There is a rule that the prince has come to respect.

No matter what, there will almost always be a comical interruption, so while he and Maomao have agreed somewhat to maybe mess around, there is a part of him that isn 't sure it 's actually going to happen.

Anyway, his dick and balls have never been cleaner, and they are prepared for their long-overdue examination by the Cat Doctor.

The room has been set up by Suiren while they were eating and their baths were being prepared.

Suiren is just a kind old lady trying to help her very special grandson get laid so he doesn 't die alone, and if he actually knew she was his grandmother, perhaps he would feel pathetic about the fact even his grandmother knows he desperately needs the touch of a woman.

Ignorance is bliss, and he waits on the bed, which has been sprinkled with petals, wondering how far they 're going to go or if they 're just waiting on the unknown interruption.

Suiren has laid a white cloth across the bed in case they go all the way, which would be used as proof of virginity if smeared with blood afterward.

What if they do it, do it? How exciting!

And then someone knocks, and his whole world shatters.

'Whoever it is, go away, you 're ruining my life, ' he says.

Maomao, standing at the door wearing nothing but a silk robe Suiren gave her and some slippers, frowns at the door. 'Fine. I 'll see you in the morning. '

She turns, confused, and makes it about two steps before the door flies open and he sweeps her off the floor into his arms.

'Not you, Maomao. You 're coming with me. '

'I didn 't agree to anyone coming anywhere, but maybe. You 'll probably do it first, considering that one time, ' she teases.

He rides a wave of so few words, first, Maomao made a joke about them climaxing, and that was amazing. Up and up he went, and then she reminded him that one time they tongue kissed, and when she sucked on his tongue, he visibly climaxed and was left shaking like a wet puppy.

The prince throws her over his shoulder. 'I was going to carry you to the bed all cute, but you 're being bad. '

With his free hand, he shuts and locks the door and then throws her slippers on the floor.

Maomao drags her fingernails lightly up his back through the single layer of silk he is using to cover himself. This causes chills to run through his entire body and makes him so stiff all over that he can barely move.

He retaliates by turning his head and simply biting the butt cheek that 's right there by his head.

Maomao feels teeth through her robe, hears him growl a little, and then, because he liked the mouthfeel, he did it again.

'I 'm not a chew toy, Master Jinshi. '

'Bad kitties get bites, Maomao, ' he says, throwing her down on the bed.

She lands on her back and bounces slightly as he climbs onto the bed after her, flashing his teeth.

She asks, 'And if I 'm good? '

'Maybe I 'll find a better use for my mouth than discipline, but also bites, ' he says, licking her neck.

There 's some shifting around on the bed to find a comfortable position, and Maomao 's body betrays her somewhat; as he moves above her, for some reason her legs just part entirely on their own. It feels like a subconscious action, and as soon as it happens, she tries to draw them back together, but feels a sweaty palm on her knee, holding it out.

'Flowers don 't close once they open. '

Maomao answers, '

Actually

. '

He kisses her to stop her from saying anything else and then says, 'Just let me be wrong. '

'About plants? I do not attempt to seduce you by making misstatements about your life 's work. '

'And just what do you think my life 's work is? '

'Paperwork. '

Tracing the scar on his face, Maomao playfully teases, 'You could lay me on your desk and stay up late making sure I get done right. Until your fingers are sore and stained from my ink. '

The metaphor fell apart at the end, but she tried her best. They are perhaps both failing at making sexy talk, but it seems fine.

He lets out a low little laugh and kisses her again, his lips still happy-shaped when they brush against hers.

Somehow, this is perfect, playful words and touches and teases. She finally wanted to be there as much as he did, and he has noticed that she seems so present, like she wants to feel everything. It 's like Maomao wants to touch him because she likes him, and not because she knows three hundred ways to make him immediately achieve climax.

As his hand rests lightly on her abdomen, he feels the flesh almost twitch away from his touch, and her body stiffens oddly.

He stares at her like a scientist who has just made a discovery that will send humanity into a new era.

'Maomao, are you

ticklish

? '

'No. '

His fingers tease lightly along the silk, and she contorts away, barely able to stifle the giggle that wants to escape.

Maomao doesn 't wish to be tickled, and while she is sure that she could simply say that and he would respect her wishes, she has a better idea.

As he goes in to tickle her, she pulls the tie on the robe and lets it fall open.

Jinshi nearly sits up on his ankles, stunned, and watches as Maomao rises onto her knees and slips the robe of completely, neatly folding it while he sits staring in awe at her.

She 's 'totally naked.

In his bed.

It 's everything he has been dreaming about and more; she 's just so beautiful to him that he can hardly contain himself, finally getting to see her tiny little nipples and soft little body.

