The person lying on the bed stirred faintly, catching everyone in the room off guard.
"Sherry..." Jude Song and Nina Xu both cried out in shock. Nina quickly threw herself beside the bed, sobbing, "Sherry, little sister, Sherry..."
"Sherry..." Jude Song gripped her hand tightly, his face full of worry.
His worried expression didn't escape Aunt Silver, who also looked concerned. She couldn't bring herself to suspect the Empress—after all, the Empress truly cared for the Crown Prince. So, this woman must be the dangerous one. What was her goal? Could she really be in league with that monster?
"Mm..." Ivy Shen frowned slightly, then weakly opened her eyes—no acting needed here, she was genuinely in pain!
"Sherry, you’re awake?" Nina Xu, face streaked with tears, looked at Ivy Shen, eyes full of worry and heartbreak.
Hearing this, Ivy Shen glanced at Nina, who was leaning over her, and managed a weak smile. "Sister Lan... Are you okay...?"
"I’m fine, I’m fine. How about you, where does it hurt? I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault, I’m sorry..." On her way here, Nina kept asking the palace maids what had happened and learned that Sherry had angered Lady Julia Shang, which was why this happened.
But honestly, even in Nina Xu’s wildest dreams, she wouldn’t have guessed the real story—Julia Shang was just a convenient scapegoat!
"Well... that’s good then..." Ivy Shen forced out a little smile, then looked at Jude Song, who was still holding her hand. Her eyes instantly reddened. "Your Highness..."
"Sherry, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt? I’m sorry, I was late," Jude Song said anxiously.
"Why... why did you save me... Her Majesty the Empress..."
"Enough, don’t say another word. Listen to me, I swear—as long as I’m here, I won’t let anyone hurt you, not even my own mother!" Jude Song declared firmly.
His words left both Aunt Silver and Nina Xu completely stunned.
Could it be that he’s really fallen for this woman? But love is poison—it leaves you broken and bleeding. Wasn’t that exactly what happened to her back then?!
Why does Sherry look at the Crown Prince that way?
And why would he say something like that? Don’t tell me...
Nina Xu didn’t dare think further, but she couldn’t help letting her mind run wild. She kept feeling like everything Jude Song did was just an act.
"Your Highness... Sherry begs you for one thing."
"What is it? Tell me."
"Protect... protect Sister Lan... Sherry’s scared of Her Majesty the Empress..."
Hearing this, Nina Xu snapped back to reality. Her nose stung, and fat tears rolled down her cheeks. What was she even jealous of? Wasn’t all of Sherry’s suffering her fault? Yet even now, Sherry still thought of her, still asked Jude Song to protect her. Compared to that, Nina suddenly felt so small.
"Don’t worry, I won’t let my mother hurt her." Seeing the sickly girl beside him still worrying about her palace sister, Jude Song suddenly realized that there really was genuine affection in the palace—he’d just been too closed off to notice.
"Sister..." Ivy Shen suddenly reached out her other hand and smiled at the sobbing Nina Xu, calling out softly. She had no choice—she had to use Nina here. Only by doing this would Jude Song believe she truly cared about sisterhood, and that her presence in the Empress’s quarters was perfectly reasonable.
"Sherry..." Nina Xu hurried closer and grabbed her outstretched hand.
"I hurt you... I made you worry..."
"Wuwu, wuwu..." Every word Ivy Shen said just made Nina Xu cry even louder.
Seeing this, Jude Song took a deep breath and told Aunt Silver to wheel him out. He figured he should let the sisters have a proper talk.
As soon as Jude Song left, Nina Xu scooted closer. "Sherry, why are you so silly? Is this really worth it?"
Hearing this, Ivy Shen gave a faint smile. "You’re the best sister to Sherry in the whole palace. Sherry’s real sister, ever since she was little..." Ivy choked up. "Sister Lan... I’m sorry... I... I’ve fallen for the Crown Prince." Right now, Ivy Shen knew Jude Song hadn’t gone far—he was probably eavesdropping, so she made sure to play her part to the max.
"What? Sherry, what did you just say?"
