The man in black with the silver mask followed Prince Terrence Valen all the way. The two entered a small siheyuan courtyard in the city, one ahead and one behind. Hidden in the shadows, the masked man raised an eyebrow.
So Prince Terrence Valen came here just to see Wendy Wan, the maid who serves Serena Feng?
Seeing this little maid, the masked man finally confirmed: the spectacle at the city gate was orchestrated by Prince Terrence Valen and the Lyndarian princess.
But for such an insignificant maid, is it really worth Prince Terrence Valen coming in person? This maid must have some influence—or maybe it’s Serena Feng who commands such attention.
"Your Highness, I’ve done exactly as you instructed and finished the task." Wendy Wan gazed at Prince Terrence Valen’s back, her eyes sparkling, cheeks flushed, her whole expression full of hope for praise.
"Finished? Are you sure you finished? You didn’t find General Feng and Lady Feng’s belongings, so I’ll let that slide. But what about the city gate incident? Why didn’t Serena Feng try to kill herself?" Prince Terrence Valen turned around and glared at Wendy Wan.
"Your Highness?" The smile froze on Wendy Wan’s face.
How did His Highness suddenly seem like a different person? Wasn’t he supposed to be gentle and considerate?
"Idiot." Prince Terrence Valen cursed. Before Wendy Wan could react, he kicked her hard in the stomach.
Thud—Wendy Wan crashed to the ground face-first, eating a mouthful of dust.
The fall came out of nowhere. Wendy was completely unprepared—her face was smeared with blood, her head spinning and throbbing. It took her a long moment to come to her senses.
"Your Highness, Your Highness..." Wendy cried out in terror.
"Hmph!" Prince Terrence Valen snorted coldly.
A servant's instinct told Wendy: she'd been abandoned.
Ignoring her pain, Wendy crawled across the ground, clutching Prince Terrence's leg and shouting, "Your Highness, spare me! Please, Your Highness, spare me!"
"Get lost..." Prince Terrence kicked her again in disgust.
"Spare you? I wish I could. You said your mistress was weak and cowardly, afraid of trouble. But what happened at the city gate? She showed quite the boldness!" Prince Terrence looked at Wendy with contempt.
Serena Feng—such a mysterious woman. If he weren't determined to uncover her secrets, Prince Terrence wouldn't have bothered to come in person.
He had plenty of men—let them deal with the maid.
"Miss... sob, I really don't know. Miss isn't usually like this. She's always timid and helpless, bullied in the capital and only able to cry, never even daring to speak up. Your Highness, I don't know anything..." Wendy sobbed, pleading.
Wendy sobbed so hard she could barely breathe, gasping in pain, but she dared not ignore Prince Terrence's questions.
With each word, blood spilled from her mouth, her pale teeth falling out one by one with the crimson, landing on the ground.
She sobbed... She was wrong. She shouldn't have chased after riches, shouldn't have betrayed her mistress.
It hurt—she hurt so much...
"I'll ask you one more time: Was Serena Feng always pretending before? Why? And who taught her those martial arts?"
This was the real question. With just one look, Prince Terrence knew Serena's moves were made for soldiers.
He had to get to the bottom of it—ideally, he'd obtain all her techniques and train his own soldiers.
"I don't know—martial arts? What martial arts? I don't know, Miss can't—she can't do martial arts..." Wendy spat blood, her eyes wide with terror.
She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go...
"Don't know? You know nothing—what use do I have for you?" Prince Terrence kicked her again, sending Wendy rolling to the side.
Prince Terrence looked at Wendy and knew she wasn't lying. Someone this useless—why keep her around?
"Guards!" A flash of cruelty passed over Prince Terrence's face.
Serena Feng, today I'll personally teach a lesson to this servant who sold out her mistress. You don't need to waste any more tears on someone like her.
"Your Highness, please spare me! Wendy won't dare again, never again, never again..." She crawled toward Prince Terrence once more.
She regretted it—she truly regretted it.
She should never have betrayed her mistress.
"Your Highness." Four burly men rushed in, kneeling before Prince Terrence.
"Treat her well. If she wants to be my woman, she should learn how to serve a man first. Don't let her die too easily." Prince Terrence said coldly, then turned and left.
"Yes, Your Highness." The four men grinned with delight.
His meaning was clear—they could do whatever they wanted with her, even if it killed her.
"No, no, please, no!" Wendy screamed, adrenaline surging as she scrambled to her feet and bolted for the door.
She couldn't stay here...
Was this karma? She'd set up her mistress to be humiliated—now it was her turn.
"Run? Where do you think you're going?" One of the men at the door grabbed her, ripping her dress with a loud tear.
"No, please, help! Miss, save me!" Wendy kicked wildly, her pale legs flailing in midair.
"Save you? Not even the king of heaven could help you now." The men sneered, slamming her to the ground with a thud.
"Ah—!" Wendy screamed in pain.
"Such pale legs... This one's prettier than any woman in the brothel." As he spoke, he pinched Wendy's thigh hard.
"No..." Wendy struggled desperately.
Disgusting—she couldn't stand being touched by these men.
"No... Who do you think you are?" One of the men taunted, his hands groping and pinching her beneath her torn dress.
Soon, bruises covered Wendy's body.
"Rosy and pale—beautiful. I like it," another said, while two more roughhoused with her upper body.
"No, please, I'm begging you—Miss, Miss, please save me!" Wendy cried out desperately.
No one would come to save her. Her mistress... would never save her again.