She suddenly spun around, dropped to her knees, and crawled over to Minister Zhuo, clutching his leg like her life depended on it: "Minghan! Minghan! Save me! We were husband and wife—doesn't that count for something? I was such a stubborn fool before, it's all my fault! Please, just help me out!"
Minister Zhuo's eyes burned with hatred—he kicked her away, not even wasting a single word on her.
"Madam, Madam, I've called you 'mother' for over twenty years! Please, for all those years, help me... Beg the Crown Prince for mercy, please?" She desperately grabbed at Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu's skirt.
"Would I dare?" Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu yanked her skirt away and stepped back. "If I let you off now, you'll skin me and turn me into a rug later!"
Grace Wan shot the Zhuo family a look, then glared at Evan Xiao. Suddenly, she snapped, wild-eyed, and whipped out a dagger, lunging at Evan Xiao: "I don't believe it! I don't believe it! You must be a fake—"
She hadn't even gotten close before she was sent flying, blood spraying from her mouth.
That hit must've hurt—she was down for ages before finally dragging herself up.
After finally sitting up, she gave up struggling, picked up the dagger, her face full of despair, and slowly pressed it to her chest.
"Stop right there!" Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out from the void.
Grace Wan's face lit up instantly and she dropped the dagger.
Before everyone's eyes, a dazzling rainbow light appeared, swirling and then forming into the figure of a gorgeous woman.
She wore a golden robe scattered with delicate flowers, a rose-colored sheer silk draped over her shoulders. Her skin glowed, her movements were elegant, and her eyes sparkled with intelligence—she seemed to radiate light, making her almost too dazzling to look at.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince." The woman bowed gracefully to Evan Xiao.
"Princess Luminia." Evan Xiao nodded ever so slightly.
With a casual wave, Princess Luminia conjured a shimmering golden barrier between herself and Evan Xiao. Instantly, their conversation was sealed off from prying ears.
A long sigh suddenly sounded beside Qinglyn.
Qinglyn turned her head—Shannon had appeared out of nowhere.
"What's with the sighing?"
"Grace Wan isn't dying today!"
Qinglyn frowned. "Who is this 'Princess Luminia', anyway?"
"Princess Luminia of the Phoenix Clan," Shannon replied.
"She's here to bail out Grace Wan?"
"Yep. His Highness owes Princess Luminia a favor, so it's tough for him to say no now."
Qinglyn frowned, glancing over at Grace Wan.
Grace Wan was already on her feet, her expression a cocktail of worry, hope, and fear as she stared at the two inside the barrier.
Maybe I should just finish Grace Wan off right now! Otherwise, she'll be a pain in the neck later.
But if Evan Xiao has already promised Princess Luminia, doing that would totally embarrass him in front of the other Divine Clans.
Better not!
One day, I'll take down Grace Wan myself and avenge my mother!
Sure enough, the golden barrier faded away. Princess Luminia thanked Evan Xiao, then whisked the overjoyed Grace Wan away.
The two of them soared away, taking the frozen Infernal Manta with them.
...
Serenity Pavilion.
Qinglyn lay sprawled on her pillow, lost in thought.
She was replaying the last two years in her head, trying to figure out how Evan Xiao had pulled the wool over her eyes.
The dragon in the pool.
The clever little cutie.
General Evan Xiao.
Funny thing—those three had never shown up together.
How did she never catch that before?
Wait—there was that one time.
That was when she and Evan Xiao were whisked up to the heavens by the Divine Dragon.
But after that... Leon Zane vanished.
Could that dragon have been Leon Zane all along?
Was Leon Zane really one of the Divine Clan too?
It was looking pretty likely.
She touched the Heartscale pendant at her neck.
So this was Evan Xiao's reverse scale... No wonder he was so obsessed with her wearing it.
...