Violet smiled, and asked, "Are you sure it's okay to take so much? Won't Sebastian be upset?"Silas forced a chuckle. "Not at all. Lady Carissa came personally to collect it, so he won't mind. Anything she takes is fine. He instructed this before.""I'm jealous. Sebastian's incredibly generous with Cari," Violet remarked.Silas nodded. "He treats Lady Carissa like his own daughter.""That much is true. When we were at the Southern Frontier, Carissa came loaded with medicine, claiming it was all from Sebastian." Violet hooked her arm through Carissa's, and added, "By the way, I saw Viola outside earlier. Mr. Lewis, you know her, right? She used to be your cousin's wife."At her words, Silas' knife slipped, and he accidentally cut his finger. Blood instantly welled up from the wound."Why were you so careless? Hurry and wrap that up!" Violet urged.Silas hastily pulled a roll of gauze from the drawer and wrapped it around his finger, his tone noticeably strained. "It's nothing. Ju
When Carissa arrived at Gracehold Estate, the servants came out to greet her. After all, they were mindful of her status as a princess consort.That was precisely the kind of attention Carissa found bothersome, which was why she rarely visited. She waited for the formalities to conclude before seeking out Leona.When Leona saw her cousin approaching, her face lit up with joy. She waddled out with her prominent belly to meet Carissa.Carissa naturally took Leona's hand, gently placing the other on the latter's belly. "How are you feeling with such a big bump? Is it uncomfortable?""Not too bad, just a bit restless at night," Leona replied with a smile. "The hardest days are behind me. Back when I had to stay in bed to keep the baby safe, I ended up feeling so nauseous from lying down all the time.""Once the baby arrives, it'll all be worth it," Carissa reassured her.Once inside, she found Alana and Leah in the inner room—one sewing clothes, the other working on a net. They looke
Thomas met Zoey's gaze, feeling a knot in his throat. It was a matter of a man's dignity, and he wasn't sure how to articulate his thoughts."Do you know everything?" Zoey asked, studying his expression."I can't say I know everything." He sighed deeply before asking outright, "After I left for the Southern Frontier, did she develop feelings for my cousin? Did they exchange tokens of affection?""Tokens of affection?" Zoey wasn't aware of that detail.Thomas stood and walked to the drawer behind his desk, pulling out an emerald pendant. "I found this under the bed where she used to sleep. It was wedged between the foot of the bed and the wall. I recognize it. It belongs to my cousin."He laughed bitterly. "It was under her bed. She must have taken it out at night to look at as she thought about him. When did she start liking my cousin? I always thought we had a loving marriage, but it seems she was hiding someone in her heart all along. You knew about this, didn't you?"Hearing
Thomas nodded mechanically. He took a moment to gather himself before finally uttering in a slightly trembling voice, "I won't say anything. You have my word."Zoey's gaze fell to the shattered emerald pendant on the floor, and a wave of anxiety crashed over her. She had deliberated long and hard about whether to share this truth, wrestling with her conscience. This secret felt like a buried landmine inside her, one that could detonate over her head at any moment.Now that it was out in the open, she felt a strange sense of relief.She trusted that Thomas would keep her secret. If he ever did share it, however, there would be little she could do. The chaos that the Earl of Silverstone's family had sown would be theirs to bear.Ultimately, Thomas was a man who had endured the brutality of the battlefield. He slowly regained his composure, and said, "You risked your family's honor to share the truth with me, which shows your genuine concern for my well-being. I won't let your family
Viola was unaware of what Zoey had done. Viola had returned to Valor Estate, and told Rebecca and Barrett that she wasn't feeling well. She claimed the physician said her anxiety was due to a recent fright, and that she would need some time to recover.Barrett wasn't suspicious at all. Instead, he felt more guilty. After all, the assassination attempt had scared Viola badly, and she was already heartbroken over the deaths of Julia and Yvonne. Grief could easily weaken a person's constitution, so Barrett told her to rest and take care of herself.Viola planned to recover for a few days and then use it as an excuse to return to Silverstone Estate to rest further.But on the third day, rumors spread about Thomas looking for marriage candidates. It was the servants in the estate gossiping, and she overheard it. After listening, she frowned in disbelief. That was impossible. Thomas had promised her. He wasn't the kind of person to go back on his word, and he must have found out abo
Viola was utterly heartbroken. Her husband's family didn't care for her, and her own family refused to help. What was the point of living in such despair?Still, she wasn't willing to give up. Thomas wasn't the kind of man who went back on his word. He still had feelings for her—he had to! She needed to confront him and get to the bottom of it.Viola knew it wasn't appropriate for her to go directly to see him in her current position. However, she didn't care. She had to ask him in person.The carriage arrived at the Farrell family's residence. Viola stepped down, and walked straight up to the gate. Upon seeing her, the gatekeeper blurted out, "Ms. Pr—I mean, Mrs. Warren."She frowned, and shot him a cold look. "What kind of nonsense is that? Why are you calling me Mrs. Warren? Is Thomas inside?"The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment before nodding. "He is."Without another word, Viola stormed inside, with Poppy following nervously behind her. Poppy's legs were trembling, but
