Now that the matter with Liancastle had been exposed by the Taishang Emperor, Prince Nolan could no longer pretend ignorance, nor could he reveal everything to Serena. After all, the situation with Liancastle was far too complicated for him to explain clearly all at once.
To reassure Serena, Prince Nolan revealed a little, only saying that the matter was connected to Jason Lan and bore his handiwork.
"Jason Lan? What does he have to do with Liancastle?" A dead camel is still bigger than a horse—no matter how far Jason Lan had fallen, as a descendant of the Former Dynasty’s royal house, there would always be loyalists at his side. Serena never expected Liancastle to be connected to Jason Lan; she’d always thought Liancastle was closely linked to Lance Quinn.
It seemed that many things were not as simple as they appeared on the surface.
"Liancastle has some ties to the Former Dynasty." Prince Nolan spoke vaguely, and Serena didn’t press further. She simply asked, "I don’t understand why Jason Lan keeps trying to kill me. Does he still hope to raise Clara Phoenixfield to the status of Phoenixfield Heiress and win the clan’s support?"
Never mind that Sixth Elder Leonard Phoenixfield had already lost the power struggle within the clan—even if he hadn’t, given Clara Phoenixfield’s current state, she was in no way qualified to be Phoenixfield Heiress.
The Phoenixfield Clan couldn’t afford that disgrace. They would never let a woman trained as a sex slave represent the face of their clan.
Prince Nolan remained silent; some truths he simply couldn’t reveal, so he said nothing more. Fortunately, Serena didn’t press. After getting a few clues from him, she sent Spring and the others to investigate.
She knew Prince Nolan was hiding something from her, but she didn’t want to put him in a bind. Instead, she sent her own people to investigate—wasn’t that good enough?
Serena had dinner at Ninth Prince Manor. Prince Nolan had wanted her to stay, but before he could insist, someone from Feng Manor rushed in with urgent news: Feng Jin was feeling unwell.
Prince Nolan stood quietly to the side, watching Serena comfort Little Feng Jin, but in his mind he was picturing Serena soothing their own child someday.
Serena would make a wonderful mother. Prince Nolan’s lips curved with a faint, gentle smile—so subtle that Spring, glancing up by chance, thought she must be imagining it.
Prince Nolan couldn’t possibly smile so warmly. Spring convinced herself it was just her imagination.
Little Feng Jin’s whole body was flushed, with small bumps appearing on his back and limbs. Even in Serena’s arms, he continued to whimper in discomfort, his pitiful sounds tugging at her heart.
Fortunately, after Serena’s diagnosis, it wasn’t smallpox but a common childhood pox. With careful nursing, the rash would pass and he’d be out of danger.
Serena breathed a sigh of relief. To ease Feng Jin’s suffering, she prescribed an IV and topical ointments, hoping to relieve his pain and speed his recovery.
Administering a drip to a child is always tricky. Though Feng Jin was well-behaved, he still feared pain. Serena held him in her arms throughout the whole infusion, not letting go until it was finished.
By the time everything was done, it was already deep into the night. After applying medicine once, Feng Jin finally fell into a heavy sleep. Exhausted, Serena rubbed her brow and entrusted the rest of the night’s care to Qiu Hui and Summer.
Serena wanted to stay with Feng Jin until dawn, but acting as both physician and family had worn her out. She needed rest tonight to keep caring for him tomorrow.
Qiu Hui and Summer saw that Serena not only refrained from blaming them but also trusted them with Feng Jin’s care. Their eyes grew wet, and with a thud they knelt: “Miss, rest assured. We’ll take good care of the young master and never let him suffer any grievance.”
Serena knew it was normal for children to get sick sometimes. Feng Jin’s bout of pox had nothing to do with Summer and Qiu Hui. She neither blamed nor comforted them, simply instructing them to be diligent and not let any further mistakes occur.
As soon as Serena stepped outside, she saw Zuo An, Beanie, and the Snow Wolves stationed at the door. The wolf, not knowing what had happened, had spent the past few days recovering with Serena. Having missed her, it immediately bounded over and rubbed against her legs, seeking attention.
Serena patted the Snow Wolves’ head, then looked up at Zuo An. “Feng Jin has come down with pox. He can’t be exposed to the wind these next few days.”
Zuo An grunted coolly in response and said no more. Beanie, meanwhile, looked like he wanted to speak but hesitated. Reading his concern, Serena kindly said, “Prince Nolan said General Warren Yu will march on Night City next month. If you behave, I’ll allow you to go with them.”
Beanie’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really?” he exclaimed, barely able to contain his joy.
The promise of another battle instantly lifted Beanie’s mood. He’d only fought once before, and it hadn’t been nearly enough for him.
“Why would I lie to you? The Eighteen Riders will be arriving soon—make sure to learn the army rules from them. This time, don’t cause any trouble; I won’t be able to cover for you.” General Warren Yu runs a strict camp, and if Beanie messed up, he wouldn’t give Serena any special treatment.
Beanie thumped his chest, promising over and over, “Don’t worry, I won’t mess up this time. I’ll never embarrass you.”
“I’m trusting you one last time.” Serena had no other choice. Beanie couldn’t be contained; better to let him cause trouble for the enemy than for her at home.
The Snow Wolves curled lazily at Serena’s feet, casting Beanie a disdainful glance and turning away in haughty dismissal. It occasionally let out a few grunts—whatever they meant, only the wolf itself knew.
Serena patted the wolf’s head and told Beanie to take good care of it, then headed toward her own courtyard, planning to get some sleep and recharge for another day of nursing Feng Jin.
But Serena forgot—Prince Nolan was still at Feng Manor. With him around, peaceful rest was out of the question. Even if she wanted sleep, Prince Nolan wouldn’t let her go so easily.
They hadn’t been intimate for over half a month. Truth be told, even Serena missed him. Since they’d decided to try for a child, there was no reason to hold back now—how else would they have a baby?
And so, that night was destined to be languid and passionate...
(No raw text provided for lines 35-44. If these lines contain additional narrative, dialogue, or scene transitions, please supply the raw text so I can translate accurately. Otherwise, translation is complete through line 34.)