As soon as they stepped outside, the Valley Master and the others exchanged heavy glances, voicing their worries: "Did something happen to Serena? Why is she so heartbroken?"
They knew Serena's temperament well; it would take something enormous to make her this sad—even despairing—to the point that even having a child could not make her happy.
"Did Ninth Royal Uncle do something to hurt Serena?" Dr. Redwater raised his eyebrows and asked Sean Xuan.
Among all of them, Sean Xuan knew the most.
Unfortunately, even Sean Xuan didn’t know what had really happened. He kept feeling that something major must have occurred while he was unconscious—otherwise, Ninth Royal Uncle wouldn’t be acting like this. But apart from Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena, no one knew the truth, and Ninth Royal Uncle’s attitude…
When they brought Serena to Mystic Healer Valley, both she and Sean Xuan were barely alive—how could anyone dare to ask about it?
The four looked at each other, finally just spreading their hands helplessly: "All we can do is try to comfort Serena. If she keeps being this sad, it won’t be good for the baby."
When Serena woke up, the world outside was engulfed in war and chaos. Liancastle was retreating again and again, repeatedly sending peace requests, but Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t even glance at them.
Even when Liancastle sent letters of surrender and allegiance, Ninth Royal Uncle ignored them. He was determined to destroy Liancastle, erasing the only city left with ties to the Former Dynasty from the Nine Provinces Realm.
William Wang Jinling commented that Ninth Royal Uncle was just being petty—a real child. Nolan didn’t bother to explain; what was wrong with being petty or childish? Either way, he had the power to make Liancastle suffer.
Fortunately, the chaos outside had nothing to do with Mystic Healer Valley. The Valley was like a paradise untouched by the world, completely unaffected by the turmoil. Serena could rest at ease here, obediently following the Valley Master's instructions to focus on her pregnancy.
Serena’s body was very weak. She hadn’t received proper care or rest in the early stages of pregnancy, then suffered both great joy and sorrow, and even slept for over a month. The only reason the child survived was because Serena had used Jade-Flora Orchid as a foundation for her health.
The Valley Master said Serena showed signs of threatened miscarriage. In the coming days, she had to stay cheerful and calm, resting in bed to protect the fetus. At minimum, she’d need three months of bed rest; at worst, she’d have to stay in bed until the baby was born.
Serena accepted the reality calmly and cooperated with the Valley Master, dedicating herself to nurturing the pregnancy. Aside from occasionally gazing wistfully into the distance, she never showed a trace of sorrow.
The Valley Master and Dr. Redwater tried mentioning Ninth Royal Uncle’s name, but Serena would only smile and remain silent, completely unaffected and not much interested in talking to them. Most of the time when she was awake, she spoke quietly to the child in her womb.
Several times, Sean Xuan wanted to ask what had really happened that day at Destiny Cliff—why Serena fell from the cliff. But every time he met her calm gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to ask and could only sigh softly, pretending nothing had happened.
In this way, another month passed. Serena was now more than four months pregnant, her belly just starting to show. The pregnancy was finally stable. But according to the Valley Master, for the child’s sake, Serena still needed to stay in bed, though she could go outside for a short walk each day.
Serena had no objections; in her current state, she couldn’t do much anyway. She didn’t want to go out—resting here and caring for her pregnancy felt just right. Only...
"Sean, you don’t need to stay here with me. I’m fine." Sean Xuan had kept her company for two months already; that was enough.
Sean Xuan wasn’t someone with nothing better to do. The livelihoods of thousands in Skyvault Palace Sect still depended on him.
Sean Xuan didn’t answer right away, instead silently studying Serena...
She was still as resilient and self-assured as when they first met. The only difference was that, tempered by time and hardship, Serena was now softer and more reserved, as if nothing could ever defeat her.
Sean Xuan knew Serena had the confidence and courage to face difficulties alone—she didn’t need him.
"Alright, I’ll leave this afternoon." Sean Xuan didn’t hesitate any longer, but before he left, he asked, "What really happened that day?"
It wasn’t curiosity—he genuinely cared about Serena. Others might not see it, but he knew she was different now, not because of the child, but because of what happened that day.
"That day..." Serena spoke quietly, lifting her gaze to the blue sky, her eyes empty and lost. After a long pause, she murmured, "Can we not talk about it?"
She had only just managed to settle her sadness and didn’t want to bring it up again. No matter what, Ninth Royal Uncle had left her a child—that was enough. She didn’t want to hate him, nor did she want to resent him.
She’d known from the moment she fell in love that he was a king, his world vast, and romance only a tiny part of his life—he would never stop for anyone, nor change his goals for anyone.
She understood and accepted Ninth Royal Uncle’s choice in that moment, so she didn’t want to revisit it and stir up more grief.
In the end, Sean Xuan couldn’t bear to press Serena. Since neither she nor Ninth Royal Uncle wanted to talk about it, it was clear that day had been deeply painful. Carrying a trace of reluctance, Sean Xuan left Mystic Healer Valley.
It was indeed time for him to leave. The ones who made a move at Destiny Cliff that day included Skyvault Fortress and Moonvault Palace Sect. If Ninth Royal Uncle acted against them, the martial world would push back, claiming Eastlyn was interfering in the jianghu. But if Sean Xuan did it, no one would say a word.
It was time to clean up the trash.
Sean Xuan’s departure didn’t affect Serena’s life. She was still as before—doing nothing but caring for her pregnancy, and not wanting to do anything else. But some people still refused to leave her in peace.
Serena had lived in Mystic Healer Valley for two months—not counting the month she was unconscious, she’d been here almost another month. During that time, neither Prince Rowan (Rowan Dongling) nor Princess Serenity had appeared. But as soon as Sean Xuan left, both of them showed up almost simultaneously.
Years in Northlyn had worn away Princess Serenity’s willfulness and temper. Now she was gentle and capable, doing everything herself without servants, and she took on the task of caring for Serena.
Serena didn’t refuse; if Princess Serenity wanted to act as her maid, that was her choice.
As for Prince Rowan...
When they met again, the two sat together in silence. Prince Rowan spent the afternoon with Serena, basking in the sun. Just as Serena was about to return indoors, after lingering for half the day, Prince Rowan finally spoke: "For a while, I dreamed every day of going back to our wedding day—marrying you, having a pair of adorable daughters. You were my only empress."
"A nightmare," Serena replied bluntly. Prince Rowan gave a bitter smile and said, "For me, it was the most beautiful dream. If I could, I’d live in that dream forever."
Compared to now, the dream world was paradise. In the dream, he was the ultimate winner—love and the throne, all in his hands...