At different times, he 's seen different parts of her body, like in the cave, when little was covered, and his brain has done well when it comes to stitching those pieces of knowledge together, but to have the whole picture at one time! With the forbidden places revealed!

His eyes study her intently while she sits blushing.

Between her legs, there 's no hair, so he can see the outline of the top of her labia, and this combined picture makes his heart pound so hard that he thinks he might actually die.

Maomao teases, 'What 's the matter, Master Jinshi? Cat got your tongue? '

'No, but she 's about to, ' he whispers in awe.

That, he decided, was such a cool thing to say, and he hopes she thinks it was cool too. How smooth! How suave! What an appropriate use of the cat metaphor!

She teaches for the tie on his robe and pulls curiously. 'Now, let 's see that froggy. '

The robe is visibly tented as the frog thinks he might finally get to come out and play with his favorite person, and when the silk parts, he shrugs off the robe and sits kneeling on his bed absolutely naked with Maomao, who is sitting in the same position at the same level of nudity.

Maomao had certain expectations for the frog, because it belongs to the most beautiful of men. She expected it to be a handsome specimen. Pristine. Statuesque. A perfect penis. Proportioned according to how Pairin explained the perfect male member.

Plot twist: It 's

hideous

.

As Maomao stares with her mouth agape, he laughs. And laughs. And laughs. Because obviously, he knew what his dick looked like. He 's been waiting for literal years to see this expression on her face when she finally sees it. Now that the moment has come, it is everything he expected and more. She seems so shocked and confused!

Blinking slowly, Maomao studies it. It is first and foremost, very big. She 's felt the amphibian 's presence from time to time, lightly nudging her at tense moments, and in the cave when she made the discovery that it existed.

Maomao measures it, holding one hand flat near the base and the other at the tip, and then holds her hands up against her small body. She realizes her organs were given relief from poison experiments just so they could be tormented by a giant frog monster. Would they even return to their correct positions once he finished stirring them around?

In addition to being long in size, it is fat in a way that is really not cute at all. Fat like a giant worm in a garden that is so chubby from eating that it might burst and covered in bulging veins that stick out far enough that she can see his pulse in them.

Although the prince 's pubic hair is very well trimmed, it is unexpectedly thick considering that he doesn 't really have a lot of hair on his arms or legs.

It curves at the end, and at the moment, the tip is dripping with and smeared with precum.

Maomao 's best guess is that Jinshi is beautiful because he concentrated all of his ugliness in this one area of his body. It 's really very deceptive, because she 's seen so much of his body and it 's all been beautiful. She thinks the frog looks like something that would be hanging between the legs of a giant troll that lives under a bridge and eats people.

It 's obvious he knows it 's strange looking because he can 't stop laughing at her horror, as if he 'd been expecting it all along.

Her eyes are somewhat offended by the idea that any part of Jinshi 's body isn 't breathtaking, but there is a part of her anatomy that is very greedy and is certainly more enamored with this fat, engorged amphibian than ever. Perhaps it is not good for looking at, but she assumes it will perform its function exquisitely, and so the heat between her legs seems to intensity significantly.

While the eyes are holes and windows to the soul, they are not holes that the frog will ever explore, and therefore her mind suggests it doesn 't matter if it 's not nice to look at. Being pretty is not the job of the amphibian, after all. It is an instrument of human reproduction, built for burying his seed deep inside of her.

She is mildly annoyed that he 's amused by her reaction to his frog, and so she seeks to silence his mirth.

She says, 'I 'll have you know, mine is lovely. Perhaps I am prettier than you after all if we take this into consideration. '

'You 've always been prettier, Maomao. Maybe you had all your silly little tricks to make yourself look less than you are, but I saw right through all that. '

She reaches out with one hand, and he watches with wide eyes as both her small hands wrap around his cock, the absolute stuff of his fantasies. And yet despite imagining it thousands of times, the real thing was so much better.

'Could you lay down? '

'You could tell me to jump out a window right now and I 'd do it, ' he whispers, laying back but propping himself up on his elbows so he can get the best view of a very curious cat.

Maomao sits between his legs and has an examination first. She squeezes to feel the texture and thickness, traces the veins with her fingers, plays with the foreskin. The head beneath is pink and shiny, and quite drippy. The amount of pre-ejaculate leaves her wondering if it is normal for him to be so leaky? Maybe he 's just very aroused?

When she rubs it from tip to base and spreads the precum around, the cock has now become bumpy, fat, and moist, not entirely unlike an actual frog. She smells her hand; there is a maleness to the scent. She doesn 't love it, but it 's not horrible.

