"Please forgive this servant's boldness, Heir Apparent."
Yun Shu coquettishly begged for forgiveness, then directly kissed his lips, prying open his mouth to entangle her tongue with his.
Lu Jin Yan's body tensed almost instantly. He gripped her shoulders with both hands, intending to push away this audacious and unrestrained maid.
"Heir Apparent, just indulge this servant this once…"
Yun Shu whimpered sweetly, not only entangling him with her mouth but also wrapping her arms and legs tightly around him.
"Outrageous!" Lu Jin Yan pinched her small face with slight force, preventing her from kissing him again.
His voice finally carried a trace of anger and huskiness, no longer as indifferent as before.
With her face pinched, Yun Shu used her small hands to peel off his clothes and touch him.
This touch immediately made Yun Shu pause.
Because the Heir Apparent's chest was not smooth and flat but covered with many scars.
The light was too dim for her to see clearly, but the sensation under her fingertips clearly told her there were many scars, possibly even more than a dozen of varying sizes.
Yun Shu paused for a moment before suddenly remembering—her Heir Apparent had once followed the Duke onto the battlefield to kill enemies, even earning the fearsome title of "Ghost-Fearing God of Slaughter."
But seven years ago, he suffered severe injuries, his constitution weakened. The imperial physician said he could no longer go to the battlefield.
At that time, everyone thought he was finished.
Yet no one expected that the hand that once wielded a blade would begin to hold a brush, embarking on the path of the Imperial Examination.
Since the Heir Apparent had already passed the Xiucai examination earlier, after recovering his health, he participated in the autumn provincial examination and passed as a Juren. The following year, during the palace examination, he was personally appointed by the Emperor as the Zhuangyuan (top scholar).
After entering officialdom, the Heir Apparent's career soared. Relying on his abilities and family background, he rose to the position of Chief Grand Secretary in just five years.
Now, throughout the court and among the nobility of the capital, he is recognized only as a refined, aloof, rule-abiding, self-disciplined, and ritual-observing leader of the civil officials.
They have likely long forgotten that he was once a military general who galloped across battlefields and slew countless enemies.
Only these scars on the Heir Apparent's body still narrate the marks of the past, further proving that seven years ago, he walked through the gates of the underworld and returned.
Lu Jin Yan keenly sensed her pause, thinking she was frightened by the scars on his body.
That was just fine, to prevent her from continuing her audacious behavior.
Just as Lu Jin Yan was about to pull her off him, Yun Shu's next action made his entire body tense instantly, his hands clenching into fists.
"You… what are you doing?" Lu Jin Yan's voice was extremely hoarse, as if suppressing something.
"Kissing the scars on the Heir Apparent's body. These are all testaments to your past achievements. This servant finds them truly remarkable."
Yun Shu deliberately spoke with seriousness and grandeur, but her inherently improper tone made it sound sweet and seductive, naturally alluring.
Lu Jin Yan pinched her chin again, lifting her small face to prevent her from continuing this "foolish act."
Was this something the instructing matron specifically taught her to do? Just to flatter and curry favor?
"There's no need for such flattery," Lu Jin Yan reprimanded her.
"This servant isn't flattering," Yun Shu whimpered sweetly. "This servant genuinely believes the Heir Apparent is…"
"Be quiet," Lu Jin Yan hoarsely scolded, unwilling to hear her excuses.
Wasn't this flattery? Her actions weren't proper, and her voice wasn't normal either.
Yun Shu gave him a coquettish glare and obediently bit her lip.
Lu Jin Yan, …
Why did he feel that her current demeanor was even more… than before?
After a while, Yun Shu could no longer control herself, her voice spilling out once more—even stickier and more alluring than before.
Lu Jin Yan could bear it no longer. This time, he silenced her with his mouth.
Once their fierce entanglement had concluded, Yun Shu did not move immediately. Instead, she lay there, propping herself up with a pillow.
"What are you doing?"
Lu Jin Yan frowned at her, his voice no longer cool and detached but tinged with a husky sensuality.
Why did she always have so many new tricks up her sleeve?
"This servant has heard that this makes it easier to conceive a child."
Yun Shu glanced at him, answering with proper decorum. The effects of the medicine had worn off, and her voice was no longer so seductive.
Lu Jin Yan fell silent for a moment, saying nothing. He simply rose from the bed, dressed, opened the door, and called for a servant to bring in water.
Yun Shu was merely putting on a show. She lay propped up on the pillow for less than a minute before getting up.
If she were to conceive a child, it wouldn’t be because of this.
She first picked up her bellyband, glanced at it, then crumpled it into a ball, deciding not to wear it again.
After all, she had used it earlier to bind the Heir Apparent’s hands. It had already served its purpose and was now beyond repair.
Then, suppressing a slight discomfort, Yun Shu put on her clothes.
The first time hadn’t been too painful, thanks largely to the medicinal pills and ointments the System had given her.
Of course, her own efforts had played a part as well.
Otherwise, with the Heir Apparent’s cold and mechanical approach, she would surely have been in agony.
His skills were truly lacking. Perhaps next time, she should take the lead and show him how it’s done.
Muttering these thoughts to herself, Yun Shu finished dressing and carefully folded the Virginity Cloth, tucking it away securely.
"Since when has the manor had such a rule? Must a maid’s chastity be verified after attending the bedchamber?"
Lu Jin Yan watched her store the cloth away and asked expressionlessly.
The ritual of the Virginity Cloth was reserved for weddings and the consummation night with a principal wife.
It concerned the family’s dignity, the purity of the bloodline, and the legitimacy of future heirs. The cloth would be solemnly preserved as proof.
However, for a bedchamber maid attending the bedchamber, this procedure was typically omitted.
Because taking a bedchamber maid was akin to a master using an object—there was no need to provide any "proof of opening" to anyone.
"Your Highness, there is no such rule," Yun Shu replied with a respectful bow, explaining earnestly.
"This servant’s primary mission as a Chamber Maid is to bear Your Highness a child. This servant believes it is necessary to prove her chastity, lest she be slandered in the future if she truly conceives."
As a seasoned professional, one of Yun Shu’s principles in any job was to leave a paper trail for everything!
For her first assignment attending the bedchamber, providing relevant proof and leaving traces was of utmost importance, especially in an era where chastity was held above all else. It was a step that could not be omitted.
Otherwise, if someone were to slander her on this matter in the future, she would have no way to defend herself.
After hearing her explanation, Lu Jin Yan glanced at her head with mild surprise.
So thoughtful and proper—this was a maid with a brain, not one who only knew how to flatter with tricks in bed.
Seeing that he had no further questions, Yun Shu bowed to him again with perfect propriety.
"This servant takes her leave."
The workday was over—who would want to stay with their boss any longer?
Lu Jin Yan did not detain her, watching as she withdrew.
Yet, even after she was gone and the bedding had been replaced, when Lu Jin Yan lay down, he still felt her lingering fragrance permeating the bed curtains, wafting around his nostrils, impossible to dispel.
His mind even involuntarily recalled the earlier scenes of passion.
A restless stirring began to awaken within him.
Lu Jin Yan closed his eyes, and after a moment, when he opened them again, the faint ripples and restlessness in his gaze had vanished. Soon after, he slowly drifted into sleep.
Meanwhile, Yun Shu returned to her servant’s quarters.
As the head maid serving the Duchess, she had her own private room and did not have to share a communal bed with the other maidservants.
[Host, today is your ovulation day. Do you choose to conceive successfully?]