Yuvan had returned to the capital with his entire family, and they were now settled in. After greeting the queen dowager and the king, Yuvan brought Fiona and his new princess consort, Molly Spencer, to Hell Monarch Estate.Rafael was on leave that day, and happened to be home. Seeing Yuvan arrive unannounced again stirred some frustration in him.Yuvan was Rafael's uncle. As such, there was no excuse not to meet with him, especially when he came with his whole family. However, it would've been more appropriate for Rafael to bring Carissa to Horizon Estate to pay a visit—that would've followed the proper etiquette. Now, his uncle had taken the initiative to come by. It made Rafael look as though he was arrogant and dismissive, like he had completely disregarded his place in the family hierarchy.Left with no choice, Rafael asked his mother to join them. It could still be somewhat appropriate to say that Yuvan and his family had come to visit Helen.The two men, uncle and nephew,
Rafael and Carissa both stood up and rushed outside, only to find Viola with her hair in disarray, gripping a dagger tightly against her own neck. She pressed it down hard enough that blood was already seeping from the cut.Her maid trailed behind her, pale as a ghost. Poppy had tried to stop Viola, but it had been in vain. Viola had insisted on going to Hell Monarch Estate, even stopping along the way to buy the dagger.When Viola spotted Carissa, her eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Carissa, what grudge do we have? Why are you trying to ruin me like this?" Viola screamed.Carissa remained calm and instructed Luke, "Send someone to Silverstone Estate and Valor Estate. Have them come take Mrs. Warren home."Luke nodded, and hurried off.Carissa turned to Rafael. "You should go back inside. I'll handle this."Rafael glanced at Viola, and saw how unstable she looked with the dagger still in hand. "Be careful not to hurt yourself by accident," he warned before heading back. As
Having failed to convince my mother, I went to my father. However, his response was even more severe.They thought I opposed the marriage because I hadn't spent time with Phineas. They were also convinced that since the match was already being arranged, it would be best for him to take me out and build some rapport between us.I didn't want to go, but my mother's maid forced me into the carriage. The maid was also told to watch me closely to ensure I didn't speak out of turn.Phineas looked all polished up, with shiny hair and a face like he had powdered it that morning. He initially showed me some respect, but soon enough, his true nature began to show. He made crude comments about my appearance, saying that if it weren't for my looks and the fact that I was from the Spencer family, he would never have considered marrying me.His condescending attitude made me uncomfortable. If that had been the worst of it, perhaps I would have simply let it go. But on our way back, he pinched me
Startled, I quickly turned around. Not far behind me stood a man, half-hidden in the shade of a tree. He wore a simple black outfit, his figure thin and unkempt, with dark circles beneath his eyes.It was him—the scholar from the bridge who sold paintings, the one Mr. Klein had called a hopeless case, a student who had dropped out to care for a woman."You're speaking nonsense," I exclaimed, wide-eyed, a shiver running through me at the thought of his strange words. "I've never heard of any water demons here. You're just trying to trick me."Though I had no fear of death, I was uneasy at the thought of demons, particularly if they were going to trap me beneath the mud."I'm not lying to you." Cassius stepped forward, his frail frame seeming even more fragile against the breeze. "If you look around, you'll see no one is here. Why else would such a lovely place be devoid of visitors?""That's because the people who come here are not tourists. They come to pray, and they leave once t
After a while, my cousin and her maid returned to find me. I asked the maid to hand thirty copper coins to Cassius. He smiled and thanked me kindly.I thought our meeting was just a chance encounter and I would never see him again. However, to my surprise, during Grandma's birthday celebration a month later, I saw him again.Our family was hosting a grand dinner, and Leonard Klein, a renowned scholar, had come with his apprentices. And there Cassius was, standing among them.In Ebonflow, the rules for social gatherings weren't as strict as in the capital, with women being allowed to be in the front hall during a banquet. Of course, Cassius didn't recognize me. After all, I had been wearing a veil when we first met, so he had only seen my eyes.He didn't stay long. After presenting Grandma with a beautiful painting, he quickly excused himself, saying he had business to attend to at home.Once he left, Mr. Klein spoke of him with a tone of regret, explaining, "He's a clever young man
