"Acesia King has crossed the border?!" Before catching his breath, a servant rushed in to report, "Master, that young prince from Fredericia, with Corina in tow, has barged in, claiming to marry her—my lord, I dare not intervene!"

This young prince was no ordinary person; he was Benito, the nephew of the Empress of Acesia, who had concealed his identity and come to Belleria to train under Jenaro, a formidable cultivator of the Gold Elemental Realm, for nearly two months.

The Empress could not bear children, and with no heir of her own, Benito was likely to become the next Emperor—if he could outlive the Empress.

Jenaro's eyes ignited with fury. "What is the meaning of this?"

Before the servant could respond, Benito's clear voice echoed from afar, "I demand to see my teacher, Belleria King! Who dares to stop me?!"

As he spoke, a semi-large youth clad in a luxurious robe with golden threads dragged a fragile woman into the hall.

The woman struggled incessantly, crying out, "Let go of me! Benito, let go of me!"

Jenaro felt a moment of dizziness.

Benito's identity was supposed to be top secret. Now, it was all out in the open.

Jenaro's gaze hardened as he looked at Corina.

Two days ago, he had sent Corina away from the capital, never expecting her to have such means to end up with Benito.

With this thought in mind, his eyes grew even colder.

Serena raised an eyebrow lightly.

In the original plot, Corina was not sent away, and Benito encountered her in the palace, instantly falling for her, causing jealousy in Jenaro and leading to the first conflict between them.

Although there were more suitors pursuing Serena initially, the princess of Achillea was reserved and gentle to everyone, making it difficult for others to feel jealous. Jenaro successfully won her over, leaving other suitors disappointed but not resentful, only hoping that this moon-like beauty could live well.

Corina, on the other hand, came from a low background, lacked grace, and was particularly prone to attracting trouble, often ending up in awkward situations and crying in front of Jenaro. Despite condemning himself, Jenaro found himself falling deeper into her charms.

Serena felt no ripples in her heart, even quietly yawning. She had no interest in meddling in the romantic affairs of the main characters. After all, whether it was tragedy or comedy, they would eventually have a happy ending, so it was a waste of emotions.

When Benito burst in, he was arrogant, but upon meeting Jenaro's dark eyes, his fervor diminished by half, and he slightly lowered his head, addressing him as "teacher."

Jenaro took a step forward, his presence imposing.

Benito visibly flinched but persisted, his neck stiffening as he said, "Teacher, I am fond of this woman, but she claims to have offended Belleria King and must live a solitary life, lest she bring harm to those around her. What wrong has she committed to deserve a solitary existence? She is but a weak woman, what has she done to be treated this way?!"

Corina cried and shook her head, "Benito, please stop! Please stop!"

Serena remembered how Jenaro responded in the original plot—Benito, this is a woman who crawled into my bed and was pampered to the point of near death.

Jenaro glanced at her sideways.

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Surprisingly, Serena sensed a hint of guilt in the young king's black eyes.

Jenaro spoke coldly, "Want to marry her? Impossible. This woman's status is lowly; she is a former slave and not a virgin. Your family cannot accept her. If you truly like her, take her back and cherish her in your estate. If I hear even a whisper of news, I will throw her into the abyss."

The change in script seemed unexpected to Benito.

When he was entangled with Corina, he sensed that she had some unspoken secrets, possibly related to her past relationships. Driven by his youthful impetuosity, he brought her here, perhaps partly to assert his dominance over a rival.

But with Jenaro's icy words, his fervor cooled considerably, and he hesitated, addressing him as "teacher."

Jenaro stepped forward.

His aura was imposing.

Benito visibly faltered, but he mustered the courage to say, "Teacher, I have taken a liking to this woman, but she claims to have offended Belleria King and must live a solitary life, lest she bring harm to those around her. What wrong has she committed to deserve such a fate? She is but a weak woman, why must she be treated like this?!"

Corina, crying, shook her head, "Benito, please stop! Please stop!"

Serena couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

She was about to suggest they take their argument outside when Corina suddenly turned her gaze and noticed her.

