Cece Spencer, of course, was none other than Celeste Kingsley.After the birth of their son, she had blossomed anew. Her figure was as slender and graceful as ever, untouched by the weight of motherhood. Despite the harsh winds and biting cold of last year's winter in the Southern Frontier, she had flourished. Her complexion was as smooth as silk, and she radiated a delicate allure that made it impossible to look away.In the estate, everything of value seemed to be reserved for her. Each day, she indulged in camel's milk stews and royal jelly soup, soaking in sheep's milk baths—luxuries she had no qualms about enjoying even after the flow of money from the capital had dried up. To Oliver, she seemed almost impossibly delicate. Holding her soft, fragile hand stirred something deep in his chest. He knew it was unusual—after all, he had spent his life surrounded by women of all kinds, from those of exceptional beauty to those of quiet sweetness. Yet it was this woman, with her natu
Upon hearing his promise, Celeste's tears finally ceased. Yet, her fingers still clutched tightly at his garments, her body pressed against his chest. Though her face was streaked with tears, her eyes had hardened into cold disdain, a far cry from the fragile, sorrowful image she had projected earlier.She loathed this old man. She also despised every person who had used her beauty and her body for their ends. She didn't want to be a pawn in anyone's game, and she was weary of the role. She had never received a shred of genuine affection.Yet, there was no other path for her. If she had to marry a lowly merchant or commoner, she wouldn't be able to endure that hardship. Though she had been used in the past, she had lived well enough. After leaving the capital and wandering for a few days, she realized she could never escape the life of wealth and luxury.When that man came to her, she agreed without hesitation. At that time, it had seemed like her only escape.Her background mean
When Barrett arrived at Victory Pass, he made his way to the marshal's residence, Stormwatch Keep.He had braced himself for a harsh reception—to his surprise, the Sullivan family merely sent someone to collect the gift and ushered them to their quarters. No one came out to berate him or discipline him. He stood in stunned silence for a long moment before dragging his weary feet back outside."The marshal's residence here is nothing like ours at the Southern Frontier," remarked Glen, one of the soldiers accompanying him. "It's grand enough, but it's so bare and simple—there's not a single fine thing here.""Don't compare General Sullivan to Marshal Prince," Barrett said.Inwardly, he thought that Oliver wasn't worthy of being compared.Thinking Barrett was cautioning him against criticizing Oliver, Glen quickly fell silent.For the moment, they had been settled in the large camp, sleeping in the communal barracks. Of course, if they wanted to return to the Southern Frontier soone
Salvador knew Rafael had endured a long journey, but he still kept him in the palace and summoned the Defense Minister, his deputy minister, and Thomas to discuss matters.It was essential to consider all possible scenarios, make multiple predictions based on the current situation, and then organize their forces accordingly. Above all else, Salvador's greatest fear remained the Southern Frontier, but when Rafael mentioned Leroy from Westhaven, Salvador's expression faltered."It's impossible for someone to have the capability to collude with both Sandoria and Westhaven," he said, his unease evident.Starhaven's relationship with Westhaven had always been delicate, and their negotiations hadn't fully concluded. There was still a debt to settle with Westhaven that loomed over them. But that wasn't the greatest concern.The real issue was that if the true mastermind behind the rebellion truly had the skill to forge such alliances, then how long had they been biding their time? How
By noon the next day, both Rafael and Carissa awoke lazily, their bodies still heavy with the remnants of sleep.Their eyes met, and Rafael's gaze darkened. The sleep had restored him completely, filling him with energy. He pulled her close, his lips brushing her ear.Carissa quickly pushed him away. "We need to get up!"Lulu was waiting outside. When she heard noise from inside the room, she feared they would be distracted again and hurriedly called out, "Your Highness, Your Grace, Lady Helen has sent someone three times already."Rafael reluctantly withdrew his hand from its resting place, his gaze still burning with intensity. His tone was commanding yet playful. "I'll listen to you now, but tonight... You'll listen to me."The night before, Rafael had returned too late to greet Helen.Normally, she never fussed about where he went, even if it was to the battlefield.It wasn't that she didn't know the dangers of war, but Helen had always had complete faith in her son's invinc
Tiberius had confessed, the "suicide soldiers" had been interrogated, and even Eleanor, before her death, had left a letter of repentance admitting her regret over aiding her brother's plans for rebellion. These pieces of evidence together nailed Yuvan's treason firmly in place!Salvador acted quickly. He issued a royal edict summoning Yuvan to return to the capital and face his crimes. Alongside this, a second edict was sent to Valken's governor, ordering Yuvan's arrest and transport to the capital.At this point, Yuvan had no choice but to revolt. But it wasn't the clean, decisive uprising he had envisioned. Instead, his hesitation and lack of resolve were laid bare before his allies, and whatever respect or authority he had was swiftly eroded.In such moments, those conspiring alongside him began to hope for someone more decisive and capable to replace Yuvan as their leader. This wasn't mere wishful thinking—they knew there was such a possibility. Wayne had planted that see
