Feng Manor didn’t have the grandeur of Ninth Prince Manor. The two of them could only bathe separately in their own rooms, then Ninth Royal Uncle would return to Serena’s chamber.
By candlelight, Serena sat with her long hair loose, waiting for it to dry. The moment Ninth Royal Uncle entered, he saw her like this—the soft orange glow made Serena seem gentle and inviting, impossible not to walk over and hold her in his arms.
Ninth Royal Uncle slowed his steps, gazing at the woman in the candlelight, his heart growing soft.
Home. In Serena, he saw the feeling of family—his woman waiting for him by candlelight. When Ninth Royal Uncle walked in, Serena lifted her head and smiled at him: "You’re back."
"I’m back."
A simple greeting, yet it made Ninth Royal Uncle’s heart ache. His home was no longer a cold estate. Ninth Royal Uncle picked up a towel and gently dried Serena’s half-damp hair. Once her hair was dry, he didn’t stand on ceremony—he scooped her up and carried her to bed. "It’s late. Let’s sleep."
Home meant a wife and children. Now, he just needed a child...
It wasn’t long before sounds of passion echoed from the room. Ninth Royal Uncle wasn’t the type to just chat under the covers when staying at Feng Manor.
After their lovemaking, the maid boiled water once—and that was it for the whole night. The dark-guards and two maidservants were stunned. Was their master... not very capable? Judging by the time, it really was just once...
The next morning, Serena woke refreshed and energetic. After breakfast, she headed to the High Court of Justice. As for Ninth Royal Uncle, he wasn’t so lucky—he had to attend morning court.
The dark-guards did bring Ninth Royal Uncle’s court robes, but he still had to get up before dawn, wash, and rush to morning court. As for breakfast? Sorry—Feng Manor’s servants weren’t used to preparing food at that hour, and no one gave them orders yesterday. Ninth Royal Uncle had to go hungry to court.
Thanks to Ninth Royal Uncle’s advance preparations, Serena’s day went unusually smoothly. She arrived almost simultaneously with Shunning Marquis Manor; their side was represented by Attorney Xing and Young Master Chen Sutton.
The arrangements had already been made with the High Court Chief Justice and Shunning Marquis Manor, so today’s hearing wasn’t open to the public. Each side took a position, separated by a wide aisle—like two armies across a no-man’s-land. Facing Shunning Marquis Manor’s arrogant stares, Serena said nothing, sticking to one line: "I respectfully petition the court to open the coffin and conduct an autopsy, to clear Simon Sun’s name."
"The dead deserve respect! Serena, what do you mean by this? Simon Sun killed my Sixth Sister, and now you won’t even let her rest in peace. You two—master and disciple—are going too far!" Young Master Chen Sutton roared.
He’d assumed Serena’s silence these past days meant she was afraid of Shunning Marquis Manor. But the moment she left the palace, she aimed straight at them. Marquis Sutton was furious, convinced Serena had gained favor with palace nobles and now looked down on his house.
"Young Master Chen, you know better than I why the Sixth Young Lady died. She was buried in less than three days—what a grand custom for Shunning Marquis Manor." Opening the coffin for autopsy was necessary—not just for Simon Sun, but for the Sixth Young Lady who gambled her life.
Young Master Chen Sutton glared at Serena, his eyes cold and vicious: "What are you implying? Serena, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want. Don’t think that just because you climbed into Ninth Royal Uncle’s bed, Shunning Marquis Manor will fear you."
Boom...
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire courtroom went deathly silent. From the High Court Chief Justice down to the bailiffs, everyone stared at Young Master Chen Sutton, secretly giving him a thumbs-up.
What a character—he actually dared to gossip about Ninth Royal Uncle in public. Impressive, really. Good thing the hearing wasn’t open, or they’d all be in trouble too.
Young Master Chen Sutton felt uneasy under all those stares, his pupils unfocused, but he only grew more arrogant: "What are you all looking at? Did I say anything wrong? She really did climb into Ninth Royal Uncle’s bed. Otherwise, how could an orphan girl live so well and afford a household of servants? Don’t forget—she used to live like a dog, wearing rags, unable to feed herself. Suddenly she’s rich? If it’s not thanks to Ninth Royal Uncle, then who?"
The more Young Master Chen Sutton spoke, the more justified and self-righteous he felt—never a hint of guilt or concern.
Uh... The High Court Chief Justice and the Left and Right Deputy Justices exchanged glances, then stared at their own noses, pretending not to hear a thing.
Honestly, Young Master Chen Sutton had a point—but what did that have to do with them? Being able to get into Ninth Royal Uncle’s bed was a skill in itself. Plenty of people wished they could be the next Serena. Even a little from Ninth Royal Uncle would keep them fed for life.
Seeing the High Court officials stay silent and Serena only smile without a word, Young Master Chen Sutton got even more fired up—his words grew nastier. Of course, he was smart enough to only insult Serena, never suggesting Ninth Royal Uncle was seduced by women.
"Young Master, Young Master..." Attorney Xing tugged desperately at Young Master Chen Sutton, but he was on a roll and refused to stop.
The High Court Chief Justice saw that Young Master Chen Sutton’s words were getting out of hand. He was about to order the bailiffs to intervene, but before he could speak, the court clerk nervously stepped up and whispered something in his ear.
The High Court Chief Justice’s expression didn’t change, but the corner of his eye twitched. He nodded, sat up straight, and stared at the people in the hall with full official dignity.
Neither Attorney Xing, who was trying to pull Young Master Chen Sutton down, nor Chen himself, who was busy ranting, noticed this detail. But Serena did. Remembering how Ninth Royal Uncle had promised last night to handle things, she guessed what was going on. That’s why she said nothing today and stuck to her demand for autopsy.
Young Master Chen Sutton saw that everyone was stunned by his words and felt completely satisfied. He raised his chin, glancing at Serena with contempt as if she were filth. "Serena, what are you, really? To put it nicely, you’re sleeping with Ninth Royal Uncle, but in reality, how are you any different from those women who sell themselves in brothels? You’re just pricier, with a higher-ranking patron. Without Ninth Royal Uncle backing you, you’re nothing. And you still dare to sue Shunning Marquis Manor, dare to demand an autopsy? Dream on. Shunning Marquis Manor isn’t so easily bullied."
Young Master Chen Sutton thought his speech was brilliant. See? He’d left the sharp-tongued Serena speechless.
After Young Master Chen Sutton’s final, summary remarks, the courtroom fell silent. The atmosphere turned strange. In the winter chill, the High Court Chief Justice was sweating through his robes. Seeing Chen finally finish, the Chief Justice quickly wiped his brow. "Miss Feng, do you have anything to say?"
He had to be fair and impartial—otherwise, he couldn’t wear those official robes...
"In reply to Your Excellency, I have nothing special to say. Today’s hearing concerns the case of Simon Sun and the Sixth Young Lady. I don’t wish to discuss anything unrelated. As for everything Young Master Chen Sutton said today, I’ve memorized it all and will report it word-for-word to Ninth Royal Uncle when I return home. What he decides to do is beyond my knowledge." Serena was neither servile nor arrogant, completely unaffected by Chen’s words...
She’d heard plenty of talk like this before—worse, even. You get used to it after a while...