News of William Wang Jinling's carriage overturning in the busy market spread quickly. Some people were relieved that William was lucky—not in the carriage when the accident happened—while others cursed that their carefully calculated plan had failed. If William had only been injured, they could have used the excuse of protecting his health to confine him. Instead...
Their efforts were wasted, and instead, they brought disaster upon themselves.
No one outside knew how ruthless William was when he returned to the Wang estate. After all, these were family matters. Even if he took action, he would never let it become public and disgrace the Wang clan.
Serena quietly studied Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan. Seeing his icy expression, she regretted having spoken so frankly. She would never hold past grievances against Nolan; back then, plenty of people trampled her like an ant, but Nolan had never done anything truly excessive—he simply ignored her from his lofty position.
She was just an ordinary person; it was understandable that Nolan didn't give her a second thought. Besides, the deepest mark left on her heart back then wasn't by William, but by the 'Eastlyn Nine.'
Seeing Nolan purse his lips, Serena knew that if some things weren't explained, suspicion would only grow. After thinking it over, she finally spoke: "Back then, I was helpless, lost, and anxious. In that situation, I had no idea what tomorrow would bring. Any kindness shown to me, I would remember deeply. Every bit of care, I magnified tenfold in my heart.
It's like a simple steamed bun—if you give it to someone starving, they'll remember you saved their life, grateful forever; but if you give it to someone who's already full, they'll barely notice you. Back then, I was that starving person. Even the smallest kindness gave me hope to survive.
That's why I came to like you—why I clung to you despite your coldness. It all started when, at my lowest, you gave me a cloak to cover myself, shielding my filth and humiliation, warming my frozen, hopeless heart. In that instant, I was moved." Though I soon realized you gave me that cloak out of mere charity, I still remembered you. In that moment, that cloak was my life-saving steamed bun.
Serena left the last part unsaid, but Nolan understood. Nolan slowly opened his eyes, looked into Serena's dark, bright gaze, and said, "If time turned back, I would still do the same, with the same attitude."
For Nolan, giving Serena a cloak was already beyond his limit—he could never have truly cared about an ordinary girl like her. No matter how strong Serena seemed back then, it didn't change her fate as an ant in his world.
"I understand. So, even knowing you only saw me as a sideshow, I still fell for you." To them, I was just a passerby. Not just Prince Nolan—even I, Serena, might not have reached out to help.
Because people like us are born cold. Kindness is not our mask. One cloak is enough for us—there are countless souls in this world who need help, but how many can we actually save, and how long can we keep saving them?
"Should I thank that cloak? If it hadn't been for that cloak..." If not for that moment, maybe things between us would still have happened, but never so smoothly.
"If it hadn't been for that cloak, we never would have had a chance. You are the high and mighty Ninth Royal Uncle, and I am a commoner. Our worlds would never have collided. More importantly, you are Adrian Dongling's uncle. You should understand—the humiliation I suffered back then was all tied to Adrian. As long as your surname is Dongling, I instinctively dislike you."
Call it resentment or call it irrational, but without that cloak, I never would have fallen for you. No matter how forceful you were, it wouldn't have mattered. Because of Adrian, I can't stand any man named Dongling.
Prince Nolan paused. Thinking of how Serena always kept Lance Quinn at arm's length, he suddenly understood—Serena's heart was moved in just that instant, and that instant lasted forever. Without it, anything between them would have been impossibly difficult.
He realized his feelings for Serena only grew because she kept pushing into his world—her stubbornness and strength moved him, her talent and composure drew him in. If it hadn't been for that cloak, Serena never would have noticed him, and he might never have fallen for her.
So fate really is a delicate thing.
Suddenly, Prince Nolan felt a weight lift from his heart. He was grateful that he had been there in Serena's past. Otherwise, he would be like William Wang Jinling—loving her but unable to truly have her. Even if he tried to force it, he knew he would only break her.
"I'm lucky," Nolan murmured, his fingers tracing the cold rim of his teacup, a rare smile flickering in his eyes.
He was just a bit luckier than William—he'd gotten there first, giving Serena that cloak when she needed it most.
"It's all timing and fate. Luck has nothing to do with it. I only fell for you because it was you who gave me that cloak. If it had been Adrian Dongling, I would've slapped it right back in his face."
