Eleanor's casual remark undoubtedly confirmed Jessica's claims."It's no wonder Lady Helen dislikes Carissa—she must have used such underhanded tactics.""It's shocking to think that someone of the duke's direct lineage would resort to such a despicable method.""Lady Heather, now I understand why you've kept your distance. It turns out there's a reason for it."Heather held her cup of tea; she looked as though she wanted to speak, but caught Eleanor's icy gaze. She managed a bitter smile, took a sip of her tea, and remained silent.Helen felt unsettled. The decision not to invite Carissa was meant to show her who was truly in charge, a reminder not to get above herself. Yet, the fact that Carissa was Rafael's future wife was a reality Helen could not change. She didn't want her future daughter-in-law being talked about in such a manner.Eleanor's words, however, left her at a loss. Though Eleanor spoke with apparent sincerity, Helen had no way of disproving the latter’s claims.
Eleanor and Jessica’s expressions turned incredibly sour.Eleanor had always prided herself on her refined taste. She had almost acquired Kyle’s orchid painting, only for it to be torn to shreds. She was ridiculed for it, and since then, she harbored a grudge against Kyle. After all, her love for the arts was just a pretense. She didn’t genuinely appreciate the painting or the painter.Serena awkwardly found a corner to sit in, not daring to speak further. Deep down, she felt indignant. Why should Carissa have such a famous guild senior?Eleanor and Jessica were now silent. Their earlier comments about Carissa seemed like a complete joke. Even the king and the prime minister had personally gone to visit—how grand must that event be? And here they were, hiding and mocking Carissa. It was petty, and showed a severe lack of class.Thinking back to Eleanor and Jessica’s slanderous remarks, Serena realized how she had chimed in as well and had acted like a petty person.Heather's
Margaret's words left Helen feeling both proud and a bit guilty. Helen had deliberately not invited Carissa today to give the latter a hard time, but Carissa didn’t seem to mind at all. Instead, she even sent a masterpiece from her guild senior as a gift.This made Helen realize that Carissa not only knew how to conduct herself, but was also generous and magnanimous. In comparison, Helen now felt she had been petty and narrow-minded.Noticing the envy and jealousy in the eyes of the other concubines, Helen’s opinion of Carissa improved—if only just a little. She wasn't willing to give her too much credit, after all.Eleanor and her daughter walked over to take a look at the painting. While they were indeed impressed, since the painting wasn't theirs, they felt the need to belittle it.Eleanor disregarded her status and past displays of good manners, and said, "Kyle is known for his orchid paintings. If she truly wanted to give you something, it should have been an orchid painti
Eleanor was left speechless by Margaret's sharp retort. She was stunned in anger for a long time. Finally, she stood up with a cold laugh. “You clearly know nothing about art, yet you use this as a pretext to argue. It seems you and I can hardly exchange a single word without clashing. I shall take my leave.”After finishing her sentence, she shot a fierce glare at Helen. Helen was momentarily stunned—what had she done to offend Eleanor? After all, it was Margaret who had crossed her. Why was Eleanor glaring at her?Still, Helen had suffered enough under Eleanor's hand before. Also, given their business dealings, she didn’t want to provoke her further. So, she asked, “Your Highness, won’t you stay a bit longer to enjoy the paintings?”Eleanor walked over to Helen and leaned in close to whisper, though her tone carried a clear hint of threat, “I do intend to enjoy them. After everyone’s finished, you’ll send the paintings to my residence. I expect them delivered by the end of t
As Helen stepped into the main hall, she noticed that Salvador, Jeremiah, and many high-ranking officials were already there. Even Rafael was engaged in conversation with a handsome young man dressed in a blue coat.The moment they saw her enter, everyone, including the king, rose to their feet and greeted her.Helen’s mood instantly brightened. While she was accustomed to being revered by the other ladies, she rarely had the chance to interact with the men of the court. Now, with even the king and the prime minister paying their respects to her, she felt a surge of pride, nearly to the point of overwhelming vanity.At that moment, she completely forgot the frustrations she had harbored during the carriage ride. After returning everyone’s greetings and gestures of respect, she was promptly escorted to the seat of honor.It felt amazing.Although Helen had lived a life of unparalleled prestige, never before had she been honored in such a manner—being greeted by the court ministers
Carissa appreciated the sentiment, and joked with a smile, "Since everyone loves Kyle's paintings so much, you'd probably all be complaining about me behind my back if I said I wouldn't sell them.""We wouldn't dare," said Davis, the Defense Minister, with a laugh. Then he said loudly, "Even if you don't sell them, we wouldn't complain about you, General Sinclair. I'll be the first to take issue with whoever dares do that!"What a joke!How could one criticize such a talented young general? Anyone who did would be in trouble with the Ministry of Defense!The noblewomen outside exchanged glances. They were aware that Carissa had achieved military merits, but she was still a woman. How many men truly held her in high regard?Though Davis' words seemed like a joke, his expression was serious.The ladies who had once spoken ill of Carissa with Eleanor now felt a pang of regret. If their disparaging words reached Carissa's ears and offended her, they might have caused trouble for th