Maomao really wishes she could examine the amphibian in full natural light so she could see better, and for some reason, she suspects that if she asks him if they can go somewhere so she can play with his frog again in better lighting, he will happily arrange that for her.

As she looks up, he is staring at her so intently.

'Oh, you 're not laughing anymore? ' she teases.

'M-Maomao ' '

Maomao lowers her head and says, 'I 've heard that the most sensitive spot, ' her fingers slide the foreskin back to reveal the head, 'is this area here, ' she says, dragging her tongue along the bottom of the head of his cock.

And then suddenly she is moved, and she is flat on her back.

The prince kisses the inside of one of her knees after pushing them open and says, 'I owe you one, don 't I? From what happened before. '

He 's less analytical and more of a horny dog that hasn 't been permitted to eat for several years despite living alongside his favorite snack, so he simply dives in. Yes, it 's adorably pink, like an exotic orchid that should be admired for its delicate beauty, but the pup is

hungry

.

Maomao knows that most men do not perform this specific activity, especially in situations where there is a difference in class between partners. She thinks the emperor has probably never done it, and most of the patrons at Verdigris House are willing to receive, but rarely give.

It 's also not surprising to her, because Jinshi has been communicating a certain intent to devour for a very long time. He sniffs her like a hot meal he 's dying to taste, puts his mouth on her often, and sometimes, just generally wanders around with her looking like a steamed bun would save his life when he 's actually eager to sink his teeth into her buns.

'J-Jinshi! What are you ' '

What he lacks in experience, he makes up for in incomparable enthusiasm, nipping at her soft outer labia with his teeth when she speaks before exploring her very wet vulva with his tongue and lips.

For some reason, the idea that Maomao was wet for him makes him so very happy. Very satisfied with himself. Despite her shock at the frog 's true form, she wants him to use it to fuck her and if he wasn 't already as turned on as he can be without embarrassing himself again, he would take a moment to think about that.

Maomao is surprised at the staggering difference between her manipulating her own body and how it feels when someone else 's hot, wet tongue does it. It 's a completely different sensation, one that makes her feel a bit mad, leaving her grabbing fistfuls of his hair but unable to decide if she wants to push his head back or drown him in between her legs so she does a bit of both.

That desperate sense of emptiness creeps back, and it occurs to her that the appropriate tool for relieving that sensation is present and ready to perform its intended job.

And then she can 't think about anything, because the prince made the divine discovery that tends to elude less considerate men. There 's something nearly demonic this man who will stare straight into her eyes while he has her clit in his mouth.

Really, the nerve of this man.

'J-Jinshi ' '

He doesn 't cease his torment, and suddenly, she makes quite a loud noise and starts visibly twitching.

It was 'unexpected. For her. For him. Was there such a thing as premature climax for a woman?

Jinshi read an entire book about making women orgasm because he didn 't want to be a poor performer in bed, knowing she had all the training she did. His understanding was that it was kind of difficult to do. It took experience. Practice. Of course, it was written by a man whose chief accomplishment in life was being able to please a woman, so the writer was motivated to make it seem more difficult than it was. Otherwise, who would buy his book?

'Did you? '

In his mind, he always thought it might be more difficult than normal for Maomao, who tended to resist her emotions. He assumed she 'd resist her desires too, but the actual experience has been very different. She was a slippery, mewing mess, and it just happened.

Now he doesn 't feel so bad that he nearly came on the ceiling because she licked his cock.

They are enthusiastic.

When her fingers relax and slide from his hair, she says, 'I just thought that would take you longer? '

'You thought I 'd be bad at it? '

'You 've never done it before, right? '

'Of course not! '

Maomao lifts the sheet and sits up to wipe his face and the tip of his nose as he does the same. 'You 're a very messy eater. '

'Say what you want. Your legs are still twitching. You climaxed for me, Maomao. Either I 'm just spectacularly skilled or you might actually like me. Maybe. '

'Just maybe? '

She reaches out to touch his cheek and says, 'You 're so handsome. Well, mostly. '

'You 're beautiful everywhere. '

They 've come to the 'how far are we actually going to go ' crossroads that have been before them since they reached the rather ambiguous agreement to do a genital reveal. He doesn 't ask, as if he is leaving the decision to her. At the very least, she thinks she should return the favor.

Or they could do it. The deed. Have the sex.

'Zuigetsu, ' she whispers, brushing his thumb over his face.

He beams a bit at the sound of his real name coming out of her mouth. The way she says it is so sweet to him, and so he kisses her forehead.

'I would like for you to put a baby in my belly. '

If that 's what Maomao wants, that 's what 's going to happen; he decides he 'll figure out the rest tomorrow.

