A carriage rolled out of the city, carrying Daniel on a trip to Serenvale. He was in a hurry as there had been a few issues at a factory there. Though it was nothing too serious, his dad had insisted he go personally to handle it.Daniel had been living in Serenvale for some time, but since his wife was pregnant, he had sent her back to the capital to prepare for childbirth. He figured he could hand off the factory's affairs to the shopkeeper and return to the capital to pursue some other business ventures.Having married at twenty, he was already a father with two sons, so he hoped they would have a daughter this time. In his family, taking a concubine was rare, and he had no plans to do so. He shared a deep bond with his wife, whom he had always brought along on business trips. Now, as their focus shifted back to the capital, their little family of four—soon to be five—would settle in the city.Daniel hadn't visited Carissa, but had gone to the academy to see Ryan. His teacher was
Daniel struggled to rise, but his body felt weak, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. Just then, the door creaked open, so he quickly turned his head to look.A figure stepped around the screen and entered. It was a woman.She wore her hair in a loose bun, adorned with a delicate hairpin, and was wearing a pale blue top with white accents. Over it was draped a smoke-colored satin coat that flowed elegantly. She appeared to be in her forties, with only faint signs of aging on her face. Yet, her expression was stern and commanding, radiating the authority of someone in power.Behind her, another person entered and moved a chair to the bedside. The woman then slowly sat down, her cold, sharp gaze locking onto Daniel's wide, confused eyes."Who… who are you?"Daniel had never met Eleanor, but he knew her status must be significant.As Eleanor observed the panic in his eyes, an unsettling feeling surged within her. It was as if a flame had been doused by a sudden downp
As soon as Florence heard that Daniel was to be locked away in the dungeon, she hurried after Eleanor."Your Highness, have you changed your mind?""Just lock him up for now," Eleanor snapped, feeling a wave of irritation wash over her."Yes, of course. Please don't be angry. You must take care of yourself," Florence urged gently."No one can compare to Hector. Even if he looks exactly the same, if he's not him, then he's not him. Not even the slightest resemblance can stir my heart. In fact, that face only makes me furious," Eleanor ranted as she stormed back into her room, a fire burning in her eyes.After she sat down, she still felt overwhelmingly restless."Bring me water and scented soap. I need to wash my hands," she ordered.The maids hurried about, bringing in warm water.Eleanor washed her hands repeatedly, scrubbing away the memory of touching Daniel. It was just like how after every encounter with Henry, every moment spent close to him under the flickering light of
Daniel's home was not far from the Sinclair family's main residence, Sinclair Estate. It was a house with two entrances, two exits, and a patio.Usually, Daniel's wife, Thalia, would accompany her mother-in-law, Hilda, after dinner. The two women would do embroidery together, with Thalia usually making clothes for her unborn child or two sons. But tonight, not only did Thalia not show up at all, the sound of the children playing couldn't be heard either.Finding it odd, Hilda sent her maid, Doris, to check on them. When she arrived at Thalia's quarters and inquired, Thalia's maid, Fern, looked surprised."Isn't Madam Thalia doing embroidery with Madam Hilda? She left an hour ago with the two boys," said Fern."No, Madam Hilda hasn't seen Madam Thalia. That's why she sent me to ask," replied Doris, also surprised."How can that be? Madam Thalia had dinner and took her pregnancy medicine, then left.""Did she say she was heading to Madam Hilda's place?""Yes, she did. Pansy went w
Rafael noticed that Jacob was holding a note. It seemed he knew the whereabouts of Thalia and her children.A stunned Frederick protested, "Why don't we send more people out? It's late, and we need to find them immediately. If anything happens, it'll be too late!"He glanced at Carissa, but she remained silent.Rafael spoke up, "Frederick, follow Jacob's instructions. Take people to look for them. And as for the Sinclair family, don't say too much to them. Just let them know we will also be sending people out. If they're not found by tomorrow, have them report it to the Royal Citadel."Since Rafael had given his order, Frederick replied, "Understood. I'll follow your wishes, Your Highness."Just as Frederick left, Violet rushed in. She had just finished bathing and was alarmed when she heard the staff mention that Frederick had come from Northwatch Estate, prompting her to hurry over in case something was wrong."What happened?" Violet asked as she hastily pinned up her damp hair
