Betrayal, I Never Thought It Would Be You

Serena Feng wasn’t worried about Princess Yara’s case. She was no longer the powerless girl she used to be, and the Emperor couldn’t just pin the blame on her so easily.

So when William Wang Jinling offered to help, Serena instinctively refused. She could easily handle things with the people Ninth Royal Uncle left her—there was no need to use William’s connections. But William wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Your way can only solve the problem in front of you, but it won’t teach the Emperor a lesson. If we don’t strike back hard, he’ll never know what pain really is.” William was adamant, so Serena accepted his help.

The three of them discussed more details. As the night deepened, William and Victor Yun had to take their leave. With no men in the Feng family, it simply wasn’t proper for them to stay overnight.

“Be careful on the road. Victor, since you didn’t bring any guards, let Feng Manor’s men escort you home.” Victor was a hard-won talent—she couldn’t afford anything to happen to him.

Victor thought for a moment and didn’t refuse. He left together with William, their way lit by lanterns.

After seeing them off, Serena was exhausted. She stretched, yawned, and told the servants to bring hot water.

Time to wash up and sleep!

Serena was so tired that if the servant hadn’t reminded her, she nearly fell asleep in the bath. Half-asleep, she crawled into bed and immediately drifted off. Once her breathing grew steady, a girl in Feng Manor livery slipped into the room. The hidden guards glanced over, saw a familiar face, and didn’t think much of it.

The girl entered, lit the outer lamps, and made the guards even more relaxed.

It looked like the young lady had something to instruct.

The girl lit the lamp and waited a long time, but Serena didn’t wake. Gathering her courage, she pulled out a bamboo flute from her sleeve and blew into the room.

A wisp of blue smoke drifted into the room, carrying a pleasant fragrance.

She waited a little longer, and when she was sure Serena was under the influence, the girl lifted her skirt and headed for the inner chamber. Seeing Serena lying on the bed, her heart pounded wildly.

From the moment she came to Serena’s side, this day was destined to arrive—she just hadn’t expected it to come so soon.

She didn’t want to betray Serena, but her master’s orders couldn’t be disobeyed. She had to get the command medallion from Serena.

Carefully, the girl approached Serena. After checking several times to make sure Serena was drugged, she finally relaxed a little. Reaching out, she drew out a cord from Serena’s neck, slowly pulling it free.

Got it. Her heart beat faster and her hand grew steadier. When the medallion-like object slipped out of Serena’s collar, she couldn’t help but get excited. She quickly took out a small knife, ready to cut the cord and steal the medallion—but just then...

Her hand was suddenly seized. The girl looked up in panic and met Serena’s gaze—she was completely stunned.

She thought Serena would be knocked out by the drug, but Serena was staring at her, eyes cold and full of killing intent.

“Mi—Miss, I—I...” Summer’s face went pale. She wanted to explain, but caught red-handed by Serena, what more could she say?

She trembled all over, her grip on the knife unsteady. If Serena hadn’t been holding her hand, she probably would’ve collapsed on the spot.

Serena gave her a cold look. “Summer, I never thought it would be you.”

“Miss, I...” Summer bit her lip, head down, at a loss for what to do. But just then, her hand holding the knife lunged at Serena: “Miss, I’m sorry—I had no choice.”

“Don’t bother apologizing. You chose betrayal—now you face the consequences.” Serena was ready; as Summer struck, she twisted Summer’s arm and kicked her away.

“You were handpicked by Ninth Royal Uncle. You should know you can’t beat me or escape.” Serena rolled off the bed, grabbed a robe, and called out, “Come out.”

With a swish, two dark figures appeared out of nowhere. Serena didn’t need to say a word—they seized Summer at once, making sure she couldn’t kill herself.

Summer’s face was ashen, her eyes full of despair. She stared at Serena, silent, wondering where she’d slipped up. She’d always done well—Serena even liked her for her cleverness.

“Want to know how I figured you out?” Serena raised an eyebrow, as if she could read Summer’s mind.

Summer’s jaw had been dislocated. She could only nod painfully.

Where had she slipped up?

Serena curled her lips in a mocking smile. “You did very well—I never suspected you. I was only guarding against the Emperor. When he saw the medallion in my hand today, he wanted it badly. With his personality, if he couldn’t take it openly, he’d try something in secret. I thought he’d send assassins, not that there was an imperial spy hiding in my own manor. Summer, you were buried deep.”

She’d considered there might be other spies, but never thought it would be Summer—one of the maids sent by Ninth Royal Uncle.

Because they were sent by Ninth Royal Uncle, she’d let her guard down with Spring, Autumn, Summer, and Winter—not like with Jada Tang and Mira Tang, who only got close after repeated vetting and investigation.

That tiny lapse had nearly killed her. Luckily, she’d caught it in time.

Summer lowered her head, unable to speak. From the moment she entered Ninth Prince Manor, her fate was sealed: she had to win Nolan’s trust and serve her true master when the time came. But she’d failed—she’d accomplished nothing.

Seeing her like this, Serena couldn’t be bothered to waste words. She waved at the dark-clad guards. “Take her away. Give her a whole corpse.”

“Yes.” The guards said little, dragging Summer off. She didn’t struggle, just stared blankly at the ground.

Not torturing her was already mercy.

Once Summer was taken away, Serena had no desire to sleep. She took off the so-called medallion from her neck and tossed it to the floor. With a crack, the ‘medallion’ shattered.

The medallion that could command all the forces of Ninth Prince Manor—Serena would never just wear it around her neck. She’d only flashed it for the Emperor to see, and sure enough, he fell for it.

She’d hoped to catch the Emperor in the act, but he didn’t make any big moves. Still, rooting out his spy in Feng Manor was a victory.

If Summer knew she’d risked everything for a fake medallion, she might just die of rage all over again.

The next morning, Spring, Autumn, and Winter came to accept punishment, kneeling outside the door like wilted plants, utterly dejected.

Jada Tang and Mira Tang brought in water, their faces solemn. They kept quiet and focused on helping Serena wash, not daring to speak or look around.

Though last night’s commotion wasn’t loud, they knew something had happened. Summer had come to Serena’s room at midnight—and then vanished. No one believed it was nothing.