A wound splitting open and suppurating isn’t hard to deal with. Serena Feng’s cold expression was just a warning for Prince Titus of Lyndaria, telling him to behave himself.
An uncooperative patient brings endless trouble to a doctor. She was determined to nip such trouble in the bud.
After re-suturing the wound and applying medicine, Serena Feng gave Prince Titus another injection of anti-inflammatory drugs. In truth, an IV drip would have worked better, but the conditions didn’t allow it—Titus would just have to endure.
Clink. The needle tip dropped into the stainless steel bucket, the crisp sound snapping everyone’s attention back to the present.
"Dr. Feng, is it all right now?" Prince Titus glanced at his left leg, now bound up like a rice dumpling, and finally let out a breath of relief.
Serena Feng truly was exceptional—no wonder even someone as picky as Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan was drawn to her. If he’d met a woman like this first, he wouldn’t have let her go, regardless of love; simply because Serena Feng was worth it. Too bad he’d lost out to Nolan by a step.
While tidying up her instruments, Serena said, "There shouldn’t be any problems for now. Your Highness, you must take more care yourself—don’t mess with your leg for no reason. The wound can’t split again. Next time, I won’t be so accommodating. Also, remember: strictly avoid the foods I listed. For these three months, don’t touch them at all, or you’ll bear the consequences yourself."
Serena wasn’t threatening Titus—he was just too stubborn and headstrong. His incision was where the artificial limb met the stump, and that junction was notoriously hard to heal. If he kept acting up, the prosthesis and stump might never fuse, and then he’d face a real amputation.
"I understand. There won’t be a next time." Titus, who had never been scolded so harshly in his life, could only accept it. He knew he was at fault, and Serena was acting for his own good—no matter how disgruntled, he had to submit.
"The rest of you, same goes. If you really care about the prince, stop indulging his unreasonable demands. I won’t always be able to show up in time—tomorrow I have my match with Su Wan, and even I don’t know when I’ll be free." With a sharp snap, Serena closed her medical kit and addressed Titus’s maids.
"Yes, Miss Feng." Prince Titus’s maids were much more obedient than last time, treating Serena as half a master now. Not that Serena cared—she just grabbed her kit and left.
Tomorrow she’d be facing Su Wan in the contest, yet Ninth Royal Uncle and Prince Titus had dragged her out here tonight. She couldn’t tell if they thought too highly of her—or were just plain selfish. Both men only cared about their own interests, never sparing a thought for hers.
Prince Titus might not know, but surely Ninth Royal Uncle did—he knew exactly what the contest between her and Su Wan was about. If not for him, she wouldn’t be caught in this impossible situation.
"Feng—" Titus wanted to show concern about tomorrow’s contest, but Serena only left him her back.
"She’s a real firecracker—probably only someone like Ninth Royal Uncle would dare take her on. Ordinary men wouldn’t even try." Titus consoled himself, and the maids understood: their prince had been put in his place by Serena Feng, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could only comfort himself.
The maids lowered their heads, quietly snickering to themselves. Sure enough, every force meets its match—at last, their prince had found someone who could keep him in line.
As soon as Serena stepped outside, she saw Ninth Royal Uncle standing in front of the cabin, hands folded behind his back, bathed in the evening sunlight—a faint halo made him look almost sacred and solitary.
For a moment, Serena was dazed. When she came back to herself, she realized Nolan must be waiting for her—why else would he be standing outside Titus’s cabin?
"Ninth Royal Uncle," Serena greeted softly.
"How is the Second Prince’s injury?" Nolan turned around, his face obscured by the light.
"Everything’s normal," Serena replied, blinking to adjust to the glare.
"If he’s fine, that’s all that matters. Come, walk with me." Nolan didn’t give Serena a chance to refuse, heading straight down the path to the left.
He remembered the scenery there was beautiful—Serena would probably like it, or so Nolan thought.
"Ninth Royal Uncle, if you have something to say, please just say it. I need to get back to the capital." Normally, Serena wouldn’t mind spending a little time, but today was different.
No matter how calm she appeared, how unbothered about tomorrow’s contest, she still needed time to prepare. Besides, the issue with the Ice-String Zither hadn’t been resolved—how could she have the leisure to stroll around with Nolan?
Nolan paused, his whole body stiffening. His face darkened, and he stared at Serena for a long moment, but she remained utterly composed. Nolan was so frustrated he almost felt ill.
"Are you worried about tomorrow’s contest?" Fortunately, Nolan still had enough sense to realize why Serena was in such a hurry to return.
"Yes."
"You’re actually worried about the contest?" From the day it was announced, Serena had seemed perfectly calm. Nolan always thought she was certain of victory.
"Of course I’m worried." It was a matter of life and death—how could she not be? She had no idea what tricks the Empress might pull, and right now, Serena could only hope that Lan Jiuqing would uncover the danger hidden inside the Ice-String Zither.
"What? You don’t think you’ll win?"
"Any contest is fifty-fifty. How could I be sure I’ll win before it even starts? Even with perfect preparation, accidents can happen. No one’s the winner until the very end."
Even a flawless surgery can fail because of postoperative infection. Serena never overestimates herself, nor does she underestimate her opponent—Su Wan is a formidable rival in tomorrow’s contest.
After a brief silence, Nolan said, "If you don’t want to, I can have the contest canceled." He didn’t think of it as running away.
"Thank you for your kindness, Ninth Royal Uncle, but there’s no need to cancel. I may not win, but I won’t lose too badly either. Like I said, it’s fifty-fifty—no one knows the outcome until the end." Serena declined without hesitation.
Cancel? If Nolan truly wanted to call off her contest with Su Wan, he wouldn’t have stirred up the Su clan’s hostility in the first place. Tomorrow’s match was entirely Nolan’s doing—she and Su Wan were just pawns on his chessboard.
"Just go all out against Su Wan. No matter what happens, remember—I’m here. No one will be allowed to hurt you." Nolan understood Serena’s worries and made his promise.
Whatever happened, he wouldn’t let anything happen to Serena.
"Thank you, Ninth Royal Uncle." But Serena didn’t take his promise to heart. When enough利益—profit and power—were at stake, anyone could be sacrificed, including her.
"I’ll have my men escort you back to the capital." Nolan no longer insisted she stay to admire the scenery. The gorge would always be there—Serena could visit anytime. Besides, she wasn’t in the mood for sightseeing now.
"Thank you, Ninth Royal Uncle." It seemed thanks were all Serena had left to say.
Faced with Serena’s polite distance, Nolan sighed softly and said nothing more.
Maybe this was for the best—a little distance, a few secrets, enough space for both of them. The road ahead was still long...