You never know if it's a dream until you try. Serena's other strengths may not stand out, but her stubbornness is unmatched—once she decides, she never backs down. Right now, she's insisting that Ruby Redsleeve fetch a jar of water herself, and absolutely forbids anyone from helping.
"Serena, that's going too far," Linden Ling protested, his gaze sweeping over the Eighteen Riders behind Serena, quietly weighing his odds if it came to a fight.
"Little Junior Uncle, my demand isn't excessive at all. If I don't do this, Ruby Redsleeve will never understand how precious food and water really are. I know you've spoiled her like a delicate young lady, but these Imperial Guards aren't your servants—they have no duty to wait on Ruby Redsleeve."
Serena spoke with righteous conviction, her gaze sweeping over Ruby Redsleeve and the Imperial Guards before continuing: "Honestly, any one of these guards outranks Ruby a hundred times over. No matter how much you spoil her, it doesn't change the fact she's a slave. For a household maid to order around the Eastlyn Imperial Guards—I truly don't know where she gets her confidence."
Just because Serena didn't stoop to argue with Ruby didn't mean she'd pretend to be magnanimous when an opportunity presented itself.
Linden Ling frowned in silence. Ruby's face flushed red and purple, tears of humiliation welling in her eyes. She bit her lip and said, "Miss Feng, I know your birth is noble, but mine isn't. I didn't choose to be born this way. If I could, who would want to be a slave? I'd want a duke for a father too, but I don't have one."
"My father's title was earned with his life, not handed down by fate. If you can't change your situation, at least recognize your status and stick to your place." Serena's tone was cold and scornful, completely unconcerned by Linden's increasingly sour expression. "A heart higher than the sky, a life thinner than paper. The higher Little Junior Uncle lifts you up today, the harder you'll fall tomorrow. Even if he wants to spoil you for life, no future wife would accept it—no woman wants to see her man treat a slave like the mistress of the house."
Serena's words left Ruby humiliated and forced Linden Ling into deep thought. Lately, his father had been trying to arrange his marriage, but things hadn't gone smoothly—well-born young ladies always politely declined. Thinking back, it probably had something to do with how he'd spoiled Ruby and Greenshine.
Linden's look made Ruby nervous. She trembled and called out, "Young Master..."
"Mm." Linden answered, unconsciously letting a hint of distance creep into his voice. This time, Ruby was truly frightened. She cried, "Young Master, this servant knows her mistake, I won't ever do it again. Please don't abandon me, I only have you. If you don't want me anymore, I might as well die."
Her words stirred Linden's old protective instincts. He sighed inwardly, "Serena, just let Ruby go for now. She's only a weak woman—don't make things too hard for her."
"Little Junior Uncle, if Ruby can leave these hardened soldiers speechless, do you really think she's weak?" Serena's words nearly made Linden choke in frustration. He opened his mouth to retort, but Serena cut him off: "It's getting late. If Ruby doesn't fetch water soon, none of us will have any tonight. We're all tough enough to manage, but Ruby and Greenshine won't do well without water."
The sarcasm was obvious—those two maids were being treated as if they were nobler than Serena and Prince Nolan. Linden's face went from green to white, lips pressed tight, saying nothing at all.
These past few days, he'd intentionally had Prince Nolan's Imperial Guards wait on Ruby and Greenshine as if they were noble ladies.
Serena shot a look at the clever young soldier beside her. He immediately handed Ruby a clean jar, which she picked up, ready to smash in protest—only for Serena to cut her off: "Ruby, you'd better not 'accidentally' break this one. It's the last big jar. If you do, you'll just have to make a few extra trips with a small bottle to fill it up."
"Young Master, this servant..." Ruby clutched the water jar, tears spilling down her face. Linden, growing irritated, waved her away: "Go and return quickly."
"Young Master..." Ruby clearly hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Devastated, she stumbled, nearly falling—luckily, the quick-thinking young soldier blocked her upright with the flat of his blade. "Careful, miss. If you 'accidentally' fall again, people might say you overheard things you shouldn't have."
The young soldier couldn't help himself and boldly mocked her. Serena chuckled, scolded him lightly, and ordered him to accompany Ruby—ostensibly so she wouldn't get lost.
In truth, Serena worried Ruby would use the chance to pass messages ahead. They'd already left Eastlyn territory and were close to Skyvault Fortress. If Ruby reached the fortress first and warned them, it would ruin their plans.
Ruby was humiliated and furious, her tearful eyes fixed on Linden—but he didn't look back. He was wondering if he'd truly spoiled her into disobedience; this wasn't the first time she'd ignored his orders.
People are strange creatures. When you like someone, everything they do seems good—even their most obvious lies, you'll choose to believe.
But once that fondness fades, once doubt creeps in, you start to question every word—and can't help overthinking.
That's exactly where Linden stood with Ruby. He used to trust her completely, but now he wondered: If Prince Nolan really planned to attack Skyvault Fortress, why would he tell a bunch of low-ranking soldiers?
Even if those soldiers were careless, wouldn't they notice Ruby nearby if they were whispering secrets? There's nothing but open ground for dozens of meters—if Ruby got close, someone would spot her instantly.
Ruby's story simply didn't hold up. No wonder Serena was so confident.
Linden looked up, meeting Serena's smiling eyes. Embarrassed, he turned away, but after a moment, he still said, "Serena, my maid was out of line. Please forgive her."
"No need to be so formal, Little Junior Uncle. I know you didn't mean for this to happen. Subordinates sometimes act on their own and cut corners—every household has this problem." Serena replied with a gentle smile, secretly pleased: Ruby's scheme hadn't worked, and Linden wouldn't turn on them for now. Even if something happened with Jason Lan, Linden wouldn't rush to take sides against them.
Still, she added a little more fuel: "Little Junior Uncle, you must guard against harm, even if you don't intend any. It's kind to treat those around you well, but whether they appreciate it is another matter. Over time, they may come to think they deserve it and forget your kindness. It's best to keep a little caution."
Serena left it at that. Even if she suspected Linden's two maids, she couldn't say so directly—it was something Linden needed to realize on his own.
The seed of doubt had been planted. Serena was certain Ruby's attempt to stir up trouble and turn Linden against her and Prince Nolan wouldn't succeed so easily...