Eleanor smiled slowly, thinking it was time to extract some money from this money tree.-Inside Evergreen Palace, Helen sneezed repeatedly. As she was preparing for a nap at noon, she was informed that Eleanor and Jessica had arrived.Gillian furrowed her brow. When the two of them came together, it was usually for a specific reason.A few years ago, Jessica and Dakota opened a makeup shop and made some money. Helen, who hated being outdone by others, heard about their success and thought about starting a shop herself. However, she didn’t plan to team up with Jessica. She actually wanted to partner with her maternal nephew.However, Jessica approached Helen with a proposition. She claimed she had a unique formula that produced makeup as good as the ones used in the palace. She asked Helen for three thousand silver coins to start the business, suggesting they could open a makeup shop together.Helen was skeptical of Jessica, so Eleanor intervened. Eleanor made sarcastic comments,
With the silver she obtained from Helen, Eleanor distributed some to continue fueling the gossip in the taverns and coffeehouses, exaggerating Carissa's supposed failure to observe her duties toward her family.Carissa remained silent. She even closed the doors to Northwatch Estate and refused to make any public response, which satisfied Eleanor. Eleanor thought Carissa must be scared of the public outcry, and reveled in the victory. Eleanor believed that Carissa going against her was like trying to fight a rock with an egg—completely futile.Riding on her success, Eleanor entered the palace to see Salvador. She argued that Rafael's marriage to Carissa was laying a hidden danger to his throne. For the stability of the kingdom and its people, she suggested that Carissa's entry into Rafael's household should be prevented.She expected Salvador to ponder her words seriously. To her surprise, he responded with a cold and stern expression. "Aunt Eleanor, what are you saying? Both my
One of the coffeehouse patrons recognized the irate speaker, and immediately shouted, "That's the current minister of the Astrology Department!"The murmur of the crowd erupted into a clamor. How could a date chosen personally by the minister of the Astrology Department fall within a period of mourning?The Astrology Department minister pointed an accusatory finger at the stunned storyteller, and thundered, "Who sent you to defame the Duke of Northwatch's household? The Sinclair family's seven men all sacrificed themselves on the Southern Frontier! General Sinclair is a female general who has distinguished herself repeatedly in battle! She aided the Hell Monarch in reclaiming the Southern Frontier! "Any loyal subject of our kingdom would only hold the Duke of Northwatch's family in the highest respect. Yet here you are, spreading vile rumors and accusing General Sinclair of being disrespectful! What is your true intention?"A loud voice called out, "Could it be that you're a spy f
It was relatively easy to trace the matter back to Eleanor's estate.With so many people bought off by Eleanor, there were bound to be a few with weak nerves who, after being questioned by the officials a few times, would reveal everything they knew.When the investigation reached Eleanor's palace, Anthony ordered a temporary halt. He decided to visit Northwatch Estate in person to see Carissa.When Carissa got married, the event was conducted with great discretion. There were no lavish feasts, and the Marquis of Highcrest's family only sent three ladies to present gifts. No one attended the wedding.Carissa and Anthony had seldom met. She had left home at a young age and rarely stayed in the capital. After returning from Meadow Ridge, the Marquis of Highcrest's female relatives occasionally visited Carissa's sister-in-law. Anthony had come once or twice, but Carissa, still learning etiquette at the time, had only appeared briefly to offer a polite greeting while concealing her fac
Carissa's hands, which were resting in her lap, curled into fists as she choked back a sob. She turned her face away, trying to hide her tears and maintain her composure.Seeing her distress, Anthony suddenly regretted coming. Perhaps, neither family was truly ready to meet under these circumstances.Even a man like Anthony found it hard to hold back tears, let alone a girl of eighteen or nineteen. Though she had seen battle and taken enemies' lives, she had always been the cherished jewel of her family. With her family gone, she was left alone.No matter how strong her outer facade, her heart would still ache with sorrow.Anthony had never wanted to recall that scene—he never dared to. However, perhaps it was time to confront it. Otherwise, the pain would linger forever.His voice lacking its usual steadiness, he said, "We should let bygones…be bygones. One must always look forward. I heard about your engagement to the Hell Monarch. I haven't had the chance to congratulate you.
When Jessica married Leopold, he was still the heir apparent. After the passing of Leopold's father, the previous marquis, Leopold inherited the title and became the Marquis of Ironridge.Upon inheriting the title, Jessica became the marquis's wife. However, the family's reputation took a severe hit. If not for the family's matriarch, Margaret Dawson, still being alive, the reputation of this century-old family might have been ruined.The Marquis of Ironridge's family had four branches, and Jessica never got along with any of them. When she first arrived, she used her status as a princess to dominate the household, even attempting to interfere in the affairs of the marquis's sons.In the end, she failed at everything, caused a lot of chaos, and became widely disliked. She also spent a lot of money in the process. Her actions also caused Margaret to collapse from fury. Sebastian had to be summoned to treat Margaret, and she still had to manage the household's finances despite her ill
The Royal Citadel also sent people to Eleanor's residence. Since the storytellers had accused someone from her household, it was standard procedure for the Royal Citadel to investigate.Given Eleanor's high status, Anthony took it upon himself to handle the matter with a diplomatic approach. As expected, Eleanor merely offered a scapegoat to take the blame. Anthony didn't dwell on it, and brought the individual back with him.As for the storytellers, they were all temporarily released. However, the authorities gave them three days to clear up the matter and apologize to Carissa, as well as provide compensation.Since the Royal Citadel had already made a big deal of visiting Ironridge Estate to question Jessica, she would still be affected even if Eleanor found a scapegoat.The three-day deadline for the storytellers to make amends was essentially a time for Eleanor to manipulate the situation. At this point, intimidation was futile, and bribery was the only option.So, a large sum
Margaret looked into Carissa's clear and sincere eyes, realizing that her words came from the heart. She didn't blame the Marquis of Ironridge's family for this matter.With this understanding, Margaret felt relieved.Setting everything else aside, the Marquis of Ironridge's family had no desire to make enemies without cause. When it came to either Rafael or the Duke of Norwatch's family, Margaret was especially reluctant to be at odds with them.At the very least, based on their military achievements, they were people worthy of respect. The Marquis of Ironridge's family should befriend such individuals, rather than foster animosity or harbor grudges against them.Margaret sighed. "You're wise and understanding, Lady Sinclair, but I still feel deeply guilty. If it hadn't been for the minister of the Astrology Department clarifying things, you might have borne the label of being negligent towards your parents for the rest of her life. For anyone, that would be a nearly devastating b