Lulu hurried downstairs to fetch more coffee, and poured a fresh cup for Alana.After Alana finished her coffee, she continued, "Lady Leona had been waiting for him to come, so we didn't stop him. We thought it would be better if the couple resolved their conflicts openly. At least, before the child is born, the duchess should be in a better mood instead of crying alone every night."Carissa became anxious. "Did he go in and insult Leona?""Insult her? If it was just that, I wouldn't have hit him. He pushed the duchess and made her belly hit the corner of the table. She was in so much pain that she broke into a cold sweat, which was when I stepped in and hit him.""He pushed Leona? How is she now?" Carissa asked urgently."The family's physician has seen her. She's experiencing a possible miscarriage and will need to stay in bed for a month," Alana said, taking another sip of coffee. "Since the duchess kept crying out for her mother, I went to Hartstone Estate first, hoping to ask
Janice had always accompanied Helen, so she had intended to go along as well. However, Carissa asked her to stay behind. "I'm short of people in my room. Please stay here and assist me for now."Janice bowed her head. "Yes, Your Grace!"She stopped in her tracks, and did not follow. A hint of panic flashed in her eyes—had Carissa noticed something?Carissa smiled warmly. "I've heard from Mother that you're skilled at hairstyling. From now on, you'll work as a hairstylist in my quarters."Seeing Carissa's gentle smile, Janice asked, "Your Grace, Lulu has always been the one to do your hair. If I take over her duties, won't it be inappropriate?"Carissa reassured her, "Lulu has other tasks to attend to. It's not about taking someone's place. There's no need for you to feel uneasy."Janice finally felt somewhat reassured. "Understood. If Lady Helen agrees, I'll serve you in Orchid Hall, Your Grace."She cast a secretive glance at Rafael. He remained indifferent, clearly showing n
Hearing Helen's tender tone, Leona could no longer hold back her tears.Although Alana had already explained the situation, Leona's maid still cried as she recounted it once more."Ever since Mr. Samuel was stripped of his title, Lady Leona has been confined to the estate, but our poor mistress hasn't had a moment of peace. Mr. Samuel blames her for everything. Twice, when they crossed paths while she was paying her respects to Madam Langley, Mr. Samuel pointed right at Lady Leona and accused her of spreading gossip. He said it was her fault the Oversight Department reported him to the king."Although Madam Abigail has protected our mistress, Madam Langley has shielded Mr. Samuel. She says that although our mistress is a duchess, she has married into the Earl of Gracehold's family and should treat her husband as her world. She mustn't speak a word of complaint or mention any fault of her husband to outsiders. Otherwise, she'd lose her standing as the proper wife."Just like today,
In the carriage, Violet had relayed Carissa's instructions to Helen.Upon arriving at Gracehold Estate, Helen was to use both grace and force. After witnessing Leona's pitiful condition, she was to unleash her full authority and intimidate everyone present, including the matriarch of the Earl of Gracehold's family.Violet dragged Ruby into the room and, with a firm kick, sent the latter sprawling on the ground. "Is that all you have? And you dare play tricks in front of the duchess? No one in this household stood up for the duchess. They all sided with this wretch. Lady Helen, please make your decision!"Abigail, who loathed the woman as well, knew that Ruby was her son's beloved. And since Samuel was Dorothy's favorite, Abigail tolerated Ruby in the household. Seeing Ruby now kicked and humiliated by Violet, Abigail couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.Without lifting her head, Helen said coldly, "I'm not sure what the rules are in this household, but in the palace, i
Noah saw the change in his mother's expression, and immediately advised, "Mom, please, let's discuss this calmly…""Be quiet, you useless thing! They've already bullied their way into our residence, and you're still playing the part of the dutiful son?" Dorothy shouted in fury, her face contorted with rage. "Get out of the way!"She walked over and took a seat, taking a deep breath as she met Helen's gaze. "Place and rank? Once the duchess married into our family, she became one of us—our daughter-in-law! Women follow their husbands both at home and in public. Yet, she stirred up trouble and even incited the Hell Monarch's princess consort to report her own husband, all for some domestic matter. What family doesn't have concubines? Instead of learning from the good examples, she's picked up all the bad habits—envy and pettiness. She's learned them all too well."Helen's eyes widened in shock. Wait, was Dorothy talking about Carissa? Was Dorothy referring to Helen's daughter-in-l
Dorothy's vision darkened, and she nearly collapsed from anger. She swayed for a moment before she finally managed to steady herself. Pointing a trembling finger at Helen, she stammered, "I… I will surely…surely go to the palace and report to the queen dowager. You…are being utterly outrageous!""Go ahead and report, you vile woman!" Helen lifted her head with pride. "The queen dowager is my sister, but she is a person of reason. If she learns how your family is bullying Leona, she may be so enraged that you'll lose your title! At that point, you can forget about being a noble lady and return to being a commoner.""When did the title become yours to take away? Who do you think you are?"Dorothy was thoroughly infuriated. She dropped her cane and pushed Helen, who fell to the ground as a result. Helen then yelled, "How dare you lay hands on me? How dare you defy your betters and strike me?"The entire Earl of Gracehold household was stunned. Just moments ago, Helen had been curs
