"So, did you marry me because you truly liked me, or simply because your mother chose me for you?" Barrett asked softly.Carissa replied, "That question is pointless.""I want to know," he insisted quickly.Carissa's brow furrowed again. "Barrett, you've never understood your place. When you were my husband, you didn't get it. You're Aurora's husband now, and you still don't get it."Barrett's eyes darkened as he looked at her, his tone turning cold. "So, you never really liked me. You married me only because your mother told you to. I knew it! I just wanted to have another wife, but you immediately went to the palace to request a divorce. You never had any feelings for me. You were the one who was heartless first, but you made it seem like I wronged you!"Hearing that, Carissa grew exasperated. "Whether I had feelings for you or not is beside the point. From the day I entered the Warren family, I served your parents without a single day of neglect. "I did my duty. I was dev
Siege warfare was the most brutal battle.From the walls of Simonton City, crossbow machines aimed at the soldiers below. As before, they relied on those skilled in Lightfoot Skill to scale the walls. However, this time, the walls of Simonton City had been reinforced and heightened. In just ten days, the Sandorian army had raised the walls by a meter, leaving only Rafael, Carissa, Violet, and a few others capable of reaching the top.Timothy struggled initially, unable to fly up. After several attempts, he finally made it, but an enemy spear thrust towards him as soon as he landed. He fell straight down, only to be saved by Violet, who kicked the enemy away and threw her whip, lashing it around Timothy to pull him up.With Violet rescuing Timothy, Cynthia immediately covered her, blocking enemy spears that reached out.Amidst the throng of enemies, Carissa and Rafael destroyed two crossbow machines. Carissa shouted to the Mystic Army, "Deploy the catapults!"Michael relayed th
Below the walls, Barrett was aiding in the siege when he noticed Aurora leading her troops behind him. Startled, he demanded, "What are you doing here? The marshal ordered you to stay in the rear with General Murray!""I told you, I'm here to help you gain merit," Aurora replied, her eyes flashing with determination. "Breaking through the city is a primary achievement. We can't let Carissa and her group take all the credit! Besides, when you present yourself before the military council and the king, you can mention that I fought in the vanguard.""But you shouldn't disobey military orders!" Barrett said, exasperated."It doesn't matter as long as you achieve merit," Aurora said fearlessly. She was going to receive lashes after the battle, anyway. That aside, she was confident Rafael wouldn't kill her. She was Starhaven's first female general, whom the empress dowager had acknowledged personally. She fought for the dignity of all women in the world!Moreover, she was unsettled b
Upon hearing Aurora's words, Barrett felt a chill in his heart. Furious, he shouted, "They don't need to sacrifice themselves! The Mystic Army is leading the siege! We're just supporting them. Even if you're here to help me, you could have them load stones instead of sending them to their deaths!"Michael no longer cared about the chaos, and commanded, "Mystic Army, up the ladders! If anyone’s not part of our unit, kick them down!"The Mystic Army, initially stunned, quickly regained their composure. They began climbing the ladders again, pulling down or kicking off anyone not wearing Mystic Army armor. People continued to fall, but they at least had a chance to survive without being speared.Seeing the situation coming under control, Barrett shoved Aurora aside. "Go cry somewhere else!"He rushed to the catapults, and instructed, "Keep loading the stones! Keep firing!"Aurora stood and wiped away her tears, her expression hardening. She ordered her soldiers to fall back, waitin
The battlefield had moved inside Simonton City. From the moment the siege began, the citizens locked their doors and hid inside their homes. The Sandoria soldiers had enslaved the people, and even abused women during their occupation. Despite knowing that the city would be a battlefield after the gates fell, the townsfolk fervently hoped the Hell Monarch Army would drive the Sandoria soldiers away.As the fierce battle raged, Aurora charged into the city with the main army and quickly fought her way to the front lines. Though she wasn’t the only female general, she was the only one wearing a custom battle robe specially made for her by the Ministry of Defense. Her armor featured a red headscarf, symbolizing her determination to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her male counterparts.Despite the chaotic fighting, she stood out like a sore thumb.Liam spotted her, as did many Westhaven soldiers.The strategy to target her began. The Westhaven troops she pursued began a strategic r
Liam and Victor were still not on the battlefield. They stood on high ground, watching the battle unfold. The city was littered with corpses. There were fallen soldiers everywhere, and the blood almost seemed to stain the city red. The majority of the dead were Westhaven and Sandoria soldiers. The battle in this trapped city was all about courage; no tactics could be applied any longer.Victor understood it was only a matter of time before they would have to give up the Southern Frontier. After entering Simonton City, he saw clearly that the Westhaven forces were only there to take out their frustration on Starhaven soldiers and to kill a general named Aurora. They lacked the resolve to defeat Starhaven, and had no intention of dividing the Southern Frontier with Sandoria. Their motives were driven more by anger than by a strategic goal.Victor was furious. If not for the Westhaven forces, the Sandoria forces might have been defeated long ago. If that happened, fewer battles woul
The sudden retreat of the Sandoria and Westhaven soldiers left the Starhaven army stunned.When they heard the retreating horns, they thought the Sandoria army might be using some kind of tactic to lure them in. After thinking it over, the Starhaven army realized there was no need to chase them after they left Simonton City. Their goal was to drive them away, not wipe out the entire army.The Starhaven army could only watch as their foes fled, abandoning their armor and weapons in their hasty retreat. Was victory really that easy?They had prepared themselves to fight to the last breath. With Westhaven making such a grand effort to assist, how could they possibly retreat so easily? Even with Rafael personally on the battlefield, it was a fierce fight. The reality was just as harsh—everywhere was filled with corpses, and the city was drenched in blood. Even the falling snow couldn't cover up the overwhelming stench of blood.Simonton City was vast, and beyond the city, there wer
The Westhaven soldiers surrounding Aurora were numerous. She struggled to hold her ground. Glancing around, she saw even more of them converging on her position.They hadn’t engaged in the main battlefield but had been lying in wait, preparing an ambush specifically for her. It dawned on her that while her previous use of this tactic had yielded significant gains, this time, it had led her straight into a trap.Her martial skills, slightly superior to those of her cousin Zeke, allowed her to hold off the attackers for a while. However, her soldiers were falling around her, one by one, into pools of blood. The Westhaven troops showed no mercy, their ruthless efficiency revealing them to be elite forces.Panic gripped Aurora’s heart. She tried to escape, but Westhaven soldiers surrounded her, their long blades blocking any possible retreat. She fought back in desperation and panic, but fear drained her strength. As a blade descended toward her arm, she instinctively pushed a nearby so