Prince Nolan sits on the throne, not wanting to be emperor. Yet there are some who lack the ability, but still dream of being a king—hoping one day to revel on a beauty's lap and wake holding the power of the world.
Clara Phoenixfield originally just wanted to live a quiet life with her son in a remote mountain village. Thanks to covert help from Serena Phoenixfield's people, her days were poor but she never went hungry or cold—though everything had to be done by her own hands.
Clara Phoenixfield is no stranger to hardship. She managed to escape alone with her child, gave birth and raised him by herself—proof of her resilience. But...
All mothers are the same: they want to give their children the very best. Clara doesn't mind suffering herself, but can't bear for her son to endure hardship. She doesn't want him to end up like the village men—scraping by in the fields, living day to day, marrying an uneducated village girl and raising a brood of dirty, ragged children. But with no support from the Phoenixfield Clan or his father's clan, what could she possibly give him?
She couldn't even afford to send her own child to school...
It was at this moment that Lady Min sought her out. Lady Min is a clever woman—she knows exactly what someone like Clara, raised under her father's and clan's protection, truly wants.
Lady Min didn't need to do much. She simply revealed her identity, told Clara about Jason Lan, and promised that the surviving Lan Clan would do everything to help Clara's son become emperor. That was enough to move Clara's heart.
Just as Lady Min predicted, Clara only took a day to decide. Before Lady Min even pressed, Clara volunteered her own background and told Lady Min where her father, Ezra Phoenixfield, was.
The two women, each with their own agenda, fell into perfect alignment. They immediately took the child to the grasslands to find Ezra Phoenixfield, hoping to win him over and rally the Phoenixfield Clan.
At first, Lady Min worried that Ezra Phoenixfield might be loyal to the Phoenixfield Clan and betray them. But after Clara's tearful pleas, Ezra didn't agree to help—but he didn't betray them either.
Lady Min knew that the fact Ezra Phoenixfield didn't turn them in right away meant he wasn't some selfless, upright man. As long as she painted a beautiful enough picture, there was a high chance Ezra would betray the clan.
Lady Min has always been skilled at persuasion—and in truth, her logic was sound. Clara Phoenixfield's son was the only legitimate direct heir of the Lan Clan, and everything Lady Min did was for this child. If they succeeded, Ezra Phoenixfield could easily sideline Lady Min and become the emperor's maternal grandfather, second only to the Son of Heaven.
For now, it was all just talk. But what man could resist the temptation of power within reach? It was a high-stakes gamble: win, and Ezra Phoenixfield would rise overnight; lose, and his life was worthless anyway.
Ezra Phoenixfield and his son had long since lost their place in the Phoenixfield Clan—otherwise, Serena Phoenixfield wouldn't have sent them off to the distant grasslands. Rather than live out their days in disgrace, why not take a chance? At least, that's how Lady Min saw it, so when Ezra finally decided to gamble, she wasn't surprised at all.
Because of Clara Phoenixfield, Lady Min trusted Ezra Phoenixfield deeply. Once they reached the Capital, Ezra didn't act with them; instead, he hid the child and their remaining followers, while Lady Min took Clara to the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Ezra Phoenixfield was the child's real grandfather—would he really harm his own flesh and blood? Even if he didn't care for the child, surely he'd care about his daughter. In the past, Ezra had bowed his head to Serena Phoenixfield for Clara's sake; now, he could do so again.
Unfortunately, Lady Min didn't realize—even fatherly love has its limits. Ezra Phoenixfield cared for Clara and Adrian, but he wouldn't indulge them without boundaries or let them run wild.
Lady Min and Clara Phoenixfield were full of confidence, convinced their plan was flawless. But when they arrived at the empty Imperial Ancestral Temple, they realized they'd celebrated too soon.
Lady Min's informant in the palace had already secured the schedule for the grand ceremony; this was supposed to be the hour when Prince Nolan announced a general amnesty. But the Imperial Ancestral Temple, which should have been bustling, was eerily silent...
Clara Phoenixfield didn't think much of it, but Lady Min instantly sensed something was wrong. She grabbed Clara and tried to retreat—but it was already too late...
"Your Majesty, since you’ve come, why rush to leave? The Emperor is waiting for you." The shadow guard on the roof saw the commotion below and immediately leapt down, diving into the secret passage to seize Lady Min and Clara Phoenixfield.
To be fair, Lady Min was cautious—she never told Ezra Phoenixfield where the secret passage in the Imperial Ancestral Temple was. Prince Nolan had put in considerable effort to make sure he could capture her.
"Run!" Lady Min cursed inwardly, realizing things had gone wrong. She dragged Clara Phoenixfield and bolted, but the passage was so narrow that no matter how fast they ran, it was useless. Their guards wanted to help, but the passage only fit one person at a time—so the guards could only lead the way ahead, unable to fall back and protect them.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness—the targets have appeared." The disturbance around Lady Min was immediately reported to Prince Nolan and Serena Phoenixfield. Prince Nolan didn't even look up in response; Serena didn't lift her head at all...
For Serena, she was just here to watch the show. With Prince Nolan personally setting the trap, unless he wanted Lady Min to escape, she was bound to be caught.
Just as Serena expected, Lady Min and Clara Phoenixfield were soon "invited" up.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness—their arrival has been confirmed." The shadow guard announced, then withdrew, leaving only the four of them in the flower hall.
Lady Min looked disheveled, covered in dust and even sporting a few footprints, but her back was ramrod straight, showing none of her previous weakness. Clara Phoenixfield, equally dusty, wore an expression of arrogance—her gaze toward Serena Phoenixfield was proud and self-satisfied, making Serena almost want to laugh.
Even now, Clara Phoenixfield still hadn't realized her true situation—so naive. Did she really think they still had a chance to turn things around?
Serena Phoenixfield withdrew her gaze, coldly watching the showdown between Lady Min and Prince Nolan...
Mother and son faced each other from four sides—there was no warmth of reunion, only icy, murderous intent. Prince Nolan lifted his head, gazing at Lady Min with indifference: "We meet again, Mother!" The word 'mother' was laced with biting sarcasm and contempt.
"My good son, you really do make me see you in a new light." Now that the masks were off, Lady Min dropped all pretense of gentleness, her voice cold and emotionless. Without waiting for an invitation, she walked straight to the seat opposite Serena and Prince Nolan and sat down; Clara Phoenixfield hesitated, then stood behind her.
Just two steps separated them, but those two steps were an unbridgeable chasm...
On Destiny Cliff, the bond between Prince Nolan and Lady Min as mother and son was severed. Prince Nolan would never forget who forced him to abandon his beloved, who made him watch his brother die helplessly...