Athena looked at Xander’s face, somewhat confused by his words.

Athena frowned. "What does he mean, Ferris is actually enjoying this?" she wondered.

Athena frowned as she thought, then suddenly understood what Xander meant.

“No way," Athena retorted, unable to stomach the implication. "Ferris may seem aloof, but he’s absolutely not the kind of man..."

Xander’s expression remained calm, yet his gaze was stubbornly fixed on Athena. "People change," he said.

“But…” Athena’s eyes darted around uncertainly. Suddenly, she recalled Ferris’s reaction from earlier, and the words died on her lips.

“Normally, given Ferris’s character, he would never yield to Lizzie,” Athena thought.

But today, Ferris was acting so out of character.

Athena’s fists clenched tightly, then went limp as she released them helplessly.

Xander saw the struggle in her eyes and gently patted her shoulder. “Athena, this is his choice."

Athena looked up again, her eyes rimmed with red. “But I just want him to be happy,” she choked out.

Athena thought, “I should have seen this coming when Ferris became the Imperial Overseer.

Athena realized that she and Ferris were drifting further and further apart.

"I get it,” Athena thought. “No wonder Ferris came rushing to see me today and said all those puzzling things.”

“Ferris has moved on with his life. What about you?” Xander asked Athena.

Athena looked at him blankly. “I… I don’t know.”

Xander smiled, though the smile was tinged with bitterness. “It’s alright,” he said gently. “Take your time to think. I’ll be here, waiting for you."

Xander’s sudden confession left Athena completely at a loss.

Their relationship was now hopelessly tangled, like a ball of yarn that no one could unravel.

A sudden gust of cold wind made Athena shiver involuntarily.

Xander noticed how frail Athena looked in the chilly wind. Without hesitation, he slipped off his cloak and gently draped it over her shoulders.

“Come on, I’ll send you home,” Xander said gently.

The carriage that had been following at a short distance pulled up, and Athena got into it.

“Thank you,” Athena said through the carriage window to Xander.

Xander gave her a gentle smile and said, “Go on.”

The carriage slowly rolled away. Xander stood rooted to the spot, watching until it disappeared into the distance before finally turning his gaze away.

Ansel let out a soft sigh behind him. “Master, why didn’t you escort Lady Athena home?”

“She needs some peace and rest right now. I don’t want to burden her any further,” Xander said, his gaze shifting into the distance, a dangerous glint flickering in his eyes.

Chapter 268

Ansel’s expression tightened as he tentatively asked, “Master, do you want me to go to Lizzie’s?”

Xander fixed Ansel with an icy stare that sent chills down his spine.

Ansel instantly snapped to attention and bowed respectfully. “Understood.”

Lizzie's Manor

Lizzie turned to her manor, too excited to sleep.

Her male favorites in the manor swarmed around her, fawning. “Princess, you wouldn’t leave us behind, would you?” the others echoed in their flattery.

“Princess, what will become of us if you get married?”

A group of exquisitely groomed male consorts clustered around Lizzie, their eyes brimming with anxious concern.

They were terrified that Lizzie would cast them aside, forcing them back into a life of hardship and poverty.

Staying with Lizzie meant a life of endless luxury and privilege – they’d never dream of leaving her.

Lizzie lounged lazily on the divan, her gaze drifting from one favorite to another, unwilling to part with any of them.

Every single one of these male consorts had been painstakingly handpicked by Lizzie after an exhaustive search.

Each of them bore some resemblance to Ferris – whether in the eyes, the mouth, or the bridge of the nose.

Lizzie reached out and cupped the chin of her nearest favorite, a doting smile playing on her lips. She cooed, “You’re all my precious darlings. How could I ever bear to part with any of you?”

“But what happens to us if you get married?”

“Of course, I will keep you all,” Lizzie said with a smile. “As long as you behave and don’t cause me trouble, no one will ever be able to pry you away from my side.”

With Lizzie’s assurance, all the male favorites broke into satisfied smiles.

Lizzie’s male favorites pulled out all the stops to curry favor with her.

Before long, the room was filled with unmistakable sounds of passion that would make anyone blush.

Ansel perched on a large tree in the courtyard, arms crossed and eyes squeezed shut, his brows furrowed in clear disgust.

“To marry a woman like that,” Ansel thought, "Ferris is truly cursed."

A sudden voice from behind startled Ansel. “What, too squeamish to go inside?”

He whirled around to find a woman clad in black standing behind him, her face as cold as ice.

Ansel quickly wiped the casualness from his eyes and said seriously, “Of course not. I was just thinking about how to teach them a lesson and get some justice for Miss Monson."

“Useless,” Jessa sneered coldly. She pulled her mask over her face and, in a flash, launched herself into the room.

With lightning speed, she vanished in the blink of an eye.

Ansel’s face fell at the thought of the scene inside. “Wait!” he blurted out, alarmed.

"What is happening inside is not very pleasant to the eyes," Ansel thought.

Chapter 268

He hurried after her.

Suddenly, with a resounding crash, a door panel came bursting straight at him.

The door panel whizzed past him, narrowly missing him, and slammed into the other side with a tremendous thud.

Suddenly, panicked shouts erupted throughout the manor. “Assassin! Protect the princess! Protect the princess!”

When Ansel leaped into the room, he saw bodies strewn haphazardly across the floor.

There were maids, attendants, and several stark naked men sprawled haphazardly across the floor.

Lizzie lay sprawled on the floor, barely covered, her body paralyzed, yet her mind painfully alert.

Lizzie stared in horror at the assassin who had suddenly burst in, her eyes wide with terror, unable to utter a single word.

Before Ansel could get a clear look, a pair of hands covered his eyes. From behind, Jessa said, “Don’t look, unless you want to go blind.”

Before he knew what was happening, he felt himself yanked backward by the collar and whisked away from the scene.

The assassin struck and vanished without a trace.

By the time the manor guards rushed to the scene, the intruders had already vanished without a trace.

“Your Highness, Your Highness!” The guards hovered anxiously at the doorway, not daring to barge in, afraid of witnessing something inappropriate. Lizzie lay sprawled on the floor, her face contorted with fury. “Out! All of you, out this instant! Only the maids may enter, your princess commands it!”

Before she could even process what was happening, Lizzie found herself sprawled on the floor.

All of her male favorites, however, had lost their lives.

Lizzie was absolutely livid – these were her most treasured consorts!

“Damn assassins!” Lizzie seethed. “If they're ever caught, I’ll tear them limb from limb!”

The guards, fully aware of what was going on inside, all withdrew sheepishly.

The maids and matrons hurried in and finally helped Lizzie to her feet.

Only after witnessing this did Jessa take Ansel and leave.

The next day, news of the attack on Lizzie’s manor spread throughout the capital.

Upon hearing the news, Athena fell silent for a moment.

Athena instinctively glanced at Jessa, who immediately tilted her head skyward, rubbed her nose, and muttered under her breath, “That has nothing to do with me?”

Jessa’s blatant act was anything but convincing.

Athena shook her head. She knew it couldn’t be that simple.

Athena stared fixedly at Jessa, her crystal-clear, piercing eyes seeming to see straight through to her soul.

“Jessa, who on earth are you?” Athena asked.