Take Care, How Lively Will the New Year’s Eve Palace Banquet Be

The Crown Prince found even glancing at Adrian Dongling an eyesore. As soon as Adrian and his two companions stepped off the carriage, the Crown Prince ordered his personal guards to turn the carriage around and head back to the Crown Prince’s Manor.

The carriage whipped around at high speed. Adrian Dongling and his companions were only a few steps away and nearly got knocked over, stumbling into a messy huddle to steady themselves, barely keeping their dignity in front of the palace gate.

“The Crown Prince is outrageous—he’s truly unfit to be the heir of a nation,” Prince Evan muttered under his breath. After Adrian steadied himself, he glanced in the direction the Crown Prince had left, but said nothing.

He knew that the Crown Prince now cared for no one—not even the Emperor. And as for himself...

Adrian Dongling closed his eyes for a moment, hiding the bitterness in them. He had acted arrogantly before the Crown Prince, but inside he was anxious—he’d botched today’s affairs, and all that awaited him now was the Emperor’s wrath.

With no carriage and no guards, Adrian Dongling and his two companions could only walk toward the palace. At that moment, Prince Nolan was just leaving the palace in his own carriage. Seeing the three walking, Nolan let out a cold laugh, dropped the curtain, and signaled his driver to speed up, racing past them without a second glance.

Seeing the carriage charging straight at them, Adrian and his companions quickly stepped aside, ready to shout a rebuke—only to get a mouthful of dust. The three were left disheveled and furious.

As sons of privilege, when had they ever suffered such humiliation or made such a spectacle of themselves? All three silently blamed the Crown Prince for this disgrace.

Looking back, they saw the palace guards staring at them, a flash of murderous intent in their eyes. If not for being inside the palace, the three would have vented their anger on the guards.

Fortunately, their embarrassment didn’t last long. Just then, a young eunuch rushed up driving a carriage. As soon as it stopped, he nimbly jumped down, ready to bow—only to be kicked flying by Adrian Dongling: “Useless slave.”

Ah... thud! The young eunuch let out a miserable cry as he fell onto the cold stone pavement, his clear eyes staring blankly at Adrian Dongling, utterly confused about what he’d done wrong.

Adrian Dongling snorted, climbed into the carriage first, and signaled the driver to hurry into the palace. As for the young eunuch’s fate, none of the three princes spared him a second thought.

Prince Nolan’s carriage dutifully rolled toward Ninth Prince Manor, but Nolan himself appeared in a shadowy alley, where a dark-guard knelt at his feet, reporting everything that had happened at Feng Manor today—except, of course, the destruction of the princess-consort’s formal regalia, which they knew nothing about.

Feng Manor was smashed, but there were only financial losses—no casualties. Serena wasn’t harmed at all, and from the look of things, she seemed perfectly fine.

Nolan knew Serena’s calm was just for show. Back when Liam Li blew up Feng Manor, Serena had risked everything to infiltrate the palace and blow Liam to pieces. Now that Adrian Dongling had led people to smash her home again, there’s no way she’d act like nothing happened. Only...

He really didn’t have time to visit Feng Manor today. The Walker clan’s affairs had to be settled tomorrow, and there was still the Crown Prince’s business to handle.

Thinking of the Crown Prince, a hint of approval flashed in Nolan’s eyes. The Crown Prince had finally shown the resolve expected of a true heir—even if he’d acted a bit recklessly, at least he’d left himself a way out.

By not killing Adrian Dongling and his companions in a fit of rage, the Crown Prince avoided mortal danger and secured his claim to the throne. After all, it was Adrian’s contempt for the heir that provoked him, so his actions were reasonable no matter how you looked at it.

Everything that happened today—except for Adrian Dongling’s petty act of smashing Feng Manor—went exactly as Nolan had predicted. As for the attack on Feng Manor...

Nolan gave a bitter smile.

Adrian Dongling really knows how to stir up trouble for him. If Nolan doesn’t give Serena a proper explanation, she might just go and blow up Ninth Prince Manor in a fit of rage.

Just imagining Serena baring her teeth and seething, Nolan couldn’t help but sigh. He wanted to comfort her, but the Emperor had kept him busy all day—he still had so much to do.

Taking a deep breath and pushing aside his personal feelings, Nolan vanished into the night alongside the dark-guard.

He silently promised Serena: tomorrow night’s New Year’s Eve Banquet would be lively—he’d make sure she was satisfied.

...

Just how lively the New Year’s Eve Banquet would be, no one would know until night fell. But as for how much trouble the day itself would bring, Nolan already knew before dawn.

He spent the night hammering out final details with William Wang Jinling and Vincent Su, making arrangements both inside and outside the palace. By the time Nolan left the secret chamber at the Su residence, it was already the early hours—the very last day of the year.

Nolan had planned to go straight back to Ninth Prince Manor, change clothes, and head into the palace. But seeing he still had a little time, he decided to visit Feng Manor first.

After all, Serena had suffered humiliation yesterday. By rank and reason, he owed her a visit—and an explanation.

Nolan absolutely refused to admit he was just worried Serena might be angry, hurrying over to explain himself like a guilty lover.

Outwardly, Nolan showed no emotion, but inside he was secretly anxious, constantly rehearsing how to speak so Serena would forgive him. All the way there, he prepared a stomach full of words—only to be caught off guard...

“Master, Miss Serena has ordered that no one is to disturb her sleep today—including you.” The dark-guard stood at Serena’s door, blocking Nolan’s way despite immense pressure.

That's right—Nolan was blocked outside Serena’s door by his own dark-guard. Staring coldly at the guard, Nolan asked, “Are you sure that includes me?”

Nolan’s voice was low and unreadable, but it scared the dark-guard stiff. Under tremendous pressure, the guard nodded hard: “Yes, Master, I’m sure.”

In fact, Serena’s exact words were: “No one is allowed to disturb my sleep today—especially Ninth Royal Uncle. If anyone dares enter my room, you don’t need to stay here anymore.”

They could be recalled by their master for retraining, but if Serena dismissed them, they’d never serve as dark-guards again.

So, Master, I’m sorry—I can only stand with Miss Serena this time.

Head bowed, the dark-guard silently endured Nolan’s oppressive anger, jaw clenched, not daring to make a sound.

After a long standoff outside the door, with the dark-guard unmoving, Nolan understood: he wasn’t getting in today. Of course, he could force his way in—but that would be even worse than being shut out.

“I understand. You’ve done well. When I return, I’ll reward whoever trained you.” A bunch of ingrates, Nolan thought, humiliated as he flicked his sleeve and strode away in frustration.

The dark-guard stood frozen like a wooden stake, not because he was calm, but because he was scared stiff. Only when another dark-guard arrived did he finally manage to move, shooting his companion a miserable look.

How miserable—they really were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The other dark-guard patted his shoulder, saying everything without words.

Inside, Serena lay wide awake in bed. Hearing Nolan leave, she smiled silently, rolled over, and finally drifted into a deep sleep...

Nolan had thought being turned away at Feng Manor was the worst luck he’d have today—until his steward reported that someone from Feng Manor had come to see him. Only then did Nolan realize Serena was coming specifically to make trouble for him.

Nolan assumed Serena was coming to make peace after this morning’s embarrassment, but he was about to find out otherwise...