Ambiguity, Lord Bean Can You Talk Normally

Speaking of which, Westlyn Tianlei really is unlucky. All he did was attack Liancastle, so how did he end up provoking such wrath that the three kingdoms and nine cities joined forces to punish him?

Westlyn Tianlei just couldn't figure it out—what exactly had he done wrong? Earlier, when Southlyn Jinxing sent troops to attack Taicheng, nobody made a fuss about it.

If he hadn’t seen Southlyn Jinxing attack Taicheng and get away with it—without the Nine Cities holding him accountable—Westlyn Tianlei wouldn’t have picked Liancastle to test the waters. But in the end… he ran into a brick wall.

The same act, yet the outcomes couldn’t be more different. Southlyn Jinxing got all kinds of benefits from Taicheng, but Westlyn Tianlei was ruined for it. How could he not be furious? From pampered crown prince to a bandit king squatting in the wilderness—if Westlyn Tianlei were happy about that, it’d be a miracle.

Never mind Westlyn Tianlei’s outrage for now—after Serena Feng and William Wang discussed Zhezhe’s situation and learned about Ninth Royal Uncle’s big palace meeting, they headed straight back to Feng Manor.

Once at Feng Manor, the very first thing Serena did was summon Jada and Mira Tang, ordering them to find ways to gather intel on Westlyn Tianlei—preferably to figure out exactly what kind of wasteland he’s taken over.

She told them to ask around nearby: Has anyone ever gone into that place? Does anyone know where the miasma is? Where the swamps are?

Relying on others is useless. Eastlyn, Southlyn, and Northlyn might go to war, but they’ll never wipe out Westlyn Tianlei completely. When he hides out in the jungle, those soldiers will think twice about risking their necks to chase him inside.

But Serena is different. If she gets the chance, she’ll charge in herself and finish Westlyn Tianlei off.

She still hasn’t forgotten the humiliation outside the city gates. If it weren’t for Westlyn Tianlei, she wouldn’t have such a foul reputation or have nearly been driven to death by the Empress.

Before, Westlyn Tianlei was the untouchable Crown Prince—she couldn’t lay a finger on him. But now? He’s just a prince abandoned by the Westlyn Emperor. If she kills him, so be it. What could Westlyn possibly do—declare war over it?

"We’ll get right on it," Jada and Mira answered. They didn’t ask any questions; seeing the killing intent in Serena’s eyes, neither dared say a word more.

"Everything else can wait, but this must be done—and absolutely no one outside is to know." Serena shot Jada and Mira a warning look.

She hadn’t pressed William Wang for details at his house, precisely because she feared he’d guess her intent—then either block her or act first and kill Westlyn Tianlei himself.

Some grudges have to be settled by your own hand—only then can you finally lay your demons to rest.

Just thinking about those marks all over her body—left by Westlyn Tianlei—made her sick. Even after all this time, the memory still sent chills down her spine.

She had to kill Westlyn Tianlei herself. Only then could she finally put this behind her—completely.

After Jada and Mira left, Serena sat in her chair, dazed. As she recalled everything she’d been through, she suddenly found tears streaming down her face.

All the world saw was Ninth Royal Uncle’s love for her, saw her basking in glory. But who knew how hard her journey had been? How many times she’d faced life-or-death trials?

She’d made it this far with Ninth Royal Uncle’s help, but even more, it was because she never gave up on herself—never surrendered to fate.

She didn’t know how long she’d sat there. By the time Serena came back to herself, night had fallen. She sniffed, wiped away her tears, and called Spring in to bring water so she could wash her face.

When Spring and Autumn came in, they saw Serena’s tear-stained face. Neither maid dared say a word—they quietly set down the water, then slipped out again.

They knew full well—Miss Serena never mistreated her servants, and was easy to talk to most days, but she was no pushover either. It was best to do more and say less.

Serena pressed a cold cloth to her eyes, and only when she was sure the redness and swelling were gone did she finally step outside.

"Miss, Young Master Simon is awake. Would you like dinner with him or separately?" Spring, seeing Serena was still downcast, quickly brought up something she knew would cheer her up.

"Let’s go see Simon. Bring dinner to his room." Sure enough, just hearing Simon Sun was awake put a smile back on Serena’s face.

Spring and Autumn breathed a sigh of relief. On the way, they told Serena all about Simon waking up, and she listened, occasionally responding.

Just before they reached the sickroom, Serena stopped abruptly and said sternly, "No one is to mention last night. In this house, nobody is to bring up Zhezhe again. If anyone asks, say Zhezhe was taken home by his father. Tell Simon Sun the same. As for Dorian Owen, keep that quiet too—not a word outside, and especially not to Simon."

"Understood," Spring and Autumn replied respectfully.

"Go tell the steward to keep a close eye on everyone. If anyone dares to gossip, I’ll have them sold off to Northlyn on the spot." Feng Manor had already sold off a batch before—she didn’t mind selling another.

Buying and selling people is legal here. Since she lives in this world, Serena handles things by its rules. If she tried using modern ideas and stayed soft, these servants would see her as a weak woman—and not taking advantage of her would be a miracle.

"We’ll get right on it." Spring and Autumn didn’t dare delay—they gathered their skirts and hurried off.

They knew Serena meant what she said. If she decided to sell someone, she’d do it—even them. Ninth Royal Uncle would never step in for a servant.

Serena headed alone to Simon Sun’s sickroom, but he wasn’t there. She pulled aside a little maid to ask; the girl only did rough work and had never spoken to Serena before, so she was so nervous she could barely get a word out. Serena patiently reassured her and finally learned Simon had gone to see Dorian Owen.

Dorian Owen. Just thinking about that guy gave Serena a headache. Still, she decided to check in, just in case Simon was being bullied.

By Serena’s orders, Dorian’s room had no guards or servants. When she reached his door, no one announced her arrival. She was about to knock when, from inside, she heard...

"Be gentle! Ow, ow, ow!" That was Dorian’s voice, with a definite whine.

"Don’t—don’t push so hard. Ahhh... Still won’t stiffen up." Dorian again.

"Hahaha, hahaha, don’t touch there, it tickles!" Still Dorian.

"Rub it again, just like before—that felt great. Yes, right there..." Dorian groaned in comfort.

"Is it working yet? Did it stiffen up? There’s still hope for me, right?"

"So? I won’t end up a eunuch, will I?"

...

Serena was deeply grateful she was a polite person—even in her own home, she still knocked before entering. If she’d barged straight in, all three of them would be mortified.

Well, she actually knew what was going on—Simon was just checking Dorian’s injury. But Dorian’s way of talking made it way too easy to get the wrong idea.

Serena wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, then calmly walked away. She posted two guards outside the courtyard, with orders that no one was to enter.

She didn’t care what happened to Dorian, but she absolutely didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about her apprentice. Simon was a good kid, and he’d have to marry and start a family someday…