"Do we have a map of Harmony Palace? Where's the dungeon located?" Violet asked."Of course we do. We're supposed to make our move tomorrow night. How could we not have one?" Rafael replied.Violet felt a surge of frustration. Despite her and Claire's efforts to gather intelligence, they hadn't uncovered anything significant."How did you manage to sneak people into Harmony Palace so quietly? It's one of the most difficult places to infiltrate, especially for such important tasks. And it's not just one person—you've arranged for multiple!" Violet exclaimed.Wanting to steer away from the unpleasant topic of cleaning toilets, Jacob got straight to the point, explaining, "The initial plan is for His Highness to sneak in. However, there's no way to leave messages for our people to see at this late hour. They can't help us, so it's all on His Highness now."Fortunately, we know the layout and patrol patterns of Harmony Palace. The best time to enter is around nine at night, but it's a
Carissa didn't answer her, instead saying, "Tomorrow, Raf and I are heading out of the city. Can you help me paint my nails so I won't have to rush in the morning?""My lady, where are you going tomorrow? Are you taking me with you?" Lulu asked eagerly, her face lighting up."No." Carissa shot her a playful glare. "I just feel like going out."Janice continued to glance around in confusion.Rafael and Carissa had clearly entered the room together, so why was Carissa alone now? Janice was sure Rafael hadn't left through the door, as it had been locked the whole time. Had he snuck out through a window? Why such secrecy?As they took out the dye and prepared to paint Carissa's nails, Violet's voice rang out, "Carissa, I can't find the Mystic Pearl earrings you gave me. Are they here with you?"She stepped into the room with a frustrated look on her face. "Help me check if they're in here."Carissa laughed. "But you never take off your jewelry in my room. How could they be here? Did
Such a large-scale search naturally caught Helen's attention. She had gone to bed early and was fast asleep when the commotion outside woke her. Gillian, who was sleeping in the same room, was asked to check what was happening.When Helen heard that a servant had stolen Violet's Mystic Pearl earrings, her anger flared."Our household provides a much better life than other estates. The person who stole the earrings doesn't appreciate that. If I catch them, I'll have their arms broken!" Helen exclaimed."Lady Carissa has arrived," someone announced from outside."Why is she here instead of handling things outside? I'm already in bed," said Helen, reluctant to leave her warm bed amidst the cold night air."Mother." Carissa strode in confidently, alone.She knew that the Mystic Pearl earrings would be found in Janice's quarters. Since Janice originally served under Helen, she should decide how to deal with her once the earrings were found.Helen's displeasure evaporated the moment s
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
In the royal study, the braziers still hadn't been lit, and the cold crept in like a quiet intruder, spreading its chill across the room.The reports had been reviewed and signed long ago, yet Salvador lingered, his hand resting idly on the pile of documents. His gaze was fixed on the dim flickering of the lamp's flame, his mind adrift.He read the letter Rafael had written to Carissa, filled with endless longing and heartfelt emotions. It was as if they had just gotten married, and they were deeply in love and inseparable.This wasn't the first time Salvador had read their letters. While there had been expressions of longing in the past, none were as bold and reckless as this.Such words would feel awkward to say out loud, let alone write down. Salvador thought his younger brother's actions were inappropriate and too careless.There were far better ways to win a woman's affection—why resort to this?And yet, despite his disapproval, something within him stirred, like a stone t
