Adrian Dongling would never admit that he was inferior to the Crown Prince, and even less would he admit to fearing him. He straightened his back, confronting the Crown Prince, and said through gritted teeth, "Royal Brother, this is rebellion. If you stop now, for the sake of our brotherhood, I will beg Father to spare your life."
This was the second time Adrian Dongling had felt his life threatened—the first was by Serena Feng, that madwoman, who had once held a blade to his most vital spot in front of his mother's palace.
The second time was now. Even though the guards' blades weren't pointed at him, Adrian could sense death closing in.
The Crown Prince stared at Adrian without blinking. He saw right through Adrian's forced bravado, and his own smile grew even brighter. "Stop now? This is just the beginning. How could I bear to stop? Scenes like this are so rare—who knows when you'll see something like this again?"
"Royal Brother, have you gone mad? This is treason! Treason means death, even if you are the Crown Prince." Adrian's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the Crown Prince.
Now he understood—at this moment, the Crown Prince was just like Serena Feng had been, with no way out except to fight to the death. Either way, if he didn't fight, he'd die; so why not fight and drag them down with him?
But he had no interest in playing games with a madman.
"Mad? You think I'm mad?" The Crown Prince pointed to his own nose, feigning surprise. "Seventh Brother, you know very well whether I'm mad or not, and you know exactly what choices I have. If I were truly mad, I wouldn't be standing here. If I were rebelling, I wouldn't bother with you—you're not even worth it."
The only person who could block the Crown Prince's path to the throne was the Emperor. If the Crown Prince wanted to rebel, he should kill the Emperor. In that sense, his words weren't wrong. Prince Jason, hearing that the Crown Prince had no intention of rebelling, quickly tried to mediate: "Royal Brother, this is just a misunderstanding. Call off your men, and I promise I'll explain everything to Father. This isn't your fault."
No matter what, escaping the immediate danger came first. Once they left Feng Manor and returned to the palace, someone else would deal with the Crown Prince.
"Heh... Fifth Brother, do you really think I'm that stupid? If I order my men to stand down, do you think I'll have any way out? Once you return to the palace, you'll just stack charges against me, and now you're talking about 'explaining things' for me?" The Crown Prince wasn't bad looking, but the burdens he carried never let him breathe. He'd never truly smiled with joy, but now, that rare smile was dazzling.
Prince Jason looked embarrassed at the Crown Prince's words, but as imperial sons, none of them lacked thick skin. With the odds against him, Jason didn't dare blow up—he just forced a smile: "Brother, it's only a few dead servants, nothing serious. Even if Father wants to punish you, it won't be much. Why push yourself into a corner?"
"A corner? I've been stuck on a dead-end path for ages—what's the point of forcing it?" The Crown Prince stared straight at Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan), his dark eyes bottomless.
Today's incident is just the fuse. Ever since Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) took command of the Bloodcloak Guard, I've been trapped with no way out.
Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) was nothing like Prince Jason. He was used to being arrogant in front of the Crown Prince, and having been suppressed earlier left him simmering with shame. Now, with the Crown Prince locking eyes on him, Adrian refused to back down. He lifted his chin and confronted him coldly: "Your Highness, what exactly do you want?"
Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) had no sense of timing—still just as arrogant, not taking the Crown Prince seriously. Prince Evan and Prince Jason exchanged worried glances and could only give a bitter smile...
"What do I want?" The Crown Prince was used to Adrian Eastlyn's disregard and didn't care. He pretended to ponder, then flashed a devilish grin: "Seventh Brother, what if I just butcher all of you right here?"
"You—you can't do that!" Prince Jason stepped back, only for the Crown Prince's guards to shove him hard. Jason stumbled, nearly falling, if not for Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) grabbing his arm—though Adrian's grip was so fierce it felt like he might snap Jason's wrist.
"Brother, think twice before you act." Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) spoke with a veiled threat. He worried the Crown Prince might really strike, but still refused to bow his head.
"Can't? Think twice? I'm the Crown Prince—what in this world can't I do? If I want something, I take it. Why should I think twice?" The Crown Prince replied with swagger. If not for his calm face and eyes like dead water, Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) would have thought he'd gone mad.
"So what if you're Crown Prince? If you kill us, you and your men won't get away with it either. Have you thought about them? They all have families. If the three of us die here, everyone here will be executed along with their nine clans—even Serena Feng will be buried with us." Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) chose his words carefully, hoping to sway the Crown Prince's followers and make him realize the consequences.
"Executed along with nine clans? Seventh Brother, have you lost your mind? If I were going to kill you, I wouldn't bring men with families. These are my death-soldiers. Do you not know what death-soldiers are, Seventh Brother?" The Crown Prince mocked, years of pent-up frustration finally erupting—it felt damn good.
He really had been foolish. For the sake of a throne he could barely hold, he'd lived half his life cautious and constrained, and in the end, got nothing. If he'd known, he would have been reckless and arrogant from the start.
He was the Crown Prince—who was there left to fear?
"Then what about Serena Feng? If you won't think for yourself, at least think for her." Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) swallowed nervously, his gaze at the Crown Prince tinged with caution.
In the end, the toughest guys always fear the craziest ones—and the craziest ones fear nothing at all. The Crown Prince was clearly the kind who feared nothing.
"Seventh Brother, you're getting more naive by the day. I don't even care about my own life, why would I care about Serena Feng? I really don't get what Father sees in you, pouring so much effort into grooming you. You're a prince so stupid you let two women toy with you—what right do you have to covet the throne? A prince who put on a show of deep devotion for an enemy princess, swearing he'd marry no one but her—how can you face the people of Eastlyn?
For the sake of an enemy princess, you ruined so many people. Then when she lost her purity, you kicked her away. A prince who can't even protect his own woman, who has no sense of responsibility—what right do you have to compete with me? Just thinking about all these years, having to compete with someone so useless disgusts me."
The Crown Prince's words cut straight to the bone, leaving Adrian Eastlyn (Prince Rowan) humiliated and furious, but unable to argue back. He glared at the Crown Prince, as if he wanted to devour him alive.
The Crown Prince gave a careless smile: "Hate me? Go ahead, I don't care. I may despise you, but I'm not cold-blooded enough to kill my own brothers. Guards, tie up the three princes. I don't want anyone disturbing Miss Feng while she's saving a life."
With that, he turned and headed for the small cabin. His steps were light, breezy, and carefree—none of his usual caution, none of the panic you'd expect after such a scandal.
When you have nothing left to fear, you're truly free. He wanted nothing from the Emperor—so what was left to be afraid of?