Aurora had lost consciousness. Liam kept choking her, dragging her back and forth between life and death. At the same time, he slashed her with a knife on her body and face. Also, he had cut off one of her ears.As Barrett carried her out, she remained unaware of her rescue, still in a state of unconsciousness. However, it was clear to everyone that Aurora wasn’t wearing any pants. Many had also seen the pool of blood beneath her, revealing the horrors she had endured.Barrett’s expression was livid. He finally understood why Carissa had insisted that he only bring his trusted aides up the mountain.He shot a fierce, resentful glance at Carissa. Until Aurora told him the truth herself, he refused to believe Liam’s accusations. He was unwilling to accept that Aurora had indirectly caused the death of Carissa's family.Seeing his eyes, Carissa saw only a coward. She ignored him, and proceeded with the rescue efforts.Soldiers entered the cabin to carry out the remaining prisoner
Barrett looked at Aurora as if she were a stranger.The person before him was nothing like the woman he had loved. She was cruel and cold, like a demon. He had sacrificed all his military achievements for her, betraying Carissa in the process.He was the biggest fool in the world.Yet, he remembered Aurora's words about loyalty and righteousness—how women shouldn’t be confined to the house, but should bear the responsibility of defending their homeland. At that time, Aurora's eyes had been filled with fervent brilliance.Barrett collapsed to the ground, his face a mask of tears and laughter. Suddenly, he erupted into maniacal laughter—a crazed, frenzied laugh that filled the room.Aurora was terrified by his outburst. Struggling against her pain, she propped herself up and looked at him in shock. “Barrett, w-what’s wrong? Don’t scare me.”Barrett laughed until tears streamed down his face. He covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking as tears leaked through his f
Seeing Barrett remain silent, Aurora grew anxious. Ignoring her injuries, she said angrily, “They did hurt me, but they definitely didn’t violate me! I’m telling you the absolute truth. If you don’t believe me, you can ask them yourself!”Barrett's expression darkened. “What’s the point in asking? Isn’t it humiliating enough already?”Aurora felt a chill at his words, and was deeply hurt. “You don’t believe me?”Barrett smiled sadly. “Believe you? Have you ever told me a single truth? Every time I asked you about Victory Pass, you always said it was because you spread rumors that the Hell Monarch was heading there as reinforcement. So Liam retreated and went back to sign a treaty with you. You even hid something so important from me. How can I trust you again?”“I didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t like it…” Aurora appeared very agitated and almost frantic. “You kept saying you didn’t want to harm the civilians of both kingdoms, but I clearly saw the enemy hiding in th
As Carissa spoke, she lifted the bowl and drank the soup in one gulp. Her bold gesture made Rafael smile."By the way, why did the crown prince of Westhaven appear in Fawnrun City?"Carissa had always been puzzled about that. She had heard that this prince was highly esteemed in Westhaven, known for his wisdom and virtue.Why had he been in Fawnrun City? After all, he wasn't a military general."There's internal strife within the Westhaven royal family. The crown prince was framed by the second prince and forced to go to the battlefield. Liam knew the crown prince couldn't fight, so he hid him in Fawnrun City, as it was away from the fighting. No one expected he would encounter Aurora," Rafael explained."The second prince?" Carissa frowned slightly. "With the death of the crown prince of Westhaven, the other princes will vie for the throne. If the second prince becomes the crown prince, it won't be good for Starhaven."After all, the second prince harbored hostility and malice t
The triumphant news of reclaiming the Southern Frontier spread back to the capital.When Salvador read the report, he was moved to tears.During the morning court session, all the civil and military officials knelt and shouted, "Long live the king!"This monumental news spread like wildfire. First, to the officials' families, then the entire capital, and soon, the entire country.The nation rejoiced!A famous storyteller, who had connections everywhere, heard snippets of information from the servants and maids in officials' households and sold these stories.Thus, everyone knew that the primary credit of reclaiming the Southern Frontier belonged to the Hell Monarch, Rafael. However, it was a female general who had consecutively breached Ilyrian City and Simonton City. Leading the Mystic Army, she had crushed the Sandorian forces!The storyteller was adept at creating heroes. His passionate and dramatic retellings depicted this female general as a divine goddess of war.The batt
Rebecca sent invitations to the wives of the two deputy ministers of the Ministry of Defense, as well as to the wife of the Minister of Defense himself. Though she doubted the latter would attend, she was confident that the wives of the deputy ministers would come.Rebecca planned to ask them about the general situation of the war and how the Ministry of Defense would reward the meritorious.However, on the day of the tea party, neither of the deputy ministers' wives showed up. Even the wives of slightly higher-ranking officials did not attend. Only the wives of fifth- or sixth-rank officials, and even some of seventh or eighth rank, came with their families. Some of these guests were not even on the invitation list, which made Rebecca both angry and distressed.She had spent so much money on this tea party to raise her family's profile and create a strong and favorable impression for Barrett and Aurora. When they returned victorious, she hoped Salvador and the Ministry of Defense w
Initially, everyone speculated that Aurora was the female general who had led the Mystic Army. However, after Rebecca's tea party, some people began to notice hints that suggested otherwise.The storyteller, known for his knack for suspense, first piqued the interest of his audience before revealing, "At the tea party hosted by Madam Warren at Valor Estate, neither the wives of the Ministry of Defense's two deputy ministers nor any other family members of Ministry of Defense officials were in attendance. What does that imply? I'm afraid it implies that the female general who led the army was likely not General Yates."The coffeehouse patrons were shocked, and the storyteller's words sparked a lively discussion.If it wasn't Aurora, then who? There was no other female general in the current era.A few days later, people managed to find out some information and started to talk about how Barrett's ex-wife, who had left him, went to the battlefield.The people of the capital still viv
In coffeehouses across the capital, storytellers spared no effort in embellishing Carissa's military achievements, portraying her conquest of the cities as a grand tale of heroism. As a result, the common people grew to admire Carissa immensely, completely forgetting the harsh words they had once spoken about her after her divorce.Heather finally understood why she had been confined to her quarters. When her daughter got married, Carissa had sent people to offer congratulatory gifts, which Heather had declined. At the time, she had complained to those around her, saying that Carissa, being a divorced woman, had no business sending gifts—it was bad luck.Upon hearing of this, Harvey was furious and slapped her. "She's your niece! If your sister in heaven knew what you did, would she not be upset with you for being so heartless? It's one thing for strangers to show Carissa disdain, but you're her aunt! You're truly…"Harvey was a leisurely prince with no real power or responsibilitie