The moment everyone heard Rafael's question, their hearts sank.Noah hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. No one has bullied Lady Helen...""Earl of Gracehold, are you saying my mother is lying and falsely accusing you?" Rafael coldly retorted."N-no, that's not what I meant."Although the Earl of Gracehold held a position in court, when facing someone as cold and imposing as the Hell Monarch—a seasoned general from the battlefield—his confidence faltered.Under Rafael's piercing gaze, he felt a chill run down his spine."It's all a misunderstanding—just a misunderstanding," said Noah.Having gathered her wits, Dorothy immediately questioned, "Are you trying to throw your weight around, Your Highness?"Samuel finally recalled his scholarly pride and disdain for powerful princes like Rafael.He scoffed coldly, "Lady Helen was throwing her weight around. She barged into my family home to meddle in our internal affairs. And now, even you are stepping in to protect h
Naturally, Dorothy's head never made contact with the pillar. With so many people in the room and her actions being so slow, her children and grandchildren had plenty of time to pull her back.Dorothy had only intended to use that act as a way to scare Rafael, hoping it would stop the household soldiers from smashing things.But Rafael's expression remained cold, and the household soldiers didn't pause in their destruction. They continued to smash anything in sight, sending some of the more timid women screaming and fleeing to the back courtyard.Dorothy was furious, her vision darkening with anger. She hadn't expected Rafael to be so brazen, completely unafraid of her threat to bash her own head in.The soldiers didn't go into the inner courtyard, as it was off-limits to men. Travis knew this rule well, so they restricted their rampage to the front courtyard and the main hall.Noah watched the scene with a pale face. He knew very well why Rafael was so enraged tonight—because his
As soon as Carissa left, Salvador's smile vanished. He barely sipped his soup before dismissing Grace and Caden. Grace said nothing. She simply instructed the servants to clear the dishes, took Caden's hand, and curtsied gracefully before taking her leave.Once the hall was silent, Derek closed the door and turned toward the king. "Your Majesty, it's not yet time for the next council meeting. Why don't you rest for a short while?"In the past, Salvador had always taken a brief respite during the noon hours. But ever since summoning Carissa for these conversations, he hadn't rested at all.Salvador massaged his temples and sighed. "Very well. My head's starting to ache.""Should I summon the royal physician to examine you?" Derek offered."There's no need. Those useless quacks at the Royal Medical Department have yet to cure a simple headache, though I've taken more than my share of their remedies."Salvador stood and made his way into the inner chamber, lying down fully clothed.
Of course, Carissa couldn't share her thoughts with Derek, so she simply thanked him and left.After that, Salvador continued the same routine of summoning her for idle conversation after court meetings. Sometimes, these sessions lasted an hour, and other times, they lasted two hours.Gradually, Carissa learned to take it in stride.As his subject, if Salvador wanted her to act like a competent friend, she could oblige. Still, she couldn't help but think about how these midday breaks, a time the king should have spent resting, were now wasted on trivial chatter.During this period, Grace visited a few times to deliver soup. Sylvia also came by, as did Penelope and even Jeanette.Since the royal study was off-limits to the concubines, these women couldn't enter. Instead, they had to hand the soups to Derek, who would deliver them inside. However, if they brought along one of the princes or princesses, they were allowed to step into the study for a brief visit.Perhaps because the
This pattern continued for nearly ten days.Back at the estate, Carissa discussed it with Jacob and Kyle, but no one could make sense of Salvador's intentions.At first, they assumed the king was trying to gather information about the Pathfinders Guild. After all, Adrian had not only modified the six-barreled matchlock and red cannon for this battle, but had also rallied numerous martial arts guilds to defend the capital.Given Salvador's naturally suspicious nature, it wouldn't have been surprising if he harbored doubts.But the more time passed, the more it seemed like that wasn't the case. The king didn't show much interest in the specifics of Meadow Ridge or Adrian's actions. Instead, he seemed more entertained by Carissa's childhood escapades.In recent days, Salvador's favorite stories were those of her mischief at Meadow Ridge—brawling, causing trouble, and forcing her mentor to go door-to-door apologizing and paying reparations.Whenever she recounted those tales, Salvado