Since it wasn't Wayne, Yuvan shifted his gaze to Harvey.He was just about to defend himself when Yuvan shook his head. "It's not you, either."Harvey was speechless. He wasn't even worth suspecting?It was only natural that Yuvan didn't suspect Harvey. The latter had arrived in Valken with nothing to his name, and in all those years in the capital, he hadn't achieved anything noteworthy. He was far inferior to Eleanor.When Harvey first came to Valken, the people addressed him politely to his face. But behind his back, they all looked down on him. He had no sway over someone like Craig.Yuvan took a slow, measured breath, gradually regaining his composure as he sank into his seat. His gaze swept over both men."Tell me, is it Craig who's been bought off, or is someone plotting to take what is rightfully mine?" he asked.Wayne was still kneeling on the ground. He pondered for a while before he said, "It's impossible for him to have been bought off. Only a few days have passed si
That night, Yuvan didn't sleep at all.This was never the plan he and Wayne had carefully devised.Starting a rebellion in a remote province, with no allies in the capital and attempting to storm it head-on—how absurdly difficult would that be?Their original plan had been far more calculated. The idea was to amass an army large enough to begin a slow, deliberate march toward the areas surrounding the capital. There, they would establish a foothold and wait for an opportune moment.At that point, with Eleanor scheming inside the capital and securing support from several influential families, they would have allies to bolster their position. After all, they had placed many of Henry's daughters in noble households as concubines to curry favor.Then, they would choose the perfect time, preferably when a war broke out. When the bandits and refugees caused havoc, Yuvan's forces would then converge just outside the capital before marching straight in and storming the palace.But all of
Spring Pavilion was full that day.The restaurant wasn't very big to begin with, and it usually had some customers. The black-clad men that lady brought had taken up all the remaining seats.Carissa, Violet, and Travis had to sit at a small table the owner had set up at the last minute, separate from the others.The man's voice, soft and apologetic, reached Carissa's ear. It was warm and pleasant. "These are my brothers-in-arms. We've been traveling since last night and haven't had a bite to eat. If it troubles you, I can have them wait outside and just pass them some bread each when we're done."Violet paused, surprised, but quickly shook her head. "No need for that. Please, let them stay. They can sit where they like and order what they wish."The man smiled kindly. "You are kind-hearted, miss. In that case, we'll order freely, and we'll take extra.""Alright… That's fine," Violet replied, casting a glance at the sea of black. The men were dressed in a way that suggested some
Carissa studied the man and woman carefully, feeling a sense of unease. She couldn't quite place their age. They looked to be in their thirties, yet there was an undeniable vitality about them, as if they were no older than twenty.Her gaze moved to their eyes, particularly the man's. His eyes were as deep and mysterious, yet they held the calculating sharpness of a seasoned old fox.Before Carissa could say anything, the man stepped forward and spoke. "This is where the orphanage is being built? Is the local government funding it?"Travis glanced at them, noting their perfectly spoken Starhaven dialect. They clearly weren't from Victory Pass, yet he saw no malice in their faces. He nodded. "Yes, it's a place to take in abandoned children," he replied. "It's being supported by the local government."The man nodded. "That's a good cause."Carissa stepped forward. "Are you from the capital?"The man regarded her but didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked, "Are you the He
Kendrick didn't wake until well into the afternoon the following day, his body heavy with exhaustion and hunger. When his eyes finally fluttered open, he felt as if his entire body had been shattered. Every muscle ached, and lifting even his arm seemed like a Herculean task.The weariness sank deep into his bones, and he had no energy to move. His attendant, a trusted servant by the name of Avery, stood at his bedside, awaiting his attention. He said quietly, "Your Highness, Lady Carissa has been waiting for you for half the day. She wishes to speak with you."Kendrick had initially planned to stay in bed, have all his meals brought to him, and then drift back to sleep. He was simply too tired to move. But when he heard that Carissa had waited so long, he immediately threw the covers off and commanded, "Prepare me, quickly."Over the course of the journey, Kendrick had come to understand just how formidable Carissa was. As a woman, she had never once complained about exhaustion
