Chapter 29
Serena's return sent shockwaves through Roconia. The Duke of Wilde's mansion was the first to experience a violent upheaval. After the initial shock, the head butler quickly summoned several long-serving servants for a private confirmation. Although years had passed, and time and hardship had left their mark on Serena, subtle habits, childhood memories, and knowledge of some unknown past events within the mansion gradually led these old servants to believe that this was indeed the young lady they thought had perished at sea.
However, the skepticism was equally intense. Several distant relatives, who had long coveted the title and the vast inheritance, united to publicly question Serena's identity. They accused her of an elaborate deception, a despicable imposter attempting to steal the Wilde family's glory and wealth. They submitted a formal appeal to the Senate, demanding the most rigorous bloodline verification and a suspension of the succession process.
The Senate was thrust into the eye of the storm. On one side was the seemingly resurrected and unequivocally legitimate heir, and on the other was the outraged branch, also possessing the blood of Wilde. With Emperor Lucien remaining silent and offering no clear stance, the Senate could only act according to ancient laws and customs.
A public identity hearing has been scheduled. This is not only a legal process, but will also be a litmus test for determining the future of the Wilder family and for assessing the new emperor's attitude.
Inside Duke Wilde's mansion, Serena temporarily moved into her former bedroom. The room remained as opulent as ever, yet it felt cold and unfamiliar. But she had no time for sentimentality, for she needed evidence, she needed witnesses, and she needed to irrefutably prove herself to be Serena Wilde in this destined-to-be-difficult hearing.
Mara became her shadow and her blade. They secretly contacted the old servants who remained loyal to the Duke and were willing to testify for Serena. An old woman who had been Serena's wet nurse in her childhood pointed out, with trembling hands, a tiny, barely visible scar behind Serena's ear, a result of an accident in her childhood. An old gardener recalled that the young lady had buried a "treasure box" under a specific cherry blossom tree when she was a child.
At the same time, Serena, relying on her memory, accurately recounted the subtle evolution of the family crest, some secret anecdotes about the ancestors that only direct descendants knew, and even pointed out the existence of a hidden compartment in the mansion—things that outsiders could not easily learn.
However, the opposing side was also actively maneuvering. They bribed some so-called "witnesses" who claimed to have seen other women resembling Serena in Freeport or elsewhere before or after the "shipwreck," attempting to question the authenticity of her survival story. In the media, various rumors unfavorable to her began to circulate, portraying her as a cunning opportunist.
On the eve of the hearing, a cold rain fell in Rokonia. Serena stood by her bedroom window, gazing at the city lights blurred by the rain.
"Are you ready?" Mara's voice rang out behind her.
Serena turned around, her face devoid of fear, only displaying a tempered calm and unwavering resolve. "I must be prepared," she said softly, her gaze as firm as a rock. "This is not only for the title and the inheritance, but also for my father, and for myself. I want everyone to know that Serena Wilde has returned alive, and is no longer that spoiled and willful young lady, but the heir to the Wilde family."
She smoothed out the dignified and simple dark dress she was wearing, which she had prepared for tomorrow.
The next day, in the Senate chamber, solemn and dignified, every seat was taken. The empire's most illustrious nobles, judges, and the Senate President, who sat in the main seat representing the emperor's will, all turned their gaze to the slender yet upright figure standing in the center.
Serena Wilde, all alone, faced countless scrutinizing, suspicious, and even hostile gazes, slightly raised her chin.
Meanwhile, Lucien, high above in the palace, calmly observed all of this through secret reports from his trusted confidants.
Inside the Senate chamber, the air was so heavy it seemed you could wring water out of it. Beneath the towering dome, Serena Wilde stood alone in the center, like a sapling standing tall in the cold wind. Opposite her were several distant relatives, their faces contorted with righteous indignation and spittle flying, along with their hired, silver-tongued lawyers.
"Honorable elders!" an uncle named Osmond declared eloquently, his finger almost poking Serena's face. "This woman, this imposter of unknown origin! She fabricated an absurd story of surviving a shipwreck! Who can prove it? Who can prove she wasn't already lurking in Cador, waiting for her chance?"
