Evidence They Know Is Hers Yet Must Endure

When will Miss arrive?

Mira Tang shook her head, indicating she didn't know. Serena always has her own methods, and she never shared the full plan with her. Mira Tang only knew a small part and simply followed Serena's instructions.

Her absence is really making everyone anxious.

A flash of worry crossed Master Advocate Song's eyes, but now that he was at the High Court, there was nothing he could do. He could only hope that Serena would arrive soon.

But when would Serena actually show up? Even she herself couldn’t answer that. If everything went smoothly, she’d be there soon; if not, she might not be able to appear at all today.

She had already handled the aftermath, but she still had to figure out how to settle Simon Sun—or rather, hide Simon Sun away somewhere no one could find him.

Filing the lawsuit was important, but Simon Sun's safety mattered even more. Most crucially, his whereabouts had to remain hidden—no one could discover Simon Sun was at Feng Manor.

Right now, Feng Manor was publicly accusing the Bloodcloak Guard of losing Simon Sun, openly and righteously demanding his return. If he turned up at Feng Manor, things would get very complicated. So for now, it was absolutely necessary that no one found him.

She had already finished post-op immobilization. Serena pushed Simon Sun out herself, her surgical gown still stained with blood. But she had no time to care about that now. She summoned the dark-guards, had them carry the stretcher, and led them out of Feng Manor.

The dark-guards glanced at Serena in surprise, then quickly lowered their heads and followed her orders, carrying the stretcher out and loading it onto a carriage in a discreet way.

Soon after, a woman dressed in a white cloak, similar in build to Serena, boarded the carriage, carrying a surgical kit.

Once everyone was settled, the carriage headed for the city outskirts. Judging by the driver's cautious demeanor, it was clear someone important was inside.

"Sir, there's something suspicious leaving Feng Manor. It looks like a person on that stretcher." The Bloodcloak Guard intelligence agents monitoring the manor immediately reported the situation to their superior.

"Follow them, don't let anyone escape. If necessary, seize them. Under no circumstances allow this group to leave the city." The intelligence chief spoke coldly, his face hidden in the shadows.

Half the agents chased after the carriage, while the rest stayed behind to keep watch on Feng Manor.

Not long after the carriage left, the night-soil cart from Feng Manor rolled out. A large wooden bucket sat on the cart, its stench noticeable from afar. The Bloodcloak agents, though diligent, couldn't bring themselves to check it. Seeing only two thin stable boys pushing the cart, they didn't bother to follow.

They knew Simon Sun's condition well—he couldn't even walk. These two couldn't possibly be him.

The two boys pushing the cart kept their heads down, their faces hidden from a distance. They walked steadily, looking as if they had no idea what was happening around them.

Once out of the Bloodcloak surveillance range, the two stopped, leveled the cart, and pulled out a hidden compartment beneath the cart bed. Inside lay a person—closer inspection revealed it was Simon Sun.

"Carry him." The smaller 'stable boy' spoke, instantly giving away 'his' true identity. The cool, slightly feminine voice belonged to Serena; the other, of course, was Zane Shore.

Zane Shore picked up Simon Sun and, led by Serena, headed straight for Ninth Prince Manor. After they left, the real servant boys of Feng Manor appeared, dumped the night-soil, and wheeled the cart back. The Bloodcloak agents had no idea that Serena had slipped away with Simon Sun right under their noses.

Whether or not the master of Ninth Prince Manor was home, the steward always did his duty. So when he saw Serena arrive with two men, he didn’t panic. After letting them in, he immediately settled Simon Sun and assigned a physician to watch over him.

As for Zane Shore, the steward had no worries. Anyone who could evade the sentries outside Ninth Prince Manor was no ordinary person. Whether Zane Shore would prove loyal or turn traitor like Felix Fuller wasn’t his concern.

With Simon Sun safe in Ninth Prince Manor, Serena could finally relax. She repeatedly instructed Zane Shore to protect Simon Sun, then, exhausted, stepped out to ask the servants to boil water for a bath.

Ahem, she really wasn’t treating herself like an outsider anymore. And the steward, hearing this, treated Serena even more like one of their own, hustling to get everything ready.

"Quick, hurry up! What are you standing around for? Go boil water—Miss Feng wants to bathe. And fetch the clothes we prepared for her last month. Yes, the sky-blue jacket, and match it with the cloak—the one with gold-thread cloud trim!"

The old steward was full of energy, barking out orders smoothly. Serena stood there awkwardly, surprised that Ninth Prince Manor actually had clothes in her size—apparently not just one set, but new ones prepared every month. She didn’t know what to make of it.

Still, she couldn’t deny the warmth she felt inside. Ninth Royal Uncle knew she wouldn’t come often, but he still made sure everything was ready for her, as if she were the lady of the house.

The servants at Ninth Prince Manor were efficient—by the time Serena gathered her thoughts, everything for her bath was prepared. She could have relaxed and enjoyed a hot soak, but she didn’t have the luxury. She could only wash quickly and keep up appearances, not letting anyone see how battered she really was.

While Serena was bathing, officers from the High Court arrived at Feng Manor to summon her to the High Court of Justice—not as a plaintiff, but as a defendant.

Serena, the one who broke into the prison in the middle of the night, was at the High Court first thing in the morning, accusing the Bloodcloak Guard of losing the detainee. But how could the Bloodcloak Guard take that lying down? As soon as she accused them of losing Simon Sun, they countered by accusing her of leading a prison break and abducting him last night.

As for evidence?

Serena’s actions last night seemed reckless, but were actually well calculated. The Bloodcloak Guard couldn’t find a single shred of evidence. Even if the palace knew she’d entered the city, no one except the Bloodcloak agents saw her at the prison—and...

Outwardly, she’d been resting at Feng Manor the whole time, never leaving the city. If she’d really wanted to break Simon out, she would’ve done it long ago, not waited until today.

But whether there’s evidence or not doesn’t matter. As long as they can lure Serena out, they’ll be able to search Feng Manor for Simon Sun. If they find him, that’ll be the strongest evidence against her, and she won’t be able to talk her way out of it.

They could even pin this morning’s scandal broadsides on her. As long as Serena admits to one crime, it’ll be easy to add another.

The whole thing obviously involved Serena, but unless she confessed to the prison break, they couldn’t say so. If they did, no one would believe it—because they had no proof.

The investigation into the broadsides kept circling back, and finally it turned out the whole thing was connected to themselves. The ink and paper used for the leaflets came from Shunning Marquis Manor and the Bloodcloak Guard.