"I advise you all to be smart and move aside. Otherwise, I won't just use a muscle-weakening powder next time, but a deadly poison that kills instantly. If you're not afraid to die, then keep blocking my way."
The men across from her looked at one another. After a moment, one of them said, "Madam, please go back. If we let you go, the Marquis will punish us just the same."
Pearl Su's face turned dark. "Since you're asking for death, don't blame me."
She pulled out a vial of poison that she hadn't used before and carefully opened it.
Seeing how cautious she was, the men began to sweat.
Pearl Su held the vial in her hand and slowly stepped toward them.
The closer she got, the more nervous they became. Sweat dripped down their foreheads. Unconsciously, their feet moved, and they made way for her.
Seeing the path clear, and with the courtyard gate just ahead, Pearl Su felt a surge of joy. Freedom was within reach.
Suddenly, a tall figure appeared in front of the courtyard gate.
He wore a sapphire blue court robe with a commanding presence. His deep eyes locked on her as he walked with firm steps toward her and stopped just two meters away.
When Pearl Su saw his face clearly, her body trembled. Fear stirred inside her, but her expression remained cold and hard as she stared at him.
"Madam, what are you doing? Please go back to the room. Whatever it is, we can talk it through. If things don't work out, then you can do what you must, alright?"
Looking at Pearl Su, dressed as a man but still delicate and charming, Alaric Yun sighed softly and spoke in a gentle voice.
Hearing his coaxing tone, Pearl Su cursed inwardly. This wretched man was always pretending. She snapped, "Step aside. If you don't, don't blame me for being cruel. The poison in my hand kills instantly. If you want to die, I won't stop you."
Alaric Yun glanced at the powder in her hand, his gaze dark. He knew well what she was capable of. But letting her go? Impossible.
He stepped forward, slowly approaching. "Don't make a scene anymore. Let's talk this through. I'll agree to anything within reason."
Pearl Su snorted coldly, her expression growing even more icy. She knew exactly what kind of man he was. He knew what she wanted to do. He just didn't care.
"Ah…"
While she was momentarily distracted, a flash of movement appeared in front of her. Suddenly, pain shot through her body. She couldn't move.
She'd been struck at an acupoint. Damn him. That wretched man!
Her eyes, sharp as blades, glared at Alaric Yun.
He calmly took the poison from her hand, crushed it into a ball, and tossed it aside.
Then he opened his arms, picked her up, and carried her into the room.
Before closing the door, he left one final warning: "What happened today, especially her appearance, must never be spoken of. If anyone says a word, you'll deal with the consequences."
Everyone quickly agreed. From then on, everyone present knew what their Madam looked like. She was a perfect match for the Marquis. Even in plain clothes, her beauty shone through. No wonder the Marquis kept her so close.
Inside the room.
Alaric Yun placed Pearl Su on the bed without a word and kissed her hard on the lips. Then, he bit her as punishment.
Pearl Su cried out in pain. Blood quickly appeared, but Alaric Yun ignored it. As soon as it seeped out, he sucked it all away.
As if that wasn't enough, he pried open her mouth and kissed her even more fiercely, trying to take all the air from her lungs.
Pearl Su whimpered, overwhelmed and suffocating. She tried to bite him, but he grabbed her jaw tightly, holding her in place.
No one knew how long passed before he finally let go. His eyes were dark and intense like a wolf's.
"Madam, have you forgotten? I told you before. In this life, you're never leaving me. You'll always be the Marquis's wife."
"This time, I'm telling you again. You need to act like a proper wife of the Marquis. Stop trying to run or make trouble."
"You wish…" Pearl Su couldn't hold back her rage and cursed at him.
"Pearl Su, if you don't believe I have the ability, you can test me again," Alaric Yun said. "But next time, you won't be so lucky. I won't let you off so easily."
"Then maybe you should try my methods again," Pearl Su replied coldly with disdain.
Alaric's expression stiffened slightly. Thinking of what she had done to him before, he slowly said, "As long as you don't do anything too extreme again, I won't force you to do anything."
Pearl Su gave a cold snort and turned her face away from him.
Seeing that, Alaric's heart sank. He held her closer and softened his voice. "My lady, my good wife, if you're upset, you can punish me however you want, alright?"
"As long as it makes you happy, as long as you don't leave the marquis's residence again, I'll agree to anything, alright?"
Pearl Su didn't respond.
Alaric lowered his head, resting it on her shoulder, rubbing gently as he hugged her tighter. He spoke in a soft voice, "Please don't be angry with me anymore. It makes me feel really sad."
…
"Please don't ignore me," he said again, rubbing his head against her shoulder. "My dear wife, don't stay mad. It's not worth it if it harms your health."
Alaric spent the entire morning trying to coax her, but he still couldn't make her smile.
Lunch came.
There were five dishes and one soup: chilled lamb slices, steamed fish, steamed clams with vermicelli, roasted rabbit meat, shredded pork with matsutake mushrooms, and chicken ginseng soup.
Once again, Alaric sat Pearl Su on his lap. Pearl Su shouted angrily, "Put me down!"
"No," Alaric said firmly. "I haven't held you like this in a long time. Let me hold you properly."
He picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, then leaned in to feed it to her.
Pearl Su turned her head away and said coldly, "I'm not eating. Eat it yourself. Don't feed me like this again. I won't eat it."
Alaric stared at her for a moment, then said softly, "Alright, I won't feed you like that. I'll just place it for you, okay?"
Pearl Su didn't respond. Alaric took that as silent agreement.
He picked up a piece of roasted rabbit and brought it to her lips.
Seeing this, Pearl Su understood that this was his biggest compromise, so she opened her mouth and ate it.
Seeing her eat, Alaric smiled joyfully and picked up a piece of lamb, which she also ate.
One bite after another, back and forth, they finished lunch in a fairly peaceful atmosphere.
Alaric carried Pearl Su back to bed to rest.
Before long, Pearl Su fell asleep. Alaric got up and left the room.
When she woke up, she saw Alaric lying on his side next to her, dressed in a white robe. With his sharp and flawless face, and his delicate features, he looked like someone who had descended from the heavens.
Pearl Su twitched her lips and frowned inwardly. Who is he trying to seduce with that face?
She looked away, but accidentally caught sight of his exposed chest, stained red with blood. She immediately felt guilty and looked away again.
"You're awake. Why didn't you call me?" Alaric's voice came softly beside her ear, full of hurt.
Goosebumps rose all over Pearl Su's skin. She didn't say anything.
"Seems like I really don't matter to you at all," he murmured.
Well, yeah, she thought silently.