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
In the side hall, the two women sat facing each other.Carissa eyed the dagger still pressed against Viola's neck, and frowned. "Are you really going to keep holding that dagger to your throat? If you truly want to die, go throw yourself against the gates of Hell Monarch Estate. All this drama just makes you look ridiculous."Viola wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her face pale and stubborn. "Carissa, destroying someone's marriage is a sin! You're truly vicious."Carissa sat up straight, her posture as rigid as ever. "When did I destroy your marriage? Whatever happens between you and Barrett is your business, not mine. You've always had a poor sense of right and wrong. When Valor Estate was attacked, I was the one who saved you all."Viola's voice turned cold. "That's beside the point! You didn't save us for my sake. I don't owe you any gratitude."Carissa laughed incredulously. "I don't need your gratitude. Just tell me—what have I done to ruin your marriage?"Viola