With everything now out in the open, Nolan could finally accept William's place in Serena's life. Though he still disliked William, Serena's attitude put his mind at ease. They exchanged a smile, a soft warmth settling between them. No matter what had happened before, they were together now.
The knot about William was finally untied. Nolan could now acknowledge William's existence. As long as William behaved and didn't step out of line, Nolan wouldn't go out of his way to humiliate him.
Seeing that Serena's spirits were steady, Nolan brought up another matter. "Serena, the Bloodcloak Guard scandal has finally settled. If you want to move against Shunning Marquis Manor, now's the time."
"It's almost New Year. Is this really the right moment?" The past was past, and there was no point dwelling on it. Serena got straight to the point.
"It's fine. I've already investigated Shunning Marquis Manor—if we act, two or three days will be enough. Their crimes are so vile, they don't deserve a peaceful holiday."
Besides, exposing their scandal will shift the public's attention away from Bloodcloak Guard, and give William cover to strike inside the Wang Clan. As long as the Wang family doesn't fall apart, no one will interfere.
"What did you find out?" Serena recalled her earlier suspicions. She had a hunch that something monstrous was festering in Shunning Marquis Manor's back courtyard.
"The uncle and brother raped their own niece and sister." Nolan stated it flatly, without emotion.
Crash—Serena's teacup fell from her hand and shattered on the floor, her pupils dilating in shock. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me right. The Marquis's younger brother and son spent years raping their own niece and sister. And the plot against Simon Sun wasn't orchestrated by the Marquis—it was engineered by the Sixth Young Lady herself." Nolan's voice was flat, unaffected. He wasn't as shocked as Serena; to him, crimes like this were no different from murder or arson.
"You mean the Sixth Young Lady deliberately set up Simon Sun to expose the manor's back courtyard scandal? Why would she do that?" Serena suddenly understood. No wonder she had found the loophole so quickly—it must have been left on purpose by the Sixth Young Lady.
"To protect her little sister. The Sixth Young Lady was first raped by her uncle and cousin at age ten, and afterwards became their exclusive captive. She endured it for years, staying silent just to shield her sister. They threatened her—if she tried to die, they'd go after her sister. So she kept enduring, until she realized her suffering was pointless and they still intended to target her sister. That's when she decided to risk everything. By then, she probably didn't want to live anymore." The Sixth Young Lady was both pitiful and tragic, but Nolan truly felt no sympathy.
"Did the Marquis know? Did the Marchioness know?" Serena's eyes flashed with heavy grief.
Women in this era are truly miserable. Their lives depend entirely on their fathers and brothers; if those men abandon them, they're left to be butchered like animals.
"They knew. The first time the Sixth Young Lady was raped, both the Marquis and the Marchioness found out. The Marquis warned her to keep her mouth shut and pretend nothing happened. The Marchioness threatened her not to seek death, or else her sister would die too. By the way, the Sixth Young Lady was born to a concubine, not the Marchioness. One of the rapists was actually the Marchioness's own son." The Sixth Young Lady was a tragedy from start to finish—her high birth meant nothing; nobody ever saw her as a person.
"What a tragedy." Serena felt as if something heavy was crushing her chest, making it hard to breathe.
For women in this era, chastity is life itself. If she had been raped by Prince Terrence Valen back then, what would have become of her?
She could have survived, but she would never be who she is now. Prince Nolan could never accept a woman who'd been defiled.
Serena's eyes flickered. Nolan immediately knew what she was thinking and raised an eyebrow. "What are you imagining? You are you; she is her. Her tragedy is her own doing. If she'd had more brains, she wouldn't have ended up like this."
Locked away in the back courtyard, suffering five or six years of abuse from her uncle and cousin—the Sixth Young Lady was strong, but it also showed she wasn't clever. She let herself be trapped too easily.
"I'm not imagining things. I just feel sorry for her. Girls raised in the back courtyard have no room to maneuver, and her stepmother was so cruel. The Sixth Young Lady endured for her sister's sake—her strength was in how long she survived."
When you have someone to protect, you find the courage to go on. Nolan says she wasn't smart enough, but Serena saw only helplessness and sorrow in her endurance.
...