"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have competed with you, but... but I can’t control my heart." Afraid Nina Xu might blurt something out in her agitation, Ivy Shen quickly cut her off. As soon as she finished, she finally heard the sound of the wheels rolling away.
But Nina Xu, overwhelmed by sadness and worry, totally missed this. She stared at Ivy Shen in disbelief. "What are you saying? You fell for that devil?"
Seeing this, Ivy Shen could only explain: Jude Song hadn’t actually gone far, this was all just an act. She’d offended Julia Shang, who was favored by the Empress, and the wounds all over her body showed the Empress was dead set on killing her. That’s why she had to find a patron—a powerful backer who could protect both of them.
Hearing this, Nina Xu finally understood and gave an embarrassed little smile. "Sorry, I almost messed things up for you just now."
"It’s fine. Just remember, from now on, you have to be super careful what you say in the palace. The Crown Prince is super suspicious—we can’t let him get suspicious of us." She still needed Nina’s help later, so she had to lay out the facts. But she wasn’t lying—she really had pissed off Julia Shang, and Julia was definitely one of the Empress’s favorites.
(This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^ Click next page to keep reading!)
"Okay, Sherry, don’t worry. I’ll be super careful from now on, no more reckless moves." As long as Sherry hadn’t really fallen for that devil, Nina’s heart was at ease.
"Don’t worry, I’ll never fall for that guy. He’s a total demon," Ivy Shen said fiercely.
Seeing this, Nina Xu smiled and nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Sherry, do you... do you have a big brother?" she asked, squinting at Ivy Shen, clearly trying to dig for info.
"Big brother?" Ivy Shen was a little taken aback, but seeing Nina’s odd look, she realized something must have happened. Otherwise, Nina wouldn’t ask. So she nodded, "Yes, I do have a big brother."
"Really? Is he a thief who steals things for a living?" Hearing Sherry had a big brother, Nina Xu finally relaxed. Otherwise, she’d still be suspicious about who that man really was to Sherry.
"A thief?" Ivy Shen murmured, and the name Butterfly Rogue popped into her head. Could it be Butterfly Rogue?
"Yeah, he said he’s a thief. But he’s really good-looking—the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. He’s super cold, though. His eyes could freeze you to death! Oh, and he said he’s your big brother!"
"Cold? Big brother?" Instantly, another name flashed through her mind—Adrian Night! That’s right, it had to be him!
"Sherry," Nina Xu didn’t wait for Ivy Shen’s reply. She glanced around, then whispered, "Your big brother is already here—he’s in my quarters."
"What?" Ivy Shen was so shocked she tried to sit up, but the sudden movement pulled at her wounds, making her frown in pain.
"Be careful, Sherry! Lie down and don’t move. Don’t worry—he’s perfectly safe in my place."
"What is he doing here?" Ivy Shen’s heart was in turmoil. She’d told them to leave—why had he suddenly shown up?
"He said he wants to take you away." Seeing Ivy Shen so agitated, Nina Xu quickly explained. Then she suddenly remembered something and added, "Oh, your big brother wanted me to tell you he’s already taken care of everyone you were worried about—they’re all safe. He said no matter how dangerous it gets, your big brother will always be by your side. He’ll come see you tonight."
Hearing this, Ivy Shen fell silent. That fool had come behind their backs—what an idiot!
"Sherry, what’s wrong?" Seeing Ivy Shen say nothing, Nina Xu couldn’t help but ask.
Ivy Shen quickly replied, "Sister Lan, please take good care of my big brother. Make sure he absolutely doesn’t come tonight. If he shows up, not only won’t he be able to help, he might even make things worse. Tell him I’m fine and perfectly safe." Ivy knew he’d heard about her injuries and would definitely try to see her.
"Don’t worry, I understand." Of course she knew how dangerous things were here—she wouldn’t let him take the risk.
"Just make sure he stays put at your place. As soon as I’m better, I’ll go see him. Tell him not to do anything rash." She knew asking him to leave was impossible, so it was better to calm him down first. "Oh, and if he doesn’t believe you, just say two words—he’ll trust you for sure!"
"Which two words?" Nina Xu asked curiously.
"Iceberg!"