The World in Chaos and Lance’s Even Messier Love Life

It wasn’t that Vincent Su had overlooked some crucial detail—rather, the enemy’s moves were simply too well-concealed. If Lance Quinn hadn’t had another lead in hand, he never would have traced things back and uncovered the collusion between Prince Damien of Southlyn and the Princess Royal of Lyndaria.

To be precise, it was Prince Damien of Southlyn joining forces with the Princess Royal of Lyndaria.

“The one who poisoned His Majesty was Prince Damien of Southlyn. He used Lyndarian spies planted in Eastlyn.” Prince Damien was getting more and more cautious, leaving not a shred of evidence behind when he struck.

“And what does Prince Damien get out of this?” Vincent Su asked, bewildered.

“Nothing, really. This is just the beginning of the Princess Royal’s partnership with Prince Damien—the real show is still to come.” Lance Quinn tapped the table lightly, a mocking smile in his eyes. “Tell me, if the Emperor died, what do you think would happen to Eastlyn?”

“Civil strife.” The Crown Prince has just submitted a memorial to abdicate; although the Emperor approved it, he hasn’t designated a new Crown Prince. When the time comes, Prince Rowan and Prince Jason will definitely fight it out.

“Exactly. The moment the Emperor dies, Prince Rowan and Prince Jason will battle for the throne. Lyndaria can seize the chance, use Princess Yara’s death as a pretext, and send troops against Eastlyn. If Southlyn also attacks at that moment, what do you think will happen to Eastlyn?” No matter how strong a nation, it can’t withstand attacks from both inside and out. At that point, even a powerhouse like Eastlyn would collapse—and the Northlyn Kingdom would be quick to snatch a share for itself.

Prince Damien’s plan really is something.

Vincent Su was utterly stunned, his mouth forming a perfect O. “Those two are lunatics! Aren’t they afraid of getting exposed and having both Lyndaria and Southlyn crash and burn? Besides, it seems they’re forgetting about you—if you’re in Eastlyn, there’s no way chaos will break out.”

Prince Damien and the Princess Royal really are mad. Put those two together, and there’s nothing they won’t dare do.

“Only madmen can pull off something this big—they don’t care about consequences. As for me, don’t worry. They definitely have more tricks up their sleeves.” The Princess Royal cares only about her own power.

No matter what happens, as long as Eastlyn and Lyndaria go to war, she’ll find a way to bleed Titus’s men dry on the battlefield. Right now, the Princess Royal holds all the reins—every single supply Lyndaria’s armies need has to pass through her hands.

If she delays grain and fodder by just three to five days, or if something ‘accidentally’ goes wrong en route, chaos will erupt in Lyndaria’s ranks under Titus.

Vincent Su nodded repeatedly, patting his chest. “Thank goodness His Majesty wasn’t poisoned. Otherwise, the whole world would’ve turned upside down—and if Eastlyn fell, you wouldn’t get to be Ninth Royal Uncle anymore.”

“The Emperor surviving the poisoning doesn’t change those two’s plans—the war will go on regardless.” Even if he doesn’t fight for the throne, the world will still drown in blood and chaos.

All four royal houses are bursting with ambition. Each of them dreams of rebuilding the Lan Imperial Clan and becoming master of the continent.

“But this way, Eastlyn won’t be destroyed—at worst, its national strength will be cut down.” Vincent Su was a merchant; he only cared about his own interests.

Whether there’s war or not doesn’t matter—as long as his own business isn’t affected.

Lance Quinn said nothing, just stared at the wall, his eyes deep as a bottomless pool.

Just as Vincent Su thought Lance Quinn would stay silent forever, Lance suddenly spoke up: “Send a letter to Titus. Tell him to start acting sick right now—and to discuss with his closest men whether there’s any way to avoid this war.”

If it really comes to war, Lance Quinn wants the losses to fall on the Princess Royal’s people.