The lawyer immediately interjected, unfolding a document: "We have witnesses who can testify that, before the so-called 'shipwreck,' they saw someone resembling this 'lady' in the port of Losca, Cador! The timing doesn't match! This is enough to show that her story is full of holes!"
The wave of doubt seemed to engulf Serena. Whispers arose in the audience, and many eyes were filled with suspicion.
The Senate President, a white-haired, stern-faced old man seated in the main seat, tapped his scepter to signal silence. His cloudy yet sharp eyes looked at Serena: "Miss Wilder, what is your explanation for the time discrepancy raised by the other party, and for the witness's claim that he saw you in Port Losca?"
All eyes immediately focused on Serena.
Serena showed no panic; she even slightly raised her chin, a cold sneer flashing in her blue eyes. Instead of answering the Speaker's question directly, she turned to her cousin, Osmond.
“Uncle Osmond,” her voice was clear and steady, echoing in the silent hall, “you and your friends seem to know a great deal about my ‘shipwreck’ experience, and can even pinpoint exactly where I should have been and where I shouldn’t have been before the ‘shipwreck’ happened.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over her cousins, her tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning: "This is truly... astonishing. After all, according to official imperial records and the rumors circulating, I, 'Serena Wilde,' perished in a shipwreck en route to the Free Port of the Glass Islands."
She deliberately emphasized the words "free port".
"And the basis for your accusation is that a witness saw me in the port of Losca, Cador." A faint, cold smile curved her lips. "Excuse me, why would a ship whose destination is the Free Port of the Glass Islands have its passengers already in Losca, a port city in Cador that is neither the port of departure nor the destination, before its voyage has even begun?"
An eerie silence instantly fell over the council chamber.
Uncle Osmond and the lawyer he hired suddenly changed their expressions! They realized they had made a fatal mistake—in their eagerness to prove that Serena's experience was fabricated, they had confused the crucial information about the "Siren's Song" route! The so-called "time contradiction" evidence they presented was based on a flawed premise!
Serena gave them no chance to breathe. She turned to the Speaker, her tone becoming calm and forceful: "Speaker, elders. The core of the opposing accusation is based on a flawed premise. They are trying to use my presence in Losca to deny a shipwreck on the way to the Free Port, which is logically untenable."
She continued, her gaze sweeping over her pale-faced cousins: "I did indeed stop at Losca Port. Losca Port is a crucial transit point on the journey from the southern border of the Empire to the Broken Isles, which makes perfect sense. My whereabouts there do not contradict my journey to Freeport and my experience of being shipwrecked. On the contrary—"
Her voice rose slightly, carrying an undeniable sharpness: "—The other side is so eager, even resorting to false information to frame me and try to deprive me of my inheritance rights. Isn't it worth pondering the motives behind this? Are they truly concerned about the purity of the Wilder family's bloodline, or are they more concerned about... the title and inheritance that should rightfully belong to me?"
One fatal blow!
Instead of getting bogged down in the details of survival that were difficult to fully verify, Serena astutely seized upon the fatal flaw in the other party's logic and seized the opportunity to point the finger at their greedy motives.
An uproar erupted in the gallery! The situation had instantly reversed. Several elders whispered among themselves, their gazes towards Osmond and the others filled with scrutiny and disdain.
Uncle Osmond's face flushed red, and he opened his mouth to defend himself, only to find himself trapped in his own scheme, leaving him speechless. His lawyer, sweating profusely, tried to salvage the situation, but to no avail.
Serena stood there quietly, saying nothing more. She knew she had won this round. She had not only defused the opponent's attack, but also sown deep suspicion about the doubter's motives in the hearts of the Senate and all the onlookers.
Lucien, perched high in the palace, learned of everything that had happened in the council chamber through a secret report. When he heard how Serena calmly seized the opponent's weakness and launched a brilliant counterattack, a complex and unfathomable glint flashed in his deep purple eyes.
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