In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-August, and the Starlight Harvest Festival was approaching. Even so, Rafael still had not returned.Carissa found it strange that he had not come back yet, especially since it had been over a month since he left. Initially, he had said he would just drop in for a greeting, then return immediately.The journey to Meadow Ridge should have only taken two or three days. Even with a few days of rest and accounting for the round trip, he should have been back within ten days.Could something have happened at Meadow Ridge?Coincidentally, Carissa received a letter from Violet. It was several pages long, filled with amusing stories from Meadow Ridge. Violet mentioned that Travis had ended up being confined by his master as punishment for the cosmetics he had bought—though thankfully, not beaten.Carissa couldn't help but smile.The letter also congratulated her on her upcoming marriage, saying that her friends at Meadow Ridge were preparing a gr
The midday meal was light—Carissa had only a bowl of chicken soup before she went to the family chapel to pay her respects.The Sinclair family was a prominent clan with their own sanctuary hall, where memorial plaques of Carissa's parents, brothers, and in-laws were enshrined. However, as a woman, she was not permitted to enter the hall to worship and could only bow her head outside.The only way for a woman to "enter" the sanctuary hall was after their death, through the placement of a memorial plaque. As Carissa was a daughter, she would marry out of the Sinclair family eventually and could never enter—only the women who married into the Sinclair family had that right.Thus, after her father and brothers fell in battle, Carissa had a small shrine set up in the family chapel, where she placed their plaques to facilitate seasonal rites. After the massacre, she had also moved the plaques of her mother, sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews to the shrine.Frederick had prepared the
Dylan continued to speak, sometimes with hiccups as he recounted the events in fragments.As the group of beggars scattered, Rafael happened to look up and see a child beggar who looked a lot like Carrisa's nephew, Ryan. The child beggar had a limp and moved slowly. When Rafael attempted to approach and catch him, a cart suddenly appeared and crashed into several people.While helping others in the aftermath of the crash, Rafael glanced at the limping child beggar. A burly man soon picked him up and loaded him onto a horse cart.Instinctively, Rafael called out, "Ryan!"The child beggar's head jerked up, and he stared at Rafael in disbelief.Rafael immediately tried to pursue, but the same cart that had crashed earlier came rushing at him. It blocked his path and knocked several people to the ground. Rafael leaped over obstacles and finally reached the horse cart, only to find that both the burly man and the child beggar had vanished.The streets of Greenbrook County were crowded
When Lulu handed over the bag to Carissa, her hands were trembling.No one wanted to believe the news was true because, during the initial headcount following the massacre, no one had been missing. The household's young servants and young masters and mistresses, especially the children, had all been accounted for.Carissa's mind refused to accept it, though her heart clung to a sliver of hope.The scene that haunted her was not just the severed head, but also the clothing of the body. Though it had been stained with blood, Carissa had recognized the outfit as Ryan's. It was the same one she had made for him when she returned to her family home and prepared clothes for all her nieces and nephews.Carissa took the bag, her gaze vacant as she murmured, "Lulu, I'm just going to see for myself. I know it's probably not him, and I don't hold out much hope, but... but please fetch Ryan's favorite toy from Azure Hall. It's the slingshot I made for him, engraved with his name. I even painte
After five days, Carissa arrived in Eldoria just past noon.Although she had stayed in inns along the way, she had barely eaten and limited her intake of water, fearing that frequent stops during the day would waste precious time. In those five short days, she had lost considerable weight.Following the address Dylan had given her, she led her horse and asked for directions until she found Unit 13 on Verdant Lane.This was a property owned by the Eldorian governor. Dylan had mentioned that Rafael and the child beggar were staying here.Carissa was parched and exhausted as she stood outside the gate. The residence was located down a spacious alley. A man was stationed at the gate, dressed in official attire. He must be a guard Rafael had borrowed from the government to stand watch.Noticing the woman with a horse who hesitated to knock, the guard cautiously asked, "Are you Lady Sinclair?"Carissa nodded. She was unable to speak, feeling as if something was clogging her throat and
Carissa pulled the child from Rafael's arms and held him tightly to her chest.It was heartbreaking to see that the boy was nothing but skin and bones. A foul odor emanated from him—a mixture of decay, filth, and possibly old blood. His hair clung in matted clumps, adding to the overall stench.Yet, Carissa embraced him as if he were the most precious treasure in the world, her tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.The child, now in her arms, ceased his struggles. He lay still, like a broken doll, his tears streaking through the grime on his face, creating yellowish trails. Gone was the fierce resistance he had shown Rafael. Now, the boy seemed lifeless, his eyes staring blankly despite the tears.Seeing this, Rafael's long-held anxiety eased as he confirmed that the child was indeed of the Sinclair bloodline. It was a relief to know that a trace of the Sinclair family remained, though Rafael was puzzled about how Ryan had ended up in the hands of traffickers after escaping
Ryan did indeed wake up in the middle of the night. Although he had stirred a few times earlier, he had only been half-conscious and had slowly closed his eyes again when he saw Carissa.Late at night, the room was brightly lit. While Ryan was asleep, Carissa had used hot water to wash his face. Though his small face was painfully thin, he still bore a striking resemblance to his father, Nathan.When Ryan woke up, he cried again but managed to smile at Carissa through his tears. Due to how thin he was, his dimples were more pronounced.Carissa helped him bathe, immersing the boy in the tub and carefully washing his hair. She gently applied olive oil to untangle the matted strands before rinsing them clean.After his bath, Ryab was dressed in new clothes bought for a seven-year-old. The clothes were slightly oversized, but at least he looked neat and tidy. When the food was served from the kitchen, his eyes lit up. Instinctively, he grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mo
The words were so crooked and difficult to decipher that Carissa had to spend a long time making sense of them.When she finally figured them out, she looked up at Ryan with swollen eyes, tears streaming down her face once more. The words felt like daggers piercing her heart, causing her to curl up slightly in pain.In the days before the massacre, she had returned to Northwatch Estate and discussed the Victory Pass battle with Melanie, who was worried about Dominic. She feared her father might meet the same fate as her husband and sons. Carissa had tried to comfort her, but her own anxiety about her grandfather and her concern for her mother was palpable.Outside Melanie's courtyard, Carissa had bumped into Ryan. He had lifted his small face and asked his aunt if she was unhappy.Carissa had smiled and ruffled his hair, saying, "I'm a little bit unhappy, but I'll cheer up soon. Don't worry, Ryan."At the time, she had been preoccupied with her own worries and had given a somewhat