“Alright, I’ll handle it. Oh, by the way... We’ve received word that Felix Fuller hasn’t come back; he’s headed straight for Liancastle. Looks like he’s starting to suspect Bella and Storm Cloud Bu.” You had to admit, Felix was sharp—he hadn’t fallen for Lance’s ‘lure the tiger from the mountain’ trick.

Lance Quinn sneered, “No matter. Even if he doesn’t want to return, he’ll have to. But over at Bella’s side, send more men to protect her—don’t let anyone hurt her.”

“Relax, with Storm Cloud Bu watching over her, unless he dies, Bella will be perfectly safe. But... Bella’s still hung up on you. Do you think Storm Cloud Bu could ever win her heart?” Vincent Su looked at Lance Quinn, torn.

The whole world was in chaos—and so was Lance Quinn’s love life.

“Sincerity can move even metal and stone. I believe in Storm Cloud Bu.” That’s what Lance Quinn said, but deep down, he wasn’t so sure.

He hadn’t expected Bella Qin to be so stubborn. Weren’t she and Storm Cloud Bu already close? Why was she still clinging to him?

Ever since Bella Qin left the mountain, he hadn’t seen her once. He really couldn’t understand why she was so blindly devoted to him.

Now Serena was already starting to suspect his identity, but Bella’s situation was still unresolved. How could things get any messier? And then there was Prince Chase...

Serena had never given Prince Chase any hope. She’d rejected him more than once, and he’d always seemed resigned, ready to give up. Who would have guessed he hadn’t let go at all?

The human heart is truly impossible to predict. Who knew what counter-moves the Princess Royal and Prince Damien of Southlyn were plotting against him?

...

Serena spent the night sleeping on the table. When she woke the next morning, her face was covered in marks, squashed and odd-looking. But the maids at Prince Chase’s Manor didn’t dare laugh at the sight—instead, they hurriedly knelt, terrified.

Anyone trusted to serve Serena here wasn’t stupid. They knew exactly how important she was to Prince Chase. If Serena wasn’t comfortable in the manor, they’d be the ones to suffer.

Serena ignored them. After washing up, she casually massaged her face a bit and dabbed on a little powder—something she rarely used. Her complexion looked much more natural, and the servants all breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Their lives were safe, for now.

After breakfast, Serena didn’t go to the side consort’s quarters. Instead, she asked to be taken to another concubine who’d miscarried—partly to verify the side consort’s story, and partly to save a life and build her medical reputation.

The side consort hadn’t lied. This concubine was even sicker—and worst of all, she hadn’t received proper treatment. Serena had barely reached the door when the stench—a sour, bloody reek—hit her, even worse than the corpse-smell last night.

Whew... Serena stepped back, took a breath of fresh air, then pulled a mask from her medical kit and put it on before entering.

Inside, only a frail young maid remained. When Serena entered with her own maid, the girl panicked, dropped to her knees, and begged for mercy without moving.

Serena truly couldn’t figure out what was going on, nor did she care. She simply told the young maid to get up and move aside.

“Bring two large basins of water and help clean her up.” Serena didn’t know how to address the concubine, so she just referred to her as ‘her.’

The woman on the bed heard the commotion and slowly opened her eyes—dull and lifeless, except for a brief flash when she saw Serena. She managed a weak smile. “Miss Serena, you can just call me Su-niang.”

Serena nodded. She wanted to check Su-niang’s back, but seeing how close to death the woman looked, she couldn’t bring herself to ask. Still...

The woman had never met her before, yet recognized her instantly. Clearly, there was no need to investigate that any further.

Serena carefully examined Su-niang, then had the maid clean her up and opened the window to let in fresh air.

The stench in the room was unbearable; even a healthy person would fall ill if they stayed too long.

Once Su-niang was cleaned up, her complexion improved a lot. She gazed at Serena with pure gratitude, and that innocent look made Serena feel deeply guilty.

Prince Chase really was sinful.

And that very sinner, upon hearing Serena had gone to the concubine’s quarters, hurried over—terrified she’d discover his secret and he’d never be able to face her again.