"You're insane!" Gregory was furious. "They're all bound! If we don't get the authorities to interrogate them to find out who sent them, we can't eliminate future threats!"Aurora looked up, her gaze locking with Carissa's in midair. Her eyes were a mix of complexity and malice as she gritted her teeth."You're a discarded woman the Warren family cast out. What right do you have to come back here?"Carissa observed Aurora's bloodied face, and her frown deepened. "Did you think they were Westhaven spies? What an idiot."Aurora's expression shifted slightly, her eyes filled with even more venom. Yes, she was worried that they could be Westhaven spies. If they were tortured by the Royal Citadel and the local authorities, they might reveal information about Fawnrun City. Right now, she was still hoping for the best since the king had yet to punish her.But if the matter was discovered through interrogation by the local authorities…Aurora couldn't afford to gamble on it.Carissa cou
Aurora's head snapped to the side from the slap. She clenched her teeth but didn't strike back, focusing instead on tending to her wound.Viola turned to Michael, wiping her tears with one hand as she shouted, "Mr. Brown, it was her! The assassins came for her. She locked herself in the room, and pushed me and my maids out. She's responsible for my maids' death! And the assassins—Carissa had already taken them down and tied them up, but Aurora went crazy and killed them all. Mr. Brown, please get justice for me!"Michael glanced at Aurora. Before he could ask any questions, Aurora said coldly, "They broke into Valor Estate and killed guards and maids. Why would I leave them alive? Keeping them around would only bring more trouble."Michael examined the assassins' bodies, and was dissatisfied with Aurora's response. "Their tendons were severed, their cores were damaged, and they were bound. What further danger could they pose? Leaving them alive and questioning them to find out who w
The Royal Citadel personnel arrived quickly. Gregory briefed them and conferred with Michael. It was decided that the bodies of the assassins would be taken back to the Royal Citadel.Since the matter was now in the hands of the authorities, statements were crucial. The information revealed to Michael earlier would need to be reiterated to the Royal Citadel personnel. To avoid having to answer more questions, Aurora pretended to have fainted from her injuries and was carried back to her room.Everyone was busy dealing with the aftermath.After handling all the inquiries, Barrett finally collapsed from exhaustion. Viola instructed that he be taken to the bed in Grace Mansion to rest.Charlotte usually preferred not to get involved in the affairs of the main house. However, when she heard Carissa had been the one to save them tonight, she went straight to Rebecca and demanded sharply, "How did you treat her in the past? Today, she saved the entire Warren family. Do you feel any shame
Carissa recalled she had met Edmund, Westhaven's third prince, outside Simonton City. He was now the crown prince of Westhaven. He harbored a deep-seated hatred towards the people of Starhaven. If he ascended to the throne, the situation in Fawnrun City would become very troublesome.Carissa felt sorry for her grandfather, who was still stationed at Victory Pass even though he was well over sixty. By his age, most military officers would have retired and be enjoying life in the capital.Carissa understood the king's intention to promote younger generals. But in recent years, there were hardly any who were truly capable of handling important roles.Salvador had also stripped Rafael, who had been a feared general in both Westhaven and Sandoria, of his military authority. If he had still been in command, he could certainly have deterred potential threats.For now, Oliver was in charge during this period of peace when there was no immediate danger. However, if conflict were to erupt ag
After a brief chat, Carissa asked, "Can the earring be repaired?""My mother-in-law has already sent it to The Golden Tower for examination. It should be repairable," Kayla replied."Such a valuable item should be kept safely; wearing it out carries risks," Carissa said, noticing how much Kayla cared about the earring and understanding its significance to her."I usually don't wear it," Kayla said with a smile, though her eyes were misted with tears. "But it was Alexander's first day at the academy yesterday. I thought if I wore it, it would feel like my late husband was with me, sending our child to the academy together."Her voice trembled slightly, "That was one of the things we vowed to do together when we got married. I know it's silly. But if I don't lie to myself sometimes, it's hard to get through the day."Carissa's eyes were filled with compassion, half for Kayla and half for herself."You're strong, Your Grace. Unlike me, I know you wouldn't do something silly like lyi
In Simonton City, Oliver was growing increasingly impatient. After four rounds of negotiations, Victor refused to budge. He insisted that he would only release Septimus in exchange for Simonton City.The other prisoners had already been exchanged long ago. In fact, Starhaven had been on the losing side of the deal. The number of Sandorian captives they had was twice more than the Sinclair Army soldiers in Victor's hands.The numbers didn't add up, revealing how many prisoners Sandoria had killed. Now, they were demanding an entire city in exchange for Septimus' life.It was absurd.If it hadn't been for Rafael arriving a couple of days ago and urging him to delay the negotiations, Oliver would have flatly rejected Victor's demands.Timothy and Louis had repeatedly stressed that Septimus had been an important figure in recovering the Southern Frontier, but Oliver didn't agree. He had reviewed the list of people in the Sinclair Army, and Septimus wasn't even on it. Even if his name
On the fourth day since the assassins appeared in Valor Estate, Carissa was summoned to the palace. Before this, no one from the Royal Citadel had come to question her, nor had the garrison unit appeared.Carissa wasn't surprised. After all, the Royal Citadel and the garrison unit would have used the information they got from the Warren family to conduct their investigation. They needed to gather a coherent account before reporting to the king. Only then would the king summon her to the palace for questioning.As Carissa made her way to the palace, Barrett finally forced himself out of bed and headed straight for Aurora's room.He had been bedridden for several days, recovering from his injuries. He had also been stewing with anger for days. Although his wounds were superficial, he had received over a dozen sword wounds and had no choice but to remain in bed to recover. If he didn't, he risked permanent damage. If that happened, he would lose all his value and might even be unable t
Barrett watched Aurora with a cold, unfeeling gaze as she smiled and mocked him with her words."If you hadn't fed me all that nonsense about wanting success for our future, I might've believed you. But Aurora, now I'd sooner trust a dog than you. You lied to me from the start. When I questioned you about Fawnrun City, you never told me the truth. Even when the truth came out, you were evasive and tried to cover it up. And now you want to incite me to doubt Carissa?"He leaned in closer, his voice icy and disdainful, "Do you think I can still trust you? Do you remember how unsightly you acted that night? You were only concerned with saving yourself. You rushed straight to Grace Mansion and locked Viola and her two maids out."No matter how hard they banged on the door, you refused to open it. Actually, I was wrong. It wasn't just an unsightly display—it was a show of how selfish and cruel you are. If you told everyone else what you said to Viola, do you think they would believe you?