Su Rou?
"Her illness still isn't cured?" Serena looked genuinely surprised.
No one knew Su Rou's illness better than Serena, because it was caused by her. What Serena didn't expect was how weak Su Rou really was.
Clearly, Su Rou put in a huge effort to hypnotize her back then.
"She got sick because of me, of course I know. She's still taking medicine, so it looks like she didn't tell Prince Damien what happened when she lost to me. Otherwise, with his personality—always fighting even when he's in the wrong—I'd be in trouble, and he'd have an excuse to keep delaying our duel with the Su Clan."
Su Rou was an extremely cautious woman.
"She got sick because of me, of course I know. She's still taking medicine, so it looks like she didn't tell Prince Damien what happened when she lost to me. Otherwise, with his personality—always fighting even when he's in the wrong—I'd be in trouble, and he'd have an excuse to keep delaying our duel with the Summers family."
Serena used to think Su Rou was clever, but now she saw she really wasn't. Serena understood Prince Damien's mindset, but Su Rou didn't, so she brought her suffering on herself.
Ever since their last encounter, Serena hadn't taken Su Rou seriously. Su Rou's only real advantage was her natural hypnotic ability, but it was useless against Serena.
Su Rou wasn't a match for her—and now Serena felt more certain than ever. Besides, her only connection with Su Rou was a single duel; winning or losing meant nothing to her.
Qin: She won.
Chess: The outcome was up to her—if she wanted to win, she could win; if she wanted to lose, she could lose.
Books: She won.
Painting: She won.
Etiquette: She lost.
Medicine: She gave up, so she lost.
Martial Arts: Because of the accident at the Imperial Menagerie Grounds, there was no result. But it was pretty clear she lost, since she came out empty-handed and Miss Su Wan at least gained something.
Now only the riding and archery contest was left. Su Rou thought the outcome depended on this round, but she didn't know the real victory was up to Serena. The chess match was the real key—Serena had already made her move, but no one knew.
Serena's lips curled up in a fox-like smile. Victor Yun felt a chill run down his spine—he was sure Su Rou had been played by Serena, but when had they even met?
"You actually went up against Su Rou?" How had he never heard about this? Just how out of the loop was he?
Serena nodded. "More or less. She came to me herself, but ended up leaving in defeat—and badly hurt. From what you're saying, she didn't spread the story. So once the snow stops, I'll go to the Crown Prince and have him notify Su Rou to finish the last duel early. I want to see what excuse Prince Damien will have to stay in Eastlyn then."
Prince Damien set up the duel between the Su Clan and Serena just to have a reason to stay in the Eastlyn Imperial Capital. And why did the Emperor agree? He wanted a reason to keep Prince Damien around too.
Otherwise, a foreign prince staying long-term in another nation's capital does neither side any good.
Serena wanted to see, after her duel with the Su Clan was over, what reason Prince Damien would have left to stay in Eastlyn Imperial Capital and keep seeking their support.
"You want to hold the duel in winter? I don't think the Southlyn prince will agree." Victor Yun knew perfectly well why the duel kept getting postponed, but Su Rou didn't. If she had, she'd have told Prince Damien about getting hurt by Serena, so he could use it as an excuse to scold Serena and delay the duel even further.
"He will. He'll have to. And if he doesn't agree, I'll give him a reason he can't refuse." Serena smiled mysteriously, her eyes gleaming with calculation.
Prince Damien was strapped for silver. He'd traded Su Wan for a sum of money, but now that Su Wan's face was ruined, not only would he get nothing, he'd have to pay back what he'd received before.
Prince Damien was really, really short on silver. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked attacking Skyvault Palace Sect.
Prince Damien wanted to squeeze some silver out of Skyvault Palace Sect, but if he suffered heavy losses there and didn't get enough money, could he really sit still?
No way.
By then, Prince Damien would definitely bet silver on the outcome, but that money can't move until the duel is over. Besides...
She'd already 'leaked' a big 'secret' to Su Rou, who would definitely scheme with Prince Damien to use that secret against her.
Seeing Serena's calculating expression, Victor Yun suddenly felt a chill. He had a feeling both Prince Damien and the Su Clan would trip up in this duel. But...
But what did that have to do with him? He was just here for the show. What mattered now was his illness.
Would Serena treat him? And did he even want to be treated?
......
Inside the Imperial Clan Prison, Nolan still sat quietly, his eyes fixed on a book. He hadn't turned a single page for half the day; in truth, his gaze was locked on one line: "Sean Xuan, Skyvault Palace Master, Serena Feng's mother's childhood fiancé."
Fiancé. What a fiancé.
Nolan didn't move, as if in a trance, until night fell and the jailer brought his meal. Only then did he react.
Knock, knock, knock... Nolan tapped the table three times rhythmically. The jailer paused, then calmly set down the meal box and left.
Nolan took out all the food from the meal box, but didn't touch it. Instead, he dumped it all out, and then...
With a crack, he smashed the plate and pulled out the wad of paper hidden inside.
The wad of paper had been sent in by William Warren Jinling; it was the plan for Sean Xuan to coordinate with them from inside and take Skyvault Palace Sect. With this, their previous plan had to be adjusted.
If before, Prince Damien and Prince Terrence were just being used as pathfinders, now the goal was for both of them to be wiped out.
This plan was better than the last, except for one thing: Sean Xuan's identity.
A fiancé chosen from childhood—Nolan minded Sean Xuan's identity very much. He knew how troublesome fiancés and fiancées could be; they're the kind of problem you can't shake off.
And as luck would have it, both he and Serena had this problem. It really was a headache.
He smashed the plates and spilled the food all over the floor, then crushed the meal box. From inside, a small bamboo tube fell out; Nolan pulled out the paper inside and held it over the fire. Words appeared...
Seeing the contents, a fierce light blazed in Nolan's eyes, and his cold, hard expression finally softened a little.
Hero-Making Plan!
Serena, you really are my lucky star. With you here, what worries could I possibly have?
Nolan clenched the paper tightly in his palm, his eyes burning. When he finally let go, the paper had crumbled to powder, and the wind scattered it away...