Carissa felt a strange sense of unease, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it—something like hostility, yet not quite. Especially after Salvador had ended his remarks with that enigmatic smile.What did he mean by she was already defending Rafael? It was baffling.She paused before speaking, "Your Majesty, in warfare, there are no absolutely foolproof decisions, especially during decisive battles. It's practically taking a gamble. Our strategy for attacking Simonton City was sound. Minor errors should be forgiven, considering we ultimately reclaimed the Southern Frontier and achieved victory."Salvador burst into hearty laughter. "I only asked a question or two. Look at you, so nervous. There's no need to worry. I was just asking out of curiosity."Carissa felt her back dampen with sweat.It was hardly a casual inquiry. Salvador had seemed so serious. It was almost as if he was ready to lay blame on someone!Holding Rafael accountable for the mistakes of his soldiers see
Victoria regarded her son for a while before speaking, "Your father had someone in his heart as well—Melanie. But because he saw Hector as a brother, whenever Melanie attended an event or visited the palace, your father would make himself scarce."That was his way of showing the utmost respect to Hector. In fact, Melanie never knew of your father's feelings, even after she passed."Salvador's expression froze momentarily, his smile slowly fading to be replaced by a serious demeanor."Mother, I understand your point."After a moment of silence, he asked, "Didn't you mind? You still treat Carissa so well."Victoria smiled gently, her expression serene. "Why would I mind? Aren't there many women in the palace already? Besides, I married him to be the crown princess, the queen, and now the queen dowager. If I were to expect true affection from the king, would that not be unreasonable?"As for your father, he was aware of his position. A king's responsibilities are to govern diligentl
Rafael remained silent.Was there really a difference between being called Marshal and being called Your Highness?"Why are you waiting here?" Carissa asked.Snapping back to the present, Rafael replied, "Oh, I wanted to see if my mom was causing you any trouble. She can be difficult to deal with, can't she? But don't worry. Once we're at my residence, she won't be as audacious as she is in the palace. After all, the people in my household will listen to me and to you, not necessarily to her."Carissa smiled. "She's not too difficult to deal with. She has caused some trouble, but her methods are… somewhat crude and manageable."Rafael tilted his head.Crude methods? That was an apt description. Helen knew nothing of subtlety. She had been pampered all her life. A tantrum or a sulk would usually get her what she wanted."She does lack finesse. I remember the harshest method she used against Lady Dakota when I lived in the palace. When Lady Dakota was pregnant with my seventh sist
"Really?" Rafael frowned.Eleanor, the grand princess, was the late king's sister, making her Rafael's aunt. He knew her character well.She was like a snake in the grass—sweet in appearance but venomous at heart. She was known for her tea parties and banquets, where she mingled with the capital's powerful families and secured many connections through social gatherings.Many noble families arranged marriages at her parties. If anyone had ever been truly wronged in her presence, it was undoubtedly Helen. Eleanor was skilled in manipulation and had committed many sinister acts.She was a sick-minded person. After giving birth to a daughter, she stopped having children and instead gathered many concubines for her husband. When the concubines gave birth, she took their children, then executed the concubines. Her methods were extremely cruel.Once, a concubine had argued with Eleanor, so she simply didn't want the concubine's child. After killing the concubine's child in front of her,
Eleanor's invitation did indeed arrive at Northwatch Estate. Also, the celebration was tomorrow, but the invitation was delivered only today.Clearly, there was no time to prepare a proper gift, so Carissa would have to choose something from the storeroom."Grand Princess Eleanor has always held a grudge against your family. When the late Madam Sinclair was still alive, Grand Princess Eleanor never invited her to any of her parties. Why has she invited you this time? Could it be that a crowd of gossipers is waiting for you?" said Lily, who was quite worried.Carissa set the invitation aside. "That's a certainty."She had heard about the past grievances between her parents and Eleanor. When she returned from Meadow Ridge after the deaths of her father and brothers, Carissa found out that Eleanor had sent her mother, Melanie, a "gift" that year.Eleanor had specifically found someone to carve a miniature sculpture. It was a small, intricately carved sculpture of a chastity belt that
Lily pursed her lips reluctantly. "This painting is so lifelike. It's as if the orchids are blooming right before our eyes. The orchid branches are strong, and the faint green buds are just beginning to sprout. It seems too perfect to be considered a discarded work. It would be a shame to waste it on Grand Princess Eleanor.""It's fine. Kyle loves painting orchids, so there are plenty of orchid paintings, so many that we don't even have space for them in the study. By the way, make sure to send one to the king as well," Carissa replied.Salvador greatly admired Kyle and had a collection of his calligraphy. However, he did not have any of Kyle's orchid paintings, which were worth a fortune. Since Carissa had them in abundance, presenting Kyle's work to Salvador would be a gesture of goodwill, and it would allow her to manage Rafael's connections.The questions Salvador asked at Serenity Palace had made her a bit uneasy. Thus, using Kyle's painting as a way to gauge the situation seem
Clenching her teeth, Carissa said to Lily, "Starting tonight, I want you to teach me embroidery. I need to make a perfect handkerchief."Mistakes made in youth must be corrected.Carissa could accept her own imperfections, but she could not accept that she had handed out subpar work to everyone.However, she was puzzled. While she could understand why her mother had kept her handkerchiefs, why would Rafael want to not only keep them, but also carry them around?There was a fleeting thought that she couldn't quite grasp. Did Rafael have a fondness for unattractive things? What peculiar taste he had!As the two senior maids organized the storeroom, Frederick took the opportunity to tell Carissa that Jason had sorted out the account books and wanted her to review them."Alright, leave them in the study. I'll look them over tonight," Carissa said.Frederick nodded. "The accounts for the farms and shops have also been organized. Jason has summarized the totals and provided detailed b
Lulu examined the outfit. "Moonlight white is fine. There's a subtle shade of blue that complements your skin tone. What about accessories? Should we add a strand of red coral?""No red," Carissa replied. "Keep it simple, not too grand."She selected a white pearl hairpin and paired it with two moonlight white silk ribbons."That's still quite plain," Lulu observed."Plain or not, we'll know once it's on," Carissa said.She went behind a partition screen to change into the outfit. When she emerged, she had styled her hair into a simple bun, secured with the silk ribbons and adorned with the white pearl pin.She twirled, asking her maids, "How do I look?"The girls were mesmerized. Even without makeup, Carissa resembled an ethereal fairy. The two silk ribbons in her hair added a significant touch of elegance to her moonlight white dress.Lulu quickly turned to Pearl. "Lip balm, earrings, perfumes, and pearl pendants—hurry!""Got it!" Pearl immediately got to work, gathering var