Hearts pounding, taking uneasy breaths, he lowers her down, pulling the pillow down so it rests comfortably under her head. Her hands rest on his shoulders, and her legs part.

'You 'll live with me as my wife then? '

She nods.

It hurt more than she expected it to, but the frog is fat, after all. Maomao has a high tolerance for pain, and somewhere in the back of her mind, purposefully hurting herself causes her to feel a certain amount of excitement when she is subjected to discomfort because she 's just a very normal girl.

He feels the telltale pop of the barrier that proves she has known no other frog in her life, and worries she 's experiencing too much discomfort, but she whispers, 'Hurt me more, ' while digging her fingernails into his hips and pulling him toward her like she needs him to fully get inside of her immediately.

The Imperial Amphibian is ugly, but she wants more of it, and rough too.

The fact he doesn 't last long like that is not surprising, but what is surprising to her is how what a happy little breeder she is, getting pumped full of cum. She wasn 't sure if she 'd feel the actually ejaculation process, but yes, she does.

It gets hard again before he even pulls out, and she says, 'Seriously? '

'Yes. '

'Despite being ugly, it 's useful, ' she pants.

'I actually really like it when you insult it, ' he teases.

The veiny fatness that makes it ugly also makes it a supreme organ for giving pleasure, and therefore, Maomao has decided to accept the fact that it 's not nice to look at. It fills her up in more than one way, and that 's what it 's for.

On the second round, she climaxed just from the frog, without needing her clit to be touched, and after that, he bent her over on the bed and mercilessly fucked her for what felt like an eternity because her sense of time somehow became miscalibrated by a tide of building up, falling down, recovering, and then starting all over again while she had her face down in a pillow and her ass up in the air.

It's so much more than either of them thought it would be, and when he is finally satisfied for the last time, she rolls onto her side. She feels so unimaginably filthy, sweaty both from her own body and from his sweat rubbing off on her. It smells like sex in the room, and her vulva is swollen, and somehow both sensitive and numb.

She observes the frog in its state of repose, and notes it still looks very odd, but less monstrous. 'It turned back into a tadpole? '

'It would be awkward if it was a fully hard all the time. '

When he reaches over her to put out the candle so they can sleep, the smell of the wick causes her to sneeze, and she 's so full of semen that it bubbles out of her like blood during a period sneeze and that 's just one of the most delightfully gross sensations she has ever experienced in her life.

And yet she is so satisfied to be in

such

a disgusting state, and all she wants to do lay down and sleep peacefully with her prince and the Imperial Amphibian, unattractive as it is. She doesn 't think there 's a single place on her body he hasn 't touched with his enormous sweaty hands.

The prince curls up with his little cat, still a bit stunned at just how greedy she actually is. She 's always been a bit cautious and reluctant, but no, Maomao is a fiend.

They are both animals in a very different but completely complementary way.

Their sleep is peaceful and uninterrupted, until very the next morning, when Suiren knocks on the door.

The prince raises his head, realizes that Maomao is there and he didn 't just have the most vivid wet dream of all time, and calls, 'Tell everyone I 'm sick for the day. '

'Prince, it would be good to have a meal. I 've prepared baths. '

Maomao groans but realizes she feels withered like a raisin. Now that she thinks of it, there were little snacks and some tea laid out on a table in the bedchamber, but they never left the bed to enjoy them. It seems the frog demanded much of her bodily fluids. That was to be expected. Frogs love being wet, after all.

When Maomao slides out of the bed, she is greeted by a new, strange and somewhat uncomfortable sensation. Actually, going from being a virgin to entertaining a giant frog monster for many rounds left her vagina feeling sore and quite angry, a rather 'what have you done to me ' sort of sensation.

The prince hears her groan a little. 'Are you okay? '

'A little sore. My back too, ' she answers, her voice a bit hoarse from making too much noise.

'I 'm sorry, did I hurt you? '

Maomao says, 'You can 't pretend to be my nice, caring man now. You were growling and biting and making me tell you how wet I am for your big ugly frog only hours ago. I know who you are now. '

'We 've learned so much about each other. And ourselves. I think I might have natural skills. Besides paperwork that is. '

'And being pretty. '

Jinshi answers, 'Okay, so my life skills include: paperwork, being pretty, and sexing up my cat. '

Maomao says, 'I need you to never, ever utter that phrase again. You know that no one around here ever understands anything. '

She makes her way to the refreshments, room temperature tea that she guzzled like she just climbed out of a desert into an oasis that was filled with peach flavored white tea for some reason, and offers him a cup, when he discovers that

yes

, he is actually dying from thirst and was too excited about the fact he had sex to notice this.

XXX

Elsewhere, panic!

Basen arrived at the palace with his father, and just before they were going to separate for their respective duties, they were chased down by Lihaku, coming from the infirmary.

