Helen remarked, "That young lady from the Prince family is rather pitiable, though."Violet scoffed. "Pitiable? Hardly! They're all cut from the same cloth. You might not know this, but when Cari married the marshal, Viola's marriage was also on the same day. She tried to overshadow Cari at every turn, and even told her maids that Cari's dowry was so little. The look on her face when others came to add to Cari's trousseau was quite something.""Is that true? How do you know?" Helen asked."Of course, it's from my sources. The Prince family's management isn't great. They can't control their servants' mouths. Viola's bitterness towards Cari is quite evident," Violet said with a touch of pride. It turned out that Winona's people were indeed very useful.Carissa recalled her two meetings with Viola. The first time was uneventful, but by the second meeting, she had sensed hostility."We don't have to deal with her anyway. Let her be angry," she said."She's ungrateful," Helen spat i
Rafael waited patiently for a long time. When Carissa remained silent, he felt no disappointment. Sooner or later, she would come to truly love him and express it in her own words. Their lifetime together was long, and he was willing to wait.The next day, Carissa, accompanied by Violet and Rowan, visited Gracehold Estate with some generous gifts.The Earl of Gracehold's wife, Abigail, greeted them with her family. Samuel was the eldest legitimate son and the heir of the earl. With his noble background, accomplishments, and good looks, he was indeed someone many women would eagerly pursue.As a princess consort, Carissa was accorded a grand reception.It was known that the Earl of Gracehold, Noah Langley, had many concubines. However, none were present that day. Only the wives from the second, third, and fourth branches of the family, along with their children, came out to meet Carissa and her entourage.Abigail appeared to be around forty. She was slightly plump, but exuded the
However, it was too late. Before the maid could leave, a woman had entered. She was dressed in a begonia red brocade dress with intricate floral patterns. Over it, she wore an exquisite fur cloak.Carissa glanced at her and saw a woman with jet-black, lustrous hair, and skin as fair as snow. Her features were so refined that not a single flaw could be detected.She wore an emerald hairpin with a four-leaf clover pattern in her hair, adorned with floral decorations, and red ruby earrings hung from her earlobes. Her waist was slender and graceful, her movements both charming and elegant, with a blend of allure and cool detachment.Abigail furrowed her brow upon seeing the woman enter. The insolent woman had left her room, and was now offending their distinguished guest.The woman, Ruby, entered the sitting room. She cast a dismissive glance around, and then gave a slight curtsy. "I've heard that a distinguished guest has arrived at the estate, and I'm not permitted to enter the sit
Leona rose and led Carissa outside, just in time to see Ruby being dragged by her hair by Violet. At this moment, Ruby's arrogance and icy demeanor had vanished. Her face bore several distinct slap marks, swollen and bruised from Violet's harsh treatment.Noticing their approach, Violet pushed Ruby away with disgust. "Get lost!"Ruby struggled to maintain her balance, but defiantly raised her chin to look at Leona. "Lady Leona, your guest is truly barbaric. But perhaps I should thank her, for my lord will now cherish me even more."With that, she clutched her abdomen and was assisted away by her maids.Leona's face turned pale, and tears streamed down her cheeks.Carissa guided her back to her quarters, and offered her a handkerchief to wipe her tears. She sighed and said, "Is this how she's been treating you? Leona, you are a prince's daughter and a duchess!"Leona sobbed, "What use is being a duchess? He doesn't rely on my parents for anything. And even if my parents wanted to
Both Violet and Carissa were seething with anger. How could Samuel be so heartless? He used Nora's money to marry the woman he adored. Yet, that woman had the audacity to slap Nora for a single remark.Carissa's voice was sharp with rage as she asked, "Has he ever hit you?"Leona shook her head. "No, he hasn't."Carissa continued, "Even if he hasn't hit you now, who's to say what will happen in the future? That courtesan was already so bold in front of me today. It's likely she will provoke you further. Though she's a courtesan from a prestigious brothel, she has plenty of tricks up her sleeve."She placed a comforting hand on Leona's shoulder. "How many people did you bring with you? Do you have enough to protect yourself?"Leona replied, "I brought four maids and one old servant."Carissa considered her options. She would consult with Travis about sending a letter to his guild to see if his senior guild members could come as guards. Carissa was unsure if Travis' master would
Meredith was far from being put off by Carissa and Violet's unexpected visit. In fact, she welcomed them with great warmth and enthusiasm."I should have sent a formal notice of our visit, but it was an urgent matter. I hope you will forgive our impromptu arrival," Carissa apologized. Meredith smiled. "Why make such formalities between us? It's a pleasure to have you here. Just so happens that today, Henrietta is also my guest. She overindulged and upset her stomach. She's currently in the restroom, but you'll see her shortly.""What are you talking about? Meredith, don't speak nonsense."At this moment, Henrietta entered with her attendants. She was holding her stomach and clearly still felt unwell, but her retort to Meredith was forceful.Meredith laughed. "Oh, Henrietta, you want to keep up appearances just because Carissa is here. Even if you refuse to admit it, you're still a glutton, and Kiera's just following your lead."Carissa, Violet, and Rowan greeted her. "Greeting
Meredith said, "My father-in-law oversees the Oversight Department. Just the other day, over dinner, he mentioned that they're working to clean up the behavior of officials and restore the regulations from the previous king's reign. He insists that all officials must be honest and incorruptible. Lately, he and his deputy are discussing this matter, and it seems that Samuel is now in the spotlight."Upon hearing this, Carissa smiled and said, "Isn't that a stroke of luck? However, we might need to wait a day or two. Since that courtesan was beaten today, Samuel might be quite distressed. When I met him, he looked down on me greatly. I suspect he might come to demand an explanation. I wonder if offending a princess consort counts as a crime?"Meredith replied, "I've heard that Samuel fancies himself some kind of genius reborn, and prides himself on his exceptional talent. Since he was appointed as one of the top scholars by the king, he thinks of himself as above others because he's co
After returning to the estate, Carissa discussed the matter of hiring his senior guild members with Travis.Travis's first question was: "How much are you offering?"Carissa knew she wouldn't easily persuade him without a substantial financial incentive. Only by offering more money could she possibly get his master to relent.She replied, "I'd like them to stay until the child is safely born and reaches their Lunar Blessing Ceremony, which will be a few months. If you send two people, I'll offer a total of one thousand silver coins. How does that sound?"Travis raked a hand through his hair, considering the offer. "It sounds acceptable, but I must immediately write a letter. Does His Highness have someone specifically for delivering letters? We must ensure the letter reaches my master as quickly as possible."Carissa smiled. "Please make sure to write the letter as quickly as possible, then."One thousand silver coins was indeed a significant amount.Travis' master forbade her a