Anyone who knew me, Liana Spencer, spoke of me with scorn. Even strangers who heard my story would spit on the ground and say I had no shame.Everyone knew that running away with a man was worse than theft or murder. It was a disgrace no family could easily bear.Many asked me the same question: Did I regret it?I never regretted marrying him, but I did carry guilt in my heart. Because of me, the Spencer family's name was dragged through the mud. My brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews had a much harder time finding good matches because of my choices.As a daughter of the Spencer family, I lived in comfort from the moment I was born. I wore fine dresses, ate the best foods, and was showered with love. My parents doted on me, while my brothers spoiled me terribly.But there was something wrong with me.By the time I was fourteen, I still hadn't gotten my monthly courses. We consulted physician after physician, and I drank countless doses of bitter medicine, day and night. Yet, no
Snow fell softly in the dead of winter, blanketing Victory Pass in white. At that moment, the world seemed to have been made pure again.For years, I wore nothing but a tattered priest's robe. I carried a broken bowl and wandered from place to place, asking for food. I stopped only briefly at temples along the way to rest for a night or two and kneel before the statues to beg for forgiveness.I could have stayed at the first monastery I was sent to. Life there wasn't easy, but it wasn't so hard either. I had warm meals and shelter from the cold. But I knew if I stayed in comfort, I would never wash away my sins.Only by suffering, by staying on the road and bearing the cold, the hunger, the pain, could I find peace in my heart.And so, I came to Victory Pass.My sandals had long since fallen apart. Thick calluses had grown on my feet; I could walk barefoot over rocks and barely feel a thing. Even with every piece of clothing I owned layered over me, the winter cold still cut throug
It was during the Verdant Hunt that Connor fell out of favor with Dad, who scolded him harshly before we left the hunting grounds. Once we returned to the palace, Connor fell ill. Ryan and I were both terribly worried, but Mom was delighted.She held me close that evening, her smile sharper than usual. "After this, your father is sure to be tired of your brother."She told me I must work harder than ever, and to listen closely to the royal chancellor and my uncle."Study better than anyone. Earn their praise. And most importantly, outshine your brother," she said.My heart felt torn. Mom often spoke of the rewards that came with being crown prince, and I won't lie, I was tempted. However, those were all distant things.At the time, I was close to Connor, Ryan, and even our youngest brother, Cecil. We all got along so well. How could I possibly hate my older brother?Those thoughts tangled inside me, day after day. I lost focus. My studies slipped. I made mistakes during riding pra
Before I took the vows and entered the monastery, my name was Caden.From the time I was young, I often heard the same praise whispered around me: "This child is sharp beyond his years—clever, quick-witted, the finest of the three princes."I heard it so often that I came to believe it myself. At times, I even felt proud. But whenever I let that pride rise too high, Mom would bring me back to earth.She would look at me, her eyes soft but filled with something I couldn't quite name—pity, perhaps. And then, she would sigh and say, "What a pity you were born of my womb. If not, you might have risen above that foolish one. But fate favored him, not you."That "foolish one"—I knew well enough who she meant. I had heard her say it so many times in private, though never once in public.It puzzled me greatly as a child. Mom clearly disliked my eldest brother, Connor, more than anyone. Yet, whenever he came near, she would smile warmly and speak kindly. She would even flatter him, calling
Two childhood friends were now each giving their all on very different paths.Clarence had started with herbs, then medicine, and in time, healing became his entire world at Eldermere Keep. At first, it was merely something to pour his heart into, because he knew he would never be allowed to leave the mountain and open a medical hall of his own.But then Ryan came, and afterward, sent Clarence a letter.That letter changed everything.For the first time, Clarence began to hope that maybe, just maybe, he could go down the mountain after all. And once that hope took root, he threw himself into his studies with more energy than ever before. He barely slept, rarely left the apothecary, and sometimes forgot to eat.Because of the pain he had once endured, he focused his efforts on curing injuries and chronic pain. Of course, a good physician had to know more than one thing, so he studied every field without neglecting any.There was a fire inside him now. A quiet flame that had not bur
"Elise, must your mouth run on without end?" Carissa frowned at her daughter, who had been chattering away beside Ryan from the moment he stepped through the door.The little girl's face was flushed from the sun, her hair tangled into a messy nest that made it clear she had only just returned from playing outdoors. She hadn't stopped talking since Ryan came back from his travels, pestering him with questions about what he had seen and done.Elise turned to Carissa with wide eyes, looking up with a face so innocent it could soften stone. She truly had inherited the best features from both her parents."Mom, I haven't seen Ryan in such a long time. Every moment without him felt like an eternity. We've been apart for so long, so of course I have a lot to say to him."Carissa's frown deepened. "And who taught you to speak in such a ridiculous manner? An eternity—where did that come from?""Sage Isaac said it to Aunt Violet. He went back to Meadow Ridge for a few days and said it to her