Maomao is missing.

The two men go to the infirmary first, where Luomen explains that he went to Maomao 's room late the prior evening to ask if she wanted to have dinner with him, but she wasn 't there.

Guards had already entered her room and found nothing particularly interesting.

It was weird, because she has packets of herbs in places one might expect clothes or personal possessions, but nothing indicating that she was in any sort of danger. Also, Maomao does not have a particularly extensive wardrobe, but there was an entire trunk filled with lingerie under her bed.

Gaoshun and Basen go to her room, and Basen, despite his squareness, says, 'There 's something missing. The prince had a blue basket with a white lid, the kind they use at his home. I think it had some of her clothes in it for some reason? I don 't see the basket here. Maybe she didn 't make it home last night. '

Since she shared a carriage with the prince, if the carriage didn 't make it back and the prince 's whereabouts were unknown, everyone in the palace would have been up all night. Maomao missing by herself suggests the two made it back and she vanished after they separated.

Neither of them thinks that the prince let her walk all the way back to her quarters from where they would have parted, and that he would either walk her back to the apartment himself or assign someone he trusts to do it.

After all, Maomao has a history of being kidnapped, and that is an ever-present reality inside the prince 's mind.

Telling the prince or the Grand Commandant that Maomao is missing is going to set things in motion, and they don 't want to do that unnecessarily. At the same time, the prince was likely the last one to see her, so speaking to him is the inevitable next step of the investigation.

When they arrive, they pass household attendants hauling the sheets out to be laundered.

Since they 're attendants of the imperial family who come and go from this residence often, they enter without being properly greeted, and look around for the prince, who is certainly out of bed by this time.

Basen opens the door to a small dining room, where Jinshi and Maomao are sitting way too close together on the same side of the table despite there being plenty of room. Both have damp drying hair because each discovered mysterious dried substances in their hair while bathing.

'Maomao?! You 're safe! Are you all right?! ' Basen exclaims.

Maomao asks, 'Why are you yelling? It 's early in the morning. '

It actually isn 't very early at all. This breakfast is happening almost two hours later than when the prince normally eats, and the Ma clan attendants have already been working on a whole investigation.

Gaoshun thinks back to the dreamy looks they were giving each other at his home while they were playing with the baby, the fact Maomao never returned to her quarters after, the sheets being taken out to be laundered first thing in the morning, the damp hair indicating they bathed very thoroughly early in the morning for some reason, Maomao 's mildly hoarse voice, the fact they look a bit tired, the late breakfast, the way they 're sitting too close at the table.

Maomao wasn 't kidnapped, she snuck off and spent the night with the prince.

Basen asks, 'There 's a search party. Everyone thinks you were kidnapped again. '

His father elbows him and shakes his head. 'We 'll be leaving. Our apologies for the interruption. '

The prince answers, 'Apologies for the misunderstanding. Can you ask the emperor if I might have an audience with him? We are otherwise taking the day off. '

Maomao says, 'My dad is teaching all the medical staff about how to treat rare contagious fevers today, so I am going after breakfast. '

'Are you joking? ' the prince asks.

'No, I 'm a medical student. '

Jinshi pouts and asks, 'You 're going to leave me at home, alone, by myself. On this, the day after 'yesterday? '

They are all glad he did not say it out loud, but calling 'today the day after yesterday ' makes him sound astoundingly stupid, so much so that Maomao stifles a bit of a laugh.

An imperial consort can 't just run around unattended, so Gaoshun sends Basen on to the emperor and waits for Maomao to finish her breakfast so he can escort her to work.

It 's really obvious to Gaoshun that the glorious event has finally taken place, and after Maomao finishes her meal, she walks with him, although he notices something a little off.

When they 've only walked for a minute together, he stops.

'Lady Maomao? '

'I thought we agreed you weren 't going to do that. '

Gaoshun says, 'Fine. Xiaomao. But please remember that people are going to regard you as being of the noble class from now on. '

'Yes? What now? '

He puts her hand on her shoulders and says, 'Would you want me to tell you something important even if it was embarrassing? '

'How could anything you could possibly say to me be worse than anything else that has happened to me this week? '

Gaoshun says, 'You spent all night at a man 's house and now you 're hoarse and can 't walk in a straight line. Every person you encounter with knowledge of the flesh is going to know. Master Luomen is going to know, and that is very stressful for a father. I 'm sure he 'll talk to you about rare contagious fevers some other time. '

Despite being a most patient and understanding man, Gaoshun saw Luomen was actually a bit irritated with the prince over the black honey incident until he realized the prince was just stupid and not a pervert. There are fewer excuses to be made for his daughter disappearing overnight and then showing up hoarse from either yelling a lot or using her throat for something else and also crab walking.

