Sinister Trap, Accusing Serena of Defying the Imperial Decree

Serena Feng was only temporarily staying in the small West District courtyard. The modest yard was all about refinement, but it really wasn’t very big. The reception hall was already the largest room, yet with so many people crammed inside, it felt tiny. The presence of Su Wan and the City Lord of Night City became all the more obvious.

Su Wan handled it well—though her face was mournful, she still carried herself with grace and composure, showing not a trace of awkwardness. Serena privately admitted: the Su family’s upbringing was actually quite good.

The City Lord of Night City, on the other hand, was much more embarrassed. When had the dignified Lord of Night City ever suffered such humiliation? Yet Serena, Nolan, and the others all acted as if they hadn’t noticed, leaving him standing there like a servant.

As soon as Nolan entered, he acted as the master: ordering servants to bring tea, chatting briefly with Holden Cui and Yun Xiao. Only after finishing his cup and asking for a refill did he finally look up, as if just then noticing the City Lord of Night City. “City Lord, why are you still standing there? Someone bring a seat for the City Lord.”

Nolan’s manners were impeccable. The City Lord, though annoyed, could only force a stiff smile. “Prince Nolan is busy—forgetting this City Lord is understandable.”

The guards were amusing too. When they brought over the chair, they set it right in the center. Once the City Lord sat down, he was positioned directly opposite Nolan and Dominic Zhai, making their opposition obvious.

Nolan signaled for the servants to serve tea. If others lacked courtesy, he certainly wouldn’t.

“City Lord, you’ve come uninvited. I forgot for a moment—please don’t take offense. May I ask what brings you to Eastlyn?” Nolan was polite and didn’t make things unnecessarily difficult for the City Lord.

The City Lord was annoyed, but he couldn’t show it. That earlier commotion was clear enough—even a fool could tell that the elite troops he’d brought had been subdued in less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

Anywhere else, having soldiers meant you were the boss. But here in Eastlyn, if he tried to go head-to-head with Nolan, only he’d end up suffering. Besides, his main goal today was to ask Serena Feng to treat Reid Yale.

The City Lord quietly drew a breath. “Prince Nolan, I came to Eastlyn at the invitation of your Emperor. My unannounced visit today was to ask Miss Serena to save my son. The Emperor himself gave permission, but Miss Serena refused.”

Earlier, the City Lord hadn’t mentioned the Emperor’s approval at all. He was waiting for this moment—to accuse Serena Feng of defying an imperial order, and maybe drag Prince Nolan down with her. But things didn’t go as planned...

He’d miscalculated. Even in the palace, the Emperor couldn’t control Prince Nolan. No wonder the Emperor had to cooperate with outsiders to try and take him down.

Nolan nodded, showing he’d heard. “Serena, since it’s the Emperor’s command, why are you refusing to obey?”

His words sounded like blame, but his tone was more like concern. Serena rose calmly, meeting Nolan’s dark gaze, her smile growing. “Prince Nolan, from start to finish, the City Lord never mentioned the Emperor. I didn’t know there was an imperial order, so I absolutely wasn’t defying one.”

Serena paused, looking aggrieved, and continued, “Prince Nolan, I truly don’t understand—if the City Lord had an imperial order, why not say so directly? Instead, he brought heavy troops to my door, threatening my life and my household. I really don’t know what his motive is.”

Serena was telling on him again, exposing how the City Lord concealed the Emperor’s order to set her up. She used this to attack, hinting that he meant to frame her and shift the blame for ‘defying an edict’ onto her.

“City Lord, is that true?” Nolan’s voice was icy. Dominic Zhai subtly moved away from Nolan, not wanting to be caught in the chill.

“Absolutely not.” The City Lord was shameless, denying it with conviction. “I said from the start the Emperor gave an order. Miss Serena herself said she only listens to Prince Nolan, not the Emperor.”

“Serena, how dare you defy an imperial order?” Nolan scolded her to appear impartial, but everyone knew he was taking Serena’s side.

The City Lord came with an imperial order to request Serena’s help. It was true that she refused to go. If this blew up, the Emperor wouldn’t care whether the City Lord mentioned the edict or not—Serena would still be blamed.

It was a losing position. Nolan could protect Serena’s life, but he couldn’t change the fact that she’d ‘defied an imperial order.’ The rumor would damage her reputation, and the Emperor’s trust in her would be shaken. It was bad news for Serena.

Simon Sun sat beside Serena, wanting to speak up for her several times, but she kept stopping him. When Nolan finally questioned Serena, Simon couldn’t hold back—he jumped to his feet, face flushed, whether from anger or anxiety.

“Prince Nolan, I was with my master the whole time while she received the City Lord. The City Lord never mentioned an imperial decree. He’s making it up—he’s slandering my master!” Simon was so anxious and angry that he blurted it all out, clenching his fists to prove he was telling the truth.

“Simon, sit down.” Serena snapped coldly. It sounded harsh, but she was really protecting him. Her feud with Night City was set—there was no need to drag Simon into it.

“Master...” Simon protested stubbornly, eyes flashing with grievance—for Serena and for himself.

Serena’s expression softened immediately. “Simon, don’t worry about me. I didn’t defy an imperial order. Prince Nolan will see the truth and make sure I get justice. I’ll be fine.”

After calming Simon, Serena turned to the City Lord. “City Lord, you claim I defied an imperial order. Do you have any proof?”

Serena would never admit to the charge. The City Lord had expected that, so he wasn’t flustered. He pointed at the corpses by the door. “There’s your proof. Serena defied an imperial order and killed my guards. Serena, are you saying you didn’t kill them?”

Nolan had known who killed those guards the moment he walked in. The wounds were so distinctive—no one but Serena could have done it.

“I did kill those guards.” Serena admitted it without hesitation—she owned up, plain and simple.

Killing someone wasn’t automatically a capital crime. In the eyes of the powerful, the lives of commoners and servants were the least valuable.

“Serena, there are witnesses and evidence. What else do you have to say?” The City Lord didn’t believe Serena could counter his move.

“If you want to pin a crime on someone, you’ll always find a reason. The City Lord insists I defied an imperial order, but I have nothing more to say. If there’s any doubt, let’s go to the Emperor and let him decide. If the City Lord hadn’t pointed out those corpses, I’d have forgotten—my hidden weapons are still lodged in their bodies. Those are precious items Prince Nolan went to great lengths to obtain for me. Each one means a lot to me. If I can’t get them back, I’ll be heartbroken.”

Serena turned to Nolan with a loving smile. Nolan didn’t let her down—he nodded in agreement, backing up her story.

With that gesture, Nolan publicly confirmed Serena was telling the truth. Her handgun was now ‘officially’ accounted for—she could use it openly in the future, as long as she claimed it came from Nolan...

Two birds with one stone!