The ladies present today all saw how Carissa stole the spotlight. Even though they were envious, they understood that Kyle was protecting her with his reputation.With Kyle's favor, Carissa was bound to be highly regarded by the civil officials. For example, someone like Trevor, who valued art above all else, would likely seek more interaction with Carissa if he wished to maintain a connection with Kyle.As for the king, the prime minister, and the defense minister, their attitudes today showed their high regard for Carissa, and this respect was not solely due to Kyle's influence.Everyone had to admit that Carissa, once dismissed and devalued, had transformed into a favored figure in the capital.After the paintings were purchased, Ryan was brought out to pay his respects to the king and the others. Carissa had deliberately shown Ryan's face, highlighting him as the future head of the Duke of Northwatch's household.Though small in stature, Ryan stood straight and proud, evoking
After the art exhibition concluded, the king, accompanied by the high-ranking officials, left in high spirits. The ladies also took their leave. Given today's events, the Duke of Northwatch's household had likely solidified its position in the capital. Even Salvador himself had attended, which was a considerable honor.As Heather prepared to depart, she felt a pang of dissatisfaction. Carissa had arranged for a painting to be delivered to Helen, but Heather, her maternal aunt, had received none. The king or officials bought the paintings, and since her husband didn't attend, it was difficult for a woman like Heather to compete with the men for one.However, whether she bought one or not was one thing. Carissa should have at least given her a painting to show that bygones were bygones. Yet, until her departure, Carissa had never mentioned it. She only curtsied and said, "Please take care of yourself, Aunt Heather."Heather's smile was strained. "No need to trouble yourself with
Kendrick didn't wake until well into the afternoon the following day, his body heavy with exhaustion and hunger. When his eyes finally fluttered open, he felt as if his entire body had been shattered. Every muscle ached, and lifting even his arm seemed like a Herculean task.The weariness sank deep into his bones, and he had no energy to move. His attendant, a trusted servant by the name of Avery, stood at his bedside, awaiting his attention. He said quietly, "Your Highness, Lady Carissa has been waiting for you for half the day. She wishes to speak with you."Kendrick had initially planned to stay in bed, have all his meals brought to him, and then drift back to sleep. He was simply too tired to move. But when he heard that Carissa had waited so long, he immediately threw the covers off and commanded, "Prepare me, quickly."Over the course of the journey, Kendrick had come to understand just how formidable Carissa was. As a woman, she had never once complained about exhaustion
After lighting a candle for Edith, everyone returned to the backyard. They wiped away their tears, set aside their grief, and gathered around Carissa to ask about her married life. The most frequent question was about how well Rafael treated her.That was how families were. They knew she was capable, yet they couldn't help but yearn for her spouse to treat her with genuine love and care.Carissa had many cousins, all daughters of her uncles, but most had only met her a handful of times. Still, when they saw her, they were all overjoyed.Her cousins were all married, and many had returned to Victory Pass with their husbands and children. Having heard so much about Carissa, they couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and sympathy.Among them was Shayla Sullivan, the eldest daughter of Carissa's second aunt. She had married Chase Hudson, one of Dominic's subordinates. But within a year of marriage, Chase died in battle before their child had even been born.Now, the child was 12
After nearly twenty days of grueling travel, they finally arrived at Victory Pass on the third of August.The heat had been unbearable along the way, causing many in the party to fall ill. Fortunately, Carissa had come well-prepared with plenty of medicine. They had also brought along a royal physician, Dorian, who was able to manage the illnesses without any major issues.But Kendrick, having never endured such hardship, was exhausted beyond measure. By the tenth day of their journey, he could barely speak. His face and lips were pale, and the exhaustion was evident in every line of his features.When they finally reached the outskirts of Victory Pass and saw the Sullivan family and the troops come out to greet them, Kendrick collapsed. The sight of him fainting right there gave everyone a fright, and they quickly rushed to carry him back.However, Carissa barely noticed Kendrick's condition. As soon as she saw her family, she ran straight into her grandfather's arms, tears stream
On the twelfth day of July, the Starhaven envoy delegation departed the capital in a grand procession, heading toward Orivenia.Rafael rode alongside the group for five miles, only reining in his horse reluctantly when Dylan and Jacob both insisted it was time to stop. Carissa turned back to wave at him, her smile as bright as ever. There wasn't a hint of sadness on her face.Rafael gazed after her, his eyes filled with longing.But under his breath, he muttered, "She's heartless, truly heartless."The sun had risen high, and the road was still and stifling with the lack of wind. Still, Rafael waited until the last of the procession had disappeared from view before reluctantly turning his horse around and heading back.This journey to Orivenia was a significant one. Carissa had brought along three hundred men from the Mystic Army, as well as Travis, Violet, and the others.Though the two kingdoms enjoyed a temporary peace after the last conflict, Leroy had made public what happen
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