She tried to brush it all off and go to sleep, but the feeling continued to persist, causing her to turn and squirm continuously. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore and let out a frustrated breath, her eyes opening wide.

"I'm now the only one who's left alone again..." she thought to herself, biting her lower lip. The very thing she'd been afraid of was happening all over again.

Scenes of the downfall of her family began playing in her head—how after her parents were gone, everyone began turning a blind eye to her, whether the vassals she once trusted or those of neighboring fiefs who acted as if her fiefdom's demise had nothing to do with them.

How she'd been forced to do unimaginable things just to survive—being treated as an ornament, an object used to relieve one's stress, or how she'd sold her body time and time again just to keep on living.

Thinking about it now, she began believing that his choice of accepting the Wolf King before her was a valid one.

"After all, who would want something used and discarded time and time again..."

"I should be happy he still hasn't thrown me out yet... Perhaps if I can continue to live like this...I..." Emilia paused, her lips trembling as if she couldn't say it. She bit her lower lip, sobbing silently while streams of tears fell down her cheeks, drenching her bedsheets.

---

The next morning, Su Ping woke up in his chambers; his eyes slowly fluttered open, taking in the rays of sunlight being filtered through the window.

He glanced at himself to see his beloved laying soundly atop him. Such a morning view brought a warm smile onto his face.

He gently set her aside, careful not to wake her up. After that, he got up and approached his wardrobe.

Su Ping stretched a bit, the sunlight glistening against his stunning form.

He then changed out of his nightwear and into a new set of clothes before stepping out of the room.

At the same time, another figure coincidentally stepped out of hers.

"Morning..." the Wolf King said, her gaze fixed on the floor. While staring at her feet, she wondered if everything that had happened last night had been a dream. It seemed even until now, she was finding it difficult to accept that the very man who once detested her actually treated her so warmly.

"...?!" But her body stiffened when she felt a soft pair of lips pressing against her forehead.

"Morning," Su Ping said with a charming smile. The Wolf King slowly raised her head, a look of bewilderment on her face—a look that made him feel even more satisfied with her reaction.

The both of them headed downstairs together. While walking, the Wolf King felt her heart beating faster than usual; her eyes would occasionally glance at him, who was at the front, only to retract just as quickly.

"Morning..." Emilia, who was done preparing breakfast, said the moment she saw the both of them descend the stairs. Then she carried two plates of freshly made pancakes and placed them in front of Mel and Sal respectively.

Su Ping merely nodded at her greeting. He was quite happy to see his two children so energetic.

Mel and Sal grabbed the syrup, one at a time, before spraying it onto their meals. They then took a bite and stiffened.

"So yummy..." they both muttered simultaneously with infatuated expressions.

"Oh?" Su Ping raised a brow; their reaction was quite surprising.

'Come to think of it, did I ever take the time to enjoy her cooking?' Su Ping couldn't remember, because he knew he never really put Emilia in his eye—well, besides whenever he personally requested her aid.

"Is it really that good?" He sat down and asked his two children with a peculiar look.

"Yes, Daddy," Mel nodded her cute little head, still savoring the bite she'd just taken.

"Aunty Emilia's cooking really is good, Daddy. It's almost as good as Mommy's."

"That's quite a statement," Su Ping muttered before chuckling softly.

"Your meal..." Emilia placed a serving in front of Su Ping and Yu An, who'd just taken their seats, before sitting down in her own as well.

Su Ping glanced at the meal before his gaze slowly shifted toward her.

'Is it just me, or did she seem unnatural just now?' Su Ping wondered why she seemed odd to him right now. While he never truly paid much attention to her, the moment she brought him his food, he felt as if he could sense a hint of stoicism from her, or at least something similar, which was a bit different from her usual energetic yet shy self.

Su Ping decided to keep the matter at the back of his mind for now. He applied the syrup to his meal before taking a piece of it with his fork.

'It really is quite good. She's not half bad for a cook,' Su Ping thought to himself, his brows furrowing lightly as he savored the taste of such a meal.

"Morning, everyone," the group suddenly heard a voice coming from the stairway.

"Morning, Auntie."

"Morning, Auntie." The two children greeted Lilia, who made her way to the dining table with an energetic smile.

"It's quite an honor to have you join us today. I thought you'd have already left already," Su Ping said in a teasing tone. Besides Melinda, this woman—who reminded him much of his past self—was one of the few he really felt like he could be himself around.

"Well, I would've, but unfortunately, I've decided to take a break for today," Lilia replied with a tired smile.

"I see, the life of a working woman sure isn't easy."

"You don't even know half of it," Lilia feigned a groan before walking round the table to take a seat next to Mel and Sal.

"Emilia, would you be a dear and offer Lilia some as well?" Su Ping asked without raising his head.