Prince Nolan may indeed be loyal and affectionate toward Serena, but the Third Prince doesn’t know that Nolan’s loyalty is reserved only for those he acknowledges—and the Third Prince has never been one of them. So...
If the Third Prince expects Nolan to show mercy, he’s dreaming. Nolan stared at him in silence, making it clear he didn’t believe a word he said.
Did you really intend to hand over all your power in Shandong?
If that were true, the Third Prince wouldn’t have set fire to Lu Garden and fled, nor would he have given Nolan fifty thousand men without mentioning the fate of the Lu clan.
The Lu clan committed treason for the Third Prince, but when disaster struck, he abandoned them without a second thought. He left them to die, showing none of a true master’s responsibility.
If he can be so heartless to people who’ve followed him for thirty years, why would Nolan ever believe the Third Prince would show loyalty to a brother he barely knows?
A brother without affection, a brother without loyalty—that’s the perfect description of the two of them. Neither would ever sacrifice himself to save the other.
Inside the secret chamber, Nolan and the Third Prince locked eyes. Nolan waited for him to hand over the goods, while the Third Prince calculated how long it would take for the people outside to notice something was wrong—and how he might escape Nolan’s grasp.
Just as Nolan suspected, the Third Prince never truly considered trusting him. He’d rather put his faith in a wandering hero like Lance Quinn than in Nolan, who grew up in the royal family.
Royal sons are never truly loyal or affectionate. Anyone who is, doesn’t survive.
Silence. A deathly silence. Both Nolan and the Third Prince were masters at holding their composure—until...
Outside the secret chamber, a flurry of footsteps echoed. Just from the sound, the Third Prince could tell there were many people. Knowing Nolan had brought only a few dozen, mostly maids and old women, the Third Prince’s eyes lit up.
Those must be his men—his reinforcements had arrived.
Nolan gave the Third Prince a meaningful look, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
Third Brother, do you really think this is Shandong? Here in the Capital, there’s no one Nolan can’t summon.
The footsteps drew closer and closer. The Third Prince’s mood shifted from hope to calm, then to icy dread...
Nolan had martial skill—if even the Third Prince heard the footsteps, Nolan certainly did too. Nolan knew people were approaching, yet didn’t use him as a hostage. That meant...
“Your men?” The Third Prince’s body trembled uncontrollably.
He refused to lose. He couldn’t afford to.
“I thought you’d wait until someone actually came in to realize it.” Nolan shook his head with a smile—a smile so infuriating that the Third Prince wanted to punch him.
“Ha! So they’re your people... I’ve lost.” He’d lost, utterly and completely, but he couldn’t accept it.
“Nolan, don’t think you’re better than me. You just got lucky. If I’d struck the moment you walked in, you wouldn’t be laughing now.”
The Third Prince regretted it deeply. If only he’d seized Nolan and Serena the moment they stepped into Moonwatch Nunnery—would things have turned out differently?
“Brother, it’s too late for that now.” Indecisive, unable to act—he was never destined for greatness.
“Yes, it’s too late now.” Another mistake—one wrong step, and every step after went wrong.
Last time, one misstep cost him the throne. What about this time?
Never before had the Third Prince felt so desperate, so furious at his own lack of decisiveness. He slumped in his chair, eyes lifeless, his whole body sunk in gloom...
There was no hope of turning things around—but to die like this? He couldn’t accept it.
Serena walked in and saw the scene, idly toying with a gun. Raising her eyebrow, she asked, “Well? Are you two not finished talking?”
Luckily, she’d left everyone outside instead of bringing them in. Otherwise all Nolan’s effort would’ve been wasted—if the Emperor got his hands on the Third Prince, Nolan would gain nothing.
Nolan shook his head. “Did you finish your business?”
“No. Dominic Zhai is handling it—I don’t want to look. It’s just bones and rotting corpses, the stench is unbearable. I can’t take it.” Serena thought of the mass of bodies piled beneath the rose fields, and her stomach turned.
That field was the perfect example of evil hiding beneath a beautiful surface.
She’d seen plenty of corpses before, but even she couldn’t stand a place like that—a mass grave. Maybe only her senior apprentice-sister could handle it; after all, she was a forensic doctor.
“Better not to see that kind of place. Take everyone outside and leave. I still have things to discuss with my royal brother.” Nolan wasn’t surprised at all by Serena’s report; he could already guess what the rose fields were hiding.
Dominic Zhai had struck gold this time—not only had he uncovered the mysterious figures lurking in the Capital and cracked the Blood-Soaked Night case, he’d also solved the disappearances plaguing the city for years.
Nolan was determined to pin the blame for the Blood-Soaked Night on the Third Prince. Only then could his Black Riders escape suspicion.
This time, Dominic Zhai not only kept his post as Capital Garrison General, he’d also earned the Emperor’s favor.
“Alright.” Serena turned and left, her leather boots striking the floor in steady rhythm. The Third Prince felt as if every step landed on his chest.
He was finished!
He knew who Dominic Zhai was. Nolan had summoned all the Emperor’s men—there was no way he’d let the Third Prince escape. The Third Prince took a deep breath, telling himself to stay calm.
If he was doomed, then the Emperor and Nolan wouldn’t get off easy either. And that descendant of the Lan clan, who’d stolen the Kyushu Map from him, wouldn’t find peace.
Thinking of this, a strange smile crept onto the Third Prince’s face. His eyes shifted as he remembered the endless struggle between Nolan and the Emperor, and Nolan’s relentless pursuit of Lance Quinn. The more he thought, the more exhilarated he became, his eyes burning as he stared at Nolan.
“Ninth Brother, does our deal in Shandong still hold?” The real agreement was for the Third Prince to hand over all his power to Nolan, and for Nolan to bury him somewhere with a view of the palace.
“Give me the ledgers and the troops, and the deal stands. I’ll keep my promise.” The hundred thousand Shandong soldiers were the Third Prince’s last force, and the Prosperity Bank ledgers determined his influence at court.
Nolan still hadn’t figured out who owned Prosperity Bank, and he knew the Third Prince wouldn’t tell him. The Third Prince held a share there, and officials who dealt with him kept their silver in that bank.
“Heh, you really don’t let yourself lose out.” The Third Prince agreed without hesitation, pulling a pitch-black iron token from his robe. “Take this token to Prosperity Bank and find a manager named Du. He’ll give you everything you want.”
Prosperity Bank recognizes the token, not the person—Nolan knew this well.
“Thank you, Third Brother.” Nolan strode right up and took the token without ceremony.
The Third Prince looked Nolan up and down, laughing. “You only call yourself ‘your humble brother’ at times like this. Usually it’s ‘this prince’—so arrogant.”
“Habit, Brother. If you don’t like it, I’ll stop calling myself ‘this prince’ in front of you.” Either way, it was just for one night—Nolan was giving the Third Prince face.
“No, no, no...” The Third Prince waved his hands. “A man with no rank or office can’t accept such respect. But since you called me ‘Third Brother’ once, let me tell you one last thing before I die...”