"Thanks for taking the trouble, Director Bennett. Really appreciate you escorting the three of them to jail yourself."

"Of course. Just doing my job."

Oscar Bennett nodded and left the room.

Gavin Moore straightened up then, went down on one knee and said seriously, "Your Highness, I was supposed to protect you at all times. I arrived too late this time. Please punish me!"

"It's not your fault," Serena reached out to help him up, her eyes shifting toward Evan who was lying in bed. "Get up. Let's get Evan back to the orphanage first. He's been drugged-he needs to rest and recover."

Gavin quickly responded, "Understood. I'll go call a doctor right away!"

"No need. I've got this."

When Serena said that, only then did Gavin freeze for a second and remember-how could he forget? Her medical skills were unmatched.

Back on the battlefield, she could heal wounds with just a silver needle, turning hopeless cases around and saving countless lives. Honestly, even the top specialists in Draco City combined probably couldn't hold a candle to her.

He'd basically just insulted her "Silver Needle Sage" reputation with that dumb suggestion.

He immediately gave a respectful nod and carefully helped Evan get up.

...

Gavin carried Evan into the car and drove straight to the Angel Orphanage on the outskirts of the city. Evan was the director there. It was also the place Serena had grown up.

She gave him a couple more acupuncture treatments. Watching him start to sweat, she finally pulled out the needle, tugged the blanket up around him, and stepped out into the yard.

Right in the center stood an old tree, thick with green leaves now.

But she still remembered how, when she was just a kid, her brothers would take turns lifting her up to pick the flowers off it and snack on the sweet petals. The poor tree used to get stripped bare because of her.

Now, the new kids were all well-behaved and took great care of it-it stood tall and strong.

She stopped for a moment to take another look before heading toward the classroom.

Thanks to her quiet donations over the years, the desks and books here were always brand new.

But the old, worn desks from her childhood, the pile of secondhand toys in the corner, that teddy bear missing one ear-they were burned into her memory.

When she was five, Evan had found her abandoned in the mountains, feverish and half-conscious. She was unconscious for three days, and it was Evan and her brothers-taking turns wiping her hands and feet with warm water-who had pulled her back from the brink.

They'd taken care of her for seven years.

Little by little, the pain of losing her parents and being left in the wilderness by her aunt started to fade. The orphanage became her true home.

She really believed she'd be able to live a simple, happy life here forever.

But when she turned twelve, life threw her a cruel punch in the gut.

That was when she found out the truth about her parents' death-and when her own aunt framed her and got her locked up.

Since that moment, a fire had started burning in her chest-one of pure revenge, only getting hotter over the years...

"Evan's awake!"

A little girl with pigtails ran up and tugged at her sleeve.

Snapping back to reality, Serena followed the girl into the room.

Evan was already upright, looking much better. Serena brought over a bowl of warm oatmeal and started gently feeding him, spoonful by spoonful.

"Evan, what happened? How did you fall into Cora's trap?"

Evan swallowed and let out a tired sigh, his voice still a bit hoarse. "Cora spent six months chasing me-I turned her down more than once. Guess she couldn't take the rejection. She drugged my drink, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in a hotel room."

Serena's hand froze for a second mid-air. A flicker of coldness flashed in her eyes.Just then, Gavin Moore walked in. "Don't worry, Director Carter. The three from the Bennett family are all on their way to prison."

Evan looked up at him, a flicker of surprise on his face.

Gavin, thinking he was hesitating out of sympathy, quickly added, "They're paying for what they did. They deserve it."

"That's not it," Evan shook his head, his eyes shifting to Serena with quiet pride. "I'm just realizing... she's not the little girl who used to hide behind me and cry anymore."

Serena's heart softened. She set down the bowl in her hands and gently hugged him.

The familiar scent clinging to Evan made her nose tingle. A wave of childhood memories crashed over her-those stormy nights when she'd cried from the thunder, and Evan would hold her, whispering that everything would be okay.

Those were the rare warm moments after losing her parents so young.

"Oh, by the way," she pulled back softly. "Have you heard anything about the other brothers?"

Evan's expression dimmed. He shook his head slowly. "I've been searching ever since I became the director."

"Everyone else but us got adopted," he said, "but strangely, the records for their adoptive parents just... vanished. The rest were there, but not theirs. Maybe the data got lost over time."

"If we can't find them, then so be it." Serena said the words casually, but her eyes flicked briefly to Gavin.

He immediately caught on.

That glance? Her silent order to dig deeper.

He nodded and strode out, pulling out his phone to get in touch with intelligence contacts in the military.

Right then, the quiet was broken by a wave of cheerful chatter outside the door. A group of kids came piling into the room, crowding around Evan excitedly.

"Director Carter!"

"Who's that lady? She's so pretty!"

"Duh! That's the sister he always talks about-Serena!"

