain friendly relations with the Valoran Empire, and her hometown was still Greenfield City in Varolan, but she could no longer be considered a female of the Valoran Empire.

White mist swirled through the bedchamber of the Holy Tower.

Unable to break free from the serpentine tail coiled around her waist, Yu Zhizhi felt more and more wronged as she spoke. "You never care about what I think..."

When she lived in the Duke Mansion, the Duke’s word was law; she could only obey.

When faced with the Duke, she couldn’t fight back. Resistance was futile.

The Duke watched the little rabbit’s ears tremble slightly. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her small lips formed a slight pout, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice in the world.

His golden, slitted pupils fixed on her profile. "Who says I don’t care? If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have let you keep Wild Dog. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have helped you through your heat. If I didn’t care, I most certainly would not have let you leave—"

’So what if the little rabbit was holding a sword?’

’So what if the blade had slit her throat?’

’If he didn’t care, he would have taken her back to the Varolan Imperial City all the same, even if only as a corpse.’

’This little female was the first person who ever dared to threaten him.’

’And she had used her own life to do it.’

’And he, the Duke, had been forced to concede.’

The Duke’s anger surged. He seized her chin, forcing her to turn and face him. "If you ever dare use your own life to threaten me again, I swear I will kill whoever you’re doing it for and have them buried alongside you."

Yu Zhizhi’s gaze met the Duke’s deep, golden, slitted pupils, and she couldn’t help but shudder. A snake’s eyes were different from those of other Beastmen; they held an indescribable terror.

In that instant, she even forgot to cry.

The Duke demanded menacingly, "Do you understand?"

"...I understand." She lowered her gaze, looking even more aggrieved.

The Duke said, "Understand what? Repeat it for me."

"That I shouldn’t use my own life to threaten... you."

The Duke was satisfied with her response.

Yu Zhizhi kept her head down. ’I knew it,’ she thought. ’The Duke will never apologize. He doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong.’

’Talking to him was like playing a lute for a snake.’

’I want to get away from him.’

"I’m going to find Little Amon."

’What’s done is done. It’s pointless to dwell on it.’

The serpentine tail around her waist didn’t move an inch.

The Duke looked at her sullen expression and her obvious desire to leave, and a strange emotion stirred within him.

’We’re not even done talking, and she’s trying to leave?’

’You’re not allowed to go.’

The Duke had no intention of letting her go. He felt he must look like a clingy, resentful husband.

’He desperately wanted to throw her out of the Holy Tower.’

’Banish her from Silan City.’

’But that was all it was—a thought.’

’He could never do that.’

The Duke slowly let out a troubled breath. He bent down slightly, embracing the little rabbit before him from behind. "That day... I was too impulsive."

’The little rabbit is so timid to begin with. How could I kill her...’

’...friend in front of her?’

’Even a cornered rabbit will bite.’

Held in the Duke’s embrace, Yu Zhizhi wore a stunned expression. The serpentine tail around her waist was no longer coiled so tightly. ’Did I hear that right? Did the Duke actually just apologize?’

"Are... are you apologizing?" Yu Zhizhi looked up, her gaze landing on his exquisite jawline, partially obscured by the mist.

A flicker of discomfort crossed the Duke’s golden, slitted pupils. He turned his head away, his tone slightly stiff. "...Mm."

Yu Zhizhi stared at him, dumbfounded.

For a moment, she forgot to respond.

The Duke thought she wasn’t satisfied. He shot her a quick glance and, after a long internal struggle, finally said the two words—

"I’m sorry."

’The little female had been so stubborn, insisting he apologize.’

’He hadn’t wanted to, of course.’

’But if apologizing would make her take back what she’d said that day, he supposed he could accept it.’

After saying it, the Duke stared at her intently. "Now it’s your turn."

’It was her turn.’

’He had apologized. So, the little rabbit had to take back what she’d said.’

Yu Zhizhi heard the Duke say the two words, "I’m sorry."

She was stunned for a long moment before it sank in: the Duke had actually, truly apologized.

The Duke waited for a long time, but the little rabbit in his arms remained silent. His brow furrowed. "Say something."

’He’d already apologized. Was this little female going to go back on her word?’

Before Yu Zhizhi could answer, the Duke stressed again, "Say you take it back."

The Duke’s insistence confused Yu Zhizhi. She hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "...I take it back."

Hearing her response, the Duke lowered his head slightly, his nose brushing against her right rabbit ear as he took in her jasmine scent. "You are never, ever allowed to hate me."

Ever.

The Duke’s breath was so close. Yu Zhizhi’s rabbit ears twitched. She didn’t want things to be this tense with the Duke either. Besides, she still had a favorability score to raise.

...Huh?

Always a beat behind, Yu Zhizhi suddenly realized something—

The conquest mission!

She had all but given up on it. Ever since arriving in Silan City, Yu Zhizhi had felt that getting the Duke’s favorability score to one hundred was an impossible task.

Things had taken an unexpected turn now, but if the Duke truly liked Miss Jin She, Yu Zhizhi didn’t want to interfere any further.

She reminded him tactfully, "Lord Bo Lan, please let go of your hands... and your tail. This is the Holy Tower. For us to be like this... it’s inappropriate."

Yu Zhizhi had almost forgotten about that.

"Miss Yu Xiang just passed away... According to the customs of the Varolan Imperial City, the Duke should observe a three-year mourning period."

The Duke: "...?"

’What mourning period?’

He hadn’t expected the little rabbit to suddenly bring up Jinshe. It took him a long moment to understand what she meant—

The anger he had just managed to suppress flared up again. "The wedding was only half-finished! My handprint isn’t even on the Bonding Contract. I have no relationship with her whatsoever. What is there for me to mourn?"

"But... don’t you like her?" Yu Zhizhi asked in a small voice.

"Who said that?"

"You did! At the City Lord’s residence."

The Duke remembered.

Back then, the little female had asked him if he liked Jinshe, and his answer had been—"What if I do?"

"That wasn’t liking," the Duke said, his tone meticulously precise.

’How could she interpret his tone back then as liking her?’

’It was obviously said out of spite.’