With a crisp "clop!", Serena's horse landed smoothly under everyone's watchful gaze and kept charging forward. Only then did the crowd finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Way to go, Serena!"
No one knew who shouted it first, but the consorts behind the screen all burst into joyful cheers.
"That was gorgeous! Serena really flew over! People always say Serena looks stunning on horseback—I thought it was just exaggeration, but seeing her today, those old descriptions don’t come close to one-tenth of her real presence."
"Serena is truly daring, but she did the right thing." The Grand Protector and Grand Preceptor exchanged a knowing smile, perfectly in sync as always.
At times like this, personal interests were set aside for the sake of national honor. After all, this was a matter of winning face for Eastlyn, letting Southlyn’s prince witness what true Eastlyn noblewomen were capable of. If even a single woman could ride like this, what would Eastlyn’s cavalry be like?
Watching the Eastlyn officials deliberately praise Eastlyn while belittling Southlyn, Prince Nathan of Southlyn could only smile wryly. Should he tell everyone that he also admired Serena and hoped she would win?
Of course, that was something Prince Nathan only dared think. If he actually said it aloud, he’d be drowned in criticism for ‘not loving his country’ the moment he returned to Southlyn.
Prince Nathan glanced over the crowd toward Ninth Royal Uncle and William Wang, thinking they didn’t look nervous at all. But when he looked again, he realized it wasn’t that they weren’t tense—they were just very good at hiding it.
The slight lift of Nolan’s lips and the relaxed smile on William’s face made it clear—they’d both been just as anxious about that moment as anyone, and now were just as impressed. They were simply stingy with their reactions and chose not to show it.
Prince Nathan of Southlyn silently grumbled to himself, still tracking the black figure on the racetrack. That shadow was getting farther and farther away, blurring with distance—soon, only the guards posted atop the towers could really see what was happening, and they had to shout out updates for everyone else.
Thanks to the wooden stakes, Serena had left Su Rou far behind—but that didn’t mean much. Obstacles like these always slowed a horse down.
Sure enough, when they reached the second obstacle—the archery stage—Su Rou managed to overtake Serena.
Serena’s riding was solid, but her archery was a disaster. Even with a lighter bow made for women, she couldn’t shoot far—she needed dozens of arrows just to clear the targets and finally move on.
Su Rou, trailing behind at first, passed the archery stage with a single arrow. Now she was in the lead, Serena lagging behind. When the news reached the stands, even the Grand Preceptor and Grand Protector fell silent, and Prince Jason didn’t dare make a sound.
"Go, Serena! You can do it!" The consorts in the harem called out, cheering her on.
"Uncle Nolan, aren’t you worried at all?" Prince Colin—who’d been playing the role of invisible background this whole time—finally spoke up. Until he did, most people had forgotten he was even there.
"Worried about what? It’s just little girls playing around." Nolan Dongling idly rubbed the jade ring on his thumb, as calm and unmoved as a statue.
"Ninth Brother, this is an official contest." The Emperor’s cold voice cut in, making his point unmistakable.
Nolan didn’t back down. "The real contest is on the battlefield," he replied coolly.
"Thinking of tempering yourself on the front lines, Ninth Brother?" The Emperor’s voice grew sly, clearly weighing the possibility.
For someone to die a ‘normal’ death on the battlefield was all too easy—especially if he had no allies or trusted men in the army. That made it even simpler.
"If I get the chance, I’ll never refuse," Nolan answered. Only on the battlefield could he meet generals, win over soldiers—every risk had its upside. He saw right through the Emperor’s schemes, but had no intention of retreating.
"You’ll have your chance." The Emperor’s meaning was unfathomable as he glanced at Prince Nathan, who instantly dropped his gaze, nervously counting the dust at his feet.
Was he just collateral damage? These two brothers could have their conversation without dragging the battlefield into it—now that they had, why was the Emperor staring at him? Was Eastlyn about to declare war on Southlyn?
That was terrible news. Prince Nathan felt like crying. Southlyn was already exhausted by internal conflict—if Eastlyn attacked now, they’d almost certainly lose, and lose badly.
There’s no dignity for a weak nation in front of the strong.
Prince Nathan was a bundle of nerves. Nolan, having made his point, dropped the subject and calmly turned his attention back to the racetrack—even though, by now, he could no longer see Serena at all.
Serena and Su Rou had reached the final stretch. Up ahead was a single bridge—once they crossed it, the rest of the course was flat and unobstructed.
They’d traded wins and losses at each obstacle. Now, the two were neck-and-neck, less than half a horse’s length apart. But the bridge was too narrow for both horses to cross at once—whoever reached it first would almost certainly win.
This was the last chance. If Serena got ahead, Su Rou would have no hope left—her carefully prepared psychological tricks would be useless. Serena knew this was the moment.
Sure enough, with just a hundred meters to the bridge, Su Rou made her move.
"Serena!"
Su Rou was exploiting the natural reflex—when someone hears their own name, they instinctively turn toward the source. She wanted Serena to see her hypnotic signal.
Serena could have ignored her. But to crush Su Rou’s confidence—to make sure she never tried her half-baked hypnosis tricks again—Serena deliberately turned her head.
She’d come this far—why not enjoy Su Rou’s defeat up close? After everything, she deserved it.
"Miss Su Rou." Serena’s beautiful face wore a mocking smile. Su Rou’s whip snapped down, her full hypnosis routine playing out—but...
"How could this happen?" Su Rou stared, stunned, as Serena rode on, completely unaffected by hypnosis.
"Miss Su Rou, did you forget I’m a doctor? Next time, don’t show off skills you haven’t mastered." Serena knew she’d probably never see Su Rou again, but couldn’t resist twisting the knife.
"You..." Su Rou snapped out of it, her face drained of all color.
She’d been publicly humiliated. The audience was already whispering—Su Rou’s reputation would never recover.
But Su Rou’s desperation only grew. She whipped her horse, trying to force her way onto the bridge ahead of Serena.
Serena ignored her, focusing on the finish line. She’d already won the psychological battle—now she just needed to cross the bridge and claim victory.
The two horses charged onto the bridge at almost the same time. The crowd held its breath, waiting for the final outcome.
Serena’s horse was faster. She surged ahead, leaving Su Rou behind—and then, just as Serena was about to reach the end of the bridge, an explosion thundered out.
Flames erupted, engulfing the bridge in a wall of fire. The crowd screamed. Guards rushed forward, but the blaze blocked their path.
Serena’s horse reared in terror. She fought to keep her balance, searching for a way out.
This was no accident. Someone had set a deadly trap—and Serena was right in the middle of it.
The bridge was collapsing. Serena’s only chance was to leap for safety—if she hesitated, she’d die with the rest.