Serena looked at their innocent, beaming faces and couldn't help but smile.

"Evan... keeping this place going all these years must've been tough on you."

"Not really," Evan patted the head of a boy standing nearby. "This place and I are both doing fine. You, though... I promised I'd protect you while you grew up, and I failed. You had to go through way too much on your own."

His voice softened. "Tell me, what really happened to you all these years?"

Serena's eyes flickered. She looked away. "I've been okay. It was General Moore who helped overturn the case. That's how I got out."

Gavin had just finished his call and walked back in when he heard his name. He froze for a beat, then played along quickly. "Yeah. You can rest assured, Director. The law won't let the innocent suffer forever."

Evan relaxed a bit and met Gavin's gaze, full of gratitude. "I owe you, General. Without you, who knows how much longer she would've been stuck in there."

"You're too kind, sir."

Gavin nodded politely, but he felt a pang of guilt.

If only he actually had that kind of ability.

Meanwhile, in the Bennett estate-

Oscar Bennett stared coldly at the maid lying bloodied on the floor, her face so disfigured her own mother wouldn't recognize her.

"Take her to the guards. Tell them she's Cora."

"Yes, Director!"

His men dragged the barely conscious woman away, leaving a trail of blood behind.

On the couch, Cora lay sprawled like a spoiled cat, her wrist wrapped up thick enough to pass for a loaf of bread. She snapped impatiently, "You sure that stand-in's wrist looks right? Better not mess this up... I'm not going down for this."

"Relax, I've got this. I picked someone who looks just like you to take the fall. No one's gonna notice a thing."

Cora finally eased up, letting out a snort. "Now that's more like it. Still, I don't buy all that crap about Serena having some kind of powerful background. Come on, you really believe her half-baked skills?"

Oscar Bennett frowned but said nothing, clearly lost in thought.

Just then, a cop stepped in and leaned in to whisper something to him. Oscar's tense face relaxed a little.

"So, she really is Esther's niece? The one who got thrown in jail six years ago? Guess she is part of the Douglas family after all."

He looked toward his subordinate and asked, "You sure you've dug deep enough into Serena's background? No other shady stuff?"

"It's all verified, sir," the officer replied, handing over a file. "She got sentenced to thirty years, but was bailed out right after she got in. We couldn't trace who pulled the strings, though. Just today, General Gavin Moore wiped her record clean, calling it a wrongful conviction. Before this, there's no record of them having any contact."

Oscar let out a slow breath.

So, just some ex-con who got out thanks to someone with power. All that 'Your Highness' nonsense? Probably something Gavin Moore called her for fun.

Cora peeked at the file and suddenly burst out laughing. "Bailed out six years? Please, she was probably toyed with to hell and back by some sick freak. And now she's clinging to General Moore? Told you she was trash pretending to be pure!"

In Draco City, everyone knew the unspoken rule-female inmates had no rights, be it in prison or in front of the elite.

Especially the pretty ones.

By the time they got sentenced, half of them were already secretly auctioned off in underground rings to the highest bidder. The prison just kept record of their 'sentence'. Whether they were in a cell or warming some tycoon's bed? No one really knew.

Someone like Serena-pretty and young-getting bailed out like that? It almost always meant she'd been bought.

Most didn't last two months in that role.

But somehow, Serena was still alive. Not just that, she'd even snagged someone as high up as Gavin Moore.

That face of hers really was something.

The more Cora thought about it, the more bitter she felt. "Then let's get rid of her, Oscar. Get revenge for me!"

Her voice was full of hate, like she couldn't wait to drag Serena in and tear her apart herself.

But Oscar's face turned serious. "Not now."

Cora got impatient. "You're a director now! What's there to be afraid of? She's just a used-up ex-con!"

"It's not her I'm worried about-it's Gavin Moore," Oscar shot her a glance. "Who knows what he sees in Serena right now? Trash or not, if he's interested, and I poke the wrong spot, it's over for us.

"Until we know exactly what's going on, don't make any moves."

"Hmph! Sounds to me like you're falling for that skank too!" Cora said with a pout.

Oscar paused but didn't argue. Instead, he spoke gently, "Don't worry. I'll get her back for you. Promise."

That finally calmed Cora down a bit. But as she replayed Gavin Moore's face in her mind, her eyes glazed over with infatuation.

"Still... Gavin Moore's seriously good-looking. Way hotter than Evan. If I could marry him... someone like Serena wouldn't even matter. I'd crush her easily."

She'd only heard stories from Oscar about Gavin's military rep before, but seeing him in person today? He was the real deal.

Family name, face, skills-he checked every box.

"Help me out, Oscar. I wanna be Mrs. Gavin Moore!" she clung to his arm, pleading sweetly. "I mean, if someone like Serena can get his attention, then a family like ours? He'd totally go for me!"

