The case had fallen into a strange cycle. Although Serena was clearly the defendant, she came across more as the victim. The pace of the trial seemed to be in the High Court Chief Justice's hands, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that Serena was leading him by the nose.
Serena seemed intent on misleading everyone. Without waiting for the Chief Justice to ask more questions, she pointed at her own clothes and began explaining.
"The clothes I wore yesterday got dirty, so this outfit is from Ninth Prince Manor. Your Excellency can check the fabric records at Ninth Prince Manor, and see if the seamstress made this garment. None of this can be faked.
Just send someone to Ninth Prince Manor to investigate, and you'll know exactly where I was last night. The Bloodcloak Guard is used to smearing people with baseless accusations, but it just so happened that I was out last night. Otherwise, even if I had a thousand mouths, I couldn't talk my way out of it."
Serena's alibi grew even stronger. This outfit had been prepared by Ninth Prince Manor a month ago. Even if the High Court or Bloodcloak Guard went to check, she had nothing to fear. There was no way she'd have prepared in advance to break into the Bloodcloak dungeon and rescue Simon Sun a month ago.
A month ago, nothing had happened yet. There was no sign that Simon Sun would be imprisoned by the Bloodcloak Guard. To claim she planned ahead would be far-fetched.
The situation Serena had set up—though hurried—was nearly flawless, almost like the work of a genius. Every detail lined up so perfectly it was frightening; the Bloodcloak Guard couldn't find a single point of attack.
The Director of Bloodcloak Criminal Affairs could only stare blankly at Serena, trying to spot any sign of a lie on her face. But there was nothing—if anything, only a faint look of mockery and ruthlessness in her eyes.
Serena spoke calmly, but her words landed like thunder, leaving everyone stunned. The whole affair was explosive.
She said she was exhausted last night, slept deeply, dirtied her clothes, and changed into the outfit prepared by Ninth Royal Uncle. Every detail hinted that Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle had spent an unusual evening together.
Even though Serena had already stayed overnight at Ninth Prince Manor before, and Ninth Royal Uncle had openly called her his woman, hearing Serena herself say she spent the entire night with him was enough to spark everyone's curiosity.
Of course, no one dared question Ninth Royal Uncle, but they could ask Serena. Since she said it so directly, nearly everyone present believed she really had spent last night at Ninth Prince Manor.
Besides, Serena had already eliminated every possible doubt. Now, even if the Bloodcloak Guard wanted her to produce the clothes she wore yesterday, it was impossible. Even if they went to Ninth Prince Manor to demand the clothes, the people there wouldn't hand them over. If pressed, they could simply claim the clothes were lost.
By using Ninth Prince Manor as proof, Serena not only established that she had no time to commit the crime last night, but also disposed of the clothing she wore at the time with a flawless explanation—leaving no room for suspicion.
Even the Director of Bloodcloak Criminal Affairs had to admit his grudging respect for Serena. His next question was supposed to be demanding the clothes she wore yesterday.
The clothes Serena wore last night had been marked with a special Bloodcloak reagent. If Serena produced them, no matter how clean they were, the Bloodcloak Guard could prove she’d entered their dungeon.
But if Serena couldn’t produce those clothes, it would look suspicious—as if she’d destroyed the evidence. The Bloodcloak Guard could still attack her. But now?
Serena had already stated that she left the clothes at Ninth Prince Manor. If the Bloodcloak Guard brought up the matter now, they'd seem petty and vindictive. Even if they could get the clothes, just the fact they raised the issue so late would let Serena accuse them of deliberately making things difficult.
The Director of Bloodcloak Criminal Affairs glared at Serena with a cold, sinister look. He couldn't believe she was so shameless, using such an outrageous excuse to create her alibi. They knew it was probably fake, but couldn't find a single flaw.
Whether it was Ninth Royal Uncle or the people of Ninth Prince Manor, if they testified, it would only prove that Serena really was there last night.
At that moment, the Director of Bloodcloak Criminal Affairs finally understood the anger of those falsely accused by the Bloodcloak Guard. Being framed felt like swallowing manure—utterly unbearable.
The more miserable the Bloodcloak Guard became, the happier Serena was. She shot a provocative look at the Bloodcloak Guard and the people from Shunning Marquis Manor, making it clear she had nothing to fear. As long as they couldn't find Simon Sun, they had no way to charge her.
Serena had solid evidence proving she wasn't there last night. The Bloodcloak Guard was simply slandering her. The High Court Chief Justice and the Left and Right Deputy Justices exchanged helpless smiles, their eyes filled with curiosity.
The case was still ongoing. As presiding judges, they had the right to ask Serena anything. So, under the guise of the trial, the three officials shamelessly ignored the main issue and kept asking about the details of Serena's night with Ninth Royal Uncle.
Technically, probing details was part of the investigation—no one could fault the three officials for it. Besides, everyone present except the Director and Shunning Marquis Manor was intensely curious about what Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle did in private.
Serena seemed fully prepared. No matter how the three officials asked, she answered flawlessly. Every reply hinted at her extraordinary relationship with Ninth Royal Uncle—intimate, but always proper.
Why were you tired?
I was playing chess with Ninth Royal Uncle. It was mentally exhausting.
Why did your clothes get dirty?
I was drinking with Ninth Royal Uncle, and wine spilled on my clothes, so I couldn't wear them anymore.
Why did you stay overnight at Ninth Prince Manor?
It wasn't my first time staying at Ninth Prince Manor. Since Ninth Royal Uncle has openly acknowledged me as his woman, it's perfectly normal for me to stay there.
Why does Ninth Prince Manor have your clothes?
It's because Ninth Royal Uncle cares for me. Whether I come to Ninth Prince Manor or not, the servants there always prepare food and clothing for me.
......
Her words were ambiguous yet aboveboard, satisfying everyone's curiosity while protecting her reputation. Serena saw nothing wrong with her approach, but...
"Shameless woman. She really dares to say it out loud." Adrian Dongling grew more uncomfortable the longer he listened. Even though Serena hadn't described anything explicit with Ninth Royal Uncle, her words made it clear she held a kind of mistress authority at Ninth Prince Manor.
Mistress? Mistress of Ninth Prince Manor? Serena must be dreaming.
Adrian Dongling clenched his fists, his eyes sharp as blades, glaring at Serena as if he wanted to kill her.
"Seventh Brother, what's wrong with you?" The Second Prince, worried they'd be discovered, quickly dragged Adrian into a corner.
Really, Serena was just talking about what she did with Ninth Royal Uncle and how familiar she was with Ninth Prince Manor. Why get so worked up about it?
Wasn't Seventh Brother supposed to have given up on Serena? Yet the moment he heard Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle were together, he got so angry, acting like a husband whose wife had cheated on him—truly asking for trouble.
Serena did sense something odd behind her, but when she turned to look, she saw nothing. She wondered if she was just being paranoid. Today, the Bloodcloak Guard was sure to send spies, so it was normal for someone to be watching her.
Surveillance could wait—she had more urgent matters. Her priority now was to force the Bloodcloak Guard to hand over Simon Sun, throw both the Guard and Shunning Marquis Manor into chaos, and then find evidence to prove their collusion in framing Simon Sun.
Her disciple couldn't suffer in vain; both Shunning Marquis Manor and the Bloodcloak Guard would pay for what they'd done. As for the mastermind behind it all...
No rush—she would uncover the truth sooner or later.