Private Feelings, Going Crazy With Him

"What? You want me to win over Zane Shore?" Serena was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood. "You want Zane Shore to protect me?"

The most formidable bodyguard isn't necessarily the best killer, but the best killer is definitely the most formidable bodyguard—because he knows every method a killer uses to take a life.

"That's right. With Zane Shore's protection, you'll be safe for a while. Zane Shore is number one in the assassin world."

The so-called 'number one in the assassin world' doesn't mean Zuo An can sweep through all assassins, undefeated. At least among the old, retired gold-ranked killers, there are some who are incredibly powerful—but they've left the underworld behind, or simply don't bother with the affairs of the younger generation.

It's like Lance Quinn and Storm Cloud Bu (the famed swordsman)—they're ranked first and second among jianghu experts, but those rankings don't include the old legends who made their names years ago and have since retired. Those people...

They're hard to find, and even if you do, there's no way to compare. Most of the old masters don't get involved anymore; as time passes, their existence gradually fades from memory.

"Would he really agree to be my bodyguard?" Serena knew perfectly well that Zane Shore was the most suitable candidate right now. She'd love to recruit one of those retired monsters as a bodyguard, but she simply had no way to reach them.

"That depends on your approach. Winning over Zane Shore isn't that hard. I chose him because he's different from other killers—he has a weakness." His obsession with machinery is Zane Shore's greatest weakness. Although he was raised by a killer organization, Zane Shore still has freedom; he didn't become a killer out of coercion, but simply because he needed money for his experiments.

And this madman ended up becoming number one in the assassin world, making countless killers gnash their teeth in envy.

"Are you talking about his obsession with collecting weapons, or his identity?" Zane Shore's background was anything but ordinary—Serena had already noticed that.

"Both. Zane Shore's status means most people wouldn't dare touch him, and besides, he's not a killer without a conscience—ordinary people don't become his enemies. He kills for a simple reason: to earn silver for his research. If you can give him some guidance, getting Zane Shore to willingly protect you won't be difficult. If he needs silver, I can have Vincent Su supply it, no questions asked." With these two points, Zane Shore would definitely choose to stay by Serena's side.

Serena had already seen this—a madman willing to risk his life for experiments would chase after anything that fascinated him, no matter the consequences.

But...

"What about Zane Shore's background?"

Her hatred for Lyndaria was set in stone—whether it was because of Princess Yara or the Lu clan, her feud with Lyndaria couldn't be resolved. If Zane Shore was a Lyndarian noble, keeping him close would be far too dangerous.

"Zane Shore is the Prime Minister of Lyndaria's illegitimate son, but you don't need to worry about that. Zane Shore doesn't care about his status at all. He only came to Lyndaria because Skycrest Tower—the tallest in the Nine Provinces Realm—is here, and the staff there won't give him trouble out of respect for the Prime Minister."

"An illegitimate son? The Prime Minister started it and then abandoned him?" Another illegitimate child—wasn't this world supposed to allow men three wives and four concubines? Why were there so many illegitimate kids? Serena felt thunderstruck.

Serena never would have guessed Zane Shore had such a background.

Smack—Prince Nolan gave Serena a not-so-gentle pat. "The Prime Minister was the one abandoned. Rumor has it Zane Shore's mother was the Princess Royal—the emperor's older sister. When the Prime Minister was just a scholar, she fell for him and spent a night together, which led to Zane Shore.

But the Princess Royal didn't want to ruin the Prime Minister's future, so she didn't marry him. Instead, she secretly gave birth to Zane Shore, entrusted him to loyal servants, and married a powerful noble.

That noble scion was once considered a dazzling talent—some even predicted he’d rise to the highest office and become a pillar of the realm. But because he married the princess, he could only be a sidelined official, forever barred from true power.

Zane Shore was raised by servants until, at age three, he caught the eye of the Red Assassin Organization’s leader and was taken as a disciple. Only five years ago did the Prime Minister of Lyndaria discover the killer Zane Shore was his son and try to make it up to him, but Zane Shore rejected him outright.

Prince Nolan's storytelling skills really left something to be desired. Such a dramatic, heartfelt tale—yet he told it so flatly. Seriously, no sense of romance at all.

He should've at least mentioned how the princess married the noble scion on purpose, just to clear the path for her beloved scholar, and how the noble scion loved her so much he willingly gave up power for her.

Whatever. Serena wasn't hung up on the previous generation's soap opera—she cared about Zane Shore's identity. "So Zane Shore is part of the Lyndaria royal family. Keeping someone like that close—what if he turns on me?"

Winning Zane Shore over wouldn't be easy. She wasn't about to trust her life to someone so unpredictable.

"Before Prince Terrence becomes emperor, the Lyndaria royal house won't try to kill you." Because it's not worth it—the current emperor wouldn't even notice someone like Serena.

Back then, the Lu clan's feud with the Lyndaria royals never came to light. The emperor doesn't even know Emma Lu is descended from the Lu pirate clan, so he has no reason to be wary of Serena.

"True. I'm just a small fry—the Lyndaria royals wouldn't care about me. My whole mess with Princess Yara is just a squabble between girls; if the emperor took it seriously, he'd look incompetent." Prince Terrence won't take the throne for years, maybe more than a decade—so why worry?

Besides, there's no way she could keep Zane Shore by her side for a decade. Three to five years would be enough for her to probe the Assassin Alliance's weaknesses and settle the score once and for all.

"You're right. Even if the Lyndaria royals want to avenge Princess Yara, they wouldn't use dirty tricks—there's really no need. Plus, with Prince Titus and the Empress on your side, you don't have to worry about the emperor coming after you. You cured Prince Titus's leg; they're grateful to you, not out for blood over Yara's drama." The Lyndaria royal house isn't monolithic—factions abound. Even if Prince Terrence is just crown prince, not emperor, no one can rule alone.

"If you hadn't mentioned it, I'd have forgotten about Prince Titus. Good—now I don't have to worry about the emperor. Not bad, not bad. At least I haven't reached the point of being an enemy of all four kingdoms yet." Serena joked grimly.

She couldn't help it—William Wang Jinling's warning had left a deep shadow in her heart, making her feel like the whole world outside Feng Manor was her enemy.

Soon you'll be just like me—an enemy of all four kingdoms.

Prince Nolan kindly kept that bit to himself, letting Serena enjoy her brief moment of relief...