In the grand hall, Morgan Shangguan lifted her teacup and took a delicate sip. She frowned slightly, clearly unimpressed, set the cup down on the table, and waited without any sign of impatience.
Prince Ethan regarded her and spoke in a deep voice, "Princess Morgan, I’ve warned you before, the Third Prince is not so easily dealt with. Do you think the Crown Prince and I haven’t considered removing him?" It’s not that they haven’t tried—there have been several attempts—but Damien Gray remains unharmed to this day. That’s one reason he can never shake off suspicion.
Morgan Shangguan replied indifferently, "If Prince Ethan sets a perfect trap, would Damien really be able to overturn it?"
Prince Ethan shook his head. "The Third Prince is cautious. Every time I try to meet him privately, he uses illness as an excuse to refuse." There was a hint of disappointment in his eyes, as if he’d overestimated her.
Morgan Shangguan seemed not to notice, and smiled gently. "What if I become the bait?" she suggested.
Prince Ethan narrowed his eyes at her, clearly skeptical. "Princess Morgan, I told you not to trust him. You don’t really believe he’s truly infatuated with you, do you?" There was a trace of mockery in his gaze, lingering on the marks Damien Gray had left on her neck.
Morgan Shangguan didn’t get angry. She simply smiled. "Does Prince Ethan lack even the courage to try?"
Prince Ethan gazed at her in silence for a long moment before finally speaking. "Since Princess Morgan is so eager to get rid of him, I’ll give it a try." As long as he left no evidence behind, there was no harm in attempting it. Seeing Morgan’s confidence, perhaps she really did have a plan. If they could truly eliminate Damien Gray, his greatest threat, he would be much more at ease.
Morgan Shangguan’s lips curled slightly. It was obvious that Prince Ethan was the one wishing for Damien Gray’s demise; if not for that, he wouldn’t have acted on her words alone. Now he made it sound as if it was all for her sake. But as long as she achieved her goal, she didn’t care about the rest. A glimmer of cunning flashed in her eyes, her lips quirked up in anticipation, but the expression vanished so quickly that no one could catch it.
Morgan Shangguan spoke again, "To avoid suspicion, it’s best not to use your own men, Prince Ethan. There are no secrets that won’t eventually be revealed. If anyone finds a clue and uses it against you, wouldn’t someone else reap all the benefits?" She was clearly referring to Crown Prince Adrian. If Prince Ethan eliminated Damien Gray but Crown Prince Adrian found evidence and struck back, wouldn’t Adrian end up with all the advantages?
Prince Ethan’s eyes darkened as he smiled and asked, "So, Princess Morgan, do you have a clever plan?"
"Didn’t Prince Ethan just survive an assassination? He could always hire an assassin himself, couldn’t he?"
Prince Ethan smiled at her, gesturing for her to continue.
Morgan Shangguan smiled and went on, "I heard from Master Liam that a new group called the Cloud Guild has appeared in the martial world. Their assassins are so skilled that even Master Liam finds them troublesome. If they’re that formidable, dealing with Damien Gray shouldn’t be a problem."
From beginning to end, Morgan Shangguan’s attitude had been somewhat dismissive, and that was exactly the effect she wanted. A person can be clever, but not too clever—otherwise, no one will ever feel at ease around them.
Although Prince Ethan would never fully trust her, she couldn’t let him distrust her entirely either, or she’d suffer significant losses.
Her direct intrusion into the prince’s manor had already made Prince Ethan wary. Now, by acting a bit less sharp, she made herself seem controllable—and a valuable pawn at that!
Prince Ethan smiled and said, "Rest assured, Princess Morgan, I’ll take care of this matter." Without waiting for her reply, he called out, "Someone, escort Princess Morgan to her quarters!"
Morgan Shangguan raised her brows but said nothing more.
As the effects of the drug slowly faded, Claire Yi regained a sliver of clarity. The color drained from her face. She wanted to ask who he was, to push him away, but found herself helplessly responding to him. Fear and anxiety overwhelmed her, and tears finally spilled down her cheeks. Yet her body felt as if it no longer belonged to her—completely out of her control.
When Claire Yi woke again, she saw no one around and thought it had all been a nightmare. Relieved, she tried to get up, but the aches in her body forced her back down. Her face paled, and trembling, she sat up, tears streaming as if she’d been frightened out of her wits.
She tried to recall the man’s face, but couldn’t remember clearly. All she knew was that it hadn’t been her senior brother, but a stranger—a man she’d never met. How could this have happened? Everything was ruined!
After crying for a while, she hurriedly got up, pulled on her rumpled, torn clothes, and muttered, "Senior brother must never find out... never..." Her voice trembled with panic and a hint of sobbing, evoking deep sympathy.
She gently opened the door, peeked out, and seeing no one, rushed back to her own courtyard.
Her panic made her forget that she wasn’t the only one drugged—Damien Gray had also drunk that soup. She didn’t want to remember; she only wished to forget everything that had happened, and desperately hoped the marks on her body would vanish, as if nothing had ever occurred.
From the shadows, Ethan Gu frowned as he watched her leave. Nearby, Maxwell Jing’s voice sounded: "That woman really is gullible. What kind of fortune-teller goes around selling aphrodisiacs? If there is one, he’s a fraud—and she actually believed him!" According to witnesses, she’d acted as if she’d met a deity, worshiping him with utter devotion and gratitude.
Ethan Gu replied indifferently, "She’s lived in the Valley of Destiny all her life. How could she know how dangerous the outside world is? Besides, the old master was Grand Astrologer Simon’s disciple. It’s only natural she’d believe in astrology and fortune-telling."
Maxwell Jing snorted, "She seems pretty scheming to me. Good thing she hasn’t spent much time outside, or she’d do worse than drugging the prince. You don’t pity her, do you?" He shot Ethan Gu a sidelong glance, ready to ridicule him if he dared show sympathy.