Sinister, Such a Good Chance Cannot Be Wasted

Prince Nolan walked out of The Windchaser Inn. A gust of wind swept by, blowing away all the pent-up frustration in his heart.

In Prince Nolan’s eyes, although tonight’s events weren’t flawless, they still achieved the effect he wanted.

By launching a wild reprisal, he proved that his near-death was real, warned the Emperor, and openly slaughtered Adrian and Jason’s men, showing his strength while making clear he had no interest in befriending the great clans.

Of course, those weren’t the most important things. The key is that after tonight, the situation in the capital remains unchanged. He lost some power, but so did Adrian and Jason. Now, everyone is more or less on equal footing—he is still the same Prince Nolan who holds sway over the entire court.

With this move, the forces he lost due to the ambush will soon be recovered.

Strength! When it matters most, only strength truly counts.

If not for the late Emperor’s Divine Tactics Corps, Prince Nolan wouldn’t even know how to break this deadlock.

With his fate uncertain, he gave many people an opening. The Emperor kept suppressing his forces in the capital—if Nolan didn’t show his strength, he’d be crushed into the dust.

Between him and the Emperor, their rivalry means there’s no standing still—if you don’t advance, you fall behind!

Hoo... Prince Nolan exhaled a long breath, glanced back at the brightly lit Windchaser Inn, then turned and got into the carriage. "To Feng Manor."

Feng Manor had been bustling half the night. Seeing it was late, Serena finally coaxed everyone to bed. She returned to her own courtyard but didn’t go to sleep right away—instead, she sat in the study, thinking about what Prince Nolan said about hosting a banquet.

Why would Prince Nolan, who’s perfectly fine, want to host a banquet for William?

Prince Nolan knew Serena would overthink things, which is why he didn’t go back to his own manor and came straight to Feng Manor instead.

As soon as Prince Nolan arrived at Feng Manor, his hidden guards appeared: "Miss is in the study."

"Mm." Prince Nolan replied and strode toward the study, while the hidden guard turned to instruct the servants to prepare hot water for him.

It was so late—Prince Nolan was definitely staying at Feng Manor tonight.

The study door opened. Serena instinctively looked up and saw Prince Nolan walk in. She immediately stood to greet him: "You’re back?"

Her tone was so natural, it was as if this place was already their home.

The coldness in Prince Nolan’s eyes faded; he nodded lightly. "I’m back. Why are you still up so late?"

"You’ve been drinking?" Serena didn’t answer his question. She caught the scent of alcohol on him and was clearly displeased.

Women are all like this—they hate it when their man drinks and socializes. Serena was no exception.

"I spent tonight at The Windchaser Inn, hosting a banquet for William and the others." Prince Nolan sat down, accepted the tea Serena handed him, took a sip, and then told her everything that had happened tonight.

"So that’s where Dorian and Left Shore went—you sent them off on errands." Serena pretended to complain, then looked worried. "Aren’t you afraid of what might happen?"

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" Prince Nolan raised his eyebrows, as if Serena had asked a funny question.

Serena frowned. "You attacked the Emperor—how could he let you off? And tonight you offended every powerful person in the capital. Aren’t you worried they’ll all gang up to take revenge on you?"

If the Wang, Xie, and Cui clans, plus Adrian, Jason, Felix, Prince Samuel’s house, and those high ministers all joined forces, even Prince Nolan wouldn’t stand a chance—never mind the Emperor, who’s always watching for his chance.

"If I dare to act, I’m not afraid of their revenge. Besides, even if I hadn’t struck tonight, they wouldn’t have let me go." Power in the capital is a zero-sum game—if you want more, you have to snatch it from a tiger’s jaws, and it’s clear Prince Nolan is that tiger.

If Prince Nolan wants to keep his power, he has to intimidate everyone—make them too scared to move against him.

This time, with Prince Nolan missing for nearly a month, Jason, the Cui clan, and the others seized the opportunity to snatch away much of his influence. If he didn’t hit back hard now, the world would see him as finished.

Serena understood all this, but she still felt Prince Nolan’s actions tonight were just too brazen.

"Tomorrow’s morning court—let’s see if you can handle it." Serena poked Prince Nolan’s forehead. He took the chance to pull her into his arms, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Serena, I’m really tired." He wasn’t lying—he truly was exhausted.

He’d been busy half the night, and tomorrow... would be another battle.

No self-pity, no resentment—just a calm statement. Serena’s eyes reddened; she hugged Nolan’s waist in return. "From now on, I’ll be with you. No matter what happens, you’ll have me by your side."

"Remember what you said. No matter what happens, stay by my side—I’ve shouldered this alone for too long." From birth until now, he’d always been alone, never able to relax for a moment.

Especially tonight—if anything had gone wrong, he’d have had to rebel, and his secrets would have been exposed early.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly.

With William there, no one would dare plot revenge against him.

William has the talent to govern a nation—with his ability, he can keep everyone in check. That’s why Nolan dared to leave everyone behind and walk away alone.

William truly lived up to Nolan’s expectations. With a few half-truths, he dispelled everyone’s thoughts of revenge. Faced with Nolan’s indiscriminate attack, they could only accept it—after all, they’d all profited from his disappearance.