'Is it that obvious? '

'Yes. Please go home. The prince is sulking. '

'Well, we can 't have that. You really him like he 's royalty or something, ' she answers.

He turns her with his hands. 'Go home, Maomao. '

'But my home is that way? '

'Is it? '

Maomao says, 'To be honest, I got really excited about rare contagious fevers. '

'Understandable. What woman doesn 't wish to interrupt her honeymoon to discuss rare contagious fevers? '

'If you ever get a rare contagious fever, you 're going to wish I knew more about rare contagious fevers. '

Gaoshun answers, 'I am sure that I will survive. '

'You have to. Otherwise, it 's straight into the volcano with these people. '

He wonders if she realizes that she is also one of the people that he is constantly trying to keep out of trouble. There is a mental bulletin board in his head where he records the number of days since this little creature purposefully

ate poison

. Maybe everyone else was at risk of falling into the volcano, but she would be there, trying to figure out how to drink the lava. There 's virtually no way it 's not poisonous, right?

Maomao returns to the house, where she rejoins the prince, who has headed back to the bedroom for a nap. She puts the sleeping robe back on, and climbs into the bed, and he pulls her close.

'Does this mean you love me more than rare contagious fevers? '

'Maybe. '

'I feel so special. '

The prince says, 'You never did explain why you suddenly grew much larger breasts. I feel like you have very purposefully been avoiding that question. '

'I decided I wanted to become pregnant and started taking tons of fertility treatments. My femininity was enhanced. I was a little anxious about talking about it before, but it 's easy for me to talk about difficult things with you when I consider that there 's probably still a lot of your semen floating around my insides. It 's probably a little late to be timid. '

His index finger lightly traces over her tummy. 'Do you think it worked already? '

'It 's not really the right time of the month, but the chance is never zero. '

He says, 'Later this afternoon, I 'm going to go to the emperor and demand he let us live apart from the imperial family. I won 't take no for an answer. '

'Are you going to hurt yourself again? Because you do still have another woman 's symbol branded onto your body, and I don 't think I like that. '

'Would it make you feel better if I branded a little kitty cat on the other side? '

'No, it would not. I would find that infuriating. And then I would pack the injury with salt and watch you weep, I can 't imagine being given such a nearly perfectly beautiful body, and feeling possessed by the urge to burn it, ' she warns.

'Nearly perfectly beautiful? '

'Well, I 've glimpsed the Grand Imperial Amphibian. He does the job well, but he isn 't pretty. '

The prince says, 'Yeah, and why are you hoarse again? '

'Because I will put

anything

in my mouth. '

He honestly finds it kind of a turn on that she thinks it 's ugly, and he wants to hear her make fun of it more so he can rub it in her face the next time it 's buried deep inside of her.

Then he remembers he was talking to her about their future. 'But anyway, I am going to go to the emperor and I will work everything out, so we can live the way we want to. So you don 't need to worry. '

Maomao isn 't sure if she thinks this is really going to work out, as the emperor has made his wishes clear, but she 's not going to question his resolve either because she wants him to be successful. If everything just worked out for them from here on out, that would be such a relief. It seems like everyone else can just vaguely decide they want to be together and if it makes some sort of sense, it just happens.

Trusting in a man to work things out for her is just such a domestic thing to do, but it 's not like she can go make demands of the emperor. No one can do that, or so she thinks.

After a nap, and a walk in the garden, the prince prepares to face the emperor and demand his freedom.

He walks to the office where the Great Misunderstand happened, and where Lakan was there making his threats only a day earlier.

The emperor is sitting with a plate of flower cookies on his desk, half of which he has eaten over the course of the day, in part because they are delicious, and in part because he 's still quite unnerved by the commander of his army making threats.

Flower cookies were ordered from the main kitchen again because he didn 't get to eat any at the meeting the other day. Maomao threw one directly at his head like it was some sort of sugared shuriken, and the rest were thrown with the serving plate at Lakan.

Maomao and Lakan are very similar when they 're exasperated, as evidenced by the fact they both threw food and serving implements during the meeting because they were mad, but the emperor suspects Maomao would not appreciate being told her temper is similar to her father 's.

It seems like the misunderstanding that took place has caused everything to bubble up to the surface all at once. The emperor heard early in the morning that Maomao might be missing, and then later that no, she wasn 't missing, she spent the night with the prince. As far as he knows, they 've slept in the same place and not done the deed before, so this wasn 't really that big of a deal, but he knows neither of them went to work because he 's nosy.