Carissa had known for some time that Barrett had lost an arm while saving Wyatt. Cindy had mentioned it in a letter—not intentionally, but while talking about the Sullivan family's situation and the battle, it came up briefly.When Carissa read it, she didn't dwell on the matter, nor did she mention it in her reply.In the chaos of war, it was often impossible to distinguish who saved whom.She naturally wished for every soldier to return home whole and unharmed, but war was brutal and unrelenting. Blood and sacrifice were inevitable.While Carissa had acknowledged Barrett's actions, Salvador had only recently learned of them. The latest victory report from Victory Pass detailed Barrett's courageous efforts—how he had fought valiantly, saved lives, and lost an arm in the process.The earlier reports that came back on horseback had contained only critical updates on the battle's progress, with no mention of individual achievements. Only the detailed victory reports included a list
Salvador now regularly summoned Carissa to the royal study to discuss military matters, granting her a seat at the table where battle strategies were planned and debated. Her place in these discussions was earned by leading the Mystic Army to crush the rebels.It was a position forged in blood and sweat, with no one daring to challenge her right to it.The reports that shaped their discussions came from Victory Pass and the Southern Frontier. These dispatches provided the foundation for the court's analysis of the situation, guiding decisions on logistical support and strategies.Yet, even when strategies were drafted, Salvador refrained from issuing direct commands. Instead, he offered suggestions, a gesture that showed his trust in Rafael and the Sullivan family—though that trust extended only as far as their abilities on the battlefield.With winter approaching, the soldiers needed winter clothing and more weapons. Most of their discussions revolved around supplies.Leroy and V
The garden at Tranquil Palace wasn't small, but it couldn't be compared to the royal garden.If one took their time strolling along, admiring the flowers, or stood still to enjoy the view for a while, one could easily spend a good portion of the afternoon. But Carissa was accustomed to walking briskly. Flowers didn't require her lingering attention—she could glance at them and move on, seeing little difference between one bloom and the next.She had seen fields upon fields of flowers, all of which had left a lasting impression on her. These meticulously tended peonies in their pots, though, hardly stirred any great interest.By the time they finished their walk, some of the other ladies hadn't even finished their coffee. Just as Jeanette began to speak of Skye Embroidery, they found themselves back at the main hall of Tranquil Palace.Jeanette forced a smile. "Shall we go inside and congratulate Lady Sylvia?"Carissa shook her head. "I have matters to attend to, so I'll have to
When Sylvia moved to her new residence, all the concubines sent gifts. The royal relatives, upon hearing the news, hurried to send their congratulations as well.As for what to send, other households usually left the decision to the lady of the house. But at Hell Monarch Estate, the ones in charge were Jacob and Luke.They searched through the storerooms, but nothing seemed quite right. Either the items were too expensive, or they were just simple gold, silver, or jewels. Even the golden vases seemed too small and trivial.As for the larger items, such as coral trees or folding screens, Jacob wasn't inclined to part with them. The coral tree, in particular, was rare. The one in the estate had been a wedding gift from the Pathfinders Guild when Carissa married.In the end, their eyes landed on the most abundant item in the storeroom—Kyle's orchid paintings.This would certainly make a strong impression—expensive and elegant, yet not unique to the estate. If it wasn't enough, snow w
Among the harem, Kylie was most wary of Sylvia and Grace. Sylvia was caring for Cecil, while Grace was caring for Caden, the second prince.Cecil was not Sylvia's biological son and was still very young, so Kylie need not worry too much. But Sylvia had once been arrogant, with an impressive family background and a sharp aptitude for power games.In the past year, Sylvia had softened somewhat, co-managing the affairs of the harem with Grace. She had learned how to win hearts and minds, and her support for Skye Embroidery and Gracewood Women's Academy had earned her some reputation among the common folk.In contrast, Grace was far more restrained. She co-managed the harem with Sylvia and would occasionally seek Kylie's opinion, genuinely treating her with respect due to her being the queen.But Caden, a sharp and well-mannered boy, was Salvador's and Victoria's favorite.If the position of Crown Prince were to be decided now, it would naturally fall to Connor. But once the princes g
Kylie had yet to remove her hairpins, and her makeup was still untouched, her face brimming with quiet anticipation.Earlier that day, a message had arrived from the court, announcing that the king would visit the harem tonight. She had waited for hours, but had heard no news that he had sent for any concubines. In her heart, she felt a surge of joy. If no summons had come, it meant he would be visiting her chambers."Lydia, go and see if His Majesty has arrived yet," she urged once again, her third time asking that evening.Lydia was standing to the side. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please be patient. If His Majesty was coming, he would surely send word beforehand so you can prepare to receive him.""Yes, you're right," Kylie sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair from her temple. "It's been so long since His Majesty visited my palace that I nearly forgot how it goes." Her smile was soft and alluring. "We are husband and wife, after all. What couple do not have thei