After Dakota took her seat, she smiled and said, "As for fortune, it pales in comparison to the blessings of Madam Clayton from the Marquis of Jadehill's family."Mary smiled and said, "Everyone here is indeed blessed, and Lady Dakota is even more so. Lady Helen is blessed as well, having a virtuous daughter-in-law. The Hell Monarch has achieved unparalleled military success, which is also a great blessing."Helen felt a lot better after hearing that. It was no wonder people said others had seen and experienced so much more than she has. Just a casual comment like that could be so comforting.She immediately beamed. "I do wish that Rafael could enjoy the idle pleasures of the capital city like Lord Kendrick, surrounded by wives and concubines and with children in pairs. It pains me to see my son working tirelessly from dawn until late into the night. I worry for him."Dakota smiled and said, "That only proves Prince Rafael is capable."As she spoke, she held her grandchild close a
Viola's expression froze.The Farrell family? It was a distant memory she had nearly forgotten. She hurriedly took a seat in a corner, unsure who from the Farrell family had come. Her former mother-in-law was unlikely to be here, as she had long preferred to stay at home and rarely ventured out.However, just as she settled down, she saw Opal assisting her former mother-in-law, Alice, into the room, followed by several young women from the Farrell family."Madam Opal." Carissa quickly stepped forward, greeting Opal and then Alice politely. "How is your health, Madam Alice?"Seeing Carissa, Alice's eyes softened with sympathy, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. But she knew the importance of today's occasion and managed to keep her emotions in check, smiling as she replied, "Thank you, Lady Carissa. Everything is well."After speaking, Alice, along with Opal and the children, went forward to pay their respects to Helen and exchanged pleasantries with the attending
The atmosphere had indeed become awkward; even Helen, who was usually a bit slow to pick up on things, noticed it. She took the initiative to break the silence."Not long ago, Carissa added many rare and beautiful flowers to my collection. Why don't we go take a look? The bougainvillea on the wall has also bloomed, and it makes for a vibrant display. If we don't see it now, it will soon wither."Carissa joined in, "That's right. If you're not interested in flowers and would rather see the performances, follow me."She first helped Helen down from her seat, and then took Alice's arm gently. "Come, let's go enjoy the flowers. It's been a while since we last spoke, and I'd like to catch up with you."Alice appeared somewhat dazed. She couldn't understand why Viola had married Barrett, and now, why was she here today? The Farrell family had allowed her to return to her natal family, hoping she would find a suitable match—but Barrett was not that match. Alice felt a deep sense of revu
"The Prince family is not to be trifled with. Regardless of what kind of person Barrett is, as long as the Earl of Silverstone's family stands, Viola will not be wronged," Carissa said.She paused, and continued, "Don't worry about others—just focus on yourself. After all, you are no longer family. She will not be buried with Thomas in the future, and since the divorce letter was given to her, who she marries is her own business. Whether her future is good or bad will be something she has to face on her own."Alice sighed slowly. "You are right, Your Grace. I have indeed meddled too much."Alice wasn't actually very familiar with Carissa. They had only met a few times when Carissa was younger. Later, when Carissa returned from Meadow Ridge, their families had interacted occasionally, but it was mostly through Melanie. Carissa had only come to offer a polite greeting once in a while.But with her son gone, Alice felt adrift. Seeing Carissa, she was reminded of how her son had served
Zoey sighed. "Viola wasn't invited to this banquet. She insisted on coming along. When she married into the Farrell family, after your son died in battle, you returned all the dowry and even gave her Thomas' pension. You even gave her two more shops. Now, everything has been moved to the Warren family. On her wedding day, she even compared her dowry to Lady Carissa's."This isn't something I should be telling you, but I couldn't bear to see you worrying about her. You shouldn't concern yourself with her matters. It's more important to take care of your own health. If Thomas' spirit sees you constantly unhappy, he might not rest in peace."Alice was shocked beyond measure upon hearing this. Viola wasn't someone Alice would have imagined being like this. She understood propriety and respected her elders, but how had she become this way?Had Viola always been hypocritical, or had she changed?Zoey looked at Alice, a phrase stuck in her throat but left unsaid."Thank you for infor
Viola was anxious. "What I'm saying is the truth. The rumors were mostly unfounded, likely spread by the Hell Monarch's princess consort out of resentment. Moreover, the recent incident of dung being thrown at our residence was also orchestrated by her."Alice turned abruptly and walked away, her steps unsteady and her face pale. Viola's words had struck her deeply.After hearing Zoey's remarks, Alice had thought that even if she accepted Viola's marriage to Barrett, the affection she spoke of couldn't be genuine. But now, hearing Viola's words, Alice felt a coldness wash over her. She could hardly believe that Viola would compare Thomas to someone like Barrett.She found Opal and gripped her niece-in-law's hand tightly, fearing she might lose control of her emotions and disrupt Helen's birthday banquet.Opal took her back to the theater area, where Carissa noticed them and asked, "Are you feeling unwell? Perhaps you should go back and rest. The days are long, and you can come
All eyes were on Serena as she lay on the ground, her tears on the verge of spilling. Her knees and forehead throbbed with pain.But the pain was secondary—she had come so close to falling into the Hell Monarch's arms.She thought that although Rafael was a martial general, he would surely have a compassionate heart. Any man would instinctively reach out to help if a woman was about to fall.However, just as she believed she was about to be caught, she felt as if some force had pulled her forward. She landed on the ground while Rafael had swiftly stepped back.The speed of his retreat was so swift it was barely perceptible, as if he had never moved at all.Struggling in pain, Serena raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, only to meet Rafael's cold, icy gaze. The intensity of his stare made her shiver uncontrollably.A maid helped her up, but Serena could barely stand, leaning heavily on the maid for support. Instinctively, she looked towards Jessica, who was standing nearby
Lily walked over to Serena and said, "Ms. Warren, you have a head injury. Please come with me so I can tend to it."Lily had previously worked at Valor Estate, and she was a familiar face to Serena.Serena was aware that her forehead was bleeding. Though it was only a small amount, appearing at the birthday feast with a bloody forehead would be highly inappropriate. Thus, she reluctantly followed Lily.As Lily attended to Serena's wound, she said softly, "Never covet what's someone else's."Serena felt humiliated, and trembled all over.-Outside, Violet approached Carissa."It was Jessica who pushed her. Clearly, they planned it together. They probably intended for Serena to fall onto your man and force him into marrying her. What's odd is that Jessica seems indifferent to whether the plan succeeds or not."Carissa replied, "Yeah. When Lady Dakota came out with her grandchildren and then the topic changed to taking concubines, I knew their intentions. They want to make my moth