Serena Feng!
The three men reacted differently upon hearing that name.
Adrian Dongling made no effort to hide his disgust. But to maintain his royal composure, he said nothing, only frowning slightly.
Nolan Dongling looked completely indifferent; in this world, no woman's name could move him.
General Warren Yu, on the other hand, was openly curious.
Serena Feng's reputation was so notorious that everyone in the capital knew her name. When he returned victorious from war, it should have been his moment of glory in the imperial city, but she stole the spotlight and overshadowed him.
He had heard her name as soon as he got back to the capital.
To the self-righteous moralists, Serena Feng represented disgrace and scandal, but in General Warren Yu's eyes, she was an extraordinary woman.
There were few people in the world whom Warren Yu would call remarkable, and among women, Serena Feng was the very first.
General Warren Yu was young, but already a famous commander whose power shook four nations. If Adrian Dongling wanted the throne, he needed not only Nolan Dongling's support, but also that of General Warren Yu.
The Yu Wen family had nine generations of single heirs, each one a famous general, with their lineage tracing back to the previous dynasty.
General Warren Yu entered the battlefield at eleven, led troops at thirteen, and at fifteen, in the Battle of Huai River, he defeated 130,000 Lyndarian soldiers with just 50,000 men, earning instant fame.
Though he was famous, he was neither arrogant nor reckless. General Warren Yu knew all about the affairs between Serena Feng and Adrian Dongling. Normally, he would never get involved, but today was different.
The incident happened under his jurisdiction, and with the Ninth Royal Uncle present, he had no choice but to get involved.
"Ninth Royal Uncle, Seventh Prince, shall we go have a look?" General Warren Yu asked, leaving no room for refusal.
Nolan Dongling didn’t mind, and Adrian Dongling, not wanting anyone to notice his concern, simply nodded.
General Warren Yu was skilled at commanding troops. By the time the three approached, order at the city gate had already been restored.
No matter where you are, the common people fear officials. With the army present, no one dared cause trouble.
When the three were still dozens of meters away from the city gate, a sharp-eyed soldier spotted them and knelt down with a thud.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Ninth Prince! Long live, long live, long long live! Greetings, Prince Rowan! Long live, long live, long long live!"
What? The prince?
The townsfolk entering and leaving the city didn’t even dare lift their heads; they immediately knelt, calling out in uneven voices.
Serena Feng looked confused. Ninth Prince? Who’s that? She glanced up at the newcomers and realized that the Ninth Prince everyone was talking about was actually the Ninth Royal Uncle.
Nolan Dongling was the Crown Prince Adrian Dongling’s royal uncle, but not the Emperor’s. Most people called him Ninth Prince, but because the Emperor valued Nolan highly, he personally gave him the title Ninth Royal Uncle as a mark of respect, distinguishing him from other princes and royal lords.
All Dongling officials addressed Nolan Dongling as Ninth Royal Uncle to show his superior status over Adrian Dongling and the others, but ordinary soldiers didn’t know this and simply called him Ninth Prince.
Ordinary soldiers and commoners instinctively knelt before nobles—a kind of slave mentality ingrained for centuries. But Serena Feng didn’t have that instinct.
Only when everyone else had knelt did Serena Feng react—just a beat too late, making her the center of attention.
Just as she bent her knees to kneel, Nolan Dongling suddenly spoke: "Rise."
Serena Feng abruptly stopped herself from kneeling and stood up.
If Nolan Dongling hadn’t ignored her the whole time, Serena Feng would have suspected that he said “Rise” just for her.
A hint of sadness flashed in Serena Feng’s eyes. She stood in place, head slightly bowed, putting away her pride and arrogance.
She didn’t want the Ninth Royal Uncle to see her in such a wretched state.
Both times she met the Ninth Royal Uncle, she was at her most miserable.
Unfortunately, heaven didn’t hear Serena Feng’s prayers. Just as she tried her best to shrink away and hoped to be ignored, General Warren Yu deliberately walked up to her.
"Are you Serena Feng?" He wasn’t hostile, just curious.
Normally, Serena Feng wouldn’t have strong feelings about someone like him, but today…
Serena Feng was so angry she wanted to punch someone.
This man was so clueless! Couldn’t he see she was trying to hide? Infuriating.
Annoyed as she was, Serena Feng didn’t dare lose her temper on the spot.
Anyone who could stand beside Nolan Dongling and Adrian Dongling was no ordinary person—she couldn’t afford to offend him.
Replying to the lord, I am Serena Feng.' Serena Feng bent her knees slightly, looking pure and innocent.
Adrian Dongling snorted disdainfully.
Pretending, pretending, pretending.
Who is Serena Feng, as if I, Adrian Dongling, don’t know?
Serena Feng kept her eyes down, ignoring Adrian Dongling’s disgusted look. She held a grudge against him in her past life, and this time, they were destined to be enemies.
Besides, what did she care how Adrian Dongling saw her? She wasn’t his fiancée anymore. She only cared about Nolan Dongling’s opinion, but…
Nolan Dongling didn’t take Serena Feng seriously at all; he completely ignored her.
She felt a little bitter, but mostly relieved.
She and the Ninth Royal Uncle were worlds apart—he was a cloud in the sky, she a pond on the ground. Their paths could never cross.
Thinking this, Serena Feng felt much calmer. She suppressed her unwarranted thoughts, stood tall, and let General Warren Yu look her over.
As the saying goes in military strategy, the best defense is a good offense. Since she couldn’t avoid it, she decided to face it boldly—maybe it would help her let go of thoughts she shouldn’t have.
Curious, are you?
Want to look, do you?
Then look as much as you want.
Next time you want to look, I’ll start charging.
Ahem…
Faced with Serena Feng’s proud gaze, General Warren Yu awkwardly looked away and, searching for something to say, asked, "Miss Feng, are you entering the city?"
He pointed at Serena Feng’s clothes.
[Skip: Non-novel webnovel prompt.]
He was curious, but too embarrassed to ask directly—it would be ungentlemanly.
Well, General Warren Yu never considered himself a gentleman; otherwise, he wouldn’t be here blocking Serena Feng.
You already know the answer, my lord,' Serena Feng replied irritably, sneaking glances at Nolan Dongling, only to find his gaze fixed on the distant sunset.
Adrian Dongling didn’t want to argue with Serena Feng, lest he lose his composure, but her tone made him snap.
Serena Feng, who gave you permission to speak like that?' After all, she was once his fiancée and connected to him. Such rude words were an embarrassment to Adrian Dongling.
Serena Feng glanced at Adrian Dongling, pressed her lips together, and stayed silent.
Nolan Dongling still ignored Serena Feng, while General Warren Yu smiled and watched the drama from the sidelines.
It was clear Prince Rowan didn’t like Serena Feng, and though he tried to hide it, General Warren Yu could see right through him.
General Warren Yu obediently kept quiet, standing by to see how Serena Feng would handle Adrian Dongling’s anger.
Honestly, General Warren Yu was curious how Serena Feng had made it out of the palace alive that day. Today, he’d get to see her skills firsthand.
Serena Feng, I’m asking you a question.' Adrian Dongling waited a long time for an answer and finally barked at her.
Serena Feng didn’t disappoint General Warren Yu; when she finally spoke, her words were infuriating—especially to Adrian Dongling.
Oh, Prince Rowan is asking me a question? But no one gave me permission to speak.' Serena Feng acted innocent.
Everyone knew she was pretending, but no one could call her out…