After a brief moment of surprise, Corina pointed at her, disbelief evident in her voice, "Are you using me as a substitute for her?! Jenaro, you are despicable and shameless! You are simply inhuman! If it weren't for Zhang Mama pitying me and secretly letting me out, I would have been kept in the dark by you for the rest of my life!"

Serena genuinely felt that the female lead in old novels would not survive past three episodes in the modern era.

Too courageous! Even more so than the supposedly arrogant Ivana!

Absolutely ridiculous.

Jenaro's expression was akin to someone who had swallowed a fly.

Serena smiled wryly at him, "Can I rest quietly?"

Jenaro's expression was painful. "It's my fault! I swear I won't..."

She gently interrupted him, "Don't make promises, to avoid disappointing me again."

Jenaro closed his eyes heavily.

He didn't know who he should punish.

He waved his hand, instructing the servants to escort this chaotic group out of the hall.

Serena's indifferent gaze gently avoided Corina, whom she truly disliked.

Serena endured reading this old melodramatic Mary Sue novel for a significant reason—when the female lead, Corina, was being tortured emotionally and physically by the male lead and the malicious female rivals, it made Serena feel satisfied—though it was a rather peculiar mentality.

Before being struck by lightning, Serena had struggled every step of the way, facing immense pressure every day, swimming against the current. Even after becoming a widely acclaimed star, she lived cautiously, as if walking on thin ice.

Everyone had their own hardships, and in front of those who could determine their own fate, every word and action had to be carefully considered, even Ivana, who was known for her arrogance, understood this truth well.

As for Corina, relying on countless melodramatic plot twists, she charged forward recklessly every day, always tempting fate but never succumbing to it. For example, today, whether it was for love or for face, Benito would spare no effort to protect her.

Corina wasn't a bad person, but her saintly demeanor, lack of restraint, and impulsiveness repeatedly led to the downfall of those around her.

Like Zhang Mama, who sneaked her out this morning.

Like Benito tonight.

"Jenaro," Serena called.

The young king turned hurriedly, walking briskly to her side, his eyes flickering with a hint of guilt.

"Don't kill anyone," she said. "Not a single one."

"Alright! I promise."

"And don't use torture," she said. "This is a mess of your own making, so you should bear the punishment yourself."

This was the perfect opportunity to accumulate some guilt points.

Jenaro didn't get angry; instead, his gaze softened. "I'll follow your wishes. Sere, you're too kind."

"Okay, go deal with it," she waved her hand.

The Lady of the Province obediently withdrew.

The female cultivator who had arrived in the hall breathed a sigh of relief. When Jenaro left, she hurriedly knelt before Serena, "Princess!"

She looked up at Serena, her eyes speaking volumes, exuding the kind of affectionate gaze that a mother would have.

What if she didn't recognize her?

"Please rise and follow me to the inner hall for a chat," she turned and walked towards her large cloud bed.

This situation was easy to handle—just feigning amnesia would suffice.

"When I woke up, I forgot many things," Serena expressed sorrow, gently massaging her temples, "May I ask who you are?"

"Oh," the female cultivator hurriedly reassured her, "Princess, there's no need to worry. I'll help you remember little by little. You can call me Sandra, and the princess can call me Aunt Sandra."

Serena's heart trembled slightly.

Sandra. The War Goddess of Achillea.

During the fall of Achillea, Sandra defended the city gates with all her might, fighting until only her skeletal frame remained, yet she held out for a full hour, striking fear into the hearts of the ten-realm coalition forces.

Though briefly mentioned, this War Goddess was one of the few characters in the book that truly moved Serena to tears.

The empathic ability of Serena was much stronger than that of an average person. With just a few words, she could deeply immerse herself in the story—this was why she stood out among the many rising stars and became a widely recognized actress with both talent and popularity.

"Aunt Sandra," she choked up unintentionally.

"Don't worry, princess. I'll help you little by little." Aunt Sandra reached out and gently embraced her, her eyes speaking volumes.

They talked for a while, and then Serena casually mentioned, "Aunt Sandra, I want to cultivate."