The child's existence has nothing to do with trust. Even if this child really is Ninth Royal Uncle's, Serena still believes it's not what Nolan wanted—this child must be an accident. What upsets Serena is that Nolan doesn't tell her anything.
Even if the child truly is Nolan's, if he'd told her in advance, what could she possibly do—make the child disappear? And if the child isn't his, then he should all the more tell her the truth.
The child was suddenly delivered, and Dorian Owen announced in front of everyone that this was Ninth Royal Uncle's child—while Serena had no way to refute it. Even if Nolan later claims it's not his, people will just assume he's saying it to appease her, and won't take it seriously.
Faced with that child, Serena truly has a headache. She doesn't dare ask, but not asking leaves her uncomfortable. Serena feels she's never been so stifled before.
Most of the sick children had stabilized, so Serena found herself unusually idle these past few days. But the more downtime she had, the worse her mood became—she just couldn't summon any energy. Serena wanted to blame it on summer lethargy, that heavy, listless feeling that comes with the season, but no one would believe her.
Feeling low, Serena couldn't be bothered to ask about outside affairs. She only learned from Prince Samuel Zhai—a prince of a different surname, which meant he had special status—that the commander of the Imperial Guards had been dismissed, and Felix Fuller, commander of the Bloodcloak Guard, was urgently recalled to the Capital. Old General An and the Marquis Valorwing were demanding that Felix give them an official explanation.
Because... it was the Bloodcloak Guard who accidentally killed Old General An's grandson and the heir to the Marquis Valorwing.
If this were any other time, the Emperor could easily protect Felix Fuller. But now, with the Emperor mobilizing troops to attack Lyndaria, and given the prestige of Old General An and Marquis Valorwing in the military, if he doesn't pacify these two, this war will be hard to win.
This is the first step in Eastlyn's campaign. The Emperor absolutely won't allow failure in this war. To appease the military, Felix must be punished. Until Felix returns, the Bloodcloak Guard will be temporarily managed by the former commander, Commander Lucan Lu.
Serena sneered, "Lucan Lu is obviously suspicious, yet the Emperor still lets him manage the Bloodcloak Guard. If he wants to pull the vine to catch the snake, fine—but he's already startled the snake. Using this trick now, isn't he afraid the enemy will turn the tables?"
"At times like this, it's all about guts and skill. Eventually one side will crack." Prince Samuel Zhai genuinely admired the Emperor's methods.
He dares to act, dares to gamble—he truly has the aura of an emperor.
Serena tugged at the corner of her mouth to show she was smiling. Prince Samuel narrowed his eyes, hiding the sharpness within, and said, as if making idle conversation, "For this campaign against Lyndaria, the Emperor appointed the Si Clan to lead the troops. Grand Marshal Si is stationed at the frontier and can't be moved, so if I'm not mistaken, the one leading the army this time should be Young Marshal Colin Si. If you get the chance, you should get to know him—he's no ordinary talent."
"Young Marshal Si? Who is he?" At the mention of the campaign against Lyndaria, Serena perked up a bit and immediately sat upright to ask.
"You'll know when you meet him." Prince Samuel was clearly teasing Serena, refusing to say more no matter what.
Serena squinted at Prince Samuel, trying to read something from his expression, but found nothing. She muttered to herself but didn't press further.
Anyway, she'd know when she met him. Eastlyn had plenty of famous generals, but not many among the younger generation. This Colin Si must be impressive—otherwise the Emperor wouldn't trust him with the army.
This was the first time Serena had heard Colin Si's name. The second time was in Nolan's letter.
Unlike the letters Serena writes to Nolan, his letters are always so organized—each matter explained clearly and concisely. Rather than a letter, it's more like a set of orders. It frustrates Serena, but she can't help but read them.
In the letter, Nolan specifically highlighted Colin Si and his ties to Prince Samuel. That finally made Serena understand why Prince Samuel had brought up this person in front of her—so that's what it was...
Chances are, this person has fallen into the Emperor's trap—just like Dominic Zhai.
You have to admit, the Emperor's methods are clever. He managed to scheme against Dominic Zhai when he was just a child. With Dominic unable to have heirs, that so-called different-surname prince would naturally cease to exist.
The plan was nearly flawless. So many years had passed, and not even the imperial physicians could diagnose the real cause of Dominic Zhai's infertility—they all assumed he was simply born that way. For Serena, the child's disputed identity was a thorn in her side, and she knew she couldn't rest until the truth came out.
Unfortunately, he happened to meet her. Then, with the Valley Master, Divine Doctor Redwater, and Dr. Marcus Guile all consulting together, otherwise Dominic would never have known why he couldn't have children—and he certainly wouldn't have had reason to turn against the Emperor.
"These twelve thousand private soldiers are not so easy to earn. Prince Samuel is truly cunning." She thought she'd struck a good deal, only to realize that wisdom comes with age.
Originally, those twelve thousand private soldiers were her reward for helping Dominic Zhai, but now there's an extra catch—Colin Si. And she can't refuse, because that sly Colin Si has already made contact with Nolan.
Who knows if the Emperor will be furious when he finds out—his own officials and famed generals are all turning against him. But it won't matter, because he summoned Colin Si first, and Dominic Zhai only discovered his condition afterward.
At this point, if the Emperor tries to swap out commanders, it might shake the army's morale. Still... with Grand Marshal Si and so many loyalists in the ranks, Colin Si wouldn't betray the Emperor.
Serena finished reading the letter, having suppressed her curiosity the whole time. She eagerly looked for a poem at the end—only to find...
"What does this even mean?" Staring at the mess of black ink, Serena's face darkened.
What was it—something written and then scratched out?
A poem?
Serena shook her head without thinking. Nolan had written such a blunt love poem in his last letter—he wasn't the type to get sentimental now.
But if it wasn't a poem, then what was it? Was it about that child?
Serena admitted she was being paranoid, but... she was unhappy, truly unhappy.
What had Nolan written, only to erase it so thoroughly that she couldn't find a single trace?
"If you didn't want to write it, you shouldn't have started at all! What is this supposed to be?" Serena, furious, crumpled the letter and hurled it at the wall. "Nolan, I hate you!"
Serena's eyes reddened. Somehow, she felt especially wronged, and simply buried her head in her arms on the table, sulking.
She trusted Nolan, but trust didn't mean she'd automatically defend him if he said nothing. If she disappeared for ten months and someone brought a child to Nolan, claiming it was hers with another man—would Nolan believe it?
Even if he didn't believe it, he'd still have doubts—the timing fits, the person bringing the child is someone he trusts, and she hasn't explained herself. Besides, sometimes a child isn't something you can simply refuse; there's a word for it in this world: accident.
She believed Nolan wouldn't deliberately have a child with another woman, but she couldn't rule out the possibility of an accident. Trust isn't blind faith that someone will never betray you—it's believing what they say, believing in their character.
She trusted Nolan, but she couldn't rule out the possibility that the child was his.
Serena knew that child was a thorn in her side. If she didn't figure out its identity, she'd keep obsessing over it. If only Nolan would say just once, "That child isn't mine," she'd believe him immediately—but Nolan refused to say a word.
She didn't believe for a second that Nolan had forgotten—how could he forget something so important?