Gaoshun really has no idea what happened on his day off, but the emperor looks visibly distressed, and he 's eating constantly like a frightened little rat, just continually crunching at his desk, pausing briefly to brush crumbs off his paperwork.

'Do you think they did it? ' he idly asks.

'I 'm sorry. I don 't know what you 're talking about, ' Gaoshun answers.

'You know what I 'm talking about. '

'I am not entirely sure and would not speak to their private business. '

Yang asks, 'But you suspect. '

The attendant answers, 'I think this week has been a lesson in not making assumptions. '

'But if you had to make an assumption? '

Gaoshun asks, 'If I may 'are you all right? You seem unnerved. '

'I am fine, of course. Do I not seem fine? '

The emperor feels like Lakan knowing the secret about the prince 's identity is probably a sign that he should just tell the truth. It 's possible Lakan might have told his daughter, or that she might have figured it out on her own because she is literally just the person who solves mysteries for them because the Inspector 's Office is just so unimaginably incompetent.

What have those people even been doing?

Since the most compelling evidence to suggest a lie has been told is the strong similarity Yue has to Ah-Duo, in theory, Lakan should be the last person on earth to figure it out because he doesn 't even know they look alike. What did that man even have to be suspicious about?

Yang wants to ask Maomao if she knows because in an intimate relationship, she might naturally decide not to keep secrets from Yue. But he suspects that if Maomao knows, getting her to admit to this knowledge will be difficult, as she seems to have an odd sort of way she answers questions. His pride will not allow him to be led into the valley of misunderstandings again.

When his son arrives, the emperor wants to have a more casual discussion with him about this and that, and a bit of 'DID IT HAPPEN ' maybe, but the prince comes in and immediately turns up the intensity level in the room.

He seems to have a whole speech ready, and it dives right into it without even properly greeting the emperor.

'Emperor, I have an urgently important matter to discuss with you. I do not wish to wait any longer to begin my life outside of the imperial family. I would beseech you to make good on the promise that you made with me. You have sons now; you do not need a brother anymore. I serve no purpose in this house, and I wish to be free to live as I might with the woman that I love. '

Yang just sits behind his desk as the young prince goes on and on and on, for ten whole minutes, explaining what a useless lump of coal he is to the imperial family, and how he didn 't want to be with them anyway because he yearns for a more honest and simple way of life.

It sort of sheds light on how he views the family, which is

not great

, but they did trick him into believing he was the spare heir of a man who filled the imperial harem with actual children. A wiser and more aged mind questions whether that was really the best idea, and why they stuck with it for so long.

What a surprise, he has a low opinion of the family.

On the upside, the emperor notes his son is moving with such passion and courage that emperor does not feel like he needs to ask if the deed was done. Yue has very clearly shed his strange virgin aura and obtained the confidence of a man who has used his body for carnal works.

He doesn 't really want to interrupt as it seems like Yue went to a lot of trouble to compose all these slightly insulting thoughts into such an impassioned argument, so he just listens.

'So please. Grant my request and allow me to leave the imperial family. '

'Okay. '

The prince was just so surprised by this single word that he sits down in a chair across from the desk, confused. 'What do you mean, 'okay? ' '

'I mean I had already decided to grant your request. On my own. As a result of prayer and meditation. '

Yue stares at him, and says, 'That doesn 't sound like you at all. Is this some sort of test? '

'No, I am trying to give you what you want. Are you not happy? '

'This feels like some sort of test or trick, and I 'm distrustful of it. It 's not like you 've ever made me a promise and then just sort of 'never spoken of it again. '

The emperor drums his fingers on the desk and sighs. 'You don 't believe that I would make a decision that would make you happy? '

'It seems very unbelievable to me. '

'Do you think that all these years, as your brother, I have just been here to cause you misery? '

He says, 'I went into the rear palace as a teenager pretending to be a eunuch to help my older brother impregnate women so I could be released from my duties. And then I was not released from my duties. The idea you just decided to do it now is suspicious to me. '

Yang answers, 'Did you expect me to listen to your passionate speech and tell you no? '

'I expected us to argue vociferously and that I would win the argument. '

'Because you are mildly combative from the confidence you have gained from laying with a woman for the first time, ' Yang says, focusing intensely on his son.

'No one said that! '

'It 's very obvious from your behavior. Right, Gaoshun? '

Gaoshun does not wish to be involved in this conversation. At all. If he could disappear into the wall and escape unnoticed into the hallway, he would do so.

The prince asks, 'Did you tell him?! '

The emperor exclaims, 'You

did

know! '

Maybe, Gaoshun thinks, the volcano is the right and moral thing for everyone.

He is actually also puzzled about why the emperor is suddenly so willing to release the Moon Prince because he was previously so entrenched in his denial. The prince is not wrong; the emperor is acting very strangely.

