Jacob sent Dylan to deliver the letter in person. Dylan was puzzled, and secretly asked Jacob, “Mr. York, His Highness could ask for Lady Sinclair’s hand without surrendering his military command, couldn’t he?”Jacob gave him a light tap on the head. “Are you an idiot? If His Highness doesn’t surrender his medal of command, the king will immediately have Lady Helen intervene to stop the marriage.”Dylan thought the choice of words was apt, but he still didn’t fully grasp the situation.“But won’t Lady Helen try to stop it now?” Dylan argued. Everyone knew how Helen was.“Even if she does it now, no one would have instructed her to do so. It would be her own decision, and the situation would be different because of it,” Jacob explained tersely. “Just go and deliver the letter. Don’t say anything else.”Watching Dylan lead his horse away, Jacob sighed slightly. Although Rafael was dutiful to his mother, without Salvador’s support, he would still face opposition from Helen in marry
After soaking in the medicinal bath, Carissa felt a warm flush spread through her body. Just before bed, Pearl brought a basin of medicinal foot soak and said she had to soak her feet every night.Carissa complied dutifully, soaking her feet for a while before drinking a cup of calming tea, a remedy formulated by Sebastian to aid sleep.Aside from the first two days after returning from the battlefield, when she slept deeply, the past few nights had been plagued by insomnia. Even when she managed to fall asleep, nightmares haunted her.Her father, her brothers, her family—once vibrant and full of life—now appeared before her, drenched in blood. She would wake up, unable to return to sleep.After dealing with her family’s massacre and returning to Valor Estate, she had needed to drink calming medicine every night to sleep. Sebastian had always kept her troubles close to his heart.After finishing the tea, Pearl added a candy to her cup and smiled. “Lulu said that since you dislike
Leaving an unmarried man and woman alone in a room was inappropriate. Frederick would normally insist on having several attendants present for propriety’s sake.However, with Rafael being addressed as Marshal and Carissa as General Sinclair, Frederick assumed their discussion would revolve around military matters, which weren’t for his ears. After serving a pot of tea, Frederick promptly cleared the room and closed the door, instructing that no one should approach.Rafael held his cup, his long fingers tracing the floral design on its surface, his expression solemn.After a moment of silence, seeing he had not yet spoken, Carissa looked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Marshal, is this about the Southern Frontier battlefield...?”“Not at all,” Rafael interrupted, taking a sip of tea before setting the cup down. “I’m here today for personal matters, not military ones.”Carissa’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Personal matters? What could there be to discuss between her
Although she was touched, Carissa still refused. “His Majesty’s edict requires me to find a husband within three months. I believe he intends to designate a successor for the title. If I were to marry you under false pretenses, His Majesty might not approve.”Rafael hadn’t anticipated this response. It seemed she still didn’t fully understand Salvador’s intentions. After a moment’s thought, he pressed his hand down in a calming gesture. “You needn’t worry about that. I will speak to the king. His concern about designating a successor is likely due to his fear of you finding someone as fickle and unfaithful as Barrett.”Disparaging her former suitor was a petty tactic, but it likely seemed reasonable to her.When Carissa heard Barrett’s name, she remained unmoved. However, what Rafael said wasn’t without merit. The title of duke was now backed by the Sinclair Army—the generals and soldiers who used to follow Hector, and now Carissa. So, choosing a successor required careful consi
After Rafael left, Frederick and two senior maids entered the room.Carissa didn't hide anything from them. She told them Rafael had come to propose, and that she had accepted.Frederick and the two senior maids were taken aback. They were silent for a moment, then their expressions turned grave.“This is the best outcome,” Carissa said with a light smile. “Though His Highness and I do not share romantic feelings, we have a bond as comrades. Marrying him is certainly preferable to having to accept a random suitor into our family.”Words hung on the tip of Lily and Holly’s tongue, but the two chose to swallow them. They could only manage a forced smile, and said, “My lady, you must be prepared. With a royal prince, there is no avoiding concubines and secondary wives.”Previously, Rafael had also sought to marry her. However, Melanie had brushed him off. She didn't want to marry her daughter into the royal family. She argued that with so many primary and secondary wives and concubin
