After taking Amelia to Arcane Sanctum, Carissa requested the sanctum's staff to block the Warren family members from entering. Without Amelia's consent, they were not allowed to visit.The Warren family men had followed closely, but the guards at Arcane Sanctum turned them away. They stated that the physicians were in the middle of treating a patient and that no one was allowed to barge in at night, instructing the family to go back.However, Benjamin insisted on seeing his wife.When persuasion failed, the four guardians of Arcane Sanctum intervened, pushing and shoving the Warren family members away. Barrett dared not intervene, and the others didn't have the authority to act.As head of the family, Jonathan ordered, "Let's go back. She's safe inside Arcane Sanctum."Jonathan had always kept a low profile at home, often retreating during crises and never taking charge. But in this situation, he had to assert himself, and Benjamin had no choice but to comply, especially since the
At Valor Estate, nearly everyone from the main household gathered in Rebecca's room. The only exception was Charlotte's side of the family and Aurora.Rebecca trembled with fury. "She jumped into the river? And Carissa saved her? If she wanted to die, why couldn't she just go quietly? Why did she have to make such a fuss? Clearly, she knew someone would save her! What is she resentful about? When has our family ever mistreated her? "She has no skills, no ability to manage a household, and no family to rely on. All I asked was for her to care for me while I was ill, and she acts like she's suffered some great injustice! She even went out seeking death as if that would solve anything!"If this gets out, people will think I'm a cruel mother-in-law! This isn't a request for death—it's a desire to see me dead! Does someone truly wanting to die need to disturb so many people? If she were serious, she would've jumped long ago!"Benjamin still hadn't come to terms with what had happened
Barrett's shoulders slumped slightly. Here they went again!With all this bickering, peace was nowhere to be found in the household. For a brief moment, he truly understood how Amelia felt—he didn't want to stay here either.He looked up and saw that his father had quietly slipped out. It was always like this. Whenever there was a dispute Jonathan couldn't handle, he would sneak away.Barrett glanced at his older and younger brothers. Benjamin wore a helpless expression, clearly at a loss for what to do, while Bryan was just waiting for a chance to speak up for Rebecca."Enough!" Barrett shouted, his voice cutting through the tension. "Stop arguing! When Amelia returns, she will still be in charge of the household. My salary will go to the family fund, and how it gets spent will be up to her."Viola's face was resolute and icy. "I won't agree to that! There's no way I'll allow it! Why should you be the only one responsible for their expenses?"Barrett felt a surge of anger and
The next day, Benjamin went to Arcane Sanctum to pick up Amelia. However, the guards wouldn't let him inside, so he ended up waiting outside for two hours.In the back courtyard of Arcane Sanctum, Amelia quietly enjoyed a meal, slowly sipping a cup of coffee. She looked up at Ivy and said, "I haven't had such a leisurely meal in a long time."Ivy replied, "If you want, you can have a leisurely meal tonight, or anytime in the future. No one here will chase you away."Amelia stared at the dark liquid for a while before finally standing up and saying, "I'm going back with him."Ivy furrowed her brow. "Have you thought this through? You need to be sure. If you go back now, they might not treat you well.""I have to return eventually," Amelia said, her eyes slightly red but still managing a small smile. "Thank you, Ivy.""Why are you so polite? He's waiting outside. Let me prepare some medicine for you to take home. Just wait a moment.""No need. I don't need any medicine. I'm perfec
Rebecca lounged on a luxurious chaise, her eyes like icy daggers. "Kneel!" she commanded, her voice sharp and cold.Amelia dropped to her knees without hesitation. In an instant, a slap landed on her cheek, accompanied by a vicious curse. "Why didn't you die out there? What are you doing back here? Threatening to take your own life? You've got some nerve!" Rebecca shrieked. Tara tried to intervene, "Madam Rebecca, please calm down! Madam Amelia knows she was wrong. Let's not make things worse for your health."Without a word, Rebecca picked up a cup from the nearby table and hurled it at Amelia's head. "Now she knows she's wrong? When she was causing all this chaos, did she even think about her mistakes? She's brought disgrace to our family! Get out of my sight! Kneel at the courtyard gate until tomorrow! You don't stand up until I say so!"The cup shattered on the floor. Warm liquid mixed with the blood dripping from Amelia's forehead.At this sight of the blood, Tara sigh
Benjamin agreed with Gregory, but stubbornly believed that Amelia first needed Rebecca's forgiveness. He understood now that his mom's reaction wasn't entirely unjustified. If Amelia kept threatening to end her life, the same situation would just keep repeating.To put a stop to it, he decided to harden his heart and ignore her.As the temperature dropped sharply that night, the cold crept into the bones of the kneeling Amelia. She had been frozen in place for most of the day, resembling a statue, utterly still.Tara draped a cloak over Amelia's shoulders before going inside to persuade Rebecca. The old woman refused to budge, insisting her daughter-in-law must remain kneeling until the next day."If I don't punish her severely, how will she ever realize her mistake?" Rebecca said coldly."But it's so cold, and Madam Amelia has already caught a chill from the water. She might end up worse off," Tara urged."No more talking! Close the door. If anyone else begs for her again, she'l
Rebecca woke up, her eyes fixed on the ceiling above her. The horrific image of Amelia hanging outside her door was still vivid in her mind. A chill ran through her, and her chest felt heavy.After a long silence, she spat out bitterly, "What a wretch! A wretch who doesn't know how to appreciate her blessings!"Tara had cried her heart out, regretting that she hadn't gone outside to check. If only she had left earlier! Perhaps then, she could have saved Amelia. Her heart ached with sorrow.Hearing Rebecca's harsh words, she couldn't help but softly defend Amelia, "Madam Rebecca, Madam Amelia did her best to care for you. Now that she's gone, please stop cursing her."Rebecca snapped back, "Why shouldn't I curse her? If she wanted to die, she could have at least done it farther away! Dying right at my doorstep—who is she trying to upset?"After her outburst, she couldn't help but cry."I never imagined she was such a vile person. Hanging herself at my door only cements my reputati
Even though it was a suicide, the Royal Citadel still needed to investigate whether there was any foul play involved. Though Gregory was a Royal Citadel official, he couldn't participate in the inquiry since it involved his direct family.Anthony sent people to ask questions, and each person had a different opinion of Amelia.Viola claimed she was selfish and lazy, while Barrett described his late sister-in-law as quite understanding.Rebecca didn't hold back, calling her a poisonous, gluttonous, and deceitful woman, a disgrace to the Warren family.Aurora, who rarely stepped outside of Blessed Haven, simply remarked, "Who cares?"The servants said she was kind but easily deceived, someone who could be easily bullied. Charlotte wept, saying Amelia was a poor soul trapped in her circumstances.Yet, Benjamin couldn't describe her at all.After thinking for a long while, the only image that came to mind for him was of his wife quietly taking care of him every time he returned hom
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