Servitude, Help Requires Action Not Words

Princess Vivian was tactful enough to take all the nearby guards and servants with her when she left, obviously intending to leave space for Prince Nolan and Serena Feng to be alone together.

With Princess Vivian gone, Serena Feng dropped all pretense of nobility and elegance, her whole body relaxing. She was still wearing the same outfit, but her demeanor was much more casual.

Serena looked at Prince Nolan, half smiling, half not. "Did I come at the wrong time?" she teased, clearly implying she’d crashed his date with a beauty.

Prince Nolan nodded seriously. "It really isn’t the right time." She’d come so late, he’d nearly run out of patience waiting.

"Looks like I’m interrupting Prince Nolan," Serena said, her smile growing more and more forced. Damn it, she’d caught him on a date with another woman, and he still had the nerve to act so righteous—unbelievable.

"You’re not interrupting." He answered in the same serious tone, making it impossible to tell if he was being sincere or not.

Serena knew Prince Nolan and Princess Vivian had nothing going on—Vivian was the only one interested—but she was still annoyed. After all, she’d come all this way, full of anticipation to see him, only to find him spending the day touring gardens with Princess Vivian.

Not too early, not too late—exactly the day she arrived in the city. The timing was so irritating it felt almost deliberate. Serena shot Prince Nolan a glare, then walked forward with her best cool, aloof grace.

Prince Nolan followed Serena at a leisurely pace, a smile in his eyes.

Serena’s puffed-up, jealous look was adorable. Her nervous, possessive side was even cuter. Moments like this were rare, and since he had the chance, Prince Nolan didn’t mind watching her a little longer.

The two walked one after the other, unhurried. By the time they reached the lotus-viewing pavilion, Princess Vivian had already set everything up—not just tea and snacks, but even a guqin.

Princess Vivian sat beside the guqin. When she saw Prince Nolan and Serena approach, she immediately stood up to greet them, not putting on any airs—warm and welcoming, especially toward Serena.

"Prince Nolan, Serena, you’re finally here. If you’d come any later, I’d have worried you’d gotten lost." Princess Vivian was skilled with words—her concern carried plenty of hidden meaning.

"Sorry to trouble you, Princess," Serena replied coolly. Her gaze slid past Vivian to the endless lotus pond. "It’s truly beautiful. Too bad I came at the wrong season—if I’d arrived two months earlier, I might have seen the lotuses blooming in the sunlight."

"Yes, you’re late, Serena. But if you want to see them next year, you still can. Some people, though, come too late and never get to see them at all." Princess Vivian spoke gently, but she glanced at Prince Nolan with a meaningful look before quickly hiding it—her ‘almost said, almost unsaid’ attitude was truly captivating.

Serena shot Prince Nolan a sidelong glance, her lips curling in a silent, mocking smile.

This Princess Vivian was something else—flirting with Prince Nolan right in front of her, trying to say she’d missed her chance? But so what if she’d come earlier? Vivian wasn’t Serena, and never would be.

Serena didn’t bother to argue with Princess Vivian over something so trivial. If she wanted to put Vivian in her place, it would be easy.

Serena pointed to the vast lotus pond and said to Prince Nolan, "Prince Nolan, I want some lotus seeds."

"Alright..." Prince Nolan replied. But before he could move, Princess Vivian quickly said, "If Serena wants lotus seeds, I’ll have someone pick them right away."

"Thank you, Princess, but that won’t be necessary." Serena declined politely. Just as Princess Vivian thought Serena was being considerate, Serena turned and said to Prince Nolan, "Prince Nolan, you go. We’re guests in Southlyn—let’s not trouble the Southlyn people."

Her natural, unquestioning tone stunned Princess Vivian, and even Prince Nolan paused for a moment. But when he met Serena’s warning glance, he could only sigh and agree.

Why did he suddenly feel like he’d shot himself in the foot?

Serena might be nervous about him, but she was angry too—and she was taking the chance to boss him around, while he couldn’t refuse.

Prince Nolan hadn’t even gone to pick the seeds yet when Princess Vivian spoke up for him, her words gentle on the surface but actually quite sharp: "Serena, picking lotus seeds is a servant’s work. How could you ask Prince Nolan to do it? He’s of noble status. If you want lotus seeds, I’ll have a servant get them for you."

Serena suddenly looked at Princess Vivian, her smile unchanged but her eyes icy cold. "Princess, aren’t you meddling a bit too much? Prince Nolan hasn’t said anything—what gives you the right to speak for him?"

She hadn’t wanted to argue with Princess Vivian, but Vivian’s tone—like a main wife lecturing a mistress—was just too much. Worse, she kept hinting that Serena was treating Prince Nolan like a servant.

"Prince Nolan, I..." Princess Vivian’s face turned pale in an instant. She looked at Prince Nolan, full of grievance, as if she’d suffered some great injustice.

Serena just looked disdainful, coldly repeating to Prince Nolan, "Prince Nolan, I want lotus seeds."

"Wait here," Prince Nolan said, ignoring Princess Vivian. He tossed out those two words and headed straight for the lotus pond.

"How is that possible?" Princess Vivian staggered backward, as if she could barely stand.

Prince Nolan was actually going to pick lotus seeds for Serena? How could that be possible?

"Why not? He’s my man—of course he should do these things for me." Only Serena would dare say something like that, bold and unapologetic.

"But he’s Prince Nolan!" If it were any other man, Vivian might accept it—but this was Prince Nolan.

"Even if he were the Emperor, he’d still be my man. Picking lotus seeds for me, taking care of me himself—that’s exactly what he should do." Serena was full of confidence, not just bluffing.

Princess Vivian had managed to pretend she didn’t care before, but now she couldn’t keep it up. She pointed at Serena and snapped, "Don’t get cocky, Serena! Do you really think Prince Nolan will always treat you so well? Don’t forget, if you hadn’t shamelessly clung to him, do you think he’d have ever looked at you? Would you be so proud now?"

"If Prince Nolan doesn’t treat me well, who should he treat well? You?" Serena shot Vivian a mocking look.

When Serena first met Princess Vivian, she thought Vivian’s scholarly air was a bit like Jin Ling. But now...

Jin Ling’s gentlemanly grace was innate—something Vivian could never truly imitate. No matter how hard she tried, it would always fall apart.

"Why not me? I’m a hundred times better than you! I could be the perfect wife for Prince Nolan—supporting him, helping him with his career. You, on the other hand, can’t do anything." Princess Vivian lifted her chin, brimming with confidence.

Serena burst out laughing. "Princess Vivian, what exactly can you help Prince Nolan with? Do you even know what he wants?"

Prince Nolan had been in Southlyn for over a month, and Serena hadn’t seen Vivian help him with anything.

"Of course I know! Right now, Prince Nolan needs to invite the Palace Master to Eastlyn, and I can help him do that." Princess Vivian ignored Serena’s mockery, brimming with confidence.

Serena gave Princess Vivian a contemptuous look and said coolly, "Prince Nolan’s been in Southlyn for nearly a month, and I haven’t seen you get the Palace Master to come out. Helping isn’t just about talking—it takes real action."

Help? That kind of help only serves her own interests. Prince Nolan would never accept it.

Besides, Prince Nolan wasn’t so desperate that he needed a woman to solve his problems...