Chapter 324 - 323 - Teasing him

Chapter 324: Chapter 323 - Teasing him

The next morning, Ryan’s usually orderly residence was far busier than normal.

Servants moved back and forth through the courtyard carrying wooden chests, folded blankets, riding cloaks, food containers, and everything else they might need for the journey. The imperial hunting grounds were nearly a full day’s ride from Ryan’s residence, and since they would be staying there for several days, there was quite a lot to prepare.

Eric, of course, had absolutely no intention of helping.

He sat comfortably in a chair on the lawn beneath the shade of a tree, one leg crossed over the other while he lazily fanned himself with a large peacock-feather fan. A bowl of grapes rested on the small table beside him, and every now and then, he plucked one from the bunch and popped it into his mouth as he watched everyone else work.

It was rather nice being a prince.

Even better being the general’s wife.

People packed for him while he sat there looking pretty.

Eric sighed contentedly and waved the fan a little faster when a warm breeze passed through the garden. His eyes followed two servants struggling to carry a particularly heavy chest toward the waiting carriage.

"Careful with that," he called lazily. "My clothes are probably in there. If you wrinkle them, I’ll have nothing beautiful to wear, and then your general will have to look at an ugly wife for the entire hunting competition."

The two servants nearly stumbled.

Eric grinned and calmly popped another grape into his mouth.

A shadow fell over him a moment later.

He tilted his head back and found Ryan standing beside his chair with a small porcelain bowl in his hands.

Eric’s eyes immediately dropped to it.

Fresh tangerines.

They had already been peeled, carefully separated into neat little pieces, and even the thin white veins had been painstakingly removed from each segment. There wasn’t a single seed or bit of peel left anywhere.

Eric slowly looked from the bowl to Ryan.

His husband really was becoming frighteningly good at this.

Ryan placed the bowl on the table beside the grapes without saying anything.

Eric smiled up at him. "For me?"

"Who else?"

"Hmm."

Eric’s smile widened. He set the peacock-feather fan across his lap and glanced at the bowl before looking at Ryan again.

"Why won’t you feed me?"

Ryan paused.

Eric lifted one hand weakly before letting it fall dramatically onto the armrest. "My hands are tired."

Ryan’s eyes moved toward the fan resting on his lap, then toward the bowl of grapes Eric had clearly been eating by himself just seconds earlier.

Eric stared back at him without the slightest trace of shame.

"What?" he said. "Fanning oneself is exhausting work."

For several seconds, Ryan simply looked at him.

Eric almost laughed. He could practically see the man deciding whether arguing with him was worth the trouble.

Apparently, it wasn’t.

Ryan reached into the bowl and picked up one of the tangerine segments.

Eric immediately straightened a little.

Ryan brought it toward his mouth, and Eric obediently opened his lips. He could have simply taken the fruit and been done with it.

But where was the fun in that?

As Eric bit down on the tangerine, his teeth deliberately grazed Ryan’s fingertip.

Ryan’s entire hand froze.

It was only for a second, but Eric caught it.

More importantly, he saw the tiny shudder that ran through the tall man standing over him.

Eric nearly burst out laughing.

Oh.

So he really was affected.

He slowly chewed the sweet fruit while watching Ryan’s face. The general’s expression remained impressively controlled, but the stiffness in his shoulders betrayed him. His fingers curled slightly as he withdrew his hand, and his eyes stayed on Eric for a second too long before he forced them elsewhere.

Eric’s mood immediately brightened.

This was much more entertaining than watching servants pack.

"Another."

Ryan looked down at him.

Eric opened his mouth expectantly.

After a brief hesitation, Ryan picked up another tangerine segment and held it toward him.

Eric ate this one more innocently, though some of the juice smeared across his lower lip. He slowly ran his tongue over it, catching the sweetness, and when he looked up again, Ryan’s gaze had already fallen to his mouth.

Eric’s eyes narrowed with amusement.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Ryan seemed to realize where he was staring and quickly lifted his gaze, but it was already too late.

Eric had seen everything.

A wicked little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He deliberately puckered his lips slightly before licking away the last trace of tangerine juice. Then he noticed a little juice had gotten onto his fingertips, so he brought them to his mouth and slowly licked them clean as well.

Ryan inhaled sharply.

The sound was quiet, but Eric heard it.

He almost choked on his own laughter.

Such an innocent little flower...

For someone who could command thousands of soldiers without blinking, Ryan was ridiculously easy to tease like this.

Eric leaned farther back in the chair and openly studied him. Ryan was tall enough that Eric had to tilt his head to look at his face, and the simple dark robes he wore did very little to hide the broad shoulders and powerful build underneath. He had spent years on battlefields, so there was nothing soft about the man. Even standing perfectly still, he carried that quiet strength that made everyone around him instinctively straighten their backs.

Yet a little teasing had him standing there stiff as a board.

Eric found that far too amusing.

There weren’t any concubines in the residence either. Eric had been here long enough to notice that. No favored women tucked away in some private courtyard, no pretty attendants suspiciously close to Ryan, not even rumors from the servants about their general visiting anyone at night.

Eric’s gaze slowly traveled over him before returning to his face.

Wait...

A thought suddenly occurred to him.

Does that mean he hasn’t slept with anyone?

His brows rose slightly.

Surely not.

Ryan was a grown man, and an extremely handsome one at that. He was a famous general, had status, wealth, power, and judging from that princess, there were definitely women interested in him.

But Eric had seen no sign that Ryan was interested in any of them.

His eyes drifted over Ryan once more, much less subtly this time.

Ryan noticed.

"What are you looking at?"

Eric immediately smiled.

"You."

Ryan’s expression stiffened.

Eric almost laughed again.

He leaned his cheek against one hand, looking him over as though examining something particularly fascinating. "Husband, can I ask you something?"

Ryan already looked suspicious. "What?"

Eric’s smile became unbearably sweet.

"Have you ever been with anyone before?"

Ryan went completely still.

That alone was enough to make Eric’s eyes light up.

"Oh?"

Ryan’s jaw tightened. "Why are you asking me that?"

"No reason." Eric reached for his peacock-feather fan again and flicked it open, casually fanning himself as though he had asked about the weather. "I was simply curious."

"You are curious about strange things."

"Of course I am. You’re my husband. Shouldn’t I know these things?"

Ryan stared at him for a long moment before reaching down, picking up the bowl of tangerines, and turning away.

Eric’s mouth dropped open.

"Hey!"

Ryan kept walking.

Eric twisted around in his chair. "Where are you going with my tangerines?"

"You seem energetic enough to peel your own."

"What does my question have to do with my fruit?"

Ryan didn’t answer.

Eric stared after his retreating back before suddenly noticing the faint redness creeping up the back of the man’s neck.

His eyes widened.

Then a delighted grin spread across his face.

"No way..."

Ryan’s steps became noticeably faster.

Eric slapped the peacock fan against his knee and burst out laughing.

"General Ryan!" he called after him. "Why are you running away? I only asked a question!"

Ryan did not turn around.

That only made Eric laugh harder.

He leaned back in his chair, thoroughly pleased with himself as he watched his husband disappear into the residence with his stolen tangerines.