Smack...
To test the effectiveness of the hypnosis, Su Rou flicked her whip in midair right in front of Serena. The fiery red shadow flashed past Serena's eyes—she knew it was time to put on her act.
To prove she was hypnotized, she had to fall—and it had to look natural.
She was determined to let Su Rou have her hollow victory, even if it meant risking herself.
Gritting her teeth, Serena closed her eyes and toppled straight to the left. She expected to hit the floor, but Su Rou moved faster—throwing herself underneath to cushion the fall, all while stashing the riding whip away.
What a scheming woman. Ugh, she really wanted to run straight to Ninth Royal Uncle and complain—on the very first day of the New Year, she’d been set up by another woman, and now she’d have to thank her for ‘saving’ her life.
Damn it, this is infuriating.
Thud... Serena hit the ground hard, but didn’t feel a thing. Instead, it was Su Rou beneath her who cried out in pain: "Sister Serena, are you alright?"
Su Rou’s face was deathly pale, sweat beading on her forehead, her pretty eyes brimming with tears—utterly pitiful.
"Miss, are you alright?" Mira Tang and Jada Tang rushed in at the sound, only to find Serena sprawled on top of Su Rou.
“Sister Serena, are you really okay? Did you hurt yourself? Should I call a doctor? Oh, I forgot—you’re the doctor here.” Rose Su looked genuinely concerned, but kept rubbing her waist, acting injured yet trying to hide it.
Since Rose Su wanted to put on a show, Serena had no choice but to play along. After all, Rose had just “saved” her. Rose’s ability to feign ignorance was top-notch, and with no outsiders present, exposing her was impossible.
Serena stepped forward gratefully, pushing aside Mira Tang: “Rose, I’m fine—thank you so much. If not for you, I don’t know how badly I’d have been hurt. But what about you, Rose? Are you alright?”
Serena spun Rose around, subtly bumping her injured side. Tears welled in Rose’s eyes from the pain, and her dizzy head felt even worse as she staggered and murmured, “I’m fine.” Then she collapsed forward.
The room fell silent.
As Rose collapsed, Serena caught her and handed her off to Mira Tang and Jada Tang. Her smile vanished: “Take her away and rub some medicated wine on her injuries. Otherwise, people will say Serena Feng repays kindness with ingratitude.”
Serena emphasized the last four words, making Mira Tang and Jada Tang uneasy. “Miss?” they asked.
When they’d entered and seen the scene, both maids were puzzled. Why would their mistress fall from her chair for no reason? Still, they didn’t suspect Rose—after all, Rose had “saved” Serena.
“It’s fine. Just help her out and take good care of her—don’t let anyone say Feng Manor neglects its guests.” Serena waved them off, not sparing Rose a glance.
Once Mira Tang and Jada Tang led Rose away, Serena returned to her own room. She undressed and found a purple-red mark at her waist—painful to the touch.
“Nothing good ever comes from running into Rose Su,” Serena muttered, activating her Smart Med‑Pack and applying ointment to her waist.
The wound wasn’t bleeding—nothing serious. It would heal in a couple of days. As for Rose Su…
“Rose, since you worked so hard today, I’ll make sure you get what you want. You want to meet Noble Consort Helena? Want to use her power? It all depends on your skill. Just don’t end up as someone’s pawn without even knowing it.”
Serena recalled Noble Consort Helena’s words from last time, and her frustration eased.
She couldn’t be sure if Noble Consort Helena was truly sincere or just pretending. But either way, if Rose tried to cling to her, she’d end up as nothing more than a pawn in Helena’s hands.
Apart from her hypnosis skills, Rose really had no means to beat Noble Consort Helena. And as for hypnosis, once inside the palace, it would only work on lowly maids and eunuchs—Serena doubted Rose could fool anyone more important.
No palace master was ever without attendants. And as for the Emperor? Anyone who could claim the throne had a will far stronger than ordinary people—Rose wouldn’t dare target him, and if she was exposed, she wouldn’t be the only one to die.
In the end, Serena was the unluckiest one. That’s why Rose dared to use hypnosis on her—she was sure that even if Serena found out, she wouldn’t dare retaliate.
Serena was furious. In their eyes, she was just a soft persimmon, easy to squeeze. But squeeze a persimmon enough, and it’ll rot and sprout mold…
Still fuming, Serena dressed and touched up her makeup, preparing to find Prince Nathan of Southlyn.
Since Rose Su was “injured” saving her, Serena knew she had to inform Prince Nathan out of etiquette and sentiment. But more importantly, she wanted to find out if Nathan knew what Rose had done today.
Rose had aimed for her life. As siblings, Serena hoped she hadn’t misjudged Nathan.
“Sister, what brings you here? Where’s Rose?” Prince Nathan rose to greet Serena as soon as he saw her.
Serena looked apologetic: “Nathan, I’m sorry—Rose was injured just now while saving me.”
“What happened? Why did you need Rose to save you?” Prince Nathan was shocked and quickly checked Serena for injuries. “Are you alright? Did Rose do something?”
Nathan was clearly anxious, not faking it. Serena felt a bit relieved: “Don’t worry, Nathan, I’m fine. Rose is the one who’s hurt. We were chatting in the flower hall, and for some reason, I fell from my chair. Luckily, Rose shielded me—otherwise, I’d be the one bedridden now.”
Serena didn’t mention the hypnosis—not because she didn’t trust Nathan, but because some things are better left unsaid, even among trusted friends. She could handle it herself.