After lighting a candle for Edith, everyone returned to the backyard. They wiped away their tears, set aside their grief, and gathered around Carissa to ask about her married life. The most frequent question was about how well Rafael treated her.That was how families were. They knew she was capable, yet they couldn't help but yearn for her spouse to treat her with genuine love and care.Carissa had many cousins, all daughters of her uncles, but most had only met her a handful of times. Still, when they saw her, they were all overjoyed.Her cousins were all married, and many had returned to Victory Pass with their husbands and children. Having heard so much about Carissa, they couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and sympathy.Among them was Shayla Sullivan, the eldest daughter of Carissa's second aunt. She had married Chase Hudson, one of Dominic's subordinates. But within a year of marriage, Chase died in battle before their child had even been born.Now, the child was 12
After nearly twenty days of grueling travel, they finally arrived at Victory Pass on the third of August.The heat had been unbearable along the way, causing many in the party to fall ill. Fortunately, Carissa had come well-prepared with plenty of medicine. They had also brought along a royal physician, Dorian, who was able to manage the illnesses without any major issues.But Kendrick, having never endured such hardship, was exhausted beyond measure. By the tenth day of their journey, he could barely speak. His face and lips were pale, and the exhaustion was evident in every line of his features.When they finally reached the outskirts of Victory Pass and saw the Sullivan family and the troops come out to greet them, Kendrick collapsed. The sight of him fainting right there gave everyone a fright, and they quickly rushed to carry him back.However, Carissa barely noticed Kendrick's condition. As soon as she saw her family, she ran straight into her grandfather's arms, tears stream
On the twelfth day of July, the Starhaven envoy delegation departed the capital in a grand procession, heading toward Orivenia.Rafael rode alongside the group for five miles, only reining in his horse reluctantly when Dylan and Jacob both insisted it was time to stop. Carissa turned back to wave at him, her smile as bright as ever. There wasn't a hint of sadness on her face.Rafael gazed after her, his eyes filled with longing.But under his breath, he muttered, "She's heartless, truly heartless."The sun had risen high, and the road was still and stifling with the lack of wind. Still, Rafael waited until the last of the procession had disappeared from view before reluctantly turning his horse around and heading back.This journey to Orivenia was a significant one. Carissa had brought along three hundred men from the Mystic Army, as well as Travis, Violet, and the others.Though the two kingdoms enjoyed a temporary peace after the last conflict, Leroy had made public what happen
The evening before the trip, Carissa, accompanied by Rafael, made her way to bid farewell to Helen. Since she was leaving early in the morning, before her mother-in-law would be awake, Carissa chose to say her goodbyes the night before.Helen had known about the trip to Orivenia for some time. At first, she hadn't fully understood the situation and felt Salvador's order was a bit much. Why did it have to be Carissa, of all people, who had to undertake such a long and tiring journey?But after hearing from Violet that the real purpose of the journey was for Carissa to visit her maternal family, Helen only sighed quietly."The greatest pain in life is the separation from loved ones, whether by life or death. And the greatest joy is the reunion with loved ones after a long time apart."Of course, those words were spoken to Violet, and would never be said in front of Carissa. To say them to her would be like rubbing salt in an open wound. After all, Helen had come to love and cherish h
In the blazing heat of July, a letter from Westhaven arrived.Westhaven's king, Edmund, had abdicated. Grand Princess Lisandra was now queen. She had taken the throne and assumed control of the kingdom, and its name was officially changed from Westhaven to Orivenia.The new queen invited Starhaven to send an envoy delegation to attend her coronation and to discuss the long-standing border disputes. Lisandra had already ascended the throne, so attending the coronation was merely a formality. The true purpose of the visit was to negotiate the border issue.When the Westhaven envoy delegation previously came to Starhaven, their primary goal was the border—an issue that had been put on hold due to internal unrest. It was also the matter that had weighed most heavily on Lisandra's mind. So, with her coronation behind her now, she wasted no time in reopening the talks.At the morning court session in Starhaven, there was unanimous agreement that old grudges were behind them. Both kingdom
At Hell Monarch Estate, Carissa and Cynthia were busy teaching Roxana and Courtney martial arts. Mostly, it was Cynthia who took charge of Roxana's lessons, while Carissa kept company with Courtney, observing but not actively participating.Work at the Capital Guard headquarters was actually quite busy, but time seemed to slow down, bringing a sense of calm to everyone's hearts. No matter how long this period without suspicion would last, they decided to cherish each day as it came.But there was one thing that weighed heavily on Carissa's mind—Rafael's health.Although he was gradually recovering, his vitality had been severely damaged. Working tirelessly every day, leaving early and returning late, with irregular meals and inconsistent medication, he wasn't able to rest properly, which was always a worry.Bun came down the corridor and approached Carissa, saying, "Vivi says she won't be home tonight."Carissa nodded, her expression unchanged. She didn't need to ask. She knew exa