Oscar Bennett frowned as he watched his sister's starry-eyed look, his face practically screaming "ugh."

Marry Gavin Moore?

What kind of wild, unrealistic fantasy was that supposed to be?

Serena? She was a plaything, someone fun to look at, not someone worth marrying.

Marriage? That was a whole different level. This was Gavin Moore they were talking about. Even if the Bennetts skyrocketed ten ranks up the social ladder, they still wouldn't be in the same league as the Moores.

And let's be real-just on appearances alone, Serena was in a league of her own. After seeing someone like her, why would Gavin even glance at Cora?

Still, when he saw the hope in Cora's eyes, Oscar half-heartedly nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll see what I can do."

The next morning.

At the orphanage.

Evan woke up earlier than expected-his meds had mostly worn off.

When he opened the door, he found Serena already out in the courtyard working out.

Her sharp movements, steady and powerful-

This wasn't the Serena he remembered.

She had changed, clearly. Gone through things she never talked about, but it was written all over her now-strong form.

He stayed quiet, wanting to keep watching for a bit longer. But she already noticed him and came over.

"Evan, it's not even light out. Why are you up already?"

He gave a soft "Mhm," grabbed a towel from the laundry line, and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"You're up early too, huh? Morning training and all?"

"Yup, body just wakes me up."

Serena leaned in, giving him a sweet grin. "You heading out for something?"

Evan nodded, pulling out a note he'd jotted down days ago.

He was supposed to buy supplies yesterday-until someone slipped something in his tea.

"We restock every six months. Missed it yesterday, so I've gotta go today or we'll run out of the basics."

If not for the mess with Cora, all the supplies would've been here by now.

He hated seeing the kids eat nothing but wilted cabbage last night. That didn't sit right with him.

"I'll take care of it instead," Serena suggested. "You're still recovering, and moving around too much will just spread what's left of that toxin through your system. Rest is the best thing for you right now."

Evan's first reaction was to disagree, "You're still young. What if someone tricks you out there?"

Then he paused, realizing she wasn't a kid anymore.

"That's fair. But since you've never handled this, I've got to tell you a few things-cough, cough!"

The morning air was chill.

Serena quickly helped him back to bed, sitting down to hear him list off all the little details.

The school supplies needed to have cute cartoons, and the soy sauce had to be that old local brand from Draco City...

"Evan, I'm not a little kid anymore," Serena interrupted, feeling his forehead with her hand. "Still got a bit of a temp. Just rest. I've got the shopping handled."

He blinked, dazed. "You're just like when you were small, always thinking of me first. Back then, barely waist-high but still trying to carry things for me..."

Serena just smiled, fed him a mild sedative, and waited for him to drift off before quietly stepping out.

Outside the courtyard, Gavin Moore was already there.

She handed him the list.

"You heard everything. Just follow that list. I want you to handle this personally. I don't trust anyone else."

Gavin took it, but didn't immediately agree like he usually would.

"Your Highness, I'm worried the Bennetts might try something."

Serena gave a short laugh. "The Bennetts? You think I'd be scared of them?"

Of course Gavin didn't.

He was a top-ranking general, and he'd already lost to her more than once.

The Bennetts? Just background noise. They were nowhere near being her threat.

But his top priority was protecting Her Highness-even if it cost his life, he couldn't let her get hurt.

So Gavin Moore still looked uneasy. "I'm worried that once the Bennett family finds out I'm leaving Draco City, they'll go all out to get back at you."

Serena gave a faint smirk, her fingers brushing over the sharp flower dart hidden in her pouch. "Perfect. If they're dumb enough to come looking for trouble, I'll treat it as training."

Gavin believed in Her Highness' skills, of course. But what worried him were the dirty tricks the Douglas and Bennett families might resort to.

Still, he knew her temper too well. There was no changing her mind now, so he could only bow his head and answer, "I'll return as soon as I can."

Morning light pierced the sky.

After checking Evan's pulse, Serena gave him one final acupuncture treatment.

He coughed up a thick stream of black blood before falling back unconscious.

Her eyes turned cold.

Cora had really gone for the kill this time.

Even after all those needles, he still vomited so much poison. If she hadn't shown up in time yesterday, and let him suffer the drug overnight with those three women circling like sharks... he'd be dead by now.

She wasn't letting the Bennetts off the hook for this.

Just as she was thinking that, the iron gate outside the orphanage was kicked open with a loud clang.

Well, that was fast.

But it wasn't the Bennetts. It was that limping blond thug-Dylan Price.

Thank goodness the kids had gone out with their teacher to draw today. Otherwise, she might've had to fight differently.

Serena closed Evan's door behind her and turned to see Dylan swaggering into the orphanage with a few guys, dragging along a skinny little figure.

It was that pigtail girl, Sarah-the one who clutched her coat yesterday.

