Unease, When Lord Bean Meets Zed the Torturer

Sixth sense and intuition may sound mysterious, but Serena still believes in them. It’s not about being paranoid—it’s a sharpness toward danger, like how animals sense disasters more keenly than humans do.

Some people, before danger strikes, will sometimes feel uneasy or tight-chested. While this sensitivity isn’t always present or accurate, whenever Serena gets this kind of gut feeling, she can’t help but take extra precautions.

She knows her situation is dire—her life could be in danger at any moment. If she isn’t careful, everyone around her will be anxious too.

Serena took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. Facing Prince Nolan’s worried, caring gaze, she said, “I just suddenly thought of Zed, and for some reason, I feel really uneasy.”

“Zed? Is he causing trouble at Feng Manor?” Prince Nolan had zero fondness for Zed—the only use Zed ever had was leading him to the Demon Sect’s base.

“He’s been pretty well-behaved—so much that I almost forget he’s there.” The more Serena thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, making Prince Nolan worry too. Seeing her like this, he immediately called in his dark-guards to ask about Zed’s situation at Feng Manor.

“Young Master Zed is acting normal. Before leaving, I saw him carrying water.” That was the dark-guard’s report. Hearing this, Serena was even more puzzled.

Could it be that she really was overthinking things?

Intuition isn’t exactly scientific.

“Are you just too tired? Or maybe you’ve been too stressed lately?” Prince Nolan knew Serena had been worrying nonstop about the Assassin Alliance’s pursuit.

Although that assassin called Doudou hasn’t shown up again since his last failed attempt, it doesn’t mean they can relax. The Assassin Alliance isn’t going to let Serena off that easily.

“Maybe.” As it turned out, Zed was acting normal, and Serena couldn’t keep blaming her vague intuition, so she could only force a bitter smile.

She hoped she was just overthinking things!

“Alright, don’t overthink it, and don’t worry too much. I’ve doubled the number of dark-guards around you, and besides, panicking won’t help.” When it comes to assassination attempts from the Assassin Alliance, even Serena’s skills alone aren’t enough.

“I know. I’m cautious, but I don’t spend all day on edge. See? I’m living the same way I always have. Even Zuo An says I’m too bold.” Zuo An told her, there’s no one else who, after learning the Assassin Alliance elders are after them, can still eat and drink like normal—Serena is the first.

You know, years ago, those six Assassin Alliance elders once announced they’d kill the head of a small sect—and before those old monsters even made a move, that person scared himself to death.

That incident made those six elders even more notorious—and it shows just how thick-skinned Serena is.

Prince Nolan agreed, half-joking: “You really are bold. I thought you’d be crying or clinging to me, refusing to let me leave your side.”

If a Phoenixfield Heiress didn’t have this much courage, she wouldn’t deserve the name Phoenixfield.

A Phoenixfield Heiress can fear death, but she can’t lose her pride and become timid or paranoid just because she’s afraid.

“If you want me clinging to you every day, you’ll have to wait for your next life. Not happening this time around. No matter how scared I get, I won’t stick to you and make you be my bodyguard.” Serena set aside her worries about Zed and joked around with Prince Nolan.

Truth was, she was terrified—especially after hearing from Zuo An about all the shameless, dirty tricks assassins use. Serena was scared that one day she’d die without even knowing how it happened.

But whether it was the Feng Manor guards or Zuo An, they were already under enough pressure—following her around all day, tense and afraid to make the slightest mistake. If she acted scared and anxious all the time, it would only make things harder for them.

No matter how afraid she was, she had to stay strong.

Prince Nolan worried himself sick over all this. William even swallowed his pride and went everywhere asking for help. If Serena acted weak or scared, it would only make them more anxious and guilty.

Everyone around her was trying everything to protect her. Within her limits, Serena wanted to do something—anything—to ease their worries.

Serena’s intuition wasn’t always right, but this time...

While Prince Nolan and Serena were enjoying a rare moment of peace at the side villa, Lord Bean—the assassin ranked just below Zuo An—finally broke through countless obstacles and managed to infiltrate Feng Manor.

This time, Lord Bean wasn’t disguised as a servant or maid. As the second-ranked assassin after Zuo An, he didn’t have Zuo An’s cold aura or intimidating killer’s presence—but he had one talent Zuo An could never match: disguise.

He was the kind of assassin who never seemed like an assassin at all. Lord Bean could pull off any role, and with his unusual height, baby-faced looks, and clear eyes, no one could ever see him as a killer.

At twenty-five, Lord Bean managed to play the role of a pure fifteen-year-old boy, passing the scrutiny of both the old butler and the Feng Manor guards without a single slip, and was openly brought into Feng Manor by Simon Sun.

After half a month of observation, Lord Bean found the biggest weakness in Serena’s defenses: Simon Sun.

Another half a month later, Lord Bean seized a moment when Zuo An wasn’t around, staged a dramatic scene, and after suffering numerous knife wounds and two gaping cuts, finally won Simon Sun’s sympathy.

When Simon Sun learned he was being hunted by a half-brother over an inheritance dispute and had nowhere else to go, he didn’t hesitate to bring him into Feng Manor.

Under the butler’s and guards’ careful questioning, Lord Bean used his pale face, stubborn eyes, weak body, and flawless backstory to dispel all suspicion and slip into Feng Manor’s infirmary.

It wasn’t that Simon Sun was gullible, or that the butler and guards were negligent—after all, no one suspects a powerless fifteen-year-old, especially one so badly wounded he can’t even stand.

Lord Bean’s strategy was brilliant. Both Serena and Simon Sun were doctors, and Simon didn’t even know Serena was being hunted by the Assassin Alliance. Of course he wouldn’t suspect a thing, and the Feng Manor staff weren’t the type to turn away the wounded.

But while Lord Bean could fool everyone at Feng Manor, he couldn’t fool Zed—the young master who, like him, belonged to the dark world.

The moment Zed heard Simon Sun had returned, he rushed over. Guided by the servants, he found Simon stitching up Lord Bean’s wounds.

Simon Sun had hands as beautiful as Serena’s, and eyes just as steady and focused. When treating patients, both master and apprentice were almost intimidatingly meticulous.

Zed loved watching Simon Sun work—his eyes would shine like stars. But today, Zed was not happy. His adorable little face was tense and serious as he stared at Lord Bean.

No reason at all—Zed just knew this wounded man wasn’t a good person.

At the same time, Lord Bean, who’d been watching his surroundings closely, noticed Zed’s presence. Their eyes met—and instantly looked away.

Again, there was no logical reason—Lord Bean just knew this child was no ordinary child.