Jason Liu told Kent and Chris to stay and wait for news from the servant, while he took Dicken and Rubin to the courtyard beyond the Broken Tower.
The last time he walked around Winterfell, he had taken note of where the ruined tower was located.
Along the way, they passed several people hurrying about Winterfell, but no one stopped him. These people assumed the Lord of Starfire City was once again visiting Winterfell as a guest.
Soon, they arrived at the desolate courtyard where the ruined tower stood. Due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds.
Jason Liu crossed the courtyard and glanced toward the entrance of the ruined tower. He didn't dare to go in—who knew if he might be struck by a falling stone?
Come to think of it, he really admired Jaime and Cersei's audacity. This broken and dangerous tower—yet those two reckless lovers weren't afraid of it collapsing and burying them alive.
If that were to happen, it would be quite the scene to dig through the rubble and unearth a naked Queen and her champion.
Of course, that was just idle musing. The tower didn't look like it would collapse anytime soon.
As Jaime and Cersei slipped away from their servants and entered the courtyard of the ruined tower, they happened to run into Jason Liu and his two guards, Dicken and Rubin, just emerging from the tower entrance.
Queen Cersei's face turned pale, her heart pounding nervously. Thankfully, she and Jaime hadn't entered the tower yet—if the foreign count had caught them, it would have been disastrous.
The smile on Jaime's face disappeared instantly. He had calculated that this place was secluded and rarely visited—but who could have predicted the Earl of Starfire City would appear here?
Suddenly, the desire clouding Jaime's judgment evaporated. Fear struck him. If he and Cersei had gone into the tower first, they might have been caught.
If their scandal were exposed, King Robert, realizing he had been cuckolded, might not only execute both him and Cersei, but also destroy the Lannister family entirely.
Though Robert often ignored politics in favor of drinking and womanizing, his control over the Seven Kingdoms remained strong.
As long as he lived, no one in Westeros would dare to rebel.
The fear in Jaime's heart completely crushed the lust from earlier. At this point, he had no desire for pleasure at all.
All he wanted now was to leave. Gods, how could he have come up with such a bold idea—to have an affair in this unfamiliar place in Winterfell?
Looking back, reason having conquered impulse, Jaime was filled with regret and lingering dread.
Seeing the frightened expressions on the pair, Jason Liu guessed they had come to their senses.
Anyone with a functioning brain wouldn't risk such a thing in an unfamiliar location. For nobles like them, discovery would mean a disgraceful and possibly deadly end.
Watching the visibly shaken Jaime and Cersei, Jason Liu laughed inwardly, but on the surface he acted respectful, bowing his head toward Cersei. "Your Majesty the Queen—"
Cersei was filled with regret now, cursing herself for listening to Jaime's tempting proposal. Thankfully, her worst fears hadn't come true.
She looked at Jason Liu, who bowed to her, recalling the grand gifts he had brought—especially the exquisite makeup and dresses Lady Catelyn had shown her. Cersei still remembered him.
"Sir, I must thank you for the gifts you gave us. They are beautiful, and I like them very much," Cersei said, gradually regaining her regal demeanor. She raised her chin slightly, her green eyes proud.
Though she was offering thanks, her tone was still laced with arrogance.
Ser Jaime glanced at Jason Liu, then at the sturdy guards, Dicken and Rubin. "Lord East, what are you doing here?"
He turned to glance around the barren courtyard, feigning confusion. "There's nothing worth seeing here."
Jason Liu maintained his polite smile. "I was looking for Bran, Lord Eddard's second son. But it seems the little fellow isn't here."
Cersei had completely lost the mood for any rendezvous and now just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Her beautiful face was visibly impatient.
"Alright, Jaime, let's go. There's nothing to see here except weeds and that crumbling tower... Hurry up. We're leaving!"
With that, Cersei turned and walked away.
A helpless smile formed on Jaime's handsome face. He shrugged at Jason Liu. "Well then, farewell, Lord Jason East!"
Watching Jaime and Cersei leave, Jason Liu finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn't have to worry about the Bran boy getting caught up in anything now.
Moments later, Rubin's voice broke the silence.
"My lord, it's Bran—" Rubin pointed toward a nearby rooftop, where the boy was moving toward the tower.
Jason looked up and saw the child, perched on the roof of the castle near the tower, trotting toward the edge and preparing to climb the ruined structure.
Jason Liu raised his hand to quiet Rubin, worried they might startle the boy and cause him to fall.
If Bran were frightened by them and accidentally fell, it would be a disaster—especially with the Lannister siblings involved.
He told Dicken and Rubin to stay put and not follow. Then Jason slowly approached the ruined tower, lowered his voice, and called out gently, "Bran, wait a moment!"
Bran, who had one foot on the moss-covered wall of the ruined tower, turned his head at the familiar voice.
"Hey, Lord Jason!" he called, waving down at him.
Jason Liu put on a casual tone. "Bran, I had the servants looking for you earlier. I brought some new toys and was going to give them to you—but I didn't expect you to be here."
"New toys?"
Hearing that, Bran's face lit up with excitement. "Lord Jason, where are the toys? Are they for me?"
Toys, my ass—it was just the leftover junk in the castle storeroom.
Still, Jason smiled and said, "Yes, I'm planning to give them to you. But they're still back at my castle. If you want them, you'll have to come get them with me."
"Of course! I'll come down right now! Wait for me!" Bran shouted cheerfully, already scrambling down the tower wall with both hands and feet.
Damn—Jason Liu's heart skipped a beat watching the scene.
He was terrified that if the boy slipped and fell, he—an innocent bystander—would be blamed by the Lannisters for the tragedy.
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