"Serena!" Dylan's voice was raspy and mean. His good leg was shaking, and he shoved Sarah in front of him.

The second Serena stepped out, he flinched back half a step, the crushed bone in his knee still throbbing.

Sarah had never seen anything like this before. Her tiny face turned pale, and the moment she saw Serena, tears poured down her cheeks. "Serena, help me... please..."

"Let her go."

Serena's gaze went icy in a flash.

Six years ago, Esther pinned a murder on a child. Now her lapdog learned to use kids to force her hand too.

But this wasn't the same Serena from back then. She wasn't that twelve-year-old who could only watch helplessly as everything fell apart.

She looked down at Sarah and gave her a soft smile. "Hey, be a good girl. Close your eyes and count to three. I'll take you home for candy after."

Sarah nodded, scared but obedient, and squeezed her eyes shut.

The very next second, just as the thugs reached for their knives, two flashes of silver shot through the air.

Swish, swish!

Flower darts slammed straight into the eyes of the two men holding Sarah.

"Aaargh!!"

Their screams tore through the morning air.

Serena charged forward, yanking Sarah behind her. "Get inside! Hands over your eyes, don't come out!"

The little girl stumbled toward the door-then stopped.

The orphanage director always said: when things get scary, you don't run. You protect the people you care about.

Serena was protecting her. She couldn't be a coward.

So she turned around, hiding behind the door and peeking out through the crack.

Outside, Serena moved like a gust of wind. Before any of the thugs could react, her darts were already hitting their joints.

One by one, those vicious-looking tough guys collapsed to the ground howling in pain.In a flash, Serena landed right in front of Dylan Price, stomping her foot down on his uninjured leg.

A sickening crack echoed in the air.

Dylan screamed like he was being skinned alive. "Ah! My leg! Damn it, my leg!"

Looking down at him with a mocking smile, Serena said, "Well, both legs are busted now. Perfect excuse to get used to a wheelchair."

Drenched in cold sweat, Dylan still forced himself to talk tough. "Don't get ahead of yourself! Ms. Douglas won't let you off the hook!"

"You mean Esther?"

Serena chuckled, voice calm yet chilling. "Wanna live? Simple. Bring me Esther's head, and maybe I'll let you crawl away."

"Never! Even if I die, I won't turn on her-AHHH! That hurts, damn it!"

He hadn't even finished shouting when Serena added pressure to his leg, causing his face to contort in unspeakable pain. His eyes darted to his fallen men scattered across the floor-each one with their eyes wide open, dying in disbelief.

All of them got wiped out. Just like that.

And she-Serena-had done it alone.

These were trained ex-military or mercenaries handpicked by Esther. How the hell did they get shredded so fast? By one woman?

Now he couldn't even crawl-his legs totally ruined.

Serena tilted her head, still smiling. "I gotta admit, your loyalty's impressive. Honestly, being taken out by the Scarlet Valkyrie herself? That's not the worst way to go."

Dylan jerked his head up like he'd been electrocuted. His voice cracked. "Wait-what?! You're the Scarlet Valkyrie?"

There was only one Scarlet Valkyrie across the whole of Darania-an unbeatable legend.

Dead-on aim with a gun, unmatched with hidden weapons, reclaimed lost ground single-handedly... A nightmare to enemy elites.

Dylan's eyes snapped to his comrades' corpses again, finally noticing the flower-shaped mark at each of their deadly wounds.

Crimson spider lilies-her signature.

The symbol of death from hell.

He started shaking all over. So she... Serena... was the Scarlet Valkyrie?!

"Your Highness! I was wrong! I didn't know it was you! Please, spare me-I know something about your parents' deaths!"

"Talk."

"The one who took out your father wasn't just Esther. There was someone el-"

Serena cut him off before the relief could even hit his face. "Yeah. I already knew."

Her eyes turned to ice, and without a backward glance, she walked toward the orphanage. One hand rose to shield Sarah's eyes while the other slipped behind her back, fingers curling around a hidden blade.

Thwip.

A flash of silver.

Another flower dart buried clean through Dylan's forehead.

He collapsed with his eyes wide open, never believing the legend could really be his end.

Serena closed the door behind her, the blood-soaked world left on the other side.

She crouched down and ruffled little Sarah's hair. "Didn't I say to cover those little eyes? No lollipop today, okay?"

Sarah clenched her tiny fists, eyes sparkling with adoration. "When I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you and protect everyone!"

No more hiding behind others. She wanted to be the one standing in front.

Serena didn't notice the shift in the kid's heart, only smiled as she pinched her soft cheek.

Lifting Sarah in her arms, she carried her inside. "Okay, then. Try your best, alright? And about what you saw today... shh. That's between us. Promise?"

Sarah nodded so fast her ponytail bounced. Then she held out her pinkie. "Promise! Pinkie swear!"