Wronged, If You Are Heartless I Will Let Go

Serena Feng had always been a stubborn, strong-willed woman. Although her temper had softened considerably over the years she spent with Prince Nolan, it didn’t mean she had changed from an independent, self-reliant woman into someone who could only live by depending on Prince Nolan.

Faced with Prince Nolan's arrogance, Serena didn’t submit—she fought back. If Prince Nolan didn’t care about her return, then she didn’t care to see him either, much less complain to him about her hardships.

After kicking aside the servant, Serena turned and strode out. On the way, she grabbed a maid and had her lead the way to the back courtyard—she needed to wash up and change.

"Please, Miss." Anyone working under Prince Nolan was no fool. Seeing Serena’s murderous aura, the maid didn’t dare provoke her and quietly led the way, eyes cast down.

Halfway there, she ran into Yana Zhan, who had rushed over after hearing the news. Seeing Serena safe, Yana broke into tears and laughter, pouring out a month’s worth of worry and fear.

This was the normal reaction.

Serena’s expression softened a little. She exchanged a few words with Yana, told her not to worry, then excused herself, saying she was tired and needed to wash up.

"Go on, rest up first. When you’re better, I’ll come find you. We’ve been worried sick about you this whole time—if anything had happened to you, I’d never forgive myself." It was Serena who drew the bandits away, giving the others a chance to survive. Yana felt both respect and guilt toward her.

They all knew that if a woman fell into bandits’ hands, her fate would be worse than death. If it had been her, she could never have done what Serena did.

"Disasters live a thousand years—I’m not dying anytime soon," Serena joked self-deprecatingly.

Honestly, her luck was unbelievable—she’d survived even after falling into Prince Damien of Southlyn’s hands. That was no easy feat.

"Nonsense! No one’s as lucky a disaster as you." Yana laughed. "Alright, I won’t keep you—go get yourself cleaned up. Prince Nolan must have a lot to say to you." Yana winked at Serena, her face full of teasing.

"Mm." Serena gave a faint smile only she understood.

Whether Prince Nolan had anything to say to her, she didn’t know. All she knew was that he was putting on airs, waiting for her to come and admit fault.

But she didn’t think she’d done anything wrong, so... she absolutely wouldn’t bow her head.

Prince Nolan might be cold about Serena’s return, but his people didn’t dare neglect her. The moment she said she wanted to bathe, someone rushed off to prepare hot water.

Staring at the empty bath chamber, Serena couldn’t help but think of Feng Manor. If she were at Feng Manor right now, the servants wouldn’t need her to say a word—they’d have hot water ready ahead of time, no matter when she came home.

She missed home. She wanted to go back. She regretted leaving...

If only she’d known, she’d never have left the Capital. Even if it meant facing that child every day, even if it meant constant anxiety and self-torment, it would have been better than this.

Anything that comes too easily is never valued.

Plop... Tears slid from the corners of Serena’s eyes. She raised a hand to wipe them away, but the more she tried, the harder they fell. Finally, Serena just crouched down and cried her heart out.

Serena had never learned to cry prettily or gracefully; every time she cried, she looked a mess—red eyes, red nose, tears and snot all over her face. That’s why she never cried in front of others, only for herself.

With her head buried between her knees, Serena didn’t make a sound—but the way her shoulders shook made it clear just how heartbroken and upset she was.

She knew she was being too picky, too negative, imagining the worst of Prince Nolan—but she couldn’t help herself.

Prince Nolan’s coldness and pride had shattered all her joy and anticipation. The huge gap was too much for her to accept, let alone stay calm about.

She wanted to be rational about it, but she was a woman... Sometimes, emotions took over.

Serena didn’t dare cry for too long—she didn’t want the servants at Prince Nolan’s Manor to see her weak and helpless side. Once she’d let out all her pent-up frustration, Serena stood up and wiped her face clean.

When the servants brought in hot water, Serena turned her back to them and didn’t keep anyone behind to wait on her.

After all the servants left, Serena took off her clothes and stepped into the bath, sinking herself completely in the water.

In truth, she didn’t even need to wash up—she’d already bathed the night before, planning to see Prince Nolan fresh and clean today. But...

Gurgle... gurgle.

Serena blew bubbles in the water until she couldn’t hold her breath any longer. Finally, she surfaced, dragging her soaked hair as she stepped out of the bath.

Her back was exposed to the air, slim waist and gently curved hips inviting imagination. Her long hair draped behind her, hiding some of her body, but it couldn’t cover the vicious scar on her back.

Back then, Prince Nolan had tried everything to remove that scar, but now... it seemed he’d forgotten all about it. Serena was still waiting for the Everfrost Lily from Northlyn to use as medicine, still waiting to erase the scar from her back.

Maybe it was better not to see him. Letting things cool off for a while might be good for her—love that’s too intense makes her lose herself.

She picked up the clothes the servants had prepared, smiled silently, and dressed at her own slow pace. Then she sat at the vanity, carefully toweling her long hair dry.

Serena’s movements were meticulous and unhurried. Half an hour, then an hour passed, and her hair was still damp. Serena wasn’t in any rush—she calmly dried her hair in front of the mirror, her slightly swollen eyes half-closed. No one could guess what she was thinking...

Prince Nolan grew impatient waiting in his study and sent a servant to hurry her. The servant reported that Serena was still washing up.

Serena was bathing, and the shadow guards couldn’t watch her. Prince Nolan had no idea what she was feeling; he could only suppress his impatience and wait in the study...

Half an hour, then an hour went by. At first, Prince Nolan could comfort himself, telling himself Serena was dressing up to look beautiful for him. But now, he couldn’t convince himself of that anymore.

An hour—no matter how much Serena dressed up, it shouldn’t take this long.

Prince Nolan sent another servant to check, only to be told, "Miss Feng is tired and has gone to rest."

"Sleeping? After I’ve waited so long, she’s actually sleeping?" Prince Nolan was furious. He forgot all about teaching Serena a lesson—storming off toward the courtyard where she was staying, his anger palpable.

A chill swept through the air, leaves fell, and the servants hurried out of his way.

Prince Nolan couldn’t understand Serena’s behavior. She’d been so eager to see him on the journey—why was she avoiding him now that she’d arrived?

Had he gone too far with his show of authority?

Prince Nolan would never admit it, but he’d staged this whole reception knowing how much Serena wanted to see him. He’d expected her to yield—but things hadn’t gone as planned, and now it seemed Serena wasn’t happy at all.

A vague unease crept over Prince Nolan, and his stride unconsciously grew longer...