In the following days, the threshold of Northwatch Estate was nearly worn flat.Once rarely visited by the wives of noble families and officials, the estate now saw a steady stream of visitors. It wasn’t because Salvador had issued an edict, but because Carissa had returned in triumph. Though only she remained of the Duke of Northwatch's family, it was clear she was capable of upholding its prestige.During her divorce, the wives of officials had often discussed Carissa in private gatherings. She had become a topic of their idle chatter. Now, the conversations about her were no longer casual gossip but carried a respectful undertone.For Carissa, entertaining guests wasn’t a challenge. Before she married into the Warren family, Melanie had arranged for her to receive a year’s worth of training. Socializing was just a matter of playing the part—smiling, chatting, nodding, and following along with the conversation.Everyone enjoyed themselves, laughing and chatting, and when it was
Heather and Leona stayed for an hour before leaving. Carissa accompanied them to the gates of the estate, maintaining a demeanor of complete friendliness and lack of resentment.Lulu, feeling upset on her behalf, said, “My lady, you sent gifts to the princess, but the princess’s mother had them returned. Clearly, she looked down on you at that time. Why are you being so kind to them today?”Sitting in front of the vanity, Carissa instructed Lulu to remove her hairpins. “Isn’t socializing just a matter of putting on a smile and exchanging pleasantries? Aunt Heather has always been kind to me. I was indeed thoughtless before—sending gifts to my cousin while I was the one who had divorced.”“But you didn’t personally go. Besides, you were granted a divorce by the king. It wasn't like your husband unilaterally divorced you. Why were the gifts returned?”“Lulu, don’t dwell on these things. It’s exhausting to be so petty about everything.” Carissa glanced at her weary reflection in the
Rebecca arrived with Benjamin, Amelia, and Serena in tow.As soon as she alighted from the carriage, she twisted her ankle and fell. She sat right in front of Northwatch Estate, and began to wail uncontrollably.“Carissa, I’ve always treated you like my own daughter! You’ve never suffered any hardship when you were married to our family! I’ve never imposed any rules on you! Your divorce was granted by the king at your request. How could you hold such a grudge against me? You know I need Sebastian’s medicine to survive, but you refuse to let him come and treat me! Are you trying to kill me?”Serena joined in the crying. “That's right, Carissa!” she said. “You shouldn’t forget the kindness we showed you! When your family was wiped out, Mom was worried you would be depressed. She stayed by your side day and night, even sleeping with you to help you through those hard times. How can you be so heartless now?”Rebecca clutched her chest, sobbing in a heartbroken manner. Despite that, s
Rebecca had no way to respond. After all, she hadn’t provided even a single item of compensation! There wasn’t a stitch or thread to account for!She could only continue to wail, “Whether there was any compensation, Carissa knows in her heart. Just ask her, and you’ll find out.”“Madam Warren, there’s no need to cry,” Frederick continued in a calm voice. “If there was compensation, just state the items and the amount of gold and silver involved. There were officials present during the divorce, so it’s easy to verify.”“Furthermore,” Frederick went on, still speaking in a measured tone, “you said you treated Lady Sinclair like your own daughter. When the Duke of Northwatch's family was annihilated, you claim you stayed by her side day and night. “While this may be partly true, it’s not the whole story. At that time, you were ill. It was Lady Sinclair who stayed with you day and night, attending to your every need. From the moment she married into your family, she cared for you wh
Lily stepped forward to interrupt Rebecca's pitiful display, her expression fierce. "What do you mean, it was a marriage edict granted by the king? Wasn't it General Warren who requested the marriage through his military achievements? "And don’t talk about concubines! What General Warren wanted was a legitimate wife! When the royal edict was issued, General Warren and General Yates came to see Lady Sinclair. Would you like me to repeat what heartless words they uttered?"General Warren said that after marrying General Yates, he would never set foot in Lady Sinclair’s room again. She was only to manage the household and continue using her dowry to support the Warren family. They expected Lady Sinclair to care for any children General Warren and General Yates had, which would give Lady Sinclair some form of purpose."Also, General Yates demanded a high dowry. Since the Warren family couldn’t provide it, they demanded Lady Sinclair to lend them the money. She was willing, but she wo
Frederick’s words, laced with flattery, worked their charm on the crowd. Everyone loved to hear sweet talk—Frederick’s compliments ignited the people’s sense of justice, leading them to vocally denounce those from the Warren family.It seemed moral coercion wouldn't work on Carissa. She hadn’t even appeared to address the matter, and Rebecca realized her efforts were futile. With that, she had no choice but to leave in disgrace.Rebecca had initially planned to have Carissa return to the Warren family, but Barrett adamantly refused. Given the overwhelming gossip about Aurora, Rebecca then thought to create a commotion to redirect the public’s ire. She hoped that by stirring up trouble, the people would shift their criticism away from the Warren family, thus giving them a break from the public's scorn.She had hoped her antics would at least drag Carissa into a mess of accusations. Rebecca figured that if they confronted or pushed people around, the Duke of Northwatch's family wouldn
Rafael had secluded himself, refusing visitors for several days. During this time, many would-be guests had come knocking. However, he was unwilling to see any of them.When he left the palace, he put aside his usual cheerful demeanor with his elder brother. Rafael understood the meaning behind the royal edict.The order was clear: Carissa must marry within three months, or she would have to enter the palace as a concubine. Salvador was forcing him to make a choice.The jests and scoldings exchanged in the palace's study weren’t just idle chatter; each word carried hidden intentions.Whether Carissa entered the palace was of no real concern to Salvador. It was a matter of showcasing his power—whether to allow her to remain free or to summon her to the palace was just a matter of issuing an edict.Years earlier, Salvador had known of Rafael's feelings for Carissa. Before Rafael headed to the Southern Frontier battlefield, he had approached Melanie, asking her to delay Carissa’s m
Rafael often reminisced about the past when he and Salvador shared an open, candid relationship. In those days, any advice or guidance Salvador had to offer was direct and straightforward, without any need for deception.Luke recalled something, and said, "Your Highness, by His Majesty's grace, your mother will be moving into the estate in a few days. I’ve already arranged for Elysian Hall to be cleaned and furnished according to her specifications. The total cost came to thirty thousand silver coins."Rafael furrowed his brow. "Thirty thousand silver coins? What kind of furniture costs that much?"He decided to visit Elysian Hall himself. When he arrived, he saw that various types of peonies had been planted in the garden, and a special greenhouse had been constructed. Though it was unnecessary in the summer, it would be useful in winter.Rafael's frown deepened. "Have all the orchids been removed?"Luke followed behind Rafael, and answered cautiously, "They’ve all been relocated