Salvador examined the medal of command presented by Derek with an inscrutable expression. After a moment, he retrieved the other half of the Sinclair Army's medal of command, aligning it with the one Rafael had handed.The Hell Monarch Army’s medal of command was now complete. Their father had given it to Rafael before, allowing him to command the Hell Monarch Army indefinitely to defend the nation. Rafael didn’t have to surrender it.Salvador traced the edges of the Hell Monarch Army medal of command with his fingers, feeling a peculiar sensation from the unfamiliar engravings.“Carissa agreed?” he asked, almost incredulously.“Yes, she has,” Rafael replied with evident joy, as though he were still the naive younger brother he used to be. “Before I set out for the campaign, I went to propose to her. I never expected Melanie to marry her to Barrett. Even more unexpectedly, she has returned to me after all that happened.”Rafael looked up, his smile radiating sweetness. “Natu
In Evergreen Palace, an angry, sharp voice rang out. “She wants to become your consort? Unless I'm dead, you tell her not to harbor such delusions! Otherwise, I won't spare her!”Rafael remained calm as he watched the distraught Helen. Having grown up amidst such roaring voices, he was accustomed to it.However, it was unlikely Carissa would be.Helen’s face turned ashen as she extended a finger; the long, claw ring almost poked Rafael's nose. “In a few days, I'll be moving into your residence. If she dares to set foot in the estate, I will have her legs chopped off!” she screamed.Rafael nodded. “Alright, chopping off her legs sounds good. I've seen her cut off the legs of enemies—she was as swift as lightning. With a single slash, she divided their body into three pieces. It’s quite a sight.”Helen raised her hand, her voice cutting like a knife. “Whether she’s the legitimate daughter of a duke or a highly skilled warrior, she’s nothing but a discarded woman expelled from th
Helen lay on her chaise lounge, her heart burning with resentment towards Carissa. Her attendant, Gillian, stood beside her, trying to offer comfort. “There’s no need to be so upset, Your Highness. Prince Rafael is a man with his own thoughts. He’s merely infatuated with Lady Sinclair’s beauty at the moment. I’ve heard she’s the most stunning woman in the capital. "When Madam Sinclair first planned to marry her off, many noble families sought her hand. It’s a mystery why Madam Sinclair ended up marrying her to General Warren.”As she dabbed Helen’s tears away with a handkerchief, she continued soothingly, “After all, she is merely a secondhand item. There’s no need for you to be so enraged. If Prince Rafael insists on marrying her, so be it. A beauty from afar is pleasing to the eye, but living with her every day can become tiresome. "No matter how beautiful a woman is, if she becomes petty and jealous, which man wouldn’t grow weary of her? Prince Rafael will have many concubi
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
Nowadays, Salvador would discuss matters concerning his sons with Rafael, especially since he often taught them in the evenings. After finishing his lessons, he would come over to accompany Salvador during his needle treatment sessions.As the brothers talked more, the barriers between them lessened, as did the suspicion.Of course, this varied from person to person. Rafael spoke sincerely and rarely held back, as long as the topic didn't involve Carissa.Up close, Salvador could always see things clearly. Any issues between them were now discussed openly, unlike before when they relied solely on assumptions.Salvador credited this change to Carissa's sharp words. It was as if she had shaken him awake, making him see things differently. Now, he could see Rafael as a brother, not just as a subject under his rule.After Sebastian finished his needle treatment, he excused himself to rest. Rafael helped Salvador up and walked with him, with Derek trailing behind at a distance. The roy
