Serena treats Dorian Owen well?
Are you kidding me about the Former Dynasty? Serena just didn’t kill Dorian Owen, that’s all. If not killing someone counts as being good to them, then what in this world could possibly be considered bad?
Besides, Serena didn’t kill Dorian Owen—not because she’s kind to him, but because she simply doesn’t dare lay a hand on him.
Left Shore took a deep breath, tamping down his anger, and spat out through gritted teeth, “Who told you that was Ninth Royal Uncle’s child?” He had never said anything like that from start to finish.
“I guessed it myself. Impressive, right?” Dorian Owen looked smug, puffing up his little chest with a clear ‘hurry up and praise me’ attitude.
If Left Shore didn’t still want to ask about that child, he would have punched Dorian Owen right then and there.
Dorian Owen’s face was just begging for a beating!
“So, how’s that kid doing now?” He’d seen firsthand what jealousy could do to women—his own princess mother had tormented his prime minister father plenty. No wonder his dad had so few children, and the ones he did raise all turned out useless.
“No idea. Before I left, Simon Sun was taking care of him. The baby looked soft and pink.” Dorian Owen tilted his head, trying hard to remember the kid’s face—but all he could recall was that bundle of poop, which nearly killed him with the smell.
Left Shore had always known Dorian Owen was unreliable. But since his little brother was safe, Left Shore dropped the subject. Serena might be ruthless and cold-blooded, but since she hadn’t killed that child right away, she probably wouldn’t do it later either—at worst, she’d just ignore him.
His own little brother didn’t care whether Serena liked him or not, but it was still necessary to clear things up—after all, his brother would need Serena to raise him, and Left Shore, as a grown man, definitely wasn’t about to babysit.
After coming down from the mountain, Left Shore made sure Dorian Owen got a good meal. Then both of them tidied up a bit so they wouldn’t scare the people outside.
No matter how much they washed, after more than a month in the mountains, there was no getting rid of that scruffy, down-and-out look. Left Shore didn’t mind—actually, it was perfect for staying unnoticed.
As a killer, Left Shore had plenty of ways to forge identities. He made up Westlyn papers and travel passes for both of them, and then set out openly with Dorian Owen. But…
Left Shore had planned for everything—except Dorian Owen’s weirdness. The kid actually let something slip on the road, and just like that, Left Shore found himself targeted by the Princess Royal’s people all over again.
Luckily, after living in the mountains so long, Left Shore still looked like a total savage. Plus, he’d done some extra disguising to keep people off his trail. No one recognized him. Otherwise, if the Princess Royal knew he was involved, she’d never believe that kid was dead.
The Princess Royal hadn’t raised Left Shore herself, but she knew he was sentimental. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have killed for her.
Left Shore’s injuries had healed up well, and with Dorian Owen around, even though they were still being hunted and had to scramble, at least they weren’t hurt. Still, with so many people watching, the two of them didn’t dare go straight back to Eastlyn—they slipped into Southlyn first, planning to return to Eastlyn from there.
Southlyn was fighting Northlyn at the time, and with the Princess Royal’s collusion with Prince Nathan of Southlyn exposed, her people didn’t dare make a move after Left Shore and Dorian Owen snuck in. They were afraid that if they did, Southlyn would catch them and use it as leverage.
“Whew… Finally escaped that tigress’s territory. I curse her to die a miserable death.” Dorian Owen had barely enjoyed two good days before the Princess Royal’s people had him running for cover again. He was seriously fed up.
Left Shore shot Dorian Owen a cold look. “The tigress you’re talking about is my mother.”
No matter how much he disliked the Princess Royal, Left Shore didn’t want to hear Dorian Owen talk like that in front of him—mother and son are still mother and son, after all.
Smack. Dorian Owen slapped himself without hesitation. “Fine, I said the wrong thing. Happy now? Let’s just rest a bit. Tomorrow, let’s head to Eastlyn—I miss Serena and Simon Sun. It’s been two months since I saw them, they must miss me too.”
Dorian Owen looked dreamy, imagining how Serena and Simon Sun would worship him when he got back to Eastlyn.
See? Lord Bean’s amazing. He found Left Shore with no guide, and even managed to bring him back safely.
Left Shore had long since given up trying to fix Dorian Owen’s thinking. Anyway, Serena was treating Dorian Owen pretty well now, so let the past be the past. Besides, Dorian Owen had tried to kill Serena first—it was only natural that she struck back.
Left Shore and Dorian Owen spent two days resting in Southlyn. Just as they were about to pull some strings for fake papers and head back to Eastlyn, they heard trouble had broken out at the Eastlyn border—the city was sealed, no one allowed in or out.
“What’s going on? Is it just bad luck this year? First Westlyn and Eastlyn go to war, then Southlyn and Northlyn, and now there’s trouble at the Eastlyn–Southlyn border?” Dorian Owen stared at the sky, wondering if some disaster star had fallen, making the kingdoms fight nonstop.
Don’t say Dorian Owen’s unreliable—there was someone else with the same idea: Felix Fuller. He’d been watching the stars night after night lately, but never said a word, just acted all mysterious.
Compared to his Divine Temple heir status, the Emperor valued Felix Fuller’s abilities more. When he found out, he just summoned Felix for a couple of questions, got a cryptic answer, and didn’t press further.
As an emperor who clawed his way to the throne over his brothers’ corpses, the Emperor didn’t really believe in fate. If he did, would he even be here today?
The city was sealed tight, but only outgoing traffic was strictly controlled—no one was allowed to leave. Getting in was a little easier. Left Shore and Dorian Owen took advantage of a shift change at the guard post and slipped inside.
It was late at night, the streets were deserted, and soldiers patrolled every so often. Security looked even stricter than in the imperial capital.
“Something big definitely happened.” Dorian Owen said with certainty, then looked at Left Shore, waiting for praise.
Left Shore didn’t bother responding. Everything was so obvious—did Dorian Owen really need to add his two cents?
Tap, tap, tap… A squad of soldiers marched by. Left Shore carefully hid in the shadows, sticking close to the wall as he moved.
Normally, the most heavily guarded places are where the important people stay. If you want information, that’s where you go.
Left Shore checked a few spots and finally found that the relay station was heavily guarded. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to go in and take a look.
He and Ninth Royal Uncle were on the same side—anything major happening in Eastlyn would affect Ninth Royal Uncle too. The more intel he could gather, the better for both of them.
Dorian Owen might be unreliable, but when it came to serious business, he didn’t mess around. He followed Left Shore obediently, his little face all tense, actually looking the part for once.
The two of them easily dodged the guards outside and slipped into the relay station’s inner courtyard. But before they could get close, someone shouted from the shadows: “Assassins! Someone’s sneaked into the relay station!”
Left Shore and Dorian Owen’s faces hardened. They thought to themselves: Could there be royals here? Otherwise, why would the guards be this sharp—they’d just arrived and were already caught.
For a killer, this was downright humiliating!
They didn’t dare hesitate. After exchanging a look, they split up, but suddenly several figures appeared from the shadows, surrounding them.
“Fight.” Since they’d been discovered, there was no avoiding a battle. Left Shore and Dorian Owen didn’t hold back—they drew their swords and started fighting.
But as soon as the fight started, they realized something was off…