Prince Derrek was ordered to escort Serena Feng into the palace for questioning, but since Feng Jin was unwell, he naturally refused to force them out. After sending word to the palace, Prince Derrek waited outside the courtyard until sunset, when Feng Jin finally stabilized.
Serena Feng walked out, covered in grime. "Please wait a moment, Your Highness. Allow me to change my clothes first."
Serena was composed and straightforward, unfazed by her filthy appearance. Prince Derrek stared at her in a daze, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. Mechanically nodding, his mind conjured up the image of an elegant, ethereal woman—Little Dumpling's mother, his late princess consort.
That woman, just like Serena, would personally care for Little Dumpling every time he fell ill, getting herself dirty and disheveled without a second thought. Back then, he despised her, interpreting everything she did as scheming, always twisting her good intentions into malice.
But now, looking back, he realized he had never truly forgotten that woman's every smile and frown. Her face grew clearer in his memory with each passing day; in the dead of night, he always felt she was right beside him.
His princess consort, his wife—the woman he had wronged most... Prince Derrek covered his face with both hands, telling himself not to think about her anymore. Not to think about her again.
That woman—she was already dead. No matter how much he thought of her, it was useless. Thinking about her wouldn't bring her back, wouldn't let her stubbornly declare again, "Your Highness, I did nothing wrong."
"Your Highness?" Serena called out tentatively. Prince Derrek snapped out of his trance and looked up sharply, about to speak, when he felt a cold drop slide down his cheek. Only then did he realize that, unknowingly, his face was streaming with tears...
Prince Derrek didn't feel embarrassed. He wiped away his tears carelessly, as if nothing had happened, then stood and said to Serena, "The Emperor wishes to see you. Let's go."
"I can't leave now. Feng Jin's condition is unstable—he could relapse at any moment." Serena wasn't the type to pry into others' stories, and though Prince Derrek clearly had one, she had no intention of comforting him or asking questions.
Prince Derrek's private affairs had nothing to do with her.
"You may bring Feng Jin into the palace with you," Prince Derrek said generously. This was exactly why Skyvault Emperor Titus had insisted that Derrek personally escort them.
In Westlyn, aside from Prince Derrek, no one else would spare a thought for Serena Feng.
Serena didn't answer right away. Prince Derrek understood her hesitation and said, "You can't protect him forever. With a mother like his, he has to face the consequences himself. No one can shield him from that. The sooner he sees what kind of woman his birth mother is, the better for him."
For most imperial children, their birth mother was little more than a symbol. Likewise, to their mothers, they were merely tools to secure favor and status. More often than not, princes and their mothers were just allies of convenience—just as it had been between him and his own mother.
Serena wanted to argue that Feng Jin was still a child, but remembering that Princess Royal Helena would never spare him just because he was young, she accepted Prince Derrek's proposal and prepared to enter the palace with Feng Jin.
Zuo An and his master had already returned that afternoon, but with heavy guards surrounding the courtyard, they couldn't approach. Seeing Serena and Feng Jin leave together, the two exchanged a glance.
Zuo An stayed behind to keep watch, while his master silently followed Prince Derrek's party, secretly guarding Serena on her way to the palace.
The palace officials were eager to see Serena, so the road was cleared and nothing went wrong. But since Feng Jin was asleep, Serena repeatedly asked the carriage to slow down so he wouldn't be disturbed.
Because of this, it was already nightfall by the time Serena and Feng Jin arrived at the palace, leaving the waiting officials anxious and impatient.
The Westlyn Emperor did not summon Serena to the main hall, but to a small side chamber. Inside, besides the Emperor, were Crown Prince Titus, Holden Cui the Cui patriarch, an elder of the Cui Clan, Princess Royal Helena, and Master Ian Reed.
Master Ian Reed was present because he was Princess Royal Helena's husband in name. Even though they had long been estranged, he could not disregard imperial dignity at a time like this.
Prince Derrek escorted Serena in, then withdrew, leaving her alone in the center of the hall holding Feng Jin.
All servants were dismissed, leaving only Serena standing. The Westlyn Emperor stared at her, his gaze dazed... She looked so much like her mother. Too much like her.
The Emperor had already forgotten his original reason for calling Serena. He just stared at her, at that familiar yet unfamiliar face.
Serena frowned, unconsciously tightening her hold on Feng Jin. Others had no idea why, but Princess Royal Helena understood. She cursed inwardly, blaming herself for focusing on dragging Serena down and forgetting that Serena's face was trouble itself.
Damn it.
Princess Royal Helena muttered a curse under her breath, then quickly snapped at Serena: "Insolence! How dare you not kneel before the Emperor?"
The Emperor was startled, quickly withdrawing his gaze. He cleared his throat, then asked with regal but friendly authority, "You are Serena Feng, Emma Lu's daughter?"
"Yes. My father is Great General Feng of Eastlyn." Serena knew some of the past, but hadn't realized how deeply the Emperor had loved her mother. Seeing her today, he was still so shaken.
To be remembered for a lifetime by the Grandmaster of Xuanshao Palace, and to haunt the heart of an emperor—her mother must have been a legendary woman indeed.
"Good, very good. You haven't let your mother down." The Westlyn Emperor automatically ignored the name Feng Zhan. Before meeting Serena, he saw her only as General Feng's daughter and Ninth Royal Uncle's woman—a woman not easily killed in Westlyn.
But after seeing Serena, the Emperor felt something special for her: Serena was Emma Lu's daughter, the child of the woman he loved.
In a way, Serena was fortunate; she took after Emma Lu. If not for that, she would never have received such special treatment from the Westlyn Emperor.
Any other woman, hearing a man praise her mother so highly, might have felt insulted. But Serena only felt pride in her mother.
The sudden turn in events left Crown Prince Titus and Holden Cui completely baffled. They exchanged glances, then quickly looked away. Master Ian Reed seemed to know something, but kept silent, his gaze lingering on the boy in Serena's arms.
The Empress had told him: this was his son. A son born to him by Princess Royal Helena, without his knowledge.
When he first heard, Master Ian Reed couldn't accept it. His only child, born of Princess Royal Helena—what a cruel joke. But now, seeing Feng Jin in Serena's arms, he felt his heart soften.
This was his son—the child who shared his blood.
Ian Reed's gaze was restrained and cautious. If Serena hadn't been watching Feng Jin closely, she would never have noticed that Ian kept stealing glances at the boy.
It seemed Ian Reed had learned the truth and did not reject Feng Jin. That meant Feng Jin had gained another protector in Westlyn. With Ian Reed's current status, Princess Royal Helena's odds of victory were shrinking—but...
What if Ian Reed and Princess Royal Helena joined forces to push Feng Jin onto the throne?