Balin entered the city with just a dozen men. They were all strong and sturdy, with curved blades at their waists, looking fierce and intimidating.But when they sat down to eat and drink, their tanned faces broke into wide, radiant smiles.Balin was in his fifties, with skin as dark and shining as his men's, his eyes sharp and intelligent. He was a man of great wisdom and was meticulous in his thinking. In other words, he remained cautious and never fully trusted the Hell Monarch.His one demand was simple: this would be a one-time alliance. After driving back the Sandorians, the Southern Frontier Army was to withdraw from the grasslands swiftly. No one was to step foot in the heart of the grasslands again without permission.Rafael agreed, and the treaty was signed immediately.Once the agreement was made, they didn't linger any longer than necessary and left.The grassland tribes held little fondness for Starhaven, as the endless warfare often spilled over into their territori
After the lively wedding banquet, Carissa returned to Hell Monarch Estate, only to be struck by an unexpected chill in Orchid Hall. Her thoughts turned to Rafael, who was far away in the Southern Frontier. She hadn't counted the days since they had parted, but it felt like an eternity.She was about to head out to the Glimmering Tower as usual to see Adrian, but then she remembered that he had returned to Meadow Ridge.A pang of emptiness settled in her chest.She thought back to how Rosalind had seemed tonight. Carissa realized that when a woman got married, her heart was filled with so much joy, excitement, and bashfulness. The happiness just radiated from Rosalind.Carissa thought back to her own two weddings—both had been too calm and quiet.Lulu helped remove her makeup and was about to prepare a bath, but Carissa stopped her, pulling her down to sit beside her instead."Lulu, I've mentioned before that we need to talk about your marriage. Have you thought about anyone in
Thomas and Rosalind's wedding had been postponed time and time again, but finally, they found a favorable day to celebrate. The event wasn't extravagant, but as the granddaughter of the royal chancellor, it still carried the necessary dignity.Victoria led the way, and the other palace ladies followed suit, each offering generous gifts to Rosalind for her trousseau. The students of Gracewood Women's Academy also rallied to show their support, presenting Rosalind with handmade wedding gifts. Most of the girls at the academy came from humble backgrounds. Though their gifts weren't costly, the thought and effort they put into embroidering and crafting the items was the most meaningful part.Rosalind's wedding dress had been commissioned long in advance from Camila. The gown had previously been displayed in Skye Embroidery, where it had caught the eye of many young women. They all dreamed of wearing such a beautiful dress for their own weddings. Camila was already well-known, but now
Salvador summoned Eustace to the palace for an audience.Eustace had come prepared. Though he had led his bodyguards and the merchant convoys to quell the unrest, the connection between the Spencer family's collateral branch and Nicholas couldn't be easily dismissed. Even if Salvador publicly declared their merits balanced with their faults, it was not something that could be swept aside without consequence.However, Salvador's attitude towards Eustace was surprisingly warm. The former even praised him for his loyalty to the throne and his patriotic spirit, noting that he resembled his late father in his unwavering commitment. The previous head of the Spencer family had been generous to the court, contributing substantial funds during times of war.Eustace understood the underlying message and quickly offered, "With both the Southern Frontier and Victory Pass embroiled in battle, the Spencer family is willing to contribute in whatever small way we can. We will donate 300,000 silve
Adrian had been in the capital for some time now. In the past, he had been consumed with his studies on sacred firearms, leaving little room for anything else. But now, with some free time, he used the excuse of being unable to let go of the business in the city to extend his stay.The truth was, he was concerned for Carissa.His interest in sacred firearms had begun with his trip to Nerathia to study their methods. He had done it for the Southern Frontier, then Hector, and ultimately, for Rafael and Carissa.As a mentor, Adrian knew that they each had their own paths to walk. He couldn't prevent them from forging their own futures, but he could help them however he could and act as their support.Adrian often claimed he wasn't cut out to be a teacher. But the truth was, his apprentices were exceptional. Each one of them was a person of great character. None of them needed his constant concern—except for Carissa.She had always been wild and carefree. But even so, she had mast