Facing Serena's aggrieved, accusing expression, what else could he do? Could he still lose his temper at her? Could he still blame Serena for being too reckless?
He couldn't. So...
Serena, I admit defeat to you!
The icy chill around Ninth Royal Uncle vanished instantly. He stepped out from behind the desk, reached out, and pulled Serena into his arms, quietly using his palm to close the study door with a burst of energy.
Sigh... After freezing out here all day, now that the real drama is starting, they can't watch any of it. The shadow guards gloomily rubbed their noses, withdrew their sharp, curious eyes, and scanned the surroundings, making sure no outsiders intruded.
Watching Serena, arms crossed over her chest to keep him at a distance, Nolan sighed again. He really had lost to this version of Serena. He hadn't done anything wrong, so why did he look like the bad guy?
Fine, maybe his expectations were too high. Yes, storming the prison was reckless and showy, and the aftermath wasn’t handled perfectly, but at least Serena was lucky—she caused such chaos and nothing truly disastrous happened.
Forget it, forget it—Serena has already done more than enough. With so few trustworthy people to rely on, she managed all this; it’s far beyond what he imagined. He’d been too harsh.
"Alright, alright, drop that wronged little wife look. I haven’t said anything to you—who are you trying to scare with that face?" Nolan ruffled Serena’s hair, awkwardly trying to comfort her.
Who am I trying to scare? Obviously, you.
I buried my face in Nolan's chest, rubbing against him from time to time, secretly wishing I could squeeze out some snot and tears—just to gross him out a little.
Still buried in Nolan's arms, I grumbled, "I've been scared out of my mind all day. I finally made it home safe, and the first thing you do is start scolding me."
"When did I ever scold you?" Nolan protested, genuinely feeling wronged. He'd only said one thing—and it was meant to comfort Serena.
"You say you didn't, but you totally did. Your eyes were so cold, like I'd committed some unforgivable crime. You nearly scared me to death." I stopped resisting his hug, letting my hands slide down along his waist.
Lean and strong—he felt really good to touch. I kept my arms around his waist, soaking in his warmth and the sense of safety he gave me.
Honestly, I really was scared today. Only in Nolan's arms did my heart finally settle. Only with him could I let myself show any weakness.
"Me, scare you? More like you scared me. You were absolutely dazzling today—going head-to-head with Bloodcloak and Shunning Marquis Manor in court. Most people never see anything like that in their whole lives."
"Dazzling? I was scared out of my wits. Bloodcloak isn't some simple department. I only decided to storm in and rescue Simon Sun at the last minute—I wasn't prepared at all. I was terrified I'd leave some evidence behind for them to use against me. I was tense the whole time in court, never daring to relax. Thank god, even with all that danger, I still made it home in one piece."
I might've looked confident, but inside I was a mess. That's what comes from doing something reckless—even if you clean up after, you can't change the fact you acted on impulse.
"So you do know how to be scared. I had no idea you were so bold—actually daring to raid Bloodcloak for someone, and making such a huge stir right after coming back to the Capital." Even someone as calm as Nolan nearly dropped his teacup when he heard about Serena storming the Bloodcloak dungeon.
"I know you were worried about Simon Sun, but did you ever think about the fact that Bloodcloak is the Emperor's personal department? Slapping Bloodcloak's face is basically slapping the Emperor's. Aren't you afraid he'll come after you?" Just thinking of the Emperor's hypocritical face made Nolan's temples throb.
His royal brother had changed so much lately. Fulin really had skills—he'd won the Emperor's trust so quickly, becoming a top confidant and stepping out of the fortune-teller crowd. Nolan realized he'd underestimated Fulin.
"I know. But it seems the Emperor doesn't trust Lu Shaolin much anymore, so I took a gamble. Besides, I have you. I trust you won't let anything happen to me." Even if things blew up, as long as Nolan was around, I'd survive—just maybe not in one piece.
"Even I can't always protect you." Nolan was pleased by Serena's trust, but her earlier words left him no time to scold her.
Nolan spun me around, making me face him. "How do you know Lu Shaolin's lost the Emperor's favor?"
He'd thought I'd just gotten lucky by accident, but now he realized I'd actually guessed the Emperor's intentions.
Was I just smart, or did I have a natural political instinct? After all, I hadn't seen the Emperor lately, and as a woman, I didn't have much contact with officials. How did I know what the Emperor was thinking?
When it came to serious matters, I dropped the cutesy act and answered earnestly, "I guessed. After I was imprisoned by Bloodcloak, I started paying close attention to their affairs. Even after leaving the Capital, I told my people to keep an eye on Bloodcloak's movements."
"Plus, I looked into every case Bloodcloak worked on these past three years. They didn't accomplish anything big—just petty disputes among officials."
"Especially with the snow disaster relief and the Cui Clan showing up, Bloodcloak did absolutely nothing. You were the one who tipped the Emperor off about Cui and the snow disaster—Bloodcloak totally failed their job."
Bloodcloak is supposed to be the Emperor's intelligence network. Even if it's newly established, their intel shouldn't be this weak. The Cui Clan operated in the Capital for ages; Cui Haoting and Mr. Yuanxi acted like they owned the place, even bypassing the Emperor to ally directly with you. That made me suspect they had someone on the inside—otherwise, how could they know your strength so well, or dare to cut the Emperor out entirely?
Neither the Emperor nor the late Emperor could match the old clans in collecting intelligence or planting spies. Those families have been around for centuries—they've rooted themselves everywhere. Before any of the four kingdoms' rulers even took the throne, the clans had already infiltrated every city.
When Cui Haoting was recovering at my place, I tested him. He knew all about Eastlyn's Capital and its officials, and he didn't respect the Emperor at all. That means they know the court, the Emperor, and even the hidden power struggle between you and him.
The Cui Clan has been secluded for years—none of their people trade or serve in government. So how do they know so much about the Capital, the Emperor, and the secret royal fights outsiders never hear about? It has to be a spy, and not just any spy—someone close to the Emperor.
It was just my theory, not a sure thing. Saving Simon Sun from Bloodcloak was still a gamble with my neck on the line.
I laid out my case, but Nolan couldn't even smile. "Of course there's a Cui Clan spy in the Capital—there are spies everywhere. But you really based all this on a hunch about Lu Shaolin, and then led people to storm Bloodcloak's dungeon?"
If that was true, he seriously wanted to pin me to the desk and give me a good beating.
That was way too reckless!