Kylie returned to Everspring Palace, but her unease did not last long.Soon, Salvador arrived. Accompanied by the Nightsteel Guard, he sealed off the entire Everspring Palace, allowing only Lydia to remain within the halls.Derek entered, carrying two items.One of them was the poison powder Kylie had given to Connor days before. When it was placed on the table for her to inspect, she stood frozen in place. A cold, piercing chill spread through her, making her body tremble uncontrollably.Witnessing this, Lydia immediately stumbled and dropped to her knees, her voice thick with fear as she cried out, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! It was all my doing! Her Majesty had no part in this!"Salvador paid no attention to her desperate pleas.Sitting down, he turned to Derek. "You may show Kylie the edict. There is no need for formalities."Derek nodded and unfurled the second item—a royal edict.The moment it was placed before the queen, her eyes caught the first few lines, and it
The queen waited anxiously for two days, but nothing happened.Lydia secretly went to the Royal Medical Department to see Dorian, but he was on leave due to family matters, so she couldn't find out if he had said anything to Salvador.However, with no order for house arrest issued, Kylie's concerns were eased considerably.As days passed without any further developments, she relaxed entirely, convinced that Dorian had said nothing to the king. It seemed unlikely that the royal physician would ever speak up. After all, he had been paid handsomely.Yet, over time, something began to feel off.Every day, Kylie had Lydia deliver food to Connor, but he wouldn't touch it. At first, he claimed Victoria had advised him to stick to bland meals because his stomach was still bothering him. Though Kylie found that reasonable, it had been many days since the incident, and there was no sign that the young prince was in poor health.So, why was he still refusing to eat?With a sense of unease
As Kylie stepped out, she caught sight of the scene before her, and a shadow seemed to fall across her heart. The feeling was difficult to describe.She approached, seizing the opportunity with the court officials present, and spoke up. "Prince Connor's failure today was indeed a disappointment. However, he had been suffering from stomach pains and weakness since this morning. I've already called for a royal physician and had medicine prepared."Salvador's brow furrowed. "What did the royal physician say?""He believes it's due to something Prince Connor ate. He's taken the medicine, and he's feeling somewhat better now," Kylie responded quickly. Salvador's response was indifferent. "Then take good care of him.""Of course!" Kylie answered, stealing a glance at the others in the room. Though their expressions were unreadable, Salvador didn't seem particularly angry. Perhaps this matter was already behind them.She smiled and was about to congratulate Salvador on hunting the
In royal matters, people seldom delve too deeply. Especially since Connor was still young, his failure today wasn't seen as anything of real consequence. After all, he was the queen's son, destined for great honor in the future—no one would judge him too harshly over a small setback.As everyone saw him suffering in pain, many began suggesting various remedies. Some had oils to apply on his stomach, while others offered their own suggestions of concoctions.Even Sylvia and Grace came in to inquire after him. After all, they had brought their children along and surely carried some medicine with them. Seeing Connor's discomfort, they offered their remedies.However, Kylie made no use of their offers. Her goal was simply to have them see Connor's current condition so they would report it to their families later.In short, Connor's failure needed an explanation, a reason to let everyone know that he wasn't incompetent—it was just due to his physical discomfort.After everyone had ch
After a while, Max finally arrived. Upon seeing Carissa and Connor together, he let out a sigh of relief. "Commander Sinclair, we need to get Prince Connor back right away. Her Majesty is worried, and she's already sent people looking for him. However, the attendants are too afraid to go into the fenced area, so they've been calling from the outside."Connor clearly looked conflicted and didn't want to go back."Your mom cares about you. She'll be worried. You should return," Carissa said gently.Connor pouted. "She doesn't really love me. She only scolds me. She's a bad person."Carissa looked at him, somewhat surprised. Kylie doted on him—even spoiled him—so he should have been able to feel that love.Now, after just a couple of scoldings, Kylie was suddenly the bad person?However, as Carissa thought back to her time at the Pathfinders Guild, she understood. There, no matter how strict Everett was, no matter the punishments, she never dared to complain. But if Adrian scolded