Spring, Autumn, and Winter had all entered the manor at the same time as Summer. The four of them were always close, and it was impossible that the other three knew nothing of Summer’s secret actions. They just hadn’t cared, assuming Summer was simply competitive and wanted to outdo Jada Tang and Mira Tang.
On the surface, the four seemed to get along well with Jada and Mira Tang, but in private there was always competition between the two sides. Each group wanted to edge out the other and become the ones Serena valued most.
Originally, the four of them still had a chance, but after what happened with Summer, Spring and the others understood that their mistress would surely not want them anymore. Even if she kept them, she would never value them as she had before.
The three were filled with dread, terrified that Serena would send them back to Ninth Prince Manor.
Serena stepped out of her room, glanced at the three kneeling maids, then headed straight for the dining hall, ignoring the fear and anxiety in their eyes.
Only now did they realize fear—where was it before? There was no way the three of them knew nothing about Summer’s odd behavior, but in the name of ‘sisterly affection,’ they said nothing. Since that’s how it was, Serena saw no reason to be polite.
Without Serena’s command, the three dared not get up and could only keep kneeling there. They exchanged glances, each seeing bitterness and unease in the others’ eyes.
None of them knew what awaited them next.
Serena didn’t respond to Spring and the others—not because she wanted to condemn them all at once, but because the matter was simply too grave. One wrong move could cost her life.
All four had served close by her side. If any of them harbored ill intent and slipped some deadly poison into her food, would she even survive?
For her own safety, Spring and the others’ backgrounds would have to be re-investigated. If she couldn’t verify them, she would rather do without.
After breakfast, Serena went straight to see William Wang Jinling. She used to think William was a bit too aggressive in pressuring the Emperor, but now she realized she’d been far too soft, letting the Emperor think she was easy to push around.
The Emperor’s people even tried stealing Ninth Royal Uncle’s command medallion right off her—Serena almost pitied how shameless the Emperor had become.
No one knew what Serena and William discussed; all they knew was that Serena spent the whole day at the Wang clan’s estate. When she returned, she was calm and said nothing about how she’d handle Spring and the others—she simply told them they could stop kneeling and go rest.
The three girls were uneasy but didn’t dare ask questions. Supporting each other, they limped back to their rooms. Jada and Mira Tang wanted to speak up for them but were afraid...
Afraid there might still be a spy among them, and if something happened, they’d get dragged down too. After dinner, Serena tossed a box to Jada and Mira: “Take this to them.”
Jada and Mira instantly knew what it was. Their faces lit up and they happily agreed, then, after serving Serena, took the ointment and headed out.
When they reached the servants’ quarters, they found Spring and the others sitting on the bed, wiping away tears. Jada and Mira’s hearts ached: “Don’t be like this. Miss isn’t really angry at you—she’s just furious about the betrayal. See, she still cares about you; she sent me to bring you medicine.”
Jada and Mira quickly handed over the ointment. As soon as Spring and the others saw it, their tears gushed out: “Miss still remembers us—she’s not sending us away?”
“After all this time together, you know what kind of person Miss is. If she really meant to send you away, you wouldn’t still be here today.” Jada and Mira sighed.
Jada and Mira used to envy those four—when they first arrived, they didn’t have to do anything and immediately gained Miss’s trust. But now... they could only pity them.
After what happened with Summer, even if Miss didn’t hold it against them, the three could never become her confidantes. They would always be just ordinary maids; hoping to serve as her trusted hands like before was now impossible.
Jada and Mira comforted Spring, Autumn, and Winter a bit more before leaving. The three season maids clung to each other and sobbed, knowing that after this, they were even further from Miss.
“From now on, we’ll just listen to Jada and Mira,” said Spring, the eldest of the three.
Autumn and Winter nodded quickly. “We understand. We won’t compete anymore—we’ll just quietly do what maids are supposed to do.”
Though Ninth Royal Uncle had trained them for more than just ordinary maid work, now all they could do was serve as simple maids.
Serena could more or less guess how Spring and the others were feeling, but she had no time to care. She was busy: on one hand, re-investigating everyone in the manor; on the other, working with William to pressure the Emperor.
Ninth Royal Uncle’s people worked fast—within two days, rumors about Princess Yara and the Emperor were everywhere. The whole city was talking; everyone seemed to have details.
“You haven’t heard? Princess Yara loves older men. Just look at her aunt—the Princess Royal is the same, married but keeps young lovers. I bet Princess Yara is just like her.”
“What? You say Princess Yara never meets outsiders? You must be joking—of course she does. That one over there...” The speaker pointed at the sky with a suggestive look.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted at the National Academy and Imperial National Academy. Students protested at the palace gates, claiming Lyndaria was bullying Eastlyn, and insisting that a great nation like Eastlyn could never bow to Lyndaria.
They shouted that Princess Yara had harmed the imperial bloodline and committed suicide out of guilt. Eastlyn should march on Lyndaria, not let Lyndaria hold them to account—and certainly not push a woman out as a scapegoat.
A great nation, bullied by Lyndaria—how could Eastlyn possibly endure such humiliation?
The Emperor learned of the unrest immediately, but he didn’t suppress it. Instead, he let the students protest as they pleased.
Eastlyn and Lyndaria were headed for war no matter what, but how that war started was crucial. Both sides wanted to appear as the righteous party—so they could claim justice and keep Southlyn and Northlyn from interfering.
Think about it: if Eastlyn used Princess Yara’s crime against the royal bloodline as a pretext to attack Lyndaria, would Southlyn and Northlyn dare step in, claiming justice?
Even if their emperors wanted to send troops, their own people wouldn’t want to fight. The fault lay with Lyndaria; Eastlyn only wanted justice. As long as they didn’t destroy Lyndaria, no one would interfere.
On the other hand, if Lyndaria claimed Eastlyn killed Princess Yara and attacked them, Southlyn and Northlyn could openly join in—‘helping Lyndaria seek justice.’
Sure, emperors could be shameless, but sometimes they cared deeply about appearances—and would argue endlessly over things that seem ridiculous to ordinary people.
With no imperial crackdown, the students grew bolder. Every day, crowds gathered at the palace gates, accusing officials of incompetence and shaming Eastlyn. Even the Lyndarian envoys’ lodgings were smashed by the students.
Officials arrived and hauled the troublemakers away, but William Wang Jinling immediately stepped forward to bail them out.
With William backing them, the officials dared not refuse—but they couldn’t just release the students either. They had to go to the palace and ask the Emperor for instructions...