The emperor says, '

Fine

. I will tell you what changed my mind. The Grand Commandant came here yesterday and threatened to depose me if I stood in the way of his daughter 's happiness. That man is very serious about his child and will do anything so she can have what she wants. She wants you, and Lakan has decided to respect that. I already have a wedding being planned for you and I would like for you to marry. Make sure you take good care of your cat, because that man will kill you. '

'Lakan. Did that. '

'Yes. '

This is all very unexpected for the prince to hear.

Yue had gotten so carried away with Maomao that he forgot her father was a terrifying and strange man, but apparently, he had decided to be in favor of what Maomao wanted. Maybe that wasn 't surprising? He 's always thought that if Maomao ever told him what she truly wanted or asked him for any favor, he would do anything that she asked, no matter what it was.

The Great Misunderstanding might have been the first time that he was ever permitted to glimpse her feelings and desires.

Still, he came to this office intent on fighting for his love, and he 's passionate and he has all of his arguments lined up, and apparently he doesn 't need them. That little 'okay ' was wildly unsatisfying, like he wanted to earn it for himself rather than Lakan forcing the jaws of the dragon open for him.

He still kind of wants to be a jerk and show off; his blood is pumping and he feels great.

The emperor says, 'Rather than giving you a new name, I have decided you will marry into the La clan. It 's the best way to make sure that once you leave, no one tries to nudge you back toward the throne. And, I would like for you to accept an appointment to the office of Prime Minister. You can support the imperial family from outside, since that 's where you want to be. '

What is actually funny about this is that since Shishou 's death, he 's been the de facto Prime Minister even though a couple of people have been appointed. What the emperor is offering him is to move to a different house on the other side of the Outer Court and do the exact same work he 's been doing 'but in a different office.

Yet the Prime Minister is not expected to have nine hundred concubines, do strange ceremonies, or treat their children like future monarchs. The Prime Minister 's wife is a person who is both powerful and free. The child of the Prime Minister does not also become the Prime Minister.

'There will be an endowment of lands and financial incentives, as the La clan is very deep in debt to a brothel. Please try to keep your father-in-law out of Verdigris House. Did you know he took out a loan on basically everything he owns to buy a disease-ridden woman with dementia? What disgusting and strangely deviant behavior. '

Jinshi says, 'You 're uhhhh 'talking about Maomao 's mother, who contracted syphilis after being forced into prostitution because she decided not to kill Maomao in the womb. '

Yang folds his hands on his desk. 'The Inspector 's Office fails me again. '

Jinshi wonders if a man who excommunicates women from his harem for the sin of turning thirty-five trying can really use this information as leverage against Lakan, who traded his wealth to take better care of the mother of his only child while she was dying. He thinks society at large would judge one of these men more harshly than the other.

Marrying into the La clan and taking their name? Kan Zuigetsu? That 's such an intimidating name, the name of a scary person. He 's not actually sure that he minds this, as he doesn 't want to be harassed by other clans once he leaves. The clans who would do this, would not do it if it meant making Lakan more powerful, so his unpleasantness has a protective property about it.

The emperor also gains the ability to place a powerful asset in Lakan 's camp that is deeply loyal to the imperial house.

He was willing to die for Maomao, so having to deal with a little more Lakan seems fine. He assumes Maomao will be annoyed at having a closer relationship to the La clan also, but there is some truth to the idea that she would be much safer that way.

'Do I get to keep Basen? '

'The Ma clan serves the imperial house. Basen 's skills will be best used serving the future emperor. '

He scowls.

The emperor says, 'There 's a useful attendant in the La clan, isn 't there? That Rikuson person. '

'That man tried to steal Maomao. '

Leaning forward, the emperor, wanting to know his son 's business, studies him. 'Tell me more. '

'No. '

The Unknowing Son rejects the curiosity of the Secret Father. Offensive, but not unusual.

Secret Father frowns. 'I would like for you to marry Maomao immediately. Right away. As soon as possible. Gyokuyou has a dress. Preparations are in progress. Make sure the Grand Commandant is invited. Honeymoon with your new wife at the summer estate I am gifting you because I am considerate. '

Unknowing Son asks, 'Do you also expect an invitation? ' before giving him the tiniest little smile, to indicate he 's only joking.

The emperor picks up the last cookie on the plate, and attempting to copy Maomao 's style, throws it so it spins in the air, intending to hit the prince, who simply opens his mouth and catches it with his teeth.

He thinks it was a very impressive feat he accomplished, but there 's really no reason to do anything neat if Maomao isn 't there to watch, so he eats his cookie and tells the emperor about how Rikuson tried to steal his cat.